Papists The last and general Closing Letter that is thus presumed to be offered ANd now most Noble Great and Right Honourable Ladies Gentlewomen and others 'T is not many Weeks nay Days since your poor Orator Supplicant or Petitioner was in his own and others apprehension at the brink of Death and the Grave and so many Days together But God was pleased by Doctor Cox my alone Physician to raise me up again And though in my Sickness my Life seemed to be flying away like an Eagle in the Air and the World and the Things thereof to be passing away as if they had never been yet yet I did secretly resolve if God should raise me up to perform or finish this poor little scribled and yet serious short brief and harmless Pocket-Book with the Ladies Letters which yet I humbly entreat your Noble Ladyships to peruse and view over and over in some serious leisure Hour persuading my self that though your Breasts are full of Piety Virtue Wisdom and Virtuous Thoughts yet you may find some if not many brief hints of Truth Religion and Virtue well worth your pious Thoughts or Memory for as Eternity is a very serious thing so every Sickness that brings one near the Borders of it or from the Borders of it should make us very serious and to Speak and Act as those that have been near another World though not in it And truly if I were no more nor longer to be in this than just to finish these few Lines and humbly on the bended Knee to present them to your Lilly Hands and so to lie down and die at your Feet yet would I seriously do it in the way of Prayer to your Honours First That the short Hints might be weighed and weighed again and again in your most strict serious and retired Thoughts whether they be really so as they seem to be hinted to you and if you find them indeed so to be by the standard Golden Rule Reed or Touchstone of God's holy Word then not to slight and say Pish Fool or cry This simple Man will never a done for 't is of more concern than so Truth is Truth and serious Things must and will be serious whether we mind or count them so or no. And this I assure you if ever you come as come you must to a Fit and Bed of Sickness I mean a thorow Sickness that your life seems in your own others thoughts to be flying away you will be then thinking of your immortal ever-living and never-dying Souls And it may be in a dowsed manner not knowing well where you are or what Day it is whether Day or Night The Watch Candle being in the Room the Curtains drawn little or no Company to speak to you because of the high Feaver or other Distemper but yet in that hour it may be Fears Doubts Conscience will be working and secret Questions will be working in you whether you must and shall Die now or no go to the Grave leave your golden Hangings Rooms Honours and Relations going to the silent and be seen no more whilst it may be are just in the middle of some great Design or other as your Supplicant was in these Papers or setting up of your little Charity-School at High-Gate But be it what it will every Design must break off if Death really come with and at the end of your Sickness and then no remembrance of you or yours will be after a very little while Oh Madams for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake and your own Souls I beseech you mind a little the house of mourning Eccles 7. 2. which he says 't is so good to go to and the Bed of sickness before it comes and especially what to do before it comes that its coming may not be as a damp and death to your spirits when it comes It 's said the Cockatrice never kills but when it sees us before we see it Oh be before-hand with your Sickness and prepare in Life for Death and Health for Sickness and assure your selves you may as well persuade your selves that Michaelmas will never come because April is and May is at hand as that Sickness and Death will not come because Health Wealth Honour and all about you is now as you would have it and more comforts seem to promise to you also from a Son or Daughter 's great Match or Purchase which you are just a making But yet Michaelmas comes in course and Winter too when one Flower will not be left But now against the height and heart of that and all that is cold and killing unto Creature-comforts set a never-failing good God aside make him your portion and with the Prophet Habakkuk say Though the labour of the Olive should fail Flocks Herds and the Fruits of the Field yield no increase yet I will rejoyce greatly I will joy in the God of my salvation Habbak 3. 17 18. But this must nor can ever otherwise be but by true Faith in the Love Life Blood Death and Merit of our Lord Jesus Christ with holy walking in the sanctifying graces of his Spirit six or seven of which you may eminently find I shall hint at in the first Sermon our Lord Jesus Christ ever preach'd Mat. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8. First blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven by purchase purpose promise and eternal preparation Mat. 25 34. Come ye blessed of my Father and receive a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Oh blessed Poverty that enriches men with the Kingdom of Heaven This poverty of Spirit is nothing else but a sensible want of Grace and Christ and every good thing in our selves through the discovery of original sin to us by the Fall of Adam whereby we go out of our selves as knowing our selves to be lost by the purity and spirituality of God's most holy inward piercing Law the ten Commandments by which we go out of our selves as knowing our selves to be most miserable wretched creatures and lost in our selves seeing no hope nor help any ways but in Gods mercy thorough Christ and this brings us to be like the poor Prodigal or Publican Luke 18. 11. to cry Lord be merciful to me poor lost sinner and grant that I may find Christ and pardon for my Soul and by Prayer Reading Hearing Preaching Meditating make out after him in an humble persevering way And this is the Poverty to which the Kingdom of Heaven belongs that is the Gospel with all its Promises and everlasting Kingdom of Glory too which God grant you and yours may all find But secondly ver 4. Blessed are all they that mourn for they shall be comforted that is for sin in-dwelling of original and actual sin and upon that account cry out like great St. Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin Rom. 7. 24. Mark Ladies Sin has a Body yea in Paul it had though he was
his sake And now said they We do commit thy Soul to the Devil We believe it was in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for usually such wickednesses are so pronounced But I said John Huss do commit it to my dear Redeemer Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As he lifted up his head the Crown of Paper fell off but they put it on again saying Let him be burnt with his Masters the Devils And as they tied his Neck with the Chain he smiling said This I suffer for Preaching of the Holy Gospel singing three times with a loud voice Lord Jesus Christ thou Son of the Living God have mercy on me He told them at his Death God would raise up out of the Ashes of the Goose for so Huss's Name signified in the Bohemian Language in 100 Years a Swan in Germany whose Singing would affright all the Vultures which was exactly fulfilled in Luther But for Jerom of Prague he was so bold and zealous that he wrote certain Letters which he sent to Constantine to be set up upon the Gates of Noblemen and Cardinals shewing the purity and clearness of his Faith and Doctrine for which he was accused and that he was ready to come and make good all he had Preached His great Crime was he had thundered against the ill Lives of the Monks and Fryers but being taken into custody he was sadly used fed with Bread and Water and tyed almost Neck and Heels together so that he sell sick After a long time they required him to subscribe That John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly for fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands But he soon repented saying before the Council All the Sins he ever committed in his Life did not half so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as that pestiferous Sin When they had condemned him he said I Cite you all to answer it within 100 Years before the most High Judge of Heaven and Earth in the mean time I leave a remorse and nail in your Consciences He was bound to the Image of John Huss and had a Paper-Crown of red Devils painted on his head When the Executioner went to kindle the Fire behind him he bade him do it before his Face saying If I had been afraid of Death I had not come to this place for I had opportunities to escape but this Soul of mine in burning flames Oh Christ I will offer thee And for his Oration that he made before the Council it is said That no Tongue is able to express that learned Elegancy and Braveness of his Speech shewing what the Best of Men had still suffered in all Ages Latimer was a zealous Papist till Mr. Blinny converted him and then he was made Bishop of Worcester he preached twice a day and in Queen Maries days he was laid up in the Tower As he rode through Smithfield he said that had groaned for him many Years He used to pray for three things First That as God had made him a Preacher of his holy Word that he might seal it with his Blood if called thereunto Secondly That God of his Mercy would restore his Gospel to England once again once again Shall we not prize it Thirdly That the Lord would preserve Queen Elizabeth and make her a Comfort to the Comfortless Realm At his Burning the Blood run out of his Heart so abundantly as if all the Blood in his Body had gathered there according to his Prayer which struck the beholders with Astonishment In the Fire he stroakt his Face with his Hand crying out Oh! Father of Heaven receive my Soul and so died 1555. Ridley in the same Year writing to Latimer he said Good Father assist me with your Prayers for unless God stand by me I shall play but the part of a white liver'd Knight At his hearing he stood bare till the Cardinal named the Pope and then he put on his Cap. A Woman weeping for him a day before his Suffering he cried Ah! Mistress I see you love me not it appears you will not be at my Marriage to Morrow meaning his Burning nor will be therewith contented A Friend offering to watch with him he cried I intend to go to Bed and sleep as quietly as ever I did in my Life At the Stake he cryed Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Lord Jesus receive my Soul But the Fire being prest down by much Wood he desired for Christ's sake to let the Fire come up to him his lower part and Legs were quite burnt before his upper part so that he fell into the Fire He going one day by Water the Thames being very rough and the Watermen being a little fearful he cried Fear not you carry one that must be Burnt and not Drowned John Bradford was persuaded by Booker to enter upon the Ministry and he modestly complained of his want of Parts and Learning Oh! says Booker be not discouraged if you have not fine Manchet give them Barley Bread But being in Prison Condemned one comes running to him Oh! Mr. Bradford I bring you heavy News you must be burnt to Morrow I saw your Chain a buying At which he plucked off his Cap saying I thank God for it the Lord make me worthy lifting up his Eyes to Heaven saying Life with God's displeasure is worse than Death and Death with his true Favour is better than Life Oh England repent of thy Sins repent beware of Idolatry and false Preachers and take heed they don't deceive you A good Prayer And to another he said Be of good comfort my Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord. He was so Charitable that in a hard Time he sold his Jewels and Rings to relieve them that were in Want He was so humble that he often subscribed some of his Letters The most miserable hard Hearted unthankful Sinner John Bradford a painted Hypocrite Rowland Taylor was a great Preacher and would often visit the Poor and Sick and relieve them too when Bedridden but being threatned by the Bishop's Pursurvant he said I know my Cause to be so good and just that I will appear before them and to their Beards resist their false Doings I fear not their Lordly looks nor the Proudest of them all Going to the Fire he told the Sheriff I shall deceive a great many being a fat Man for said he I thought the Worms in Hadley Church-yard must have had me but now I see I must be Burnt Giving one or two Leaps and said God be praised I am almost at Home But the People cryed Oh dear Father and good Shepherd God help and succour thee as thou hast done us many times and our poor Children and so they went weeping all along the Streets for him To whom he said I have preached to you God's Truth and Word and now am going to seal it with my Blood In the Flames he cried Merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my
and there is a time for every thing under the Sun Eccles 3. 1. excepting sin and for that you shall hardly sin in moderate mirth and pleasure But to make Recreation a toil and the Business of your Life is folly and madness What! nothing but hait hait up and down as some do and never to a Lecture or scarce on the Lord's Day in the forenoon I said of Laughter Thou wert mad saith Solomon Eccles 2. 2. It may be they sing too which had need to weep and pray But let not your high Fortunes make you too high-minded For they that think themselves better for Gold Pearl and Lace and are proud and disdain others which yet is very natural and we are all apt to fall this way which makes us worse than Gold Slaves and Servants to it sayes Anselmus But remember what you shall be in the Grave especially in Hell if you should go there And wanton thoughts and plumes will all fall but humble great ones are good ones indeed and God will exalt such and make them higher than they are and men will love them more Humble Great ones are double Great ones and twice as honourable as others of the same rank And therefore let not great Fortunes make you proud and unfortunate yet a grain must be allowed for Old Adam's sake whose Children we all are And 't is easier in a minister to preach down Adam in others than to beat it down in himself wife or children but sound men should love sound preaching the best wine is best and so is the best preaching and that that comes from the heart goes to it so say and so do is good in a good minister some speak more briefly than they live as Cato told his friends but do not say I will and don 't we read of two Brothers one said he would do his Fathers will but did it not the other said he would not but did it and that was better than the other When prayers and praise go together and the heart with both God is well pleased and the musick sweet when the tongue doth not go from the inward motions the Pharisee said I thank God and I do this and I do this but the poor Publican said The Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luk. 18. 13. and he was justified hand and tongue went together some forget to pray because they have too much of the world and some neglect because they want it and must work early and late but 't is a misery and a sin not to be excused in any pray if you be rich and pray if you be poor or else thou sayest in effect God I have nothing to do with thee don't say you forgot it for that is a soul-careless trick few forget their dinner but it is better to fast all day than not to pray in a day and a little meditation does well what ask of God and not think what to ask or why they who have most grace have something to ask and they that have least have something to ask but they that have none have all to ask for they want Christ pardon and every thing yet God will give them his holy Spirit if they do but indeed ask it Luk. 11. 13. Ask then and down upon your silken knees O ye great Lords Ladies and others that you might have his holy spirit and his heavenly will revealed in and to you so as to do it live it and love it it will be your glory heaven and happiness for ever if you do so indeed but if you slight him now you will need him miss him and want him hereafter and never find him 'T is a mercy to have many good things in this world but what a misery is it if you should have all and be said Son Remember thou in thy life time hadst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things Luk. 16. v. 25. therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented A Scripture that made Gregory the great weep or tremble as himself said for fear to think lest he had received his good things Come Heaven 's a sweet Cake but who would eat it before-hand or take Earth for it Sweet-meats are the last dish but it will be sowr sauce if you lose all in conclusion Read to the end of the Chapter Come come a godly Life is best and best for you great Countesses and you Ladies more elderly and young ones too though you be not twelve or thirteen Let head and heart remember that and what Angelical things you would be if you would begin betimes as the best did Josiah Samuel Timothy John were all young Saints and the most eminent in the Book of God the last leaned in Christ's bosom dipt his Pen and his Quill in the Love of God and strows all his Epistles with it But how frail a thing is man and you are the same or more The Venice-glass is soonest broke that sings walks talks and yet is gone as a Tale Dream or Watch in the night And he is no man that does not need mending more than a Watch and oftner winding up to mind Heaven and heavenly things For this world is bad and too bad too mend one and make it better mend one and draw twenty great persons do alwaies so for many follow them and their Examples which way soever they go When Magistrates hearts are towards God the People's are so too And when Magistrates hearts are towards the People the Peoples hearts are towards them Love begets Love and they that do not love will not be beloved Love comes down good Parents Magistrates Masters and Landlords too if they be kind and love them beneath But the Love of God is the best Love of all therefore Magistrates Ministers and People should all love him and you Ladies which are uppermost in this world will be lowermost in Hell if ye forget him True Love seeks how to please him If you love your Lords much that is well and it is but your duty but if ye love Christ less that is ill but if God not at all he will never care for you nor what becomes of you when Honours have done with you and you with them 'T is better to love God now though you do not see him than not to love him and never see him Love God and he will love you with that Love which has no end nor never shall have Your Lord and your Husband will love you no longer after a little time but Christ will love you with an everlasting Love and draw you to himself if all things in the world are not good enough for you and your Souls If you love God he will give you himself the World to come and his Son for ever and your Soul shall live because he lives and that is most where it loves and shall be quite with him after a little while if it love him most But oh Love Love whither goest thou to love when
never see May out and for those mercies which you would wish and hope to find then And if you do as the Lord Jesus Christ grant you and your Children may 't will be more a comfort to you than if all your choicest creature-comforts in the world should surround you Alas alas what are Pearls Plate Cordials Jewels Wife Children Husbands Lands Livings Rich Bed and Hangings or the Honours of the world when the Soul is stepping upon the dark Mountains of Eternity or sitting on the Lip just taking wing with the last gasp to fly away for ever as an Eagle in the Air O mercy mercy then and in that day may mercy be your portion And as the poor people of Hadly wept and prayed for Dr. Taylor in the street as he was going to be burnt saying Oh! Lord Jesus Christ relieve thee our good Shepherd Mr. Taylor as you have relieved and comforted us many times with your Charity But there are two promises more which I shall hint at and I have done Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matt. 5. 8. To see God is the very heaven of heavens and to see him in heaven is the last and lasting highest happiness of all men angels and glorified creatures or whatsoever our soul or souls can or shall ever to all eternity desire and may you and all you so see him and personally enjoy him for ever and ever but there must be purity and heart purity for it is the pure in heart that shall see him in glory without holiness no man can see him Heb. 12. 14. And with the pure he will shew himself pure Psal 18. 26. but in a strict sense this word pure must not be taken as if in a strict sense we should not see him without perfect holiness in our selves which is to be without all sin and to be perfectly holy in his sight which otherwise than in Christ no man living can be saith Job The Stars are not pure in his sight Job 25. 5. and he hath beheld folly in his Angels Job 4. 17. much less men the best of men or the best of their actions yea so none can say I am pure Prov. 20. 9. but men may be said to be pure as they are washed justified sanctified persons and made pure by the blood of Christ and so every believer or justified sanctified person is pure Rev. 1. 5. Timothy speaks of a pure conscience that is washed 1 Tim. 3. 9. 2. Tim. 1. 3. serving God with a pure conscience And so again Paul bids us draw near to God with a true heart and full assurance of what faith in Christ for justification having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience with the blood of Christ and our bodies washt with pure water that is the water of sanctification by his spirit typified by that which came out of his blessed side when by the spear pierced for us upon the Cross And thus noble Ladies it is that you must be pure if ever you will be pure and see God in Glory you must be washed by the blood of Christ and sanctified by the spirit of Christ fine Words fine Cloaths Complements and Faces doe nothing in point of justification no nor many sermons hearing if rested upon nor other good deeds no 't is the blood of Christ witnessed by an honest humble godly conversation from the integrity of your hearts that must get you the denomination of being pure in heart and seeing God in glory and therefore dear Ladies Gentlewomen and others as ever you would see glory or see the face of God in glory be holy heavenly and mind things above Col. 3. 1. 2. where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 13. and think not that a little little slight religion no religion any religion will bring you there when nothing will do it without Purity Strictness and Honess yea there must be a little of all this do you think to go in fine Sedans Down Beds and Coaches no no it must be in a way of mortification to sin and love to holiness if you will ever have happiness yea this unspeakable happiness of seeing God in glory which one saies He would for one glimps of it endure a great while in hell Oh! but you need not go to hell for heaven for if you go there you will never come out though the Papists fancy they may from Purgatory for a little money to the Priest And therefore one said Oh Money Money what wilt not thou do in the Court of Rome Ay said the Pope and you are fools to bring it here to an English man that was there upon trial for a Church Living Oh! but go to Christ and the promise go to God by Christ through the promise beg and plead that you may see him and you shall see him and his grace and hereafter you shall see his face also Rev. 22. 4. And his name shall be in your foreheads that is the blessed rayes of his glory shall be visible on you when you come to stand before God and the Lamb in glory with your Palmes in your hands Rev. 7. 9. But seventhly and lastly Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Matt. 7. 9. Peace makers are Christ's imitators who is called the Peace-maker and the Lord of life and glory the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9. 6. by whose commission alone it is that all his Messengers and Ministers do preach Peace and Pardon to poor sinners such as are far off and such as are near in their own apprehensions Yea to all that believe be they far or near Jews or Gentiles the blood of Christ speaks peace and better things to them than the blood of Abel that cryed for vengeance and all innocent blood will do so And therefore 't is not good to pardon any that kill men in quarrels duels but this cryes for peace pardon and forgiveness Oh! Father forgive them they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. now to be a peace-maker is to be a sin-reconciler I do not mean to God for that none can do but Christ who is our propitation 1 Joh. 2. 2. 4. 10. and he hath done it for all that do believe but to reconcile men to men is to do all the offices of love and good will yea all the offices of good we can for the Church and people of God especially in our own place way and calling wishing prosperity peace and weal and to say with the Psalmist Peace be with thee and let them prosper that love thee Psalm 22. 6 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces Psal 26. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem saith the Prophet Isaiah and in the Churches peace shall you have peace saith the same Prophet and the people of God are said to delight themselves in abundance of peace Psal 37. 11. Where the meek are said again to