receive but also purgeth the heart from all dead workes it doth not only take but it doth also worke by love behold now the joy and peace of this man at what ease doth he now lie If we looke upon him we would set up a Tabernacle by him nay certainly we should continue with him for ever He finds his bed large enough for his wearied body to rest upon the plaister great enough to the wound the covering large enough to wrap himselfe in and now heare him what he saith Lord unto me thou wilt ordaine peace for thou hast wrought all my workes Isai 26. 12. Thou hast commanded deliverance for Iacob In thee I will boast all the day long The righteous shall heare of it and shall wait upon thee for this thing For I declare to the world that they who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies Ionah 2. They shall sinke upon them as a man upon quick-sand The sarrowes of them who offer unto other Gods shall be multiplied their offerings I will not offer nor make mention of their names within my lipps but I will remember thee only and thy name thou art the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my let the liues have fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage I will blesse thee O Lord who hast given me this counsell for now my heart is glad my glory reioyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou hast not left my soule in Hell thou hast showen me the path of life in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Thou hast heard in this one the Church speaking I have brought hir in upon another occasion and upon more deliberation clearing hir oft ecclipsed light as farre beyond Luther as the rising of the Sunne is from his fall and thence fetching his race as the Sunne in his strength though many times hid under a cloud And this she proves out of the Scripture where is no other spirit then what speakes in the hearts of hir children first from what the Lord hath done for her and then what she hath teturned to the Lord. Secondly from what her enemies in all ages haue done against her and then what she hath done for them Thirdly from those many deliverances past present though they be slaine all the day long and to come Wherein the Lord hath doth will make bare his Arme. Thou hast only the first here but briefly and in another forme of words as be fits the present but hast thou not discerned what a building this is I would ravish thy thoughts if any shall try to pluck a stone from this building it shall be unto him a burdensome stone If any shall march against it the horse shall be smitt with astonishment and his Rider with madnes If any shall attempt to burne it it shall be unto them as a firy torch in a sheaffe If to devoure it it shall be unto them as a cup of trembling the Lord hath said this Zach. 12. He hath he will he doth make it good Come away come away it is much to be under the shadow of it cast off all those dead works which thou dost eye too much and learne what the Lord requyres at thy hands surely not thowsands of Rames nor ten thousand rivers of oyle nor the sonne of thy body for the sinne of thy soule but to feare the Lord and to serue him in sinceritie and truth Iosh 24. 14. not mentioning the names of other gods nor bowing thy selfe unto them Iosh 23. 6. but to breake off thy sinns by repentanceâ— amd that there be an healing of thine errour to do iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humblie with thy God approuing thy selfe as the child of God not by these assumed services which will not hold weight when righteousnes is put to the scale but as the Saints doe by purenes by knowledge by long sufferings by kindnes by the holy Ghost by loue unfained by the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnes one the right hand and one the left Oh my bowels doe yearne upon my child my heart is inlarged Thou art not kept straite in me but I am kept straite in thee Thou maiest plainely conclude by what is said see how dearely my mother loues yea and the Lord knoweth too who is truth it selfe that my desire of thy returne hath no lesse loue in it then it hath safetie too for I wish aboue all things that thou maiest prosper as thy soule may prosper Once more if there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fullfill my ioy and come away And that thou maist make hast for a Mothers affection thinks the shortest time long I will quit thy argument which thou thoughtest so fit for my capacity indeed it was so with another as fit for thine for thou art but a child yet and knowest nothing as thou oughtest to doe And I know it shall fall as right as thine did but then with a different effect Thine did but foile the forme of godlinesse that was amongst us the power was not touched the truth remains the truth still and will be justified of hir children mine shall take away the truth and power you seeme to have and shall tell thee plainely there is none indeed harken while this argument smits your holy Mothet this once I will not smite her the second time for I shall labour to drive the naile to the head fasten hir to the ground with it that she rise not againe and all this in a deare affection to thee that so I may get thee out of her Tent and free my selfe from the feare thy selfe from the danger of having that other nayle in thy Temples Nearken then while the wiles and deceits of this Harlot are discovered unto thee these are playne by what hath ben saide by her name by her practise I shall not paralel this holy mother with hers in the 3 Proverbs it would proue her an Harlot but it would be taken in scorne neither will I tell you how shee hath filled forth the Cup of her fornications that wold prove as much but some would deny it Nor will search into the chamber of hir Imagery I cannot see into that I will take hir owne Argument and if I can by that prove hir to be cruell in commanding the Child to be divided I will by helpe of that Scripture turne it like a weapon against hir and sheath it in hir bowells for that Scripture makes cruelty the inseperable marke of an Harlott and when that is done the holy Mother is killed the Harlot is reserved to a longer day hir punishment sleepeth not The holy Mothers Argument against the Church hath beene drawne from the block fire sword persecution interdiction and the like there is
acknowledgement it is the same of thine owne hand haue I given backe unto thee for who hath first given to the Lord And with Paul yet not I but the grace of God which is in me And with the Church the Lord hath given me dominion over the strong Iudg. 5. 13. The Lord hath wrought all my workes for me and so to hang on God as the finisher and perfecter of what he hath begun yet in an assured confidence of this very thing that hee who hath begun a good worke will performe it til the day of Iesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. I know I haue transgressed the bounds of an Epistle which must not fill the hand I know not also whether the gate the house are proportionable I mean the Epistle the Booke I am sure they are both to big Let not that trouble thee it was neither thy labour nor thy cost why should'st thou complaine It falls out in matters of this nature as in building this roome is not light enough nor is that large enough the third would have some addition by that time all is done the paines cost and building farre exceedes the Idea or first proportion so here It is true he that would say all must needes say too much yet I beseech thee spare thy Censure this once I will never venture it againe nor had I now unlesse there had beene a cause what have I now done is there not a cause I leave thee now to the power of his Grace who can build further we have a barren mould though the Lord hath had long patience how soone hee will come to require fruit wee know not Pray we that hee would husband us yet one yeare by his servants give unto us the springs of water the upper and the nether springs then cause his winds to blow upon it so shall we have a goodly portion Pray wee that hee would open our mouthes wide then fill them as with marrow and fà tnes so shall wee fare well A LETTER WRITTEN FROM DOWAY 6 OF MARCH 1627. VNTO HIS MOTHER DEARE MOTHER It is not the first time since my departure that I have writ unto you neither shall it be the last Nature will finde a way to vent her duty were shee never so hard opprest Out of sight is not out of mind for were you but as mindefull of your selfe as I am of you I doubt not but by the effects you should finde mee a dutifull Sonne But as the blinde who see not themselues thinke all others not to see them likewise so you forgetting your selfe thinke mee forgetfull of you to God knowes before whom one day I am to give an account of my duty towards you how that there passeth not a day or night either when you and yours take your rest wherein there is not intercession made for you If I knew what els in this my state a Child 's naturall obligation could effect in the behalfe of a Mother I would with what indeavour I could accomplish it But alas Deare Mother when your request is unreasonable nay unnaturall as the forsaking my Religion Gods Church his truth nay himselfe it stands not with the duty of a Sonne any way to yeeld in the least to so uniust demaunds of a Mother O that your desires were but of that nature of that good Mother wee reade of in the Maccabees was who did encourage her Children to suffer even to death for God I doubt not but God would so strengthen mee with his grace that you should find my duty as ready to obey as your piety would bee willing to command Though it bee not common for a Sonne to teach his Mother but rather to follow her in what shee should direct him yet when parents misled from the way of truth shall without knowledge command what is contrary to Gods will and their Childrens conscience It may be nay it is the part of a dutifull Sonne to remember that their command is amisse and cannot bee followed All I here now doe is no more I doe but informe you that the happinesse you wish mee is not true and reall happinesse That not longer I now but your owne soule might bee the obiect of your thoughts That you would from henceforth no longer be a stranger from the truth But submit your selfe to her who as a loving Mother would receive and embrace you with all affection within the armes of veritie first be instructed by her Deare Mother and then shall you learne to governe and guide your owne Children in thinges that are good And then I am sure they will bee ruled and guided by you And this is all should I doe lesse I should thinke with the Apostle that I were farre worse then an Infidell For how can I behold wolves which pray not for you but prey upon you and hold my tongue Where were my duty I perceiving you tost up and downe in the waves of heresie as you are and your selfe ready to suffer shipwrack and I not so much as offering you my hand to draw you into the Arke Which of all those blind guides that now pervert your soule will affirme that the foundation on which your salvation purchased so dearly by the blood of your Saviour on which your faith is built is unfallable If fallable why doe you hazard your salvation purchased so dearely by the blood of your Saviour upon sand Deare Mother I as a poore Child of your owne bowells as upon my bended knees in all duty of a Sonne doe desire you consider your owne declining age tho last iudgement and if you doe not now here in time worke a prevention of that fearefull sentence which otherwise must passe upon you that so you may avoid the wrath to come endeavour somewhat to examine whether all be true your false prophets preach unto you or at least whether they practise what they preach First try and then trust And because your capacity cannot master a better argument then to examine the lives of your professors of your owne sect There begin See first whether your new upstart ministers do not like stage players trickt up in their neat apparrell onely and barely act and talke and practise nothing they will tell you of Christs passion his povertie his want his hunger and thirst his humility his patience his labour and travell his ignominie in being apprehended scourged spit on in bearing his crosse they will also tell you of the Apostles povertie their sufferings their wrongs and afflictions but who is he either of your Ministry or Laity will follow your Saviour in these his passions who is there among you that in your selves allow either of fasting or watching or voluntary poverty or good workes or afflicting your selves for Gods sake to be despised to forsake the world live for ever austerely in pennance for sins they can commend these things in Christ and his Apostles and yet forbid to be practised by themselves They will tell
you that our Saviour payd the price for us whereby we are become heires of God co-heires with Christ and being heires we shall inherit though we suffer nothing For Christ both suffered and satisfied for us but they will not see what followeth For where the Apostle calleth us heires of God c. he addeth immediately if yee suffer together with him signifying that wee are heires with Christ upon condition that we suffer with him to the end wee may bee glorified with him for we are not freed by our Saviours passion from suffering but the more invited or rather obliged thereunto witnesse our Saviour himselfe he that will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow mee But contrary if you will but look into Gods Church you shall not onely find Christ spoken of but truly followed You shall see those whose onely ioy is in afflictions for Christs sake whose song is that of the Apostle God forbid I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ Who have forsaken all and given their whole estate to maintaine the poore so committed themselues to the providence of God we have not those who barely commend vertues in our Saviour but follow them in deed also they are such that talke little fast hard pray much suffer continually they are in want and that willingly to helpe others Poore they are in meanes but poorer in spirit and theirs onely is the Kingdome of heaven I will adde no more lest I should seeme rather to preach you a sermon then to write you a Letter Deare Mother see and be acquainted with those who both of this faith and life amongst you I am sure their good wayes will better informe you in this kinde then my Letters And that you may be the surer satisfied let the travells of any of my brethren make triall and let them not doubt but that they may be as safe and as well for their calling and travell here as in England I live in Doway a halfe weekes iourney from you trust my brotherly love towards them for their safety at one of the English houses in Doway you shall finde mee I could rather wish to see any of my brethren at Doway but I pray you if you will not take so hard a iourney for my sake at least let mee heare from you Direct your Letters to one M. Wetwoodâ— house in Doway who is an English Gentleman What I have written unto you Deare Mother is likewise written to my poore brethren and sisters whom with your selfe I commend in my most earnest prayers unto the safe protection of God almighty who I hope hath brought me hither to provide for your poore deceived soules In our Lord and Saviour farewell be mindfull of your selves that your soules perish not in that heavie day of the Lord. MOTHER THy letter came to my hands my dear Child like Iosephs party-coloured coate to his father Iacob in many things there holds much proportion This is my Sons coate saith the good old man a wicked beast hath devoured him Ioseph is surely torne in pieces I cannot say so altogether but this is my Sonnes letter doth your poore aged Mother say I know it is the great beast hath set his marke upon him and appointed him for the ptey I shall be robbed of my Son Oh! I shall be robbed of my Son At the best the Ismalites haue carried him into Egypt a place of grosse Idolatry where he is for his lettet tells me it left him at Doway and there must mine find him What there my Son Now let hir who is acquainted with the deare name of a Child say whether there holds not much proportion between Iacobs sorrow mine I go down to the graue mourning I shall lye downe in sorrow Your old Father and as full of griefs as yeares since thou wentest away is not thou art not and I am a poore distressed Mother thus hath the Lord showen mee much bitternesse These things are against me even all these but I am robbed of my Child That that hastens to bring my gray haires with sorrow to the graue oh come againe my deare Child come againe that I may see thy face with comfort once more before I make my bed in the darke it is now almost night with me and I shall be seen no more O returne my Son returne my Sonne my Sonne SONNE My Mother thinks me unmindfull of her now whereas indeed shee is unmindfull of her selfe herein like a blind man who because he sees not himselfe thinkes another sees him not also I discerne my Mother as plainely as Elisha the two Spies quite out of the way to the place shee intends MOTHER O Child he that thinkes he sees another best most commonly discernes himselfe worst There may be a great mistake about this businesse of seeing We find one who in feare tooke shadowes for men Iudg. 9. 36. and it tells thee the very outward sense may be so mistaken We reade of another who sodainly lost ger sight yet could not be perswaded but she could see well the house was darke the windowes shut there was no want in hir eyes sure But this was a foole you will say and indeed she was accounted no better then Seneca's wives foole Epist 50 And yet hir Master could say the foole had many fellowes when hee little suspected himselfe one of the number for do but turne the sense inward and it shall appeare to bee an easie and ordinary thing to bee deceaved therein because a light may bee in a man and that light may be darknesse The Iewes thought they could see well they blind it was not a thing to be questioned And yet they had no more certainty of it then Sisera's mother had of hir sons welfare Iudg. 5. she stai'd not untill a good Ahimaaz brought hir newes nor scarce while hir Ladies could answere hir though they were so wise in their Generation as to flatter hir who would flatter hir selfe yea saith the text shee returned answere to hir selfe therein lay the deceit You may make it the Embleme of the grand Imposture I meane not the Pope or his mistery of Iniquity though our burning and shining light hath call'd it so he must come an Ace lower I meane the Imposture of that which is deceitfull above all things Ier. 17. 9 There is a spirit in a man which will tell him all is well and so carves forth a prey presently and to a mans selfe as good a part as Sisera had And here is the miserie of it all this may be but in conceit as an hungry man dreames he is eating But the Lord weigheth the spiritâ—s saith the wise man Proverbs 16. 2. therefore the counsaile is good which followes Commit thy workes unto the Lord thy thoughts shall be established For as in a mans owne strength no man shall bee strong so nor by his owne testimonie iustified Let a man then looke out and
built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building coupled together groweth to a holy Temple in the Lord Ephes 2. 20. HARLOT Why But all this while you are but upon the sand no true foundation nor infallibilitie of supporting Will you haue a Sonnes soule hazarded upon sand MOTHER Hazard my childs soule Harlot Oh pretious thing O rich Iewell an inestimable treasure it is amidst the thinges of the world like Dauid amonge the people worth ten thousand of them and much more of all the thinges in the world my deare child runne not the hazard of that Hazard a foote thou maist and yet thou wilt not thou hast another a legge thou hast another an hand thou hast an other an arme thou hast an other an eye thou hast an other Here are no pairs loose one and loose all O vnvaluable losse and unrecoverable the redemption thereof must cease for ever What would not a parent now doe to put a childs soule out of hazard Then heare me my Sonne Sonne of my bowels harken Is that soule in danger that is in the Arke made by Gods owne appointment both for the matter and manner directed to him by that morning Starr from which it hath a certaine course Listen my child child of my bowels listen Is that corner-stone a sandy foundation can the waight of men and Angels presse it can the gates of hell remoue it Indeed if that stone fall upon thee or me we are crushed in peices Math. 21. 44. So are wee if we fall upon it heedlesly carelesly presumptuously but come unto it in the whole obedience of thy heart sticke cleaue unto it as Ruth to Naomie be not intreated to leaue it or to depart from it and thou canst not miscary Harken my Sonne Sonne of my bowels harken can the blowing of the winde can the beating of the storme remoue that house which the wise builder hath founded upon a Rocke Thou doest my Sonne beleeue Christs words I know thou doest beleeue them Then harken my Sonne this once Sonne of my bowels harken He that layeth a foundation diggeth deepe certainely so did this wise builder beyond all humane traditions here was no setling Beyond all will-worship a counterfeite ground Beyond all satisfaction of his owne this was not solid Beyond the intercession of Saints and Angells this was not safe Beyond the righteousnesse of his best workes here he would faine stay but it would not hold the waight still he diggs further for the soule that seeketh the Lord is not satisfied untill he find him Where have yee laid my Lord saith Mary let mee finde him or all is nothing Hee digges deeper even as hee that seekes a treasure or as a thirsty man after a spring of water or like those three mighty he will through the whole hoast of the Philistimes but hee will digg through those sandy bottomes and get to the rocke And now upon it he is and by it supported and from it refreshed for behold here is strength to hold him up here are waters living waters to comfort him for this rocke is Christ It is good being here here will he set up his rest here will hee abide for ever If the Rocke faile not he cannot faile blessed is the man that hath this foundation thrice blessed is he that hath this water to drinke he will ever dig it in broken pits Can the raine or haile fall now upon this man as upon a wildernesse to whom that man for so Christ the Rocke is called and observe the number will be as a hiding place from the wind as a refuge from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rocke in a wearie land Isa 32. 1 2. Now the raine may fall and the floods come and the winds blow and beate upon this house behold it stands for it is grounded upon a rocke Matth. 7. 25. See a mount Sion now which stands for ever and the blast of the mighty shall be as a storme against the wall Oh my child though my eyes be shutt up yet am I as it were in Balaams rapture who can rell the strength of this man for as the Rocke is such is his strength as the strength of an Vnicorne no poyson shall hurt him no sorcery shall make against him hee hath a refuge from the storme a shaddow from the heat a strength in distresse what can daunt this man now can evill tydings whereof the world is full and are to be expected daily like Iobs messengers No then being well able to judge of the times his heart would be shaken like a leafâ— with the wind but he is no reâ—d whose foundation is myre and durt The Lord iâ— his confidence Proverb 3. 24. He hath laid himselfe downe in peace and taketh his rest his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. Can the judgement when it doth come quaile him No for of all the houres of the day hee was inquisitive with his beloved where he should rest at noone he knew that would be an hot time His beloved told him and ever since he rests assured that the nature of the judgement be it what it will be shall be changed it shall give but a gentle correction a fatherly chastisement a sower sweet meat shall come forth of the eater Iudges 14. 14. What will the King of feares doe What lay him upon his earth sure and there it will keepe him till the graves give up their dead But now it is sense that goes no further The body returnes to its earth the soule to him that gave it The sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be to God who hath given us victorie through Iesus Christ So then this mighty King who hath with stood his power will do the very same to this man which the Angell did to Paul Silas and as Pharaoh to Ioseph It will open to him the Prison doores knock off his fetters take off his Prison cloathes Let those feare to whom Christ is not both in life and death advantage This man cannot feare but rejoice rather For though the grave for a time must be his house and the wormes his companions Yet putting death on the one side and immortalitie on the other wormes on the one side and Angells on the other Rottennesse on the one side and Christ Iesus on the other he is bold and loves rather to remove and so for ever to bee with the Lord where he shall toile no more he shall weepe no more he shall sigh no more hee shal hunger no more he shall thirst no more Râ—st is come all teares are wiped away his Sunne shall no more goe downe neither shall the Moone withdraw it selfe for the Lord shall be his everlasting light and the dayes of his mourning shall be ended Isaiah 60. 20. Who can tell
the wisedome of the Saints They know that charitie must have an eye within doores all must not goe forth They know full well that he who biddeth them part with their coat gives them leave to keepe one for themselves he that chargeth them to helpe others doth give them that wisedome as not to leave themselves helplesse He that hath given them wherewithall to shew mercy to others gives them that care as that they doe not come to crave mercy from others Since their master hath intrusted them as stewards in his house to give every one their portion they will carefully doe it knowing withall that the same master alloweth them meate and drinke and cloath I meane a Iacobs competency Let the children stand aside a little it may be your Hermit is not one of that number and therefore he dares not keepe his goods we will suppose him but as a servant in the house waiting upon the children yet when the children have done he may sit downe if it please him it is his good masters bargaine and it shall be his shame if when his Master allowes him it he will refuse it or sit downe naked Marke Child that thou maist not admire this voluntary beggery I say the Lord his Master gave that Hermite whom now thou admirest because he hath thrown away his goods a right unto the creatures at least as a servant in the house and hee should have beene well advised not onely how he used them and kept them for there was not all the danger but how he parted with them too there lieth as much I have giuen you the hearâ— of the field saith the Lord Movnt Seir I have given to the children of Esau for a possession let his brother Iacobs posteritie take heed they meddle not with a foote of it what they have they must have for their money If Esau will part with it for nothing or give away all in hope his mercifull brother will relieve him he may but let him looke to it Seest thou then my Child this Hermit call him by what name thou wilt hath he cast away his goods Let him looke to it they were his masters who gave him them to use and he must come to his account Servant what hast thou gained I have cast them away Sir they were combersome I cast them at my heeles so drowning them that they might not drowne me The Holy Father is the better his fire burnes the clearer so iâ— the Holy Mother the one will faint me the other will helpe me with her prayers Give a man this as the Proverbe is and throw him into the middest of the sea he shall not sinke unlesse his owne vvaight presse him downe Hast thou not perceived by what hath beene said that these are lying vvords and that in these sacrifices there is no salt But his goods are sacrificed doth he novv thinke he hath denyed himselfe because he hath denied himselfe these they are gon Why Child his sinnes may be as closse as ever they were his goods were neither his right hand nor his right eye I warrant thee If so they had not beene so easily parted with Alas a little money is easily turned over board when the Philosopher keeps his treasure that vvhich is nearer then his skirt or skin so doth that Hermit too it is a venture else but I judge no mans heart only I vvould have thee to knovv and make use of it too that there is great difference betwixt the emptying of a purse and the emptying of the heart The one will empty whether thou wilt or no the other will not be emptied doe what thou canst The one hath money in it thou maist keepe it if thou wilt at least if thou canst it is not a straw matter the other hath a treasure in it thou must not keep it thy soule lyeth upon it Empty the one this day as the case may be thou canst not fill it to morrow let a man empty the other as well as he may it will fill of itselfe without hands I conclude hence that though the emptying of the purse to ones hands may help to the emptying of the heart yet therefore the worke is not done perhaps in no forwardnesse For the purse may be emptied yet the heart may be full but when the heart is emptied the purse will not be kept full We proceede looke yet better upon this Hermit I will tell thee what thou maist discover by thine eye thou see'st the cell or hole he lies buried in I tell thee he may as well deny himselfe that nay the earth he stands on the ayre he breathes in the light he sees with surely he might as well as that liberty hee might enjoy yea and is bound to improve too or those other necessaries which like a proud servant he would not take when his rich Master offered them But thou my Child fly these things and learne the wisdome of the Saints they eat their bread with ioy and drinke their drinke with a merry heart for God accepteth their work How should they pinch where the Lord hath not pinched how should they scant themselves where the Lord hath not scanted Are then the creatures before thee and me Through our Masterâ— bounty and rich liberality they are so we may eate of the fat and we may drinke the sweet and cloth our selves with the wooll so the use of them is ours our Masters pleasure is so are we but as servants and shall not abide in the house for ever the abuse of them whether in not sanctifying them by the word prayer or not sending portions unto them for whom nothing is provided or in not using our liberty so as we give no occasion to the flesh or in what kind soever is ours and is set upon our score and without repentance shall in the end make for our great convincement I have done these and these things for thee wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe evill in his sight Here is a convincement indeed let us looke to it if Gods daily renewed mercies lead us not to repentance causing us to renew our obedience they wil in the day of our reckoning make us speechlesse if they be not as loadstones to draw our iron hearts unto God they will prove in the great day of the Lord as a heavy weight to crush us in pieces This deserves our care let us looke to it lest our meate and drinke make us uncleane and our owne cloaths filthy Thus my Child I think thou knowest now how to judge of voluntary beggery It is Bellarmines word the Monks are proud of it I have done with that but not with the beggar He must be examined upon two things first for that he doth not A Beggars life is a lazie life then for what he doth hee committs himselfe to Gods providence But here is a strait I am to examine a man I cannot speake with therfore we cannot take
and her instruments watching their oportunitie and finding it layd this neck as upon the block that they might strike it off at a blow A blow indeede whose rage would have reched up to heaven which would have sent up the bodyes of men like the sparkels of a smiths forge and haue made as many divisions of each as there are sparcles SONNE Hold mother for you are out Beleeue Doct. Carier your child and take it upon our words who will not lie wee never heard the worke of that dismall day commended if so we had never been Papists MOTHER I think so too for the Lord awaked like a Giant refresht with wine brake the snare that it might not be told in Gath that the body of a state by meanes of a sulphutious blast was lifted up into the ayre like the body of a Lark soaring upon hir wings therefore were your mouths filled with shame in stead of laughter Foolish boy dost thou not know non placent scelera nisi peracta The throwing of wild-fire into a state is not commended before it takes and layeth wast then it is a meritorious worke Nay it hath beene compared to the worke of our Redemption I have an Author for that stop Reader thou must help us with thy prayers From this holy Mother O Lord deliver us A good man is mercifull to his Beast but the bowells of this Mother are cruell We do tell this to our Children that they may tell it to generations to come and they stand affrighted at it like a little Child when you tell it of Iohn of bare Armes And we doe pay our vowes in all the peoples sight nay because the whole fabricke of nature and the creatures in it had suffered in that blow we say let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord who stayed the blow like Abrahams hand so snatching us and them as brands out of the fire let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. If thou wilt be out of this number yet detest this Mothers cruelty nor let thy soule come into hir secret she will bid thee dig downe a wall that so thou maist prepare instruments of death I have done tracking this woman whom I have called Mother that she may so heare of hir cruelty as that the name of nature might brand hir as an Harlot Now I track the Church and hir Children and behold all hir wayes are peace she goeth plainly and quietly not like a boysterous wind but with a soft voyce she sinks into the heart well knowing the temper of it hir weapons are meeknesse gentlenesse long suffering if at any time or by any meanes except fire and sword that 's the whores mark truth abhors it she may win the people to her Observe further is this trueth opposed as indeed she is too much that 's truths destiny not hir fault is she tossed and tumbled and hurried see hir temper and thou wilt admire hir and for ever detest the Beast how doth she follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience and meekenesse Is she at length brought to the slaughter she is so That shall make hir light breake out as the noone day she knowes it well see hir temper still and behold in it the patience of the Saints Thou hast seene a sheep brought to the slaughter so is truth Thou hast seene a lamb before the shearer so stands truth Christ hath given hir a lesson even his owne example she hath learnt it she openeth not hir mouth I would not thou shouldest leave truths temper yet for I hope by feeling hir pulse thou wilt assure thy selfe she is of a sound constitution and plainly discover the contrary She is so farre from fire and sword or any such cruelty that she followeth peace with all men as farre as is possible she is no striker with the fist no smiter with the tongue there is a smiting with the tongue but it is bound to the peace and good behaviour I will shew thee hir Children as like the Mother as may be observe their carriage Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. This is a strange Retaliation never to be found but from the Children of truth who must not render evill for evill but contrariwise blesse knowing that they are therunto called being heirs of blessing 1 Pet. 3. 9. We will single out one of hir Children who made Sauls heart melt David had the skirt of Sauls robe in his hand his heart smot him for that too He cried out to Saul What gesture used he He might stand upon his poynts then the wildernesse of Engedi at least the advantage he had of Saul made them equall did it not By no meanes Saul was the Lords Annointed still and Davids Master too and if he casts his eye upon David off goes the haâ—t David stoopt with his face to the earth and bowed himselfe there was his gesture What was Davids voice what titles gave he to him that hunted him like Partridge one would thinke they should be such as choller rage had laid upmost But you shall heare David was better taught my Lord the King the Lords Annointed my Father What is the matter of Davids words Wherefore doeth my Lord heare mens words saying David seeketh thy hurt behold my Father see yea see the skirt of thy robe in my hand I might have had thy head as easily But I would thou couldest see how my heart hath smit me for cutting off the lap of the coat of the Lords annointed Heare yet further my Lord Saul I am much displeased with thy chamberlaine Abner whom thou hast made keeper of thy head and were I judge in Israel he might perhaps loose his owne head he is worthy to die but at the least he should out of his office he is too sleepy for that charge Why so he hath not kept his master the Lords anointed How doth that appeare Abner may see here and my Lord Saul may hearken though Abner be a valiant man and who like him in Israell yet is he not fit to be the keeper of the head of the Lords anointed that must have a surer watch then so I tell thee Abner thy masters head was in great danger this night and thou layest by him sleeping for novv see where the Kings spear is and the cruse of water are they not in my hands they were this night at thy Masters bolster and was not thy Masters head upon it Certainly Abner and let my Lord Saul heare had but a Philistim come in or but halfe a Iesuited Israelite thy Master though the Lords anointed had beene smitten to the earth at once there had not needed a second blow and his head had gon with the pot and speare But a David came into your campe this night a poore persecuted flea indeed one of truths children and God forbid that he should stretch forth the hand against the Lords anointed or suffer it to be
done Why he was no more able to hurt then a dead dog could bite and therefore art thou O Lord my King and thou also Abner alive at this time and your eyes may behold both the speare and pott that was so nigh thy Masters Pillovv and my Master Saul may heare too and now I hope both my Lord and Abner from this very day will be able to discerne truth and innocency from wickednesse which ever proceedeth from the wicked man and be able to point at it too with the finger saying there it is behold Child Saul doth it he knowes the voice of David and it melts him into teares and see what he saith thou art more righteous then I thou hast rewarded me good when I rewarded thee evill and now my Child rhou hast seene truths guize and hir childrens carriage how meeke how harmlesse Thou maist likewise discerne the Beasts mark and from whence wickednesse doth proceed I know no motive in the world except the secret working of Gods Spirit more prevalent to cause thee to come away unlesse thou hast not a Sauls discerning But because I know thou art blind folded and hast no light but what comes in by chaunes and crevises I will contract what hath been sayd concerning these two Mothers into an Embleme one or two which thou maist perceiue by the least glimmering Then I will turne thee to two places of Scriptures from which thou shalt make thine owne collection The first Emblem shall bee of the holy Mother and a Mother shall be it An Hecuba in travell with a fire brand and forth it comes rushing into the Bush of the Church Or a Iezabell plotting the death of poore Naboth because he will not part with the Vinyard the inheritance of his Fathers She must not keep it for all her painting downe she must be cast like a milstone The Doggs did eate the flesh of Iezabel Take the Embleme of hir eldest sonnes and sonnes shall be it Samsons three hundred foxes running about the field with firebrands at their tailes see what hurt they doe the shockâ— are burnt Or for variety sake look upon the Gadarens heard of swine but not running into the lake though an evill spirit be in them The day of recompence for Sions controversie is not yet yet the enemy is not brought to the valley of Iehosophat to bee iudged there we must looke on them running into the vineyard that must be more wâ—st we leave them rooting there But here is the coÌ„fort Is it wast is Sharon a wildernes now I will up saith the Lord I will give to Israel the opening of the month in the midst of them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezech. 29. 21. Take the Embleme of she true Mother and that is made to our hands you heard hir begging of the Childs life Take the Embleme of hir Children David cursed and pelted at by Shimes and praying the while Steven stoning and even then saying Lord lay not this ot their charge We have done with the Emblemes wee turne to the Scriptures the first is 1 Kings 19. 11. There came a great strong wind but the Lord was not in the wind nor in the earth-quake nor in the fire There came a still and soft voice there the Lord was Make thy collection now here are two both would be Mothers both would speake in the evidence of the same spirits which of these comes like a wind renting as it goes like an earth-quake opening graves as it goes like a fire scorching as it goes or in a still and soft voice instructing perswading blessing praying as it goes with whom the soft voice is there the Lord is Answer this unto him who understands thy thoughts long before I have done with that Scripture we find the other 2 Sam. 7. compared with 1 Chron. 22. 8. where is something will hold us from our purpose a little for the Readers sake We find David sitting in his house and in peace yet not confined to his owne particular interest and looking no further one eye is on his house the other on the Arke and he sees no correspondency And yet he that hath Davids observation may observe a greater disproportion betwixt his conveniences the Arks now then was betwixt Davids and the Arkes then he sitts in his house of hewed stone he heares no complaining in the streetes Gods footstepps drop fatnesse towards him there are his conveniences What are the Arkes The enemy hath raised a mighty storme and the Arke hath scarce curtaines to keep it off I know well on the glory there iâ— a defence but I speak of that covering the outward eye may discerne Certainly if the consideration of David be this mans precept the practise of David will be his patterne whose mind was presently on worke how he might build an house for the Arke too Yet Nathan must stay his hand that must not be put to the worke We came purposely hither to enquire the reason of that but I desire the Reader would marke one thing by the way Though it were taken out of the power of Davids hand to build an house for the Arke yet the Lord tells him thou didst well in that it was in thy heart 2 Chro. 6. 8. A mans hand may be kept from the Arke every one cannot visibly worke the securitie of it nor bring it within Cedars Nay though the Arke shake every hand is not worthy to hold it up A man must looke to his warrant specially when he goes about the busines of the Arke But marke this they shall prosper that loue thee We wish you prosperitie in the name of the Lord O it is a gratious thing even when the hand can doe nothing But Mâ—roz with the inhabitants were cursâ— bitterly Iudg 5. 23. And the men of Sâ—câ—oth were taught that iâ— the word by briers and thâ—râ—â—â— Iudg. 8. 16. That was a sore teaching but who can help it They that will not be taught by instruction must be taught by paine 2. Esd 9. 12. It is Apocryphâ— thou maist keep it in thy Bible when it â—out of thy Creed and let it teach thee when thou look'st upon thy house of Ceder I meane thy many many conveniences many positrue many privatiue to haue the Arke in thy heart for this is to remember the Chareâ—â— of Israel and the horse men thereof that is the Church The glory of Israel that is the Gospell The Paules in prison and she Iaseps in affliction for this glorie for thy sake are we killed all the day long now what thou doest for these or any of these they â—â—e so like thou canst not distinguish them thou doest it to Christ and thou shewest mercy to thy owe soule For these will pray that thy mercy may be returned to thee thine in the tempestivitie of time The Lord â—â—ew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day Nor is that all the Lord shew mercy to the whole house of Onesiphorus Now to