Gen. 15. Gen. 15.3 Though God said to Abraham I am thy buckler and thine exceeding great reward Yet Abraham againe said vnto him beholde to mee thou hast giuen no seede wherefore loe a seruant of my house shall be mine heire This was Abrahams resolution till God shewed him his determination hee thought the right of inheritance he hauing no issue did appertaine to the chiefe in his house but God determining to shew him both who should be his heire and any mans right heire said vnto him touching Eliezer of Damascus the steward of Abrahams house This man shall not he thine heire but one that shall come out of thine owne bowels he shall be thine heire i. the sonne which shall come out of thine owne loynes he shall be thine heire Rom. 8.17 Rom. 8. If ye be sonnes saith God by the mouth of Paul then are ye also heires which words importe that none should be heires but sonnes if there be sonnes for they are not then yee may be heires but then are ye also heires as if sonnes ought to be heires if they be to conclude therefore Paul saith 1. Tim. 5.8 He that prouideth not for his own namely for them of his householde is worse than an infidell as though this by nature were instilled into very infidels that in their liues and at their deaths they would prouide for their owne and them of their householdes ere euer they prouided for any other besides their owne and their households And therefore should not be estranged from christians If nature works so much in infidels grace should not worke lesse in christians Grace is better than nature and therefore the operation should not be worse Q. It seemes you count it an exceeding fault for a man by will to alienate his goods or lands wholly and finally from his children and ofspring if he hath any R. Neither doe I in this case any thing without reason for when God by his lawe hath appoynted who shall bee heires what shall man at his pleasure appoynt new heires as if his wisedome were better than Gods I am sure there is no reason for it neither will the verie lawe of nature permit or approue it There is one that saith Plato de Repub. li. 2. Aristot pol. lib. 5. c. 8. Dorbel 4.145 qu. 2. de Testam A testament made against the equitie of the law of nature the law of God or the law positiue is to be broken and whether a will that doth appoint other to bee heires than God in his law doth appoynt be a will against the equitie of the one lawe or the other I leaue to other men to iudge Q. Then may you soone be gone for some say the father may appoynt another if the sonne hath promerited it R. Diuerse men diuerse minds I know some say so and I deny not but the case may sometime be such as the father may so deale Reuben was the eldest sonne of Israel 1. Chro. 5.1 but he had defiled his fathers bed therefore his birth-right was giuen vnto the sonnes of Ioseph the sonne of Israel so that the genealogie is not reckened after his birth right When Iaakob called all his sonnes together to tell them what should come to them in the last dayes thus he sayd to Reuben his eldest sonne Thou art my might and the beginning of my strength Gen. 49.3.4 the excellencie of dignitie the excellencie of power thou wast light as water thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest vp to thy fathers bed then diddest thou defile my bed thy dignitie is gone But ordinarilie it falls not so out though often Parents take occasion to deale hardly with their children And I speake not now of extraordinarie chances but of ordinarie euents and therefore your then you may be soone gone comes not in so happilie as you would R. Neither care I whether it doth or no. I am not conceited my desire is but to be resolued with or for that I thinke you will not be offended R. Ofte and often that hath beene manifested but to the matter againe controuerted Though the sonne in the fathers iudgement hath promerited wholly to bee disinherited yet so much against the sonne the father in his sickenes vpon his death bed should not be incensed as therefore of his fatherly benediction he should vtterly be depriued The Father should rather remember the loue hee beares to his sonne and the obedience hee owes to his God than thus seeke to reuenge the misdemeanour of his sonne against him the fault that is in his sonne at that time hee should forgiue and forget The time of death is no time for reuenge as he would then be forgiuen so should he willingly forgiue because of his owne trespasse against his father God almightie he would be loath to be disinherited of his kingdome so because of his sonnes trespasse against him he should be vnwilling to disposses him of that which otherwise if his trespasse had beene away should haue descended vnto him What though the sonne forgets he is a sonne yet must not therefore the father forget that he is a father The historie of Dauid and Absolom teaches no such matter For though Absolom was as vngratious a sonne to Dauid as a sonne almost might be yet was not therefore Dauid as vnkinde a father as a father could be When Absolom followed him ouer Iordane with a purpose to disposses him of his kingdome 2. Sam. 18.5 Dauid yet said vnto Ioab and Abishai and Ittai Entreate the young man gently for my sake And when Ahimanz and Cushi brought him tydings the first question he asked them was this is the young man Absolom safe To which when Cushi answered the enemies of my Lord the king and all that rise against thee to doe thee hurt be as that young man is Dauid the king was moued and went vp to the chamber ouer the gate and wept and as he went he thus said O my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne Absolom would God I had dyed for thee ô Absalom my sonne my sonne By this history Parents may learne not to be too vnkinde to their children how euer their children be vnkinde to them especially at their farewell to them and to the world for alas what pleasure may it doe them when they are gone so to haue dealt with them ere they did goe What a perpetuall blot to their names in so doing shall they leaue behinde them What an euill example shall they giue to other What a torment shall they fixe in the heart and conscience of their distressed children For these and other considerations I could wish that Parents would not be merciles to their children when they come to dye how euer they seemed mindles of them while they did liue It is hard to dye with an hard minde toward them A father pittieth his childe a father prouideth for his childe What fathers are they that neither pitie them hauing done
of Israell was punished There went vp to Ai about three thousand men but the wrath of the Lord being kindled against the children of Israell for the trespasse committed by Achan in the excommunicate thing they fled before the men of Ai and the men of Ai smote of them vpon a thirtie and sixe men Against the inferiour creatures hee sinneth because they for the sinne of man are after a sorte punished For as the Apostle sayth The creature is subiect vnto vanitie Rom. 8.20 not of it owne will but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope For wee know that euery creature groaneth with vs also and trauaileth in payne togither vnto this present In so much that euery of them in the day of iudgement may put vp his bill of complaynte against such a driuing and delaying mate And the Sunne may say for his sake I lost my light the moone for his sake I became darke the Starres for his sake we fell from heauen the Earth for his sake I became cursed and brought forth thornes and thistles the Aire for his sake I became corrupt and breed plagues and pestilences the Water for his sake I became polluted and brought forth frogs euen in kings chambers all creatures for his sake we became rebellious yeelded not that obedience which had not his sinne been wee both would and should haue yeelded What man now is he of any wit and discretion that sinning would sinne against all the forenamed his God himselfe his neighbour the Angels the other creatures Q. For my parte I thinke none I hope none I knowe none R. Neyther should there then be any of any wisedome that should delay till death to prepare for death For in so doing hee sinnes as I haue said against all these of whome I haue said and in so doing he hurtes himselfe more than now can bee sayd The estate of such a man is perilous Whiles he liues the sworde of Gods iustice hanges drawen and readie to fall ouer his head and when hee dyes it serues to seuer his soule from his bodie and to cast it into hell Ioh. 3.36 For he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him While he liues he liues in the land of his enemies and when he dyes if he dyes as he liues he falles into the hand of his enemies For the deuill is the God of this world Origine and is seized and possessed of all those that remayne in ignorance Into his hands also fall all they which dye either out of the Lord or against the Lord. While hee liues there is but a wall of glasse that stayes his enemies frō hauing him in their hands This wall of glasse is his body behinde which the deuill standes and this wall you know is soone broken and beaten downe One little stone of a three or foure poundes weight batters it in peeces and layes it leuell to the ground When he dyes the wall is broken and his enemies enter to make spoyle of all they finde within While hee liues as his dayes goe from life so he goes to death His whole life is but a course to death When hee dyes as his dayes are ended so is his life For he liues no more to his owne ioy or others comfort The way of sinners is made plaine with stones saith Syrach but at the ende thereof is hell darkenes and paynes Whiles he liues Syr. 21. 10. he stands at the gates of death according to that saying They drew neere vnto the gates of death Psal 107.18 But when hee dyes hee goes soone into hell Iob. 21.13 according to that saying They spend their dayes in wealth and sodeinlie they goe downe to hell Q. If his state bee so perilous it is good for him to thinke of his wayes and to turne aside his steppes least euill take him vnawares and he perish in the time of vengeance R. It is so and a foole he is if he doth not so Q. A foole may say not so Matth. 5.22 Whosoeuer shall say foole shall be worthie to be punished with hell fire R. I if he sayth it With a minde to hurte and a will to destroy But I haue no such minde such a minde be farre from me I that cannot make a man what should I marre one Q. Still then you deeme him as you did R. I doe so for hee is a foole that being fallen into the mire makes no hast to get out such a foole is he that being fallen into sinne makes no hast to rise from it For there is no greater vncleannes than the vncleannes of sin Before sinne the deuill was a most beautifull creature to looke vpon An Angell he was of light but since his sinne no man is able to abide the looke of him so vgly and monstrous is he now become Againe he is a foole that hauing a iourney to goe makes no hast to beginne it such a foole is he that hauing to trauell from earth to heauen makes no hast to set vpon his way Q. But why if a mā may aske you is he a foole R. Iob. 14.1 First because the time hee hath to goe this iourney in is but shorte For the dayes of man are but shorte and it is folly to thinke a man may goe a great iourney in a little time Secondly because the way is long as much as from earth to heauen and it is folly to thinke a man may goe a long way in a shorte space To Elias it was said vp and eate for thou hast a great iourney And yet his iourney was but from the wildernes of Bersheba vnto Horeb the Mount of God 1. Kin. 19.7 a iourney of fourtie dayes and fourtie nights walking a iourney nothing comparable to the iourney from earth to heauen for more is the distance from earth to heauen than was the distance betweene the desert of Bersheba and Horeb the mounte of God There are that expresse it but how truly I minde not heere to examine It is myne heere rather to shew why he is a foole that hauing to trauell hence thither makes no hast to set vpon his way than that and that sith I haue begunne to doe it I minde to doe Thirdly hee therefore is a foole because hee is looked for of great persons for the whole hoste of heauen expects his comming and it is folly to make great persons stay for a meane man Gen. 19.20 When Lot prayed that hee might escape to Zora that there his soule might liue God bad him hast thither to saue himselfe there for he could doe no thing till he were come thither Haste thee saue thee there Gen. 19.22 for I can do nothing till thou be come thither Fourthly because he is looked for to his great good For he is looked for to a kingdome Math. 25.34 Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherite ye the kingdome
Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with sore boiles from the sole of his foot vnto his crowne Iob. 2.7 Is all my bodie pained yet is not my case like Dauids when being distressed in soule Psa 55.4 he cryed Mine heart trembleth within me and the terrours of death are fallen vpon me Am I distressed in soule yet is my case vnlike theirs which are in hell 2.49.14 Luk. 16.24 Death gnaweth vpon them and they cannot get so much as one droppe of water to coole their tongue What therefore though one of my members suffer yet is not that to trouble me for God could make all my members suffer as that one and with that one What though my heart paines me yet is not that to disturbe me For God could enlarge my heart and therewithal increase my paine What though my soule bee disquieted within me yet is not that to dismay me God could giue me ouer to desperation the height of all sinne What though I be afflicted both in body and foule yet is not that to astonish me For God could cast both body and soule into hellfire and what should then become of me but see how mercifully the Lord dealeth with me Where he could doe much he doth but little where he could torment me a thousand thousand waies he troubles me but one where he could afflict me in euery part and so leaue me sound in no part he spares me in all the rest due and punisheth me but in one Psal 42.5 c. O my soule then be not thou cast downe nor much disquieted within me Wayte on God for I will yet giue him thankes for the helpe of his presence If I did suffer more than I doe yet would not that be halfe so much as I haue deserued to suffer no more than that which I doe suffer is For what suffer I the aking of my head the pinching of my heart the stopping of my lungs the stuffing of my breast the weaknes of my stomacke the griping of my bowels the torments of my bellie or what else the shaking of my ioynts the quaking of my bones the dimnes of mine eies the dulnes of mine eares the streightnes of my pipes the losse of my taste the want of my legges c. Though I suffer some of these many of these most of these yea all these Rom. 6.23 yet all is nothing to that which I haue deserued to suffer death For death is the wages of sinne and that that death which is the curse of God the fire of hell the confusion both of body and soule which farre exceedeth the other more than either tongue is able to expresse or heart sufficient to conceiue For why it is infinit it is vnspeakable Oh what a happy change is this to change eternall death into a temporall sicknes great oddes betweene a temporall sicknes and eternall death There is no comparison betweene thē too too much to blame were I if I would not take patiently what the Lord doth lay vpon me wisely and louingly As Dauid saith by this I know that thou louest me because mine enemie doth not triumph ouer me so may I by this I know that thou ô God dost loue me because thus and thus thou now dost punish me Heb. 12.6 For the Lord chasteneth whome he loueth Which of all the Saintes of God whome he neuerthelesse loued well hath not in his life time been subiected to the like paines sicknes and diseases that I now am Gen. 48.1 verily none Iacob the patriarch was greatly beloued of God yea so well as God himselfe said of him Iacob haue I loued yet was he visited with sicknes as I am Iob the patient was an vpright man one that feared God and eschewed euill yet so well as Iames the apostle propoundes him as a patterne of patience to the whole church Iob. 1.1 yet was he smitten with sore boiles from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head Elizeus was an holy Prophet of God 2. Kin. 13.14 one vpon whome the spirit of Eliah was doubled yet that notwithstanding he both fell sicke and also died Lazarus was a good man 20.1 so his name signfies for it is asmuch as the helpe of God and one whome Christ loued well behold how he loued him Ioh. 11.1 Yet all this neuerthelesse he sickened and died What should I then once looke to bee free by this my comfort is greater then my crosse my consolation better than my affliction Vpon this I may better say my portion is among the Saints of God then looke how I am hated and abhorred of God For after this sort were they tormented and afflicted and yet all their torments affliction notwithstanding highly were they esteemed and singularly well beloued of God And so may I for all my sickenes paine and griefe August Iohn That which the Lord permitts me to suffer is a whip of him that correcteth not a punishment of him that condemneth by it I am trayned vp to an eternall inheritance shall I then disdaine to be whipped Nothing is that which I suffer to that which I expect It is but sorrow which I suffer it is ioy which I expect the sorrow which I suffer is but temporall the ioy which I expect is eternall Of all temporall paines the Apostle saith Rom. 1.10 The afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory which shall be shewed But of eternall ioyes the same Apostle saith The things which eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither come into mans hearte are which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 Why therefore should I not possesse my soule in patience what will not a man do or abide for a kingdome yea for a kingdome earthly and transitorie for that a man will goe ride runne sue serue and spend What therefore should not I suffer for a kingdome that this heauenly eternall and euerlasting alas what not if well I weigh and consider what weigh and consider well I should Aswell may I now say as once one said Heere burne heere cut that for euer thou maiest spare One that was alwaies as deare to thee as I now am or may be suffered once as many and as great things as I now suffer and moe and greater too ere euer he entred into glory August in lib. de 8. virtu charita as Augustine saith The sonne of God is lead to the crosse he is vnpalmed which is the true palme of victory hee is crowned with thornes which came to breake the thornes of sinners he is bound which looseneth those that are bound he is hanged vpon a tree which lifteth vp those that were throwne down the fountaine of life had his thirst quenched with viniger discipline is beaten saluation is wounded life is killed death for a time slew life Bern. in quodam sermon that death for euer might
and if a maÌ„ wil he may forgiue whom he wil though he speakes not with them to forgiue a man doth not necessarily require that a man must talke with him to whom he wil forgiue WheÌ„ Paul was absent from the Corinthians 2. Cor. 2.10 hee said vnto them to whom yee forgiue any thing I forgiue also no more doth it euer to be forgiuen for as a man may forgiue being absent so may he be forgiuen though he bee not present Q. But how shall they know that he would be forgiuen R. There are more waies then words to acquaint them with that either he may write his mind if so much hee can or otherwise by word of mouth he may impart his mind by some faithfull and trustie messenger or els he may vse some other honest signes When Iaakob was desirous to be reconciled to his brother Esau Gen. 32.16 He sent a present vnto him two hundreth shee goates twentie hee goates two hundreth ewes and twentie Rammes thirtie milch camels with their colts fourty kine and ten bullocks twenty shee Asses and tenne foales for he thought I will appease his wrath with the present that goeth before me and afterward I will see his face it may be that he will accept me And so it came to passe for when Esau saw him he ranne to meete him and embraced him and fell on his necke and kissed him As Iaakob did so may he Q. I but it may be he shall not speed sowel as Iaakob did R. Let him referre the successe to God yet let him know that Salomon saith Pro. 21.14 A gift in secrete pacifieth anger and a gift in the bosome great wrath To the truth hereof many subscribe saith Ouid Ouid lib. 3. dâ— Arte aâ—and Beleeue me gifts do please both Gods and men With gifts Ioue himself is pleasd now and then What shal the wise do the foole in gifts doth ioy By gift receiu'd the foole remits all annoy Philip king of Macedon said no Tower was euer so well fenced but soone it might be expugned if once an Asse loaden with gold might come vnto it And Verres in Tully saith Cic. in Ver. That there is no thing so holy but that it may be prophaned by money nor any thing so strong but that it may be subdued by money Yea saith another Money can doe all things all things obey money Plutarc in vita Aemilij Plutarch in the life of Paulus Aemilius saith That auncient historians report that not Philip but his gold subdued Greece Nomb. 22. and in the two and twentie of Numbers we reade that for gifts Balaam would haue cursed where and whom God had blessed for gifts by Iudas Mat. 26.15.16 Christ the sonne of God was betraied for gifts the Souldiers that kept the Sepulchre were perswaded to say his disciples came by night and stoale him away while we slept of the effect therefore he needs not much to doubt Q. No not if they haue a mind to forgiue him but what if vpon no intreaty neither words nor writings nor gifts they wil be induced to giue him R. Nothing but good to him that hee is not forgiuen the fault is not in him that hath vsed all meanes to obtaine it but in them that by no meanes will be perswaded to grant it If the case were otherwise in what case were he that now is heere a dying yet hath his enemy beyond the seas by whom he would be pardoned surely in bad not good he could not say with Simeon Luk. 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace but with Iaakob to his friends Gen. 42.38 as Iaakob said to his sonnes Now shall yee bring my gray head with sorrow vnto the graue but his hap is not so hard to be in such a course case in matters aboue his reach and beyond his compasse it is inough to will well In this and the like cases a will and desire to be forgiuen August super Psal 57. Id. super Psal 134. is forgiuenes it selfe Whatsoeuer thou willest and canst not that God accompts as done because God seeketh the heart seeth the heart within is witnes iudge approuer helper and crowner It sufficeth that thou offrest thy wil wheÌ„ thou canst confesse with thy mouth vnto saluatioÌ„ but wheÌ„ thou canst not with thy mouth beleue with thine heart vnto righteousnes thou praisest with thy heart thou blessest with thy heart vpon the altar of thy conscieÌ„ce thou latest holy sacrifice with thy heart and aunswere is made thee peace vpon earth to men goodwill For as Gregorie saith Greg. hom â— super euan Nothing is offred vnto God richer then a good will And to make an end the Apostle Paul saith in one of his Epistles to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not So that if a man hath a desire in sicknes to be forgiuen at their hands whom he hath offended though he cannot be forgiuen of them either because they are absent and ignorant whether he desires forgiuenes or not or present and obstinate altogither vnwilling to forgiue though neuer so instaÌ„tlie he requires ir it hinders not but he may die well inough and haue hope to abide the iudgement of God good inough Other mens iniquity cannot worke him such an iniury neither may their obstinacie depriue him of mercie We reade not in the eightenth of Mathew his gospell of any euil that besides him Mat. 18.29 that was desirous to be forgiuen of his fellow seruant and could not more then his being cast into prison till he should pay the debt except these were euils that his fellowes had compassion of him became suiters for him and gate their master to right their wrong done vnto him But there we reade of much woe and wrecke that befell him that would no waies bee intreated to pardon him First his fellow seruants complained of him to his and their master Secondly vpon complaint to him made his master grew wroth against him and reuenged seuerely the wrong done to his fellow by him and in this his anger 1. He receiued him 2. He vpbraided him with the good turne he had done him 3. he laid a double punishmeÌ„t vpon him 1. He recalled the gift that not long before he had giuen him 2. to perpetuall prison he adiudged him that you may see I deale plainely Mat. 18.23 24. c. the storie there is this A certaine king would take account of his seruaÌ„ts And when hee had begunne to recken one was brought vnto him which ought him ten thousand taleÌ„ts And because he had nothing to pay his master commaunded him to be sold and his wife and his children and all that he had and the debt to bee paid The seruant therefore fell downe and besought him saying master appease thine anger toward me
Israelites a dying looked vpon the brasen Serpent which was erected by the appointment of God that so they might bee healed from the stinging of fiery Serpents so others a dying must with the eye of a true and liuelie faith looke vpon Christ exalted and crucified on the Crosse that so they may bee saued from their sinnes and the wrath of God due vnto them for the same For the brasen Serpent was a figure of Christ Ioh. 3.14 and Christ as Paul saith is to the godlie both in life and death aduantage Philip. 1.21 In either whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue eternall life Ioh. 3.15 For God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life for God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued Q. Is it not inough that in times past the sicke man hath beleeued though in the agonie of death he doth not beleeue R. No marrie First by the Euangelist the Lord saith Be thou faithfull vnto the death Apoc. 2.10 I will giue thee the Crowne of life Secondly by his Sonne hee saith Mat. 10.22 He that endureth to the end hee shal be saued by neither he saith be faithfull a while and it is well but be faithfull to the death and endure to the end arguing by both that it is not inough to beginne well and then giue ouer but that hauing begun they must neuer bee wearie but continue to the end In vaine is good done Greg 1. moral if it be left before the life be ended because he runs in vaine which giues ouer before he comes at the mark There is no ioy of a ship that perisheth in the hauen neither yet of a man that beleeueth not in death Blessed are they saith the Spirit which dye in the Lord Apoc. 14.13 they therefore which would be blessed after their death must labour to die in the Lord at their death now they die in the Lord which are ingraffed in Christ by faith and rest and stay onely on him and reioice to be with him they therefore which wil die in the Lord must till their death continue in faith for the Lord faithes time is this liues time so that faith doth want of her time if she hath not all of this lifes time when this life is once past the time of faith is ouerpast faith exceedes not this life neither should she faile during this life As in the agonie of death the diuel is most busie to bring vnto death so thē should faith most striue to helpe vnto life for thus well it is written The iust man shall liue by his faith Abac. 2.4 1. the iust in this life shall liue after this life by his faith in God and his Christ had and held during the terme of this life for except he beleeues in this life during the time of this life he shall not liue with God after this life by this you may easily tell whether it bee inough yea or no to haue beleeued in God and his Christ before death though he doth not beleeue at all in death Q. I may so but yet I cannot tell how any shall shew that then he doth beleeue R. Neither neede you to seeke that it is inough for you to know how hee that doth beleeue shall shew that he doth beleeue Q. To come to that knowing asketh great cunning for euerie one that saith hee doth beleeue doth not shew indeede that hee doth beleeue R. But euery one that doth indeed beleeue may shew that he doth beleeue Q. I denie not that if he be in health but I aske how he that is sicke and in the agonie of death shall then shew that he doth beleeue R. And that I answere hee may diuerse waies doe first by praying vnto God secondlie by speaking well either of him or of his religion Q. Why but may a man pray when he is a dying R. I thinke not but oft times he may so I am sure Iaakob the Patriarke did so Christ our Sauiour did so also Steuen the Protomartir did Gen. 47.31 when death had seised vpon the body of Iaakob he raised vp himselfe and turning his face towards the beds head he leaned on the toppe of his staffe by reason of his feeblenes and then he praied vnto God and this his praier is counted a fruit of his faith Heb. 11.22 When Christ was in his agonie in the garden he praied Heb. 11.22 Mat. 26.39.27.48 Luk. 23.34.46 Mat. 26.37 and vpon the crosse againe he praied thrice vpon the one and thrice within the other In the garden once he said ô my Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me neuerthelesse not as I wil but as thou wilt Another time he said O my Father if this cup cannot passe away from me but that I must drinke it thy will be done Againe he praied the third time saying the same words Vpon the crosse the first time he said Mat. 27.46 Eli Eli Lamasabachtani that is my God my God why hast thou forsaken me the second time he said Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe the third time he said Father into thine hands I commend my Spirit When Steuen was a stoning hee called vpon the Lord and that twice once for himselfe and once for his enemies for himselfe he said Act. 7.69 Lord Iesus receiue my spirit for his enimies hee said Lord lay not this sinne to their charge And this his calling vpon the Lord there is attributed to his being full of the holy Ghost by all this I gather that the sicke man beleeuing when he is dying may also pray when he is dying It is well knowne what the good thiefe vpon the crosse did euen when death was seising vpon him and life leauing him and by that as by the former it may bee collected what by a sicke man dying may be practised for his crucifying death might be as hard a death as some sicke mans death if not harder the thiefe then praied Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy kingdome and so also the sicke man may nay ought asmuch as euer he ought for saith God call vpon mee in the time of tribulation and anguish and that 's a time of both and saith Iames Iam. 5.13 Is any man sicke let him pray And then I thinke a man is sicke if euer he be sicke no sicknes or affliction to the agonie of death Q. Alas Alas when sence failes tongue falters and death nippes how would you haue a man to pray R. With heart if not with tongue in affection if not in action for praier stands not in the enuntiation of words but in the affection of hearts when Moses spake neuer a word vnto God God said vnto Moses