receiue And though our prayers be but weake faint and full of wandring fantasies yâ—t in stirring vp our selues what in vs lyeth hee will no doubt put to his helping hand sharpen our dulnâ—s strengthen our weakenes pardon our imperfections and accept our obedience But contrariwise as he is mercifull so is he iust As he is liberall so is he wise He appeared not vnto Moises before he had runne out of Egypt vnto the hilles of Madian Neither will he endewe the hartes of such with his heauenly consolatioÌ„ as are yet possessed with worldly vanities He will not cast pearles before swine not the childrens bread vnto dogges Neâ—ther giue a tast of his treasure where there is no will to receiue it He will be found of those saith the wise man that tempt him not Chapter XII Of true abstinence or fasting FAsting serueth especiallye to three endes First to mortify and subdue the lustes of the flesh Secondlye to stirre vp more feruent aptnesse to meditation and prayer And thâ—rdly to be a testimony of our inward humility and duetifull obedience to the will of God We ought to fast saith S. Ambrose to keepe our bodies from surfetting and our soules from sinning The diseases of the minde saith S. Ierom are to be healed with praying and the lustes of of the body with fasting For euen as a wanton pampered horse doth striue to cast his rider so doth a wanton pampered bodie by nature resist against reason and vertue And as a fat foule with few fethers is vnapt to flye in the aire so our praiers as it were the wings of the soule without abstinence of bodie are vnapt to fly vnto heauen The bodie of an obedient Christian is the meetest temple wherein the holy Ghost delighteth to dwell An humble penitent hart the fittest altar whereon the Lord taketh pleasure to receiue our offerings and the mortifying of our flesh the most acceptable sacrifice to appease the honorable maiestie of our God Yet alwaies prouided that as he is well contented with the abstinence of the godly so much more with the conuersion of a sinner Hee is greatly moued with the prayers of the iust but much more with the restitution of the iniurious He is greatly delighted with the patience of the sicke but much more with the charitable hospitality of those that be whole It is good to fast saith S. Augustine but better to giue almesse When the lustes of the flesh are mortifyed our wronged brother satisfied and our needy neighbour releeued then God with our fast is well pleased The sicke for lacke of stomach fast the poore for want of meate The couetuous chuffe to spare his purse the glutton more to eate The apish hipocrite for praise a good man for his soules health alwaies Chapter XIII A briefe summe of Christian religion AS the wise men of the East did offer vnto Christ their costlye presents of gold frankensence and mirre so the most pretious thing that we can present vnto him is the golde of faith and sure hope the franckensence of zeale and true deuotion and the mirre of vertue charitable liuing To honor him with due obedience and depend wholy vpon his prouidence Ioyning alwaies practice with knowledge deedes with wordes keeping with hearing walking with talking and expressing with professing Knowing that not the hearers of the word but the doers shall be iustified Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen If you vnderstand these things saith our Sauiour happy are you if you do them Blessed are they that heare the word of God and â—eepe it He that heareth the word willingly vnderstandeth it rightly belieueth it faithfuly learneth it perfectly applyeth it profitably and keepeth it diligently shall ioy with Christ assuredly And this is religion or godlines the ground of conscience and true deuotion The word of God propoundeth repentance seeketh prayer findeth faith apprehendeth hope assureth and charity perfourmeth And where faith neuer doubteth nor hope neuer shrinketh nor charity neuer ceaseth there God neuer faileth And this is the golden chaine of saluation the true pilgrimage to Paradise and right ladder to heauen To know and beleeue the truth are two winges to flye vnto ioy and to resist vice and practise vertue two legges to walke to felicity Iohn heard a voice from heauen saying blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so sayth the spirâ—t that they rest from their labors their works follow them And he that will die in the Lord must be carefull to liue in the Lord. It is an infallible rule qualis vita finis ita to him that liueth vertuously God doth alwayes giue grace to dye faithfully A ioyful death followeth a charitable life and a happy life insueth such a death So as hee that liueth to dye well shall surely die to liue better whereas he that will not frame himselfe to honor and obay the giuer of his life is vnworthy to haue or enioy his life And as God in olde tune was not contented to be serued with the blind lame and maimed of the flock so he that carelesly imployeth the bewty and strength of his youth in vice vanity and seruice of the Deuill as though old rotten bones and dregs of age were good ynough to vse in the seruâ—ce of God he seldome granteth either time to liue long or grace to dye well Such as liue like wolues do often dye like swine Commonly after a dissolute life without feare of death followeth a desperat death without hope of life And it agreeth with all equity right and reason that such as in lewd behauiour haue passed their time should by rygure of iustice receiue their end Chapter XIIII An exhortation to indure constant in time of tryall IT is required in a true christian Pilgram to be wel and strongly armed with patieÌ„ce and girt with constancy to abide firme and stable in the time of temptation and triall so as nether prosperity nor aduersity well nor woe life nor death can once moue quaile or discorage him Worldly riches are subiect to many mishaps bodily strength is taken away by sicknes and by age that dayly creeâ—es on bewty is soone consumed but a true constant mind comforted by Gods holy spirit no chance or misfortune can alter or quall Elias in the desert Iohn Baptist in the wildernesse and Peeter in prison with the rest of the Apostles in time of their pilgrimage had but simple clothing but the loines of their minds were weâ—l surely giâ—t Whose commendations of Christ himselfe are very great yet not so much for leauing their parents frendes goods and countrie to followe him nether for their strait kinde of liuing or valiant corage in preaching as for that they continued constant to the end You are they that
haue byden with mee in my temptation saith he and I will giue you a kingdome bee faithfull to the end and I will giue you a crown of life He that ouercommeth shall possesse all thinges and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne and shall eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of Paradise of God But hee that taketh the Plough in hand and lookeâ—h back is vnmeete for the kingdome of heauen Not euery one that runneth but he that commeth to the end of the gole hath the garlande Not euery one that worketh in the vineâ—ard but he that coÌ„tinueth vntil night hath the penny Not euery one that fighteth but he that getteth the victory hath the crowne of triumph Not euery one that beginneth wel and doth good for a time but hee that indureth to the end shall be saued When the Angell had wrestled and night with Iacob at last because it drue neere day desyred to depart no quoth Iacob I will not let thee go before thou blesse me Iacob by faith preuailed and was therefore called Israel that is to say one that preuaileth with God so all that wil be taken at the last day for true christiaÌ„ Israelites must by faithfull prayer patience and constancy preuaile with God To become a Citizen of heauen is an office of great honor and no small matter to obtaine so high a calling We may not thinke to haue that at the fyrst chop which all the godly before vs haue obtained in long time with great trobles greeuous crosses and many tears An Oke springeth vp by litle and litle in great space of yeares and cut downe againe by many small strokes The soft drops of water by often falling do pierce through the hardest stone By continuall perswasion the hardnes of mans hart is molifyed and by continuall prayers our God is easily intreated Without great labor and long sute a worldly benefyte is not obtained at an earthly kings hands so many we think our selues most happy and blessed if when we haue paciently waited in hope with contâ—nuall praying and intrâ—ating all the dayes of our life we may yet at length obtaine our long desired ioyes Happy and blessed is hee whom the father of mercy endueth with his interior grace so to worke runne and perseuer as in the ende hee may say with the Apostle I haue fought a good fyght and got the victory I haue finished my course and woon the prise Christ is to me life and death to mee aduantage To him with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor glory and thankes for euer Chapter XV. A comfortable consolation to the faithfull troope of Christian Pilgrams PLucke vp thy hart and reioice litle poore dispised flocke for the Lord hath heard the voice of thy weeping whose will and pleasure is to giue thee a kingdome Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord himselfe is the defender of their cause and will deliuer them out of all One haire of their head shall not perish for they are dearely bought Euen as a Father pittieth his owne sonne so is our God mercifull vnto them that feare him The naturall infirmities of man are not hid from his eies he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust Right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Sainctes He that toucheth one of his obedient Children toucheth the apple of his owne eie Will a wife forget the child of hir wombe or the sonne that shee hath borne and though shee do forget yet wiâ—l not I forget thee saith the Lord. I haue bene younge and now am olde sayth Dauid yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his Children begge their bread Yea rather then Helias shall die for foode he will prepare the Rauens to feede him Rather then Sampson shall decay for drinke hee will bring water out of an Asses Iawe bone to refresh him Rather then Israell shall starue for hunger He wil send Manna from Heauen to norish them rather then his people shall perish for thirst hee will turne the hard Rocke into a standing water to comfort them Rather then any harme shall come vnto his chosen hee will set his Angels to keepe and preserue them and carry the poor begger into Abrahams boosome The Mountaines shall moue and the hilles shall fall downe but my louing kindnes shall neuer moue nor fall saith the Lord. They that put their trust in him saith the Prophet shall be euen as mount Sion which may not bee remoued but standeth fast for euer And though our louing Father whose will and pleasure is not to cocker his children in this life but rather to punish their sinnes that they should not be condempned in the world to come do feede them for a time with the sowre bread of heauinesse and bitter water of affliction to try them in the fournace of aduersitie as the potters vessell in the ouen or gold in the fyer yet the time of refreshing no doubt is euen at hand He will come shortly and will not tary to wipe all teares from their eies and turne their sorrow and miserie into ioy and felicity for euer Whom the Lord loueth him hee chasteneth and yet delighteth in him as a father in his sonne Because thou wast beloued of God saith the Angell to Tobias it was necessary that temptation should trye thee Lyke as the Heards-man when any of his flocke are vnruly and straye from their fellowes sendeth forth his dogge not of mallice to hurt on deuoure them but of loue to saue and refourme them Euen so our heauenly Shepheard when his sheepe goe astray and offende him hee sendeth out his dogge of tribulation not of eâ—uye to hurt or distroy them but of fauor to correct and amâ—nd them And as the skilfull Phisitian prescribeth not one manner of dyet nor one kinde of medecine to all his patients but onely that which he knoweth most meete for their bodily health according to the complection of the man and quality of the disease so where as God our only sailfull Phisitian knowing best what is meet and expedient for the health of all men both body and soule doth giue vnto some prosperity some aduersity some health some sicknes some quietnes and some troubles it is our duty to rest contented with his will knowing that hee neuer faileth his children in necessity nor suffreth them to bee tempted aboue their power Though he maketh a wound saiâ—h Iob hee giuâ—th a plaister and though hee smite hee maketh hole As in wrastling with Iacob with one hande he did comfort and strengthen him to ouercome with the other So will hee either strengthen the rest of his obedient Children to indure and ouercome their troubles or else open a way whereby to auoide
The Pilgrimage to Paradise Compiled for the direction comfort and resolution of Gods poore distressed children in passing through this irkesome wildernesse of temptation and tryall By Leonard Wright Acts. 14.22 Through much tribulation must wee enter into the kingdome of God Matth. 7.14 Straight is the gate and narrowe is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it Seene and allowed LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe and are to be solde at his shoppe against the broad South doore of Paules 1591. To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord Ihon Lord Saint-Ihon Baron of Bletso L. Wright wisheth increase of honour and temporall prosperitie and after death to ioy with Christ in eternal felicitie THE Patriarkes in olde time coÌ„plained right Honorable that the dayes of their pilgrimage were short tedious but we may truly say that the days of our crooked aged are most wretched and dangerous WheÌ„ Satan whose wrath being great because he knoweth his time but short is transformed into an Angel of of light and his peeuish Ministers fashioned like to the Apostles of Christ hauyng their heads so fraught with nouelties their harts so ful of hypocrisie and their toongs so smooth eloquent and plausible as by the persuadable words of mans wisdome they are able to deceiue if it were possible euen the very elect They fil our eares with vaine iangling striuing and contending about Church-plots and principles of doctrine euer learning and neuer able to come to the trueth as though Religion consisted onely in speculation wythout action hearing without doing or knowledge without execution To the great discouraging and amazing of many a simple soule Who though in zeale of conscience very careful to please God and feareful to offend him yet by reason of ignorance vnable to discerne medicine from poison or Religion from Superstition For whose comfort and directioÌ„ in the way of truth godlinesse and vertue I haue penned this litle volume Which as a true testimony of a thankefull minde for those fauourable courtesies your Lordship hath vouchsafed to shew me I haue presumed to dedicate vnto your Honor in hope that in passing vnder your good name the people shal the rather be moued to take the same in good part and apply it to their profit Humbly beseeching you to pardon my boldenesse and accept it as willingly as I offer it faithfully And as duety bindes me my dailie prayers to the Almightie for your Honour shal not cease during life The Author to the Reader IT is a true saying gentle Reader man doth purpose but God doth dispose For I had no sooner determined in discharge of my dutie to frame this litle volume but that vpon speciall occasion offered by some of Satans broode who vnder an hipocriticall shew of Religion sought to corrupt the pure doctrine of the Gospell deface the ministerie and subuert the state of Ecclesiasticall gouernement I was moued in zeale of conscience to stay my former pretence And rather as time then required to apply my indeuours to the preuenting of eminent daungers as in my late published labour intituled A Sommons for sleepers A Patterne for Pastors A Display of dutie and The Hunting of Anti-christ with A friendly admonition to Martin Marprelate and his Mates may plainely appeare Tending chiefely to awake and stirre vp to repentance and amendment of life such wicked and notorious offenders as are most grieuous to the Church and noysome to the common wealth And to put all states and degrees of people in minde of their office and dutie to God their Prince and countrie And now to proceede as one alwayes willing and desirous what in me lyeth to further the glorie of God and profite his children I haue at length finished this my first pretended worke as a meane to incourage strengthen direct in the right path to eternal felicity such weary waÌ„dring Pilgrims as yet are weake in faith doubtfull in conscience or distressed in minde Crauing thus much at thy handes courteous Reader that if it shall please the Lorde in mercie so effectually to blesse and fructifie these my simple trauailes as by the helpe and meanes thereof thou shalt conceiue in thy soule that spirituall comfort and heauenly consolation which in heart I wish thee then yeelde dutifull thankes to the highest and charitably pray for me vale in Christo. L. Wright THE PILGRIMAGE to Paradise Chapter 1. He that in Paradise wil taist the fruites of Diuinity must first learne to know himselfe in the schole of humility HVmility is a vertue springing from the feare of God the mother of meekenesse and sister of deuotioÌ„ without which no man can attaine to the knowledge and feeling of his owne misery in Adam felicity in Christ. A Birde except her winges be mooued downwards can not flye vp to the top of an hill nor man except the affections of his hart be humbled downwards mount vp to the towre of diuine vnderstanding And therfore that godly father S. Augustine compareth heauen vnto a faire stately Pallace with a litle dore whereat no man can enter except he stoupe very low As who should say God reiecteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and lowlye The true wisedome of a Christian Pilgram consisteth espetiaâ—ly in the knowledge of his owne imperfections Then are we said to bee righteous saith Ierom when we acknowledge our selues to be wicked transgressors He hath much profited in this life saith S. Augustin that hath learned how farre he is from perfection of righteousnes For the lesse opinion a man hath of himselfe the more trust he hath in God And the more he feeleth in his conscience the horror of hell the nearer he is to the ioyes of Heauen None so neare as the humble penitent whose hart is most deepely wounded with the greeuousnes of sinnes nor none so farre from true religion as he who thinketh himselfe most perfect and very religious The ioyes of Paradise are prepared not for proud presumptuous Pharasyes who seeme in their owne Eyes most iust pure and perfect but poore humble Publicans that iustly condemne themselues as most vile miserable and wretched The Sunne of man came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance To seeke vp none but those that do acknowledge themselues to bee lost To comfort and to raise vp none with his Gospel but those which bee discomforted and cast downe by the law Nor to annoint and heale none with his oyle of gladnes but such broken and contrit hartes as for griefe of synnes are sicke and mourne in syon Chapter II. Of the lothsome deformity of nature through Adams fall All which parts of man at the fyrst were in such perfect order and concoâ—d framed together as nether the immortall spirit did conceaue any thing the naturall powers of the soule desyre any thing nor the terrestriall body execute any thing coÌ„trary to the wil of God All
him to blaspheme God Ioseph felt his part of miserie when he was solde of his brother and imprâ—soned without cause Noah felt his part of miserie being grieuouslye mocked and persecuted of the wicked Poore Lazarus was both sicke â—oâ—e hungry and thirsty Father Iacob complayned that his daies were fewe and euill Dauid said hee was a worme and no man Solomon was weary of his life because all that euer he saw vnder the Sunne was nothing but vanitie miserie and vexation of minde Father Ierom complayned that Satan sought to ouerthrowe him and that his weake fleshe was readie to consent The Prophet Ieremy cursed the daye of his birth Ionas said it was better for hâ—m to die then liue Chrisostome called the daies of his life the daies of his sorrowe Naziensen wept that his mother had brought him forth to see such miserable daies Such trauell hath God giuen vnto men vnder the sunne to be exercised therin Chapter IIII. Of the breuitye of mans life and certaintye of Death ANd as the dayes of this our painefull pilgrimage are vayne and miserable so are they short and tedious The one foote no sooner on the ground but the other readie to slip into the graue Man that is borne of woman saith Iob hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie He springeth as a flower fadeth like a shadowe and neuer continueth in one state My daies saith he are more swifte then a runner We bring our yeares to an ende saith Dauid as it were a tale that is tolde We are dying continually all our life long euery yeare day and houre Our infancie lasteth a small while and dyeth Our youth florisheth a time and vanisheth Our manhood a time and departeth Our age a time and by and by it is gone The dayes of our life saith the Psalmist are three-score yeares and tenne and though men bee so strong that they rubbe out till foure score yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soone passeth it away and we are gone The life of man is aptly compared to a vapour to the trace of a cloude to a shippe passing ouer the waues of the sea tossed and beaten with tempest to a birde that flyeth in the aire or a shaft that is shot at a marke and neuer staieth till it light vpon the ground Euen so man assoone as he is borne beginneth immediately to draw to his ende The godly Patriarkes who liued in the firste age of the world saw many yeares yet at last the dyed Death was alwaies the ende of their song Adam lyued 930-yeares Seath 912 Enoch 905 Kenan 910 Mahelaell 895 Iared 962 Mathusala 969 Lamech 777 Noah 950 and they died saith the text ABraham the father of the faithfull Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart Iohn Baptist of whom our Sauiour Christ said there hath not risen a greater amongst the children of women yâ—t they dyed All the Prophets Apostles and godly martires were greatly in Gods fauour yet they died Rich and poore wisemen and fooles learned and ignorant godly and vngodly all must follow the dauÌ„ce of death Many are gone before the rest must followe after when God doth call nature must obey Wise Salomon rich Iob strong Sampson and faire Absolon haue trode the path of all flesh Great Alexander Conquered the whole world yet could hee finde no weapon to conquer death The stiffest steele yeeldeth to the hammer the strongest oake to the axe and the stoutest heart vnto nature And therefore king Phillip of Macedonia wallowing in worldly wealth and prosperity commaunded his chamberlaine euery daye at his vp rysing sadly to repeate vnto him these wordes Remember king Phillip and forget not that thou art a man subiect to mortality All flesh is grasse and euerye man the flower of the grasse the grasse shall be withered and the flower shall fall away And as death is a thing of all other most certaine and sure so is the time of dâ—ath most vncertaine and doubtfull The Lord in his word hath reueaâ—ed vnto man many notable lessons touchâ—ng the knowledge of his wâ—ll yet not the day of death bâ—cause he would haue vs liue so as euery day migâ—t be the day of death Knowing that as the course of this life is the râ—ce vnto death so is death the gate to eternal life And therefore as at night we do willingly put of our garments in hope the next morning to put them on againe so ought wee willingly to put of these our mortall bodies assuring our selues that after we haue slept a while in tâ—e dust to receiue them againe immortall O homo Nosce Teipsum The wheat and other seede though it dye and rot in the ground yet springeth vp more beautiful then before It is written how certain summer birds lye dead all winter and reuiue in the spring The Phenix being burnt vnto ashes yet of the same ashes is bred to liue againe So though our bodies layd shall be to rot in lothsome graue Yet afterwards in glorious state more bewty they shall haue When death hath held them downe awhile Anon they shall arise Eternally in ioy to liue With Christ aboue the skyes Chapter V. The passage to Paradise is aptly compared to a warfare PLato calleth a Philosophers life a meditation of death But it may truly be said that the whole race of a Christian mans life is nothing else but a continuall warfare For as the Israelites by bodily resistance did assaile fyght against and ouercome seuen Nations before they could obtaine a temporall inheritance in the land of Canaan so must Gods children by spirituall resistance assaile fight against and ouercome their lewd lustes wicked appetits and fleshly affections with the hole host of vicâ—s enemies most odious to God and dangerous to man before they can come to inioy their eternall inheritance in the kingdome of heauen The chiefe Captaine generall in this continuall conflict is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Iuda the prince of peace the conqueror of death hell and sinne the great Iudge of the world and bishop of our soules which is Christ himselfe The grande Captaine of our ennemyes part is the great red Dragon the old crafty serpent the deceauer of the world accuser of his bretheren and gouernor of darknes which is Satan himselfe Mighty in power subtil in pollicy skilfull in war Apt and ready what in him lyeth to hinder the glory of God and saluation of man Who like a ramping and roring lyon seeking continually whom he may deuoure knoweth how to vse both riches and pouerty prosperity and aduersity health and sicknesse strength and weakenes bewty and deformity as instruments and weapons to serue his purpose Hee tempted Adam to eate the forbâ—ddeÌ„ fruit Aaron to make the goldeÌ„ Calfe Dauid to commit adultry and murther Iudas to betray Christ Peter to forsweare him
the Apostles did cast out Deuils and heale diseases Which kind is common as welâ— to the reprobate as to the elect But the true liuely and iustifying faith whereby Gods wrath is pacifyed our sinnes pardoned our minds lightned our harts strengthened our prayeâ—s heard our requestes granted and we adopted the children of God members of Christ and Temples of the holy ghost without which it is not possible to please him is a syngular gift of God whereby his holy spirit by the preaching of his word and sacraments doth seale and conforme in the harts and conscience of his elect a certaine assured trust that onely by and through the conception byrth merits death passion resurrection assention intercession of that pure innocent Lambe Christ Iesus to haue free pardon remission of synnes both originall and actuall and raigne with him in glory for euer Pope is an assured constant and vnmoouable expectation which as an inseperable companion doth stedfastly looke and long for the perfourmance of those things which faith belieueth to be true and is therefore called the bloud of faith and anker of saluation Loue in generall is a common effect of fauor and affection and charity is loue reduced in due order the handmaid of faith and mistres of all other vertues And as faith beleeueth the word and hope waiteth for the promised reward so charity seeketh to helpe comfort and releeue her neigh hour To profit and do good vnto all and to hurt or hinder none To loue all men in Christ and for Christes sake and to hate none but sin and for sinnes sake And as the spirite of life descending from the head disperseth into euery part of the bodie so that if any member shall not be partaker thereof it cannot liue but perish terrestrially euen so the spirite of Christ being the head of his Church so disperseath into euerye member thereof quickning knitting and ioyning them together by the vertue of concord loue and charity that if any part or member shall bee separate or cut from the same it cannot liue but perish eternally Chapter XI Of prayer and meditation AS amongst the Iewes in olde time those beastes onely which chew the endde were counted cleane and meete for the sustenance of man so those men onely which by faithfull prayer and meditation chew the cudd of their minds are counted righteous and meete for the kingdome of heauen Meditation is the keye of conscience which openeth the closet of the heart and the eye of the soule whereby she seeth her whole estate defect and danger Prayer is an humble lifting vp of the minde vnto God the fruits of repentance and foode of faith consisting of two partes inuocation and thanksgiuing Which Christ himselfe hath not onely in mercy ordained as the chiefest part of Diuinity profitably appointed it as the surest staffe for a christiaÌ„ pilgrim to sâ—ay vpon straightly commaunded it as the strongest defence for his poore distressed children to flye vnto and by his owne example confirmed it as the onely meane to obtaine all thinges meete for the vse and profite of man but hath also prescribed an ordinary rule and firme as it were his common store house of wealth and vertue to direct our praiers according to his owne diuine wisedome Wherein is contained all thinges necessary both concerning his owne glory the health of our soules and preseruation of our bodies Adding thereunto a certaine assured promise confirmed with an othe and sealed with his owne bloud that whosoeuer do faithfully beleeue in him put their trust in his mercy and depend wholy vpon his prouidence shall haue cleane remission of sinnâ—s and eternall life And whatsoeuer they shall profitably aske in his name he will assuredly here them and graunt their requestes Call vpon me in the daye of trouble saith the Lord and I will heare thee and thou shal praise me This is the trust that we haue towardes him saith the Euangelist that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. If you abide in me and my wordes abide in you saith our Sauiour aske what you will and it shall be done vnto you Whatsoeuer you shall aske in prayer if you do beleeue saith he you shall receiue it The Lord is nigh vnto all that caâ—l vpon him saith Dauid Yea vnto all such as call vpon him faithfully I will heare before you call yea while you are but euen thinking to speake saith the Lord. As truely as hee heard Iobes prayer in the dunghill Ieremy in the clay pâ—tte Daniell in the Lyons denne the three children in the flaming fire Ionaâ— in the whales bellye and Steuen vnder the stones so truely will he heare the rest of his obedient children that call faithfully vpon him in distresse and mistrust him not But hee that doubteth saith the Apostle is like a waue of the sea tost wâ—th the wind and carried with violence Neither let that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Some are not heard because they pray with lippes onely without the affections of the hart Some for vngratefully abusing Gods benefites as though got by their owne policie Some in praying for superfluity are iustlye denyed things necessarie You receiue not saith the Apostle because you aske not And you aske and receiue not because you aske amisse The matter in prayer lyeth not in much saying but well saying It is not in the number of words or lowdnesse of voice but the zealous affection of an humble penitent heart and the feruent groning desire of a troublâ—d spiriâ—e that as most delicate musicke pearceth the heauens and soundeth in Gods sacred eares as daintie meate pleaseth his diuine tast and as sweete incence delighteth his heauenly smell When Anna a figure of the Church did pray in the Temple her heaâ—t and lippes did moue but her voyce was not heard and yet God hard her So was Moises saide to be vehement in prayer when he spake not one word It is moreouer to be obserued that our prayers for spirituall giftes pertaining to the soule ought alwaies to be absolute without condition as well assured of remâ—ssâ—on of sinnes and eternall saluation in Christ according to his promise But for temporall thinges pertaining to the bodie to bâ—e alwaies ioyned with this condition that if it shaâ—l please his fatherly goodnes to graunt our petitions Because wee are ignorant what is most meete and profitable for vs. When it pleaseth the Lord to bestowe a benefit of his children his custome is first to stiâ—re vp their mindes moue their heartes and open their lippes humbly to pray vnto him And then as a louing father so farre as shall further his owne glorie and their saluation to graunt their requestes For whatsoeuer is contrarie is vnmeâ—t for him to giue and hurtfuâ—l for vs to
but fained shewes or darke shadowes There was in the temple at Ierusalem and so in the tabernacle two vales The first in the sanctuarie and the second in sanctum sanctorum The outward vale did signifye the couering and concealing of those mysteries glad tydings of the Gospell or doctrine of grace pertaining to the church militant Which at the death of christ to shewe that the same was then reueiled the fierie sword which kept the gate of Paradise remoued and the way to God the Father vnto all true beleeuers laid open did rent and teare in sunder The inwarde vale did signify the couering and concealing of those diuine mysteries which after the generall iudgement shall bee reuealed when we shall see his glorious maiestie face to face as he is Which vale had foure colours signifying the foure Elements being impediments and lets to keepe vs from the sight of those heauenly substances which our immortall and glorifyed bodies shall then behold And as our Sauiour Christ laide aside the paâ—t of maiestie tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and hauing performed due obedience and subiection vnto his father is now aduanced to the highest dominion and crowned with honor and glorie that all knees shall bow vnto him So after the last day when he hath performed the officâ— of a mediator hee shall yeelde vp into the handes of his Father both the kingdome name and crowne of glorie and bee content with that same glorie which he inioyed before the creation of the world that God may be all in all A Meditation of the Lords prayer Our Father which art in heauen halowed bee thy name THy sacred word oh heauenly father wherby thou art knowne the onely Lorde of mercy and iudgement bee halowed and saÌ„ctified in vs. That by meanes of hearing thine euerlasting truth And viewing thy wondrous worâ—es most glorious in their kind all states and degrees of people may continually be moued with humble thankfull and obedient heartes to extâ—ll praise and magnify thy infynite goodnes for euer That all may turne to thy glory and our saluation Thy kingdome come INcrease most louing Father thy faithfull family vpon earth and make hast to deliuer vs from this present euill world Come Lord quickly to shorten these our sinfull daies and bring our miserable pilgrimage to an end That all may turne to thy glorie and our saluation Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen OH mercifull God whose eternall will and pleasure is to glorify them that glorify thee in themselues We beseech thy fatherly goodnes so to frame our hartes in due obedience to thy heauenly wil as our cheefe study care and delight may be wholly applyed to the suppressing of falshod and vice th' aduauncing of truth and vertue and bearing with patience the crosse of our louing Redeemer after him That al may turn to thy glory and our saluation Giue vs this day our daily bread OH most bountifull and gratious Soueraigne at whose mercyes seat all mankind must call and cry for grace at whose almes-basket both King and Keaser are driuen to begge their bread at whose bountifull handes all liuing creatures in due season expect theâ—r food We humbly beseech thee so to coÌ„fort norish and releeue our soules with thy true and holesome bread of life as the promise of remission of sinnes and redemption in Christ may assuredly bee sealed in our hartes and conscience And at thy good will and pleasure giue vs thy daily blessing of food and raiment with all thinges needfull for our bodily sustinance in this life Not desyring with couetous worldlings to wallow in superfluity but with Salomon a meane contented liuing to aide necessity That all may turne to thy glory and our saluation Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. OH mercifull Father who hast promised free pardon and forgiuenes of synnes coÌ„ditionally that we do humbly acknowledge our faultes amend our liues and shew like pity and compassion to our bretheren that offend vs. We humbly beseech thee so to relent and mollify our hard stony harts with the piercyng oile of thy interior grace as our loue and charity towards them may declare the same promise to bee thankfully receiued of vs. That all may turne to thy glory and our saluation Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill WE pray and beseech thee most gratious Soueraigne to bridle and restraine the furious rage of Sathan our mortall enemy Who like a ramping and roring Lyon seeketh continually to seduce and lead vs into errâ—r sinne and vtter distruction Strengthen our weakenesse quicken our dulnesse pardoÌ„ our neglâ—gence increase our faith and keepe vs in all truth godlinesse and vertue That we may alwâ—ies render vnto thy glorious maiesty wâ—thout beginning change or end all honor power and dominion for euer Amen A most godly and comfortable prayer in time of aduersity OH eternall and most louing father thou God of mercy and iudgement to whom all thinges in heauen and earth do bow and obay At tâ—e countinance of whose glorious maiesty the whole woâ—ld doth tremble and quake Who hath fashioned man of slime earth couered him in his mothers wombe and redeemed him from death and hell Who seeth the very secrets of mans harte vnderstandeth his thoughtes and spiest out all his wayes To thee oh heauenly king I humbly bowe the knees of my hart beseeching thy fatherly goodnes in Iesus Christ to heare me poore wretched child of Adam begotten and borne in sin disquieted with troubles wrapt in aduersity oppressed with misery Yet by thy secret purpose pertaine to thy kingdome An vnruly sheepe of thy fold by election and calling an vnprofitable seruant of thy houshold by obedience and duty And vnworthy sonne of thy family by adoption and grace I will call mine owne waies to remembrance confesse mine iniquities against my selfe and power out my complaint before thee Gâ—ue eare to my prayer O Lord consider my distresse and ponder the voice of my humble desires Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redemer I haue sinned most greeuously Oh mercifull God against heauen and before thee I haue sore prouoked thyne anger oh Lord thy wrath is waxen hot thy heauy displeasure is sore kindled against me And now in the vexation of my spirit and the anguish of my soule Remembring thy fatherly kindnes towards penitent sinners I appeale to thy eternall mercy acknowledge my wickednes and lament my greuous offences My hart is broken with sorrows my life waxeÌ„ old with heauines and my yeares with mourning How long wilt thou be angry with thy seruant to Lord how loâ—g shall I seeke counsell in my soul and be so vexed in my spirit How long shall I poore sinfull wretch be