patience Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth refuse not therefore the chastisements of the Almightie Though therefore we be compassed about on all sides with many miseries let vs not fainte but in patience possesse our soules As Christ himselfe teacheth for Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth Then are chastisements testimonies of Gods loue towards vs and therefore they that cannot abide to bee corrected showe themselues bastards and not the sonnes of God As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten Reuel 3. 19. Doth a father correct his sonne without a faulte it were iniurious and doth God correct his children that sinne not there is none but sinneth therefore none but deserue correction seeing then that sinne is the cause of Gods corrections let euery man examine himselfe and take with thankeful patience his Fatherly chastisements in what manner soeuer they befall him Touching sinne the cause of all afflictions the confession and repentance thereof and patience in troubles FOr asmuch as sinne is the cause of all our afflictions and that there is neither crosse or any kinde of trouble that befall vs but sinne causeth it In vaine it is to hope for remedie reliefe or ease vntill wee haue in some measure vnburthened vs of our sinnes for as an old house pulled downe to bee rebuilt must be rid of all rotten materials and rubbish before any good and sound foundation can be laid so before wee can receiue any inward comfort or outward release of our troubles we must cast out of our hearts and clense our soules of all the filthy loathsome dregs of sinne that lurke in them that can we not doe but by a strict and serious examination of our hearts and to call to minde how wee haue spent the time past and then shall euery man finde cause enough why God in his Iustice might inflict vpon vs in steeede of our light afflictions which are but his Fatherly corrections his most heauie iudgements seuearest punishments and in steed of our temporall and momentanie miseries cast vs into perpetuall torments Knowing then that the cause of our calamities to bee our sinnes and hauing vpon due search found out our long hidden iniquities can we but acknowledge that God hath not dealt with vs nor afflicted vs according to the measure and multitude of our wicked deseruings But as a louing father hee hath by his gentle chastisements as it were onely wincked at and beckened vnto vs to put vs in minde onely of our faults least by continuing in them and multiplying of them he should haue cause in steed of gentle corrections to vse his Iustice therefore hauing found in our corrupte hearts our vngodly and impious inclinations which haue begotten in vs infinite actuall sinnes we may not any longer couet to conceale them but heartily plainely and faithfully acknowledge them vnto God though we cannot call all our antient sinnes and the faults we haue committed long agoe to our remembrance for Who can vnderstand all his faults saith Dauid yet Dauid him selfe confessed his sinnes to God sometimes in generall sometimes in particular he did not hide his iniquities but confessed them against himselfe and was not ashamed to set them down in many of his Psalmes to teach vs if occasion be to discouer our sins for the satisfaction of men but especially vnto God as Dauid did who forgaue the punishment of his sinne Yet had he afflictions still not as punishments but as fatherly physicke to keepe his heart and affections in more due obedience and though Dauid said he did not hide his sinnes from God it is not therefore to bee collected that he could or any man can hide his sinnes from him howsoeuer couertly and secretly they commit them But who so confesseth them not he intendeth to hide them as much as lyeth in him from God that seeth them and thereby doubleth his offence But who so acknowledgeth his sinnes vnto him he is faithfull and Iust to forgiue them and to cleanse him from all his vnrighteousnesse To acknowledge our sinnes then is the very entrance into Gods fauour which being obtained not by the confession of our sinnes but in and through a firme faith in Iesus Christ through whose merites we may freely aske and assure our selues of the remission of our sinnes for he hath promised to doe it who is most faithfull and iust in his word and that doth Dauid approoue saying I confessed against my selfe my sinnes vnto the Lord and hee forgaue the punishment of my sinne He forgaue him as not to punish him in the seueritie of his Iustice though he remembred him with his gentle corrections often as hee doth his deerest children yet not all a like some hee chastiseth after a most milde manner some more sharpely yet fatherly as he findeth men docible and tractable or refractarie and hard to bee reformed for some are more and sooner reformed with a sharpe looke of the Lords countenance then some with many stripes As Peter when he had thrice denyed his Master Christ Christ but turned his face towards him at the crowing of the Cocke it was rebuke enough he went suddenly forth and wept bitterly in token of his repentance Some againe will hardly remember their sinnes vntill it be said vnto them Thou art the man as Nathan tolde Dauid who before that had slept in his sinne of adultrie and murder a whole yeare neuer thinking of it But when he was admonished from God by a parable then he confessed his sinnes and repented them saying I haue sinned against the Lord Ioyning with his confession sorrow and repentance for his sinnes And the same mouth that reproued him for his sinne and that he should dye for the same pronounced the forgiuenesse and pardon of them The Lord hath put away thy sinnes Whereby we may learne that the Lord seeketh no seueâ—râ— reuenge against a sinner confessing and repenting his sinnes though he leaue some token of his displeasure against sinne and of his loue to the sinner in keeping him in future obedience by his fatherlie discipline least he should too much presume of pardon of second sinning by the mercie of God declared by the remission of the former And therefore although he had pardoned Dauid his sinne and had forgiuen him the punishment of it yet Dauid went not without a token that he should remember that he had offended and giuen the enemies of God occasion to blaspheme God pronounced the death of the child God sees it necessarie and we cannot but thinke it expedient euen for vs That although God doe assure vs that our sinnes sincerely acknowledged be forgiuen vs yet that he beare a kinde and fatherly hand ouer vs to retaine vs in future obedience by some daily vnsauory potion to cure and to keepe our carnall apetite in order that we returne not to our former iniquities
come and bee receiued I may pray and be heard I may aske and receiue what I want heare him O Lord for me and in my behalfe he is my Mediator and whome thou so dearely louest as thou hast promised to deny mee nothing for which he asketh of thee for me and who is not ignorant of this worlds miseries hee was Patient in suffering as a man and now though exalted to the Throne of glorie he despiseth not those that suffer here as hee suffered therefore Lord for his merits sake heare me mitigate my miserie supply my necessities raise mee out of the 〈…〉 worlds disgrac◠〈◊〉 out of the 〈◊〉 of miserie wherein I sticke â—â—st Lord confirme my faith in thee open the eyes of my dull apprehension of thy power and prouidence showe me the well of liuely releefe as thou didst the spring of releeuing water to miserable Hagar that I may be refreshed with the Cuppe of thy saluation and may rightly vse such meanes for my releefe as in thy wisedome thou shalt raise vp and prouide for mee and giue mee grace that I abuse not thy guifts but to vse them to thy glory so shall they bee to my comfort Giue a blessing to all my labours and godly endeauours and that in the feare of thy great name I may liue in perfect obedience that prospering I may praise thee and in my hardest estate be patient recommending my selfe and it to thy gratious and fatherly prouidence vnto the end Amen O Lord increase my faith Generall counsell and comfort for men imprisoned IMprisonment is the depriuation of humane libertie and befalleth vpon men commonly that haue before abused their freedome for it is the nature of humane frailtie to runne and raâ—â—ge after pleasures and carnall delights hauing the raines of the bridle of libertie loose nothing to curbe it It attempteth many vnlawfull actions against the lawes of God and men to fulfill corrupt desires and licencious appetites Therefore doth God as a louing father curbe the bit of their corrupt wills to keepe them in obedience finding no other meanes auailable to make them to knowe themselues though hee is able to take away the strength and vse of all their sinning parts and to make them vnable to followe or performe their impious inclinations but he dealeth more fauourably with men then they can deserue by their restraint A father louing his vngodly and disobedient child if he cannot otherwise tame and reforme him by counsell and gentle corrections but that he wil still run into forbidden wayes dangerous and vngodly courses he findeth at the last no other preuailing remedie but to take him fetter him restraining him by force from his impious course of life yet in loue So doth our louing and heauenly father after tryall of such as he loueth by counsell by instruction and holy documents out of his word many times by gentle corrections fatherly chastisements which not preuailing to their reformation hee vseth this restraining meanes he depriueth them of their libertie by imprisonment from whence they cannot at their pleasures runne out after their former vngodly delights and accustomed vanities onely to learne them to liue within the more compasse of obedience and to bring their corrupt mindes wills and affections into some better order and when hee hath sufficiently tryed them he lets them goe free And therefore consider whosoeuer thou art that art thus restrained that thou maist haue if thou be any way inclined to feare and serue God farre more time and libertie to performe many godly duties more and more freely in this place of restraint then when thou hadst thy libertie there thou maist ruminate and examine thy selfe of the abuses of thy former freedome wherein thou didst many wayes offend God and transgresse the Lawes of thy Soueraigne which in this place thou canst not so freely doe but rather thou maist here meditate of better things howsoeuer thy desire may bee corrupt by nature and haue a longing desire to be at libertie to fulfill thy former delights as the Children of Israell longed and looked back to the Onyons gowrdes flesh-pots of Egypt being freed from greater captiuity then thou indurest here The least restraint that a naturall man hath that loues the delights of the world and his fleshly pleasures is as death to be preuented of them If he haue but the Goâ—te or any other impediment of any part of his body which disableth him to follow or performe his former vanities he longeth to bee eased that hee may renewe his sinnes by accompanying his former associates in the delights wherein they mutually were wont to spende pretious time in the large and delightsome field of this world where are as many occasions tentations allurements prouocations to miscary the thoughts as the Eye can see the Eare heare or any of the Sences obserue all tending in carnally minded men to the offending of God and if a man haue not the speciall gift of sobrietie continence teÌ„perance the libertie and freedome of this deceiuing world the corrupt inclinations of the flesh cannot but seduce him though hee bee in part of some good inclination yet here hee shall finde a secret Satan his publick prompters to miscary him Thou therefore that art thus restrained and limited within the walles beyond which thou canst not goe thy minde is yet at libertie if it be seasoned with vertue faith in and obedience to God thou maist send forth thy prayers which are not lockt in which cannot but returne with greater comfort then thou didst enioy when thou wert at large But if it be tainted and infected with vnholy thoughts and desires though they raunge abroade to Tauernes Theaters and other prophane places where thy heart directeth them they returne no good but euill vnto thee and if thou finde thy selfe still inclinable to vanities here thou maist learne according to the condition of some of thy fellowe-prisoners to be more vaine but abandon their societie and seeke the company of and conuerse with them of thy fellowes that feare God for it cannot be that a prison which should bee as a schoole of vertue though too much fraught with many vicious should be altogether destitute of some fearing God and of whom thou maist either learne good or to whom thou maist doe good It is lamentable to see and grieuous to consider that the Prison being a place intended for correction of men offending God and the Lawes of men should not onely not be bettered by their restraint but are many times founde to be worse conditioned at their comming out then before they were committed which doth argue them so impious as they feare not God nor reuerence man they haue no feeling of their sinnes which caused their restraint but in steed of sorrow for their sinnes they indeauour there to learne the sinnes wherewith they were little acquainted before these are men past feeling of their euill deseruings they conceiue
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
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
as not onely not to forgiue them but to persecute them to death or desperation God hath trusted you for all that ye enioy onely as his Stewards to dispose as hee hath appointed not as you take liberty going so farre beyond the bounds of your warrant as to turne the blessings of God into vsurie and to the circumuenting of Gods poore distressed children that want your helpe you haue receiued much and much will be required of you not of your siluer gold not of your lands and possessions God hath no need of that that he can giue and take at his owne pleasure That vsury that he requires at your hands is faith if faith be in you you will loue him if you loue him you will loue his image your brethren if you loue them you will expresse it by the tokens of loue namely to doe them good to giue to the needie to feede the hungry to cloathe the naked to visite the prisoners but if in steede of giuing to take from them in steede of feeding to starue them in steede of cloathing ye strip them and in steede of visiting prisoners ye make prisoners how appeareth the loue of God in you for if you loue not your brethren whom ye daily see how can you loue GOD whom ye haue not seene How fulfill you the Law of this loue of God when ye doe little or no good to the poore and least vnto your selues you thinke goodnesse consisteth in goods you are commanded to doe good vnto all and especially to them of the houshold of faith And because you thinke none faithfull but such as giue for giuing lend for lending and requite one good turne for another the truly faithfull in deed are sildome accounted of the number of them that are in the houshold of the faith of them which keepe touch with you which in deede may be a marke of a morall honest man but it is in deede the true note of a truly faithfull man who hath euer a godly care and holy desire to performe promise in euery honest action to the vttermost of his power but this kinde of faithfull men are commonly of the poorest ranke not of the ranke of the men commonly reputed good men for hee is a good man that is full of goods though of little goodnesse But his goods are in deede vnto him as a strong Citie Pro. 10. 15. and yet make him more wicked ver 16. Deceiue not your selues you that haue the strong supposed Castles of wealth for your seeming defence but remember that he that made you rich can make you poore and hee that made the poore can make them rich Put the poorest in your roabes and put their poore ragges vpon your selues and then who will call you Master who then will stoope and bow vnto you as now they doe as if they were your vassals Remember there was a glutton and a Lazarus A rich Miser and a miserable Begger which of them had the best portion the Glutton in show but the base Begger in deede the storie is no fable and is so authentick as needes no witnesses to proue the truth of the ones perdition and the others saluation And such gaines as the Glutton gat many rich men diligently seeke and yet forget what they shall finde It is not reported that the Glutton was a vsurer an extortioner a defrauder of men by bargaining But that he was rich and despised the poore and therefore was he cast into hell It is not said hee kept poore men in prison nor that any man perisht by his meanes but onely Lazarus whom he would not relieue Is not this a most fearefull example for you that haue aboundance both of foode at full euery day rayment and riches and yet see the poore pine in the streetes and poore men in prison lamentably crying for bread and meate and yet haue no compassion on them You therefore that haue bin long guiltie of crueltie in oppressing poore men it is neuer too late for you to returne to him that is so louing and so readie to receiue a sinner that repenteth It is neuer too late to become a Zacheus of a Publican to be good Christian he climed vp vpon a wilde Figge-tree to see Christ and he willed him to come downe Christ would dine in his house with him as happie guest whom Zacheus receiuing gladly was content for a testimonie of his true repentance of the ill getting of his goods to giue halfe of it to the poore and if he had taken from any man by forged cauilation which importeth all the hard and vngodly meanes hee had vsed to oppresse any man to restore it foure folde O worthy example and now doth the same Christ call vpon you who are at the height of a more vnfruitfull Figge tree which yet seemeth to you to yeeld you much and most sweet fruit sweet in the taste but you shall find it bitter in the belly it is a wilde fruit hard of digesture come downe come down quickly from the height of your vngodly gaines receiue Christ he will dine with you not as with Zacheans vsurers oppressours of the poore but as you shall become Zacheans to giue not halfe but part of your goods to the needie members of Christ and what you haue sinisterly gotten by cautulous bargaines and by imprisoning men and causing them either to perish in their bodies or in their estates for the obtaining of that they cannot pay you remit it either in whole or in such a part as may stand with their abilities to pay and to maintaine though but in a meane measure themselues their poore wiues and children by the remainder though it doe come short of Zacheus his repentance and good deedes yet it will be such a beginning as being accepted of God he will say vnto you as he said vnto him euen that day that you shall thus begin with a true heart and liuely faith to repent you this day is saluation come in your houses O sweet salutation that brings saluation and harsh and hellish are the gaines that bring damnation Consider in time put it not off till the day of your death no not to the making of your last Wills doe good with your goods whiles they are yours when you are dead they are none of yours That which you intend your Executors should doe when you are dead doe it your selues while you are liuing for that when you are dead the goods that you now possesse shall be at the deuotion of others though you intend them to neuer so godly and charitable vses It is sâ—â—ne by daily experience the intentions oâ— best men and women are abused And what can your intended workes to be done in your names after your deathes profit you onely that such a rich man when he died when hee could keepe his goods no longer gaue these and these Legacies to be performed and their names be registred as chiefe
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