godly seruāts for the liberal disposition of a child is easily spilt with the leaud manners of a seruant Hence it commeth that almost their first words are ribauldrie and feareful othes and that they learne to blaspheme God before they can plainely speake GOD yea sometime they proue twofold more the children of Satan then their Tutors were For a new vessell will keep the tatch of the first seasoning a long time after Cause them therefore to frequent the holy exercise of religion as Preaching Catechising Praier Sacraments c. Bring them with you where they may be instructed in the waies of the Lord to doe righteousnesse especially on the Sabbath day because that is a day appointed and set apart of God himselfe for his worship and seruice wherein he wil haue our seruant as free as our selues and to the end we may prepare them the better to the sanctifying of the Lords day we are to call them vp betimes in the morning to praier wherein first we are to thanke the Lord for all his mercies to such vnworthy wretches and namely for the rest and preseruation the night past Then to beseech his Maiestie that hee would so prepare and fit our hearts to the profitable retaining of his most holy and blessed word and so direct the mouthes of his ministers that day in the vttering of it that it may be a comfortable sauour of life and saluation to vs and not a sauour of death vnto destruction And hauing ended this duty by 7. in the morning we may if wee will directly goe where there shall bee a Sermon vntill eight so comming home we are to goe to our owne Parish Church both in the forenoone and in the afternoone and after that to some Lecture as there be diuers blessed bee GOD in diuers parts of the City And hauing thus spent the day till six at night we are not to content our selues there thinking we haue done by this time a work of supererogation but to come directly from the Lecture to our houses and call our seruants together to praiers to almighty God that it would please his Maiestie to giue a blessing vpon that which we haue heard that wee may auoide the sinnes execute the good duties feare the threatnings and lay vp the comforts from the mouth of his ministers plainely shewed and laid down vnto vs. And hauing ended praiers for that instant we are to examine euery one of them particularly what lessons they haue learned at Church and what vses they were taught of those lessons and hauing done that to giue them a generall exhortation incouraging them to goe forward in godlinesse which hath promises of this life and of that which is to come and so to make an end for that time with singing a Psalm of thankesgiuing NOW as we are to performe these duties on the Sabbath day so we haue our duties to performe on the weeke daies also For it is not enough for any man to giue his family victuals and prouision one day in the weeke and let them fast all the rest of the weeke after for so he should soone make a leane houshold but we must deale with our seruants in Spiritual things as we deale with them in Corporall things that is as wee allow them meat and drinke sufficiently all the weeke daies and on the Sabbath day they haue extraordinary dishes So although we haue beene carefull to pray and instruct them in religion on the Sabbath day yet we must looke we do our duties in the weeke daies also although not like vnto the Sabbath for the Lord doth not require it at our hands This discipline and good order if wee would carefully inure our Prentises to seuen or eight yeares together till their first youth the age which is set vpon the very pinacle of temptations be past ouer methinkes it were enough to kill all the weedes of vices in them to make euen Atheists religious and grow into a habit of sanctimony and godlinesse Here I thinke it needfull for euery one of vs as we are yet seruants to know our duties also that wee may demeane our selues agreeably to our present condition Seruants duty First then wee are to follow the counsel of the Apostle to be obedient vnto our bodily masters with feare and trembling because they be in their places vnto vs as God God hath set thē ouer vs in his own stead and therefore we ought not onely to carry a reuerend estimation of them counting them worthy of all honor but to performe our duty and seruice vnto them not to the eie as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God himselfe singlie and from the heart labouring continually to please them and submitting our selues to thē in all things as the holy Ghost commandeth But this must not be vnderstood absolutely but with an exception So they bee lawfull things For if a master command his seruant to speake a lie or to sweare his commodities cost so much when they cost much lesse or to breake the Lords Sabbath in such a case we ought rather to obey God then man but in all iust and lawfull impositions not crossing their roiall commandement we are to conforme our selues in all duty and obedience to them yea not only to the good and courteous but euen to the froward sower For this is thankworthy saith Saint Peter if a seruant for conscience toward GOD endure smart suffering wrongfully But it is a great fault in vs that are seruants that if correction be giuen vs though with iustice and discretion we will say most commonly wee deserue it not This is not the saying of the holy Ghost For saith he what praise is it for a seruant to be buffeted for his faults but and if yee fault not and yet suffer hard vsage and take it patiently then is there thanke with God And herein what better satisfaction or quieting of our mindes can we desire then the example of our Sauiour himselfe who neuer sinned neither was there guile found in his mouth yet he was reuiled and reuiled not againe he suffered beyond all degrees of patience opened not his mouth but committed reuenge to him that iudgeth righteously euen to God his Father So ought wee my Brethren when our masters bee out of reason and offer vs extreame measure to put it vp and endure it patiently knowing that they also haue a master in Heauen who beholdeth with an equall eie both vs and them and not to answer Sir I deserue it not For if correction should not bee giuen to the most of vs till wee confesse we deserue it it should neuer be giuen vs. Heere I cannot keepe silence but I must needes make known how good and gratious the Lord hath shewed himselfe in this case to mee his most vnworthy seruant and the rather to cause all other Prentises to thinke themselues not miserable but most happy when the Lord hath set ouer them such
cannot afford it at such a price and that they will keep it seuen yeares before they will sell it so and yet let their customers back be no sooner turned to be gone but presently he is called againe and his money taken which before was refused with so many othes If Seruants will thus burden their consciences for their masters profit many against their masters wils what will they do for themselues who shall let them then to sweare away all faith truth and conscience for euer to sweare their soules to the Diuel that they shall neuer repent and to sweare a plague into their houses which shall consume the very timber and stones of it O my Brethren tremble at this prouoking sinne tremble to bring the great and holy name of the Lord for a witnesse to your base twelue penny lies tremble to deale so saucily with the omnipotent Maiestie that can send a deadly thunderbolt to strike you presently thorow in the place where you stand Beare with a vehement speech when it proceedes out of a loue more vehement For your pretious soules sake leaue off this profitlesse and pleasurelesse sinne let this be the first sinne thou fightest against and when thou hast got the victory of this the rest of thy conquest will be the easier Hast thou beene a prophaner of the Sabbath and one that hath made no conscience of going to Church longer then thy masters eie hath been vpon thee and when thou hast beene there hast made small account of that which hath beene taught but either hast been talking or sleeping or idly or wickedly thinking c. Henceforth frequent more duely the the holy sanctuary and house of praier prepare thy selfe aforehand that thou maiest reap profit of the things which thou shalt heare intend more reuerently and deuoutly to Gods worship rob not the Lord of the day which he hath consecrated to the glory of his great name he requireth but the seuenth six are ours and shal we not afford him one If a Father hauing called his children together should tell them It is so that I haue cast vp my accounts and I find my estate to be worth seuen thousand pound six of which seuen thousand I am content presently to part with among you and the one thousand see you vse as thriftily and carefully to my behoof as you would the six thousand to your owne What ingratitude vnreuerence were it to so bountifull a Father for these children hauing gotten the seuen thousand pound into their hands to turne all to their owne vse and aduantage neuer respecting their kinde Fathers good nor his charge vnto them or at the most so carelesly that it may appeare there is but little religion of their vow in them The Lord who is our heauenly Father hath giuen vs six daies to do our businesse and affaires in and onely one day he hath reserued to himselfe appointing vs to bestow it in his worship and seruice because that day is his delight as the Prophet saith what negligence what impiety what contempt can be greater then for vs to spend the whole weeke in following our pleasures or our drudgeries whē the holy Sabbath comes to intrude into our heauenly fathers right and consume that also in the carnall workes or couetous proiects or ordinary exercises of the weeke before what intolerable auarice is it or sacriledge rather hauing so bountiful allowance from our heauenly father not to be content vnlesse we may seaze his peculiar reseruation into our hands also This is right to haue thousands of sheepe pasturing vpon our owne downes and yet to kill the poore mans onely Lambe that slept in his bosome for the prouision of our house But here some will say it is true we must lay away all worke on the Sabbath day but yet to sell and take money for wares in the shop before and after seruice is no great worke and therfore as good do that as stand idle No I deny it for as the prouerbe goeth amongst vs Thou hadst better be idle then ill occupied so they were better stand still then vent their commodities they be both sins but selling of ware is the greater how little soeuer for a man may aswell take 40. pounds that day as one pēny For Gods cōmandemēt is broken in both In the 16 of Exodus GOD condemneth the Israelits for purposing to gather Manna on the Sabbath day what easier worke could there be then this nay moreouer it was to be done between fiue and six a clock in the morning when they might haue serued GOD all the day after and they needed not to haue gone far for it neither but onely come forth of their doores and stoop to take it vp But marke whē they came forth they found nothing Here is a good lesson for vs to learne that as they went out to gather Manna on the Sabbath day and found nothing so the gaines that is gotten by selling wares on the Sabbath day is iust nothing howsoeuer men are blinded and thinke the contrary for GODS curse eates it vp and more too I grant we are not tied to so strict an obseruation of the Sabbath in euery respect as the Iewes were yet thus farre the morall part of the precept doth oblige vs to the worlds end namely to do no workes on that day but workes of holines or of meere necessity but men now a daies make no bones to step ouer any of Gods lawes when they bee in the way of their profit and yet they will be good Christians too We remember that day to pamper our belies with good cheere and fine clothes and to take our pleasure we remember to keep a right Epicures Sabbath but to heare Gods word taught to lay our petitions in common together in our Churches and to cal our families together when wee come home that wee may bee the better for that wee haue heard which is the right christians Sabbath this we remember vtterly to forget I am perswaded there is more wickednesse committed both by Prentises and others on the Lords day then on any three daies in the weeke beside and the reason is because men for the most part will see that their seruants shall follow the businesse of their trades all the weeke but vpon Gods day they are careles of them and suffer them to do what they list themselues That is the day of their recreation For as Salomon saith it is a pastime to a foole to doe euill When they should walke to the Lecture for the recreation of their soules the masters are walkt to their gardens or the fields for their bodily pleasure and the seruants to the Tauerne or to some place of greater corruptiō to the endāgering of their soules so the word preached to them in the day time before is no better then the seed that fell vpon stony ground because for want of due rehearsal afterward which is as it were the depth of earth it withereth
vphold their idolatrous kingdome the more let it fall downe euen as Dagon before the presence of thine Ark. Powre downe the vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath vpon the kingdome of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority drie vp euery day more and more as the riuer Euphrates Let it pity thee O Father to see thine owne spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman heere below weeping and mourning with haire about her necke hauing lost all her beauty and comlinesse cheere her vp deere Father glad her with the ioy of thy countenance and so decke her and trimme her vp that thou maiest delight in her as a Bridegrome in his Bride Specially we in treat thee to haue mercy vpon th◠Church in this land intend good vnto vs and not euill giue vs not ouer into the hands of the cruell Spaniard as our sinnes haue deserued Scatter we pray thee O Lord the deuices breake the plots of all such as haue plotted the ouerthrow and vtter subuersion of this Church and common wealth Blesse this Church more more with the continuance of true Religion amongst vs. For thy great names sake and infinite mercies sake deale gratiously and fauourably with vs and our posterity Turne from vs that vengeance which is due to vs for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity preuaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme ouerspreadeth euery where and Poperie seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deere Father wee most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grieuous enormities that are amongst vs. Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English nation Heare the cries of thine elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children crie downe all the cries of the sinnes of the land and be reconciled vnto vs in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maiest still continue a most mercifull protector of this thine English vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew special mercy to our most Noble and gratious K. Iames thine anointed seruant blesse him and keep him in all his waies Blesse his gouernment vnto vs. Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwaies ouer him keep him from treasons and deliuer him frō the treacheries of his enemies giue him to see what belongeth vnto his peace and giue him a heart earnestly bent to set vpon the practise of the same giue him al graces necessary for his peace and necessary for his saluation continue his gouernement peaceable and prosperous amongst vs and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gratious instrument for the sauing of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saued in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsellors and giue such good successe vnto all their Counsels and policies in matters of state that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithful to the Land Direct with thy good spirit all such as beare the sword of Iustice that they may draw it out to punish the wicked and to defend the godly that they may with al good care and conscience discharge the duties of their places Increase the number of faithfull zealous Ministers in this Church Send thy Gospell to those places where it is not blesse it where it is Remember them in thy mercy O Lord that are vnder any crosse or affliction whatsoeuer bee comfortable vnto them heale vp their wounds binde vp their sores put all their teares into thy bottle and make their bed in all their sorrowes and put such a good end to al their troubles that they may redound to thy glory and the furtherance of their owne saluation In the meane time giue them patience and constancy to beare whatsoeuer it shal please thy merciful hand to lay vpon them Last of all in a word wee pray thee blesse Magistracie Ministery Cōmonalty Blesse all thy people do good to all that are true and vpright in their hearts And so deere father we do commit cōmend our selues our soules bodies into thy hands for this day and the rest of our life praying thee to take care and charge of vs keep vs from all euill watch ouer vs for our good let thine Angels encamp about vs let thy holy hand be ouer vs and keep vs in all our waies that we may liue to thy praise and glory here in earth keeping faith and a good conscience in all our actiōs that after this life we may be crowned of thee for euer in thy kingdome Grant these things good father to vs here present and to all thine absent praying thee in speciall fauour to remember our friends and kinsfolkes in the flesh all our good neighbours and wel-willers and all those for whō we are bound to pray by nature by deserts or any duty whatsoeuer for Iesus Christs sake our onely Mediator to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be giuen all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen An Euening prayer to be vsed in priuate families O Eternall GOD and most louing deare Father we thy vnworthy children do heere fall downe at the foot of thy great maiesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are altogether vnworthy to come neere thee or to look towards thee because thou art a God of infinit glory and we are most vile and abominable sinners such as were conceiued and borne in sinne and corruption such as haue inherited our fathers corruptions and also haue actually transgressed all thy holy statutes and lawes both in thought words deeds before we knew thee since secretly and openly with our selues and with others our particular sinnes are moe than can be numbred for who knoweth how often hee offendeth But this we must needes confesse against our selues that our hearts are full of pride couetousnesse and the loue of this world full of wrath anger and impatiencie full of lying dissembling and deceiuing full of vanity hardnesse and prophanenesse full of infidelity distrust and selfe-loue full of lust vncleanenesse and all abhominable desires yea our hearts are the very sinkes of sin dunghils of all filthines And besides all this we do omit the good things we should doe for there are in vs great wants of faith of loue of zeale of patience of contentment of euery good grace so as thou hast iust cause to proceed to sentence of iudgement against vs as most damnable transgressors of all thy holy commandements yea such as are sunke in our rebellions and haue many times often committed high treason against thy maiesty therefore thou maiest iustly cast vs all downe into hell fire there to be tormented with Satan and