that acquaintance may be renewed and not lost So for our mutuall exhorting one another how vnequally haue we performed it sparing them too much with whom we are inward and reprouing them too tartly whō we like not so well and perhaps thinking scorne to be admonished our selues by any How many times when we haue met together for our comforts and to the edifying one of another in godlinesse haue wee burst out into prophane and idle talke letting our mouth loose to all vanity that should haue vttered gracious words giuing proofe of the inward sanctification of our hearts so slie is the diuel the perpetual enemie of all good things whē wee goe about to diminish his kingdome to rob vs from our selues and diuert our best thoughts another way I speake this the rather that all those that are the professors of the Gospell might vse these means here after with more care and conscience lest they be ouer-reacht by this slight of Sathan and set a watch before their mouth and keepe the doore of their lips that they giue no example of lightnesse or vanity to them that are new conuerts nor vnto any other but carying thēselues as paterns vnto them in word in conuersation in faith in spirit in loue and in purenesse that euen those that are backwardest in religion may be drawne by their integrity to repentance from the corruptions of the world For vertue shewes so well in whomsoeuer it is that it stirres vp a meruailous loue and desire of it in them that behold it But if neither Gods benefits nor his iudgements nor his word nor godly bookes nor the good counsell and admonition and examples of our brethren who are more carefull of our saluation then we our selues will preuaile with vs let the shortnes and vncertainty of our owne life make vs looke about vs. For what is our life but a vapour a flower a flash a shadow a dreame vanity nothing Haue you euer obserued the bubbles which boyes blow vp in a shell of sope-water how some being swollen to a determinate quantity breake immediatly in the shell some the wind whisleth vp aloft into the aire and are dissolued there some flie alowe by ground till at length they dash against the ground and come to nothing Such things are men and women when you see a thousand of them walking the streetes imagine you see a thousand belles or bubbles of water wandering vp and downe some a high aboue all their fellowes as the gale fauours them some in a lower region and with a thought as high as the highest some beneath that lownes and some as low as the pauement Now stand still a little and marke them and you shall see some times one striking out another sometimes tenne or twenty or thirty popping out of themselues and instantly so many more some of the highest some of the lowest some of the meane ones one amongst another so that anon you cannot see one of the olde men or bubbles left but all are new men or new bubbles call them which you will for all is one blowne vp in the places of the former If this be our best firmenesse if our mettall be thus full of flawes if our life be but a moment and yet vpon that moment depends eternitie of weale or woe in the life to come who would not take opportunitie by the foretop and make hay as the saying is while the sunne shines who would put off his amendment till to morrow when he knowes not what a day may bring forth Man knoweth not his end saith the wisest among men but euen as the fishes be taken with the hooke and the birdes be sodainly intrapped with the snate so are the children of men preuented with the euill day when it comes vpon them sodainly When the tree falleth whether toward the North or South there it lieth and in the same state you die you shall be iudged Learne therefore to number your dayes and consider seriously of your latter end that you may repent betimes for that is wisedome and depart from euill for that is vnderstanding Or if you scorne all other schoole-masters learne of the diuell one rule of policy He knowing his time to be short will doe what mischiefe he can you knowing your time to be short doe you what good you can CHAP. 6 THere remaines yet three other means which I cannot ouerpasse without making mention of them The first is the care of masters Godly carefull Masters and the discipline of a well gouerned house which may set straight the māners of a yong man and restraine him from those vices whereto by reason of his age or the corruption of the place he is inclined For the prouerbe holdeth for the most part true LIKE MASTER LIKE MAN If Abraham feare God his seruants and houshold will bee religious If Herod scorne Christ his captaines courtiers wil deride him also In the History of the Apostles Acts when any housholder was conuerted to the faith of Christ you shall finde it said The man beleeued and all his houshold shewing that as they were swaied before of an Idolatrous master to superstition so now they are swaied by a Christian master to the true worship and seruice of God Here therefore I thinke it not amisse to shew the duty of a Master in some measure as God shal enable me not that I would take vpō me to teach my elders and betters yet let none disdaine to learne of yong ones seeing euen our cradle sometimes may teach vs wisedome for out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hath the Lord ordained strength but to the end that we that are yet seruants and prentises may know how to cary and behaue our selues when it shall please the Lord to lay such a charge vpon vs. First my Brethren when the Lord shall call vs to this waightie charge that we come to be rulers of families and that we keep seruants it behooueth vs nay we are bound in duty to God to haue as great a care of their saluation as of our owne and to see they do their faithfull seruice to God as we will looke that they should faithfully serue vs For assuredly that seruant that is not faithfull to GOD can neuer bee faithfull to his master but he that serues GOD with a good conscience wil serue his master with a good conscience The awe presence of his master to ouereie and chide him needes not for his owne heart will check him They doe best serue their Masters that haue learned first to serue God and the feare of God will keep him from vntrustines You may find a kind of pick-thanke officiousnes in seruants of another making but there is no seruice like his that serues man for conscience toward God And beside our duty to God and desire of faithful seruice to our selues the care we should haue of our childrens godly education that they be not corrupted shold double our care to keep
godly seruāts for the liberal disposition of a child is easily spilt with the leaud manners of a seruant Hence it commeth that almost their first words are ribauldrie and feareful othes and that they learne to blaspheme God before they can plainely speake GOD yea sometime they proue twofold more the children of Satan then their Tutors were For a new vessell will keep the tatch of the first seasoning a long time after Cause them therefore to frequent the holy exercise of religion as Preaching Catechising Praier Sacraments c. Bring them with you where they may be instructed in the waies of the Lord to doe righteousnesse especially on the Sabbath day because that is a day appointed and set apart of God himselfe for his worship and seruice wherein he wil haue our seruant as free as our selues and to the end we may prepare them the better to the sanctifying of the Lords day we are to call them vp betimes in the morning to praier wherein first we are to thanke the Lord for all his mercies to such vnworthy wretches and namely for the rest and preseruation the night past Then to beseech his Maiestie that hee would so prepare and fit our hearts to the profitable retaining of his most holy and blessed word and so direct the mouthes of his ministers that day in the vttering of it that it may be a comfortable sauour of life and saluation to vs and not a sauour of death vnto destruction And hauing ended this duty by 7. in the morning we may if wee will directly goe where there shall bee a Sermon vntill eight so comming home we are to goe to our owne Parish Church both in the forenoone and in the afternoone and after that to some Lecture as there be diuers blessed bee GOD in diuers parts of the City And hauing thus spent the day till six at night we are not to content our selues there thinking we haue done by this time a work of supererogation but to come directly from the Lecture to our houses and call our seruants together to praiers to almighty God that it would please his Maiestie to giue a blessing vpon that which we haue heard that wee may auoide the sinnes execute the good duties feare the threatnings and lay vp the comforts from the mouth of his ministers plainely shewed and laid down vnto vs. And hauing ended praiers for that instant we are to examine euery one of them particularly what lessons they haue learned at Church and what vses they were taught of those lessons and hauing done that to giue them a generall exhortation incouraging them to goe forward in godlinesse which hath promises of this life and of that which is to come and so to make an end for that time with singing a Psalm of thankesgiuing NOW as we are to performe these duties on the Sabbath day so we haue our duties to performe on the weeke daies also For it is not enough for any man to giue his family victuals and prouision one day in the weeke and let them fast all the rest of the weeke after for so he should soone make a leane houshold but we must deale with our seruants in Spiritual things as we deale with them in Corporall things that is as wee allow them meat and drinke sufficiently all the weeke daies and on the Sabbath day they haue extraordinary dishes So although we haue beene carefull to pray and instruct them in religion on the Sabbath day yet we must looke we do our duties in the weeke daies also although not like vnto the Sabbath for the Lord doth not require it at our hands This discipline and good order if wee would carefully inure our Prentises to seuen or eight yeares together till their first youth the age which is set vpon the very pinacle of temptations be past ouer methinkes it were enough to kill all the weedes of vices in them to make euen Atheists religious and grow into a habit of sanctimony and godlinesse Here I thinke it needfull for euery one of vs as we are yet seruants to know our duties also that wee may demeane our selues agreeably to our present condition Seruants duty First then wee are to follow the counsel of the Apostle to be obedient vnto our bodily masters with feare and trembling because they be in their places vnto vs as God God hath set thē ouer vs in his own stead and therefore we ought not onely to carry a reuerend estimation of them counting them worthy of all honor but to performe our duty and seruice vnto them not to the eie as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God himselfe singlie and from the heart labouring continually to please them and submitting our selues to thē in all things as the holy Ghost commandeth But this must not be vnderstood absolutely but with an exception So they bee lawfull things For if a master command his seruant to speake a lie or to sweare his commodities cost so much when they cost much lesse or to breake the Lords Sabbath in such a case we ought rather to obey God then man but in all iust and lawfull impositions not crossing their roiall commandement we are to conforme our selues in all duty and obedience to them yea not only to the good and courteous but euen to the froward sower For this is thankworthy saith Saint Peter if a seruant for conscience toward GOD endure smart suffering wrongfully But it is a great fault in vs that are seruants that if correction be giuen vs though with iustice and discretion we will say most commonly wee deserue it not This is not the saying of the holy Ghost For saith he what praise is it for a seruant to be buffeted for his faults but and if yee fault not and yet suffer hard vsage and take it patiently then is there thanke with God And herein what better satisfaction or quieting of our mindes can we desire then the example of our Sauiour himselfe who neuer sinned neither was there guile found in his mouth yet he was reuiled and reuiled not againe he suffered beyond all degrees of patience opened not his mouth but committed reuenge to him that iudgeth righteously euen to God his Father So ought wee my Brethren when our masters bee out of reason and offer vs extreame measure to put it vp and endure it patiently knowing that they also haue a master in Heauen who beholdeth with an equall eie both vs and them and not to answer Sir I deserue it not For if correction should not bee giuen to the most of vs till wee confesse we deserue it it should neuer be giuen vs. Heere I cannot keepe silence but I must needes make known how good and gratious the Lord hath shewed himselfe in this case to mee his most vnworthy seruant and the rather to cause all other Prentises to thinke themselues not miserable but most happy when the Lord hath set ouer them such
matters as giue them deserued correction with wisedome discretion For certainly my Brethren had not I had such a master whose care and diligence hath beene so great ouer me in restraining mee from that scope liberty which my wretched and vntamed nature did desire it had beene better a thousand times I had neuer beene borne For my bringing vp from my childhood vntill the time I came to my master was most miserable and wretched by reason of my sinnes and the ignorance wherein I liued as the case of too too many is in these daies yea and since I came to be a Prentise vntill of late time my life was most odious and abominable both in the sight of GOD and Man But blessed bee the name of the Lord who hath giuen me a good master to hold me backe that I could not be so wicked as I would and hath now also in some measure opened mine eies which haue beene a long time kept shut that I might see how to wind my feet out of the snare of Satan Therefore my deere Brethren vnto all those I speake that desire to bee partakers of the heauenly ioyes in the life to come shew yourselues obedient to your masters and submit your selues vnder the yoake yea although it bee irksome to the flesh for you knowe nor the great profit and rewarde that commeth thereby Vngodlinesse of Prentises But certainly in griefe I speake it Prentises for the most part were neuer so leaudly and so wickedly giuen neuer so vaine and so licentious neuer so full of scoffing and derision neuer so insolent and contemptuous of God and good men as they be in these dayes For we are so apt to be corrupted and being corrupted to corrupt partly by reason of our nature and partly of the place that vnlesse our Masters be the more circumspect in bringing of vs vp the soules of many thousand Prentises will be required at their hands impunitie boldening vs in sinne and sinne deceitfully hardening our hearts that all thought of repentance is put away from vs or if any shall friendly remember vs his best thanke is a mock for his labour When inquisition shall be made for bloud of soules I would euery one could stand forth say Not guiltie but the Prentises themselues But I feare greatly that the Masters will be to blame in that day also and be put to their shifts for a currant answer when they shall find none For without offence to any man I will speake a little where is that Master almost that questions with his seruants about any religion at all It may be sometimes he will send them to Church but when they returne what doth he aske them of their learning or profiting there vnlesse perhaps once at the hundreds end hee vouchsafe to knowe the chapter and verse of the Text which betweene the Church-doore and home euen a Parrot wold be taught to pronounce Let him send any of his people of some worldly businesse and hee will be sure to aske him how he sped and nothing will he leaue vnasked to vnderstand the effect of the errand hee sent him about but for Gods businesse and soule matters be they performed negligently or not done at all it mattereth not he is sure no account will be required of any such thing all the time of his prentiship And this is the reason that seruants depart as ignorant after they haue serued seuen or eight yeares seruice as they were when they came first not of their trades I meane of that which is more worth then all the trades in the worlde For a man shall profit much to know God The true knowledge of God will bring more sound profit in one day to a man then the best trade in London will doe in seuen yeares For godlinesse is profitable vnto all things saith the Apostle as hauing the blessings of this life and of that which is to come Howbeit some there be in London that I knowe and more I doubt not that I knowe not which vse good orders in their houses to the generall good of their families and I desire the Lord to increase their number But a hundred to one neuer spent any time with their seruants in the exercises of religion no not so much as to call them to prayers either morning or euening once in a yeare whereas they are bound in duty to God to do it euery morning euening and although there were no cōmandement from God nor president in this kind yet very necessity and the sloth of youth should cōstraine vs surely if masters would care as they should to traine vp their housholds in the feare of god in the practise of good things it could not be that London should harbor so many vngodly Prētises or that diuers men shold cōplain as they do of seruants leaudnes that they cannot thriue in the world for they haue good meanes of getting but is spent they cannot tell how so soone as it is gotten Alas how can it be any otherwise if their seruants be not taught the feare of GOD and to keep a good cōscience how is it possible that euer they should haue any true seruice at their hands But some will say againe this is not so for by experience I can speake this of a truth that for mine own part I neuer instructed my folks in all my life in any religion at all No I neuer heard them so much as to read a chapter and yet I thanke God he hath blessed me with good seruāts For I finde my riches to increase and I thriue well and therefore it is not the bringing of them vp in religion that makes a man come forward in the world but if his fortune be good wealth with come on Fortune no no it is the great handy work of GOD in some mens seruants that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and seeke more for saluation then their masters be aware of or else their poore soules might be cast away and perish for euer and then who knowes not that such a man thriues for his seruants sake as Laban did for Iacobs and as Potiphar did for Iosephs Or it may be GOD casts his blessings into thy lap euen against all meanes to stirre thee vp to greater thankfulnesse and care to serue him afterwards or else to leaue thee the more vnexcusable in his great iudgement for not performing such duty and seruice And therefore let none cast surmises of excuse to colour or shift out the matter any longer but wherein it appeareth to your owne consciences you haue beene negligent make amends with more care hereafter aske not which of your neighbours doth thus and thus and if they do it not you meane not to begin But resolue you with Ioshua let others take what course they will I and my house will serue the Lord. Let your people see you going before them in the practise of euery good thing and in the abhorring and
surely if the wil of the Lord were we could wish with the Prophet that we had the wings of a Doue that wee might flie to the vttermost parts of the earth that we might be out of the reach rage of the wicked men but such is the zeale of the glory of God wherwith his children are inflamed such is the nature of faith wherewith their hearts are touched together with the large promises wherewith they are allured that in despight of diuels or men they haue alwaies made conscience of this duty Hence it is that in the scriptures wee haue so many examples of this kinde It was Peters commission that when he was conuerted hee must strengthen his brethren The woman of Samaria when Christ came to her conscience she hideth it not vnder a bushell but runneth into the city with open proclamation saying to her neighbours Come see a man that told mee all that euer I did Yea wee finde that this hath alwaies beene so precisely obserued that the children of God haue neuer neglected it in the time of greatest affliction that euer they did vndergoe onely two shall suffice in stead of many whereof the first is in the Lamentations where the Church speaketh after this manner Haue you no regard all you that passe by this way Lament 1 12. to behold and see where there is any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce wrath Wherein wee see the perpetuity of the loue of the children of God towards their Brethren that euen when they were at deaths doore they called vpon their neighbours to make vse of the iudgements of GOD. Answerable to this is that famous example of the Theefe on the Crosse who notwithstanding the dolour and paine wherein he languished yet perceiuing the desperate and fearefull estate of his fellow that hee was in sharply reproueth him and vseth diuers arguments and reasons to moue him to lay hold of the Sauiour of the world as he had done before he died These examples no doubt together with the reasons aboue specified mooued this new conuert being also unportuned by diuers of his acquaintance to publish this litle Treatise as a fruit of his thankfulnesse like Dauid that would not offer a sacrifice of that which cost him nothing and yet hath as it seemeth to me some blush or resemblance with that zeale wherewith the holy Prophet Dauid was inflamed when hauing receiued special benefits from the Lord he hath these words Psalm 66. Oh come hither all you that feare God and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soule making open proclamation as it were vpon the Theater of the world or as he speaketh when hauing felt that sweetnesse of the which this author had a tast he laboureth presētly to impart it to others saying taste and see how gracious the Lord is Psalm 34. blessed is the man that trusteth in him euer vsing a borrowed speech familiar to our senses taken from the fashion of Merchants who hauing brought some rare and costly commodity from beyond the seas are wont to permit a taste and giue a sight to the end the buyer may be the more induced to accept of the same And truely this is the practise of this new conuerted Prentise who hauing lien a long time sleeping in security esteeming highly of the things of this vaine world till it pleased the Lord in mercy to looke vpon him the scales falling from his eies Cant. 2.8 so that hee perceiued the Lord comming vnto him skipping ouer hilles and leaping ouer mountaines meaning his sinnes as may appeare by that we read in Rom 8. as one awaked out of a dreame he maruailed and reioiced greatly at his wonderful deliuerance and being desirous to make many partakers of his happinesse he taketh his penne and writeth this little Treatise and Labor of loue consisting in foure speciall heads as appeareth in the first leafe of this booke concerning the manner of it you are not to expect much painted eloquence filed phrases figures allusions which haue little vse more then to tickle the eares but euen with all humility and meeknes out of his own experience wisheth comfort by the comfort wherwith he was comforted of God Heere I remember part of a story in Samuel where it is thus written 1 Sam. 17.8 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto thē and was very angry with Dauid and said why commest thou down hither with whō hast thou left the sheep I know thy pride the malice of thine heart c. Euen so I feare mee there be many Eliabs senior to the yong seruant of God Dauid that will not onely impute this worke to pride of heart but wil aske With whom hast thou left thy sheep that is how hee hath discharged his duty to his master iudging it a matter vnlawfull for him to meddle withall because hee shall offer iniury to his master in the practise hereof For answere whereunto we are to obserue a difference according to the nature and quality of the place and calling Some seruice perhaps will warrant that which others do vtterly deny them for art thou an artificer and of an occupation thou hast not this liberty without extraordinary allowance of thy master On the contrary is hee a trades man and vsing trafficke then the most and chiefest of his businesse is in receiuing and deliuering of commodities in the which much vacant time is idly spent and happy are you and blest of God that haue such a seruāt you may be sure to be wel faithfully dealt withal in the charge commited vnto him when others are wickedly abused But if this suffice not know you that hee had extraordinary allowance of his kind and fauourable master Moreouer I am of that priuity and acquaintance with him that I may protest in the sight of God and before men that this vertuous Prentise and sanctified yong man hath vsed of his owne vertuous disposition to rise two or three houres in the morning before he was imploied in his masters affaires which as it was a thing commendable proceeding from a good inclination so surely now is it much more praise worthy being found in the way of righteousnesse because the teachers therof are highly to be commended so that we are not alwaies to reproue and contemne seruants in this kinde lest in so doing we giue a hard censure of Dauid himselfe of whom we spake euen now But happily you will reply and say that Dauid came in zeale of Gods glory to take the shame from Israel which was much dishonored by the vncircumcised Philistine a fearefull great and huge monster In nature I answere that Goliah neuer blasphemed the Lord of hosts more then wee nor euer had more fingers and toes of deformity I meane Papists and Atheists which are in indeed the weapons naturall liues of our spirituall