to God-ward who wel wotteth what thy spirit doth craue and long for These darting praiers with the sentences sighes and speeches abouesaid shall likewise helpe such greatly as lack conuenient leysure to perfourme this exercise in such maner as I haue heretofore declared The fourth remedie which may be vsed The 4. remedie is the reading of some godly bookes at such time as thy distraction were greater then that the former aduises could suffize to call thy minde home and to cause attencion then mayest thou haue recourse to reading whereto shall be verie expedient thou be prouided of some godly booke full of good deuotion and sound doctrine and theron to read with leisure fair and softly not lightly running ouer manie leaues but pawsing at euery period sentence to chaw the same to picke thence som profit fruitful deuotion staying therin so long as attention serueth thee which once wāting proceed then on forward to another sentence doing likewise in that and thus mightest thou by meanes of such wordes as thou readest vse those speaches sighs and inflamed desires whereof I lastly spake in the thirde remedie sith no doubt but they are very vailable and of great force to retire thy minde home and to kindle in it a deuotion and feruent loue to Godward The fitst books for this purpose are such as stirre vp a man to pietie and deuotion and that withall giue good instructions for life and maners the books of Iob Psalms the Prouerbes Preacher the Epistles of Saint Paule c. In these and such like bookes maist thou occupy thy self now reading now meditating on thē and alwaies committing some spiritual point to memorie which thy soul may amongst other thy busines nourish and comfort it selfe withall The last remedie thou art to take concerning this matter is to force thy selfe to perseuer in praier howe distract and frozen soeuer thou shalt The fift remedie against distraction is perseuerance finde thee for that who so shall thus force and straine himself to endure the tedious toile and pain of praier whiles thus he feeleth himself frozen and caried away with diuers forrein thoughts and fancies well may he beleeue that at the end of his praier he shall for the most part receiue comfort contentation and that as it happened to our Sauiour whom the angell came and comforted in the garden after his long perseuerance in praier which he made three seuerall times euen so shal it likewise in the end befall to him And as in other workes experience teacheth vs that custome taketh away the toyle which we feele at the beginning thereof euen so shall custome and continuance in this exercise not slacking or neglecting it at any time cut off the toile and trauaile thereof and cause a conquest of all such difficulties as in the beginning seemeth right painfull to vs. Of the auoiding of lewd company Cap. 12. TO conclude this first duty of him that intendeth to leade a spirituall life let this suffice that there is nothing more pernitious vnto a spirituall man than euil companie for that hath drawen many a man from the way of our Lord and Sauiour Christ For the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. citeth to that intent the verse of Menander an Ethnicke Comedy writer Mores bonos colloquia corrumpunt mala Euill talke corrupteth good maners he cannot be good which delighteth in euil companie for no man speketh euill vnlesse he be before corrupted and depraued in his heart against the puritie of Euangelicall doctrine as euery man is and thinketh so doth he speake For the speech of a man is the truest witnesse of his heart for as our Sauiour sayth The mouth speaketh Luk. 6. of the aboundance of the hart Therefore if he which speaketh euill bee not good wee must take heed of all them which delight in euill talke and scurility and wicked speeches whose mouth doth alwaies sound out filthy thinges neuer talk of godlines Filthy speech is a signe of an vnchast heart although no outward work do follow Therfore a christian man which in his baptisme hath promised to forsake the Deuill and al his workes and consequentlie those that bee his members must eschew the company of wicked men and euermore auoid them that speak wickednesse and vncleannesse We must euer remember the saying of the Wise man Hee that toucheth pitch defileth his fingers and he that kepeth company with the proud shal put on pride Gregory sayeth Those that bee weak must eschew euil company least the faults which they daily see and bee not able to amend become pleasaunt vnto them And S. Chrysostome If a good man company with a wicked man either they become equal or else the one is quickly separated from the other For friendship either dooth require or make men to be equal that is to say of one minde For so is the nature of things that as often as a good man is ioyned with a bad man the good mā is not made the better for it but is rather defiled ther by for contrary things can neuer haue concorde and wicked company hath allured many As one diseased sheep infecteth the whole flock so one peruerse and wicked christian is cause of a great number of transgressions in the church For S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 5 That a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe of dough so weake Christians that conuerse with obstinate sinners which doo professe perfection are quickly infected with their euill conditions It is Written Blessed is the man which hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked nor hath stoode in the way of sinners nor satte in the seate of the skornefull That is of all them who are not pleased or contented with other mens dooing but skorne euery man but themselues they alwaies open their mouthes against the humble man they loue brawling and tatling in other mens matters their Counsell shal not prosper and if they bee aloft they shall fall suddenlie their pride is hated of God because beeing fooles they boast themselues to bee wise and learned their foolishnesse shall be disclosed and a greeuous destruction shal fall vpon their heads their harts think on foolishnesse and there is no peace in their circuit They shal be hated of their kinsfolke and neighbours and no faithfull friend shall know them they leade their life in hypocritical dissimulation and by their foolishnesse they draw many out of the way They hate peace they loue discord they shall bee taken in the sluggishnes of their mind and none shall haue compassion vpon them They shall bee brused with double affliction the Deuill hath made his neast vnder their toong sathan hath pitched his tentes in their mind therfore there is no Christian loue in their heart because they seeke to set discord betweene christian and christian They boast that they are the friends of God yet vnderstand not what is the waie of humilitie They open not their mouthes to spirituall edification
written in the prophet Thy malice shall rebuke thee and thy turning away shal Ier. 2. 19. blame thee see and knowe howe miserable and brittle a thing it is for thee to haue forsaken the Lord thy God and that thou hast no feare of me saith the Lorde of hoasts But it also maketh a great dissention in thine owne selfe for the Prophet crieth out Peccatum meum Psa 51. 5. contrame est semper My sinne is alwayes against me A lamentable thing it is to see a kingdome diuided in it self for it shall be desolate and the house or Mat. 12. 25 Citie that is not at vnitie in it selfe shal not stand Disquietnesse of conscience strife betweene the flesh and the spirit and the dissention in the verie will of man described by the Apostle is occasioned nay rather caused by sinne And I referre my selfe vnto them that are Rom. 7 19 19. c. vexed with the disquietnesse of conscience whether there bee a greater torment then it in the worlde for euerie battell that a man hath without may be preuented by some policie or illuded by some stratagem and therefore not so dangerous but when a man feeleth and carieth his owne enemie in his owne bosome the matter is more daungerous and the destruction of a man more eminent And so I saie it is also a lamentable case to see a man diuided in himselfe But if that bee so lamentable that the Prophet cryeth out who wil giue water vnto my head Iâ—r 9. 1 2. 3. c. and a fountaine of teares vnto myne eies c. no doubt that diuision is to be deplored and bewailed with a sea of tears which is between God maÌ„ for as God is vnity it selfe the cause of al vnion that is amongst his creatures euen so the debate and concision that is betweene God and man is the cause of all other debats that are in the vniform multiformitie of the world Therefore we reade and sometimes do see things go against their nature for the punishment of sinnes as the earth couered with water in the time of Noah was Gen. 7. the punishment of the old world likewise Gen. 19. fier descended from heauen for the punishment of the Sodomits and such like punishments in the olde testament In the newe Testament though Gods mercie bee more reuealed and though there bee not so greate signes of his iustice shewed yet did the creatures detest sinne and declared it by darknesse in the daie time against nature the obscuration of the sunne the Mat. 27. renting of stones in sunder and of the vaile of the temple the opening of the graues c. generallie let this conclusion stand there is nothing so much against nature as is sinne which maketh all things in a manner to goe againste their natures for the punishment of it Seeing then that sinne is so daungerous that it doth not onely set diuision between man in himselfe but also betweene God and man let a man therefore auoide it in asmuch as hee can otherwise hee runneth daylie further and further to his owne vtter ruine and destruction Two things therefore doth the Prophet propound vnto a man that intendeth to leade a newe life and to turne vnto the Lorde the firste is Declina à malo eschewe euill The which thing howe naturall it is for a man to follow it is declared in the scriptures And God seeing that the malice of maÌ„ on the earth was verie great and that the thoughts of his heart was alwayes bent to mischiefe hee repented that he had made man vpon the earth Besides that the Gen. 6 5. multitude of the wicked in this world dooth sufficiently manifest the same for you shall hardly finde a man that hath taken a smacke in sinne to be willing to forsake the same without God of his speciall grace doe reueale to him the danger that he is in And a man being in so miserable a case goeth on still neuer looking into the lewd life which he hath led It is requisite therfore that a man doe call vnto God for grace towards the purifying of his soule for of our selues wee are neither able to eschew euill nor to doe good but both the one and the other is the gifte of almightie God who dooth woorke in vs velle perficere both to will Phil. 2. 13. and to perfourme and that also of his good will and pleasure Considering then first the frailtie of man in falling so often his impotencie in not rysing his negligence in seeking of help his ingratitude in refusing the helpe that is offered vnto him his slouthfulnesse in vsing Gods grace bestowed vpon him who would not thinke that of all the creatures that God hath created man is the most negligent in bending his whole life and all his actions vnto the ende vnto the which hee is created But true it is that Moises sayeth in his Song in expostulation with the children of Israel for their ingratitude Deum quite genuit de reliquisti oblatus es Domini creatoris tui Thou hast forsaken God who Deut. 32 18. hath begotten thee and hast forsaken the Lord thy creator But to the principall euent which is to direct him whose minde is bent to serue God and to forsake his euill life past I will take this for a generall principle hee that committeth sinne is of the Diuell because 1. Io. 3. 8 the Diuell sinneth from the beginning if all that commit sin be of the Diuell and all of vs offende in manie things how many men shall we find to be free from sinne Wee may say with the Prophet in the 14. Psalm There is not one that doth good no not one yet euerie man ought to take heede of sinne and to eschew it without pretence of anie excuse whatsoeuer it be for God is pure and must bee looked vpon with a pure eye for it is written Math. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Now the sight of God is nothing els but the knowledge of god and the knowledge of God is life euerlasting according to the saying of our Sauiour which saith This is life eternall that they knowe thee to bee the onelie verie God and whom thou hast Ioh 17 3. sent Iesus Christ and life euerlasting is the onlie end vnto the which man was created and there is no stop or hinderance to this life but sinne What man then is so vnnaturall vnto himselfe but would eschue this impediment hate it cane peius angue worse then a dog and a snake But men inueigled with the lewdnes of this world pretend excuses of this their daliance Som say the knife is dull and the bread is harde but the worde of God is more sharpe then any sword of 2. edges whatsoeuer to pierce the flinty hearts of such obstinate wretches whose ende is destruction To those therefore which are in a maner
countenance fastned their eies vpoÌ„ him Think here what streams of teares his beloued disciple Saint Iohn the blessed Magdalen with the other godly women plentifully poured out vpon him behold and ponder well with what zeale and feruency both they and the two worthy men Ioseph Nicodemus annointed and wrapt him in his winding sheet afterwards bare and laid him in the sepulchre which was in the garden and endeuour thou to clense thy heart thoroughly from al corruption of sin from al filth of fond desires euill thoughts that so thou maist as in a new sepulchre lay vp therein this most precious treasure And see thou faile not this day to beare patt with this woful company in their intire griefe and sorrow wailing with them and taking compassion of their griefs that thou afterwards maist participate of their ioies in the resurrection Sunday ON Sunday meditate the ioyes of our Sauiours ioyfull resurrection wherin coÌ„sider these three points First our redeemer hauing now perfected the worke of our redemption ouercome our sinful death with his most sacred death the third day his most happie soul reentring remitting it self to his blessed body he becam most beautiful bright glittring impassible immortal albeit before he was disfigured with yâ— blowes tormeÌ„ts of his passion Learne thou hereby not to faint or to be discouraged when thou art persecuted tempted afflicted but with faith to expect the good Lorde his houre who after a tempest sendeth faire weather after troubles quietnes and vseth Psal 93. according to the proportion of tribulations to visit afterwards with ioy and consolations The second point thou maist meditate vpon this day is the singular coÌ„fort those deuout Maries receiued when they sawe their beloued master whom euen now they sought to annoint as dead now find thus glorious and reuiued againe consider especially the tender heart of that vertuous woman Mary Magdalen being wholly melted and dissolued into teares through the zealous loue she bare our sauiour and therfore wold not depart but stood still at the sepulchre till such times as she did seeke and seeking find her Lord to receiue comfort of him whom she so heartily longed for Wherein thou maiest note and marke well howe our Lord appeared first to her that loued him most that perseuered most and Mar. 16. Ioh 20. that sought him most to the end thou mayest learne and knowe hereby that then the same Lorde will appeare and comfort thee when with like teares loue and diligence as she did thou shalt enquire and seeke after him Thou mayest in like manner meditate the thirde point hauing spare time howe this most desired maister appeared to his Disciples whom after his resurrection he eftsoones visited comforted and confirmed in their fayth but chiefly ponder the sweere speaches hee vsed to those hee went in coÌ„panie with to Emmaus who with great griefe were talking of his passion Mar. 16. Luke 24. whome hee did afterwardes exceedingly comfort and enflame and shewed himself vnto them in the breaking of bread Whereby thou maiest gather that if thy conuersation and talke bee such as theirs was to wit of Christes passion thou shalt not lacke his presence and companie and shalt be illuminated better to know loue him and this chieflie in the breaking of the bread that is in the sacrament of the Lords supper Thou maist likewise at some other time meditate on this day his holie and miraculous ascention how fourtie dayes beeing nowe past ouer since his Resurrection in which time he appeared eftsoones to his disciples reioicing comforting and teaching them what they ought to doe the fortieth day hee lastly appeared to them being at table and found fault with their incredulitie and afterwardes hauing sufficiently informed theÌ„ how they ought to preach he they went togither to the mount Oliuet whence that most worthie and glorious triumpher hauing now blessed and bid them all farewell mounted vp in all their sights to heauen carying with him the rich spoyles of the holie Saintes who with the troopes of Angels gaue laudes and prayses to him singing with vnspeakable ioy and exaltation to him and thus was hee in this so solemne a triumph and reioycing receyued into heauen where he sitteth on the right hande of his Almightie father Consider here howe it pleased our sweete Lord to ascend into heauen in the presence of those that truly loued him to the end they should both with their eies spirit follow him desire to ascend with him knowing right wel in what a solitarines they were after to remaine for lack of his presence which folowing loÌ„ging after him auaileth much for the obtaining of his diuine grace Eliseus desired his master Elias 4. Reg. 2. as holie Scripture telleth to giue him his spirit after he was departed from him to whom Elias made this answer If thou see me when I shall be taken away from thee it shal be done that thou requirest mee otherwise not Euen so nowe they shall haue Christs spirite with them that shall see and associate him with their spirit such whoÌ„ the loue they beare to Christ shall make feele his absence and continually to desire and sigh in heart for his diuine presence Meditate also the great ioy wherewith as Saint Luke the Euangelist telleth they returned backe againe to Lâ—k 24 Ierusalem receyuing greater contentation through the ioy which hee was gone to whom they so dearelie loued then sorrow through the solitarinesse wherewith they found themselues enuironed For such is the nature of true loue as it contenteth it selfe much better with the well dooing of those it loueth then with her owne priuate and peculiar profite And thus oughtest thou to procure what toucheth the honour and seruice of Christ before thine owne peculiar commoditie These bee the meditations which thou mayest make on mornings each day in the Weeke and wherein for the better perfourming of the same and with more feruour in the soule it were good that thou diddest perfectly knowe the Historie or reade it in the last Chapters of the Euangelists it shall also behooue thee to put in vre and practise the precepts that followe in the next Chapter and when thou hast thus exercised thy selfe in these Meditations one houre or a halfe little more or lesse giue God thankes with all thine heart in the best manner thou canst for all the things it hath pleased him to do and suffer by thee and craue withall that he will vouchsafe to make thee partaker of all the fruites of his passion and redemption as also to impart his other graces to thee which thou shalt finde thy selfe to stande in moste neede of pray likewise for his true Church and such as thou are bounde to remember or that haue commended themselues to thy deuotions and for all such other necessities as occasions may most require and thus maiest thou herewith finish this thine exercise Certaine particuler aduertisements
that which hath beene in this little treatise sette downe and of the thinges that euery good Christian is bounde to learne and haue by heart Cap. 27. IN this little treatise gentle The some of the hole book reader hath beene hitherto as briefely as might bee shewed thee the rules and aduises whereby thou oughtest to guide thy selfe aswell on working as holidaies and howe thou maist exercise thy selfe in prayer and because this mortal life cannot be passed ouer without the tentations and assaults of such our aduersaries as here in this worlde doe enuiron vs there are weapons and remedies giuen thee to vanquish them with and to preserue thee from sinne by meanes whereof thou maiest also atchiue suche vertues as bee needefull for thee Againe forasmuche as this our temporall life is thrall to many infirmities and in fine to dint of death the port perforce we must all of vs passe by for this cause haue I herto annexed two Chapters wherein is shewed thee in what sorte thou must gouerne thy selfe in tyme of sicknesse when it shall please God therewith to visit thee as also howe thou ought to behaue thee in a transe and houre of death when our Lorde through his good prouidence shall thinke meete to bring thee thither This haue I thought and deemed sufficient for thee that if of the giuer of all goodnesse thou hast receaued a good will and desire to amende thy life and to liue like a true Christian thou maiest by perusing this pamplet learne how to attaine thine Intente and to haue a firme truste and confidence to attaine eternall life the onely end whereto thou wast created It remayneth nowe that for the conclusion and knitting vp of this little worke I admonish thee beseech thee and exhort thee asmuch as I can and may possibly that if thou haste once laid hand to the plough to exercise thy selfe in diuine seruice taking Luke 9. the rules and aduices which in this treatise are prescribed thee for thy guide and gouerment that in no wise thou looke backe againe nor let not thy selfe by any trouble and toiles which may crosse thee in this life bee ouercome and vanquished And if at any time it so chanced aswell it may do eftsoones by reason of lets and hinderances thou shouldest be for some time forced to intermitte thine ordinary and wonted exercises be not any deale dismaide therewith but when this time of trouble is once ouer shot renewe againe thy course and followe Mark 13. Mat. 24. Luk. 22. Apoc. 16. it as if thou hadest neuer failed perseuering till the ende as is needefull if thou mind to attaine the crowne and to winne euerlasting happinesse For in doing thus I dare on the behalfe of our Lord Iesus christ assure thee that this perseuerance shall ease thy paine that pincheth at first and looke howe much the more thou doost perseuere and so much more comfort help consolation and heauenly light shalt thou receaue of his most bountifull liberallity See therefore thou content not thy selfe with once reading ouer of this treatise but read it eftsoones ouer for so it is most expedient Forsomuch as the thinges that are here in treated of sith they be the rulers and remembrances which thou oughtest in spirituall life to leuell and guide thy works by it behooueth at all times to reade them when thou purposest to practise them For besides that the bare reading shal be a laudable and good exercise for thee and serue as a parte of prayer the reiterating and frequentation of reading shal helpe thee to learne by heart what in action thou art bound to execute and so maist thou afterwards exercise thee in each point with much more facillity and lesse a doe a great deale And therefore albeit this little labour may profit each one that with a good and godly intent wil vouchsafe to reade it yet was it principally intended for the simple and more ignorant sort and for that cause haue I thought good to annex here in the end such things as many of them wotte not and yet are bound to knowe Seeing that euery artisan thinks it meete to knowe such things as belonge vnto his art howe much more is a true Christian bound for to know what appertaineth to his profession an art boue all arts and to be prepared as the apostle Saint Peter saith to yeald accompt of that he beleeueth and hopeth and what it behooueth him to doo to liue according to Gods wil and pleasure and to obtaine euerlasting life withall Wherfore for such as bee in this behalfe blame worthy negligent I haue here set downe such thinges as without daunger of their owne weldooing they neither ought nor can be ignorant of that by reason of those notes and shorte remembrances they may both vnderstand what they want and learn it here commodiously And as for the texts I haue here set thē forth both in Latin and vulgar tongue for euery one to learne them as beste shall like them not respecting so much the wordes as the substance and sap conteined in the same Finis Faults escaped Fol. 12. lin 23. for temptarions read temptations fol. 13. lin 21. for some read read some fol. 34 line 10 for patt part fol. 59. line 20. for sercuitie security fol. 59. line 24. for heart heat fol. 96 li. 1 for doe thou thou doe A briefe meditation on the Lordes praier O our Father High in Creation Sweet in loue Rich in possession Which art in Heauen The spectacle of Eternity The crowne of Maiestie The treasure of Felicitie Halowed be thy name That it may be honie in our mouthes Melodie in our eares Religion in our hearts Let thy kingdome come Sweet without mixture Quiet without trouble Secure without losse Thy will be doon in earth as it is in Heauen That we may hate what thou hatest Loue what thou louest Fulfill al that thou likest A Meditation on the Lords praier Giue vs this day our daily bread Of doctrine Of charity Of life euerlasting Forgiue vs our trespasses Doone against thee Against our neighbors Against our selues As we forgiue thē that trespas against vs In their wordes In their persons In their deedes Lead vs not into temptation Of the world Of the flesh Of the Deuil But deliuer vs from euil That is past That is present That is to come LEt dread of paine for sinne in after time Let shame to see thy selfe insnared so Let griefe conceiued for foule accursed crime Let hate of sinne the worker of thy woe With dread with shame with greefe with hate enforce To deaw thy cheekes with teares of deepe remorce So hate of sinne shall cause Gods loue to grow So greefe shall harbour hope within thy hart So dread shall cause the floud of ioy to flow So shame shall send sweet sollace to thy hart So loue so hope so ioy so sollace sweet Shall make thy soule in heauenly blisse to fleet Woe where such hate doth no such loue allure Woe where such greefe makes no good hope proceed Woe where such dread dooth no such ioy procure Woe where such shame doth no such solace breed Wo where no hate no greefe no dread no shame Doth neither loue hope ioy or sollace frame Finis Imprinted at London by Peter Short for William Leake