the displeasure and terrible hate of the Lord hosts desired earnestlye to knowe by what meanes they myght escape the vengeance being readie to fall on their heades and sorowfully lamented their dauÌ„gerous ignorance And Peter answereth with these words Delictorum paenitentiaÌ„ agite c. Repent your offences Here we sée that the salue wherwith their heauy harts wounded with wickednesse were first refreshed was hartie repentaunce after they came to the faith of Christ Iesus The Niniuits 3. Ionae beleeued God commaunded a generall fasting which did well declare their remorse of conscience for their former contempt of Gods commaundement and refusall of his mercies and tormenting of his Prophetes whereby they turned away at the last the wrath of the Lord from themselues and their citie all which doe proue that where faith is there is repentaunce Nowe let vs consider a while whether true repentance may be found in them that continue the vse of prayer or no. â—â—scription of repentaunce and the partes therof and the example of the saued theefe The .xiiij. Chapter REpentauncâ— is a true griefe and sorrow for the offence committed against GOD wherewith the minde is opprest the sorrowfull hart most miserably tormented the senses troubled the vnderstanding ouerwhelmed the life afflicted the woonted wanton ioyes altogither banished but so that the valiant force of a liuely faith doth agayne reuiue the languishing spirit with an earnest desire and constant assurance hoping for frée pardon for the merites of Christ his passion whereby is ingendered a full purpose neuer more to haunt the brothell houses of sinne and iniquitie but alwaies to liue in pure conuersation and sincere pietie Herein be principall and especiall partes due contrition and constant faith Contrition maketh a man to tremble and quake to consider the violent 〈◊〉 â—he oâ— God incensed against sinne wherewith he is brought into extreme feare terror and anguishe and for that detesteth the horrible filthynesse and deformitie of the same And in such case is it possible to stand and not to desire pardon To require mercie To craue deliuerance To complaine our estate To lament our miseries To seeke a salue To procure an holesome medicine whereby we may be restored to our helth No no and especially seing fayth instilled into our hartes by the spirite of God doth perswade vs that we shall obtaine if we call that we shall be raunsomed if we require it that we shall be healed if humbly with hartie prayers we repaire to the good Phisition of the soule Christ Iesus our Lord and sauiour What madnesse were it to thinke that any man being sure of most miserable tormentes if he holde his peace and is alreadie plunged into the desperate consideration of the same and féeling their extreme bitternesse and cruell sharpnesse if on the contrarie part he were sure to escape so great a daungâ—r so apparent a perill so mischieuous a miserie by opening his mouth and desiring mercie that he woulde not with readie minde with chéerefull hart with all spéedie hast prostrate himselfe before the iudge and in most lowly wise and carefull humilitie beséech him of his gracious goodnesse and desired bountie to delyuer him The théefe which was hanged with Christ on his right hande when he had receyued the boldnesse of fayth and therewith was brought to godlye repentaunce did desire Christ most humbly to remember him whan he came to his glorious euerlasting kingdome Ye he did not refuse to call vpon him but by calling was delyuered from the power of Sathan from the mouth of hell from the anguish of the soule from the death eternall to which he had surely bene condemned if he had despised or not regarded the profite of faithfull prayer The things that hinder the fruiteful exercise of praier desperation and the contrarie thereof that is securitie The .xv. Chapter WHat is it therefore that hindreth a man so that he doth not vse the fruitefull exercise of prayers â–ª Surely eyther desperatioÌ„ or else securitie Desperation drowneth a man in deadly sorrowes in bitternesse of soule in the furious floudes of most déepe and despitefull dolours Therefore wheresoeuer it is founde it shutteth out cleane the force of fayth But securitie maketh a man carelesse hardneth his heart indureth his stonie spirites and causeth to cry peace peace when destruction hangeth ouer his heade This also when contrition is absent hath no parte or porcion in a faythfull heart Whereof it foloweth that true repentaunce whereby the harts of christians are regenerated their willes chaunged their mindes framed a newe their desires reformed their liues amended their cogitations cleÌ„sed their thoughtes purified their spirite sanctified cannot be founde in those that doe not continually burst out in most hartie prayers desiring grace goodnesse pardon and amendment and consequently that such are not faithfull but faithlesse not fruitfull but fruitlesse not gracious but gracelesse persons Secondly faith doth apprehend the spirite of god For Christ saith Iohn 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleueth in me as the scripture sayth shall haue floudes of water of lyfe flowing from his bellye and this he spake of the spirite which they that beleue him should receyue And ad Ephesios 1. Paule sayth In whome speakyng of Christ also ye after that you had heard the worde of truth I meane the gospell of your saluation wherein you beleue were sealed with the holye spirite of promise which is the earnest pledge of our inheritaunce to redéeme the purchased possession and that vnto the lawde and glory of god The spirite of God therefore doth possesse the hartes of the faythfull But let vs now consequently consider whither iâ— may be founde in such that will not feare God which saint Paule séemeth to denye Romanes 8. By these wordes Non enim accepistis spirituÌ„ seruitutis in timore sed accepistis spirituÌ„ adoptionis filioruÌ„ dei in quo clamamus Abba pater c. For ye haue not againe receyued the spirite of bondage in feare but ye haue receyued the spirit of adoption of the sonnes of god whereby we cry Abba father For that spirite doth testifie to our spirite that we are the sonnes of God and in the fourth to the Galathians bicause you are the sonnes of God God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Here in these places Paule doth manifestly shewe that the spirite of God when it resteth in the hartes of the faythfull doth so mollifie mans stony minde so breake downe the brazen walles of sléepie securitie so confounde the pernitious and pestilent purposes of negligent impietie and agayne so comforteth the sorrowfull soule so refresheth the weary wil so repaireth and healeth the broken hart that neyâ—her by contempt of Gods wrath is proudâ—ed neyther by lacke of trust and confidence helth is togither banished but contynuall prayer is poured out to God as to a father that with naturall yea more then naturall affection
he fauoreth imbraceth loueth tendereth vs he wil for asking bestowe vpon vs such infinite and excéeding commodites whose greatnesse excellency can neither by though of man be conceyued nor by force of wordes expressed Moreouer he repeateth the same in one place and at one time as it appeareth the more to confirme vs to incourage vs to strengthen vs to encrease our desire to pray vnto him that neyther doubtfulnesse in asking neyther lacke of hope in receyuing might hinder our endeuours In the .15 of Iohn likewise he saith Si manseritis in me et verba mea in vobis manserint quicquid volueritis petetis fiet vobis If you abide in me and my wordes abide in you whatsoeuer you will haue you shall aske and it shall be done and then he conteyneth these wordes in this my father is glorified that you bring forth good fruite plentifully and be made my disciples so that by praying vnto him we shal glorify his name bicause that by that meanes we shall be made fresh and fruitfull gardens fullye replenished with the flourishing flowers of most excellent vertues which will yéelde so swéete a sauor to God and Christ our sauiour that we shall be most acceptable sacrifices and pleasant offeringes vnto him He subuerteth also these wordes which containe incredible comfort to the solace of siely soules Euen as my father hath loued me so I haue loued you What more ioye and pleasure What so much comfort can we conceyue What earnest loue of Christ Iesus towardes vs maye we gather of this that he loueth vs as his father hath loued him His father to shewe his loue towardes him spake on this sorte out of a clowde This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Him he raysed from death to life from earth to heauen from cruell crosse affliction to an eternall crowne of glorie immortall and hath set him on his right hande in all power and dominion and hath made his enimies his footestoole all which doe well declare his loue he beareth towardes him Nay he loueth him as he loueth his owne substance or his owne selfe For he is God of the same substance that his father is Let vs therefore be sure that if we call vppon him with feruent and humble and heartye prayer hée will heare vs hee wyll sanctifie vs he will direct vs he will leade vs in all holynesse and purenesse of life and he will preserue our soules and bodies to euerlasting felicitie For so he loueth vs as his father hath loued him And Christ sayth in an other place Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam illorum est regnum coelorum Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And to be poore in spirite is nothing else but to humble himselfe before the face of God to put awaye all confidence in himselfe to craue mercie for his committed wickednesse to poure out his complaint before his onely redéemer to acknowledge his owne vnworthynesse to confesse his weakenesse not to bost of his merites not to bragge with boldnesse his owne abilitie not to trust in his owne deseruings but to lye prostrate before the iudgement seate of God to wayte for the crūmes of mercy that fall from the Lords table to cal and cry for grace and bounty through Christ Iesus his death and passion by whome alone he seeketh for reliefe health and comforte in all humylitie Againe we haue a sure promise of Christ himselfe saying vnto vs. 16 of Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall require my father in my name he will giue it you Aske and you shall receyue If then we shall desire God the father in the merites of his most dearelye beloued sonne Christ Iesus to water our harts with the dew of his heauenly grace and to refresh our hungry soules with the foode of his holye worde and still to preserue protect and gouerne our heauie hartes wyth the wisedome of his heauenlye spirite he will no doubt assist vs helpe vs heale vs direct vs shadow vs with the wings of his mercy and at the last when our soule is dissolued from the pryson of the body will place it in eternall paradise For Christ is the truth and therefore cannot lye and he hath promised faithfully to fulfill all our godly desires The comparison of God vnto the vnrighteous Iudge which is ouercome with continuall and importune sute The .xviij. Chapter ANd he the more to encourage vs doth make a comparison Luke 18. betwixt his father and an vnrighteous Iudge on this maner There was a Iudge in a certaine Citie sayth he who neyther feared God nor estéemed man There was also a widow in the same citie and came vnto him saying Reuenge me of mine aduersary and for a while he woulde not But at the last he sayde within himselfe Although I neyther feare God nor care for man yet bycause this widowe still troubleth me I will reuenge hir of hir enimie least at the last the come and reproue me And the Lorde sayde heare what the vnrighteous iudge sayth And shall not God reuenge his elect people that cry vnto him night and day although he differre it I say vnto you that he shal reuenge them quickly Here Christ doth expresse and paynt out in liuely colours the force of earnest and harty prayer For that Iudge that was of so rough and rigorous a nature of so fierce and austere conditions of so vngentle and cruell disposition that he dispysed the complaints of the poore regarded not the requests of the miserable refused to giue eare to the cryes of Orphanes contemned the lamentations of the oppressed people cared not for thretnings set religion at naught considered not the terrible strokes of Gods vengeaunce lightly loked vpon his duetie gaue himselfe to vayne pleasure and was in wordes vnkinde in witte wilye in countenaunce terrible in iesture fearefull in lyfe tirannicall in manners monstrous in conuersation sauage in dealings dreadfull in hart spitefull in wyll a wolfe in thoughtes outragious in office cruell in menacing more than manful and beyonde measure ful of al iniquity by the continual calling vpon of this woman by hir pitious complaintes was reformed and brought to mercie was contented to deliuer hir from hir oppressing enimie was perswaded to leaue of his olde seueritie or rather carelesse cruelty in that case and was readie to fulfill hir will to graunt hir request and to agree to hir desire and then Christ transferreth it to his father who is our tender fauourer to shewe how much more he woulde be glad to haue vs poure foorth our prayers vnto him that he might satisfie our willes and shew mercie vnto thousandes that call vpon him For he doth of his infinite and excéeding goodnesse with fayre and faythfull promises allure vs with bonntiful rewards endeuor to entise vs with offred proffred benifits to binde vs with mercy to moue vs with kindnesse to constraine vs with curtesie to
posteritie The first Chapter ALthough the grieuous abhomination of our poysoned and spitefull heartes the most execrable endes of our malicious and deuilishe endeuours the blasphemous villanies of our disdainefull deadly and desperate impietie doe deserue most terrible tormentes most heauie plagues most bitter and eternall anguishe in the bottomlesse pit of perdition without redemption yet the mercifull goodnesse and vnspeakeable kindnesse of God our tender father our carefull kéeper our holy sauiour doth not onelye cast vs head-long which we deserue into that daungerous darkenesse and gaping goulfe which burneth with fire and brimstone where is continuall wéeping and gnashing of téeth but also most gently calleth vs againe vnto him that we may taste of his mercies most pitifully bewayleth our wickednesse most heartilye forgetteth our iniquities most carefully cutteth off our corruption most readily repayreth our empaired and depraued nature most willingly wincketh at our detected enormities most graciously couereth our shamefull nakednesse most mightily maintayneth our cause agaynst our open aduersarie the Deuill most earnestly desireth our health and saluation most attentiuely wayteth for our godly reformation most largely promiseth vs a glorious crowne and eternall kingdome with frée deliueraunce and present pardon if with pure heart and true zeale wée shall cal vpon his holy name and séeke succour in Iesus Christ of his immortal maiestie For when he of his infinite goodnesse and excéeding mercy did first frame and forme our father Adam and raysed him vppe oute of the slimie bowels of the fruitfull earth when he had breathed into him the spirite of life when he had endued his reasonable soule with the bright beames of most perfite knowledge and had bestowed vpon him the blasing lightes of most excellent approued vertues when he had giuen him the soueraigne science both of celestial earthly heauenly mortal and immortall things when he had giuen him power ouer all the creatures which were vnder the cope of heauen and had for this onely cause builded the wyde worlde that man his moste noble and surpassing creature might with all maner of delite enioy the commodities of the same and at the last when he had placed him in Paradise being a place of pleasure a pasture of delites a most swéete pleasaunt and fruitfull garden and licenced him to taste of all the fruits and pleasures of the same wherein he might for euer haue led a most happie life and neuer haue felt the bitter pangues of extreeme dolor wherwith now he is compassed and beset of euery side only charging him to abstaine from the trée of knowledge of good and euill enioyning therevnto a seuere punishment the more to restraine him than this wilfull stubburne and vnthankefull man not contented with this heauenly state but aspiring against the iust and expresse commaundement of his louing father and immortall creator to suche daungerous and deuilish knowledge wherby was wrought his vtter destruction and miserable confusion gaue eare to the contagious councell and pestilent perswasion of enchaunted and bewitched Eua who by the sugred tunes of the cursed Sathan receyued the impoysoned bayt which was couered with false faire and fayned promises whereby they were both so fowlye spotted and so miserablye deformed that where before they had the similitude of God engraffed in their heartes nowe they were plaine patternes and expresse images of the hellish serpent where before they were shining starres illuminate with the wholesome light of the heauenly spirit now they were darke and mistie clowdes destitute of all clerenesse and clad with most horrible impietie where before they were decked and adorned with singular integritie iustice and puritie nowe they were beastly blemished with the filthie spots of wretched villanie pride and impuritie where before they were chiefe inhabitaunts and principall possessors of perelesse and pleasaunt Paradise nowe they were become exiled straungers expelled vagaboundes and beggars banished from all felicitie where before they were obedient seruants nowe they were rebellious enimies before friendes of God nowe â—endes of hell before in blessefull estate nowe in damnable and extréeme miserie before almost equall with Aungels now worse than Deuils before better than all earthly creatures now more abhominable than brute beastes before the louing sonnes of a tender father now the open aduersaries of a seuere Iudge before cherished and beloued children now false and forsworne fellons before blessed and immortall creatures now cursed and mortall mysers before without trouble and anguishe nowe oppressed with calamitie griefe and sorrow before without contagion now subiect to sicknesse before euer ioyfull nowe for euer sorrowfull before neuer comfortlesse nowe alwayes in themselues hopelesse and helpelesse before puyssant Princes nowe pelting peasants before pollished precious paragons of vertue nowe péeuish and polluted Pagans before partakers of eternall happinesse nowe méete firebrandes of terrible tormentes before sacred Temples of the holy ghost now defiled and stinking chanels of all sinfull vilanie retchlesse crooked crabbed and blasphemous impietie And alas into this so pitious a plight so miserable a case so greuous a daunger and so present perdition we poore wretches which be their vnhappie sonnes their damned ofspring their wicked progenie are by their heynous offence and our owne corruption fallen and entrapped from the which we through our owne selues or our owne strength can neuer be deliuered but do dayly more and more by vaine cogitations by disdainfull dealings by cursed hypocrisie by abhominable obstinacie by swelling pride by lothsome hate by cankerd contempt by deuilishe enuie by sléepie securitie by negligence in prayer by diligence in euill dooing by outragious oppression of the poore by defrauding of the simple by spoyling widowes by deceyuing orphanes by trayterously neglecting and nothing regarding our bounden duties doe prouoke to wrath the almighty God and coÌ„pell him to poure downe his heauie plagues and grieuous indignation vpon vs to our vtter ruine and confusion The promise of Christ the Redemer of man and his conquest to deliuer him out of thraldome and our dutie contrary The second Chapter BUt in this our damnable estate and condition when we could sée nothing but deadlye desperation and the monstruous mouth of the burning pitte of hell readie to receyue vs then oure excéeding good gracious and gentle God whome before we had so vnthankefully forsaken so daungerously dispised so villainously contemned so lewdly displeased so maliciously prouoked so wilfully cast off and reiected that we had rather to follow the song of Sathan the lure of the Deuill than the sage aduise and wholsome councell of so mercifull a maker he I say than did open the déepe and hid treasures of his manifold mercies and did yet once againe shewe vs the gracious fauour of his louing countenance promising euen then at the fall of our olde father Adam that his onely sonne Christ Iesus shoulde descende from his celestiall throne and seate of maiestie and take the nature of a man vpon him and should breake the heade of the Serpent that is he
first both to vnderstande the force in preuayling with God and also the glorious renoume of the Lorde his eternall maiestie through graunting the request of his poore people For when his people the children of Israel were after much affliction trouble and torment delyuered out of the lande of Egypt and was going into the wyldernesse to serue the Lord their God Pharao and all his hoste persecuted them in all haste to bring them againe into bondage which would haue bene more grieuous and sorrowfull than present death vnto them And when they were in such case that presently before their faces was the red foming and roring Seas vpon their right handes high steepe and craggie mountaynes vpon the which they could not ascend and escape vpon their left hande no refuge but daungerous and deadly perilles behinde their backes their cruell disdainefull wicked and horrible enimies threatning death tormentes and perpetuall miserie then they cried vnto the Lorde in their miserie he deliuered them out of their distresse they poured out their complaintes before him and he glorified himselfe by their deliueraunce they humbly sought for his gracious assistaunce and he mercifullye graunted the request of their earnest prayers they feared bondage he gaue them libertie they were compassed with grieuous daungers he gaue them sure are safe passage they were ready to be deuoured of the sworde he ouerthrew their enimies they were almost persecuted vnto death he brought to passe that they sawe the death and destruction of there persecuting tyrannes But how did he deliuer them Certes he commaunded the wylde waters to staye their course to lose their swiftnesse to chaunge their nature He made the waltring waues to be turned into strong walles the surging seas into the vse of sturdy stones the flickring floods into a steady bridge so that his people passed ouer with ease safetie But when the Egyptians were so bolde to enter into the same passage they were ouerwhelmed in the waters the walles turning and chaunging themselues into their woonted nature Thus was his glorie magnified his name glorified his power knowne his mercie specified his terror taught his loue enlarged his might multiplied his goodnesse graffed in the heartes of his people that afterwards they loued him as a carefull father they feared him as a mightie reuenger they honored him as a péerelesse Prince they reuerenced him as a seuere iudge they glorified him as their onely deliuerer they sanctified him as their holye profectour they folowed him as a well experienced Capitaine they obeyed his will as their only guide and defender For his name to them was fauourable to other nations and people terrible to them comfortable to gentiles fearefull to them peaceable to others dreadfull to them it brought quietnesse and safetie to others confusion to them tranquilitie to others miserie to them plenteousnesse of all thinges to other penurie of things necessarie to them solace to forrein kingdomes ruine and ouerthrowe to them pleasure to other plagues to them a ioyfull expectation of mercie to others an horrible terrour of extreme iudgement Nothing apperteyneth more to the glorie of God than prayer The ninth Chapter WHat therefore can more belong to the establishing of his prayse to his royall pompe to the blast of his magnificence through all the earth to the publishing of his glorious name than with humble and hartie prayers continually to be called vpon of hys afflicted people that he may stretche out his arme and declare his power bende his bowe and valiauntly ouerthrow his enimies Verily nothing For thus he looseth the simple captyues and bindeth the bloudy Balaamites he saueth his siely souldiours spoyleth the boasting bloud-suckers he protecteth his poore people and racketh vnruly ribaldes he mightilye beyonde all hope helpeth the miserable and contrariwise debaseth subuerteth confoundeth the bragging boldnes of the proude disdainefull and swelling tirannes Seing therefore that it is a religious worke commaunded by God himself enioyned to vs by Christ our onely sauiour taught by the Apostles and Prophets tending to the celebration propagation of his eternall glorie renowme and reuerence as nothing more by subduyng the stubborne sinfull malicious people and by releeuing helping and succouring his afflicted humble and sily flocke it must néedes folowe that they which dispise the vse of prayer and negligently nay rather obstinately and deuilishly contemne the commaundements and promises of God our heauenly father and nothing regarde his gentle admonition calling them by pacience to hartie repentaunce and amendment of wicked life that they I saye depriue God of his due honour spoyle him of his worship rob him of his reuerence and consequently fall into the daunger of eternall damnation For 4. Iohan. Pater tales quaerit qui adorant illum The father séeketh such as worship hym not such as renounce his lawes and reiect his commaundementes And his not séeking is nothing else but misery griefe anguish and condemnation Againe they are trées which beare no fruit For they which are not possessed with the spirite of God which are not directed with his holy hand which are not illuminate with the light of heauen which are not assisted with the helpe of the highest nor stirred vp with the motion of the holy ghost nor plentifullye enriched with the graces of Christ our sauiour cannot bycause of their weakenesse will not bycause of their wilfull wickednesse neyther doe couite bycause of their fraile and cursed corruption eyther to deliuer themselues from the chaine of Sathan wherewith they are bounde and tyed or to replenish themselues wyth the swéete and well sauering flowers of vertues that they maye be purified to the proofe wherof Christ sayth Iohn 15. Quia sine me nihil potestis facere bycause without me ye can doe nothing And Math. 15. Omnis plantatio quam non plantauit pater meus caelestis eradicabitur euery planting which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted out And Iohn 15. Si quis in me non manserit eiectus est foras sicut palmes c. If anye man doth not abide in me he is cast out as a braunche and withereth and they gather it and cast it into the fyre and burne it Here we maye perceyue that 〈◊〉 are not directed with the spirit of God are not the sonnes of God but impes of Antichrist not the friendes of God but the limmes of the Deuill not swallowers of saluation but heires of eternall condemnation And saint Paule sayth Filij dei sunt qui spirit uâ—deâ—â—guntur They are the sonnes of God which are driuen by the spirite of god And Christ sayth in the 15. of Iohn Ques meae vocem meam audiunt My shéepe heare my voyce and his voyce is Luc. 15 Quod oportet semper orare nec defatigari That we must alway praye and neuer be wearie And in the sirt of Mathew he prescribeth forme of prayer saying Ad hunc ergo modum orate vos Pator noster c. Praye ye after
this maner Our father and so forth But they which contemne prayer will neyther alwayes pray which Christ commaundeth nor vse the forme of prayer which Christ prescribeth nor leaue the lewdenesse which God abhorreth How therefore can they be any thing else but trées without fruite clouds without water rotten rootes without life barren grounde without corne â—â—â—les without curnels and vnprofitable barke without sappe or sauour For like as the vine braunch can bring forth no fruite vnlesse it remaine still in the vine euen so we can bring forth no goodnesse vnlesse we abide in Christ And how is it possible that they which heare Christ commaunde and will not obey that heare the shepchearde of their soules cal and will not follow that heare the sauiour of the worlde counsell them for there safetie helth and welfeare and will not attende that they shoulde receyue any commoditie ioy solace or comforte to refreshe their lingring and languishing soules almost or else altogither pined awaye for lacke of good nourishement That God respecteth them that call vpon him and reiecteth the contrarie wyth the discommodities thereof The tenth Chapter EVerye good and perfite gift commeth from aboue from the father of light who bestoweth his heauenly treasure wythout sparing restraint vpon all them that with continuall and humble and hartie request shall desire in the name of Iesus Christ hys grace fauour and euerlasting goodnesse But from such as before Gods goodnesse preferre there foolishe fantasies and séeke rather to please themselues in worldly delites then to pleasure themselues with the worde of lyfe he worthily taketh away his grace forsaketh them vtterlye leaueth them destitute wil no more sée vnto them in so much that through his absence and departure there miserable minde is ouerwhelmed with pernicious errours their senses darkned their vnderstanding obscured their reason oppressed their wyll imprisoned their hartes encombred their heades enraged their deuises ouerturned their purposes disapoynted their endeuors hindred their intentes disordred their trouble augmented their anguish exasperate their sorrowe doubled their griefe more bitterly sharpned their strength banished their life almost deuoured then spirites scattered their dolours roâ—â—ewed their wyt wasted their wisdome confounded their learning subuerted their policy disturbed their counselles abolished their bodies weakened their soules endaungered their thoughts defiled their fayth poluted their pietie defaced their rage vnbrideled their furie enflamed their wrath incensed and all vicious and detestable impietie slaunder and vylanie beyonde measure encreased For the corruption of our mortall fraile and inconstaunt nature is readie without reason to reuenge iniurie vnlesse religion doe restraine it The raging stormes of our fleshly mindes are woont to burst out into daungerous attempts vnlesse the holesome counsell of the sacred scriptures be receiued The waton will of a waywarde vessell of iniquitie maye lightly be tossed into the perilous floudes of yrefull indignation and daylie displeasure vnlesse it sayle in the safe ship and vnbroken Barcke of Gods infinite grace and mercy The olde and festering wounde of cruell hate and horrible easie will as it is woonted eate vp and consume the sounde partes of pacience vnlesse it be salued with the swéete Oyle of Gods holy spirite the filthie rust of popish ignoraunce will disgrace and deface the truth of sincere religion vnlesse it be scoured awaye with the light of the gracious gospell the deadly dregges of humane traditions will daungerously corrupt the vertuous medicine of ecclesiasticall doctrine vnlesse by the good aduise of some carefull and skilfull Phisitian they be remoued and cast out the contagious infection of noysome and vnhelthfull humore will in the minde of many men be causes of most grieuous and bitter sicknesse vnlesse they by the circumspect consideration and diligent aduise of some godlye learned and well instructed christian be auoyded purged and wisely displaced the pestilent inuasion of the créeping cancer of humane confidence wyll maliciously infect the whole bodye of the apparent and visible church of Christ vnlesse the playster of Gods direction be fitly applied to the contynuall motions of mans â—â—â—nesse and briefly godlynesse and all goodnesse will suffer most lamentable shipwrack in the troublesome waues and surging seas of vayne fantasies through the blustring windes and terrible tempestes of deuilishe desires and raging appetites vnlesse Christ rise vp and commaunde the waters to be still the tempestes to cease the windes to be calme the weather to be cléere and the ship to be safe Seing therefore that such is the estate of men which estéeme not neyther regarde the goodnesse of God that of themselues they can not helpe themselues nor by other meanes be preserued in safetie bicause nothyng can succour him whome God forsaketh seing that nothing procéedeth out of the hart of man vnlesse it be sauced with his mercy grace and bountie but it is abhominable and wicked before the face of almightie God seing that the ffincking wéedes and noysome darnell of vices wickednesse and vngodlynesse doe burst out sodainely and in a moment when the séede of Gods holye worde is not sowed in the hart of man and watred with the swéete showres of heauenly mercie seing that when God doth not extende his power grace and fauour nothing is pleasaunt fruitfull or acceptable but al things are ordered with vnruly rage with bloudy beastlynesse with disordered confusion and horrible tempest of wicked and witlesse abhomination and againe seing that they which resist the faithful exercise of prayer can not â—e directed by the finger hand or spirite of God bicause they are not Gods children because they despise his coÌ„maundements counsell bicause they refuse to heare his voyce when he calleth them to continuall prayer and earnest repentaunce of their former liues it must néedes folowe that they are vnfruitefull trées that is rotten stockes that bring forth no good and pleasaunt fruite but withered and infectious leaues impoysoned with venimous and filthie contagion and therfore shall be cast into hell fyre and condemned to eternall bitter and most horrible plagues and punishmentes For nowe the axe is layde to the roote of the trée and euerye trée that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be cut downe and cast into the fyre What vertues they be voyde of that pray not The .xi. Chapter MOreouer they lacke fayth hope and constant trust in the most precious bloude of our sauioure Iesus Christ and therefore are in desperate estate For Christ saith No man commeth to my father but by me meaning that vnlesse they put off their owne corruption and shake off their sinful hypocrisie cut away cleane from them the confidence in themselues or of other Idols vnlesse they confesse themselues to be of themselues wicked disceitful weake vnable mischieuous and damnable creatures and surely beléeue that Christ came from his throne in heauen and tooke the nature of man vpon him to worke their righteousnesse to appease his fathers wrath which was enflamed against all sinful vngodly people to deliuer them
doth tender his adopted children his chosen vessels his louing friendes which appéereth by crying in fayth Abba father It is therefore prooued that they which crie not with hartie affection vnto God our heauenlye father haue not the spirite of God consequently that they are reiected from the number of the saints and sonnes of god Thirdly fayth worketh in mans hart loue and obedience For that doth most perfitely paint out the tender mercies the great good wil the gracious fauour the louing kindnesse of God the father to man in creating him of God the sonne in raunsoming him of God the holye ghost in directing him in creating him by making him of nothing a noble creature in redéeming him by making of a bonde seruant to the Deuill an adopted sonne to himselfe in directing him by restrayning him from most abhominable impietie whether hée woulde runne and cast himselfe headlong into present daunger and kéeping him in the fauour of his tender father creator These with innumerable and infinite commodities more will mooue almost a senselesse hart to contend with all endeuour to loue to please to folowe to praise to obey to reuerence to worship and honour him by whome they are bestowed and giuen and vndeseruedly fréely bountifully without respect of the receyuer his worthynesse and onely for the giuers mercie The effects of fayth in Mari of Bethania which is Marie Magdalene with an enumeration of causes why they bee condemned which reiect prayer The .xvi. Chapter MArie of Bethania after shée had receyued fayth so loued Christ that she not onely was wylling to doe that which was commaunded in the lawe of God but also exercised an extraordinarie meanes whereby shée did shewe forth hir burning and feruent loue towardes Christ For when he was set at meate in a Pharyseis house she brought an Alablaster boxe of oyntment and shée stoode at his féete behind him wéeping and began to washe his féete with teares and did wipe them with the heares of hir head and kissed his féete and annoynted them with oyntment and Christ testifieth in the same place the seuenth of Luke that she loued much Christ also sayth in the fourtéenth of Iohn If anye man loue mée he will kéepe my saying and againe qui non diligit me sermones meos non seruat he that doth not loue me kéepeth not my saying whereby it appeareth that fayth is not without the loue of god The loue of God is not without obedience obedience is not where prayer is not exercised as it is proued before Therfore they which contemne or neglect or doe not vse contynuall prayer are vnfaithful disobedient rebels against God and his annoynted Nowe therefore séeing that for such lacke of duetie on our partes the holy and heauenlye will of our eternall God is nothing regarded the swéete and holesome counsell of Christ Iesus our mercifull and mightie mediatour wilfully condemned the profered and promised mercy by the holye ghost in scripture plentifullye declared wickedly refused seing that God is spoyled of his reuerence depriued of his honour robbed of his glorie prayse and of our dutifull obedience seing that they which doe not exercise continuall prayer are trées bearing no fruite which are good for nothing but to be cut downe and cast into the fire seing that they are faythlesse desperate secure fruitlesse and harde hearted hypocrites trusting more to the fonde illusions of their vaine fantasies than the riches of Gods eternall mercies bathing themselues in the sincke of sinne and foule puddle of blasphemous iniquity it must néedes of necessitie folow that they are burning firebrandes of hell sonnes of the Deuill and heires of eternall damnation For as the Prophet Nahum saith the first Chapter Deus emulator vlciscens dominus vlciscens dominus habens furorem vlciscens dominus in hostes suos irascens ipse suis inimicis God is a zelous and a reuenging Lorde a reuenging Lorde and wrathfull a reuenging Lorde against his enimies and angry against his aduersaries Ante faciem indignationis eius quis stabit quis resistet in ira furoris eius Who shall stande before his face when his indignation is hote and in the daye of hys wrath who shall be able to resist For when he is angrye the heauens shake for feare the earth quiuereth the rockes doe breake a sunder the mountaines shippe the Lyons rore the Tygers tremble and all the inhabitauntes of the worlde are readie to desire the hilles to couer them Such is the terrour of his maiestie such is the horrour of his displeasure such is the burning fire of his hote indignation He will not therefore spare those which trayterously spoyle him of his glorie bereaue him of his due honor reuerence depriue him of his worship who may for the same cause loke for nothing else but eternall death and extreme horrible and deadly damnation For séeing he is ielous and a reuenging Lorde séeing he is a most mightie terrible and fearefull iudge séeing he is a God that hath all power dominion and rule at his commaundement séeing nothing is able to withstande hys will séeing neyther place in heauen neyther habitation in earth nor house in Hell is hidden from his presence and agayne seing on the otherside he is so iustly prouoked so yrefully inflamed so wrathfully mooued against such as robbe him of hys reuerence it is most certaine and so sure as the Lorde liueth that they shall come to vtter and extréeme and most miserable confusion The second part of the authors diuision that is that they be most certaine of the inheritance of heauen which doe exercise prayers comprising the .vii. Chapters folowing The .xvij. Chapter BVt now let vs leaue to speake of those and conuert our talke to the state of such as doe with earnest humble and hartie desire imbrace the most godly exercise of prayer They asuredlye are most certaine to be enheritours of euerlasting and most blisfull saluation for euer and euer eternally For Christ saith Iohn 14. Quicquid petieritis nomine meo hoc faciam vt glorificetur pater per filium Si quid petieritis per nomen meum ego faciam First whatsoeuer you shall require in my name that I will bring to passe that the father may be glorified by his sonne If you shall require any thing in my name I will doe it Here Christ promiseth vnto vs that we shall obtaine whatsoeuer we shall require in his name If therefore we shall require euerlasting life in glorie and all felicitie with him and his Aungels he will gladly willingly and readily graunt it vnto vs For here he is not constrayned to promise it Therefore he is willing to graunt it and againe he doth not promise more then hée is able to perfourme bicause he is GOD omnipotent equall with the father in all power godhead and diuinitie For he saith of him selfe My father and I are all one it remaineth then that of his siguler grace incredible goodnesse wherwith
our heauenly father and not to Aungels deade sainctes Deuils stocks stones or such lyke For it is written thou shalt worshippe the â—or◠〈◊〉 God and him onely shalt thou serne Aâ—â—â—e God saith in Esay the .43 Ego sum ego sum c. I am I am and without me there is no sauiour And .45 Chapter A iust and sauing God there is none but I. And such places there are to be founde a great number which for breuitie sake I of purpose doe omitte partly bicause of the rude and simple peoples sake that they may the better remember these rules and partly bycause there is a notable treatise against the worshipping inuocation of saintes now extaunt wherin this question is fullye debated by Iohn Veron a worthye member of the Church of Christ 2 Secondly we must poure out oure supplications before God in all humilitie trusting fauourably to be accepted onely for the merites passion of Iesus Christ who is our onely satisfaction iustification and righteousnesse before the Lorde not for the worthinesse of our owne workes For Christ Iesus when we were accursed came downe from heauen to delyuer vs from the curse whervnto al we were subiect was 〈…〉 â—â—crifice for our sinnes Wherevpo◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—h ye are saued by grace through â—â—th and that not of our selues for it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes least any man should boast 3 Thirdely they which present themselues before God to request any thing of him must cast of all cruelty violence and oppression towardes other For in Esay 1. we read When you shall stretch out your handes I will turne mine eies from you and when you shal multiply your praiers I will not heare you sayth the Lorde For your hands be full of bloud Washe your selues and be cleane They must put all vnmercifulnesse out of their mindes For in the .xxj. of the Prouerbes it is written He that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard This is plaine by the example of Lazarus and the riche Glutton They must plucke out of their hartes all enuye hatred malice and dissension they must forgiue the faultes of their brethren For Christ sayth When ye stande to praye forgiue your brothe◠〈…〉 haue anything against him 〈…〉 sixt of Mathew If you for◠〈…〉 euen from the bottome of your hart neyther shall your father which is in heauen forgiue you They must be humble and banishe away all pride or disdaine oute of the closet of their minde For Psalme 51 An humble and contrite heart God will not despise And Peter saith God resisteth the prowde giueth grace to the humble Examples hereof be the prowde Pharisey and poore Publicane in the gospell They must be sure stedfast and constaunt in fayth For it is said Let him aske in fayth doubting nothing Iacob 10. They must with harty sincere and true repentaunce bewayle their sinfull wickednesse and wicked wilfulnesse and haue an earnest desire to set forth the glorie of God to liue in due obedience to God and his gospell to subuert the raging affections of the corrupt fleshe vnto the heauenly pure and angelicall motions of the spirite they must be enflamed with a feruencie of spirite ioyned to continuance in supplication and not come 〈…〉 â—art and a babling 〈…〉 â—or chalenge the hart 〈…〉 and also â—â—ou â—â—ard apperance â—â—â—leâ—se both hast and mouth agrée zeâ—â—â—ly in one kinde of worship it cannot he pleasant vnto God nor Christ Whereâ—â—â— is sayd of some this people honoreth me with their lips but their hart is farre from me Such God will spue out of hys mouth and vtterly refuse them Briefly these rules maye be thus concluded They which minde to obtayne their requestes when they yéelde vp their supplications must direct the same to God in the name of Christ Iesus but so that they themselues be in minde mercyfull in manners milde in loue charitable in affection amyable in fayth constant in lyfe obedient in spirite feruent and in hart repentaunt Nowe moreouer there be other circumstances which are to be annexed as when where for whom for what things with what iesture after what manner we ought to pray The circumstances â—â—â—h ought to be obserued in prayer beside the sixe rules The .xxv. Chapter FOr the first it is written indesinenter oratâ— pray continually that is whensoeuer you shall be assaulted with temptation eyther in prosperitie or in aduersitie call vpon God not that at all times without ceasing or intermission we should onely be occupied in prayer but that we should as godly men haue done before time appoint certayne tymes to poure out our complaintes before God also at other times in what thing soeuer we be occupied in spirite in truth in sighes in thought in worke in will call vpon God for the helpe of his grace and accesse of his mercie As the Ploughman at his labour the Marchaunt at his occupying the Scholer at his studie and so forth ought not onely at certaine houres giue himselfe to prayer but also when he is most occupied ought in he 〈…〉 with God through prayer in â—â—â—â—es but especially in the church in the congregation of christians For when many togither in one spirit yéelde vp their prayers then are they moste acceptable to God and gracious to Christ our Sauiour 3 For the thirde we ought to praye for the good and prosperous estate of godlye Princes and magistrates and principallye it belongeth to our bounden duties to beseech God in the bowels of mercye to preserue for the glorye of his holy name our good and gracious soueraigne Ladie Quéene Elizabeth in these troublesome times from all daunger in most happie estate and felicitie which I beséech him to doe for Iesus Christ his sake in whome he is well pleased to the subuersion of hir enimies the mayntenaunce of true relygion and confusion of cursed Sathan Then we ought to pray for the good estate of Gods holy Ministers for our selues for 〈…〉 â—hey 〈…〉 flesh but 〈…〉 â—â—e they be 〈…〉 out of the prison of the body For 〈◊〉 â—â—ther they raigne with Christ or dye wyâ—h Deuilles where there is no redemption 4 For the fourth we may praye for things pertayning to the necessitie of the body and of the soule and for eternall saluation in Iesus Christ alwayes in all prayers hauing respect to our own selues and to the will of God that we aske nothing which eyther is not competent for our estate or not agreable to the glory of God. 5 For the fifte we may vse any comely iesture eyther knéeling or standing or sitting as present occasion shall moue vs so that we haue an humble minde and contrite hart in all our prayers 6 For the sixt we may vse the forme of prayer that Christ hath taught vs or any other not repugnaunt to the same or vse such wordes as the present estate wyll gyue occasion vnto as Christ did in the 〈…〉 â—s not alwayes ne◠〈…〉 â—â—ng â—recisely that prayer 〈…〉 â—â—mnâ— only called the lords prayâ—◠〈◊〉 or things as certayne circumâ—â—â—â—es considered let vs now search out the effect of prayer which may easily be perceyued by examples taken out of scripture Iosuae 10. By prayer the Sunne stoode in the middle of heauen the space of a whole day Moyses by prayer wrought meruellous effectes Samson Samuel Elias Dauid Ezechias Salamon Anna Cornelius Paule and Silas wonderfullye preuayled by force of prayer as in scriptures manifestly is declared But of these things no man meanely conuersant in scriptures can be ignoraunt Therfore without longer discourse I will make an ende And here I beséeche thée good reader to call to minde the threates of God against obstinate sinners the plagues of God executed against rebellious persons the daungerous and miserable estate of harde harted christians and so perhaps thou shalt be touched with feare of anguishe and extreme misery Then ponder in thy minde wha◠〈…〉 hartie prayer wh◠〈…〉 hath prouided for them 〈…〉 â—ble suire to him in Iâ—â—◠〈…〉 eternall felicitie thou shalt enioy 〈◊〉 earnest supplication thou craue 〈◊〉 â—â—nde his grace mercy And last of all in consideration of these things let prayer be thy continuall exercise and dayly practise For prayer is the quietnesse of them which be tormoyled the rest of them that are molested the hauen of them which suffer shipwracke the comfort of the sorowfull the salue of the sinfull the shielde of the fearefull the hope of the helpelesse the holde of the harbourlesse the helpe of the hopelesse the solace of the comfortlesse Prayer is in welth a safegarde in health a preseruatiue in griefe a gracious comfort in warre a sword in peace a garden of delites in bondage libertie in sorow swéetnesse in death lyfe in penurie a storehouse of all things necessarie And to conclude prayer is the readie path to the pleasaunt pasture of eternall Paradise FINIS The purpose of the Author Tomo 5. lib. De precatione Psalm 2. Num. 16. Exod. 14. Deut. 6. Math. 4. Ephe. Mar. 11. 1. Petr. 5. 〈…〉 great 〈…〉 â—â—pe 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 â—â—las princely 〈◊〉 â—â—de what foyzen fertyle springs 〈◊〉 from the learned skill â—f those that trauell earnestly to clyme Parnassus hill Beholde what youthfull yeres can doe through great studie and paine Beholde what knowledge tender age by labour can attaine This little booke so well compact deserueth worthy prayse Which the Authour hath published a mirror in these dayes A mirror yea a looking glasse for so I may him name Bycause by sacred scripture he his first attempt doth frame The stile of some is praysed much that fayned stories write Collected out of Poets workes for that they doe delite And please 〈…〉 who 〈…〉 Some 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 some 〈…〉 Then waâ— doth 〈◊〉 for due rewarde deserue that vertuously Doth vse his tallent which he hath obtayned painefully Eternall prayse as I doe iudge and fame that aye shall dure For vayne delites doe vanishe all when vertue shineth pure The worde of God mans soule doth féede the scripture bringeth light But fonde and foolish tales are naught Therfore as willeth right The Authors enterprise commende conceiue his good intent Commende his trauell which he hath in sacred scripture spent Then truly shall you stirre him vp as now he hath begonne So to procéede and faythfully this kinde of race to runne FINIS