Physitian So if we can well digest our troubles afflictions here for a little while and by vertue of them seasoned with Faith and perfect Patience euacuate our grosse and filthy corruptions that suffocate our hearts with sin wee shall feele a most wished renouation of the health of our mindes and finde our affections changed euen as a body distempred with a Feuer distasteth the most sauorie thinges as long as it possesseth the Body and afterwards becomes to it perfect taste So although as long as we be holden with the corrupt infirmitie of our naturall wills no good dutie or heauenly grace can be so toothsome vnto vs as pleasure and the sinnes wee delight in But being purged and dieted by the afflictions that our louing Physitian doth compound for vs we shall finde sin and pleasures and all carnall delights to become bitter and harsh vnto our hearts God many times sends vs troubles and afflictions that by easing vs of them againe we may knowe that as he can correcte vs so he can comforte vs He neuer maketh a wound but hee healeth it nay such is his mercie power and prouidence as hee cures the most deadly wounds that our selues doe make vpon our selues through our sinnes by his owne free mercie in his Sonne and the medicines he vseth are his fatherly chastisements Should we not therefore take his salutarie and gentle stripes with patience that doe not onely not hurt vs but heale vs If wee were indeed the first of Gods children that haue beene afflicted and troubled in this life we might stagger at our crosses and calamities that are so infinite But if we set before vs the worthy examples for our imitation which Saint Iames sets before vs euen our brethren the Prophets Apostles and such as were the most beloued of God for an example of suffering and their patience such as haue spoken and taught in the name of the Lord and his Christ who indured most ignominious tortors and most cruell afflictions for his sake of whom the world was not worthie being the Ambassadours of the eternall God wee could not but beare our light and momentanie afflictions with most resolute and godly patience and as we haue heard so if we beleeue the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made with him namely in not onely remouing his miseries but in restoring him to greater glorie euen here then he had before and which was greatest of all and the end of all the Crowne of life we should acknowledge with holy Saint Iames That we are blessed that endure here the chastisements of the Lord. If then it be a blessed thing to endure troubles he must needs be the childe of God that is here corrected and doth suffer it with patience though the fault be in our selues for which we are afflicted and therefore to impute it to no other cause but to our sinnes There is a kinde of suffering indeed couered with a kinde of counterfeit patience As when men are inforced to vndergoe the ineuitable torments of death for capitall crimes committed against the Lawes of Nations or suffering things they cannot auoide as there 〈…〉 to showe their impious and vaine-glorious valour and vngodly resolution at their vnauoidable executions vndergoe them as if they were nothing daunted therewith yet were their inward hearts seene they would appeare fraught and full of horrour But we are to learne of Saint Paul who had his tribulations and reioyced in them affirming that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope which hope maketh not ashamed for through the loue of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost patience becoÌ„meth an assured testimonie that they that thus suffer are beloued of God We need not therefore thinke or conceiue that our afflictions here to be any disgrace vnto vs fâ—r they are the liuery and badge of Gods dearest children It is a glorious thing to be adorned with the note of the honour of any great mans seruice and shall wee thinke it a base thing to weare the cognisance of the King of Kings and which our Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe hath worne before vs yet without sinne in himselfe but bare the curse for ours we suffer for our owne sinnes he endured all and more and more heauie crosses for vs then wee are able to beare for him What tormeÌ„ts endured he not he was poor though all the world were his hee had not a house to hide his head in hee had enemies more then wee all he was slaundered railed on buffered spet on crowned with thornes besides infinite and vnspeakable iniuries and finally put to a most cruell shamefull and ignominious death a death inuented for theeues and murtherers and hanged as so capitall a malefactor being altogether in himselfe innocent Lord and Creator of heauen and earth and shall we most wretched sinners guiltie of ten thousand impieties worthie for the least of them to be vtterly confounded repine at the good will of God in sending vs so fauourable tokens of his displeasure for our sinnes and loue of our saluation God forbid knowing and being so sufficiently instructed that nothing doth or can befall vs but by the meere prouidence of our most louing Father neither sicknesse nor pouertie nor enemies nor any whatsoeuer crosse which hee doth also so graciously temper in his mercie as they are neuer more heauy then he maketh vs able to beare them with his owne guifte of setled patience through the free guift of faith Wherefore let vs apply our hearts to wisedome and learne to know and to acknowledge that all the troubles and afflictions that fell so heauily vpon innocent Christ were not for sinne in him but for ours and were most heauily layde vpon him to make ours light And that whatsoeuer crosse affliction or trouble befalleth vs our sins procure them and yet there is no more required of vs for the mittigation of them or remouing them from vs but a full acknowledgement of our sinnes vnfained repentance for them faith in and obedience to God and patience for a little space to beare our corrections If these things be not in vs how can we thinke our selues or be thought in the least measure to haue our troubles remoued or mittigated but rather to acknowledge our selues worthie to be more seuerely punished in his Iustice Let vs therefore afore all thinges make our peace with God which by no other means can be but onely by the merits and mediation of Iesus Christ which we must apply vnto our selues through a liuely saith praying in the same with a godly feare and feeling of our sinnes for remission and pardon of them and that hee will so arme vs with his heauenly graces as wee may bee able to beat downe all impatience and to giue vs power to resist that armed enemy Sathan who endeauoureth to make vs to think that our crosses are the curses of
reforme thee to saue thee Ieremie the most famous amongst the Prophets confesseth that before the Lord touched him with affliction he was like a wilde and vntamed Colte and Dauid the worthiest among the Kings acknowledgeth that before he was afflicted he went awrye And Paul the chiefe among the Apostles thought it his greatest glory to suffer affliction for Christ and many they were that he suffered see 2. Cor. 6. Outward affliction or inward sorrow for thy sinnes hurt thee not the one argues the loue of God towards thee the other thy desire to obay him There is nothing more hurtfull to thee nor more offensiue to God then thine impatience thy murmuring and grudging at Gods gentle chastisements which are the euils of thy minde and most afflict thee whereas true patience in faith is as a brasen Bulworke against all the attemptes and assaults of sinne and Satan the workers of all the crosses troubles calamities in the world Imbrace therefore whatsoeuer befalleth thee with godly patience and the Lord assist thee Thine in Christian good will I. NORDEN The Table of the perticulars contained in this Booke A Prayer for the morning A Prayer before a man goes to his nightly rest 1 A preparation to godly patience page 1 2 Touching sinne the cause of all afflictions the confession and repentance of them and patience in troubles pag 20 3 Comfort for a man afflicted in conscience by reason of his sinnes pag. 47 4 A prayer for the forgiuenesse of most haynous sins that afflict the weake conscience of a sinner pag. 67 5 Comfort for the sick p. 77 6 A prayer to be often said of a sick man or woman 79 7 A prayer to be said for a sick man of faithfull friends that come to visite him 105 8 For such as are oppressed with pouerty and want not impertinent for the rich 112 9 A prayer to be said of such as are oppressed with necessity want of things necessary 133 10 A short prayer to be said of him that is in necessity and want 146 11 Generall counsell comfort for men imprisoned 153 12 Against Treason for which a man is worthily imprisoned 168 13 For such as are imprisoned as guilty or vehemently suspected of murther 173 14 A prayer for a man imprisoned guilty of murther 179 15 For such as are imprisoned for committing any offence against the Lawes of the Kingdome deseruing death 185 16 A prayer to be said of a prisoner accused and like to be condemned to death for some fact against the lawes or to any other corporall punishment 190 17 A prayer to be said of a penitent offender going to his execution or to any corporall punishment 200 18 For such as are imprisoned for debt 205 19 A prayer to be often said of a man imprisoned for debt pag. 216 20 A caueat for cruell creditors that keepe poore men in prison whom they know vnable to pay that for which they keepe them in prison 226 21 Encouragement for such as are enclosed and afflicted with enemies flatterers and their slaunders 241 22 A prayer for a man that hath vndeserued enemies and is subiect to slaunderous tongues flatterers and false friends 253 23 Counsell comfort for him that is persecuted for his constant profession of the Gospell of Christ. 263 24 A prayer for a man persecuted for his faith and profession of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. 281 25 Comfort and encouragement for such as are banished or enforced to liue out of their owne natiue Countrey either for feare of persecution for Gods word or of the furie of enemies that pursue them without iust cause 292 26 A prayer for a man banished frō his natiue Countrey for some crime committed or enforced to forsake it either for feare of persecution or of some mighty aduersary that doth vniustly oppresse him 304 27 Comfort encouragement for Parents that are crossed and grieued at the vngodlinesse and disobedience of their children fit for all Parents to reade pag. 314 28 A prayer to be vsed of godly Parents for the reformation of vngodly and disobedient children and for patience not ouermuch to afflict themselues for the stubbornnesse and disobedience of a wicked son 332 29 A perswasion to patience in the crosses that often fall out betweene man wife fit to be considered of married folkes for their mutuall comfort with counsell to such as intend to marrie 341 30 A prayer to be said by man and wife together or by either of them at any time in priuate 359 31 How the husband ought to behaue himselfe towards his discontented wife 367 32 A prayer to be said often of a man who hath a wife of refractarie conditions 374 33 How the wife ought to behaue her selfe towards her husband though hee be faultie and hard to be pleased 379 34 A prayer for the wife that is vnequally yoked with an vnkinde vnthrifty or an vngodly husband 385 35 A comfortable conclusion shewing the benefit of afflictions to the end we may beare them in what nature or kinde soeuer they befall vs with the more resolute and godly patience 401 37 A prayer for the forgiuenes of sins and for the neglect of our duties in seeking to know God by the hearing of his word and the practise of the same fit daily to be vsed 391 36 A necessary prayer for strength to beare whatsoeuer afflictions with patience and for faith to resist the tentations of Sathan 418 A PRAYER FOR the Morning O Lord GOD heauenlie Father when I doe consider how many wayes and by how many sortes of sinnes I haue offended thee night and day and doe duly call to minde how graciously thou hast kept mee this night how many blessings and fauours I haue receiued of thee without number I am euen astonished at my great ingratitude and doe vtterly condemne my selfe of highest rebellion against thee Many haue beene the dayes weekes months and yeares that thou hast here afforded me to liue and in all the time of my life hetherunto thou hast graciously preserued mee plentifully releiued me continually kept me vnder thy fatherly protection in all my nights and dayes and hast beene euermore watchfull ouer me that I haue from time to time from night to day and from day to night beene euer sustained through thy grace though I haue some times felt thy correcting rod by some crosses for my sinnes yet haue they beene euer easie in comparison of my deseruings and profitable vnto me Lord pardon and forgiue me my sinnes forgiue my manifold offences wash me throughly by the blood of Iesus Christ my Redeemer and clense me from all my pollutions for they are many and I am ashamed that euer I gaue way vnto them But now Lord now though late I pray thee to leade me by thy Spirit in more obedience stay me that I runne not this day into any vnseemely or vngodly actions withholde mine eyes from vanities keepe vnder the vngodly affections
consider it as it is in thy purpose I finde it to be an ease vnto mine inward part through thine owne gift of faith in beleeuing it to proceed of thy meere loue and of patience to beare it knowing it to be a most wholsome medicine to cure mee of my disease of sinne which in it selfe is mortall Howsoeuer I haue deserued to be more seuerely punished to be brought to a more miserable and poore estate then yet I am yet Lord remember thy mercies and the merites of Iesus Christ thy Sonne and for his sake lay it not ouer heauily vpon mee Leaue mee not altogether destitute of things necessarie for my competent reliefe here but as thou hast iust cause fatherly to correct me So yet graciously protect me preserue me from too great miserie though I deserue not thy mercie yet I haue a meritorious Mediatour with thee for whose sake thou mayest be pleased to mitigate my hard and miserable estate and to giue me patience to vndergoe it with competent foode and rayment and contentment therewith And defend me Lord from the iniuries that vsually thy poore children are enforced here to endure In thee I trust O Lord whose prouidence I hold my chiefest portion for of thee commeth my saluation my safety and sufficiencie Thou diddest create me Lord and madest mee a liuing creature who cannot subsist or continue without such ordinarie meanes as thou hast ordained for humane sustentation which thou affordest vnto the most brute beasts that call not vpon thee how much more vnto them that faithfully aske it of thee I come vnto thee most mercifull Father in Iesus Christ who as thou hast made all things and possessest all things so thou giuest and disposest all things to euery man a portion according as thou thinkest most fit for euery man And therefore forasmuch as thou seest pouerty a fitter portion then riches and want then wealth I accept it with hearty thankfulnes knowing that thou art able to relieue me as well with little as with much And though my portion bee small thou hast promised to nourish me and to sustaine me Thou refreshest the thirsty soules and fillest the hungry with good things and by promise nothing wanteth to them that â—eare thee The meanest of thy creatures which thou hast ordained for the vse of man and the least portion thereof blessed by thee cannot but bee sufficient be it but pulse with Daniel and his fellowes yea the meanest dyet shall so fructifie to the reliefe of my weake body as I in faith feeding vpon the same shall liue thereby and when thou wilt thou canst encrease my portion as thou diddest the oyle and meale of Eliahs Hostice Also consider Lord that pouerty and want not affording for the time competency to supply our great necessity enforceth to borrow and mens harts are hard and Creditours cruell Let me neuer fall into their hands but as thou diddest send a preuailing guest vnto the widow of Sarepta Eliah by whom through thy power and prouidence her little oyle and meale euen wholy consumed was so encreased as she had sufficient not onely for the reliefe of her and her family but to pay her debts with the rest This was thy doing O Lord And thou art still the same God who in my greatest necessity canst raise meanes either by the help of man whom thou somtimes appointest to relieue thy distressed ones or by blessing my lawfull labours and endeuours If they all faile thou hast infinite other meanes reserued onely in thine owne wisedome to helpe in most neede If thou couldest send that raueuous fowle to feede Eliah in his hunger much more canst thou afford ordinary meanes to relieue me and to enable me to pay all men their due a duty required of thee and I cannot performe it but by thee into whose hands I had rather fall then into the hands of cruell and mercilesse men I am vnder thine hand O Lord support me with thy grace strengthen my faith that I faint not that being in thy prouidence relieued I may as I truly doe ascribe vnto thee whatsoeuer comfortable supply I shall enioy at thy hands humbly recommending my selfe and mine estate vnto thy blessing in the name of Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and thankes for euermore Amen Lord encrease my faith A short Prayer to bee said of him that is in pouertie and want O Eternall God most mercifull and louing Father in Iesus Christ thou hast created me of the dust of the earth and hetherunto sustained my earthly body by earthly meanes which I acknowledge to proceede of thy goodnesse onely and of thy meere blessing without the which nothing can succeed comfortably vnto me but through thy blessing the weakest means shall bee sufficient to sustaine me and for all thy mercies thou requirest onely in mee a liuely faith in thee prayer vnto thee and patient wayting on thee So though my portion be hâ—re pouertie yet as long as thou art pleased to showe thy selfe a louing father towards me I shall be releeued nourrished protected and preserued in my greatest want of the necessaries required for the sustentation of this short momentanie miserable and mortall life Lord I beleeue thy promises made vnto all beleeuers that in their greatest necessities Thou wilt neuer faile them nor forsake them Lord I beleeue confirme my beleefe make mee strong in faith that I may serue thee faithfully and pray vnto thee feruently that so I may vndergoe my troubles and wayte thy gracious pleasure patiently to be supplyed in what I want timely knowing that thou art a God that shewest mercie and yet as a louing father thou correctest thine owne deerest children to retaine them in obedience thou hast corrected me I feele thy rod thy rod of loue not of thy heauy displeasure and wrath for if thou shouldest deale with mee and punish mee according to my merite I could expect no mercy I haue of sended thee I haue sinned against thee and doe acknowledge that pouertie and want though heauy and burthensome vnto flesh and blood cannot be a sufficient punishment for my euill deseruings and were it not that thy mercies doe farre exceede thy souerity I had not onely more deepely beene afflicted but had perished long agone O Lord I acknowledge this thy correction iust and gentle yet consider Lord that I am weake to beare it and therefore I humbly praye thee to support mee with thy hand that I fall not altogether and furnish mee with thy grace that I fainte not I see no humane helpe O Lord whereon to depend or hope there is none to succour mee but thou whome I haue offended and how dare I come boldy to begge of thee whose many and infinite blessings I haue so much and often abused If therefore I should come in myne owne name thou mayst iustly turne thee from me O happy am I that I haue one with thee in whose name I may
of my corrupt heart that though they may begin to worke sin in me Lord suppresse them before they come to execution Disperse Lord and dispell all the clouds of ignorance and errors that darken mine vnderstanding and giue me wisedome rightly to know thee and thy Sonne Christ and what he hath done for my soule and through thy grace restraine me this day from that thou hast commanded me to shun and let me doe nothing but what may please thee then whatsoeuer I shall thinke speake or determine shall be to thine owne glorie profitable to my selfe and others Preserue me from the secret and hidden snares of Satan who is restles to allure me to sinne inticing me to imbrace the vanities of the world and to yeeld to the lusts of mine owne corrupt nature But Lord as I haue by thy prouidence past the darkenesse of this night doe now enioy the joyfull benefit of the light of this day so let me this day auoide all the workes of darkenesse and as the day doth administer light vnto my corporall eyes the better to doe the works offices of my calling so let the light of thy Spirit O Lord shine in my soule that I may walke in the light of thy truth in true obedience to the good example of others Thou hast allotted me a calling in this life giue me power wisedome rightly to performe it my best endeuours can little preuaile without thy blessing and direction and therefore I humbly pray thee to prosper whatsoeuer I take in hand this day Blesse mine vnderstanding O Lord that I may rightly know and be able truely faithfully to performe what belongeth vnto my place and calling Blesse the health of my body the strength and continuall vse of my limbes senses which of them selues are weake and may soone decay without thy blessing Increase O Lord and confirme my faith grace wisedome and obedience euerie day more and more that I may euerie day more and more dye vnto sinne and be made stronger and more perfect in righteousnesse Heale O Lord all my corporall and spirituall infirmities and dispose my heart that I may be euerie day more and more mindfull that this my life is short and that this day may be my last day and let me so walke this day as if it should be the last day of this my mortall life that I may be assured of the immediate entrance into that life which is eternall with Christ my Redeemer And vntill that last day shall come O Lord I intreate thee in the name of Iesus Christ that this day and all the rest of my daies and nights may be prosperous and blessed vnto me the day for the performance of my calling the night for my rest vntill I come to my finall and perpetuall rest with thee and thy Sonne to whom with thy blessed Spirit I ascribe all honour praise and glory Amen Lord◠euermore increase my faith A Prayer to be said before a man goes to his nightly rest O Gracious Lord God heauenly Father the keeper and preseruer of all that come vnto thee for succour I haue been through thy great mercie and prouidence kept preserued defended fed sustained and relieued this day now come to an end and now as the night succeedeth the day and the darkenes the light so I knowe O Lord that death will succeede my life and the graue my bed Lord thou madest in the beginning light and darknes night day morning euening and all to thine own glorie to the vse of wretched man who in the beginning turned his light into darkenesse that darkenesse hath ouershadowed al that haue proceeded of his corrupt seed among whom O Lord I am so bemisted and blinded with that originall darkenes as I cannot see nor truely conceiue the light of thy most sacred word without that spirituall light shining from thine illuminating Spirit Thou madest two lights O Lord to endure for euer the Sun to gouerne the day and the Moone to giue light in the night yet doe not these lights O Lord direct our feete in the wayes of righteousnesse nor our pathes in obedience but rather lead vs to the occasions to sin but it is the supernaturall light O Lord that proceedeth from the brightnesse of thy louing countenance that directeth aright those that are thy children of the light By this light O Lord guide me that the night of ignorance ouer shadowe me not from beholding thy louing countenance which is more pretious more sweete vnto me then all earthly delights The day-light wherein I should onely followe with godly diligence in my calling to serue thee turneth into the darkenes of my minde without thy spirituall light how much more will the darkenesse of the night miscarrie my corrupt hart into idle and vngodly thoughts especially by the temptations of the Prince of darkenes when thy light faileth me For such O Lord is the nature of my polluted heart that it neuer resteth to infuse euill imaginations into my mind especially in my night wakings and in my sleepe to trouble me with sundrie euil vngodly dreames wicked phantasies showing thereby the fruites of my sinfull nature Therefore gracious Father I finding in my selfe thou knowing mine imperfections better then my selfe I come in all humblenesse praying thee to assist me with thy grace that I may conuert my heart from the euils whereunto it is enclined and onely incline and frame it to the sincere seruice of obedience to thee and to dedicate my mind will and affections in my night wakings either to meditate of thy word or in making my faithfull prayers vnto thee I cannot O Lord through the weakenesse of my corrupte nature subsist without cōpetent rest sleep yet I know thou slumbrest not nor sleepest but with thee the day and night are alike light and in thy prouidence and loue hast an eye ouer all that are thine whether they sleep or wake Giue therefore command O Lord vnto thy heauenly watchmen to keepe me and all that I haue from danger this night so will I lay mee downe vnder the shadowe of thy protecting winges to take my rest this night faithfully cōmending my soule and body and all that belong vnto me into thy most powerfull and fatherly tuition so shall I not feare what Satan or any malicious instrument of his shall practise or plot against me And in this assurance O Lord confirme my faith from night to day and from day to night that all the dayes and nights of my life may be rightly spent in a holy and sanctified conuersation to thy glorie and mine own comfort vnto the end of all my nights and dayes through Iesus Christ my Sauiour and Redeemer Amen Lord encrease and confirme my faith this night and euermore A PATH-VVAY TO GODLY PATIENCE IN all manner of Afflictions AFliction heere in this life is vnto the Godly as it were a Schoole to learne them Patience A most
lets which you shall finde in your selfe and many blockes Sathan will lay in your way therefore what you purpose to doe doe it speedily willingly faithfully and fully There is no meanes for you to be eased of the burthen of your sinnes but to cleaue vnto God in the merites of his Christ whome God the Father hath sent into the world to saue all those be they neuer so great and grieuous sinners as doe truly confesse hartily repent and faithfully beleeue the pardon of their sinnes and that they shall be saued through him If therefore thou truly beleeuest in Iesus Christ and appliest his death and merites vnto thy selfe in a full assurance and a setled perswasion that he dyed euen for thee then were thy sinnes neuer so great and haynous in quality neuer so many in number were they as red as scarlet or coloured as purple his bloud euen the bloud of that Lambe shall make them as white as snowe And therefore did Dauid crie wash mee O Lord wash mee and make mee cleane And what should hee wash but his sinnes And wherewith but with the meritorious bloud of Iesus Christ And before you can be thus washed and cleansed before you can haue the terror of your conscience eased and appeased You must confesse and lay open your sinnes before the Lord and say with a feeling and faithfull heart Against thee against thee O Lord onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight It must not be a lip confession as to acknowledge thy sinnes with thy mouth and to retaine them in thy heart Such a confession is hypocriticall and encreaseth thy sinnes were thy sinnes neuer so small in thine owne opinion yet oughtest thou to thinke them great and grieuous and so they are for the least sinne that a man commits is the breach of the Law and he that breaketh the least is guilty of the greatest It seemeth thou dost in deede feele already the grieuousnesse of thy sinnes by thy heauinesse and mourning which is a good beginning of repentance but vnlesse thou doe therewith conioyne Faith in the merites and bloud of Iesus Christ and dost truly purpose and endeuour to leade a new life thy repentance will be still imperfect Thou mayest also feare God and yet little profit thee except thou beleeue in the mercies of God in Christ for the deuils themselues feare and tremble at their finall sentence of vtter condemnation To feare God as a Sonne is in deede a most heauenly vertue and is found in none but in the very sonnes and daughters of God for their feare is not so much of the punishment for sinne as for that they haue offended so louing a God by their sinnes But to feare God for the first is to feare him as a Slaue that feares more the whip then to abuse his Maister And this feare proceedeth of the suggestion of Sathan who tempts and allures thee to sinne perswading thee that thy greatest sinnes are but veniall and easily pardoned by saying onely Lord haue mercie vpon me or by some superficiall and light confession And when the sinne is committed he tells thee that thy sinnes are so great and haynous as they can not be forgiuen Agrauating that seruile feare which often drawes silly weake soules to dispaire of Gods mercies Thou grieuest that thou hast sinned because thou hearest that euery sinner shall die And yet thou thinkest it sufficient to thinke yea and to confesse thou art a sinner and Sathan would haue thee goe no further And so farre he will permit thee to goe without hindering thee as he did Kayne and Iudas but when hee sees thee begin to leade a life contrary to that he hath led thee and lulled thee in when he obserueth thee to shew any fruites of true repentance hee will then tell thee it is a needlesse labour for thy sinnes are so great as God will neuer forgiue them though thou repent neuer so mâ—ch Beleeue not this auncient lyer though hee doe perswade thee that thy sinnes are so great as the bloud of Iesus Christ can not preuaile to heale thee of them beleeue him not I say for he himselfe knoweth though to the agrauation and â—ncrease of his owne torments 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ came into the world to saue greatest sinners that repent and beleeue in the merites of Christ of which number because hee knoweth he cannot be he laboureth and vseth his infinite infernall Ministers to draw as many as hee can to his disobedience and condemnation Beleeue him not nor feare him not hee is a lyer in his suggestions and weak in his power and though he doe perswade thee that thy sinnes are so great as cannot be pardoned in the bloud and by the merites of Iesus Christ beleeue the contrary for he himselfe knoweth and hath confessed Christ to be the Sauiour of the faithfull and he that shall finally condemne him and all vnbeleeuers Art thou come to torment vs before the time saith he foreshowing that there is a time appointed for his vtter condemnation at the last day Hee knoweth that Christ came to saue sinners and that without exception of any sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost excepted of which sinne hee is highly guilty and therefore neuer to be forgiuen Take vnto thy selfe therefore a spirituall courage and defie this reprobate lyer this malignant aduersary to his face and tell him in a liuely feeling of the spirit of God in a true and firme faith that thou beleeuest in Christ thy assured Redeemer and hee shall not onely not preuaile against thee but he shall flie from thee And for thy more strength put on the whole armour of God and he will buckle it vnto thee that armed Christ against this common and mortall aduersary who ouercame him and triumphed ouer him hee will arme thee so on all parts that thou shalt not feare to encounter him hand to hand as Christ did Thou shalt combate with him and conquer him as Dauid did Goliah and therefore yeeld not to his tentations feare not his suggestions Looke vp vnto Christ thy Sauiour though hee be in the heauens glorified and hath his Throne of glory there hee will yet be thy safe second here hee will be euer on thy side therefore if through frailty thou shouldest be in some measure foyled as it seemeth thou art be not discouraged he will enter the List for thee and in thy behalfe And as soone as that infernall Champion doth but obserue that thou art seconded by him that hath alreadie conquered him he will not abide the field he will flye and forsake any further pursuit of thee Yet remember that this enemie will seeke and spie all occasions to take thee at any aduantage and will marke whereunto thou art still enclined and according to thy coÌ„mon course of siuning hee will feede thee with occasions to moue thee to offend thy louing God
and Iesus Christ and therefore must thou continually wrestle as long as thou liuest here in the flesh not onely with the infirmities of flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers and against spirituall wickednes against worldly gouernours the Princes of the darknesse of this world all inuisible And thinke not thy chiefest conflict to be with the visible men of this world but looke euery houre to be assayled by one spirituall enemie or another and when thou feelest any motion in thy heart to any kinde of sinne thinke thou presently now I must either fight or be foyled for there is no string away Sathan hath swift wings he will ouertake thee and finde thee out goe where thou wilt and that thou findest in thy selfe by the present horrour of thy conscience for thy sinnes which hee layes before thee as in an vgly glasse shewing them to be so monstrous as they be vnto thee as hell it selfe Be not yet dismayed take hold of Christ though not with thy hand as the woman in the Gospell yet with thy heart fasten vpon him with a liuely faith and hold him fast for nothing preuailes with him nor against Sathan and sinne but a strong and liuely faith in Iesus Christ. In this assurance stand fast be not afraide though thou be guilty of many and great sinnes so was Dauid and many worthy men of olde yet they obtayned pardon and were through the merites of Christ imputed righteous The mercy of GOD wrought vpon their sinnes for if all men were of them selues righteous needing no repentance how should the mercies of God appeare what auayled then the death and merites of Christ Why should he be reputed a Redeemer a Sauiour or wherefore should he be called a Mediatour if there were no sinne or sinners Hee came not to call the righteous such as feeling no sinne in themselues hold themselues iust but hee came in deede to call sinners to repentance and to saue through his bloud such as feele and acknowledge their sinnes Therefore be thou not afraid though thou feele thy sinnes burthensome vnto thee hee euen Christ came to ease them if thou faithfully beleeue in him And thinke not but faith and true repentance can and will turne Gods iustice into mercy his anger into fauour and his most heauie displeasure into loue euen into that loue wherewith God loueth his dearest children freely for he loueth none that loue not him and none can loue him but such as he loueth for to loue God and to be beloued of God are of God alone And they to whom he vouchsafeth this heauenly fauour to loue him are filled with all fulnesse of whatsoeuer may make them assured of their saluation quieting and pacifying their afflicted consciences and giuing them inward setled peace Therefore if thou haue and feele an inward godly sorrow that thou hast offended so louing a God and hast in thy selfe a desire to be reformed and to be reconciled to God Thou needest not feare for the loue of God towards thee is not absent neither are thou altogether destitute of thy loue towards him And therefore whatsoeuer Sathan doth suggest against thee beleeue him not beleeue thy Redeemer he is the truth he euen he doth assure thee that at what time so euer thou shalt repent thee of thy sinnes from the bottome of thy heart the Lord will put them out of his remembrance He is the truth that hath promised this and he will assuredly performe saluation euen to thee though thou be a grieuous sinner if thou truly repent and faithfully beleeue that thy sinnes are pardoned in his bloud who is also the way he hath traced out before thee and for thee a perfect example of righteousnesse patience and obedience walke in it then as he is also the life he shall be thy life and mauger sinne Sathan and death thou shalt liue and liue for euer Pray therefore vnto GOD faithfully and feruently and he will assuredly ease thee euen here of that heauie burthen wherewith thy conscience seemeth to be grieuously afflicted and oppressed And for thy further instruction and helpe if thou be so ignorant as not knowing how to pray to thy comfort thou mayst vse the Prayer following or according to the measure of that grace which God hath giuen thee sigh and groane inwardly to God who accepts euen inward desires to repent and to be reconciled to God as if they were prayers in deede so it be in faith from the heart or thou mayest vse any other godly prayer which may best expresse the sorrow of thy heart for thy sinnes the forgiuenesse of them and the assurance of thy saluation A Prayer for the forgiuenesse of sinnes that afflict the weake conscience of a sinner OEternall euerliuing and most louing Lord God in Iesus Christ towards them that feare thy name and walke vprightly before thee and a seuere Iudge vnto impenitent sinners who onely knowest the thoughts and secrets of all hearts from whose all-seeing eye no sinne or sinners can be hidden Consider Lord that I was originally made to thine owne Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and that I became corrupt and consequently sinfull by his transgression in whom I was first made holy and doe confesse my selfe O Lord one of and the worst of all the cursed seede of him in whom all posterities became accursed and I cannot conceale the corruption which I haue had receiued from them by whom I was begotten and borne and that this corruption now become mine hath begotten and brought forth so many and monstrous sins in me as I am not onely not worthy to be called thy Sonne but ashamed to be knowne to be the worke of the hands of so great so gracious and so righteous a God for my sinnes O Lord are so great so hainous so odious and so many in number as haue so farre ouergorged my corrupt heart so infected my wretched soule with the filthinesse of them that I feele euen the stink of them so loathsome vnto mine own guilty Conscience as I cannot but holde my selfe detestable in thy sight Mine Iniquities are gone euer mine head a burden too heauie for me to beare O wretch that I am how dare I come into thy presence such a trayne and troope of intollerable sins accompaning me Thou canst not Lord but obserue see and seeing and obseruing my hainous sinnes how can I but feare that thou in Iustice wilt not only put me back and reiect me and my praiers but worthily and deseruedly confound me I haue an accuser a Iudge and an executioner within me I am Arraigned and condemned euen by the accusation and witnesse of mine owne guilty Conscience the horror whereof hath beene and is such as hath made mee affraid to seeke to thee whome I haue so deeply offended for pardon lest that in thy fury and in the seueritie of thy Iustice thou shouldest leaue me to the will of him
that hath bene the principall instigator of me to sin and now the chiefe accuser of me for sinne and thinketh that he had and hath such a share in me throgh my former often consenting vnto his inticements that thou my God were not able to take me out of his hands But now holy heauenly and mercifull Father in Iesus Christ through thy grace vndeseruedly working in me I haue found him a deceiuer an imposter an enemye who hath done what lyeth in him to worke my ruyne by my rebelliō against thee throgh his continuall tentations vsing all his impious Instruments to deceiue me the pleasures of the world the lust of mine own flesh which hath bin euer prone to be allured by him And I wretched creature blind in all good thinges neuer obserued what a dangerous course of life I haue to this day walked in vntill now Now deere Father as it hath pleased thee of thine owne free mercie to open the eyes of my sinning soule to see that I haue lōg erred and that all that I haue hetherto done hath bene euill So now seeing mine owne wicked deseruings giue me power to repent me for all my sinns Reforme me O gracious Father reforme mee and by thy grace ease and comfort my grieued hart through the powerfull and effectuall working of thy spirit henceforth in mee that now at the last I may taste of thy goodnesse and rich mercy in Iesus Christ Though I haue nothing in my selfe to moue thee to haue compassion vpon me yet remember that I haue a deseruing and a preuailing Aduocate with thee whose merites may moue thee and his mediation preuaile with thee for me And therfore I haue hope that I shall be pertaker of his all sufficient satisfaction made for all sinners among whome I cannot but acknowledge my selfe the greatest and least deseruing thy fauour O my God I feele my miserable estate I acknowledge the grieuousnesse of my sinnes and that for them thou mayest iustly condemne me but that I haue learned by thine own promises that there is mercie with thee that thou delightest not in the condemnation of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and turne vnto thee and liue Lord haue mercie vpon me haue mercy vpon me for I am weake I feele a burthen of my sinnes that presseth me downe and nothing can raise me but thy mercies in Iesus Christ. O giue me a liuely faith that I may apply the preuailing merites of that sacred Lambe crucified for all beleeuers to the washing away of all my sinnes and to the ease of my guilty conscience heauily burthened therewith so shall my poore afflicted and distressed soule be refreshed my heart now grosly defiled shall be made cleane mine affections now altogether ranging after vnholy things shall be changed into perfect obedience vnto thee and Sathan that hath long and maliciously pursued me with his most violent tentations shal◠flye at the presence of thy holy spirit in me and all my thoughts imaginations desires words and workes shall be sanctified and made holy by the same Spirit O hide not therefore gracious Father hide not from me thy louing countenance but turne away thy face from my sinnes blot out all mine offences out of thy remembrance create in me a cleane heart restore to mee the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit and let me neuer returne again to my former slauery of sinne and I shall offer vnto thee the vnfayned sacrifice of praise for thine vnspeakeable mercies All honour glory to Christ my Redeemer and to the holy Ghost the obedience of mine vnfayned heart for that he assureth mee of all these incomprehensible blessings Amen Lord euer more and more encrease my faith Comfort for the sicke THe miserable estate of a man perplexed in conscience for his sinnes is the greatest affliction that can befall a man in this life which is the sicknesse of the soule for a wounded conscience who can beare And next to it there is not a greater then is the extremitie of the sicknesse of the body and therefore neede these two sicknesses aboue all other crosses to be especially sought to be eased the first with spirituall the next both with spirituall and corporall comfort They are Twinns borne together and liue together though the one by inspiration the other by propagation And therefore if the soule be diseased the body can not though it may seeme contrary be in perfect health It will shew apparent tokens of the sicknesse of the minde and if the body be ouermuch tormented with the grieuousnesse of sicknesse the soule cannot but feele through a mutuall loue which is between the soule and the body a kinde of griefe and sorrow I will therefore apply vnto thee whome I see to be cast downe by thy bodies infirmity the counsell comforts which may first ease thee of thy inward feares and troubles for it can not be but that Sathan that auncient enemie of al mankinde hath beene busie in the time of thy health to draw thee to sin that by sinne thou mightest offend God that by offending God thou mightest be reiected of him and now finding thee visited by the hand of God with grieuous sicknesse fore-showing either the speedie approaching of death or a gentle forewarning thereof hee cannot be lesse watchfull and diligent in this thine extremity nay farre more then hee was in thy most healthfull estate to trouble thee for when thou wert healthfull and strong thou couldest nor but be by the corruption of thy owne nature proane to sinne And this common enemie of mans saluation worketh vpon our corruption and our ablenesse to sinne And when hee findeth vs most weake in our bodies and our sences and powres labouring against the violence of our infirmities then he commeth and presenteth vnto our guilty consciences the sinnes which he before prouoked vs to commit In the sicknesse of the body hee findeth fit oportunity to trouble vs for although hee knoweth not the time which God reserueth in his owne wisedome and power when any man shall dye yet when sicknesse comes he knowes it is the fore-runner of death and therefore hee knoweth that then or neuer hee must imploy all his Engines and batteries or else for euer rest frustrate of any hope to preuaile And therefore he will solicite thee now to distrust in the mercies of God in Christ and will suggest vnto thee that now thou seest and feelest that GOD is displeased with thee and that hee hath no delight in thee as if thou were his he would haue hee would not torment thee as hee doth and that thou were as good to cast off all thy hope in him as to deceiue thy selfe vainely trusting that hee will yet shew thee any mercy or louing countenance These fearefull assaults it cannot be but thou dost or mayest endure at this thy capitall enemies hands if thou be in deede the true childe of God for
if thou were one whom Sathan had in his owne power hee would permit thee to rest quietly he would not disturbe thee but finding thee to be inwardly enclined to seeke the Lord praying for pardon in his Sonnes merites which hee cannot endure without roaring and raging against thee suspecting that he hath lost thee now altogether though thou were somtimes something seruiceable or rather according to naturall corruption slauâ—shly enclined to his workes of darknesse before the Lord in fauour visited thee with his fatherly corrections to reclayme thee from Sathan and sinne to make thee his obedient Sonne and the more thou declinest from him and his tentations and the more thou louest and enclinest to serue God with a pure heart the more will hee euer seeke to molest thee and if it were possible to driue thee to dispaire But feare not whatsoeuer he shall obiect against thee or lay vnto thy charge though when he seeth thee weakest hee will trie his strength against thee most Beleeue that when thou art weakest God is strongest for thee and Sathan though hee dare to tempt the dearest children of God as he did Christ himselfe yet he trembleth when he seeth Christ with his holy Spirit assisting thee and by his merites layd hold on by a liuely faith comforting thee feare him not therefore but encline thine heart vnto God and know that this thy sicknesse hath not fallen vpon thee by chance or by Sathans malice It came euen by Gods meere prouidence in loue to correct thee here in the flesh to call thee home vnto him that thou perish not with them whom Sathan hath subdued that haue not walked in the feare of the Lord whome Gods louing corrections could not reforme A greater mercy of God can not be obserued then to draw a sinner out of the power and slauery of sinne and Sathan by a gentle hand to make him hiâ— owne Coheire with Iesus Christ his Sonne and it is the end of this his correcting thee Repent thee therefore of thy former sinnes and beleeue sted fastly that in and through the bloud and merits of Christ thou shalt assuredly be saued and so shalt thou finde that this enemie of thine will giue ouer further to pursue thee As touching the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes how haynous so euer they be in quality or how many so euer in number they shall not be imputed vnto thee Thou hast beene already taught that all afflictions of whatsoeuer kinde doe proceed and are inflicted vpon vs for sinne and especially for the neglect of hearing the word of God and practising what it teacheth And yet not alwayes simply for sinne but sometimes that the glory of God may the more appeare especially in healing the sicke Lazarus dyed and yet Christ said that his sicknesse was not vnto death not so vnto death but that hee knew hee could and would raise him againe though hee were foure dayes dead and buried And therefore was his sicknesse and death onely that the glory of God might be seene by raising of him and the faith of his Disciples be the more confirmed but we must impute our sicknesses and all other crosses as layde vpon vs for our sinnes and learne by the example of good Hezekias to turne our selues vnto God and to mourn not so much for our sicknesse as for our sinnes Thou therefore that art thus afflicted in body and no doubt in minde also repayre vnto God in liuely faithfull and earnest prayer aboue all things for the pardon of thy sinnes for prayer if it be feruent is the most euident argument that thou art the childe of God and preuaileth much for where true saith is there necessarily followeth true repentance faith and repentance for sinne and offending God are inseperable And if thy repentance be serious it will either produce outward teares or inward griefe for your sinnes though teares be not alwayes ready not verball prayers powerfull especially in a sick man whose powres are commonly so shaken with the force of the disease as griefe of the heart can hardly wrest teares from the eyes or words from the lips yet with God it shall be accepted both sufficient prayers and preuailing teares if thou finde such griefe in thy heart for thy sinnes and such a desire to be reconciled vnto God in Christ as may but moue inward and silent sighes vnto God who respecteth more the holy disposition of the heart then any outward action or gesture of the body it shall bee sufficient though some outward showe of faith and repentance be necessary for the satisfaction of such as visite a sicke person if he can but showe it by the tongue in speaking though weakely confessing his sinnes lifting vp his hands or eyes it may argue the inward heart wel prepared and that hee wanteth not the spirit of God And therefore if your sicknesse be so violent as that you cannot showe verball tokens of the working of Gods spirit in you whereby they that come to visite you cannot witnesse for you your sorrow by your outward coÌ„fession It is enough that God knoweth it by your inward true sorrow of heart It was enough that God saw that good King Hezekiah in his sicknesse inwardly bewayling his sinnes though hee could not with plaine termes vocally and with fluent words as hee was wont but inwardly to mourne like a Doue and to chatter like a Crane very weakely and obscurely yet God vnderstoode him and accepted his weake vtterance as a most earnest and effectuall prayer So that if it come to passe that thy weakenesse become such as thou canst not vocally and verbally pray as by thy sicknesse it may come to passe though thou be in present perfect memory thy heart though neuer so faint may yet haue a feeling of Gods mercies and may shew it selfe powerfull to God though it seeme weake vnto men for God is absolute in vnderstanding can and doth conceiue the meaning of thy heart farre better then in thy best strength thou canst thy selfe vnderstand it As for thy present sick estate thou must not be carelesse of it but after prayer for pardoÌ„ of thy sinnes thou mayest craue restitution of thy bodily health if God who can restore it thinke it fitter for thee then death and thou art not only not forbidden but commaunded to seeke the lawfull helpe of the Physician prouided that thou depend not so vpon the Art of the Phisician as to exempt and neglect thy prayer to God for a blessing vpon it for if God giue not a Diuine working vnto the physick howsoeuer it may seeme to worke it may helpe one part and hurt another A cluster of Figges healed Hezekiah and the washing in Iordan the Leaper yet neither the Figges nor the water of their owne nature cured their diseases it was God gaue the vertue to both and therefore whether thine infirmitie be inward or outward with the meanes vse prayer that God may giue
vse the meanes hearing and reading of the word of God practise abstinence from the fulfilling of thy corrupt will which thou canst not obtaine but by repentance and that repentance cannot be but by faithfull prayer which will produce perfect patience wherein if thou wayte the Lords leasure for the time and his pleasure for the meanes assure thy selfe thou shalt be competently and timely relieued for he hath promised neuer to faile those that faithfullyâ— call vpon him and truly obay him And he is most faithfull to performe what hee hath promised As for his power to doe it thou needest not doubt for his power is so absolute that he is able and his loue to his such as he can and will so augment thy least portion that a little oyle in thy Cruse and a small quantity of meale in thy vessell shall not diminish vntill more supply come And as for the feeding of thy chargeable Family he can doe it with the smallest showe of meanes he had but seauen loaues and a few fishes and yet with that little in showe and quantity hee replenished foure thousand men besides women and little children And with fiue loaues and two fishes he fed fiue thousand and that that remained when all were satisfied was more meat then in show then was â—efore they began to eate And can he not feede thee and thine if thou be faithfull seeme thy store neuer so small nothing shall hinder in but sinne infidelity and impatience If thou beleeue faithfully pray feruently and wayte patiently he will doe it Though it may seome vnto thee that they store doth not onely not encrease by prayer but diminish by spending yet beleeue in him that made all things and yet maketh things to supply his childrens wants And although hee doe not with thee and thine as he did for the children of Israell who trauailing forty yeares in the Wildernesse he so preserued their garments and euen the shooes on their feete that they decayed not yet if thou distrust not his power and prouidence as the one decayes hee will supply it with other Thou wilt peraduenture say that these were the extraordinarie workes of God his miracles of olde and no such things are seene in our dayes It is true why are they not seene onely because wee want liuely faith our hearts are dull in beleeuing the eyes of our vnderstandings are darkened and cast to the earth we looke not so into the power nor so beleeue the promises of the Almightie as hee hath made them in his meere loue towards vs. Wee cannot glorifie God more then to trust his word and nothing dishonoreth him more then to thinke that he either cannot or will not performe what he hath promised But wee may not thinke that we shall haue any thing only for the asking for wee cannot so presume vpon an ordinarie friend but before wee presume to aske the supply of corporall things we must be well furnished with spirituall graces which must first and before all things be sought for at the hands of God for he and none but hee can giue them It is the righteousnes of that Kingdome which wee are commaunded aboue all things to seeke And hauing obtained this wee may assure vs that all inferiour and carnall things shall bee administred vnto vs And although carnall men thinke that GOD worketh not myracles now in prouiding for preseruing his children as in the first ages which in deede is a great derogation of the good will the power and prouidence of God as if he were lesse louing or lesse able or of lesse vnderstanding then he was in our Fathers dayes to helpe his children he is Alpha and Omega As hee was yesterday he is to day and will continue the same for euer and therefore if faith faile thee not if thou refraine from euill and doe good if thou seeke helpe at the hands of God in whatsoeuer danger supply is whatsoeuer necessitie and comfort and ease in whatsoeuer crosse or misery rather then God will denie that which he knoweth most necessary for thee he will worke beyond the ordinary course to help thee beleeue in him serue him call vpon him wauer not be constant faint not and thou shalt see assuredly the saluation of the Lord. A Prayer to be vsed of such as are oppressed with necessity and want of things necessarie O Lord my GOD who hast bin euermore mercifull louing and a ready helping Father to all those that haue serued thee with a pure and called vpon thee with a faithfull heart and a patient God euen to greatest sinners among whom and aboue others I acknowledge my selfe to haue deserued the least mercie at thy hands by reason that I haue not only too much neglected my duty in seruing thee but haue in steed thereof too much yeelded my selfe to many vnprofitable forbidden wayes and I know and acknowledge that thou dost most iustly correct me for my sinnes and I thanke thee gracious Father that thou hast remembred me for before I felt thy fatherly rod of pouerty and want I went astray but now Lord I desire to turne me to the keeping of thy commaundements As long as I prospered in the world the vanities of my minde estranged my heart from thee and if I should haue still enioyed what my sinfull heart defired I should still haue gone astray But now Lord I am vnfainedly sorie from my heart that I haue so long followed mine owne corrupt will and in spending so many dayes and yeares in vanities Lord I now returne vnto thee receiue me though as the prodigall Sonne who haue sinned against heauen and against thee and doe acknowledge my selfe vnworthy to be called thy Sonne I am worthily become poore in misery and want and know not to whom to repaire for succour being despised of men and scorned of mine acquaintance by reason of my pouerty which I doe confesse hath not befallen me by chance it is by mine owne wretched deseruings which thou hast obserued and now in loue by this thy fatherly correcting mee put me in minde to consider what I haue beene and I doe confesse that I haue beene vnseruiceable vnto thee and vnprofitable to my selfe and others Therfore dost thou iustly in punishing me and yet thou dealest louingly in correcting me I embrace this fatherly chastisement of thine as an argument that thou wouldest preuent a more seuere iudgement incident to those that run on in their disobedience Lord thou hast iustly depriued mee of the superfluous things of this world which though I cannot but confesse they were deare vnto me yet not so deare as danâ—geros for I now finde that howsoeuer sweet they seemed vnto my carnall minde they bred in my heart many fearefull sinnes which now I feele as pricks in my soule and thy correction seemeth to encrease my feare seeing and feeling it in my minde as it is corrupt heauie and burthensome but when I doe
prayor to God in his Sonne Christ who shed his blood for thee and thereby able to wash thee from thy bloody sinne if thou truely repent and doest faithfully and feruently praye for pardon and if thou be destitute of the power to pray of thy selfe thou maist vse the former prayer made for a man grieued in conscience for the hainousnesse of his sinnes or this short confession and prayer following and that often vntill thy conscience become at peace with God and then howsoeuer both the Lawe of God and men condemne thee for the facte and that thou suffer death for the same take it with godly patience for better it is for thee to suffer here a temporall death for thy sinne then to carrie the burthen of a tormenting conscience not suspected to thy graue which though man doe not shall accuse thee when it will be too late to crye for mercie A Prayer for a man imprisoned guiltie of murther O Lord God whose mercies are aboue all thy workes and yet I wretched creature haue not deserued the least part of the same but rather vtter confusion both of body and soule not onely for my manifold and grieuous sinnes committed euen from my youth but aboue all other of my grieuous sinnes I feele the heauy burthen of this one sinne this capitall and crying sinne in thy seuere Iustice impardonable the wilfull taking away of the life of thine innocent creature whose blood cryeth against mee as did that guiltlesse blood of Abel crye against his murtherous brother Kayne who was reiected by thee by reason of his impenitency deale not so with mee deare father I praye thee I am heartely forty for my wicked facte and doe acknowledge it to be most hainous yet not exceeding thy mercy which as farre as the heauen is aboue the earth so is thy mercie aboue thy Iustice and as farre as the East is from the West so farre canst thou put this my grieuous sinne from mee which though it be as red as blood yea blood it selfe yet is the blood of that Lambe Iesus Christ of more then sufficient efficacie and vertue to make it white as snowe O cast mee not vtterly out of thy fauour though I be a most grieuous sinner for my soule is heauy within mee my heart is cast downe I dare not looke vp vnto heauen where thou sittest a seueate Iudge and I tremble to thinke how grieuously I haue offended thee I am fallen O Lord I am fallen into the hands of my most deadly enemie Satan that pursues mee with deadly hatred he he O God prouoked mee to this vngodly deede and now he seekes to draw me to dispayre of thy mercie into whose hands O Lord I cast my selfe knowing that there is yet mercie with thee and in Iesus Christ perfect Redemption I am also fallen into the hands of men whose Lawes I haue by this mine vngodly facte wilfully broken by whose Lawes I am condemned and that worthily and there is none to comfort me but thou alone against whom especially I haue committed this bloody sinne for which as I doe acknowledge to haue deserued the death not onely of my wretched body but also of my most sinfull soule so I beleeue that the death of my body shall be a sufficient satisfaction to the Lawe of man and the griefe and sorrowe of my truely repenting heart through the preuayling death of my Sauiour Iesus Christ shall bee a satisfaction to thy Iustice. And as I doe acknowledge that I haue deserued to dye so I beseech thee Lord to prepare me therevnto with Patience faith firme and constant assurance of thy mercy that I fainte not at my approaching death but may bee assured that as thou forgauest the Theef vpon the Crosse receiuedst him into Paradice so thou wilt receiue my soule in the merites of Christ my Sauiour when through death it shall leaue my sinfull body which graunt gracious Lord God for his sake that dyed for penitent sinners among whome I cannot but confesse I am the greatest and the greater shall thy mercy appeare Lord confirme my faith in thee to the end and in my end Amen For such as are imprisoned for committing any offence against the Lawes of the Kingdome deseruing death AS the Lawes and Ordinances of Kingdomes are many to meete with the sinnes and transgressions of men which are infinite so the causes of mens restraynts imprisonments and punishments are not to bee named or numbred yet euery man commonly knowes the offences that deserue the same and haue not yet the grace or power to auoide the committing of them Thou art in prison knowne or vehemently suspected of some grieuous facte committed against the Lawes deseruing the executing sword of the Magistrate vpon life or member thy case is hard and dangerous deserued death or some other seueare punishment hangeth ouer thy head at the pleasure of the Iudge It behoueth thee therefore to looke into thine owne heart and to examine thine owne conscience strictely whether thou be guiltie or not of the cryme laid vnto thy charge or of any other grieuous cryme which thou hast long concealed for God many times doth punish an offender for some wicked facte formerly committed and neuer discouered by the suspition of a cryme and punisheth it as the acte done and therefore if thou feele thy selfe guiltie of any grieuous offence commited against God by the breach of the Lawes of man which thou hadst cleane forgotten if thou be after vniustly accused or suspected of another which if thou were guiltie of it deserued as seueare punishment as the former and thou receiue it though in that thou be innocent yet in Gods Iustice this thy punishment is for thy former offence iust He that wittingly or wilfully disobeyeth the Lawes of man is guiltie of the breach of the Lawe of God by whom Magistrates that establishe Lawes for ciuile gouernment of their subiects are set and appointed and haue their authoritie and power to punish offendors from God and therefore should euery soule submit it selfe to the powers ordained by God And seeing thou hast highly offended these Lawes fit it is that thou shouldst be apprehended restrained of thy raunging libertie whereby thou maist not onely offend others but bee a meane to intice others to thy example of sinning Receiue therefore thine imprisonment and punishment with patience murmure not against the Magistaate that thus in Gods steed and as his Minister correcteth thee who if hee had let thee runne on further in thine impieties the greater had beene thy sinne and the greater would haue beene thy finall punishment whereas now thou mayst haue time to examine thy life past and to repent thee of thy sinnes and to seeke to God in Christ for pardon and therefore hast thou rather cause to thanke God for thine imprisonment then to grudge that hee correcteth thee so shalt thou make profit of thy restraint in redeeming thy former ill spent time and learne
to frame thy heart to more obedience to the Lawes of God and man for the time thou hast yet to spend in this life If God haue ordained the Magistrate in Iustice to take away thy life iustly deseruing it thou through faith by true repentance and prayer maist enioy a farre more glorious life for thy present ignomiâ—ious death If any other punishment be by the Lawes due for thine offence that it may be satisfied with the depriuation of any part of thy body according to the qualitie of thine offence or to inflict any other corporall punishment vpon thy flesh thinke it is in fauour and that God seeth it better for thee to suffer here a little smart then hereafter perpetuall torments and therefore seeing thou hast offended and made thy selfe guilty of crime so seuearely punishable submit thy selfe to the will of God and to the authoritie of the Magistrate in obedience faith and faithfull prayer A Prayer to be said of a Prisoner accused and like to bee condemned to death for some facte against the Lawes or to any other corporall punishment O Mightie omnipotent and most righteous Lord God I acknowledge thy Iudgements to bee iust and thy Wisedome and Prouidence vnsearchable wherein thou hast found me out and discouered my sins which I haue done as I thought in secret but thine all-seeing eye pierceth through the cloudes no darkenesse can hide sinne and sinners from thy presence Lord seeing thou hast found out mine iniquities and brought my grieuous sins to light I doe appeale from thy Throne of Iustice to thy Seate of mercie for I doe confesse that in thy iust Iudgement I am worthy to bee perpetually condeÌ„ned but in thy mercie I may find fauour and in the merits of Christ thy beloued Sonne I may yet be saued though my mortall body here perish Thou hast power O Lord to worke the hearts of the seuearest Iudges of the earth with Iustice to ioyne mercie not to extende the seueritie in punishing of me as the Lawe for mine offence may iustlie require But aboue all earthly Iudges I stand most affraid of thy displeasure which I doe confesse I haue iustly deserued by mine offences many in number but this for which I am now restrayned is not the least yet not so great but thou canst forgiue and pardon it But before I can bee assured of thy fauour in pardoning mine vngodly deseruings for which I lye here vnder thine and the hand of the Magistrate in bandes I must and I doe humbly and heartily seeke to bee reconciled vnto thee But alas what am I dust and ashes what am I a meere worme what am I the vilest of all sinners that thou shouldest vouschafe to accept my reconciliation with thee the Almightie God Creator of heauen and earth betweene whose sinceritie and my sinnes betweene whose goodnesse and my vilenesse and betweene whose greatnesse and my weaknesse is so infinite difference euen as betweene heauen and hell O! how can I thinke that although thou canst thou wilt bee reconciled vnto me that haue so grieuously offended How can I expect any fauour of thee whom by the breach of all thy commandements I haue so highly incensed against me I haue sinned Lord I haue sinned and many wayes transgressed thy Lawes and had it not beene of thy meere mercy I might haue beene as I haue often deserued confounded long agone I doe acknowledge O Lord and thou knowest that this is not the first grieuous offence that I haue committed and therefore were I innocent in this for which I am apprehended and imprisoned I cannot but confesse that I haue deserued the punishment in Iustice due for this But Lord call not all my former sinnes to thy remembrance cast not vp the whole account of all mine impious actions knowing that I am of the seede of him that first was in thy sauour holy and that first rebelled and became and I in him disobedient and rebellious yet as hee fell of himselfe and I in him together with all his posteritie So was the seed of the woman promised to come he is come hath suffered according to thine owne will to reconcile euen me the greatest sinner and all beleeuers into thy fauour againe the shedding of his blood hath made the attonement and he it is yea euen hee alone in whome I beleeue I shall finde thee reconciled vnto me Then Lord doe with my body here which is the actiue part of all my sinnes what seemeth good in thine owne eyes for as one haire of the head of thy children falleth not without thy Prouidence how much lesse can his life bee taken from him without thee My life and my death are in thy hands though the sword be in the Magistrates yet it is not his but thine and he but thy Minister therefore if thou saye strike he striketh if thou saye spare he spareth Seeing therefore Lord I am thus in thy disposing onele and haue learned out of thine owne promises that all things worke worke together for the good of them whom thou hast chosen my sinnes Lord that hath caused mine apprehension mine apprehension mine imprisonment mine imprisonment the knowledge of mine owne wicked deseruing and my deseruing death may all worke together for my good for except I had beene restrained I had not thought vpon but had runne on still in my sinne had I not beene punished I had not felt thy displeasure for my sinnes so should I neuer haue sought to thee for succour and pardon for my sinnes O the incomprehensible depth of thy Wisedome and mercy in thus visiting me for before I was restrained I forgot my selfe thee my selfe what a wretched creature I was and thee what a powerfull and iust Iudge thou art yet louing to them that repent which is also thy guifte I know and confesse my selfe now to be an offender and in danger and that thou art a iust God and an auenger of sinne Lord dispose of mine offending body as it pleaseth thee it is dust turne it to dust when and how thou wilt and punish it in what manner and measure thou wilt yet seasoned with thy compassion As for my soule Lord receiue it when through Iustice by the Magistrate or otherwise it shall be enforced to leaue this my sinnefull body which graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen Lord encrease my faith and prepare mee â—o obey thee in what soeuer it pleaseth thee here to doe with me A Prayer to be said of a penitent offender going to his execution or to any corporall punishment O Lord God Almightie though thou be iust in punishing thou art mercifull in forgiuing and sauing sinners among whome there is none so great O Lord as I am who haue long liued in the practise of infinite impieties neuer thinking of the danger which now is deseruedly fallen vpon me I am worthily condemned to what thou wilt inflict vpon mee Lord giue me patience to take it without repining or grudging
at the iust proceeding of the Magistrate whose Lawes I haue offended nor against them by whome I was found guiltie nor against the Iudge by whose Sentence I am condemned for they are all thy Ministers O Lord and haue done nothing but what thy good pleasure is they should doe And therefore I impute vnto thee O Lord all equitie Iustice and righteousnesse to my selfe nothing but sinne shame confusion O God though thy Iustice requite that sinners should here be punished yet thou reseruest mercie to them that are sorie that they haue offended thee I am sorie O Lord I am sorie that I haue committed the least sinne against thee but this grieuous sinne for which I am inforced to suffer I lament and repent more then death it selfe because I haue thereby dishonoured thee wronged those to whome I rather should haue done my best dutie I haue caused others to sinne by the example of my sinne and haue inticed them that otherwise might haue liued without the danger I haue drawne them into so that I may be said to be guiltie not onely of mine owne blood but of theirs also that haue sinned by my meanes or with mee and deserue like punishment O Lord remember that all men are sinners and there are great and crying sinnes and there are sinnes of infirmitie but Lord the sinnes that I haue committed haue cryed and thou hast heard them they cryed vnto thee for this punishment which thou hast determined iustly to be inflicted vpon me and as the censure is already past vpon me which I cannot auoid so doe I expect the time beseeching thee in the aboundance of thy mercies to giue me constancie to perseuere in a liuely faith vnto the end If my lot Lord be vntimely death and that I see I must suffer for the guilt of my trangressions here let me finde fauour with thee as that Theefe did who suffered for his sinnes and was receiued into Paradice not of desert but of thy free mercie O deale not with me Lord after my merit for then the death of my body or what soeuer corporall punishment were no satisfaction to thy Iustice Haue mercie therefore vpon me O Lord and what course soeuer man taketh with my body receiue thou my soule into thine eternall Paradice My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared and into thy hands Lord I commend my body to be punished and my soule to be glorified in the merits of Iesus Christ my Redeemer Amen O Lord encrease my faith and confirme it to the end For such as are imprisoned for debte THe Law of equitie which is the Lawe of God requireth that a man should owe nothing to man but loue and good will which is hard at all times for the most of men to performe there must bee as there euer hath bin lending borrowing buying and selling Debitor and Creditor some debters would but cannot paye some haue wherewith will not paye the first may be pityed the other exacted For the same Lawe of equitie giueth lawfull power to a Creditor vpon conuiction to cast him into prison and there to detaine him till he paye it Many thinke that what is lent them is as if they found it making no reckoning to repaye it and so in steed of satisfaction and thankes they bring griefe vnto the Lender But in the same Chapter ver 3. men are aduised that haue occasion to borrowe to keepe their word to deale faithfully and kindely with the Lender so shall their necessities bee alwayes releeued But Men of euill conscience as is there further said standing in neede of another mans helpe will kisse their hand and humble themselues vntill they haue gotten what they desire and when they should repay it they prolonge the time and giue a carelesse answer and though they bee able yet scarse giue the halfe againe or deceiue him of his mony and insteed of thankefulnes and loue they giue him curses rebuke euill words for the good hee hath done them And this is the cōmon course of politicke and wilfull Banckeruptes and euill disposed persons that get what they can into their hands of others mens goods and either voluntarily take shelter in one prison or another intending a forceable moderation and qualification of their debts or else conuey away their goods and estates secretly and fleeth the Country intending to pay nothing at all though their estates be able to discharge their debtes and to leaue competent meanes of the rest to maintaine and releeue themselues by which sinister and too common a dishonest practise many haue vniustly inriched themselues But such fraudulent getting goods come little short of if it equalize not meere roberie though for a while they may smile at and reioyce in their impious pollicie If thou therfore haue or intende thus subtillie to defraude thy Creditors hauing sufficient to satisfie them and in the meane time sufferest thy Creditors to want who peraduenture haue as much need as thy selfe there is not onely no pitie to be had of thine imprisonment but fit a more seuere punishment were inflicted vpon thee especially if thou be of the number of them that will rather spend that in prison or in standing out in Lawe to defraude a Creditor knowing that in equitie it is due then with the same money to make him honest satisfaction or in part But if thy debt haue grown by meere necessitie of borrowing and thou at the time of receiuing it hadst a true sincere and godly purpose to repaye it by probable expected meanes and in the meane time some crosse by the finger of God hath befallen thee whereby thou art indeed preuented of thy true meaning of the performance of thy faithfull promise thou art to bee excused in thy breach and pityed in thine imprisonment not hauing conueniently wherewith to pay and if thy Creditor able to forbeare doe continue the hardnesse of his heart towards thee still detaining thee thinke it a fatherly chastisement vpon thee to inure Patience in thee wherein if thou submit thy selfe to Gods will in working for thee by faithfull prayer thy Patience shall produce the experience of the loue and fauour of God towards thee so shalt thou not need to bee so much ashamed of thine imprisonment as he may be iustly condemned that detaines thee thou maist reioyce seruing the Lord when he shall be sorie that hee dealt so vncharitablie with thee It behoueth thee yet to examine thy selfe and thy life past whether thou haue liued in the feare of God and in godly diligence in thy calling or whether thou hast past thy time in idlenesse in ryoting gaming and company keeping according to the course of too many in this corrupt age and hast beene compelled through thy deserued necessitie to supplie either thine owne vanities or thy poore family to borrow not knowing any meanes nor hauing a godly purpose to repay it if it be so and thy Creditors haue
pursued the Lawe lawfully against thee and by them iustly and in the Iudgement of God thou be committed to this place of restraint thou hast that thou deseruest for to borrow other mens goods to wast them ryotously vpon thine vngodly and wanton delights is most wicked it is too much so to consume thine owne substance but so to consume other mens when thine owne is spent prodigally thou art not fit to haue thy libertie for by thy lewde course of life others are induced by thine example into the same excesse of ryot and fitter it is that the prison should keepe thee in and in order then to corrupt others abroad to the breach of the diuine Lawes of God who in Iustice doth punish thee for thy sinne and yet if this thy restraint may worke reformation in thee it sauours of the loue of God towards thee If therefore thou canst and doest repent thee of the ill spent life and canst and doest faithfully seeke the fauour of God for pardon of thy sinnes in his Christ thou maist imbrace thine imprisonment and not impute it to the seueritie of thy Creditors though they were the meanes vnder God for thy good they nothing lesse intending then to doe 〈◊〉 good but to come by their owne thereby but if thou be one whome God hath a purpose to reclaime from euill to make thee good thy restraint is the beginning of thy happinesse for Happie is the man whome God correcteth They are not strangers from his Couenant of grace but sonnes and daughters whome he doth chasten therefore though thou haue plaide the part of that Prodigall sonne in consuming thy patrimony and thy goods in wantonnesse this thy restraint may call thee home againe to thy louing fathers house and will make thee not a seruant but imbrace thee as a sonne by thy repentance in a true faith What haue all thy pleasures yeilded thee which thou hast so eagerly followed when thou wert at libertie but huske for swyne durt and draffe wherewith Satan feedeth them that followe him hee seasons them with sweetnesse to the fleshly minde yet is that sweetnesse but to fleshly mindes and is meere poyson to the soule wherewith if thou feele thy selfe at any time to be infected thou hast now time to take Physicke to cure thee thou art here in the place where thy heauenly Father hath appointed thee not to destroye thee but to dyet thee and to prepare thee to receiue some bitter Pilles to purge thee from the contagious humours of thy sinnes which the corrupte ayre of wicked companions of thine hath inspired into thee and it may be if thou hadst had thy libertie stil in the open fields of this corrupt worlds delights where thou art restrained for a Peny in comparison it might haue beene a pound so the procuring of thy freedome would haue beene the more hard to be obtained if at all But thou art in prison be thy debte much or little if thou cannot paye it and thy Creditors will exacte the vttermost Farthing what is thy last and safest refuge thou maist appeale vnto the Magistrate but hee cannot but maintaine his Lawes some mittigation by mediation may bee obtayned yet thou must endure the will of thy Creditor whose seuerity may in part against his will be moderated but his heart is in the hands disposing of the Almightie and therefore make thy petitions vnto God confesse thy euill and prophane life acknowledge thy sinnes that haue caused thy trouble repent thee heartily of them bee patient in them and thou shalt see that God who made the heart of thy Creditor can molifie it and insteed of his vttermost seueritie turne it into charitie and bee thou of a meeke spirit and of an humble heart towards thy Creditor and settle thine affections vpon heauen and heauenly things praye faithfully and feruently to God it may please him to worke the meanes to free thee but in his good time Innocent Ioseph lay two yeares in miserable imprisonment falsly accused yet highly beloued of God therefore thinke it not long for God seeth the time fit to deliuer thee better then thou thy selfe But when thou art sufficiently humbled and brought to the true feare of God and obedient to his will thou maist be assured he will let thee goe free A Prayer to be often said of a man imprisoned for debte O Lord my God in Iesus Christ I doe acknowledge that I haue grieuously offended thee by my sinnes which haue so deeply deserued thy displeasure as that thou either thinkest me vnworthy of the libertie and freedome which other men enioy in the world or in thy wisedome that restraint and imprisonment are more profitable for me then libertie I doe confesse indeed that my libertie hath wrought in me many occasions to offend thee and my restraint through thy grace may worke some reformation in me When I was free of this my trouble I did not so walke as I ought to haue done but many wayes abused that freedome which thou affordest me by committing many vnseemely and vngodly actions which thou hast forbidden and by omitting many good and godly duties which thou hast commanded which brought me to necessitie necessitie inforced mee to borrow to supply my wants and borrowing and not repaying procured the dislike of my Creditors and their seueritie in thy Iustice haue brought me into this place of vnsauourie restraint from whence I haue no meanes to bee freed but by thy meere mercy and prouidence onely wherein I know thou art able to deliuer me if thou thinke libertie more profitable for mee I cannot but confesse O Lord that I haue not onely deserued this but a farre sharper punishment for my sinnes yet as thou art a most gracious and louing Father so art thou euer ready to forgiue sinners vpon their hearty repentance and their sinnâ—â— being forgiuen thy propertie is either to remoue altogether or to mittigate their punishment Lord my debtes are out of measure greater to thee then my greatest can bee vnto man and my debtes to thee are encreased by the cause whereby I am become debter in this kinde vnto man But if thou Lord maist be pleased to pardon my debtes whereby I stand indangered to thee my debtes due vnto men shall bee the more easily satisfied and I shall be the sooner deliuered from this my captiuitie for he that is freely forgiuen of thee though he be in bands at the pleasure of men yet is he free in thee and he that is thy free-man hee cannot bee restrained according to the will of man further then thou shalt permit Therefore most gracious Lord God rich in mercie and goodnesse while thy will and pleasure is to permit mee in this place of restraint to remaine graunt that I may euen here enioy the libertie of a godly minde faith in thee obedience to thee and patience in thee with necessary meanes from thee for my reliefe and sustinance for thou seest my
beene as the hand to giue him from thee food for his body whereby by thy blessing he hath beene corporally sustained and growne strong in the flesh though weake in spirituall graces which are not in me to instill into him noâ— bestow vpon him He is indeed of the poluted seede of offending Adam yet maist thou be pleased and I humbly pray thee to accept him into thy fauour instructe him in thy feare indue him with heauenly knowledge and a perfect faith in thee and guide him by thy grace in a godly religious and sincere conuersation that he may cease to doe euill and cleaue vnto that which is good then shall hee serue thee and I shall prayse thee for his reformation and saluation Let neither his sinnes nor mine O Lord any more prouoke thee to anger lest thy seuere iudgements should fall vpon him and shame and griefe vpon vs his parents but his repentance shall be our comfort and wee shall reioyce in his conuersion and not onely we his parents but all the godly shall reioyce at his returne into the spirituall Societie of thy Saints Graunt it gracious Lord God for thy Christs sake whose righteousnesse accept as his righteousnesse and thy sonnes merits for mine and my sons many sinnes Amen Lord increase in him the holy feare of thy great name faith and obedience vnto thee and giue me grace with patience and prayer to wayte his holy reformation A perswasion to patience in the crosses that often fall betweene man and wife fit to be considered of maried folkes for their mutuall comfort with counsell to such as intend to mary THere is no man or woman fit for mariage estate that is ignorant and consider not of the causes for which that holy estate was instituted of God But now in this latter age many rashly enter into it neither knowing the causes rightly nor vse it reuerently which is the occasion of many breaches betweene man and wife In former times men and women were onely maried but now boyes gerles that onely feele by natures instinct that mariage is a pleasant life and are onely led by that lawe of lust to runne and rush headlong into that sacred estate without feare or wit like a barde horse into a battle not fore-seeing nor considering the dangers and troubles they runne into which holy estate ought not to be vndertaken but with highest reuerence vnto and in the feare of God the author of it Many onely consider that God created man male and female the man for the woman the woman for the man and consider not the sacred vse nor the institution of mariage they looke not into the beginning how God created man and the woman of the man to the end they two should by this coniunction become one and of one heart and one minde in two bodies they can peraduenture saye that indeed the woman was made of the ribbe of the man but that that bone became flesh of his flesh and by that meanes they two became one they cannot conceiue and yet will aduenture without either examination or consideration of the danger to take a wife and the woman a husband their least duties to God not learned of them at all nor considered Hastie mariages bring commonly as hastie repentance not that praise worthie repentance for sinne but for the sorrowe their vnaduised mariage hath brought them vnto rashly vndertaken without asking counsell of God whence doe spring all the troubles iarres brawles and discontentes betweene the man and the wife thus vnaduisedly coupled together But man and wife conioyned together in the Lord namely where they onely aime to liue together in his holy feare and humblenesse of heart in a liuely faith craue his holy fauour and fatherly direction to guide and gouerne them and after due reuerence vnto the Lord they yeeld mutuall and godly loue one to another with due obedience to God and after one to the other labouring to keepe peace vnitie and concorde betweene themselues in ayding helping cherishing sustaining each other in pouertie as in riches in sickenesse as in health and be of like godly affection one towards another with daily mutuall prayers to God that he will giue a blessing vnto them they may assure themselues to liue in plentie and peace and whatsoeuer crosses troubles or afflictions befall them they encourage one the other in the feare of God to beare them together with equall patience and whatsoeuer blessing they receiue at the hands of God they together giue thankes for the same These maried folkes thinke it not sufficient as many doe to ioyne hand in hand a token of their intire affections one to the other but heart with heart in the feare of God neuer to be disioyned vntill death deuide them But how can hearts be truely ioyned together that are of contrarie dispositions as many proue to be that make showe of a godly loues beginning can bitter and sweet can loue and hatred can ioye and griefe dwell together and how can hearts contrarily affected comfort one the other in the Lord can a truely louing wife reioyce to see her husband grieue or can a religiously kinde husband sing seeing his wife lament will they not rather enquire the cause of each others sadnesse and seeke the meanes to remoue it their ioye sorrow should be one as they are one they should beare equally one anothers burthen and neuer to be bitter one towards the other It is against the nature of man to hurt wittingly or wilfully his owne flesh but rather to vse all meanes to perserue it and therefore as man and wife by this sacred coniunction are of twaine made as it were one intire bodie though disiunct in person how can the one seeke to hurte the other but they must both feele the smart Discorde and dislike betweene man and wife is a crosse of all crosses a griefe of all griefes and a miserie aboue all miseries vnto either partie fearing God for as peace and concorde betweene them buildeth and establisheth the house so quarels and brawles turne it vpside downe Peace and loue twixt man and wife makes bitter waters sweet but hatred and iarres bring best things out of taste The good agreement betweene man and wife is one of the three things commended by God and man and the contrarie condemned of both If the loue and vnitie of brethren bee so sweete and pleasant a thing as that Dauid compares it to the most pretious oyntment what may be thought of the mutuall loue and godly agreement betweene a man and his wife when as either of them is to forsake father and mother brother and sister and all friends to betake them each to other A miserable thing it is and aboue all other former times in this our age to be lamented to see and obserue and many times to feele the discordes and quarels that arise betweene the husband and the wife the
originally from Sathan who moueth and maketh mariages as farre as in him lyeth betweene vnequals which may import many inconuenient matches not made in the feare and reuerence of God great inequality of yeares and much difference in estates cause often disparagements Houses and riches are the inheritance of Fathers but a prudent and vertuous wife is the gift of God And he that findeth such a one recâ—iueth a fauour from the Lord. But how can any man thinke that God will bestow such a fauour vpon him without asking Abrahams seruant that was but put in trust to get a wife for Isaack his Maisters sonne went not rashly and as the prouerbe is hand ouer head in this weighty businesse as to take the first that came to hand as many doe that conclude the match at the first sight But hee prayed vnto the Lord to send him good speede in the choyse and wayted the Lords prouidence and besought him to shew him certaine probable tokens that the mayde Rebecka was she whom God had appointed for Isaack That businesse which is begun with faithfull Prayer to God seldome or neuer succeedeth ill And aboue all other earthly occasions there is none of higher importance then the choyse of a wife or a husband either of them being an assured crosse or a comfort as long as both of them doe liue And for want of this heauenly beginning faithfull Prayer to God it many times comes to a helliâ—h ending which may be a motiue to stirre vp men and women intending to entertaine this holy estate to craue direction and wisedome from God both for their choyse and peace in that estate And because many already coupled together seeme discontent and afflicted in minde at their mutuall crosses now past reuocation They must be content to make a vertue of necessity namely to vndergoe the burthen that the one vnkindly layes vpon another and to pray either that God will ease it or giue them patience to beare it A Prayer fit to be said by man and wife together or by either of them at any time in priuate O Lord our GOD most mercifull and louing Father in Iesus Christ vouchsafe as it hath pleased thee of thy great mercy to conioyne vs man and wife together according to thy holy institution in the beginning So let our hearts be truly conioyned vnto thee in a liuely faith and true obedience And so frame our affections one towardes another as there appeare no cause of breach of our sincere mutuall duties to the offence of thee But by thy blessing wee may as long as we liue endeuour to preserue and maintaine peace and vnity betweene our selues being a thing pleasing vnto thee Endue vs both Lord with thy grace heauenly spirit that as thou hast by thy holy ordinance of â—wayne now made vs one so our hearts affections and enclinations may be euer one not according to our naturall dispositions but answerable to thy blessed commandements that wee giue no cause of offence each to other and that wee may euer endeuour to continue perfect and mutable in our mutuall loue which we by nature cannot doe for wee are corrupt and sinfull of our selues and alwayes most enclinable to forbidden things We haue also O Lord thou knowest a subtill and malicious aduersarie who striueth to crosse in vs all good desires and to peruert our best duties to raise discordes debates quarels and as much as in him is to breake the band of fidelity which we made each to other before thee He began thou knowest O Lord with the first couple Adam and Heuah It was he that seduced the woman and shee by his meanes betrayed the man and so subuerted their blessed estate of innocencie and made them subiect to all kindes of miseries and their posterities whereof we thy poore seruants are feeble and sinfull members And as he began in malice and subtilty to betray our first Parents So is he alwayes busie to sowe the seedes of debate and strife betweene vs. But Lord preuent him and assise vs by thy power that we may haue power to resist him and all his suggestions and tentations Then as thou Lord hast ioyned vs together nothing shall seperate our mutuall loues but Death And forasmuch Lord as this estate though in it selfe honorable may bring vpon vs many troubles crosses and afflictions incident to marriage estate in the world yet by thy fatherly blessing we shall be able to vndergoe them with patience or to auoyd them with thankfulnes It is not in vs in our wisedomes strength or policies to preuent or auoyde the infinite troubles and vexations which this estate bringeth with it Therfore we humbly pray thee O Lord to endue vs with wisedome froÌ„ aboue that whatsoeuer thou haue determined shall befall vs be it pouerty or plenty sicknesse or health weale or woe we may embrace the one with patience the other with thanks And in both support vs in thy loue guide vs by thy grace protect vs by thy power and prouide for vs in thy prouidence If pouerty or want assaile vs supply our necessities if riches encrease make vs thankfull and alienate our hearts from too much loue of them If sicknesse or any corporall infirmity ceaze vs be thou our Physician to cure vs If health continue leaue vs not in security but giue vs watchfull hearts to wayte the time of thy visitation If the fruits of our bodies encrease encrease to vs the meanes to sustaine them both with corporall spirituall necessaries And prepare vs for the day of our departure out of this mortall life and in the meane time so season vs in all heauenly and diuine knowledge with true faith and perfect obedience vnto thee as that day may be vnto vs the first day of our euerlasting Sabaoth Be thou also wee humbly beseech thee O Lord a continuall guide vnto vs in our calling Blesse vnto vs and vnder our hands whatsoeuer we endeuor to performe in thy feare and let thy blessing be vpon all that appertaineth vnto vs. If enemies seeke to molest vs to trouble vs or to hurt vs preuent them of their euill deuices and graunt that wee giue no cause of offence to any nor be stirred vp to reuenge vpon euery light occasion but vpon all occasions to leaue the reuenge to thee And that we may seeke to maintaine peace with all men to loue our neighbours to comfort the comfortlesse and as farre as thou shalt be pleased to enable vs to hâ—lpe succour and relieue the poore and needie and to doe vnto other men as wee desire other men to doe vnto vs To guide and gouerne our family in thy feare to frequent the places where thy holy word is preached seeking the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and to doe all other holy duties according to thy will vnto our liues end Amen O Lord encrease our faith and our mutuall loue one towards another How the Husband ought to behaue himselfe towards his
discontented Wife IT is before shewed and there is none that is or ought to be of either sex ignorant that the man and the wife are of two distinct persons made one entire misticall body The man the head of the woman and the woman a principall member of that head whom she ought to obay In the head is or ought to be reason wisedome iudgement and all other gifts whereby it may rightly guide and direct the inferiour members and the whole body Therfore thou man that hast taken a wife and made her a member of thine owne body thou art bound to loue her with a perfect loue according to the counsell of the counsell of the Apostle who spake by the spirit of God Let euery man loue his wife as himselfe And this loue consisteth in cherishing her in giuing her competent maintenance in defending her from danger as thou thy selfe desirest to cherish maintaine and defend thine owne person Thou must dwell with her thou must doe vnto her all such duties as that holy estate whereunto you haue beene both called and as the faith plighted each to other requireth And thou husband thinke not that because she is the weaker and made subiect vnto thee that thou therefore shouldest neglect her or tiranize ouer her but to be so much the more tender ouer her by how much she is weaker Thou must loue her as Christ loueth the Church whereof thou art a member and gaue his life for it And thinke not that because thy wife hath some infirmities that therefore it is lawfull for thee to loathe her or leaue her for if Christ should so deale with his Church or with thee a member of it as to cast it or thee off for the blemishes of it who could be loued of him Let not therefore euery fault that she commits in her weakenesse cause thee to be bitter vnto her in words gesture or deedes for by this meanes thou mayest cause the meekest woman to become like one of the furies But dwell with her as a man of knowledge in passing by her infirmity for if thou loue her thou wilt not obserue at least reproue all that shee doth through weakenes against thy liking If her faults be wilfull and in thine opinion grosse and intollerable such as by nature thou seemest not to be able to beare Shew not in thy hastines a more grosse infirmity in being too furious but reproue her with meekenesse admonish her gently Let thy corrections be comfortable counsell strike her not for it is the greatest reproach in the world for a man to beate his wife And it is the way in deede though she loued thee before to cause her to hate thee And what gaynest thou by thy seuerity but a heape of coales vpon thine own head If thou canst reclaime her by counsell thou shewest great wisedome If thou canst beare with her faults so they be not capitall against God thou shalt be commended of all good men for thy patience If neither reproofe nor counsell nor conniuencie will bring her to obay thee yet art thou not to leaue her But consider seriously with thy selfe whether the cause or some great part of it be not in thee whereby shee is moued to speake or doe that whereat thou takest offence Art thou not a Gamester art thou not Prodigall of thy purse art thou not idle in thy calling art thou not often in Tauernes Ale-houses in lewde and suspicious companies consuming that vpon strangers which should maintaine thine estate and family when peraduenture thy wife and children languish in penurie at home hast thou not or dost thou not purpose to make away some things that thy wife brought thee goods or lands against her will If any of these occasions moue her thou hast reason to beare with her and more reason to reforme thy selfe for commonly men thus giuen ouer to these vngodly courses are most apte to abuse their wiues if thou be innocent free from these and thy wife through her vnciuile and immodest cariage towards thee doe abuse thee and neither counsell nor kindnesse gentle intreatie nor seuerest threates will calme her thou must sit downe by it in silence and saye It is my crosse and I will beare it The best course thou canst take to remoue this inconuenience is for thee to giue good example to liue vertuously to serue God and to praye with her and for her to repent thee of thy sinnes vnfainedly and suffer these domesticall and houshold crosses patiently Be not wilfull nor too wise in thine owne conceite as to thinke thou canst tame thy wife more by tyrannie then tractability search and peraduenture thou shalt finde thine owne faultes as great or greater then hers If thou could as well see thine owne as thou obseruest hers thou wouldest acknowledge thine owne sinnes hath caused her to become a trouble vnto thee reforme therefore what is amisse in thee and thou shalt finde a comfortable issue of thy good endeauours and prayer A Prayer to be said often of a man who hath a wife of refractarie conditions O Gratious Lord God mercifull and euer-louing Father in Iesus Christ who hast the disposing of all hearts the working and setling of all good affections in man and wife the one towards the other Thou art the Father of all that loue thee the keeper and helper of all that come vnto thee in a liuely faith who receiue comfort of thee in whatsoeuer trouble or affliction I humble my selfe before thee and pray thee in the name of Iesus Christ to pardon and to forgiue me my sinnes the ground of all my troubles the greatest whereof O Lord I finde to be the vnquietnesse of my wife and her infirmities thou gauest her me and I tooke her for a helper but thou seest she showeth her selfe rather a crosse then a comfort vnto me to the griefe of my heart and the more by reason we offend thee by our contentions Lord consider her weakenesse and her infirmities and giue her wisedome and grace to reforme them The corruption of nature O Lord is strong in vs both in her to commit things grieuous vnto mee in me too great and vnaduised reproofe of her Lord vouchsafe vnto vs both thy holy Spirit worke in vs conformitie and obedience to thy will patience to beare one the others weakenesse I cannot Lord excuse or cleere my selfe of deseruing thy iust displeasure towards me by reason of mine owne sinnes but must and doe confesse my selfe worthily crossed by her that should haue bin my comfort for how can I expect obedience of her that is by nature weake when I my selfe that shoulde showe more strength obey not thee O Lord reforme in me whatsoeuer thou seest imperfect then maist thou in mercie be pleased to reforme her We came not together Lord without thy prouidence wee were conioyned by thee and by thee commanded to loue and to cherish one the other
that of the wicked but their endes not alike Wherefore then should a man fearing God be sorrowfull for his afflictions seeing he is thereby occasioned to search and to trye his wayes that finding himselfe guiltie of disobedience to God he may the more speedily returne vnto him lifting vp his heart and his hands to him and say I haue sinned and rebelled against thee therefore dost thou worthily punish me Fooles saith Dauid by reason of their trangressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted and is not euery man that feareth not God in the rancke of Dauids fooles nay who is so righteous that hath not committed folly by sinning and who then can be free from affliction If God should not correct vs herâ— for our sinnes he could not but reserue vs for destruction hereafter for such is the vilenesse of sinne and so odious to God as he neuer lets it goe vnpunished in Gods dearest Saincts here for a little space and the obstinate hereafter for euer therefore better to suffer chastisement here for a moment then to be heere free and hereafter perish for euer better to be corrected in the world then to be condemned with the world And we must consider that as we seeme and find our selues endued with a greater measure of guiftes and graces then some other men so we must thinke that God will trye these graces in vs and the power and vertue of them by afflictions and troubles here that through our patient suffering we may be knowne to be what we would be reputed to be for the wicked commonly come not in to such calamities as the children of God doe vnlesse by their wilfull running into miseries and dangers by their impious actions but the godly are not so much agents to procure as patients to suffer their afflictions they are tryed as siluer from the drosse by the fire of tribulation to make them perfect Yet such is Gods great mercie and fauour towards his owne as although he punish them he proportions their afflictions according to their strength and their strength according to the weight of their correction giuing them grace to possesse their soules in patience in greatest crosses causeth them to reioyce in them through the hope of the eternall weight of glory promised Seeing then that all Gods children are to suffer in one kinde or another and they that liue at their libertie and in the pleasure of sinne without trouble in what a lamentable case are they that doe not onely not fall into like affliction but boast of their freedome from all kinde of crosses Are there not some that say I was neuer troubled by Sathan I neuer felt any of his temptatiâ—â— Another I haue neuer 〈◊〉 sicke in all my life A third I knowe no enemie that I haue A fourth I want nothing my corne and Cattle prosper and I haue enough to maintaine me during my life Another boastes of his thriftie children Another of his beautifull buxum and louing wife Doe not many silly men thus foolishly â—latter themselues and thinke that God dealeth thus fauourably with them aboue others as an argument of his loue towards them farre aboue those that are many wayes afflicted but let them consider it well and they shall finde the contrarie for if God indeed loued them he would assuredly correct them for hee chastiseth euery sonne that hee receiueth for euery man is a sinner and for sinne he correcteth Therefore haue such men as are free from troubles greater cause by farre to suspect themselues to be out of Gods fauour then to boast of his loue and to thinke rather that they are vnder the power and slauerie of Satan and that the world the pleasures of the â—lesh haue bewitched them for where Satan is silent he suffers men to sleepe securely he is loath to trouble them out of their secure slumber And hee is content â—hat the world should smile vpon them and to giue them all sensuall content neuer desiring to crosse them And this maketh many poore soules falsly to imagine that they are here euen in Paradise when the deuill hath them Captiues But when it pleaseth the Lord of his great mercie to alter their carnally pleasing condition and to giue them some bitter potion or some precious eye-salâ—e to make them see the danger they stand in by awaking them by his correcting rod And they begin to be sensible of their miserable estate and to encline to repentance Then shall they finde Sathan before silent as a Lambe roaring as a Lyon bereft of his prey labouring by all infernall and â—lattering meanes to retaine them still And where before he seemed not to appeare in his likenesse in vsing any apparent tentations finding them already sufficiently chayned vnto him seeing now his Captiues like to breake loose and to escape They shall finde he will vomte out a floud of hellish tentations after them to bring them backe againe and will leaue no meanes vnattempted neither inward tentations nor outward allurements nor the enclinations of a mans own will to ouerthrow them And where before hee was contented they should be free from troubles and afflictions hee will now worke all the meanes he can to loade them with all kindes of miseries not to make them better but as much as in him lyeth to driue them to despaire in God And as Iobs wife by his instigation said to her husband to curse God and dye So that their case is dangerous that liue securely free from Sathans malice from feeling of their sinnes and from worldly troubles and happy are they that suffer here vnder the gentle hand of God and according to his will Sathans tentations and greatest afflictions are no new and strange things but vnto them onely that haue long beene lulled in the lap of all kindes of pleasures When crosses in deed light vpon them they thinke them strange but vnto the dearest children of God they are and haue beene euer familiar and Gods Elect Saints haue beene euer companions in afflictions Therefore St. Peter to the comfort of all afflicted to the end of the world saith Dearely beloued thinke it not strange concerning the firie tryall which is amongst you to try you as though some strange thing were come vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are pertakers of Christes sufferings that when his glory shall appeare ye may be glad and reioyce Therefore let euery man comfort himselfe in his proper affliction And consider well the course that Almighty God taketh with afflicted men be they punished in his anger in iustice or chastined in his mercie the naturall man maketh no distinction betweene iust punishments and fatherly corrections hee thinkes the chastisements of Gods children to be of the like nature as are his iust iudgements vpon the wicked And therefore maketh no difference but concludes all vnder one and the same sentence of wicked men because they
whereunto thou knowest my weake nature is enclined And thou Lord well knowest what a malicious and subtill aduersarie I haue Sathan that endeuoureth to draw me to rebell and to kick against thy fatherly corrections suggesting vnto me that they proceede of thy finall hatred towards me and coueteth to feede my carnall enclination with the vaine pleasures and delights of the world and the lusts of my corrupt heart and to reiect the yoke of thy gentle chastisements But Lord thou hast taught me to know and I haue found him as in deede he is a lyer an enemie a tempter O giue mee wisedome to obserue and strength to withstand all his tentations and aâ—lurements that I may onlâ—â—elie vpon thy prouidence mercie and goodnes wherein I know that all the troubles and afflictions which I now endure and that thou shalt hereafter impose vpon me are the true and infallible tokens of thy loue towards me And therefore shall neither my hope nor my patience in suffering be weakened notwithstanding his malice Though I should walke through the valley of death yea if Death were instant before me I will not feare for thou art with me in all my dangers to succour mee Thy rod thy staffe they comfort me Affliction and sorrow may endure for a little time and then coÌ„meth ioy Thy dearest children O Lord endure troubles but as they come of thee so are they eased againe by thee Thou hast sent me great troubles O Lord and many aduersities haue befalne me but not without thy prouidence and thou hast hether-vnto sustained me in them all I will therefore goe forward in thy strength who hast hether-vnto vpholden me by thy power And therefore my trust and sure confidence is that I shall neuer perish in whatsoeuer troubles Though sorrow and heauinesse vnder mine afflictions may seeme to oppresse me and to presse mee downe yet taking perfect holde through a liuely faith of thy neuer-fayling promises I am assured in thy good time to be finally relieued comforted In the meane time O Lord giue mee perfect patience and let my faith neuer faile mee But as thou hast willed me I cast my burthen euen the burthen of my sinnes for which thou correctest me and the troubles which thou inflictest vpon me for my sinnes vpon thee my Christ who hast suffered both for my sinnes and for the punishment of them And hast promised to nourish me to sustaine maintaine and vphold me in all my tryals Lord I haue had experience of thy goodnesse mercie and fauour towards me euer since I was borne by thee I haue beene stayed from the wombe Thou tookest me out of my mothers bowels I haue euer since tasted of thy goodnes thy power hath held me vp thy prouidence hath euermore found out meanes to relieue mee in my greatest necessity to defend me in my greatest dangers to ease mee in my greatest griefe O my God grant that I now may not distrust thine accustomed mercies but may still assure my selfe that when greatest danger shall befall mee that rather then thou wilt leaue me helplesse thou wilt giue thine Angels charge ouer me that I shall not be vtterly out of hope of helpe and that thou wilt send from heauen and saue me Thou hast promised to couer the faithfull euen with the wings of thy protection I beleeue Lord therefore I pray that thou wilâ— sustaine me and deliuer me out of some of my troubles I embrace thy chastisements O Lord with a thankfull heart knowing that that man is blessed whom thou correctest Be not therefore far from me O my God though I be compassed about with many troubles Though feare possesse my soule confirme my faith I shal not faint Thou hast promised not to be farre from them that call vpon thee faithfully let not therefore faith faile me O Lord and then lay what thou wilt vpon me for I know thee to be my Lord that hast made me my strength that hast hether-vnto sustayned mee my Redeemer that hast saued me and he that will for euer preserue me Amen Lord encrease my faith FINIS Patience beareth all things Patience brooketh not a repining heart Patience is neuer idle Patience a marke of the Childe of God Psal. 38. 15 Where no triall is Patience cannot appear Rom. 5. 3 4 Afflictions make not a Patient maÌ„ miserable but rather honorable Carnall men think Patience sottishnes Patience findes comfort in the end 2. Kin 18. 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 16. 〈◊〉 Why God sendeth his children troubles Heb. 12. 11 God limiteth our afflictions Iob 5. 6. Seuerall kindes of afflictions Luc 21. 1. We ought to imbrace whatsoeuer God layeth vpon vs. Afflictions Medicines for sinnes Good thinges become euill to the wicked Afflictions the crowne of the godly Gods children haue least rest in the world Iob 5. 17. Luk. 21. 19. Heb. 12. 6. Reu. 3. 19. God correcteth none but for sinne Sinne causeth afflictions No man is here punished according to the merit of sin Psa. 19. 12. Psal. 32. 5. No man can hide his sinnes from God 1. Io. 1. 9. The entrance into Gods fauour is to confesse our sinnes God doth not punish euery man a like Mat. 26. 75. 2. Sam. 12. 13. Though God forgiue our sinnes hee keepes vs in awe by some crosse Ver. 14. Beware of hardnes of heart We must with confession of our sinnes ioyne repentance in faith Math. 27. 34. We must daily confesse our sinnes because wee daily sinne but not stay vpon confession as Kaine and Iudas did Pro. 9. 27. Io. 11. 2. Ezec. 18. 32. Ver. 23. What true repentance is Markes of true repentance Sorrow for sinne and faith in Christ must goe together It is onely the grace of God that worketh repentance Rom. 8. 29. Eph. 1. 5. 6. 7. Wee bee made the sonnes of God in Christ in by whom wee haue power to pray vnto the Father 1. Io. 5. 14. Iam. 1. 6. We ought to take our afflictions patiently because they are sent of God God sendeth sometimes afflictions to make vs to acknoweledge his power with thankefulnesse in remoouing them Gods stripes hurt vs not but heale vs. Iam. 5. 10. They are blessed that suffer with Patience Counterfeit Patience Afflictions here the liuery and badge of Gods children Christ afflictions here in the world Nothing befalleth vs but by the prouidence of God Christ suffered not for himself but for vs. What is required of vs for the release of our sinnes How wee ought to make peace with God Sinne the greatest affliction that can befall a man Sinne a common disease and sickenesse of the soule of euery man Gen. 8. 21. All sinne proceedeth from the corruption of the heart A seruile feare 1. Io. 2. 1. 2. Gods mercies greater then our sinnes Micah 7. 18. 19. Psal. 103. 11. God died for sinners but not for such as dye in their sinnes The means to be eased of sinne 1 Ioh. 4. 14. The bloud of Christ is able to clense the greatest sinner
offence be committed seeke reconciliation speedily Take no offence at any mans words or deeds vnlâ—sse they 〈◊〉 to the disâ—â—nâ—â—r of God or the King God hath a hand in whatsoeuer befalleth vs. Because we see not our owne faults God makes other men to obserue them God vseth enemies often times to reclaime vs from sin Lue 6. 27. 28. The greatest hurt we can doe our enemies is to doe them good Rom. 12. 30. Pro. 25. 21. 12. The way to preuent a furious enemy Humane policie or force without the fear of God preuaile not against an enemy God weakeneth the power of the enemies of his children We must vndergoe ignominie and slaunders for a while and after comes glorie God sheweth not his anger when he suffers vs to bee persecuted for the profession of his truth Math. 5. 10. 1. Pet. 4. 14. If we suffer for Christ his Kingdom is ours by promise Christ is persecuted in his meÌ„bers It is an honour to suffer for Christ and he will reward A dangerous thing to reuolt from the truth for feare of corporall punishment Hee that denies Christ before meÌ„ he will denie him before his Father Sufferings are heere short our glory eternall If wee willingly forsake earthly things for Christ we shall receiue heauenly Losse of honor and office for Christ. Hee that willingly suffereth for Christ hath more honor then he that only preacheth it when there is no danger Thinke it no dishonor to suffer for Christ as a malafactor A Martyr for Christ a most glorious title Persecution a most glorious liuery of Gods children God in his loue suffereth his here to be persecuted for his sake The reuolt of others should not cause vs to feare Ill to be indifferent The cause why many are luke-warme They that kill the body cannot touch the soule Good to loose a corporall to finde ahealy life God doth comfort his at the time of their martyrdome In this time of the freedome of the Gospell this discourse may bee thought superfluous A religious King maintaining the Gospell a great blessing Why this treatise may be at this time borne withall The cause of banishment is to be considered An infectious meÌ„ber in a Common-wealth fit to be punished or banished BanishmeÌ„t presupposeth offence or danger It is not alwayes vnlawfull for a man to flie his Countrie Mat. 10. 23. Act. 14. â—16 â— King 17. 3 Cap. 19. 3. Exo. 2. 15. Gen. 27. 43. 44. Not to flie from the truth to false Religion Mat. 26. 56. Not to flie as an euill doer Gen. 4. 11 12. Many commit grieuous offences in hope to flie before they be apprehended Psal. 139. 9. 10. God finds a wicked man out goe where he will A forraine Countrie frees not a wickedman from the Iudgement of God The children of God banished finde Gods fauour euery where Where GOD is with a man there is his home A man may repent his sinnes and serue the Lord in any strange Countrey It was once a note of disgrace for a womaÌ„ to be barren and now many grieue they haue children Pro. 10. 1. and 17. 25. Rebellious children greatest griefe Though parents beget and beare children they cannot make them good Parents may doe their best endeuour but it is in GOD to make good children The duty of godly Parents to pray for their children The society of wicked youth â—he meanes to make many corrupt Rebellious children can make arguments against good Parents out of Scripture Parents may not giue ouer to counsell their children Deut. 21. 18 The auncient punishment of an vngodly sonne Many children for want of publicke punishment grow rebellious Late lamentation of some parents Euill youth a mischiefe to the common welth Foolish mothers most guilty of making ill children All pareuts not to bee condemned though many are A fearefull example of a father too indulgent and children stubborne 1. Sam. 2. 24 A wicked son comes commonly to a shamefull and fearefull end What godly parents should doe when they haue done their best duties to make their children good and cannot A good father not to be taxt for an vngodly sonne Good fathers may haue wicked children Gen. 4. 3. 2. Sam. 15. Gen. 16. 12. Wicked men haue not alwayes vngodly children 2. King 16. â— 3. 23. 2. King 20. 21. 21. 18. 22. 23. Godly parents may haue wicked and wicked parents good children They that mary ought to knowe why mariage was instituted Where formerly men and women were onely maried now boyes and gerles Carnall respects in mariage commonly leade men and women to mary Hasty mariages bring hasty repentance The true course how man and wife should conioyne themselues in holy mariage Not ioyning of hands but hearts in the feare of God Hearts contrarily affected can neuer be ioyned together in the Lord. Discorde betweene man and wife a great crosse Eccl. 25. 1. The loue of man and wife a most pretious oyntment Small matters in these dayes breedes quarels between man and wife Many are the complaints between man and wife WheÌ„ there was but one couple in the world one accused the other much more now A preposterouâ— gouernment where the foot guides the head The Scripture condemnes the woman to be more apt to giue offence then the man The man not excused Wiues often cumbred with idle and vnthriftie husbands Contentious women driues their husbands ofteÌ„ out of the house Pro. 27. 15. Cap. 21. 9. Man and wife ought mutually to examine themselues before they reprooue each other Man and wife must be equally content with their lot Many seem fond in the beginning that quickly growe colde 2. Sam. 13. 1. Pet. 4. 8. Vnequall matches sildome prosper long Pro. 18. 22. 19. 14. Men and women ought to pray to God to direct them before they conclude mariage Gen. 24. 12. The choyse of a wife or husband is a matter of great moment lightly regarded The man is the womans head and the woman a principall member of that head Ephe. 5. 33. Tâ—he loue of a man towards the wife consisteth in comforting her 1. Pet. 3. 7. A man ought not to leaue his wife because of her inâ—rmities Bitternes may moue the meekest woman How the Husband ought to behaue himselfe towards his Wife A mans greatest commendation is to win his wife with meekenes A husband must thus examine himselfe Men most faultie are aptest to abuse their wiues How a husband should behaue him selfe that hath an vnkind wife Wiues complaints are more common then husbands Crosses that men suffer here are infinite Why God afflicteth his children here Psal. 42. 7. One trouble calles for another Psal. 40. 12. Gods children must suffer here Ioh. 15. 20. The godly must looke for tryals If we sinne we shall be punished Iam. 3. 39. 40. Afflictions are not the cause of sorrow but sin that procure them Euery man that feareth not God is a transgressing foole God will trye the graces and guifts hee giueth vs by afflictions God proportions our afflictions according to our faith They are in an ill case that suffer no troubles Men that are not afflicted â—latter themselues that God loues them They that haue no troubles may suspect themselues As long as Sathan findes men to runne on in security hee troubles them not A dangerous case to liue securely The afflictions of the godly are not strange 1. Pet. 4. 12. 13. The naturall man makes no difference betweene iust iudgements and fatherly corrections Great difference in the wisedome of God in easing the godly and the wicked The end why God easeth the troubles of the godly The godly and the wicked may be alike afflicted Men afflicted ought to hold fast by God Wee must waite Gods deliuerie
Sauiour Christ and enioy the most amiable sight of him and the societie of the whole company of heauenly Angâ—ls and of thy fellow Martyrs gone before thee and be pertaker with him and them of that glorie that so farre passeth all humane apprehention here as cannot be conceiued or vttered O loose not this most blessed recompence for a little suffering but stand fast and Christ that before thee and for thee suffered infinite greater torments then thou canst suffer or that man can inflict vpon thee shall sende that comforter the holy Ghost to strengthen thee in thy greatest agonies and spirituall distractions he will stand by thee and will show thee his louing and amiable countenance as he did at the death of his faithfull Martyr St. Stephen Wherefore faint not flie not vnlesse thou without breach of thy faith maist auoide the daunger by the prouidence of God by flying from one place or Citie vnto another alwayes commending thy spirit vnto him that gaue it so where soeuer thou bee persecuted hee will receiue it and glorifie it and both thy soule and thy bodie shall be made eternally glorious when all men shall bee iudged according to their faith in Christ. This exhortation I doe confesse may be thought superfluous in this blessed time of peace and freedome of the Gospell for that Gods name be glorified there is neither seene felt or heard of any persecution among vs for the profession of the Gospell of Christ and let all men pray for the continuance of it and for the long life and preseruation of him a succeeding religious Dauid vnder whome by the mercy of God we at this day doe so freely enioy it They are the greatest blessings that God in earth can bestowe vpon vs the free vse of his word and a King so religiously inclined as it alreadie appeareth all his studie and endeauour is to further and to maintarne the true profession and preaching of the heauenly word which his most worthie and religious father left inuiolate Yet it may offende none that this exhortation which may seeme out of date is inserted among other troubles requiring patience for though our generall libertie be such that euery man at his libertie may freely professe the word and vse the meanes for the increase of his knowledge faith and zeale yet may there bee among so great a people of diuers opinions and practises of Religion some priuately oppressed scoffed at and mocked and it may be violently constrained to renounce the truth which in it selfe is a persecution who meclitating on this exhortation may peraduenture bee comforted nothing fearing but by the helpe and prouidence of God any alteration or change of that most holesome and heauenly doctrine which is here amongst vs freely taught and plentifully preached but shall be maintained and defended which God graunt it may be as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth A Prayer for a man persecuted for his faith and profession of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. OEternall mercifull powerfull and euer-louing Lord God in Iesus Christ the onely keeper Protector and maintainer of thy children that suffer here in the world for the true profession of the Gospell of Christ looke downe I humbly beseech thee and behold what man doth vnto me for thy name sake for thou hast assured those that sincerely professe that truth which thou hast taught in thy word in their sharpest and seuerest persecutions to bee either preserued and defended from their tyranny or to be so strengthened by thy grace that they shall be able to beare what soeuer they shall be inforced to suffer In hope and assurance of this thy mercie I reioyce that thou accountest me worthie to bee one though the simplest of the witnesses of the truth of thy word though I acknowledge my selfe to be weake and by mine owne strength vnable to beare what is laid vpon mee for thy sake But as thou hast promised Lord so let me feele the effectuall working of thy holy Spirit in giuing me wisedome to answere the aduersary patience and power constantly to vndergoe whatsoeuer thou shalt admit to bee laid vpon me for thou hast promised that no more shall bee imposed vpon me but by the strength of the same Spirit I shall be able to beare it euen vnto death for thy Christs sake If therefore deare father thou haue so determined that death shall be the end of my tryalls here giue me a willing minde to imbrace it and leaue mee not vnto mine owne power for the flesh is weake but thy Spirit shall ouercome the weakenesse of my carnall parts then shall my spirit and inward faith with patience passe ouer whatsoeuer torments of my outward body Thy presence shall be so sweet as shall swallow vp the sense of my bodies sufferings or so mitigate the same as I shall indure it with patience in hope and assurance of that future glorie promised in Christ prepared with thee in heauen My flesh is dust whereof all the limbes and lineaments of my body are made and as they are dust so I know in thine appointed time they shall againe returne to dust and that by the course of Nature but if thou haue decreed it vntimely to perish by suffering for the profession of thy name it shall bee but for a season and then be restored and my soule redeemed by his blood for whose sake through thy grace I shall bee ready to lay downe my life shall not perish but passe euen from the fire to felicitie from the Crosse to a Crowne from sorrow to ioye from the hands of malicious mortall men to the custodie of louing and eternall Angels O fortifie and strengthen me in the assurance of his merites for whose sake I suffer here which I confesse is nothing worthie of the glorie prepared for them that constantly suffer for the testimonie of a conscience cleare of vaine glorie in suffering yet is this suffering glorious to him whom thou makest truely godly for I confesse Lord it is not the suffering but the cause and mannet of suffering that make the man that suffers a true Martyr indeed The cause thou knowest O Lord is for that I truely and faithfully professe thy name graunt that I may suffer what thou hast determined in perfect patience and true humilitie and that I faint not at whatsoeuer punishment or affliction shall be presented to my weake heart to terrifie me from suffering for I know that thou art then neerest when all worldly comfort seemeth farthest off Let mee not therefore in thy cause bee affraid of the faces of men that set themselues against thee in me for it is not mee they persecute but Christ my Sauiour in me for what aduantage can they haue in taking from me a worme this my wretched life which if they spare it cannot long endure and what is my death O Lord vnto thee if they take it from mee but the weakest witnesse of thy truth the defence whereof
alas I cannot maintaine of my selfe and therefore according to thy promise teach mee euen at the instant of my greatest accusation that through my ignorance in a zeale which I cannot maintaine by thy word I should giue aduantage to the aduersaries Lord giue mee wisedome strengthen and confirme my faith maintaine thine owne cause in me and by me touch my tongue with that celestiall coale from thine Altar then shall I be able to giue a good account to them that shall question me for the hope I haue in thee hold mee by thy right hand that I starte neither backe nor a side for feare Thou art stiled the Eternall the Almightie who hast said thou wilt not giue thy glorie vnto Images nor thy praise vnto any other for thine owne sake therefore for thine owne sake O Lord looke vpon the afflictions not which I suffer onely but what and wheresoeuer thy poore children persecuted doe suffer for thy sake euen by his meanes that makes himselfe euen drunke with the blood of thy Saintes and that thirsteth euen for the blood of Kings thine annointed that honor him not Thou seest it O Lord and feelest the miseries of thy poore children afflicted here for thy names sake by his mercilesse ministers O represse the rage and furie of these mercilesse men that falsly conceiue of the sauing blood of Christ and yet are neuer satisfied with shedding the blood of those whom thou hast chosen to bee witnesses of the truth of it as thou hast reueiled it in thy word Thou art the God of glorie glorifie thy name and make perfect thy praise in strengthening thy weake children to witnesse thy truth with faithfull boldenesse euen before and to the faces of thy greatest aduersaries make perfect thy power in our weakenesse thy wisedome in our ignorance and thy great glorie in our deiected basenesse and giue mee wisedome and strength to vndergoe with all spirituall patience these and all other my troubles and meanes if it please thee to auoyde the danger which seemeth neere vnto me submiting my selfe willingly to vndergoe what thou hast determined for me Lord euermore encrease and confirme my faith in Christ my Redeemer Comfort and encouragement for such as are banished or enforced to liue out of their own natiue Countrie either for feare of persecution for Gods word or the feare of enemies that pursue them without iust cause IT is a heauie crosse for a man to be banished the Countrie wherein he was borne from his parents friends and alies But in such a case the cause is most especially to be considered for which thou art abandoned or dost abandon thy selfe If thou be banished by authoritie it is for that thou art an vnprofitable member of the Common-wealth wherein thou hast beene bred and brought vp and then is thy banishment iust and fit for as one infected sheep couchant with the sound may indanger many it may be the whole flocke and to preuent it a good Shepheard will cull it out from the rest he will tarre it dresse it and vse his best meanes to heale it but if his art and industrie cannot preuaile he either abandons it from the flocke or knockes it in the head Euen so a politicke State finding an infectious member in the Common-wealth by whose wicked lewde and vngodly example and inticements other good subiects may be indangered to be seduced after admonition and threates of the Lawe which not preuailing it thinketh and is fit in policie either to banish him which is the least punishment or to extende the seueritie of the Laws vpon him If therefore thine exile proceede of thine owne vngodly merite take it with patience and thinke it a fauour of the State to hold it satisfied for thy transgression when it might in seueritie haue taken thy life It is also one thing to be banished from and another thing for a man to flie his Countrie Banishment presupposeth some great offence committed suspected or conceiued to be done by a man against the Lawes of the Kingdome from whence he is abandonned or against the Religion therein professed And a man to flie his Countrie argues either a guiltie conscience for some offence done for which hee dares not stand to the rigour and tryall of Iustice a common refuge for malefactors and often attempted also by some that stande fearefull of the furie and violence of some great and vnresistable enemie It is not alwayes vnlawfull for a man to forsake his Countrie as if he be persecuted for the true profession of the Gospell of Christ in a mans owne natiue Countrie hee may by Christs owne warrant seeke refuge in another Hee that is persecuted in one Citie let him flie to another Paul and Barnabas Christs worthy Apostles being oppressed by the malicious Iewes in Iconium for the profession of the name of Christ fled to Listra Derbe where they more freely preached the Gospell Neither is it vnlawfull to flie the furie and rage of a malicious enemie Eliah fled by Gods command from the furie and threates of Ahab that sought his life and after from Iezebel when Pharaoh sought to kill Moses Moses fled to the land of Mydian Iaacob was enforced to flie out of his natiue Countrie to Haran for feare of his brother Esau. Beware that thou in flying mistake not the cause as to flie from the truth and from the true worship of Christ to falshood and Idolatrie If for the profession of the truth thou be accused and restrained before thou canst make lawfull escape though thou be assured to dye for Christ vse no sinister practise to auoide it as distrusting God as the Disciples did that fled from forsooke Christ when he was taken neither flie thou as an euill doer as a Theef or a Murtherer or as guiltie of any other grieuous offence for which thou darest not to abide the tryall though for a time thou maist escape the sword of the Magistrate but the guilte of thine offence will followe thee into what remote Countrie soeuer thou goest and wheresoeuer thou carryest the guilt of thy crying sinne there also followes the Iudgement of God as it followed Kayne that slew his brother who ranne and ranged from place to place but still the Iudgement of God as a Blood-hound found him out Thy best refuge is to flie vnto God by repentance and prayer for mercie Many euilly disposed persons presuming to escape the Lawe by flying the Kingdome haue perpetrated most impious actions murthers treasons rebellious theeueries and the like and haue escaped but could neuer escape the Iudgement of God which hath either enforced them to returne and then to receiue their condigne punishment or haue endured greatest miseries disgraces and shame where they haue thought to be in most securitie and ease for howsoeuer runnagate traytors thinke that by committing some capitall mischiefe against their Soueraigne or State wherein they liue to fulfill