shoulde daunt the power of the Deuill valiauntly vanquishe the host of Sathan puyssantly conquere the campe and companie of our enimies ouerthrow the kingdome of bloodie Belzebub breake downe the gates of the nethermost hell and beate downe the walles of the Deuill his defensed Castle and deliuer vs poore afflicted people from the cruell rage and violent clause and tearing téeth of oure deuouring enimye This was perfourmed at the fulnesse of tyme in the latter dayes when God sent his Aungell to the most happie holye sacred and pure Virgin who being ouershadowed with the spirit of the most highest brought forth Christ Iesus our onely Sauiour our onely redéemer our onely succour safegarde and defence our sure and stedfast rocke our stable and constant hope the rampire and castle of our helth the soueraigne salue of our heauie and sorowfull heartes the sole and singular and moste holsome remedie for all our diseases In this case therefore we must doe our diligent indeuour that we maye applye this playster to oure gréeuous wounde and so fruitfully enioy the commodities of the same For lyke as a great and infinite treasure lying hydde in the earth will not enrich vs vnlesse with labour care and diligence we digge vp the same and like as a great swift and couragious courser will nothing profite vs in flying from our enimies vnlesse we learne how to sit fast vpon him and so to escape and as the surpassing knowledge cunning and science of a learned and well experienced phisitian will not helpe to cure our maladie and sicknesse or procure our health and safetie vnlesse we open our disease vnto him and desire hys ayde comfort and assistaunce euen so the meruellous mercies the manifolde merites and incomparable desertes the euerlasting goodnesse and bountious liberalitie the riches and excellent greatnesse of the inestimable grace of God through our swéete Sauiour graunted vnto vs wyll not cure our disease will not inlarge the boundes of our libertie will not deliuer vs from the bondes and chaines of Sathan wherewith we are clogged wyll not enrich vs with the glorious giftes and precious pearles of iustice holinesse eternall life and purity vnlesse we with humble hearts with thankefull mindes with heauie chéere with hart oppressed wyth greeuous grones lamenting our former iniquities confessing our manifolde misdeedes detesting all impietie crauing pardon for our committed blasphemie and hartily sorowing for our accustomed idolatrye stubburnesse and wilfull disobedience doe display our miserie and open before him our shamefull nakednesse and in the bowelles of Iesus Christ in whome he is well pleased desire him with constaunt faith with certaine hope with earnest and continuall prayer to haue mercy vpon vs to illuminate our hartes with the spirite of knowledge to scoure away the clowdes of ignoraunce to wash away the spottes of sinfull disobedience to kindle in vs a feruent heauenly true burning and godly charitie and to worke in our hartes a continuall desire alwayes to fulfill hys most blessed will and therewith all to giue vs the power of his holye spirite to performe the same to the glorie of his eternall maiestie the comfort of the godly the fruitfull edification of our brethren and the saluation of our owne selues soules for euer and euer in his glorious and immortall kingdome The meane and way how to come to our heauenly father with a promise of the Authour to intreate of prayer and a diuision of hys worke The thirde Chapter IF we will therefore be the sonnes of God if we will be pertakers of those infinite and celestiall commodities which were gotten and purchased by the most pure bloude of the immaculate Lambe if we will be healed by the swéete salue of his bloudy wounds we must not slacke to runne vnto God our heauenly father with continuall and heartie prayer Which prayer bicause it is a thing so necessarie for christians that without the same we cannot attaine to the grace of God and merites of our sauiour Christ and seing that daylye experience doth apparauntly but pitifully teach vs that in these oure dayes it is an exercise that is nothing at all or verie lightly vsed of many which beare the name of Christ but in déede are not christians I meane and minde by the assistance of almightie God and ayde of his holy spirit to intreate something of the same I saye of prayer that the prowd contempt of the disdainfull Epicures which passe not for prayer may be something abated and diminished that the licentious life of beastly belly Gods which take al their delite in worldly filthinesse may by the terrour of Gods iudgement be corrected and amended that the rarelesse concupisence of worldly wicked men which wallow in welth and worldly banities maye by the knowledge of the bounden dueties be cut off and contemned that such as be deceiued by simplicitie may be reformed that such as knowe not how to praye so that they may mercifully be hearde may charitably be instructed that such as are alreadie forwarde in the same may thervnto be the more incensed For Saint Chrysostome saith that prayer is as the roote and foundation of al vertues For as the foundation doth make a shippe or house to be strong and holdeth it that it may not be dissolued so the exercise of prayer doth holde our lyfe and maketh it strong on all partes and so that without this no good can happen vnto vs nor anye thing which belongeth to our health I will therefore that I may the more orderly procéede diuide my whole talke into thrée principall partes and first by the grace of God I will declare that if we doe reiect or nothing regarde earnest and hartie prayer that we be in present daunger of eternall damnation Secondly that if with pure prayer we doe as we ought call vpon God in Iesus Christ our blessed sauiour for the assistaunce of hys holy spirite we shall be sure of most happie blissefull immortall saluation and thirdlye God guiding me I will shewe plainely how we may praye so that assuredly we shall obtaine our request For although the singular goodnesse and incredible mercies of almightie God our louing father cannot allure vs the terrible vengeaunce which he poureth downe vpon stifnecked sinners maye perchaunce constraine vs to accomplish that which of dutye we shoulde performe Then when by continuall feare of grieuous plagues and punishmentes we are driuen from former negligence to néedefull and healthfull diligence when by terrour of seuere iustice the rayne of our lose libertie is drawen in more straightlye so that we may not runne lyke roysting rouers at randome to the heauie displeasure of our almightie iudge as willingly we woulde and vnwisely were wont it may he that the constaunt hope of so bountifull a rewarde so princely pearles and surpassing a benifite as is eternall saluation maye prouoke and entise our appetite to shewe some earnest zeale and heartie desire to please and serue our maker Afterwards least some
The ready Path to the pleasant Pasture of delitesome and eternall Paradyse so called bicause herein is declared how and by what meanes we shall easily obtayne the surpassing pleasures of heauenly felicitie Scene and allowed according to the order appointed Ioel. 2. Omnis qui inuocauerit nomen Domini saluus erit Euery one that shall call vppon the name of the Lorde shall be safe ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Iohn Iudson To the Reader ALBEIT THE WHOLE worlde be miserably plunged and daungerously drowned in the terrible seas of Gods heauie wrath and sore displeasure yet most deare christians such are the vnspeakeable riches and incomparable treasures of his heauenly mercy that be wyll not disdaine to relieue vs to saue vs to helpe vs to holde vs to heale vs and to harbour vs in the most pleasaunt and comfortable rest of his most gracious and eternall fauour if with humble mindes with sorowfull and repentaunt heartes wyth a constaunt and liuely fayth we will prostrate our selues before the euerlasting throne of his immortall Maiestie hoping to be mercyfullye paciently and graciouslye receyued onely for the merites of Christ Iesus our onely triumphant and mightie Sauiour But bicause men nowe in these our dayes are in hart hardened in lyfe lycentious in loue lasciuious in maners miserable in wordes wylfull in sense vnsauerie in doings disordered in talke vntemperate in wyt wylde in reason retchlesse in rage vnreasonable in foly forwarde in fansie frowarde in vice venimous in vylanie vaunting in soule sinfull in charitie colde in furie flaming in faith fruitlesse and to conclude in gouerning themselues gracelesse and godlesse it is necessarie before they can haue accesse to God in mercie through Christ Iesus before they can passe to the most pleasaunt habitation of Gods euerlasting and immortall kingdome before they can be enfraunchised CytiZens in heauenly Ierusalem that they expell pride banishe arrogancie expell hypocrisie detest all impietie clense awaye the dregges of stinking Poperie washe out the spottes of disobedient adulterie and wype out the blemish of all blasphemous ydolatrie which by none other meanes can more conueniently bee brought to passe then by consideration of the terrible threates of God against obstinate harde hearted and rebellious aduersaries against stifnecked vngracious and disobedient seruaunts against vnnaturall vnthankefull and gracelesse children against them which contemptuouslye dispise his commaundements which spitefully neglect his fatherly counsell which wylfully transgresse his holye lawes which disobediently refuse to giue eare to his aduise and censure which voluntarily cast themselues headlong into the perillous puddle and gaping goulfe of all abhominable vncleanesse vnlawfull wickednesse and extreme miserie I haue therefore deare christian in this my short treatise wherein my principall and especiall purpose is to bring men to the most necessarie profitable and holesome exercise of godly prayer first declared the horrible estate and second death of such who doe not and will not practise earnest and hartie prayer nowe whilest God doth lende them leasure and giue them oportunitie to reforme their loosenesse of lyfe to returne vnto him with hope of mercie to escape the vengeaunce ready to be poured out vpon stifneckned sinners I haue I say first declared and manifestly proued that such vnlesse they repent shall haue none other ende but eternall condemnation in the bottomlesse pit of hell fire in most bitter â—nguish immortal miserie Secondarily I haue plainely set foorth with certaine proofe the most happie ende the blisfull estate the good condition of those who with hartie minde and earnest affection and pure Zeale imbrace the godlye practise of perfite prayer By the first part the terror of Gods intollerable vengeaunce maye batter downe the strong walles of prowde and vnbroken hartes by the seconde the brused consciences of the sorowfull christians may be happily repaired and raised vp againe By the first sleepy security may holesomely be banished by the second godly certainetie of saluation maye easily be procured through the first mans hart maye be wounded through the second it may be salued by the first mans mind is as it were launched by the second healed by the first roughly scoured by the second freshely bewtified by the first opened by the second clensed by the first cut out and framed by the second polished by the first halfe deliuered from the bondes of cruell Sathan by the second safely brought into the gracious fauour of our immortall Sauiour Thirdly least something should seeme to bee wanting for the better instruction of the simple Christians I haue brieflye giuen certaine rules and precepts wherewith if alwayes our prayers be well ordered we shall vndoubtedly obtaine our good requestes at the handes of God which thing assuredly as it is profitable at all times so in these our most myserable and wofull dayes it is most necessarie For when our enimies doe inuade vs it is then tyme to prepare to battaile When vice raigneth then it is necessarie to see that vertue be succoured When Sathan triumpheth then it is highe time to pray that he may be displaced When true humilitie once is defaced then it is time for hypocrysie to be suppressed and nowe when rebels rage sometime in inward cogitations sometimes in outward irruptioÌ„s it is necessary for the helth and safegarde of good christians with earnest and hartie mindes to desire God that all their enimious wicked enterprises maye bee confounded their endeuours ouerturned their deuillish purposes altogither disappointed and that the princely estate of our most gracious and godly soueraigne Lady Queene EliZabeth may for euer bee mightily preserued worthily maintained and most prosperously confirmed which I beseech God in the bowels of Christ Iesus mercyfullye to graunt For prayer in what estate soeuer we be is eyther our onely stay comfort refuge and consolation or else our principall defence and safegarde There withall the subtile assaultes of craftie Sathan are easily escaped his sleightes auoyded his rage refrayned his furie brideled and all his endeuours vtterly disturbed And contrariwise by prayer especially the mercies of God are liberally graunted his grace obtayned his fauour founde his loue allured and his gracious goodnesse bountyfully bestowed Wherefore let vs imbrace the godly practise of hartie prayer as the sure seale of our eternall saluation as the pledge of our redemption as the certaine token of our blessed election and so vndoubtedly wee shall at the last raigne for euer and euer with Christ in all felicitie in his glorious and immortall kingdome which he graunt for the merites of his most precious passion to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honor praise and glory world without ende Amen God saue our Noble Queene ElyZabeth and sende continuall peace amongst hir louing subiectes I. T. ¶ The readie path to the pleasaunt pasture of delitesome and eternall Paradise c. How gracious fauourable and mercifull God is to his creature man and of his first fall and the decay of his successors or
he fauoreth imbraceth loueth tendereth vs he wil for asking bestowe vpon vs such infinite and excéeding commodites whose greatnesse excellency can neither by though of man be conceyued nor by force of wordes expressed Moreouer he repeateth the same in one place and at one time as it appeareth the more to confirme vs to incourage vs to strengthen vs to encrease our desire to pray vnto him that neyther doubtfulnesse in asking neyther lacke of hope in receyuing might hinder our endeuours In the .15 of Iohn likewise he saith Si manseritis in me et verba mea in vobis manserint quicquid volueritis petetis fiet vobis If you abide in me and my wordes abide in you whatsoeuer you will haue you shall aske and it shall be done and then he conteyneth these wordes in this my father is glorified that you bring forth good fruite plentifully and be made my disciples so that by praying vnto him we shal glorify his name bicause that by that meanes we shall be made fresh and fruitfull gardens fullye replenished with the flourishing flowers of most excellent vertues which will yéelde so swéete a sauor to God and Christ our sauiour that we shall be most acceptable sacrifices and pleasant offeringes vnto him He subuerteth also these wordes which containe incredible comfort to the solace of siely soules Euen as my father hath loued me so I haue loued you What more ioye and pleasure What so much comfort can we conceyue What earnest loue of Christ Iesus towardes vs maye we gather of this that he loueth vs as his father hath loued him His father to shewe his loue towardes him spake on this sorte out of a clowde This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Him he raysed from death to life from earth to heauen from cruell crosse affliction to an eternall crowne of glorie immortall and hath set him on his right hande in all power and dominion and hath made his enimies his footestoole all which doe well declare his loue he beareth towardes him Nay he loueth him as he loueth his owne substance or his owne selfe For he is God of the same substance that his father is Let vs therefore be sure that if we call vppon him with feruent and humble and heartye prayer hée will heare vs hee wyll sanctifie vs he will direct vs he will leade vs in all holynesse and purenesse of life and he will preserue our soules and bodies to euerlasting felicitie For so he loueth vs as his father hath loued him And Christ sayth in an other place Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam illorum est regnum coelorum Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And to be poore in spirite is nothing else but to humble himselfe before the face of God to put awaye all confidence in himselfe to craue mercie for his committed wickednesse to poure out his complaint before his onely redéemer to acknowledge his owne vnworthynesse to confesse his weakenesse not to bost of his merites not to bragge with boldnesse his owne abilitie not to trust in his owne deseruings but to lye prostrate before the iudgement seate of God to wayte for the crūmes of mercy that fall from the Lords table to cal and cry for grace and bounty through Christ Iesus his death and passion by whome alone he seeketh for reliefe health and comforte in all humylitie Againe we haue a sure promise of Christ himselfe saying vnto vs. 16 of Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall require my father in my name he will giue it you Aske and you shall receyue If then we shall desire God the father in the merites of his most dearelye beloued sonne Christ Iesus to water our harts with the dew of his heauenly grace and to refresh our hungry soules with the foode of his holye worde and still to preserue protect and gouerne our heauie hartes wyth the wisedome of his heauenlye spirite he will no doubt assist vs helpe vs heale vs direct vs shadow vs with the wings of his mercy and at the last when our soule is dissolued from the pryson of the body will place it in eternall paradise For Christ is the truth and therefore cannot lye and he hath promised faithfully to fulfill all our godly desires The comparison of God vnto the vnrighteous Iudge which is ouercome with continuall and importune sute The .xviij. Chapter ANd he the more to encourage vs doth make a comparison Luke 18. betwixt his father and an vnrighteous Iudge on this maner There was a Iudge in a certaine Citie sayth he who neyther feared God nor estéemed man There was also a widow in the same citie and came vnto him saying Reuenge me of mine aduersary and for a while he woulde not But at the last he sayde within himselfe Although I neyther feare God nor care for man yet bycause this widowe still troubleth me I will reuenge hir of hir enimie least at the last the come and reproue me And the Lorde sayde heare what the vnrighteous iudge sayth And shall not God reuenge his elect people that cry vnto him night and day although he differre it I say vnto you that he shal reuenge them quickly Here Christ doth expresse and paynt out in liuely colours the force of earnest and harty prayer For that Iudge that was of so rough and rigorous a nature of so fierce and austere conditions of so vngentle and cruell disposition that he dispysed the complaints of the poore regarded not the requests of the miserable refused to giue eare to the cryes of Orphanes contemned the lamentations of the oppressed people cared not for thretnings set religion at naught considered not the terrible strokes of Gods vengeaunce lightly loked vpon his duetie gaue himselfe to vayne pleasure and was in wordes vnkinde in witte wilye in countenaunce terrible in iesture fearefull in lyfe tirannicall in manners monstrous in conuersation sauage in dealings dreadfull in hart spitefull in wyll a wolfe in thoughtes outragious in office cruell in menacing more than manful and beyonde measure ful of al iniquity by the continual calling vpon of this woman by hir pitious complaintes was reformed and brought to mercie was contented to deliuer hir from hir oppressing enimie was perswaded to leaue of his olde seueritie or rather carelesse cruelty in that case and was readie to fulfill hir will to graunt hir request and to agree to hir desire and then Christ transferreth it to his father who is our tender fauourer to shewe how much more he woulde be glad to haue vs poure foorth our prayers vnto him that he might satisfie our willes and shew mercie vnto thousandes that call vpon him For he doth of his infinite and excéeding goodnesse with fayre and faythfull promises allure vs with bonntiful rewards endeuor to entise vs with offred proffred benifits to binde vs with mercy to moue vs with kindnesse to constraine vs with curtesie to
call vs with pittie to prouoke vs with giftes to gratifie vs with ready minde to redresse with reason to reforme vs with good wils to winne vs with loue to leade vs with care to cure vs with solace to salute vs with charitie to chasten vs with dutie to driue vs with compassion as it were to compell vs to come vnto him For towards vs his affection is earnest and zealous his loue large and liuely his care incomparable his good will gracious his beneuolence bountiful his mercy maruellous If therfore the iudge that was sauage vniust and terrible in whome their scarce appeared any sparke of pitie coulde by a simple woman be intreated howe much more shall so louing a Lorde so naturally affectioned a father so mercifull a God as this the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob is be readie to receiue vs That the deuils impression is not suffered of God to preuayle where prayer is in place with the remedies of sinnes The xix Chapter AT the last our sauiour Christ concludeth that God wil here the praiers of his elect that crye vnto him day and night and will reuenge them quickly Where we haue to consider that if the Deuill go about eyther by force to ouerthrow vs or by pollicye to plague vs or by sleightes to conquere vs or by strength to ouercome vs by pleasure to allure vs or by paine to compell vs by trenchynges to vndermine vs or by ignoraunce to leade vs by foly to force vs or by fondenesse to féede vs by riches to enrage vs or by power to constraine vs by villanie to wrest vs or by pleasure to entrappe vs or by what meanes so euer he minde to be victor ouer vs we may by calling for helpe at the mercifull handes of almightie God confounde his deuises ouertourne his endeuours and become valiaunt conquerers in all temptations For if pride doe prick vs we may call for humilitie with humble obedience if sloth and ydlenesse doe créepe into our bodyes mindes or members we may praye for agilitie loue of labour and diligence if the insatiable thirst of corruptible treasure doe couetously consume vs we may request the gracious vertue of louely libertie frée gentlenesse and bountie if gracelesse glottonie doe gréedily deuour vs we may waite for the assured staye of trustie temperance if the burning feauer of wicked and wanton lust doe miserably vexe vs we may desire the colde and comfortable reliefe of right reason ruly religion if the venimous poyson of bitter enuie do daungerouslye infect vs we may require the holesome medicine of godly charitie if the loue of licentious libertie doe leade vs we maye with supplication aske for moderation and méekenesse if churlishe and currishe and carelishe doggednesse hath odiously affected vs we maye wishe for gentle and curteous and chéerefull humanitie to possesse vs if contempt of Gods worde hath any time estraunged vs from our bounden dueties we may beséeche him to bestowe vpon vs for his mercies sake the loue of his lawes and regarde of oure office towardes him and he assuredlye for his promise sake for the merites and deserts of Christ Iesus our Sauiour for his honour and glorie for the maintenaunce of our estate the encrease of our comfort for the helth of our soules which he greatlye tendereth wyll giue vs all these vertues with floudes of his grace streames of his mercie to the drowning of sinne to the confirmation establishing erection of al goodnesse godlinesse and true fayth perfite charitie The applying of the Prodigall sonne vnto the repentaunt sinner by prayer The .xx. Chapter FOr he requireth or desireth nothing more than our conuersion vnto him our helth and safetie our ioye solace and commoditie our life and libertie as it appeareth by the lost sonne in the. 15. of Luke who after he receyued his portion of substance went into a straunge countrie there riotously spent all insomuch that at the last hée by the force of pinching pouertie hard fortune and néedefull necessitie was constrayned to féede hogges and desirâ—â—â— bée nouryshed wyth such prouendour as the swine were filled and fatted withall but no man gaue any vnto him at length when he was almost sterued for lacke of necessarie sustinaunce and in such pityous plight and miserable estate that lyfe was almost readye to forsake his carefull carkasse he thought this within himselfe Manye hyred seruauntes in my fathers house haue plentie of vittayles and I perishe for hunger I will rise and go to my father and will saye vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thée nowe I am not worthye to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hyred seruaunts And he rose and came to his father But when he was yet a farre off his father saw him and being moued with mercie came running towardes him and fell vpon his neck kissed him Sée how his loue is not chaunged his good affection is not mooued his tender fauour is not diminished yea rather his ioy in him is now encreased his gracious goodnesse maruellously enlarged his pittie more plentifully prouoked towards his lost sonne although before he had wilfully disobeyed his father contemptiously refused to tarie with him disobediently wandred into forraine countries riotously roysted and raunged in straunge lands wantonly wasted his proper portion of substaunce letherously lauished his store vpon strumpets prodigallye poured out his iust inheritaunce amongst vagabonds yea although he was nowe in suche a case that his estate was succourlesse his purse penylesse his hart hopelesse his skinne discoloured his flesh withered his beautie deformed his comelynesse defaced his body weried his welth wasted his strength weakened his force vanished his life sorowfull his minde mournefull his desperate degrée miserably scornefull his plight pitifull and his person slaunderouslye spoken off and ignominious sée for all this howe louingly he entertayneth him howe graciously he receyueth him how gently he kisseth him howe readily he runneth to méete him to salute him to welcome him home againe and then the sonne seing his father so to fauour him repenteth him of his former disobedience bewayleth his vngracious dealing and is hartily sorie for his former behauour and speaketh on such maner as he had before determined Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thée and am vnworthie hereafter to hée called thy sonne But his father said to his seruants Bring forth the best garment put it on him and put a ring on hys hand and shoes on his féete and bring hither the fatte calfe and kil him and let vs eate and be merie For this my sonne was deade and is aliue againe he was lost and is nowe founde and they began to be merie This Father that the Parable speaketh off is God our Creator our heauenly father our mightie maker that placed man in Paradyse who like a lewde and dissolute sonne went a wandring from the swéete fieldes of vertues into the vnknowne woodes and daungerous marishes of