fading flower soudenlie plucked vp and withered like grasse like smoke and like the bubble of the water Wee shall be forgotten with all our pompe as the trauailer is that tarrieth but a night our honour shall come to an ende as the players part vpon the stage our doinges sayinges lookes gestures states and maiesties shall be rowled vp as a screule and cast into the office of forgetfulnesse where nothing can bee founde againe And then what remaineth I say what remaineth any thing but woe and wormes if we haue contemned religion and liued disobediently against the Lorde anie thing but vexation and torment both of the bodie and soule in hell fire Will then swearing be liked or drunkennesse or whoring or tipling tauerning sporting in vanity lasciuious talking writing or looking carding and dising roisting and rouing pride and excesse or anie kinde of sinne detested of the Lorde Will then a dissembling time-seruer not be vncased Will then an vniust seruant not be found out Will then an vnfaithfull wife not be discouered or a beastlie furious franticke husbande not be rewarded Will then anie thing abide the face that commeth in the cloudes with thousandes of Angels but onelie a religious heart and soule that hath labored to know and indeuored to liue trusting onelie to the mercie of God in Christ for all wantes to be pardoned Alas we knowe it euen as we knowe we liue it wil not but destruction and death shal then be to the man or woman for euer that lewdly hath liued in this world and comfort endlesse to the contrarie Therfore once againe I saie the Lorde giue vs eies to discrie betimes the rewarde and ende of true religion and of a reformed mind and life in that day euen for his Christes sake our blessed Lord and Sauiour Amen FINIS ¶ A prayer for a familie in the Morning O Most gratious God louing Father the verie comfort that anie sinfull soule can haue when we miserable sinners here met together do consider of the great mercy goodnes that we haue euer since we were borne and before founde and dayly do finde at thy Maiesties handes together with our great vnkindnes shewed euerie way to thée again for y e same we must néedes confesse and euen doe from the bottome of our heartes acknowledge that maruellous is thy mercie in sparing vs still to liue and in not consuming vs away from the earth from before thée For hast not thou O déere God of thy frée mercy before y e foundations of the world were laide chosen and elected vs for thy children when others as good as we by nature shall burne in hell eternally being reiected of thée in that hidden counsell of thine Hast not thou to our endles comfort certified and made known vnto our spirits the same Hast thou not created vs neither beastes todes wormes or any such like ouglie creatures but in thine own image according to thy likenesse to rule ouer the fishes in the sea ouer the foules of heauen and ouer euerie thing that mooueth vppon the earth And when being thus created innocēt yet we persisted not in the same but fell into the curse that bringeth eternall death didst thou not so pitie vs as that for our redemption and safetie thou grudgest not vnto vs and for vs to bée powred out the heart bloud of Jesus Christ thy onelie son our sauiour no other meanes being whereby we coulde be saued Hast thou not by thy holie spirit wrought faith in our heartes to beléeue by him and for him to be iustified before thée Hast thou not in some measure begunne the death of sinne in vs and wrought our sanctification Enioie we not the benefites of thy worde the freedome of conscience great peace and plentie in outward things with manie and infinite benefites moe waking and sléeping at home and abroad in our selues and our friendes For all which O good Lorde what doe wee Are we thankefull vnto thée for them Doe we often thinke of them and labour to knowe thée and to serue thée with a perfect heart and a willing mind for them No no déere God we do not we doe not as we ought to doe But with pleasure or profite with vanitie or selfe loue we are carried away spende our dayes in iniquitie carelesse and vnféeling of our sinne and there is no goodnesse in vs yet is there mercie with thée O Lord and pardon to repentance Wherefore we all héere met together at this time before thy maiestie humblie confessing our wantes most intirelie beséech thée for Jesus Christ his sake to haue mercie vppon vs haue mercie vppon vs most mercifull Father and forgiue vs all that is past strengthen vs hereafter that dailie both in bodie and soule we may glorifie thée more than we haue doone yéelding thankes daily for daylie benefites and striuing in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life But because we cannot but offend and fall diuers wayes good Lorde for thy mercie sake pearce our heartes with a féeling of the same and neuer suffer vs to goe on with dull and dead soules not séeing or sighing for our offences As a speciall meanes to kéepe vs in obedience before thée O déere Father worke in vs a continuall an effectuall remembraunce that wee shall not alwayes liue héere in the shewe of this wretched worlde that doeth so please vs now but that a day will come when the trumpe shall sounde the dead shall arise and all wee shall appeare before thy tribunall seate of iudgement there to receiue according to our déedes without respect of persons O good Lorde giue vs a remembrance and a féeling of the vnspeakeable comfort and eternall weight of glorie which in that day shall be giuen vnto vs if in this life we serue and please thée And contrariwise euen terrifie our consciences and let vs as it were sée before our faces the dreadfull iudgementes and the fearefull tormentes that both in body and soule they shal be sure to haue for euer more in the pitte of hell which in this life doe not serue and please thée but followe their owne fancies and wicked delights Giue vs an hatred of sinne and a true loue of righteousnesse Blesse thy worde euer more with fruite vnto our soules when we doe heare it giue vs a desire to heare it often Remoue O Lorde in thy good time such hinderances of the fruit thereof as are amongst vs giue it full course and sende foorth labourers into thy haruest which not for filthie lucre and gaine but of loue and zeale to thée and thy people may preach thy worde sincerely Blesse vs O Lorde from all hypocrisie glosing and halting before thée And because we little know how soone thou shalt sende this pampered flesh of ours to the wormes stoppe our breath and call away for our soules to come vnto thée whether this day or no before the euening blessed Father for Jesus Christ his sake prepare make vs readie
mans liking vnlesse it haue further warrant nor cast downe with his disliking vnlesse wee knowe hee so déemeth iustly And therefore againe I say consider of this comfort Consider of this worlde and consider of the world to come the one is transitorie the other permanent the one full of woe and secret sorowe in the verie middest of pompe the other ful of ioy comfort and solace and that without all ending Then whether is here good to be happie and there vnhappie here iudged miserable and there founde most blessed iudge your selfe euen with verie reason Certainly therefore it is a comfort sufficient so knowne to be by Christ that gaue it and euer hath and shall comfort the children of god against worldly conceit blessed are they that for a good cause suffer persecution for theirs is the kingdome of heauen That is all comfort possible to be thought of and tenne thousand times more This was Paules comfort in the middest of all his miserie and therefore he boldly and chéerefully saith he neuer counted the afflictions of the world worthie the ioy that should be reuealed This comforted Dauid also that he perished not in his affliction as himself witnesseth and as that spéech by comparisō may shew I should vtterly haue fainted but that I beleeue verily to see the Lorde in the lande of the liuing And what should I name them this euer hath comforted first or last lesse or more yet euer sufficiently anie that were the Lords But sée further how not onelie thus in generalitie against persecution it pleased Christ to strengthen our weakenes but euen in specialitie also against those kinds which most bitterly tast vnto vs and shake vs sore if we be not strong to wit reproch and report For Blessed are you saith he when men reuile you and shall falsely say all manner of euill saying by you for my name sake reioice and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen a saying neuer to be forgotten of vs whilest the life is in vs. For the gaule of these Crosses is not little and the power of this assault hath appeared not as féeble in great Prophets and members of the Church The verie words also of Christ his comfort insinuate a secrete force aboue manie others of this temptation For hée biddeth them reioice and promiseth great reward in heauen as forséeing a great downefall both of heart and countenance in man when he is once touched either with reuiling spéeches to his face or false reportes behinde his backe Wherfore to conclude and leaue you nowe to your other readings of this matter I praie you Frailtie open your eies or rather desire the Lorde to open them that you may both nowe in the day of peace and whensoeuer also it shall please the Lorde further to trie you sée with your eie heare with your eare and beléeue with your heart your offered comfort in the worde both against al other and against this temptatiō by name of persecutiō The word teacheth and we know it is decréede by the Lord to be the lotte of his déere ones euer in this worlde and therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it much good is wrought in vs by it therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it no chance nor fortune but the will of our heauenly father laieth it vpon vs and therefore welcome be it We knowe it is no new thing or vnséene before but the old portion of the godly that haue euer béen before vs therefore welcome be it The cause is not ours whē it is a truth but his that made vs and therefore welcome be it We haue a promise wée shall not be oppressed with more than we may beare and therefore welcome be it Wée knowe wée are children if as children we be corrected and therefore welcome be it Wée are told we are bastards if we be without it and therefore welcome be it And all our forefathers haue patiently carried it and nowe are rewarded therefore welcome be it Welcom I say the crosse in generall and persecution for truth all or part as it pleaseth God and welcome in particular this kinde of crosse if so our God will reuilings reprochings reportings false and vniust For we knowe our case the plea is ended and sentence is giuen neuer to be reuoked blessed are we good cause wée haue to reioice and be glad for great is our rewarde in heauen O the God of heauen and father of mercy strengthen vs that these swéete promises may preuaile with vs and that our eies may sée the comfortes of his worde What should feare vs Frailtie that haue such a God and that stande in such a state I pray you looke vp and clasp your God in your armes embrace his mercie beléeue his truth and as you liue though you be afflicted on euerie side yet shall you not be in distresse though you be in doubt yet shal you not dispaire though you be persecuted yet shall you not be forsaken though you be caste downe yet shall you not perish and though euerie where you beare about in your bodie the dying of the Lord Jesus yet shall the life of Jesus appeare in your body and there is neither life nor death Angelles Principalities nor powers things present or to come height or depth or anie other creature that euer shall be able to separate you from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Frailtie The Lorde chaunge me and I shall be chaunged and greatly both ought I and doe I thanke you Faith for this conference beseeching you still to praie for me as for one whose name and nature you knowe but too well I can promise nothing but seeing what I woulde doe I leaue my selfe to his mercie that is able to make me doe both what I ought and would doe And so the Lorde keepe vs both Faith Amen Frailtie Amen And the Lord giue vs eies to sée what it is to haue a true heart to God and to imbrace true religion Is it not to stand in possession of all these heauenlie promises whatsoeuer befalleth to vs in this worlde to be happie and blessed in it and by it Be it pouertie be it sorrowe be it oppression or whatsoeuer And contrariwise what it also is to be of a prophane heart of an vncircumcised life Surely euen to stand as depriued of all these comfortes and if we be poore to be also accursed in our pouertie in our sorow and whatsoeuer befalleth vnto vs gréeuous in this world The Lorde I saie giue vs eies to sée it and harts to thinke of it For full well wée knowe that were euerie one of vs a Monarch of a whole worlde by himselfe they béeing as this world is the glorie both of them and vs must passe away like a shippe in the water whose tract cannot be séene againe like an arrow through the aire or a weauers shuttle through his work like a
for he lift vp his eyes vppon his disciples saieth the text when he spake these thinges as knowing what store of stormes shoulde arise vnto them by reason of their calling And therefore let them take it in the name of God as it is offered to them and claspe it in their armes so harde to their heart as all the woes in the world may not loose their houlde from it For the trueth hath saide it and experience trieth it they shall loue and not be loued they shall labour and not be liked they shall serue at the altar but poorely liue of the altar Their pietie shall be hypocrisie their zeale choler their heat youth their praiers shall not profite their watchings wast their fastings doe no good but sinne shall still reigne iniquitie abounde the greater part remaine vnreformed and they for al their loue labour and true faithfulnesse be reiected and contemned in the ende Whereupon what woe doth growe to the soul that sauored anie truth of meaning loue to God or goodwill to men let them iudge that haue felt or whose wisedomes can weigh what the Lorde hath not giuen them triall of in themselues Surely such it is as is able to make the méekest Moses pleade with y e Lord and aske why he so vexeth his seruant with an vnthankeful charge and commandeth to carie in his bosome as a nurse the suckling child so peruerse a people as though he had conceiued thē or begotten them all himselfe Such as is able to make Ieremie cry in the twitching torment of his minde Wo is mee my mother that euer thou bare mee a contentious man a man that striueth with the whole earth I haue neither lent vpon vsurie nor men haue lent me vpon vsury and yet euery one doth curse me O Lord thou hast deceiued mee and I amdeceiued thou arte stronger than I and hast preuailed I am in derision daily euerie one mocketh mee For since I spake and cried out of wrong the word of the Lord was made a reproch vnto me and therefore I will make mention no more of thee nor speake anie more in thy name But here is a comforte to stay all impaciencie and to continue their course in seruing of the Lorde in their callings stil Blessed are they that mourne for the want of the feare of God in men for their sorrow shall haue ioie and they shall be comforted at the last And in the meane time Elie his spéech is méete for euerie one It is the Lorde let him doe what seemeth good vnto him And Beholde here am I be it vnto me as my God will Thus may the ministers apply this promise And for you Frailtie or anie one in your case I pray you also cōsider how it fitteth you For what can you saie nowe groning vnder this griefe of yours traueling heauie loaden with your sins what can you say I saie if you saie your worst but euen crie out vpon the fulnesse and foulenesse of your iniquitie vppon the ripenesse and rottennesse of your sinne saying your life is losse vnto you and there is no ioy vnder the sunne that you can conceiue of anie thing by reasō of your sinne For you haue béene an Jdolater a blasphemous swearer a Sabaoth breaker a disobedient child to parentes and subiect to Prince a murtherer malicious and spitefull an adulterer wanton and light a thiefe deceitful and vniust a false witnesse an euill thinker and what not And therefore though for manie sinnes you could hope of mercie yet for so many you cannot but a heape togither beateth you down when many single ones could not do it This is the worst you can saie and this is ill ynough if God giue not faith Yet sée howe all this is nothing where this promise is marked For euē this sorrowe this mourning this discomfort and griefe that you haue conceiued by ruing of your life is a sure token that you are the Lordes and that he hath mercie for you if you will not stand in defiance of him but be of good hope he séeth you And my proofe is no worse than the Lords owne words Blessed are they that mourne for their sins and transgressions for their wants and weaknesse and for their loose course in the waies of so good a God for they shall be comforted Shall he say blessed and you say cursed shal he promise comfort and you say you are cast a way God forbid Remember what the spirit saith in the 1. Iohn 5. 10. Hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lier And therefore conclude with your selfe and be chéered with it were there no more promises which yet are many besides of mercie vnto sinners yet were this sufficient to stay the weakenesse of anie if the Lorde be in them to giue them faith in it that the God of trueth hath pronounced happinesse to this wo and intailed surely a certaine comforte in time to descende vnto this sorrowe Manie moe I saie are the promises of God and manie moe are the places of comfort in this your case but my leasure serueth not now to make a treatise of a conference and when ynough is saide why shoulde you not be satisfied God hath spoken it the power of Hell cānot disprooue it you should beléeue it and I doe end with it happy are you or anie man or woman in the worlde if you féele your sinne and sorrowe for it so that you wil beléeue For you are not cast away but you shall be comforted you wéepe nowe but you shall laugh and you shall féele the performance of the wordes of Dauid Psalme 126. 5. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy and they that go weeping and carie pretious seed shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues with thē Wheras y t same god saith with a thundring sound woe be to them that laugh nowe for they shall wéepe Woe be to them that in this life stretch themselues vppon beds of Juorie sing to the sound of the Uiole and drinke their wine in bowles of golde without sense and sorrowe for their sinnes for the daie wil come when this swéet shall want and what hath not earst béene felt shall smarte and sting and burne no lesse than the fire of hell and strongest venome of destruction that euer was or may be God therefore giue vs faith and what féeling of sinne it pleaseth him For this fleshly peace and securitie within vs is no token of loue and the contrarie wakening griefe and woe is nothing euer to dismay vs. Amen Strength against heat of affections the third temptation YOur third assault ariseth of the diuers iniuries sundry wrōgs that you sustain abroad without redresse or reuenge togither with the vndutifulnesse either knowne or imagined in your own houshold and family wherby you are driuen to greater impaciencie often than may stande with the liking of your God whom you serue and whereby indéede as you saie
dissembling and so thereby to winne fauour to winne wealth to winne friends countenance in their dealings that me thinke I cannot stand anie longer in the innocencie of a good conscience but I must doe as they doe that I may get what they get Yet knowe I this to be diuelish but I am Frailtie by name and I feare mee by nature I shall be no lesse Thirdly when any vnquietnesse growes in towne and countrie or any iarring vnkindnesse I see such hazard in dealing betwixt them such subtilties and fetches to make a man a partie in that which his soule hated and so to trouble him and let the best be supposed I see vsually so small thanke gotten of either partie but euen the cōtrarie that I assure you I sit still and let them bate the fire that made the fire and themselues waste one an other and a thousande moe too for mee if they wil. Notwithstanding my conscience accuseth mee secretly that this is not wel doone of mee And thus indangered without and accused within me thinke my case is harde and grieuous But I wil not wearie you with any moe of my infirmities For I euen shame to shewe you these but that you are Faith a friend where you take strong and comfortable and gaue me libertie to be thus boulde with you before Faith In déede Frailtie you are when these things thus flowe vpon you yet Frailtie may you cease to be by the grace of God if you wil diligently wey what strength in the scripture is ministred against them For to begin with you first letting store of other scriptures passe to kéep me stil in this fift of Matthew euidently it may there appéere that the Lord knewe it would assault his children and therefore vttered this sentence no doubt of purpose to confirme them still that Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Wherein if it were well marked there is comfort hidden euen sufficiēt against this vile suggestion For shall the Lord of heauen set a blessing vpon the head of a thing and we not be mooued with it Nay shall it not more mooue vs than al the spéeches or conceites in the worlde to the contrarie tending What though a dull heart say let all men perish so I may be safe or what though a thousand policies pricke to a priuate regarde aboue measure of priuate welbeing doe we not heare with our eares and sée with our eies the spéech of truth which shall stand when heauen and earth shal fall Blessed is the merciful Either then make God false or this blessing assured to the vertue euer And if it be assured then neuer regarde the conceits of a witlesse world but consider the vertue in it selfe and what it shall pull vppon you Then to the imagination of want that may growe by this grace and to the sting that ariseth vpon their ingratitude whom we haue béene mercifull vnto oppose the promise that followeth in the place For they shall obtaine mercie Doth a man obtaine mercie when he is in this world made worse and in the world to come no better No you know he doth not and therefore it must néedes folow that this promised mercie implieth a greater good than euer can come harme by a liberall and mercifull hande in order either in this world or in the other or in both And it hath confirmation also of scriptures beside For I haue beene yong saieth the Prophet Dauid and nowe am olde yet sawe I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread But the righteous is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seede is blessed And againe in another Psalme A good man is merciful and lendeth and he shall neuer be moued but had in euerlasting remēbrance Whereby it is plaine plaine inough that let the worlde and her chickens be as churlish as they may be yet mercie is gainefull by the promise of the Lord vnto the mercifull And more should we regarde what our God liketh loueth blesseth than what with worldly wretches getteth rewarde Yet euen here also it hath his praise as you may sée by proofe in Iob and others manie though not peraduenture euer in all that are most bound vnto it Wherfore euen a thousand times we shoulde contemne this rude nature of vnreformed worldlings and lette them be as vnkinde as vngratefull and as peruerse as their corruption can make thē if the Lorde soften our hearts and giue vs this vertue of mercie our rewarde is certaine the bill of our blessednesse is signed and we as we could euer desire assured to be gainers Sincke it then Frailtie in your heart if I may obtaine anie thing of you and heare not these things without any profit Ponder the good promised in your minde and ponder the trueth of him that promiseth it God of heauen earth If the good counteruaile your hurt as a thousād times it doth your temptatiō is strengthned and if he neuer deceiued that hath giuen his worde for payment of you it is more strengthned but both of these are true and therefore God giue you vse of them the blessing of mercifulnesse to al that truely néede your helpe is assured This were inough then if you be not vtterly fallen out with mée and will credite nothing that Faith telleth you to stay your steps in this godly duety of mercie yet regarding your nature rather than the néede of the thing adde vnto al this but some litle view in your minde of the vertue it selfe in it selfe and it may be you shall finde strength increased by it Is it not in his nature thinke you an assured vertue that God maketh euer anie promise of rewarde vnto Or can it make miserable that the Lord saith maketh blessed Or is it not cause ynough to continue you euer in the practise of it that the Lord so often so earnestly and so generally to all estates commaundeth it Surely it is and therefore mercie in it nature is a most notable vertue Is it not to be honored that maketh men in whome it is so renowmed as that all ages speake and write of their names and natures for it But this vertue of mercie hath béene such to many and therefore in all truth a notable vertue For proofe of my assertion I let passe the multitude of the faithful whome either scriptures or stories or present practise as yet amongst vs honorably speake and think of And I remember you onelie of his name whose nature in this action being an heathen hath often well liked me Alexander the great Whom when one Petillus humblie besought to helpe him with some money towardes the bestowing of his daughter in mariage by and by he commaunded 50. talentes to be giuen vnto him and when the man refused so great a gift saying that ten talentes would suffise beeing tolde of it he also aunswered that it behooued a good nature not onelie to consider what an honest friende