defect many vertues may be hid many good parts as that of Cicero in the Senate of Rome answering one Memmius who declaymed against Marcus Cato because hee made merry all night long why said Cicero didst thou not adde also Quodtota die aleas ludit that hee plaid at dice alday Cato hauing spent the whole day in serious businesse of the common wealth refreshed himselfe the more liberally at night Fiftly to consider that he which now hath grieuously fallē to day by Gods grace may be conuerted to morrow for God is able to make him stand If thou wilt needes iudge Nosce teipsum Begin first with thy selfe and perchance thou shalt find thy selfe worse then him whom thou condemnest Iustus prius est accusator sui Rom 2. Take good heede lest in the same thing thou iudgest another thou condemnest not thy selfe Take heede I say that thou bee not stayned with the same crime and so giue sentence against thy selfe 2 Sam 12. The man that hath done this shall surely die saith Dauid But what said the Prophet Thou art the man To conclude if thou canst not excuse the action of thy neighbour yet excuse his intention impute it to his ignorance or that hee was ouercome with some grieuous temptation wherewith if another had beene assaulted he might likewise haue yeelded This the Apostle teacheth Gal. 6.1 If a man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Surely if a man would looke into himselfe he should find that hee hath enough to doe at home in the house of his owne conscience so that he would find no time to enquire into other mens soules But this age yeeldeth great store of Phisitians euery one will be launcing the carbuncles of others infirmities but they neuer haue care to cure their own Vlcers Euery one would be an eye in the body of the Church none a hand Such without authority vsurpe the office of the eye but to be a hand in doing good few are willing They are ready to carpe at other mens labours when they put their hand to nothing that good is But let vs first iudge our selues and so we shall more charitably looke into the faults of others Let vs I say bee mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull Thus much touching rash iudgement and the fift worke of mercy to the Ioule described by this word Fer. ORA THe sixt last worke of mercy toward the soule consisteth in praying for all men A duty so necessary as without it wee haue no meanes to expresse our wants to our heauenly father S. Austen calleth prayer Interprei defiderij a key to valocke the secrets of our heauenly desires the necessity whereof our blessed Sauiour sets forth when hee taught his disciples to pray and also the benifit when he said Aske and yee shall haue Mat. 7.7 seeke and yee shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you And he yeeldeth a reason in the next verse saying For whosoeuer asketh receiueth he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened From hence may you plainly perceiue that oft times our wants and miseries proceed from our coldneise and neglect of prayer And surely most men are greatly to be blamed for neglecting so religious and heauenly a duty This was not the vse of the holy Prophets and Patriarks Dan. 6.10 Daniell notwithstanding the Kings decree to the contrary vsually prayed three times a day And we ought especially in these daies to call to minde the admirable deuotion of the Sonne of God deuotion waxing key-cold amongst men Let vs therefore remember our selues and thinke a little more of calling vpon God by religious and deuoute prayer remembring who it was that spent whole nights in prayer when he was labouring for the sinnes of the world and the saluation of our soules If the eyes of God doe at all times and in all places behould vs then most especially when wee present our selues before him in prayer when both attention of minde and humiliation of body cōcurre actions most befitting humble sutors we often repeate that of the Prophet Psal 95.6 O come let vs worship and fall downe before the Lord our Maker but we doe it not by humbling our bodies to sue pardon for our soules To approach enter into the place of prayer a◠if we came to sit in commission with God or would countenance him in his own house is as an vnreuerent a custome as heart can wish To dehort men now a daies from long prayer we are eased of that labour seeing many care not how little they pray Nay which is more when some altogether neglect this holy duty vnto God wherein Christians assemble themselues by publique prayer as if by preaching they would haue euermore God doe seruice vnto them but they by prayer would neuer do seruice vnto God And yet for all this not onely to speake of prayer but of feruency in prayer may further our Christian desires in Gods seruice seeing our zeale is oftē so cold as we may seem rather to speake then pray seeing the very of house pray or is almost made nothing lesse whereas our repayring thither puts vs in minde of a duty to be performed He therefore that prayer not in the Church doth as he that eates not at abanquet that learnes not at the schoole that fights not at the battaile that walkes not when he is in his iourney Mat 26.31 Let vs obserue Christs praying in the garden when his soule began to be sorrowfull the better to moue vs to a dueconsideration of prayer In this had prayer we may cōsider these circumstances first that it was solitary for that hee now left his disciples as he had vsually done before when he went out alone to pray this cōmendeth vnto vs solitary praying Secōdly he prayed with humiliation of body Luk. 22.41 Mat. 26.39 S. Luke sayth He kneeled and prayed S. Mathew and S. Marke that hee fell prostrate vpon the earth Mark 14.55 The Euangelists may soone be reconciled for it may seeme he first kneeled and afterward for faintnesse he was forced to fall prostrate and this commends to vs humiliation in prayer Iohn 11.41 When he raised Lazarus and restored the dumbe man to the vse of speaking Marke 7.38 we find he lifted vp his eyes to heauen which was sometimes his gesture in prayer when Moses prayed Exod. 17.12 hee lifted up his hands vntill the going downe of the Sun which houlding vp of his hands Dauid calleth his euening sacrifice Psa 141.4 Acts 7.60 When Steuen prayed hekneeled down according to Christs example here in the second place mētioned The third circumstance in this our Sauiours praying is that it was iust and right for he subiected his will to the wil of his father saying Si iuvis If thou wilt which
lift vp his eyes to heauen Eccles 9 but smote his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Hee would not come neere vnto God therefore God in mercy commeth neere vnto him for the text saith Hee went away rather Iustified Oh happy therefore and thrice blessed are they who groning vnder the burthen of their sinnes seeke quietues of minde in Christ alone Thus much touching greefe of Conscience The next speciall duty of consolation is to bee performed toward those who stand in feare of death wherein you are to require the aide of your Minister with him to ioyne in prayer to our heauenly Father for the sicke Patient that if it so stand with his great goodnesse he may restored to his former health if not yet to forgiue him his sinnes and so to arme him with patience that he may the better bee prepared to enter into glory And of this sufficient hath beene spoken in the place of Ecclesiasticall consolation In the third place wee are to speake of the comforting of those who suffer immoderate greefe for the death of their friends as wiues doe for the deaths of their husbands children for their Parents and one friend for the losse of another To whom I say that although it bee commendable to powre forth teares ouer the dead for so did Iacob for Ioseph supposing him to bee dead Ge. 37.35 Surely I will goe downe into the graue to my Sonne mourning And likewise great was the lamentation that Dauid made when newes was brought him of the death of Absolon Oh Absolon my Sonne 2 Sam. 18.35 my Sonne Absolon would God I haddied for thee Oh Absolon my Sonne my Sonne Nay Christ himselfe saith Saint Ierome went not to his Sepulcher without weeping eyes yet saith the Apostle Paul 1 Thes 4.13 I would not haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not euen as others that haue no hope And therefore saith Saint Barnard Non culpamus affectum sed excessum Wee blame not the affection but the want of moderation Hee that said Eccle. 38.17 my Sonne power forth thy teares ouer the dead said also comfort thy selfe Amongst other meane comforts saith Tertulllian Resurrectio mortuorum fiducia Christianorum Christians who beleeue a Resurrection to a better life should raise vp themselues by faith from such too dolefull passions for as in all other things so in this a moderation should bee had Hast thou lost a good Father Friend Husband Wife or Child say with the holy man Iob Iob. 1.21 The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. They are not cleane taken from vs but gon a little before on the way wherin we must al follow we shall all one day meete againe by the grace of God at what time there will be no meane ioy when friends shall for euer liue reioyce and sing an Halleluiah to our heauenly King And surely saith the prophet Esay Esa 57 1. They are taken away from the euil to come And our Sauiour Christ Iesus a little before his passion seeing his Disciples sorrowfull for his departure which was so shortly to ensue said vnto them Ioh. 14.29 If you loued mee you would reioyce because I said I goe to my Father So if wee loued our friends wee cannot but reioyce because they are gone to Christ Iesus their Redeemer For they are taken from misery to happinesse from vanity to glory and from fading pleasures to euerlasting ioyes Let vs therefore rather praise God for their so happy deliuerance then any way seeme discontented thereat Thus much touching the death of our Friends In the last place we are to comfort such as haue sustained losse of worldly wealth which hapeneth either by casualty of fire inundations of water shipwracke Pirates or theeues To al which kind of worldly losses these fiue principles following are to bee propounded First consider what our blessed Sauiour taught vs when he willed vs to pray That Gods will might be done in vs what reason then hath any man to withstand the performance of that for which hee dayly prayeth And our Sauiour praying a little before his passion said Mat. 26.39 Neuerthelesse not as I wil but as thou wilt Oh excellent Patterne for obedient children patiently to content themselues with what cross soeuer it shal please our heauenly Father to lay vpon them Secondly Psal 24.1 consider the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is the round world and they that dwell therein If then all the riches of this world belong to the Lord who in mercy hath but lent them vs and made vs to be Stewards ouer them Luk. 16.1 As by the Parable of the vniust Steward may appeare Saint Paul also auoucheth it when he saith Wee brought nothing into this World 1 Tim. 6.7 and it is certeâ—â— wee can carry nothing out Why then should men bee too much deiected seeing the Lord hath but taken his own we couÌ„t him a very vnthankful debter that is not as willing to pay as to borrow Man is the debter God is the lender let vs not herein deale with our heauenly Father more vniustly then we would haue our Brother deale with vs. Let vs say with the holy man Iob Iob. 1.21 The Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. When I had them I was not the better I trusted not to them they therefore being gone doe nothing dismay mee Thirdly consider the Lord hath done this for the tryall of our Faith Patience and perseuerance as he dealt with his seruant Iob who said Iob. 13.15 Though hee slay mee yet I will trust in his mercy For when the Lord shall perceiue that our confidence is not built vpon fading ioyes and transitory pleasures but firmely cast vpon him he then will drawe neere vnto vs and vnto al that truly feare him trust in his mercy as he did to his seruant Iob To whom God gaue twice so much riches as hee had taken from him Fourthly call to minde the prouidence of God towards all Creatures Behold saith our Sauiour the fowles of heauen Mat. 6.26 for they sowe not neither reape nor carry into barnes yet your heauenly Father feedeth them are you not much better then they The Phylosopher Bias cast his goods into the Sea being demanded why he answered Omnia mea mecum porto My goods and I are neuer parted It were to be wished in like manner that Christians would cast away the leauen of too too worldly carefulnesse into the sea of eternall forgetfulnesse to that end especially that Christ and they might neuer be parted The fift and last principle and not the least which wee are to performe to our poore brethren in this behalfe is to yeeld them our charitable releefe for saith Saint Iohn Who soeuer hath the worlds goods 1 Ioh. 3.17 and seeth his brother haue neede
Aristides going in to exile prayed that all things might succeede so happy and prosperous with the Athenians that they might neuer hereafter haue neede to remember Aristides Phocion being about to drinke the poysoned Potion Plutarch wherewith hee should die charged his sonne that hee should neuer reuenge his vniust death vpon the Athenians Thrasibulus that Noble Citizen of Athens Val max. who expelled the thirty Spartan Tyrants by this meanes restored the former freedome to his Country hee caused the law of perpetual obliuion of former iniuries to bee enacted which they called Legem obliuionis the law of forgetfulnesse Let Christians then be ashamed not to aspire vnto that perfection heerein which many wise Heathens haue attained vnto How far this brotherly forgiuenesse is to be extended our Sauiour himselfe sheweth in the parable of the Vnmercifull Seruant Mat. 18.35 which owed ten thousand Talents concluding in these words So likewise shall my heauenly Father doe vnto you except you forgiue from your hearts each one to his brother their trespasses In these words first wee are taught to whom this precept of forgiuing of iniuries pertaineth None are exempted which professe to be Christs Disciples for he saith Except yee forgiue each one that is of what degree state or condition soeuer he be of rich or poore Noble or Ignoble King or beggar we are all sinners and doe pray daily Forgiue vs our debts as wee forgiue our debtors Let the proud obserue this which being puffed vp with the confidence of their birth or dignities thinke that they may lawfully despise wrong and tread vnder foot the simple obscure and poore man Secondly hee sheweth whom hee should forgiue His brother He might haue said his follow seruant but hee would haue vs to lift vp our eyes higher and to consider that all men are not onely of the same condition as seruants but also of the same nature and dignities as the Sonnes of God who was so farre from contemning the base and obscure that hee would haue his onely begotten Sonne to bee contemptible and poore that he might make vs rich Thirdly hee teacheth what wee should forgiue Their trespasses He speaketh indefinitely that hee might comprehende all things wherewith our neighbour hath offended vs for how great soeuer is the iniury done vnto vs it may in no sort be compared vnto that wherein wee haue offended God Fourthly hee expresseth the measure and manner of forgiuing saying From your hearts that is not in naked words with an hypocritical and dissembling heart but truly and seriously that not so much as a sparkle of enuie hatred or rank or remaine behind in our hearts which particle reproueth their contumacy Which say they will forgiue but withall protest they cannot forget the iniury neither can they endure the sight of such as haue offended them These forgiue not from their hearts but in words onely nay not so much as in words seeing they foster in their hearts the memory thereof and doe not conceale it Wee should in forgiuing of iniuries imitate the example of our heauenly Father who so forgiueth our iniquities that hee remembreth them no more for if our sinnes were still in remembrance with God how could the hope of our saluation be firme and certain vnto vs And therefore the Princely Prophet prayeth That God would not remember the sinnes of his youth Psal 25.7 And that which necessity constraineth vs to craue at the hands of God is it not meet that wee should shew the same to our brethren Wee would not that God should remember our sinnes and shall wee keepe in memory old grudges and offences of our brethren and neighbours Surely such make themselues vnworthy of the mercies of God Being destitute of faith working by loue Gal. 5.6 Most memorable and neuer to be forgotten was the dealing of the holy Patriarch Abraham with his nephew Lot when Sathan assaied to kindle contention betweene them by reason of their quarrelling seruants Abraham being euerie way the better man being his Vncle and his elder Who already had seene the day of Christ Iohn 8.56 had also learned the lesson of humility of Christ hee stood not vpon his Summū Ius his right reputation but came first to Lot and was the profferer of peace saying Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there bee no strife betweene me and thee and betweene my heardmen and thine and why for wee are brethren Hee sought peace Concedendo de suo Iure By yeelding of his right Now there are Christians to bee found saith Musculus which will not yeeld one foote of their right for brotherly vnities sake this proffer of Abraham is counted but folly now yea of those which yet would be esteemed his children Lastly this benefit also we make through patience towards an enemy which is not the least that being accustomed to deale iustly and friendly with an enemie wee shall the better frame our selues to liue sociably and kindly with our familiar friends and to doe nothing fraudulently and deceitfully in friendship Let vs therefore I beseech you cast out of our minds the remembrance of iniuties which is the very wood and fuell to nourish reuenge and which exasperateth our harts against our brethren Col. 3.12 Let vs as the Elect of God put vpon vs tender mercy kindnesse long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ for gaue you euen so doe ye Let this sweet promise of our Sauiour And ye shall be forgiuen quench in vs all rancor and malice and ouersway in our thoughts all reasons of flesh bloud which seeke to moue vs to reuenge consider that in no other Petition in the Lords Prayer we so pray as to indent with God but in this onely Forgiue vs as wee forgiue others In which couenant with God if wee bee found liars we pray in vaine our prayers are against our selues seeing our sinnes are not forgiuen because wee are not truly inserted in the body of Iesus Christ vnlesse we forgiue one anther except wee manifest our faith in loue towards our neighbor Forgiue saith Saint Augustine lest whiles thou denie mercy to thy brother thou shut the mercy of thy Heauenly Father from thy selfe Iam. 2.13 For there shall bee iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy But if all this cannot suppresse the rage of thy wreakefull humour but thou must needes seeke reuenge I will permit thee to be carried with the current of thy passions vpon condition that thou wilt bee angry with him that indeede hath done thee that iniury And who is hee verily as Basil saith euen hee which ruleth in thine enemies heart the Diuell I meane which inflameth him with the firebrands of wrath and armeth him with his spirit against thee it is hee that vseth thine enemies hand as a Sword to strike thee and his tongue as an arrow to shoote at thee If an horseman should strike thee with his speare wouldest thou bee
teacheth vs to cōmend our selues and all our petitions to the will of God The fourth that it was with sorrow for hee was in an agony and this putteth vs in minde of that of the Apostle Rom. 8.26 The spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to pray as wee 〈◊〉 but the spirit worketh 〈◊〉 for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed The fift that it was with perseuerance for hee came three times vnto his Disciples three times and in three places was hee tempted and three times did he here pray and willed his Disciples Mat 26.41 To watch and pray that they enter not into temptation Oh what deuotion was here his last supper being ended he goeth forth accompanied with his Disciples and speakes vnto them as a louing father vpon his death-bed when hee hath not much to say giues his Children precepts at parting which they should remember when he is gone from them of which precepts this was not the lest Watch and pray Mat. 26.41 that you enter not into temptation And surely wee haue no sweeter incense then our deuotion offered vp by prayer we haue no better Oratours to pleadeour cause no surer Ambassadours to conclude our peace then our humble supplications to Almighty God who healeth our sicknesses and forgiueth our sinnes who sitteth euer in commission to heare our suits and looketh that wee should send vp prayers and petitions to him that hee may also send downe his mercies and graces to vs. By which meanes we enter into a spirituall traffique with God himselfe we giue a cup of could water and he returnes a fountaine of the waters of life to vs. Wee giue him with the poore widdowe two mites Ioh. 4.14 and hee giues vs againe the whole treasure of the temple The mercy of God saith one is like a vessell full to the very brim if once his children by the hand of faithfull prayer beginne to take of it it doth ouerflowe vnto them It is not with God as with men amongst whom those who are petitioners are wont to be troublesome vnto him but with God the more we offer vp our praiers vnto him the more wee are accepted of him For with him the gates of mercy are wide open to all poore sinners that will make their prayers vnto him Come and welcome 1 Sam. 2. Hannah being barren by prayer obtained a sonne Elias 1 King 18. raine Elisha a sonne 1 King 4 for the Shunamite which being dead was also by his prayer restored to life Acts 9.20 Peter by prayer raised Dorcas and Paul Eutichus from death to life It is recorded in the life of Martin Luther that a certaine yong man hauing by an indenture of couenants writen and sealed with his owne bloud giuen his soule in reuersion to the deuill that the fiend was forced at the instant prayer of the said Martin Luther to giue to the young man his deed againe Russinus and Socrates also write that Theodosius the Christian Emperour in a great battaile against Eugenius when he saw the huge multitude that was comming against him and so in the sight of man there was an apparent our throw at hand he gets him vp into place eminent in the sight of all the army fals downe prostrate vpon the earth be seecheth God if euer hee would looke vpon a sinfull creature to helpe him in this time of greatest neede suddenly there arose a mighty winde which blow the darts of the enemies backe vpon themselues in such wonderfull manner as Eugenius with all his hoast was cleane discomfited Wherefore being compassed by such a cloud of witnesses let vs sometimes with Abraham Gen. 22. leaue our terrene affaires as he left his seruants beneath when he want into the mount to sacrifice to God so in sicknesse principally and in times of distresse then should wee fly vnto our surest stay of repose then should we ascend into the contemplation of heauenly things and haue recourse to Gods mercy as to a City of refuge Psal 50.15 Therefore as Austin counselleth Demus operam vt moriamur in precatione Call vpon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee thou shalt prayse me In the time of trouble there is a refuge for extremitie And I will heare thee there is a reward of mercy and thou shalt praise me there is a reflexe of a thankfull duty Christ wils all Mat. 11.28 that are weary and heauy Laden to come vnto him and they shall not loose their labour for he will refresh them In time of neede no surer sanctuary then by humble prayer to repayre to God Psal 123.2 Wherefore as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hand of their master and as the eies of a mayden vnto the hand of her misereis so let our eyes wayte vpon the Lord our God vntill hee haue mercy vpon vs. But as prayer and thanksgiuing is our Christian sacrifice so must it agree with that of the Israelites in sixe points 1. As theirs was seasoned with salt so ours must be with the truth of a good conscience 2. As theirs was brought to the priest so ours must be presented to God 3. As theirs was slaine so when we pray we must kill all our lewd and malicious affections 4. As theirs was washt with water ours must bee with teares of repentance 5. As theirs was without blemish so ours must be without hypocrisie Lastly as theirs was kindled with fire so ours must be with zeale And in this duty we must imitate the blessed Protomartyr S. Steuen who prayed for his enemies saying Lord lay not this sin to their charge we must pray for all men Acts 7. Thus much concerning the sixe duties of mercy belonging to the soule Wherin let vs be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull MISERICORS OR Motiues to Mercy The second part Comprehending all duties of mercy belonging to the Body AT LONDON Imprinted by IOHN BEALE 1619. The Argument HAuing dearely beloued brethren finished the former treatise touching all the duties of mercy belonging to the soule I now purpose by Gods blessed assistance particularly to handle the workes of mercy due to the body as they follow in this verse Visito Poto Cibo Redimo Tego Colligo Condo To visit the sicke giue drinke to the thirstie bread to the hungry to helpe the oppressed to cloath the naked to lodge the harbourlesse to bury the dead Visito THe first duty of mercie to the body consisteth in visiting comforting and relieuing all those on whom God hath layd his heauy rod of sicknesse Already sufficient hath beene deliuered in the third worke of mercie to the soule touching spirituall consolation to the sicke and diseased It is the counsell of the Apostle to the Hebrews That we should remember those that are afflicted Heb. 13.3 as if we were also afflicted As if he should say Be ye the members of one body And members be all pertakers of the