of some earthly businesse and shal I not reioyce in the Gospel of God in good newes from heauen touching the saluation of my soule Againe shall I laugh and bee cheary in being with my frieÌ„d and shall I be all amort when I draw neere my God Shall I be glad of acquaintance with a man and not bee glad that I know my God in Iesus Christ which is life euerlasting Iob. 1.17.1 The wicked they exult in seruing sin SataÌ„ to their destruction shall I bee without ioy in seruing my God who giueth of his free grace to me life euerlasting O our reioycing is earthly little ioy of the holy Ghost dwelleth with vs. We are like such as are sicke of light phrensies they â—ill laugh at their shadâ—ow at their own phanâ—es but can see nothing â—â—to nay distaste that which sauoreth of right reason As therefore against the former so against this also we must fight the good fight of faith looking to him who hath said hee will make our hearts glad in his house who hath promised to send his spirit to vs that our ioy may bee full praying him that in this regard hiâ— Kingdome may come and that hee would rectifie this affection in vâ—to make vs able to takâ— comfort in that whicâ— is matter of true reioâ—â—cing Now for praysiâ—â— God and thankfulneâ—â— to him wee haue this commandement * Phil. 4.6 in al things giue thanks yea in euils Iohn 1. Psal 104. end shal we receiue good things from God and not euill the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed bee his name No wonder for medicine is as good in due season as the delightfullest dainties Now our inward and outward crosses are by Gods graces made wholesome physicke to purge out our corruptions and make vs partakers of the quiet fruit of righteousnesse and holinesse Yea our hearts should be so thankfully affected that like a fire it must breake forth and inflame others My soule my heart al within me praise the Lord Psal 104 35. My soule praise the Lord praise yee the Lord. He doth stirre vp himselfe and prouoke others as the Cocke that first clapping his wings about his bodie rowseth vp himself and after crowing awaketh others Otherwise coÌ„mon termes of thankfulnesse without affectioÌ„ are a court-holy-water as we say which our God that looketh at heart and raines doth not respect And truly there is great cause looke at benefits past eaten bread must not be forgotteÌ„ thanks must still be greene doth not the particular deliuerance when many fell on each hand of you bind you still to thankfulnesse If all things you enioy you know the temporall blessings as tolerable health good name and reputation freedom from suite and seruice ability rather to â—e helpful then chargeble the domesticall peace your liberties without feare of restraint all of them in their place no small matters Will you consider spiritual blessings that which you haue downe in hand is as great a work of his mercie as the glorious staâ—e you looke for hereafter Is not the Lords worke more admirable in his first making and quickning the infant in the wombe then in feeding it there drawing it forth and nursing it vp to full stature so his begetting vs who were dead to bee aliuâ— though yet in the wombe of our mother the Church is more then the bringing of vs to a perfect man in Christ Iesus when now we are new borne babes in him And though it seeme strange yet it is onely in this respect because we are like infants who liue but know not in comparison that they liue so wee hauing in small measure that Spirit which teacheth vs to know the things bestowed on vs know not how great that grace is which is already shewed vs. It is no smal thing when wee were dead in ignorance and the lusts of our ignorance to bee quickned with the life of God in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse when wee were enemies to bee made friends yea sonnes and daughters The Apostle doubteth not to reason from this as the greater to life euerlasting as the lesser Ro. 5.10 If God when we were enemies hath recoÌ„ciled vs by his death how much more wil he saue vs with perfect saluation of soule and body by his life that is by putting forth the power of his Spirit now hee liueth to die no more These then are great things his acquitting you from the sinne and death for Christ the suâ—â—ties sake his sending his Spirit into your heart and giuing you part in the first resurrection Beside these you must remember what aduersities he hath holpen you in how he hath eased the yoke of your corruptions which haue had more power in you then now they haue yea what euils he hath put by you Haue you not been tempted in â—his or that kind it is because God in mercie would not leade you into temptation Yea this is in some respect more to bee acknowledged theâ— victorie when you are tempted For not to bee tempted is more immediately from God and lesse in mans power then to preuaile against temptations For nothing doth ouercom vs without our will but without our wills God doth leade vs into triall for he knoweth we would taste little of these if it were in our power to bee our owne caruers You must bee as thankful for such sins which God hath not let you know as for those which hee hath pardoned in you hauing committed them Whither doe you thinke you are bound to praise God more if hee restore you when you are sicke or if he keep you so that you feele no sicknesse Now if you weigh what things God hath prepared for you they are such as neuer eye saw neuer entred fully into the hart of mortal man Compare the state of Prince Henrie in his Queen Mothers womb with his condition at full age in all the glory of his Fathers Court there is a broad difference which may fitly resemble the diuersitie of our present and future condition We are borne sons and daughters of God heyres apparant to the Kingdom of heauen but while the Church doth heere trauell of vs we are pent vp in darke cloysters annoied with much stincks of sinne in ouâ— selues and others but hereafter our state shalâ— be altogether lightsome happie and glorious So that wee may well say to God O how great is the good which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee How great things dost thou worke before the sonnes of men for such as hope on thee You see then how for things past for things present and things God hath in store for vs wee are bound to bee thankfull Now if you aske what it is in which our thankfulnesse standeth I answere first in a heartie acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse to vs in all things with conscience of our owne vnworthinesse as who are lesse then the least of his mercies Compare Genes 32.10.33.5 1. Ch. 29.14 Moses
The third dutie is you must loue him for loue we know maketh the man and woman one so it doth couple vs to God Wee must labour to say from our hearts Lord what haue wee in heauen but thee Psal 73.25 or in earth in comparison of thee Now though we think wee doe loue him and doe so yet it is weakly and aboue all things we had need to mende in this behalfe Trie your loue and then iudge of it Those you loue doe you not loue to be present with theÌ„ as you two one with another if one of you be forth of towne doe you not thinke long til you meet together are but should bee affectioned toward euery stranger if shee should not care how long she were absent from him but thinke her selfe best while they were asunder if shee cared little how her louing husband were offended casting that at her heele which hee taketh to heart were not this shamelesse behauiour in her and shall not we be ashamed to shew no lesse want of loue to thee to whom our souls are married in Christ Then you must turne you to God confessing that your hearts are full of harlotry and false-loue You can loue your selues you haue affectioÌ„ enough to the things of this world the gifts of God and that the meanest more then the giuer as harlottes to rings gold bracelets more then the senders and beseeching him to purge your hearts of this and fill you with his loue for this is his promise I will circumcise your hearts and make you loue mee with all your hearts The fourth thing is the feare of God Sanctifie the Lord in your harâ—s make him your feare Esa 8.13 * Mat. 10.28 feare to offend him who when the body is killed can cast the soule into hell fire We shold reuerence his excellent Maiestie and dread to offend him because hee hath been gracious to vs and hath power to doe with vs what euer he pleaseth And with good reason were there from whom wee hold our house and stocke so that hee could turne vs out of all at his pleasure would wee not walk very circumspectly fearing that which might alienate his fauour from vs Againe if the Maiesty of a mortall man doth affect vs as of the King with reuerence how much more should wee be affected with the glorious Maiesty of the most high God Now you must know your hearts are much void of this also The thing speaketh it self Do you not feele when in prayer you are to speake to God that there is no reuerence in your hearts beseeming so high a Maiestie Do you not feele the want of dreade at his iudgements which so long haue been vpon vs and still houer about vs and what awe is in vs making vs fearefull by sin to displease him Alas presumption securitie hardnesse of hart these weeds grow so hic that wee can scarce discerne the fruit aboue named In the third place theÌ„ you must worke this want vpon your heart as the former saying If I were in the presence of some great personage and should carrie my selfe rudely without due respect would I not blush shall I not bee ashamed I haue no more reuerence when I come before thee Iam. 2.19 O thou God of glory so for want of dread shall the beasts tremble wheÌ„ the Lion roreth yea shall the diuels tremble to thinke of thy iudgement O shall I be senslesse and no whit mooued So for want of awe in regard of breaking Gods law shall I dare as well to take a beare by the tooth as to breake the Kings law where especially it threatneth life limme or liberty and shall I not bee afraid to trespasse against thy â—â—â—tutes the breach wherof is punishable with eternall death Is there none but thee that wee may make bold with shall I bee so foolish as to feare sicknesse pouerty mens displeasure and not bee afraid of sinne and thy wrath which is a Heb. 12. vlt. a consuming fire what were this but with little childreÌ„ to bee scarred with a harmelesse bul begger and to bee dreadlesse of fire and water In the last place you must looke to God in conscience how this affection is peruerted in you confessing to him that you can feare the face of men things that are or seeme hurtfull to your selues you can â—emean your selues reuerently toward such as are great amongst meÌ„ but toward him you finde great want and goe pray him to worke it in your hearts who hath couenanted to put his b Ier. 32.40 feare in our harts so that we shall not depart from him Fifthly to haue God for your God bindeth you to reioyce in him c Phil. 2.4 Reioyce in the Lord againe I say reioyce d Ieâ— 9.23 Psal 37.4 Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee will giue thee thy hearts desire let not the rich man reioyce in wealth the strong man in strength the wise man in wisedome but in this that he knoweth mee saith the Lord. For what wee make our chiefe ioy that is our God for the heart resteth chiefly in that with which it is most delighted Now what is more equall then that we should solace our selues in him with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious who hath deliuered vs from death sinne and Satan who as Gods executioner hath power in sin and death in him who is a light and a shield that is a fountaine of all good and a defender of vs from all euill one able to maintaine all the good spiritual and corporall which we haue and giueÌ„ vs whatsoeuer is wanting but if wee marke our hearts their ioy is much depraued so that Salomon saith not without cause Eccles 2.2 our laughter is become madnesse for our harts are not cheary this way tell theÌ„ of the precious benefits are giuen vs in Christ pardon of sinne peace the beginning of euerlasting life through the work of grace hope through Christ of the heauenly Kingdome why they can heare this and be so farre from leaping within vs that we can hardly discerne them any whit moued Nay if we marke them the better we shall see that when wee would hold them to the remembrance of such things till they haue broke loose from vs they are not in their kind cannot bee lightsome as if God were the dampe of our mirth not the matter of our exulting gladnes Now when you obserue that you cannot reioyce in the Lord you must shame your soules by laying before them their owne course in other matters If I see some toy heare some iest I cannot containe my selfe if I heare some goodnesse or meete with prosperus successe in my worldlie affaires I can bee pleasant enough if I be passing the time with my friends at their curteous inuitements it goeth on merily deadnesse and vncomfortablenes I feele them not for the time Fie shall I haue laughter euen till I tickle at a feather at some merry conceit at good newes
bee If new plagues breake forth you shall haue comfort in the hottest and if you labour to see how farre your hearts are out of frame in their confidence loue feare ioy thankfulnesse in regard of the impenitent hardnesse and impudencie that is in them for they cannot blush for that God knoweth by them though our eares will glow on our heads if men know ought reprochfull by vs. If you labour to finde this out and then in sight of your misery looke to Gods promise who hath promised to giue you a new hart a tender hart in which his commandements shall bee written by the finger of his spirit then you shall see this course will neither let you bee idle nor vnprofitable yea it shall returne you much comfort and true peace in life and death wise men will take the sowre with the sweet and the world is not gotten without paines taking therfore if it seeme to haue any bitternesse or to require labour you must not be dismayed I will promise you it is but brackish on the toppe the deeper you go you shall find it the sweeter Your louing friend PAVL BAYNE ANOTHER LETter written by Master Paul Bayne MY Christiā friend if I had sooner knowne of your heauines I would before this haue written vnto you For the more arguments we haue of loue borne vs by Gods children the more testimonies we haue of his fauour towards vs. It pleased God in December last to change his hand toward you and to touch you in your wife whom now hee hath againe visited I hope all with both your cōforts Truly our God through Christ Iesus is so mercifull that all things are sanctified by him vnto our good all afflictions though for the present not ioyous yet they bring vs afterward the quiet fruit of righteousnesse These euils which here euer and anon are present with vs they are fitly cōpared to wayward touchie guests which while they stay watch euery officer but when they depart they pay freely So it is with these they oftentimes disquiet the frame of the whole soule but when they go away they leaue encrease of grace of faith of patience of experience that the soule saith well it is good I knew these things But the present working of sorrowes seemeth often farre otherwise for in stead of encreasing in faith our faith seemeth to bee shaken and weakened rather then otherwise and in stead of breeding patience and holines our soules doe discouer more impatiencie rebellion more vnholinesse euery way Now the soule thinketh when thus it is shaken in beleefe how doe these crosses confirme faith and when such euill dwelling in vs doth breake out how saith the soule to it selfe doe afflictions beget the quiet fruit of righteousnesse I wil answere you these questions familiarly when faith is shaken by euils befalling vs you aske how it is confirmed I answere you by a double comparison When a linke burneth dimme to helpe the light we knocke it being beaten to any thing it seemeth almost to go forth yet this beating it doth cause it cast light farre more cleerely Againe how doth the shaking of a tree by stormy blasts settle the root and the tree more firmely though for a while it threaten the downefall Conceiue of these and you may vnderstand how faith though it seeme to bee cast downe yet tried by tentations it commeth to bee strengthened Now then if you aske how they bring forth encrease of righteousnesse seeing you see more vnrighteousnesse breake from you by occasion of thē then you haue obserued in your selfe heretofore When a vessell of any liquor hath mud and dregs setled in the bottome it must bee stirred that which seemed pure must bee made muddie before it can bee cleansed euen so his troubling of vs vessels full of vncleannesse is the way whereby God doth cleanse vs. Now if God bee so tenderly present by vs as it pleaseth him ere-while to be it falleth so out that much gold many precious graces are discerned which wee before could not discouer and these are such sweete sowers so pleasantly tempered that the griefe is not so bitter as the working of grace in vs is delightfull But what way soeuer calamities doe not so hurt vs as scarre vs vs who are loued of God and called home according to his purpose Thus wishing your peace and hoping that all shall turn to good the good of you both I cease to trouble you FINIS