applying the promises of God to himselfe hath great cause to feare that his heart is not true and right before God And therfore if thou canst not pray priuately or feelest thy selfe cold in prayer for to helpe thy selfe thus thou shalt do CHAP. 17. Helpes against the former lets EVery morning so soone as thou canst for the sooner the better before the world get hold on thee either with profit or pleasure for these are the diuels baytes or before thou feedest thy bodie for the body is a great deal more subiect to the Spirit when it is not pampered nor fed at it owne will then I say goe into some priuate place and fall downe on thy face as the Publican did and see thy selfe a farre off and say God bee mercifull to mee a sinner O Lord I acknowledge that I cannot pray pardon mee deare Father for Iesus Christs sake and quicken mee with thy holy Spirit giue me faith to call vpon thee and I beseech thee graciously to remēber thy promise which sayeth Come vnto me all yee that labour and be heauy laden and I will ease you Oh Lord I am loaden with my sinnes and against all reason they keep me from seeking pardon for them and grace to shunne them Good Father for Christs sake remooue my sins far from mee and giue me faith in thy Sonne which may assure mee that thou doest accept of me as of thy seruant in him And though I bee most vnworthy in my selfe yet by thy promises in Christ which shall neuer faile I pray thee accept mee Furthermore for the better stirring thee vp to pray reade some Chapter of the Testament as namely the 6. of Mathew or some other wherein thou mayest heare the promises of GOD in Christ to strengthen thy faith Take heede of idlenesse and slothfulnes which is a great hinderance I know that all sinnes are hinderances to prayer but idlenesse and following the world either for profite or pleasure are wonderfull mighty ones CHAP. 18. To pray often NEuer make account of thy selfe as a diligēt seruant of God if thou doest not twise a day at the least come priuately to God and acknowledge thy infimities and confesse that thou canst not pray and desire GOD to giue thee grace to doe it faithfully When thou feelest a motion to pray doe not ouer-slip it for any cause in the world for thou knowest not what graces or blessings GOD meanes to bestow vpon thee at that time for it is the Spirit of God calling thee and therefore finde no delayes but goe for the nature of man of it selfe will neuer be stirred to priuate prayer But howsoeuer thou doest be thou Master or bee thou seruant bee thou at home abroad or in what condition or place soeuer thou bee doe not sleepe at night till thou hast humbled thy selfe before God on thy knees in prayer for night is a time when the world leaues a man as it were for a while and when the world leaues him the diuell hath not so much power ouer him for the world is a great Instrument for the diuell to worke by Therefore when the world is asleepe as it were the diuels power is weakened and then bee sure thou prayest to God to deliuer thee from the diuell and from the world The world is like Pharaoh which by no meanes would suffer the children of Israel to goe to serue the Lord so doth the world if it know that thou goest to serue God it will bring thee backe againe if it bee possible and therefore it is best to pray priuatly though thou doe it but weakely for within a while this weake prayer wil strēgthen greatly thy faith Pray when the world is asleepe for assoone as it is awake it will cry and call on thee as Pharaoh did on the Israelites to attend it it will bring thee more worke still as hee did to them And as that Tyrant told the Israelites that they should goe and serue their God but when the time came hee would not let them but stil found imploimēt for them euen so will the world doe by any that will beleeue it it will promise At such a time thou shalt goe serue God and When such a thing is done thou shalt go pray but when the time commeth it will finde more worke for him still and will not let him goe Pharaoh is the very figure of the diuell and the diuell calleth himselfe the god of this world And if the diuell hath to do with this world as no doubt but hee hath then it is certaine that the world will neuer giue vs leaue to serue God Our owne nature is as the nature of the Israelites for they had rather haue tarried with Pharaoh who was the very image of the diuell and haue been his slaues stil then to haue gone thorow the red-sea and the wildernes to the promised land of Canaan which was the figure of heauen and euen so had wee rather bee slaues and drudges to the world which will take all from vs and cast vs to the Diuell as Pharaoh would haue done by the children of Israel then we will leaue the world and all his baites and goe to our God euery day and humble our selues at his foote and confesse our selues to bee weake in faith and acknowledge our frailtie and call earnestly for the helpe of God to ouercome the world for vs and to strengthen vs by his power against the diuell the world and our owne frailty and wicked fleshly lusts and yet except we doe call continually to God for his grace and helpe we can no more ouercome these then the children of Israel could ouercome Pharaoh or goe thorow the red sea without drowning for it was God that ouercame Pharaoh for them and also all their enemies deliuered them out of the red sea and so it must be God that must ouercome the Diuell and all thy enemies in the world and deliuer thee that thou sinke not in the sea of thy owne sinnes CHAP. 20. Not to neglect priuate Prayer WHerefore I desire you and euery one of yours to the worlds end that whatsoeuer seruice of God you omit you doe not neglect priuate prayer for many may heare the Word of God as Adam did and disobey it presently after some heare the Word of of God as Adam did after his fall and had rather bee further off as hee had then But priuate prayer is to offer thy selfe and thy seruice to God confessing thy own imperfections and to call to God for his assistance Now when a sinner by himselfe calleth his owne wayes to remembrance and confesseth his particular sinnes then he seeth what sinne his owne nature is most subiect vnto and prayeth earnestly against that sinne wherwith he is most infected and confesseth his owne weaknesse and wondreth at himselfe that hee is not able to ouercome that one sinne as well as some other sinnes of as great force The reason is this the
leaue my Lands Lordships and Tenements with you in trust till I come again let thē to my friends let thē such pennyworths that they may well liue vpon them let your owne friends some part of them deale so in it as at my cōming home I may finde you faithfull Now if this seruant should neglect his charge neglect his owne friends and his masters and go for a little more rent which his master cared not a whit for let his lands and tenements to his vtter enemies who growing rich with the Lands and goods of this noble Lord would bee ready to bidde him battle at his returne home to strike at him with his owne sword iudge you would not this Lord think he had dealt very euill with him nay would not euery honest man that should but heare of it thinke say that he had dealt most vildly with so good a Lord and Master and that he were neuer meete to come in the company of an honest man againe Thus hath Christ dealt with vs When our wicked father and vngodly mother Adam and Eue cast vs into the puddle of sin ran away left vs there where we should neuer haue beene able to haue gotten out Iesus Christ the onely Son of the high and mighty God our mercifull Lord and Sauiour came by and washed vs and brought vs vp at his own cost charges and we haue nothing but frō him he taught vs himselfe in all good doctrine and being gone to ouercome the enemy of his King and Country he hath left his goods with thee bids thee to deale well with his seruants and let them good penny-worths and deale not with his enemies neither make any mariage with thē yet thou for a little money wilt buy and sell marry and giue in marriage with them yea thinkest because thou findest thē more rich in the world they are better for thee to deale withall yet they are the vtter enemies of thy Lord and will bee ready at his comming to bid him battle and strike at him with his owne sword CHAP. 45. The right use of goods HEere thou seest what cause thou hast to loue Christ and his seruants and how thou oughtest not to loue thine own but to vse it as the Lord hath appointed thee whose indeede it is If thou dealest not with thy Lords goods and lands as he hath appointed thee art thou not in a great fault Surely thou hast nothing to say for thy selfe saue to appeale to his mercy confesse thy sinnes amend thy life But if a Preacher whō God hath enlightned to see what he was out of Christ what he is in Christ and hath willed him to tell the people from his mouth how he and they should now behaue themselues inwardly in their hearts outwardly in their goods and substance if he I say Whom God hath set vpon a hill to giue light to many if he I say whom God hath giuen much vnto and of whom much shall bee re-required if he I say whom the sunne of vnderstanding should arise vpon nay if he I say in whose heart the glorious Sonne of God should shine will darken his glorie with the thicke clouds or rather thicke clods of this earthen world his sin is great but what did I say darken their light nay they darken the light of the Gospell that all should see to goe by nay they darken the glorious light of the Son of God ecclipse his glory wheras they should draw many vnto Christ by thier liberalitie and true preaching they driue many from Christ by loue of their owne as they say by their idlenes negligence in preaching as I say I say this loue of their own as they call it is a thousand times worse in them doth a multitude more of hurt then in other ordinarie men who loue the world as well as they but there are not so manie that looke on them and God hath not set them for a light as hee hath done the Preachers And the reason why the Preachers are many times ouercom is this because the enemie doth bend all his forces against them not vnlike the enemy to the Israelites vvho sayd Fight neither against more nor lesse but against the King of Israel So doth our enemy the Diuell hee fighteth neither against more nor lesse but against the Captaines of the Church namely the Preachers for he knoweth that if they bee once ouercome then the whole armie will soone bee confounded and brought to nought Bee you all vpholders of them which by no meanes can bee done but by prayer for as our preachers should pray for al so all should send vp their praiers to Almightie God in the name of his Sonne to send his holie Spirit into the hearts of the Preachers to sanctifie them throughout that they maybe holy in bodie minde following the exāple of our Sauior Christ vvho said to Peter his Apostle whom he had appointed to be chiefe Preacher to the Church of the Iewes Peter Peter Sathan hath sought to winnow thee like wheat but I haue praied that thy faith faile not Againe S. Paul appointed by the Son of God to bee cheefe Preacher to the Church of the Gentils vvitnesseth of himselfe saying The messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet me but I besought the Lord Iesus that hee might depart from mee Now in these tvvo great combates made betvveen the diuell the deare children of God ye see that praier is the vveapon vvhereby the Tempter is ouercome Wherefore I earnestlie entreat you let your praiers alvvaies be sent vp to God through Christ for the Preachers all such as are in high places that so they continuing firme and stedfast your faith may by thē be more confirmed And the blessing of God Almightie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be with you all from this time euen to the worlds end Amen FINIS 1. Tim. 5.8 Mat. 6 33. Num. 11.3 Ioh. 6.27 Gal. 4.4 Math. 4.23 Rom. 4.25 Heb. 2.14 Ioh. 17.24 Es. 49. 15. Gal. 4. 19. Rom. 9. 3. Ioh. 6. 27 Mat. 20. 6. Reu. 14. 13 Ioh. 5. 35 Ioh. 12.8 Math. 19. 24. Iam. 5.1 1. Tim. 6. 10. Math. 16. 26. Ioh. 11.25 26. Psal. 1. 2. Rom. 14.8 Eccl. 12.1 Deut. 11. 19.20 Gen. 18.19 Psal. 122.6 * The story of Susanna though it be not canonicall nor to be equalled to those books that are yet it may bee true and of good vse as many other histories written by men are Exod. 20. 9. Gen. 3 12. Prou. 2.18 Gen. 3.15 Ioh. 6. 53 Gen. 3.6 1. Sam. 19. 12. 1. Sam. 25. 3. Gen. 29.17 1. Sam. 1. 10.11 Pro. 22.6 Gen. 2.18 Gen. 6.2.3 1. King 11.4 1. Ioh. 2. 15. 2. Cor. 6 14. 1. Pet. 3.7 Gen. 2.24 Psa. 101.7 Ex. 20.10 1. Tim. 4.8 1. Tim. 6 6.7.8 Matt. 22.14 Mat. 6.16 Mat. 18.20 Mat. 6.12 Luke 18. 13. Mat. 11.28 Num. 11.5 Es. 48.22 Psa. 3. 5. Mat. 28.26 Iohn 21. 25. 1. Thes. 5. 17.18 Mat. 7.7 Iob. 1.9 Iob 1.9 Ioh. 15.8 Mat. 5.16 Ioh. 16.23 Luk. 6.25 Mat. 5.16 Math. 5.19 Psa. 50.23 Mat. 16 24 1 Cor. 1.4.15 Mat. 6.9 Mat. 6.6.7 Ioh. 16.23 Mat. 7.7 Mat. 7.9 10.11 Iohn 16.13 Iohn 15.26 Mat. 11.27 Mat. 11.28 2. CO. 12.7 2. CO. 12.9 Iohn 14. 26. Iam. 4.6 1. Cor. 6. 18. 19. 2. Thes. 3. 10 Eph. 6.16 Mat. 7.7 Mat. 6.6 Therewards of Christs seruice are heauenly Hab. 2.6 The danger of breaking promise Matth. 16. 17. Luk. 18.10 Luk. 18.2 Matth. 11. 28. Matth. 26 41. Iam. 4.7 Iam. 4.14 Lu. 12.20 Exo. 20.9 Ro. 14.23 Ephe. 516 1. Cor. 3. 6. Psal. 56. 12. Matth. 19. 24. Ioh. 6.27 1. Tim. 4. 8. 1. Tim. 6.6 Mat. 6.33 Mat 6.34 Psal. 37.5 Matth. 12. 20. Mat. 16.24 Ro. 8.32 Iam. 1.15 Ro. 7. 24. 1. Sam. 17 34. 35. Lu. 12.20 Psal. 39.6 Prou. 1.7 Matth. 6. 28. 29. Ro. 10.17 Heb. 11.6 Mat. 27.5 1 Cor. 6. 13. Luk. 21.34 Mat 6.31 32. 1 Ioh. 2. 15. Matth. 12. 36. 1. Sam. 15. 22. Ro. 13.8 Psa. 37.21 1. Ti. 5.8 Iam 4.8 Mat. 18.20 Prou. 29. 18. Matth. 9. 37. 38. Phil. 2.21 1. Cor. 9. 16. Esay 56. 10. 11. Ioh. 17.9 Col. 3.1 The danger of dealing with wicked men Iob 31.29 Mat. 26.27 Gen. 6.12 Mat. 26.26 Eph. 3.18 19. Gal. 3.13 Iohn 14.7 Iohn 8.36 Eccl. 7.29 Iohn 3.16 Ioh. 11.25 Mar. 16.16 Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 19 12 Ro. 14.23 2. Cor. 6.14 Tit. 2.1 Mat. 5.14 Luk. 12.48 1. Tim. 4. 16. 1. King 22 31. Luk. 22.31 2. Cor. 12. 7.8
theron it doth the soule no more good then meate and drink doth the body being seene and felt and neuer fed vpon for as the body will dye although in see meate euen so will the soule for all the hearing reading of the word if that ye doe not meditate vpon it and gather faith and strengthen it and get hold of Christ which if ye doe Christ will bring you to the kingdome of his Father to which you can come by no meanes but by faith in him CHAP. 8. The sixt cause is to perswade them to teach their children THe sixt reason is to entreate and desire you in some sort to commaund you that all your children be they Males or Females may in their youth learne to read the Bible in their owne mother tongue for I know it is a great helpe to true godlinesse And let none of you plead pouerty against this for I know that if you bee neither couetous prodigall nor idle either of which sins will let no vertue growe where they come that you need not faile in this but if you will follow the commaundement of the Lord and labour sixe dayes and keepe the seuenth holy to the Lord and loue him with all your heart soule and strength you will not onely be willing but also able to see them all brought vp to read the Bible Salomon that was wise by the Spirit of God sayd Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth And ye are also commanded to write it vpon the walls of your houses and to teach it your childern I know sayth God that Abraham will teach his children and his childrens children to walke in thy commandements Also I further desire you because I wish all well and would be glad you should do as much good as could be in the wildernesse of this world that if any shal at any time desire you to be a Witnesse to the baptizing of their childe that then you shal desire the person so desiring to giue you his faithfull word that the child shall bee taught to read so soone as it can conueniently learne and that it shall so continue till it can read the Bible If this will not be granted you shall refuse to answer for the child otherwise doe not refuse to be a witnesse to any for it is a good Christian duety Moreouer forget not whether you answere for the child or no to pray that the child baptized may receiue the holy Ghost with all other children of the faithfull especially vvhen you are where a child is baptized for it is your duty to pray for the increase of the Church of God Pray for the peace of Ierusalem saith the Psalmist let them prosper that loue thee CHAP. 9 The seuenth cause is that they should giue their children good names THE seauenth cause is to entreate you that though I do not liue to be a witnesse to the baptizing of any of your children yet you would giue me leaue to giue names to them all For though I doe not thinke any holinesse to be in the name but know that God hath his in euery place and of euery name yet I see in the Bible it was obserued by GOD himselfe to giue choyse names to his children which had some good signification I thinke it good therefore to name your children after the names of the Saints of God which may bee a meanes to put them in mind of some vertues which those Saints vsed especially when they shal read of them in the Bible and seeing many are desirous to name both their owne children and others after their owne names this will be a meanes to increase the names of the Saints in the Church and so none shall haue occasion to mislike his name since hee beareth the name of such a Saint as hath left a witnesse to the world that hee liued and dyed in the true faith of IESVS Christ. The names I haue chosen you are these Philip Elizabeth Iames Anna Iohn and Susanna The vertues of them that bore those names and the causes why I chose them I let passe and only meane to write of the last name Susan famoused through the world for chastity a vertue which alwaies hath been and is of great account not onely amongst the Christians and people of God but euen among the Heathen and Infidels insomuch that some of them haue written that a woman that is truly chaste is a great partaker of all other vertues and contrariwise that the woman that is not truely chaste hath no vertue in her The which saying may well be warranted by the Scripture for who so is truly chaste is free from idlenesse and from all vaine delights full of humility and all good Christian vertues who so is chaste is not giuen to pride in apparell nor any vanity but is alwaies either reading meditating or practising some good thing which she hath learned in the Scripture But she which is vnchaste is giuen to be idle or if she do any thing it is for a vaine glory and for the prayse of men more then for any humble louing and obedient heart that shee beareth vnto God and his Word who sayd Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and so left no time for idlenesse pride or vanity for in none of these is there any holinesse The vnchaste woman is proud and alwayes decking her selfe with vanity and delights to heare the vaine words of men in which there is not only vanity but also so much wickednesse that the vain words of men and womens vainenesse in hearing them hath brought many women to much sorrow and vexation as wofull experience hath and wil make many of them confesse But some wil say Had they onely lent an eare to their words they had done well enough To answere which I would haue euery one know that one sinne begetteth another The vaine words of the man and the idle cares of the woman beget vnchaste thoughts oftentimes in the one which may bring forth much wickednesse in them both Man sayd once The woman which thou gauest mee beguiled me and I did eate But wee women may now say that men lye in waite euery where to deceiue vs as the Elders did to deceiue Susanna Wherefore let vs bee as she was chaest watchfull and wary keeping company with maides Once Iudas betrayed his Master with a kisse repented it but now men like Iudas betray their Mistresses with a kisse repent it not but laugh and reioyce that they haue brought sinne and shame to her that trusted them The only way to auoid al which is to be chaste with Susanna and being women to imbrace that vertue which being placed in a woman is most commendable An vnchaste woman destroyeth both the body and the soule of him shee seemeth most to loue and it is almost impossible to set down the mischiefes which haue come through vnchast women Salomon sayth that her steppes lead to hell
nature of man is wholly corrupted with sin and is good for nothing as the earth is fit to bring forth nothing but weeds except it bee digged and dressed and continually laboured and weeded yet one weed or other will grow in some part of the earth by nature which will not grow in another part though it besowne there but some other weed will grow there that is as ill and one weed ouergrowing the ground is able to make it vnprofitable for any thing so one sinne will rule where another will not and that one ouerrunning thee is able to make thee an vnprofitable member of the Church therfore thou must labour by priuate prayer to ouercome it CHAP. 21. Men become worse for want of vsing good meanes MOreouer as a garden if it be twentie yeeres kept with digging watering and weeding and then bee let but two yeeres alone it will become vnprofitable sauage and of no respect euen so if thou dost in thy youth or many yeeres vse priuate prayer and hearing of the Word preached and publike prayer and fasting all good means to keepe thy earthly body in subiection yet if thou becommest negligent and carelesse but a while it will soone become sauage and wilde and consequently an vnprofitable member of Christ his Church or rather manifest thy selfe to bee no member as the earth will bee no garden and therfore you must haue a cōtinual care of your selues It is not for a smal matter that you must haue this care but for a great a most glorious kingdome which lasteth for euer where thou shalt enioy the sweete and louing presence of almightie God and bee a a member of Iesus Christ in the Kingdome of heauen for euer world without end Then neither Satan nor the world nor thy owne flesh shall bee able one minute to trouble thee if through faith in Christ by continuall prayer thou once gettest thither Neither is it to shunne a little danger that you must bee thus watchfull and wary of your selues as was drowning in the red sea which was a figure of hell but it is to auoid burning in hells torments for euer and euer and being ioyned to the diuell and all his wicked spirits for euer there to bee tormented and neuer haue rest And this will be more then a thousand millions of paines to those that shall enter into these torments to thinke that God hath offered so mercifull a meanes as to send his owne Sonne to indure those paines for them that they might neuer haue felt them and sent them his Word and willed them to follow that and that should teach them to follow Christ and Christ should bring them to heauen and if that the diuell the world and the flesh did lay blockes in their wayes more then they could remoue that then they should call vpon him he should helpe them ouer and make the way in time more plaine and easie for them and yet they would not take a little paines heere to keepe them from endlesse paines of hel-fire Oh how will they bee tormented whē they know that there neuer will bee an end of their perpetuall misery What would they not giue nay they haue nothing to giue for the world hath deceiued them and hath taken all things from them but what paines would they not take to follow our Sauior now if they might paines nay they would thinke it a great pleasure and wonder greatly at themselues that they euer could thinke it paines when indeede it is the most pleasant and most comfortable the most profitable and most delightfull yea and the most contenting thing in the world CHAP. 22. To lay holde on Christ is the best thing in the world IT is the most pleasing thing because it brings so sweete contentment to the soule minde and conscience of man that nothing can offend it It is the most comfortable thing in regard it so comforteth and strengtheneth the hart that nothing can grieue it It is most profitable for it getteth an euerlasting kingdome to those that vse it It is most delightfull for it bringeth ioy to the whole man It is most contenting for no crosse in the world can discontent it when as the world on the contrary side are neuer content neuer quiet neuer feele ioy in their hearts Though they laugh their hearts are not quiet for there is no peace to the vngodly And this is the cause that they seek so much for pastime and sit vp in the night swilling and drinking vntill they feele sleepe call them to bed and then they lie downe like bruite beasts neuer regarding the mispending of their time nor calling for grace to spend the rest of their daies better And yet for all this in the darke they often feele discontent in their mindes because they doe follow the diuell that wicked serpent which will torment them and hee begins to torment here and yet they will serue him On the contrary those that serue God and follow Christ and euery night reconcile themselues vnto him and confesse their own weaknesse and pray Christ their Sauior to defend them that night and euermore they feele much comfort in their hearts for Christ begins the comfort heere I laid mee downe in peace and rose againe saith Dauid and the Lord sustained mee So they which serue God and follow Christ are in peace for the Lord sustaineth them CHAP. 23. What need there is to speake much of Christ. IT may bee you maruell my Sonnes why I write so much of Christ. Maruell not why I write for I wonder that euery one which hath heard of him doeth not write what Christ hath done for vs. For was it not a great wonder that the onely begotten Sonne of God should come downe from heauen and take our flesh vpon him and keepe it without sin and suffer himselfe to be buffetted and also to haue his face spit in and to bee most spitefully crowned with a crowne of thornes And being with out sinne hee bare all our sins vpon him and hauing neuer offended God hee bare all the wrath of God and indured the paines of hell for vs which was due vnto vs for our sinnes and hee hath ouercome sinne death and hell for vs and ascended into heauen to prepare vs a place there yet hee left vs not thus but hee left his Wil and Testament to direct vs the right way how to come vnto him and yet hee did more for vs then this for he taught vs in his Word how wee should know when we were out of the way and how we should returne into the right way againe And yet he did more for vs then this hee promised that hee would bee with vs vnto the worlds end and whensoeuer wee wanted his helpe do but call vpon him and he would helpe vs. And yet hee did more for vs hee sent preachers to call vpon vs and put vs in remembrance of these benefits and to direct vs the right
him till they feele the spirit of God working in their hearts and that will stirre them to continuall praier But the wicked want faith to goe in the name of Christ and this is the cause there are so many wicked praiers in the world for they that make them haue no faith in Christ and without him they haue no promise to be heard and therefore wanting faith to come to Christ they goe to the Saints to pray for them and yet the Saints did neuer promise them so to doe neither doe they know whether the Saints heare them or no. Againe some pray in latine when they doe not vnderderstand what they say nor what they pray for but the holy Ghost saith Pray with the spirit and pray with the vnderstanding also Why say they God knowes our harts we pray with the heart God knowes indeede that their hearts are vaine and foolish because they doe not pray with vnderstanding and therefore they haue no promise to be heard yet they will haue a paire of beades and tell how many prayers they say though they cannot tell what they say I dare vndertake a parret might pray as well they doe if it could speake all the words They pray while they liue that they may goe to purgatory and when they die they giue much goods to others to pray that they may come out of purgatorie againe these are most vaine praiers neuer warranted by the word of God They pray also to our Ladie to helpe them much as the Israelites praied to the Queene of heauen and as the Israelites praiers were accepted so are theirs But I pray God for Christs sake that you nor none of yours may make such praiers And I pray God to blesse his whole Church that their praiers may bee right and faithfull for prayer is the key which openeth vnto vertue Oh Lord let not our praiers be turned into sinne for then the gates of thy mercy shall bee shut against vs. Wherefore wee humbly beseech thee giue vs the spirit of truth that we may pray rightly which if we doe wee must needs search the scriptures see there how Christ teacheth his Disciples to pray When ye pray pray on this manner Our Father which art in heauen c. And whatsoeuer praier is not on this manner is wicked and vngodly And yet here you see there is neither praying to Saints nor Angels neither praying for the dead nor to the dead and therefore all such praiers are wicked and are the ouerthrow of those that vse them But Christ saith When thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore pray vnto thy father in secret and thy father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly vse no vaine repetitions as the heathen doe for they thinke to bee heard for their much babling but whatsoeuer yee aske the father in my name that will hee giue you Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you If your children aske you bread will ye giue them a stone or if they aske you fish will you giue them a serpent If ye which are euill can giue your children good gifts how much more shall your heauenly father giue the holy Ghost vnto them that aske it And this was a great mercy in Christ not onely to bid vs pray but also to promise that whatsoeuer we aske the Father in his name wee should haue it and hee appealeth to our consciences how wee would deale with our children if they aske vs any thing and giueth vs warning wee should vse no vaine babbling and telleth vs wee should aske in one word the holie Ghost without the which wee are miserable wretches which if we haue we inioy all happines and peace for hee must bee our Comforter and bring vs vnto Christ and hee will bring vs vnto his Father Christ also willeth vs to aske the Spirit of truth because hee will inlighten vs and shew vs the way of all happinesse and because our faith should be strengthened to aske the holy Ghost hee also promised vs to send him to teach vs all things and bring all things to our remēbrance without which we are like a house which is built faire on the outside but there are no windowes to shew any light at all into it and then the house is good for nothing because there remaines nothing but darknes in it euen so darke is to earth of Adam which we are made of that though wee seeme neuer so faire on the outside yet if wee haue not the holy Ghost within vs we can neuer see to finde the way to Christ and then it is vnpossible to come vnto the Father and so consequently wee must needs perish for Christ saith No man commeth to the Father but by mee And heere you see that those that put their trust in Saints to pray for them haue no promise to be heard and it shewes that they are not inlightned by the holie Ghost to see the way to Christ and they themselues will confesse thet they dare not goe to Christ which sheweth that they haue no faith to beleeue his promises nor will to obey his Word For Christ saith Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are ladē I wil ease you Here you see that he leaues out none but cal's all sinners vnto him and promiseth that he will ease them I humbly beseech God to giue you and euerie of you to the worlds end grace to pray to God for the holy Ghost And I pray you let me request you to pray to God continually to inlighten you with the holie Spirit that the holie Ghost may bring you to Christ so Christ to bring you to his Father and then shall you raigne with them for euer and euer world without end Which God grant for Christs sake our only Mediatour and aduocate CHAP. 31. The benefit of the holy Ghost SEeing some pray not at all and others pray falsely doe yee often and earnestlie pray for the holie Ghost for I will tell you what hee will doe hee will inlighten you and vnite you to Christ and giue you grace to rule ouer all your affections and make you able to bee masters of your selues where on the contrarie side they which haue not the holie Ghost written within them are mastered and ruled by their owne filthy affections and so become seruants to them but if yee haue the holie Spirit yee shall bee able to say to your selues as the master saith to his seruants Thou shalt doe this and Thou shalt doe that Thou shalt not sweare nor blaspheme thy God Thou shalt not drinke and swill like a beast neither shalt thou come in companie among such c. Reason thus I will ouercome thee by Gods grace thou earthen potsheard which broughtest mee nothing and wouldst thou now confound all these excellent graces which it hath pleased the