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<DATE>2014-03-03</DATE>
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<NAME>Anne Simpson</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
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<P>THE AFFLICTED Mans Vow: WITH HIS MEDITATIONS, AND PRAYERS.</P>
<P><HI>Afflictio, Approbatio.</HI></P>
<P>Written by <HI>Iohn Mabb,</HI> of the Inner Temple, Gent: and &s;ometime Student there.</P>
<P>LONDON: Printed by <HI>Thomas Snodham</HI> and are to be &s;ould by <HI>Iohn Helme,</HI> at his &s;hop in S. Dun&s;tones Church-yard. 1609.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT WORTHY AND HO|NORABLE KNIGHT, Sir <HI>Iohn Egerton.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WIthout Raine the Plant withereth, and without encouragement Learn|ing fainteth: a benefit be&s;towed de&s;erues thankfulne&s;&s;e: and your Honors fauour enforceth my acknowledgement of the great comfort receiued by you in my godly &s;tudies. Wherefore I can|not but &s;ort your Vertues with the Honourable, and your Prai&s;e with the Worthies. And although the Sea hath no neede of the &s;mall Ri|uers, yet doe they runne into it;
<PB REF="4">nor the Moone of the Stars, yet doe they ri&s;e with it: &s;o the fulne&s;&s;e of your Honors wi&s;edome needes no view of my meane and &s;imple &s;tu|dies; nor the light of your knowledge the perv&s;ing of my &s;lender and vn|learned Labors, yet am I bold to pre&s;ent them vnto your Honour, who in aboundance of meekene&s;&s;e did neuer repel the indu&s;trious, nor di&s;daine the &s;imple, (as I by experi|ence haue formerly found by your good acceptance, and doe &s;till hope of your Honorable continuance.) At this time therefore I doe Dedi|cate vnto your Honor, <HI>the Afflicted mans Vow,</HI> made in his perplexity &amp; penitencie, (he lately beholding <HI>Adams</HI> Tragedy,) wherin he percei|ued <HI>Adams</HI> &s;in as a heauy &s;tone fal|ling vpon him, and all Man-kinde, ready to brui&s;e and to grinde him
<PB REF="4">to pouder, had not Chri&s;t in mercy put vnder his hand for his great and mo&s;t happy pre&s;eruation. Where|fore your Honor &s;hall finde this af|flicted man now meditating, pray|ing, and prai&s;ing God, wi&s;hing ear|ne&s;tly (if it were po&s;sible) while he li|ued in this world, that the thoughts of his hart might be alwaies cleane, the words of his mouth euer holy, the workes of his hands euer iu&s;t, &amp; the wayes of his feete euer plaine: that in the end he might with God re&s;t in peace, and be glorified with him in heauen. To the which place and glory, I be&s;eech the Almightie to bring you and your noble Po&s;te|ritie, to your euerla&s;ting and hope|full ioyes without end. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Honors faithfull and deuoted to commaund <HI>IOHN MABB.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_GEntle Reader, is <HI>Adam</HI> our Father dead, and &s;hall not wee his Children mourne? can we behold his Tragedie, and not &s;ee our owne mi&s;erie? his loynes did beget corrup|tion, and our &s;innes bring forth affli|ction. Who is there but hath tran&s;|gre&s;sed? who then but ought to be cor|rected? True it is, that mo&s;t profita|ble is the rod that brings vs vnto God. For the flouds of affliction, and the trying fire of aduer&s;itie, are to no other end &s;ent from God vnto his children, then by the one to wa&s;h their vncleanne&s;&s;e, and by the other
<PB REF="5">to purge their dro&s;&s;e, whereby they might be made as pure and perfect Gold, fit for the heauenly temple of the Lord.</P>
<P>Difference there is, betweene pu|ni&s;hment and affliction: by the one God in his wrath rooteth out for to de&s;troy, but by the other he correct|eth in his loue for to re&s;tore: the &s;ea|uen yeares &s;eruice doubled vpon <HI>Iaa|kob</HI> was to make him rich; but the &s;eauen yeares famine &s;ent vpon Egipt was to make them poore. <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> impri&s;onment was for his prefer|ment, but the Bakers for his puni&s;h|ment: <HI>Daniels</HI> ca&s;ting into the Den was for his glory, but the throwing in of his accu&s;ers was for their &s;hame: Chri&s;t his cro&s;&s;e was <HI>Pauls</HI> crowne, but a &s;tumbling blocke to <HI>Iudas</HI> to throw him downe: murmure brings mi&s;ery, but patience felicity.</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P>Wherfore thy afflicted friend (mo&s;t Chri&s;tian Reader) doth coun&s;el thee to pray in thy aduer&s;ity, &amp; thou &s;halt be comforted, to beleeue, and thou &s;halt obtaine, and to performe thy <HI>Vowes</HI> which thou ha&s;t made vnto the Lord thy God: the which le&s;t thou &s;houl|de&s;t forget, and bring a puni&s;hment vpon thee, I here pre&s;ent them vnto thee, being as it were the copie of the couenants which thou ha&s;t made and &s;ealed vp in thy bapti&s;me vnto God. The which that thou maye&s;t truely keepe and meditate vpon all the daies of thy life, God Almightie graunt for his glorie and thy comfort, to who&s;e grace and euerla&s;ting mercie I heartely commend thee.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the Lord, IOHN MABB.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<HEAD>THE AFFLICTED Mans vow.</HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>AFFLICTION.</HEAD>
<P>_WHo&s;e thoughts, but &s;hall be troubled with
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> 2.</NOTE> <HI>Nebu|chadnezers,</HI> for to behold? and who&s;e &s;peech, but &s;hall be
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">4. <HI>ve</HI> 16.</NOTE> &s;topped for a time, with <HI>Da|niel</HI> to declare the vi&s;ion of the
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>ver&s;e.</HI> 11.</NOTE> felling of the tree, the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>ver&s;e.</HI> 12.</NOTE> breaking of the bran|ches, the &s;haking of the leaues, the &s;cat|tering of the fruit, the leauing of the roote, the binding of the &s;tumpe, and the wetting of the dew? Yet I mu&s;t not &s;ay to the elected Saints, as <HI>Daniel</HI> did to <HI>Nebuchadnezer,
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">4. <HI>ve.</HI> 16.</NOTE> (the meaning there|of be to them that hate you.)</HI> For by
<PB N="2" REF="7">the falling of the tree, is meant the humbling of the &s;oule:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Degrees in affliction.</NOTE> the breaking of the branches, the weakening of the &s;trength: the &s;haking off the leaues, the fading of the glory: the &s;cattering of the fruit, the lo&s;&s;e of the riches: the leauing of the roote, the obliuion of the name: the binding of the &s;tumpe, the hope of re&s;toring:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">None, but haue &s;ome affliction.</NOTE> and the wetting of the dew, the grace of reuiuing. And thus are we all as trees planted by God in this world, &s;ome tall like Cedars; &s;ome low like the Vine; yet the one mu&s;t be hew|ed, and the other mu&s;t be pruned. For there is no exception but &s;ome afflicti|on in one kinde or other, mu&s;t befall vnto all;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The end of affliction is to know God.</NOTE> but e&s;pecially, to the Saints of God
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 4.22</NOTE> till they know that the heauens haue the rule (euen the mo&s;t high that dwelleth in them,) and that hee e|uer giueth his ble&s;&s;ings to whom&s;oe|uer he will. Wherefore, O ye children of men, let my coun&s;ell be acceptable vnto you, (as <HI>Daniel</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Nebuchad|nezer,</HI>
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">4. <HI>ver.</HI> 24.</NOTE> <HI>breake off your &s;innes by righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and your iniquities by mercy
<PB N="3" REF="7">vnto the poore, loe let there be an healing of your errors.</HI> Sweet is the i&s;&s;ue of Af|fliction, though vnplea&s;ant in the ta&s;t: <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> for our heauenly Phy&s;ition knoweth our corruption, and therefore he doth mini&s;ter vnto vs a bitter pill, to giue vs a good and &s;ound purgation; for the &s;etling of &s;inne, is poy&s;on to the &s;oule, and the raigning of the fle&s;h, the ruine of the &s;pirit: but by affliction the &s;oule is healed, and the &s;pirit &s;anctified, &s;inne expelled, and the fle&s;h &s;ubdued.</P>
<P>Satans temptations which he practi|&s;eth, in his malice to diuert vs,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satans ma|lice, by our faith and patience turneth to our good.</NOTE> are Gods tryals, which he &s;uffereth in his loue to conuert vs: for his buffetings are tur|ned into ble&s;&s;ings, and his tyranny into tranquilitie; the &s;tone which he throw|eth, returneth vpon him&s;elfe, and the fire that hee kindleth is his owne de|&s;truction: for without his temptations and a&s;&s;aults, there were no triall of our faith,
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.6.7.</NOTE> <HI>though now for a &s;ea&s;on,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>(if need require) we are in hea|uine&s;&s;e, through manifold temptations, that the triall of our faith being much
<PB N="4" REF="8">more precious then gold that peri&s;heth, (though it be tried with fire,) might be found vnto our prai&s;e and honour and glory at the appearance of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ver.</HI> 9.</NOTE> <HI>receiuing the end of our faith, euen the &s;aluation of our &s;oules.</HI> So then to the e|lect and faithfull, the diuels temptati|ons (but Gods afflictions) are in the end for the great glory of God, and for the comfort and profit of his children:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Al inti&s;ing euill mu&s;t be repel|led by the oppo&s;ite &amp; preuai|ling good.</NOTE> for the euill is repelled by the good: the Diuels &s;ugge&s;tion to di&s;obay, is confu|ted by obedience: his &s;ugge&s;tion to pre&s;ume, confuted by reuerence: the &s;ugge&s;tion to doubt, confuted by faith: the &s;ugge&s;tion to murmure, confuted by patience: the &s;ugge&s;tion to riot, con|futed by temperance: the &s;ugge&s;tion to pride, confuted by humilitie: the &s;ugge&s;tion to lu&s;t, confuted by cha&s;ti|tie: the &s;ugge&s;tion to couet, confuted by content: the &s;ugge&s;tion to oppre&s;&s;e, confuted by charitie: and the &s;ugge&s;ti|on to reuenge, confuted by loue. Why then, afflictions whether inward or outward, in re&s;pect of Sathan, they are
<PB N="5" REF="8">like the
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iud.</HI> 3.1.2</NOTE> <HI>Canaanites</HI> euer warring and fighting again&s;t the beloued <HI>I&s;rael:</HI> but in re&s;pect of God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Affliction comforta|table in the end.</NOTE> they are as his hea|uenly me&s;&s;engers, which bring vs glad tidings, that if we faithfully re&s;i&s;t vnto the end, and
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 3.5.</NOTE> ouercome, wee &s;hall be clothed with white aray, and receiue the
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2.17.29</NOTE> precious white &s;tone and morning &s;tarre, that &s;hall make vs to &s;hine in glory; our names &s;hall neuer be put out of the booke of life, but wee &s;hall be as euerla&s;ting
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">3. <HI>ver.</HI> 12</NOTE> pillars in the temple of God, and &s;hall
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">3. <HI>ve.</HI> 21.</NOTE> &s;it with Chri&s;t, in his throne, euen as hee hath ouercome, and doth &s;it with his Father in his throne.</P>
<P>Surely, there is but one way to enter into the kingdome of heauen, and that is
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Act.</HI> 14.22.</NOTE> through many tribulations, the
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 7.14.</NOTE> gate being &s;traite, and the way being narrow, and hauing as it were, violent fire on the one &s;ide, and raging &s;eas on the other &s;ide; like vnto the
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 8.15.16.</NOTE> I&s;raelites pa&s;&s;age to the land of Canaan, weary and trouble&s;ome: and like vnto
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24 13.</NOTE> <HI>Da|uids</HI> &s;traite, wherein hee &s;aw famine
<PB N="6" REF="9">before him, the &s;word behinde him, and pe&s;tilence round about him; and one of the&s;e he mu&s;t ta&s;te before he could behold the fauour and ioyfull countenance of the Lord.</P>
<P>Affliction may be compared to
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 29.17.31.32.</NOTE> <HI>Leah</HI> who was blere eyed, but yet &s;he had many more children then <HI>R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">hel:</HI> for the beauty and glory of worldly pro&s;peritie is not in the dwellings of affliction: yet the comely graces, as faith, hope, patience and humilitie are the daughters of aduer&s;itie.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro&s;peritie hurtfull in the end.</NOTE> Pro&s;peri|tie is like vnto the I&s;raelites
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.29.30.</NOTE> Quayles, lu&s;hious in the mouth, but loth&s;ome to the &s;oule, &amp; like vnto
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iona.</HI> 4.7.</NOTE> <HI>Ionas</HI> gourd, flowri&s;hing in the day, but withered in the night. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> What profit is it for a King to &s;ayle in a &s;tately &s;hip, if hee want a Pilot? &s;urely, his feare and dan|ger mu&s;t be great: and what auaileth all the riches of this world, if we want a guide to bring vs vnto God? certain|ly we &s;hal fal into the hands of theeues, and &s;pirituall robbers. Our faithful Pi|lot, and guide therfore vnto God mu&s;t
<PB N="7" REF="9">be affliction,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Affliction mu&s;t helpe to bring vs vnto God: her pro|pertie, and vertue.</NOTE> for her knowledge is hea|uenly, her direction &s;traite, her eye watchfull, her labour carefull, and her prayer faithfull: &s;hee pa&s;&s;eth by the dangerous rocks, and keepeth in the
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 80.5</NOTE> deepe: &s;he a&s;pireth not vnto the hils, but walketh in the vallyes: teares are her meate, and teares are her drinke: the
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">129.3.</NOTE> plowers plow vpon her backe, and make long furrowes: &s;hee
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">126.5.6.</NOTE> goeth forth weeping, and carryeth precious &s;eede, but &s;hee &s;hall returne with ioy, and bring her &s;heaues with her, euen fruitfull &s;heaues, euerla&s;ting peace, plenty and felicitie. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> For who knoweth not but that the cleane&s;t corne is throwne into the ground, the pure&s;t gold is tried in the fire, the &s;weete&s;t grape is trodden in the pre&s;&s;e, and the holy Lambe is for the &s;acrifice? No wound is cured except it be &s;earched, and that is painefull to the patient: and no &s;oule fully &s;anctified, vnles it be af|flicted, which brings &s;orrow for our &s;innes, and cau&s;eth vs &s;peedely to turn vnto the Lord.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5.14</NOTE> <HI>I will be vnto Ephraim</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="10">(&s;aith the Lord) <HI>as a Lion, and as a Li|ons whelpe vnto the hou&s;e of Iudah, I, euen I, will &s;poile and goe away, I will take away, and none &s;hall re&s;cue it: I will goe and returne to my place,</HI> <MILESTONE N="15"> <HI>till they acknowledge their fault, and &s;eeke mee, in their affliction they will &s;eeke me dili|gently. Behold I haue fined thee, but not as &s;iluer, I haue cho&s;en thee in the furnace of affliction:</HI> for the burdens of <HI>Aegipt</HI> made I&s;rael
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exo.</HI> 3.7.</NOTE> cry vnto God, and in the time of their di&s;tre&s;&s;e they &s;ought him earely.
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 86.7.</NOTE> <HI>Dauids</HI> troubles made him pray:
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;.</HI> 38.2.3</NOTE> <HI>Hezekiahs</HI> &s;ickne&s;&s;e made him weepe: and the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke.</HI> 15.16.20.</NOTE> prodigall childs mi&s;e|rie made him &s;eeke his fathers mercy: for whom&s;oeuer the Lord loueth, hee
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 12 6</NOTE> cha&s;teneth, and &s;courgeth euery one that he receiueth.</P>
<P>And wee mu&s;t in no wi&s;e thinke to e&s;cape afflictions while wee liue in this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Worldly policie can not pre|uent gods cha&s;tning, nor auoid his plagues</NOTE> by any of our owne pollicie, &s;trength or power, as did the &s;tub|borne and di&s;odedient Iewes imagine, who would flye into <HI>Aegipt,</HI> and not be &s;ubiect vnto <HI>Nebuchadnezer</HI> as the
<PB N="9" REF="10">Lord commanded them. For euen in our &s;afe&s;t pallaces, places, and pro&s;pe|ritie can the Lord touch vs, finde vs, and follow vs, as hee did tho&s;e muti|nous and rebellious people: for it had beene better for them to haue &s;er|ued
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 9.6.</NOTE> <HI>Nebuchadnezer</HI> with patience, then to haue peri&s;hed in <HI>Aegipt; For loe, they are gone</HI> (as they thinke) <HI>from de&s;tructi|on, but Aegipt &s;hal gather them vp,</HI> (&s;aith the Lord) <HI>and Memphis &s;hall bury them, the nettle &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the plea&s;ant places of their &s;iluer, and the thorne &s;hall be in their tabernacles.</HI></P>
<P>Affliction then can be no tyrant vn|to the patient and faithfull, fora&s;much as the Lord doth &s;end it vnto vs: and as he &s;aid vnto the remnant of <HI>Iudah,</HI>
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> 42.11</NOTE> <HI>Feare not for the King of Babel, of whom ye are afraid, for I am with you to &s;aue and to deliuer you from his hand,</HI> <MILESTONE N="12"> <HI>and I will grant you mercy, that he may haue compa&s;&s;ion vpon you, and hee &s;hall cau&s;e you to dwell in your land: but if yee &s;ay,</HI> <MILESTONE N="13"> <HI>yee will not dwell in this land, neither heare the voyce of the Lord your God;
<PB N="10" REF="11">&s;aying:</HI> <MILESTONE N="14"> <HI>Nay, but wee will goe into the land of Aegipt, where we &s;hall &s;ee no war, nor heare the &s;ound of trumpet, nor haue hunger of bread, and there will we dwell: (and now therefore heare the word of the Lord,</HI> <MILESTONE N="15"> <HI>ye remnant of Iudah: thus &s;aith the Lord of hoa&s;ts, the God of I&s;raell) if ye &s;et your faces to enter into Aegipt,</HI> <MILESTONE N="16"> <HI>and goe to dwell there; then the word that yee feared &s;hall take you there in the Land of Aegipt, and the famine for the which ye care, &s;hall there hang vpon you in Ae|gipt, and there &s;hall ye die.</HI></P>
<P>So likewi&s;e when the Lord hath ap|pointed vs vnto any affliction what&s;oe|uer in this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is good to be &s;ub|iect &amp; pa|tient vnder the Lords hand.</NOTE> we mu&s;t be obedient and &s;ubiect vnder his hand, for
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.28</NOTE> hee <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s with vs to &s;aue and deliuer vs from the crueltie of temptations, and to turne all for our good and pro&s;peritie, re&s;er|uing mercy and compa&s;&s;ion for vs, if we put our tru&s;t in him: but if wee be murmuring and rebellious and wil put our confidence in worldly helpes and meanes, and will flie from the Lord, di&s;obaying his ordinances, then what
<PB N="11" REF="11">we feared &s;hall take hold vpon vs, his wrath and anger &s;hall con&s;ume vs, and we &s;hall &s;ee his face no more: For who knoweth the will of the Lord? there|fore if he &s;hould kill vs, let vs &s;ay with
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iob.</HI> 13.15.</NOTE> <HI>Iob, I will put my tru&s;t in him:</HI> and &s;ay of affliction, as Chri&s;t &s;aid of
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 11.4.</NOTE> <HI>Lazarus</HI> &s;ickene&s;&s;e, <HI>this is not vnto death, but for the glory of God, that the Sonne of God might be glorified thereby:</HI> For as we certainely hope of the
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.22.23</NOTE> re&s;urrection after death, for our glorification, and thereby death is be|come profitable vnto vs: &s;o we mu&s;t a&s;&s;uredly hope of a reward after affli|ction for our
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.5</NOTE> con&s;olation, and there|by affliction is become comfortable vnto vs.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Affliction is Gods &s;eale vvher with hee marketh his chil|dren.</NOTE> For affliction it is as the &s;eale of the liuing God, wherewith his &s;er|uants are &s;ealed in their foreheads vn|to eternall life. For read from Gene|&s;is to the Reuelation, and you &s;hall find that all the Saints both Patriarks, Pro|phets, and Apo&s;tles, in &s;ome &s;ort or o|ther, nay Chri&s;t
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.36.37</NOTE> him&s;elfe haue beene tempted, afflicted, per&s;ecuted, tormen|ted.
<PB N="12" REF="12">For how can it otherwi&s;e be when as
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam.</HI> 4.4.</NOTE> this world is at enmitie with God, and here doth Sathan that
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 2.2. and. 6.12.</NOTE> prince of darkenes ruleiby po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing the hearts of mo&s;t part of men being wicked and vngodly.) And be&s;ides wee liuing in this world cannot be freed from &s;inne
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6.7.</NOTE> till after death: and the
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6.23.</NOTE> reward of &s;in in the iu&s;tice of God is eternall death, but in mercy the
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15 54.55. Patient &s;uf+fering in this world hath a re|compen&s;e of glory in the world to come.</NOTE> &s;ting of death is ta|ken out that it &s;hall not hurt the Saints: yet mu&s;t they for a while here be
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.7.</NOTE> bufferted, that the fle&s;h may be humbled; be de&s;pi&s;ed, that they may be honoured: they mu&s;t
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 5.4.</NOTE> mourne that they may be comforted: be im|pri&s;onned, that they may be freed: they mu&s;t &s;uffer
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 5.6. Dangerus is their e|&s;tate that haue no affliction.</NOTE> hunger, that they may be &s;ati&s;fied; be naked that they may be clothed: afflicted that they may be comforted; abiected that they may be glorified. Hard then and feare|full is their condition which haue no affliction in this life, either inward or outward: inward, by
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.9.10.</NOTE> hartie &s;or|row for their &s;inne with true repen|tance;
<PB N="13" REF="12">or by a &s;trong
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.10 15</NOTE> fight again&s;t the world, the fle&s;h and the Diuell by faithfull re&s;i&s;tance: outward, which is either in bodie, goods, or name: for the wicked becau&s;e they haue no
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">P&s;al.</NOTE> changes, (but liue at ea&s;e in plea&s;ure, plentie, and delight) they call not vp|on God; nay, they thinke there is no God: the diuell lulleth them a &s;leepe, and maketh them (like bea&s;ts) fat a|gain&s;t the day of &s;laughter. But a|gain&s;t the children of God who mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;itie pa&s;&s;e through the narrow and trouble&s;ome &s;eas of this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Diuel is an open enimie a|gain&s;t the righteous.</NOTE> the diuell hath on the one &s;ide, his bul|warke of inward temptations; and on the other &s;ide, his fort of outward afflictions, &s;hooting at them, if hee could to &s;toppe, nay, to &s;inke them, that they might not go vnto the hea|uenly land of <HI>Canaan.</HI> But by how much the more our danger, and trou|ble is in this life, by &s;o much the more is our reward and glory in the life to come, when as we &s;hall arriue at the hauen, yea heauen of eternall re&s;t:
<PB N="14" REF="13">For no
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 12.11.</NOTE> cha&s;tening for the pre&s;ent &s;eemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous, but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e vnto them which are thereby exerci&s;ed. Where|fore
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">12.</NOTE> ye that are afflicted lift vp your hands which are downe, and your weake knees which are feeble: and coun&s;ell ye, comfort ye one another, and &s;ay with a ioyfull heart: <HI>Come,</HI>
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 6.1.</NOTE> <HI>and let vs returne vnto the Lord: for he hath &s;poyled vs, and he will heale vs: he hath wounded vs, and he will binde vs vp.</HI> <MILESTONE N="2"> <HI>After two dayes he will reuiue vs, &amp; in the third day he will rai&s;e vs vp, and wee &s;hall liue in his &s;ight.</HI> <MILESTONE N="3"> <HI>Then &s;hall wee haue knowledge, and indeuour our &s;elues to know the Lord this going forth is pre|pared as the morning, and he &s;hall come vnto vs as the raine, and as the lat|ter raine vpon the earth.</HI> Thus after trouble &s;hall wee finde re&s;t: after a &s;torme a calme; after &s;orrow, ioy, and after death, life. Our Father <HI>Abraham</HI> liued in Vr of the <HI>Caldees,</HI> but in the end he came vnto the land
<PB N="15" REF="13">that flowed with Milke and Hony:
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 120.5</NOTE> <HI>Dauid</HI> remained a long time in <HI>Me|&s;hech,</HI> and dwelt in the tents of <HI>Kedar,</HI> but in the end he came to <HI>Shiloh,</HI> and to the holy hill of <HI>Sion.</HI> God is vnto his children in the day of aduer&s;itie a cloud to couer them, and in the night of affliction a pillar of fire to comfort them. Affliction is like a Nur&s;e, who while &s;he &s;wadleth vs vp &s;traight, and that for our good we cry, but when we come to knowledge and &s;trenght, we doe giue her thanks and then reioyce,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 12.8</NOTE> For, <HI>If ye be without correction</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>whereof all are partakers, then are yee ba&s;tards, and not Sonnes: Morcouer wee haue had the fathers of of our bodies which corrected vs,</HI> <MILESTONE N="9"> <HI>and we gaue them reuerence, &s;hould we not much rather be in &s;ubiection vnto the father of &s;pirits, that we might liue?</HI> <MILESTONE N="10"> <HI>for they ve|rely for a few dayes cha&s;tened vs after their owne plea&s;ures, but he cha&s;teneth vs for our profit that wee might be par|takers of his holine&s;&s;e:</HI> <MILESTONE N="14"> <HI>without the which no man &s;hall &s;ee the Lord.</HI></P>
<PB N="16" REF="14">
<P>The v&s;e then of all is this: <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> That we con&s;ider what is the cau&s;e of affliction:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Foure things to be con&s;ide|red in affli|ction.</NOTE> The cau&s;e is our &s;inne. Who it is that &s;ends it: It is God. To what end: Hee &s;ends it for our good. Who are the in|&s;truments that bring it: For the mo&s;t part Sathan, or his wicked members, cruell men vpon the earth. Why then con&s;ider:
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iob.</HI> 14.15.16.</NOTE> None that liueth can &s;ay that he is pure and without &s;inne: for
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.8</NOTE> <HI>If we &s;ay wee haue no &s;inne, we deceiue our &s;elues and the truth is not in vs:</HI> If &s;o thou art a &s;inner, then looke cer|tainly for &s;ome one affliction or o|ther: and &s;uffer and beare it patient|ly (as
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 16.6.10.</NOTE> <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;uffered <HI>Shemey,</HI>) and an&s;wered <HI>Abi&s;hay,</HI> &s;aying: <HI>What haue I to do with you ye &s;ons of Zeruiah; for hee cur&s;eth becau&s;e the Lord hath bid|den him cur&s;e</HI> Dauid; <HI>who dare then &s;ay, wherefore ha&s;t thou done &s;o? &s;uffer him to cur&s;e for the Lord hath bidden him:</HI> (and that was for <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;inne in murthering of <HI>Vriah.</HI>) And by this affliction <HI>Dauid</HI> was al&s;o put in minde of his grieuous tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion,
<PB N="17" REF="14">(which begot in him penitiencie, pati|ence, and mo&s;t humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the will of God) and &s;taied al&s;o his &s;eeking of reuenge again&s;t <HI>Shemey.</HI> And this example of <HI>Dauid</HI> is a worthy pre&s;ident for vs,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">To for|giue our enimies that doe per&s;ecute vs.</NOTE> that wee in like man|ner &s;hould willingly forgiue our eni|mies and per&s;ecuters, by calling of our owne &s;innes to remembrance, and the puritie of Gods iu&s;tice in correcting vs for our &s;innes, and his great mercy in calling vs thereby to repentance: and that the wicked are &s;ent and ap|pointed of God, as his in&s;truments to humble vs, and to beate vs downe; that we might be rai&s;ed vp vnto new|ne&s;&s;e and holine&s;&s;e of life thereby, and therefore there mu&s;t be no &s;triuing again&s;t the prickes: welcome there|fore mu&s;t be affliction at all times, in our Youth and in our age, &s;eeing it is the ble&s;&s;ed me&s;&s;enger of God to bring vs vnto him:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Affliction is the me&s;|&s;enger of God.</NOTE> not &s;uffering vs to continue in our &s;innes, le&s;t wee &s;hould peri&s;h and be condemned with the world.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="15">
<P>Another v&s;e may be drawne from hence: which is, the con&s;ideration of the difference &amp; degrees of afflictions.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Degrees &amp; di&s;terences in afflictio~.</NOTE> For &s;ome are great, &s;ome &s;mall, &s;ome many, &s;ome few, &s;ome fearefull, &s;ome fauourable, &s;ome &s;hort, &s;ome durable. For <HI>Iaakobs</HI> &s;orrows were not like <HI>Iobs,</HI> nor <HI>Zedekiahs</HI> troubles like <HI>Nebuchad|nezers.</HI> God &s;endeth vnto &s;ome di&s;tract and agonie of minde: to &s;ome di&s;ea|&s;es and deformitie of bodie, to &s;ome lo&s;&s;e of children: to &s;ome lo&s;&s;e of friends: to &s;ome lo&s;&s;e of goods: to &s;ome bani&s;hment: to &s;ome impri&s;on|ment: to &s;ome di&s;grace: to &s;ome an ignominious death: to &s;ome pouerty: to other &s;ome &s;trange mi&s;erie (which is,) men po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing riches, but without content:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our &s;ins de&s;erue great affli|ctions and many, but God is mercifull in correct|ing.</NOTE> hauing children but no com|fort: many friends, but few faithfull: a daintie Wife, but nothing dutifull. If a man haue but one of the&s;e afflictions (as few or none but haue &s;ome of them) then let him con&s;ider the multi|tude of his &s;ins, &amp; prai&s;e the Lord, that he hath not heaped vp a multitude of
<PB N="19" REF="15">afflictions vpon him, &amp; let him com|pare his afflictions with others mens, and no doubt he &s;hall finde and with|all confe&s;&s;e, that in compari&s;on of o|thers, he is a mo&s;t happy man; and that God vnto him is good and gra|cious, remembring his mercy and co|uenant made vnto his children, that none of them &s;hall be
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 40.</NOTE> tempted aboue their power, nor &s;uffer more then they are able for to beare; and that in due time they &s;hall haue a mo&s;t happy i&s;&s;ue with their temptations.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to be|hold affli|ction with an earthly eye.</NOTE> And let no man that hath his afflictions (be they neuer &s;o &s;mall) behold them with an earthly eye; for then they are like a bigge and tall &s;hippe remaining vp|on the land,
<MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> which cannot be remoo|ued, no not with great &s;trength, but let them pre&s;ently digge and cut (let them &s;igh and pray,) for the waters of com|fort, that they may come &amp; flow vnto their &s;oules, from the fountaine of Chri&s;ts mercy: and then be their af|flictions neuer &s;o many, or neuer &s;o heauie, yet the flowing &s;treame of
<PB N="20" REF="16">Gods loue &s;hall ea&s;ily remoue and car|ry them away far from them.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t hath borne our afflictions for vs, and made them an ea&s;ie yoke vnto vs, if &s;o we put our tru&s;t in him.</NOTE> know that our afflictions are become the burthen and yoke of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, which hee willingly bea|reth, and hath &s;ubmitted him&s;elfe vn|to for our &s;akes, the which although at the time of his pa&s;&s;ion they were heauy vnto him, by rea&s;on of our &s;ins; yet now hee hath altered and changed them to be
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 11.28.29.30.</NOTE> light, and ea&s;ie for vs to beare and vndergoe, both in re&s;pect of his great might to &s;upport vs, and in re&s;pect of his great loue to comfort vs.</P>
<P>Moreouer, if God &s;hould &s;end many cro&s;&s;es and afflictions vnto vs, one vp|on the necke of another, as one Waue ouertaketh another; <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> yet let vs account of them as the husbandman doth of his heauie &s;heafe of corne: reioyce in them, and beare them courageou&s;ly, knowing that they haue much fruit, and great recompence of reward.
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 10.32</NOTE> <HI>Now</HI> (therefore &s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>call to re|membrance the dayes that are pa&s;&s;ed, in
<PB N="21" REF="16">the which after ye had receiued light, yee endured a great fight in afflictions.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">33</NOTE> <HI>Partly while ye were made a gazing &s;tocke both by reproches and afflictions, and partly while yee became companions of them which were &s;o to&s;&s;ed too and fro.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">34</NOTE> <HI>For both yee &s;orrowed with me for my bonds, and &s;uffered with ioy the &s;poyling of your goods, knowing in your &s;elues that ye haue in heauen a better and enduring &s;ub|&s;tance.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">35</NOTE> <HI>Ca&s;t not away therefore your con|fidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye haue need of patience,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">36</NOTE> <HI>that after ye haue done the wil of God, ye might receiue the promi&s;e.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">37</NOTE> <HI>For yet a very little while, and he that &s;hall come, will come, and will not tarry.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="22" REF="17">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Mo&s;t iu&s;t, holy, mercifull and om|nipotent God, thou alone do&s;t pu|ni&s;h, and no man can redeeme, thou alone do&s;t correct, and no man can controll, thou alone doe&s;t &s;aue, and no man can condemne. Pardon I be&s;eech thee my &s;ins, for they are many, purge my corruption for it is great, looke not vpon my merits, for they are vile: euery mans &s;anctitie is pol|luted, and all his purity defiled. Wherfore, to mee, O Lord, to me thy poore &s;eruant, belongeth &s;hame and confu&s;ion: but to thee mercy, iudgement, and glory. De&s;troy not I humbly entreat, O heauenly Father, the workman&s;hip of thine owne hands, but ha&s;te to comfort me, and make thy corre|ctions my in&s;tructions, that in patience for a while I may here po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e my &s;oule, and in thy promi&s;e haue an a&s;&s;ured hope to liue with thee for euer in the life to come, through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t my Lord and onely Sauiour. Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="23" REF="17">
<HEAD>VOW.</HEAD>
<P>_WAs it not <HI>Iacobs</HI> feare and loue of God, that made him
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 28.20.21.</NOTE> make his vow to God? and did not
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ma.</HI> 26.33.35.</NOTE> <HI>Peter</HI> make his vow to Chri&s;t, vpon his zealous loue to him, as
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Sam.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">0 16.</NOTE> <HI>Io|nathan</HI> did to <HI>Dauid?</HI> and was it not the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 1.13.16.17.</NOTE> remembrance of ble&s;&s;ing recei|ued, that made the I&s;raelites make their vow, and couenant with <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> to &s;erue the Lord? Why then, here behold the afflicted mans Religion, his thankful|ne&s;&s;e and his loue to God, in making of his vow to feare, to prai&s;e, and ne|uer to for&s;ake the Lord.</P>
<P>For affliction doth beget: deliue|rance &s;hould confirme, and in our pro|&s;peritie we &s;hould performe our
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 66.13.14.</NOTE> Vows which wee haue made vnto the Lord. But as there may be a draft of a good|ly patterne or modell for building of <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile.">
<PB N="24" REF="18">a &s;tately hou&s;e:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A godly vow mu&s;t be perfor|med.</NOTE> which if it be not &s;et forward and erected, is but a paper, not a pallace. So the promi&s;e of euery ho|ly vow, may make a faire &s;hew and de|mon&s;tration of a holy cour&s;e and chri|&s;tian plot, to reare and rai&s;e vp the in|ward man to be a beautifull and holy building vnto God: but if it be not performed it is a &s;hadow not a &s;ub|&s;tance; a word, not a worke. Therefore the performance of a vow, is the prai&s;e of the promi&s;e, as wee may &s;ee by the example of <HI>Dauid,</HI> when hee &s;aid; <HI>I</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119 107.</NOTE> <HI>haue &s;worne, and will performe it, that I will keepe thy righteoas iudgements, O Lord:</HI> (not that hee had free will or power to doe it) but &s;hewing thereby his inward affection and carefull recei|uing of them in his heart: and &s;o is it meant, where it is &s;aid;
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke.</HI> 11.28.</NOTE> <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it:</HI> that is, faithfully lay it vp in their hearts, with a full intent to practi&s;e it, when God &s;hall giue a iu&s;t occa&s;ion thereof.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="18">
<P>But in euery vow foure things are to be convidered: Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Things to be con|&s;idered in euery vow.</NOTE> that it be holy and religious: Secondly, that it be di&s;|creet and gracious: Thirdly, that it be po&s;&s;ible and per&s;picuous: And la&s;tly, that it be charitable and glorious.</P>
<P>Holy and religious: grounded vpon the word of God; for that mu&s;t be a
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.105</NOTE> <HI>light to our feet, and a lantherne to our pathes.</HI></P>
<P>Di&s;creet and gracious: done with de|liberation and adui&s;e;
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 15.22</NOTE> <HI>Do nothing ra&s;h|ly, but take coun&s;ell, and be well adui&s;ed in all thy wayes.</HI></P>
<P>Po&s;&s;ible and per&s;picuous: able to be performed; pre&s;ume not to
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 4.7.</NOTE> tempt the Lord thy God, but v&s;e the meanes which hee hath ordained for his glory and thy good.</P>
<P>Charitable and glorious: tending to the honor of almightie God, and good of man;
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 15.5.6.</NOTE> <HI>Let all things be done in loue, and for the prai&s;e of God.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 28.2.3.</NOTE> <HI>Dauid</HI> in his zeale made a vow to build a Temple to the Lord: but his warres and troubles were hinderances
<PB N="26" REF="19">thereunto,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Diuer&s;itie of vowes.</NOTE> that he could not performe the &s;ame; therefore it mu&s;t be done in his &s;onnes dayes, who was a King of peace: and yet <HI>Dauids</HI> vow was holy and religious; but not po&s;&s;ible and per|&s;picuous.
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg.</HI> 11.30.31.</NOTE> <HI>Iptah</HI> made his vow to of|fer a &s;acrifice of pray&s;e to God with the fir&s;t thing that &s;hould meet him out of the doores of his hou&s;e, when hee &s;hould returne in peace from the bat|tell:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A vow mu&s;t not be partly good, and partly euill but ab&s;o|lutely good</NOTE> this his vow was holy and religi|ous, (in his intent) and po&s;&s;ible and per&s;picuous, but not di&s;creet and gra|tious, nor charitable and glorious: for the killing of his daughter was rather crueltie then pietie.
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>King.</HI> 19 2.</NOTE> <HI>Ie&s;abels</HI> vow to kill <HI>Eliah</HI> was po&s;&s;ible and per&s;picuous, (if &s;o <HI>Eliah</HI> had not fled,) but it was neither holy nor religious, di&s;creete nor gracious, charitable nor glorious. And
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 14.7.</NOTE> <HI>Herods</HI> vow vnto the dauncing Dam&s;ell, was deliberate and po&s;&s;ible, and &s;o was the
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Act.</HI> 23.21.</NOTE> Iewes vow when they a&s;&s;embled them&s;elues with an oath, &s;ay|ing, that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed <HI>Paul:</HI> but
<PB N="27" REF="19">this their vow was neyther holy nor religious, nor yet charitable nor glori|ous.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">How to di&s;cerne of an vpright vow.</NOTE> Wherefore euery vow mu&s;t be tri|ed as gold and &s;iluer is tried (to wit) by the tange, tincture, touch and te&s;te. For a mans vow mu&s;t fir&s;t haue ta&s;te of re|ligion, then a &s;ound of di&s;cretion, then an approbation of abilitie, and la&s;tly, a confirmation of loue and pietie; &s;o that, religion, di&s;cretion,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Foure main linkes to tie euery vow.</NOTE> abilitie and pietie, they are the foure lincks to tie and chaine euery vow: <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> and the&s;e mu&s;t runne together as the foure wheeles &s;poken of in <HI>Ezekiell,</HI> which had one
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezech.</HI> 10 10</NOTE> forme, and their fa&s;hion, and their worke was as one wheele in another wheele, &s;ignifying their in&s;eperabilitie, and vnitie: for religion mu&s;t not goe, nor runne without di&s;cretion, nor abi|litie without pietie.
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14 40</NOTE> <HI>Let euery thing therefore be done hone&s;tly and by order,</HI> and let vs not di&s;turbe nor
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 4.30</NOTE> grieue the good &s;pirit and grace of God in vs, by &s;triuing to &s;atisfie our owne opinions or affections without religion or di&s;|cretion.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="20">
<P>Vowes al&s;o may be eyther generall or &s;peciall: by the fir&s;t, at the annoyn|ting and Coronation of Kings, Vowes were &s;olemnely made from them to God, to &s;erue him aright, and al&s;o vnto the people to doe them right: as did
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>King.</HI> 23 3.</NOTE> <HI>Io&s;iah,</HI>
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Chron.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Ioa&s;h,</HI> and
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Nehe.</HI> 5.9 12</NOTE> <HI>Nehemiah:</HI> and by the &s;econd, the I&s;raelites at the preaching of ^z <HI>Azariah</HI> repented, and made a couenant or Vow to &s;eeke the Lord: and in the time of
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezra.</HI> 10.3.</NOTE> <HI>Ezra,</HI> they likewi&s;e vowed to put away their &s;trange wiues, who did enti&s;e and draw them from the Lord. Apparant then it is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Euery holy and good Vow is as as a bond to binde vs vnto God.</NOTE> that euery holy couenant is as a ho|ly bond, whereby wee binde our &s;elues for euer vnto God, vowing our dutie, loue &amp; obedience vnto him, as a faith|full Subiect doth vnto his Prince, and by our Vow, as with a bridle, wee are kept backe from doing of euill, and through it, as with a goad, wee are pre&s;|&s;ed forward to doe good.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is: <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> that euery man and woman take heed what vows they make before God or man: hauing
<PB N="29" REF="20">e&s;peciall regard,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vnlawfull Vowes are not to be performed.</NOTE> that they be not to di&s;|honour God and breake his Law, nor to confound and de&s;troy nature, nor to hurt and impoueri&s;h our neighbour, nor to neglect and hinder our calling: for all &s;uch Vowes are vtterly vnlaw|full, and in no &s;ort to be kept. For wee cannot &s;erue Chri&s;t and <HI>Belial,</HI> de&s;troy,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.15.</NOTE> and pre&s;erue life, doe
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 3.8.</NOTE> euill, and yet do good; be idle and yet &s;eeme to labour: Wherefore as Chri&s;t &s;pake vnto
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke.</HI> 10.11.14.</NOTE> <HI>Mar|tha,</HI> &s;o it mu&s;t be taught vnto vs, <HI>that one thing is nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> namely, that wee embrace and vow the thing that is good, and refu&s;e and di&s;avow the thing that is euill.</P>
<P>And further wee may al&s;o learne,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A lawfull and holy Vow, a to|ken of true &amp; perfect religion.</NOTE> that the binding of a mans &s;elfe with a vow to God: it declareth his religion and care to keepe a good con&s;cience according to his power, in laying the iudgements of God (which are pa&s;t and are to come) vp in his heart, to a|uoid and flye from &s;inne thereby: and al&s;o to meete with the weakne&s;&s;e, frail|tie and infirmitie of his corrupt nature,
<PB N="30" REF="21">which for the mo&s;t part is
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.18</NOTE> heauy and &s;luggi&s;h vnto any good worke,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mans dul|ne&s;&s;e and backward|ne&s;&s;e vnto good.</NOTE> and therefore by his vow hee is prouoked and &s;tirred vp to a greater care and re|gard to &s;erue and pray&s;e the Lord. Eue|ry Vow then made in pietie and cha|ritie, is both a good token of a contrite heart and good con&s;cience, and of a true, &s;ound, faithfull and &s;anctified Chri&s;tian:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">In what manner a Vovv mu&s;t be made.</NOTE> But &s;uch Vowes mu&s;t be made with feare and reuerence, and with earne&s;t prayer and &s;tedfa&s;t re&s;olu|tion to continue in the &s;ame, le&s;t by our relaps and back-&s;liding wee become as
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 3.16</NOTE> luke-warme <HI>Laodiceans,</HI> &s;eruing our owne &s;elues, &amp; ob&s;eruing the time, but not the Lord. And againe we are here taught to beware of the &s;ubtiltie of Sa|tan,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satans &s;ub|tilty to pre|uent a holy vow, &amp; his que&s;tio|ning vvith the godly thereupon.</NOTE> who goeth about to keepe backe and hinder euery good minded man and woman from making their holy Vowes, or faithfull contract with God; alledging vnto them after this man|ner; Indeed you de&s;ire and would glad|ly vow, and make a couenant with God (as you &s;eeme) to &s;erue and obay him
<PB N="31" REF="21">all the dayes of your life: but take heed, for when you haue &s;o vowed, you &s;hal finde your &s;elues further off from per|forming your Vowes then euer you were before: And no doubt I &s;hall take you tripping vpon &s;ome breach or o|ther, and then a&s;&s;ure your &s;elues, I will not &s;pare but accu&s;e you before the Lord, you hauing &s;o pre&s;umptuou&s;ly made a vow vnto him, and yet &s;o wilful|ly haue neglected, broken and violated the &s;ame.</P>
<P>But to barre and ouerthrow this &s;ubtill per&s;wa&s;ion of Sathan:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The way to repell his &s;ugge|&s;tion.</NOTE> Fir&s;t we mu&s;t not feare for all his &s;ugge&s;tion to make our promi&s;e vnto God, to doe the thing that is good:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Euery one hath made a holy vovv in bapti&s;me which mu&s;t be kept.</NOTE> for we haue al|readie made it vnto him in our bap|ti&s;me, without which wee could not be receiued into the Church, which like a mother nouri&s;heth vs: nor obtaine the ble&s;&s;ing of God the father, who hath begotten vs: nor be made members of God the &s;onne, who hath redeemed vs: nor receiue comfort from God the holy Gho&s;t, who hath &s;anctified vs:
<PB N="32" REF="22">We therefore hauing the approbation of the Church dedicating: the loue of the father receiuing: the grace of the &s;onne pre&s;enting, and the helpe of the &s;pirit directing our vowes to God; why &s;hould wee be di&s;maied to make our holy vowes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Holy and di&s;creet vovves mu&s;t com|fort not di&s;courage vs.</NOTE> when as we doe them in &s;obrietie not vnadui&s;edly, in humili|tie not pre&s;umpteou&s;ly, making our prayer and inuocation vnto God, that it would plea&s;e him to direct &amp; &s;treng|then vs to make and performe our vowes vnto him, becau&s;e of our &s;elues we are corrupt &amp; weak, and not able to think nor apprehend a good thought, much le&s;&s;e to performe or doe any good worke?</P>
<P><HI>For</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30</NOTE> <HI>all our &s;ufficiencie, wi&s;dome, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and &s;anctification is of, in, and through Chri&s;t alone,</HI>
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 7.27</NOTE> <HI>who &s;a|ueth vs, and maketh interce&s;&s;ion for vs, pre&s;enting our &s;oules and bodies, prayers and vowes, as mo&s;t pure, holy, acceptable &amp; blamle&s;&s;e before his father.</HI> And when as, (after our vowes thus made) wee through infirmitie, or through great
<PB N="33" REF="22">and inevitable nece&s;&s;ity do vnwillingly breake the &s;ame,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our infir|mities mu&s;t not di&s;may vs, vvhen as again&s;t our vvill, wee breake our vovve.</NOTE> either by omitting or committing what wee &s;hould or &s;hould not: the
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.12.</NOTE> <HI>will</HI> in this ca&s;e, and the de&s;ire to performe our vow is before God accepted and taken, as for the deede. <HI>For it is not</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.17 We mu&s;t make a|mends vvhen vve doe offend</NOTE> <HI>you, but &s;inne that ruleth in you, that cau&s;eth you to offend.</HI> Yet withall we mu&s;t thus remember, that when&s;oeuer time and opportuni|ty &s;erueth, we doe without all faile re|double what before we ought to haue exerci&s;ed, whether it be in praying, or in reading, or in meditating, or in con|ferring, or in doing the workes of pietie and charitie: and &s;o God fore|&s;eeing our thoughts and beholding our religious care and carefull labour in his loue and feare, (we &s;till longing and &s;ighing to performe our vowes to him both effectually and formallie,) &s;uch a tran&s;mitting or ouerpre&s;&s;ing of the manner for a time,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">An vnvvil|ling &s;inne hath a re|lea&s;e of pu|ni&s;hment.</NOTE> is
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.24.25.</NOTE> no tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ing in the matter for a puni&s;hment And therefore in this vnwilling, yet &s;ometime nece&s;&s;arie omi&s;&s;ion, it can in
<PB N="34" REF="23">no &s;ort be counted &s;uch a &s;inne, as that it &s;hould exa&s;perate or vrge a grieuous guiltine&s;&s;e to our con&s;ciences, or pre|&s;ent a dying feare to our &s;oules, the which Satan in his crueltie may &s;eeme to threaten, and in his malice willing to pur&s;ue. But let vs in the name of God proceede to make our holy vows to him, and let them bee as
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 6.8.</NOTE> frontlets before our eyes, and as a mo&s;t precious chaine about our neckes, and as plea|&s;ant bracelets about our armes, ac|counting our &s;elues more glorious in our vertues, then
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts.</HI> 12.21.</NOTE> <HI>Herod</HI> in his robes.</P>
<P><NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 10.27.</NOTE> I promi&s;e and vowe two things:
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Holines to God.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Righteou&s;|nes to man.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">None of the foure e&s;&s;entiall and diuine parts of re|ligion can be &s;eue red from the vvor&s;hip of God.</NOTE></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In my promi&s;e of holines, I vowe foure things, to
<LIST>
<ITEM>Wor&s;hip God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Loue God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Feare God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Prai&s;e God.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>To wor&s;hip him aright, according to his word.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="23">
<P>To loue him for his mercy, accor|ding to his grace.</P>
<P>To feare him for his iudgements, according to his iu&s;tice.</P>
<P>To prai&s;e him for his benefits, ac|cording to his goodne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>By the fir&s;t I hate all
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 4.15.23.</NOTE> idolatrie.</P>
<P>By the &s;econd I
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 3.23.24.</NOTE> renounce any in|herent or cooperate righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in me to merit my &s;aluation.</P>
<P>By the third, I flie pre&s;umption and &s;ecuritie, and with reuerence doe
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 2.37.</NOTE> tremble and feare at the threatnings and iudgements of Almightie God a|gain&s;t &s;inne and &s;inners.</P>
<P>By the fourth I dete&s;t all
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 106.20.21.</NOTE> &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e ingratitude, and do pray for and de&s;ire euermore to haue a liuely feeling,
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 107.1.2.31.32</NOTE> and loyfull apprehen&s;ion of Gods benefits towards me, which might &s;tirre vp my loue and thankefulne&s;&s;e vnto him, all the dayes of my life.</P>
<P><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">None of the foure e&s;&s;entiall and ciuill parts of righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e can be &s;eucred from our auetie to man.</NOTE> In my vowe of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, I con&s;ider foure things:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Obedience,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Iu&s;tice,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Charitie,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Content.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="36" REF="24">
<P>By the fir&s;t I mu&s;t &s;hew my &s;elfe
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1</NOTE> &s;ub|iect to the higher Powers, both in word, thought and deed, reuerently e|&s;teeming them, honourably &s;peaking of them, and dutifully obaying them, &amp; that for con&s;cience &s;ake in all things, (wherein God is not di&s;honored, either in his dignitie, or in his truth) for <HI>all &s;ubordinate and inferior powers are</HI>
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.13.14.15. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1.2.</NOTE> <HI>or|dained &amp; in&s;tituted of God: and they that re&s;i&s;t the power, re&s;i&s;ts the ordinance of God, and &s;hall receiue vnto them&s;elues iudgement.</HI></P>
<P>By the &s;econd I mu&s;t doe right to all men, in temporall and ciuill cau&s;es, and
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 7.12.</NOTE> doe as I would be done by, for this is the Law and the prophets.</P>
<P>By the third I mu&s;t loue euery man (but e&s;pecially tho&s;e that are of the hou&s;ehold of faith) becau&s;e he is my brother and
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.38.39.</NOTE> neighbour, and this my loue, I mu&s;t &s;hew in doing good vnto him, not &s;eeking to
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 12.17.10.</NOTE> reuenge, not to &s;lander, not to oppre&s;&s;e, not to di&s;|daine, not to reuile him; for if I
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.20.</NOTE> loue not my brother whom I &s;ee, how can
<PB N="37" REF="24">I loue God whom I &s;ee not? and my loue vnto him mu&s;t not onely be ex|pre&s;&s;ed and extented to his body one|ly, but al&s;o to his &s;oule,
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 15.7.1.2.</NOTE> labouring and &s;triuing to bring him home, and to win him vnto God, and that vvith all meekene&s;&s;e and gentlene&s;&s;e, when as eyther by blindne&s;&s;e or wilfulne&s;&s;e hee hath erred and gone a&s;tray, and depar|ted from the truth.</P>
<P>By the fourth I mu&s;t take heede of
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.10</NOTE> couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, (which is the roote of all euill) inticing and tempting man to
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.24</NOTE> reape where hee &s;owed not, and to ga|ther where he &s;trowed not: and there|fore I mu&s;t be
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.8.9.</NOTE> content in what&s;oeuer e&s;tate God hath placed me) and not to couet or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e, either by collu&s;ion or extortion, what&s;oeuer belongeth vnto my neighbour, (be he eyther poore or rich, high or low, wi&s;e or fooli&s;h, young or old.)</P>
<P>And from the&s;e two rootes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vertues re|ward.</NOTE> (<HI>holi|ne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI>) doe &s;pring and grow the mo&s;t rich and plea&s;ant fruits, ioy and peace for euermore.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="38" REF="25">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Mercifull, Gracious and eternall God, which giue&s;t bountefully vnto them which ask of thee in faith &amp; &s;tedfa&s;t hope. I humbly be&s;eech thee to a&s;&s;i&s;t mee with thy grace and holy &s;pirit, that I may be able to performe and execute my good purpo&s;e and intent concerning my holy &s;er|uice towards thee, and my righteous dea|ling towards men. And fora&s;much as I know a&s;&s;uredly that the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Diuell, will &s;eeke my de&s;truction, becau&s;e I haue vowed my &s;elf thy &s;eruant: Graunt therefore O Lord</HI> Ie&s;us, <HI>that as thou did&s;t ouercome them al in the Mount by thy power and word: &s;o I by thy might and &s;ame word may likewi&s;e ouercome them in this valley of teares and mi&s;erie, (the wicked world,) of which graunt good Lord, that I be not, although for a time I re&s;t in it; and that I may fight a good fight, and continue faithfull vnto the end: that after this life I may inioy a crowne of eter|nall glory in the world to come, and dwell with thee for euer. Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="39" REF="25">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. I.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>VIEVV.</HEAD>
<P>_GOD fini&s;hing his worke, did take a <HI>view,</HI> and
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.31</NOTE> <HI>&s;aw all that hee had made, and loe, it was very good: Dauid</HI> praying for Ieru&s;alem, de&s;ired God to take a gracious <HI>view</HI> thereof, and to
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 48.12.13.</NOTE> <HI>tell the towers therein.</HI> Man (being as it were a litle world) he was created; but he for|got his maker:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mans &s;in the cau&s;e of his &s;or|row and ruine.</NOTE> Ieru&s;alem a glorious Citie, was named holy, but &s;he for&s;ooke her Lord: the one hath lo&s;t his inno|cencie, and the other her &s;anctitie: man is now become <HI>mehuman,</HI> (troubled,) &amp; Ieru&s;alem Iericho, execrable to the Lord.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lee&s;ing of gods fauor makes vs &s;ubiect to the diuels fury.</NOTE> And wheras God before did take a <HI>view</HI> of them with great loue and de|light for their pre&s;eruation: Now Sa|than pur&s;ueth and compa&s;&s;eth them with great malice and di&s;pite for their
<PB N="40" REF="26">confu&s;ion. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> For behold, Man is afflicted, and Ieru&s;alem is deiected. But as
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Nehe.</HI> 2.13</NOTE> <HI>Nehe|miah,</HI> went about the wals of Ieru&s;a|lem mourning, and
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 6.15.</NOTE> <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> about the wals of Iericho marching; the one to view the breaches for to build them vp; the other for to view the &s;trength, for to throw them down: &s;o man mu&s;t now
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.5</NOTE> looke into him&s;elfe with &s;ound iudge|ment,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Man mu&s;t examine &amp; looke into him&s;elfe.</NOTE> and compa&s;&s;e about his owne heart, and the thoughts thereof, which haue beene a long time ruinated by &s;inne, de&s;iring God in all humilitie and repentance, that he would vouch&s;afe to rai&s;e him vp, and make him a new and perfect
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.9. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.2.</NOTE> building, &s;anctified and holy vnto the Lord; and that from hence|forth he would be his gracious deliue|rer, and a &s;trong tower, and
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 18.2</NOTE> rock of defence to &s;aue him from his enimies; and to endue him with a liuely faith &amp; &s;trong courage to
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.8 9.</NOTE> re&s;i&s;t the force and &s;ubtiltie of Sathan, and to compa&s;&s;e him about with the wi&s;edome of the &s;pirit, and power of the Word of God, to make him to fall, to
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam.</HI> 4.7.</NOTE> flye, and to
<PB N="41" REF="26">depart, being neuer able to ri&s;e nor to to returne againe to hurt or to de&s;troy the &s;oule.</P>
<P>Wherefore let euery man and wo|man, being tempted after this &s;ort,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mans con|&s;ultation in temptation and hovv he ought to an&s;were Sathan.</NOTE> make que&s;tion, examine, and take view of them&s;elues; &s;aying: I am made and
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 2.7.</NOTE> created; and &s;hall I not wor&s;hip? I am &s;aued and
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.7.</NOTE> redeemed; and &s;hall I not reioyce? I am
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.3.</NOTE> &s;anctified and clean&s;ed; and &s;hall I not giue prai&s;e? I am
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 4.21 22</NOTE> taught and in&s;tructed; and &s;hall I not learne? I am a
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.14.15.</NOTE> &s;teward, and haue receiued; and &s;hall I not account? I am
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 2.7</NOTE> du&s;t and earth; and mu&s;t I not dye? I haue a
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">7.</NOTE> &s;oule, and if &s;o I
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">17.</NOTE> &s;inne; mu&s;t I not be iudged? Behold I will now there|fore
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 4.10</NOTE> wor&s;hip God my Father, and him onely will I &s;erue: I will
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 1.47.</NOTE> reioyce in Chri&s;t my Sauiour, and him onely will I loue: I will
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89.1</NOTE> giue prai&s;e to God my comforter, and his helpe will I craue: I will
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119 15.16.</NOTE> &s;tudy in Gods word, for his law is my delight: I will
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.20.21.</NOTE> encrea&s;e my talent, and I &s;hall finde reward: I will
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90.13</NOTE> learne to dye, and it will keepe me
<PB N="42" REF="27">from &s;inne: I will
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 7.1. The Chri|&s;tian pro|fe&s;&s;ion in holines &amp; righteou&s;|nes with true &s;ince|ritie is a greatwork and paine|full fight.</NOTE> iudge my &s;elfe, and I &s;hall not be iudged of the Lord. This is a worke and a great worke, a fight and a &s;trong fight, for euery Chri&s;tian man and woman to wor&s;hip God a|right in true
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Phil.</HI> 1.9, 10, 11.</NOTE> knowledge without &s;u|per&s;tition; to
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.3, 4.</NOTE> tru&s;t in Chri&s;t alone in a liuely faith without arrogation: to
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">11, 36,</NOTE> glorifie him alone in a pure heart without di&s;&s;imulation, to read &amp; heare his word in an humble &s;pirit without
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">12, 3.</NOTE> pre&s;umption, to exerci&s;e our calling in a iu&s;t
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.6.</NOTE> cour&s;e without corruption: to &s;pend our dayes in a
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">11.</NOTE> quiet life with|out
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Phil.</HI> 2.2, 3.</NOTE> contention: and to cea&s;e from &s;in in a &s;ettled minde without
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 6.4, 5, 6. &amp; 2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21</NOTE> relap&s;ion. For the enemies of man are many, and the enti&s;ements great to draw him from the Lord.</P>
<P>The diuell he is &s;ubtill, blinding the &s;oule to bring it to idolatry: mans mind is
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 18.11, 12.</NOTE> proud, bragging of &s;elfe righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, and refu&s;ing Chri&s;t: the
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 5.17</NOTE> fle&s;h is rebellious &s;triuing again&s;t the &s;pirit, &amp; prouoking him to &s;in: the
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam.</HI> 4.4</NOTE> world is enti&s;ing, hating God, and turning man
<PB N="43" REF="27">from heauen: hell is deuouring, expe|cting his de&s;truction: death is
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.55.</NOTE> cruell, watching to
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 12.20.</NOTE> arre&s;t him: and furies and
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reue.</HI> 9.3, 4.</NOTE> Locu&s;ts are readie to torment him.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider then and take a view, is it an ea&s;ie thing for a man to obtaine knowledge and faith, that he might be|come the true &s;eruant &amp; child of God and free from &s;o great enimies? how ought we rather, earne&s;tly to labour and &s;eeke for knowledge, that wee might not be &s;nared with idolatrie, the mo&s;t &s;hamele&s;&s;e
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;e</HI> 2.2.</NOTE> whore and harlot of impietie? how ought wee continually to pray for faith, that wee for&s;ake not Chri&s;t our onely and alone Sauiour? and of what conuer&s;ation and holynes of life ought we to be,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.11.</NOTE> that we might not be condemned with the world?
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 13.14.</NOTE> &s;ee therefore, take and put on the whole armour of God; yea, put on Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us him&s;elfe, who is our &s;trength,
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30</NOTE> righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and &s;anctification, for hee is our head,
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 5.23 30.</NOTE> and we his members, hee is our captaine, and we his &s;ouldiers: he is
<PB N="44" REF="28">that Lyon
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reue.</HI> 5.5.</NOTE> of the tribe of <HI>Iudah,</HI> which hath led captiuitie captiue, and giuen guifts to men, and if &s;o we belieue in him, we are his <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> of the faith
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 4.12</NOTE> of <HI>Abraham.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">We mu&s;t not be di&s;|couraged, but take a good heart to fight a|gain&s;t Sa|than, for God is our helpe.</NOTE></P>
<P>Let not our &s;implicitie in the light of the Go&s;pel, di&s;courage vs to fight again&s;t the &s;ubtiltie of Sathan, in the darkne&s;&s;e of error: for God will in|&s;truct our &s;oules in wi&s;edome, and guide our tongues to &s;peake for his glory: <HI>for</HI>
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.25</NOTE> <HI>the fooli&s;hnes of God is wi&s;er then men, and the weakene&s;&s;e of God is &s;tronger then his enemies.</HI> Why then &s;hould we feare in the euill daies, when as our heauenly and &s;pirituall captaine is readie to defend vs: our furniture good and &s;trong able to pre&s;erue vs:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;trong and hea|uenly fur|niture for our &s;piritu|all combat.</NOTE> For how can we haue a better helmet then
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.17</NOTE> &s;aluation, for to ward and beare off the blowe of condemnation: or a &s;harper
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">17.</NOTE> &s;word then the word, to cut a &s;under &s;uper&s;tition: or a &s;tronger
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">16.</NOTE> &s;hield then faith, to repell the dartes of temptation: or a &s;ounder
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">14.</NOTE> bre&s;t|plate then righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to beare the
<PB N="45" REF="28">&s;hot of iniquitie, or a more religious
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">14.</NOTE> girdell then veritie, to compa&s;&s;e the &s;oule, to keepe out here&s;ie: or what fitter
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">15.</NOTE> &s;hooes then the &s;hooes of peace,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our de|liuerance is in and by Chri&s;ta|lone.</NOTE> to walke in the path of charitie. Wee &s;ee then our e&s;tate and danger what it is; and our recouerie and &s;afetie from whence it comes: the view of the one is fearefull, but the obtayning of the other ioyfull. Man therefore mu&s;t know him&s;elfe, &amp; confe&s;&s;e that throgh his owne fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e he hath
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.23</NOTE> been ta|ken, bound, and led, whither he would not, or at lea&s;t, where he &s;hould not, as the Phili&s;tines did
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg.</HI> 16.21.</NOTE> <HI>Samp&s;on:</HI> but let him reioyce and be thankefull vnto God, for Chri&s;t hath
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.53.54.</NOTE> broken the chaines of death, and &s;haken in pieces the pillars of darkene&s;&s;e, and cru&s;hed the
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15</NOTE> head of that &s;ubtill &s;erpent to his euerla&s;ting de&s;truction. Let vs now then with
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 121.1.</NOTE> <HI>Dauid</HI> lift vpour eies to hea|uen from whence commeth our &s;alua|tion, and pray with him: &s;aying,
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 90.13</NOTE> <HI>Lord teach me &s;o to number my dayes, that I may apply my heart vnto wi&s;edome.</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="29">
<P>The v&s;e then hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> that no man or woman can either giue glory vnto god, be obedient to his word, reioyce in his promi&s;es, or be thankful for his mercy, vnle&s;&s;e they take a true <HI>view</HI> of them|&s;elues,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ight of our &s;elues brings vn|to vs the knowledge of our &s;ins.</NOTE> what they are, and then they &s;hall &s;ee their being, to be created: their nature corrupted: their will infected: their knowledge darkened: their faith abated: their &s;inne hated: death pro|cured, and hell prepared. And then, euen then will they be forced to cry out, and not before, &s;aying,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.24.</NOTE> <HI>O wretched man</HI> or woman <HI>that I am, who &s;hall deli|uer me from the body <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">f this death?</HI> So
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.7.8.</NOTE> <HI>Adam</HI> when hee &s;aw his nakedne&s;&s;e, then did he feare; and when
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>King.</HI> 22 34</NOTE> <HI>Ahab</HI> felt his hurt, then did he flye: wrath and death are the &s;wift arrowes of God, wounding the heart of the wicked, to make them &s;ee their mi&s;ery: but mo&s;t happy are they, that with the di&s;cerning and ta&s;te of &s;inne, can &s;ay vnto their &s;oules as the children of the Prophets &s;aid vnto
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>King.</HI> 4.40.</NOTE> <HI>Eli&s;ha, O thou man of God, death is in the pot:</HI> So O thou image of
<PB N="47" REF="29">God,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6.23</NOTE> death is in &s;in: ta&s;te not there|fore, nor feede no more thereof; and then &s;halt thou finde life vnto thy &s;oule, and health vnto thy body: wi&s;|dome will be thy guide, and glory &s;hall be thy crowne: For
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 2.10</NOTE> <HI>vnto euery one that doth good, and continues in wel-doing, &s;hall be honor, and glory, immortalitie and eternall life.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Al-&s;eeing, Wi&s;e, Wonderfull and Almighty God, I thy poore &s;eruant, that by Nature (and through my &s;inne, ignorance and frailtie,) am dull, heauie and blinde, and cannot perceiue, nor &s;ee mine owne errors, danger and mi&s;erie, wherein I am; being ready daily to fall into the pit of euerla&s;ting death: doe mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech thy Maie&s;tie to &s;tay mee by thy hand that I fall not, and to direct me by thy &s;pirit that I goe not a&s;tray from
<PB N="48" REF="30">thy Commandements: for thou ha&s;t made mee to feele mine owne weakene&s;&s;e by lay|ing thy hand vpon me; and ha&s;t made me &s;ee mine owne &s;innes by &s;etting them now before mee. Pardon therefore O Lord, and forgiue me all my faults, and clean&s;e mee from my &s;innes; wa&s;h mee and make mee cleane, &s;o &s;hall I be acceptable in thy &s;ight, and I will prai&s;e thy Name for thy great Mercy, through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t my Lord and onely Sauiour. Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="49" REF="30">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. II.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>TRINITIE.</HEAD>
<P>_THe
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Kin.</HI> 7.21</NOTE> Porch of the Temple in Ieru&s;alem was &s;uppor|ted with two pillars, and not with one: So euery cau&s;e in iudgement &s;hould be proued by two
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Deu.</HI> 19.15</NOTE> witne&s;&s;es, and not by one: <HI>Peters</HI> con&s;cience did not con|demne him, till three
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 26 69.71.72</NOTE> witne&s;&s;es did ac|cu&s;e him: and the malicious Scribes and Phari&s;es would not pre&s;ume to ac|cu&s;e Chri&s;t (whom they hated) vnder two
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">60.</NOTE> witne&s;&s;es at the lea&s;t. But as two twinnes may be diuided, as appeared by
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 25.12</NOTE> <HI>Iaakob</HI> and <HI>E&s;au:</HI> &s;o two witne&s;&s;es may be confuted as were the wicked
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Su&s;an.</HI> 1.54.58. Mans te|&s;timonie may erre.</NOTE> Iudges. Mans te&s;timonie may be cor|rupt, either through couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and malice, or el&s;e it may erre through folly and ignorance: and &s;o by the one or by the other, all men are
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 116 11</NOTE> lyars.
<PB N="50" REF="31">But now behold a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of truth without fal&s;hood;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The per|fection of the <HI>Trinity.</HI></NOTE> a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of peace without di&s;cord; a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of power without feare; a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of holine&s;&s;e without &s;inne; a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of mercy with|out hate; a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of iu&s;tice without corruption: a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of vnitie without diui&s;ion; and a <HI>Trinitie</HI> of eternitie with|out end: a doctrine
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 3.9.10.</NOTE> mi&s;ticall to the world, but reueiled by the word.</P>
<P>God is this <HI>Trinitie:</HI> for <HI>in the</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.2</NOTE> <HI>begin|ning was the Word, and the Word was with God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3</NOTE> <HI>and that Word was God: All things were made by it, and without it was nothing that was made.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">4</NOTE> <HI>In it was life, and the life was the light of men.</HI> God
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.3.</NOTE> &s;aid, and it was done: God
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> &s;aw, and it was good: God
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">22. The <HI>Trini|tie</HI> &s;eene in the crea|tion.</NOTE> ble&s;&s;ed, and it brought forth: the act vvas in power; there is God the Father: the &s;ight was in loue, there is God the Sonne: the ble&s;&s;ing vvas in grace; there is God the holy Gho&s;t: ble&s;&s;ed, becau&s;e
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.1.</NOTE> loued; loued, becau&s;e
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.27</NOTE> created: and yet man created mu&s;t
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.7</NOTE> vvalke in the light, be|cau&s;e vvithout the
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.19.</NOTE> light hee can haue
<PB N="51" REF="31">no life, and without
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.4.7.</NOTE> life, hee can haue no loue. If wee haue life, wee mu&s;t a|bide in God with loue,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Except we abide in God, we are yet &s;till dead in our &s;innes.</NOTE> for hee hath loued vs; and pray&s;e him for his good|ne&s;&s;e, for hee hath ble&s;&s;ed vs, other|wi&s;e our life is but death, our light but darkne&s;&s;e, and our wealth but woe. For what benefit is it vnto vs to be created, if wee be not loued of God? but <HI>if wee doe liue in &s;inne we cannot</HI>
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.6.8</NOTE> <HI>abide in God, nor God in vs,</HI> yet wee are &s;till his crea|tures, but not beloued of him: the cau&s;e is not in him but in vs: for Gods worke in the creation is good, but mans worke in the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion is e|uill: and
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.4.</NOTE> election it is the fruit of Gods loue; but
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.11</NOTE> reiection it is the fruit of mans &s;inne. Sinne was fore&s;eene in the knowledge of God, and &s;o was it fore|warned in the loue of God: where|fore obedience was nece&s;&s;ary to be &s;hewed from the creature to the Crea|tor,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Obedience nece&s;&s;arie for feare of puni&s;hme~t.</NOTE> and to that end was the precept gi|uen, and the law in&s;tituted; threatning puni&s;hment by death from the Creator to the creature, if hee did di&s;obay: So
<PB N="52" REF="32">the
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.12</NOTE> Law then was good, holy and iu&s;t, which did prohibit &s;inne: but mans will was proud and ob&s;tinate which would not obay, but committed &s;inne; for the will of man in his
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.27</NOTE> creation, was holy and powerfull, able and &s;ufficient to re|&s;i&s;t &s;inne, but being puffed vp in pride, (
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">3.5.6.</NOTE> a&s;piring for a Deitie, and not con|tent with his e&s;tate,) contemned Gods precept, and thereby pulled downe Gods heauie wrath vpon him and his po&s;teritie: and therefore <HI>Adam</HI> being the roote of all mankinde,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sin is the poi&s;on and baine of all mankinde.</NOTE> by his &s;inne, hath now corrupted and made vn|fruitfull all the tree. Yet God in great mercy, as he tooke pittie vpon the root &s;o hath hee in his tender loue, anew
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 11.24.</NOTE> ingrafted in a right Oliue tree many of the branches; and others in his iu&s;tice hath he vtterly cut off, &amp; remoued for euer: but notwith&s;tanding, his Maie&s;tie it greatly to be magnified both in the
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">22. The holy <HI>Trinitie</HI> the efficient cau&s;e of mans &s;al|uation.</NOTE> one, and in the other.</P>
<P>And the efficient and onely cau&s;e of Gods mercy and mans &s;aluation, is the euerla&s;ting and admirable loue of
<PB N="53" REF="32">the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> con&s;enting in vnitie; and as it were holding graciou&s;ly a heauen|ly parliament; therein con&s;ulting how to re&s;tore man to his former e&s;tate, &amp; to deliuer him from eternall captiuity,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wi&s;e|dome and mercy of the <HI>trinity.</HI></NOTE> yet &s;o, that God being mo&s;t iu&s;t, might execute his iu&s;tice again&s;t man, and be|ing mo&s;t louing, might &s;hew al&s;o his mercy vnto man. O wonderfull and heauenly wi&s;edome to reconcile and vnite &s;o &s;trange a conclu&s;ion! O great and infinite mercy to pardon and for|giue &s;o great a tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion!</P>
<P>But now let vs more plainely and a little further behold &amp; &s;ee to our great comforts, the my&s;tery of the <HI>Trinitie;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">To know the mi&s;tery of the <HI>Tri|nity</HI> is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary for man.</NOTE> without knowledge whereof, &s;inne cannot be di&s;couered; repentance pro|cured; faith e&s;tabli&s;hed; hope confir|med; loue continued; patience embra|ced; nor ioy encrea&s;ed. It is mo&s;t true, that by the
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 7.7. The Law is the ordi|nance of the King.</NOTE> Law commeth the know|ledge of &s;inne, and the Law it is the or|dinance of the King; and therefore who&s;oeuer breaketh the Law, offend|eth the King: if then we acknowledge
<PB N="54" REF="33">not God the Father, to be our heauen|ly King, wee cannot &s;ubmit our &s;elues vnto his law; and &s;o con&s;equently haue no knowledge of &s;inne, nor motion to repent.</P>
<P>And further, if any haue a faithfull and true friend, him will he beleeue: in him is his hope: and him will he loue: But man not knowing God the &s;onne, who like a mo&s;t faithfull
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.14 15.</NOTE> friend hath laid downe his life for him, how can man
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.14</NOTE> beleeue or hope in him, of whom he hath not heard, or at lea&s;t wi&s;e will not learne to know? And
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 5.22</NOTE> loue, pati|ence, and ioy, being the fruits of the &s;pirit, how can they remaine or abide in that man,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts.</HI> 19.2</NOTE> who hath not heard, whe|ther there be a holy Gho&s;t or not; or at le&s;t wi&s;e will not de&s;ire to be taught and in&s;tructed therein? For as no man can
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.18 <HI>cap.</HI> 14.6.</NOTE> come vnto God the father but by God the &s;on; &s;o none can
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>ver.</HI> 26.20 Sanctifica|tion, re|demption, and electi|on, doe goe and con|&s;ort toge|ther.</NOTE> come vnto God the &s;onne, but by God the holy Gho&s;t: for we are &s;anctified, be|cau&s;e we are &s;aued, and wee are &s;aued becau&s;e we are elected: The loue of
<PB N="55" REF="33">the
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.3.4.5.6.</NOTE> father begetteth, the loue of the &s;onne redeemeth, and the loue of the holy Gho&s;t &s;anctifieth: the &s;pirit giueth faith: the &s;onne giueth life: and the father receiueth vnto grace:
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.6</NOTE> without faith we cannot plea&s;e God,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.2.</NOTE> without the &s;onne, we haue no life, and
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 14.11</NOTE> with|out the father wee cannot be in the &s;onne.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The ioynt and coope|rate work|king of the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> in the re|demption of man.</NOTE> For the whole <HI>Trinitie</HI> euer was, and is cooperating and coadiuting working, and helping together to bring man to &s;aluation, and therefore none of the per&s;ons in the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> mu&s;t be omitted, or forgotten, either in the anologie of our faith, or in the offering of our prayers; for in the mi&s;tery of the <HI>Trinity,</HI> all are as one,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The e&s;|&s;ence of the <HI>Trinitie</HI> is coequall, although the per&s;ons be di&s;tin|gui&s;hed for the glory of God, and capa|city of man</NOTE> and one is as all: For their eternitie and glorie is coequall, being but one and the &s;elfe &s;ame God, in nature, e&s;|&s;ence and &s;ub&s;tance; although it hath plea&s;ed God in the effects and propri|etie of his iu&s;tice, mercy and grace, to manife&s;t him&s;elfe vnto man by three &s;euerall per&s;ons, for the better capa|citie and vnder&s;tanding of man, to
<PB N="56" REF="34">apprehend the great mi&s;terie &amp; worke of his &s;aluation; and to behold the infinit wi&s;dome and iu&s;tice of God in the order and manner of his redemp|tion: as al&s;o to &s;toppe the mouth of Satan, that he &s;hould not vpbraid God of iniu&s;tice, in puni&s;hing him alone and &s;paring man, who likewi&s;e had offen|ded God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God tooke our nature vpon him in the per|&s;on of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> a&s;well as he. And therefore God him&s;elfe tooke vpon him our na|ture di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Godhead but
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 12.27.28.</NOTE> &s;trengthned, vpheld and &s;anctified by his &s;pirit, to the end that his per|&s;on, thus being in the loue of God, and named his onely &s;onne
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 1.22</NOTE> <HI>Ie&s;us</HI> the &s;auiour of the world, &s;hould actually, really and truely &s;tand before Gods iudgement &s;eate,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t be|ing the pledge for man vnto God dyed and &s;uffred for vs, to an&s;were and pay the debt of our obe|dience.</NOTE> as the bayle &amp; pledge of man, to an&s;were for mans &s;inne, not onely for the guiltine&s;&s;e thereof, but al&s;o for the puni&s;hment thereof; which Chri&s;t performed and
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.16.</NOTE> endured in his loue for man: for in him there was no
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.22.</NOTE> &s;inne, and therefore by
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.1.2.</NOTE> him (they which doe beleeue and tru&s;t in him)
<PB N="57" REF="34">are iu&s;tified before God: and he al&s;o &s;uffering for &s;inne, by his power hath
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.55.56</NOTE> ouercome Satan, &s;inne, death, and hell, to free &amp; deliuer the penitent and faithfull from eternall death.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The admi|rable loue of the <HI>Tri|nitie,</HI> vnto man.</NOTE> And &s;o the loue of the father is be&s;towed vp|on vs in the loue of the &s;onne; and the loue of the &s;onne in the loue of the father: for
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 17.22.23.</NOTE> whom the father hath elected, the &s;onne hath &s;aued, (by &s;ati&s;|fying his fathers iu&s;tice, through his obedience, and purcha&s;ing his fathers loue through his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e:) and whom the &s;onne hath &s;aued, the father al&s;o hath elected: for he neuer ca&s;t away nor condemned the obedi|ent, but they that are &s;aued by the &s;on, are obedient in the &s;ight of the father, as being ingrafted into the &s;onne; and through faith made perfect members of the &s;on; and through loue are freely iu&s;tified by the &s;on: and whom the fa|ther hath elected, and the &s;onne &s;aued, tho&s;e al&s;o the holy Gho&s;t hath &s;ealed vp vnto eternall life and &s;anctified: For there are
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.7</NOTE> three witne&s;&s;es and euiden|ces
<PB N="58" REF="35">in heauen of mans &s;aluation,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our &s;alua|tion a&s;&s;u|red by three wit|ne&s;&s;es.</NOTE> God the father, in loue and wi&s;dome beget|ting: God the &s;onne in loue and righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e begotten: God the holy Gho&s;t in loue and grace proceeding: and the&s;e three are one, <HI>Trinitie</HI> in v|nitie, and vnitie in <HI>Trinitie,</HI> not deuided in the deitie nor differing in nature, but di&s;tingui&s;hed in the per&s;ons, and &s;eue|red by order, and that onely for the better apprehen&s;ion of man in the plaine and true vnder&s;tanding of the mi&s;terie of the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> declaring vnto vs the louing &amp; free e&s;tabli&s;hment and eternall ratification of the &s;aluation of man in the wonderfull and infinit mer|cy and wi&s;edome of God:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our con|&s;ciences mu&s;t be fully &s;ati&s;|fied of the loue of the <HI>Trinitie.</HI></NOTE> So that now if wee faile of the &s;eale and witne&s;&s;e of any of the&s;e per&s;ons in the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> to a&s;&s;ure our con&s;ciences of Gods loue &amp; mercy towards vs, wee faile of all.</P>
<P>For as in the convaiances &amp; graunts of temporall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions three things are required to make a perfect deed &amp; a&s;&s;urance in Law, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> (to wit) &s;igning, &s;eal|ing and deliuering, and yet all the&s;e
<PB N="59" REF="35">three are but the act of one;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">How the heauenly in heritance is a&s;&s;ured vn|to man.</NOTE> &s;o in pa&s;|&s;ing the great Charter, or <HI>magna charta</HI> of our heauenly inheritance three things were required, Loue electing, there is the &s;igning: Loue redeeming, there is the &s;ealing: Loue directing, there is the deliuering: and yet the&s;e three are but the act of one. The Fa|ther electing, the Sonne redeeming, the holy Gho&s;t directing, and
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.7</NOTE> <HI>yet but one God.</HI> And further al&s;o to haue the doore opened whereby we might enter to haue po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this heauenly in|heritance, according to the forme of this heauenly Charter, wee mu&s;t make petition vnto three, and yet they are but one in vnitie of con&s;ent and action.</P>
<P>Like as a King hauing one onely Sonne,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Similitude of the vni|tie of the <HI>Trinitie.</HI></NOTE> and one mo&s;t faithfull Coun|&s;ellor, &s;endeth his Son with his Coun|&s;ellor to warre again&s;t an enimie, fur|ni&s;hing them with al &s;trength and pro|ui&s;ion for the &s;eruice: and the victo|ry being gotten by the Sonne, hee gi|ueth the honour principally to his Fa|ther, and yet the King will neither
<PB N="60" REF="36">grant redemption of captiues, and pri|&s;oners without the Sonne, nor title of honor and dignitie to any without his Coun&s;ellor, making atte&s;tation to all his people, that as his Sonne, and his mo&s;t faithfull Coun&s;ellor hath done nothing without his will and direction, giuing the glory vnto him; &s;o neyther will he doe any thing without the con|&s;ent of his Sonne, (who hath as it were freely offered his life in warre for the plea&s;ure and honor of his Father,) nei|ther yet without con&s;ent of his Coun|&s;ellor, (who hath faithfully obayed his commandement, and not di&s;po&s;ed of his trea&s;ure without the liking of him and his Sonne,) and therefore all per|&s;ons what&s;oeuer that would haue ac|ce&s;&s;e vnto the King, hee willeth and commandeth that they make petition to his Sonne, by the helpe and motion of his faithfull Coun&s;ellor, without whom the King will neither graunt or admit either pre&s;ence or petition. In like manner God the King of Kings, hath &s;ent his
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 3.16.17.</NOTE> onely &s;onne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,
<PB N="61" REF="36">accompanied with his faithfull Coun|&s;ellor the holy Gho&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t &s;ent of his Fa|ther, ac|companied with the holy gho&s;t to ouer|come &s;in, death, and hell.</NOTE> furni&s;hing him with all &s;trength and power from a|boue, to make warre again&s;t his eni|mies, Sathan, &s;inne, death and hell: and his Sonne
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.</NOTE> ouercomming and getting the victory by
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 10.17 18</NOTE> laying down his life at the will &amp; plea&s;ure of his Father, and giuing the glory and honour vnto him alone: his Father hath witne&s;&s;ed and proclaimed vnto the whole world, that he hath
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 28 18.19.</NOTE> giuen al power and iudge|ment to his Sonne, and the riches of grace vnto his faithfull Coun&s;ellor the
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 14.26</NOTE> holy Gho&s;t, to di&s;po&s;e thereof at the liking and con&s;ent of the Father and the Sonne. And therefore who&s;oeuer will enter into the gate of euerla&s;ting life, to haue po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of eternall glory; he mu&s;t make petition to the Father by the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.1.2.</NOTE> mediation of the Son, and to the Sonne by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the holy Gho&s;t, without who&s;e ioynt acceptance and con&s;ent, it is decreed in heauen by the wi&s;dome of the Father, and that for the glory and honour of
<PB N="62" REF="37">the Sonne, that none &s;hall enter into his heauenly and cele&s;tiall re&s;t:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The know|ledge of the <HI>Trinity</HI> brings great com|fort vnto the &s;oule.</NOTE> &s;o that wee &s;ee the <HI>Trinitie</HI> in vnitie, and vnitie in <HI>Trinitie</HI> of the eternall Deitie di&s;tin|gui&s;hed in per&s;on, for the comfort of man, but one in e&s;&s;ence for the prai&s;e of God.</P>
<P>And therefore whom God the Fa|ther hath elected, tho&s;e the Sonne hath &s;aued; and whom the Sonne hath &s;a|ued, tho&s;e the holy Gho&s;t hath &s;ancti|fied; and whom the holy Gho&s;t hath &s;anctified, tho&s;e the Sonne hath &s;aued; and whom the Sonne hath &s;aued, tho&s;e the Father hath elected: So that this three-fold cord (the meanes of our &s;al|uation,) it mu&s;t not be broken, it is like <HI>Samp&s;ons</HI> locks, they mu&s;t not be cut off, for if they be, we &s;hall leefe our &s;trength, and become captiues vnto Sathan. O the goodne&s;&s;e and louing kindne&s;&s;e of the Lord, &s;o plainly to re|ueile the mi&s;terie of our &s;aluation, it &s;pringing and ari&s;ing from the foun|taine of his mercy, and yet agreeing with the &s;incerity of his iu&s;tice: teaching
<PB N="63" REF="37">vs thereby that as we haue cau&s;e to re|ioyce, &s;o wee &s;hould tremble and feare before him, for as hee is mercifull, &s;o is hee iu&s;t, and therefore our &s;eruice vn|to him, mu&s;t be in a louing feare, and fearing loue, all the dayes of our liues, to pray&s;e and to glorifie him for e|uer.</P>
<P>The v&s;e of all then is this: <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that wee con&s;ider the glory of mans e&s;tate in his fir&s;t creation what it was,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The e&s;tate of man be|fore &s;inne, and after &s;inne.</NOTE> hee being made after the image of God in holi|ne&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, then able to re&s;i&s;t &s;inne, had hee not afterward wil|lingly and wilfully yeelded him&s;elfe to be ouercome of Sathan; and &s;o hee o|baying &s;inne, wee may con&s;ider the mi|&s;ery of man, by his con&s;enting there|vnto, (the wages thereof being eternall death:) and that the onely way and meanes to free him from this death, was the admirable and incomprehen|&s;ible loue of the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> freely i&s;&s;uing from the goodne&s;&s;e of the Deitie, who fore-&s;eeing that &s;inne would &s;triue a|gain&s;t obedience, ordayned a Law to
<PB N="64" REF="38">preuent &s;inne, and pronounced iudge|ment and death, again&s;t the breakers of the Law, that neither Men nor An|gels might thinke them&s;elues to be as Gods, but as creatures bound to &s;erue and obay God their Creator, and ma|ker both of heauen and earth.</P>
<P>And further wee are to marke and note the infinit wi&s;edome of God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wi&s;e|dome of God in puni&s;hing &s;inne, and yet pardo|ning &s;inne.</NOTE> how in the worke of mans redemption hee executes his iu&s;tice again&s;t man, and yet &s;hewes mercy vnto man, declaring him&s;elfe a iu&s;t God in mercy, and a mercifull God in iu&s;tice. Which &s;aying may &s;eeme like vnto <HI>Samp&s;ons</HI> riddle: <HI>Out</HI>
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg.</HI> 14.14.</NOTE> <HI>of the eater came meate, and out of the &s;trong came &s;weetnes:</HI> For through &s;inne the Law raigned vnto death, ne|uerthele&s;&s;e where
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 5.20</NOTE> &s;inne abounded, theregrace abounded much more; that as by the offence of one, the fault came
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">18.</NOTE> on all men to condempnation, &s;o by the iu&s;tifying of one, the benefite a|bounded toward all men to the iu&s;tifi|cation of life. For <HI>Adam</HI> dyed, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;uffered; <HI>Adam</HI> &s;inned, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>
<PB N="65" REF="38">obayed; iu&s;tice tooke hold vpon the one; and Mercy was &s;hewed toward the other: and how this was wrought it is plaine, that ther was no iu&s;tifying righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e in <HI>Adam,</HI> but that onely the Wi&s;edome, Loue and Holine&s;&s;e of the God-head, (the <HI>Trinitie</HI> in <HI>Vnitie,</HI> and <HI>Vnitie</HI> in <HI>Trinitie,</HI>) ordayned a meanes for man to pa&s;&s;e from Death to Life, as hee made a way for I&s;raell to pa&s;&s;e through
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 4.5.</NOTE> Iordan, into the land of Ca|naan: Yea, <HI>light</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 1.79</NOTE> <HI>hath &s;hined vnto them that &s;it in darkne&s;&s;e, and in the &s;hadow of death.</HI> And therefore how ioyfully may the faithfull now triumph and &s;ay,
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15 55.56.57.</NOTE> <HI>O Death, where is thy &s;ting? O graue, where is thy victory? The &s;ting of death is &s;inne, and the &s;trength of &s;inne is the Law. But thankes be vnto God, which hath giuen vs victory, through our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>If &s;o then &s;inne de&s;erued death, and the iu&s;tice of God could not be appea|&s;ed but by death, euen by the &s;uffering of the body and &s;oule vnder his heauie hand and di&s;plea&s;ure; both which the
<PB N="66" REF="39">whole and perfect
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 26.38.39.</NOTE> humanitie of Chri&s;t did feele, when hee yeelded him&s;elfe obedient vnto the death, (euen the death of the Cro&s;&s;e,) yet after
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">28.6.</NOTE> ray&s;ed vp his body from death to life, by the power of the Deitie, hauing then fully &s;atisfied the execution layde vpon him by his Fathers iu&s;tice, for the debt of our obedience, and &s;o God in his loue and infinit wi&s;dome ordayned a means to free vs from the &s;ame, euen by his onely Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, whom hee &s;ent into the World to dye for vs, and was witne&s;&s;ed from heauen to be the onely Mediatour for our &s;aluation, (if we doe beleeue in him.)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God re|deeming vs we mu&s;t not lightly e&s;tee me of &s;inne, which cau|&s;ed the death of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> God therefore thus taking care for vs, and &s;hewing mercy to &s;aue and redeeme vs from e|ternall death: wee mu&s;t not hereafter either lightly e&s;teeme of &s;inne, giuing our carele&s;&s;e con&s;ent, or pa&s;&s;age there|vnto; nor &s;lenderly account of the great riches and trea&s;ure of our &s;aluati|on, &s;o deerely bought and purcha&s;ed by the mo&s;t precious bloud of Chri&s;t, and graciou&s;ly giuen vnto vs, by
<PB N="67" REF="39">the goodne&s;&s;e of the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> vnder a threefold witne&s;&s;e and eternall ve|ritie.</P>
<P>But if Man or Woman regard not their &s;aluation, but doe embrace &s;inne, contempning God and all goodne&s;&s;e, and de&s;pi&s;ing the riches of his great loue and mercy, not taking any care for to doe their duties either to God or man, nor hauing any pittle or re|mor&s;e to their owne bodies and &s;oules, but like cruell tyrants and murthe|rers of them&s;elues do runne headlong and de&s;perately vpon the &s;word of Gods iu&s;tice:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eternall life decree|ed for the elect in the high court of the <HI>Tri|nitie:</HI> and eternall death there al&s;o de|creed for the repro|bate, who is an eni|mie to the <HI>Trinitie.</HI></NOTE> then let them know and be mo&s;t certainely per&s;waded that as the <HI>Trinitic,</HI> in their mo&s;t high and gracious Court of mercy, hath cer|tainely and euerla&s;tingly decreed for the elect, faithfull, and truely belee|uing Chri&s;tians, eternall and euerla&s;t|ing life, with God in heauen: &s;o the &s;ame <HI>Trinitie,</HI> in their mo&s;t iu&s;t, mo&s;t equall, and mo&s;t righteous Court of Iu&s;tice, hath certainely and euer|la&s;tingly decreed for the reprobate,
<PB N="68" REF="40">wicked and vnbeleeuing eternall death with the Diuell and his Angels in Hell fire for euermore. And were it not that the place, iudgement, and torments, which are appointed for all &s;inners, in Gods Iu&s;tice, were mo&s;t certaine, what needed then a Sauiour, &s;o wonderfully begotten in the loue of the <HI>Trinitie,</HI> to be reueiled vnto the World in Gods Mercy? Wherefore O wicked Men and Women, deceiue not your &s;elues; Gods Worke and Word is not in vaine: Re|pent, for death is at hand, <HI>the</HI>
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 3.10</NOTE> <HI>Axe is layd vnto the roote of the tree, and euery Tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit &s;hall be hewen downe and ca&s;t into the fire.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="69" REF="40">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Lord God, thou which art mo&s;t iu&s;t, holy, righteous and mercifull: I ac|knowledge thy great loue in my Creation, and my mi&s;erie by my rebellion: for thy iu|&s;tice might haue pre&s;&s;ed me down into con|fu&s;ion, but thy mercy hath ray&s;ed me vp vnto &s;aluation. And the mi&s;tery of my Re|demption thou ha&s;t reueiled vnto thy &s;er|uant, applying thy &s;elfe vnto my capacitie, to the end that I might the better appre|hend thee, the</HI> Trinitie <HI>in</HI> Vnitie, <HI>and</HI> V|nitie <HI>in</HI> Trinitie, <HI>God my Father in ele|cting mee, God my Sauiour in redeeming mee, God my Sanctifier in comfort|ing mee. And thou ha&s;t al&s;o O Lord de|clared thy iu&s;tice in the death of thy Son, that I might feare thee; thy mercy in &s;end|ing of thy Sonne, that I might loue thee; and thy goodnes in giuing of thy holy &s;pirit, through the mediation of thy Sonne, that I might prai&s;e thee: thy Iu&s;tice te&s;tifying thy hatred vnto &s;inne; thy Mercy &s;hewing
<PB N="70" REF="41">thy loue vnto man thy grace declaring thy holine&s;&s;e, which al&s;o thou woulde&s;t &s;hould remaine and be in man. For who&s;oeuer dwelleth not in thee, and thou in him, and beleeueth not the</HI> Trinitie <HI>in</HI> Vnitie, <HI>and</HI> Vnitie <HI>in</HI> Trinitie, <HI>being not able to apply the worke of thy redemption vnto his own &s;oule, in hope of his &s;aluation; that mans &s;inne remaineth, his con&s;cience will accu&s;e him, thy iu&s;tice will condempne him, hell will receiue him, &amp; the diuell will torment him. Wherefore O almightie and euerli|uing God, I humbly pray thee to giue mee thy grace that I may at all times be hum|bled in my &s;oule before thee, confe&s;&s;ing my &s;innes, calling vnto thee for mercy, belee|uing thy promi&s;es, and fearing thy iudge|ments; and that thy holy &s;pirit may re&s;t and dwell in mee for euer, to guide and to direct mee vnto thy heauenly King|dome: through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t my onely Lord and Sauiour. Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="71" REF="41">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. III.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>CHRIST.</HEAD>
<P>_THe <HI>Sunne</HI> in the firmament giueth light vnto the Earth, but the &s;onne of God giues
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.4.</NOTE> life vnto men; the one nouri&s;heth the &s;en&s;e, but the other comforteth the &s;oule: the one
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 19.6.</NOTE> compa&s;&s;eth the heauens, but the o|ther &s;earcheth the hart: nothing is hid from the heat of the one, and nothing can be kept &s;ecret from the
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 33.13.14.</NOTE> know|ledge of the other: the one is glorious in his light, yet &s;ometimes &s;hadowed with Cloudes: and the other was
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 2.52</NOTE> gracious in his life, but &s;ometimes wronged with
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 11.19.</NOTE> reproach. Behold therefore as when the &s;unne &s;hineth in his &s;trength, &s;o now the &s;onne of God &s;heweth him|&s;elfe in his power, what he is, and what he did.</P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> from all
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.1.</NOTE> eternitie,
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">3.16.</NOTE> begotten
<PB N="72" REF="42">in the loue of his father,
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15</NOTE> promi&s;ed in paradi&s;e,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 12.5.13.</NOTE> prefigured in the Law,
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 11.1.2.</NOTE> prea|ched by the Prophets,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 1.29.</NOTE> reueiled in the Go&s;pel,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 1.20</NOTE> &s;anctified in the wombe,
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Idem.</HI></NOTE> borne of a Virgin, manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h, and declared mightily to be the Sonne of God: who&s;e birth was hono|red by the appearance of a glorious
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 2.2.</NOTE> Starre, hee being the light of the world: who&s;e dignitie was proclaimed by the
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">2.1.2.</NOTE> wi&s;e-men of the Ea&s;t, he being the King of the Iewes: who&s;e office was publi&s;hed by an
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 2.10.11.</NOTE> Angell from heauen, he being the Sauiour <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the Lord: who&s;e
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">13.</NOTE> prai&s;e and honour, was &s;ung and &s;et foorth by a multitude of hea|uenly Souldiers, he being our &s;piritual Captaine: who&s;e
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 3.16.</NOTE> Bapti&s;me was &s;o|lemnized by the pre&s;ence of the holy Gho&s;t, hee being the &s;econd per&s;on in the <HI>Trinitie:</HI> who&s;e
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">17.</NOTE> name was gi|uen by his heauenly Father from a|boue, he being his beloued &s;onne in whom he was well plea&s;ed: vouch&s;afed to be led
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 4.1.</NOTE> a&s;ide of the &s;pirit into the wilderne&s;&s;e to be tempted of the diuel,
<PB N="73" REF="42">that wee might not be ouercome of temptations: and
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg">2.</NOTE> fa&s;ted forty dayes, and fortie nights that we might learne to ab&s;taine from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts, which fight again&s;t the &s;oule: the
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">11.</NOTE> Angels mini&s;tred vnto him, that wee might vnder&s;tand the great and painefull worke, that hee was to vndertake for our redemption: hee
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 5.2.</NOTE> preached and taught the Go&s;pel of the kingdome, that wee might know the way vnto &s;aluation: he
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">15.30.</NOTE> healed euerie &s;ickne&s;&s;e and euerie di&s;ea&s;e among&s;t the peo|ple that we might perceiue the corrup|tion of our nature, and the perfection of his loue: he put to &s;ilence the
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.16.</NOTE> He|rodians, Saduces and Phari&s;es, that we might wonder at his wi&s;edome; and &s;tudie to be wi&s;e as &s;erpents,
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 10.16.</NOTE> but inno|cent as doues: he fed
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">14.19.20</NOTE> many thou&s;ands with &s;mall proui&s;ion, but &s;o ble&s;&s;ed it that it did &s;uffice: he
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.9.</NOTE> turned water in|to wine: the
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 8.27</NOTE> windes and &s;eas obayed him: the
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">29.</NOTE> diuels trembled and were ca&s;t out before him: at his word the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 21.19.</NOTE> figge tree withered:
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 11.43.44.</NOTE> <HI>Lazarus</HI> came
<PB N="74" REF="43">forth out of his graue: the
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 17.27</NOTE> fi&s;h brought tribute money out of the &s;ea; the
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk</HI> 19.30</NOTE> colt was &s;ent &amp; became tame to beare him; men and children
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 21.8 9.</NOTE> &s;pread there gar|ments and ca&s;t boughes in the way, and went before him, &s;inging that heauenly &s;ong, <HI>Ho&s;anna, in the highe&s;t;</HI> his
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 14.15</NOTE> chamber was ready trimmed in Ieru&s;alem; his &s;upper prepared; his will obayed; and all this did he, to &s;hew his mercy, power and dignitie, that wee might acknowledge him to be the Lord of heauen and of earth, and the graci|ous Sauiour of the world.</P>
<P>And further this eternall Word,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t vvil|lingly &s;uf|fred death to accom|pli&s;h the vvork of our re|demption.</NOTE> this heauenly King, this Sonne of God, this Sauiour <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the Lord, to whom all creatures, and principalities, and pow|ers are &s;ubiect, did mo&s;t willingly &s;ub|mit him&s;elfe vnder the heauie hand of his Father, for to fini&s;h and accompli&s;h the great worke of our Redemption: for after his
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ma.</HI> 4.1.</NOTE> Bapti&s;me he was tempted by Satan, but then hee ouercame: but when hee was to drinke of the
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">26.38.</NOTE> cuppe of his Fathers wrath, vndertaking the
<PB N="75" REF="43">account and puni&s;hment for vs, he then was heauie vnto death, and groned vn|der the waight and burden of our &s;ins; he went into the garden; his &s;oule &s;igh|ed; hee
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Lu.</HI> 22.44</NOTE> &s;weat water and bloud; hee prayed; hee cryed vnto his Father &s;ay|ing; <HI>If it be</HI>
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 26.39</NOTE> <HI>po&s;&s;ible, let this cup pa&s;&s;e from mee: yet not my will, but thy will be done.</HI> After that he was traiterou&s;ly
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">49.50.</NOTE> appre|hended, fal&s;ely
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">60.</NOTE> accu&s;ed, iniuriou&s;ly
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">67.</NOTE> buffetted, wrongfully
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.3.4.</NOTE> condempned, ridiculou&s;ly
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg">29.</NOTE> crowned, &s;coffingly &s;alu|ted, vilely
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">38.</NOTE> accompanied, and cruelly nayled vpon the Cro&s;&s;e: and in his paine and vn&s;peakable agony; his hea|uie and mourning eyes beheld his ene|mies laughing and
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">39.</NOTE> triumphing; his cha&s;te and pittifull eares heard them
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">40.</NOTE> taunting and reuiling; his &s;acred lips ta&s;ted of their bitter potion
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">43.</NOTE> Gall and Vineger; and his innocent heart was
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 19.34</NOTE> pierced with a &s;peare, vnto the death: thus he &s;uffered, and thus he dyed, en|during &s;orrow, &s;hame, and death for vs.</P>
<PB N="76" REF="44">
<P>But (will &s;ome &s;ay) could &s;orrow,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Obiection touching the &s;uffe|ring of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> An&s;were.</NOTE> &s;hame and death, take hold vpon the per&s;on of the Sauiour of the world?</P>
<P>Yea, his humanitie &s;uffered, and in all obedience &amp; patience endured the &s;en|tence of his Fathers iu&s;tice, receiuing not for him&s;elfe, but for vs, the puni&s;h|ment and reward of &s;in: but the &s;ancti|tie and innocencie of his humanitie, &amp; the glory and maie&s;tie of his Deitie, were witne&s;&s;ed and manife&s;ted at the time of his death, by
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.45</NOTE> darkne&s;&s;e of the heauens mourning, the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">51.</NOTE> vaile of the Temple renting, the earth quaking, the &s;tones cleauing, the graues opening, the
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">52.</NOTE> dead bodyes of the Saints ari&s;ing, and the
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">54.</NOTE> hearts of the liuing trembling and fearing: for euen the Centurion &amp; his Souldiers, who led Chri&s;t to his ex|ecution, beholding the&s;e things, great|ly feared and &s;aid; <HI>truely this was the &s;onne of God.</HI> And his body being thus dead and cruelly martyred, it was of many priuately pittied and lamented; but by
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">57.</NOTE> <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> of Arimathea, a faith|full Chri&s;tian, and honorable Coun&s;el|lor,
<PB N="77" REF="44">it was openly and boldly begged of <HI>Pilate,</HI> tenderly taken downe from the Cro&s;&s;e, carefully
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">59.</NOTE> wrapped vp in cleane linnen clothes, and richly en|tombed in a new &s;epulchre, hewen out of a rocke, wherein neuer man lay; o|dours and co&s;tly
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mark.</HI> 16.1</NOTE> oyntments by holy Women, were plentifully prepared to embalme it; and his Di&s;ciples with great heauine&s;&s;e and &s;orrow did mourne and bewaile it; but <HI>they which</HI>
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 126 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ow in teares &s;hall reape in ioy;</HI> Chri&s;t went &s;orrowing in his pa&s;&s;ion, and carried
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">6.</NOTE> precious &s;eede with him (<HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Patience,</HI>) but he returned triumphing at his Re|&s;urrection, and hath brought his &s;heaues with him, (<HI>&V;ictory</HI> and <HI>Glory.</HI>)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great and infinit loue of God to man to die for him.</NOTE></P>
<P>The immortall God tooke vpon him the per&s;on of mortall man to dye for man, that man might liue in him, and &s;leepe no more in &s;inne: the glo|rious Sonne of God was made a meane &s;eruant, to
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 11.28.</NOTE> beare the burden of our in|iquitie, that we might be
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">29.</NOTE> ea&s;ed from the yoke of eternall mi&s;ery. The hea|uenly
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 10.11</NOTE> Shepheard was willing to lay
<PB N="78" REF="45">downe his life for his &s;illy &s;heepe; and the
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">1.4.</NOTE> light and life of the world &s;uffered it &s;elfe for a time to be darkned, and co|uered with the vaile of death, that in the end by force breaking through the barres and clouds of darkne&s;&s;e and of death,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath ouercome death for vs.</NOTE> it might &s;hine more glorious and gracious vnto the Sonnes of men: for what greater glory vnto God, then victory ouer his enemies, euen Satan, &s;inne, death and hell? and what greater grace or fauor vnto man, then a free grant of his libertie from cruell capti|uitie, and a rich gift of an immortall in|heritance in eternall felicitie. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> our Sauiour is
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 23.6</NOTE> ri&s;en from the dead, death hath lo&s;t her
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.55</NOTE> &s;ting, and hell her might, the earth al&s;o trembled &amp;
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 28.2</NOTE> quaked when hee brake open the gates of darkne&s;&s;e and of the graue; and a mo&s;t glorious
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">2.</NOTE> Angel de&s;cended from heauen to role back the great and waighty &s;tone from the doore of the &s;epulchre,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The glori|ous witnes and te&s;ti|mony of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> re|&s;urrection.</NOTE> which was both &s;ealed vp, and guarded &s;trongly with a watch, that Angell as his &s;eruant &s;at without vpon the &s;tone &s;taying &amp; at|tending
<PB N="79" REF="45">ther to giue te&s;timony of his re|&s;urrection vnto the faithful; at the &s;ight whereof the keepers were a&s;tonied, and became as dead men: and in the Sepul|chre there were two infallible and
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 20.12</NOTE> An|gelicall witne&s;&s;es te&s;tifying his re&s;urre|ction; one Angel &s;itting at the head, an|other at the feet, where his mo&s;t &s;acred and crucified body once was laid: the
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 28.11.</NOTE> Watch came into the citie Ieru&s;alem, and &s;hewed vnto the high Prie&s;ts all the things that were done, but they &s;topped vp the Souldiers mouthes with
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">12.</NOTE> mony, that they &s;hould not
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">13.</NOTE> declare this wonder and this truth, le&s;t that they for their crueltie and infidelitie &s;hould be hated of the whole world, for putting of the Lord and Sauiour of the world to death. But to confound this wicked proiect of theirs; <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> after his Re&s;urrection appeared vnto
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 16.9</NOTE> <HI>Mary Magdalen,</HI> and to his Di&s;ciples, in
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">7.</NOTE> Galile, yea, <HI>Thomas</HI> was willed to put his
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 20.27</NOTE> finger into the print of the nayles, wherewith <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was nayled vnto the Cro&s;&s;e, and to put his hand
<PB N="80" REF="46">into his &s;ide: hee
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 24.36.43.</NOTE> talked and did eate with his Di&s;ciples, he
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh</HI> 20.22</NOTE> breathed on them, and &s;aid; <HI>Receiue the holy Gho&s;t, for all</HI>
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 28.18.</NOTE> <HI>power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth:</HI> and after hee had &s;poken vnto them, he was
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 16.19</NOTE> receiued into hea|uen, where he &s;itteth at the right hand of his Father, and from thence will come at the la&s;t day in great glory and maie&s;tie, to iudge both quicke &amp; dead. <HI>And the&s;e things are</HI>
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 20.31</NOTE> <HI>written that wee might beleeue, that Ie&s;us is the Chri&s;t the Sonne of God, and that in beleeuing wee might haue life through this name,</HI> for e|uermore. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that euery man &amp; woman mu&s;t learn to know the nature, dignitie;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">What be|nefit it is to haue perfect knovv|ledge of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></NOTE> office, goodne&s;&s;e and power of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> in knowing whereof, their faith &s;hall be more &s;trengthened, their hope confirmed, and their patience in|crea&s;ed: For as in humane &s;tudies; artes, and morrall learning, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> it is no profitable manner of teaching to demon&s;trate conclu&s;ions before the principles be taught: &s;o in attaining vnto &s;pirituall
<PB N="81" REF="46">knowledge and increa&s;e of grace, God him&s;elfe, who is the fountaine of all things, mu&s;t be fir&s;t knowne, and then wee &s;hall prai&s;e him in his workes, and reioyce in his mercy, who hath giuen life and &s;aluation vnto men, which was the cau&s;e and end for which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came into the world.</P>
<P>A woman in trauaile, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> being deliue|red, if &s;hee &s;hould de&s;ire but to &s;ee the feete onely of the Babe, and not the head, face, and body, would &s;hee not be counted a &s;trange, vnkinde and foo|li&s;h woman? So man being in trauaile and &s;orrow vnder &s;inne;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> mu&s;t be fully &amp; perfectly vnder|&s;tood.</NOTE> but &s;aluation hauing appeared by the comming of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> into the world, is it &s;ufficient for vs to looke onely vpon the death of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> it being the la&s;t extreame (or foote as it were of his &s;ufferings &amp; pa&s;|&s;ion,) and not to behold the dignitie of his nature, (hee being God?) the pre|heminence of his gouernment, (he be|ing the head of the Church?) the beau|tie of his goodnes, (he hauing loue and mercy &s;hining in his face?) and the
<PB N="82" REF="47">painefulne&s;&s;e of his labour, (hee &s;u&s;tai|ning and bearing it in his body.) If wee &s;hould omit the view of the whole pro|portion and nature of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and take knowledge but of a part thereof, wee then &s;hall &s;ee and di&s;cerne him as the
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 7.24</NOTE> blinde man did the men, whom hee &s;aw, and tooke for trees: &s;o looking but vpon the death of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> we onely &s;hall &s;ee him crucified on a tree, his huma|nitie &s;uffering both &s;hame and &s;orrow, which can giue vs little comfort: But wee mu&s;t lift vp our eyes as
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ge.</HI> 24.63</NOTE> <HI>I&s;ack</HI> did when hee looked and &s;aw a far off <HI>Re|becka</HI> his beloued comming: and not ca&s;t them downe as <HI>Abraham</HI> did when he
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">23.2.3.</NOTE> &s;at by the corps of <HI>Sarah</HI> mour|ning: &amp; then we &s;hall &s;ee <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> beauti|full, &s;hining as the Sunne, and comming like a Bride-groome but of his cham|ber,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Mat.</HI> 25 6</NOTE> apparrelled in great maie&s;tie and glory, hee being God al-&s;ufficient, both by his power creating vs, and al&s;o in his mercy redeeming vs: and &s;o mu&s;t wee behold the Deitie of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> with all his attributes, and properties, in feare
<PB N="83" REF="47">and admiration: and con&s;ider of his humanitie with all his actions and &s;uffe|rings in ioy and con&s;olation: for by the one he is able to doe all things for vs; and by the other he hath &s;hewed him|&s;elfe willing to come vnto vs; that wee might freely come to him, and to his Father al&s;o, by beleeuing in his name, that hee is God and a Sauiour vnto vs; (by de&s;troying &s;inne, death and hell for vs;) that we might be made heyres of eternall life through him, and being &s;ealed with his &s;pirit, and &s;anctified by his grace, might in the end be made
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 5.28</NOTE> perfect, as his Father which is in hea|uen is perfect.</P>
<P>And therefore they that de&s;ire to be members of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily learne to know him aright, not in part but in all, that the whole nature of man might feare and &s;orrow to commit &s;inne, (which is the &s;ting of death) and to reioyce and de&s;ire to doe the works of holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;nes, to be in|grafted into <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> without whom there is no
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 2.4.5</NOTE> &s;aluation, and in him we cannot
<PB N="84" REF="48">be, vnle&s;&s;e we doe know,
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.9</NOTE> beleeue, con|fe&s;&s;e, loue, obay, and honour him as we ought to do euen withall our
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.37</NOTE> hart, with al our mind, with all our &s;trength, and with all our &s;oule.</P>
<P>How great then is their error,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A fearefull thing to neglect the knowledge and wor|&s;hip of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></NOTE> and &s;inne, that haue neglected this know|ledge? and how fearefull is their e&s;tate, that haue contemned, and daily doe bla&s;pheme the name of <HI>Chri&s;t?</HI> but they mu&s;t know, that for this their neglect and contempt, they &s;hall &s;urely
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eccl.</HI> 11.9</NOTE> come vnto iudgement, and that before him whom they haue di&s;pi&s;ed, and he &s;hall then giue
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 14.7.</NOTE> &s;entence again&s;t them in the honour of his Maie&s;tie, and puritie of his iu&s;tice, becau&s;e they haue beene inrepentant and malignant &s;inners, and refu&s;ed the grace offered, and &s;aluation; choo&s;ing rather to walke and abide in in the way of death, then in the way of life; and therefore their portion &s;hall be with the wicked, and their &s;inne &s;hall neuer be done away. But ble&s;&s;ed are the faithfull, for their
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 21.14</NOTE> right is in the tree of life, which is in the
<PB N="85" REF="48">midde&s;t of the Paradi&s;e of God, and their ioy &s;hall be euerla&s;ting, and none &s;hall take it away from them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Eternall God and Sauiour of the world,</HI> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, <HI>the knowledge of thee is exceeding ioy vnto my &s;oule, for thy being is eternall, thy loue infinit, and thy glory wonderfull: When thou wa&s;t vpon the earth, thou didde&s;t &s;hew thy &s;elfe gracious in Humilitie, &s;ingular in Wi&s;e|dome, painful in Labour, patient in Spirit, pittifull in Mercy, iu&s;t in Action, and obe|dient to thy Fathers will; thy Soule was afflicted, and thy bodie crucified, not for thy &s;elfe but for mee, to deliuer me from thy Fathers wrath, that I might be made heire and pertaker of eternall life with thee in heauen. O Lord make mee euermore
<PB N="86" REF="49">to delight in this particular and gracious knowledge of thee, that I may &s;till admire at thy glory, wonder at thy loue, &s;tudie in thy law, and be thankefull vnto thee for thy mercy, pray&s;ing and magnifying thy name for euer for my great &s;aluation, which was promi&s;ed in thy loue, performed by thy pa&s;&s;ion, a&s;&s;ured by thy re&s;urrection, and now re&s;erued in heauen for mee, with glorification for euer. Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="87" REF="49">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. IIII.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>HEAVEN.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_ADam</HI> &s;inning was
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.24</NOTE> ca&s;t out of Paradi&s;e: but <HI>Abraham</HI> beleeuing was brought in|to
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">24.3.</NOTE> <HI>Canaan:</HI> the earth is cor|rupt, and the &s;oules of the Saints are greiued, the world was
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">7.19.20.</NOTE> drowned; and it &s;hall be
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.7</NOTE> burned. <HI>Iaakob</HI> being
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 28.11.12.</NOTE> wea|ry was comforted with his dreame, and <HI>Steuen</HI> at his
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts.</HI> 7.55.56</NOTE> death was refre&s;hed with his ioyfull &s;ight: the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reuel.</HI> 12.2.6.</NOTE> woman in tra|uell, (the Church afflicted,) is &s;trength|ned, becau&s;e her child is receiued, and a place for her is al&s;o prepared.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The hope of re&s;t and reward makes la|bour and trouble ea&s;ie.</NOTE> The pil|grime endures his iourny in hope of his re&s;t: and the Souldier the fight in hope of his honor: and our glorie, re&s;t abiding place, ioy, comfort, and <HI>Cana|an,</HI> is <HI>Heauen;</HI> where Chri&s;t &s;itteth at the right hand of his father (hauing all
<PB N="88" REF="50">power giuen vnto him both of things in heauen, and of things in earth.</P>
<P><HI>Heauen</HI> is taken diuers wayes in the &s;criptures; as for
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 3.2</NOTE> grace, begetting: for
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">13.11.19.</NOTE> doctrine, directing: for
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">18.3.4.</NOTE> glorie, ex|alting: we cannot be glorified, except we be edified; we cannot be edified ex|cept we be &s;anctified: For grace is the doore, knowledge is the keye, and glo|rie is the ioy of the kingdome of hea|uen.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The glory of heauen is incom|prehen&s;i|ble.</NOTE> To de&s;cribe this glorious heauen; what man is hee that can declare it, when <HI>Paul</HI> was a&s;toni&s;hed, and could not reueale it? for the tongues of An|gells cannot &s;ufficiently expre&s;&s;e it,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 22.18.</NOTE> nor the heart of man (were it a &s;ea of wi&s;e|dome) &s;ufficiently apprehend it, nor the eies of the Saints, were they as pure and as quicke as the light) &s;ufficiently di&s;cerne it. It is a
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 13 44.45.</NOTE> trea&s;ure hid, and a
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Idem.</NOTE> pearle mo&s;t precious; wee mu&s;t &s;ell all that we haue, and buy it: although in this world we doe behold it, as the ieweller doth the ragged Diamond, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> or any other precious &s;tone, being rough, vncut, vnpoli&s;hed, and the beautie hid:
<PB N="89" REF="50">but the Iewellers knowledge appre|hends the vertue of the one, and the faith of the godly beholds the glory of the other: for <HI>we now &s;ee in</HI>
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.24.</NOTE> <HI>part, but af|ter this life ended we &s;hal po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the ful|nes of tho&s;e ioys, in the heauenly kingdome which we hoped for.</HI> Is this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heauen is to be pre|ferred be|fore this world.</NOTE> thinke you, glorious in creation; plea&s;ant in varietie; beautifull with delight; rich in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; and comfortable in fru|ition? <HI>Heauen</HI> is farre more glorious; for it is the?
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 35.17.</NOTE> throne of Almightie God, the King and onely Lord of all the world, but the earth is his foote&s;toole, and the creatures therein are his &s;er|uants, all being mortall, vani&s;hing and vaine; the plea&s;ures thereof momen|tarie, the beautie fading,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vntill wee die, &amp; our bodies be changed we cannot &s;ee the glo|rious, and heauenly kingdome with the&s;e eyes.</NOTE> the riches fly|ing and the comfort ending. Indeed heauen is hid from our earthly eyes, by the glorious firmament which is as a courtaine drawne before vs, being &s;pangled with &s;tarres and beautified with the Sunne and Moone, glittering and &s;hinning, that we cannot looke in|to the chamber of the heauenly Brid|groome,
<PB N="90" REF="51">vntill &s;uch time as our cor|ruption,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.53.</NOTE> &s;hall put on incorruption, and our mortalitie, put on immortalitie: And the felicitie in heauen is infinite,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The felici|tie in hea|uen great.</NOTE> for there is
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 22.5</NOTE> light without darkene&s;&s;e,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">21.4.</NOTE> ioy without &s;orrow, glorie without &s;hame, varietie without want, beautie without blemi&s;h, riches without cor|ruption, and comfort without ending? for the
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">22.1.</NOTE> fountaine of life is there euer running, the
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2.</NOTE> tree of life is there euer growing, the
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">19.7.</NOTE> Angels and Saints are there &s;till reioycing, and their glorie and life is euer continuing; their loue is
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">14.4.</NOTE> holy without corrupt affection, their thoughts are heauenly without any earthly
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg">5.</NOTE> cogitation: there is the
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Nat.</HI> 22.3.</NOTE> wedding fea&s;t prepared for Chri&s;t and his
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Cant.</HI> 6.2</NOTE> e&s;pou&s;e;
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 19.7 4.4. 7.13.</NOTE> there are the roabes laid out, and the crownes &s;et foorth for the faithfull and elect; there are the flori&s;hing
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">9.</NOTE> Palmes of peace, to be put into their hands; and the
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">5.9.</NOTE> new &s;ong written, to be plan|ted in their hearts; there are the
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">20.4.</NOTE> &s;eates &s;et vp for iudgement; there is the
<PB N="91" REF="51">glorious Angell, that &s;hall blow the la&s;t
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">11.15.</NOTE> trumpet; and there dwelleth God for euer, <HI>who will come in great</HI>
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">20.11.12</NOTE> <HI>power and Maie&s;tie, to iudge both quicke and dead.</HI> I mu&s;t be
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.4.</NOTE> &s;ilent, the glorie of the heauenly place hath dimmed my vn|der&s;tanding? it exceedes all earthly ca|pacitie, for it is a &s;pirituall and eternall felicitie, vn&s;eene, vnheard, not to be conceiued, yet mo&s;t certaine: that for the Saints and holy, it is appointed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The ioyes of heauen &s;hould draw eue|ry one to be willing to for&s;ake the world.</NOTE> prouided, and ordained. What man then that is young? that would not be olde, to ha&s;ten to his graue; that his &s;oule might enter and dwell in this heauenly paradi&s;e? What man that is rich, that would not &s;ell all that he hath to obtaine a crowne of glorie in this kingdome? What man that is poore, that would not de&s;ire to be clothed with the glorious roabes laied vp in this place? What man that is wi&s;e, that would not long to ta&s;te of the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reuel</HI> 2.7</NOTE> tree of life, which is in the midde&s;t of this heauenly garden? What man that is &s;trong, that would not be a
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">3.12.</NOTE> pillar in
<PB N="92" REF="52">this pallace; what woman that is faire and beautifull, that would not wi&s;h to be decked and adorned with the mor|ning
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">2.28.</NOTE> &s;tar, &s;hining in this court, which giues great grace &amp; glorie vnto all the Saints? <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> It is not to be que&s;tioned, but that any one, hauing an e&s;tate for life in land, would be willing to &s;urrender it for an inheritance, and hauing bra&s;&s;e would be glad to exchange it for gold: our life is &s;hort: our riches dro&s;&s;e: our plea&s;ure vanitie: our libertie, captiuitie: who then but &s;hould be mo&s;t glad, to leaue this mortallitie for immortallity, things which are vile, for honorable: vaine, for durable: bonds, for freedome and felicitie?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our bo|dies are but as pri|&s;ons, and the world as a wil|derne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> For as no pri&s;on is faire, nor wilderne&s;&s;e plea&s;ant, no more &s;hould any take delight to continue long in the pri&s;on of this earthly bo|die, (the outward man:) nor in the wil|derne&s;&s;e of this world, (the troubles of this life:) becau&s;e the one is infected, and the other filled with manie euills. Wherefore let vs with <HI>Dauid</HI> thri&s;t af|ter God, as the hunted &amp; cha&s;ed
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 42.1.2</NOTE> hart
<PB N="93" REF="52">doth after the water brooke; and with <HI>Paul</HI> de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olued and to be with Chri&s;t,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Phil.</HI> 1.23</NOTE> &s;till longing to behold and &s;ee his face, as
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 45.18.</NOTE> <HI>Iaakob</HI> did to &s;ee <HI>Io&s;eph,</HI> whom his &s;oule loued.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> that wee con&s;ider of the great mercy of God in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, for our election, creation, redem|tion, &s;anctification, vocation, pre&s;erua|tion, and glorification: for had not God &s;hewed mercy vnto vs in
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.4.</NOTE> loue, in his election &amp; foreknowledge before the foundations of the world were laied, and &s;ent his &s;onne to die for vs to &s;ati&s;|fie his iu&s;tice, which otherwi&s;e &s;hould haue taken hold vpon vs for our &s;ins; hell, not heauen, had beene the dwel|ling, place for vs. And therefore we are to reioyce and wonder at the louing kindne&s;&s;e of the Lord, by rea&s;on that wheras naturall loue in euerie creature is begotten by a reciprocall and retur|ning liking or affection from one to the other;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods loue to vs is of his free grace.</NOTE> yet the &s;pirituall loue in God to man, is begotten of his free
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.5.6</NOTE> grace, without any reciprocall wor|thines
<PB N="94" REF="53">or affection from man to God, for God hath begotten vs vnto him&s;elf, by him&s;elfe, and in him&s;elfe, and for him&s;elfe: and we are fallen away from God, by our &s;elues, &amp; from our &s;elues: and although it be repugnant to na|ture for loue to linke it &s;elfe to hate, or one contrarie to embrace another, yet behold the loue of God to man;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God hath loued vs which were his enemies.</NOTE> man hath
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 5.10 1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.10</NOTE> hated God, but God hath loued man, redeeming him, and will al&s;o glo|rifie him: A mercy aboue all mercies, a worke aboue all workes, a &s;trange worke; for God to make vs of nothing being but a dead lumpe of clay; to &s;aue vs when we were nothing, being but a filthy lumpe of &s;in, and now to glori|fie vs with him in heauen, that wee al&s;o might be made perfect, as hee him&s;elfe is perfect.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Glorifica|tion is the mo&s;t hap|pie fruit of our re|demption.</NOTE> For without our glorifica|tion, our creation and redemption, vocation and &s;anctification, had not beene &s;o comfortable, as now they are vnto vs: the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> plainely proouing, that
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15 19.</NOTE> if the elect and &s;er|uants of God had but onely &s;aluation
<PB N="95" REF="53">in this world, without hope of glorie in the life to come; they were of al men mo&s;t mi&s;erable. For we know that this world, it is at
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam.</HI> 4.4.</NOTE> enmitie with God, and the godly by the wicked are
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.36.37.</NOTE> per&s;ecu|ted, afflicted, and tormented:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly to be deli|uered from hell, and not to a&s;|cend to heauen, their e&s;tate were not &s;o happy, but com|pa&s;&s;ed with mi&s;erie, li|uing in this world.</NOTE> there|fore if &s;o redemption onely were gran|ted vnto vs from the paines of hell, and yet we &s;till to re&s;t and dwell vpon the face of the earth, among&s;t the wicked and vngodly; what ioy? nay, what in|finite, &s;orrow would not vexe our &s;oules and bodies, when as wee &s;hould &s;ee the wicked flori&s;h and God di&s;ho|noured; his name bla&s;phemed, his word de&s;pi&s;ed: his Law contemned, and his wor&s;hip &s;corned and propha|ned: be&s;ides we mu&s;t be in continuall
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.10.11.</NOTE> fight and warfare, again&s;t the world the fle&s;h and the diuell, being on euery &s;ide a&s;&s;aulted,
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.7.</NOTE> buffetted and di&s;tre&s;&s;ed: but being once glorified and receiued vp into heauen wee &s;hall be free from all vexation, feare and daunger; and for euer bee deliue|red from Satan, &s;inne, and death: and
<PB N="96" REF="54">this is the comfort of all the afflicted children of God in this world, that if they
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.17</NOTE> &s;uffer here with Chri&s;t, they al&s;o &s;hall be glorified with him in heauen: for
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 14.13</NOTE> <HI>ble&s;&s;ed are all they, that hereafter die in the Lord, (&s;o &s;aith the Spirit,) for they re&s;t from their labours, and their workes follow them.</HI></P>
<P>Another v&s;e hereby ari&s;eth, to a&s;|&s;ure vs of the re&s;urrection from the dead, and of the day of iudgement, for who&s;oeuer hath
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.29.</NOTE> done well &s;hall be rai&s;ed vp at the la&s;t day vnto eternall life; and who&s;oeuer hath done euill, vn|to eternall death: Let euery one there|fore tremble and feare, and with the
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.10</NOTE> wi&s;e Virgins labour and watch, with oyle in their Lamps, that they may en|ter with <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> into his heauenly re&s;t, and glorious kingdome, For
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 21.8.</NOTE> <HI>without &s;hall be the fearefull and vnbeleeuing, and the abhominable, and murtherers, and whore-mongers, and Sorcerers, and Ido|laters, and all Lyars; who &s;hall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="97" REF="54">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Lord God, I thy &s;eruant doe con|fe&s;&s;e before thy Maie&s;tie, that by rea&s;on of my infinite &s;innes and tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions, which I haue committed again&s;t thee, and again&s;t man, that I am not wor|thy &s;o much as for to lift vp mine eyes vn|to</HI> Heauen, <HI>from whence commeth my &s;al|uation, nor to tread vpon the face of this thy earth, wherein I haue comfort and con&s;olation: neyther am I worthy O Lord to receiue the lea&s;t of thy ble&s;&s;ings, and be|nefits, which daily thou do&s;t be&s;tow vpon mee or vpon thy children, or vpon the &s;onnes of men, much le&s;&s;e to enter into thy heauenly kingdome, the glory whereof is incomprehen&s;ible, &amp; the inheritance ther|in vndefiled, belonging onely to thy Saints and holy ones. Haue mercy therefore, O Lord vpon me, and wa&s;h me, and make me cleane from all my &s;innes, &s;anctifie me with thy &s;pirit, and preuent me with thy grace, that I may &s;inne no more again&s;t
<PB N="98" REF="55">thee, but euer hereafter lead an holy and godly life before thee and before man, that in the end I may dwell with thee for euer in thy mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed kingdome and hea|uenly Temple, through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t my onely Lord and Sauiour.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="99" REF="55">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. V.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>PRESVMPTION.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_PRe&s;umption,</HI> it is a bolde a&s;&s;uming or &s;elfe conceit, either in the hautine&s;&s;e, or ignorance of the minde, to doe, command, or omit, what the will liketh, without re&s;pect or feare of any controll or puni&s;hment by the higher power. In the fir&s;t kinde, in hautine&s;&s;e of the minde: our
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.6.</NOTE> Parents <HI>Adam</HI> and <HI>Eue</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed, in taking and ea|ting of the forbidden fruit.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>King.</HI> 20 42</NOTE> <HI>Ahab</HI> and
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 15 9.</NOTE> <HI>Saul</HI> offended, the one in &s;paring <HI>A|gag,</HI> the other <HI>Benhadab:</HI> the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 12.38.39.</NOTE> Scribes and Phari&s;es <HI>pre&s;umed</HI> in asking of a &s;igne, as if they might command Gods power at their will and plea&s;ure: But the re&s;urrection from the dead by the parable of <HI>Ionas</HI> mu&s;t be vnto the faith|full and beleeuing, the clo&s;ing vp and conclu&s;ion of all miracles. For as in the
<PB N="100" REF="56">&s;eauenth day God
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 2.2.</NOTE> re&s;ted from crea|ting,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">We are not pre&s;umptu|ou&s;ly to ex|pect and looke for miracles: for they haue an end.</NOTE> &s;o in the appointed time
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 12.38.39.</NOTE> Chri&s;t cea&s;ed and re&s;ted from doing Miracles: becau&s;e that as he made all things very good in the creation; &s;o what he &s;pake and promi&s;ed in his word, they are
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.20</NOTE> <HI>yea,</HI> and <HI>Amen,</HI> without alteration: therfore miracles in the&s;e times are not pre&s;umptuou&s;ly eyther to be wi&s;hed or expected for; but in the time of nece&s;&s;i|tie when all outward meanes faileth, then are we to tru&s;t in the omnipotent power of God, de&s;iring his helpe and mercy, that aboue our apprehen&s;ion and expectation, hee would &s;end vnto vs his immediate helpe and &s;aluat on, which hee hath euer promi&s;ed, and will faithfully performe vnto them that put their tru&s;t in him.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Wilful and proud pre|&s;umption.</NOTE> The worldly wi&s;e, (&s;hall I not &s;ay the Athei&s;ts?) they pre|&s;ume of their fine and ouer-reaching wits, e&s;teeming with the
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.23</NOTE> Grecians, the preaching of the Go&s;pell fooli&s;h|ne&s;&s;e: but vnto them it &s;hall be the
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 9.55</NOTE> &s;auour of death vnto death, and the heauy witne&s;&s;e again&s;t them in the day
<PB N="101" REF="56">of condemnation: the rich men pre|&s;ume of their riches, and with the
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 11.23</NOTE> Ca|pernaims doe aduance them&s;elues on hie, and doe oppre&s;&s;e and di&s;pi&s;e the poore; but they &s;hall be ca&s;t downe to hell, for their riches are corrupt, and they heape vp trea&s;ure of vengeance a|gain&s;t the day of death. The &s;trong and mightie pre&s;ume of their &s;trength and potencie, as did
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 17 10</NOTE> <HI>Goliah,</HI> defying the God of I&s;raell; and as did king
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Kin.</HI> 14 8</NOTE> <HI>Ama|ziah,</HI> chalenging <HI>Iehoa&s;h,</HI> and his peo|ple to come into the field and fight a|gain&s;t him: but the one as a Dog, was &s;troken and killed with a &s;tone; and the other, as a Thi&s;tle, was &s;tamped and troden to the ground. Beware there|fore of <HI>Pre&s;umption</HI> in hautines of the minde, which is the &s;inne of <HI>Lucifer:</HI> for <HI>the</HI>
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 8.13.</NOTE> <HI>feare of the Lord is to hate euill, as Pride and Arrogancy, and the euill way: and the mouth that &s;peaketh lewde things I doe hate,</HI> (&s;aith the Lord.)</P>
<P>In the &s;econd kinde of <HI>Pre&s;umption,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Wilful and ignorant pre&s;ump|tion.</NOTE> in ignorance of the minde: many there be which doe ob&s;tinately refu&s;e the
<PB N="102" REF="57">^o waters of Shiloah that runne &s;oftly, and are carryed away head-long with the &s;trong &s;treame of Super&s;tition or affection, to the &s;ea of de&s;olation, reloy|cing with <HI>Rezin,</HI> and the &s;onne of <HI>Re|maliah,</HI> embracing eyther new and &s;trange doctrine with the Libertines, or el&s;e doting vpon deceirfull vanitie, with the Romaines; whereas they may ea&s;ily and &s;afely re&s;ort at home, if they would, vnto the &s;anctuary of the Lord and congregation of the faithfull, to heare the heauenly oracle of God; (his Word truely preached, his Name mo&s;t ioyfully magnified, and to behold the gladne&s;&s;e of the Hearers, they being greatly comforted and edified therby.) For wee all (if wee did regard our pro|fe&s;&s;ion) &s;hould reioyce in the?
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 4.3.4.5.</NOTE> vnitie of one body, as &s;pirituall members, knit to Chri&s;t our head; abounding in loue one towards another, being called by one Spirit: wee all making &s;hew and &s;eeming, and pretending to wor&s;hip one God, to embrace one faith, to &s;erue one Lord, to honour one Father, and
<PB N="103" REF="57">to profe&s;&s;e one truth. And certain|ly there is no way but one vnto &s;alua|tion, (which is
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 14.6.</NOTE> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us,) whom the Church of England mo&s;t truly pro|fe&s;&s;eth and &s;incerely imbraceth.</P>
<P>But &s;ome exceptions are taken a|gain&s;t our loo&s;e and carnal Go&s;pellers,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Loo&s;e pro|fe&s;&s;ors are an occa&s;i|on of great offence &amp; &s;candall to the go&s;pel.</NOTE> who by their euill examples, and pre|&s;umptuous liuing, doe &s;candalize and &s;lander the profe&s;&s;ion of our Church of England, whereby the ignorant doe fall away, and make a &s;eparation from vs: But wee wi&s;h with the Apo&s;tle, that
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.1</NOTE> all might be &s;aued, yet it is impo&s;&s;ible but that &s;ome
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 18.7</NOTE> offences mu&s;t come, &amp; be in the Church of God, but woe be to them by whom the offence commeth: for al were not holy among&s;t the Apo|&s;tles, but there was one a back-&s;lider,
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.70.</NOTE> denying his Ma&s;ter, and another
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke.</HI> 22.3.4.</NOTE> co|uetous which had a Diuell: the good corne hath Tares growing among&s;t it, and they mu&s;t grow together vntill the Harue&s;t: the Goates doe liue among&s;t the Sheepe, and they mu&s;t feede toge|ther vntill the day of
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.</NOTE> &s;eparation: many
<PB N="104" REF="58">were the Scribes and Phari&s;es, but few were the di&s;ciples, and therfore not the multitude but the regenerate and &s;an|ctified do make the Church of Chri&s;t. Wherefore let not <HI>pre&s;umptuous</HI> igno|rance beguile and blind the &s;oules of the &s;imple, but let them &s;earch the
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.39.</NOTE> Scriptures, and al&s;o
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 2.17</NOTE> try the Spirits? whether they be of God or not, for the not knowing of the Scriptures is the cau&s;e why men doe erre and are decei|ued.</P>
<P>Be wi&s;e now then ye pre&s;umptuous ignorant, and learne, and come vnto the knowledge of the truth: for Chri&s;t knocketh at the doore of your hearts and &s;aith;
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 9.4.5.</NOTE> who &s;o is &s;imple let him come to me, and to him that is de&s;ti|tute of wi&s;edome hee &s;aith; come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawne: for&s;ake your way ye fooli&s;h, and yee &s;hall liue, and walke in the way of vnder&s;tanding,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 8.9.</NOTE> <HI>for all my words are plaine to him that will vnder&s;tand, and &s;traight to them that would finde knowledge.</HI></P>
<PB N="105" REF="58">
<P>O &s;uffer not your &s;elues to be led a&s;ide out of the way to <HI>Canaan,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Some im|perfecti|ons in the Church mu&s;t not cau&s;e an vtter fal|ling away from the Church.</NOTE> be|cau&s;e briars are in the wilderne&s;&s;e, nei|ther be per&s;waded to refu&s;e the kernel, becau&s;e the &s;hell is rugged, nor to leaue the liuing water becau&s;e the fountaine is troubled. For as a &s;hippe may &s;aile and be in a right pa&s;&s;age, and come &s;afely to the hauen, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> although it may haue either too many or want &s;ome tacklings: &s;o although ourchurch may haue (which yet is not graun|ted,) either too many outward rites, or want &s;ome reformation; yet all confe&s;&s;e &s;he holdeth and keepeth her maine cour&s;e and faithfull pa&s;&s;age to Chri&s;t alone the hauen of her re&s;t: and although &s;he be weather beaten (as it were) with the bla&s;ts and &s;tormes of reproach, and blacke with the touch of &s;ome pretended imperfection: yet &s;he is
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Can.</HI> 4.1.</NOTE> faire and louely in the &s;ight of God, and he wil graciou&s;ly adorne her, and make her all
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 49.13.</NOTE> glorious within; and in the end take her and receiue her, as his mo&s;t beautifull and belo|ued
<PB N="106" REF="59">
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 21.9</NOTE> e&s;pou&s;e to re&s;t and dwell with him in heauen for euermore.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that euery man and woman doe beware of proud thoughts, and peruer&s;e ignorance: the two daughters of <HI>Pre&s;umption,</HI> begot|ten by Satan the father of &s;inne, and pride, and author of all error and here|&s;ie. And as to much
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.1</NOTE> knowledge (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) puffeth vp, (if it be not &s;ea&s;oned with grace,) &s;o much igno|rance maketh blind, if &s;o it refu&s;e the meanes for knowledge (which is the light and &s;ight of the &s;oule.) Where|fore as we are taught not to pre&s;ume to vnder&s;tand that which is not meete to vnder&s;tand,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 12.3</NOTE> &s;o likewi&s;e we mu&s;t take heede that we do not neglect to learne that which is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;arie for vs to know. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> For as the &s;pider gathereth her poy&s;on from the fulne&s;&s;e of the flie, receiued from the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of the flower: So Satan frameth and gathe|reth his poi&s;oned argument, to make a man proud and <HI>Pre&s;umptuous,</HI> from the fulne&s;&s;e of mans knowledge,
<PB N="107" REF="59">which hee hath receiued from the &s;weetne&s;&s;e and bountie of Gods mercy and al&s;o as the &s;odain lightning dazel|leth the eye &amp; maketh it feareful to be|hold the light; &s;o the fla&s;hing and &s;ub|till per&s;wa&s;ions of Satan, tempered with &s;ome &s;hew of light, and mingled with feare, doe &s;hut vp the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 6.23</NOTE> eye of the &s;oule, that it dare not open the lidde, or looke out for better vnder&s;tanding, it being &s;hut vp and clo&s;ed in the dark|ne&s;&s;e of ignorance. And when men are thus caried away with the furie of <HI>Pre&s;umption,</HI> better hope is there to tame a Beare robbed of her Whelpes, and to remooue a foole from his folly, then &s;uch from their pride and error:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">An ill cu|&s;tome corrup|teth the &s;oule.</NOTE> for cu&s;tome changeth nature, and con|tinuance in &s;inne expelleth grace: and as age &s;walloweth vp youth, &s;o igno|rance &s;hutteth out faith; for <HI>without</HI>
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.14.</NOTE> <HI>knowledge wee can haue no faith; and without</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> <HI>faith there is no hope of &s;aluati|on.</HI> Then a man being either <HI>Pre&s;ump|teou&s;ly</HI> ouer wi&s;e, or to prepo&s;terou&s;ly ignorant; by the fir&s;t hee de&s;pi&s;eth
<PB N="108" REF="60">faith, and by the &s;econd he cannot at|taine vnto it. So then there being want of true faith in both, neither of them can be in the e&s;tate of grace, but in a mo&s;t daungerous and fearefull con|dition of Condemnation. And as the
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 2.34.</NOTE> &s;tone &s;poken of in <HI>Daniel,</HI> &s;mot the image vpon his feete, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> as well, as it did remooue his head:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignorance as well as proud wil|fulne&s;&s;e puni&s;hed.</NOTE> &s;o the wrath of God will not onely de&s;troy the haugh|tie and proud thoughts of man, which may be compared to the head of fine gold; but al&s;o hee will iudge the ba&s;e and ignorant affections, which may be compared to the feete of that image, which being broken together, became like chaffe of the Summer flowers, and the winde carried them away. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> Wherfore let euery one in the apprehen&s;ion of knowledge do as the Marriner,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Humilitie and faith, the means to bring vs, to true wi&s;dome.</NOTE> who in his voyage at Sea, &s;caleth the degrees or height of the heauens by his poale &s;taffe, and &s;ound|eth the bottom of the &s;ea by his plum|met. So the rule and line to bring vs to the true knowledge of the height and
<PB N="109" REF="60">depth of the wi&s;edome and loue of God, (while wee &s;aile in the &s;ea of this world,) it mu&s;t be humilitie and a liue|ly faith, expre&s;&s;ed and exerci&s;ed in the workes of holines and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, without the which wee cannot behold his goodne&s;&s;e toward vs nor beleeue in him.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P><HI>OEternall God, and heauenly Father who&s;e iudgements and wayes in re|&s;pect of thy e&s;&s;ence, wi&s;dome and glory, are pa&s;t finding out: and yet in mercy thou ha&s;t reueiled thy &s;elfe vnto the poore and &s;imple, that they might know thee, beleeue in thee, and that they might be &s;aued, for not many wi&s;e men after the fle&s;h, not ma|ny mightie not many noble are called; but thou ha&s;t cho&s;en the fooli&s;h things of the world, and things which are de&s;pi&s;ed, and things which are not, to bring to nought
<PB N="110" REF="61">the things which are: Keepe therefore I be&s;eech thee thy &s;eruant from pre&s;ump|teous &s;innes, and grant that I may &s;till tru&s;t, hope, and reioyce in thee alone, and &s;tudie euer to learne and to know thee aright, that thou maie&s;t be vnto me wi&s;|dome, and righteou&s;nes, &amp; &s;anctification, and redemption, through Ie&s;us Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour, who liueth and raigneth, with thee and the holy Gho&s;t euer one God, world without end, Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="111" REF="61">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. VI.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>MEDESTIE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_MOde&s;tie,</HI> it is the meane be|tweene impudencie, and &s;tupiditie or dulnes, hating pride, and auoyding folly: it is the V&s;her, as it were, vnto all other Vertues, as the Prime-Ro&s;e commeth vp before all other Flowers; for in the face of children it appeareth in the blu&s;h, as the flower in the budde: yea, it is an Herauld vnto mens &amp; womens Vertues, &s;ignifying their prai&s;es vnto all beholders: and it doth not onely con|&s;i&s;t in the outward habit and counte|nance of man, but al&s;o in the very hart,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">True and Chri&s;tian <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> and the parts ther|of.</NOTE> in the word, and in the deede. For art thou fearefull to enter into the &s;ecret coun&s;ell of God? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> confe&s;&s;ing thy indignitie: art thou vn|willing to tempt the Lord thy God ei|ther in his power or in his graces? there
<PB N="112" REF="62">is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie</HI> &s;hewing thy &s;anctitie: art thou condemning thine owne me|rits? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> preferring Chri&s;ts mercy: art thou contempning vaine &s;ingularitie? there is thy <HI>Mode|&s;tie,</HI> e&s;chewing flattery: art thou tem|perate in thy feeding? there is thy <HI>Mo|de&s;tie,</HI> &s;hewing content with &s;ufficiencie: art thou comely in thy apparell about thee, without co&s;tline&s;&s;e, and decent in thy furniture within thy hou&s;e, without curiou&s;ne&s;&s;e? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hewing humilitie: art thou &s;paring and religions in thy &s;peech? there is thy <HI>mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hewing wi&s;dome &amp; pietie: art thou meek in &s;uffering of wrongs? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hewing charitie: art thou quiet and righteous among&s;t thy family? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hew|ing integritie? art thy patient in tri|bulation? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hew|ing faith and con&s;tancie: art thou not couetous in getting or keeping thy riches? there is thy <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> &s;hewing liberalitie: art thou not licentious and wanton in thy fle&s;h? ther is thy <HI>Mode&s;ty,</HI>
<PB N="113" REF="62">&s;hewing cha&s;titie: Finally, what vertue is it, that is not accompanied with <HI>Mo|de&s;tie?</HI> for without it a man cannot be truely righteous towards men, nor tru|ly religious towards God: and there|fore the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> adui&s;eth vs; <HI>Let the</HI>
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.4</NOTE> <HI>hid man of the heart be vncorrupt, with a meeke and quiet &s;pirit, which is be|fore God a thing much &s;et by:</HI> And <HI>Paul</HI> willeth that Women doe
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.9</NOTE> <HI>array them|&s;elues in comely apparrell, with &s;hamefa&s;t|ne&s;&s;e and Mode&s;tie, not with broydered bayre, or gold, or pearles, or co&s;tly appar|rell: But (as becommeth Women that profe&s;&s;e the feare of God,) with good works.</HI> For as Loue is
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.13</NOTE> preferred before Faith and Hope, in re&s;pect that it remaineth for euer in the minds of the holy An|gels in heauen: &s;o <HI>Mod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> it is to be preferred before all other morrall and ciuill Vertues: becau&s;e men want|ing it, they quickly goe a&s;tray, and are worthy to be reproued. Moreouer, it is the &s;igne of penitencie, the &s;hield of innocency: for our fir&s;t Parents &s;in|ning in Paradi&s;e, and in &s;orrow a&s;hamed
<PB N="114" REF="63">of their fact,
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.7.</NOTE> perceiuing their naked|ne&s;&s;e, in <HI>Mode&s;tie</HI> made them&s;elues aprons or breeches: and
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">39.12.</NOTE> <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> to ma|nife&s;t and maintaine his innocencie in <HI>mode&s;tie,</HI> made ha&s;t to e&s;chew &amp; flie his Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es companie.
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">9.23.</NOTE> <HI>Shem</HI> &amp; <HI>Iapheth</HI> are called ble&s;&s;ed for their <HI>Mode&s;tie</HI> in couering their fathers &s;hame; &amp;
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.6</NOTE> <HI>Sarah</HI> pray&s;ed for her <HI>Mode&s;tie,</HI> the Matron Prince&s;&s;e of all holy women:) yea, Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, the example of all ex|amples, dignified this vertue of <HI>Mode|&s;tie;</HI> for he was lowly &amp; holy in his life, and meeke and patient in his death, and hee hath left a le&s;&s;on vnto vs for the making much and embracing of this Vertue, &s;aying; <HI>If thine</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.29 30</NOTE> <HI>eye or hand cau&s;e thee to offend,</HI> (meaning any vn|cha&s;t or immode&s;t affection,) <HI>plucke it out, and ca&s;t it from thee.</HI></P>
<P>For like as the water which commeth out of a &s;weet fountaine refre&s;heth the heart when it is dry, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> and oyle being in|wardly taken encrea&s;eth fre&s;h bloud to make a chearefull countenance: &s;o <HI>Mode&s;tie</HI> being the gracious gift of
<PB N="115" REF="63">God, it reioyceth the &s;oule, thir&s;ting af|ter pietie, and it doth di&s;per&s;e by the in|ward keeping of a pure and vndefiled con&s;cience, amiablene&s;&s;e into the coun|tenance. And &s;o God hereby is much glorified, our brethren by our good example edified, and the mode&s;t per|&s;on, iu&s;tly prai&s;ed and commended.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that euery man and woman doe beware of all vnciuill and immode&s;t words and actions, for
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 25.11</NOTE> <HI>euill words corrupt good manners,</HI> and euill works corrupt good natures: the infection of the care is poy&s;on to the &s;oule, and an euill obiect to the eye is a dart vnto the heart: immode&s;t words are not without immode&s;t works, nor immode&s;t workes without immode&s;t words, the one as fire enflameth; <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> and the other as death de&s;troyeth.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Immode|&s;tie imbra|ceth all euill.</NOTE> For im|mode&s;t thoughts are as pouder, immo|de&s;t works as &s;hot, &amp; immode&s;t words as match to giue fire to a murthering &amp; deuouring Peece, (a &s;hameles &s;oule) drawne forward by Satan, planted by &s;ubtilly, &amp; di&s;charged by pre&s;umption.</P>
<PB N="116" REF="64">
<P>No &s;inne &s;o forward to aide and a&s;|&s;i&s;t pre&s;umption as immode&s;tie, no &s;in &s;o bold to &s;end and breath out bla&s;phe|mie, as pre&s;umption:
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 9.22.25.</NOTE> <HI>Chams</HI> impu|dent and immode&s;t ga&s;ing vpon, and report of his Father <HI>Noahs</HI> &s;hame, brought his cur&s;e: and
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Sam.</HI> 16 7.8.</NOTE> <HI>Shemies</HI> im|mode&s;t rayling vpon, and reuiling of his Lord and Soueraigne King <HI>Dauid,</HI> procured his death:
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 17 10</NOTE> <HI>Goliahs</HI> and
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 37.10</NOTE> <HI>Se|nacheribs</HI> bla&s;phemie, no doubt were fir&s;t hatched and begotten in the &s;eed of impudency and mmode&s;tie: for what &s;inne is not nur&s;ed and cheri&s;hed by immode&s;tie? when men and wo|men doe thereby ca&s;t away all &s;hame and hone&s;ty, as do tho&s;e that are proud and hautie, the drunkards and adulte|rers, extortioners and back-biters, rai|lers and lying Pleders, murtherers and bla&s;phemers: are not all the&s;e branded with the marke of impudencie, &amp; beare vp their &s;treamer and &s;ailes in the &s;ea of &s;en&s;ualitie? being without the feare God, and delighting in iniquitie,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eccl.</HI> 3.29</NOTE> <HI>draw|ing &s;inne vnto them as it were with cart|ropes</HI>
<PB N="117" REF="64">and ca&s;ting out their anchor into the pit of hell. O giue not therefore, I be&s;eech you, any pa&s;&s;age or liking vnto the lea&s;t &s;inne at all, (for it is baine and poy&s;on to your &s;oule:) but e&s;pecially vnto immode&s;tie; for it is the fir&s;t touch to bla&s;e out thy di&s;credit (who&s;oeuer thou art) and the la&s;t link to hold fa&s;t al thy &s;innes, in extreame rage and villa|nie. But let vs remember the le&s;&s;on of our Sauiour Chri&s;t, teaching vs to learn of him to be
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 11.29</NOTE> meeke and lowly in hart; and that wee doe &s;triue to be humble and mode&s;t, &s;ober and watchfull, to re|&s;i&s;t and flye &s;inne, and all
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.9.</NOTE> apparance of euill; and certainely in the end wee &s;hall find euerla&s;ting comfort and re&s;t vnto our &s;oules, which God grant, for his Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t his &s;ake, vnto vs all. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="118" REF="65">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Gracious, holy, wi&s;e and mercifull God, who by thine owne example, when thou wa&s;t vpon the earth, did&s;t teach vs to be humble and meeke, mode&s;t in countenance, graue in ge&s;ture, gracious in &s;peach, &s;wift to heare, &s;low to &s;peake, offending none, but doing good to all. Grant I be&s;eech thee O Lord, and giue grace that in all my thoughts, words, and workes at all times, and in all places, I may ob&s;erue &amp; keepe the laudable and heauenly &V;ertue of</HI> Mode&s;tie, <HI>to thy pray&s;e and glory, and the good in&s;truction of others, for thy mer|cy &s;ake &s;weet Ie&s;u.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="119" REF="65">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. VII.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>DESPAIRE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_DE&s;payre,</HI> it is a wilfull for&s;a|king of faith &amp; confidence in God, and in his promi|&s;es, which ari&s;eth eyther by beholding inwardly in the minde, the &s;eueritie of Gods iu&s;tice for &s;inne: or el&s;e by mi&s;&s;ing outwardly in this world things plea&s;urable or profitable to &s;a|tisfie the lu&s;ts and de&s;ires of the fle&s;h. In the fir&s;t degree are &s;uch, which are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with a guilty con&s;cience for &s;inne, and with horror doe behold the fearefull pre&s;ence of God, ready to take &s;peedy vengeance again&s;t them for the &s;ame, and being without grace not able to apprehend and apply vnto them|&s;elues Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, the onely Phy&s;ition to heale their &s;innes, and to cure this fit and malady of <HI>de&s;peration,</HI> doe either
<PB N="120" REF="66">preoccupantly as they thinke to flye from the face of God, lay violent hands vpon them&s;elues as did
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.5</NOTE> <HI>Iudas:</HI> or els per&s;euerantly, by leading of a wicked life, doe in their malice bla&s;pheme and denie God; as did <HI>Iulian.</HI> But again&s;t this &s;inne prayed <HI>Dauid,</HI> &s;aying;
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 19.13</NOTE> <HI>Lord keepe thy &s;eruant from pre&s;umptuous &s;ins, that they may not haue dominion, nor raigne ouer me, &s;o &s;hall I be free and vp|right, and made cleane from much wic|kedne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The Diuell mo&s;t boldly and often doth tempt and a&s;&s;ay the deere chil|dren of God, to bring them to the plunge, and to throw them downe if he could, into the pit of <HI>De&s;paire.</HI> But although their faith may for a time, ei|ther through the fearefull &s;ight of their &s;innes, or through the &s;tormes of af|flictions be ouer-&s;hadowed &amp; clouded with feare (which is the handmaide to <HI>De&s;pair,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Feare is the hand|maid, and di&s;con|tent the mother of <HI>De&s;payre.</HI></NOTE>) and may vtter forth cries and groanes, with grief and torment, which all are &s;ignes of di&s;content (the mother of <HI>De&s;paire,</HI>) yet neither weakne&s;&s;e of
<PB N="121" REF="66">faith, nor &s;trength of &s;orrowes are able to draw and bring the elect to the e|&s;tate of <HI>de paire</HI> (which is a wilfull ma|licious, and finall laps or falling away from God for euer.</P>
<P>For
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iob.</HI> 3.3.</NOTE> <HI>Iob</HI> lamented the day of his birth, and de&s;ired of God that he might be cut off; for the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">6.4.</NOTE> arrowes of the Al|mightie &s;aith he, are in me, the venime whereof doth drinke vp my &s;pirit, and the terrors of God fight again&s;t me: and <HI>Dauid</HI> cried out in his affli|ction for feare and &s;aid,
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 88.14.15.16.</NOTE> Lord why doe&s;t thou reiect my &s;oule and hide&s;t thy face from me? I am afflicted and at the point of death, from my youth, I &s;uffer thy terrors, doubting of my life, thine indignation hath gone ouer me, and thy feare hath cut me off: and in another place the Prophet fainting in in his mi&s;eries, beholding the pro&s;peri|tie of the wicked, &s;aith,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 73.2.13.14.</NOTE> as for me my feete were almo&s;t gone, my &s;teps had well neere &s;lipt, certainly I haue clen&s;ed my heart in vaine and wa&s;hed my hands in innocencie, for dayly I haue
<PB N="122" REF="67">beene puni&s;hed and cha&s;tened euery morning; yet he tru&s;ted in the Lord; &amp; Chri&s;t him&s;elfe at his pa&s;&s;ion in the &s;orrow of his &s;oule, (by rea&s;on of the heauie burden of our &s;innes which he bare vpon the cro&s;&s;e,) cried out with a loud voyce &s;aying,
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.46.</NOTE> <HI>My God, my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken mee?</HI> and yet he was faithfull and obedient vnto the death.</P>
<P>And many of the Prophets and &s;er|uants of God in the time of griefe and &s;orrow
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>King.</HI> 19.4. <HI>Ionah.</HI> 4.3. In the time of afflicti|on there is infirmitie in the dea|re&s;t Saints</NOTE> haue de&s;ired death, the which wi&s;h and de&s;ire ari&s;eth of the in|firmitie of the fle&s;h by the &s;orrow of the &s;pirit, but this weakene&s;&s;e of nature &s;hould be &s;trengthened by faith, and we are taught that in patience we mu&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e our &s;oules, and not to faint in temptations, yeelding cowardly vnto Satan, throwing from vs the &s;hield of faith, and laying downe the &s;word of the &s;pirit, forgetting to pray, and to cal to Chri&s;t our
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.14.</NOTE> friend for helpe: for if &s;o we hope and tru&s;t in him, though we &s;hould faint in our fight, yet he is
<PB N="123" REF="67">pre&s;ent with vs and will come in, to re|leeue and refre&s;h vs; for he is the
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">4.14.</NOTE> water of life; though we &s;hould be wounded, yet hee is our Chirurgion to heale vs: for he is the true
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 10.33.</NOTE> Samaritane: though wee &s;hould fall yet hee is our pillar of &s;trength and cheife
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Act.</HI> 4.11.</NOTE> corner &s;tone to beare vs vp; though we &s;hould be lead away captiue, yet hee is our cap|taine to
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 61.1.2.</NOTE> re&s;cue vs, being the &s;pirituall
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reue.</HI> 5.5.</NOTE> Lyon of the tribe of Iudah, which hath lead
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 5.5.</NOTE> captiuitie captiue, and hath mo&s;t valiantly
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.54.55.</NOTE> triumphed ouer the world, the fle&s;h, the diuell, hell and death: and not onely for him&s;elfe, but al&s;o for vs, that we might learne in all fearefull trials and temptations to put our tru&s;t in him, who is both faithfull louing, readie, and able to helpe and deliuer vs.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to feare nor be ouer|come in temptati|ons.</NOTE></P>
<P>Feare not therefore, O ye of little faith, when as ye are tempted and a&s;|&s;aulted by Satan, turne not your backe vnto your enemie, but keepe your
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iob.</HI> 5.17.</NOTE> ground, &s;tand fa&s;t and
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 13.7.</NOTE> fight a good fight,
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Lnk.</HI> 21.9.</NOTE> re&s;i&s;t the diuell and he will flie
<PB N="124" REF="68">from you: his voyce is
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.8.</NOTE> roaring, but his throate is choaked by the word of God: his darts are
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.16</NOTE> fiery, but they are quenched in the fountaine of faith: his arrowes are
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg">P&s;al.</NOTE> &s;harpe, but they are broken vpon the rocke of hope? his armour is inchanted, (he being the &s;ub|till and deafe Adder,) but it is cut a|&s;under with the &s;word of the &s;pirit: his countenance is
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>a Mt.</HI> 14.26.</NOTE> terrible, but is ca&s;t downe by the
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 6.14</NOTE> pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t: he
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 17 10.49.</NOTE> brageth, but he hath no might (again&s;t the Saints:) he nibleth at the
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15</NOTE> heele, but he is nipped on the head.</P>
<P>Behold,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan flyes if we doe re&s;i&s;t.</NOTE> now hee flyeth; pur&s;ue ther|fore and ouercome, the victory is yours, but the glory is the Lords; for he hath giuen &s;trength to your weake|ne&s;&s;e;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God doth furni&s;h vs with all &s;trength &amp; power.</NOTE> courage to your faintne&s;&s;e; and &s;pirit to your dulne&s;&s;e, for to prepare and &s;trengthen you to fight: hee hath al&s;o furni&s;hed you with wi&s;dome for to order, with faith to fortifie, and with hope for to &s;upply the battaile, and hee there leaueth you not but &s;till &s;tirreth you vp by watchfulnes and diligence,
<PB N="125" REF="68">to e&s;pie; by prayer and interce&s;sion to per&s;euere; by fortitude to re&s;i&s;t, &amp; with re&s;olution to pur&s;ue your enemie.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Wilfull for&s;aking and falling from God is mans vt|ter de&s;tru|ction.</NOTE> But if man doe wilfully for&s;ake the Lord, and not put his tru&s;t in him, then the diuell is &s;ubtill for to tempt, and &s;trong to ouerthrow both body and &s;oule, and to ca&s;t them into the pit of <HI>De&s;paire:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The meanes &amp; degrees of <HI>de&s;paire.</HI></NOTE> For he will fir&s;t driue man into &s;olitarie mu&s;ing, and then the minde grieueth, the heart fainteth, faith fayleth, feare encrea&s;eth, &s;inne appeareth, the Con|&s;cience trembleth, the furie rageth, and the tormented &amp; di&s;tre&s;&s;ed man with|out all pittie to him&s;elfe peirceth his owne body and &s;oule with the poi&s;oned and incurable dart of c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">uell murther:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Murther the i&s;&s;ue of <HI>de&s;paire.</HI></NOTE> by rea&s;on whereof hee throweth him|&s;elfe headlong and mo&s;t de&s;perately downe in the bottomle&s;&s;e pit of euer|la&s;ting darkne&s;&s;e, from thence neuer to returne to behold the cheerefull and comfortable pre&s;ence of God his ma|ker,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mi&s;e|rable con|dition of the mur|therer of him&s;elfe.</NOTE> but at the day of iudgement hee &s;hall &s;ee the glorious and fearefull face of God his iudge, who&s;e voyce &s;hall be
<PB N="126" REF="69">as
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reue.</HI> 4.5.</NOTE> Thunder, pronouncing and decla|ring fearefull woes, &s;orrowes and eter|nall death, vnto the damned and re|probate: And what hope or warrant is there for any inrepentant &s;inner, that hee &s;hall finde &s;aluation? and who &s;o great &amp; malicious a &s;inner again&s;t God, dying without repentance, as hee that doth de&s;troy the
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.16.17.</NOTE> temple of God, de|facing his
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.26.</NOTE> image, de&s;pi&s;ing his law, con|tempning his promi&s;es, and flying from his pre&s;ence? but there is a mo&s;t &s;ure iudgement denounced from heauen, that who&s;oeuer &s;hall de&s;troy the tem|ple of God, him will God de&s;troy; and who&s;oeuer
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 32.41.</NOTE> &s;heddeth mans blood, by man &s;hall his blood be &s;hed, and no in|repentant murtherer &s;hall enter into the kingdome of God.</P>
<P>But the <HI>f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">lo de&s;e,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The feare|ful di&s;tract and end of a <HI>Felo de &s;e.</HI></NOTE> the murtherer of him&s;elfe, by his in&s;tant and &s;odaine ex|ecution vpon him&s;elfe, hee working and labouring in bloud; paine &amp; death, de&s;troying Nature, and di&s;tracting the minde, it is to be feared, and more pro|bable, that hee hath no v&s;e of the
<PB N="127" REF="69">qualities and graces of the &s;oule, wher|by he might repent &amp; call vpon God, &s;o that hee wilfully ca&s;ting him&s;elfe a|way from God, (not tru&s;ting &amp; depen|ding vpon his prouidence and mercy,)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e and &s;trength of Satan in the execu|tion of the <HI>Felo de &s;e.</HI></NOTE> Satan is mo&s;t &s;trong and bu&s;ie as well to &s;trangle the &s;oule as the body, ha|uing entred into the man with his con|&s;ent and action to make him&s;elfe away, that he might neuer come in compa|nie or &s;ight, either of God, Angels, or Men.</P>
<P>But O fooli&s;h, &s;infull and de&s;perate man, to think by thy cruell and bloudy death, to flie from the prefence of God thy maker, and that after this life thou thought&s;t to haue no more motion or feeling of euill, nor vnquietnes of con|&s;cience (which when thou wa&s;t liuing vpon the earth, was as a thou&s;and hels vnto thee,) but that after death, thou &s;halt be as the bea&s;t that
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 49.20</NOTE> peri&s;heth and &s;hall neuer ri&s;e to iudgement. O how greatly art thou deceiued? forgetting that the more a man &s;eeketh to hide him&s;elfe, and flie from God as
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.8.</NOTE> <HI>Adam</HI>
<PB N="128" REF="70">did, yet God will follow him and
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iere.</HI> 23.24.</NOTE> find him out in the midde&s;t among&s;t the dead, as hee did <HI>Adam</HI> among&s;t the thicke&s;t of the trees in Eden. for
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reuel.</HI> 20 13</NOTE> there is neither place, nor time, nor force, nor &s;auour that can hide or deliuer man from the &s;ight and hand of God, who is the Iudge both of the quicke and of the dead.</P>
<P>And as in this fearefull tragedie of man by laying violent hands vpon him&s;elfe,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan tri|umpheth in the de|&s;truction of man.</NOTE> the Diuell is the fir&s;t
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.1.</NOTE> plotter of his fall; &s;o he is the
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>King.</HI> 22 20.22. <HI>Iob.</HI> 2.4.5.</NOTE> chiefe&s;t trium|pher in his de&s;truction, and that be|cau&s;e he hath competitors and compa|nions to feele and endure the wrath of God as well as hee: for nothing more
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 8.29</NOTE> tormenteth Satan in his puni&s;hment vnder Gods hand, then the remem|brance of mans felicitie by Chri&s;t, the which if hee can inti&s;e man to refu&s;e or neglect, then reioyceth he, and all euill &s;pirits with him, as much at the damna|tion of man, as the
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 15.10</NOTE> Angels of heauen at the conuer&s;ion and &s;aluation of man.</P>
<PB N="129" REF="70">
<P>And within this compa&s;&s;e of di&s;tru&s;t and de&s;paire,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Want of outward and tem|poral ble&s;|&s;ings mu&s;t not make vs to de|&s;paire and for&s;ake God.</NOTE> are al&s;o comprehended and included (as is &s;aid before,) al tho&s;e which for want of outward meanes to &s;atisfie the lu&s;ts and de&s;ires of the fle&s;h; as for riches, being in pouerty; for plea|&s;ures, being in payne; for reuenge, be|ing in malice, or for pride, being in di&s;|content, (although they haue no touch or feeling of the &s;ting of con&s;cience for their &s;innes,) yet doe they lay violent hands vpon them&s;elues, as did
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 31 4.</NOTE> <HI>Saul</HI> and
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Sa.</HI> 27.5</NOTE> <HI>Achitophel;</HI> forgetting Gods care and power which he
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 107 2.6.</NOTE> &s;heweth toward his children, when they are in any di|&s;tre&s;&s;e: but
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.5.</NOTE> the&s;e men or women being fle&s;hly minded, and making this world, &amp; the plea&s;ures thereof their God and <HI>Mammon;</HI> for the want of &s;atisfying of their vngodly lu&s;ts which
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.11</NOTE> fight again&s;t the &s;oule, they therefore throw them|&s;elues head-long by their owne hands into the pit of hell.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The reme|dy <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ain&s;t <HI>De&s;paire.</HI></NOTE> But the remedie a|gain&s;t this &s;inne is
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.10 11</NOTE> faith with^t patience; and prayer with hope; without which a man is naked and without &s;trength,
<PB N="130" REF="71">and is ready daily vpon euery a&s;&s;ault to be ouerthrowne of Satan; and therefore in&s;tead of
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.10.11</NOTE> worldly griefe we mu&s;t em|brace godly &s;orrow; in&s;tead of
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 14.13</NOTE> amaze|ment, quietne&s;&s;e of minde; in&s;tead of
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mark.</HI> 9.24</NOTE> weakne&s;&s;e, we mu&s;t pray for &s;trength of faith; in&s;tead of feare &s;hew forth
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.10</NOTE> fortitude by grace; in&s;tead of appa|ri&s;ion of &s;in (pre&s;enting death) we mu&s;t behold the
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 9.2.</NOTE> ab&s;olution of &s;inne by Chri&s;t, who hath conquered death; in|&s;tead of horror of con&s;cience we mu&s;t &s;eeke for
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.19</NOTE> peace; in&s;tead of pro&s;ecuti|on of Gods wrath,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 3.4.</NOTE> hope and a&s;&s;ure our &s;elues of his mercifull and gracious pre&s;eruation in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that wee con&s;ider the malice and &s;ubtilty of Satan in &s;eek|ing the de&s;truction of man,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The ma|lice and &s;ubtiltie of Satan.</NOTE> by drawing him to feare and di&s;content, and ca&s;ting Faith nad Hope our of his his heart (which might bring vnto him ioy and peace,) as al&s;o the weakne&s;&s;e of man to re&s;i&s;t the temptation, he for&s;aking God, and tru&s;ting to him&s;elfe.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">We mu&s;t be watch|full.</NOTE> By which wee are taught to be watchfull and carefull in
<PB N="131" REF="71">holy meditations and prayer, and not to embrace and loue the riches of this world and plea&s;ures of this life,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plenty &amp; plea&s;ure make &s;inne to abound.</NOTE> le&s;t by liuing too much in wantonne&s;&s;e and plentie, or &s;craping too much together in couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and crueltie, our &s;ins doe abound and at one time or other, the &s;ight and view thereof will be fear|full and terrible vnto vs, not able to be endured, when as God in his iu&s;tice may leaue vs vnto our &s;elues, to be a pray vnto Satan, hell and death.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to mu&s;e too much vp|on &s;orrow and affli|ction.</NOTE> And that al&s;o in our tryals, cro&s;&s;es and af|flictions in this life, wee &s;orrow not a|boue mea&s;ure, nor mu&s;e too much ther|on with worldly thoughts, but rather with a godly &s;orrow to de&s;ire pardon of almightie God for the &s;ame, praying for his grace and helpe to comfort vs in the time of neede a&s;&s;uring our &s;elues through faith and patience, to haue a mo&s;t happy i&s;&s;ue &amp; ioyfull deliuerance in the end, when it &s;hall &s;eeme fit and conuenient vnto God for his glory and our good. And euery one is to be ad|ui&s;ed (for feare to be lead into this mo&s;t
<PB N="132" REF="72">dangerous temptation of <HI>de&s;paire</HI>) to beware of &s;olitarine&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">To beware of &s;olitari|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> when either the motions of feare, or of doubt, couetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e or pride, want or di&s;grace do beat vpon our hearts, as the &s;eas doe vpon the rocks, &s;triuing and fretting (as it were) to throw downe our bodyes and &s;oules euen vnto hell.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan ta|keth his aduantage of time &amp; place to di|&s;tractand ouerthrow man.</NOTE> For as Satan ta|keth his opportunitie of time and place, to beget &s;in in infidelitie in the thought of man; &s;o he taketh likewi&s;e his time and place to execute his malice and cruelty vpon man (in as much as in him lieth,) &amp; no fitter place for the accom|pli&s;hing of this his purpo&s;e, then pri|uate walks, gardens, or &s;olitary woods or wilderne&s;&s;e, for &s;o he tempted
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Sa.</HI> 11.2</NOTE> <HI>Da|uid,</HI> and pre&s;umed al&s;o to tempt our Sa|uiour
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 4 1.</NOTE> Chir&s;t.</P>
<P>And therefore wee mu&s;t be diligent and circum&s;pect,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">When we are alone, to medi|tate vpon good things.</NOTE> that when wee are walking and meditating in priuate pla|ces then to thinke e&s;pecially vpon God and to prav vnto him, calling for grace to &s;anctifie our thoughts and to &s;treng|then our faith, for then when wee are
<PB N="133" REF="72">alone Nature feareth, the Diuell mo&s;t fiercely a&s;&s;aulteth, and the Soule with|out Gods e&s;peciall aide fainteth and falleth, if not &s;urpri&s;ed and led captiue vnto &s;inne and death. And wee are al&s;o further hereby to learne, that not onely tho&s;e who lay violent hands vpon them&s;elues by taking away their liues,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Wilfully to weaken or &s;uppres Nature by worldly &s;orrovv is a mo&s;t grie|uous &s;inne.</NOTE> are in the ca&s;e of de&s;paire, and murthe|rers of them&s;elues: but al&s;o they who by fretting and vexing, and grieuing doe &s;urpre&s;&s;e Nature, weaken their bo|dies, and di&s;quiet their &s;oules; by means whereof they ha&s;ten their end, and &s;horten their dayes; for
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.10.</NOTE> worldly &s;or|row cau&s;eth death; and the heart op|pre&s;&s;ed and &s;urfeted with griefe &amp; cares can haue no faith, hope, or ioy in God. <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> For as the flye the more &s;he laboureth and fluttereth about the candle light the &s;ooner &s;he burneth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to beate too much vp|on the things of this vvorld.</NOTE> and con&s;umeth her &s;elfe: &s;o man the more hee bu&s;ieth him&s;elfe, and laboureth about the get|ting and obtayning of the things of this world; the &s;ooner hee is &s;nared, ta|ken, and de&s;troyed. Wherefore a wi&s;e
<PB N="134" REF="73">and religious moderation of our cares in faith and hope pre&s;erueth the &s;oule and body, and bringeth vnto vs &s;alua|tion, health and peace, which pa&s;&s;eth all vnder&s;tanding, becau&s;e our tru&s;t and confidence is in the Lord our God for euermore.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P><HI>O Mercifull, Omnipotent, Iu&s;t, and euerliuing God, without who&s;e help, grace and goodne&s;&s;e no man or woman can belieue, nor patiently &s;uffer, nor a&s;&s;uredly hope for &s;aluation and deliuerance, &s;uch, and &s;o many are the afflictions, feares and doubts daily and continually compa&s;sing and be&s;etting the body and &s;oule of man, through the malice and &s;ubtiltie of Satan, the world and the fle&s;h, that in the eye and view of our owne corrupt nature and
<PB N="135" REF="73">vnder&s;tanding we doe &s;ee our &s;elues mo&s;t wretched, vile, and mi&s;erable creatures, ready to be taken and throwne into the pit of hell, by the hand of thy iu&s;tice, being not worthy to come into thy pre&s;ence, nor to be partakers of the lea&s;t of thy ble&s;sings. Yet O Lord our hope and tru&s;t is in thee, for thy mercy reacheth vnto the heauens, and thy truth vnto the cloudes, thy waies are not as mans wayes, nor thy workes as mens workes, for thy mercy exceedeth all thy workes, and thou de&s;ire&s;t not the death of a &s;inner, but rather that he &s;hould returne and liue. Yea, thou art ready to giue grace, and all good things to tho&s;e that aske thee in faith and humilitie. Increa&s;e this faith in mee O Lord, and giue humilitie, pati|ence and hope vnto thy &s;eruant, which may bring a&s;&s;ured peace vnto my &s;oule, and pro&s;peritie vnto my bodie, by thy rich and infinit mercy, and gracious deliuerance from all</HI> de&s;paire, <HI>through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t my onely Lord and Sauiour.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="136" REF="74">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. VIII.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>FAITH.</HEAD>
<P>_ALL the precious peebles and pearles in the &s;ea, the pure&s;t gold and &s;iluer in the earth, and the &s;weete&s;t Mirrh and Ca&s;&s;ia in the Ea&s;t, are not to be preferred and e&s;tee|med before <HI>Faith,</HI> it being a
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.17</NOTE> diuine, &s;piritual and heauenly gift, beautifying, enriching and making &s;weet &amp;
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.6</NOTE> accep|table before the pre&s;ence of Almighty God, the body and &s;oule of man: It is like
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 28.12</NOTE> <HI>Iacobs</HI> Ladder, by which we mu&s;t a&s;cend in loue to God, and de&s;cend in charitie to man: <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> It is the Amba&s;&s;adour of the &s;oule, crauing aid of God in time of neede, according to his promi&s;e in the loue of Chri&s;t: It is without limit or circum&s;cription, following and at|tending Gods pre&s;ence at all times, and in all places: It is without feare coura|giou&s;ly
<PB N="137" REF="74">breaking through
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.3.4</NOTE> fire and water, &s;topping the mouthes of Lions,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vertue and povver of <HI>Eaith</HI></NOTE> making valiant in battaile, fighting a|gain&s;t the world, the fle&s;h, the Diuell, hell and death: it is without exce&s;&s;e, making a man humble in pro&s;peritie, and patient in aduer&s;itie: it is without enuy, forgetting wrongs and iniuries, leauing reuenge vnto the Lord: it is without fraud, being innocent from e|uill, and wi&s;e vnto that which is good: it is without want, making many rich, being content with that they haue: it is without worldly &s;orrow, being daily comforted and reioycing in the Lord: it it alwayes meditating on heauenly things, being euer willing to for&s;ake all and follow Chri&s;t: the rea&s;on is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;ub|iect, pro|iect, and obiect of <HI>Faith.</HI></NOTE> becau&s;e God is the &s;ubiect or matter whereup|on it worketh; Godline&s;&s;e is the pro|iect or purpo&s;e whereunto it tendeth; and Heauen is the obiect or delight, whereunto it looketh.</P>
<P>To define it; it is the
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.1.</NOTE> ground of things which are hoped for, and the e|uidence of things which are not &s;eene:
<PB N="138" REF="75">without it wee cannot
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 6.</NOTE> plea&s;e God; by it we
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 3.</NOTE> vnder&s;tand that the world was ordayned by the word of God, and do as it were &s;ee and behold him which is invi&s;ible: It is infinit in apprehen&s;ion, &s;ound in iudgement, &s;trong in belee|uing, di&s;creet in applying, and ioyfull in inioying. Yea, it maketh and frameth the whole man ready and willing at all times to &s;urrender and &s;hew it &s;elfe obe|dient vnto the will of God. And by this liuely <HI>Faith,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Faith</HI> plea|&s;eth God, obtaineth a ble&s;sing and de&s;pi|&s;eth the vvorld.</NOTE> <HI>Abels</HI> offering was accep|ted: <HI>Enochs</HI> body glorified: <HI>Noahs</HI> fami|ly pre&s;erued: an inheritance promi&s;ed to <HI>Abraham:</HI> a childe giuen to <HI>Sarah:</HI> and a ble&s;&s;ing be&s;towed vpon <HI>Iaakob:</HI> by this Faith the rebuke or Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t was greater riches vnto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> then the trea&s;ures of Egipt, and greater glory vnto <HI>Paul</HI> then his high autho|ritie when hee was called <HI>Saul:</HI> by this <HI>Faith</HI> wonders in former times were effected; Kingdomes &s;ubdued; and the promi&s;es obtained. Wherfore we which now liue, and our po&s;teritie after vs, if wee will be counted faithfull and the
<PB N="139" REF="75">true children of
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 4.16</NOTE> <HI>Abraham,</HI> we mu&s;t dayly and continually &s;triue to appre|hend, know, beleeue, apply, and enioy Chri&s;t Ie&s;us the Son of God, the Saui|our of the world: but our apprehen&s;i|on mu&s;t be ioyned with humilitie, &s;up|pre&s;&s;ing the wi&s;dome of the fle&s;h, and bringing it in &s;ubiection vnto the wi&s;|dome of the &s;pirit: our
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.12.13.</NOTE> knowledge mu&s;t be grounded vpon the word and truth of God, not vpon the precepts and doctrines of men: our faith mu&s;t lay hold onely vpon Chri&s;t, as he is perfect God, able to redeeme vs, and as he was perfect man, willing to die for vs. We mu&s;t reioyce in his promi&s;es which are gracious, true, and eternall, <HI>yea</HI> and <HI>Amen:</HI> and we mu&s;t refu&s;e our owne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, which is by the works of the law, for if righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, (iu&s;tifying righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e) be by the Law, then Chri&s;t died without a cau&s;e,
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 2.21</NOTE>
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 4.14</NOTE> <HI>Faith</HI> is made voide, and the promi&s;e is of none effect: for to him that
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> wor|keth, the wages is not counted by fa|uour, but by debt: and &s;aluation
<PB N="140" REF="76">commeth only by fauor and by grace, not by the workes of the law, becau&s;e
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 3.9.</NOTE> all are vnder &s;in, both Iew and Gen|tile, and there is none that is righte|ous, and that doth good, no not one: Our applying al&s;o of Chri&s;t mu&s;t be &s;peciall and particular euen vnto our owne &s;oules,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">By faith we apply Chri&s;t vn|to our &s;elues.</NOTE> (confe&s;&s;ing our &s;innes and vnworthynes, and beleeuing that he is a Sauiour euen vnto vs:) for general knowledge comforteth not the &s;oule vnto eternall life,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Not gene|rall knovv|ledge, but e&s;peciall applicati|on prof|fiteth the &s;oule of man.</NOTE> but the &s;peciall ap|plication is the &s;oules con&s;olation; when as wee apprehending, knowing and beleeuing the Trinitie of the Per|&s;ons in the vnitie of the God-head, we can apply vnto our &s;elues, the loue of the father electing, the loue of the Son redeeming, and the loue of the holy Gho&s;t &s;anctifying and comforting vs; &amp; &s;o we applying the loue of God vn|to our &s;elues, we &s;hall haue the fruition and enioying of his holy &s;pirit in the comfort of his pre&s;ence and a&s;&s;urance of his loue and mercy toward vs for euermore, we at all times remembring
<PB N="141" REF="76">the nature and end of <HI>Faith</HI> which is heauenly and holy,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The na|ture &amp; end of <HI>Faith</HI> is to worke holines &amp; righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> that we might exer|ci&s;e our &s;elues continually in the works of godline&s;&s;e, to the prai&s;e and glory of God, and &s;aluation of our owne &s;oules.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that wee careful|ly and e&s;pecially doe con&s;ider of the vertue, power, and worthines of <HI>Faith,</HI> which vnto the &s;oule is a quickning &amp; refre&s;hing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Faith</HI> is the quickning of the &s;oule and body, for ioy and peace.</NOTE> as fire or heate is vnto the body; for without <HI>Faith</HI> wee are dead, not able to apprehend or perceiue the my&s;terie of our &s;aluation: and <HI>Faith</HI> it giues ioy to the heart, &s;ight to the eye, &s;peech to the mouth, readine&s;&s;e to the hand, and quickne&s;&s;e to the feet, to thinke, behold, &s;peake, worke, and ef|fect all for the honor and glory of Al|mightie God. And in time of feare, it is a comfort, in time of fight a &s;hield, in time of trouble a rocke, and in time of death a &s;ure pledge vnto vs of eter|nall life with God in heauen for euer|more. All which benefits and comforts, who then &s;o vnwi&s;e, that would either neglect or for&s;ake them? but without
<PB N="142" REF="77"><HI>Faith</HI> we cannot attaine vnto them;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Without <HI>Faith</HI> no|thing is &s;anctified, nor can pro&s;per.</NOTE> for nothing can be &s;anctified or ble&s;&s;ed in vs, or vnto vs without <HI>Faith,</HI> whether it be our bodies or &s;oules, our children or &s;eruants, our goods or labors, meat or drinke, &s;ickne&s;&s;e or health, life or death; all without <HI>Faith</HI> is &s;inne, or bringing forth &s;inne, either in enioying or in&s;uffering.</P>
<P>Our prayers without <HI>Faith</HI> are tur|ned into &s;inne;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">No holy exerci&s;e without <HI>Faith</HI> can be comfor|table to the &s;oule.</NOTE> our reading or hearing the word of God without <HI>Faith</HI> is vn|profitable vnto vs, and bringeth forth &s;inne, (being the &s;auor of death vnto death vnto vs:) for <HI>Faith</HI> in her pro|per nature brings forth Loue and Obe|dience vnto eternall life, it being the roote of all diuine wor&s;hip,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Loue and Obedience the fruits of <HI>Faith.</HI></NOTE> and Chri|&s;tian righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: for without <HI>Faith</HI> we cannot beleeue in God, nor in his Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, nor tru&s;t in his pro|mi&s;es, nor call vpon him for grace, and who&s;oeuer beleeueth not, and will not call vpon the Name of the Lord, and tru&s;t in him, nor in his life time will en|deauour to attaine vnto <HI>Faith</HI> and hope
<PB N="143" REF="77">in the ble&s;&s;ed promi&s;es of Chri&s;t, that man is already condemned in the fore|knowledge and iudgement of God. Al&s;o without <HI>Faith</HI> wee cannot be partakers of the ble&s;&s;ed Sacraments, nor be ad|mitted into the Church of God, nor be able to di&s;cerne aright of the body and bloud of Chri&s;t, and who&s;oeuer re|ceiueth, and di&s;cerneth not the &s;ame aright,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.29</NOTE> eateth and drinketh his owne damnation. Finally, without <HI>Faith</HI> wee cannot feare &amp; e&s;chew the iudgements of God, but pre&s;umptuou&s;ly runne into them, continuing and delighting in &s;in, and that man or woman that thus &s;in|neth without repentance, liuing with|out <HI>Faith,</HI> &s;hall &s;urely die without mer|cy;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Reue.</HI> 21.8</NOTE> <HI>For no vnbeleeuer &s;hall enter into the kingdome of God.</HI></P>
<P>Seeing then that <HI>Faith</HI> is thus nece&s;|&s;ary for the comfort and &s;aluation of man, we mu&s;t v&s;e the meanes to attaine vnto this <HI>Faith,</HI> and to &s;trengthen it, and to continue it in vs, which is by hea|ring and reading of the Word of God, receiuing the Sacraments,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.14</NOTE> exerci&s;ing
<PB N="144" REF="78">our &s;elues in prayer and in godly con|ference and meditations, and in the works of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and then &s;hall our <HI>Faith</HI> flouri&s;h and bring foorth plentiful fruit in loue to God, charity to man, and euerla&s;ting peace vnto our owne &s;oules.</P>
<P>And hereby all Parents and Ma&s;ters of Families are to take note and heed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Al parents &amp; Ma&s;ters of families mu&s;t haue a godly care of their chil|dren and &s;eruants, to bring them vp in the knowledge and <HI>Faith</HI> of God.</NOTE> that they accordingly haue a diligent care to traine and bring vp their chil|dren and &s;eruants in the knowledge and feare of God, by tho&s;e ordinary and good meanes which are offered and ap|pointed of the Lord, and commanded in his word, le&s;t for want of knowledge they die without <HI>Faith,</HI> and &s;o their bloud &s;hall be required at their hands: for ignorance cannot be the mother of deuotion, but of infidelitie and &s;uper|&s;tition, which cau&s;eth many to runne head-long into the pit of condemna|tion.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="145" REF="78">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Almightie and euerliuing God, al|though by thy workes and word wee may confe&s;&s;e and acknowledge thee to be the true God &amp; the &s;auiour of the world: which the diuels doe al&s;o beleeue and con|fe&s;&s;e, becau&s;e thou wilt be glorified and prai&s;ed by all thy creatures which thou ha&s;t made, (and that in &s;pight of them.) Yet O Lord the &s;anctified, true, and liuely apprehending and applying</HI> Faith <HI>is onely giuen by thee from aboue, as thy e&s;peciall gift vnto thy Saints and whom thou ha&s;t cho&s;en vnto eternall life. Grant therefore I mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech thee that I may haue euermore this true and liuely</HI> Faith <HI>to remaine in my heart, whereby I may certainely be a&s;&s;ured of thy loue towards mee, giuing thee prai&s;e for thy mercy, and &s;hewing forth my obedience for thy glory, which ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elfe to mee a Father, a Sauiour, and a comforter for euer.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="144" REF="79">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. IX.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>SECVRITIE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_SEcurity</HI> it is the minds whol content or delight &s;etled in the plea&s;ures of this world: the which enioying, it cares for nothing, it employeth it &s;elfe to nothing, nor feareth any thing; it is an vnfruitfull branch, &s;pringing from a a full (but a corrupt) tree, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ro&s;peritie:</HI> who&s;e &s;eede is tares, who&s;e fruite is teares, (when as men doe po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the ble&s;&s;ings of God in this life, but doe not di&s;po&s;e them to the glorie of God and comfort of their owne &s;oules.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro&s;peritie the cau&s;e of <HI>Securi|tie;</HI> and de&s;tructi|on of the &s;oule.</NOTE>) For pro&s;peritie (if it be not moderated with humility and thank&s;-giuing:) it doth not onely lull men a&s;leepe in <HI>Securitie,</HI> but it maketh them blind,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 10.5.6.</NOTE> that they are not able toperceiue either the euill pa&s;t, pre&s;ent, or to come: much like vnto tho&s;e, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> who fooli&s;hly will gaze vpon the
<PB N="145" REF="79">Sunne, vntill the brightne&s;&s;e thereof doth bleare their eyes, and make them blind, and &s;o the glory of pro&s;perity doth bleare &amp; blind the &s;oules of men, that they make a
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.3.4.</NOTE> mocke at the iudge|ments of the Lord, and &s;itting in the &s;eate of iniquity; &s;ay in their harts; wher is the promi&s;e of his comming? let him make ha&s;t that we may &s;ee it: and &s;o contempteou&s;ly &amp; de&s;peratly they
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Amos.</HI> 6.3. <HI>to</HI> 7.</NOTE> put away the euill day farre from them, as did the
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 7.5.</NOTE> wicked before the flood, and as did the men of
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">19.24.25.</NOTE> Sodome and Go|morrah, who neither beleeued nor feared the threatnings of Almightie God: &s;o that the waters drowned the one, and the fire con&s;umed the other, and that for their horrible and cry|ing &s;innes, which grew and encrea&s;ed by rea&s;on of
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezek.</HI> 16.49.</NOTE> <HI>Securitie,</HI> ea&s;e, pride and fulne&s;&s;e of bread, where in they did a|bound: And therefore our Sauiour Chri&s;t adui&s;eth vs again&s;t this &s;inne to
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 26.41.</NOTE> watch and pray, for we
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">24.44.</NOTE> know not the time when the Lord will come vnto iudgment, and happy are they that
<PB N="148" REF="80">&s;hall not be found &s;ecure, and &s;leeping: For
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 9.21.</NOTE> <HI>Noah</HI> in his <HI>Securitie</HI> and &s;leepe di&s;couered his &s;hame;
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">19.33.</NOTE> <HI>Lot</HI> committed &s;inne;
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg</HI> 26.19.</NOTE> <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> lo&s;t his locks;
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">13.8.</NOTE> <HI>Holy|fernes</HI> his head; and the fooli&s;h
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.10. Exce&s;&s;e a g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">at meanes of <HI>&s;ecuritie.</HI></NOTE> Vir|gines heauen. And the roote of <HI>Securi|tie</HI> is plentie and exce&s;&s;e, which either lifteth vp the heart with pride and pre|&s;umption, or el&s;e be&s;otteth it with dul|ne&s;&s;e and &s;tupiditie: The rich and mightie are infected with the fir&s;t;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pride ma|keth man &s;ecure.</NOTE> and the carnall and fle&s;hly minded ouer|whelmed with the &s;econd.
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 4.27 28.</NOTE> <HI>Nebuchad|nezar</HI> in his pro&s;peritie vaunted and &s;aid; is not this great Babell, that I haue built for the hou&s;e of the kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Maie&s;tie? and the
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 12.19.20.</NOTE> rich man flattered him&s;elfe in his riches, promi&s;ing pre&s;umptuou&s;ly vnto him|&s;elfe both ea&s;e and long life: But <HI>Ne|buchadnezar</HI> he was in&s;tantly told that his kingdome was departed from him; and the rich man pre&s;ently euen in a night was taken from his trea&s;ure. The carnall and fle&s;hly minded like brute
<PB N="149" REF="80">bea&s;ts doe follow their filthy appetite and lu&s;ts,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Stupiditie and dulnes maketh man &s;ecure</NOTE> v&s;ing and frequenting their dayly &s;ports with
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 10.8.9.</NOTE> <HI>Nimrod,</HI> their fea&s;t|ings with
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 5.1.</NOTE> <HI>Baltazer:</HI> their drinking with
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>King.</HI> 20.16.</NOTE> <HI>Benhadad:</HI> their whoring with
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">2. <HI>King.</HI> 9.22.</NOTE> <HI>Iezabell:</HI> and their idlenes with mar|ket
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 20.6.</NOTE> gazers, and &s;treete walkers: pre|ferring their delights and plea&s;ures be|fore pietie and godline&s;&s;e, and lu&s;ting after the
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exo.</HI> 16.3</NOTE> fle&s;h-pots of Aegypt with the children of I&s;rael; wi&s;hing rather to enioy the things of this world and the ea&s;e of the fle&s;h for a &s;ea&s;on, with the hazard of their &s;oules, then to &s;uffer a little paine in this life, to gaine euerla&s;ting felicitie in the life to come. But they all mu&s;t know that &s;o long as they are puffed vp with pride,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plea&s;ure is the high|way to de|&s;truction.</NOTE> decei|ued by riches, and be&s;otted with plea|&s;ures, they are in the broad way, lea|ding to de&s;truction, their lamps are out, they are dead in &s;leepe, the
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.10.</NOTE> brid|grome is pa&s;&s;ed by, the gate is &s;hut and their being &s;hall be without, not on the hils nor in the valleys, but in
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">22.13.</NOTE> hel|fire with the diuell and his Angels for
<PB N="148" REF="81">euermore: and then, but too late &s;hall they finde that the &s;mooth &s;treame of <HI>Securitie</HI> hath a deep bottome,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The end of <HI>Security</HI> mo&s;t bit|ter.</NOTE> to &s;wa|low vp their fea&s;ting with mourning, their mirth with heauines, their laugh|ing with weeping, their &s;inging with howling, their embracing with wring|ing of hands, and their daintie feeding with gna&s;hing of teeth.</P>
<P>And within this compa&s;&s;e of <HI>Secu|ritie,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Negli|gence, a member of <HI>Security</HI></NOTE> Negligence al&s;o may be inclu|ded; which is knowledge without care, not regarding what is commaunded by God vnto vs: and although it &s;ee|meth not in pre&s;umpteous manner di|rectly to oppo&s;e or with&s;tand what is commaunded, yet in effect it bringeth forth the i&s;&s;ue of di&s;obedience to the di&s;honour of God and de&s;truction of our owne &s;oules (without repentances. For it is a greater &s;inne to
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 21.28.</NOTE> neglect, then not to doe, becau&s;e in neglect|ing there is &s;inne with knowledge, but in not doing there may be &s;inne by ig|norance; and
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> 48.10</NOTE> cur&s;ed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently:
<PB N="149" REF="81">but he that
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 12.47.</NOTE> knoweth his mai&s;ters wil and doeth it not &s;hall be beaten with many &s;tripes: And &s;urely greater was the &s;inne of
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ion.</HI> 1.2.3</NOTE> <HI>Ionas</HI> to neglect his go|ing to Nineue then the &s;inne of
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 9.1.2.</NOTE> <HI>Paul</HI> in ha&s;tening to Dama&s;cus, for the one would notwhat he knew; and the other knew not what he did.
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 23.34.</NOTE> Chri&s;t he prai|ed for the &s;imple people that were his per&s;ecutors, becau&s;e in ignorance they knew not what they did: but the Scribs and Phari&s;es they wilfully
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.25.</NOTE> neglected their &s;aluatio~, in de&s;iring that his blood might be vpon them and their chil|dren, although they &s;aw &amp; knew both by his workes and word, that he was the <HI>Me&s;ias,</HI> and Sauiour of the world: So then by this &s;inne man
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 2.5.</NOTE> heapeth vp for him&s;elfe wrath again&s;t the day of wrath, as the euill
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.18.30.</NOTE> &s;teward did, who wilfully neglected the time to put out his talent; whereas otherwi&s;e by watchfulne&s;&s;e and diligence wee &s;hould become
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 5.16</NOTE> wi&s;e and &s;ober redee|ming the time becau&s;e the dayes are euill.</P>
<PB N="152" REF="82">
<P>For mo&s;t certaine it is, that that man mu&s;t peri&s;h by the &s;word, that when he heareth the alarum &amp; Trumpet &s;ound hee will not prepare him&s;elfe to the battaile: and he mu&s;t fami&s;h and &s;tarue in Winter, that will not gather in Sum|mer: &s;o tho&s;e that
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.1 2.</NOTE> neglect the time, and de&s;pi&s;e the grace that is offered vn|to them from aboue, (for their repen|tance and turning to the Lord,) when they cry they &s;hall not be heard, when they knocke it &s;hall not be opened vn|to them; but God in his iu&s;tice will take away his grace and ble&s;&s;ings from them, and be&s;tow them vpon others, that &s;hall bring forth better fruits then they; and then too late &s;hall they re|pent, when they haue lo&s;t the
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 27.38</NOTE> ble&s;|&s;ing with <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and neglected the co|uenant of grace with
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>King.</HI> 2.42. Neglige~ce a grieuous &s;inne.</NOTE> <HI>Shemei.</HI> This &s;in of negligence it is a &s;luggi&s;h &amp; bewitch|ing &s;in, begotten by pre&s;umption, and nouri&s;hed by ca&s;e, delightfull to the fle&s;h, but painefull to the &s;oule; it hath a
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 9.7.10</NOTE> Locu&s;ts face, but a Scorpions taile, the beginning &s;weet, but the end bitter
<PB N="153" REF="82">vnto death: for when God and his word, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and iudgement, mercy and truth, wi&s;edome and pietie, peace and loue is neglected and de&s;pi|&s;ed: what then remaineth but a feare|full and perpetuall &s;eparation of the wicked from the pre&s;ence of God, who through their negligence and <HI>&s;ecuritie</HI> haue &s;uffered their garments to be de|filed, their bodies infected, their &s;oules peruerted, their faith &s;ubdued, and their hope drowned, and they them&s;elues fallen and &s;uncke downe into the bot|tomle&s;&s;e pit of eternall death, where is darkne&s;&s;e, and woe, lamentation, weep|ing and howling for euermore?</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that we haue a care how we &s;pend our time here in this world; that it be in watchfulne&s;&s;e and diligence, in holines and righteou&s;nes, for the time will come that we mu&s;t render an account of our &s;teward&s;hip, and if we haue done wel we &s;hall receiue a gracious and ble&s;&s;ed reward, but if we haue done euill, our talent &s;hall be ta|ken from vs, and we to be bound hand
<PB N="152" REF="83">and foote, and ca&s;t into vtter darkne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e while we liued in this world, we would not &s;o much as &s;tir and put forth our hand or foote to walke in the way of light, and doe the workes of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The gacious time of be|leeuing &amp; working is onely in this life.</NOTE> for the time of beleeuing and working is onely in this life, becau&s;e the commandement and promi&s;e is giuen and made vnto man, and man dying, his body becommeth &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e and without motion, and turneth vnto du&s;t, &amp; cannot put in action the things which are commanded: but his &s;oule is eternall and a &s;pirituall &s;ub&s;tance, a&s;|cending vnto God;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">After death all works doe cea&s;e, and the &s;oule a&s;cendeth vnto God.</NOTE> and after the di&s;&s;o|lution of the &s;oule from the body, faith, hope, and the workes of the law doe cea&s;e, becau&s;e the&s;e were the meanes of apprehen&s;ion of the promi&s;es, and per|forming of obedience vnto God in this life, but after this life fini&s;hed, euery faithfull &s;oule &s;hall truely, really, and fully behold the comfortable pre&s;ence of Almightie God, and receiue the po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion of tho&s;e ioyes promi&s;ed and ho|ped for, and &s;hall no more be bound
<PB N="153" REF="83">by the law, becau&s;e once being glorifi|ed, the &s;oule of man &s;hall be ab&s;olutely perfect for euer in holine&s;&s;e and inno|cency, pray&s;ing and giuing all honour and glory, and obedience continually vnto the Lord for his &s;aluation.</P>
<P>And as the &s;oules of the righteous after death,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;oules of the righ|teous are free from any cur&s;e.</NOTE> are free both from the works and from the cur&s;e of the law; &s;o the &s;oules of the wicked after death are likewi&s;e free from the works of the law, but not from the cur&s;e of the Law, for by death the law cea&s;eth, but after death the cur&s;e continueth, and no man can worke out his &s;aluation after death, be|cau&s;e the reward and iudgement of Al|mightie God hath relation and re&s;pect vnto our actions done here in this world, whether they be good or euill.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;oule pre&s;ently after death receiueth her ab&s;o|lute and eternall reward or iudgement</NOTE> And as God in his reward for a ble&s;&s;ing of eternall life, maketh no delay, but crowneth the &s;oules of the righteous with eternall glory; &s;o in his reward for a cur&s;e of eternall death, he maketh no delay, but puni&s;heth the &s;oules of the wicked with eternal &s;hame &amp; confu&s;ion.</P>
<PB N="156" REF="84">
<P>Wherefore let euery one take heed how he liueth and how he dyeth; for as the tree falleth, &s;o &s;hall it ri&s;e againe: after death there is no interce&s;&s;ion; Gods iudgement as it is without delay, &s;o it is without alteration: and if &s;o then wee haue no feare nor feeling of our &s;innes in this life with repentance, wee &s;hall haue no ta&s;te nor feeling of Gods mercy in the life to come by any a&s;&s;u|rance: for tho&s;e that dye without faith, and are not reconciled vnto God, are as withered and fruitle&s;&s;e branches, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> cut off, and ordained for the fire; and as all the water which is ca&s;t vpon a dead plant is in vaine,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Praiers for the dead are vaine.</NOTE> and cannot reuiue it; &s;o the prayers for the dead, which haue died in their &s;ins without faith and re|pentance are in vaine, and cannot re|deeme them: and for the faithfull be|ing departed out of this life, prayers need not, for their &s;oules are &s;peedily receiued into glory, being elected in the loue of the Father, redeemed by the death and pa&s;&s;ion of the Son, &amp; &s;anctifi|ed by the grace of the holy Gho&s;t: and
<PB N="157" REF="84">without this election, redemption, and &s;anctification, there can be no &s;aluati|on. And for the elect there needs no Purgatorie; nor yet for the reprobate;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Purgatory an idle &amp; needle&s;&s;e fiction.</NOTE> for the Purgatorie doctrine is both fri|uolous and dangerous: friuolous, be|cau&s;e it cannot redeeme the reprobate, nor benefit the elect: dangerous, be|cau&s;e it giues encouragement vnto &s;in|ners to continue in their &s;inne, hoping of a Purgation after death, which is impo&s;&s;ible, and contrary to the cour&s;e of the iu&s;tice and mercy of God in his election and reprobation, whereunto he hath appointed a place, either hea|uen or hell without participation. For as there cannot be a meane betweene e|lection and reprobation to make an in|different e&s;tate in &s;aluation; &s;o there cannot be a meane betweene heauen &amp; hell, to make an indifferent place for purgation and redemption.</P>
<P>And therefore tremble and feare, <MILESTONE UNIT="Simile."> O ye wicked men and women, that liue &s;ecurely and at ea&s;e, and doe daily re|ioyce and cheere vp your hearts in the
<PB N="156" REF="85">time of your youth, walking in your owne wayes, in plea&s;ures and delights; but know a&s;&s;uredly, that for all the&s;e things, God will bring you to iudge|ment; and hell not Purgatorie &s;hall be the place of your torment, appointed for the Diuell and his Angels, and for all that doe liue vngodly in this world.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Onely Wi&s;e, Iu&s;t, Holy and Righte|ous God, which hath planted and &s;etled euery man and woman in their &s;e|uerall calling, to that end onely, that they might not be &s;ecure and negligent, but carefully to apply them&s;elues to all holy, and righteous works while they liue in this world, becau&s;e by</HI> Securitie <HI>and negligence there groweth omitting of all things which are good, and committing of tho&s;e things
<PB N="157" REF="85">which are euill: for the fle&s;h being in re&s;t and peace, maketh warre again&s;t the &s;pi|rit, and the pompe and pride of life bring|eth &s;hame and pouertie to the &s;oule. Pre|uent me therefore, O Lord, I humbly be|&s;eech thee, by thy grace and holy &s;pirit, that I &s;leepe not in</HI> Securitie <HI>and ea&s;e, nor giue my &s;elfe vnto carele&s;ne&s;&s;e and negligence, le&s;t with the euill Steward, and fooli&s;h &V;irgines, I &s;hould be condemned, and &s;hut out of thy heauenly kingdome for euer|more. Heare me, O Lord, in this my pray|er, and grant me my reque&s;t, for thy deare Sonnes &s;ake, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, who liueth and raigneth with thee, and the holy Gho&s;t, euer one God, world without end.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="160" REF="86">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. X.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>HELL.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_SAmp&s;ons</HI>
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg.</HI> 16.21</NOTE> bonds by the Phili&s;tines were not &s;o great, nor
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> 52.9.</NOTE> <HI>Zedekiahs</HI> cap|tiuitie by the Babilonians &s;o grieuous, but that the bonds and captiuitie of death and <HI>Hell</HI> are farre more intollerable, infinite, and eternall.</P>
<P>But I &s;uppo&s;e that &s;ome doe doubt whether there be any <HI>Hell</HI> or no;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Some doe doubt whether there be a <HI>Hell</HI> or no.</NOTE> and doe flatter them&s;elues &s;aying; If there be no <HI>Hell,</HI> then neither the iu&s;tice of God can hurt me, nor the mercies of God doe me any good; and therefore I neither feare the one, nor re&s;pect the other; but I will liue as I li&s;t, and after death I feare no euill.</P>
<P>To an&s;were and &s;atisfie &s;uch,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proofe that there is a <HI>Hell.</HI></NOTE> let any behold but with the eye of rea&s;on, and
<PB N="161" REF="86">I will euidently &s;hew and demon&s;trate that there is a <HI>Hell,</HI> and place of puni&s;h|ment for all offenders again&s;t God.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nature di|&s;tingui&s;h|eth be|tweene good and euill: then much more God in his loue and iu&s;tice hath ap|pointed a place di|&s;tingui&s;h|ed for the good, and for the bad</NOTE> For doe we not &s;ee in the naturall creatures without &s;en&s;e, that there is light and darkene&s;&s;e, fire and water, &s;weete and &s;ower, beautie and deformitie, loath|&s;omene&s;&s;e and plea&s;ing &s;cents? and in the creatures &s;en&s;ible, doe we not per|ceiues &s;implicitie and crueltie, protecti|on and de&s;truction, &s;ome offending, others reuenging; euery one e&s;chewing danger, &amp; &s;eeking after good for them|&s;elues? And in man doe we not &s;ee an heauenly &s;pirit in a earthly body, pray|&s;ing vertue, and di&s;pray&s;ing vice? In|&s;tiruting by iu&s;tice, a
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 13.3.4.</NOTE> reward for the good, and puni&s;hment for the wicked? And to what purpo&s;e hath God &s;o or|dayned and di&s;tingui&s;hed his creatures, but that euery man in the light of na|ture might know that there is good and euill, ioy and &s;orrow, paine and plea|&s;ure, &s;weet and &s;ower, life and death?</P>
<P>And although in re&s;pect of the crea|tures, al the&s;e things are but momentary
<PB N="162" REF="87">and temporall, yet by way of compa|ri&s;on, mans &s;oule which is eternall, be it holy, or be it &s;innefull, &s;hall finde an e|ternall ble&s;&s;ing, or an eternall cur&s;e and puni&s;hment; and for a man to &s;ay, that there &s;hall be an eternall ble&s;&s;ing, or an eternall cur&s;e and puni&s;hment, without either a &s;ubiect or per&s;on to receiue it, or without a place to containe it, were mo&s;t ab&s;urd: and therefore vnle&s;&s;e men will deny the immortalitie of the &s;oule (
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1.26. 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.45</NOTE> which hath her being and e&s;&s;ence from the life and eternitie of God) they cannot but confe&s;&s;e and feare the pu|ni&s;hment of
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9. <HI>to</HI> 12. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 9.17.11 6. <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.41 <HI>Reu.</HI> 6.8. <HI>Mark.</HI> 9.43 44. 2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4.</NOTE> <HI>Hell,</HI> ordained from all beginnings, for the wicked and vn|godly.</P>
<P>For if God in the creation hath made a di&s;tinction betweene his crea|tures in re&s;pect of goodnes &amp; beautie, how much more in his &s;entence and iu&s;t iudgement, (in re&s;pect of mens workes, to whom he hath giuen a law?) &s;hall hee make di&s;tinction betweene man and man, betweene the good and the bad, betweene the e&s;tate of the one,
<PB N="163" REF="87">and the e&s;tate of the other, which &s;hal not be temporall but eternall, as well for the body as the &s;oule at the gene|rall re&s;urrection? and although the bo|dy re&s;teth without motion in the graue after the departure of the &s;oule from it; yet we mu&s;t not thinke that there|fore we &s;hall not come to iudgment, or &s;uffer the paines of <HI>Hell;</HI> for God doth not forget a &s;inner, but his body as well as his &s;oule is vnder iudgement, although not &s;o pre&s;ently as his &s;oule; for the body mu&s;t returne vnto the earth, and re&s;t in the graue,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The body doth re&s;t in the graue after death for two re|&s;pects.</NOTE> for two re|&s;pects; the one, becau&s;e the body is
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.53.</NOTE> mortall, and therfore it mu&s;t returne to du&s;t and be chaunged, that it might be made immortall; and the other, be|cau&s;e the number of Gods elect, is not yet
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 7.3.14.6.7.</NOTE> Compleat and full, which being fulfilled, then
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26.19</NOTE> commeth the the day iudgement and re&s;urrection of the dead; and then &s;hall the
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.42.</NOTE> bodies of all men be ioyned to their &s;oules, and be made immortall, and they &s;hall
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 24.30.</NOTE> &s;ee the &s;onne of man comming in the
<PB N="164" REF="88">Cloudes with great power and glory,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.31. <HI>Reu.</HI> 20.11.</NOTE> &s;itting vpon the throne, &amp; &s;hal iudge the quicke and dead; and
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.29.</NOTE> tho&s;e that haue done good &s;hall ri&s;e vnto eternall life, and tho&s;e that haue done euill vnto eternall death. Therefore the re&s;ting of the bodie in the graue, is, (if a man haue liued and died wickedly,) but the renewing of his &s;orrow at the re|&s;urrection; that when hee thought him&s;elfe free from feeling any more paine, then he &s;hall ri&s;e vp from death, to be
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.13.</NOTE> bound hand and foote, and to to be ca&s;t into vtter darkene&s;&s;e, where &s;hall be weeping, and wayling, and gna|&s;hing of teeth; for the
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 94.4 <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66.24. <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.11.</NOTE> worme of the wicked &s;hall not die, neither &s;hall their fire be quenched, nor their tor|mentes ended, but their place and dwelling &s;hall be
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.41.</NOTE> euermore with the diuel and his angels, in that
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 21.8. The wic|ked vpon the earth finde and inuent tor|ments for the godly; how much more hath God or|dained tor|ments for thewicked in <HI>Hell?</HI></NOTE> lake which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the the &s;econd death.</P>
<P>For if wicked men and cruell tyrants vpon the earth, could or|daine and finde a place of torment
<PB N="165" REF="88">for the children of God that di&s;plea|&s;ed them; Nay, for Chri&s;t him&s;elfe; &s;hall not God then much more, in his iu&s;tice prouide a place of torment for Satan and his members which con|tinually di&s;honour and bla&s;pheme his holy name?
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 37.24.</NOTE> <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> by the hand of the wicked was ca&s;t into the pit,
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> 38.6.</NOTE> <HI>Ieremiah</HI> into the dungeon,
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 6.86 3.21.</NOTE> <HI>Daniel</HI> into the Den, <HI>Shadrach, Me&s;hach and Abedne|go</HI> into the fornace, and
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.33.</NOTE> Chri&s;t in Gol|gotha was racked and crucified vpon the cro&s;&s;e: and mu&s;t not the vngodly, and reprobate then thinke, that God, the King, and Iudge of the whole world hath for them a pit, a dungeon, a den, a fornace, a Golgotha, a cro&s;&s;e? yea, a pit without bottome, a dungeon without light, a den without mercy, a fornace without water, a golgotha without com|fort, and a cro&s;&s;e without redemption. O better therefore is it to &s;uffer afflicti|on for a while vpon the face of the earth with holy <HI>Shadrach Me&s;hach</HI> and <HI>Abednego,</HI> then to goe downe quicke into the pit for euer, with rebellious
<PB N="166" REF="89">
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Num.</HI> 16.33.</NOTE> <HI>Corah, Dathan,</HI> and <HI>Abiram:</HI> and better is it to feare God that can
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 10.8.</NOTE> de|&s;troy both bodie and &s;oule, and ca&s;t them into <HI>Hell,</HI> then to for&s;ake God, &amp; feare man that can but hurt the bodie onely:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The day of iudge|ment is not far off.</NOTE> For he that hath promi&s;ed to come to iudgement, wil
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam.</HI> 5.8.</NOTE> come &s;hortly and will not tarrie; he hath his
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 3.12</NOTE> fanne in his hand; his
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 4.2.</NOTE> throne is &s;et vp for iudgement; the
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">10 2.</NOTE> booke is opened; his Angel is readie to thru&s;t his
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">14.15.</NOTE> &s;harpe &s;ickle on the earth, for the harue&s;t is ripe; the &s;ound of the la&s;t
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">11.15.</NOTE> trumpet is readie to be blowne, Gods heauenly
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">19.1.</NOTE> Court is full of his Saints; the &s;oules of the afflicted doe now reioyce, and cry with a loud voyce,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">6.9.20.</NOTE> <HI>How long Lord, how long?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great &s;orrovves of the re|brobate at the day of iudgment.</NOTE> <HI>make ha&s;t and auenge our blood:</HI> Satan hath preferred the indightment, (
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 12.10.</NOTE> who accu&s;eth man before God, day and night) the guilty con&s;cience trem|bleth; the wicked are
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.12.</NOTE> &s;peechle&s;&s;e; and cannot deny their offence; the&s;entence is pronouncing;
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 4.5.</NOTE> thunder and light|ning filleth the throne; the
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">11.15.18</NOTE> &s;houte of the holy Angels and Saints encrea&s;e
<PB N="167" REF="89">the &s;orrows of the damned;
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">21.1.</NOTE> old things are pa&s;&s;ed; all worldly plea&s;ures ended; the
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">9.2.</NOTE> bottomle&s;&s;e pit openeth and &s;mo|keth; light and comfort vani&s;heth; darkene&s;&s;e encrea&s;eth; the
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">14.10.11</NOTE> fire deuou|reth; the worme gnaweth; death li|ueth; and the time of torments neuer endeth.</P>
<P>Who then, (that knowing this,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Euery one ought to feare &s;in, <HI>Hell</HI> being the place for all in|repentant &s;inners.</NOTE> but will tremble and feare to &s;inne; <HI>Hell</HI> being the place appointed for all ob|&s;tinate and inrepentant &s;inners? for the wages of &s;inne is death; and euery one that hath tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed &s;hal come &amp; &s;tand, not before a dumbe and corrupt iudge, but before the mightie, eternall, onely wi&s;e, iu&s;t, righteous, and feare|full God, who wil reward euery man ac|cording to his workes, for there is no re&s;pect of per&s;ons with him.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> that no man doe liue and &s;pend the cour&s;e of his life here in this world without feare of the dreadfull iudgements of God, and thinking vpon death and <HI>Hell:</HI> le&s;t by forgetting the puni&s;hment, hee doth
<PB N="168" REF="90">de&s;pi&s;e the grace, &amp; &s;o his hart &s;hould ei|ther proudly be puffed vp, &s;aying with
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 5.2</NOTE> <HI>Pharaoh, Who is the Lord?</HI> or &s;en&s;e|le&s;ly be dulled, &s;aying with the
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 14.1.</NOTE> foole, <HI>there is no God.</HI> For <HI>Caines</HI>
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 4.13</NOTE> puni&s;h|ment made him both acknowledge the power of God; &amp; the reward of &s;in, and the ouerflowing of the world by water, the burning of Sodome by fire, the de&s;truction of Aegypt by plagues, and the remoouing of kingdomes by warre, doe teach and &s;hew vnto vs the &s;inceritie of Gods iu&s;tice, that hee will neuer &s;uffer &s;inne to goe vnpuni&s;hed, but as he hath made him&s;elfe knowne vnto all the world in Maie&s;tie and glo|rie by his works; and in truth and righteou&s;nes by his word,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God will be magni|fied in his iudge|ments a|gain&s;t the wicked.</NOTE> &s;o by his iudgements and puni&s;hments he will be magnified in the de&s;truction and ouer|throw of the wicked and vngodly, who haue bla&s;phemed his name, broken his law, and made a mocke at his com|ming vnto iudgement: but certainly, he will come vpon them at vnawares as a theefe in the night, when they
<PB N="169" REF="90">&s;hall not be able to re&s;i&s;t being dead a &s;leepe in their &s;innes, and then &s;hall they heare his fearefull voice, (being
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg"><HI>Reu.</HI> 19.16 God will call all to account.</NOTE> the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords calling vnto them, <HI>Come, make account of your talent and &s;teward&s;hip which was deliuered and commended vnto you, for ye mu&s;t be no longer &s;tewards: I haue bin ab|&s;ent, but ye haue beene negligent: I haue beene patient but yee haue beene di&s;obe|dient: I haue beene bountefull, but ye haue beene vnthankefull. I gaue you tru&s;t but ye haue deceiued me. I gaue ye a law, but ye haue de&s;pi&s;ed me. I &s;ent vnto you my</HI>
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 22.34.35.</NOTE> <HI>&s;eruants, but ye haue euill entreated them. I &s;ent vnto you my</HI>
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">37.38.</NOTE> <HI>Sonne but ye haue killed him. I planted</HI>
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.2.</NOTE> <HI>you as a vine but ye haue brought forth wilde grapes. I built you as a temple, but ye haue polluted it. I cho&s;e you as a &s;pou&s;e but ye haue re|fu&s;ed me: Wherefore I will now iudge you for all your wickednes and abhomina|tion,</HI> &s;aith the Lord; <HI>for</HI>
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Amos.</HI> 2.4</NOTE> <HI>three tran&s;|gre&s;sions, and for foure I will not turne to you, becau&s;e ye haue ca&s;t away my waies, and haue not kept my commandements,
<PB N="170" REF="91">your lyes haue cau&s;ed you to erre, after the which your Fathers haue walked. Yee haue</HI>
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 6.</NOTE> <HI>&s;old the righteous for &s;iluer, and the poore for &s;hooes. Yee haue</HI>
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">7.</NOTE> <HI>gaped ouer the head of the poore in the du&s;t of the earth, &amp; peruerted the waies of the meek. Ye haue</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Amos.</HI> 6.3</NOTE> <HI>put farre away the euill day, and approched to the &s;eate of iniquitie. Ye haue</HI>
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> <HI>lyen and &s;tretched out your &s;elues vpon your beds of yuorie. Yee haue eaten the Lambes of the flocke, and Calues out of the &s;tall;</HI>
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Amos.</HI> 6.5</NOTE> <HI>&s;inging to the &s;ound of the &V;i|oll; drinking wine in bowles; and annoint|ing your &s;elues with the chiefe ointments, but none of you haue &s;orrowed for the af|fliction of</HI> Io&s;eph. <HI>Wherefore I</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">8</NOTE> <HI>abhorre both your per&s;ons and your pallaces: and although yee &s;eeme to be as high as</HI>
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">2.9.</NOTE> <HI>Ce|dars, and as &s;trong as Okes,</HI> (proud and oppre&s;&s;ing,) <HI>yet behold, I will now de&s;troy your fruit from aboue, and your roote from beneath: for I am euen</HI>
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">13.</NOTE> <HI>pre&s;&s;ed vnder you,</HI> (by rea&s;on of your iniquities,) <HI>as a cart is pre&s;&s;ed that is full of &s;heaues: I can beare you no longer. Yee haue heaped vp venge|ance for your &s;elues again&s;t the day of
<PB N="171" REF="91">wrath. For the</HI>
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 14.</NOTE> <HI>flight &s;hall peri&s;h from the &s;wift, and the &s;trong &s;hall not &s;treng|then his force, neyther &s;hall the mightie &s;aue his life. Come therefore, take, binde, and</HI>
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 25.30</NOTE> <HI>ca&s;t the&s;e euill, &s;lothfull, and vnpro|fitable &s;eruants into vtter darkne&s;&s;e, there &s;hall be weeping and gna&s;hing of teeth.</HI></P>
<P>Mo&s;t certainely then the reward of &s;inne is death,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mi&s;e|ry of <HI>Hell:</HI> being mo&s;t fearfull &amp; terrible.</NOTE> and as certaine the place for &s;inners is <HI>Hell,</HI> the lake burning with fire and brim&s;tome for euermore. Woe worth therefore tho&s;e plea&s;ures which mu&s;t be &s;awced with torments, and woe worth tho&s;e per&s;ons that mu&s;t liue in <HI>hell,</HI> a pri&s;on, (a loth&s;ome pri&s;on) from whence there is no redemption; torments (grieuous torments) of which there is no remi&s;&s;ion; there is eternitie without end; extremitie without mean; watching without &s;leepe; paine without ea&s;e; crying without comfort; wringing of hands without hope; gna&s;hing of teeth without loue; knocking, but none will open; calling, but none will an&s;wer; &s;trugling, howling, turning, to&s;&s;ing in the fire, cur&s;ing, banning, &s;uffering,
<PB N="172" REF="92">yet neuer dead; dying, yet euer liuing; the &s;en&s;es daily quickned to feele the torments, and the &s;oule continually vn|der&s;tanding, to perceiue and endure her eternall condemnation with the diuell and his Angels. Who&s;e heart &s;o &s;tonie, that will not relent? who&s;e pre&s;umpti|on &s;o great, that will not feare? who&s;e minde &s;o cruell, that will not pittie his owne &s;oule, the which this night before to morrow, (it reioycing and continu|ing in &s;inne,) may goe to <HI>hell?</HI> for mans life is but as a
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 396.</NOTE> &s;panne, as a
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><HI>Iob.</HI> 14.2.7.1.2.</NOTE> &s;hadow, as a thought, a bla&s;t, a bubble, a flower, and all our dayes are but
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 47.9.</NOTE> few and euill.</P>
<P>O let none, whether high or low, rich or poore, in what e&s;tate &s;oeuer he be, liue wickedly and plea&s;urably in a day, to goe to <HI>hell</HI> in the night; or in a night, to goe to <HI>hell</HI> in the day, but let them &s;pend their time in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>not in</HI>
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 13.13</NOTE> <HI>&s;urfetting and drunkenne&s;&s;e, not in chambering and wan|tonne&s;&s;e, not in &s;trife and enuying, not in coueting and oppre&s;&s;ing, not in lying and
<PB N="173" REF="92">&s;wearing,</HI> that &s;o they may dye ioyfully and dwell with God eternally in hea|uen, where is fulne&s;&s;e of ioy, and plea|&s;ures for euermore. For what &s;hall it profit a man to enioy the plea&s;ures of the fle&s;h for a &s;ea&s;on, and to winne the whole world, and lee&s;e his owne &s;oule?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Holy and eternall God mo&s;t righte|ous and mightie iudge of the whole world, thou which can&s;t not &s;uffer thy law to be broken, nor thy name to be bla&s;phemed, but hast threatned death to the breakers, and contemners thereof: and indeede for &s;inne we &s;ee dayly, that death taketh hold vpon all, and none can be redeemed from the power of the graue: and as death, O Lord, is thy Sergeant to arre&s;t vs, &s;o</HI> Hell
<PB N="174" REF="93"><HI>is thy pri&s;on to detaine vs, if we die in our &s;innes; the doore of this dungeon and bottomle&s;&s;e pit is &s;hut vp more &s;trongly and &s;ure, then was thy Sepulcher &s;ealed by the Iewes, and guarded by the &s;ouldiers, for the key of this pry&s;on is giuen to thy holy Angel, &s;afely to be kept, &amp; neuer to be ope|ned, but for renewing of iudgement and in|crea&s;e of the torments of the damned. I humbly be&s;eech thee therefore, O Lord, to giue me grace that I may tremble and feare at thy iudgements, acknowledging thee to be a iu&s;t and mightie God, able to puni&s;h, and confound thine enemies, as thou art mo&s;t gracious, willing and of po|wer to pre&s;erue and glorifie thy children: that &s;o I may dayly feare to &s;inne, and learne to do well, giuing and a&s;cribing vn|to thee; all power, Maie&s;tie, might, ho|nor, glory, and dominion, for euer and euer, Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="175" REF="93">
<HEAD>MEDITATION. XI.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_PRayer,</HI> it is the daughter of
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.14.</NOTE> faith, begotten by
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">14.</NOTE> know|ledge, and nouri&s;hed by zeale;
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 6.6.</NOTE> feare keepes her waking, but
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">9.</NOTE> hope makes her reioy|cing, the
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 51.3.4</NOTE> &s;ight of our &s;ins pre&s;ents the feare, but the
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">25.14.</NOTE> beholding of Gods mer|cy doth bring the ioy.</P>
<P>The parts of <HI>Prayer</HI> to make it &s;weet and plea&s;ant vnto God are fiue:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The parts of <HI>Prayer.</HI></NOTE> the Knowledge of him; Faith in him;
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.139.111 <HI>Prayer</HI> if it be not per|fect and effectuall, it is to no purpo&s;e.</NOTE> Zeale to him; Feare of his wrath; and Hope of his loue: For <HI>Prayer</HI> without Knowledge, is but blinde deuotion: without Faith, but abhomination: without Zeale, but lip verberation: without Feare, but pre&s;umptuous in|tru&s;ion; and without Hope, but de&s;pe|rate deploration. Therefore a man to hope of pardon and haue no feare of
<PB N="176" REF="94">&s;inne, is to pre&s;ume of mercy: to feare and haue no zeale, is to flye the rod: but not to care for God, and to &s;eeme zealous, and haue no faith, is a vaine profe&s;&s;ion, without religion; <HI>For,</HI>
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10.14</NOTE> <HI>how &s;hall they call on him, in whom they haue not beleeued?</HI> and to make &s;hew of faith without knowledge, is as an eye with|out &s;ight, not able to direct, but cau&s;e a man to fall into the ditch; For,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid.</HI> 14</NOTE> <HI>how &s;hall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard?</HI></P>
<P>Mo&s;t dangerous then it is to neglect the reading of the Scriptures,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A dange|rous thing to refu&s;e &amp; neglect the rea|ding of the Scriptures which mu&s;t beget faith, and direct prai|er, and en|crea&s;e know|ledge ex|ceedingly.</NOTE> and hea|ring of the word of God, by which wee mu&s;t come to the true &amp; perfect know|ledge of him; for therein wee &s;hall vn|der&s;tand and learne of his nature, which is holy; of his wi&s;dome, which is infinit; of his power, which is omnipotent; of his glory, which is incomprehen&s;ible; of his truth, which is infallible; of his Law, which is incorrupt; of his iu&s;tice, which is inflexible; of his iudgements, which are importable; of his enquiring knowledge, which is inpreuentable; of
<PB N="177" REF="94">his mercy euer abounding,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;crip|tures de|clare the glory, wi&s;|dome, power, iu|&s;tice, mer|cy &amp; good|ne&s;&s;e of God: the malice of Satan: and the mi&s;ery of man. The &s;crip|tures bring comfort &amp; ioy to the godly and elect. The ble&s;|&s;ed e&s;tate of the god|ly in hea|uen.</NOTE> of his loue euer flowing; of his grace euer calling; of his &s;pirit euer &s;anctifying; of his ble&s;|&s;ings euer alluring; of his goodne&s;&s;e e|uer vi&s;iting man to come vnto him: therein al&s;o &s;hall we vnder&s;tand of his glorious Angels, pray&s;ing and obeying him; of the Diuels fearing and trem|bling before him; of his creatures way|ting and attending him; and of &s;infull man tempting and prouoking him. But to the ioy of the elect, they may behold therin heauen gates opened vnto them, the Sonne of God Chri&s;t Ie&s;us recei|uing them, his Father ki&s;&s;ing them; the holy Gho&s;t ouer-&s;hadowing them; the Angels &s;aluting them; rich garments made ready for them; crownes of glo|ry be&s;towed on them; their heads an|noynted; their eyes wiped; their cheeks wa&s;hed; their lips &s;anctified; their hearts purified; their hands &s;trengthened,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t his glorious comming for the co~|fort of his Saints.</NOTE> and their feete prepared for to meete the Lambe Chri&s;t Ie&s;us; for he hath called and inuited vnto his wedding many people; his e&s;pou&s;e, the church, is louely
<PB N="178" REF="95">and all glorious within; hee is com|ming to meete her, his heauenly pal|lace is mo&s;t &s;umptuou&s;ly trimmed, his proui&s;ion and delicates are infinite, his officers and waiters are the Angels, and Archangels; the dowry and ioynture which he doth be&s;tow vpon his e&s;pou&s;e is the kingdome of heauen; &amp; the gifts and rewards which he be&s;toweth vpon his gue&s;ts, are glory, and honour, im|mortalitie and eternall life:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;ts fearefull comming for the de|&s;truction of the wic|ked.</NOTE> this being done, the throne is &s;et vp for iudge|ment; the earth, &s;ea, and hell doe bring forth the wicked and reprobate to ap|peare before the Lambe, whom they mo&s;t cruelly had per&s;ecuted and &s;laine; but he is ri&s;en,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The court of iudge|ment.</NOTE> and now triumpheth in power and Maie&s;tie: the high Court of iu&s;tice is &s;et; the Patriarches, Prophets, Apo&s;tles, and Saints, are there openly aduanced and preferred; there is great &s;ilence in heauen, the mo&s;t large and high commi&s;&s;ion of the Sonne of God is read; the bookes are opened; the pri|&s;oners are brought vnto the barre, they are arraigned, indicted, accu&s;ed, found
<PB N="179" REF="95">guiltie, condemned, taken, bound, and throwne into the bottomles pit of hell,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mi|&s;erie of hell.</NOTE> with the Diuell and his Angels: there is howling, roaring, weeping, gna&s;hing, turning, burning, wi&s;hing, wanting, dy|ing, but euer liuing; &s;tung, but neuer cured; tormented, crying for ea&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ide|ration of the iudge|ment, or thinking of the ioyes threatned, and pro|mi&s;ed: may mooue a|any &s;oule to pray and de|light in prayer continu|ally. <HI>Prayer</HI> without know|ledge is vaine.</NOTE> but neuer to be heard, nor neuer to be re|lea&s;ed.</P>
<P>What heart will not tremble to heare and read of this iudgement? what &s;oule will not pray night and day to be clen|&s;ed from her &s;in, to be freed from this death? and what &s;eruant of the Lord wil not reioyce, praying continually for grace and helpe to continue faithfull and obedient vnto God, that hee may be &s;aued: And mo&s;t certaine it is that without the knowledge of the&s;e things, our many and babling <HI>prayers</HI> are but like <HI>Pharaohs</HI> &s;euen thinne and bla&s;ted eares of Corne, and like his &s;eauen il-fa|uoured and leane fle&s;hed kine, far vnfit to be an offering, or pre&s;ent for the Lord: for without knowledge <HI>prayer</HI> cannot be framed: <MILESTONE UNIT="Smile.">
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 41.1.</NOTE> without faith it
<PB N="180" REF="96">cannot be holy, without zeale it can|not be feruent, without feare it can|not be &s;orrowfull, and without hope it cannot be comfortable:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A fearefull &s;inne to keepe and take away the Scrip|tures from the people</NOTE> And therefore how cruell are tho&s;e Scribes and Pha|ri&s;es, which lock vp the booke of know|ledge, the word of God, and the &s;acred Scriptures from the &s;imple people; commanding them to pray, but in ig|norance; to wor&s;hip, but in &s;upper&s;ti|on; they calling vpon Saints &amp; Images, yea &s;ometimes vpon diuels? for many to whom they pray being cannonized for Saints, haue been in their life time mo&s;t diueli&s;h, vile, and wicked men.</P>
<P>But if they knew the Scriptures,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God only mu&s;t be wor&s;hip|ped and called vp|on.</NOTE> they onely would pray to God, who is mo&s;t iealous of his honour, &amp; will not haue it to be giuen vnto any other: for him on|ly mu&s;t we wor&s;hip, &amp; him alone mu&s;t wee &s;erue, becau&s;e none but he hath created, redeemed, and &s;anctified vs; none but he hath truely taught, giuen wi&s;edome, and ble&s;&s;ed vs: and none but he &s;hall come in glory, to rai&s;e vs vp, and to iudge both quicke and dead,
<PB N="181" REF="96">and to giue reward vnto euerie one ac|cording to his workes.</P>
<P>And for our further in&s;truction wee are to learne that <HI>Prayer</HI> is a &s;peech which we make vnto God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prayer,</HI> what it is.</NOTE> with great re|uerence and wor&s;hip; a petition, with a repetition of Gods iu&s;tice and mercy: a confe&s;&s;ion, with &s;orrow for our &s;inne; and a profe&s;&s;ion, with a prote&s;tation for amendement of life.</P>
<P>Wherefore wee mu&s;t take heede of the carnall and worldly mens breuiate or &s;hort cut in <HI>Praying,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A cauiate again&s;t &s;hort mumbling <HI>Prayers.</HI></NOTE> who to colour and excu&s;e their owne &s;luggi&s;h and dull deuotion, doe condemne tho&s;e that make long <HI>Prayers</HI> in zeale and griefe of heart: affirming that a &s;hort <HI>Mi&s;e|rere</HI> or the <HI>Paterno&s;ter,</HI> is &s;ufficient to plea&s;e God, &amp; obtaine pardon for their &s;inne.</P>
<P>Indeed, it mu&s;t in &s;ome &s;ort be gran|ted, that in time of nece&s;&s;itie when as a man cannot either be &s;uffered to make his <HI>Prayers</HI> vnto God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 7.57.</NOTE> as <HI>Steuen</HI> could not, for his enemies ran vpon him all at once and &s;toned him: or be watched,
<PB N="182" REF="97">as <HI>Daniel</HI> was:
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 6.11. <HI>Acts</HI> 9.24.25. 2. <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.7.</NOTE> or be pur&s;ued, as <HI>Paul</HI> was: or be &s;odainely &s;troken with death as <HI>Vzzah</HI> was: in all the&s;e and &s;uch like ca&s;es, a &s;hort <HI>Prayer</HI> and faithfull, be it but a word, yea, a thought from the hart calling vpon God, is a mo&s;t forcible &amp; effectuall <HI>Prayer</HI> in the &s;ight of God.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Lords <HI>Prayer</HI> a pre&s;ident and pat|terne for all our <HI>Prayers</HI> to be founded &amp; groun|ded vpon it.</NOTE></P>
<P>And the <HI>Prayer</HI> &s;et downe by Chri&s;t was not deliuered by way of exception again&s;t any other <HI>Prayer,</HI> but as princi|pally to be v&s;ed as a &s;pecial forme, then which none can be better, &s;o by way of direction to &s;hew that all our <HI>Prayers</HI> mu&s;t be built and framed vpon the &s;ame &s;ub&s;tance and foundation, and al|&s;o to &s;hew his wonderfull wi&s;dome in compiling &s;o infinit a matter in &s;o &s;hort a methode; and to condemne the long <HI>Prayers</HI> of the Scribes &amp; Phari&s;es, who thought to be heard for their long and much babling, which was meerely for|mall and hypocriticall: but our Sauiour Chri&s;t him&s;elfe after the deliuery of that <HI>Prayer,</HI> &amp; al&s;o the Apo&s;tles conti|nued long in <HI>praying,</HI> &amp; v&s;ed &s;ome other forme and manner of <HI>prayer,</HI> but neuer
<PB N="183" REF="97">varied from the matter and &s;ub&s;tance therof.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sundry occa&s;ions may iu&s;tly cau&s;e and enforce long <HI>Prayer.</HI></NOTE> For &s;ometime the &s;ight of &s;in co~|demning, &s;ometime outward affliction pre&s;&s;ing, &s;ometime inward motions re|belling, &s;ometime the loue of God in|flaming, &s;ometime his benefits per&s;wa|ding, &s;ometime dangers approching, and la&s;tly, death appearing, maketh a man or woman to poure out their &s;ouls before God, with long &amp; many &s;uppli|cations, which either to the &s;orrowfull or ioyful in the Lord do &s;eem but &s;hort, ea&s;ie, comfortable &amp; plea&s;ant: and ther|fore <HI>Dauid,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.164.</NOTE> hee often prayed vnto the Lord, euen &s;euen times a day, and he de|&s;ired that hee might continue in the hou&s;e of the Lord all the dayes of his life, to behold his glorious beautie, and to heare his holy oracle or word: who&s;e example may condemne, and make all tho&s;e a&s;hamed which bla&s;phemou&s;ly doe &s;coffe &amp; deride at the word of God, and at all holy exerci&s;es, &s;aying; Tu&s;h,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Athei&s;tical &s;coffers at holy exer|ci&s;es.</NOTE> to follow the Church, &amp; to heare many Sermons, it doth but increa&s;e melan|choly, and hinder mens callings in their
<PB N="186" REF="98">outward bu&s;ines: Indeed to &s;uch it is the &s;auour of death vnto death, and as poy&s;on to their &s;oules, they preferring <HI>Mammon</HI> before <HI>Manna:</HI> but the time will come that a little, nay a tittle of the word &s;hall be as deere to be bought to comfort their &s;oule,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>King.</HI> 6.25.</NOTE> as bread was in <HI>Sa|maria</HI> to comfort the bodie, &amp; yet they &s;hall not finde it. For doe they not by their contempt of reading and hearing of the word, openly oppo&s;e and with|&s;tand the wi&s;dome and the gracious or|dinance of God appoynted for mans &s;aluation?</P>
<P>O ye fooli&s;h men!
<NOTE PLACE="marg">No grea|ter ble&s;|&s;ing or comfort for the bo|die and &s;oule in this life, then <HI>Pray|er.</HI></NOTE> what greater com|fort inwardly to the &s;oule, or ble&s;&s;ing outwardly to the body, then by faithfull <HI>prayer</HI> to call vpon the Lord for to ble&s;&s;e our labours; and to heare or read his holy word, to direct vs in all our wayes? And notwith&s;tanding we haue twelue howers in in the day to follow our worldly bu&s;ines in getting of out|ward riches, promotions and prefer|ments, in &s;eeking and getting whereof wee are neuer wearie; yet for vs to
<PB N="185" REF="98">&s;pend two howers in the day in holy exerci&s;es to obtaine heauenly riches,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Much time is &s;pent in wordly bu&s;ines but little in godly and holy exer|ci&s;es.</NOTE> as faith, hope, wi&s;edome, charitie, meeke|ne&s;&s;e, patience, honour, and glorie, and that for euer; we account euery minute too much and euerie hower tenne. If &s;o therefore our outward callings (as ye will &s;ay) mu&s;t be followed with &s;uch la|bour and diligence, &amp; as it were night and day, without any intermi&s;&s;ion, why then, how much more &s;hould our inward calling be followed with dili|gence, watchfulnes &amp; <HI>prayer?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A farre greater &amp; more &s;pe|ciall labor to get grace, then to get worldly riches.</NOTE> For euerie wicked man by his toyling and laboring may get riches, (through Gods &s;uffe|rance, and that in his wrath:) but it is a farre greater labour for his Saints to obtaine the heauenly graces (through Gods mercy, and that in his loue:) Hea|uen gates are not opened vnto any, but to tho&s;e that watch and pray continu|ally;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heauen is not ea&s;ily obtained.</NOTE> none can be Citizens &amp; free of the heauenly <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> but &s;uch who haue faithfully and painefully &s;erued for it, euen night and day,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 29.18.</NOTE> as <HI>Iaakob</HI> did for <HI>Ra|hel:</HI> the Lord heareth none but &s;uch
<PB N="186" REF="99">as pray&s;e God earne&s;tly with <HI>Dauid,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34.1. <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.75 <HI>Gen.</HI> 27.34</NOTE> &amp; weepe bitterly for their &s;innes with <HI>Pe|ter. E&s;au</HI> &s;ought a worldly ble&s;&s;ing with long entreatie and many teares, and thinke&s;t thou to haue a heauenly ble&s;&s;ing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 7.21.</NOTE> with crying and calling onely, <HI>Lord, Lord,</HI> when as thou neuer cared&s;t to doe and performe the will of the Lord? Learne therefore, that the con|fe&s;&s;ion of the mouth without faith in the heart, or a cry of the voyce with|out griefe of the minde for &s;inne, it is not an offering but an offence; no obla|tion, but an abhomination before the Lord: wee cannot a&s;cend vnto the hea|uenly hill of Sion,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14.4.13.</NOTE> but wee mu&s;t with <HI>Ionathan</HI> get vp the rocke, as it were with all foure, hand and foot, heart and eye;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">We mu&s;t not return vnto the world when wee are in the way a&s;cen|ding vnto heauen.</NOTE> for the way is narrow, raggy, &s;teep, and dangerous, troubles without, and feares within, and therefore wee mu&s;t make &s;ure footing, and not look down|ward, nor behinde vs, nor &s;hake hands with the enimie, le&s;t he pluck vs downe head-long to our vtter ruine and con|fu&s;ion.</P>
<PB N="187" REF="99">
<P>Let vs therfore highly e&s;teeme and labour for the gift of <HI>Prayer,</HI> which being truely taught, and diligently &s;ought, wee &s;hall be made learned in Knowledge, &s;trong in Faith, feruent in Loue, reuerent in Feare, and ioyfull in Hope, to our eternall comforts, and Gods glory, for euer.</P>
<P>The v&s;e hereof is, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e.">
<NOTE PLACE="marg">To know God.</NOTE> that we diligently &s;eeke and learne to know God and his word, whereby we may be thus taught (as before is declared) to make &amp; frame our <HI>prayers</HI> vnto him in true Know|ledge, perfect Faith, &s;ound Zeale, reue|rent Feare, and ioyfull Hope:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">To be re|uerent in our praiers without pre&s;umpti|on in the pre&s;ence of God.</NOTE> and not to pre&s;ent before him ignorant, faith|le&s;&s;e, idle, pre&s;umptuous, and fruitle&s;&s;e &s;peeches, with carele&s;&s;e behauiour, de|claring our fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e before him, and offending his eares, prouoking his pa|tience, and procuring his wrath: for the incen&s;e to be offered vnto God, mu&s;t be of the &s;weete&s;t perfume; the &s;a|crifice, of the fatte&s;t of the flocke; and the fir&s;t born mu&s;t be without blemi&s;h which is dedicated to him.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 4.10.</NOTE> <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> being
<PB N="188" REF="100">wi&s;e, doubted and thought not him&s;elfe eloquent enough to &s;peake vnto <HI>Pha|raoh;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 33.3.</NOTE> and <HI>Iacob</HI> being di&s;creet, feared to pre&s;ent him&s;elfe before his brother <HI>E&s;au:</HI> But how many now a dayes be|ing blinde without knowledge, lame without charitie, colde without zeale, dead without faith,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Imperfect and pre|&s;umptuous <HI>Praiers</HI> are abhomina|ble in the &s;ight of God.</NOTE> pre&s;umptuous with|out feare, and vaine without hope, doe (as it were hand ouer head) without all care, re&s;pect and reuerence; ru&s;h into the pre&s;ence of God, &s;eeming and ma|king &s;hew to come near vnto him with their lips, when their heart is far from him; and can this &s;eruice and &s;acrifice be acceptable vnto the Lord? nay, hee doth dete&s;t and hate it, for whithout a cleane heart and pure hands, without true knowledge, and liuely faith; and without godly zeale and chri&s;tian loue our prayers are as poy&s;on, and our &s;a|crifices as Serpents to &s;ting and infect our &s;oules with death: for &s;o was it with <HI>Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abihu,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Leu.</HI> 10.1.2</NOTE> who offred &s;trange fire, and an vnholy &s;acrifice before the Lord.</P>
<PB N="189" REF="100">
<P>It hath beene and is the common cour&s;e in this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Outward profe&s;&s;i|ons are deligently learned; but hea|uenly know|ledge is greatly neglected.</NOTE> that euery man with great care doth &s;triue to bring vp his children in &s;ome morrall &s;tudyes or mechanicall &s;cience or trade, for other|wi&s;e they will be far vnfit for the Court or Citie: but alas, how few doe take care and paines to traine vp their chil|dren or &s;eruants in the knowledge of Gods word, and to exerci&s;e them in <HI>Prayer,</HI> teaching them the way to god|line&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Godly in|&s;truction begets o|bedience, know|ledge, loue and thank|fulne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> and &s;hewing them Chri&s;t Ie&s;us the rocke of their &s;aluation; and how Satan in his malice &s;ought and deui&s;ed their confu&s;ion, that therby they might be made fit to giue all obedience, ho|nour, and glory vnto God for their de|uerance, and to offer vp <HI>prayers</HI> and prai&s;es in his holy &s;anctuary for his mo&s;t mercifull and gracious pre&s;eruati|on? The end therefore of <HI>prayer</HI> is to nouri&s;h repentance, to exerci&s;e our faith, to continue our patience, to con|firme our hope, and to put our tru&s;t in God for euermore.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="190" REF="101">
<HEAD>PRAYER.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Eternall, Wi&s;e and glorious God, with|out who&s;e ble&s;&s;ing neyther knowledge, grace, nor wi&s;edome can &s;incke into the heart of man: for thou onely mu&s;t make it ready, as good ground to receiue the &s;eed of thy word; thou onely mu&s;t water it to make it fruitfull; and thou onely mu&s;t pre|&s;erue it to make it happy. Mollifie there|fore, O Lord, we be&s;eech thee, and &s;often our &s;tony hearts, that wee may learne to know thee, and to vnder&s;tand thy will, fearing thy Maie&s;tie with reuerence, and wor&s;hipping thee aright, reioycing in thy promi&s;es, and tru&s;ting in thy mercies; that &s;o our</HI> Prayers <HI>and pray&s;es which we &s;hall offer vp vnto thee, may at all times be plea|&s;ing and acceptable in thy &s;ight, and we e|uermore refre&s;hed in thy loue, through Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t our onely Lord and Sauiour.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="101">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
