presently without deferring till the next day 9 That he hath not loued the truth in his wordes and deedes saying and speaking nothing foolishly and slightly nor shewing a grauity and sincerity in all his speeches workes fashions and countenances that might be worthy of a true man in deede That in him there hath beene much hypocrisie colouring and disguising whether it were to exalt and magnifie his vertues or to palliate and excuse his vices with some false pretence That hee hath not beene so couragious nor so constant to confesse and defend the truth against the blasphemers and enimies thereof and to the contrary to combate against errours and lyes as he ought That through enuie and malice hee hath detracted and spoken euill of his neighbours and falsly to accuse their actions which might haue beene excused and by his exceptions vsed meanes to obscure the brightnesse and the glory of their vertues That hee hath taken pleasure to heare flatterers and these that indeauoured to make him beleeue that hee was more vertuous and lesse vicious then his conscience it selfe in secret did witnesse vnto him 10 That in fine to close vp his confession you must shew vnto him that all his nature as also the nature of all men vpon the earth is vicious and that of it selfe it cannot bring forth nothing but bad fruits no more then a bad tree to wit all euill thoughts all disordinate affections all noysome and dishonest speeches and all workes contrary to the will of God leauing and omitting on the other side all that which is conformable and commanded by him Now after hauing shewed him his faults to make him the better to feele them and thereby to conceiue the more displeasure for them they must bee exaggerated vnto him by the circumstances of the person of the place and of the time that hee did them And when you see him humbled and beaten downe with the feeling of them you must raise him againe and comfort him in shewing him the remission of his sinnes and for to assure him thereof intirely You must deduce and discourse particularly the reasons contayned in the Treatise and going on take away the feare that hee may haue of Death of the Diuell and of the Iudgement of God and finally the griefe for the world and those thinges which hee leaueth therein by the hope and desire which ought to bee laid before him of the neare enioying of heauenly and incorruptible goods and that done to kneele downe and pray to GOD for him and all that are in the company in this manner Prayer O GOD and Father of all consolation who hast promised to heare the prayers and graunt the requests of all those that call vpon thee in verity and not to reiect any one that presents and prostrates themselues before thee with a sorrowfull soule and a contrite heart subdued and deiected with the remembrance and feeling of his sinnes wee beseech thee altogither that in the name and for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christ our only Sauiour and Mediatour thou wouldest please to stretch forth thy mercy ouer all vs that are here assembled in thy name and singularly vpon our brother whom thou hast pleased to visit and afflict with sicknesse and by it to couer forget remit and quite blot out all his faults whereby hee may haue offended thee in all his life And we pray thee to doe him yet this fauour to seale in his heart by thy holy Spirit the remission which thou giuest him of all his sinnes to the end he may feele peace in his conscience and that with ioy and full assurance he may prepare himselfe to appeare before thee when it shall please thee to call him out of this world Assuring himselfe that there is no condemnation neither for him nor for all those that by a true faith are ancred vnited and incorporated into thy sonne IESVS CHRIST That his Sinnes Death the Diuell nor any creature can separate him from thy loue nor cast him out of thy fauor and that thy throne is not a throne of rigour and iustice but a hauen of health a shelter and saueguard for all the faithfull Doe him this good good God to fortifie and strengthen him in the faith of all these things in such sort that hee may couer himselfe with them as with a Target and may by that meanes bee strengthened and made inuincible against all the temptations wherewith hee may bee assailed and that leauing and casting behinde him all other trust he may make no reckoning nor relie vpon any thing else but vpon the onely iustice obedience and sacrifice of thy sonne to assure himselfe against thy iudgement Wee beseech thee moreouer to giue him the grace with all his heart to pardon his neighbours all the faults by the which they may haue offended him To the end that being conioyned and vnited in true charity to all the members of the body of thy Church hee may bee so likewise with the head and with thee Lord. Finally wee beseech thee that it would please thee to giue vs the grace so well to behold in the person and sicknesse of our brother how vncertaine and short the course of our life is that wee may looke about vs betimes and that withdrawing our hearts from the vanities of this world wee may employ that little time that wee haue here to liue to learne thy wisedome that is to say firmely to beleeue and to trust to thy promises quickly to obey to that which thou commandest and carefully to shunne and auoid that which thou forbiddest FINIS COMFORT FOR THOSE THAT ARE SICKE DRAWEN OVT OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES TO PREPARE them to die MORE A short Catechisme which is not only to instruct the Sicke but also to refresh his memory with the great mysterie of our Redemption MATTHEW 24. The negligent seruant that makes not himselfe ready shall bee surprised and hewen in peeces and haue his portion with the Hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Death is the end and beginning of life PRINTED 1611. Ecclesiasticus 18. Take physicke before sicknesse and examine thy selfe before iudgment and thou shalt finde pardon in the presence of God Reuelation 3. If thou doest not watch I will come vnto thee as a theefe and thou shalt not know at what houre I will come vnto thee Reuelation 16. Happy is hee that watcheth and keepeth his garments to the end that hee walke not naked and that his shame bee not seene Matthew 24. Luke 12. Bee ready for the sonne of man will come in an houre that you thinke not To the faithfull Reader Health FRiendly Reader take in good part this present comfort the which I haue here written for the good and profit of euery one that hath the feare of God to make vse of it at his neede when it shall please the Lord to call him But be aduertised that thou maist vse it well that these three letters B.S.N. the first signifieth
ready to excuse and couer all his faults doth not he deceiue himselfe to thinke that he is faithfull hauing no better faith then that of Diuels nor that can any more assure them at the day of iudgement then doth theirs Item doth not faith take away from vs the iudgement and condemnation of God Iohn 3 â— 5. Rom. 8. as saith Iesus Christ that he that beleeueth commeth not to iudgment and S. Paul that there is no condemnation for those that are ingrafted by faith into the body of Iesus Christ Now those which liue according to the flesh and that haue no feare to doe that which God forbiddeth and to the contrary to omit that which he hath commanded how can they auoide the sentence of death and malediction giuen and pronounced in the law against all those that transgresse it seeing withal that they doe it wittingly and willingly of set purpose Iohn 3. Psal 44. Rom. 3. If their consciences condemne them God who is more then their consciences and who knowes and sownds their hearts to the depth how can he be able to absolue them Item faith when it is true doth clothe vs with the iustice and spirit of Iesus Christ which doe hold together and follow each other in such sort that the one is neuer found without the other As then albeit that the spirit of God cannot reside in vs but it must doe his worke that is to say but it must illuminate sanctifie quicken guide and gouerne in our counsailes thoughts affections wordes and actions what faith doe wee thinke wee haue if wee doe not shew it by a holy and laudable conuersation Gal. 5. Ephes 4. mortifying and crucifying our flesh with all the hists thereof putting off the old man with all his affections shunning and detesting all sorts of vices and applying our selues on the other side to all sorts of vertue 1. Thess 5. abstaining not only from euill but also from all things that may haue any shew of it And for conclusion continuing this exercise without any interruption vntill he end of our life Mat. 10. For if any one as saith the Prophet hauing done his duety by liuing well for a while Eze. 33. comes to stray and to decline from the strayte way before they bee gotten to the end God will haue no remembrance of all his precedent iustices and will not approue one of them when he shall come to heare his accompt for he doth not promise saluation and life to those that haue begunne well but to those only that with all alacritie and a heart inuincible haue continued vntill the end And giueth not the crowne of prise and immortality but vnto them that shal runne to the end of the race 1. Cor. 9. and haue duely fought all the dayes of their life Simil. For what good doth it to a Merchant that goeth to Sea towards the Indies to lade his shippe with some precious commodities if after he hath escaped many perils and sayled happily some fourteene or fifteen Moneths hee comes to split his shippe and to suffer ship-wracke before hee arriues at his port All those that went out of Egypt vnder the conduct of Moyses did not enter into the land of Canaan for the most part stayed by the way and were excluded from the rest which God had promised to their fathers by reason of their incredulity and other vices which the Apostle repeates in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. Also wee must not hope once to enioy the happy euerlasting life which God hath promised and kept for his elect if we doe not perseuere vntill the end in the faith of his word and the obedience of his holy will the which is giuen to very few Moreouer faith when it is true is it not alwaies accompanied with a heate and vehemencie of Spirit which brings it forth for to confesse the name of God to sing his praise publikely Rom. 10. to preach and announce his Miracles euery where also for to make a publike confession and profession of Iesus Christ and his Gospell and without any feare shame or dissimulation to maintaine and defend the truth constantly against all those that resist and will contrary it But if wee will well examine our selues and iudge truely and without any flattery of all our actions wee must acknowledge and confesse that amongst the most of vs there is a maruellous slacknesse to doe our dutie in this behalfe and that we haue bene very cold and timorous when it hath bene question to oppose our selues against the wicked whom we haue heard and seene to blaspheme the name of God Iesus Christ religion and the truth holding our peace and suffering that in our presence the honour of God was not onely stained and offended but troden vnder foot without opening our mouthes to speake one word in the defence thereof Ah what zeale haue we also shewed to redresse the Tabernacle of Iacob which was quite throwne downe What pitie and compassion haue we had seeing the ruines and horrible desolations happened so long since to the poore Citie of Sion Is there any man that can say that he hath employed himselfe and meanes as he ought to reedifie the Temple of God and close againe the breaches which the enemie had made on euerie side of his Church How many is there of vs to whom it cannot be iustly reproached that hee hath bene too much more curious in building againe and repayring his owne house then Gods Aggee 1. For indeede there are very fewe that haue in such recommendation as they ought the pure and legitimate seruice of God for to reestablish it when it is broken and prophaned and to preserue it when it is whole And neuerthelesse although that wee are so cold and negligent to procure that the Order and Estate of the Church should be put into her first dignitie and splendour and that God may be there preached knowne and worshipped in spirite and truth as is required in his word there is none but thinke themselues faithfull and Christians yea of the most perfect although that they seeke not the kingdome of God and his iustice Mat. 6. but after other things and then onely when there remaines nothing of his smallest businesses to be done If to be short the most certaine iudgement that can be giuen of a good tree is the goodnesse of the fruite which it bringeth forth we may also iudge of faith that it is good when it sets our conscience at rest Rom. 5. and that in it we feele neither feare nor inistrust nor scruple nor doubt nor sorrow nor torment that can trouble or call it in question before God but are altogether resolued and assured to be absolued in his iudgement and iustified of all the faults and accusations which the diuell may there propose against vs by the meanes of the ransom which Iesus Christ hath these paied by his death and his bloud for
weapons wherein he trusted that is to say sinne death and the law leading euen with him captiuitie captiue Eph. 4. when he ascended into heauen so that the diuell being so disarmed hath no more meanes to hurt vs neither by our sins which Iesus Christ hath washed away in his bloud neither by death which he hath swallowed vp dying neither by the law vnto the which he hath fully satisfied accomplishing at and submitting himselfe for vs to the curse which in it was ordained for vs. And albeit that he be alwaies our aduersarie and that for the hatred that he beares vs and the desire which he hath to hinder vs and let vs from attaining to the felicitie from whence he was put away by his pride he walks like a roaring Lyon round about vs seeking whom he may deuoure neuerthelesse we may resist him being strong in the faith 1. Pet. 5. and abiding ancred in the perswasion which wee haue of the remission of sinnes which is euerlasting as is the vertue and efficacie of the death of IESVS CHRIST by the which it was obtained for vs it is the freedome of the Church in the which all that are faithfull ought to retyre themselues to bee in safetie when they are pursued by their owne consciences and the other Sergeants of the iustice of God VVhereunto Dauid also exhorteth vs. Let Israel then boldly In the Lord put his trust Psal 30. Hee is the God of mercy That his deliuer must For hee it is that must saue Israel from his sinne And to all such as surely haue Their confidence in him And else where Psal 51. The heauie heart the minde opprest O Lord thou neuer doest reiect And to say truth it is the best And of all sacrifice the effect And Iesus Christ who is the soueraigne medicine of our soules and who came into the world but to seeke those that were lost and to heale that which was sicke and as saith the Prophet to beare our infirmities Isa 53. can he take more pleasure then to see vs comming towards him to be discharged for our sinnes did he euer reiect a Publicane or sinner that came to present himselfe before him as saith the Prophet Psal 103. The Lord is kind and mercifull When sinners doe him grieue The slowest to conceiue a wrath And readiest to forgiue We may plainly see it in the examples of the Publicane of the woman sinner of the prodigall of the good theefe of Dauid of St. Peter Mat. 16. of St. Paul and of the seruant that was indebted tenne thousand Talents to his master which were acquitted him as soone as hee had confessed the debt and had requested and prayed his master to haue pitie on him Ha to what end hath the father sent hither his sonne why was he annointed by the holy Ghost Is it not to declare vnto the captiues that hee came from heauen to pay their ransom and to draw them out of captivity Isa 61. and to the prisoners that he is come to open the prison for them and to the indebted that he is come to acquit them and to the sicke for to heale them And the Apostles which he hath sent throughout the world as he was sent of his Father what charge had they was it not to publish the Gospell that is to say the remission of sinnes to all creatures in the name of Iesus Christ If then that their labour be not in vaine and that likewise of the faithfull Ministers which came after them we must assure our selues of the remission of our sinnes There is yet more that if they were not pardoned vs in beleeuing him the Birth the Death the Resurrection the Ascension the Intercession Briefe all the mysterie of Iesus Christ should be as nothing barren and fruitlesse 1. Cor. 15. and our faith altogither vaine Item how could we beleeue him to bee our Iesus and our Emanuel Mat. 1. if he did not saue vs from our sinnes Isa 59. Heb. 8. Iere. 3. and carry away by that meanes the enmities that are betweene him and vs which turne away and hinder him that hee cannot associate with vs What assurance would wee haue more then that the new alliance which hee hath contracted with vs was confirmed and ratified by his death and the blood which he hath shedde if hee had not forgotten all our iniquities and did not write his lawes in our hearts by his holy Spirit seeing that they are the promises and conditions vnder the which it hath beene conceiued and yeelded What fruit would come vnto vs of his Priest-hood and of the Sacrifice which he hath offered to his Father for our redemption if we remaine in our sinnes 1. Iohn 2. If also it were not purposely for our sinnes and not only for ours but also for those of the whole world How could we assure our selues that he is our Mediator and Aduocat and vnder that assurance goe to the throne of grace to obtaine mercy to finde grace to be aided in time of neede Wee must not then doubt the remission of sinnes And as saith Dauid Psal 103. God doth remoue our sinnes from vs And our offences all As farre as is the Sunne rising Full distant from his fall And how can we doubt of it seeing wee carry it printed and sealed not only in our hearts and consciences but also in our bodies with the two great seales of the Chancellor of the Kingdome of heauen to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper Let then the sicke assure themselues that beleeuing the remission of his sinnes hee obtaine It presently For hee dealeth with vs according to our faith And S. Ambrose writes that all that we beleeue we obtaine for we cannot beleeue but what God hath told and promised vs who is so faithfull and true in his promises Rom. 3. that euen the vnbeleefe and infidelity of men cannot abolish his truth And although that the wicked reiecting and contemning the word and promise of God hinder that by their contempt and obstinacy it doth not bring forth his effect in not shewing the vertue which it should haue to saue them if they did beleeue it neuerthelesse that cannot preiudice others that receiue and obey it nor hinder that beleeuing in it and by faith receiuing it into their hearts but they shall be quickened Simil. euen as a man that should close his eyes against the light and flie from it cannot hinder but he that openeth his eyes shall enioy and bee enlightened with it For the light and colour are the obiects of the eye which being opened whole and well disposed apprehends them presently Also is the promise of God the obiect of the faithfull which causeth that man receiueth it so soone as it is denounced vnto him and that he hath heard it published prouided that by the spirit of God his heart be before hand prepared For otherwise if it should continue in its
stony nature the spirituall seede were not able to take roote therein nor to fructifie no more then the bodily seede cast vpon a stone for a land vntilled The sicke being then thus resolued of the remission of all their sinnes neede not in any sort to doubt but that they are in the grace and fauour of God and that from thence they may infallibly hope for eternall life For there is nothing that can exclude vs from it but sinne only the which being not imputed vnto vs but being couered and quite blotted out what is it that can hinder or keepe backe God from vs And if by faith as hath been said we remaine conioyned and vnited inseparably with him who is a fountaine of life Ephes 3. and the scope of all good things what can we desire but we shall presently finde it in him Psal 56. What mishap or misery can wee feare being in his fauour If he be with vs who shall be against vs Then are we assured that the good will that hee beares vs shall be continued for euer and that there is no creature in the world that shall be able to turne it from vs as writeth S. Paul to the Romans I am assured that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principallities nor Power nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which he beareth vs in Christ Iesus our Lord. And a little before this passage What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall it be tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword All men then that haue beene ingrafted once by faith into the body of Iesus Christ and by consequent adopted of God and receiued into his fauour and into his house as his child neuer departs from thence afterwards But as he is assured of his election by his vocation and iustification which haue followed Rom. 5. also is he of his glorification which is the conclusion and as it were the crowne of his saluation For the gifts and the vocation of God are without repentance which the Apostle writes very plainly to the Romans Rom. 8. Those that he hath predestinate he hath also called and those that he hath called he hath also iustified and those that he hath iustified he hath also glorified And although that there are alwaies many vices and infirmities in vs and that it euen happens sometimes vnto vs to fall very heauily as it happened to Dauid S. Peter S. Paul and almost to all the Saints yea the perfectest that euer were neuer he lesse there is a point vpon the which we should be alwaies grounded and which ought greatly to comfort vs and vphold vs against all the assaults and temptations of Sathan which is that which Saint Iohn saith 1. Iohn 3. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne meaning to death for the seede of him remaines in him and hee cannot sinne because he is of God which he declares yet better else where 1. Iohn 5. All iniquity faith he is sinne but there is some sinne which is not to death we know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not For by that hee giueth sufficiently to vnderstand that faith and the word of God which is in the soule and in the foundation are neuer altogither drawne away and exterminate out of the hearts of the elect and that by that reason they cannot commit that sinne which S. Iohn cals to death For although that faith bee sometimes as it were buried in them hauing not any mouing nor feeling no more then a dead thing neuerthelesse it is not altogither quenched no more then a fire couered in the ashes Simil. although it neither shew his light nor heate nor likewise dead no more then a tree in winter when the sappe being drawne to the roote bringeth forth neither flowers nor leaues nor fruit that shew any life which neuerthelesse is clasped vp within and hidden in the roote There is the reason for the which Dauid speaking of the faithfull man in the 27. Psalme saith Though that he fall Psal 37. yet is he sure Not vtterly to quaile Because the Lord stretcheth out his hand At neede and doth not faile And eeke his seede I will sustaine Psal 89. For euer strong and sure So that his seate shall still remaine While heauen and earth endure If that his sonnes forsake my law And so beginne to swerue And of my iudgments haue none awe Nor will not them obserue Or if they doe not vse aright My statutes to them made And set all my commandements light And will not keepe my trade Then with my rodde will I beginne Their doings to amend And with scourging for their sinne When that they doe offend My mercy yet and my goodnesse I will not take him fro Nor handle him with craftinesse And so my truth forgoe But sure my couenant I will hold With all that I haue spoke No word the which my lips haue told Shall alter or be broke Psal 23. And finally while breath doth last Thy grace shall me defend And in the house of God will I My life for euer spend Psal 30. For why his anger but a space Doth last and slacke againe But in his fauour and his grace Alwaies doth life remaine Though gripes of griefe and pangs full sore Shall lodge with vs all night The Lord to ioy will vs restore Before the day be light Psal 65. The man is blest whom thou doest chuse Within thy courts to dwell Thy house and temple he shall vse With pleasures that excell Psal 119. Of thy goodnesse still shewd to me Thou wilt not Lord I frustrate be All these passages and others like out of the Scripture must be alleaged to the sicke to strengthen their faith on euery side and to furnish and arme it strongly against the inflamed darts and arrowes of the Diuell to the end that on which side soeuer hee may shoote them hee may not finde any place bare where hee may reach or wound him For wee must not doubt but then hee will vse all his forces and all his sleights for to shake our faith and to ouercome vs. But the meanes to defend our selues is to keepe our selues alwaies in our fortresse and neuer to depart from the promises of God whatsoeuer hee can alleadge to the contrary Let vs propound vnto him that which I say saith that Israel is saued by the Lord with an eternall saluation Isay 45. and that we shall not be confounded nor ashamed from this time forth for euermore And elsewhere Isay 51. The heauens shall vanish away like smoake and the earth shall bee worne out like a garment and the inhabitants thereof shall likewise bee abolished But my saluation shall be for euer and my iustice shall neuer faile And to the end that the demonstrations which