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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69170	Salomons pest-house, or tovvre-royall Nevvly re-edified and prepared to preserue Londoners with their families, and others, from the doubted deluge of the plague. Item, a laudable exercise for those that are departed, or shall depart out of the city into the country, to spend their time till they returne. A handfull of holy meditations vsefull and requisite for Gods people ... By the reuerend, learned, and godly diuine I.D. preacher of Gods word. Whereunto is added Mr Hollands admonition, and Mr Phaers prescription for bodily physicke. Also, London looke-backe: a description or representation of the great and memorable mortality an. 1625. in heroicke matchlesse lines, by A.H. of Tr. Colledge in Cambridge.	I. D., preacher of Gods word.; Holland, Henry, 1583-1650? Spirituall preservatives against the pestilence.; Houssemaine, Nicolas de, d. 1523. Régime contre la peste.; Holland, Abraham, d. 1626. London looke-backe.; Phayer, Thomas, 1510?-1560.	1630 (1630)	STC 6176; ESTC S117096	52,379	80

keepeth vs from the Princes court Let not feare keepe vs from the court of heauen Nehem 2● Nehemiah although hee held the cup to the King yet how fearefull hee was to make a request vnto him But as for you O ye righteous soules feare yee not O you little flocke for it is your fathers pleasrue to giue you a Kingdome Luk. 12. Further in time of contagion not only the court but also the other cities townes and villages will not often lodge them that come from contagious places either the Lord of the soile or the magistrate of those places forbidding it but as for that heauenly Ierusalem and the Lord of the liuing thervnto euery one may resort the Lord and magistrate of heauen doth not interdict it Dauid cried vnto the Lord and said thou art my portion in the land of the liuing Psal 142.5 At Rome the housen of the Aediles were alwaies open for all men that they might resort thither to haue their causes heard and so is the house of the Lord for the afflicted soules In some places there are appointed as I my selfe haue seene watchmen with halbards to aske the passengers from whence they come and sometimes to keepe out those that come from infected places but in our going to this place we need not to haue such feare for as Chrysostome saith Hic non est miles assistens qui expellat here there is no Sergiant or Soldier to keepe thee out If the cities of the earth shut their gates before thee thou canst not enter As for that heauenly Ierusalem it is not lockt and although it were prayer as Augustine speaketh is a key to open heauen to bring thee to the presence of God Serm. 226. detemp the Towne and Villages in times of infection although they receiue some yet they will not harbour many and often there is no place for multitudes but so is it not with the name of Iehouah with this strong tower it is not like vnto the bulwarkes of mortall men into the which if too many enter they will hinder one another this fortresse can receiue millions and millions without any impediment Further the temple is also interdicted to the infected for they are commanded by the magistrate to keepe their housen for a time or if they come they are entreated to sit a side but the Lords holy temple aboue in heauen is not forbidden vnto the infected nor to any man it is lawfull for them to go thither and pray and that with the successe of Dauid Psal 18. In my trouble I did call vpon the Lord and cried vnto my God and he heard my voyce out of his Temple 6. A place neere vnto the Citie Sixtly some make a choyse in the plague time of a place which is neere whereunto they may easily goe without any great trouble or cost the name of the Lord is such a place compendious to cut off vnnecessarie labours yee need not to runne farre the Lord is neere as the Prophet speaketh to all them that call vpon him neither will it cost vs any thing mony or merites intercession of friends or gifts Poore men yee that want friendes or money and therefore cannot prouide your selues a place be not dismaide behold here is a place which will cost you nothing It is a place whereunto we may go at all times at dinner time and at supper as Chrysostome speaketh in the day time and at mid-night in thy health and in thy sicknesse the sicke man may ly downe vpon his bed and goe vnto it and when with King Ezekiah he cannot vse the feet of the flesh yet may he vse the feet of the spirit In a moment we can flie thither for as soone as we haue finished our prayer we are alreadie come to this place and to the Lord of this soyle our prayer and God meeting one another in heauen as Iesus Christ and the woman at the Well Ioh. 4. As for earthly places whereunto men resort either they are far off vneasie to goe vnto and that with trouble and cost or expences sometimes we are stopped we must haue Warrants and Certificates of the Parish Church-wardens that our house is not infected before we can be admitted all this trouble we need not in the time of plague in our going to the name of the Lord nothing will stop vs the bodily plague shall be no impediment for wee haue a warrant that we may passe the King of heauen his warrant in the 50. Psalme Call vpon me c. The warrant of the infected and therefore this place is better then the earthly where the fearefull sonnes of men dwell which feare the apparrel houshold-stuffe yea and thy letters I know nothing then to stop our passage but the plague of the soule as the Lord of this soyle telleth vs in the 2. Cor. 6.17 Touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you Obiection But I heare the weake conscience obiect I am infected with the plague of the soule and therefore it is not lawfull for me to call vpon the name of the Lord it is for the righteous as Salomon speaketh but alas I am vnrighteous and how can I therefore go vnto this strong tower The answer is Answer for thy comfort O weake conscience that Salomon speaketh not of them that are righteous by their owne righteousnesse but by the righteousnes of Christ Iesus such are all the faithful in whose mortall bodies the plague of sin doth not remaine their infirmities being healed by Dauids Physician Psal 103. If yee desire a certificate thereof you haue the Gospell subscribed and sealed by God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost If yee desire a witnesse ye haue a threefold witnesse The spirit the water and the bloud 1. Ioh. 5.8 7. A place where we may haue a Physician Lastly wee make choyse of such places where if need be we may haue good Physicians for we esteeme it a great miserie to be destitute of a good Physician and of meanes to helpe vs in our neede The place of refuge whereunto Dauid fled and wee also ought to flie following his direction hath the best Physician which is both in heauen or earth God the Father King Dauids Physician who hath both health and sicknesse life and death in his power to dispose of them for our good and saluation knocke therefore boldly with the hand of prayer and repentance at the gate of his mercie and thrust in his hands both thy life and health And thus much for the qualities and properties of the place To pray for others is also requisite Further we haue to obserue that Dauid went not to this place of refuge alone but with his whole family for he prayed with the Elders of the people for the people and for the deliuerance of his whole kingdome Herein imitate King Dauid remember in thy prayer thy whole family and the state of the whole kingdome the Tribe of Iudah and

SALOMONS PEST-HOVSE OR TOVVRE-ROYALL NEWLY RE-EDIFIED and prepared to preserue Londoners with their Families and others from the doubted Deluge of the Plague Item A laudable exercise for those that are departed or shall depart out of the City into the Country to spend their time till they returne A handfull of Holy Meditations vsefull and requisite for Gods people men and women of all Estates and degrees in these doubtfull dayes whether troubled in body or minde and whether Gods visitation of the Plague increase or decrease By the reuerend learned and godly Diuine I. D. Preacher of Gods word Whereunto is added Mr Hollands Admonition and Mr Phaers Prescription for bodily Physicks Also London Looke-backe A description or representation of the great and memorable Mortality An. 1625. in Heroicke matchlesse lines By A. H. of Tr. Colledge in Cambridge LONDON ¶ Printed by THOMAS HARPER and are to be sold in Greene Harbour by MICHAEL SPARKE at the signe of the Bible 1630. TO ALL YOV The Israel of God that be at London Cambridge or elsewhere beloued of God called to be Saints Grace bee with you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 1.7 with all that call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in euery place both their Lord and ours 1 Cor. 1.2 This comfortable Treatise is commended ⸪ To the judicious Christian READER BEloued The wisest Preacher of a mortall man and of immortall memorie that euer was or shall bee inspired with the spirit of God saith There is a time to weepe as well as to laugh a time to mourne as well as to dance And certes seeing euery man and woman vnder their owne Vines and Fig-trees haue a long time satiated themselues with laughing and dauncing or making merry with their friends doubtlesse now is the time that God calls for weeping and mourning at the least For hath he not shot diuers of his Arrowes and haue not some Bullets fallen from his warning Pieces which Arrowes and Bullets both poysoned with the Pestilence haue hit and slaine some people not onely in and about this populous Citie but elsewhere in the spatious Country also And who perceiueth not that the destroying Angel hath vnsheathed his sword and brandished it ouer vs of this Citie vs of this whole Land Yea the black Horse of the Pestilence with pale Death on his backe hath beene and is est-soones prauncing and trampling in the streets of our Citie at midnight And the Angell hauing wings hath flowne also into the Country and there done as before Now though the sinfull sonnes and daughters of men lie neuerthelesse still sleeping in their sensualites yet the vigilant Watchmen of our English Israel haue discouered both the one and the other That is the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell obseruing this Gods begun iudgement and further threat'ned punishment of the Pestilence they I say haue not spared both in Citie and Country publickly and priuately with feruencie to pray for vs for the preuenting and diuerting of Gods further furious Hand vpon vs and in their preachings with their siluer Trumpets to lift vp their voyces to sound aloud and cry downe the high-crying sinnes of this Citie of this Land Yea diuers of these worthy Ministers haue beene and are so zealous in praying and preaching for Repentance and Perseuerance that their throats are growne hoarse their bodies weak and their healths impaired In so much that vulgar Profanists and Carnallists of the time like as Festus once said of Paul are ready to say much zeale hath made them mad But howeuer for this their assiduitie and indefatigable labour of loue their reward is with the Lord and though the zeale of Gods House doe eat them vp yet they shall once shine as Starres in the Firmament of Heauen Among those reuerend Diuines one hath compiled this comfortable Treatise or to vse its proper Title-phrase hath reedified and prepared this Pest-house or Tower-Royall first built by King Salomon so many hundred yeeres agone before he turned from a Prince to a Preacher If any list to be curiously inquisitiue and aske who or what is the Authour this I. D or to question his attributes of reuerend learned godly Giue me the publisher his friend leaue to answer First that happ'ly his humilitie is such and for some reasons in his Christian wisedome he desires not to haue the Phylacterie of his Name expressed and it being so he is not the first of Gods people that hath desired his name to be obscured in a comfortable and vsefull worke Secondly for his attributes let me also answer for the first they that know him doe know him so to be for the two latter let his labour it selfe answer and witnesse for him To conclude Whosoeuer the Author is or whatsoeuer I the publisher am Know this courteous Reader that it was written and is published for mine owne and thy Christian solace and comfort now in a requisite time of a begun Sicknesse and Mortalitie the meditation wherof in our best healths will doe vs doubtlesse no hurt And who knoweth Yes the Lord knoweth whether it may be his Swan-like Song this writing mine For who can number vnto himselfe any more dayes or houers Lord teach me so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisedome in labouring to make my peace with God And for my paines in publishing hereof let me craue your Prayers And so I betake you to God and the good Word of his Grace which is able in sicknesse in health in life in death in Citie or Countrie to build you vp further and to giue you an Inheritance in Salomons strong Towre-Royall among them that are sanctified Farewell in Christ H. D. A Post-script to the Reader SInce God began this yeere his Visitation and to shake his Rod of the Pestilence ouer vs I haue obserued an errour among the sonnes of men viz. They haue beene and are very diligent in enquiring after the weekly Bils of mortality and they that could first obtaine the Bill from their Parish Clarks haue acknowledged to be most beholden vnto them and I will not simply condemne this their diligence But come we to enquire what vse they haue made of this their double diligence and prime-intelligence If they haue found an increase of the number haue they humbled themselues in Prayer endeauouring to depart from their sinnes to trauaile to this Towre-Royall in the sequell for safetie Surely no few or none haue so done the increase happ'ly hath deiected them made them murmure and proiect to flee to their Country-houses here or there and peraduenture to send beforehand their Wiues Children and Houshold-stuffe yea very carefull they haue been are for this their bodily safegard Againe on the other side if they haue seene by the Bill a decrease in the number how many nay how few haue returned to God by the way of thankfulnesse for such his great mercy forbearance I feare and it

haue I in heauen but thee saith Dauid he saith not that he had a Moses or a Samuel haue all these erred Euen so will we with them Secondly yee goe to them that cannot helpe you let them arise if they can helpe you in the time of your miserie Iere. 2. In the famine of Samaria 2. Reg. 6. a woman crying to the King helpe me O King hee answered seeing the Lord doth not succour thee how should I helpe thee Concluding secondly that if the Lord withdraw his helping hand it lieth not in the power of mortall man to helpe So wee may answere the Papists crying in the time of plague to their Sebastian helpe and laid vs Saint Sebastian If it lieth not in the power of mortal men that are liuing with vs to helpe how much lesse can they that are dead And farre lesse one that perhaps hath neuer beene As for the Angels they are displeased that ye come to them to thrust vpon them such a dangerous honour they may say as Dauid Psal 115. Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs c. they that refused a farre smaller offer vpon the earth Apoc. 22.9 the onely bowing of the knee vnto them See thou doe it not will bee much more discontented to see the knees of the heart to stoup to them for the ceasing of the plague for although an Angel smote seuentie thousand in the time of Dauid yet he was but the instrument God onely the agent and therefore he onely to be prayed vnto If the Papists reply that they intreate onely Saint Sebastian Obiection to speake vnto God for them Answer the answer is that God needeth not a Sebastian nor any Saint so euer to be his Master of Request this is a seruice not vnmeet for the gouernours of the earth the Lord is not like vnto earthly Princes vnto the which may be said that which Iethro said Exod. 18. to Moses the thing is too heauie for thee thou art not able to doe it thy selfe alone for the Almightie is able to doe it alone neither is there any defect in his hearing whose eares are open to the prayers of the poore Let vs therefore hold Christ Iesus alone for the Master of Requests it is he onely that can present our requests which we make vnto the Lord for the ceasing of the plague let others run where they will to stickes and stones from the name of the Lord I doe you no iniurie to impute this to you for as Hilarie writeth vpon the first Psalme It is as great an offence to make a new as to denie the true God The Lord annoynt your eyes with his eye-salue that ye may returne to flie to the name of Iehouah As for vs we will follow the holy Canon and leaue the broad way whose end is destruction saying with Dauid Psal 11.1 In the Lord put I my trust how say ye then to my soule flie to your mountain as a bird Matth. 7. I end the first branch of this discourse with that holy Epiphoneme of King Dauid Psal 146.5 Blessed is hee that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God After the name of the place and other circumstances The second part the properties of the place there followeth in the two places the condition properties quality and safenesse of the place whereunto we must run in the time of the plague The sonnes of men in the time of infection before their departure haue a speciall regard of the place where they will goe of the situation nature and such like and being led by the prescription of the Physician Secondly by their owne minde they make choyse commonly of a place in which they perceiue these seuen properties following and although Salomon here maketh mention but of one namly of a safe place yet giue me leaue to discourse of the rest First they go where there is a good wholsome pure ayre 1 A pure place not subiect to stinking euaporations it is the prescriptiō of the Physicians that we should go vnto places where the ayre is not corrupted far from the infection Dauid fled to such a place for such is the name of Iehouah a pure place far from the corruptions of this world for he is a pure incorruptible God in whom there is no infectiō of sin the Lord holy holy holy not admitting those in whose mortall bodies the plague of sin doth raign to pray then to repent is to returne go to a wholesom light Eccle. 17.24 The places whereunto the sons of men flye although they are for a time corrupted yet they are not warrāted stil so to remain diuers alteratiōs by sundry meanes may befall as by the resort of persons infected such like but the name of Iehouah this place of refuge shal neuer be altered for he is the immutable vnchāgeable God the gates of that Citie no vncleane person shal enter Apoc 22.14 15. Secondly men make choyse of a pleasant and delectable place 2 A pleasant place both for their bodies and soules where there is good companie to recreate themselues in their sorrow and exile foode and necessaries for their bodies further by the riuer side or where there is good water lastly where they may also haue food for their soules the word of God Preached This place of refuge the name of Iehouah is a pleasant and delectable place where canst thou better recreate thy selfe then by thy Father and brother Iesus Christ in this thy exile and miserie Comfortable is the bosome of the mother to the yong infant but more comfortable is the name of the Lord to the righteous which are called little babes by the Apostle Paul maketh mention in his voyage toward Rome of a certaine place which was called The faire hauens Act. 27. this place of refuge better deserued this name let vs goe thither for it is a harbour and rode for those which are tossed in the sea and deluge of the Pestilence happy is the soule that landeth at these hauens If we desire water there is the fountaine of life Iere. 2. the water of grace Psal 51. If we desire the word there is the word it selfe Iesus Christ Ioh. 1 the truth Ioh 14. There is the best the first the ancientest Preacher God himselfe that preached in Paradise Thirdly in our choyse we seeke out a safe place whither we may goe without danger 3 A safe place and where we may abide safe and dwell without danger The name of Iehouah is a safe harbour the secret place and shadow of the most high Psal 91.1 vnder whose wings we shall abide safe and harmelesse Three things prooue the safenesse of this place First the name of the place it is A strong towre Prou. 18.10 A secret place Psal 32.7 A rocke and fortresse Psal 18. which is inuincible Such are not the fortresses of mortall men which they are constrained to render vp being

driuen thereunto either by famine or force as Seba in the time of Dauid hereof is a witnesse Secondly the Lord of the soyle which inhabiteth that place his name is Iehouah the Almightie Psal 91.1 the strong and inuincible God who will and is able to preserue vs. Thirdly it is prooued by the successe of those who run to it by that which they receiue they are exalted preserued or deliuered saith Salomon which Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 32.7 and is confirmed by the successe of Dauids prayer 2. Sam. 24.25 and the plague ceased from Israel Comfortable is the saying of Dauid Psal 91.3.15.16 in which sixe things prooue the happie successe of the righteous that runneth vnto it First Gods ready answere Secondly his presence Thirdly his deliuerance Fourthly his aduancement to honour Fiftly length of dayes Sixtly fruition of saluation O the excellent riches pleasures and ioyes which the righteous there shall enioy As Lot there fled vnto little Zoar to be preserued from the fire of Sodome Gen. 1● So let vs flie to the name of Iehouah to be safe from the fire of the plague The earthly places whereunto men run do want this propertie they are not warranted to be safe there either from danger or from the plague and the experience of this yeere doth declare it vnto vs all Some haue returned and some haue died there but as for the name of Iehouah thy soule is certaine to be preserued if thither shee taketh her recourse and as they onely escaped the flood that entred into the Arke of Noah So likewise they that enter into this incorruptible and immortall Arke shall only be safegarded from the deluge of afflictions The Doue of Noah at her first flight from the Arke although shee mounted aloft and fetched many retires yet shee could finde no resting vntill shee returned againe to the Arke So the poore soule may flie where shee will but yet shee shall not haue any sure footing to rest except shee returne to the heauenly Arke let vs therefore be wise as Serpents and simple as Doues for as they being persecuted flie vnto the rockes so let vs in our calamities take our recourse to the rocke of Dauid Psal 18.2 neuer haue there bin holes in the rockes so open for the doue as the name of Iehouah for the righteous soules There are two renowmed places mentioned by Plinie Locris and Crotone where the plague was neuer as he writeth lib. 1. cap. 96. and without doubt many resorted thither but although we should flie at this day to Locris and Crotone if wee carrie within vs the plague of sinne the inward cause of the bodily contagion we haue no warrant to bee safegarded But me thinkes I heare a controuersie Obiection Many righteous haue fled to the name of the Lord and yet haue not beene safe from the deluge of the pestilence or from the snare of the hunter but thousands and thousands are fallen in former visitations yea some of the chosen of Israel Answer The answer is that they haue first obtained either that which they prayed for secondly or that which is better or thirdly that which is sufficient And the Lord heareth vs alwayes although alwayes he granteth not our petition this seemeth a Paradox and yet the trueth thereof is manifest for in steed of that we asked he giueth vs a better thing and a better place thou askest the earth saith Augustine and the Lord giueth thee heauen temporall life he giueth thee the eternal The Surgion that saweth off the arme or legge of the Patient who crieth for impatience apprehension he areth him Non secundū voluntatem sed sanitatē not according to his wil but according to his health so the Lord dealeth with his Patients 4. A place where they haue friends Fourthly to proceed men make choice of places where they haue their friends the children resort to their parents the parents to their children brethren to their brethren and one friend to another The name of the Lord is a place of refuge where we haue our bestfriends there we haue our Father our eldest brother Christ Iesus the holy Ghost our comforter and therefore Dauid in the time of Plague went to this comfortable place Experience hereof Anno 1625. In earthly places vnto which the sonnes of men resort either we haue no friends or they are farre off and therfore we seeke other or sometimes although we haue friends yet they will not receiue vs for feare of infection but in this holy temple and vpon this holy mountaine we are sure to finde at all times the aforesaid friends 5. A place accessible for all men Fiftly we haue regard to choose a place which is lawful for all men to come vnto which is not prohibited or forbidden by the Lord of the soyle and Magistrate of the place and where we know we shall be receiued This place of refuge is such accessible for all men for whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel. 2.32 Neuer a citie of refuge so free for all manner of transgressions hither may come the King and the subiect the rich and the poore the learned and the vnlearned the merchant and the tradesman the sound and the sicke yea the infected with the plague In the time of infection it is not lawfull for them that dwell where the contagion reigneth to com vnto the Princes Court they are forbiddē by Proclamation to resort thither But the court of heauen is open for all men yea the for infected for they cannot infect the Court of heauen The King of heauen his proclamation the King of heauen hath made a Proclamation in the 50. Psal that we should resort thither the Prince of glory Iesus Christ who keepeth his residence there will not keepe vs backe If the Prince had made a Proclamation that the infected should resort to his court to bee healed who would not hasten thither It was not lawfull for all men to come to the inner Court of King Ahassuerus Esth 4. none might approach but they to whom hee held out his golden Scepter except he would die the death that was appointed for such as durst come neere no such kind of punishment is appointed for those that goe vnto the Courte of the King of heauen we may approach boldely to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 the scepter of our King I meane not that yron scepter of his iustice but the golden of his mercie is euer held forth to man woman children bond or free stranger or Citizen infected or not infected whether they be called or not called and they all may safely approach I name not neither inward or outward court but euen to the throne of grace where the King himselfe sitteth and if there we craue of him I say not to the halfe of his Kingdome as Ahassuerus spake vnto Ester but to the whole it shall not bee denied vs. Feare of punishment

and a vessell to comprehend other graces and she emptying herselfe by a modest estimation of her owne gifts is filled againe by the Lord. Let vs now beloued as it were striue by humility with the Lord according to the policy of Iacob Let vs winne by yeelding and the lower we stoupe towards the ground the more aduantage we shall get to obtaine The Lord to whom we goe if this humility be in vs will both dwell with vs and in vs. O Lord saith Austine how high art thou and yet the humble of heart are thine houses to dwell in The proud Pharisie Luk. 18. went vnto the Lord without his furniture praying with pride and with a scornefull demonstration and therefore returned not iustified as the Publican O that we had not for the most part of vs all such Pharisaicall eye browes whether we talke with God or man that we might heare that comfortable voice which was spoken vnto Daniel Feare not Cap. 10.12 for from the first day that thou diddest humble thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard Let vs therefore vse to conclude this point this humble stile of Dauid it hath beene the stile of a King and although it seemeth in glorious yet it hath beene the stile of the glorious Saints of God it will giue vs the honour of Saints and raise vs from the dust set vs vpon the thrones and if it please the Lord to take vs away by the plague it will place vs with Angels let vs not then brethren forget it that the anger of the Lord may cease and that with ioy hereafter wee may sing with Marie in her Canticle Luk. 2. Hee hath regarded the lowlinesse of his handmaide The fourth piece of houshold-stuffe is Reuerence deuotion Feruencie and zeale zeale and feruencie For the noyse of our lips if it bee as the ringing of Basons a vocall modulation without cordiall meditation it cannot procure vs audience for it is as the offering of the halt and the lame a body without a soule it is the counsell of the wise man Eccle. 5.1 Bee not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God Our prayers must not bee a formall seruice onely but the sighes of our soules must bee sent with an earnest message to the cares of God they must not be perfunctorie and cold rather of custome then of deuotion for a prayer from fained lips will returne empty into the bosome that sent it vp When wee goe to this place let vs not goe as if our soules and tongues were strangers the one not knowing what the other doth our lips babling without and our heart not pricked with any inward compunction for else it is as the altar without fire a perfunctorie prayer is as the prayer of the Parret Iohannes Fridericus the Prince of Saxonia had a Parret who could rehearse the Latine Pater noster Cardinall Ascanius had another who rehearsed the Creed representing perhaps the faith and praying of his Master What are the carelesse deuotions of those who leaue their spirits as it were in a slumber while they are a praying but like vnto those two Parrets babbling as they must bee deuote so must they be feruent kindled by a burning zeale inflamed with feruent loue and as the Harts bray after the water brookes so must our soules after the liuing God Psal 42. For the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much c. if it be feruent Iam 5.16 If we are desirous to know the necessity of this zeale and feruencie receiue these directions following First the example of Christ biddeth vs goe thither with this zeale Christians receiue directions for the framing of this holy exercise from Christ who offered vp prayers with strong crying and teares Heb. 5. hee that was the mighty Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda hath roared in his supplications Secondly the spirit of God biddeth vs goe thither with zeale for hee maketh requests in our names with grones not to be expressed Rom. 8. Thirdly the Maiestie of the sacred Lord of Hosts to whom we flye the royaltie of his nature sublimitie of his place dominion ouer Angels biddeth vs goe thither with zeale Fourthly the view of our mortalitie and of our sin by which we haue caused the Lords destroying Angell to vnsheath biddeth vs to goe thither with zeale Lastly the hope and expectation of successe the delicacie and tendernesse of the eares of God and the precious fauour of his countenance which must bee wisely intreated and carefully sought for biddeth vs to goe thither with zeale vnlesse we will sow and not reape plant Vines and not drinke the wine thereof The fift and last piece of houshold-stuffe 5 Patience is Christian patience a submission vnto his holy will and pleasure a vertue proper vnto the righteous Dauid carried it with him thither and wee must not leaue it behinde vs following the streames of our foolish appetites 2 Sam. 24. we must limit our prayer in God and his holy will asking absolutely his glory and our saluation but remitting the meanes vnto his wisedome and pleasure The fountaine of our heart must not powre foorth sweet and sowre together praying but with impatience let vs set him no time as the Disciples did about the kingdome of Israel but let vs come to the resolution of Dauid 2 Sam. 15. Behold here am I let him doe to me as it seemeth good in his eyes Iudi 8. Worthy is the Oration of Iudith which shee made to her people of Bethulia who would deliuer vp the Citie into the hands of the enemy vnlesse within few dayes the Lord should helpe them Who are you that haue tempted the Lord and set your selues in the place of God Let vs waite for saluation from him and call vpon him to helpe vs and he will heare our voice if it please him thus should wee exhort our selues in our prayers when impatience doth besiege our hearts It is safe for vs to cast the ankers of all our purposes and to stay our wils vpon his will The reasons to perswade vs to bring it with vs are three the first is the prescription of the spirituall Physicians of Christ Luk. 21. and in the prayer which he hath taught vs of Dauid Psal 37.7 and of the rest The second is the Lords equity in all his actions he gouerneth not by lust but by law hee draweth thee not to obedience by a violent chaine of his vnchangeable purpose but by reason and iustice esteeme not his will in the moderating of the world as immoderate hee hath a will but not as inordinate Princes who hauing the raines of dominion giuen into their hands doe many things inordinately without Law Reason Iustice Equity proclaiming with Nero that they may doe all things and that no body may controll them No no beloued his will is alwaies holy alwaies iust and equitable although it seemeth vnto thee vniust The third is the example of

best for they are mortall and corruptible exhort them therfore to vse this friend towards the Lord both for you for themselues for except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper waiteth in vaine saith Dauid Thus I haue shewen you that be at London beloued of God called to be Saints Salomons Pesthouse Psal 127.1 to enter in your families I come now to you beloued that haue left your mother Citie for a time which hope to returne An exercise for the Londoners that are in the Countrey your departure I will not disprooue nor wiser then I if ye haue vsed it lawfully remembring in your exile the affliction of Ioseph And spending the time in those things which make for the peace of your Citie To refresh your minds and spend your time there because the workes of your vocation you cannot exercise diuers other exercises I know are vsed perhaps not so well as ye might all of them I doe not condemne but it is to be feared that the exercises of some haue been are friuolous gamesome quarrellers and that carding dicing and that Cup challenging Profession by which many drinking to health drinke thems●lues out of health haue beene to others as vsuall pastimes as the fields to walke in Giue me leaue beloued to shew you a better Exercise and another pastime the pastime of King Dauid a royall exercise which he vsed in the time of plague his prayer and inuocation with the elders of Israel spend herein your time beloued till ye returne when your Mother mourneth will you sport when the head smarteth shall the members be senselesse pray with the Prophet for the peace of your Ierusalem It is the Apostles precept to pray continually which if it euer was time to practise it is at this present The praise of Prayer Suffer mee to enter into the praise of this exercise diuers things doe adde commendation to it which ought to perswade you to the vse thereof 1 It is Diuine The first argument of praise may be taken from the author thereof Not Moses or Samuel Prophet or Apostle Patriarke or Martyr but God the father God the sonne God the holy Ghost the blessed Trinitie haue beene the authors which make it a diuine and heauenly exercise 2 Honourable The second argument from the persons which haue vsed it we delight in Exercises which are accounted honorable which men of credite and good account doe commonly vse this Exercise is honorable yea royall not base and contemptible onely haue spent their time with it but Kings and Princes King Dauid Manasses Ezechiah and the rest The blessed Prophets Patriarks yea the Prince of glory the sonne of the immortall God Christ Iesus It is so heauenly and honourable that by prayer we doe approach neere vnto God and doe as it were conioyne our selues with him while we are in the body we are absent from home but by prayer we doe ascend into heauen prayer being as it were the band of our internall coniunction with God Further it is honourable not only in regard of the persons which haue vsed it but also to God and vs. To God for thereby we honor and glorifie him Psal 50. acknowledging that all might glory felicity health and saluation belongeth to him and that from him alone we must receiue it To vs for thereby we are familiar with the Lord if it be an honor for vs to be familiar with earthly Princes which are but dust and ashes O what an honour is it then to be familiar with the King of Kings and Monarke of the world It is the chiefest honour whereunto he can aduance vs when hee giueth vs the spirit of prayer If we desire the valour of Knighthood by prayer wee may stand in place where Gods hand hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and horsemen in a kingdome If you esteeme it an honour to be in the seruice of the Prince giue your selfe to prayer it is one of the chiefest parts of Gods seruice Yea it is so excellent that the sacrifice of praier is offered alone to him Christian whom Salomon calleth excellent and glorious It is an honor to be a christian let vs therefore vse the christian exercise two things doe admonish vs our name and the example of Christ Christians we are called annointed also to be Priests and Prophets and that royall Priesthood in Christ Iesus As the Priests offered the sacrifices of bullocks and rammes so let vs offer the sacrifice of prayer which hath also beene Christs exercise Mercy hath praied and shall not miserie Charitie hath praied and shall not iniquity pray the Physician prostrated vpon the ground praieth and shall not the sicke and the patient call vpon the Lord the innocent and he in whose mouth there is no fraud praieth and shall not the sinner the Iudge prayeth and desireth that the Lord would be mercifull and spare his people and shall not the guiltie bee suppliant to receiue mercie The pleasure of it 3 Delectable may bee the third argument of commendation this exercise is pleasant and delectable To spend the time in the Country diuers vse pleasant and delectable Exercises this is both acceptable to God and pleasant to man to God for the sweet odours of our prayers ascend into heauen Apoc. 8. 1 To God And as the sent of incense Odoriferous things is pleasant to the nostrils of mortall man So the prayer of the righteous saith Chrysostome is pleasant to the immortall God It is not then the lamentation of men eiulation of women and children mingling heauen and earth together with a confusion of out-cries that is acceptable to God and which can enforce him to giue vs audience but it is humble prayer the voyce of repentance which as Iesus Syrach speaketh Eccl. 35.16 shall bee accepted with fauour 2 To man and reach vnto the cloudes Secondly to vs all that our heart desireth is in this Exercise Some being in the Countrey spend their time in discourses prayer is a discourse with our beloued If it was a pleasure to Iacob to speake vnto Rachel and to Ionathan with Dauid O what a recreation is it for our soules that they may familiarly speake with him whose loue vnto vs is better then gold or pearle If wee delight to speake languages by prayer wee may speake the excellentest language which hath euer beene the language of Canaan let vs not feare to discourse with the Lord by our prayers for hee is not like vnto the spruce and finicall sonnes of men feare not saith Chrysostome he seeketh not at thy hands painted eloquence an angelicall tongue filed phrases but beholdeth only the beauty of thy soule Others take their pleasure while they are in the Countrey to ride vp and downe in their Coaches and Chariots being carried therein betwixt heauen and earth Let prayer bee