we may the better beare an euen hand in the vse and practising of them as God may be glorified and we comforted we must embrace and follow the exhortation of Saint Paul where hee saith That Godlinesse it great gaine if a man bee content with that hee hath 1. Tim. 6.6 wherein ensueth many profitable lessons for the better performing of these two duties both for Gods glory and our comforts The Pilgrims iorney towards Heauen Part. 2. IN this second part is contained a more carefull and speedy going forward in feeking to come to the knowledgment of the true way which leadeth euery true Pilgrim to his wished desire that is eternall rest and happinesse to raigne with Christ our Sauiour and his Church in the kindome of God his Father for euermore And in this part is set downe three speciall consequents to bee obserued and followed The first is a speedy beginning and going forward in Christian religion set downe by Salomon in Eccle. 12.2 saying Remember thy maker in the dayes of thy youth or euer the dayes of aduersitie come which may bee called the young mans taxe The second is likewise set downe in the Pro 23.26 saying My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thy eyes haue pleasure in my wayes which may be called the Christian mans sacrifice The third is the prayer of Moyses in the Psal 90.12 saying Teach vs O Lord to number our dayes that we apply our hearts vnto wisdome and may fitly be called the godly mans request In these three notes or parts are set downe many godly and profitable lessons and instructions to bee followed of euery true Christian which is carefull of his owne saluation and seeketh for the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof with such obedience of life and conuersation as may be agreeable vnto the holy word of our God And for that God would not haue vs to loose our labour but he would haue vs seeke and find to aske and receaue to runne and obtaine therefore the Apostle saith So run as you may obtaine 1. Cor. 9. As there is a heauen so there is a way to heauen one way Adam came from Paradice and by a nother way hee must returne to Paradice the passage is not so stopt but there is a way though a straight way and therefore few doe finde it but onely those which are like Iacob that dreamed and saw a Ladder which reached from earth to heauen and the Angels discended and ascended by it to shew that no man ascended to heauen but by that Ladder This Ladder is Christ which saith I am the way in Iohn 14. there hee biddeth vs to follow him If wee must follow Christ let vs see how hee went to heauen hee began betime for at Twelue yeares of age hee sayd I must goe about my fathers businesse Hee made speed for Iohn saith 21.25 that hee spake and did more good things in three and thirty yeares then could be written Salomon sheweth when it best time to sow the seed of vertue that it may bring forth the fruite of life and make a man alway ready to dye Let him remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth and so all his life shall runne the middle like the beginning and the end like the middle for if the minde be planted in sinne in the time of youth sildome any goodnesse buddeth out of that stock for vertue must haue a time to grow the seed is sowne in youth which commeth vp in age As the Arrow is directed at the first so it flieth all the way ouer or vnder but it neuer findeth the marke vnlesse it be leuelled right in the hand So they which make an euill beginning forspeake themselues at the first and wander out all their race because when they should haue directed their life aright they wandred cleane contrary way Therefore God requiring the first borne for his offring the first fruits of his seruice requiring the first labours of his seruants because the best season to seeke God in is to seek him early Therefore Wisdome saith they which seeke mee early shall finde but to them which deferre shee saith yee shall seeke mee but yee shall not find me therefore the holy Ghost cryeth so often This is the acceptable time this is the day of saluation to day heare his voyce c. So hee which taketh time is sure but hee which looseth time oftener faileth then speedeth for when golden oportunity is past no time will fit for it therefore linger not with Lot for if the Angell had not snatched him away he had perished with Sodom for his delay Samuell began to serue God in his minority and was made a Prophet Timothie began to read the Scriptures in his child-hood and was an Euangelist Daniell beeing in captiuity in Babilon and a yong man would not bee changed from the seruice of his Lord God but prayed dayly vnto him yea though hee were therefore put into the Lions Den yet the Lord deliuered him from the Lions and brought him in great estimation with the King and also a great Prophet Dauid beeing the yongest of his bretheren could not abide to heare Goliah to raile of his God tooke in hand to fight with him and slew him when none of the hoast durst Ioseph beeing the yongest of his bretheren but Beniamin being sold by his bretheren into Egipt and there because he would not defile the law of his God by committing fornication with his Mistresse was wrongfully throwne into prison yet the Lord his God deliuered him forth and brought him in great fauour with King Pharao and was made ruler ouer all his kingdome Therefore this doth teach vs how God doth loue and regard timely beginners in religion so to serue him accordingly so that they which are yong need not to trye the snares and allurements of the world or the issues and effects of sinne which old men haue laid before them but go a merrier way to obtaine their wished desire that is this saith Salomon Thou must remember thy Creator which did make thee which hath elected thee which hath redeemed thee which dayly preserueth thee which will for euer glorifiâ— thee And as the kinde remembrance of a friend doth recreate the minde so to thinke and meditate vpon God will supply thy thoughts dispell thy griefe and make thee cheerfull Now if thou wouldest haue this ioy comfort and pleasure to belong vnto thee and wouldest escape those thousand miseries vexations and vanities which Salomon by many weary and tedious toiles sought to make naked before thee and yet held all but vanity when hee had found the right way Thou must saith he remember thy maker in the dayes of thy youth and then thy happinesse shall bee as long as thy life and all thy thoughts whilest thou remainest on earth a fortresse of the glory of heauen this is the summe of Salomons counsell Salomon findeth man seeking happinesse out of the way he pittieth to
deceiuers So if you would apply your harts as throughly to knowledge and goodnes you might then become like the Apostle which teacheth you therefore when Salomon sheweth men the way how to come by wisdome he speaketh often of the heart As giue thy heart to wisdome Let wisdome enter into thine heart get wisedome keep wisdome embrace wisdome Thus we haue learned how to apply our harts to knowlede that it may doe vs good that we may say with the Virgin Mary My heart doth magnifie the Lord and then the heart will apply it to the eare and the tongue as Chrict saith out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The second note to be obserued is that remembrance of death maketh vs to apply our hearts to wisedome as many benefits come vnto vs by death so many benefits come vnto vs by the remembrance of death And this is one that maketh a man to apyly his heart vnto wisdome for when he considereth that he hath but a short time to liue he is carefull to spend it wel like Moses of whom it is written that when he considered hee had but a short season to liue hee chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season This wisdome the fathers called the wisdome of the crosse which we call the best wisdome because it is dearest bought it is hard to thinke of a short life and to thinke euill or to thinke of a long liâ—e and thinke well Therefore when Ieremy had numbred all the calamities and sinnes of the Iewes at the last he imputed all to this she remembred not her end Lam. 1.9 So it may be iudged why natural men care for nothing but their pompe why great men care for nothing but their honour and dignity why couetous worldlings care for nothing but their gaine why voluptuous Epicures care for nothing but their pleasures that it may be said with Ieremie they remembred not their endes Seeing then that so much fruit groweth of one stalke which is the numbring of our dayes Let vs therefore consider what an haruest we haue lost which happily before this day haue neuer prayed with Moses that the Lord would teach vs to remember our dayes but also how many dayes haue we spent and yet neuer thought why any dayes were giuen vs. It may be that thou hast but twenty yeares to serue God wilt thou not liue twenty yeares like a Christian that thou maist liue many thousand yeares like an Angel It may bee that thou hast but tenne yeares to serue God wilt thou not serue ten for Heauen which wouldst serue twenty yeares for a farme If thou be a man halfe thy time is spent already if thou be an old man then thou art drawing to thine Inne and thy race is but a breath for this cause God would not haue men know when they should dye because they should make ready at all times hauing no more certainty of one hower then an other Thus you see that death is the last vpon earth and that the time of man is set and that his race is short and that he thinkes not on it and that if he did remember it it would make him apply his mind to good as he doth to euill And thus I end as I began the Lord our God teach vs to remember our dayes that we may apply our heartes vnto Wisedome Amen Amen The Pilgrims iourney towards Heauen These two parts going before are chapters of preparatiues wherein euery Christian ought to prepare himselfe to become truly religious that he may learne to know the way to walke before God whereby he may attaine to eternall happinesse which way is manifestly declared vnto vs by the word of God And for asmuch as there can be no sound Deuine or learned Gramarian but he must first come to it by degrees in learning as appeareth in schooles of learning so is it with the Church of God for our Sauiour Christ sayth plainely that None can come vnto him but he must be drawn of the father Iohn 6.44 aleadging the scriptures how we are drawne saying it is written in the prophets And they shall all be taught of God euery man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto me Isaie 54 13. Iere 31.33 Therefore we are to apply our selues to those meanes which God hath ordained for that purpose that is the preaching of his word and meditations thereof for the holy Ghost is giuen for the working of the same in euery Christian therefore it is written in the Book called Eccl. 6 33. saying My son if thou wilt take heed thou shalt be taught and if thou wilt apply thy mind thou shalt bee wise if thou wilt bow downe thine eare thou shalt receiue doctrine and if thou delight in hearing thou shalt be witâ—y Againe Salomon saith O giue eare vnto good counsel and be content to be reformed that thou mayest be wise in thy latter dayes Pro. It is also written in the 22. of the Pro. saying Bow downe thine earer and heare the wordes of the Wise apply thy mind vnto my doctrine for it is a pleasant thing if thou keepe them in thine hart and order them in thy lippes that thou maist put thy trust in the Lord. Therefore sayth the Prophet Dauid The mouth of the righteous wil speake of wisdome and his tongue wil talk of iudgement for the law of his God is in his heart his lips shall not slide Psa 37. Therefore sayth Salomon get wisedome and get vnderstang forsake her not and she shal preserue thee loue her and she shall keepe thee for the cheefe poynt of Wisdome is to possesse wisdome and before all thy gooods get vnderstanding make much of her and she wil promote thee yea if thou embrace her she shal bring thee vnto honor she shall beautifie thy head with manifold graces and garnish thee with a Crowne of glory Pro. 4.5.6.7 Whosoeuer therefore findeth Wisdome findeth life and shal obtaine fauour of the Lord. Pro. 8. Now this Wisdome is called the wisdome of the word of God which proceedeth from God himselfe and all to teach vs to walke in holy obedience and conuersation all our dayes and therein to find saluation and eternall happines For in matters concerning the trueth of our walking we must profes with Dauid Thy word is a Lanthorne vnto my feet and a light vnto my pathes for whatsoeuer therefore doth not fully consent with the word of God in matters of truth and saluation mast euer be suspected For the wisedome of man when it wandreth without the pales of holy scriptures is meere foolishnes which wil euer be confounded and brought to nought 1. Cor. 1. Therefore wee must attribute nothing vnto naturall reason when it is not grounded by some consequent vppon the word of God So that we are there by aught that God hath ordayned the meanes so wee must prepare our selues to these meanes
of a true Christiā which the Apostle S. Paul giueth vnto the Thessalonians the first the 5.16.17.18 saying Reioyce euermore pray continually In all things giue thankes from these are to bee gathered many profitable instructions For the first to reioyce euermore It is not an indifferent thing to reioyce and not to reioyce but we are commanded to reioyce to shew that wee breake a commandement if we reioyce not but here God commandeth to reioyce as though some men did not reioyce enough therefore you must vnderstand to whom he speaketh thus in the Psal 149.5 It is said let the Saints bee ioyfull with glory not let the wicked reioyce and in Esay the 40.1 Comfort my people not comfort my enemies shewing to whom this Commandement of Paul is sent Reioyce euermore it is not in this as Christ saith That which I say vnto you I say vnto all but that which I say vnto you I say vnto all Salomon saith fiue times that this is the portion of man vnder the sunne to receiue in the gifts of GOD with thankfulnesse and to reioyce in them Hee which would haue vs holy as Hee is holy would haue vs ioyfull as Hee is ioyfull Hee which would haue vs doe his will vpon earth as the Angels doe in heauen would haue vs reioyce vpon earth as the Angels reioyce in heauen Hee which hath ordained vs the Kingdome of Saints would haue vs reioyce that wee haue such a Kingdome to receiue Therefore he saith to his disciples reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life the spirit of God is called the comforter because wee should haue ioy in it I will send you the Comforter saith Christ to shew that they which haue the spirit haue comfort too and they which resist comfort resist the spirit therefore the sonne of God is called the consolation of Israell and that ioy is where Christ is as the light is where the sunne is therefore the cheifest ioy is called the ioy of the holy ghost to shew that they haue the chiefest ioy that haue the holy ghost and the greatest peace is called the peace of a good conscience to shew that they haue the greatest peace which haue a good conscience therefore the faithfull are to bee annointed with the oile of ioy Esay 61.3 As though ioy were their countenance therefore they are said to be clothed with the garment of gladnesse as though gladnesse did compasse them like a garment Saint Paul in all his Epistles doth ioyne grace and peace together to shew that the peace of God doth follow them which haue the grace of God It is said in Deut. 30.9 That God reioyceth to doe vs good and in the 28. Deut. the Iewes are reprooued because they reioyced not in the seruice of God As the Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer so he loueth a cheerefull seruer and a cheerefull preacher and a cheerefull hearer and a cheerefull worshipper as Dauid saith Let vs sing heartily vnto the Lord shewing as it were a tune which delighteth Gods eares that is you must giue heartily you must loue heartily you must obey heartily and when you doe all these things heartily then you shall doe all things cheerefuly Therefore now I may say vnto those which resist comfort and nourish griefe as the Prophet saith who hath required these things of you God doth require no sorow but the sorow for sinne no feare but the feare to sinne no care but the care to please God nay he hath forbidden all care else and therefore Saint Paul saith Cast your care vpon him although God did not alow vs to care he sent his Apostles with this charge to cast their care vpon him as we doe cast our sinnes vpon Christ for God hath commanded vs to labour and not to care but care hindreth our labours As we are taught to discerne of spirits and doctrines so we must discerne of care and sorrowes when we sorrow for any thing but sin our sorrow is murmuring for the sorrow of the heart saith Salomon is the consuming of the bones that is it will pull downe the strongest man that is therefore let no man drinke of sorrow before hee tast it for the charge is not to get thy lyuing with care of the minde but with the sweat of thy browes Now as Saint Iames saith Resist the diuell and he will flie from you so resist sorrow and it will flie from you This is all the care and all the feare and all the repentance which euer could be found in the Scriptures therefore let vs pray to God euery day to turne all our ioy into the ioy of the holy Ghost and al our peace into the peace of conscience and all our sorrow into the sorrow for sinne and all our feare into the feare to sinne and so wee may reioyce and sorrow together feare and hope together that is haue one eye to the law to keep vs from presumption and another eye to the Gospell to keepe vs from dispaire and then this comfort is sent to vs Reioyce euermore or else wee haue nothing to doe with it It followeth the next duty to pray continually AFter reioyce continually hee biddeth vs pray continually shewing that it must be such reioycing continually that we may pray continually too or else he doth not alow vs to reioyce how can these two ioyne together pray and reioyce some if they should pray cannot reioyce for their hearts nay their heartes are sick vntill their prayer be done this is the difference betweene the reioycing of the wicked and the godly The comfort of the wicked is like a compounded medicine made of many mixtures for there must be piping and dancing and piping feasting and dallying at the game or else they cannot be merry but the comfort of the godly is like a light in the ayre which shineth when no matter is seene so the godly reioyce when no cause is seene if they doe but thinke vpon God they reioyce straight-way if there be but a prayer and a thankfulnesse and a meditation these are instruments enough for them and they can be as merry as Birds in May the reason of it is this As Christ sayd I haue another meat which you know not of so the godly haue another ioy which the world knoweth not of of this ioy a man may reioyce continually And therefore Salomon sayth a good conscience is a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 that is a continuallioy Thus Saint Paul ioyneth reioyce continually with prayer continually as if he should say by this you shal know whether you reioyce well if you can pray to that is if thy reioycing mooue thee to pray as the ioy of the Angels maketh them praise God and sing holy holy holy alwaies vnto him All this doth conclude that as we should doe Gods will on earth as it it is done in heauen so wee should reioyce in earth as they reioyce in heauen and then this ioy is a signe of another ioye
Now we are to consider more perticularly the benefit of praier of all our duties this is the onelie dutie vnto GOD which is giuen to none but God according to that Him onely shalt thou serue such an excellent thing is praier that is offered to none but him which Salomon calleth excellent The second it is such a pleasant thing that Saint Paul enioyneth to pray continually with reioyce continually to shew that no man hath such ioy as hee which is often talking with GOD by praier as if hee should say if thou haue skill to pray continuallie it will make thee reioyce continually for in the company of God is nothing but ioy and gladnesse of heart Thirdly it is such a necessary thing that Christ calleth his temple the house of praier to shew that we should pray in the Temple which is so necessary that GOD built a house for it and called it the house of prayer as though prayer brought God and vs to dwell continually in one house togither Fourthly if wee endeuour our selues to liue vprightly and in the feare of God according to the precise rule of his Commandements we shall finde such a heauenly life that it will make vs like the Angels which are in heauen for when wee reade GOD speaketh vnto vs because wee read his word but when wee pray wee speake to God because wee commence our suites to him and so praier maketh vs like the Angels which are alwaies singing to God The fifth it is such a sweet thing aboue all other things that wee doe for God that in the Reuelations 7. the praiers of the Saints are called incense because when they ascend to heauen God seemes to smell a sweet fauour like incense Sixthly it is such a profitable thing that it doth more good then almes for with almes I helpe but a few but with my praier I may helpe thousands praier is the rich mans almes aswell as the poore mans for Pharaoh begged for praier aswell as Lazarus begged for crummes Lastly it is so victorious and powerfull that it ouercommeth God himselfe which ouercommeth all things for if wee will ouercome our Lord as Iacob did we must ouercome him by praier this God sheweth when hee said to Ieremiah pray not for his people shewing that the praier of the righteous is of such force power that he forbiddeth them to pray when he would not grant least hee should bee ouercome this Christ sheweth againe when hee resembleth his Father to the deafe Iudge the suppliant to the importunat woman which cried vpon him and made him harken to her as if she had compelled him We read that the Iewes did preuaile more by praier then they could by fight therefore one saith hee that can pray can doe all things because hee can ouercome God ouercome the diuell which hindreth all things It hath such a hand in all things that it is like the sanctifier of euery thing it blesseth our thoughts it blesseth our speeches blesseth our actions for whatsoeuer thou doest before thou hast blessed it with praier thou hast no promise that it shall prosper or doe good therefore wee should not presume to vse any of Gods gifts or any of Gods graces without praier least that which is good doe not good but hurt vnto vs. For this cause Saint Paul teacheth vs to pray before we eate Rom. 14.6 for this cause Saint Paul praied before hee ioyrned Acts 20.36 For this cause the Israelits praied before they fought for this cause the Preacher praieth before hee preach It is a good thing to preach and yet we see they doe not pray mee to preach before they pray because Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth encrease Euen so wee should not presume to exercise our faith nor our repentance nor our obedience without praier because there is no faith so perfect but it had need of praier to strengthen it there is no loue so perfect but it had need of praier to confirme it there is no repentance so perfect but it had need of praier to continue it there is no obedience so perfect but it had need of praier to direct it therefore he doth sinne which doth presume to doe any good worke without praier because he seemes to doe it by his owne power for that he craueth not assistance from God which giueth power to faith to bring forth works as well as he doth to trees to bring forth fruits Therefore no vertue hath don so much as praier hath done for all vertues haue had their power from praier aman cannot pray heartily when wrath malice or lust or such like cary his minde away this Paul witnesseth againe when hee saith how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued shewing that none can pray but they which haue fayth and that is a signe the spirit is within if wee can pray thetfore as long as God doth not take away thy praying he hath not taken away his mercy S. Paul in his 12. to the Ro. teacheth vs a reasonable seruice to God But here he seems to ioyn an vnreasonable seruice of God for who did euer pray continually or if we should pray continually when should wee heare or preach or when should wee studdy or when should wee worke so one seruice seemeth to hinder all other seruice but indeed it doth further all other seruices and therefore wee are commanded to pray continually because we can doe nothing without prayer but if you immagine that this commandement is broken if your lippes be not alwayes going then you are out of Saint Pauls mind for Saint Paul did not pray continually with his lippes and therefore he doth not meane a lipp-prayer onely neither did Paul frequent the Temple day and night and therfore he doth not meane a Church-prayer only And further it seemes that the Iewes were not appoynted to pray at all times for they had set times of prayer and therefore wee read how Peter and Iohn went vp into the Temple at the time of prayer Therefore to pray continually is to lift vp our hearts continually vnto God and pray in our thoughts as Moyses did though he opened not his lippes and so we may pray continually As when a good man is to answer before the persecutor a thought prayeth in his heart that he may answer wisely when he is to giue almes a thought prayeth in his heart that he may doe good when he is to heare a Sermon a thought Prayeth in his heart that he may be edified and sanctified by it Thus may we pray and heare pray and speake pray and eat pray and studdy pray and work together therefore prayer seemeth a harder thing then it is for if it had beene irksome for any to pray Saint Paul would not haue ioyned prayer and reioycing together it is not hard when a man doth it and reioyceth Now if you will know what prayer is acceptable with God Iames sayth the prayer of the iust auayleth much