vs men Gods benefits and breathed in vs a reasonable soule whereas whē the clay was in his hand hee might haue moulded vs into any other shape hath giuē vs our sēses distributed all our limmes according to their proper and seuerall functions he hath put all the creatures in subiection vnder our feet so that from the glorious Sunne in the firmament to the little Emmet that creepeth vpon the dust euery thing doth vs seruice He hath preserued vs hitherto all our life long from innumerable dangers whereinto others haue fallen and whereinto we had fallen if his gracious hand had not vpholden vs And which passeth all this he hath by the death and sufferings of his owne Son redeemed vs from the mouth of hel into which else we euery mothers sonne of vs irrecouerably were fallen Now saith the Apostle this boūtifulnes of God leadeth vs to repentance Therefore hath he bestowed all these benefits vpon vs and promised many moe thereby to stir vs vp to abandon vicious life and to betake our selues to his holy blessed seruice Trie mee faith the Lord Mal. 3.10 whether I will not open the windows of heauen powre you out blessings without measure if you will returne vnto me O my Brethren if your hearts be not sauage how can it be but this kindnes of so great a Maiesty should binde vs to him for euer what beastly ingratitude is it to turne so many comforts and good things as he hath giuen vs that we might be the better able to serue him to the dishonor and iniury of so louing a giuer by vsing them to serue vs in sinne our dogs are not so vngratefull to their masters the Lions and Beares haue shewed more courtesie thankfulnesse to their benefactors That he hath spred our table with full dishes and made our cup to ouerflow that he hath allowed vs warme clothing by day and a well fethered nest to couch in at night bodily health to make these things sweeter and better tasted to vs are bounties that we can neuer deserue while we liue with all the obedience we are able to performe But that GOD for man should become man and that God for man should die in the flesh and sustaine so many shamefull indignities and intollerable paines in accomplishing the worke of our redemption this onely this wholly this more then all things doth challenge vnto it euen by speciall desert all our life all our labour all our seruice and al our loue That a man frākly giueth his goods to another is a token of no small bountie but to bestow his owne life for another and that not for friends but for enemies as the Sonne of God did when he died for vs it is an incomparable and an vncōceiueable bountie the Angels of heauen do wonder at it and desire as Peter saith contiually to behold and looke into it and surely if this bountie and gratiousnes of our God cannot win vs to cleanse our waies and forsake our sinnes all the dewes of grace are quite and cleane dried vp in our hearts and there is no hope that any thing will win vs. But it will fall out by vs as Esdras in his second booke and 9. chapter grauely denounceth against some like vs. Such as in their life haue receiued benefits from the Lord and haue not regarded to know him but haue abhorred his law whilest they were yet in libertie and when they had yet leisure of amendment and would not vnderstand but despised it they must be taught after death by paine what it is to recompence euill for good Another good meanes to bring vs to repentance is the consideration of Gods iudgements executed vpon sinners in all ages whō God hath made examples for our admonition on whom the ends of the worlde are come The Angels for one sinne were throwne out of heauen Adam for one sinne cast out of Paradise and all his posterity after him condemned to perpetuall miserie Lots wife for one sinne turned into a pillar of salt Moses and Aaron for one sinne debarred from entering the Land of Canaan Michel for one sinne plagued with barrennesse The whole tribe of Beniamin for one sin rooted out Threescore tenne thousand Israelites for one sinne of Dauids in three dayes consumed with pestilence Ananias Sapphira for one struck dead in the place And yet thou after many thousand sinnes criest still God is mercifull and presumest that thy part in that mercy will be as great as the thiefes vpon the Crosse God is mercifull I deny it not So the Physician is skilfull and yet giues ouer his patient sometimes because he sees him to be incurable If thou be damned it is not because the Lord wants mercie but because by deferring repentance thy heart is deaded and thou art past recouerie Tell me not of the thiefe vpon the Crosse for of two theeues one was damned It was a miracle and miracles were no miracles if they were common All the Scriptures thorow there is not one such another example to be found and therefore for thee presumptuously to goe on in thy sins vpon this shaddow of hope is all one as if som good fellow should hope his horse would speake English because once Balaams Asse vttered plainely the language of Moab Surely these be they that destroy themselues with the workes of their owne hands as Salomon saith calling iniquitie vnto them both with hands words when they think they haue a friend of it they come to naught But what should I speake of ancient iudgements when those that haue beene executed at our owne doores haue not wrought vpon our hearts To omit all other what are wee the better for that dreadfull pestilence so lately amongst vs when Death like a mercilesse tyrant thrust all out of doores both old and young before him as if he would take possession of our houses one after another till hee had seazed the whole Citie into his owne vse O my brethren those that be not blinde may see there is not one sinne lesse this yeare then was the last In the Church there is as much carelessnesse and contempt of Gods word In the streetes as much pride In the shops as much lying and swearing In the Tauernes as much drunkennesse and excesse notwithstāding his Maiesties act of restraint In other places as much filthinesse and as little conscience and deuotion as euer there was before so that the Lord may complaine of vs as he did of old I haue smitten them and they haue not sorrowed I haue corrected them for amendment and they are worse and worse The Lord grant we be not cast off as a father casts off his vnthrifty sonne when no meanes will reclaime him and that the remouing of his plague from vs seeing wee are not bettered by it be not a kinde of cruell pity and a giuing vs vp to our owne hearts lust till our iniquity be full that wee may then fall
THE PRENTISES PRACTISE IN GODLInesse and his true freedome Diuided into ten Chapters Written by B. P. PROVERBS 17.2 A discreet Seruant shall haue more rule then the Sonnes that haue no wisedome and shall haue like heritage with the Brethren LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Iohn Bach and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head Palace 1608. TO THE RELIGIOVSly disposed and vertuous yong men the Apprentises of the City of London all happines both in this life and in the life to come PYthagoras the Philosopher expressing the double course of mans life by the letter Y intimateth that which our Sauiour Christ hath more plainly set downe concerning the double way whereof one hath a strait passage and narrow gate at the first which few do embrace but in the end thereof there is great comfort and rest for it guideth the passenger vnto eternall happinesse and saluation The other is wide and spacious at the beginning wherby many trauaile but in the end they find great trouble and straitnesse for it leadeth vnto euerlasting woe and destruction Both these waies are set before our eies as life and death for we may not be idle but of necessity must walke seeing our life is a pilgrimage and choose either to trauell the narrow way vnto life or to runne the broad way vnto death The way of life is a religious profession a vertuous and conscionable carriage when wee giue vnto God that which is Gods and to Cesar our Magistrates and Masters that which belongeth vnto them The gate of this way is narrow and the passage strait for the liberties of flesh and blood must be restrained our affections bridled and the whole man captiuated vnder the yoke of the obedience of Iesus Christ as also such whom we are to obey serue vnder him The way of death is a sinfull and licentious life when we serue sin and Satan and make no conscience of obediēce neither towards god not man The gate of this way in the beginning is broad and the passage easie giuing liberty full head to our youthy affections and lusts of the flesh but the end is vtter perdition and straitnes Wherfore let euery yong man beholding these two waies choose that which leadeth vnto eternall life in heauen by a sanctified life for a time on earth walking sincerely with him who is the Way the Truth and the Life To this end I haue penned this insuing Tractate which welbeloued Brethren I haue commended vnto your fauourable acceptance that therin you might see which is the narrow way the way of life learne how to trauell therein neither let that diuellish prouerb a yong Saint an old Diuel direct your course but endeuor being yong to be Saints of God to dedicate your youth to him and his seruice onely who vndoubtedly will giue you constancie to perseuere that you may become Old Saints on earth and at last a ioyfull end that you may be Blessed Saints in heauen liue with him for euermore to whose gracious mercifull protection in the meane time I commend you all Amen Your euer louing Brother B. P. The Epistle to the Reader CHristian and Charitable Reader many are the discouragemēts that the children of God receiue at the hands of wicked men in this iron and declining age of the world from the sincere embracing of the Gospell or shewing forth the fruits of sanctification in this crooked and sinfull generation but much more from publishing any holy Treatise tending to this purpose to omit the bookes that are written not of vertue and verity but of vilenes and vanity which many offer now a daies as so many Sacrifices to the diuell by the which as with so many cups of poisō he infecteth the hearts of milliōs of people what great delight the enemy of mankind taketh herein he that can see any thing may easily discerne by the cursed instruments which he raiseth vp from time to time as his children the Papists whom wee had thought long agen had beene dead in their nests yet now like serpents hauing cast their coates begin to lift vp their heads out of their holes wīth fresh and new coloured heresie and with their poysoned pennes as a holy man of God saith haue defiled not inke and paper but heauen and earth with their detestable and satanicall wickednesse But to let them sinke in their sin til they come to the bottome of hell which is of old for thē prepared who sees not the whole world is rocked asleep in the cradle of security wallowing in their sins like fishes in the sea so that we may take vp that complaint which the Lord proclaimed from heauen in the daies of Hosea saying The Lord hath a controuersie with the world because there is no truth mercy nor knowledge of God but by swearing and lying and stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud and being thus frozen in their dregs hauing made a league with death a couenant with hell it selfe they are of the same minde with these people of whom we spake saying Yet let no man rebuke or reproue another for the people are as they that rebuke the Priest not onely despising instruction and refusing admonition but they murmure at Moses and Aron and are ready to stone Caleb and Ioshua the two Captaines of the Lords host and we are become their enemies for telling them the truth Howbeit whē the eies of mercifull men are set vpon thē labouring to saue their soules from being condemned with the world beseeching them to breake vp the fallow ground of their hearts that the Lord might raine righteousnes vpon them they are ready to giue them Steuens reward for his sweet Apology Acts 7. and though they haue not the authority of the Magistrate yet with the vnruly euill of the tongue they assemble themselues as the Prophet Ieremy speaketh saying Come let vs smite them but how with swords or staues no surely but with the cursed weapō of the tongue according to the custome of al wicked men frō time to time with reprochings reuilings with their venemous arrowes as much as in them lies to shut and pierce thorow the hearts of the Saints of God with that odious and damnable name of Hypocrite and dissembler so that we may say with the Prophet Ieremy We are in derision dayly euery one mocketh vs and as he saith else where Woe is me that my mother hath borne me a contentious man whomall the world hateth Yea surely so far may we be from stirring one another vp in this kinde that wee may weep and sigh in secret as diuers of the Saints of God haue done wish with this Prophet Oh that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares Ier. 9.1.2 that I might weep day and night for the slaine of the daughters of my people Oh that I had in the wildernesse a cottage of waifaring men Yea
hereof not that I would seeme to take scholarship vpō me which I do freely confesse I haue not but for that I haue in other matters found the profit of order both to the writer and to him that readeth First therefore I beseech you as you loue and tender your owne soules which I doe now loue also euer since I began to loue mine owne consider with me not slightly but euen with a deepe earnest thought the tremblable estate of a man vnconuerted and the dangerous inconueniences we runne into by our impenitencie and obstinate persisting in our wicked waies And I trust by the cooperation of Gods grace though euery inconuenience seuerallie cannot moue vs yet all of them iointly together shall affect our harts and stirre vs vp to some more care conscience of being that which wee would be called CHAP. 2. ALmightie GOD in the creation assigned to euery thing in the world some particular end and impressed in their nature an appetite and desire to that end continually as to the very point and scope of their being As we see birds make their nests and breed vp their yong beasts skuffle for their fodder pastorage Fishes flote vp and downe the riuers Trees beare fruit Flowers send forth sweet odours herbes their secret vertues Fire aspires vpward with all his might Earth hath no rest till it come into his proper region Waters post vpon the necke one of another to the bosome of the maine Aire pusheth it selfe into euery open voidnes vnder heauen This is cleare in our owne obseruation and experience and shall wee thinke that man the most noble creature for whose comming all this pompe and shew was set in order as for their Lord and King was made in vaine and had not his peculiar end appointed him also proportionally to the noblenes of his quality and condition Yes doubtles that God that cā neuer erre nor ouersee in his workes allotted vnto man the worship and seruice of his maker in this world and the enioying of the same his makers glory for euer in the world to come as his maine obiect and aiming point whereto he ought to tend and referre himselfe all his daies Now for man to swarue from this end and to serue the Diuell the world and his sensuall lusts and being made for heauen to follow the direct line that leads to hel is to shew himselfe more base and degenerate then the most base and brutish creatures in the world and to be condemded cried out vpō by them cōtinually for they keep to this day without digression their proper ends and assignements enioined them by their maker in the creation onely man is irregular man alone powres out himselfe into all kinde of riot and disorder Oh my brethren turne againe and consider sadly of this point Shal the little Bee and the Emmet so carefully do Gods worke and fulfill the taske which hee hath set them shal the senselesse stone being forced to mount vpward against his inclination sinke and descend againe as fast till it come to the center which is his home and end and shall man the Image of God runne bias from his end and do euery other thing more then the worke prescribed vnto him shal they silly reasōlesse things keep a direct course without any voluntary swaruing and yet haue no tutor or remembrancer And shall we euen wilfully stray and vary hauing our owne hearts filled full of vnderstanding iudgement being so many waies called vpon and pulled by the sleeue as it were beside Gen 6. Shall God take ioy of all other creatures onely repent that he made man what a shame of shames is this to vs we read in the prone and groueling faces of beastes that they were made but for the earth vpon which they pore And do we not likewise in our owne erect and loftie countenances that our end is heauen and heauenly things as our vpright shape and high-raised looks tend thitherward continually But what shal I say * Iames 4. to him that knoweth to do well and doth it not to him it is sinne yea finne with a witnes Againe where as man hauing by his wilfull fall and disobedience lost those excellent powers and priuiledges wherewith at the first he was endued and enthralled himselfe for euer to sinne death and hell as it was forethreatned he should if hee did tast of the forbidden tree it pleased the Lord out of his vnutterable loue to his choisest peece of workmanship to send his owne euerlasting Son out of his bosome to pay downe the inestimable ransome of his innocent bloud for him in stead of the earthly paradise which he had lost to giue him heauen the seat of his owne Maiestie and the habitation of this Angels and purest spirits for his inheritance conditionally that for his freedome and bounty he should serue the same his Lord in holines righteousnesse before him all the daies of his life And surely if any Alien being by endenization made a member of the same body with the naturall children and inheritable to the common liberties and commodities doe willingly acknowledge himselfe bound and answerable to the publike lawes of that country wherein he is denized much more ought we that are forrainers and slaues by birth being infranchised and made free denizens of heauen and fellow citizens with the Saints of God much more I say ought we in lue of this so beneficiall legitimation to conforme our selues to the obedience of the heauenly lawes and ready to execute the most iust charges which our God and king hath imposed vpon vs. Ignorance of these lawes none of vs can pretend both because they are so short and compendious for God deliuered them at first but in ten words and our Sauiour hath since abridged those ten into two comprising notwithstanding in that Epitome the very end of all law and equity and also because wee of all places of the land are by Gods ministers the pastors of our soules so plainely and carefully taught them from time to time as afterward shall be shewed Now then for vs the premisses waighed to cary ourselues towards this most gracious Lord in such a disloiall fashion to shake off the yoke of his precepts and kicke al his commandements aside one after onother when they lie in the way of our profit or our pleasure and to go on with a bold face and a high hand multiplying sinne vpon sinne without any mind of turning to better waies til we be wrapt with age or pined with sicknes or worne out with sinne that euen sin her selfe castes vs off as vnseruiceable what rebellion or ingratitude can there be cōparable to this O my brethren is this to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse not one but all the daies of our life from the first to the last Is this the state of life we hope to go to heauen in haue the vnsanctified any title of the inheritance of
auoiding of euill so shal they first feare to doe that which you hate and at length fall in loue with that which you practise It shall get you more authority and respect with them heere and increase the blessednes of your own soules another day that you haue been the meanes through the blessing of God to saue your poore prentises soules also And heere I shall desire my worshipful masters of this City to whose sight this little hādfull of papers may come not to take offence at any thing I haue spoken out of zeale and heartie meaning nor to impute it to arrogancie in me that I haue intermedled in their offices From which proud sin I thank my God I am free but if it be iust that I haue saied and agreeable to Gods word that they will not disdaine to do it it shall not only be no disparagement but praise and honor to them comfort to other of Gods children and ioy to the Angels in heauen that by their religious care their seruāts are made Gods seruants with them and there is such a towardly and hopefull succession to stand vp after them that as the Thessalonians were examples of godlines to those of Macedonia so Londoners at length may be like exāples of piety religiousnes to all the neighbor townes of Great Britaine also CHAP. 7. THe next good meanes to waken vs out of the sleepe of sinne and to quicken vs to a new cōuersation is the sweete consolation and ioy which God giueth vs in our soules and consciences of his seruice after we haue once made our peace with him by sound and seasonable repentance This is the peace that passeth all vnderstanding this is the earnest of our inheritance this is a present taste or say of the ioyes of the life to come I knowe my words seeme to the carnall and vnregenerate a fained thing as the womens report of Christs resurrection did at first to the Disciples but if thou wouldst doe as they did neuer leaue till in thine owne person thou hast tried out the truth of this matter thou shouldest feele within thee such a paradise of sweetnesse as thou thy selfe were not able to vtter Thou shouldest see with what cōfortable cheere Christ would offer himself vnto thee with what delicates he would refresh thy soule what secret affections hee would inspire into thee and with how pleasant a cup of loue he would make thee merrie if thou wouldst follow his pathes forsaking the by-wayes of sinne and worldly vanities The least drop of this diuine sweetnesse would vtterly distast vnto thee all the pleasures of sinne that euen the remembrance of them would be irksome and vnsauorie For mine owne part I haue had experience of this which I say For to my shame I speake it I haue beene as leaud and as wicked a fellow as euer thou hast beene whosoeuer thou art and one that hath made as small conscience of sinning against God as euer thou hast done either in swearing or lying or prophaning the Lords Sabbath or in deriding the deere Saints and seruants of God Nay what vice would I haue left vnpractised if I might haue come to the knowledge of it what pleasure or vanitie or abomination can be named whereof I would not haue had not a dram or sip but a drunken carouse if the Lord by good meanes had not restrained me from such effusion of beastlinesse It irketh me to thinke in what a fearefull state I liued at that time for had not God beene very mercifull vnto me the earth might haue opened and swallowed me vp quick for rebelling against his great Maiestie being Lord of heauen and earth but such was his goodnesse to spare me and such was his patience to waite for my repentance for euer magnified be his holy name therefore For this cause when once it pleased his Maiestie in some measure to giue mee a sight and feeling of my sinnes through the preaching of his word which I had a long time heard in vaine before as also by meanes of some of my Brethren in Christ Iesus stirring mee vp continually with such like admonitions as I doe now stirre vp thee I consulted not with flesh bloud but presently set my selfe to resist my former euill inclinations resoluing and endeuouring euery day to change the tenor of my life and to serue God in better manner then euer I had done before giuing small regard what the companions of my leaudnesse and other of the prophane multitude did say of me nor what deriding termes they bestowed vpon men for I saw no other way but either I must be a hell-hound or be called a Puritan And therefore I chose rather to suffer reproch with the children of God and to abide the name of hypocrite and dissembler c. then to be a varlet with euery varlet or accounted an honest fellow amongst the prophane And so continuing in this course and framing my selfe to liue more more in the feare of God shaking off my olde sinnes I felt in my selfe in short time such a sweete and comfortable change and such internall heauenly ioy of Gods seruice that I would not haue exchanged it againe for all the choicest delights of the world heaped at once vpon my heart And surely my Brother if thou wouldest once enter into this resolution as I haue done turning from dead works to serue the liuing God thou shouldest see what a banquet of celestiall delicates hee would set before thee and how plentifully hee would powre forth the wine of his consolations vnto thee that thou mightest say as Iudith did in another case I will drinke now freely O my Lord Iudith 12.18 because my heart is merrie this day more then euer it was in all my life before Only for this shalt thou feele sorrow that thou hadst not sooner embraced the meanes of thy conuersion that the sooner thou mightst haue beene partaker of this diuine ioy and these soules rauishing comforts The last meanes I will speake of is the consideration of the ioyes of heauen whereof the ioy of Gods children here is but a little drop or spark that heauen the consummation perfection or euerlasting well-head of all pleasures that can be seene named or conceiued seene named or conceiued said I nay no eye hath seene no eare hath heard no thought hath euer comprehended the ioy the pleasure the felicity the glory which GOD hath layed vp in the life eternall for them that serue him with an vpright heart in this world The Scriptures doe sometimes resemble heauen to a Paradise or pleasant field sometimes they describe it by a goodly Citie sometimes by a Kings Court but what are these but worldly descriptions of that which passeth all the world Go out into the most delightfull parts of the Country view the faire hilles the flowrie vallies the crystall fountaines the cleere riuers sweet woods goodly plaines variety of fruites melody of birds c. and all this is nothing
a godly writer of our time is reconciliation it selfe the desire to beleeue is faith indeed and the desire to repent in a touched heart is repentance it selfe not in the owne nature but in Gods acceptation For if wee being touched througly for our sinnes do desire to haue them pardoned and to bee at one with GOD GOD accepts vs as recōciled Only our desire of recōciliation must not be a flash but cōstant cōtinued Secondly ernest serious though not alwaies alike yet at sometimes so that we may say with the Prophet Dauid My soule desireth thee O Lord as the thirsty land desireth raine or the chased Hart the riuers of water Thirdly it must be in a touched heart for when a man is touched in conscience the heart is cast downe and as much as it can it withdrawes it selfe from GOD For this cause if then there bee any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto GOD they are without doubt from the spirit of GOD. So then though as yet thou want firme and liuely grace yet art thou not altogether void of grace if thou canst vnsainedly desire it thy desire is the seed conception or bud of that which thou wantest Now is the spring time of the ingrafted word or the immortal seed cast into the furrows of thy heart wait but a while vsing the good meanes to this end appointed and thou shalt see the leaues blossomes and fruit will shortly follow after Thus fare he As for that which the diuel or thine owne flesh shall suggest to mooue thee to despaire of Gods mercie that GOD in iustice cannot receiue such a rebell wretch as thou hast bin aggrauating euery of thy least sinnes and telling thee it is in vaine to repent thou maiest easily beat backe that temptation T' is true GOD is not so mercifull to vse iniustice so he is not so iust to bee vnmercifull He hath suffered mighty and maruailous men to erre that we by their example might haue comfort and not despaire of grace and pardon In holy Scripture who is more commended then King Dauid who was both a King a Prophet a man after Gods owne heart and of whose stocke the Messias came But into how many and grieuous crimes sell so worthy a man yet hearing Nathan pronounce the fearfull threatnings of God cried out I haue sinned and Nathan said But the Lord hath put away thy sins thou shalt not die Hast thou sinned with Dauid repent with Dauid and thou shalt with Dauid finde mercy What should I tell thee of our first parents of Manasses of Zacheus of Mary Magdalen of Peter of Paul of the Theefe on the crosse all which had beene most grieuous sinners vpon earth all which are now most glorious Saints in heauen For where sin aboundeth there grace superaboundeth and therefore let not the multitude nor the magnitude of thy sinnes dismay thee seeing the mercy of that Lord to whom thou turnest is aboue all though thy sinnes were as red as scarlet yet hee will make them as white as snow and though they were of purple hue yet he will make them as white as the purest wooll of the fleece There cannot be a deeper die then scarlet it is a thing vnpossible with men to bring a scarlet into whit yet the Lord saith if we will but talk and come to any reason with him he will make our sinnes though neuer so deep ingraind in any scarlet or bloudy colur to turne white and pure as innocencie it selfe Read the booke of Ionah thorow and there you shall see the propensity of Gods nature to shew mercy liuely set forth And therefore a Father affirmeth the offence of Iudas to be greater in despairing of mercy thē in betraying the Sonne of God and Caine to haue stirred God to anger more through desperation of pardon then by the murder of his brother Abel many which nailed Christ to the crosse being conuerted and beleeuing in him obtained pardon and are made examples to man that hee ought in no wise to distrust the remission of his wickednes seing the murder of the Lord of glory is forgiuen to the penitent Turne then vnto him and a present pardon is made ready which shall be signed the first houre of thy repentance When therefore thou feelest in thy heart a sorrow for sin and a feruent desire to serue God cherish it and take the opportunity of the first motion Enter presently into thy chamber or into some other secret place and there falling on thy knees beseech the Lord that as he hath giuen thee a detestation of sinne and a minde of godlines so it may please him to perfect the good begun by him to accept thy will and pardon thy many wants and weaknesse in for the al-sufficient merits of Christ Iesus to giue thee grace that thou maiest go on mourning continually for thy sinnes and yet withall to reioice in his sweet mercies to put his feare into thy heart that thou maiest neuer more depart from him and so to enkindle thy zeale that the fire thereof may burne vp and consume euery day more and more thy carnall desires and natural corruptions Continue this course of praying both mornings and euenings at the least but if thou canst oftner it is the better For pray continually saith the Apostle meaning thou shouldest haue alwaies good meditations in thy mind when thou goest to pray striue to pray in the spirit framing thy petitions according to the feeling of thine own wants or Gods mercies towards thee not that I disallow of set praiers for I reuerence the godly authors and vsers of them but because hee that hath the gift of extemporall praying is not so easily caried away with vaine distractiōs which Satan prompts vnto him his minde and vnderstanding being wholly bent to the matter in hand as commonly they be that pray in the booke of another mans conceiuing And if thou feele thy selfe somewhat duller sometimes sound forth thy voice withall it will help much to the awaking of thy deuotion as by mine owne experience I haue many times found But take heed as neere as thou canst that thy praiers bee out of the hearing of others lest thou get the imputation of hypocrisie and cause thy good to be euill spoken of And for the further increasing of thy knowledge vse euery morning after praiers to read a chapter of the old or new Testament and another at night likewise before praiers thou shalt find it by the blessing of GOD in short time to haue cleared thine vnderstanding very much and dispelled the mistes of thy former ignorance Also let me wish thee to read sometimes carefully and aduisedly the 28 chapter of Deuteronomy and the 26 of Leuiticus because they bee parts of Scripture which if we marke them well will help much to containe vs in the doing of our duties When thou art tempted to any sinne carry not in the place but goe doe something else till the
away and comes to nothing like seed cast away vpon the rock where it cannot take root And in this point the irreligiousnes of Prentises doth farre exceed the negligence of masters For it is too apparant that many seruants would seldome or neuer come to Church at all if it were not more for displeasing their masters on earth then for displeasing their master in heauen For let masters vpon occasion bee from home a moneth or two and all that time if his seruants come to Church in the forenoone onely they thinke they are meetly well in the fashion but commonly you shal not see them there either forenoone or afternoone and their reason is their masters absence is the time of their liberty and they may not suffer such good daies to slip away without fruit If you aske them how they wil answere it to their masters at their comming home they will tell you they hope their masters knowledge goeth but by his eie If you aske thē how they will answer it to GOD that seeth and iudgeth the most secret workes they make a pish at that or giue you some grosse flout for recompence But let such know that pouertie and shame belongs vnto them for refusing instruction and they that thinke now the Lords day though it were a moneth long to flie away as one minut in their pleasures shall hereafter thinke one minute too lag and passe by as slowly as a whole yeare in their paines But here some may reply Will you not allow vs to recreate our selues at any time If you say yes then I pray what day haue we that be prentises to take our recreation in but the Sunday For all the weeke wee are kept so straight that we cannot so much as get out to speake with any friend And as for keeping our Church duely howsoeuer others be negligent yet it is well knowne in our parish that we neuer almost misse one Sunday in the yeare but wee are alwaies at Church with the first and neuer go into the fields or to any merrimēt vntil euening praier be done and then I hope the matter is not so hainous as you make it Surely if you were such diligent goers to Church as you say you are it could not be but you should heare at sometime or other that you ought not to prophane or mispend one houre of the Sabbath where you make it lawfull to spend halfe the afternoone in merriment and pleasure But it may be you are asleepe when you should heare that or else you take it to be but the word of a mortall man and the authority thereof to vanish with the speaking But a day will come when you shall know it was the eternall truth of the GOD of heauen which his ministers deliuered and when it will cut your heart to remember that you did heare such a Preacher in such a yeare in such a moneth in such a day and in such a Church denounce the fearefull iudgements of God against such a sin which you did vse and wherein for a little pleasures sake you did obstinately continue to your owne damnation To conclude hast thou beene a drunkard now learne sobriety hast thou been intemperate now embrace chastity hast thou beene malicious shew charity proud be humble Finally whatsoeuer vice thou hast addicted thy selfe to recline now to the contrary side That which thou doest do it with all thy power in the present time euen in this day of saluation For time being once past can neuer be recalled and to trust vpon time to come is as much as if we shold trust vpon a broken staffe the splinters whereof will run into our hand or vēture to passe so dangerous a gulse as damnatiō with a tottering planck delay I meane which hath tilted so many thousands into hell before vs. THE FOVRTH PART CHAP. 10. HAVING shewed the inestimable loue and mercy of GOD to repentant sinners that do truely forsake their former wickednesse I thinke it necessary in the last place as the Lord will enable mee to shew the good profit of afflictions to Gods children to the end they may not bee discomforted or shrinke backe at the sight of them Eccles 2.1 My sonne saith the Sonne of Syrach if thou come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes and feare and prepare thy soule to tentation and shrinke not when thou art troubled but wait patiently vpon God And it is a sealed truth which the Apostle hath deliuered All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution in one kind or other more or lesse It is their portion and euer hath beene Christ Iesus himselfe the author of our faith was not exempted and the seruant is not aboue his Lord. If then afflictions must needes bee vndergone let vs labour to vndergo them willingly which must bee vndergone of necessity I know there is a certaine tendernes in our nature which with reproches and ill turnes is so pressed and wrung that there is scarse any man to be found so wise or couragious but when he feeles the prickes and stings thereof pearcing him is oftentimes halfe in the minde to giue ouer his course of godlinesse and turne from the way of vertue No affliction or vexation for the present seemeth ioious but grieuous saith the Apostle but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnes to them that are exercised therby Let vs not dwell then vpon the present feeling but looke further into the sweet effects and end of our troubles thence gather comfort strength against them This made the Apostle breake out My Brethren count it for an exceeding ioy when yee fall into diuers tentations because they are pledges of Gods loue trials of our faith and breeders of patience experience and hope which neuer makes ashamed Art thou entred into a course of religion and sanctification art thou iealous for the Lord of Hostes and doest thou meet with oppositions and stumbling blockes in thy way be not dismaied was it not told thee before the way to heauen lay by the crosse It is a sure signe thou art in the path that leades thither Art thou skoffed at by worldlings prophan people Iob. 21.14 men or women for I know diuers such persons of both sexes that being not content to liue in ignorance themselues without any desire to know the way of the Lord do deride and point at those that seeke instruction Let the clearnes of thy conscience and thy holy desire and endeuour to the best things be as a brasen wall and a strong tower against these euils let them know that the Lord hateth those that sit in the seat of the scorneful Psalm 1. and though they please themselues well enough the while yet it shall not be well with them at the last day Esay 3.10 For the reward of their owne hands shall be giuen them Hast thou a master that entreates thee hardly for thy well doing and