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A08770
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The compasse of a Christian directing them that be tossed in the vvaues of this vvorlde vnto Christ Iesus.
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A. P., fl. 1582.
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1582
(1582)
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STC 19054; ESTC S102898
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60,800
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156
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The compasse of a Christian directing them that be tossed in the vvaues of this vvorlde vnto Christ Iesus Matthew xj Chap. 28. v. Come vnto mee all yee that trauaile and are heauie laden and I well refresh you c. LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harison the yonger dwelling in Pater noster rowe at the signe of the golden Ancâ—râ— 1. CAP. A description of the naturall corruption wherewith mankinde is infected by the contagion of sinne 2. CAP. By what meanes maens corruptioÌ„ is made knowne vnto him and of the endes of the Lawe 3. CAP. Man knowinge his corruption by the Lawe is thereby humbled and drawne to repentance and prepared to receiâ—â— the promisses of the Gospell 4. CAP. Of faith and the nature and effectes t 〈…〉 of offred in the Gospell To the right worshipfull his singuler good benefactour M. William Webbe Alderman and Shriue of London A. P. wisheth al ioy peace both of body and soule with happines in the Lords euerlasting AFter I had called into my remeÌ„brance your worships great liberalitie and bountifulnes towards me at sondrie times and on thother side my own ingratitude vnthankfulnesse for the same I began to thinke with my selfe that there was some christian duetie neglected of me which ought of necessitie to haue beene performed The consideration whereof hath moued me to put my penne vnto paper and to write as foloweth hoping therby although not fullie to recompeÌ„ce your goodnesse towards me which I am neuer able yet to discharge some parte of christian duetie by shewing my selfe thankfull vnto you againe for the same Not by preseÌ„ting anie â—arthlie gift which I am not able neither sure I am do you looke for anie such thing at my hand but rather by bestowing vpoÌ„ your worship a litle handfull of spirituall and heauenlie crommes which I who am a poore wretch haue through earnest prayer found and gathered vp vnderneath the table of the Lord. And therefore although they be but fewe and verie smale yet be cause they are such as were onelie takeÌ„ from his Table I do not doubt but that you will accept of them Crommes also I call them because they are nourishing and such as do feede although not the bodie to a temporal life yet both soule bodie vnto a spirituall and heauenlie life which is not for a time but euerlasting if they be eaten with the teeth of a true faith which worketh by loue disgested in the stomake by the heate of perfect patience constant perseuerance therein vnto the end And thus being receiued it is no matter how small the quantitie bee which we receiue of it Knowe you not what is written a litle Leauen leaueneth the whole Math. â—â— lumpe of down What is smaler in the whole world theÌ„ a litle graine of mustard seede yet if the same be sowne in fruitfull grounde the increase is wonderfull for it groeth vp to a great tree that the fowlâ— of heauen maie make theire nestes in the branches thereof To these such like similitudes is the worde of God compared which sheweth vnto vs the efficacie streÌ„gth therof For the seede of the worde of god is so pretious of such power that if neuer so small a graine thereof do fall on the ground of an huÌ„ble heart it bringeth forth fruit verie plentifull 30. 40. 60. 100. fold c. according to the wisdome of the sower the goodnes of the grouÌ„d which it is sowed vpon For let vs hold this alwaies as a certaine rule that there is neuer anie fault to be found in the sower nor in the pretious seede of the worde which is sowne but the fault if there be anie must needes be founde out in the grounde which receiueth it which if there be path waies it lyeth Luke â— a loft and can not enter but the foules of heauen take it awaie or if it be stonie ground which receiueth the same it hath a litle eÌ„trance but lacketh roote therfore as soone as the sunne of persecution coÌ„meth vpon it the same withereth also can not prosper or els if the grouÌ„d be thornie the thornes growe vp with the seede choake the same so that it can not bring forth fruite accordinglie By the path waies is ment either those Papistes vvhose heartes are so hard troden with the feete of mens traditions and are so farre ouertaken with the credite of man his vaine imaginations that the worde can take no place in theÌ„ or els those Atheistes which are of no religion and therefore come to the seruice of God rather of custome then of conscience to profit thereby By the stonie grounde is ment those mouth gospellers which seeme in the time of peace to bee verie religiouse but when aniâ— trouble or daunger commeth then they fal awaie and do not continue because it was onelie in theire mouthes and not in theire heartes which is the rooting place where it ought chieflie to haue bene And by the thornie grounde we vnderstand those couetous men of the world which haue a greater care to become rich then righteous and therefore oftentimes preferre the Luke 5. veâ— trieing of theire Oxen before the Lordes table yea and they desire Christ to depart out of their coastes before they woulde beare the losse Mark 5. ver of theire swine Well then these things being well weighed and considered vpon maie bee a good meane to procure vs vvith more circumspection to looke into our selues and search out the ground of our owne heartes before we come to the reading and hearing of the vvord preached lest we beinge anie of these vnfruitfull groundes shoulde returne without profitte nay that which is more euen worse then when we came vnto it for it is vnpossible that the word light for vs to examine ouâ— affections by froÌ„ the which euerie worke doth proceed and so we findinge the Lord to be the heade Springe from whom floweth all the good vvhich vve doe may in euerie of our vvorkes confesse our ovvne vnprofitablenesse and so bring vnto him in all and euerie of our vvorks that acceptable Sacrifice of a contrite broken heart which he vvill neuer despise c. 〈◊〉 â—1 1â— The Lord vvho is rich in mercy greate in glorie heape vpon your worshippe the riches of his grace blesse and sanctifie you both in body and soule and happely finish that which he hath in you so gratiously begonne to the glory of his name and your owne comforte in Iesu Christ our Lord. Amen London 1582. May. 26. Your worshipes most humble 〈◊〉 commaundement A. P. A Description of the natural corruption wherewith mankind is infected by the contagion of sinne IT is a verie lamentable thing to beholdâ— that bottomles sinkâ— of corruption and sin which lyeth hâ—d in maÌ„â— nature and yet farre more lamentable to behold his grossâ— and monstrous blindnes which is so palpable yâ— although there be no sparkell of goodnes
and thankfulnes and not gâ—utâ—h or murmure for any thing whatsoeuer commeth vnto vs from them humbly acknowledginge our owne ignorance and blindnes in chosinge vnto our selues any way or meane that may profit vs vnto eternal life and thus hauing our heartes prepared we should becâ—â—e fitte ground to receiue the seede of Godâ— woâ—◠〈◊〉 to our endles comfort For sure it is that before the Lord can sow any 〈◊〉 seede in the furrowes of our hard heartes he must first of necessitie breake â—â— â— moâ—â—fy the same with the pl 〈…〉 â—â— his law teare in sâ—â—der the hard 〈◊〉 of vyces sins with the sharp harrow of his iudgments yâ— so the wéedes which our own flesh do naturally yéeld forth may be pluckt vp by yâ— rootes scatered vpon the vpper 〈◊〉 of the earth that is laide plaiâ—â—â— open before our eyes whereby our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee made manifest vnto vs and we by that meanes drâ—en forward more earnestly to séeke for our PhysitioÌ„ Christ Iesus and more willingly take the purgations which he by his seruaÌ„tes shal minister vnto vs how sharpe so euer it be for curing therof Dasigâ—rous diseases require sharpe bitter medicines to purge out the corruptioÌ„ which is the cause of the same yea the more dauÌ„gerous the dâ—sease is the more sharpe medicine it requyreth Wel theÌ„ if it be so as it is most true as by a 〈◊〉 example it may be made more plaine that french pockes is a fâ—r more daungerous disease then the messels and therfore requireth a more bitter purgation for yâ— curing therof then the other doth But our diseas which naturally we are infected 〈◊〉 is far more perâ—â—oâ—s theÌ„ eyther that messels or freâ—â—he pockes for it is no better then a most lothsome lepry which doth not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foote but the whole body 〈◊〉 eâ—ery member thereof within and without so that there is no place frâ—â— which disease although it bee not bodely 〈◊〉 kinge out into scurâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the open face of the world which may make vs lothsome vnto the â—yâ—â— oâ— men and hasten our naturall death yet it is spirituall and breaketh out into blasphemous swearinge lying deceauing cursed speaking flaunder murder drunckenesse and such like which maketh vs lothsome in the eyes of the eternal God and bringeth speedely vpon vs though not bodely death yet that spirituall and eternall death of both bodie and soule in hell fire which is endlesse endlesse and hopelesse from which yâ— Lord for his Christ his sake deliuer vs all Amen CAP. II. By what meanes mans corruption iâ— made knowen vnto him and of the endes of the Lawe MOst true it is that we are all by nature infected with this spirituall leprosie of sinne and corruption which maketh vs lothsome in the eyes of the almighty as it hath beene already some what touched and yet not so sufficiently as the necessitie of the matter requireth For although the Disease â—â— both grieuous and generall yet the knowledge feeling thereof is very sparing and although that all bee infected with the same yet not one amongest a thousand wil in trueth confesse him selfe so to be such is the blindnes of our stubborne and crooked nature as for example aske a naturall man which hath his life as voyd of thâ— feare of God as it may be whether he be proud couetous deceiptfull â— blasphemer of the name of God or how much his nature is enclyned therunto he will straight wayes answers with a shew of thankfulnes vnto God affirming that his nature both is and hath bene alwayes from his youth frée from any such things wondring euen with cursed speaches how why or for what cause any man should conceiuâ— so euil an opinion of him A maruâ—lous blindnes and yet commonly this will be theire answere although there appeare no better fruit in all the actions of their life and thus Satan pulleth vs forward from euill to worse in adding vnto our blindnes wilful stubbernes and therfore one degree farther off froÌ„ being cured for â— it were so that wee were simply blinde there were some hope that we would receiue light wheÌ„ occasioÌ„ is offred to discerne some part of our disease with desire to be cured because of the danger which otherwise through the longe continuance of it might ensue vpon vs. But seeing â—â—â—s far otherwise that wee are not 〈◊〉 blinde but also through the vaâ—â—e wisdome of our owne conceits câ—rryed away in a false perswasioÌ„ of our selues that we do both knowe and very well perceiue our owne estate to be good yea and so perfect that the same can by no meanes be bettered Seeing it is so I say how or which way is it possible for aâ—â—e man to worke for ouâ— health when we our selues be â—o 〈◊〉 off froÌ„ any dread 〈◊〉 of being sick What theâ— shal we leaue it thus ruinous as we finde it â— God forbid for yâ— which is vnpossible to men is possible to God And although the plater bâ— nothing Corin. 3. 6. and the vvatâ—rer as litle vvorth except the Lord giue increase yet â—â— is sinne in the planter not to plant and no better in the waterer not to water how â—â—de vnfruitful soeuer yâ— barreâ— grouÌ„d of mens heart seeme to be vnto them and why because we know not what the Lord will bring to passe by their labours who by the ministery of his word doth not only cleanse the lepers and gaue sight vnto the blind but also bringeth far more mightie things to passe as in turninge raueninge wolfes into meeke lambes and cruel Leopards into gentle Kids and deuouring Lyons into tâ—me Calues yea and the venemous Aspes or Cockatrices into the nature of innocent delightfull children not that beastes are thus changed but the holy Ghost meaneth the wilde and sauage affections of men who although they bee as rauening deuouring cruell and venemous as any of these wilde beastes yet the power and force of the worde gospel of Iesus Christ is such yâ— it will make theÌ„ as tame meeke gentle and delightfull as Lambes Kids Calues or little childreÌ„ not so only but much more for yâ— excellencie of it is such that it will rayse by those yâ— be dead eueÌ„ to life againe therfore great cause haue yâ— ministers saints of God eueÌ„ with bouldnes and exceeding hope to take this spirituall weapon both in hearte and hand 〈◊〉 a sufficient armoure to stand and preuaile against all the engins and fâ—ery darres of yâ— wicked how 1. Cor. 10. 5. luk 10. 17. 18. great and cruell soeuer they seeme to be For it is the word of God onelye which casteth down strong holds and euery thing which exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God yea and bringeth into captiuitie euery affection vnto the obedience of Christ which worde as it is a sufficient defence against all dangers a perfect purgation to cleanse vs from all ill humors yea a most preâ—â—ous salue