EPISTLES THE THIRD AND LAST VOLVME CONTAINING two Decades By IOSEPH HALL Doctor of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for E. Edgar and A. Garbrand at the Wind-mill in Pauls Church yard 1611. TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCE HENRIE Prince of Wales all happinesse Most Gracious Prince LET mee not whiles I desire to be dutifull seeme importunate in my dedications I now bring to your Highnesse these my last and perhaps most materiall Letters wherein if I mistake not as how easily are wee deceiued in our owne the pleasure of the varietie shall striue with the importance of matter There is no worldly thing I confesse whereof I am more ambitious then of your Highnesses contentment which that you place in goodnesse is not more your glory then our ioy Do so still and heauen and earth shall agree to blesse you and vs in you For me after this my officious boldnesse I shall betake myselfe in silence to some greater worke wherein I may approue my seruice to the Church and to your Highnes as her second ioy and care My heart shall be alwaies and vpon al opportunities my tong and pen shall no lesse gladly bee deuoted to my gracious Master as one Who reioyce to be your Highnesses though vnworthy yet faithfull and obsequious Seruant IOS HALL THE SVMME OF THE SEVERALL EPISTLES DECAD V. EP. I. TO my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery 1. EP. II. To my Lord B. of Worcester Shewing the differences of the present Church from the Apostolicall and needlesnesse of our conformity thereto in all things 21. EP. III. To my Lady MARY DENNY Containing the discription of a Christian and his differences from the worldling 33. EP. IIII. To my L. HONORIA HAY. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptisme and the estate of those which necessarily want it 43. EP. V. To Sir RICHARD LEA since deceased Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions 57. EP. VI. To Master PETER MOVLIN Preacher of the Church at Paris Discoursing of the late French occurrents and what vse God expects to be made of them 69. EP. VII To M. THOMAS SVTTON Exciting him and in him all others to early and chearefull beneficence shewing the necessity and benefit of good workes 77. EP. VIII To E. B. Dedicated to Sir GEORGE GORING Remedies against dulnes and hartlesnesse in our callings and encouragements to chearefulnesse in labour 91. EP. IX To S. H. I. Discussing this Question Whether a man and wife after some yeares mutuall and louing fruition of each other may vpon consent whether for secular or religious causes vowe and performe a perpetuall separation from each others bed and absolutely renounce all carnall knowledge of each other for euer 101 EP. X. To M. WILLIAM KNIGHT Incouraging him to persist in the holy calling of the ministery which vpon conceit of his insufficiency and want of affection he seemed inclining to forsake and change 115 DECAD VI. EP. I. TO my Lord DENNY A particular account how our dayes are or should be spent both common and holy 1 EP. II. To M. T. S. Dedicated to Sir FVLKE GREVILL Discoursing how wee may vse the world without danger 13 EP. III. To S. GEORGE FLEETVVOOD Of the remedies of sinne and motiues to auoide it 21 EP. IIII. To M. Doctor MILBVRNE Discoursing how farre and wherein Popery destroieth the foundation 31. EP. V. Written long since to I. W. Disswading from separation and shortly oppugning the grounds of that errour 41. EP. VI. To Master I. B. A complaint of the mis-education of our Gentry 65 EP. VII To Master IONAS REIGES BERGIVS in Zeland Written some whiles since concerning some new opinions then broaced in the Churches of Holland and vnder the name of Arminius then liuing perswading all great wits to a studie and care of the common Peace of the Church and disswading from al affectation of singularity 75 EP. VIII To W. I. condemned for murder Effectually preparing him and vnder his name whatsoeuer Malefactor for his death 83. EP. IX To Master IOHN MOLE of a long time now prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome Exciting him to his wonted constancie and incouraging him to Martyrdome 93. EP. X. To all Readers Containing Rules of good aduice for our Christian and ciuill carriage 107. Errata DECAD V. PAge 3. line 11. read setlednes for seelednes p. 12. l. 16. read their for they p. 14. l. 4. r. stales for stalls p. 17. l. 13. r. great oppugnation for Great oppugnation p. 23. l. 15. r. person for persons p. 27. l. 19. r. Fastes for Facts p. 28. vlt r. concluding for concluding p. 37. l. 9 r. ingrosses for ingrosse p. 44. l. 2. read heard for hard p. 72. l. 10. r. Duels for Doels p. 72. l. 20. r. Cotton for Cotten p. 74. l. 12. r. holy for wholy p. 84. penult r. death-bed for dead bed p. 92. l. 4. r. more weake for more weaker p. 98. 7. r. our price for our pride p. 104. l. 12. r. then euer forthen neuer p. 110. l. 1. r. matrimoniall for matrimonicall p. 115. l. 8. r. I am not more for I am more p 116. l. r. 20 appose vs for oppose vs DECAD VI. PAge 39. l. 6. r. Judges for Iudge p. 66. l. 19. r. Ruffians for ruffianlike p. 73. l. 5. r. glad for gald p. 87. l. 20. r. let for lets p. 110. l. 12. r. yeeld for yeelds p. 112. l. 11. r. probation for prouation The fifth Decade EPISTLE I. To my Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels. EP. I. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery BY what meanes the Romish religion hath in these latter times preuailed so much ouer the world Right Reuerend and honourable is a consideration both weighty and vse-full for hence may we frame our selues either to preuent or imitate them To imitate them in what wee may or preuent them in what they should not I meddle not with the meanes of their first risings the munificence of Christian Princes the honest deuotions of wel-meaning Contributers the diuision of the Christian world the busie indeauours of forward Princes for the recouery of the holy land with neglect of their owne the ambitious insinuations of that sea the same and large dominiō of those seuen hils the compacted indulgence and conniuence of some treacherous of other timorous rulers the shameles flattery of parasites the rude ignorance of Times or if there be any other of this kinde My thoughts and wordes shall be spent vpon the present and latest age All the world knowes how that pretended chayre of Peter tottered and cracked some threescore yeares agoe threatning a speedy ruine to her fearefull vsurper How is it that still it stands and seemes now to boast of some setlednesse Certainely if hell had not contriued a new support the Angell had long since saide It is fallen it is fallen and the Merchants Alas Alas the great Citie The brood of that lame
good workes as great in riches To be a friend to this Mammon is to be an enemie to God but to make friends with it is roiall and Christian His enemies may be wealthie none but his friends can either be good or doe good Da accipe saith the wise man The Christian which must imitate the hie patterne of his creator knows his best riches to be bounty God that hath all giues all reserues nothing And for himselfe he well considers that God hath not made him an owner but a seruant and of seruants a seruant not of his goods but of the giuer not a treasurer but a Steward whose praise is more to lay out well then to haue receiued much The greatest gaine therfore that he affects is an euen reckning a cleare discharge which since it is obtained by disposing not by keeping he counts reseruation losse and iust expence his trade and ioy he knowes that Well done faithfull seruant is a thousand times more sweet a note then Soule take thine ease for that is the voyce of the master recompencing this of the carnall heart presuming and what follows to the one but his masters ioy what to the other but the losse of his soule Blessed bee that God which hath giuen you an heart to fore thinke this and in this dry and dead age a will to honour him with his own and to credit his Gospell with your beneficence Lo we are vpbrayded with barrennesse your name hath beene publikly opposed to these challenges as in whom it shall be seene that the truth hath friends that can giue I neither distrust nor perswade you whose resolutions are happily fixed on purposes of good onely giue mee leaue to hasten your pace a little and to excite your Christian forwardnesse to begin speedily what you haue long and constantly vowed You would not but doe good why not now I speake boldly the more speede the more comfort Neither the times are in our disposing nor our selues if God had set vs a day and made our wealth inseparable there were no danger in delaying now our vncertainty either must quicken vs or may deceiue vs. How many haue meant wel and done nothing and lost their crowne with lingring whose destinies haue preuented their desires and haue made their good motions the wards of their executors not without miserable successe to whō that they wold haue done good is not so great a praise as it is a dishonor that they might haue done it their wracks are our warnings we are equally mortal equally fickle Why haue you this respite of liuing but to preuent the imperious necessity of death it is a woful and remedilesse complaint that the end of our dayes hath ouer-runne the beginning of our good workes Early beneficence hath no danger many ioies for the conscience of good done the prayers and blessings of the releeued the gratulations of the Saints are as so many perpetuall comforters which can make our life pleasant and our death happy our euill dayes good and our good better All these are lost with delay few and cold are the prayers for him that may giue in lieu our good purposes fore flowed are become our tormenters vpon our dead-bed Little difference is betwixt good differred and euill done Good was meant who hindered it will our conscience say there was time enough meanes enough neede enough what hindered Did feare of enuy distrust of want Alas what bugs are these to fright men from heauen As if the enuy of keeping were lesse then of bestowing As if God were not as good a debtor as a giuer he that giues to the poore lendes to God saith wise Salomon If hee freely giue vs what wee may lend and grace to giue will he not much more pay vs what wee haue lent and giue vs because wee haue giuen That is his bounty this his iustice Oh happy is that man that may be a creditor to his maker Heauen and earth shall be empty before he shall want a royall payment If wee dare not trust God whiles we liue how dare we trust men when we are dead Men that are still deceitfull and light vpon the ballance light of truth heauy of selfe-loue How many executors haue proued the executioners of honest wills how many haue our eies seen that after most carefull choise of trustie guardians haue had their children and goods so disposed as if the parents soule could returne to see it I doubt whether it could be happy How rare is that man that prefers not himselfe to his dead friend profit to truth that will take no vantage of the impossibility of account What euer therefore men either shew or promise happy is that man that may bee his owne auditor superuisor executor As you loue God and your selfe be not afraid of being happie too soone I am not worthy to giue so bolde aduice let the wise sonne of Syrach speake for me Do good before thou die and according to thine ability stretch out thine hands and giue Defraud not thy selfe of thy good day and let not the portion of thy good desires ouerpasse thee Shalt thou not leaue thy trauels to another and thy labours to them that will deuide thine heritage Or let a wiser then he Salomon Say not tomorrow I will giue if thou now haue it for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth It hath beene an old rule of liberality he giues twise that giues quickly whereas slow benefites argue vnchearefulnesse and lose their worth Who lingers his receits is condemned as vnthriftie he that knoweth both saith it is better to giue then to receiue If we be of the same spirit why are we hasty in the worse and slacke in the better Suffer your selfe therfore good Sir for Gods sake for the Gospels sake for the Churches sake for your soules sake to bee stirred vp by those poore lines to a resolute and speedy performing of your worthy intentions and take this as a louing inuitation sent from heauen by an vnworthie messenger You cānot deliberate long of fit obiects for your beneficence except it be more for multitude then want the streets yea the world is full How doth Lazarus lie at euery dore how many Sons of the Prophets in their meanely-prouided Colledges may say not Mors in olla but Fames how many Churches may iustly pleade that which our Sauiour bad his Disciples The Lord hath need And if this infinite store hath made your choyce doubtfull how easie were it to shew you wherein you might oblige the whole Church of God to you and make your memoriall both eternall and blessed or if you had rather the whole common wealth But now I find my selfe too bold and too busie in thus looking toward particularities God shall direct you and if you follow him shall crowne you howsoeuer if good be done and that be times he hath what hee desired and your soule shall haue more then you can desire The successe of my weake
lessons of grace there he learnes what belongs to a Sauiour what one hee is what he hath done and for whom how he became ours we his now finding himselfe in a true state of danger of humilitie of neede of desire of fitnes for Christ he brings home to himself al that he learns and what he knowes he applies His former Tutor he feared this hee loueth that shewed him his wounds yea made them this binds and heales them that killed him this shewes him life and leades him to it Now at once he hates himselfe defies Satan trusts to Christ makes account both of pardon and glory This is his most precious Faith whereby he appropriates yea in grosses Christ Iesus to himselfe whence hee is iustified from his sinnes purified from his corruptions established in his resolutiōs comforted in his doubts defended against temptations ouercomes all his enemies Which vertue as it is most imploied and most opposed so carries the most care from the Christian hart that it be sound liuely growing Sound not rotten not hollow not presumptuous sound in the Act not a superficiall conceit but a true deepe and sensible apprehension an apprehension not of the braine but of the heart and of the heart not approuing or assenting but trusting and reposing Sound in the obiect none but Christ he knows that no friendship in heauen can do him good without this The Angells cannot God will not Ye beleeue in the Father beleeue also in me Liuely for it cannot giue life vnlesse it haue life the faith that is not fruitfull is dead the fruits of faith are good workes whether inward within the roofe of the heart as loue awe sorrow piety zeale ioy and the rest or outward towards God or our bretheren obedience and seruice to the one to the other reliefe and beneficence These he beares in his time sometimes all but alwayes some Growing true faith cannot stand still but as it is fruitfull in workes so it increaseth in degrees from a little seede it proues a large plant reaching from earth to heauen and from one heauen to another euery showre and euery Sun addes something to it Neither is this grace euer solitary but alwaies attended royallie For hee that beleeues what a Sauiour hee hath cannot but loue him he that loues him cannot but hate whatsoeuer may displease him cannot but reioice in him hope to inioy him and desire to enioy his hope and contemne all those vanities which he once desired and enioyed His minde now scorneth to grouell vpon earth but soareth vp to the things aboue where Christ sits at the right hand of God and after it hath seene what is done in heauen looks strangely vpon al worldly things He dare trust his faith aboue his reason and sense and hath learned to weane his appetite from crauing much Hee stands in awe of his owne conscience and dare no more offend it then not displease himselfe Hee feares not his enemies yet neglects them not equally auoiding security and timorousnesse Hee sees him that is inuisible and walks with him awfully familiarly He knowes what he is borne to and therefore digests the miseries of his wardship with patience hee findes more comfort in his afflictions then any worldling in pleasures And as hee hath these graces to comfort him within so hath hee the Angels to attend him without spirits better then his owne more powerfull more glorious These beare him in their armes wake by his bed keepe his soule while hee hath it and receiue it when it leaues him These are some present differences the greatest are future which could not bee so great if themselues were not witnesses no lesse then betwixt heauen and hell torment and glory an incorruptible crowne and fire vnquēchable Whether Infidels be leeue these things or no we know them so shall they but too late What remaynes but that wee applaud our selues in this happines walke on clearly in this heauenly professiō acknowledging that God could not do more for vs that we cānot do enough for him Let others boast as your Ladiship might with others of ancient and noble houses large Patrimonies or dowries honourable commaunds others of famous names high and enuied honors or the fauors of the greatest others of valor or beauty or some perhaps of eminent learning and wit it shall bee our pride that we are Christians To my Lady Honoria Hay Ep. IIII. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptisme and the estate of those which necessarily want it MADAME MEthinks children are like teeth troublesome both in the breeding and loosing oftentimes painful while they stand yet such as we neither would nor can well be without I goe not about to comfort you thus late for your losse I rather congratulate your wise moderation Christian care of these first spirituall priuiledges desiring only to satisfie you in what you hard as a witnesse not in what you needed as a mother Children are the blessings of Parents and baptisme is the blessing of children and parents Wherein there is not only vse but necessity Necessity not in respect so much of the end as of the precept God hath enioyned it to the comfort of parents and behoofe of children which therefore as it may not be superstitiously hastened so not negligently differred That the contempt of baptisme damneth is past all doubt but that the constrained absence thereof should send infants to hel is a cruell rashnesse It is not their sinne to die early death is a punishment not an offence an effect of sinne not a cause of torment they want nothing but time which they could not cōmand Because they could not liue a while longer that therfore they should die euerlastingly is the hard sentence of a bloody religion I am onely sorry that so harsh an opinion should bee graced with the name of a father so reuerend so diuine whose sentence yet let no man pleade by halues He who helde it vnpossible for a child to be saued vnlesse the baptismall water were powred on his face held it also as vnpossible for the same infant vnlesse the sacramētal bread were receiued into his mouth There is the same ground for both the same error in both a weaknes fit for forgetfulnes seeyet how ignorāt or il meaning posterity could single out one half of the opinion for truth and condemne the other of falshood In spight of whom one part shall easily conuince the other yea without al force since both cannot stand both will fall together for company The same mouth which said vnlesse ye be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost said also Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood An equall necessity of both And lest any one should plead different interpretations the same Saint Austin auerres this later opinion also concerning the necessary communicating of children to haue beene once the common iudgement of the Church of Rome A sentence so displeasing that you
death and expect it Take heede least you so fasten your eyes vppon the first death of the body that you should not look beyond it to the second which alone is worthy of trēbling worthy of teares For this though terrible to Nature yet is common to vs with you You must dye What doe wee else And what differs our end from yours but in hast and violence And vvho knowes whether in that It may bee a sickenesse as sharpe as suddaine shal fetch vs hence It may bee the same death or a worse for a better cause Or if not so There is much more miserie in lingering Hee dies easily that dyes soone But the other is the vtmost vengeaunce that GOD hath reserued for his enemies This is a matter of long feare and short payne A few panges lets the soule out of prison but the Torment of that other is euerlasting after tenne thousand yeares scorching in that flame the payne is neuer the neerer to his ending No time giues it hope of abating yea time hath nothing to do with this eternity You that shall feele the paine of one minutes dying thinke what paine it is to be dying for euer and euer This although it bee attended with a sharpe paine yet is such as some strong spirits haue indured without shew of yeildance I haue herd of an Irish Traitor that when he lay pining vppon the wheele with his bones broke asked his friend if hee changed his countenance at all caring lesse for the paine then the shew of feare Few men haue dyed of greater paines then others haue sustained and liue But that other ouer-whelms both body and soule and leaues no roome for any comfort in the possibility of mitigation Heere men are executioners or diseases there fiends Those diuels that were ready to tempt the gracelesse vnto sinne are as ready to follow the damned with tortures Whatsoeuer becom of your carcasse saue your soule from these flames and so mannage this short time you haue to liue that you may die but once This is not your first sinne yea God hath now punnished your former sins with this A fearefull punishment in it selfe if it deserued no more your cōscience which now beginnes to tell trueth cannot but assure you that there is no sinne more worthy of hell then murder yea more proper to it Turne ouer those holy leaues which you haue too much neglected now smart for neglecting you shall finde Murderers among those that are shut out from the presence of God you shall finde the Prince of that darknes in the highest stile of his mischief termed a Man-slayer Alas how fearefull a case is this that you haue heerein-resembled him for whome Topheth was prepared of old and imitating him in his action haue endangered your self to partake of his tormēts Oh that you coulde but see what you haue done what you haue deserued That your heart could bleed enough within you for the bloud your handes haue shed That as you haue followed Satan our common enemy in sinning so you could defye him in repenting That your teares could disapoint his hopes of your damnation What an happy vnhappinesse shall this be to your sad friendes that your better part yet liueth That frō an ignominious place your soule is receyued to glory Nothing can effect this but your Repentance and that can do it Feare not to looke into that horrour which should attend your sinne and bee now as seuere to your selfe as you haue beene cruell to another Thinke not to extenuate your offence with the vain Titles of man-hood what praise is this that you were a valiaunt Murderer Strike your owne breast as Moses did his Rooke and bring down Riuers of tears to wash away your bloud-shed Do not so much feare your iudgment as abhorre your sinne yea your selfe for it And with strong cries lift vppe your guilty hands to that God whom you offended and say Deliuer mee from blood-guiltines O Lord. Let me tell you as without repentance there is no hope so with it ther is no condemnation True penitence is strong can grapple with the greatest sin yea with all the powers of hell What if your hands be red with blood Behold the blood of your Sauiour shall wash away yours If you can bath your selfe in that your Scarlet soule shall be as white as Snow This course alone shal make your Crosse the way to the Paradice of God This plaister can heale all the sores of the foul if neuer so desperate Onely take heede that your heart bee deepe enough pierced ere you lay it on else vnder a seeming skinne of dissimulation your soule shall fester to death Yet ioy vs vvith your true sorrowe whome you haue grieued with your offence at once comfort your friends and saue your soule EPIST. IX To Mr. Iohn Mole of a long time nowe prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome ¶ Exciting him to his wonted Constancie and incouraging him to Martyrdome WHat passage can these lines hope to finde into that your straight and curious thraldome Yet who would not aduenture the losse of this paines for him which is ready to loose himself for Christ what do we not ow to you which haue thus giuen your self for the cōmon faith blessed be the name of that God who hath singled you out for his Champion made you inuincible how famous are your bonds How glorious your constancy Oh that out of your close obscurity you could but see the honour of your suffring the affections of Gods Saints in som an holy enuy at your distressed hapines Those wals cannot hide you No man is attended with so many eyes from earth heauen The Church your Mother beholdes you not with more compassion then ioy Neither can it bee sayde how shee at once pitties your misery and reioyces in your patience The blessed Angels looke vpon you with gratulation and applause The aduersaries with an angry sorrowe to see themselues ouercome by their captiue their obstinate cruelty ouer-matched with humble resolution and faithfull perseuerance Your Sauiour sees you from aboue not as a meer spectator but as a patient with you in you for you yea as an agent in your indurance victory giuing new courage with the one hād and holding out a Crowne with the other Whom would not these sights incorage who now can pitty your solitarinesse The harts of all good men are with you Neither can that place be but full of angels which is the continuall obiect of so many Prayers yea the God of heauen was neuer so near you as now ye are remooued from men Let me speake a bold but true worde Jt is as possible for him to bee absent from his Heauen as from the prisons of his Saints The glorified spirits aboue sing to him the persecuted soules below suffer for him and crie to him he is magnified in both present with both the faith of the one is as pleasing to him as the triumph of
the other Nothing obligeth vs men so much as smarting for vs words of defence are woorthy of thankes but pain is esteemed aboue recompence How do we kisse the woundes which are taken for our sakes and professe that we would hate our selues if wee did not loue those that dare bleed for vs How much more shal the God of mercies be sensible of your sorrowes and crowne your patience To whom you may truely sing that ditty of the Diuine Psalmist Surely for thy sake am I slaine continually and am counted as a Sheepe for the slaughter What neede I to stir vp your constancy which hath already amazed and wearied your persecutors No suspition shall driue me heereto but rather the thirst of your praise He that exhorts to persist in well-doing whiles he perswades commendeth Whether shoulde I rather send you then to the sight of your own Christian fortitude which neither Prayers nor threats haue bin able to shake Heere stands on the one hand Liberty Promotion Pleasure life and which easily exceeds al these the deare respect of wife and children whome your onely resolution shall make Widdow and Orphanes these with smiles and vowes and teares seeme to importune you On the other hand bondage solitude horror death and the most lingering of all miseries ruine of posterity these with frowns and menaces labour to afright you Betwixt both you haue stoode vnmooued fixing your eyes either right forward vpon the cause of your suffering or vpwards vppon the Crowne of your reward It is an happy thing when our owne actions may be either examples or arguments of good These blessed proceedings call you on to your perfection The reward of good beginnings prosecuted is doubled neglected is lost How vaine are those temptations vvhich would make you a looser of all this praise this recompence Go on therfore happily keepe your eies where they are and your heart cannot bee but where it is and where it ought Looke still for what you suffer for whom For the truth or Christ what can be so precious as truth Not life it selfe All earthly things are not so vile to life as life to truth Life is momentary Truth eternall Life is ours the Truth Gods Oh happy purchase to giue our life for the Truth What can we suffer too much for Christ He hath giuen our life to vs he hath giuen his own life for vs. What great thing is it if he require what he hath giuen vs if ours for his Yea rather if he cal for what he hath lent vs yet not to bereue but to chaunge it giuing vs Gold for our clay glory for our corruption Behold that Sauiour of yours weeping bleeding dying for your alas our soules are too strait for his sorrowes we can be made but paine for him He was made sin for vs we sustain for him but the impotent anger of men hee strugled with the infinite wrath of his Father for vs. Oh who can endure enough for him that hath passed thorough Death and hell for his Soule Thinke this and you shall resolue with Dauid I will bee yet more vile for the Lord. The woorst of the despight of men is but Death and that if they inflict not a disease wil or if not that Age. Heere is no imposition of that which would not be but an hastening of that which will bee An hastening to your gaine For behold their violence shall turne your necessity into Vertue and profit Nature hath made you mortall none but an enemie can make you a Martyr you must die though they will not you cannot die for Christ but by them How coulde they else deuise to make you happie Since the giuer of both liues hath said Hee that shall loose his life for my sake shall saue it Loe this alone is lost with keeping and gained by losse Say you were freed vppon the safest conditions and returning As how welcome should that newes be more to yours then to your selfe Perhappes death may meete you in the way perhaps ouer-take you at home neither place nor time can promise immunitie from the common destinie of men Those that may abridge your houres cannot lengthen them and while they last cannot secure them from vexation yea themselues shall followe you into their dust and cannot auoide what they can inflicte death shal equalie tirannize by them and ouer them so their fauors are but fruitlesse their malice gainefull For it shall change your prison into heauen your Fetters into a Crown your Iailours to Angels your misery into glory Looke vppe to your future estate and reioyce in the present Beholde the Tree of Life the hidden Manna the Scepter of Power the Morning-Starre the white garment the newe name the Crowne and Throne of Heauen are adressed for you Ouercome and enioy them oh glorious condition of Martyrs whom conformity in death hath made like their Sauiour in blessednesse whose honour is to attend him for euer whō they haue ioyed to imitate VVhat are these which are arayd in long white robes and whence came they These are saies that Heauenly Elder they which came out of great Tribulation and vvashed their long Robes and haue made their long Robes white in the bloude of the Lambe Therefore they are in the presence of the Throne of GOD and serue him day and night in the Temple and hee that sitteth on the Throne will dwel among them and Gouerne them and leade them vnto the liuelie Fountaines of waters and GOD shall wipe all teares from their eyes All the elect haue Seales in theyr fore-heades But Martyrs haue Palme in theyr handes All the elect haue White Robes Martyrs both white and long White for their Glorie long for the largenesse of their Glorie Once redde with theyr owne bloude now white with the bloude of the Lambe There is nothing in our bloude but weake obedience nothing but merrit in the Lambes-bloud Behold his merite makes our obedience Glorious You doo but sprinckle his feet with your bloude Loe hee washes your long white Robes with his Euerie droppe of your bloude is answered with a streame of his and euerie droppe of his is woorth Riuers of ours Precious in the sight of the Lorde is the Death of his Saintes Precious in preuention Precious in acceptation precious in remuneration Oh giue willingly that which you cannot keepe that you may receyue what you cannot leese The way is steepe but now you breath towardes the top Let not the want of some few steps loose you an eternall rest Put too the strength of your owne Fayth The Prayers of Gods Saints shall further your pace that gracious hand that sustaines heauen and earth shall vphold and sweetly draw you vp to your glory Go on to credite the gospell with your perseuerance and shew the false-hearted Clients of that Romayne-Court that the Trueth yeildes reall and heartie professours such as dare no lesse smart then speake for her Without the wals of your restraint where can