way to heauen to himselfe And what promises hee hath made to vs to intise and draw vs to come vnto him and what threatnings and warnings hee hath giuen vs to shun hell it is impossible for mee and all the Writers in the world to write Saint Iohn saith If all things which Christ did were written the world would not containe the Bookes But I am sure if all the Writers in the world had written what Christ hath done for vs they could not sufficiently declare it If all the sea were inke and all the iron in the world were pennes and all the creatures writers they could neuer declare the great benefits the great blessings and the great mercies giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus our Lord Sauiour What is man without Christ more then a firebrand of hell and what an excellent creature a man is in Christ can hardly bee expressed and yet there are many that are angry because there are so many bookes Reading good bookes worketh a mans heart to godlines for euen as the fire warmeth the wax and maketh it fit to receiue a good fashion euen so good bookes written of the mercies of God in Christ are the way to Christ and teach vs how to shun the way that leads from Christ. But because I would haue you writers of the mercies of God in Christ I will tell you what good writing of bookes doth It maketh the the way to Christ easie to those that desire to goe in it And I will tell you who are they that are angry with writing of bookes they are such as are ignorant and the more ignorant they are the more angry they are those that loue the world so well that they cannot finde leasure to read bookes Saint Iohn saith Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world for the loue of the world is an enmity to God And here you see that they are enemies to God for they loue not to haue him so much written of And they that loue not many bookes loue not many Sermons neyther doe they care so much to know what Christ hath done for them and how they should follow Christ they are stalled with it they loue the earth they can talke of it yeere after yeere and they are neuer weary In truth it would weary a heauenly minded Christian to heare an earthly-minded man how continually hee will talke of the earth and earthly things the very time that hee is in the Church hee can hardly hold his peace from talking of some earthly thing or other and the whole Sabbath which God sanctified and rested himselfe and in mercie to him commanded him to rest that will neuer rest from these earthly and transitorie things for heauenly rest hee neuer respecteth Truely I thinke he meaneth to make himselfe sure of hell heereafter for Christ saith Hee that loueth the world is an enemy to GOD And he that is an enemy to God can neuer come to bee an inheritour of the kingdome of heauen except hee returne and reconcile himself to God through Christ and hee cannot bee thus reconciled except he leaue his earthly affections and attend vpon Christ for God loueth none but those whom he seeth waiting and attending vpon his Sonne then the Almightie God accepteth him as his sonne and bids him call him Father and whatsoeuer hee needs he is ready to furnish and relieue him withall but if hee be obstinate and will not attend vpon Christ but attends his owne businesse and worldly affaires GOD neuer respecteth him how many friends soeuer hee hath in the world nor how mightie soeuer they are and then are his riches and his friends nothing worth neither can they doe him the least good as can be thought of Now hee that loues not writing of bookes nor hearing of Sermons hee hath little leasure and lesse desire to pray this I assure you is true and his owne conscience will tell him so much let him examine it when he will for Sermons and reading good bookes are the only means to bring a man to praier and praier is the only meanes to helpe vs to the mercies of God in Christ for if we heare Sermons and do not pray earnestly to GOD for Iesus Christs sake to send the holy Ghost to inlighten our vnderstanding and to sanctifie our hearts and follow that which wee heare we are neuer the better for many heare and vnderstand not and many vnderstand and follow it not but there is none that praieth faithfully to vnderstand and for grace to follow it that obtaineth not if hee continue in true praier The holy Ghost saith Pray alwaies and in all things be thankefull and the promise is made Aske and ye shal haue that is whatsoeuer you goe about pray to God to blesse it and thanke God in prosperitie and aduersitie or howsoeuer it pleaseth God to deale with you for it commeth by his prouidence therefore bee thankefull to God what crosse soeuer it pleaseth him to lay vpon thee Doe not as they which rage and sweare at the losse of a few earthly things but thanke God againe and againe that it is no worse If it bee but for the losse of some earthly thing it cannot bee ill for the childe of God for Iob neuer honoured God so much nor did so much good in the Church of God while hee was rich as when hee was poore for when hee was rich the diuell himselfe told God that Iob serued him not for nothing As if hee should say Thou hast giuen him many blessings if he should not bee thankefull it were a maruell CHAP. 24. The vnthankefulnesse of rich men a great sinne OH this will bee a witnesse against many rich men which receiue many great blessings and yet they bee vnthankefull for the diuell thought that he which receiued gifts and blessings could not chuse but bee thankefull and yet when Iob was rich he neuer did God so much honour nor seruice in his Church as when his goods were gone for before hee was a rich man and liued well and gaue somthing to the poor what should hee haue done w th his goods else so did many more besides him But when all his goods were taken away hee did not as worldly men do he did not say I am bewitched or it is the negligence of my seruants but he said The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and as it pleaseth the Lord so it commeth to passe blessed be the name of the Lord And thus hee became thankefull for his losses This is a thing that euery one cannot doe and hee was so patient and thankefull what crosses soeuer it pleased God to lay vpon him that he glorified God in his obedience and shewed that he loued God and that his loue was not set on this worldly wealth So he might haue God without the world he cared not hee was none of those that must needes haue God and the world together or
THE MOTHERS BLESSING OR The godly counsaile of a Gentle-woman not long since deceased left behind her for her CHILDREN Containing many good exhortations and godly admonitions profitable for all Parents to leaue as a Legacy to their Children but especially for those who by reason of their young yeeres stand most in need of Instruction By M ris DOROTHY LEIGH PROVERB 1.8 My sonne heare the instruction of thy father and forsake not the lawe of thy mother Printed at London for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines Burse 1616. TO THE HIGH and excellent Princesse the Lady ELIZABETH her Grace daughter to the high and mightie King of great Brittaine and Wife to the illustrious Prince the Count Palatine of the Rhine D. L. VVisheth all grace and prosperity here and glory in the world to come MOst worthy renovvned Princess I beeing troubled and wearied with feare lest my children should not find the right way to heauen thought with my selfe that I could doe no lesse for them then euerie man will doe for his friend which vvas to write them the right way that I had truely obserued out of the written word of GOD lest for vvant of vvarning they might fall where I stumbled and then I should think my selfe in the fault who knew there were such downe-falls in the world that they could hardly climbe the hill to heauen without helpe and yet had not told them thereof Wherefore I writ them the right and ready way to Heauen wel waranted by the scriptures of the olde and new Testament which is the true word of God and tolde them how many false paths they should finde how they should finde them and what care they should haue to shunne them if they tooke a false way what a trouble they should haue in turning againe what danger if they went on and of many doubts which the world would make without a cause and how silent it would bee in danger Thus when I had writtē vnto them of these things I was at much peace quiet and contentment But as no contentment in the world continueth long so sodainly there arose a new care in my minde how this scroule should bee kept for my children for they were too young to receiue it my selfe too old to keepe it men too wise to direct it to the world too wicked to endure it Then in great griefe I looked vp to heauen from whence I knew commeth al comfort and looking vp I saw a most Angelicall throne of Princely Peeres and peerelesse Princes prepared for heauen and yet by the appointment of God were heere to comfort vs on the earth then I perceiued that this Throne was the ioy of England then I considered that the highest blud had the lowest mind then I sawe humility looking downe-ward while the sweet slips of her vertue grew vpward then euen then Princely Lady I beheld your mild and courteous coūtenance which shewed your heart was bent to doe good to all wherefore without feare and with much faith I aduentured to make your Grace the protectresse of this my Booke knowing that if you would but suffer your name to bee seene in it Wisedome would allow it and all the wicked winde in the world could not blow it away The Lord multiply his graces more and more on you and vouchsafe vnto you a numerous posterity in whom your Grace may receiue much ioy and comfort and GODS Church and true Religion continuall defence and propagation Your Graces in all humble and obseruant duty D. L. TO MY BELOued sonnes GEORGE IOHN and WILLIAM LEIGH all things pertaining to life and godlinesse MY Children God hauing taken your Father out of this vale of teares to his euerlasting mercy in CHRIST my selfe not onely knowing what a care hee had in his life time that you should be brought vp godlily but also at his death being charged in his will by the loue and duty which I bare him to see you well instructed and brought vp in knowledge I could not chuse but seeke according as I was by duty bound to fulfill his will in all things desiring no greater comfort in the World then to see you grow in godlinesse that so you might meet your Father in heauen where I am sure hee is my selfe being a witnesse of his Faith in Christ. And seeing my selfe going out of the world and you but comming in I know not how to performe this duty so well as to leaue you these few lines which will shew you as well the great desire your Father had both of your spirituall and temporal good as the care I had to fulfill his will in this knowing it was the last duty I should performe vnto him But when I had written these things vnto you and had as I thought something fulfilled your Fathers request yet I could not see to what purpose it should tend vnlesse it were sent abroad to you for should it be left with the eldest it is likely the youngest should haue but little part in it Wherefore setting aside all feare I haue aduentured to shew my imperfections to the view of the World not regarding what censure shall for this bee laid vpon mee so that heerein I may shew my selfe a louing Mother and a dutifull Wife and thus I leaue you to the protection of him that made you And rest till death Your fearefull faithfull and carefull Mother D. L. Counsell to my Children MY Sonnes the readers of this book I doe you not intreate To beare with each misplaced word for why my paine 's as great To write this little booke to you the world may thinke indeed As it will be at any time for you the same to read But this I much and oft desire that you would doe for mee To gather hony of each flowre as doth the labourous Bee Shee lookes not who did place the Plant nor how the flowre did grow VVhether so stately vp aloft or neere the ground below But where she findes it there she workes and gets the wholsome food And beares it home and layes it vp to doe her Country good And for to serue her selfe at need when winter doth begin VVhen storm and tempest is without then she doth find within A sweet and pleasant wholsome food a house to keepe her warme A place where softly she may rest and be kept from all harme Except the Bee that idle is and seekes too soone for rest Before she filled hath her house whereby her state is blest And then as she did rest too soone too soone she sorrow knowes VVhen stormes and tempests are without then she her selfe beshrowes She looketh out and seeth death ready her to deuoure Then doth she wish that she had got more of the wholsome flowre For why within her store is spent before the winter's past And she by no meanes can endure the stormy winters blast Shee looketh out and seeth death and findes no lesse within
forsake me whereas if you haue vviues that you loue not I am sure I will forsake you Do not your selues that wrong as to marry a woman that you cannot loue shew not so much childishnesse in your sexe as to say you loued her once and now your mind is changed if thou canst not loue her for the goodnesse that is in her yet let the grace that is in thy selfe moue thee to do it and so I leaue thee to the Lord whom I pray to guide both thee and her with his grace and grount that you may chuse godlily and liue happily and dye comfortably through faith in IESVS Christ. CHAP. 14. How to deale with seruants YEt one thing I am to desire you to doe at my request and for my sake and though it bee some trouble to you to performe it yet I assure my selfe you will doe it If God shall at any time giue you or any of you a seruant or seruants you shall aske them if they can reade If they cannot you shall at my request teach them or cause them to be taught till they can reade the tenne Commaundements of almightie God And then you shall perswade them to practise by themselues and to spend al their idle time in reading that so they may come the better to know the will of God written in his Word Remember your seruants are Gods seruants as well as yours if they be not say as Dauid sayd There shall not an vngodly person dwell in my house he that loueth or maketh lyes shal depart out of my sight It is not for you by any meanes to keep any vngodly profane or wicked person in your house for they bring a curse vpon the place wherein they are and not a blessing neither will they bee taught any goodnesse but you must keepe those that bee tractable and willing to serue God that hee may blesse you and your houshold For God doth not delight in that Master that will suffer his seruant to blaspheme his name or to mis-spend his Sabbaoths for God commaunded the master that he should see his seruants to keepe holy the Sabbaoth day and if hee keepe that day holy he will learne to spend all the other dayes in the weeke well in following the duties of his calling I pray you keep the seruants of God and then remember they are your brethren vse them wel and bee as ready to doe them good as to haue their seruice Be not chiding for euery trifle for that wil hinder good liuing and nothing enrich you Be carefull that they be godly for Godlinesse hath the promise of this present life and of the life to come godlinesse is great riches if a man be contented with that hee hath for wee brought nothing with vs into this world neither shall we carry any thing out of the world if wee haue food and rayment let vs therewith be contented CHAP. 15. Patience is necessary for Gouernours of families LIue godlily and patiently in your house if you cannot bee patient neuer think to liue godlily for if Sathan see you of a froward mind he wil soon finde matter enough to set you on worke Pray faithfully with your seruants twice a day and liue so godlily that you may be an example to them to follow you Pray often priuately faithfully and zealously vnto GOD in the name of Christ so as may bee well warranted by his Word for that is a true marke of the childe of God Many heare the Word as our Sauiour witnesseth but few follow it Many pray openly as the Pharises did to bee seene of men but Christ sayth they haue their reward This was not because Christ misliked publike prayer but because he sawe their hearts and so knew that they praied more to be seene of men then for any true faith they had in him Christ sayth When two or three be gathered together in my name I will be with them And this mercifull promise is enough to make any man pray for though hee doe it very weakely and coldly yet he sheweth his humility and obedience to God and confesseth his owne weakenesse and calleth to God for his assistance and grace to serue him One is also helped by the prayer of another and the weaker is made partaker of the praiers of the stronger for Christ taught vs to pray one for another Forgiue vs our trespasses When Christ sayth If two or three be gath'red together in my name I will be with them he doth not say With some of them but I will be with them that is with all of them that are ioined together in my name Though some bee weaker and some bee stronger yet they all shew their obedient hearts and God will accept them in Christ. And this is a great means to stir vp their hearts to praier for it is the hardest thing that is for any man to performe rightly truely and faithfully CHAP. 16. Meanes to further priuate prayer NOw all things are to bee vsed that are meanes to stirre vs vp to priuate prayer and all things are to bee shunned that hinder vs from it Those things that may further vs to it are hearing the Word reading it praying publikely and being in company with others when they pray for all these help to increase and strengthen faith and without faith it is impossible to pray aright either publikely or priuately or to take hold of the promises of God in Christ beleeuing that our prayers shall be accepted and granted so far forth as shall bee to Gods glory and our good and the true seruant of God will neuer desire more then hee knoweth by faith in Christ which hee hath learned by the promises of the Gospell that he shall haue CHAP. 17. Le ts THere bee many things that will hinder both man and woman from this duetie The diuell will doe what hee can to hinder vs the world is our hindrance continually and a mans owne friends are oftentimes hindrances too yea a mans owne nature will neuer bee willing to talke with God for by nature wee run away from him with Adam and rather hide our selues with figge-leaues and excuses then come to God and fall downe before him on our faces confesse our sinnes acknowledge our vnworthinesse craue pardon for Christs sake of God for all of our transgressions Yet Adam had more cause to runne away then we haue and wee haue more cause a great deale to come to God then hee had for hee knew not then that God would call him backe againe and giue him his pardon in Christ who should tread downe the head of the Serpent which beguiled him but we know that GOD hath called Adam and all his posterity giuen them pardon in Christ if they wil come and ask it in faith and repentance Hee therefore that doth not often and priuately fall downe and humble himselfe before God and confesse his owne sinnes crauing pardon in Christ by faith
follow nature and the Diuell helpeth them forward and the world is a friend to them both and they like laden asses follow the Diuell with his treasure and make him their Lord and Master and yet some of them will not sticke to say they hope I will saue them though I haue often told them I will saue none by my seruants and I will not meddle with them for if they will serue mee they must cleane forsake mine enemy the diuell for hee is an enemy to me all mine and doth all the despight against vs that hee can and I will not saue him that will serue mine enemy therefore let them neuer presume vpon my mercy for I haue told them that the hope of the vngodly shall perish Hee that is an vngodly person a swearer a drunkard a prophaner of the Sabbaoth false in religion carelesse in life and yet hopes to be saued by me his hope is in vaine and grounded vpon no foundation for I neuer made promise to saue any such and therefore they haue no reason to say they hope I will saue them except they speedily returne from the diuell and his wayes and follow mee and my waies for I haue plainely told them He that will be my Disciple must for sake himselfe take vp his crosse and follow mee and assuredly I will saue him Now tell mee how would a man like one that should serue his vtter enemy and doe what his enemy could deuise to hurt and grieue him and then when hee had done all the hurt that hee could against him when he could do no more then hee would come to him and thinke to haue a great blessing and a great benefit of him hee should surely bee deceiued Then with what face can a sinner goe to Christ to saue him when hee dieth who would neuer serue Christ while he liued Though God had commanded him to cast all his care vpon him for hee would care for him yet hee hath spent almost all his time in seruing the world the flesh and the diuell Chap. 38. Reasons of casting our care vpon God I Wil tell you great reason why you ought to cast all your care vpon God and none vpon the world for God is our Father our Maker and gouernour and our feeder Christ is our Sauiour Now the father and gouernour knoweth what is fit for the childe better then the childe for the childe would surfet if hee might haue his owne will therefore let him be content with that which his gouernour will giue him Another great reason why wee should cast all our care vp-God is because when the diuell maketh all his poysonous baits wherewith hee draweth an innumerable company of soules to hell hee couereth them all with some worldly thing or other that they may not see the hooke some hee couereth with gold some with siluer some with earth some with clay some with honour some with beautie some with one thing and some with another Hee will not lay all his baits alike for hee is cunninger then a fisher hee knoweth a little bait will serue for a little fish and a great bait for a great fish for a great bait will not serue to catch a little fish nor a little bait will not serue to catch a great fish And besides this hee must haue the alteration of baits as the cunning fisher well knoweth but with these baits hee must haue a sharpe hooke to take them and a long line to draw them to himselfe So soone as hee seeth they haue swallowed the sweet bait hee lets them play a while with it but before it belong hee draweth them out of the sweete streame the water of life and throweth them into a panne of boyling liquor and as sometime the fisher is faine to intangle the fishes vvith his nets and so take them euen so Sathan findeth the humour of euery man and then he searcheth in the world to finde a bait fit for him hauing found the bait he presently poysoneth it then hee puts in a hooke and a line to draw him from the pure sweete streame the vvater of Life the Word of God and then hee lets them play a vvhile vvith the poysoned baits of the vvorld and so drawes them to him and throwes them into a furnace of boyling brimstone vvhose boyling shall neuer end Now there is none that can keepe vs from the baits of the diuell but onely God our Faher our gouernour our Sauiour our sanctifier and had wee not neede then cast all our care vpon God since vve are in so great a danger and none can keepe vs from the diuell but hee We cannot keepe our selues from the baits of the diuell no more then children can guide themselues in all their vvayes to feed learne gouerne clothe themselues vvithout the helpe of their father and gouernour Shall the children depend onely vppon their father and gouernour and shall not wee depend only vpon our God that is our Maker our Father and our gouernour and vvho vvhen vvee fell from him and followed the counsel of the diuel sent his onely Sonne to die for vs and to indure the paines of hell for vs the holy Ghost saith If hee hath giuen his sonne for vs will hee not with him give vs all things also And yet shal vve not dare to depend vpon him Is he not able to dry vp the waters of the red Sea that thou mightest goe on foot dry-shodde thorow Cannot hee raine thee Manna that thou needst not starue Cannot our God giue thee vvater out of the rocke He giueth thee vvater out of the rocke Christ euery day Oh that thou wouldest receiue it But I know what thou wouldest haue thou vvouldest haue Quailes to fulfill thy lusts for lust when it conceiueth bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Then maist thou cry Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord it is hee that must deliuer me from this body of death And yet thou wilt not follow him nor depend vpon him Another reason why thou shouldest follow Christ and depend vpon him is because if the diuell finde thee at any time alone thou canst not escape his hands and therfore my greatest desire is that I might perswade you to cast all your care vppon God and none vpon the vvorld nay I pray God that Christ may preuaile with you for hee hath gone about to perswade you already and told you a reason for hee careth for you and if hee careth for you you need no more care for you shall bee well prouided for therefore obey him cast all your care vpon him and care not for this world liue as hee hath appointed you labour in your vocation sixe dayes and keepe the seuenth holy to the Lord and in all your labour vse no kinde of deceit nor desire to bee rich Doe you labour