the part of a good Christian in renouncing the vanities of this wicked world and cōmitting your selfe wholly both body and soule to Gods carefull tuition whose armes of mercie no doubt are now spred wide open readie to embrace you But because you answere so directly I will be bold to put moe questions vnto you Doe you from the bottom of your heart ask forgiuenes of all those whom you haue offended in this world by thought word or deede and are you in heart sorrie for the same Answ I am heartily sorrie for my offences both towards God and Man I must needs confesse I haue not once but often offended both and therefore I humbly craue pardon of both whom I haue often abused and I must desire you to signifie so much to the Congregation among other remembrances of mee Quest. 8. Doe you your selfe for Christs sake vnfainedly and from the bottome of your heart forgiue all those that by any means haue iniured and offended you either in speeches thought or actions Answ I willingly and freely forgiue al the world euen as I looke to bee forgiuen my selfe at the hands of my heauenly Father whom many times and sundry waies I haue offended Or otherwise I know I could neuer with a good conscience repeat that Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as Math. 6. 12 wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And furthermore our Sauiour Christ saith If you doe not forgiue men their Math. 6. 15 trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses c. And therefore I know assuredly if I had a stout and stonie stomake and not a fleshy and tender heart apt and prone to forgiue I could not die in loue and charitie with the world and then not in Gods fauour For as Saint Iohn saith If 1. Ioh. 4. 11 God haue so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Which we cannot doe except we forgiue one another and that dayly for in many things we offend all Iam. 3. 2. and who knoweth how oft he offendeth And therefore it remaineth seeing the case so standeth that if wee will be beloued wee must loue if wee will bee forgiuen we must forgiue if we will be blessed wee must blesse and not curse and if we will haue mercie we must shew mercy God grant vs his mercie and giue vs grace so to do and so to liue that wee may make a godly and quiet end and so die the death of the righteous Quest 9. I pray God both now and euer shew the light of his countenance vpon you and continue this good which hee hath begunne in you euen to the end for most Christianly and like a good seruant of God you haue taken your leaue of the world in disposing your selfe and yours towards God and Man And I find you so furnished and fit for God that you may boldly assure your selfe of his fauour loue towards you if you continue in so good and godly a minde to the end And truely I am glad and so are all your wel-willers here present this day to heare and see in you so good fruits of a Christian whose end is commonly according to his life If any other thing be in your mind that you would haue done touching worldly matters I pray you aduertise me thereof and I will doe my diligence to haue your minde and will fulfilled therein so farre forth as is requisite Answ Sir I am at a point with the world and all worldly affaires and I haue no more to say or to deale with such matters but leaue them and their appurtenances to those that come after And I renounce here before you and the rest all worldly wealth pleasures goods lands and liuings I yeeld and surrender them vp to the longest liuer and now resigne my selfe wholly to God that made mee and saued mee And my heartie desire is now to dwell with the Lord in the Land of the liuing My faith is there fixed and I hope assuredly to attaine vnto it by the bloud of the Innocent Lambe of God Iesus Christ my Redeemer Quest 10. The Lord increase your faith and God grant you your hearts desire and that Land which you long for you are in the high-way towards it God keepe you in it for if you liue and die as you haue professed assure your selfe the gate is open alreadie and you are longed and looked for it was prepared for such as you are from the beginning and that you may be the better perswaded hereof I will put forth vnto you a few spirituall questions which being answered as before you shal sufficiently satisfie me and all that heare you this day that you are the Child of God and an Inheritour of his heauenly Kingdome and so we will proceed to Prayers But I feare I am too tedious and troublesome vnto you Answ No good Sir thinke not so hardly of me I beseech you though I be wearie of sicknes yet I am not wearie of well-doing and of good counsell I had neuer more neede of it neither can it come in a better time and I take great pleasure therein being now past the pleasure of the world therefore I pray you in Gods name say on for my earnest desire is to be prepared and made readie for the good houre that God hath appointed for my deliuerance out of this wretched world and I looke euery moment for the comming of the Bridegroome I am ready with my Lamp burning and my trust is he is ready to let me in Examples of Spirituall Questions Quest 1. GOd be thanked for your good remembrance and for your stedfast beliefe and I pray God continue it euen to the end But now I will by your patience apply the rest of my speech onely to the safety of your Soule Doe you not acknowledge your selfe to bee a sinner and grieuously to haue offended God in not liuing so well and vprightly in this world as you ought to haue done Answ I must needs acknowledge and confesse that I am a grieuous sinner and that I haue oftentimes and many waies disobeyed and broken the Law and will of God both in my thoughts words works Quest 2. How doe you know the same Answ By the Law of God For the Law hath said Doe this and I haue not done it Doe not that and yet I haue done it and in this sort I haue sinned both by omitting that which was good and by committing that which was bad Quest 3. What danger haue you incurred by this meanes and what hath your negligence and disobedience herein deserued at Gods hands Answ Of my selfe I must needs say that I haue thereby deserued at Gods hands eternall death and damnation a curse and not a blessing and so I am taught by the word it selfe For it is written Cursed is Gal. 3. 10. euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the
God his Angels in heauen where they shall be immortall and incorruptible freed from all carnall desires and diseases of the body and deliuered from all sorrow and trouble of minde no losse therefore to the godly that haue gained Christ but to the wicked worldlings that haue lost their riches and pleasures here in stead therof possesse perpetuall paines elsewhere to them it shall bee said Looke how much pleasure they haue had and giue them so much torment Secondly touching the feare of sicknesse the more paine wee suffer heere the more like wee are to our Master Christ the greater shall bee our reward in heauen In the meane time let vs be of good comfort for he that smiteth healeth and hee that sendeth trouble sendeth strength Thirdly against incredulity or distrust wee must desire of God to increase our faith that wee may beleeue the Scriptures and take pleasure therein for ignorance will not excuse vs now that the candle is lighted and not hid vnder a bushell but openly reueiled to the wide world and that to the comfort and saluation of euery one that beleeueth for the knowledge of Gods Law and the Gospell are necessary to our saluation the reasons be diuers The one doth feare vs. The other doth comfort vs. The Law vttereth sinne The Gospell forgiueth it The Law maketh weake The Gospell maketh strong The Law killeth The Gospell quickeneth The Law throweth down to hell The Gospel lifteth vp to heauen Fourthly against the feare of damnation when Satan layeth the Law hard to our charge threatning thereby death and damnation Let vs answere him with the Gospell which bringeth life and saluation Let vs haue a grounded and stedfast faith fixed in Christ Iesus our Sauiour who hath vanquished and destroyed all our deadly enemies as the flesh the world damnation punishment dangers sin death deuill and hell Be at vtter defiance with them all say boldly with the Apostle S. Paul It is Rom. 8. 33. God that iustifieth who then can condemne and againe God shall shortly tread downe Rō 16. 20. Satan vnder your feete c. If you beleeue this and apply it right to your soule you may then cheerefully dye and on your dying day sing and say that merry note to your great comfort and ioy viz. I desire to bee Phil. 1. 23. loosed and to be with Christ This was the marke that the blessed Apostle Saint Paul did ayme at all his life long and therefore reioycing in heart hee saith towards the end of his course I am now ready to be offered 2 Tim. 4. 6 and the time of my departure is at hand I haue fought a good battell I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth there remaineth for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord a iust Iudge shall giue me at that day not onely vnto mee but to all those that loue his comming This made Stephen that faithfull witnesse of his Master Christ seeing the glory of God constantly to call vpon him and say in his greatest torment of body Lord Act 7. 59. Iesu receiue my spirit These men and many mo such like haue willingly yeelded their necks to the block their bodies to torment their soules to God and boldly to depart out of the miseries of this world embracing the counsell of the wise man who saith Feare Eccl. 4. 1 3 not the iudgment of death remēber them that haue bin before thee and that come after this is the ordinance of the Lord ouer all flesh And why wouldest thou be against the pleasure of the most Highest whether it be tenne or an hundreth or a thousand yeeres there is no defence for life against the graue No striuing against the streame no resisting against death But alas what meaneth this There is nothing that men so often behold as death and nothing that men so soone forget as death As men ought not to bee carelesse of their finall end so they ought not to feare death especially if they haue liued in the feare of God for seeing all must dye wherefore should the godly be afraid of Bugges what a foole is he that will feare his owne shadow what good will it doe vs either to complaine or lament for that thing which by no meanes wee can escape Tell me if thou canst with all thy skill what man is he aliue that breatheth vpon the earth that shall liue vntill hee bee an hundreth yeeres old or what one canst thou name for thy life with whom thou hast beene acquainted an hundreth yeeres sithens crack me this Nut reade me this Riddle Et eris mihi magnus Apollo that is I wil account thee as a God for thy skill Seeing then that our life is both short and vncertaine and that these things are generall to all and not to thee or to me alone Why should we not in good fellowship taste of the same sawce and drinke of the same cup one after another and that without feare or grudging as all our predecessors haue done Let vs yeeld our pampred bodies to the earth and our sinfull soules to the tryall of iustice for so haue the godly alwayes done they account the world to be but a Race a Vale of miseries and a paineful Pilgrimage and therefore they couet to haue the course of this life finished they waite continually for the good houre looking after death for a ioyfull resurrection And of this hope they haue the sweete and comfortable Testimony of Gods Spirit within them as a gage or pledge of their saluation which will neuer forsake them vntill it haue presented them before the Maiesty of God as heires and coheires with Iesus Christ of his heauenly Kingdome purchased for vs with his owne bloud wherein our soules and filthy bodies are sprinkled and thorowly washed What a comfort is this to a Christian heart What neede a man thus minded to feare death after this life any more then the laboring man after he hath toyled sore al the day long neede to feare sleepe and his quiet rest at night No no hee may rather with a cheerefull conscience wish for death because as Christ saith He shall passe frō death Ion. 5. 24. to life Let vs therefore good Christian Brother so liue with Christ that we may dye in him and let vs so glorifie him in this life by our godly conuersation that wee may bee glorified of him in the life to come to our comfort and saluation The best remedy to auoid this friuolous feare of death is to repent our former sinnes and hereafter to apply our selues to liue in his true seruice and feare So that first wee may finish our life heere and dye well Secondly that wee may receiue at Gods hands in the resurrection of the iust a comfortable and mercifull iudgement Thirdly that we may auoid the horrible paines of hell which are intolerable Fourthly and finally that we may be partakers of the
Law to doe them Quest 4. Good Lord if this bee true then what a miserable case are all wee in beeing wicked and cursed creatures Answ Truely our state indeede is wretched and damnable and but that God of his infinite goodnes hath prouided a salue for this sore we should vtterly perish and then were 1. Cor. 15. 19. we of all men most miserable Quest 5. Do you beleeue then that there is a salue for so grieuous a wound and a remedy for so great a mischiefe Answ Yea verily I firmely beleeue and know it or else I could not with so cheerefull and patient a minde beare this crosse which God hath now laid vpon me Quest 6. I pray you what remedy is there against the sting of sinne and the curse of the Law Is there any thing in the world that can pacifie Gods wrath and mooue him to such mercy as may cause him to take away this deadly curse and giue vs a blessing Answ Yea God bee thanked that there is I can tell you so much though I be not Booke-learned yet I haue heard it and I doe vndoubtedly beleeue it because Gods Word doth teach it That when there was no means to be found for man to be saued neither in heauen nor earth it pleased our heauenly Father of his meere mercy to send his only begotten Sonne Rom. 8. 3. into the world to the end that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting So that that which was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh I doe therefore beleeue that this Sonne of God Iesus Christ hath quite taken away the curse of the Law Col. 2. 14. and nayled it vpō the Crosse Quest 7. These are good words indeed and generally spoken to all sinners but how can you apply this to your selfe Answ Because I know assuredly that I am Christs and haue the testimonie of the Holy Ghost in mee comforting mee and bearing witnes to my Spirit that I am the child of God and therefore may boldly cry Abba Father Gal 4. 6. c. Quest 8. Then I perceiue if you bee thus faithfully minded as you do professe that you are not afraid to dy neither is death so dread full vnto you as it is to many in these sinfull dayes Answ Although indeed death seemeth detestable to the most part of men especially to impenitent sinners and such as haue the wealth of the world at will Yet notwithstanding I see no reason why any wise man should feare that which cannot be auoided but rather all things considered aright they haue cause to couet it with the holy Apostle Saint Paul who desireth to be loosed and Phil. 1. 23. to be with Christ which is best of all because death is the doore to eternall life for we connot liue for euer but first we must dye And therefore the godly man after he is mortified heere by crosses and griefe of sicknes may cheerefully sing and say with the same Apostle Christ is to mee Phil. 1. 21. both in life and death aduantage And most comfortable to a good conscience is that sentence of Ecclesiastes A good name is better then a Eccl. 7. 3. good oyntment and the day of death then the day that one is borne The Preacher spake not this without booke nor without reason for then we change sicknes for health woe for wealth transitorie vanities for perpetuall ioyes and earthly trash for heauenly treasure c. Quest 9. You are in the right of it and haue hit the naile on the head in this point keepe you there and my life for yours But because I finde you in answering both wise and willing it incourageth mee to bee bold in questioning Doe you beleeue all the Articles of the Christian Faith which the true and Catholike Church doth hold at this day and all other Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the very and liuely Word of God the foode of your soule and the perfect way to eternall life and that there is sufficient matter contained in them to establish your minde and conscience to saluation according to the consent of Christs Apostles in the Primitiue Church Answ I constantly and vnfainedly beleeue all this you haue said to bee true and grounded vpon the Word of God as vpon a sure foundation which shal neuer faile nor fall And therefore it is called the Word of Life the Word of Rom. 3. 16. Grace the Word of Truth and the power of God to Saluation to euery one that beleeueth Quest. 10. Doe you detest and abhor all Idolatry Heresies errors schismes innouations and opinions which in any point do dissent or disagree from this liuely Word of GOD and the ancient Catholike and Primitiue Church Answ As these enormities of themselues are detestable and damnable euen so I do from my very heart detest and abhorre them all and most ardently I imbrace the Truth of Gods Word with all due reuerence to the same as to the heauenly will of GOD therein specified and reuealed to vs by his Seruants the Patriarks and Apostles of God and his Sonne Christ Iesus our Sauiour the Head of the Church And I am desirous to die a member of the same Church beeing the bodie and Spouse of Christ Quest 11. And do you euen in heart reioyce to liue and die in this Christian Faith and in the vnitie of this true ancient Catholique and Apostolique Church militant heere on earth which is and shall be the Communion of Saints the triumphant Church of God in Heauen Ans I reioyce in nothing so much for I know that out of the Church there is no saluation or safetie Those in old time that were found out of Noahs Arke being a Type of the Church perished by water but they which are not of the Catholike Church of Christ shall be tormented in Hell fire which shall neuer bee quenched Quest 12. Good Lord mee thinke it is a fearefull thing that the wicked should enter into euerlasting paine and vnquenchable fire And the words which are vsuall in the Scriptures are able to make any man tremble euen at the heart as Hell Mat. 8. 12. fire the bottomelesse pit vtter darknes vnquenchable fire perpetuall paine c. where shall bee weeping and Mar. 9. 44. gnashing of teeth where their worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out Mee thinks this word neuer is a long one for if there were any hope that euer the wicked might feele any release or easement of their paine or that the damned might haue any end of their torment yea if it were but after a thousand or a thousand thousands of yeeres there were some comfort to be expected in time to come though it were long first yet time would once make an end and weare
the enemy haue none aduantage of him Nor the wicked once approch to hurt him Be vnto him O Lord a strong tower From the face of his enemy Grant that hee may dye the death of the righteous And be made partaker of thine inheritance Receiue his soule O Lord into thy holy hands And place it with thy Saints in heauen Lord heare our prayers And let our cry come vnto thee A pithy Prayer for a Patient being pained with Sicknes IT is thou O Lord onely to whom all power and praise belongeth It is thou that raignest in heauen in glorie in earth in mercy in hel in iudgment It is thy voice O Lord whereunto both the seas and windes are obedient It is thy name O Lord God of Hosts that maketh all the Diuels in hell to tremble and quake and they can doe nothing without thy permission Thou bringest downe to hell and raisest vp againe Thou pluckest downe the mighty from their Throne and exaltest the humble and meeke Thou makest both poore and rich strong weake Thou sendest sicknes and restorest health againe in thy good time Thou giuest life and takest it away at thy pleasure O Lord whose maiestie and might no creature is able to withstand neither in heauen earth or vnder the earth Thou that hast made the Sea and the dry land and all things therein contained Thou that knowest our weaknesse and what metall wee bee made of haue regard vnto the workmanship of thy hands Pierce the heauens O Lord and giue eare vnto our prayers which with sorrowfull hearts trickling teares bowed knees and vnfained lips we powre out before thy presence We acknowledge O Lord our owne frailetie and vnworthinesse and how that all men liuing are but vanitie euen as the grasse in the field which to day flourisheth and to morrow withereth away as the smoke in the furnace the bubble in the water or the could that swiftly passeth away and is no more seene So soone also fedeth away our time and our yeeres come to an end Thou onely O Lord knowest the number of our dayes and appointest vs our bounds which we cannot passe We confesse O most mercifull God that wee haue sinned against heauen and against thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children no nor to tread vpon the earth or to haue the light of the Sunne to shine vpon vs but rather to bee burned with fire drowned in the waters swallowed vp of the earth ouerwhelmed with mountaines or deuoured with wilde beasts fowles of the ayre Our transgressions and sinnes are so great so grieuous and many in number wherewithall wee haue and doe dayly offend thy Maiestie both in thought word and deed that our weake consciences being loden and burthened with the remembrance of them are afraid to approch into thy presence for feare of thy wrath and iust iudgement Yet O Lord forsomuch as thy mercy is aboue all thy workes and because thou art a gentle pitifull God long-suffering and full of compassion and wouldest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee conuert and liue We are therefore the bolder not of our selues but in the name of thy deare Son Iesus Christ with whom thou art well pleased to call vpon thee for mercy and comfort That it would please thee of thy gracious goodnes to forgiue and blot out of thy remembrance all our sinnes and wickednes and neuer hereafter to impute them vnto vs. Regard not good Lord our deserts which is death and damnation but be mindfull of thy louing promises in Iesus Christ our Sauiour who in all temptations of the Diuell the World and the Flesh is our onely Rocke and sure stay and defence and neuer shrinketh from those which be wrapped in woe and misery Comfort O Lord this thy Seruant vpon whom thou hast laid the scourge of sicknes and rod of visitation as a sure token and pledge of thy loue and fatherly good wil towards him for whom thou louest those thou correctest not to destruction but to amendment and saluation Thou hast promised that wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests We therefore thy humble seruants here assembled according to thy blessed commandement doe cry and call vpon thee with feruant hearts to be mercifull to this thine afflicted creature that it would please thee eyther to release his smart and pain in thy good time and so to restore him to his former health or else to grant him aboundantly the graces of thy holy Spirit that with patience and meeke mind he may abide such tryall as it shall please thy godly Maiestie to lay vpon him That neither the tyrannie of Satan griefe of sicknes loue of the world terrour of hell infirmitie of the flesh remembrance of sinne or feare of death withdraw him from thee and thy sweet promises in his Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who came not for the iust but to call sinners to repentance So guide him good Lord by thy blessed Spirit in his great and last iourney that passing quietly all troubles of this transitorie world and this painefull pilgrimage once ended he may safely by thy mighty power bee conducted to the Hauen of continuall quietnes and rest which is the Kingdom of Heauen there reigne with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the holy company of Angels and Saints in perpetuall ioy and safety which thou hast prepared and promised for all thine elect children and faithfull seruants from the beginning of the world Grant this O heauenly Father which wee haue prayed for in the behalfe of this thy poore and pensiue prisoner and all other things necessarie for our saluation and thy glory through our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ In whose holy name wee beseech thee from the bottome of our hearts saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A comfortable Prayer against desperation O God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ continue thy goodnes towards vs vnworthy wretches which do heere with contrite hearts and bowed knees appeale vnto the height of thy mercy Beseeching thee O Father â—o to remember the contempt and iniury thou hast receiued at our hands but pardon our passed faults and accept the pitifull Passion of thy deare Sonne in full satisfaction of our transgression Let his precious bloud wipe away and wash all our filthines Let his wounds heale the sores of our sinnes and let the holy oblation of himselfe present our prayers acceptable and blamelesse before thy Maiestie Let no sinne bee so great and grieuous in our eyes that it plucke away hope of pardon No offence so ponderous that it may be â—â—le to ouercome thy goodnes All haue sinned and haue neede of thy mercy which thou offerest aboundantly to euery one that faithfully asketh the same of thee Our wickednes O Lord cannot exceed thy merits The greater the sinner is on whom thou bestowest thy compassion so much the greater is thy glory And therefore
not any respect either of person people or place Hee regardeth no more the Princes Palace then the poore mans Cotage a blunt Messenger and therefore goeth bluntly and boldly to worke with vs his condition is come he earely come he late he will giue neither day nor houre but speedily and readily he wil dispatch his errant and serue such a Sub poena vpon vs that hee wil haue our personall appearance before the eternall Iudge without surety bayle or mayne-prize He will not be bribed of the Rich he will not be intreated of the Poore hee weigheth not friendship he careth not for rewards he will pardon no person be he neuer so mighty he feareth no mans face look he neuer so lofty there is but a word and a blowe with him he killeth downe right where he hitteth Let vs therefore keepe our selues continually in that estate wherein we desire to die for although this Messenger come and tell vs not when hee will fetch vs whether in our nonage middle age olde age or dotage yet notwithstanding our mercifull and good God by diuers meanes doth warne and summon vs before by other Messengers Gods summoners before Death are foure First his preachers exhort vs. Secondly his plagues doe threaten vs. Thirdly old age admonisheth vs. Fourthly Sicknes calleth vs. Finally death arresteth vs and taketh vs with him And then the earth wherof we are made deuoureth vs Magots breed vpon vs corruption rotteth vs and the Wormes eate vs. This is the life and end of all flesh good and bad The body then putrifyeth and consumeth to dust But the Spirit returneth to Eccl. 12. 7. the Lord which gaue it Now when Death is about to doe his office which is to separate the Soule and the Body of Man Then our second Seruitor or Secretarie although it haue been mute all our life time and as it were a clasped Booke that is alwaies shut and too seldome opened yet towards our end it speaketh and cryeth yea it both barketh and biteth for after death hath warned and summoned vs by sharpe taste of Sicknes to set our house in order and to prepare our selues to appeare before the celestiall Iudge Then our Conscience which is a continuall beholder of all our thoughts words and workes as a cleere light or Lanthorne bewrayeth all our former life and conuersation it is the very Register of God and booke 〈◊〉 Record which discloseth all our counsels and reuealeth the inward secrets of our hearts for there is nothing hid that Mar. 4. 22. shal not be opened neither is there a secret but that it shal come to light Can there be any thing hid from the Highest Do nor his eyes pierce our hearts Is not he the searcher of Secrets and Discerner of spirits Yes verily he that will not now beleeue it must one day both finde it and feele it The thickest Trees in Paradise could not hide our first Parents Adam and Eue from the presence of God They both appeare at the first call euen naked as they were their Figge-leaues will not serue their turne their vaine excuses will doe them no good the more they goe about to cloke their sinne the more liuely it appeareth yea their owne Conscience accuseth them and causeth them to make confession of their fact will they nill they Wee cannot then hide our sinnes because which way soeuer wee goe our conscience accompanieth vs it is our Porter carring with it whatsoeuer we haue done be it good or bad it iudgeth all our words and workes and pronounceth inward sentence of vs all it is a Worme alwayes byting and neuer dying it is a fire alwayes burning and neuer quenching for immediately after the committing of sinne the Conscience of the sinner is his Accuser his Witnes his Iudge and his Hangman Therefore when thine owne Conscience bewrayeth thee and prouoketh a feeling of sinne thinke then with thy selfe God speaketh vnto thee for that inward feeling of thy sinne is as it were the peculiar and prerogatiue Court of God whereby he exerciseth his iurisdiction Beware therefore lest thou beeing guilty doest harden thy heart for that is all one as to kick against God and resist the motion of his holy Spirit when we reiect such cogitations as are prouocations and summoners vnto Repentance when God therefore by his holy Spirit knocketh at the doore of thine heart and moueth any such motion either to embrace this Vertue or auoid that Vice thou hadst best open vnto him at first call and let him in for if hee call thee now thou canst not tell whether hee will call againe or no and if he open thee the gate of his Grace to day and will thee friendly to enter in thou canst not tell whether euer hee will open it againe or neuer Thy contempt and vnthankfulnesse may mooue him in his wrath to shut the doore vpon thee for euer and then thou wilt repent but all too late Remember Christs words When the good man Luk. 13. 25 of the house is risen and hath shut to the doore and yee beginne to stand without and to knocke at the doore saying Lord Lord open to vs and he shall answere and say vnto you I know you not whence yee are Depart from me all 27 yee workers of iniquitie There shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth when yee shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and your selues thrust out at doores These are words of weight and able to pierce a stony heart most fearfull to impenitent sinners whē they shal behold a farre off with the rich surfetting Glutton the happy estate of the godly in Heauen in Abrahams bosome and themselues to bee thrust out into vtter darknes and so to take their leaue and last farewell of God his Angels and all the ioyes of Heauen for euer neuer to meet againe nor once to behold the faire beauty of the Lord or of his Saints the deepe consideration hereof is able to shake the Conscience to burst the heart of a sinner and end his dayes if any feeling of Gods Spirit bee in him It is good therefore to haue the testimonie of a cleere Conscience accompanying thee euen to thy graue that when thou shalt appeare before Christ his Throne of iust iudgement it may be a witnesse with thee of thy wealth and not to thy woe a defender of thy purity and not an Accuser of thine iniquitie a iustifier of thy Righteousnes and not a condemner of thy Wickednes Pray to God betime that it may be thy Helper as it was to Paul and not thy 2. Cor. 1. 12. Hangman as it was to Iudas It is not to bee spoken what a sure and singular Treasure a good Conscience will be at that day it shall stand stedfast by thy side as thy dearest friend when all the world shall be set on a flaming fire aboue thee beneath thee and on euery side thee when the elements
qui tantum penare potest quantum Deus bonus est that is let that man onely distrust or despayre whose sinne exceedeth Gods goodnes But the Diuell himselfe and all our iniquitie is lesse then Gods mercie and therefore the greatest sinners in the world ought not to despayre if they repent seeing his mercy is aboue all his workes for of his mercie there is neither number nor measure nor end The mercy of the Lord embraceth vs on euery side The sentence of Ezechiel is sure and sealed vp in Heauen That God will not haue the Ezec. 18. 32. death and damnation of a sinner but rather his life and conuersion Wherefore wilt thou perish O Israel And wherefore wilt thou despayre O sinful flesh Come to God Come to his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus the Master calleth thee he offereth thee his mercy hee promiseth thee forgiuenes Come thou early come thou late if thou come at all whether it be at noone day or at night thou shalt haue thy penny as well as hee that came in the morning The thiefe on Christs right hand was called the last houre and came and cryed to Christ that hee Luk. 23. 42 would remember him He knocked so hard at the doore of Gods mercy that Christ promised him that day to haue the doore of Paradise opened vnto him and to enter in with himselfe This gate shall bee open to vs if we doe as hee did For it is shut to no man but of himself neither is it open to any but by Christ Iesus If wee beleeue in this Christ Iesus that he is a Sauiour and that hee dyed for our sinnes and did rise againe for our iustification we need not to dread either death or damnation the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs because Christ is our foundation our corner-stone to leane vnto our buckler shield to defend vs from our enemies our head our good Shepheard the Bishop of our soules our only Master and mercifull Redeemer Let vs therefore be of good cheere Let vs trust in his mercy whose merits haue purchased our saluation with God the Father And so we may with safety of our soules depart from worldly troubles to heauenly rest from death to life from damnation to saluation which God of his goodnes vouchsafe to giue vs in Christ Iesus our Sauiour to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour power and praise world without end Amen THE SECOND PART OF THIS Booke pertaining to the SICKE THe first dutie of the sicke person visited by God is to confesse his Faith and to make open protestation of the same before his Pastor and the rest that stand by at his end that they may be witnesses with him and testifie after God hath receiued his soule into eternall rest that hee liued and dyed the Child of God the true Seruant of Iesus Christ his Sauiour and as becommeth a charitable Christian and one of the houshold of Faith The confession of the Faith I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. The summe of this Beliefe confessed I Am fully perswaded and vndoubtedly I doe confesse and acknowledge before God and all you heere present that euery point and Article of this my beliefe is true and necessarie vnto saluation for without Faith wee cannot Heb. 11. 6. please God or bee saued And therefore I stedfastly beleeue in my heart that this in very deede is the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith which all good Christians ought to hold to the hazard both of liuing and life if cause require Of this our beliefe there be 4. principall parts The first concerneth GOD the Father The second God the Sonne The third God the holy Ghost The fourth the holy Church or congregation of God Of which faith I make protestation as followeth I constantly beleeue in heart that which I now outwardly confesse with my mouth viz. That there is but one true almightie euerlasting liuing iust and mercifull God of incomprehensible glory maiestie and might inuisible infinite and immortall And yet in this Godhead are included three distinct persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost vnited together in Deitie and substance inseparably of like equalitie in will might and glory without beginning without ending frō whom as from a most cleere fountaine all vertue and goodnes proceedeth to man and euery liuing creature By whom we liue mooue and Act. 17. 28. are In whom alone we are blessed and without whom we are accursed miserable and wretched Which incomprehensible and inuisible God hath reueiled himselfe vnto man many waies 1. Miraculously by his workes 2. Outwardly by his Word And 3. Inwardly by his holy Spirit First I will confesse my beliefe touching the Father Then I will proceede to the Sonne and finally to the Holy Ghost not that I preferre one person before another but because naturally man doth best apprehend and conceiue this order namely that the Father should bee set before the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne together before him that proceedeth from them both And yet neuerthelesse all the three persons bee but one God equall and coeternall First therefore I doe beleeue in God the Father the first Person in Trinitie who by his vnsearchable wisedome and infinite power hath mightily made me and all mankind yea heauen earth the Sea and all things therein contained as the light of the Firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres the Fowles of the Ayre the Beasts of the Field the fruits of the Earth and the fishes of the Sea All these of his great goodnes hee hath made blessed and increased for man to doe him seruice and that in most wonderfull and plentifull manner Yea they were all created before man was made to the end that Man at his first entry into the world should come as it were into a house ready furnished and so take full and quiet possession of all Gods creatures and become Lord and Ruler ouer them and they all from time to time to be seruiceable vnto him as to their King Onely he would that man should be obedient and shew himselfe thankefull vnto his God for these his blessings In performing which dutie I for mine own part haue too often failed God graunt that I may hereafter both know his will and by the fruits of Faith shew my selfe more dutifull towards his Maiestie euen to my liues end Secondly I beleeue in God the Son the second Person in Trinitie who of his great goodnes hath mercifully redeemed mee and all mankinde from Gal. 3. 13. Tit. 2. 14. Apoc. 5. 9. the thraldome of Satan Death and Sinne and from the torment of Hell fire due to the same being of my selfe condemned thereunto by Gods iust iudgement through disobedience and transgression Yet I firmely beleeue that I am acquitted discharged and fully ransomed from the same by my sweet Sauior Iesus Christ that did sweat water and bloud for my sinne who willingly of his owne
And I beleeue that they which continue in this Church on earth shall after the Resurrection general Iudgement obtaine euerlasting life and rest from their labors which life and perpetuall peace God grant mee and all his children And from this Church I pray God I neuer at any time swarue or decline either in faith doctrine life or Religion but that I may dye liue therin And I humbly beseech God euen w th al my heart to kindle increase this Faith in me that this hope being stedfastly fixed in my heart I may towards mine end cry and call with the Saints of God and with a good Apoc. 22. 20. conscience Come Lord Iesu come quickly and hasten thy Kingdome that wee may raigne with thee in perpetuall ioy in the life euerlasting Amen The protestation of the Sicke I A wretched sinner redeemed with the precious bloud of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ do protest here before you all that with a free and franke heart I doe pardon and forgiue all people which by any manner of meanes haue spoken thought or wrought mee iniury either in word writing or deed whatsoeuer Desiring that as I know assuredly in my heart and conscience that I am reconciled to God So in like manner I may bee reconciled to the world And therefore I most heartily pray as wel all you that bee heere present before me as others that be absent to forgiue mee wherein soeuer I haue offended you being most willing to part out of this world in the fauour of God and good men I protest and acknowledge that I haue beene a grieuous and horrible sinner all my dayes both in thought word and deede And that I haue not liued so vpright and holy before my Lord God and the world as I ought to haue done I acknowledge my offences to be mo in number then the Starres of Heauen or the sands in the Sea for my negligence in not doing that which is good and my dayly transgressions in committing the things which are euill are infinite I acknowledge that all my life hath been such as looking my selfe now at last in the glasse of my conscience I find daily confusion and my minde and body so blemished with spots of vncleannes and filthinesse that I may be ashamed to looke God in the face or once to lift vp mine eyes towards Heauen Therefore I fall downe to the earth with the poore Publican and with lowly spirit and humble minde I aske mercie and forgiuenes of my Lord God being sorry in my heart that euer I offended this my deare Father and beeing fully purposed with my selfe if God restore my former health neuer so grieuously to offend him againe but to auoid Vice embrace Vertue yea to hate and abhorre the sinne which before I loued and wholly to conforme my selfe to the will of God in his Word I doe protest that albeit 3 I haue thus grieuously and many wayes offended God yet I doe not despayre nor distrust the louing mercy of my sweet Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ But I hope by the merit of his death and Passion and not mine own merits which are nothing but a loathsome life to be partaker of the heauenly inheritance I protest furthermore that I do beleeue that this holy Passion of Iesus Christ is a sure Rocke Refuge and defence wherevnto I may boldly trust and stay my selfe And therefore in all aduersitie and trouble I set the same against my inuisible enemies as a strong Tower bulwarke or spirituall harnesse wherewithall the faithfull Souldiour and Seruant of Christ ought to bee armed Assuring my selfe that the punishment of all my sinnes is thereby fully discharged the ransome paid and the obligation whereby I was tyed to the Law cancelled and that the vertue of this Passion of Christ pertaineth not onely to others but also to me I protest before the omnipotent God and before all his holy Angels and Saints that I couet desire to end my life in that faith which becommeth a true Christian and the Child of God That is I beleeue all the Canonicall Scriptures mentioned in the Old and New Testament and set downe by the holy Prophets of God and the Apostles of his Sonne Christ as the Pen-men and writers but instinct and prompted by the holy Ghost the finger of God as the Author and Inditer which haue been from time to time and in all ages receiued and beleeued of the true Catholike Church and Congregation of Iesus Christ So that if through the tentation or suggestion of the Diuell or being oppressed with the violence or smart of sicknesse I should thinke speake or doe any thing contrarie to this my confession and protestation made I doe now beforehand vtterly debarre and reuoke the same and doe witnesse and confesse before God and you that by no means I will willingly consent or yeeld my selfe in the knowledge and vnderstanding of my heart to any such thoughts words or workes Finally I protest that I reioyce in Spirit for the sweet mercy and merits which I feele inwardly to bee offered mee by the death of Christ Iesus And I doe giue most hearty thankes vnto God the Father my Creator for his graces offerd vnto me in his deare Sonne my Sauiour by whose vnspeakeable goodnes I trust I shall dye the Seruant of God and into whose holy hands and tuition I commend my body and soule both now and in the houre of my death Amen The second dutie of the sicke Person THe second thing that is requisite in a sicke person is faithfull heartie Prayer to God either for his speedy deliuerance out of all woe and wretchednesse or else for constancie in his conflict and patience in his paine A godly metion or Meditatation before Prayer In which we craue for Grace Faith and Patience O Lord I am very sick my body is weake my strength faileth me my sinnewes shrink my hands and my feete waxe feeble mine eyes dazell and lose their sight all things are vnsauourie to me my flesh putrifyeth my breath stinketh my heart panteth and my life draweth to an end I perceiue there is but one way with me The Lord bee mercifull vnto mee and bee my guide in this my last iourney goe I must death is at doore with his dart readie to strike hee stealeth neerer and neerer towards mee he is euen now at my bed-side ready to worke his feate I cannot preuent him neither can I auoid or flye from him Therefore O Lord I make haste to runne to thee for succour which art the true Physician both of bodie and soule Heale mee O Lord and I shal be whole preserue mee and I shall be safe vnder thy protection for thou beeing my defence and shield I need not to feare the force of any foe But who am I O mercifull God that beggeth so boldly at the doore of thy mercy I am a sinner and in sinne I was begotten of my Father and