way of saluation it is the gift of God we must therefore The third Member Two parts 1. The denying of vnrighteousnes beg it of him by prayer Now we shal profit herein by denying vnrighteousnes and following righteousnes 1 We shall deny vnrighteousnes if we denie our selues Thou shalt deny thy selfe by mortifying sinne Of sinnes ' Some be light and Some be more grieuous 2. Let vs make our beginning by declining Lighter sinnes from lighter sinnes which though they séeme to bee of small account yet they bring with them many mischiefes For euery sinne deserueth punishment Manifold inconueniences defileth the soule diminisheth the heate of Charitie weakeneth the powers of the soule hindereth our glory disposeth a man to greater sinnes withstandeth a newe grace weakeÌ„s our prayers hinders our procéeding in the way of life c. Therefore O man search daily euery day all the corners of thy conscience and fight daily against sinne be it neuer so little by continuall faith and repentance More grieuous sinnes Foure chiefe heads 2. Let our next care be to mortifie and auoide more grieuous sinnes And first Immoderate selfe-loue which is carnall must be cut off 2. Carnall Appetites and Concupiscence must be tamed 3. Vnbrideled affections and perturbations must be restrained 4. Wicked habites must be plucked vp by the rootes For as euill inclinations engender euill affections so euill affections breede euill habits The rooting out whereof require a greater force of the spirit Concerning euill habits Euill habites to be mortified The faculties of the soule are Some Superiour and Some Inferiour The Superiour faculties are the Vnderstanding Will. In the vnderstanding must be mortified the vice of Curiositie Temeritie Pertinacie The vnderstading Cogitations And because the vnderstanding is the fountaine of infinite cogitations which the memory receiueth and kéepeth as coÌ„mitted to her trust These therefore must be mortified whether they be ydle earthly vncleane or curious In the will we must mortifie whatsoeuer The will repugneth the will of God reuealed in his word In the Inferiour faculties of the soule vz. The Senses and Appetites The concupisible Irascible parts Wherein many euil habits are ingendred Euill habites in the inferiour parts First gluttony and drunkennes are to be mortified Next Luxurie or Riot Thirdly Couetousnes Fourthly anger Fiftly enuy Sixtly Pride SeueÌ„tly Sloth which bréedeth Dulnesse and Coldnesse in spirituall exercises Lastly we must auoide cowardlines and Pusillanimitie cast off feare for many times the mind is troubled when we are entred the way of life either with expectation of euils néere at hand or with dispaire of deliuerance from present euills But what is it that thou néedest feare 1. Whether the crosse or afflictions 2. Whether Nothing to be feared sicknes or griefes 3. Whether losse of earthly riches or penury 4. Whether the horror of death at thy end 5. Whether Sathans furie and assalts 6. Whether the number or heinousnes of thy sinnes 7. Whether the terror of the last iudgement Hee sheweth that none of these are to bée feared and setteth downe reasons of comfort 2. Goe yet forward in the practise of The forth member to follow righteoâ—snesse Righteousnesse For after the denying of vnrighteousnesse we must goe forward in the practise of righteousnesse and holinesse Proceede In vertues and In a good courage A double care The first care must be to attaine them The second to kéepe theÌ„ when they are gotten Thou shalt both get them and kéepe them How to â— get how to keepe By frequent vse of deuout prayer By pursuing them with a good courage By louing them ardently By a continuall vse and practise of them Thou shalt goe forward with a good courage 1. If thou haue a firme purpose at the first How to goe forward setting foote to goe forward 2. If thou perseuere and suffer not thy selfe to be plucked away by any impediments 3. If thou reckon vertue to be swéet and amiable and not sower and sharpe Concerning vertues to be embraced Vertues to be embraced Iustice giues each one his due To God glory Iustice comprehendeth all vertues in it self it giueth euery one his due To God that which appertaineth to him To man that which appertaineth to him 1. Iustice giueth to God Glory and Religious worship We owe glory to our God in respect of God himselfe and our owne selues Gods nature is most glorious most excellent most beautifull c We are his Image after which we were created and regenerated c. True religious worship consisteth in Religious worship The true knowledge of God and The true seruing of him so knowne The true God is truly to be knowne according as hee hath reuealed himselfe in the bookes of Nature and holy Scripture God being rightly knowne is to be serued with a Religious worship Religious worship What it performeth giueth to GOD due reuerence Submission Obedience due feare and Loue due Hope and Confidence due Adoration and Inuocation due Honour in swearing by his name due Thankfulnesse due Exercise of Religion priuate and publique due Patience vnder the crosse due Constancie in faith and Obedience 2. Iustice giues to euery man his due Iustice towards men Towards our selues To himselfe first and then To his neighbour Thou oughtest to loue thy selfe and not to hate thy selfe But in an holy sort first therefore learne to knowe thy selfe And after thou knowest thy selfe haue a care to compose thy selfe to holinesse and integritie Let thy first care be for blessings or goods Of the soule then Care of the soule Of the body 1. In the soule are faculties Superiour and Inferiour Superior faculties Superiour the Mind Conscience and will 1. Giue to the mind or vnderstanding Wisdome and Prudence 2. For thy conscience be carefull to prepare it to preserue it to reforme it 3. To thy will thou owest an holy gouerment to refraine it by Prudence 2. In the soule are inferiour parts Inferiour faculties The Irascible or angry part Concupiscible or lusting part 1. Thou shalt moderate the angry part and rule it by these vertues vz. Christian Fortitude Magnanimitie Patience Constancie Méekenesse Humilitie 2. Thou shalt moderate the lusting part and rule it by these vertues vz. Temperance in Abstinence and Chastitie Haue a care of thy body vz. to preserue Care of the body thy Life and thy Health as much as in thée lyeth And if thy health be impaired vse medicine to recouer thy health Prouide also for externall goods which we Care of externall things Honor. call the goods of fortue vz. Honour and Wealth Let modestie moderate Honour that thou pursue it so farforth as is conuenient lawful In getting them vse a godly industry possesse Wealth Iustice towards our neighbour Liuing them holily vse them frugally Now because we are not borne to our selues but we ought to loue our neighbours as
thou thinkest for the frequent and often recourse of anie thought vncalled is a signe of a liking or desire of that thing Rip the inclination of thy childhood and youth It is a rule that things that are very pliable may suffer of a weake agent To bee eastly mooued therefore either in mind or sense at the sight voice or fame of any light matter is a token of an inclination to that thing Examine thine owne experience what things they are which haue hetherto either furthered thée to vertue for thy good or drawing thée back to vice for thy hurt and hereby apply thy selfe to pursue the one and to auoid the other 3. Concerning affections and perturbations Euill inclinations and carnall lustes engender vicious perturbations and affections of the mind which are called passions Those if they be immoderate must be wéeded out with the hooke of mortification 1. Watch carefully in the verie rising Rules how to mortifie them of the affection that thou checke the violence of it euen in the beginning before it come to a perfect habite Blessed is hee that taketh the litle ones and dasheth them against the stones As S. Augustine interpreteth the Verse of the Psalme 2. After this thou shalt not be idle Cutting off but shall continually cut off the branches of vntamed perturbations which by hereditary corruption spring vp in the minde with the are of abnegation It is not enough saith Bernard once to haue cut them off wee must euer be pruning yea if it be possible euer because if thou wilt not dissemble thou doest euer find some thing that ought to bee cut off How much soeuer thou hast profited while thou abidest in this body thou art deceiued if thou thinke that sinne is dead and not rather suppressed in thee The Iebusite will dwell within thy borders will thou nill thou he may be subdued hee cannot bee vtterly driuen out 3. Thou shalt not onely labour to lop Planting in the branches of euill affections but also shalt endeuour contrariwise to plant or griffe in the graffes of good affections For the minde is neuer frée from motions either stormy and euil or calme and good let it therefore be occupied with good that it be not ouerwhelmed with ill to wit Let thy minde be occupied in diuine and spirituall things The inward mans labour is the outward mans rest And the seruer of the spirit is the chilnesse of the flesh 4. Moreouer if thou wilt cure thy passions thou shalt toyle much to turne away thy mind and will from the loue of earthly things that thou maist wholely apply thy mind to heauenly things cleauing fast to God That thy life may be hid with Christ in God 4. Concerning wicked Wicked habits habits As euill inclinatious bring forth euill affections so euill affections engender wicked habits the rooting out whereof require a greater force of the spirit Now the faculties of the mind are some Faculties of the Mind Superiour superiour and some inferiour The superiour faculties are the vnderstanding and will In the vnderstanding these vices following are to be mortified 1. The vice of Curiositie whereby the In the vnderstanding What is to be mortified Curiositie vnderstanding doth search those things which either excéede our sapacitie or which appertaine nothing to vs to know Heare the wise man Seeke not out things too high for thee And be not curious to searche out superfluous things 2. The vice of Temperitie or rachnes Temeritie When by doubtfull coniectures and vncertaine signes wee presume to iudge of the life manners of an other man against charitie not onely to iudge but to cōdemne our neighbors Where that of the Apostle may be iustly returned many times vpon vs. Thou art inexcusable O Rom. 2. man whosoeuer thou be that condemnest an other for in the same thing wherein thou iudgest an other thou condemnest thy selfe 3. The vice of Pertinacie or stubbornnesse Pertinacy when wee cleaue so stifly to our owne opinion that wee admit no mans counsell or perswasion in deliberating Aganst which Salomon saith Leane not to thine owne wit and be not wise Prou. 3. in thine owne conceit Distrust therefore O man thine owne iudgement and apply thy iudgement Dagerous to trust our owne iudgemēt to the rule of Gods word and of wise men Saint Basil saith As it is farre from right reason wholely to relye vppon our owne will and iudgement So not to stand to the iudgement of the greater part is to incurre the danger of contumacie and wilfulnesse at the least other circumstances being equall And Cassian It is vnpossible for any man trusting in his owne opinion not to be deluded by the diuel And Bernard How long will yee be wise in your own eyes God committeth and submitteth himselfe vnto mortall men and will yee walke yet in your owne waies And elsewhere What greater pride can there be than that one man should preferre his own iudgement before the whole congregation as if he onely had the spirit of God It is like the sinne of Idolatry not to assent to wit to sound iudgemēt And like the sin of southsaying to repunge And againe If the loue of thy friend doe diminish couer his fault in thy iudgemēt how much more shal the loue of thy self deceiue thee whē thou shouldest iudge against thy selfe 4. The vnderstanding is the perpetuall fountaine of infinite Cogitations Thoughts to be mortified which being laide vp in the memorie are there preserued and kept These if they be faultie must be mortified Whereof some are idle some are earthly some are filthy some are curious 1. Those that be idls must be reformed Idle thoughts For if we shall giue an account of euery idle word why not as well of euery idle thought Call to mind that thou standest alwaies in the presence of the Lord of heauen and earth who séeing the heart doth secretly reprooue the idlenesse and vanitie thereof 2. Those that be earthly and worldly Earthly are more violent and cleaue faster vnto vs which if they settle awhile cannot bée remooued without great difficultie Put the axe therefore to the roote of that delight which beginneth to affect thy will by such cogitations This carnall appetite springing vp in the beginning of our life we must represse or kéepe vnder in vs though wee cannot extinguish or quench it 3. Those that bee filthy or vncleane are suggested by y◠wicked spirit Whereof Bernard saith We ought if wee will preserue our soules pure whiley et the vncleane thoughts are a farre off to preuent Vncleane them and to driue them from vs that they may haue no accesse vnto vs. The same Bernard saith We must set so fearce a keeper at Reasons Chamber doore as will spare none but whatsoeuer enemie shal presume to enter whether priuily or openly hee will driue them away And let that be The remembrance of Hell fire 4
expresse his example in the actions of our life God doth shew himselfe a father vnto vs Surely we are too vnthankfull if we shewe not our selues as children to him Christ hath clensed vs by the lauer of his bloud let vs shame to defile our selues with new staines or filthines He hath also inserted vs into his mysticall body let not vs fall away from that bodie by sprinkeling our selues with foule blots The holy Ghost hath dedicated vs to God as holy temples let vs by his helpe who dwelleth in vs make Mat. 5. our light so to shine before men that they may see our good works that our heauenly father may be glorified We haue the Angels our guides and watchmen let vs not by the filthie stinke of our sinnes driue them from vs. Our soules and bodies are destined to heauenly glory and mortalitie Let vs labour earnestly to keep them pure and vndefiled against the day of our Lord Iesus Christ What is therefore for to be done by vs I haue with a good meaning for our mutuall edification in Christ gathered like a Bee and framed out of all the best Authors this fire of Christian Pietie and Charitie that stirring vp one an other brotherly and enflaming one an other in the way of a godly conuersion and holy conuersation we may attaine to the true felicitie of eternall life Take ye this of me your vnworthie Minister with all fauourable countenance reade it with me with a minde desirous of Christian holinesse Let it goe with me and you all our life long He alludeth to the title Vade Mecum Fauour with good will the labours of your seruant studious of your saluatiō tending to Gods glorie Well then ye reuerend men and beloued brethren let vs enter the way of true happinesse by a true conuersion and godly conuersatiō Let vs not faint in the way for any difficultie or burthen of temptations but let vs goe forward in a continuall studie of continencie and obedience vnto righteousnes and by righteousnes vnto the glorie of eternall life And afore all things let vs do our endeuour to learne to denie our selues O how hard and difficult a matter is it for a man to forget and forsake himselfe A hard thing to forsake our selues and to apply his whole soule to the obedience of God How vnpleasant a thing is it for a worldly man not to seeke his owne but by doing all things according to Gods wil to seek the glorie of God Let vs by denying our selues patiently beare the crosse that God doth late vpon vs that we may be conformed to Christ and by humilitie acknowledge our owne infirmitie and begge the grace and helpe of God When we haue thus forsaken our selues let vs not neglect our neighbors From our selues to our neighbours From both to God but rather preuent them with honour and in good earnest imploy our selues wholely to procure their commoditie From our selues and our neighbors yea and from all things let vs cast our eyes vpon God and resigning our selues and all that is ours to his will Let vs yeelde all the affections of our mindes to be subdued by him If any thing fall out prosperously let vs ascribe it to God not to our selues If any thing succeed not according to our wish let vs not be dismayed with impatiencie but if any euil happen vnto vs let vs not therefore recken our selues vnhappie neither let vs complaine against God for our estate Almightie God graunt that by his holy spirit working effectually in our hearts and minds we may with carefull industry search out the way of Truth and Charitie with ardent desire long to come to our heauenly Father and hauing found out knowne the way we may with good courage enter it and with godly care walke in it fleeing the vanitie and inconstancie of the world that we neither goe backward nor decline either to the right hand or to the left The God of mercy and sanctification so frame the course of our liues in the vse of earthly things that we pamper not our selues too much but that we vse the world as if we did not vse it That 1. Cor. 7. we may learne no lesse to beare penury meekly than abundance moderately That we may restraine Luxury our deadly enemy least we turne the helps of our life into hinderances Let vs remember that these earthly things are by the goodnes of God appointed for our commoditie that they might be as pledges wherof we must one day yeeld an account In all the actions of our life let vs carefully looke vnto the speciall calling To looke to our calling wherevnto God hath called vs to do those things which beseeme it and to shunne whatsoeuer is vnseemely for it To conclude the eternall Father grant vs to cōtemne this wicked world whatsoeuer appertaines vnto it and as is meete to meditate on the life to come and the incorruptible Crowne in heauen These things ye Reuerend men and brethren I wish to you and my selfe which my wishes and studies if I shall perceiue not altogether to bee vnpleasing vnto you I shal seeme to haue reaped sufficient and plentifull fruite for my labour in this Booke and peraduenture shall be stirred vp to performe some greater matter The Lord Iesus blesse you all and euery one aboundantly from heauen Amen Fare ye well and liue ye happily At Stoade Idibus Octob 1604. Seneca Epist 116. YE commaund vs say they too hard matters We are fraile men we cannot abridge our selues of all things Hee Answeres Because we loue our vices we defend them And we had rather excuse them than excusse Shake thē off them we pretend we cannot the truth is we will not Epictetus Lib. Dissert Cap. 31. Of Diog. Cyn. I haue no guard no swords nor pompe nor outward terrors In stead of those A good conscience giues me boldnes armes me with power I esteeme Honestie for very loue without lawe or penaltie Other men are harbowred within walles doores or couertures I liue vnder the broad skie and wide world in the eyes and viewe of euery one I desire onely to please God And yet whiles I do thus it falls out that I am railed on yea and beaten but what maruell Of boyes and fooles that cannot abide to be rubd on the gaule yet wil I neither chaunge my minde nor leaue my manner And euen those that beate me I loue as a father or as a brother A Synopsis or viewe of this little booke whose Title is Vade mecum Goe with me Deere Pietie and Rare Charitie This little booke hath six parts 1. A Prologue sententious Foure members 1. Incipe Beginne 2. Ne Defice seu regredere Faint not or goe not backward 3. Sed profice Go forward or profit 4. By denying vnrighteousnes and By following of righteousnes An Epilogue sententious 1. The summe of the Prologue All men desire to Knowe and Liue. LEt vs
coÌ„mitted or at the least way declineth froÌ„ it and chooseth hereafter the good that is to be done or enclineth to it In the hart the change is thus wrought 3 In the hart The hart hateth and detesteth the euill hitherto done and loueth and pursueth the good hereafter to be done Cease therefore to doe euill and learne CoÌ„clusion Esai 1. psal 34. Rom. 13. or else study to do well or depart from euil and doe good Item Cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light Item Walke in the spirit and fulfill not the lusts of the flesh Item Put yee one the Lord Iesus Christ and make not prouision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof And Christ himselfe saieth deny thy selfe and take vpp thy Crosse and follow me Beginne therefore being turned from euill and returned to good to bring forth Fruits of CoÌ„uersion fruites worthy of amendment of life and apply thy selfe to the study of holinesse or new obedience 1 Thou art bound as a creature to the Obligations between God us Creator I wish thee often to pay the debt of gratitude 2 Thou art bound as a seruaÌ„t to his lord If I be your Lord where is my feare 3 Thou art bound as a childe to his Father thou art a child by creation and regeneration reuerence therefore Almightye God as thy best Father 4 Thou art bound as a client to thy benefactor the benefits of God towards thée are exceeding great therefore exceeding great thankes are due to him What fruites Beginne therefore to shew thy good life and obedience to God in louing God and thy neighbour 1 The loue of God is conceaued in thée by the knowledge and consideration of The loue of God the fatherly affection of God towards thee It is brought forth by a confidence in Christ it groweth by the spirit of faith it is strengthned by the cogitation of the heape of Gods benefits both corporal and spirituall it appeareth in our obedience vnder the Crosse and holinesse of life 2 The loue of our neighbour is brought forth and maintained by the loue of God The loue of our neighbour 1 Iohn by the commandement of God by the bonde of nature and grace Hee that sayeth he loueth God and yet hateth his Brother is a lyar and the loue of God is not in him But beginne the holy study of eyther loue to testifie that thou art turned from The end of godlines sinne and returned to God that thou hast renounced Satan that thou hast submitted thy selfe to God that thou art a companion of the most chaste spirits in heauen That thou art a fellow of all that feare gods name on earth That thou art the Temple of the holy Ghost wherein whole burnt Offringes and incense is offred and the hornes of the Alter are decked with boughs flowers of obedience Beginne to day deferre not make no long Dangers of delay Vncerteinty of life delayes for feare of these dangers insuing 1 Meditate with thy selfe the vncertaintie of thy life Surely thou must watch and pray for thou knowst not either the day or hower wherein the Lord will come take heede thou be not ouertaken by gods iudgement at vnawares Heaping of sinne is tresuring of wrath Rom 2. 2 Know thou the by dangerous delay the tresure of many sins of gods wrath grieuous punishments is gathered together Thou by thy hardnes and hart that cannot repent doste treasure vp to thy selfe wrath against the daye of wrath and declaration of the iudgement of God The angels griefe Luke 15 3 Be thou affraid to offend the holy Angels who verily reioyce at the repentance of sinners eueÌ„ as doubtles they sorrow at their securitie in heaping sinne vpon sinne Induration by alienatioÌ„ from God 4 Call to mind the dangerous alienation from God which is procured by daily encrease of sin way moreouer with a secret â— serious coÌ„sideration in thy soule the induration that wil follow for the longer thou deferrest thy conuersion the harder it will be A young man walking after his owne way when he is olde will not depart Prouerb 22 from it Thou knowest thy saying Late repentance is seldome true Repentance 5 As much as in thée lieth take héed of an An euill Conscience euill conscience which custome and continuance in sinne doth breed and nourish There is no greefe bitterer then a gnawing Conscience 6 The longer thou stickest in thine old DepriuatioÌ„ of Grace sinne the longer thou art depriued of the sweet ioy of the holy ghost and spirituall consolations 7 Thou shalt encrease the ioy and Satans Ioye pleasure of Satan thy enemie by drawing after thee along corde of inueterate or old grâ—wen sinnes Thinke it a true saying Sinnes are the delights and dainties of the Diuell Examples Tragicall 8 Finally view the Tragicall endes of all such as haue euer drawne along the day of there Conuersion Call to remembrance the horrible destruction of the olde world the Sodomites Egiptians Iewes The Churches of the East and other that were impenitent Be not flack Syrach therfore turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day thy conuersion for sodenly shall his wrath come and in the time of vengeance he will Ierom. to Cilantius destroy thee Too long custome of sin makes the way of vertue rough and vnpleasant After any vice saith Bernard is confirmed Bernard by many yeares custome a particular and as it were a miraculous assistance of Gods grace as needfull for the ouercoÌ„ming and rooting out thereof A question to a secure sinner Both waies catching The same Bernard saith Thou that makest so vnequal a reckoning w e thy selfe perseuering in thy euil vngodly life tell me Doest thou belieue that the Lord thy God will pardon thy sinnes or doest thou not beleeue If thou beleeue that thou shalt finde no place for pardon what greater folly can there be then to sinne without hope of pardon But if thou thinke that hee is good gentle and mercifull who although he haue bin offended yet he is readie alwaies to pardon thy sinnes Tell me I pray thee what greater frowardnesse can there be then to take occasion to offend him the more whom there is cause thou shouldest loue the more And S. Augustine we must preuent Augustin the day which is wont to preuent vs. And the same He that is first forsaken of his sinnes before he himselfe doe forsake them is not freely condemned but as it were of necessitie late repentance deceiueth many And Ambros Not to sin is onely proper to God Ambrose but it is the part of a wise man to amend and correct his error and to repent him of his sinne And Cassiodorus A mischiefe the longer it continueth the more it encreaseth but a speedy correction of sinne is a curable good And Saint Augustin Though God haue promised pardoÌ„
those businesses and occasions which either hold him in sin or stay him from the race rule of vertue or casteth him into such sinnes as can be by no means excused And so much the greeuouser is the fal as the degree of holines from whence we fall is higher 1. First therefore thou must deliberate Remedies of a newe kinde of life more earnestly to be pursued by a renouation of serious repentance and faith 2. Meditate with thy selfe on thy end which may be sodaine and cannot be auoided and other the last things which follow death 3. Consider that Hypocrisie and dissembling is most odious to God A simple nature saith Bernard such as God is requireth simplicitie of heart woe be to the sinner that entreth the land two waies for no man can serue two maisters 4. Viewe and waigh the life of luke-warme frozen cold men that knowing it thou maiest dislike it disliking it in others thou maiest amend it in thy selfe 5. Cowardnesse and feare must bee Pusillanimitie to be mortified mortified for when a man is entred the way of Christ the mind many times is assailed with griefe either by expectation of some euill or danger approaching or by desperation of safetie or deliuerance from some euil or danger present But bee not dismaied in thy minde Heare and pray to him who saith Say to the faint harted be of good courage and faint not And say with Dauid I Esay 35. Psal 54. did waight for him who saued me from my pusillanimitie of spirit and from the tempest Why fearest thou O thou coward Feare argueth a base minde conceiue a firme hope of the prouidence of God whē Exhortation thou striuest with the anguishes of Pusillanimitie thou must lift vp thy minde to Gods prouidence Resist with a good courage and set thy selfe by the helpe of Gods spirit against the whole rout of phantasies Discusse saith Gregory the mistes of mourning least thou who in the time of tranquillitie didst thinke greatly of thy sefe in the time of perturbation doe confound thy selfe with the terrors of thy base thoughts Peraduenture God will bring thée by this Good effects Pusillanimitie to a studie of humilitie that by it that loftie pride which euen in good actions lieth in waight euen for holy men may be laide flat or hee hath a purpose to purge thy soule of that affection of selfeloue whereby oftentimes thou art wont to please thy selfe more than is méete How be it what is it that thou néedest Comforts against sundry sorts of feare The crosse greatly to feare or be amazed at 1. Is it the Crosse or Affliction If thou be godly the crosse and affliction is to thée ineuitable or not to be shunned it is profitable honorable and glorious it confirmeth thine adoption it renowneth thy vertues it banisheth vices Beare therefore the crosse with a good courage 2. Doest thou feare the anguish of Sicknesse sicknes Thy body is mortall there is no cause then that thou shouldest feare sicknes which leadeth to death Sicknesse bréedeth hollome Philosophy to wit A meditation of death the vices of the mind are cured by the diseases of y◠body thou learnest to abandon selfeloue and the loue of the world and to hope for a better life Faith Hope and Inuocation of God becomes more ardent 3. Art thou afraid of the losse of worldly things Losse of earthly things Trust in God leane on his most holy promises surely Gods truth is immoueable his power impregnable his bountie immeasurable he will not leaue thée nor forsake thée 4. Doth the terror of death trouble Death thy mind Cast off the feare which incredulitie that is to be banished doth strike into thée compare the course of this life with the last period or end thereof Art thou not tossed with perpetuall miserie If thou be wise with the wise man thou Eccles. 1. Commodities of death wilt say Vanitie of vanities al is vanitie Be not afraid of death wherby thou shalt be deliuered from the tyrannie of sinne from the snares of the world from the temptations of Sathan from the rage of false brethren and shalt come to the port of felicitie out of the sinke of euils eternall death shall not touch thee because eternall life is prepared promised sealed and confirmed to thée in Christ Beléeue and thou shalt haue eternall life 5. Dost thou tremble at the assaults of Satan God doth furnish his with strength to resist Satan Being vpholden by the wisdome vigilancie and inuincible power of Christ thy head cal vpon God take vnto thée christian patience cōstancy with the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit and by Gods grace and perseuerance thou shalt be safe 6. Art thou astonied with thy many and great sinnes Sinne. Behold the remission of all thy sinnes purchased by Christ promised giuen and sealed vnto thée why tremblest thou Behold the loue and mercie of God the father the satisfaction and intercession of Iesus Christ and admit the comfort and assistance of the holy Ghost 7. Thou quakest for feare of the last The last iudgemēt Iudgement and Tribunall Be of good comfort and settle thy selfe throughly on the promises of saluation so often repeated in holy Scriptures The loue of God the father and the couenant of his grace through the satisfaction of his sonne Iesus Christ is immutable and he shall bee our Patrone and Aduocate in that iudgement Thou for thy part as often as thou sinnest so often returne to Daily repentance God by a renewed repentance and faith apprehend the grace of God the father the merites of Iesus Christ the consolation of the holy spirit who is the earnest of our inheritance heare the manifold afflictions of this worlde with a patient minde séeing thou hast accesse vnto the Throne of grace powre out thy praiers to thy God sigh and send vp thy affections and thy hope shall not bee confounded but thou shalt enioy vnspeakeable felicitie in heauen Amen The fourth member Profice vlterius Goe yet further forward in attaining righteousnesse VVHen we haue denied vnrighteousnes we must procéede to A transition attaine righteousnes According to that Cease from euil do good vertue must succeed in the place of vice Now in séeking after the way of righteousnes and life beware thou decline not either to the right hand or to the left Let vs then goe forward In vertues and with a good courage In virtutibus In virtute Concerning vertues knowe y◠they are Vertues Gods gifts great goods to be desired for thēselues that they are the gifts of God most precious and with most earnest praier and desire to be begged of him And if thou obtaine them God is to be thanked who hath endowed thée with so great graces The first care must be to attaine them The next is to keepe them when they are gotten Thou shalt both get thē and kéep