Now hee will shew thee the figure of that euerlasting rest which hee will bring thee to through Christ. Now if thou beest not very ready and diligent to attend vpon him the seuenth day thou shewest that all thy labour on the six daies was for thine own pleasure or profit more then for thy obedience toward the Lord thy God for if thou wouldest haue obeyed him in thy labour in the six dayes thou wouldest haue obeyed him in thy rest the seventh day also This shal be a witnes to thine own conscience least that thou bee deceiued as many bee who thinke that they labour all the weeke to please God when indeede they labour to please themselues because that commandement pleaseth their humour better then to keepe holy the Sabbath and they will bee willing to take one houre from the Lord in the morning and another in the afternoone or two it may be which sheweth that their mindes and affections are more on the world then on the true seruice and obedience they owe to God CHAP. 41. Prodigality set out SOme think that the prodigal man taketh too little care for the world but I say he is a wicked man and taketh too much care for the world and too little care to please GOD. Hee is an idle man and will not labour 6. dayes Hee is a disobedient man and wil not keepe holy the seuenth day He is a wast full man he wil spend wastfully for the vaine-glory of the world which somesay they care not for he leaueth those things w ch God hath giuen him and his family without care Yea he is a couetous man for he will borrow of others and spend it wastfully and neuer pay it againe He breaketh the cōmandement which saith Owe nothing to any man but this that you love one another for the holy Ghost saith The vngodly borroweth and paieth not againe but the mercifull man is liberall and lendeth Some will say they would pay if they had it but indeede they will not haue it because they will not obey God and liue as hee hath appointed them They are proud and will spend so far beyond their calling that they haue nothing to lend to the poore children of God because they spend either vpon the wicked or in excesse when there is no neede or vppon those that haue as little or lesse neede then thēselues Such a person is worse then an Infidel because be prouideth not for his owne houshold God doth not say Because hee taketh not care for his owne houshold for all his care should bee to please God but hee careth not to please God neither doth he obey God to labor 6. daies and to see his houshold labour for whilest he is idle or vsing some vaine pastime out of his calling his children seruants dissobey GOD and mispend their time and weaken his estate and all through his owne carelesnesse to please God Hee sheweth himselfe no good Christian for a good Christian life is a carefull life not carefull of the world but carefull least the world should hinder him any way frō seruing of God either in being too negligent in his calling and so prouide not for his houshold become worse then an Infidel or lest hee should bee couetous and become the man whom God abhorreth And yet there bee some so ignorant that they will say The prodigall man beareth a noble mind But hee beares a wicked mind they know not what a noble minde is that say so Our Peeres and Princes are called Noble men because they beare noble mindes that is they are vertuous and temperate discreet gouerning the Cōmon-wealth according to their calling regarding the vertuous keeping vnder the vicious holding in the prodigall who would run away with a whole kingdom if they might haue it nay no kingdome is able to satisfie prodigal persons for their disobedient humour wil neuer be satisfied because they doe not labour to keepe the commandement of God Some are more infected w th this sin then others but all that are not infected with prodigalitie haue a disobedient humour they are vndiscreet because they cannot spend whē they should and spare with discretion when the time is They are vnthankful because they do not heartily thank God for his blessings but wish they were more Neither wil they bee thankefull to the King nor a worthy noble Prince or Peere for if they spend a little prodigally in their seruice they will thinke they are indebted to thē though all of it were by the Prince liberally bestowed on them but indeede such are not to be about Princes or Peeres no more then the couetous Some wise and learned men haue disputed whether the couetous or the prodigal be the worst member in the Common-wealth but I pray God you nor yours be none of both but here what the holy Ghost saith The couetous is the man whom God abhorreth The prodigall is worse then an infidell And thus I leaue them and pray to God for Christs sake they and wee may leaue both those and al other sins and take hold of Christ by faith and liue through him with God for euer and euer CHAP. 42. Difference betweene an act habite of sinning NOw you must know this that the deare children of God for want of discretion doe sometime an act w ch may be called couetous yet not vpon a couetous humor and an act that may be called prodigall and yet not vpon a prodigall humour but for want of discretion at that time for there is none so discreet at all times that is not somewhat infected with either of these sins for wee are infected with all sins and therefore God in great mercy to man made the Sabbath or Lords day so that if a man did in sixe dayes ouerslip himselfe as indeed we all do and did not reconcile himselfe to God euery night as we ought to do yet on the Sabbath day the Lord calleth him to him and sheweth him his faults and wisheth him to bee reconciled vnto him through Christ and breatheth into his face the breath of life again and renueth in him the image of God again that was decayed by his sin and so he goeth home a renued man And therfore I say say truly that all the writers in the world cannot expresse what hurt that man woman or childe doeth himselfe that doth not attend on the Lord on the Sabbath day neither can any man or woman doe their seruants more hurt thē to keepe them frō the Lords house that day The Lord hath charged thee that thou if thou hast any vnder thee shalt see thē come and come thy selfe as thou wilt answere it for the Lord himselfe is now there prepared to teach thee and thine and therfore go to him and go prepared clense thy heart of all earthly things know that hee is there to see thine heart and all thine affection and behauior Some wil say I would
applying the promises of God to himselfe hath great cause to feare that his heart is not true and right before God And therfore if thou canst not pray priuately or feelest thy selfe cold in prayer for to helpe thy selfe thus thou shalt do CHAP. 17. Helpes against the former lets EVery morning so soone as thou canst for the sooner the better before the world get hold on thee either with profit or pleasure for these are the diuels baytes or before thou feedest thy bodie for the body is a great deal more subiect to the Spirit when it is not pampered nor fed at it owne will then I say goe into some priuate place and fall downe on thy face as the Publican did and see thy selfe a farre off and say God bee mercifull to mee a sinner O Lord I acknowledge that I cannot pray pardon mee deare Father for Iesus Christs sake and quicken mee with thy holy Spirit giue me faith to call vpon thee and I beseech thee graciously to remēber thy promise which sayeth Come vnto me all yee that labour and be heauy laden and I will ease you Oh Lord I am loaden with my sinnes and against all reason they keep me from seeking pardon for them and grace to shunne them Good Father for Christs sake remooue my sins far from mee and giue me faith in thy Sonne which may assure mee that thou doest accept of me as of thy seruant in him And though I bee most vnworthy in my selfe yet by thy promises in Christ which shall neuer faile I pray thee accept mee Furthermore for the better stirring thee vp to pray reade some Chapter of the Testament as namely the 6. of Mathew or some other wherein thou mayest heare the promises of GOD in Christ to strengthen thy faith Take heede of idlenesse and slothfulnes which is a great hinderance I know that all sinnes are hinderances to prayer but idlenesse and following the world either for profite or pleasure are wonderfull mighty ones CHAP. 18. To pray often NEuer make account of thy selfe as a diligēt seruant of God if thou doest not twise a day at the least come priuately to God and acknowledge thy infimities and confesse that thou canst not pray and desire GOD to giue thee grace to doe it faithfully When thou feelest a motion to pray doe not ouer-slip it for any cause in the world for thou knowest not what graces or blessings GOD meanes to bestow vpon thee at that time for it is the Spirit of God calling thee and therefore finde no delayes but goe for the nature of man of it selfe will neuer be stirred to priuate prayer But howsoeuer thou doest be thou Master or bee thou seruant bee thou at home abroad or in what condition or place soeuer thou bee doe not sleepe at night till thou hast humbled thy selfe before God on thy knees in prayer for night is a time when the world leaues a man as it were for a while and when the world leaues him the diuell hath not so much power ouer him for the world is a great Instrument for the diuell to worke by Therefore when the world is asleepe as it were the diuels power is weakened and then bee sure thou prayest to God to deliuer thee from the diuell and from the world The world is like Pharaoh which by no meanes would suffer the children of Israel to goe to serue the Lord so doth the world if it know that thou goest to serue God it will bring thee backe againe if it bee possible and therefore it is best to pray priuatly though thou doe it but weakely for within a while this weake prayer wil strēgthen greatly thy faith Pray when the world is asleepe for assoone as it is awake it will cry and call on thee as Pharaoh did on the Israelites to attend it it will bring thee more worke still as hee did to them And as that Tyrant told the Israelites that they should goe and serue their God but when the time came hee would not let them but stil found imploimēt for them euen so will the world doe by any that will beleeue it it will promise At such a time thou shalt goe serue God and When such a thing is done thou shalt go pray but when the time commeth it will finde more worke for him still and will not let him goe Pharaoh is the very figure of the diuell and the diuell calleth himselfe the god of this world And if the diuell hath to do with this world as no doubt but hee hath then it is certaine that the world will neuer giue vs leaue to serue God Our owne nature is as the nature of the Israelites for they had rather haue tarried with Pharaoh who was the very image of the diuell and haue been his slaues stil then to haue gone thorow the red-sea and the wildernes to the promised land of Canaan which was the figure of heauen and euen so had wee rather bee slaues and drudges to the world which will take all from vs and cast vs to the Diuell as Pharaoh would haue done by the children of Israel then we will leaue the world and all his baites and goe to our God euery day and humble our selues at his foote and confesse our selues to bee weake in faith and acknowledge our frailtie and call earnestly for the helpe of God to ouercome the world for vs and to strengthen vs by his power against the diuell the world and our owne frailty and wicked fleshly lusts and yet except we doe call continually to God for his grace and helpe we can no more ouercome these then the children of Israel could ouercome Pharaoh or goe thorow the red sea without drowning for it was God that ouercame Pharaoh for them and also all their enemies deliuered them out of the red sea and so it must be God that must ouercome the Diuell and all thy enemies in the world and deliuer thee that thou sinke not in the sea of thy owne sinnes CHAP. 20. Not to neglect priuate Prayer WHerefore I desire you and euery one of yours to the worlds end that whatsoeuer seruice of God you omit you doe not neglect priuate prayer for many may heare the Word of God as Adam did and disobey it presently after some heare the Word of of God as Adam did after his fall and had rather bee further off as hee had then But priuate prayer is to offer thy selfe and thy seruice to God confessing thy own imperfections and to call to God for his assistance Now when a sinner by himselfe calleth his owne wayes to remembrance and confesseth his particular sinnes then he seeth what sinne his owne nature is most subiect vnto and prayeth earnestly against that sinne wherwith he is most infected and confesseth his owne weaknesse and wondreth at himselfe that hee is not able to ouercome that one sinne as well as some other sinnes of as great force The reason is this the
Scripture saith it is like a vapour which appeareth suddenly and is as suddenly gone againe Christ saith Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule from thee and whose things shall these bee that thou hast gathered together If our Sauiour Christ calleth him a foole that careth for earthly things I know he is a foole and therfore thou shalt not make me so simple but thou shalt make mee wise for I will euer be watchfull and wary in all my waies continually attending vpon the Sonne of God Christ Iesus my Lord and Sauiour that thou maiest not finde mee alone I will also keepe company with the godly by which meanes the way of my Sauiour will be made more easie for me for when many godly men are together they incourage one another to that which is good CHAP. 36. Idlenesse and couetousnesse to be auoided Now though euery sinne bee a great hinderance to praier yet idleness and couetousnesse are two of the greatest and therefore wee ought most earnestly to pray against these sins and to take heed of such sports and recreations which haue no warrant in the Word of God for many are so carried away with idlenesse and pastimes that they can find no time to pray and therefore we had need to be very circumspect and watchfull ouer our selues lest wee bee snared with this part of the diuels policy for if a man take not heed Sathan will fill his heart so full of these vaine and idle pastimes that hee shall neuer haue any regard of preparing himselfe to pray GOD saith Six dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe and therfore be sure there is no time appointed in these six dayes to follow your idle pleasures and sports and the seuenth day we must keepe holy The holy Ghost saith What soeuer is not of faith is sinne and thou canst do nothing of faith except thou hast good warrant for it in the Word of God and the Word of God saith Redeeme the time for the dayes are evill And thou canst not redeeme the time with vain recreations I speake not to bar anie from lawfull recreation but to warn you to take heed that for a little foolish and idle pleasure which presently commeth to an end you lose not a glorious kingdom which endureth for euer And this Kingdome can neuer bee gotten without priuate true and faithfull praier for although Christ hath alreadie obtained it for vs yet we haue no promise of it except wee lay hold on him by faith which faith wee can neuer haue except wee pray for the holie Ghost to enlighten vs and teach vs to laie hold on Christ. You must continually call for mercie and grace mercie for thy sinne and grace to serue God And this I am well assured of that hearing of the Word preached is the verie meanes that God hath appointed for obtaining of faith and by no means may wee neglect that except you will contemne the counsell of the Holy Ghost which I pray God for Christs sake you may neuer doe The holie Ghost telleth you that Paul planteth and Apollo wateneth but God giueth the encrease So you must alwaies haue your praiers ascending to the Almightie God to desire him to send the showers of his grace into your hearts that the seede of his Word may grow and bring foorth fruit to euerlasting life CHAP. 37. A dangerous let of prayer I Will let you vnderstand in my iudgement what is one of the greatest hinderances vnto prayer that can be but it is so close and subtil an enemy vnto mankind that I can by no meanes discouer it so well as I would for it is to cunning and so forcible an allurance of the Diuell that it draweth many more from true faithful prayer then any net that euer hee layd but I cannot well tell which way to describe it vnto you I cannot say that it is altogether couetousnesse for as David saith If it had beene an open enemie that had done mee this dishonour I could haue borne it So I may say If it were an open sinne which would depriue you of this benefit of prayer peraduēture I should finde some way to disgrace it vnto you but it is a thing that carrieth some colour of goodnesse euen amongst them that thinke themselues good and yet indeede it is starke naught and deceiueth a multitude it frequenteth euery place city and towne and among all sorts of people husband-men tradesmen and all kindes of arts and professions in the world so that I cannot as I would tell you which way to shun it I would to God it were not amongst Preachers Now as well as I can I will explaine it vnto you it is an ouer-much care of those things which a man may lawfully vse For man being earth those earthly things beare much sway in his mind and especially because they carry the name of lawfull and so they make a man forget the Law of God and neglect the duty of Prayer the which two things being ouerslipped hee loseth the promise of the gospel which is an euerlasting kiugdome And that it is thus I will make it more plaine vnto you because I hope God wil giue you grace to shunne it which I desire you may for Christs sake Man beeing earth and Sathan being the Prince of this earth hee labours to set mens earthen mindes altogether on this earthen world which he may easily doe for man beeing earth by nature naturally enclined to loue earthlie things he is the more easilie drawen vnto this eathlie affection It is euen as if a man should runne downe a steep hill hee can more easilie run downe then goe vp softlie euen so man can easier run after these earthlie thinges then stay himselfe in a mean He hath nothing to help his earthly nature but grace which hee must needes pray for or els he can neuer haue it yet doth hee follow the things of the earth so much that hee hath no leasure to pray for it In the night when he should meditate on the Law of God by the appointment of the H. Ghost he is thinking of some earthlie thing or other either of this bargaine or that purchase or such like when oftentimes he might be much more happie to bee without it And mee thinkes hee that can think of heauen haue it is well enough but these kinde of people would haue heauen and earth too It is sayd It is as hard a matter for a rich man to be saued as for a Camell to creepe thorow the eye of a needle And this is the cause of it his head is so busied about earthlie thinges that be lawfull that hee forgets to meditate of the Law of God in the night And in the morning when he should pray before hee can settle himselfe to it his earthly busines is so much requires so great haste that then hee cannot stay to pray but