wise as they will be sure that none of them shall doe them good For rather then they would haue nothing to except against them if they cannot finde those accusations that are iust they are content with any shew why they should refuse to bee counselled and perswaded by them And therefore if they be old they say they dote and know not what they say if they be yong they haue no iudgement nor experience if they be wealthie then they are couetous if poore then base and contemptible if they be maried they can not follow their callings but the world if vnmaried then they liue suspiciously And thus to say no more it is fearefull to see how little the people in one respect or other are seasoned with the sweete fruite of the Ministerie and therefore if ye feare God regard your owne welfare and peace and will not come to iudgement imbrace the Ministery reuerently as Gods message and the greatest and most lets of faith are remoued Thus I hauing set downe these lets which doe chiefly hold from faith both on the Ministers part and the peoples and hauing said somewhat to both in way of exhortation seeing out of these two kinds of men God chuseth out his elect I conclude that there are many lets from faith but yet withall it may be seene that there is apparant remedie to be found against them as I haue said and how subtilly soeuer the diuell bewitcheth and holdeth men backe by them yet the Scripture offereth greater grace by the which they may breake through all hindrances and discouragements which may keepe them from it if the Minister and people would make conscience of their duties CHAP. 7. What desire breedes faith BVt seeing it were both long to stand in prescribing remedie against all these lets and the way for all hath been set downe to come by faith alreadie I will therefore briefly stirre vp and aduise such as are in good way and haue made some good entrance that they may see what to take heede of and what to imbrace and to seeke faith by the meanes and in the manner which before I haue set downe and a little to strengthen them after they haue attained to any true measure of it Wherein it is to be marked because I before highly commended a good desire that a naked and bare desire of saluation now and then stirred vp in men is not to beleeue as many thinke although without any ground But seeing such as haue a desire sometime are they for the most part whom God doth make beleeuers for while men are voide of that there is little hope to be conceiued of them I will therefore shew for the helpe of them who doe anything looke after true happines what desire it ought to be and whereto it groweth if it be true and sincere that it may not deceiue them For we may finde many who haue sometime desired it earnestly and yet neuer obtained it as Balaam that a man could hardly haue shewed any difference betwixt their desiring of it and the desire of such as haue attained to it indeede for that instant But in time it hath appeared that it was but sudden or of short continuance and failed before it obtained that which it sought as by them who in the Gospell are said to haue ioyed in that which they desired to heare but it vanished whereas the desire of the other cannot be satisfied without it but mourneth and longeth for it and pineth for sorrow when any thing commeth in the way to weaken the hope which was conceiued of it till that bee remoued which hindred them from that benefit Therfore such must know that their desire which is sometime fleeting and somtime faint must become both feruent and constant as in the parable of the pearle may be seene That as soone as it was found the value of it being knowne of the skilfull Merchant he neuer rested till he had gotten it for his owne for wee must know that he who thus desireth it is forcibly drawne hereunto by God who hath shewed him his great neede of it and what he shall gaine by it and thereby hath prepared and made him fit to receiue it for otherwise if God draw not men to the valuing of it it is of no account with them Now further this desire if it be the worke of Gods spirit is strengthened hereby namely while hee prizeth and valueth it according to the worthines of it as farre as he is able that is to say thus that in his account it farre surmounteth and excelleth all the world with whatsoeuer is of account in it he esteemeth of it as a most pretious treasure to beleeue because hee knoweth that he which beleeueth is deare vnto God and shall be saued And so must faith and assurance of eternall life be valued indeed of him who shall finde the blessing of it for which cause S. Peter calleth it pretious faith Now who can esteeme thus of it as that it is better then all profit pleasure and preferment but he must needes thinke all his praying for it hearing the word which worketh it his questioning about it and his trauaile and labour in meditating of the promises whereby the spirit of God writeth it in the heart but he I say must needes thinke all his paines well bestowed in seeking it yea and infinitly recompenced though he hath long waited the Lords leisure for the enioying of it Al which meanes another man thinketh very needlesse and that it is meere follie to make all this adoe to come by it and yet he will say it is better then the world also but he can content himselfe when he hath heard the promise without any setting of his desire in it to wash away all with a word of course that he hopeth to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as other Which slight esteeming of it is too cleere a token how farre hee is from it Now who seeth not the difference betwixt these two to be this that the one is led by the spirit of God whereby the father of heauen doth reueale this secret mysterie of faith to him and doth wonderfully draw his heart vnto it the other is led by fleshly reason as his guide which is the greatest enemie to this worke For our reason thinketh it vnnecessarie to set more by that which we cannot see with carnal eyes then by that which we haue in present possession and see it handle it enioy and vse it therefore no man doing thus is led by the spirit of God which assureth him who is led by it that God hauing promised glorie greater then the world though hee seeth it not he shall finde no lesse then is promised therefore he setteth more by it then by all things here before his eyes And this is the way to beleeue in God indeede though wee see him not that by this our confidence in him wee may haue ioy and
agreeth not with their humor and to cauill and quarrell with that which naturall reason doth not allow yet wishing better things vnto such I am not discouraged but for their sake who would desire the same in practise which here they shall finde by reading I will goe forward in this enterprise I know it can doe the best no harme I am sure trusting and looking for the blessing of God that it shall do many good such I meane as would doe well if they knew how and would grow wiser sounder and more constant in faith and a godly life if they had helpe and direction thereto plainely set before them And I am not ashamed to say that for mine owne furtherance as well as other mens and the better carriage of my selfe through this my pilgrimage I haue been willing to gather some such things together as in this small volume I haue contriued Neither had it come into the hands of others vnlesse such as are of account aboue my selfe for their gifts as well as my neighbours among whom I haue preached the doctrine had perswaded me to set it forth Besides all that hath been said I haue chiefly in this enterprise as God doth know sought this that this vnperfect weake labour of mine may stir vp and moue some of my godly brethren who for the habilitie and grace which God hath giuen them if their leasure had been as much as mine might tenne-fold more profitably and substantially haue vndertaken it to enlarge and perfect the same the argument being so needfull and profitable to the further benefit of Gods Church and people Another reason of setting out this treatise was this that they who desire it may see by the diligent marking of the same the beauties of the Christian life more clearely then by many Christians liues it can bee seene and that it may bee brought into greater account with many who thinke it through errour ouerburdensome And partly also I was moued hereunto by this reason that the Papists cast in our teeth that we haue nothing set out for the certaine and daily direction of a Christian when yet they haue published they say many treatises of that argument For answere to the first poynt of this obiection they cannot deny but that they care not what they say to bring the people out of loue with our religion they cannot I say deny that both in catechismes sermons and other treatises there is set forth by vs that which may cleerely direct Christians and stir vp godly deuotion in them though all be not gathered together into one volume for the second part concerning their treatises I graunt there are two which I haue seene set forth by them in our English tongue the one called a Christian Directorie the other the Exercise of a Christian life wherein the author doth though both superstitiously and nothing properly goe about to teach and giue direction for euery day in the weeke the one bearing the name of Robert Parsons the King of Spaines confessor the other by an Italian a Iesuite Doctor in Diuinitie and translated into English by some fauourite of Poperie the first is nothing lesse then a direction for a Christian though it be called a Directorie tending rather to perswade men to resolue with themselues to leaue some grosse euils then to shew them soundly how to attaine pardon or teaching how to liue christianly the other is a ridiculous tying men to a daily taske of reading some part of the storie of Christs passion and saying certaine prayers throughout the weeke euery day a taske but indeede nothing lesse then directing after the will of God him who desires to leade a Christian life Both of them I dare boldly affirme being deceiued themselues doe deceiue others especially the simple who is not able to discerne and trie the lying spirit in them The one that is to say Parsons hath vnder a pretence of a holines and deuotion set downe sundrie impediments to resolution But yet they are put in among other things to take away the harshnes and tartnes of manifold errours of merit and other superstition mixed with them and vpholden in that religion and as it were with sugar to season them which else no taste could abide and in the depth of a subtill heart put in to make the world beleeue that the Popish religion is the onely holy religion and the professors thereof the godliest liuers when yet Antichrist is their captaine and head or as they will not deny the Pope of Rome who yet doth and for these many yeares hath vpholden and maintained open and almost infinit heresies and abominations And as their religion and worship is composed and framed of heresies and lies and a confused heape of superstitions and outward dead workes euen Iewish and Heathenish ceremonies so the persons themselues who professe they know most and that they are able to giue rules vnto others vpholding and building vpon so rotten foundations are furthest off from well guiding others so that no man may euer looke by any Popish direction to liue christianly Although I will not dissemble what I thinke namely that some doe meane more simply and truely then the rest and thinke that they serue God aright hauing deuout minds but being ignorant of the truth must needes be deceiued But of Maister Parsons booke of Resolution seeing he and some other haue set it out in a glosing stile to insinuate with the ignorant and vnlearned reader that he seekes no other thing but to draw him to pietie and godlines I cannot forbeare but I must say a little which otherwise I would not haue done And the rather for that I know he hath snared many simple peoples consciences thereby who being themselues willing to be led in a right way beleeue that he meanes as he speaketh and therefore are left I say deceiued and in a bottomles gulfe out of the which if God helpe them not some other way it is not possible for them to get And this I say first for the deliuering of such out of the snare and maze in which they haue lost themselues by reading of that booke that although there be a pretended shew of godlines in it and much superstition yet the best of it is farre from true pietie and godlines seeing that and euery part of it proceedeth from faith ioyned with assurance of Gods fauour which is that alone that purifieth the heart and maketh it able to bring fourth fruits of amendment of life without which mens best actions are wrought by the strength of corrupt nature and are fruites of the flesh and workes of darkenes and so abominable And yet this faith doe Papists make no reckoning of neither therefore can the booke of Resolution teach or hold it Further I say that the law onely is vrged in that booke without teaching the poore soule that may be terrified thereby how to lay hold on the promise of eternall
they are fallen pag. 514 Chap. 7. Of the fift priuiledge namely the gracious helpes by which he hath granted them to grow in faith and godlines pag. 519 Chap. 8. Of the sixt priuiledge namely of the right vsing of prosperitie pag. 524 Chap. 9. Of the seuenth priuiledge concerning the afflictions of the godlie and namely of the first branch of the same that is how they may be free from many of those troubles which doe light on and meete with the vnreformed pag. 529 10. Of the second branch of this priuiledge concerning the afflictions of the faithfull namely that God deliuereth them out of many when the wicked still remaine in theirs pag. 535 Chap. 11. The third branch of this priuiledge that wee may haue much good by our afflictions pag. 539 Chap. 12. Of the eight priuiledge of growing in grace pag. 543 Chap. 13. Of the ninth priuiledge that the beleeuers shall perseuere vnto the end pag. 549 Chap. 14. Of the tenth and last priuiledge inioyed perfitly in the life to come but begun here pag. 560 The seuenth Treatise containeth the obiections and cauils which may be brought against the doctrine before set downe and an answere to them Chap. 1. OF the summe and order of this Treatise pag. 569 Chap. 2. The first obiection that there needes no direction daily besides Gods word and therefore this is needles answered pag. 570 Chap. 3. Of answering this obiection that no such direction can be obserued daily pag. 575 Chap. 4. Of answere to this reason against the practise of daily direction that it is toylsome and inconuenient taking away al pleasure from men and hinders their labours pag. 577 Chap. 5. Of answere to another reason against daily directing of vs that it would breake off all societie and fellowship among men pag. 581 Chap. 6. Of the doubts and obiections which weake Christians ought to propound vntill they bee satisfied namely how they may attaine to such direction daily and answere thereto and other like namely that they count it hard and what such ought to doe pag. 583 Chap. 7. Of other obiections of the weak as that they cānot see how they should walke thus while they liue in such an euill world and other like obiections with answers thereto pag. 587 Chap. 8. Of the obiection of weake Christians who cannot reade and another of them that are troubled through some Scriptures and answers to both pag. 590 Chap. 9. Of the obiection that Ministers may follow daily direction but yet not therefore the people and of such as obiect that better counsell is giuen by the author then hee himselfe will follow with answere to both and a larger answere to the first obiection in the second chapter pag. 593 Chap. 10. The conclusion of the whole booke containing an exhortation to good and bad pag. 599 FINIS THE FIRST TREATISE SHEWING WHO BE THE TRVE CHILDREN OF GOD. CHAP. 1. The summe and order of this first Treatise ALthough my chiefe purpose be to direct the true Christian who is already a beleeuer how to walke daily through the course of this life in such wise as he may finde a very sweete and effectuall taste of eternall happines euen here which few doe thinke can be obtained yet I haue thought it meete first to shew who are true beleeuers and the children of God and how men are brought vnto this estate and thereby may know that they are so Partly for them who desire to be directed in a Christian life that they may haue this ready at hand by them to shew them that they are the Lords notwithstanding many doubts be oft raised by Sathan against them and that others may learne to know it who are yet ignorant of it as without the which in vaine should they goe about a godly life Which as it is the weightiest and chiefest poynt of all others in diuinitie and the ground of the rest which I haue taken in hand to intreate of so it is with the greatest regarde to be dealt in whether we respect those which vnfolde and lay open the same or those which desire to be instructed and perswaded in the truth thereof For it comes to passe by our corrupt nature and slownes of heart to beleeue and Sathans subtiltie many waies beguiling vs that we in nothing more deceiue our selues then in and about the assurance of saluation for proofe hereof we may vnderstand that some yea many thousands thinke that no man can know whiles he liueth here that he is the Lords neither can haue any assurance of his fauour till his death vnlesse it be by speciall reuelation And this is the error of the Papists On the other side many thinke that this is not so hard a question as that any that professe the gospell should doubt of their saluation notwithstanding our Sauiour Christ saith that his flocke is but small and that in comparison but few shall be saued And this is the opinion of our common Protestants which say Lord Lord and yet are not prepared to doe the will of the Lord and therefore farre from entring into the Kingdome of heauen Besides both these many poore ignorant soules thinke whiles they doe well and serue God they may be assured of their redemption by Christ but if they be by any meanes hindred from pleasing God yea though it be by meere frailtie and corruption of nature then they can haue no hold thereof which vncertaintie though it cleaue vnto many who are deare vnto the Lord yet it is to be counted their error and sinne and they must be brought to a more staied iudgement then thus to thinke that either there is changeablenes with God or to be so much their owne enemies as by meanes of this error to fill their liues with such vncomfortablenes and depriue themselues hereby of this assurance of Gods loue which is the strongest perswasion to true godlines These are some few of a great many doubts and erronious opinions about this matter as after shall appeare For resolution whereof though many things must be said yet the matter it selfe may cleerely and soundly be set downe in few words To the end therefore that these and such like many see how farre differing Gods thoughts are from mans and as I haue said before that al which haue receiued this doctrine may haue it before their eyes daily in some easie and familiar manner to confirme them I will as God hath made me able set downe that which is expedient for this point and this I haue thought good to referre to these three heads First to shew how a man may attaine to this to know that he is the child of God and how God worketh it by his spirit in the hearts of those which are his Secondly how the weake beleeuers may vphold themselues in temptation and so be staied as seeing that they differ apparantly from those which are not the Lords And thirdly how they may
warning by his word he doth further bewray them and set them out in deed to be knowne such as he neuer tooke pleasure in by suffering now and then here and there in all ages some such to hang and drowne themselues or to die in despaire or other miserable manner if possibly he might bring some of the rest to repentance These perswade themselues that they doe liue godly and yet by apparant proofe of Scripture may see plainelie that they doe not so for of such our Sauiour speaketh when he saith to his Disciples Matth. 5.20 Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen These it feareth me to vtter it but that it is Gods truth as farre off as they be from Gods kingdome goe in sundrie points farre before the two former sorts who yet thinke their estate to be good Oh therefore how many perish And yet some of all these three sorts are sometime pricked in conscience and sore disquieted in themselues for their sinnes which is hardly procured and wrought in the most hearers no not euen by oft and sound teaching but yet in deed this is only a slauish terrifying of them for feare of the punishment in which feare they doe also confesse their sinne and that in teares somtime There may be seene in them also a leauing for the time of some of their old euill qualities that a man would marueile at them as Iohn Baptist did when he saw the Pharisies resort to his baptisme For this is but externall in some things and for a season as Herod who did many things at Iohn his teaching and as Ephraim in Osee whose goodnes was as the morning dew In their trouble they seeke the Lord but they seeke him not as they who would find him for then would they not leaue off to seeke vntil they had found him as the church did in the Canticles chap. 3.3.4 Neither doe they regard his waies when their trouble is ended as Iob speaketh describing the hypocrite thus The hypocrite doth not pray that is serue God alwaies meaning in one condition of life as in another in peace as in trouble Yea more particularly whē God smiteth and plagueth them either by their enemies diseases losses and such like they couenant religiously with him that they will neuer fall from him any more but they flatter him with their mouth and dissemble with their tongue their heart is not vpright with him neither are they faithfull in his couenant They will sharply tell others of their faults though they be but small yea though they be but so in their opinion as though they could not abide that God should bee dishonoured but they themselues will not take a reproofe they hate to be reformed They are zealous in some things but it breaketh out many waies not to haue been true godlines by their inconstant feruencie and other passions They heare the word of God willingly sometimes and some of them speake of it with ioy and wonder at the heauenly wisedome of it but it vanisheth away and fleeteth whereas if it had been sound it would haue increased and continued as the hearbe that taketh roote in good ground becommeth fruitfull So they attaine to many good gifts of God whereby one would thinke sometimes that they were not farre from eternall life but they either burie them in a napkin and doe no good with them or vse them amisse as Iudas did Christs communion with him to their owne hurt while they dare bee bolder by meanes of these good gifts to offend God then if they had them not But if I should reckon vp the beadrolles of grosse faults which they suffer in themselues and nourish yet vnder the name of infirmities it should easily appeare to such as haue any iudgement in the Scriptures that they cannot be reckoned among the beleeuers and beloued of the Lord. For howsoeuer he gather his elect out of all these kinds yet are none of them to be accounted for his while they abide and continue so From these faults therefore let the beleeuers separate themselues A fourth sort and those diuers from these now mentioned may be added who being sore stumbling blockes and offences to many deserue to bee reprooued with the former ye shall know them by the description which I set downe of them by rehearsing their particuler properties who if they repent not will in the end though I hope better of some of them prooue no better then the rest Among whom they are to bee counted who seeming to be of the forwarder sort doe yet offend dangerously and suffer the same blemishes before men to breake foorth in countenance speech behauiour against such as they mislike though farre better then themselues which testifie that their hearts are inwardly poysoned in the sight of God who for their zeale that they haue towards the worship of God do thinke so well of themselues that they cannot brooke nor abide any other who differ from them in iudgement about some things though they haue no cleere ground in the word of God And if they bee at variance with any how honest and godlie soeuer yet cannot affoord them a Christian and friendly countenance nor speake a word to them without taunting girding rating or wounding them and in their absence deface and defame them very vncharitably for somewhat which they mislike in them and yet oft times without any iust cause at all Yea and some of them being themselues but priuate men but put the case some of them bee in the Ministerie and men vnlearned doe make it a great piece of their religion to censure sharply and descant arrogantly of their betters and superiours so that it is well knowne that many of them haue turned vtterly to become Schismatikes and others haue not been farre from them Which kind of zealous professors I do the more boldly reproue because some haue thought me a fauourer of such their readines in receiuing the Gospell I haue well liked and as I haue been able furthered it but this arrogant bold and vncharitable spirit of theirs bringing forth such fruit as I haue mentioned neuer taught them in any sound Ministerie I vtterlie mislike and haue done from time to time since I had any iudgement Who hauing been content for some yeeres space to be taught as seeing great need thereof haue in a few yeeres I may say moneths outgrowne their teachers in their owne iudgements and haue thought almost none of them good and meete enough or sufficient for them and therefore some of them haue giuen themselues as they say to grow by their priuate reading when they might haue been taught also in the publike assemblie which some of them refuse to doe especially by the ministerie of such as they are exasperated against and so for the seruing of their owne cankred humour they sinne against God in breaking one
armour of the word which is called the sword of the spirit is to be well instructed in the sound and liuing knowledge of the Scriptures and to digest the same and season our vnderstanding with it in such wise that we may know the will of God and haue the same in remembrance in the things which most concerne vs as we can that thereby we may at all times and in all cases be readily led by it That this may be a light to our feete and a lanterne to our steppes as the Prophet teacheth that so neither heresie in opinion nor errour in our life which shall be daungerous may carry vs away from our stedfastnes in our Christian course no nor so much as deceiue vs secretly but we may be able to draw forth this sworde of the spirit and to say it is written that so no such thing may be done of vs. Such knowledge therefore of good and euill cannot be wanting in vs nor the daily increasing of it be neglected but fore and perilous wounds will by the aduersarie pearce our soules so farre is it off that the most experienced and skilfull Christian should thinke he knoweth enough Yet least any should deceiue himselfe about this thinking that he hath knowledg this I say that if he be not counselled and guided by that he vnderstandeth He knoweth nothing as he ought to know For the feare of offending God is the beginning of wisedome and he that keepeth that is faithfully indeuoureth to keepe the commaundements of God is most wise And so speaketh our Sauiour to his Apostles If ye know these things happie are ye if ye doe them This knowledge therefore and the experience that we learne by it how we haue prospered by liuing after it is that part of Christian armour which is called the sword of the spirit and who doth not see what a singular and necessarie helpe it is to the practising of a godly life for as a blind man is without a guide so is a man without it And thus I haue giuen the reader a taste of the armour of a Christian what it is who by due consideration of the power and vse of euery part of it may easily see that he who is furnished with the same may be able to doe wonderfull things in respect of him which goeth to worke by his owne aduice and power or which is all one by mixing it with the word of God And yet so doe the most who professe the Gospell they will not altogether exclude the commaundements of God so that they refuse altogether to be gouerned by them yet for all that they will not binde themselues to be ruled by them in one thing as in another and therefore doth their life and talke iarre and iangle in respect of the knowledge of dutie which they haue and is euen harsh and vnsauourie to good and bad and to themselues also if they would but search and looke into their waies seriously and carefully at any time And this briefly bee said of the first point concerning the Christian armour to shew what it is and which are the parts of it Now to go forward to the second which is that the Christian life cannot stand without it He that is willing to liue Christianly throughout his life for God giueth vs no libertie of intermission or stay hee must not be content to haue this knowledge of the armour swimming in his braine or lying by him in a booke but to be digested of him and made his owne and no more stand at the putting on of this holie armour then to doubt of the truth of it he must alwaies bee readie to cloath and furnish his soule with the seuerall parts of it to couer the nakednes and shame thereof and to make it comely and well fauoured in the sight of God as his bodie with apparell and to arme it therewith as the souldier is with his Corselet head-piece sword c. because by it God hath appointed to defend him from the spirituall craftines of his deadly enemie the diuell and from the deceitfulnes of the most noisome sinne And most sure it is to him who will look into it that all other good helps to godlines as prayer reading conference though in themselues very profitable yet they doe Christians the lesse good if they be without the armour And therefore when the Apostle had taught the Ephesians to practise the particular duties of Christianitie he sendeth them to this armour to enable them to stand fast therein without the which the diuell he telleth them would with his subtill baites and delusions draw them from whatsoeuer he exhorteth them vnto yea although they had desire to bee obedient to the same Thus he writeth saying Take vnto you that whole armour of God that ye may be able to resist in the euill day that is in the hard time when Sathan bendeth all his force against you and proclaimeth as it were open warre as well as when the daunger seemeth to be smaller and hauing done all things that is resisted your enemie stand by the strength thereof and keepe your selues armed still against new assaults By this it is cleere that seeing the diuell is a professed enemie of ours and one that woundeth vs secretly when wee are not aware and is at hand to doe vs most harme when we doe not so much as dreame of any such matter it is cleere I say that if wee be not prepared against such daungers we must needes be sore hurt Who goeth foorth naked and vnarmed vnto the battell where so many kinds of weapons are readie to take away his life nay all is little enough though hee be armed in euerie part That which I say in generall of the whole will better appeare if wee goe through euery particular part of it For who will aduenture to goe barefooted among thornes and stubbes yea to runne vpon the pikes but hee will be well shod euen so who will be bold to goe thorough the manifold stormes and tribulations of this life which rise vp in his way in euery place not to pricke his feete but to pierce and goe thorough his heart as it is said of Marie her troubles that they should pierce thorough her soule euen as a sword which goeth to the intrailes who I say will go thorough these stormes but he will be well armed against them and strongly prepared and setled to stay himself vpon God by the peace and comfort which he draweth from Christs owne words euen these Though in the world ye shall haue tribulation yet be of good comfort for I haue ouercome the world And that which I say of this one kinde I may in like manner say of all the parts of the armour which God hath furnished a Christian with that he can walke in no safetie thorough the Campe of this world without them and euery of them Who can be free from despairing of
the earth in comparison of him So that it may be seene of all such as desire to be satisfied that God hath not giuen to his faithfull seruants earthly prosperitie to naile their hearts to it but to proue them whether any thing be sweeter to them then he himselfe who hath giuen it that is whether the gift or the giuer be in greatest request with them and that all which he giueth them might be an occasion to knit them nearer vnto him who will yet giue much more to them which depend vpon him to this end I say all Gods benefites serue And I haue not denyed in all that I haue said but that it becommeth the best of Gods seruants to labour for earthly maintenance that they may be able to giue rather then to receiue and that without any iust offence they may do it and that they ought to acknowledge it for a great mercie of God that he reacheth out his hand to helpe them with necessaries euen here where they be straungers and to prouide for their bodily necessities and therefore to be thankefull yea and ioyfull in this respect that they are freed from much care and distrust and haue the way made more easie thereby to the heauenly life for want whereof many of their deare brethren are in much pensiuenesse and sorrow But yet may they not in any wise take such sweetnesse in those things that they forget or neglect better but alwaies remember that they serue to a further end that is to seeke better and are not themselues the end of their hope in which they should rest And so to conclude it remaineth that we in no wise reioyce nor put our delight in any transitorie thing but with most great diligence we vse all earthly benefites of God daily and throughout our life moderately And this is to enioy our prosperitie aright and to make that part of our life sweet and sauorie to vs indeed which is passed therin And this is that which I haue thought conuenient to be said of this sixt rule namely that it is a great part of godlinesse euery day to looke to this with due regard that we moderately and fruitfully vse our lawfull liberties and all the commodities earthly of this present life CHAP. 18. Of the declaration of the seuenth duty Of bearing afflictions rightly euery day they come THE next part of our life not yet mentioned is that which is vnder the crosse and in affliction Our dutie here is that when and so often as it shall please the Lord to trie vs therewith and to chaunge the course of prosperitie or any part of it yet that with the same well ordered heart which I haue said should accompanie our other actions and parts of our liues with the same I say we be prepared to receiue it from him and count it no straunge thing to be exercised with it and the rather for this reason as the Apostle admonished the godly of his time that we are predestinate thereunto euen to be like vnto Christ in afflictions also seeing through many of thē our way lyeth to the kingdome of heauen And all may see how needfull it is for vs to hearten on our selues by these and such like perswasions to be willing to beare our crosses meekly with chearefulnesse because we do so soone shrinke backe at the hearing of them as the Apostles did when they heard that their maister would go into Iury againe where the Iewes before had sought to stone him and seeing they be so vnwelcome to vs by nature although we be subiect to many and sundrie and that daily It must not be with vs as it is with the most that is that we loue not to heare of them when we haue bene awhile free from them and so hope still for earthly peace of the which we haue no promise but rest perswaded euery day that our heauenly Father knoweth what is best for vs and as he seeth affliction or freedome from it to be meetest so he will alwaies bring it to passe To this end we are admonished of the Prophet to accustome our selues to beare the yoke in our youth that we may be the better acquainted with it when it shall be put vpon vs that so we being tamed and subdued by it and our proud and rebellious hearts brought vnder of him we may beare it with the more ease and comfort encouraged hereby that if we be able to beare afflictions contentedly and with quiet and meeke spirits which is the hardest part of our life we may easily prouide to haue our whole life sweet and ioyfull Furthermore to this end that we may be readie to waite vpon the Lord patiently in our chastisements we must consider that euery day Sathan intendeth mischiefe against vs and he knoweth our weakenesse to be greatest in bearing the crosse and therefore will not leaue vs vnassayed as much as in him lyeth and not so onely but also will terrifie vs with this perswasion that they be greater then they are and feare vs with the oft and much thinking of them that our sorrow may be increased Against all which his cursed vndermining of vs we hauing so great encouragement from the Lord ought to be thus stayed that such of them as we can we may auoide and the rest we may go vnder contentedly waiting for a good issue euen as in faith we pray for it seeing our God will haue vs perswaded that of very loue and faithfulnesse he correcteth vs whensoeuer we be corrected of him But because we faile many times in obseruing these rules and therefore find not grace then to beare them aright whiles they are vpon vs nor afterwards get any wisedome experience or comfort thereby we must diligently and faithfully marke how we be affected vnder them that if we should be oppressed with confused and vnprofitable heauinesse distrust or any other daungerous passions we might learne before that they be no fit companions for vs and sooner get out of them after we espie them in vs and so betake our selues to better gouernment And that this labour be thought no more then necessarie we must know that by Troubles we do not onely meane great vnwonted losses long sicknesses persecutions and such like but those also which fall out verie oft and commonly as vnkindnesse and discourtesie in neighbours vnthriftinesse vnrulinesse and disobedience in children vnfaithfulnesse and negligence in seruants discommodities and harmes in family matters with such like all which to beare without vnquietnesse impatience and vnsetling our selues out of the Christian course must be thought no meane nor smal gift of God nor without daily and continuall watchfulnesse and wise regard to be attained vnto And I do the rather make mention of these troubles which for the most part arise in our families as well as other waies because many Christians do thinke through ignorance that we are not to be
the Lord shall there wipe away euery teare from the eies of his children and they which sowed in teares before heere on earth shall there reape in ioy death shall no more raigne neither shall there be any more lamentation nor crying nor sorrow and for the glory beautie pleasure and eternitie which shall be found there it is compared vnto a goodly citie whose shining is like vnto a stone most precious as a Iasper stone cleere as chrystall c. And after the soule in paradise shall in her kinde haue inioied the pleasures there then shall the bodie for inioying the fulnesse thereof be adioined to it and made like to the glorious body of Iesus Christ and be glorious it selfe also The vse is comfort and such a waiting for the comming of the sonne of God for our last and full deliuerance that we may well testifie that in these our houses of clay we are but strangers So that if we lay this priuiledge with the rest which I haue mentioned in this treatise all which are and properly belong to the true beleeuers who can deny but that their part and porcion is great But oh that it were so accounted of euen among such and yet when I or any haue said what we can we haue said but a little for it is farre greater then we can set it out to be For as the Queene of Sheba said to Salomon when she had heard his wisdome It was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thine estate and wisdome howbeit I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eies but loe the one halfe was not tolde me for thou hast more wisdome and and prosperity then I haue heard by report So it may be said by Gods people who haue already in heauen a taste of the glory of the kingdome It was a true report which we heard by the mouth of his preachers concerning the tidings of saluation their other prerogatiues yet the one halfe of our prosperitie happinesse was not declared and made knowen for we haue greater then was reported in their message And if they find it so great in heauen can the taste thereof choose but be sweet and great which we haue heere on earth euen as Balaam by the spirit of God prophecied of his people the Israelites when he looked vpon them dwelling according to their tribes How goodly are thy tents ô Iacob and thy habitations ô Israel as the valleies are they stretched foorth and as gardens by the riuers side c. And as all these priuiledges are great and we haue good proofe that God hath giuen his deare children liberty to inioy them so this further commends their happy condition that they may know that all these belong to them and they haue the word of God among them and they may also approoue of imbrace and delight in the same and be able to see thereby how they are made partakers of them all by faith and how thereby they haue most sweet communion with him and with Christ by his spirit which the world cannot haue and most heauenly comfort and peace thereby and hauing learned experience for the time to come may get wisdome to carry themselues in euery estate and condition after the best maner of Christians all this I say they haue giuen them of God And concerning the effectuall knowing of the will of God out of his word to beleeue all the forementioned priuiledges that it is a peculiar gift of God to his elect and that no other no not the greatest and most iudiciall clarkes diuines haue it that saying of our Sauiour is a plaine and cleere proofe to his disciples To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome but vnto others not that the prophecy of Esay may be fulfilled In hearing they shall heare and not vnderstand and seeing they shall see and not perceiue lest they should turne I should saue them Whereby we may vnderstand that it is a singular prerogatiue to Gods children to haue the effectuall knowledge of the word of God whereby they may see their liberties which others cannot haue And therefore the Lord saith in Ezekiell that he will take away from his children their old hearts and giue them new and write his law in them that they may see the excellent things and wonderful which are contained therein which others do not So that although the vnbeleeuers and vnregenerate may haue knowledge in the letter yet are they not led after it by the spirit which is the life of it For what will not hope of promotion liuing and credite doe euen with naturall men in drawing them to take paines to seeke for knowledge as experience in all ages hath and doth teach when yet for any great matter of sound practise comfort that many of them haue by the scriptures besides it is not worth the speaking of For when by study and learning they haue gotten the wealth and glory of this world they haue that which they sought and as for the scriptures and the power of godlinesse though they haue a shew of it their hearts tell them that they are not the matters which take them vp in the delight of them for they hate to be reformed by them neither are they so precious in their eies as that which they haue gotten by them though it be but base and temporary Whereas the word of God that reuealeth his will about all these is more sweet to his seruants then the hony combe yea all the pleasures of the world are not in their account to be compared to the wisdome thereof but that which is said of the man of God That he had more pleasure in the word of god then in al maner of riches and that they were the ioy of his hart his matter of song and his companions to talke solace himselfe with it is far from them Therefore when the blessed of the Lord are set forth in the scriptures to delight in the law of God the wicked on the contrary are described to speake thus Depart from vs ô Lord we desire not nor are delighted in the knowledge of thy waies And is not this a roiall gift then that whereas mens hearts naturally can take no pleasure in the heauenly Manna of Gods word but soone loath and waxe weary of it that Gods people who know the price of it may make the same their song their ioy and their delight that so they may draw out of it all good things as they haue opportunity Which seeing others cannot doe therefore they seeke vaine delights to pleasure in and that which ministreth found delight indeed they can in their greatest need and heauinesse haue no benefit by it And through this knowledge and delight that they haue in the scriptures which certify them of all these heauenly prerogatiues they get experience in themselues of