of thy Sonne in whom say vnto my Soule and seale it vnto mee by thy holy Spirit that thou art my Saluation Lord increase my faith and accept my Repentance MEDIT. IX Of Faith and Hope and the effects of them both and of the glorie to come FAITH HOPE the maine Pillars whervpō are builded all other Diuine Vertues are the meere gift of God without which I doe acknowledge I cannot be saued Saint Paul writing vnto the Hebrewes describes the faith whereby I beleeue in Christ not to be a dead but a working faith knowne by the effects whereof are many Examples Rom. 11. And whereby many most worthy men approued themselues to bee of God and to bee beloued of God who by their faith apprehended things absent and vnseene to their vnspeakable comfort as really and truly a◠if they had beene present and visible confirming thereby that faith is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene By this our faithfull Fore-fathers saw Christ long before he came in the flesh and beleeued him to come to bee the Messiah Moses saith Christ saw my dayes So did the Prophets Dauid and many other who hoped for that which they saw not yet at length obtained the visible glorie of the same Sonne of God by whom and in whose bloud to bee shed they were saued Without faith howsoeuer a man may liue in a seeming sincere course of life before men though he bee obserued to doe no man wrong yet if hee take not hold of Christ by this liuely faith if hee imbrace not his Word lay it vp in his heart if he bring not forth fruits worthy amendment of life he pleaseth not God for in nothing is GOD pleased but in and by his Sonne and is delighted is none but in such as seeke him and serue him in and by his Sonne I cannot come vnto God without Christ nay I cannot beleeue that God is but by Christ. I cannot hope to receiue the good things of Heauen not with patience abide for them but that Christ hath purchased the same for me and promised the same vnto me And therefore I beleeue them to bee certaine and sure though yet but in expectation therefore I wait with patience The Husbandman wayteth for the Haruest many dayes after his chargeable and laborious committing the Seed vnto the earth if the Haruest were instant vpon the casting away of the Seed there were neither Patience nor Hope in the Seedes-man And if by experience hee found not that the Seed cast into the Earth would render recompence hee would either forbeare to cast it away or being sowne neuer hope for fruit So I wretched man though I deserue no other fruit to reape then I haue sowne namely of the flesh corruption yet I hope to reape what I haue not sowne namely of the Spirit euerlasting life and that through Iesus Christ who and not I hath cast the Seed of the Spirit into my Soule the fruit whereof I shall reape at the generall Haruest to mine owne euerlasting vse as if the Seed had beene mine owne for which I hope with patience in Faith As the Light followeth the Sunne so Hope followes Faith But if I beleeued not God in Christ and in him had assurance through Faith of the performance of his promise of future glorie I might well say with Saint Paul I were of all men most miserable for to endure here miseries crosses enemies labours anguishes and perplexities of bodie and minde and to bee also frustrate of future comfort my case were worse then the Bird in the Ayre the Fish in the Sea or the brute Beast of the Field But glorie bee to God in Christ who hath assured mee of a Kingdome to come an inheritance immortall Edifie your selues saith Saint Iude in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost and keep your selues in the loue of God looking for the Mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Eternall life then being the end of my Hope I will with patience abide it for comming I know it will come And the delay of mine enioying it is but the try all of my faith which yeeldeth me that assurance that to mee is much more precious then Gold that perisheth and shall bee found to my glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ whom though I haue not seene yet I loue him beleeue and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious and shall receiue the end of my Faith euen the saluation of my soule after this death It may bee demanded Is it so easie a matter to obtaine eternall life To beleeue onely no I beleeue not that simply to beleeue can obtaine saluation But if I confesse with my mouth the Lord Iesus and doe beleeue in my heart that God raysed him vp from the dead I shall bee saued It may bee againe obiected Here is yet but faith of the heart and confession of the mouth If this bee all that is required to saluation it is not so hard a thing as it is conceiued to obtaine it I hold in deed that the bare confession of Christ and to beleeue that Christ is though I beleeue him to bee the Sauiour of the World and yet doe not apply his merits and death vnto my selfe my Faith profits mee little and my Confession nothing at all Thou beleeuest saith Saint Iames that there is one God thou doest well the Deuils also beleeue and tremble and therefore barely to beleeue that there is a God and a Christ to confesse as much is no more then the Deuils doe Therefore this Faith and this Confession is not sufficient to my saluation for then should the Deuils that beleeue bee also saued but they beleeue and tremble I beleeue and hope desiring to shew my Faith by my workes Abraham indeed was iustified by his faith that before the attempting of the offering of his son But by the offering of his sonne hee shewed that his faith was not a naked and bare faith but a faith accompanied with obedience good Workes for his workes preceded not his iustification but beeing first iustified he beleeued and obeyed Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Faith being the gift of God brings forth good Works which in Abraham grew not by nature but by the free mercie of God wrought and working by the Holy Ghost whose fruits they were yet in Gods mercie imputed as the fruits of Abraham so what-soeuer good thing proceedeth of my faith in Christ I assume it not as mine though through Christ so imputed I beleeue that true and sauing Faith cannot bee without good Works for without good Works faith is dead And I also beleeue that there may bee works of themselues good and yet without true faith not onely not acceptable to God but rather condemned of him for
meanes as by the ayre wherein I breathe and moue and by foode which nourisheth bloud the vitall spirits and outward members visible to men yet in the same house of clay there is a spirituall and an inuisible life which is nourished in a more diuine manner not by bread that perisheth but by the word of God which worketh faith the life of the soule which feedeth on things that are aboue and not on things of the earth And therefore doth the Spirit of God for instruction lay downe before the sonnes of men the fruits both of the one and of the other of the flesh and of the spirit which are contrary one to the other to shewe what bitter fiuits proceede of the flesh to moue man to flie them and the sweet fruits of the Spirit to allure vs to follow them The fruits of the flesh saith Saint PAVL are manifest meaning indeed too common which are Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Wantonnesse Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresies Enuie Murder Drunkennesse Gluttony and such like affirming also that they that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of heauen A fearefull conclusion against those onely that with delight cōmit them for that they are so contrarie to the Law of the Spirit which produceth Loue Ioy Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance against such there is no Law But here ariseth and I doe apprehend a fearefull fallacie to lye hidden in the performance of these spirituall workes for as I may flatter my selfe to bee spirituall and yet be more carnall so may I censure a man carnall that is more spirituall for the performance of these spirituall works as it were literally and in outward shew is meere carnalitie ostentation tending to Pharisaicall glorie better fruits proceede not from mee by nature then to seem what indeed I am not sincere and pure religious holy counterfaiting the workes of the Spirit by a kinde of outward imitation of men indeede truely sanctified And aboue all other sins this which is hypocrisie is most to be condemned for that it deceiues not onely other men but the counterfeit himselfe But being indeede endued with the quickning Spirit which causeth me to die vnto the world and the vaine-glorie thereof then shall I inwardly and spiritually liue vnto God and the works that I shall doe shall witnesse vnto men that I dissemble not with God yet when I finde my selfe most and best inclined to spirituall actions I finde and feele againe and againe the buffets of my corrupt nature wresting mee to the contrarie what shall I then say doe I good because I will doe good and doe I not euill because I will not do euill nothing lesse for my will is no further free to do that which is good then it is made free by the grace of God And againe my will is so farre prone to euil by how much I am not preuented by grace To euery good worke God giues the will and the deed and euill is alwaies present with mee Therefore I in part desire and in part feare to die yet I must die Forasmuch therefore as I know I shal die and that the way to die well is first to liue well which is not in my owne power I must seeke the meanes of God and therefore it behoueth me to be much conuersant in his Word wherein the way is described and the meanes prescribed and yet not vnderstood by naturall wisedome but by the Spirit of God which reueileth the same therefore ought I to aske wisedome of him that is wisedome it selfe who willeth me to aske and I shall receiue wisedome to seeke and I shall find grace to knocke and hee will open the dore of diuine knowledge how to walke in the way of a godly life the true and perfect preparation to a happy death and this death is the gate of eternall life To aske seeke knock importeth prayer and prayer an inward heartie desire to obtayne that at the hands of God which I by no other means can obtayne and this by a feruent firme and constant assurance that GOD to whom I pray will grant my request in the merits mediation of his Sonne so that I neede not doubt but that if I aske spirituall things spiritually and wauer not in my Faith I shall obtayne grace so to walke in this life as I shall not fear to die but with cheerfull alacritie imbrace it when it offers it selfe vnto me therefore will I open my mouth vnto him that hath promised to fill it I will addresse my heart to him that can and will direct it and so present my prayers before his mercies Seate prostrate vpon the knees of mine vnfayned heart and he will heare me and saue me A Prayer for a godly life and a happy death The Prayer O Gracions and most louing Lord God in Jesus Christ the fountaine of Life and the Disposer of the same by death how where or when it shall best please thee euer for the best to them that loue thy name I cannot but confesse and acknowledge that death cannot but be fearefull if a godly life go not before O what a terrour therefore befals me O Lord through the consideration and calling to mind the former course of my most corrupt and sinfull life How can I but feare to be dissolued when I thinke of and call thy iudgements into my minde and that hell and destruction attends the death of the wicked but the righteous shall be glad in thee and trust in thee and all the vpright in heart shall reioyce to whome death shall bée great aduantage Let it therefore please thée O my most gracious God and louing Father to remember thy mercies and in the multitude of them put away cleanse me of all my sinnes and so reforme me that hence-forth I may walke before thee and be vpright I am a man void of counsell neither is there any vnderstanding in me I am not sufficient of my selfe so much as to think a good thought but my sufficiencie is of thee Therefore teach mee thy way O Lord that I may hence-forth walke in thy truth Knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name make my heart vpright in thy Statutes for thou Lord hast pleasure in righteousnesse and hée is blessed in whose heart are thy wayes Graunt therefore gracious Lord that according to the riches of thy grace I may be strengthened by the Spirit of the inward Man that CHRIST may dwel in my heart by faith and so my whole spirit soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse to the cōming of the Lord Iesus And if I haue found fauour in thy sight shew me thy way that I may know thée and may walk from henceforth all the dayes of my life in a sincere sanctified conuersation and take away the vaile wherewith my mind is couered that I
the patient man which on their parts that rayle on him is euill spoken of but on his part is glorified The Lord is a God of iudgement and they are blessed that waite on him with patience Attendance another branch of Watchfulnesse may bee said an expectation with patience for a thing feared or desired how feare and desire may bee of one and the same thing in one and the same subiect being of contrarie effects may bee thus answered Feare in this place is not seruile but filiall and therefore may well stand with the desire A sonne hauing a charge imposed by his louing father though hee indeuour to performe the thing coÌ„manded neuer so carefully feareth yet that hee may come short of some part of his dutie and therefore feareth how his father wil accept of what hee hath done and yet being perswaded through a cleane and cleare conscience that hee hath done his best endeuour hopeth his father will take it well and therefore desireth that his father would returne to obserue the performance of that he had in charge Although hee cannot make his account with such absolute perfection as hee should yet no doubt his father caÌ„not but hold him excusable in shewing his good will to doe it well so stands his feare with desire So I hauing charge of mine heauenly Father to doe his Commandements I confesse I cannot performe them as I ought though I haue a desire and a feare lest when I haue done all what I can I may yet bee found vnprofitable not withstanding my greatest care and most diligent attendance of the outward part to which attendance is required Attention namely the minde and will which I conceiue to be two-fold The first is to the Will and Word of God to practise it The second to mine owne imperfections to reforme them and to keepe mine affections in due coÌ„formitie with the CoÌ„mandements of God Attention to the Will and Word of God is that whereby I am directed to performe that which is honest iust and right and that in faith wayting with patience the reward set before me not as a reward for my worke done but as a free gift of God in Christ in whom and by whom my worke is accepted as perfect though imperfect Attention to mine owne imperfections is also double of the soule and of the bodie As touching the first it is to hearken vnto as it were and obserue the motions of my corrupt heart not to yeeld vnto and to fulfill them but to suppresse and preueÌ„t the fruits that grow from them euen in the buds though they seeme and shew themselues neuer so pleasant sweet and delectable for they breed Securitie a carelesse life insensible of true patience and so become subiect to a sudden surprize And the rather for want of the second attention namely to the vncertayne estare of my feeble bodie which is subiect besides infinite casualties being in health to a thousand infirmities and mortal diseases which may suddenly dissolue this mortall life though they bee not at the instant feared nor felt This Attendance Attention are the fruits and effects of Watchfulnesse through Patience for without patience who can waite for any future benefite The Husband-man is brought in by the Holy Ghost an example of wayting with patience for he committeth and commendeth the seed to the earth with great diligence hee waites for the crop with patience and attends the former and latter raine and by due attention hearkens how the course of things goe that he may make the best of his commodities Doth nature afford men this care patience attendance and attention in vvorldly and perishing things And shall I come short of these in spirituall and heauenly things and not rather in watchfulnes patience and godly obedience looke for the end of this mortalitie in hope to reape and receiue celestiall and eternall glorie God forbid But I acknowledge that all my whatsoeuer watchfulnesse in patience or suffering deserues not the least graine of glorie for I am often not only beset with temptations to sinne but also pressed with the continuall cares and troubles of this life and I through weaknesse doe yeeld vnto the one and faint vnder the burden of the other and in stead of true watchfulnesse with patience I fall either into the slumber of Socuratia oâ—â—nto a kind of seruile feare or despaire and most seldome watch I with the open eyes of true attention and patience A kinde of patience I seeme to haue but mixed often-times with a kinde of grudging discontent at my corporall and domesticke crosses and worldly troubles where with I often finde my selfe much oppressed which yet God I know for no other cause layeth vpon mee but to make me sensible of mine owne imperfections and to correct mee for and to reforme sinne in â—e while I liue in thè world that I bâ— not condemned with the world though it bee vnto me for the time very vnpleasant vntill I enter into consideration that through many tribulations I must enter into the Kingdom of heauen and that the man is blessed whome God correcteth and God giueth that blessed man patience to bear his corrections with-out grudging and giueth alwayes a comfortable issue to euery temptation There is a kinde of patience wherein a man indureth that which hee would and cannot auoid this hath the name but not the nature of that true patience which I wish to haue The patience which I indeuour to attaine vnto is a constant bearing of my crosses and a settled expectation through faith for the end of that which cannot bee auoyded nor better obtayned but by death Therefore casting aside all hope of temporall freedom the feare of death I only relie vpon and wait the performance of his promise who hath reserued all true freedome of those that are his of his owne free mercy in the heauens onely as from hunger thirst nakednesse enemies labours sicknes sinnes and all other miseries whatsoeuer which in this life short and euill I am inforced yet with patience to endure This freedome I know I cannot attayne vnto but by changing this life by death and therefore with patience I daily expect it reuerencing the intire loue of mine heauenly Father in chastising me here and doe acknowledge the riches of his bountifulnesse patience and long suffering that he hath spared mee so long to liue where hee might iustly haue coÌ„founded me long agone for my sinnes but contrarily hath fauourably kept me vnder his Fatherly discipline thereby to leade me in the way I ought to walke in as in watchfulnesse patience attendance and attention according to godlinesse through IESVS CHRIST in whose name I will addresse my prayers vnto my heauenly Father for the Spirit of patience to wait for a better life by death A Prayer for patient wayting for a future better life by death fit to be said
whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And therefore the opinion of meritorious works and works of supererogation I beleeue cannot be grounded on a true sauing faith for to assume selfe-power to doe good and there-by to merit saluation is meerely against Christ and his merits as is also the pretēded propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse and the reall being of Christs flesh in the Eucharist not onely not necessary to enter into my beliefe but rather that I beleeue that the death of Christ once for all apprehended by a liuely faith and his merits applyed for the pardon of my sinnes to my vnderstanding 〈◊〉 is a 〈◊〉 sufficient for the washing away of the sins of as many as doe truely beleeue and earnestly repent and doe receiue in that faith the sacramentall signes of the breaking of his body and sheading of his bloud vpon the crosse namely bread and wine faithfully I beleeue that Christ cōtinues really in heauen sitting at the right hand of God a continuall and alone Mediator euen for me and that the heauens shall so contayne him vntill his second comming vntill which time the Sacrament is left vnto all beleeuers to be a remembrance vnto them of his death which is a sufficient propitiation for the sinnes of all beleeuers I doe therefore beleeue that the holy Ghost possessing my heart at my participation of that holy Sacrament worketh faith in me which faith looketh backe vnto the death of Christ vpon the crosse beholding as it were by the eye of the same faith the breaking of his bodie and the powring out of his bloud euen then sacramētally represented vnto mee by the bread broken signifying his bodie and by the wine powred out signifying his bloud which I corporally eating and drinking I doe as verily taste of the vertue of Christs death in my heart by faith as I do taste in my mouth the bread wine And this I beleeue to be the true vse of this holie mystery whereof all faithfull receiuers do no otherwise partake of Christs bodie now crucifyed then the faithfull Iewes did partake of him in eating the Paschall Lambe prefiguring the death of Christ to come as now we solemnize the commemoration of his death past but that they had it vnder a more darke vayle which now being taken away appeareth to vs most perspicuously and cleerly MEDIT. X. Christ elected none for foreseene workes I Doe not beleeue that GOD elected me for the foreseen good works that I would doe for I disclayme all inherent goodnesse by nature and doe belieue that God giues me both will and the power to doe good and all the good that I doe I acknowledge to be of God and the euill that I doe to bee of my selfe therefore the good that I doe I doe not beleeue to be the cause but the effect of mine election I confesse that God did foreknow I would doe good not but that hee likewise forepurposed to indue me with his owne Spirit whereby I should doe it therefore is not the worke mine but the Spirits that God hath giuen me for if I should beleeue that God foresaw the good that I setting the Spirit of God aside should doe and therefore did elect mee were it not to beleeue that mine own workes were the cause of mine election and so assume vnto my selfe power to worke mine owne saluation which God forbid God giues the wil and the power to worke and rewards the worke not as a debt hee owes mee for my worke but as he first gaue me the will and the power freely so hee rewards not my work but manifesteth his mercie wherein hee likewise as hee freely elected mee so hee freely bestowes vpon me his saluation through his owne meanes and therefore I rather vtterly condemne my best works then to expect any meritorious reward for them I feele the force of mine owne corruption daily and that appeares in the whole course of my life by the fruits which of them-selues are euer euill which I cannot suppresse but by the grace of GOD in Christ. If I knewe nothing by my selfe to yeeld me cause of doubt yet were not I thereby iustified But I know no good in my selfe what shall I say then am I condemned God forbid for as God did freely elect mee so hee freely iustifies mee not for mine owne good workes the best of which are imperfect but of his owne free mercie by imputing Christs righteousnesse and merits vnto me in whom and with whom a Crowne of glorie is laid vp in heauen euen for mee from whose fulnesse I receiue euen here grace for grace whereby and not by any meanes of mine owne I doe grow and increase and the elder I waxe in Christ the more I fasten my roote and the more I flourish in the Spirit for They that are planted in the Courts of the Lord shall flourish in their age and bring forth fruit and happy are they that are in Christ Iesus whom neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come shall separate from the loue of God Shall not Death then separate me from Christ no it shall not only not separate me but it shall bring me into his Real and Royall presence into his Kingdome of glorie new Ierusalem where I shall see his Maiestie as farre to exceed the glorie of Salomon in the day of his magnificent Coronation as the Sunne exceedes in brightnesse the darkest and blackest cloud Is this then the hurt that Death can doe vnto mee and shall I feare it will a wise man refuse a rich possession for not passing to it by an ordinarie bridge by which hee hath seene millions goe before him And shall I desire to dwell in this base and beggerly cottage this ruined and rotten house of clay in labour trauaile care feare trouble enuie griefe and a thousand miseries rather then passing by the ordinaire way of death to inherit a glorious Kingdom God forbid I desire farre rather to be with CHRIST in glorie which glorie I beleeue farre surpasseth both what is or can be spoken or conceiued of it The very Angels that presently partake of it cannot expresse it nay the holy Ghost though hee doe assure vs that it is prepared for all Gods elect yet the very fulnesse of it is not reueiled words cannot so sufficiently declare it as that the most illuminate man can expresse it not Paul himselfe though hee were taken vp into the third Heauen where hee heard and no doubt sawe wonderfull things yet could hee not discouer them to the full apprehension of any mortall But by the glorie that God hath reueiled in his works by the Firmament the Sunne the Moone the Stars the Seas the Earth the order and course of all his creatures visible may leade vs to iudge by way of comparison That if the things for the vse of mortall men here bee so wonderfull and glorious what are they
beautifull flowers are they quickly fade and fall away Whereby we are taught that how gawdily or gloriously soeuer we couet to beautifie our bodies wee make them neuer the more permanent but as these flowers wither and fall leafe after leafe through the defect of the sap that first caused them to flourish so man liue he neuer so long and neuer so full of glorie when the sap of nature begins to wax drie in him his most glorious leaues begin to fade and faile one after another the strong men his legs begin to weaken and falter the grinders his teeth fall out of the head the lookers the eyes wax dim one part after another decayes till the bodie totally comes to dust in the graue This is the glorie of the most glorious hee buds blossoms ripes rots as doth the flower in the garden the grasse of the field and as a shaddow a dreame and as a fancie flyes to his end and liue he neuer so long his life is but as a tale that is told Doe wee not daily see the youngest strongest among humane creatures liuely full of agilitie and corporall actiuitie in the morning who yet before night are eyther naturally or accidētally oftentimes cut downe and in their graues Why therefore should I or you that shall perchance suruiue me be so sollicitous and ouercarefull of worldly things especially seeintg he longest liuer cannot enioy what he desireth with any true contentment aboue fortie or fiftie yeeres for till he bee twentie hee is vnder gouernment not at his owne will after that he is wearied with labours and cares of the world when he comes to sixtie or seuentie yeeres hee be comes decrepit vnapt vnable to follow his owne occasions To bee in league with death as hoping he will forbeare the execution of his warrant vpon vs or by arte to indeuour to put off old age though many desire it none can doe it the richest by his gifts the strongest by his valour the wisest by his policie nor the most cunning by any artificiall deuice or stratagem he can contriue Who can free himselfe of a feuer who can rid himselfe of the gout of the stone or of any other inherent infirmitie of the bodie Surely none but death death is the Phisician that cures all the diseases present in the bodie yet we like not his phisick wee are contented to vse art money we willingly giue to auoyd it and yet it is commonly seene that hee that seekes and desires most to prolong his life is most suddenly taken by death and he that seekes most to flie from it him it followes euen at the heeles and hee that couets most to saue his life soonest loseth it I thinke it therefore greatest wisdome so farre to couet long life as it may stand a blessing of God during which life we are to meditate necessarily two especial points namely how to leade our liues how to entertaine death when it comes As touching the first we are inioyned therefore bound to liue godly which comprehendeth all the dueties of a Christian life which duties although they be many are all performed by holy obedience to God which consisteth in a perfect obseruing of his diuine Precepts namely in doing that which is good and auoyding that which is euill The good commanded cannot be done by nature which is corrupt but by grace freely giuen the euill which is forbidden comes and is done by nature The effects of good and ill affections consist in action by seuerall operations the good which we doe God worketh both in vs and by vs the euill which wee doe is of by our selues The like in suffering the good suffer euill with patience not the euill of doing but the bearing of euils and wrongs offerd without grudging The wicked suffer euen goodnesse as it were against their wils and commit euils against the good wittingly and with their wils The good endeuour to leade their liues vnspotted in the world not as did many Heathen Philosophers who had both the actiue and passiue parts of doing good and suffering euill that in great measure of patience wanting only diuine knowledge consequently faith which are no more ours by nature then they were theirs Therefore if I or you should onely indeuour a kinde of Philosophical outward and morall goodnes without the internal working of grace through faith wee should by our such doing and suffering gaine but that which they gayned a bare name of holinesse although wee as some of them did would voluntarily giue our bodies to death wee should thereby gain but the more future miseries In all our doings and sufferings wee must set GOD alwayes before the eye of our mindes taking hold of Christ by faith by whome hee hath reueiled himselfe vnto vs to be our louing Father not vnto them without Christ wee are euen as the former Gentiles were vnder the curse but by and through him made heires of the Kingdome of glorie whereof although these Philosophers were endued with humane wisedome farre aboue vs they had yet no vnderstāding of nor were partakers of that true glorie which is by Christ. Therefore must we that liue in the light of Truth striue to bee partakers of better things then they that liued in the darknesse of ignorance for vs to come short of their care of doing the good they suppos'd good in doing that wee know to bee good were most palpable idlenesse and seuerely punishable We must therefore while it is to day studie and practise to be holy in deede not in shew like the Pharises whose seeming sanctitic was all external and internally were prophane hypocrites As touching the second point of Meditatiō namely of the vncertayne comming and to be prepared for death cast your eye vpon the fore-part of the former treatie where you may peraduenture finde matter of Meditation touching this point In briefe Remember your ends namely death and if you haue any grace it will preuent sinne in you so walke in health as if you should presently die ye shall find it a remedy against the vanities of this life Who can thinke of present death and yet delight himselfe in the vncertayne things of this world Hee that is still dying begins his eternall life here and remembers that hee hath here no continuing Citie and therefore thinks of seekes that which is to come not liuing as the secure conetous man in the Gospell flattering his soule to remaine many yeeres in his bodie not hauing one night to liue Yee are poore I confesse I cannot enrich you and therefore to disswade you from couetousnesse may seeme superfluous yet I thinke not but a begger may be as couetous and as greedy to get hoord vp as the richest man flie it therefore in your smallest meanes it is the roote of all other sinnes it depriues men of the