inherit the earth And as Paul in his salutation said Grace be unto you and Peace through our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 1. 2. And In as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. Now first there is a personal or particular peace that is a peace with a man 's own self Mind Actions Waies and Conscience Secondly There is a domestick peace that is with Masters Servants Husbands Wife and Children And thirdly There is a Relative Neighbour or Parochial Peace that is one Neighbour Friend or Relation with another And Moses reproved the two Israelites for quarrelling saying They were Brethren Exod. 12 13. Oh! how good is it saith the Psalmist for natural or spiritual Brethren to live together in Amity Psal 133. 1. Fourthly There is a National and Ecclesiastical Peace which we are to pray for and desire also But this is rather to be desired than expected While some men know more and others less there will be disputes and some differences for all men have not the same fancies nor Physiognomies but do differ there and in mind too However for peace and quiet sake let the strong comply with the weak and the weak not to despise and judge the strong because they know more than themselves And this is to become all to all men as Paul did to gain some And for God Christ Peace and Angels sake do you do so which was the Song that millions of them sung at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Shepherds yea the universal world saying Glory be to God in the highest Luk. 2. 14. Peace and good will towards men on earth But for your worldly outward Peace take Paul and Christ's counsel in a word and so shall you preserve and keep it First Wrong no man saith he Act. 25. 10. Secondly Forgive your Enemies sayes Christ Matth. 5. 44. which two Scriptures well observed would make a great deal of peace in the world especially amongst the best of good Christians But I shall not mind nor trouble you further in any thing of this nature about Peace above mentioned only this A personal inward Peace which is a thing of great concern for Eternity namely your Soul-Peace and for that take this great Scripture Simile or Parable of our Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 5. 56. Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him lest at any time thy Adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into prison Verily I say unto thee Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing which is as much as to say never never And now pray will you mind this young Ladies and Gentlewomen for you for the most part are most ignorant of the holy Scriptures and their meaning This is a true and great Parable of Soul concern and therefore Christ's counsel is serously to be minded by us Our Adversary is God and God though he be the God of all Good Grace Glory Eternal Love and Infinite Endless Mercy yet he is an Adversary to every Man and every Man and Woman by nature too is an Adversary an enemy at distance to him till he be reconciled by Christ for the breach of his most righteous just and equal holy Law Psal 119. 19. Every branch of which as it contains a beam of his eternal will and image is more pure than the Sun or gold tryed in the Fire as the Psalmist hath it Psal 119. 72. Now whil'st sweet life and the holy blessed Gospel is continued and preach'd to us we are in the way in the right way that we may be reconciled to this good God who is yet an Enemy and will continue so if we do not agree and make peace in the blood of Christ But he namely God delivers us by death any kind of death that kills us Consumption Surfeit Cold Ague Feaver Small-Pox Age Gout or Dropsie c. so that we be put into the Judges hands namely the good Lord Jesus Christ's who is and shall be Judge of quick and dead he finds us guilty of debt sin unbelief and breach of God's holy Law sends us and delivers us over into the Jaylors hands the Devil and he presently casts and carries us to Hell where we never come out nor can till we pay the uttermost farthing that is till we satisfie to the uttermost for God's wrong and infinite strict Justice for the breach of his holy righteous just and good Law which can never never be though we lie millions millions and ten thousand millions of years as Francis Spira once said Oh Lords Ladies Gentlewomen and other poor People make Peace while you may make Peace yea whilst Christ and the holy Spirit of Christ sweetly knocks with an Olive branch of Peace pleading with you at the door of your hearts Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock that is by good motions and if any one hear and open the door that is hearken to my counsel I will come in and sup with him that is give him pardon and comfort Rev. 3. 20. And so again Cant. 5. 2. Open Open unto me my Love my Dove and come away And now if you have taken his advice and have made your Peace by hearkening unto Christ and taken his counsel who is an Advocate Friend and Counsellor to plead for you to the Father by shewing of his Blood Death and Merit in a way of Intercession to the Father for poor Sinners then will he be a Saviour to you and not a condemning Judge to turn you over by Death to Hell and the Jaylor but will convey you safely by the holy Angels who are now your Guardians to the Bosom of the Father And now if you have made your Peace as easily yet you may if you have not and do but look about you with a grain of Faith through the Blood Life Death and Merit of Jesus Christ as I said before then you have little else to do but to study all kind of Peace in your Families Parish-Church and every where where you can come or go That ye may be called the Children of the Living God Rom. 9. 26. The Sons and Daughters of the most High God 1 John 3. 1. And so Peace-makers indeed And this frame of spirit with the Spirit of God in you Rom. 8. 10. will be a great Witness and Comfort to you that you are now the Children of God and if Children then Heirs as the Apostle sayes verse 17. and so Joynt-heirs with Christ O unspeakable Love and Grace What! an Heir with Christ Ay sayes the Text a Joynt-heir with him of what nay that 's for Eternity to tell but this we may say they are Heirs of First of Eternal Life and Resurrection from the Dead Luk. 20 36. But they which shall be accounted worthy of that world namely Heaven and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry
Madam THis is certain That the Sun Moon and Stars in some sense do not more adorn the Heavens than good Lives good Doctrine and good Works do Religion and if any Religion in the world be more inward spiritual and heavenly than others surely it is the Doctrine of our true reformed Protestant Religion which lies not in Shews and Ceremonies but in Love to God and all that bears his Image which we Poor Children cannot yet be said to do whilst Poor and altogether ignorant of our selves and Maker and such are We And all We which do humbly present our selves as Objects to your Honour's Charity And yet if We or some of Us by God's Blessing good Discipline Catechizing and Preaching shall be brought to know our selves and the Lord Jesus Christ as well as to get our Bread and be put forth into a hard World to live another day then our Advantage will be great and your Satisfaction also because your Bounty has contributed to this good Work and because 't is a good Work 't was very unfit your Honour should be left out in the least For your Good and Noble Lord has ever still been in as we hope he will when Religion Liberty or the Civil Interest of the Nation has been at stake in the least as a bold and brave Champion for his King and Country yea the three Kingdoms for which God Almighty bless all and every Branch of Ye And may your Names be in the Memory of our Nation your own Country as it is Yea the Lamb's Book of Life especially for all out of that will be everlastingly cast into the Lake that burns for ever Rev. 20. 15. God Almighty bless us all with the Power of Religion that we may yet have an abundant Entrance into his everlasting Kingdom To whom be Power Glory and Dominion world without end Amen Amen Right Honourable and Good Madam THE Great God and his Goodness having made you and your Lord not only Noble and Great in Quality but Good and Gracious in Disposition loving Humility and Religion which teaches the right way to Life and Happiness as it is most full and plainly revealed in the holy blessed Writ and Word of God the which may ever dwell in your hearts to shine in your Lives as it does Oh! when Lords and Ladies fear the Lord God Almighty that made Heaven Earth Sun and Seas they do abundantly add to their own Honour and praise their Creator too May you both so do love him and live to him who is all and will be all for ever And may he dwell in your hearts by faith establish root and fix you both in himself Giving you to know taste and comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth breadth length and depth of his grace and to know the Love which is unsearchable and passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes 3. 17 18 19. Yea may the young Lord your Son grow as a Lilly be as a Vine that runs over the wall and in time root as a Cedar to be tall in the Nation and may many Branches be his Portion yea all the Blessings of Joseph or everlasting Hills come upon his head to be as a fruitful Bough and Blessing to your Family Gen 49. 25 26 27. Yea may you both live to see all this and our poor divided Nation flourish yea our little School live and thrive which is a thing near where your Honours have been sometime past taking a little Air and will be for God's Honour if it flourish and be well disciplined which is sweet and good and Charity wholsom also and therefore pray Madam let us tast a little of your Bounteous Goodness for we have nothing else to live upon nor no such Noble Good Protestant person as your self to help us that is near and therefore pray good Madam do something for us and our School which stands so full or near in your Eye And we will never cease to beg the best of blessings in Heaven or Earth to be on you and yours Most Noble WE the great English Ladies Charity School-house of High-gate which are yet but in our Infancy as it were do with all humility adore you the virtuous Maiden-Ladies of that high or mighty State or Common-wealths Embassador being desirous that your and only your most Noble Names and Charity be Rolled and Registred with the Ladies of our Nation For as Queen Elizabeth of happy memory did love you more than any so We and the People of this Nation in general do wish to You above all the Common-wealths in the world great Prosperity and Peace and may never more unhappy breach be or drop of blood spilt by any enemy whatever but may your Ships and ours be as the mighty Ships of Tarshish to carry in and out the Treasures of the world to the Church of God or the people of the world which do favour them and all your Guns and ours be as Brazen walls to defend both and Truth from Falshood or at least our Habitations and Enjoyments and from this Union may the Children of men and the Christian world suck the Consolation of Peace and Quiet if they will be quiet and then we Poor Hospital-Boys will never bow nor beg of any Foreign Prince or States Embassador in the world set your most Honourable Ladiship 's Father aside but yours we naturally love and your great Figures and Names we would all fain beg to be visible in our Charity School for all Ages to come May it please your Honour most Good and Great Lady AS we have presumed to petition the She Princess of this world or the great Ladies of this Nation to be charitable unto us so we most humbly do your Honour also presuming a Figure of your making in the Ladies Roll must needs be like your self Great and therefore the good God and his Son from Heaven bless you and your Sir Henry make you still to love your King and Country as you really do and live for the Kingdom of Heaven To love your King is to love him in his Person Power and Just Prerogative to love him in all the good he doth his People your Country yea the whole Nation Prince and People's Happiness is much bound up in God both in living unto him and therefore Heaven must still be at the end of our living and the end of our dying for then Eternity comes to be a serious thing Sharp quick and great Wits have ever sooner or later found the Power of Religion Everlastingness makes time and action short here and in that we shall have time enough to look back read over past things Great Actions will be there greatly influenced by it and for little ones of this nature they cannot trouble either mind or thoughts in another world being so warrantable as they are and commendable too Lord what am I whence came I whither go I so fast away and yet the Nation lies at stake
will certainly wish he had never been in a dying hour who lives not unto him All things fail me now but my God my duty and my prayers Mason So then faith never fails said he who had been five times Embassador for King James But from all chiefly learn this the world to be vanity that God in Christ Faith and holy Duties well performed were never failing things that is to say holy Duties done by Divine assistance and the sense of his Love in Christ But all things else fail us and Cordials cease when breath and life slies away But God is my portion for ever saith the Psalmist 16. 5. Money will not nor money cannot buy one moment from the grave for what would not some give could the Physician help but Faith and Holiness will help practise then the Art of well living for the comfort of well dying Great peace have they that love thy Law saith David Psal 119. 165. Many shall be the sorrows of those that sin much here or hereafter And I suffer these pains for my sins past saith a great Lord. And I shall never sleep more saith a Carding Gentlewoman the word Eternity doth so run in mine Ear. And indeed it is hard when people spend their time in Carding as she had done and come to dying to find comfort Oh! but a good conscience sings sweet Remember O Lord I walk before thee says good King Hezekiah 2 King 20 3. I have finished my work sayes Christ Joh. 17. 4. I have fought a good fight sayes Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7. And I have loved Preached and lived to thee sayes Luther Oh Christ from my Soul And so have I says Beza and I am weary of sin and willing to dye But what have you great Ladies done that you should expect to live with Angels and sing with that Coelestial Quire the praises of the Lamb to all Eternity Rev. 7. 9. Come and begin Heaven here on Earth that ye be never made the tayl at last you are now uppermost in all places rooms and companies would you be lowermost in the next world Lords lead you by the hand up and down stairs where your steps go pit pat with your silver Clappers But oh if ye do not live to Christ what will become of you when the Silken Stockin and the Silver Shoe the Holland Shift and all must off and as ye come into the world so must ye go only your Mother's blood will be washt away Princes Kings and Queens must all lye down to Death and Parliament Lords must pull off their Robes but Death can never strip a Saint nor any true believing penitent of Christ and his Righteousness no no Worms may eat his skin through and through and the Grave consume his flesh and bones to dust as Job speaks Job 19. 26. Yet shall I see my Redeemer But will he own you then if you do not own him now My Sheep hear my voice and I give to them Eternal Life sayes Christ But you would none of me Joh. 10. 27. I have piped sayes Christ but you would not dance I have mourned but ye would not lament Mat. 11. 17. Christ Preached Repentance by John to the Jews but they would not mourn Christ Preached Forgiveness by himself but they would not believe nor have any of his Salvation Oh! take heed and again take heed that ye Great and Noble Gentile Ladies do not the same The Gadarens once preferred their Swine before the Lord of Life and Glory and intreated him to be gone out of their Coasts or Country Luk. 8. 37. And take ye heed that ye refuse not the waters of Shiloah that run softly Isa 8. 6. and slight him that speaks from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. prefer your Lusts Toys Honours and every little thing before your Lord and Master Why should the braying of an Ass be more acceptable to you than the most melodious Musick of the Gospel I mean base and mean things before the high and heavenly ones of God Oh! tast and see that the Lord is gracious and Religion sweet Psal 34. 8. I will assure you 't is said a great Countess to the Lord Bartlet And Cursed be the man said the Noble Marquess Galliaces that thinks all the pleasure in the world worth one hours communion with God And if you would have communion with God sit down and sink down in your spirits and converse with your selves a little before ye go hence and be no more but the Devil visits and twenty needless things will not let you sit down walk alone or be in the dark one hour to mind Death Heaven Hell and Eternity Indeed it is hard for a man of much business or a Lady of much Honour and Courtship to mind the main or to live to him at all who lives much for others Wise men and Great men and States-men too are great strangers to themselves many times Oh! let 's live to our selves We have lived to our Fortune our King and our Country let 's live to our selves before we go hence All the world will not make amends if we neglect it said Sir Francis Walsingham to Lord Burlington who were great States-men in Queen Elizabeth's time and if you neglect it too to breed up two or three young Lords or Ladies to stand in your room and stead meerly to maintain your Honour and the Honour of your Families and not mind the Honour of Christ and his Exemplary Life or Laws which should be copyed out in your Lives and Children's Conversations What do ye more than others as Christ speaks nay do ye not worse than others many times Matth. 5. 47. As if Greatness were necessitated to abandon Piety and Goodness This is a bad conclusion Great men should imitate the great Planets and the great Deity by being good and doing good but you do hurt many times by bad Examples sinning leading others into sin send away your Children for a little breeding to the hazard of their Souls match them to the worst of men for a little Honour many times weep for them when they are sick and laugh when they sin But Cato advises He that will buy a Farm should look well what Neighbours he has but the qualifications of the person had need more be minded of the Young Lady's Servant because 't is for Life For Honour is but a shadow without Piety and will prove a bubble a bubble as one cryed out of all the world upon the thoughts of Eternity indeed that swallows all things as mighty Whales does the little Fishes how quick and soon this comes God knows Man walks sings laughs and talks and Ladies do the same play upon the Lute and Citern one day and to Death's Pipe the next And now if Death and Night puts an end to Life and Day what should remain but to work whilst day and time last because though another day comes and that past yet the same Day and Life nor may that opportunity be which in
honest Mr. Perkins that old Puritan Minister did calling upon God for the pardon of all his Sins both as to Commission and Omission Policarpus being pierced with a Sword issued so much Blood that it almost quenched the Fire and amazed the Beholders as it were At his Apprehending they hurried him so fast along that they broke his Leg crying This is the Father of the Christians and the despiser of our God said the Heathens And says Ignatius the first Martyr as we read of When the Beasts have ground me and my Bones with their Teeth I shall be as God's White Bread and I will worship none none but the God of Heaven Said another And none but Christ none but Christ said that brave English meek and humble Martyr John Lambert when half burnt by Henry the 8th for denying the real Presence in the Sacrament The Soul is in the Body but not the Body So Believers are in the World but not the World said another Doctor Hall said The English Clergie were the Worlds wonder He means the Painful Pious Preaching ones and would some were in again that were long ago put out Tertullian wrote Day and Night and made an Apology for the Christians and complained That too many Lawyers did almost as much hurt as Souldiers But Pliny told the Heathen Emperor The Christians did none but pray'd in the Night and sung Hymns to one Jesus but they would not Lye Steal nor commit Adultery but did visibly eat together But the Souldiers wearing all Crowns of Lawrel upon their Heads for a great Victory which the Emperour had obtained A private Christian wore his upon his Arm saying It did not become him nor his Fellows to be Crowned with it Head Heart Feet Milt and Liver are all failing said a great Divine Arise make ready mount my Soul and go away I saw not you my Children when you were in the Womb God that fed you then will be a Father to you when I am gone and you shall not want I am weary of Sin and willing to Die God's Mercy is unspeakable One Saterday Morning especially I found the power of Religion and the certainty of the other World and Divine Eternal Love Glory glory to the Deliverer of my Soul out of all doubts about it Origen was fastened by the Neck with an Iron Chain his Feet in a pair of Stocks till he died Paul and Barnabas differed a little Act. 15. 39. But in Heaven Luther and Zyngulus will agree together said a Father though here in some things they could not Come Oh sweet Jesus Christ thou bright Morning-Star come I desire to be with thee said Holland Zepheron was said to be the Blind Man's Eyes and the Lame Man's Feet And the Lady Warwick gave both Books Clothes and Money for the Schooling both in England and Wales And a great Countess that lives in or near the Strand being lately in the Country was informed of a very poor Family which she went in Person for to see and finding the poor Woman Sick and Weak having two or three Children in the Bed and no other Boulster but an old Straw Cushion she presently caused a good Caudle and saw it made for the Woman gave her a very considerable sum of Money and ordered Boulster Bed or Blanckets for the Children and all this is good Charity and Humility too And to breed up poor ignorant Countrey Boyes to know God and themselves is the same which shall be endeavoured in your School-House yea 't is as much as to feed the Blind and Lame and in some sence rather more for the Soul is better than the Body To teach a young Bird to sing or young Boys to fear God is the best thing in the World The Light of Europe is the Gospel and the life of Preaching is for holy Living but Persecution brings Death and Life too Says a Father Death in one hand and Life in the other it kills the Body and crowns the Soul I have Lived long and Sinned long saith Beza but now I am willing and would fain Die to be rid of it giving God thanks for six things And some signal Mercies every good Man may find besides his daily ones Basil being profer'd Honours to Apostarize cryed They were changeable being threatned with Confiscation and Banishment he cried he need not fear he had little to loose and for Banishment Heaven was his Home or Country as for his Death they might do it with one blow You are mad said they Ay and ever will be for Divine Love is to me a never failing Treasure Francis Junus was converted with that Text In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God John 1. 1. And by this through the tender Mercies of God was I brought Home and when a Prodigal and a great Sinner comes Home there is great joy in Heaven Perkins converted a poor Thief that was going to be Hanged thus he wringing of his Hands upon the Ladder Perkins asked him why he was afraid to die Oh said he 't is t'other t'other Death I am afraid of Ah man come down a little and see what God's good Grace can do for thee and by Prayer so opened the nature of Sin and then of God's free Grace and Mercy by Jesus Christ for the Pardoning of it that he made the man both chearful and willing to Die He wrote many Books and frightned Sinners with that word Damn and yet would open the Blood Death and Merits of Jesus Christ in the Preaching of the holy Gospel Most wise Men desire the Lawyer and Phisician to deal plainly with them and Lords and Ladies should not love a Flatterer in the Pulpit nor a Chaplain that is not Holy Harmless or Exemplary in the Family Ambrose boldly reproved Theodotius the Emperor and used to say Men embrace Gold but refuse Salvation put off that on any account and catch at good Bargains The World is a Bird in Hand Heaven is one in the Bush like the Frenchman that would not leave his part in Paris for Paradise Theodoret said The delight of the Soul is to know its Maker And the great learned Earl of Leicester said Man differ'd in nothing more from a Beast than in his Reason especially Heavenly Reason Wisdom and Vnderstanding Hierom would not live in Rome because it savoured so much of Paganism and sinful Pleasures hardly of any true Christianity which is an inward Mystical and outward mortifying Thing and indeed it has not been long free from one Wickedness or another Ignorance Uncleanness Persecution Idolatry Sodomy and therefore well may she be called the Mother of Harlots who takes Money and Rent for so many Stew-Houses yearly and it is as good Money to him as the best which comes into his Cosser But if my Father or Mother Brothers Sisters and Children were all before me weeping and hanging on me to keep me in a sinful Life I would despise them all and fling them to the Ground saith
his sake And now said they We do commit thy Soul to the Devil We believe it was in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for usually such wickednesses are so pronounced But I said John Huss do commit it to my dear Redeemer Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As he lifted up his head the Crown of Paper fell off but they put it on again saying Let him be burnt with his Masters the Devils And as they tied his Neck with the Chain he smiling said This I suffer for Preaching of the Holy Gospel singing three times with a loud voice Lord Jesus Christ thou Son of the Living God have mercy on me He told them at his Death God would raise up out of the Ashes of the Goose for so Huss's Name signified in the Bohemian Language in 100 Years a Swan in Germany whose Singing would affright all the Vultures which was exactly fulfilled in Luther But for Jerom of Prague he was so bold and zealous that he wrote certain Letters which he sent to Constantine to be set up upon the Gates of Noblemen and Cardinals shewing the purity and clearness of his Faith and Doctrine for which he was accused and that he was ready to come and make good all he had Preached His great Crime was he had thundered against the ill Lives of the Monks and Fryers but being taken into custody he was sadly used fed with Bread and Water and tyed almost Neck and Heels together so that he sell sick After a long time they required him to subscribe That John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly for fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands But he soon repented saying before the Council All the Sins he ever committed in his Life did not half so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as that pestiferous Sin When they had condemned him he said I Cite you all to answer it within 100 Years before the most High Judge of Heaven and Earth in the mean time I leave a remorse and nail in your Consciences He was bound to the Image of John Huss and had a Paper-Crown of red Devils painted on his head When the Executioner went to kindle the Fire behind him he bade him do it before his Face saying If I had been afraid of Death I had not come to this place for I had opportunities to escape but this Soul of mine in burning flames Oh Christ I will offer thee And for his Oration that he made before the Council it is said That no Tongue is able to express that learned Elegancy and Braveness of his Speech shewing what the Best of Men had still suffered in all Ages Latimer was a zealous Papist till Mr. Blinny converted him and then he was made Bishop of Worcester he preached twice a day and in Queen Maries days he was laid up in the Tower As he rode through Smithfield he said that had groaned for him many Years He used to pray for three things First That as God had made him a Preacher of his holy Word that he might seal it with his Blood if called thereunto Secondly That God of his Mercy would restore his Gospel to England once again once again Shall we not prize it Thirdly That the Lord would preserve Queen Elizabeth and make her a Comfort to the Comfortless Realm At his Burning the Blood run out of his Heart so abundantly as if all the Blood in his Body had gathered there according to his Prayer which struck the beholders with Astonishment In the Fire he stroakt his Face with his Hand crying out Oh! Father of Heaven receive my Soul and so died 1555. Ridley in the same Year writing to Latimer he said Good Father assist me with your Prayers for unless God stand by me I shall play but the part of a white liver'd Knight At his hearing he stood bare till the Cardinal named the Pope and then he put on his Cap. A Woman weeping for him a day before his Suffering he cried Ah! Mistress I see you love me not it appears you will not be at my Marriage to Morrow meaning his Burning nor will be therewith contented A Friend offering to watch with him he cried I intend to go to Bed and sleep as quietly as ever I did in my Life At the Stake he cryed Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Lord Jesus receive my Soul But the Fire being prest down by much Wood he desired for Christ's sake to let the Fire come up to him his lower part and Legs were quite burnt before his upper part so that he fell into the Fire He going one day by Water the Thames being very rough and the Watermen being a little fearful he cried Fear not you carry one that must be Burnt and not Drowned John Bradford was persuaded by Booker to enter upon the Ministry and he modestly complained of his want of Parts and Learning Oh! says Booker be not discouraged if you have not fine Manchet give them Barley Bread But being in Prison Condemned one comes running to him Oh! Mr. Bradford I bring you heavy News you must be burnt to Morrow I saw your Chain a buying At which he plucked off his Cap saying I thank God for it the Lord make me worthy lifting up his Eyes to Heaven saying Life with God's displeasure is worse than Death and Death with his true Favour is better than Life Oh England repent of thy Sins repent beware of Idolatry and false Preachers and take heed they don't deceive you A good Prayer And to another he said Be of good comfort my Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord. He was so Charitable that in a hard Time he sold his Jewels and Rings to relieve them that were in Want He was so humble that he often subscribed some of his Letters The most miserable hard Hearted unthankful Sinner John Bradford a painted Hypocrite Rowland Taylor was a great Preacher and would often visit the Poor and Sick and relieve them too when Bedridden but being threatned by the Bishop's Pursurvant he said I know my Cause to be so good and just that I will appear before them and to their Beards resist their false Doings I fear not their Lordly looks nor the Proudest of them all Going to the Fire he told the Sheriff I shall deceive a great many being a fat Man for said he I thought the Worms in Hadley Church-yard must have had me but now I see I must be Burnt Giving one or two Leaps and said God be praised I am almost at Home But the People cryed Oh dear Father and good Shepherd God help and succour thee as thou hast done us many times and our poor Children and so they went weeping all along the Streets for him To whom he said I have preached to you God's Truth and Word and now am going to seal it with my Blood In the Flames he cried Merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my
Saviour's sake receive my Soul And so departed A Popish Doctor told Tindal disputing about Religion That it were better to be without God's Law than the Popes Tindal replied I defie the Pope and all his Laws He translated the Testament into English but the Popish party exceedingly raged saying There were a thousand Errors in it And for his good Works he was Imprisoned Condemned and Burnt but at his Death he cried Lord open the King of England 's Eyes John Hooper who Died 1555 being writ to by one out of England to send him some News he said He had no News to send him but that the last News that you will hear of me will be That where I have taken most pains to preach the holy Gospel there I shall be burnt to Ashes But one persuading him to Fly No says he I will live and die with my Sheep But being sent for to London he was Committed to the Fleet where he was miserably used and even poysoned with the common Ditch but being Sick he cried and called for help but the Warden said Let him alone if he die it will be a good riddance But a Knight coming to him told him Life was sweet and Death bitter To which he replied Death to come is more bitter and Life to come more sweet But being profered his Pardon going to the Execution he cryed If you love my Soul if you love my Soul away with it He prayed at the Stake Jesus thou Son of David have mercy upon me and receive my Soul And wiping his Face with his Hand cried For God's sake let me have more Fire And a third Fire being kindled he was yet alive but the last words he spoke were Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Lawrence Saunders meeting with one Pembleton another Minister said I have many fears if I should come to Suffer or Die for Religions sake What need you fear said Pembleton you have but a lean Body but I have a fat one yet you shall see the last gobbet and Grease of mine melt or fry away rather than deny Christ or the least of his Truth which I have professed Mr. Saunders being called a while after Imprisoned Tried and Condemned cried Welcome Christ welcome Christ welcome Eternal Life and the Fire being kindled sweetly slept in God sealing the Truth with his Blood But faint-hearted Pembleton for all his Self-boasting played Apostate in a small time John Rogers might have escaped and had many Motives a Wife and ten Children and had Friends in Germany if he would have gone he helped to Translate the Bible into English but Bonner sent him to Newgate amongst Thieves and Murderers And being Condemned he desired to have his Wife admitted to see him but that would not be granted him by any means but being told in the Morning he must Die that Day O said he if it be so I need not tie my Points being Dressing of himself But a Pardon being proffered him if he would Recant he utterly refused it His Wife then with nine Children and the tenth sucking at her Breast were brought to him but this sorrowful sight nothing moved him but in the Flames he took his Death with wonderful Patience The Sabbath before his Death he drank to Mr. Hooper who lay in a Chamber beneath him bidding the Messenger tell him That by God's Grace never little Fellow stuck closer to a man than he would to him supposing they should be both Burnt together Thomas Blinney in the Year 1531 had been in Prison and was drawn to Abjure and Submit himself after which he fell into terrors of Conscience for almost a Year being through God's Mercy restored to Comfort he resolved to lay down his Life for that Truth which he before had Renounced he Preached openly and complained of himself for his Fact bidding them beware they did not trust in Flesh nor Friends in matters of Religion but was seized by the Bishop and Imprisoned Being told of the Fires heat O said he God's Spirit will cool those Flames and I am sailing through a boisterous Sea but shall shortly be in Heaven help me with your Prayers and was Burnt calling upon Jesus with his Eyes and Hands lifted up John Frith was Prisoner in the Tower and had many Conflicts with the Bishops and at last condemned to be Burnt and delivered over to the Mayor and Sheriffs and in Smithfield patiently endured the same the Wind blowing away the Fire made his Death very long but by God's Grace he bore it as though he felt no Pain he much helped Tindal in Translating the New Testament And thus have I given you most Great and Noble Ladies a little short brief hint of a few brave and famous worthy English Martyrs there are Hundreds more in Fox's Book which you may find yea Thousands more English and others surely we should love the Truth and our English true Protestant Religion for the Truths sake yea and a little for these holy Martyrs sake And the God of Heaven grant our merciful King may long Live and such a Spirit never come again For this is the sum and substance of that Stuff we shall have if we lose the Bible of which the Gold Legion has a Cart-load which I here give you in a score or two of Lines as I found it written in a great Book Translated out of Spanish and Dedicated to a mighty Princess by an English Knight A great Person quitting all his fair Possession and giving them to the Church as 't was likely turned Colliers Man which labour brought Sickness and Death at which very instant all the Bells in Rome rang out on their own accord to the astonishment of the Pope himself A certain holy Monk retiring into a Wilderness house 70 miles distant from any 14 Years together had a certain Leopard which came to him every day for his Meat a long time together Gregory the Great in a great Sickness-year relates that he saw many visible Arrows come down from Heaven and struck Men dead yea another saw it Rain perfect Arrows and pieces of Stars A holy Priest that went into a very Rich Man's Kitchin where was a great Dinner of Chickens Capons and Feasants in Dishes which when the Priest saw he bade the Cook uncover the Dishes and they presently became Toads and Serpents A certain Monk saw a little Bird in a Cloyster singing very pleasantly and hopping out he follow'd it to a certain Wood where the Bird continued singing for the space of two or three hours as he thought but returning to the Cloyster again thinking he had been only a few hours or half a day at most but being unknown and searching of the Records he had been absent from the Covent 300 Years when he thought he had not been half a day St. Antonius tells you of an ill Liver that he knew was afflicted with tedious Sickness earnestly begged of God to deliver him who sent an Angel to tell him he must lie so two Years
nor are given in Marriage neither can they dye any more Luk. 23. v. 36. for they are equal to Angels and are the Children of God being Children of the Resurrection Mark the Children of the Resurrection are the Children of God that is those and all those Christ rose as a Head for they and all they have a part in the first Resurrection Rev. 20. 6. Blessed and happy are they that have part in the first Resurrection for on such the second Death shall have no power that is Hell the Devil or Jaylors Prison above mentioned O Ladies Look to Christ who is the first Resurrection and the first begotten from the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth for he has loved you and washt you from your sins in his own Blood Heb. 1. 6. Yea look to him that he be your Resurrection and that you have a part by Faith in him who is the true Book of Life Revel 21. 27. And if by Faith in him you rise from the Grave and Death of sin here then may you assure your selves of a share and part in his Resurrection unto Eternal Life which was typified by the First Fruits and the Sheaf of Corn which the Priest held up and wav'd under the Ceremonial or Levitical Law And that you are indeed the Children of it And of God too and so shall never dye Oh! believest thou this as Christ said in another place about Lazarus I am the life and resurrection of the dead and he that believeth in me shall never dye Joh. 11. 25. Yea though he were dead yet shall he live again Believest thou this sayes Christ so say I to you noble Ladies Gentlewomen and others if you be the Children of God and the resurrection you shall dye no more dye once you must to this world and the things sleep a little in the grave and imitate Christ your Head and your Husband your Lord and your Saviour who was there before you three dayes and three nights and then destroyed and tore the grave open to assure you of the resurrection also but in that you shall never dye more Oh! happy resurrection when Christ shall say awake and sing O ye that sleep in the dust and with my dead body shall ye awake Isaiah Come with me my love from Bebon the Leopard and the Lions den Canticles All which promises and a thousand more are made to you if you be the children of God and peace-makers in the Church or World or where you are The Children of Israel were happy that they were the Children of Israel and the seed of Abraham though all were not the true seed but Oh! how happy are you that you are the Children of God and shall be like his Angels in the resurrection yet Israel died in the wilderness and never entered into the land of Canaan but you shall never dye be as Angels enter in and possess the true Canaan Heaven 's Kingdom and the Kingdom of God be among the Angels to sing with that Coelestial Quire the high prayses of God and the Lamb to all eternity Rev. 7. Oh happy day Oh happy hour that ever you were born or made to be the Children of God and peace-makers in the world and places where you come Hell is full of brawling the world is full of brawling but your Breasts and Lives are full with peace and the love of God and the wayes and things of God Oh! keep that Nightingale and sweet ever singing Bird of Paradise close to you and let it never fail you day nor night yea all you Children of God 't is a heaven to begin a heaven here and a double hell to lose it for a straw as one said or a bubble which Children blow from a walnut shell whilst 't is a little heaven or young heaven as a great Lady called it but old heaven and the heaven of heaven of heavens shall be your portion yea he that compasseth heaven and earth and is within the Starry Element where Sun Moon and Stars are Oh! how glorious is that this is but the Tileing we see Gods house is all invisible and the inside no mortal man nor eye can see nor him neither and live Exod. 33. v. 20. But time shall pass and time shall come when these things shall be no more and we for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17. and see him as he is face to face and eye to eye and all tears shall be quite wiped away sorrow and mourning fly away for ever former things be forgotten and all your Lords unkindness and your own unworthiness of the Lamb and your Redeemer's love yea the want of Grace and comforts here the young Lord and little Ladies death will be forgotten in another world yea in resurrection glory all will be swallowed up in everlasting joy some Fountains have their mouths or pipes through which they send their Chrystal streams with pleasant noises Revel and in heaven shall the Children of the resurrection Saints and Angels continually send their Praises to God and the Lamb and that unweariedly for worthy is the Lamb to receive Power Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Revel 7. 10 11 12. And every creature in heaven and earth heard I say Amen Amen Amen Oh! ye Lords Ladies Princes Kings Queens Potentates and highest Mortal of the earth joyn ye for it becomes you well and all ye with that kingly Prophet David in his three last Psalmes 148 149 150. and with this I shall close this little little book of yours which was made a little before and just after a great sickness but the work is Praise the Lord from the heaven Praise him in the highest for the highest is too low for him Praise him all ye Angels an Angelical praise becomes him and them very well praise him all ye host be ye what he will praise him Sun and Moon for ye are man and wife to rule both day and night and he made you both praise him all ye Stars of light which are as Sun and Moons children and are of great influence to the children of men praise him O heavens air ye terrestrial coelestial heavens heaven of heavens praise him and him alone he only made you with the word of his power and ye waters that be above the heavens the airy heavens and clouds that we see and in the deep let the fountains of the deep praise him he hath commanded and you were created he establish a Decree and you cannot pass Praise him Dragons and deep fiery Mountains Hail Snow and Storms and fulfil his word Mountains Hills Trees and Cedars high Men and low Men little Beasts and Cattle Creeping things and Flying little Ants and mighty Eagles Kings Judges Princes and all People young Lords and mayden Ladies of nine ten eleven twelve and thirteen let them praise his name for his name alone is excellent and before him let all flesh be for ever silent His glory is above the Heavens