Non nocent peccata praeterita si non placent praesentia Sinnes past hurt vs not if sinnes present please vs not If wee take no pleasure in vnrighteousnesse from henceforth God will put away and abolish all our old offences And this saying of his is groūded vpon the Scripture which must be thy stay before all the sayings of men The Prophet thus speaketh If the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that hee hath committed shall not be mentioned vnto him Yea vpon our repentance and ceasing from sinne where it had stained as deepe as Scarlet and like Crimson double died in a colour not easie to bee changed yet there will God clense the sinner and make him as white as snow as cleane as the fleece of wooll new washed and skowred Reade to this purpose the wordes of Esay in his first Chapter 16 17 and 18. verses it is a place of much comfort And when thou hearest repentance to be a condition of the obtaining of forgiuenes of sinnes be not discomforted in the conscience of thine owne weakenes and insufficience of keeping the law of God as if it should be impossible for thee to obtaine forgiuenes vpon this condition I know thou canst not but be vnapt for good workes now at the first hauing so long before accustomed thy selfe to a contrary course of vngodlinesse But attempt with resolution to reforme thy waies and studie withall thy heart to serue God according to his will in his word reuealed God esteemeth the will for the worke yea hee will worke in thee both to will and to doe of his owne good will for hee giueth repentance as well as remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ whom he hath appointed and inabled therevnto As Peter saith of him Him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a prince and a sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes And therefore as a good degree of casting thy burden vpon God pray vnto God to giue thee repentance for thy sinnes that thou maiest also obtaine forgiuenes And learne of Dauid to say vnto God Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit within me And craue it in hope for God hath liberally promised to giue it Thus he saith by the Prophet Then will I poure cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleansed yea from all your filthines and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I giue you a new spirit wil I put within you I will take away the stonie heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgements and do them What is it that belongeth vnto repentance either in the inward man for the renewing and humbling and sanctifying of the heart or in the outward man for the altering amending and reforming of the life that God in these words doth not promise to giue And what he promiseth that will hee truely giue if thou make suite vnto him as it is fit and necessarie for thee The second of the three conditions concerneth our brother and the mercifull vsing of him and it is a milde kind of charitie by which we must be willing to forgiue vnto our brother all the wrongs trespasses that hee hath done against vs seeking if we can to reforme him but not to shame him yeelding to doe all offices of mercy and loue vnto him in his necessitie not seeking to be reuenged and to render euill for euil rebuke for rebuke And this is agreeable to iustice and equitie that if thou wouldest receiue what thou wantest thou shouldest be willing to supply the want of others as thon art able and if thou wouldest finde mercy with God thou shouldest shew mercy to men for what measure we meate to others the same shall be meat to vs. Iames the Apostle saith There shall be iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy and mer◅y reioiceth against iudgement If thou wilt not remit vnto thy brother then looke for no remission at Gods hand but if thou charitably remit vnto thy brother then cheerefully promise thy soule remission at Gods hands Verie clearely to this purpose speaketh the Lord Iesus saying If you doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will also forgiue you but if you doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue your trespasses This text is plaine and needeth no interpretation but forgiue it shall be forgiuen to you forgiue vnto men and you shall be forgiuen of God At the hearing of this condition there needeth no discomfort arise in thy conscience from feare of thy insufficiencie for all resteth in thy will It is no more but this be willing the work is done desire not to be reuenged and thou hast forgiuen him continue kindnesse vnto him as if no such wrong had beene done vnto thee and this condition is fulfilled And if thou thinke it will be hard vnto thee by reason of thy froward heart heare a few reasons that may moue thee to thinke that it is a matter of nothing considering what thou desirest to obtaine of God First it is not much that thou hast to forgiue thy brother small few are his wrongs done to thee but it is infinite that thou seekest forgiuenes of from God many and grieuous are thy wrongs done to him Secondly betweene thy brother and thee there is no such difference with aduantage of dignitie on thy selfe that thou shouldest disdaine in regard of thy excellencie to put vp wrong at thy brothers hand for thou as hee art no better then dust and ashes but infinite is the difference betweene God and thee with all aduantage of full excellencie on Gods side he being of infinite glorie and maiestie so that hee might iustly disdaine to put vp wrong at the hands of such a vile worme as thou art Thirdly thy brother is neither by subiection to thy authoritie nor by kindenesse receiued from thee so bound vnto thee that in his doings which thou interpretest for wrongs he can be challenged of any great rebellion and any grosse vnthankefulnes against thee but thou both by subiection to the authoritie of God and by daily blessings receiued from God art so bound vnto him that in thy sinnefull deedes done against his knowne commandements thou art euidently guiltie of high treason and rebellion and most wicked vnthakfulnes Euery of these reasons doe inforce vpon thy heart be it neuer so froward and swelling that it is a trif◅e and matter of noe worth for thee to forgiue the wrongs of thy brother done to thee if thou desire and expect that
seuerall sorts being counted Salomon saith Aiust man falleth seauen times a day riseth againe not so often falling still in the same kind but diuersly falling in seuerall kinds and obtaining helpe to rise againe from euery fall and these many falles may be reduced vnto two generall heads for either a man falleth into sinne or hee falleth into some misery and trouble that sinne maketh our life to be subiect vnto And vnder these two names of sinne and misery we will speake of these falles and consider how true this promise is that GOD will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first of these falles is our falling into sinne For the commandements of God being as so many paths beaten out before our faces for vs to walke in he that keepeth them is as one that walketh vprightly with God and hee that transgresseth and breaketh them is as one that stumbleth in his way and falleth downe flat to his great danger Therefore doe we call Adams sinne the fall of Adam Therefore doe we call the lighter errours of the Saints their slidings and their grosser errours we call their falles And this name of fall is giuen to the sinne that we commit by the Prophet Hosea saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thoâ—… hast fallen by thine iniquity This is a dangerous kinde of fall whereof it behoueth vs to take great heede Heli the Priest fell from the seat whereon he sate brake his necke Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab King of Israel fell thorow the Lattisewindow in his vpper chamber and brused his body whereof he died Yet is not such a fall as either of them haue taken any thing neere so dangerous as to fall into sinne This fall of sinne made the Angels fall out of Heauen and out of the fauour of God irrecouerably And it made our first parents fall out of Paradise and from that blâ—…ssed estate of innocency and immortality wherin God created them And many of their posterity by salling into sinne doe fall from God and sinke downe into hell and there perish eternally It behoueth all men therefore to take heed of it as the Apostle aduiseth saying Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall There is no man of so sure footing that can walke steedily in Gods commandements without sliding and falling for as Sant Iames saith In many things we sinne all And the more weake our footing is the more warily we had need looke vnto our waies that as much as is possible we may escape falles especially considering how dangerous it is in this kind to fall But â—…et such is the mercy of God that he will not suffer the righteous to fal for euer but in due time hee will raise vp them by repentance that are fallen by their sinnes To which end hee giueth vnto vs his word that teacheth vs the way wheâ—…ein we should goe and sendeth vnto vs his messengers with that word in their mouthes that they may be our guides to that end he prepareth our eares for the hearing and our hearts for the vnderstanding of that word that we may learne and profit thereby After this he humbleth our will and bringeth into order all our affections that our knowledge may not be idle for want of willing obedience And because neither knowledge nor willingnesse are able by reason of our weaknesse to effect any thing without him he also strengthneth vs and worketh in vs what hee would haue wrought by vs. As the Apostle speaketh It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede out of his good pleasure Thus he proceedeth in his good worke to raise vp by true repentance them that were fallen by their sinnes And to assure vs there of that we may with comfort hope for the helpe of his grace when our weaknes hath made vs fall into sinne Hee hath giuen vs many gracious promises For thus hee saith in the Psalme I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eie Thus hee promiseth in the Prophecy of Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And thus hee speaketh by the Prophet Ezekiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you a new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shal keepe my iudgements and doe them These and many such gracious promises hath God giuen vnto vs to assure vs that when the righteous fall into sinne hee will raise them vp againe by repentance Hence haue issued the calling of the Gentiles and the conuersion of all vnbeleeuers that for many succeeding ages liued in ignorance and sinne and yet in the end obtayned mercy to returne to God by repentance Hence hath issued the regeneration and new birth of the Saints that being originally shut vp in vnbeleefe and naturally dead in trespasses and sinnes haue beene quickned by Gods grace and begotten againe by the word of truth to be the first fruits of his creatures and by his mercifull worke haue been brought out of darknesse vnto his glorious light to liue thenceforth not as children of darknesse and of the night but as children of the light and of the day Hence hath this issued euen that God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer and from their daily slidings hee doth raise them that when they haue sinned as Adams children they may repent and amend as the children of God The Prophet saith in the Psalme The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Let the righteous therefore that either finde their owne ignorance in mischoosing their way or feele their owne weakenesse in walking in their way let them pray vnto God for grace that he will not suffer them to erre and fall for euer and let them say vnto God with the Prophet Teach mee thy way O God and leade me in a right path This is the first kinde of fall to fall into sinne and it is the worst because it draweth with it the second kinde of fall which is to fall into misery CHAP. XXXV THE second kinde of fall in which God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer is an effect of the former produced by the iust iudgment of God namely a falling into misery This kinde of fall mankinde had neuer beene acquainted withall if they had not taken the first fall for if man had neuer sinned against God God would neuer haue suffered man to haue felt any misery This kind of
records belonging to the Church of God and to the people that â—…tend to haue any knowledge of God hoâ—… many hath he heard 〈◊〉 that did so and what were they in the first age of the world that lasted from the creation to the sloud sixteene hundred fifty and 〈◊〉 yeares we read of much wickednesse â—…ow Kain vnnaturally killed his brother Habel how Lamech transgressed Gods ordinance for mariage and gloried in â—…is owne cruelty saying to his wiues in his wicked pride I would stay a man in 〈◊〉 wound and a young man in mine heart We read of the carnal licenciousnesse of the men of the best line How the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they looks them wiues of all that they liked Yea of the whole race of mankind we reade that the earth was corrupt before God for the earth was filled with cruelty then God looked vpon the earth and behold it was corrupt for al flesh had corrupted his way vpon the earth And their wickednesse was so vile in the sight of God that hee repented to hane made man vpon the earth and hee brought a floud vpon the earth where with he destroied euery creature in whose nostrels was the breath of life And in all this time it is not read that any grew vnto this height of wickednes to incroch so farre vpon the right of God and to be so vnnaturally sinfull as to kill him selfe In so many yeares the Deuill that was a murderer from the beginning could not preuaile so far among the most wicked as to perswade any to lay violent hands vpon himselfe This wickednesse was then vnknowen from the floud to the natiuity of our Lord Iesus Christ for the space of two thousand three hundred and eleuen yeares wee read of horrible wickednesse of warre among natiâ—…s of the tyranny of Nimrod of â—…e building of Babel of the vncleaâ—…esse of the Sodomites of the slaughter of the Sichemites of the tyranny of Phaâ—… of the sinne of the Cananites of the â—…bellion of Korah of the couetousnesse 〈◊〉 Balaam of the sornication of Zimri 〈◊〉 infinit vngodlinesse in euery age of 〈◊〉 in euery generation but of this â—…ind of vnnaturalnesse for men to lay â—…iolent hands vpon themselues we haue 〈◊〉 few examples Saul fell vpon his owne sword and killed himself because â—…e would not come aliue into the hands of the Philistims that preuailed against â—…im in battell and his Armour-bearer â—…couraged by his Lords example did â—…e like vnto himselfe And not many â—…eares after Ahitophel the great counâ—…ller that followed Absolom vpon discontent left Absolom went home to his â—…ne house and hanged himselfe We â—…ad of a fourth whose name was Zimri â—…at being besieged in Tirzah and not able to defend himselfe and the place â—…ent into the Kings Palace and setting the house on fire burned himselfe and these are all that the Scripture recordeth guilty of this impiety for we are not to number Sampson among them whose purpose was not to kill himselfe but to execute the iudgement of God vpon the Philistins which was a worke of his calling in the faithfull and zealous performance whereof hee lost his life And I wittingly passe ouer the history of Razis that fell on his sword and slew himselfe that he might not come aliue into the hands of them whom 〈◊〉 sent to take him leauing the credit of that History to the authority of the writer Whom yet if wee adde to the former the number is not much increased by him So few they were in so many yeeres with whom the ancient murderer could 〈◊〉 to make them enemies of their owne 〈◊〉 And if we consider what manner persons they were with whom he did so far preuaile their wickednesse will seâ—…e to warne any man that hath any dram either of piety or wisdome or care of his owne credit not to put himselfe into the company and ranke of them Saul was a man enuious traiterous perfidious cruell and profane His enuy appeared in this that hee hated Dauid because the Lord prospered him and because the people lioâ—…oured him for that and for no other cause did hee seeke to take away his life His traiterous minde appeared in this that vnder pretences of loue shâ—…wes of the greatest fauour hee sought to kill Dauid giuing his daughter Michol to Dauid to be his wife that she might be the traine to destroy him How persidious and false of faith he was appeared in this that often giuing his promse to Dauid to doe him no harme and giuing it into him aduisedly vpon sight and proofe of Dauids innocency and faith to him he yet euer brake it and vppon euery the least opportunity went out against him with his Army to take him His cruelty appeareth in this besides other proofes thereof that vpon the report of Doeg telling him that Ahimelech the Priest had asked counsel of the Lord for Dauid and had giuen him victuals and the sword of Goliah hee sent for Ahimelech and all the Priests of his fathers house euen fowre-score and fiue men and caused them all to be slaine and destroied also Nob the City of the Priests where Ahimelech dwelt â—…miting with the edge of the sword both man and woman both child and suckling both Oxe and Asse and sheepe with the edge of the sword in most barbarous and inhumane cruelty How profane hee was without due feare and reuerence of God the former act done vpon the Priests of the Lord without regard of the seruice whereunto they were separated to minister at the Altar of the Lord doth plainly show And his preuenting the time appointed of God in offering his Sacrifice when the people were scattered from him and Samuel was not come vnto him But chiefly his profanenesse appeared in consulting with the Witch at Endor As it is written of him Saul said vnto his seruants seeke mee a woman that hath a familiar spirit that I may goe to her and aske of her and his seruants said to him behold there is a woman at Endor that hath a familiar spirit then Saul changed himselfe and put on other raiment and he went and two men with him and they came to the woman by night and he said I pray thee coniure unto 〈◊〉 by the familiar spirit and bring me him vp whom I shall name vnto thee This is an â—…sallible argument of a most profane heart in times of trouble and danger to 〈◊〉 helpe of the Deuill to place hope in him to regard his word and answer These things ought to bee done vnto God onely his helpe onely should be sought in the time of danger in his merâ—…y and truth onely wee ought to trust 〈◊〉 to giue credit to his word which shall stand for euer and from the God of truth to 〈◊〉 for counsell to the father of lies and from the Sauiour to flie for helpe to the destroyer
thee then as thou desirest an end of the trouble that they put thee to so desire that God will giue them a better and wiser heart This rule is included within that more generall rule of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell I say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you If we ought to pray vnto God for all that hurt vs then also for them of our owne house habitation and kindred that hurt vs and so much the rather for those at home and so neere vnto vs because they haue more opportunity to hurt vs then they that are farther of And what are we to begin praier for them Two things one that God would forgiue their fault which we also must forgiue Another that he will giue them a heart to see and to amend their fault God in his holy iustice doth therefore many times stir vp domesticall troubles to men because they are negligent in domesticall praier neuer commēding vnto God either husband or wife child seruant kinsman friend or neighbour neuer making any request for grace and wisedome to bee giuen vnto them When Dauid had brought the Arke of the Lord into the place that he had prepared for it vpon the hill of Sion and had offered burnt offerings and peace offerings it is said that he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hoasts that is he praied the Lord of hoasts to powre downe his blessings vpon them and hauing distributed flesh and bread and wine among them and they therewith being departed home it is said that then Dauid returned to blesse his house that is to pray vnto God for them of his house that they might prosper and that he might liue a comfortable life among them Also Isaack praied vnto the Lord for his wife And Iacob blessed all his sonnes euery one of them blessed he with a seuerall blessing And Booz the Bethlemite comming into the field among his seruants and reapers saluteth them with a praier vnto God for them saying the Lord be with you And Daniels custome was three times a day in his house to pray vnto God who praying in his family could not in his praiers be vnmindful of his family From so holy and worthy examples learne thou to pray for thine while thou enioyest peace with them pray that they may not proue a trouble vnto thee and when thy troble growes from thē pray that God will giue them a mind more agreeable to peace So fit for the ease of thy burden is praier for them by whom thou art troubled Sometime thou art not vnkindly vsed by them yet thy trouble groweth from them while thou art grieued for some calamity hapned vnto them and takest care for ◅he helping of them In this case there is speciall neede of praier to be made for them And it is a speciall point of casting thy burden vpon God God speaking to the Israelites saith of himselfe I am the Lord that healeth thee that is all the health and helpe both of thee and thine must come only from my hand And in another place I kil and giue life I wound and I make whole That is I send sicknesse danger and hurt to make men seeke vnto me and againe I restore health safety and peace when men doe seeke vnto mee And these things being the workes of Gods owne hand they should faile very much of casting their burden vpon God that being burdened with griefe for the sicknesse and calamities of their neighbours friends kinsfolke and family should forget and neglect to pray to God for them Dauid praied for his child in a most humble and earnest manner when it was sicke For Dauid besought God for the child and fasted and went in and lay all night vpon the earth The Centureon whose faith is commended in the Gospell praied vnto the Lord Iesus for his sicke seruant saying vnto him master my seruant lieth sick at home of the palsie and when Herod had cast Peter into prison with purpose after the feast to bring him forth to the people to be slaine earnest praier was made of the Church vnto God for him The saints of God haue alwaies obserued this as a most safe and sure rule of casting their burdens vpon God when they were troubled and grieued for the sicknesse and calamitie of others to pray vnto God for them to restore their health their peace their liberty and their comfort that in the recouered comfort of them that were afflicted they might recouer comfort that were afflicted for them There is therefore in these domestical troubles imploiment for thy praiers to be offered to God for them either by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sakes thou art grieued Thirdly thou hast need to offer vp praier vnto God for the rest of thy familie of thy kindred of thy friends and of thy neighbors whether thou be wronged by the vniust and vnkind dealing or else grieued for the calamity and sicknesse of some that neither the sinne of them that wrong thee nor the calamity of them for whom thou art grieued may spread any further to the corruption and damage of the rest If Esau grieue his father Isaack and his mother Rebecca by taking a wife of the daughters of Canaan haue not Isaack and Rebecca cause to pray to God for Iaacob their other sonne that he may not doe as his brother had done when certaine of the followers of the Lord Iesus Christ had left him taking offence at some words of his concerning the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood which they vnderstood not Iesus said to the twelue will ye also goe away he was carefull that an euill example might not spread like a contagious sicknesse to corrupt the whole company of his disciples And more agreeable to the cause that wee haue in hand when Iudas one of his family the diuell entring into his hart had couenanted with the Priests and pharisies to betray his master into their hands the Lord Iesus heauily charged with a burden of trouble growing from his treason taketh occasion from his wickednesse to pray vnto his father for the rest saying Those thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost but the child of perditiō that the scripture might be fulfilled And now come I to thee and these things speak I in the world that they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues c. The child of perdition Iudas the traitor being lost the Lord hath care of the rest and praieth for them that they might euer reioice in him Euen so euery louing man that can take pleasure in the health and honest cariage of his friends neighbours and family when one is ill at ease and when one doth giue offence he will heartily pray to God to preserue the rest that they may
there be any wickednesse in my hand if I haue rewarded euill to him that had peace with me yea I haue deliuered him that vexed me without a cause then let mine enemy persecute my soule and take it If the burdened man be himselfe faultlesse and the euill heart of the euill doer be the onely fountaine of his euill deede as the Scriptures testifie and daily experience shewes it to be most true that there are such neighbours and such domestikes that of themselues without cause giuen are troublesome as froward wiues with whom it is as vnquiet dwelling as with a Dragon and euill husbands that haue neither wisdome nor honesty to respect the weaknesse of the womans sex and to intreat them with due mildnesse and children riotous and disobedient that will be ruled by no counsell nor order of parents and parents so vnnaturall and carelesse that they haue no regard of their children and seruants so slothful vnfaithfull and murmuring that they will neuer be good and masters so vnreasonable and cruel that their seruants liue vnder them a miserable life and neighbours and companions to whom it is a pastime to doe euill according to Salomons words As he that faineth himselfe mad casteth fire-brands arrowes and mortall things so dealeth a deceitfull man with his friend and saith am I not in sport Thus falleth it out many times that the quiet man giuing no occasion yet receiueth iniury to his great molestation In this case this very testimony of his heart that he is falultesse glueth much quiet to his soule and giueth much boldnesse of heart to him to commend his cause vnto God and to craue his helpe that is the patron of all innocency And it is a goodly rule of casting his burden vpon God in this case to beare patiently his burden till God intreated by humble praier send releefe And this rule is commended vnto vs by the Apostle Peter saying If when ye doe well yee suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God He therefore that hopeth for ease must quietly beare in the meane time according to the pleasure of God The trouble may be a present iniury passing away with the deede not to be continued neuer to be iterated as the rayling of Shemei vpon Dauid to beare patiently that which impatience cannot helpe giueth hope of ease and recompence from the good hand of God as Dauid said of Shemeis cursing it may be the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction and doe mee good for his cursing this day Therfore to suffer it patiently not rendring euill for euill no◅ rebuke for rebuke is to cast that burden vpon God If it be a wrong iterated or continued and prosecuted still patience with praier is to be vsed for by patience wee possesse our soules and by praier we obtaine helpe at the hands of God In this continuing and iterated trouble it may please God for thy triall thy exercise and thy good to continue it long or else in mercy to deliuer thee from it be times If he interpose his hand of deliuerance to make it of short continuance which is to be praied for then he will put an end to thy trouble either by changing the minde of thy troubler or by weakning and crossing his malice or else by remouing thy troubler from thee or thee from thy troubler wherein till his will be reuealed by his worke he is to be attended in patience and to be intreated by praier And because he may remoue the burden of thy domesticall troubles by reforming the troubler it is a maine point of the casting of thy burden vpon God to pray vnto him for the reforming of them And to put to thy hand to so good a worke By this rule if a man bee troubled with an vnquiet wife and would be eased by the good worke of God in reforming hir he must pray vnto God that he would be pleased to giue he◅ a better heart And hee himselfe must in all louing manner teach her what is comely for her to doe as a woman as a wife as a mother as a mistresse as a neighbour wheresoeuer he hath found he◅ to erre and by her errour to haue been the cause of his trouble So did Iob checke and reforme the errour of his wife when she prouoked him to curse God saying thou speakest like a foolish woman What shall we receiue good things at the hands of God and not receiue euill So on the other side if a woman be troubled with a bad and vnquiet husband and would be eased by the good worke of God in reforming her husband shee must pray vnto God that he will be pleased to giue her husband a better heart and she her selfe must in all dutifull manner helpe that change actempting it partly by gentle wordes in season spoken and partly by her owne louing and modest behauiour that is very forcible to reclaime euen a froward minde By words Abigail attempted to reforme the churlishnesse of Nabal her husband chusing a fit season to tell him of the danger thereof the next day after when he had slept away his drunkennes She obserued opportunitie so should all women doe Therefore doeth Bathsheba say of a vertuous woman Shee openeth her mouth in wisedome and the law of grace is in her tongue And such words of wisdome from the tongue of his wife an honest man shold not refuse to heare and vnto wise words spoken in season let her adioyne her milde and humble behauiour by which much good may be done vpon him as testifieth Saint Peter saying Likewise let the wiues be subiect to their husbands that euen they which obey not the word may without the word be won by the conuer sation of the wiues while they behold your pure conuersation which is with feare So ought the wife both both with milde words and good behauiour helpe the reformation of her husband These prescribed rules for the man to desire and helpe the reformation of his wife that is froward and for the woman to desire and helpe the reformation of her husband that is disordred when the one prooues the others burden by their errour giue no countenance vnto the disgracing complaints vnto the vnciuill taunts and checkes vnto the brawling words blowes and other euill vsage that passe now and then between man woman when one is offended with another surely God is not the author of such dealings neither do the married that vse such dealings cast the burden of their domesticall troubles vpon God os take ◅ny course to make burden lighter but they do increase it and make it heauier By the same rule parēts masters burdend with disobedient disordred children seruants and desirous to turn off their burdē vpon god are taught to pray to God for the reformation of their children seruants to put their own helping hand to the worke vsing their fatherly and
masterly authoritie and wisedome to draw them back from iniquity In which godly attempt fathers and masters haue alowāce frō God yea they are not only warranted of God to do it but it is a charge laid vpon them children seruants being committed to them not onely to doe them seruice and to be at their cōmandemēt but rather to receiue education instruction from them And when parents and masters faile and become carelesse of the instruction of their children seruants and in the right gouernmēt of them God doth often in his iustice punish the fathers masters neg ligence with the childrens and seruants disorder And when parents masters are carefull to instruct gouerne aright their children seruants then God in his mercy requiteth that care and diligence with the obedience and faithfulnesse of children and seruants Salomon saith in the Prouerbs The rod and correction giue wisedome but a childe set at libertie makes his mother ashamed Here iustice repayeth with disorder in the child the neglect of instruction and gouernement in the parents The same Salomon saith a gaine Correct thy sonne he will giue thee rest and will giue pleasures to thy soule Here mercy repayeth with contenting obedience in the child the wise and careful gouernement of the parents To masters also that their seruants may not breede their vnrest Salomon in the same place giueth these Items by which hee might well suppose that wise men would take warning A seruant wil not be chastened with words though hee vnderstand yet hee will not answer This is plaine enough that for some seruants the right gouernment of them something more then words is sometime necessary And againe he saith Hee that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from his youth at length he wil be euen as his sonne This is plaine enough that a delicate life with liberty and pleasure is not to be allowed to seruants by any rule of good gouernement left to thy griefe he take vppon him to bee more then a seruant Yet these rules for parents to desire and helpe the reformation of disobedient children and for maisters to desire and help the reformation of disordered seruants giues no defence vnto vnnaturall parents that are tyrants to their owne children and to cruel masters that increase the proportion of worke and number of strip◅s but dimin◅sh the due allowance of meate and cloathes and sleepe and are neuer pleased but euer brawling Saint Paul saith vnto parents Fathers prouoke not your childrē to wrath Lenity must be vsed though not cockering and too much sufferance And to masters he saith Masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall Equity must be vsed toward them thogh not remissenesse To the same purpose may it bee saide for children and se◅uants if while they haue carried themselues duetifully and deserued well their parents or maisters out of their owne vnkindnesse and cruelty doe prooue a heauy burden vnto them because it may please God to ease them of that burden by chaunging the mindes of their parents and maisters it belongeth vnto them as a speciall point of the casting of their burden vppon the Lord to pray vnto God for their parents and maisters that hee will be pleased to open and amend their hearts that they may see their errour and may reforme the same learne to deale more kindly which belongeth to parents and to deale more iustly which belongs to maisters and whereas they haue no authoritie to admonish to teach to correct as their parents and maisters haue yet with due reuerēce they may be bold obseruing opportunitie and vsing decent and humble speeches somtimes to tell them what they think to be fit How reuerently when Saul wronged Dauid and had spoken to Ionathan his sonne and to all his seruants that they should kill Dauid which was Ionathans griefe because he loued Dauid how reuerently did Ionathan labour to make Saul his father see his errour saying vnto him Let not the King sinne against his seruant against Dauid for hee hath not sinned against thee but his workes haue beene to thee verie good for he did put his life in danger and slew the Philistim and the Lord wrought a great saluation for all Israel thou sawest it and thou reioycedst wherefore then wilt thou sinne against innocent bloud and slay Dauid without a cause And when Naamat the Syrian tooke great indignation at the Prophet Elisha because he came not out and laid his hands vpon his leprousie to heale it but commanded him to wash himselfe seauen times in the waters of Iordan which he iudged nothing so vertuous as the waters of Damascus which indignation of Naama◅ the Lord and master grieued all his seruants how reuerently did they say vnto him Father if the Prophet bad commanded thee a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it How much rather then when he saith vnto thee wash and be cleane Such words of mildnesse spoken in fit season and with reseruation of due reuerence may by seruants and children be vsed to their fathers and masters to induce them to see their former errour that it may be a meanes vnder God to change their mindes But this liberty can no way iustify the insolence and vnduetifulnesse of many children seruants that being restrained by the seueritie of their parents and masters grow into discontent speake contemptuously and raylingly without all reuerence and without all regarde either of the authoritie of their parents and masters or of the subiection and duety that they owe vnto them By the same rule is euery one whose domesticall trouble growes by the errour of his neighbour if hee would bee cased which may be the changing of his neighbours minde taught to pray vnto God for the bettering of his neighbour and to put his owne helping hand to so good a woorke by admonishing his neighbour neighbourly And hee hath precepts from GOD to warrant that course Moses saith Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne So that there wanteth charitie in him that will not louingly tell his neighbor of his errour And God doeth often in his iustice make thy bad neighbour to be a cause of trouble vnto thee because thou knowing his disorders hast not told him of them that he might amend A like commaundement giueth the Lord Iesus saying If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone That is if his faul be bent against thee as the chosen obiect of his malice or directed another way it light vppon thee to the hurt or hazard of thy life thy peace thy profit or thy good name or if his misdeede were neither intended against thee nor did light vpon thee but onely thou art grieued in thine honest soule to behold so vngodly dealing in these cases thou art commāded of the
of his quiet and content and thereupon he comforted his heart and would not continue in heauines for that that could not be helped So that it is to a right vnderstanding man ground enough to build content and quietnesse of heart vpon that God hath done his worke which thy sorrow cannot reuoke But for the further quieting of thy minde know that thy dead shall liue againe as the Prophet Esay saith Thy deadmen shall liue with my body shall they rise There is a day appointed of GOD wherin they shall returne out of the dust againe and liue againe in their bodies then glorified Yea know that for thy comfort that thy dead doe now liue and howsoeuer their bodies lie without life in the graue yet their soules do liue and shall liue for euer with God And with these considerations of the present life of the soule and the future life of the bodies the Apostle would haue wise Christians comfort thēselues ouer their dead and not giue way to their affections to mourne without measure saying I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not as others which haue no hope For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus God shall bring with him For this say wee vnto you by the word of the Lord that wee which liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a showt and with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall wee euer bee with the Lord. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these words Let them mourne for their dead that know not the hope of the dead and suppose them extinct that are departed but let them which in the schoole of Christ haue learned what is the condition and hope of the dead how their soules doe presently liue with Christ and that their bodies also shal be raised vp in glorie at the last day Let them reioyce in the behalf of their dead and throw off that burden of sorrow which is so heauy vnto them And thus much for the second branch of secular troubles namely for domesticall troubles and the casting of that burden vpon God CHAP. X. THe third branch is of troubles more remote hauing a beginning further of when those by whom thou art wrōged are not of thy family neither of thy kindred neere acquaintance nor neighbours but strangers of another kinred family or habitation yet hauing so much knowledge of thee acquaintance with thee as to make thee the marke of their malice and obiect for their enuy and euill hearts to worke vpon And those for whom thou art grieued are not of the same house stocke village or country with thee yet because they are men and haue fellowship with thee in common nature or because they are christians and haue fellowship with thee in the same common religiō thy hart is grieued by way of compassion to heare of the calamities that are hapned vnto them And these remote troubles and griefes may happen to him that hath peace in his own house liueth quietly with his neighbours and louingly with his friends and hath comfort and ioy in their health and prosperity The rules giuen for domesticke troubles are also very sitting for these first therfore arme thy selfe with patience quietly suffer till God send ease And for the confirming of thy patience consider that the harts of all mē being in the hands of God these should neuer haue had any will to offer the wrong if God for some holy cause had not stirred them vp as he is said to haue stirred vp troublers to Salomon when he fell to idolatry Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersary vnto Salomon euen Hadad the Edomite c. And therefore though thou grudge to beare at the hands of men yet beare with patience and humility the good pleasure of God who knoweth when and how to make thee amends Dauid with this consideration confirmeth himselfe in his patience saying I should haue bin dumbe and not haue opened my mouth because thou didst it Saint Ierome reades it I haue been dumbe and will not open my mouth Tremellius reades it I am dumbe and doe not open my mouth The meaning is that either he should haue kept silence or he had kept silence or he did keep silence or was resolued hereafter to keep silence or else altogether for time past present and to come he held himselfe bound as by way of duty in his trouble to be mute and dumbe from murmuring raging and all works of impatiencie vpon this only reason because thou didst it that is because he knew it to be the handy worke of God And vnto patience adde praier for though it becommeth a godly man in his trouble to shut his mouth against all words of murmuring yet it becommeth him not to shut his mouth in the time of trouble against words of humble praier For by silence from murmuring it is manifest that God is feared and his pleasure approued but by silence from praier it is manifest that God is neglected and his helpe little set by In these troubles therefore and in all troubles it is a principall point of casting our burden vpon God to seeke his helpe by praier And the same consideration of Gods deed in stirring vp the aduersary that serueth to shut our mouthes against words of murmuring serueth as strongly to open our mouthes for words of humble praier That childe that bearing the fathers displeasure in the fathers displeasure suffering want of some wonted case doth refuse to make request vnto his father for the withdrawing of his displeasure and the restoring of wonted liberty especially being by the father commanded to make request and assured by his fathers promise that when he doth make request all shal be forgiuen that childe plainly appeareth to beare too big a heart against his father And a wise father not willing to be contemned of his child wil not restore his child to his wonted grace and liberty till he humble himselfe and intreat his father Euen so that christian man that hath displeased God and who hath not iustly deserued his displeasure and feeleth vpon him the hand of his displeased God in troubles that these remote enemies stirred vp of God doe put him vnto and doth not humble himselfe and pray vnto God for his fauour and ease seeing God hath both commanded him to pray and hath also promised to heare him helpe him when he praieth that man shews a heart ouer swolne against his God and God in iustice can doe no lesse then denie to send him reliefe so long as he refuseth to intreate
by Esay When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you and though ye make many praiers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud By bloud he meaneth soule and bloudie sinnes my hands are full of this bloud for my sins are many therefore if I should lift vp my hart with my hands vnto god in the heauens he will neither behold the stretching out of my hands nor heare the desires and grones of my heart Also I find this saying of the Prophet set down as a rule that shall stand Your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Iniquitie seperateth between God and vs I am full of iniquitie therefore there is a wall of seperation shutting him out from mee and mee from him And sinne causeth him so to turne away his face that hee will not heare but I am guiltie of innumerable sinnes therefore God hath hid his face from me and â—…ee will not heare How then can I pray seeing I haue no God that will lend any eare to my praier Secondly I haue no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake I may hope to be heard when I pray For men and Angels whom some do make their mediators are no mediators the Apostle saith There is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus This saying excludeth all other mediators And the only mediator the man Iesus is no mediator for me for I haue denied him and he hath said Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heauen And I am sure that I haue denied him before men if not in words because these daies of peace haue giuen me no cause so to doe which I know I should haue done if daâ—…es of persecution had vrged me yet I haue denied him by my deedes The Apostle hath this saying of the men of his time which is most true in mee They professe they know God but by workes they denie him Hee may bee denied by vngodly workes but I am ful of vngodly workes therefore haue I denied him before men And hauing thus denied him hee must and will denie me before God So haue I no mediator Thirdly if I should offer to pray I must pray without any promise but so to doe were to pray idly for then only doe men pray according to the will of God and with comfort to be heard in their praiers when they ground their praiers vpon the promises of God But I neuer tooke heede to the promises of God and at this time I cannot call them to remembrance and if I could call them to remembrance I were neuer the better for God is not bound to performe his promises to any but to them alone that out of their loue to him striue to keepe his commandements For Moses thus speaketh of him Thou maiest know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant and mercy vnto them that loue him and keepâ—… his commandements euen to a thousand generations If any loue not the Lord out of his loue to keepe the commandements of the Lord hee can make no claime to the couenant of God or to any promise of his neither is God bound in his truth and faithfulnesse to performe any promise to him but such a one am I that haue not loued the Lord nor out of loue studied to keepe the commandements of God but haue broken them all therefore I haue no promise to ground my praiers vpon and for that cause I cannot pray Fourthly I know not how to pray how to begin and how to make any proceeding and if at any time I incline my heart to pray I am disturbed I know not how and other thoughts draw away my minde While I thinke to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes my minde runneth out into a wilde remembrance of my sinnes with much pleasure to thinke vpon them While I thinke to pray for grace to assist mee against the power of sinne the lusts of my heart call backe my thoughts and I am deuising how I may compasse it to commit sinne and my will wholy inclineth that way While I thinke to pray for the inheritance of heauen my loue to this world carieth away my minde and I am studying how I may winne the pleasures and preferments thereof And euer my good desires that should lead my minde are crossed and put downe by my bad desires and I cannot raise vp or if I raise it I cannot hold vp my heart to God and holy things with any staiednes I know what is requisite vnto praier by the Apoâ—…les words Pray alwaies with all maner supplication in the spirit and watch there unto with all perseuerancâ—… If I pray it is with my lips I doe not make supplication in the spirit and to watch vnto praier that is diligently to attend with all the powers of my soule without either drowsinesse fainting or wandering of my thoughts is most farte from me And being so vnskilfull and so vnable to pray how can I pray to preuaile by my praiers And lastly which is my greatest mischiefe when I thinke to pray or when I doe pray or when I haue praied there is something within mee that giueth mee my answer assoone as I haue praied and sometime before I haue praied and I am farre from attending vpon God till hee doe giue mee answer as if I did not pray vnto God but rather vnto my self The Prophet Dauid saith Wait patiently vpon God and hope in him the meaning whereof I take to be this when we haue shewed our desire vnto God in praier and supplication that then we should hope in him to receiue a gracious answer and wait patiently for that answer till it please God to shew vs mercy in his appointed time I doe not so I haue neither hope nor patience to wait vpon his hand but mine owne heart maketh answer without God And that answer is alwaies a negatiue answer a flat deniall a plaine repulse So that I haue lesse hope and lesse comfort in and after my praier then before I praied and where others finde themselues much eased in heart after they haue by praier powred out their desires into the lap of God I am much more troubled esteeming euen my praier to be turned into sinne all these things together make me most vnable to pray This is a grieuous obiection but in framing this obiection the troubled sinner fareth like a blinde man in an vnknowen house who wandering without â—…guide goeth hee knoweth not whether and stumbleth often vpon the same threshold so doth he in seuerall branches of this obiection stumble at the same offences that haue beene answered and taken away before But let vs lend â—…and to bring him into the way First he aâ—…th he cannot pray because
rich Widdow how to pray vnto God among other words hee hâ—…th this saying 〈◊〉 hoc negocium plus gemitibus 〈◊〉 sermonibus agitur plus fletiâ—…quam â—…fatu This businesse of praier for the most part is performed rather with gronings then with words with weeping then with speech Let God therfore heare thy sighes and grones let him see thy teares when thou canst not shew him thy desire in words water thy couch with teares as did the Prophet and God will gather vp and put euery drop into his bottell thus doing when thou thinkest that thou hast not praied thou hast praied most powerfully For as Saint Ierâ—…mi saith Oratio deum lenit lacrâ—…na cogit Praier gently moueth God teares forcibly compell him He is allured as it were and won with the words of praier to heare vs but with the teares of a contrite heart he is drawen and inforced to heare and helpe where otherwise hee would not And in this affliction growing vpon thy heart because thou knowest not how to pray heare a notable comfort that the Apostle giues thee saying The spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Where thinâ—… owne strength and wisdome faileth in this seruice of praying vnto God there the wisdome and power of Gods spirit kindletâ—… in thee strong desires and earnest longings after the mercy of God And the meaning of those desires and longings God perfectly vnderstandeth and needs not to bee informed by thy words So 〈◊〉 though thou canst not pray as thou â—…oghtest to doe yet that seruice goeth forward well while thou hartily desirest Gods fauour Of which desire in thee â—…ere needeth no other argument but â—…en the griefe of thine owne heart seeing in thy sin cause of Gods displeasâ—…re and that other thoughts come into thine heart when thou bendest thy selfe to pray maruaile not at it neither therefore be so farre discomforted that thou shouldest giue ouer praying but 〈◊〉 the more to pray and to watch thereunto in the attendance of thy thoughts and lift vp thine heart vnto God and keepe it with all thy care looking still to him These thoughts of thine heart partly arise from thine owne weaknesse and corruption that art more fit for any thing then to attend with setâ—…ed reuerence vpon God And partly they are mustered together and thrust â—…o vnseasonably into thine heart by the wicked enimy that would not haue thee pray because he knoweth that the mercy of God is most easily obtained by harty and constant praier therefore hee seekes to hinder thee in that businesse that thy mind being occupied about other cogitations thou might est let fâ—…ll to the ground the petitions that thou are offering vnto God but the more hee seeketh to trouble thee the more earnest be thou in praier remembring that saying of our blessed Sauiour giuen for a warning to his Discipâ—…es Wateâ—… and pray that yee enter not into temptation Lastly hee is offended and discouraged in his praying by an intruded answer that offereth it selfe presently after his praier and sometime before his praier be either ended or begun not suffering him to wait patiently vpon God and to hope in him and this intruded answer is alwaies vncomfortable It comes euer in the negatiue and â—…pulsiue forme whatsoeuer hee hath praied for or intendes to pray for it tels him he shall not haue he cannot haue hee iâ—… not worthy to haue hee must not looke to haue the iustice of God will neuer grant it vnto him Which answer is nothing else but if I may so speake the smoke of those fiery dartes of Sathan wherby he hath set the poore mans conscience in combustion bringing his sins â—…o remembrance setting before him the â—…ath of God kindled by those sinnes 〈◊〉 from hence extracting and drawing this heauy conclusion looke for no â—…rcy where thou hast deserued so â—…ch wrath It is no other then a very 〈◊〉 of his disease the fruit of his owne 〈◊〉 ouer hastily answering himselfe â—…ot â—…arying to receiue answer of God tâ—…s he must take especial heed off that for as much as hee maketh praier to God and not to himselfe he waite for his answer from God and receiue none from himselfe and if his heart will be foolish to suffer any such vncomfortable answer vnto him that hee reiect it and wait on the hand of heauen About this point the sonnes of men erâ—…e very dangerously and faile in extremities and few or â—…one can keepe the right meane to expect and receiue their answer from God While men liue carelesly in sinne and prouoke God euery day if they chance to offer any petition to heauen or by aâ—…y meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their hopes from heauen they euer boldly answer themselues with promise of all prosperity though in iustice it cannot be like vnto the man whom God complaineth of saying that Hearing the words of the curse blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walk according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart God giues no such answer to such men It followeth in the same place The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him Blessings belong to them that feare God not to them that conteâ—…ne him He that inqul reth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer belonging to the petitions and hopes of such men The threatnings of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts are all denounced against them as in the fore-remembred place of Deuteronomy The wrath of the Lord and his lealousie shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen On the other side when men are humbled in the sight of their sins and haue great remorse in their hearts if they powre out any sighes and grones vnto God in their praier and by any meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their desires from heauen they euer fearefully answer themselues like those men spoken of by the Prophet Ezechil that say If our transgressions and our sins bee vpon 〈◊〉 and we are consumed because of them 〈◊〉 shall we then liue That is our sins deseruing death and those being now â—…id to our charge and the hand of God being heauy vpon vs for them there is no hope of life God giues no such answer to contrite hearts and to humbled spirits he doth not so reiect the deiected man He that inquireth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer of comfort and health appointed for them the promises of mercy runne all vpon their side The Prophet Moses speaketh these words vnto the people When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to 〈◊〉 Lord thy God and bee obedient to his voice for the Lord thy