Lord Iesus I presse ye with experience foundest thou euer any true ioy in thy heart when thy hart eye was not on Christ No no there is no actiō if it were neuer so glorious that will minister ioy to thy heart except the eye heart be on Christ No if it were a Preacher if he haue not the eye of him on his Lord his speeches auailes not they will not comfort the soule of him Therefore haue euer thy eye vpon this Lord Iesus as euer thou wouldest haue pleasure and ioy in thy heart and benefit to thy selfe in the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit be all honour and praise for euer Amen THE XXXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 18. 19. 18 Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as is comely in the Lord. 19 Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them IN the text preceding the exhortation hath been generall to wit to mortification pertaining to euery estate in the world Now in this text he descends in particular to certaine speciall estates of men and women directing his exhortation particularly to them and namely to three estates The first is to husbands and wiues The second is to parents and children The third is to masters and seruants To come then to the purpose It is to be vnderstood that from the beginning of this world there hath euer been these three principall estates and ranks of men and women in the world The first is the estate of husbands and wiues for ye know Adam ere euer he had children he had his wife The next after Inequality in all estates this was the estate of parents and children and then by processe of time there became some masters and some seruants so that this is the last in order and time In these three estates all be not equall but there is an inequalitie some are superiours and some are inferiours The superiours he hath made to be Husbands Parents and Masters The inferiours he hath made to bee Wiues Children and Seruants For if all were equall no policie could stand nor order on the earth but a confusion The Lord who is onely wise knew this and therefore it pleased him to dispose the world after this manner so that a policie might be kept in it These being the three estates the Scripture hath chiefe respect to them and giues exhortations to these three In all he begins first at the inferiours as in this place he begins at the wiues and then comes to the husbands The cause of this is because the estate of the inferiours is hardest and therefore the spirit of God first informes the inferiours that they should take that burthen the Lord hath laid on them and that they should doe that which they doe willingly for I will not giue a peny for thy seruice and subiection if it be compelled for the subiection that is voluntarie is blessed whether it be by wife child or seruant otherwise all is nothing worth thou hast lost thy thankes But to come to the words First he saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands Few words but pithie Note foure things In them ye shall marke foure things First that dutie that is required of maried wiues the dutie is subiection and obedience The second is to whom they owe this dutie not to euery one but to their owne husbands The third is the manner of subiection how it shall be done to wit in the Lord. The fourth is the argument to moue them and it is taken from that that is comely The dutie then is subiection let vs weigh it The first thing in it is obedience in deede and effect This is the first part of subiection as appeares in the first Epistle of Peter chap. 3. where the Apostle making mention of the ancient women brings in the example of Sara and there he defines that subiection Yet there is more in this subiection then simple obedience The obedience must haue ioyned with it honouring of thy husband in word As thou obeyest Subiection of wiues to the husbands and what required in it him indeede and effect so thou must honour him in word therefore in that same place it is said that Sara called her husband Lord. Yet there is more then all this there is feare and reuerence in the heart required that is the ground of all Paul Ephes 5. 33. speakes expresly of this Looke that the wife feare and reuerence her husband in heart So then there is this subiection in the whole parts thereof In deed it is obedience in word it is honouring of him in heart it is feare and reuerence Note So that wife which will be subiect to her husband must keepe these three points or else she faileth in subiection Come to the second to whom this subiection ought to be giuen not to euery one To your owne husbands This subiection is commaunded not to strange men but to your owne husbands The speciall kind of subiection wherein stands the dutie of the wife to the husband is not to be communicated with any other man It is true the male kind hath a preferment aboue the female it hath honour aboue the other Looke Paul 1. Tim. 2. 13. 14. where he giues two reasons of this preferment The first is from the creation Adam was first created and then Eue. The second is from the transgression the woman fell first and it is sure first in sinne last in honour Notwithstanding this wiues are not commaunded to doe this dutie to euery man but to their owne husbands If you will mark the words narrowly you shal perceiue there lurks an argument in them The argument is taken from their propertie they are your proper goods thou hast nothing so proper as thy husband and therefore seeing thy husband is thy proper good shouldest thou not doe a dutie to thy husband But I leaue this and I come to the manner The manner of this subiection is bounded In the Lord the Lord Iesus must be the rule of it But to consider the words Wiues be subiect to your husbands in the Lord The manner of the subiection in these two respects First when you are subiect to your husbands be first subiect to Iesus Christ obey him honour him there is the first dutie which is according to the law discharge thy dutie to God first otherwise thou art in a backward way Begin neuer then at a man though it were at a King to shew and giue thy subiection but begin first at God and subiect thy selfe first to him Secondly when thou hast done thy dutie to the Lord Iesus Christ then for the loue and pleasure and glorie of this Lord thou shouldest subiect thy selfe to thy husband I will giue thee my counsell let neuer wife be subiect to her husband but for the cause of Christ and not for thy husbands cause First if thou doe it so for the Lords
cause thou shalt haue great aduantage The first aduantage is thou shalt not obey thy husband but in things lawfull honest agreeable to the will of the Lord though he should commaund thee neuer Note well two aduantages by obeying in the Lord first they shall obey but in that the Lord commands secondly the seruice Christ accepts as done to himselfe so much And if thou obey him in things vnlawfull thou shalt deerely buy it And indeede a faire aduantage to do nothing but that that is lawfull honest and agreeable to the Lords will The second aduantage is Obeying in the Lord all the seruice thou shalt doe to thy husband thou shalt doe it to Iesus Christ Ephes 6. 5. Where there is another doing in the Lord set downe what euer thou shalt do do it in singlenes of heart and not in doublenes As there be many false wiues who in obeying their husbands haue a double heart obeying them outwardly not for any good will or liking they haue to them but for some other cause and respect while as in the meane time she wil haue in her mind one euill or other against him Yea while she is shewing her selfe obedient to her husband outwardly her minde will be occupied on her harlotrie with another this is no single obedience and the cause is for as much as thine eye is not vpon the Lord and it is impossible that thou canst be sincere in thy doing except thine eye be vpon the Lord. Lastly doing all for his sake and in sinceritie Who shall reward thee what benefit shalt thou get shall it be a temporall thing that he can bestow vpon thee No no the Lord Iesus whom thou preferrest in the obeying of thy Great reward for seruing Christ husband and seruice doing to him he shall meete thee and reward thee with a crown of glorie Woe were it for me thee if in his seruice done in his name and for his sake wee looked for no more but for these earthly rewards though it were to be made a King or a Queene for wee and they both shall vanish away for nothing is permanent here vnder the Sunne Well doe nothing but for the Lord Iesus sake and that that is agreeable to his will say All that I do to my husband O Lord all is for thy sake otherwise all thy seruice stinkes thou shalt lose thy labour for thou shalt receiue no reward of him This for the manner of subiection and obedience vnto your husbands Now followes the fourth thing to be considered the argument to moue them to this dutie In a word It is comely It is reasonable it is iust Would you see this It leanes vpon good grounds neuer action had better First it is grounded vpon the ordinance of God first made before the fall and after the The argument of subiection fall renewed againe Secondly it is grounded vpon the law of nature the Lord hath written it in thy heart at the first creation Thou shalt be subiect to thy husband Besides this ye that are wiues you haue this conscience of your owne infirmitie you are the weaker vessels and therefore ye craue a head ye craue to be vnder a Superiour Thou who art disobedient who is it that thou hast to doe with Is it a man Looke what breach of law is here First thou breakest Gods law Secondly thou breakest the law of nature And thirdly thou doest against thy owne conscience Doubt yee that all these bands lies on you I tell you Eue fell not so soone but all these bands were laid on her In the third chapter of Genesis verse 16. Thy appetite shall be toward him c. And therefore marke it This rebellion and wantonnesse in many wiues it is not so small a sinne as you thinke It is a sinne against God and his law Secondly it is against nature Thirdly it is against thy conscience This is not well knowne by many therefore learne to know it in time Ye haue now heard the wiues part Now I come to the men Husbands loue your wiues that is the thing he charges them to doe then he saies Be not bitter vnto them that he forbids The thing then he bids them doe is Loue. So subiection in the wife should be met with loue and care in things spirituall and temporall this is generall subiection in the inferiour should be met with loue and care of the superiour in things earthly and temporall and in things spirituall Superiours bound to duties as well as inferiours For it is not the Lords will that the inferiour should be bound to a dutie and the superiour should goe free but he is as fast fastened to doe a dutie to his inferiour and more the greater preferment the greater burthen all the honours men get are the greater burthens to them Vnder the tearme of loue is vnderstood all kind of dutie belonging to the wife prouiding it begin at the heart and not at the mouth nor hand And therefore the word loue comprehends the most intire affection wey it well it is not a slender loue Loue. For first it imports a great affection in the heart and not a superficiall affection Secondly it imports such an affection as onely rests vpon the wife not a wandring lust for many esteeme any woman alike to them in filthy lust Thirdly this word imports an affection of loue that is holy and chast not a harlots loue If thou haue a harlots heart thou defilest thy selfe and thy wife both These are the three properties of this loue first it is a deepe loue in the heart Secondly it must rest only on thy wife And thirdly it must be chast Ephes 5. 25. Paul saith Husbands loue your wiues How shall ye loue them He saith As Christ loued his Church Albeit he cannot attaine to the greatnesse and quantitie of this loue yet keepe the qualitie of it How loues Christ the Church Vnspeakably O the chastnes of the loue of Christ that he keepes to his Church He loues his owne Church and he loues not an harlot Idolater She is set vp before him as a chast virgin Then take thy example of thy spouse Christ Looke how he loues thee after the same manner loue thou thy wife Whom should they loue Their owne proper wiues no strange woman cast not your fansie vpon them Ye know we are set to loue that that properly pertaines to vs but I say to you who are Husbands ye haue not such a property to any thing as to your wiues yea your heritage though you had a kingdome is not so properly yours as they are And therefore seeing it is naturall to euery man to loue his owne though it were so abiect why shouldest thou not loue that that is most proper to thee I see a kind of meeting here before he made men proper to their wiues now he makes the wiues proper to the husbands so that the man may say thou art my proper portion
in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise now and for euer Amen THE XXXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 22. 23. 24. 25. and Chap. 4. vers 1. 22 Seruants be obndient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God 23 And what soeuer ye doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ 25 But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen THese last daies welbeloued brethren we entred into the particular precepts exhortations concerning particular estates of men and women And first we spake of the dutie of wiues to their husbands and againe of the dutie of husbands to their wiues Next we spake of the dutie of children to their parents and againe of the dutie of parents to their children Now the last estate in a familie is the estate of masters and seruants Therefore wee haue to speake of the dutie of the seruant to the master and againe of the master to the seruant because there is a mutual dutie required and they are so bound the one to the other that they cannot be separate To come then to the words There is one precept giuen to seruants Seruants saith he obey your masters Then after hee insists vpon this obedience and describes it largely First hee sets downe the matter of it in what things they should obey Secondly he comes to the forme of obedience and describeth it Thirdly he goes to the fountaine and ground of all dutie which is the heart Then lastly to moue seruants to this obedience hee brings in two arguments The first is for that rich is the reward in heauen And the second is for that recompence that God shall giue to masters who doe not their dutie to their seruants To the words Seruants saith hee In these daies when the Apostle directed this precept properly here by seruants is vnderstood such as were in a hard estate slaues bought and sold like beasts ouer whom the masters had power Seruants in the Apostles time permitted by lawes to slay and saue them as ouer beasts so their estate was hard and heauie Secondly you must vnderstand they were seruants conuerted to Christ and their estate in that case was blessed Thirdly they were for the most part such as had to their masters Infidels not yet conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and so were the more rigorous For oh the crueltie of the Infidell ouer the Christian Now in respect of their estate hearing of the libertie of the Gospell they mistooke it and began to think that Christ and his Gospell came to destroy policie and lawes that binds vp Common-weales And therefore many of them began to turne grace into wantonnes and began to leaue their masters thinking that the Gospel made an equalitie of persons as the Anabaptists teach at this day Therefore the Apostle perceiuing this hee directs this precept to them recommending obedience notwithstanding of the Gospell Thou art a brother and a sister and yet a seruant therefore obey Now howbeit properly and in the first roome this precept bee directed to seruants that were slaues bought and sold yet it is extended also to all kinde of seruants It pertaines to you as well as to them Come to the next what is commaunded them The dutie is obedience Obey saith he Hee that is a seruant should not rule but obey The whole dutie of the inferiour to the superiour is called in one word Honour so the Lord termes it And it hath two speciall parts First reuerence in words The inferiour is bound to reuerence the superiour in his talke The second Honour hath two parts part is obedience in deede he is bound not onely to reuerence him in words but also to obey that hee commaunds Both these must begin at the heart otherwise thy reuerence and obedience auailes not Now the Apostle especially insists vpon obedience The dutie recommended to children is obedience and the like is recommended here because of the two duties obedience is the hardest It is an easie thing to doe curtesie to thy master to put off thy cap and becke but here is al the grauitie and weight of the matter to obey This the Apostle considering he stickes most on it howbeit vnder it all poynts of dutie be comprehended This for the dutie Now followes the persons to whom it appertaines Obey Whom not euery one but your Lords and masters Those that God hath set ouer you It pleases him to make thē superiours you inferiours therefore obey them Yea the name it selfe containes an argument to moue thee to do thy dutie he is thy Lord and master and thou shouldest thinke with thy selfe he is my master therefore I should obey I am bound to doe it Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the superiour powers There is the commandement The words that follow be to the consolation of Rom. 13. 1 the seruant your master saith he but how according to the flesh That is according to things bodily not according to the spirit and soule This is thy comfort that art a seruant there is no master that is set ouer thy soule no not a King is set ouer thy soule to sit on thy conscience for that were an absolute power that commaunds as well the soule as the bodie Now brethren there is not a Lord that may commaund so but onely the Lord of heauen and earth that is none that hath an absolute power but onely the Lord Iesus Christ It is shame to Christ the only Lord of the conscience the Monarch to take this name to him It is a blasphemie and a derogation to the name of Iesus no there is none hath power ouer my conscience or thine but onely he So if ye marke narrowly ye may see that as there is one thing commaunded so there is another thing forbidden them Obey them in thy bodie though it were to suffer iniurie but as for thy soule and conscience it is forbidden thee to subiect it to their appetite if thou doe it thou bereaues Christ of his right Therefore Galath 5. it is said be not made the seruants of men if thou doe it thou makes thy selfe a slaue to the foule appetite of flesh and bloud To be short there be two vices in seruice and obediēce that is done to the superiour whatsoeuer which should be eschued Two vices in seruice to be eschued and they are both in extremities and betwixt them there is a gracious vertue The one is when the subiect refuseth obedience in
there is not such a property in substance and riches as this For the riches cannot say to the man thou art my propertie Indeede there are many niggard Couetousnes hearted bodies and to these men their goods may say thou art mine as well as I am thine O woe is thee thou forgettest thy dutie For what coniunction can there be betwixt thee and thy goods There is not a coniunction like this betwixt man and woman so that either is others property and euery one of them may say to others thou art my propertie There is no such coniunction except that coniunction which is betwixt the head and the bodie and that coniunction that is betweene Christ and his Church which is greater then both the other coniunctions This coniunction betweene Christ and his Church is the greatest coniunction that is for all other coniunctions will seuer but this betwixt Christ and his Church seuers neuer A man may be separated from his wife by adultery or death a man may haue his head chopt off him and a man may lose his goods but once conioyned with Christ thou shalt neuer be seuered from him nor he from thee What shall separate vs saith Paul from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. The second coniunction is of the head with the body the third Our coniunction with Christ inseparable coniunction is of the man with the wife euery one of these may claime other as their proper goods so streight is the knot and bond that bindes them vp together Now we haue in the end of the verse the thing forbidden and it is that that is contrarie to loue to wit bitternes Loue and sweetnes is commended bitternes rigorousnes and crueltie is forbidden There are many husbands who are tyrants ouer their wiues that should not be they ought not to vse tyrannie though it were ouer a dog or cat Brethren we know all this that there is nothing more naturall to man then the desire and seeking of preferment and the poorest body would be a King And yet notwithstanding this sinfull body cannot beare it it cannot vse it the sinfull man cannot beare preferment though it were but ouer his owne wife the father ouer the child the master ouer the seruant if ye set him ouer beasts dogs and sheepe make him a sheepe keeper he shall vtter the bitternes of his heart for giue him ouer to his owne nature he shall degenerate into tyrannie This is the tyrannie of man Note well What is the cause of all this The higher he be lifted vp aboue others the higher is his foule affection lifted vp aboue himselfe so the honour of this world doth no good to men except the wicked affection be sanctified by the spirit of Christ Woe be to thee that art a King if thy affection be not sanctified Wo be to thee that art a husband if thy affection be not sanctified in thy preferment And therfore the spirit of God inioynes that they seeke not preferment who haue not gotten their affection sanctified Thou that hast not gotten a sanctified affection seeke not to be a King seeke not to be a husband seeke not to be a Parent seeke not to raigne ouer a country to be a Peere in a Land a Magistrate for thou shalt abuse it to thy damnation Why should men whom the Lord hath cast downe be raised vp and put in preferment shame shall betide them who seeke to set them vp againe if they repent not Wilt thou set vp a man with a heart like a Viper O sie on thee thou shalt feele the dint of this iniquitie Yet to come againe to the word Bitternes looke that your loue turne not into gall Bitternes There be many who haue bin louing in the beginning but incontinent they haue turned their loue to gall This bitternes must either be in the hart or els in the behauiour if it be in the hart then fare ye well he becomes a monster to his wife Is it lawful for a man to strike his own flesh wil not euery one that The husband not to smite his own wife heares or sees that say the man is mad and worse then a brute beast For this doing comes of the bitternes of the heart against the wife and thou shewest that thy heart is alienated from her when that thou sets not by what becomes of her and so thou art a monster to her without affection either to loue thy wife or care for her Bitternes in the behauiour is either in word or deede Indeede it is true this bitternes in the behauiour it wil oftentimes proceed of the infirmities that are in you women therefore you should take heed to your infirmities and stir not vp that gall But yet there is an euil ground in thee who art the man This bitternes of thine in behauiour proceedes of wanting of wit It would beseeme many a man better to be a wife then a man Who will count of them that cannot beare the infirmities of women but they are degenerate men Wisedome and discretion requires that they bee borne withall Beares not Christ with thy infirmities Hath he euer broken the brused reede Wilt thou not follow him and beare with the infirmities of them who are conioyned with thee Yet this is not so spoken that we should let you go away altogether but wee should so beare with them that wee should goe about to amend them in lenitie as Iesus Christ beares with his spouse the Church And this is that honour Peter speakes of in his first Epistle chap. 3. vers 7. giuing honour vnto your wiues as the weaker vessels I will not insist in this In al this dutie of the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife I see not a better way to discharge it then to haue thine eye vpon Christ and his Church Follow Iesus as he behaued himselfe to his Church so behaue thy selfe to thy wife Therefore as euer thou wouldest bee partaker with Iesus and his Church conforme thy selfe to Christ and his Church for if thou wilt not doe this thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou bitter husband thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou who art an euill wife knowes not Christ thou keepest not faith to Iesus Christ and not doing that how canst thou be safe So brethren and sisters be wise the Lord giue the man wisedome the Lord giue the woman wisedome for there is an account that abides euery one of them Therefore liue in feare and mutuall dutie euery one to another that yee may bee glorified with Christ your head and spouse To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise and honour Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 20. 21. 20 Children obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. 21 Fathers prouoke not your children to anger least they be discouraged HAuing ended the generall
nature of men they cannot beare superioritie make thee a King thou shalt be a slaue to thy affections So it is profitable to them to be threatned that they may keepe them within the bounds of their dutie And I say they that would euer giue them faire words they are but flatterers and if they would haue them wracked or vndone let them euer speake faire to them Therefore let the Gospell haue it owne freedome Binde men as yee will but binde not the word if thou binde the Gospell O the band thou shalt finde in that day Let euery man be contained within a dutie to other that we may be partakers of the eternall kingdome where there is onely true libertie in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 2. 3. 4. 2 Continue in prayer watch in the same with thanke sgiuing 3 Praying for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bands 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake WE heard brethren the last day as God gaue the grace certaine speciall precepts of manners that were directed to particular estates of men as to Husbands and Wiues Parents and Children Masters and Seruants now in this text we returne to the generall exhortations that generally concernes euery estate in this world whereof the first set downe here is concerning prayer which is a common dutie that euery one that is borne oweth to God in Iesus Christ To come to the words Continue in prayer be instant in Prayer a common dutie prayer pray continually all is one thing To speake of prayer because it is a common place I will not insist but only so farre as the text will furnish me for the matter is ample and therefore I will bound me within the text As for the causes and necessitie of praier I need not to speake much ye know the Lord giues a commaundement that we should pray and that in the name of Iesus Christ and if there were no more but this it is a Motiues to prayer cause sufficient to moue thee to pray The Lord commaunds thee But there is more to wit a promise the Lord hath promised 1. Charge 2. Promise to euery one that prayeth in faith Aske and ye shall receiue Luk. 11. c. this promise may allure the heart of euery one to pray There is yet more who is he that feeles not the necessitie 3. Necessitie and wants that be in euery one of vs so long as we liue who is he that hath so much that he needes no more Yea though he were a Monarch hath he such sufficiencie that he needs not to seeke more at God Besides this there be such riches plentie and aboundance in God through Iesus Christ that it is able to fill vp all the wants that be in vs. Therefore the very 4. Gods riches riches that be in him should driue vs to desire a portion of that fulnes which is in him But brethren to leaue this and to come to the words If there were no more but this that wee are commaunded to pray it is a sufficient argument to euery one to assure them that there is no merit in vs. Wee deserue nothing of God but all that wee get we get it of free mercie and grace and that in Iesus Christ If thou come on with a deseruing and a merit of thy righteousnes thou shalt neuer get mercie I seclude thee from God for what is praying but begging not of worthines but of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ And when thou hast done all say fie on my workes and aske mercie for that bloud of Iesus Christs sake In the text there be two qualities of prayer set downe The first is an instātnes without tyring The second is watchfulnes Two things in prayer first constancie secondly watchfulnes For he who praieth should not be a sleeper but watchfull both night and day To come then to the first hee saith Be instant perseuer continue all is one thing The thing that he requires is perseuerance ardentnes continuance I neede not to insist vpon the causes of this Needest thou not continually Findest thou not that there is not an houre wherein thou wantest not either things heauenly or earthly if thou wantest not earthly indeede it may be that thou knowest not the want of heauenly things but woe is that soule that findeth not the want of heauenly food and so if thou needest continually why should not thy prayer be continuall for it is prayer that supplies that want Moreouer there is none of you but ye finde this by experience God will not heare a man at the first but crie as thou wilt he will not seeme to heare he will seeme to haue a Luk. 18. 1. 2. 3 deafe eare and all to this end that thou shouldest perseuere in prayer For hee hath pleasure to trie thy patience faith and prayer which is the best exercise And so supposing that thou get not that that thou askest yet if thou get perseuerance Perseuerance Whatsoeuer thou gettest without prayer is but stolen and an argument of wrath thou gettest a greater gift then if thou hadst that that thou askedst at the first yea if thou get all the world without prayer for all is giuen in wrath if he should aduance thee to a kingdome it is but a bait to thy damnation except thou get a heart to pray and to continue in prayer Of all graces a spirituall grace is best a little bit of regeneration is better then all the kingdomes in the earth howbeit thou set light by it now yet when thou art driuen to the vtmost point or at the last gaspe thou wouldest giue all the world to haue a bit of it There is the first qualitie in prayer perseuerance The second is watchfulnes watching in it Watchfulnes is feruencie in prayer when not the bodie onely but when the soule and all the affections are waking and bent to heauen when the Spirit is instant with God in Iesus Christ It is opposed to this coldnes that ouergoes vs all Our prayer is in sleeping and when we are sleeping we are praying and so comes out a cold prayer out of a cold heart and it is opposed to this sluggishnes and deadnes in prayer with yawning and gaping halfe sleeping and halfe waking Alas our necessitie requires another earnestnes it stands vs in the losing of heauen and shutting of vs in hell and damnation The diuell stands to catch vs if wee could see our danger and when thou thinkest thou art most sure he is busiest about thee if thou knew this thou wouldest watch better and wouldest seek more feruently to God to keepe thee But alas all are so blinded and all are