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<DATE>2014-04-07</DATE>
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<NAME>Kate Allen</NAME>
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<ITEM>Checklist: x *Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x*Review over structure: FRONT,BODY, BACK, DIV or rarely GROUP x*Add DIV TYPEs, make sure that @types makes sense as a navigational aide, and work in the context of the whole text, validate x*Survey book for troublesome formats of all kinds, including lists, illustrations, tables, music, math, end-notes, quasi-tabular arrangments, and marginalia. x*Proof title page(s) x*Examine marginalia. Is it all best tagged as NOTE? x*Observe divtop and divbottom material marking beginnings and ends of divisions, check that they are correctly tagged as HEAD, HEADNOTE, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, DATELINE, BYLINE, TRAILER, etc. x*Check for GAPs x*Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x*Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c., -- x*Check for illustrations and correct usage of FIGURE. Add FIGDESCs if necessary. x*Check q, startq, endq, Q x*Correct excusable and inexcusable errors x*If appropriate, check for yoghs. x*If appropriate, check for Latin problems, e.g. oe and ae digraphs x*If appropriate, check for abbreviation and brevigraph problems. x*If appropriate, check for units of measure, symbols (alchemical, astronomical, etc.) and the like. x*Correct illegibles from proofsheet x*Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
*Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The <HI>Farmers</HI> CATECHIZE, OR A Religious Parly be|tween the Father and the Son.</P>
<P>Being a profitable and plea|&s;ing Di&s;cour&s;e running tho|rough the whole Scripture, and it is Dedicated to all tho&s;e hone&s;t Families that de&s;ires Chri&s;t may dwell in their hearts.</P>
<P>Written by <HI>William Blake,</HI> May 1. 1657.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed, and are to be &s;old by Mr. <HI>Butler</HI> in <HI>Lincolns-Inn-fields,</HI> neer the <HI>Three-Tun</HI> Tavern, by the Market-place, 1657.</P>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="catechism">
<PB REF="3">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>The <HI>Farmers</HI> CATECHIZE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Father.</HI></P>
<P>_COme Sirrah, if you will be a good boy, learn your Cate|chize, and then teach your Brothers and Si&s;ters, I will give you a farthing.</P>
<P><HI>Son.</HI> Well, Sir, do you ask and I will an&s;wer.</P>
<P><HI>Father.</HI> Que&s;t. <HI>Who was the fir&s;t man God mad?</HI></P>
<P>Son. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> Adam.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did he make him of?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Du&s;t.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what did he make</HI> Eve <HI>of?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> A Rib of his &s;ide, and &s;he &s;ided with the Serpent, and &s;o brought death
<PB N="2" REF="4">upon him and all his po&s;terity.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did God do then?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Promi&s;e Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and &s;aid that he <HI>&s;hould break the Serpents head, Gen.</HI> 3.15. that is the power and Kingdom of the Devil.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who was Abrahams Son?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I&s;aac.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And who I&s;aac's?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Jacob.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And who Jacobs?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Jo&s;eph, <HI>Matt.</HI> 1.2.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And who Jo&s;ephs?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Ephraim, and Mana&s;&s;eth.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did God &s;ay by</HI> Mo&s;es?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> A Prophet &s;hall the Lord your God rai&s;e up like unto me, him &s;hall you hear in all things; and it &s;hall come to pa&s;s, that him that will not hear him, &s;hall be cut off from this People, <HI>Deut.</HI> 18.15.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And who was this Prophet?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what is Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> The Son of the living God, and Saviour of the world, <HI>Iohn</HI> 1.29.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Samuel &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Speak Lord for thy &s;ervant hears,
<PB N="3" REF="4">and thought it was <HI>Ely,</HI> when indeed it was the Lord that called him, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 30.10.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Jo&s;hua &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I and my hou&s;e will &s;erve the Lord, and a good thing it is for Fami|lies &s;o to do; and in the mean time cur|&s;ed are all tho&s;e that call not on him, <HI>Ier.</HI> 10.25.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did good Nehemiah &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Remember O Lord I have walked before thee with an upright heart, 2 <HI>Kin.</HI> 20.3. a good life and a good death al|waies goes together, and God will give that man an endle&s;s life that liveth unto him, and daily dyeth unto &s;in.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Iob &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked &s;hall I return, the Lord gives, and the Lord takes, and ble&s;&s;ed be his holy name; in the mean time I know that my Redeemer lives, and I &s;hall &s;ee him with the&s;e eyes.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And if a man die &s;hall he live a|gain?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Yes, all the daies of my life will I wait, till my change come, <HI>Iob</HI> 14.14.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did David &s;ay?</HI></P>
<PB N="4" REF="5">
<P><HI>A.</HI> Thy &s;ervant Lord, thy &s;ervant, and yet a King of the Ea&s;t; man walks in a vain&s;h dow, and gets riches; Lord teach me to number my daies, that I may apply my heart unto wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Solomon &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 1.2. and this is as much as any thing to &s;et thy heart upon that which is not, or to chu&s;e a pre&s;ent good before a future, which abides for ever and e|ver: Riches have wings and fly away, <HI>Prov.</HI> 23.5. the world dayly pa&s;&s;eth away, and good daies, and bad that are pa&s;t, are much at one.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But what doth he &s;ay in Eccle&s;. the la&s;t, ver&s;.</HI> 1?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth; before death or the evil day comes, and it is u&s;ually &s;o long before we begin to be wi&s;e, or mind what we &s;hould, and then it is hard to mind as we &s;hould, or do any thing el&s;e, but ga&s;p and die.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What is that you call the Song of Songs?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Solomons Songs, the Canticles.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What is the burden of that Song?</HI></P>
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<P><HI>A.</HI> Love, love, Chri&s;ts love to the Church, &amp; the Churches love to Chri&s;t, <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.2.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Chri&s;t &s;ay of his Church?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Thou art all fair my Si&s;ter, my Spou&s;e.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the Church &s;ay of Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Thou art white and ruddy, the chiefe&s;t of ten thou&s;ard, <HI>Cant.</HI> 5.10.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Why is Chri&s;t &s;aid to be white and ruddy?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In re&s;pect of his Humanity and Divinity, his &s;uffering and innocency; he was God-Man, perfect God and per|fect Man, born of a Virgin and &s;uffer|ed with a thief.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Whath doth I&s;aiah &s;ay concerning Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Surely he hath born our griefs, the cha&s;ti&s;ement of our peace was upon his &s;houlders, and we like &s;heep have gone a&s;tray, and thou ha&s;t laid upon him the iniquity of us all, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53.4. There's a good boy, learn this Chapter and re|member it well.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Ieremy wi&s;h?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> O that his head were a fountain of tears, that he might weep for the &s;lain
<PB N="6" REF="6">of the Daughter of his People, <HI>Ier.</HI> 9.1. the Jews in captivity; and the whole <HI>Lamentation</HI> is a &s;ad complaint of the Prophet for the afflictions of the Jewes, the people of God under the <HI>Babylonian</HI> Captivity.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the Church &s;ay in the mid&s;t of her afflictions?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Thou art my portion &s;aith my &s;oul, <HI>Lam.</HI> 3.24. and my &s;ouls delight is in God, &s;aith <HI>David;</HI> and Gods de|light is in them that excel in virtue, e&s;|pecially faith, love, and humility; and pretious in his &s;ight is the death of all his holy ones, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 116.15. what ever men do deem.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But what doth Eezekiel &s;ay concern|ing God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Fir&s;t, that he de&s;ires not the death of a &s;inner, but that he may live and never die, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18.21. and he that lives and believes in me &s;hall never dye &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Iohn</HI> 11.26. yet tho&s;e that live and believe not that he is he, &s;hal die in their &s;ins, <HI>Iohn</HI> 8.21. But <HI>Ezekiel</HI> tells us, that he loved and wa&s;ht us when we were in our blood, and pitied us then, when no eye pitied us to do us a|ny
<PB N="7" REF="6">good. ye then was the time of love, and that was love indeed, and a loving God was he to look upon us then.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Daniel &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In the daies of tho&s;e Kings &s;hall the God of heaven &s;et up a Kingdom, that &s;hall never be taken or pa&s;s away, <HI>Dan:</HI> 2.44.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But what Kingdom was that?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what Kingdomes were tho&s;e that were to be de&s;troyed and pa&s;s away?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> All but his in conclu&s;ion.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who &s;hall be chief in that King|dom?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> He him&s;elf, and at la&s;t God &s;hall be all in all, 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 15:28.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Ho&s;ea &s;ay concerning Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Take away all iniquity, and re|ceive us graciou&s;ly, &s;o wil we render the calves of our lips, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 14.3.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth he &s;ay concerning death?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> O death I will be thy death, O grave I will be thy de&s;truction, repen|tance is hid from mine eyes, <HI>Ho&s;:</HI> 13:14. and it is Chri&s;t alone that has de&s;troyed &s;in, death, hell, and the grave, 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 15:55.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="7">
<P>Q. <HI>What doth God &s;peak by his Prophet Ioel?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> It &s;hall come to pa&s;s in tho&s;e daies &s;aith the Lord, meaning tho&s;e times which we are near, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all fle&s;h, <HI>Ioel</HI> 2.28. and your &s;ons and your daughters &s;hall pro|phe&s;ie; a text Mini&s;ters &s;eldom preach on, yet &s;aith <HI>Paul</HI> covet the be&s;t gifts, e&s;pecially that you may prophe&s;ie, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.1. that is open Scripture &s;ayings and tell them unto others. All other Pro|phe&s;ies are cea&s;t above this thou&s;and years, and Mini&s;ters know no more than others, unle&s;s the Lord reveal it; and the &s;ecrets of the Lord, are mo&s;t with them that fear him mo&s;t, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. be they what they will of this or that or t'other calling.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the Prophet Amos &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In <HI>chap.</HI> 5. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6. Seek ye me and ye &s;hall live, and a living God is to be &s;ought before a dying World: And in finding of God there is a heaven, and a heaven; fir&s;t a heaven in the &s;oul of them that &s;eek him in his Son, and grace revealed by his Son: And &s;econdly, there is a heaven for the &s;ouls of tho&s;e
<PB N="9" REF="7">that &s;eek him, where God and Chri&s;t&punc; and all the &s;aved creatures are.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Obadiah &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Though thou exalte&s;t thy &s;elf as the Eagle, and &s;ette&s;t thy ne&s;t among the Stars, yet from thence will I bring thee down; and the right way down hill, and down to hell is pride; but a Savior &s;hall come to Mount <HI>Zion,</HI> and judge the Mount of <HI>E&s;ay;</HI> a &s;weet Scripture, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 21.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Ionah &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Out of the belly of Hell cried I, and thou hearde&s;t my voice, all the bil|lows, and thy waves compa&s;&s;ed me, the Weeds were Wrapt about my head, yet will I look again towards thine holy Temple, <HI>Ionah</HI> 2:4.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the Prophet Micah &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Who is a God like unto our God, that pardoneth iniquity tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion &amp; &s;in, yea all iniquity tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and &s;in, for his own &s;ake, his Names &s;ake, his Sons &s;ake, his promi&s;e &s;ake, <HI>Micah</HI> 7:18.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the Prophet Nahum &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Behold upon the Mountains the feet of them that bring good tydings, and publi&s;h peace, keep thy fea&s;ts and
<PB N="10" REF="8">perform thy vows O Judah, <HI>Nahum</HI> 1:15.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Habakkuk &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I will rejoyce in God, and I will joy in the God of my &s;alvation, although the Fig-tree &s;hall not blo&s;&s;om, the Vine, the Olive, the Flock and the Heards of the Stall be cut off, yet will I rejoyce in the God of my Salvation, who makes me to walk on high places, that is, to live in his high di&s;coveries; and the high di&s;coveries of God in any afflicti|on, will make a man &s;ing like the Night|ingale as long as they la&s;t, <HI>Hab.</HI> 3:17.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Zephaniah &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I will turn to the people a pure language, and they &s;hall all call on the Name of the Lord, and &s;erve him with one con&s;ent; and this is a Go&s;pel pro|mi&s;e indeed; in the mean time I will leave among you a poor and an afflicted People, and they &s;hal tru&s;t in my Name, <HI>Zep:</HI> 3:9, 12. and &s;aith Chri&s;t, it is the poor that receive the Go&s;pel, <HI>Luke</HI> 7:12. the great ones come to nought, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.18. and experience tels us, that it is the &s;piritual poor, and middle &s;ort of people, for the mo&s;t part, that mind any thing of
<PB N="11" REF="8">good; for Beggars are vile, and Lords are ba&s;e and vicious.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Haggai in the</HI> 2. <HI>and the</HI> 6. <HI>&s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> The de&s;ire of all Nations &s;hall come; and when Chri&s;t comes he &s;atis|fies the &s;ouls of all men, and a thou&s;and Worlds without Chri&s;t will never do it to any purpo&s;e, for they that love Sil|ver &s;hall never be &s;atisfied.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Zechariah &s;ay in the</HI> 13. <HI>and</HI> 1?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In that day there &s;hall be a foun|tain open for Judah and Jeru&s;alem to wa&s;h in, for &s;in and uncleanne&s;s.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who is this Fountain?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Chri&s;t, and a living, loving, la&s;t|ing, flowing Fountain is he; yea he e|ver lives and loves to have &s;inners come and wa&s;h, and the wor&s;t that wa&s;heth here, &s;hall be whiter than the &s;now in the eyes of God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51.7.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth Malachi in the</HI> 4. <HI>and</HI> 1. <HI>&s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Unto you that fear my Name &s;hal the &s;on of Righteou&s;ne&s;s ari&s;e with hea|ling in his wings.</P>
<P><HI>Who is this Son of Righteou&s;ne&s;s?</HI></P>
<PB N="12" REF="9">
<P><HI>A.</HI> Chri&s;t, and a thou&s;and beams of love and grace are ever in him, and &s;hin|ing from him, which are indeed the light and life of the world, more influential to the &s;oul, than is the Sun to the Flowers, Plants, and Trees.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But what are the&s;e Wings?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Nothing but the leaves of this Tree of life, who&s;e leaves are for the healing of the Nations, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.2. but the wings and the leaves are both growing on him, and flowing from him; one de|notes his nearne&s;s, and the other his &s;weetne&s;s and &s;wiftne&s;s; yea his leaves are alwaies fre&s;h and green, and his fruit bears every month, eat and drink a bun|dantly; O ta&s;te and &s;ee the Lord is gra|cious, ble&s;&s;ed is the man that lives upon this bread of life, and life giving bread, which came down from heaven, <HI>Ioh:</HI> 6:50, 58. once was and yet ever is in hea|ven, and will give a thou&s;and heavens to them that wait for him; yea, eye hath not &s;een, nor ear hath not heard, nor have men known &s;ince the World &s;tood, that which thou O God ha&s;t prepared for them that wait for thee, faith the Prophet, <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 64.4. and a
<PB N="13" REF="9">heavenly Prophet was he; but remem|ber the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> my &s;ervant, &s;aith the la&s;t of all the Prophets in the la&s;t words.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But where did God give this Law?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> On Mount <HI>Sinai,</HI> the thundring Mount, which no man dur&s;t come nigh.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And where the Saviour?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> From Mount <HI>Sion</HI> the ble&s;&s;ed Mount, or Mount of ble&s;&s;ings, which every man might come unto, and &s;ee the crucified Chri&s;t on <HI>Calverie;</HI> and Chri&s;t upon a hil is as a Beaken to the Nations, or an En&s;ign to the World: but Mount <HI>Olive</HI> was the praying Mount, whil&s;t <HI>Si|on</HI> is the prai&s;ing, and Jeru&s;alem above the mother of us all: Shout O Inhabi|tants of the Earth, for great is the holy One in the mid&s;t of thee, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 12.6. and if I forget thee let my right hand forget his cunning; yea, if I prefer not Jeru&s;alem before my chiefe&s;t joy, then let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 137.5. but behold how he comes meek and lowly riding on an A&s;&s;e, the Colt and Poal of an A&s;&s;e, having Salvation in his wings; wherefore rejoyce greatly for thy King
<PB N="14" REF="10">O Virgin daughter <HI>Sion,</HI> and when <HI>Sion</HI> heard this thing, they cut down boughes and branches, &s;aying <HI>Ho&s;anna, Ho&s;anna</HI> in the highe&s;t, whil&s;t others &s;pread their garments, for this high and holy, low and humble &s;elf-denying Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Well, but where was he born?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In <HI>Bethelem</HI> &s;aith <HI>Matthew</HI> 2.8. and he was one of the four Evangali&s;ts; yea, in <HI>Iudah</HI> a little Town in <HI>Bethelem,</HI> and he is the Lyon of the Tribe of <HI>Iudah,</HI> which will tear his enemies in pieces, whil&s;t, he everla&s;tingly embraceth the wor&s;t of &s;inners that come unto him; and the wi&s;e men that came to wor&s;hip him, brought the be&s;t things in all their Country, namely, Gold, Frankin&s;ence, and Myrrh, to offer unto him, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10. and he offered him&s;elf for his a &s;weet &s;melling Sacrifice acceptable to the Fa|ther, bore our &s;ins in his own body on the Tree, died and ro&s;e for our ju&s;tifi|cation, and ever lives to make interce&s;|&s;ion.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But who de&s;troyed all the Male Children under three years old?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Herod.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But how de&s;troyed he them?</HI></P>
<PB N="15" REF="10">
<P><HI>A.</HI> He &s;ent Souldiers, and mo&s;t Soul|diers wil go upon any de&s;ign for money, and &s;uch men to the Devil that have no con&s;cience in them; then was the &s;ay|ing good, In <HI>Ramah</HI> was a voice heard, <HI>Rachel</HI> weeping for her children, <HI>Matt.</HI> 2.18. and every heart is <HI>Ramah</HI> and a Wilderne&s;s, where there is nothing but the howling of cur&s;ed lu&s;ts and nature.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But why would</HI> Herod <HI>have put Chri&s;t to the death?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Becau&s;e he was the born King of the Jews, and him&s;elf but an U&s;urper, and this was a damnable plot indeed, to put a true King to death for his Crown yea the King of Kings.</P>
<P>Q <HI>What doth Mark &s;ay in the</HI> 13. <HI>and the</HI> 34?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Watch, watch, watch, for the com|ing of the Son of Man, for he comes as a thief, that is, &s;tealingly upon the world, and ble&s;&s;ed is he that Waits, and keeps his garment undefiled, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16:15.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did the Angel &s;ay to Zechari|ah?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> That <HI>Elizabeth</HI> his wife &s;hould have a Son, and his name &s;hould be cal|led <HI>Iohn,</HI> and he &s;hould neither drink
<PB N="16" REF="11">wine nor &s;trong drink, but his heart &s;hould be filled with the Holy Gho&s;t, and many of the Children of I&s;raels hearts &s;hould he turn to the Lord his God.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did the Angel &s;ay to</HI> Mary?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> All hail <HI>Mary,</HI> ble&s;&s;ed among women &s;halt thou be, for thou &s;halt con|ceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and his name &s;hall be called Je&s;us, for he &s;hall &s;ave his people from their &s;ins; and God &s;hall give unto him the Throne of his Father <HI>David,</HI> and he &s;hal reign over the Hou&s;e of <HI>Iacob</HI> for ever; and of his Kingdom there &s;hall be no end, <HI>Luke</HI> 1.33.</P>
<P>Q <HI>And what did</HI> Mary <HI>&s;ay to this?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> She wondered how it &s;hould be, and the Angel &s;aid by the power of the mo&s;t high; and the Holy Gho&s;t over|&s;hadowing her.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what did the Angel &s;ay unto the Shepheards?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy that &s;hall be unto all Nati|ons, for to you is born a Saviour, and his name &s;hall be called Je&s;us, <HI>Luk:</HI> 2:11. for be &s;hall &s;ave his people from their &s;ins.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="11">
<P>Q. <HI>What did the Shepherds hear when the Angels were gone?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> A Multitude of heavenly Ho&s;ts, &s;aying, Glory to God in the highe&s;t, peace and good will to men on Earth.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did old</HI> Simeon <HI>&s;ay when he &s;aw Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Let me now thy &s;ervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have &s;een thy &s;al|vation, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 31.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did</HI> John <HI>&s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Behold the Lamb of God that ta|keth away the &s;ins of the World, <HI>Iohn:</HI> 1: 35.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did Chri&s;t &s;ay to</HI> Philip? <HI>and what did</HI> Philip <HI>&s;ay to</HI> Nathaniel?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> We have found him of whom <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> and the Prophets writ: and Je&s;us &s;aid behold an I&s;raelite indeed, in whom is no guile: and <HI>Nathaniel</HI> &s;aid thou art the Son of God, the King of I&s;rael, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 49.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What is that you call the Acts?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Nothing but a true Hi&s;tory of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles; and in it we have <HI>Paul</HI>'s carriage before <HI>Felix; Peter</HI> and <HI>Stephen</HI> before the Jews, their &s;to|ning, whipping, &s;tripping, and impri&s;o|ning
<PB N="18" REF="12">of them and the re&s;t; notwith&s;tan|ding which the Church did mightily en|crea&s;e.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Epi&s;tle to the Ro|mans?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> was an hone&s;t man, and as brave as bold, Chri&s;t-mag|nifying, loving Saint as ever lived, and <HI>Rome</HI> as true a Church, yet now the Mother of <HI>Harlots, Rev.</HI> 18.2. and the &s;ink of &s;in, and cage of every unclean bea&s;t, where <HI>Zim,</HI> and <HI>Ohim,</HI> and De|vils dwell; and happy &s;hall he be that may da&s;h the brains of her bratts in the &s;treets, this or the next Generation may live to &s;ee it for all this; in mean time cur&s;ed be they that hinder, or do the work of the Lord negligently, <HI>Ier:</HI> 48:10.</P>
<P>Q <HI>Who writ ths fir&s;t and &s;econd E|pi&s;tles to the Corinthians?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> boa&s;ts and glo|ries &s;aying; We are fools yet are we wi&s;e in Chri&s;t, we are poor and make many rich, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.10. we are coun|ted as the off-&s;couring of the world, and the world is not worthy of us; and whil&s;t we po&s;&s;e&s;s nothing, we enjoy all things.
<PB REF="12">
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<PB REF="14">
<PB N="21" REF="14">how is he counted among the children of God, and his portion among the Saints; and what hath pride profited us, <HI>Wi&s;dom:</HI> 5.4.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Philipians?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> complains, &s;ay|ing, they &s;ought their own things, and no man &s;ought the things of Chri&s;t, <HI>ch:</HI> 2: <HI>v:</HI> 21. and a &s;ad complaint it was that none &s;hould mind a living, loving, cru|cified Chri&s;t, who minded us from eter|nity, and has &s;aved us to eternity, from &s;in, death, hell, and eternal burnings; and we are &s;ure that whil&s;t he was on earth, he made it all his bu&s;ine&s;s, to &s;eek and to &s;ave lo&s;t &s;inners; Did you &s;ee any of the lo&s;t &s;heep of the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, <HI>Mat.</HI> 15.24. Nay did you &s;ee &s;aith the Saviour, and pipes, and weeps, and mourns; O Jeru&s;alem, Jeru&s;alem, how often would I have gathered thee, <HI>Luk:</HI> 13: 34. but you will not come unto me that you might have life, <HI>Ioh:</HI> 5: 43. Neither will the Saints now a daies ei|ther love or live, or do for Chri&s;t, in any mea&s;ure as they &s;hould; O ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Paul.</HI> O ble&s;&s;ed Saint, that did as much, and writ as much, and denyed as much for
<PB N="22" REF="15">Chri&s;t as ever man, and yet all that he did he &s;till denied and counted it all but as lo&s;s and dung for Chri&s;t and the Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, <HI>Phil:</HI> 3: 8, 9.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Epi&s;tle to the Collo&s;|&s;ions?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and there he makes Chri&s;t to be all in all, <HI>ch:</HI> 3: 11. and indeed he is &s;o, and there is neither bond nor free, high nor low, nor life nor death, but Chri&s;t is all in all, yea, he will be all in all, both in life, death, and eternity, ju|&s;tification, &s;anctification &amp; glorificati|on, as I &s;aid before; O unhappy man that forgetteth or forgeth him for a mo|ments lu&s;t, or li&s;teth not to live to him, until it be too late.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the fir&s;t and &s;econd E|pi&s;tles to the The&s;&s;alonians?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and in that he exhorts them to pray continually, and in every thing to give thanks; comfort the feeble, and &s;trengthen the weak, 1 <HI>The&s;:</HI> 5: 16. and to beware of being deceived about the coming of Chri&s;t, for that day &s;hall not come till Anti-chri&s;t be revealed and de&s;troyed by the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the brightne&s;s of his coming, 2 <HI>The&s;:</HI> 2:8.
<PB N="23" REF="15">yet the Sword &s;hall certainly make &s;ome way, and when he comes it &s;hall be in flaming fire, to render vengeance upon all that know not God, and obey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &amp; &s;hall puni&s;h them with everla&s;ting de|&s;truction from his pre&s;ence, when he &s;hall come to be glorified in his Saints, and marvelous in the eyes of all them that do believe, 2 <HI>The&s;:</HI> 1:8, 9, 10. in the mean time let all believers rejoice in this Text, and let the ignorant World trem|ble, for he that made them will not &s;ave them, as they u&s;e to &s;ay, if they de&s;pi&s;e his Go&s;pel and his Son, the delight of his &s;oul, our ever dear and glorious Re|deemer, yea how &s;hall we e&s;cape if we neglect &s;o great, &s;o free, and full Sal|vation, <HI>Heb:</HI> 2: 3. Yea, what &s;hall the end of all them be that obey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which if any man will not love, let him be <HI>A|nathema Maran-atha,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 16: 22. or acur&s;ed til the Lord come, &s;o &s;aith <HI>Paul.</HI></P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the fir&s;t of Timothy?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and in the 1. and the 17. he &s;aies, Unto the King, everla&s;ting, im|mortal, invi&s;ible, onely wi&s;e God, be
<PB N="24" REF="16">honor and glory for ever and ever A|men.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the &s;econd of Timothy?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and there he charges <HI>Ti|mothy</HI> to beware of Covetou&s;ne&s;s and the love of Money, 1 <HI>The&s;:</HI> 6: 9. which is Idolatry. O man of God, fly the&s;e things &s;aith he; unto the appearing of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is the only Potentate, and King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who onely hath immortality in his hands, and dwelleth in that light which is unacce&s;&s;able, whom no man hath &s;een, nor can &s;ee in his full glory, 1 <HI>Tim:</HI> 6: 8: 10, 16. and in the fourth Chapter of the &s;econd Epi&s;tle, and the fir&s;t ver&s;e, he chargeth him before God and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall judge the quick and dead at the appear|ing of his Kingdom, that he preach the Word in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on: and many charge us who are private Chri|&s;tians for preaching the Word, when God is our witne&s;s, we do it in &s;inceri|ty; yet Mini&s;ters will be angry, and Magi&s;trates &s;carce give leave, yet by your leave, without your leave, &s;ay I, to all the Powers in the World; what men are
<PB N="25" REF="16">forbid they may not do, but what they are commanded they may and mu&s;t do. <HI>&V;zza</HI> was forbid to touch the Ark, but we are bid to prophe&s;ie, and build up one another, 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 14: 1, 39. 1 <HI>Pet:</HI> 4: 10. Yea, in a thou&s;and places more; but the Sons of <HI>Greece</HI> make a no&s;e of wax of many an hone&s;t Text again&s;t the Sons of <HI>Sion;</HI> yet will I &s;et them again&s;t them, <HI>Zecha.</HI> 9: <HI>v:</HI> 13. and the quarrel will never be ended, for if one &s;ink the o|ther &s;wims, and yet they are held up by the chin; but the Lord help us, we have no confidence in the arm of fle&s;h.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Epi&s;tle to Titus?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul,</HI> and in <HI>chap:</HI> 2: <HI>ver&s;:</HI> 11. he tels us, the grace of God which bring|eth &s;alvation to all mens doors, ears, and hearts if they will accept it, teacheth us to deny all ungodly and worldly lu&s;ts, and to live &s;oberly and godly in this pre|&s;ent world, looking for the hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 13. and <HI>Paul</HI> writ one Chapter to <HI>Philemon,</HI> and that was altogether about the forgiving of <HI>One&s;imus, Philemons</HI> Servant, which once run away from him, afterwards
<PB N="26" REF="17">was converted and &s;ent back by <HI>Paul,</HI> as a Brother to both; this &s;hould teach us to forget and forgive, e&s;pecially when we &s;ee the work of Chri&s;t upon their hearts, which have formerly done us the greate&s;t injury.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Hebrews?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul</HI> (I think) and he tels us in the fir&s;t ver&s;e of the fir&s;t chapter, That God who at &s;undry times, and in di|vers manners, &s;pake unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in the&s;e la&s;t daies &s;poken unto us by his Son from heaven, whom he hath appointed to be heir of all things, by whom al&s;o the world was made; &s;aying, Thy Throne is for ever; and a Scepter of Righteou&s;ne&s;s is the Scepter of thy Kingdom, thou love&s;t Righteou&s;ne&s;s and hate&s;t Iniquity, ther|fore thy God hath annointed thee a|bove thy fellows; all thy garments &s;mel of Myrrh: and let all the Angels of God Wor&s;hip him, &s;itting at the right hand of God, till his enemies be made his foot&s;tool, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6, 9, 12. And in <HI>chap.</HI> 11. he tels us what the worthies of the world did by faith; and by faith we &s;tand when we fall, live when we die,
<PB N="27" REF="17">and po&s;&s;e&s;s all things when we enjoy lit|tle or nothing of this worlds goods.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the Epi&s;tle of James?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> He him&s;elf, and he tels us that, that man is ble&s;&s;ed that endures temp|tation, for he &s;hall receive a Crown of life, <HI>Iam:</HI> 1: 12. But woe be unto the rich if they be ungodly, yea let them weep and howl for that mi&s;ery that &s;hal come upon them, <HI>Chap:</HI> 5: 1. and faith without works are dead, <HI>Chap:</HI> 2: <HI>v:</HI> 20. and the truth is works ju&s;tifie us before men, and faith ju&s;tifies us in our con&s;ci|ence, and gives us to &s;ee our ju&s;tificati|on by Chri&s;t; whil&s;t he alone and none but he ju&s;tifies us before God, without our faith or works; for our faith being imperfect needs him to ju&s;tifie that, and that without him can ju&s;tifie none, whil&s;t none can &s;ee their ju&s;tification without it; and this is a riddle that the blind Papi&s;ts, and bulk of Prote&s;tants can ne|ver hit; the Mini&s;ters do &s;o bungle in and about this point; many of them di&s;tingui&s;h between Law and Go&s;pel, Covenant and Covenant, or el&s;e you do nothing to any purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the fir&s;t and &s;econd Epi&s;tle of Peter?</HI></P>
<PB N="28" REF="18">
<P><HI>A.</HI> He him&s;elf, and in that he tels us of the pretiou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Pet:</HI> 2: 6. and indeed to them that believe he is a pretious Chri&s;t; yea to them he is pretious in his Name, in his Nature, in his Per&s;on, in his Promi&s;e, to look to, to lean on, to hope in, and to follow af|ter; he is altogether pretious: and what manner of people ought we to be that look for this Chri&s;t, a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwels righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, 2 <HI>Pet:</HI> 3: 13. and then the old heavens and the old earth &s;hall pa&s;s a|way; the righteou&s;ne&s;s of man, the works and forms of men, wherein they place their happine&s;s, yea the Go&s;pel Ordinances I think &s;hall then be done away, when that &s;weet Scripture is made good, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60. <HI>v:</HI> 22. where there is a clear di&s;tinction made between the Son and thy Son; ob&s;erve it well: And &s;aith <HI>Iohn,</HI> &s;peaking of the new Jeru&s;a|lem, there was no Temple in it; and yet again he tels us, that the Lord God and the Lamb, were the Temple of it: com|pare this and the 21: of <HI>Rev:</HI> together, from the 21: <HI>ver&s;:</HI> to the 26. and &s;ure this mu&s;t needs be &s;poken of a State Mili|tant
<PB N="29" REF="18">rather than triumphant; where the Kings need not bring their glory, as the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> has it; nor &s;hall the wic|ked come bowing to their feet there, <HI>I|&s;aiah</HI> 60.14.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who writ the fir&s;t Epi&s;tle of John?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> He him&s;elf: &amp; in the third chapter and the fir&s;t ver&s;e he tels us of the love of God, &s;aying, Behold what maner of love is this? How free, how full, how &s;weet, how ea&s;ie to be had, and much to be admired, that we &s;hould now be called the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ons of God? And indeed we are &s;o by election before time, contract or co|venant in time, vocation and calling, pur|cha&s;e of the blood of Chri&s;t, union with the per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and faith in the re|ceiving of Chri&s;t; in all which re&s;pects we are now the &s;ons of God, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.12. Now to be the &s;ons of &s;uch a Father, and heir of &s;uch a God; yea, and all things el&s;e be&s;ides. God mu&s;t needs be &s;weet indeed. O you &s;ons of God, know your &s;elves, &s;hew your &s;elves, and humble your &s;elves for your unworthine&s;s, un|fruitfulne&s;&s;e, unthankfulne&s;s to this lo|ving living God and father, who is ever giving one good thing or other to us, and
<PB N="30" REF="19">how can he deny us any thing that has given us him&s;elf? O God, thou art mine, &s;aith a Saint, and I will not let thee go for a thou&s;and worlds, and yet one world would &s;teal away a thou&s;and hearts.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But who writ the &s;econd and third of John?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> He: yea he writ all three, and all that he writ was Love, and a loving God was Chri&s;t, to let this humble &s;inning Saint and &s;inner, lye &s;o long in that li|ving loving bo&s;ome of his, <HI>John</HI> 13.23. the bo&s;ome of <HI>Abraham,</HI> or <HI>Abrahams</HI> bo&s;ome, <HI>Luke</HI> 16.22. where he dipt his &s;oul and his quill, his heart and his pen in the love of Chri&s;t, &amp; &s;trews all his E|pi&s;tles with that alone, which is from the fountain of love, leading men from the lu&s;ts of this world to that love and light which is better than this World a thou|&s;and times; but one of a thou&s;and &s;carce lives in that love which he is exhorted unto, or up to that light which he him|&s;elf is the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of.</P>
<P>Q <HI>But who writ the Epi&s;tle of Jude?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> He him&s;elf, and he tells us of the coming of Chri&s;t with ten thou&s;ands of
<PB N="31" REF="19">his Saints, and ten thou&s;and Saints will make a gallant &s;hew, when every one &s;hall &s;hine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13.43. and yet Chri&s;t &s;hall out-&s;hine them all ten thou|&s;and times over and over. O happy day! O happy Chri&s;t! O happy Sinner! that &s;hall for ever &s;hine with Chri&s;t in this &s;ame glory! And what will the wicked do, that mu&s;t be bani&s;ht in that &s;ame day for ever and ever? Well may it be &s;aid, Ill tide the time, and cur&s;ed be the day that ever &s;uch were born, who mu&s;t burn for million and millions and millions of years for their refu&s;ing and abu&s;ing this Chri&s;t a few dayes.</P>
<P>Q <HI>Who writ the Revelations?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Iohn</HI> the Divine and a Divine My|&s;tery is this Book of God, yet he tells us, that they are ble&s;&s;ed who read or hear this ble&s;&s;ed prophe&s;ie. But cur&s;ed are all tho&s;e that add or dimini&s;h from the true &s;ayings thereof, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. <HI>v.</HI> 3. Chap. 22. v. 19. In the mean time the Spirit and the Bride &s;ay come, and let him that thir|&s;teth &s;ay come. And who ever will, let them come and take of the Water of life freely; for he ever lives to give, and
<PB N="32" REF="20">loves to give more freely to the wor&s;t of &s;inners, than parents do bread to their chil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ren; and he that te&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">fieth the&s;e &s;ayings, &s;aith, I come quickly. Amen, even &s;o come Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, la&s;t and la&s;t ver&s;e. Well Sirra, now tell me the whole Bible, and how the Bookes lye in order, and you &s;hall be a good Boy.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Fir&s;t <HI>Gene&s;is, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">eronomy, Io&s;hua, Iud|ges, Ruth,</HI> 1 <HI>Samuel,</HI> 2 <HI>Samuel,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings,</HI> 2 <HI>Kings,</HI> 1 <HI>Chronicles,</HI> 2 <HI>Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, E&s;ther, I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">b, P&s;alms, Proverbs, Ecele&s;ia&s;tes, The Song of So|lomon, I&s;aiah, I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">remiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel Daniel, Ho&s;ea, Ioel, Amos, Obadih, Ionah, Micah, Nahum, Ha|b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">kkuk, Zephania, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Matthew, Mark, Luke, Iohn, The Acts, Romans,</HI> 1 <HI>Corinthians,</HI> 2 <HI>Co|rinthians, Galatians, Ephe&s;ians, Phi|lippians, Colo&s;&s;ians,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> 1 <HI>Timothy,</HI> 2 <HI>Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, Iames,</HI> 1 <HI>Pe|ter,</HI> 2 <HI>Peter,</HI> 1 <HI>Iohn,</HI> 2 <HI>Iohn,</HI> 3 <HI>Iohn, Iude, Revelation.</HI></P>
<P>Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re's a good Boy now, and if you
<PB N="33" REF="20">will perfectly learn the&s;e without book, you &s;hal be a good Boy indeed, and they wil make you &s;o ready to go to any Book that the Mini&s;ter &s;hall quote, that you wil find it in a trice; whereas &s;ome fellows lye licking their thumbs, and turn the Bible half over before they find the text, or proof. But Father, I mind the matter, and never turn after the proofs. That's well, but it's good to look for the proofes and mind the matter al&s;o: Yet I would not &s;tand turning to every Text in preaching or hearing, and do not go a wide rambling way, gathering up I know not what, whi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t others go a wool-gathering in their hearing. Zealous prea|ching, tent hearing and fervent praying is the right way my &s;on. I truly, Sir, I believe &s;o too. Now tel me &s;ome other good things and you &s;hal be a good Boy &s;til. But Sir, your Catechize is &s;ome|thing long. I Sirra, and &s;ome body el&s;e was as long a making, and co&s;t more a great deal. But what is the be&s;t po&s;ture a man can be in? Upon his knees pray|ing in the &s;en&s;e of Gods love: for that wil melt the &s;oul, and lay the &s;oul as low as hell in his own apprehen&s;ions, and
<PB N="34" REF="21">rai&s;e up among the Angels in his humble bold reque&s;t. And when is a man mo&s;t fit to die? When he has lived to Chri&s;t a little while, and died to &s;in a great deal. Yet a man may &s;trive a great deal again&s;t &s;ome corruptions before he get the Ma&s;terdome, (e&s;pecially if he goes forth in his own &s;trength.) O my &s;on, take the &s;hield of Faith, and the hope of &s;al|vation (<HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.16.) for an helmet. But which is it be&s;t to be a poor &s;neak, an humble Chri&s;tian, or a young Gallant, that minds little or nothing el&s;e but his plea&s;ure? A Chri&s;tian a thou&s;and times, if he be a true one; but many &s;ay they are and are not, for if a man do not know Chri&s;t, and enjoy &s;ome commn|munion with Chri&s;t, as the Branch with the Vine, the Member with the Body, or the Wife with the Husband, he can ne|ver be a Chri&s;tian, <HI>Iohn</HI> 15.5. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. <HI>v.</HI> 9. But it is better to be a <HI>Paul</HI> than a <HI>Felix,</HI> a <HI>Iohn</HI> than a <HI>Herod,</HI> or an old wo|man in a Pig&s;tie than a &s;potted Lady in a Coach with a painted face; yea, I had rather be a <HI>Lazarus</HI> than a <HI>Dives,</HI> a Toad than a common never-repenting &s;inner: yet let me feed upon the &s;pawn
<PB N="35" REF="21">of them, and live and die under a &s;tone, rather than want Chri&s;t, or be in the con|dition of &s;ome men that drink wel, and fare wel, and go wel every day, and there is no day but we &s;hould &s;in as much as any if God did not keep us. There|fore it's good to pray, and if any man will pray, I dare &s;ay God wil help him mend &amp; 'tis better once than never &s;o to do. But what is the wor&s;t condition in this life a man can be in? To be merrily &s;inning and &s;inging going to hel, and never think nothing, for th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n a man drops in before he is aware. Should not a man pitie &s;uch a man? Yes, it will make a wi&s;e man weep to &s;ee a mad man laugh, and to hear a man &s;ing and &s;ay, <HI>Care away;</HI> or to &s;ee a man fea&s;t for a week, a moneth, or a day, that mu&s;t fa&s;t for a thou&s;and years. I had rather be poor than reprobate, or want a &s;ilken &s;tocking than have gouty leg, a golden cap than have a rending head; yea a skin to cover my bones, than want the righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, which any man may, have to cover my &s;oul, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.18. <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 55.1. But every one is for new Clothes, and the old truthes of Chri&s;t are almo&s;t
<PB N="36" REF="22">forgotten. Yet the old Puritan for my money, provided he be not too legall, for the white Divell is the wor&s;t of all. While &s;ome men want every thing, o|thers want nothing. A poor man with twenty afflictions on his back, and a poor woman with two or three children in her lap, and never a bit of bread in the Cupboard, (<HI>Rem. Habak</HI> 3.17.) is wel enough when &s;he can &s;ay, The Lord is my portion; and no man living can be wor&s;e than to have gold in his pur&s;e, heath in his b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">dy, wealth in the world, with honor and e&s;teem among&s;t men, and to be neer the day of darkne&s;s and not aware. Thou fool, this night &s;hal thy &s;oul be taken from thee, <HI>Luke</HI> 12 20. and to be taken from a good con|dition to a bad, is to be taken from the bed to the worms, from the world to the Divel, from the pa&s;ture to the &s;laughter. I &s;aw a Butcher one time drive an Ox &s;o fu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">iou&s;ly, and the Divel hurries &s;ome I know not whither; yet they of all are mo&s;t to be pitied, who are civil and good natured people, yet peri&s;h for want of knowledge; and a man knowes nothing if he doth not know his own heart.
<PB N="37" REF="22">When a wretched poor afflicted &s;inner dies, the fi&s;h leaps from the frying p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n to the fire: and when a p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;perous, rich and great man dies, the Sun everla&s;tingly &s;ets, as it were, in a di&s;mall, black and melancholy cloud. But when a good man dies, the Angels &s;ay, All hail again, which was the &s;alutation of the Virgin <HI>Mary, Luke</HI> 1.28.</P>
<P><HI>Q</HI> Well Sirra, what are you re&s;olved to be a good man or a bad? I am re&s;olved to be the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">rvant of Chri&s;t. That's a good Boy indeed. And what do you love be&s;t? Him. And why Him? Becau&s;e he hath loved me mo&s;t, and wa|&s;hed me in his own blood, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1.5.</P>
<P>But what did you love when you were two or three years old? Fir&s;t, I loved my Bubb and my Baby, and then I loved a Top, a Whip, and a Gigg, a Cart, a Hor&s;e, yea, I loved twenty things more than my Book. I love my father and my mother, my brothers and my &s;i&s;ters; yea I love every body, and my &s;elf too. Do you not love the world? Yes, a little, and mo&s;t profe&s;&s;ors do too much: but I love my &s;oul better than the world a thou&s;and times, and Chri&s;t better than
<PB N="38" REF="23">my &s;oul, twice as many more, or at lea&s;t wi&s;e &s;hould. Doth every body do &s;o? No, &s;ome love their Hawkes and their Hounds, their Hor&s;es; yea, a great many Farmers love their Piggs better than Chri&s;t, &s;ee the Text, <HI>Mark</HI> 5.17. and it is better to be a Pigg than that mans &s;oul that doth not mind his &s;oul. If a man &s;hould &s;erve h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s Cat and his Dogg every day, and &s;hould &s;tarve his onely child, it were a mo&s;t unnatural thing, and it is wor&s;e a thou&s;and times to neglect, as mo&s;t Countrey folks and others do, the everliving and immortal &s;oul, which is worth a thou&s;and worlds, upon every &s;light occa&s;ion. I &s;aw a Woman one time &s;erve her Pigg, her Chicken, her Duck, and her Turky, and then &s;he went about her Chee&s;e, but &s;he forgot her &s;oul and her prayers that morning. And it is as good &s;o as to &s;ay on, on, and not mind what we &s;ay. Have poor folks any &s;ouls? Yes, and rich as wel as them, and a rich mans &s;oul is worth as much as a poor, and a poor mans &s;oul wil la&s;t as long as a rich. Indeed every body has a &s;oul, and God has a place for every mans &s;oul to go unto.
<PB N="39" REF="23">Yet a rich man has a long hel for a little heaven, if he goes I know not where: and Chri&s;t &s;hal one day &s;ay, Come yee ble&s;&s;ed, or, Go yee cur&s;ed into everla&s;t|ing fire, prepared for the Divel and his Angels, becau&s;e you did not do this or that, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.41. Why &s;hal a man be damned for not doing good? I, child, as &s;oon as for any thing in the world. There be many ways to go to the wood, and many ways to go to the Divel and be damned, unbeliving is the great way, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3.36. Error is the by-way, delight is the plea&s;ant way, &s;wearing is the mad way, lying is the right way, and who|ring is the next way, &s;ee that Text, <HI>Prov.</HI> 2.18. &s;oul-carele&s;ne&s;s is another, and many fools go for thinking nothing, or for want of thinking whither they are going; a man may be in a pit, and in Hell before he is aware, if his life be but a vapour, as it is, and he that goes to hell in a way of working for heaven, goes round, round about the wood to the Di|vel. Poor Papi&s;ts, poor Prote&s;tants, how are they to be pitied, that do not know the va&s;t difference between the two Co|venants, nor the&s;e two Texts, <HI>Do this
<PB N="40" REF="24">and live, Believe and live.</HI> Why mu&s;t not a man do as much as he can if he doth bel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">eve? Yes, and more than that man th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">t doth beli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ve: Faith makes a man as &s;trong as <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> and as nimble as <HI>David,</HI> who could leap over any difficulty: yea, it wil make him run as <HI>Iehe&s;ah</HI> the way of Gods Commande|ments; but without faith it is impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.6. And if a man could carry <HI>Pauls,</HI> and do more than a thou&s;and Saints, without faith it were to no purpo&s;e, nay it were, as &s;aid before, but to go round <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">bout to the Di|vel, when poor &s;we<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">rers, drunkards, whores and harlots, moral men and care|le&s;s civil &s;inners, go &s;ome one way, and &s;ome another. Well child, I hope you wil go to heaven. And I hope you wil go too Sir, or el&s;e it had been better you had never been born. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">f a mans wife goes, &amp; not the husband, or if a husband goes &amp; not the wife, a father and not the child, or the &s;on and not the f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ther, then is the &s;aying made good, Two &s;hall be in one bed, one taken and the other left, <HI>Luke</HI> 17.34. two &s;hall be in the fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ld, one taken and the other left; two &s;hal be
<PB N="41" REF="24">at the M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ll, one taken and the other left. He that works for life, &amp; under the new Covenant &s;hall be taken, when as he that works for life, and remains under th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> old, &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">l be left. Poor <HI>Hagars</HI> children c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">uld not inherit with the freewomans children, but mu&s;t be ca&s;t out, <HI>Gal</HI> 4.23, &amp; 31. Mind that Text wel, and how wil you weep &s;aith Chri&s;t, when you &s;ee <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac</HI> and <HI>Iacob</HI> in the King|dom of heaven, &amp; you your &s;elv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s thru&s;t, ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Luk</HI> 13.28. yea this wil be th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> doom of thou&s;ands, not onely to be left and damned in the bed of lu&s;t and ea&s;e, the field of plea&s;ures and delights, as wel as at the Mill of Popi&s;h legal works, &amp; then former neer and dear relations &s;hal cry out and &s;ay, O Husband, O Wife, O Fa|ther, you mu&s;t not go with me, yea, in a di&s;claiming way &s;hal thou&s;ands be &s;ha|ken off at the la&s;t day, not onely by Chri&s;t, S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ints and Angels, but by their former neer and dear relations in a &s;cor|ning way, and be left to Legions of Di|vel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">, with cur&s;ed routs of howling &s;pi|rits and damned &s;inners to weep and wail in burning flames for evermore. But Father, do you think if I &s;houd &s;ee
<PB N="42" REF="25">one of my little brothers damned and left in &s;uch a condition, I &s;hould not cry? No child, nor I, for the children &s;hal re|joyce to &s;ee their parents damned, and parents their children if they live and dye enemies to Chri&s;t and his ways. Be|&s;ides, the ran&s;omed of the Lord &s;hal be &s;wallowed up with everla&s;ting joyes, and forget all former things &s;o as to grieve, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 35.10. But Father, our happine&s;s lies in this, we &s;hal both go to Heaven; and others unhappine&s;s that they &s;hal go to hel when they have liv'd a litle longer, &amp; &s;inned a little more: yea, when men have &s;inned as long as they can, God will damne them pre&s;ently, that is a truth, for all creatures men and women are liable to the greate&s;t happine&s;s or un|happine&s;s: the Angels happine&s;s lies in the certainty of their &s;tanding; and the mi&s;ery of the fallen ones in the impo&s;&s;i|bilities of their ri&s;ing. And as every man fal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s, &s;o the tree lies for ever, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 11.3. For after death comes judgment, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.27. Yea, in that very moment that a man dies &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">l he be unchangeably placed in bli&s;s or mi&s;ery. Now while a wicked man is here, if he be afflicted with a
<PB N="43" REF="25">thou&s;and afflictions, yet &s;uch afflictions are but like the dropping of a little water from the Eves of a hou&s;e after a great rain, or like the leeking of the Sluces, which wil let a litle out though you &s;hut them never &s;o clo&s;e; but at death then &s;eas upon &s;eas of &s;orrow, &s;in, guilt, &s;hame, wrath and mi&s;ery breakes in upon the &s;oul everla&s;tingly, world without end; and then the damned Divels and &s;inners, that now &s;leep, eat and drink good veal, Beef, and Mutton, will be everla&s;tingly &s;tated in one and the &s;ame unchangeable co~ditition with the damned &s;pirits. Now the wickede&s;t man in the whole world is in a better condition than the Divels, there may be faith &amp; repentance wrought in the very la&s;t moment of time. This night &s;halt thou be with me in paradi&s;e, &s;atih Chri&s;t to the penitent Thief; but that is rare, for &s;carce one of a thou&s;and that neglects to repent now, but forgets to repent then, or wants a heart to do it as he &s;hould; and it would be very un|comfortable for one friend to tell another ween he goes to &s;ee him in his &s;ickne&s;s, that he is in danger to be damned to morrow, or to dye and go to
<PB N="44" REF="26">the Divell this night after three or four &s;tumbers more, and yet it cannot be un|&s;afe, but the be&s;t way to preach Chri&s;t at &s;uch a time: for if the Divel were pulling one legg, I would pull the other; yea, I would &s;ave him by the tip of the ear as it were, from the roaring Lion in the la&s;t moment; yet how great mu&s;t their fears needs be, that are over head and ears in fears, and tumbling down to hell by de|&s;pair, di&s;tru&s;tfulne&s;s and doubts, and yet are haling back again by promi&s;es; but when the poor &s;oule cannot lay hold of one free grace promi&s;e in all the Book of God, then the Divel pulls hard in|deed, and he is as good as gone: Three or four ga&s;ps u&s;ually carries one away, and the la&s;t de&s;pair leaves a man to his Divel, and if his Divel were with him on his back, running to his fraternity with a thou&s;and damned Furies, yet if this man could look back &amp; &s;ee one little glimp&s;e of a crucified Saviour, it would fetch him back again, and a thou&s;and Di|vels, Hells, Deaths and Chains, could never hold him. See the ca&s;e of <HI>Ionas, Chap.</HI> 2. <HI>v.</HI> 4. But this la&s;t moments time of Faith and Repentance being lo&s;t,
<PB N="45" REF="26">Divels, and &s;inners are both alike mi&s;e|rable to a tittle. O dear, this makes my heart to ake. But Father, I u&s;ed to think when I was a little Boy, a man might &s;cramble, or make a &s;hift to get out of Hel one way or another, if he &s;hould go there, and that God was &s;o merciful that he would not let a poor Boy, nor any bo|dy el&s;e, lye long there, if they &s;hould beg and cry unto him. I child, 'tis good thinking on the mercy of God, and tru&s;t|ing to it, for we have nothing el&s;e to hope in whil&s;t we live, and tru&s;t in when we dye, but the free grace and mercy of God: but it is a fooli&s;h thing for a man to think that he &s;hall ever clamber out when once in: a man may tumble a|bout, but he can never &s;cramble out; yea, he may tumble out of one Hel into ano|ther, for there be many Hels, &s;ome with|in and &s;ome without. <HI>Tophet,</HI> where Rivers of Brim&s;tone run with piles of wood, is that place, which Death, Hell, Divels, damned men and &s;inne's &s;hal be ca&s;t into, <HI>I&s;ai,</HI> 30.30.33. When King Je&s;us, that &s;weet Saviour &s;hall &s;ay, Go ye cur&s;ed unbelieving Reprobates into everla&s;ting fire prepared for the Divel
<PB N="46" REF="27">and his Angel, where there &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">l be wee|ping, wai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ing, and gna&s;hing of teeth, <HI>Matth</HI> 25 41. <HI>Luke</HI> 13.28 But be&s;ides this mat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">riall Hel there is a H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">l in the &s;oul, a hell in con&s;c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ence, a Hel in the thoughts. When a man ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">h two dan|gers h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> hat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> two fears, if apprehen|ded and for two lo&s;&s;es double &s;orrow, and in many &s;tings much vexa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n; if a man &s;hake off his clothes, yet he can|not his kin: &amp; there be many Hels with|in that; yea within t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">wels thoughts &amp; mind of a man th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> many hels and yet if there &s;hould be nothing but the letting loo&s;e of co~&s;cience, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">hich we daily &s;ee drag &s;ome men out of one Hell <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nto another, by laying vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">lent hand<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">, yet that would mu&s;ter up a thou&s;and Hels a|bout his eares; Con&s;cience wil tel a thou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">and truths and &s;ome &s;innes, a thou|&s;and and a th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;and times over and over, and &s;ome carele&s;s unbelievers, that now de&s;pi&s;e Chri&s;t and th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Go&s;pel, may come to he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r oftner of it than there be &s;tones in <HI>London</HI> Bridge, or drops of water in the <HI>Thamas</HI> Now to hear of this &s;in, and to think of that one lo&s;&s;e of lo&s;&s;es, name|ly God and Chri&s;t, o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> God with Chri&s;t
<PB N="47" REF="27">in his arms, which is more than a thou|&s;and Rainbous, is a Hel beyond the tongue of Men and Angels to expre&s;s.</P>
<P>I t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">uly, Father, I think &s;o too; for I remember yee would give a thing and I would not have it, and then again, I have longed and cried my heart fore, and you would not give it. And as Chri&s;t tels the Jewes they &s;hould long for one of the days of the Son of Man, and &s;hould not have it, <HI>Luke</HI> 17.22. which an old Prie&s;t &s;aid was Chri&s;tmas day. &s;o I am per&s;waded &s;inners in Hell &s;hal long and long a thou&s;and millions of years for one dram of that &s;weet mercy and Chri&s;t that they &s;o frequently refu&s;e, and there|fore, Father, I wil believe in Chri&s;t, and live to Chri&s;t, and love him more, than my Sheep, the Colt, and all the fine things ever you gave me in all my dayes; yea, I wil love him more than my mo|ther and my brother and my &s;elf too, &s;hould I not? Yes Child, and he that loves Father, Mother, Wife or Children in compari&s;on of Chri&s;t, is not worthy of him, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10 37. much more Name, Fame, Crowns or Kingdoms in com|pari&s;on of his intere&s;t in the World.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="28">
<P>Q. <HI>But was Chri&s;t an old man, or a young?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In re&s;pect of his God head he was the ancient of daies, the everla&s;t|ing Father, the <HI>Alpha</HI> and <HI>Omega,</HI> or the fir&s;t and the la&s;t, <HI>Revel.</HI> 1.8. but in re&s;pect of his Man hood, he was as young as <HI>Solomon,</HI> but more loving and lovely, yea wi&s;er a thou&s;and times, yet he died for us at three and thirty years of age, and lives, and ever loves, to make interce&s;&s;ion for us, when we do or can|not, yea, whether we pray, &s;in, live, or die, he alwaies makes interce&s;&s;ion for us, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.25. yet you mu&s;t &s;ay your prayers frequently for all that; &s;o I do Sir, I went, before I would eat one bite to day, into your Chamber, and &s;hut the door, and there kneeled down and &s;aid my Prayers from my heart.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Well, and what did you &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I &s;aid, pray Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t forgive me all my &s;ins, pray Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t make me thy &s;ervant whil&s;t I live, and pray Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t take me to heaven when I die, and I will prai&s;e thy Name for ever and ever.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Well Sirrah, but why did you not &s;ay the Lords prayer?</HI></P>
<PB N="49" REF="28">
<P><HI>A.</HI> I do &s;ometimes.</P>
<P>But that is a Rule to pray by, rather thana &s;et form of words to &s;ay over, the ten Commandements is a Rule to walk by, the Belief, that &s;ome good men made a Rule, how and who we hope to be &s;aved by; and as a man may work, when the Rule is not in his hand, &s;o he may pray by the Lords Prayer, when the very words are not in his mouth; but every man mu&s;t be a Believer, that &s;aith that prayer, or el&s;e he cannot call God Father, but as Parots prate, and Papi&s;ts pray, &s;o many Prote&s;tants mind as little what they &s;ay, as if they were praying to a woodden God, rather than an all|&s;eeing God, that will be wor&s;hipped in Spirit and in Truth, <HI>Iohn</HI> 4.23. abhor|ing from his &s;oul all forms and wor&s;hips what&s;oever that comes not from the heart; and I wonder what is become of their hearts, that u&s;e to preach and fa&s;t and pray &s;o much in the late Warrs, tru|ly I think a great many had been better they had never prayed nor fa&s;ted nei|ther, for things are wor&s;e than ever, and Profe&s;&s;ion is much que&s;tioned to be but a meer piece of di&s;&s;imulation, for
<PB N="50" REF="29">the world will never tru&s;t the Saints a|gain they are &s;o fal&s;e; in the mean time St. <HI>Iames</HI> Fields is a building in all ha&s;te, yea, every Saint is a building, when St. <HI>Peter</HI> and St. <HI>Paul</HI> were not worth a groat, and every one a Pilgrim then, and I am &s;ure a true one &s;hould be a piece of one now; but they loo&s;e their love, their zeal, their faith and their prayer, yea the &s;pirit of faith and life in prayer, is much gone from many, and O that this lo&s;s were a little con&s;idered in our daies e&s;pecially, by tho&s;e Souldiers and Officers, who have got &s;o much by Chri&s;t and his Cau&s;e, as they u&s;e to call it, the liberty of the gifted Chri&s;tian, of which thou&s;ands might be found, that would not preach a factious point, a thing of greater con&s;equence, than a|ny thing we fought or &s;uffered for: 'Tis honor enough to be a Magi&s;trate; and if a Commi&s;&s;ioner of the Peace wil free|ly give his time and pains to reconcile men to men; I wonder no rich Mini|&s;ters nor Magi&s;trates will do the like to reconcile God and Men, or give them leave that would preach the Word of Reconciliation without money, or try|ing
<PB N="51" REF="29">by them, which will never like unle&s;s you take it up as a trade; but the old proverb is &s;till good, <HI>No peny no Pater-No&s;ter;</HI> and &s;ome hath &s;carce for their peny that is worth the hearing; and though I love &amp; hear them that be good my &s;elf, yet I think in my con&s;cience there are more gifted, well able, &s;ancti|fied, blamele&s;s Chri&s;tians, than of all that are called Mini&s;ters in <HI>England,</HI> &amp; yet I think, three to one of the bulk of them are but Civili&s;ers of the Nation, the Keepers up of Form in oppo&s;ition to power, under which mo&s;t peri&s;h, and that which Chri&s;t will one day abund|antly abominate, &s;ee the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">x, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.16. in the mean time they are paid for State-policy, more than any thing el&s;e, as a great States-man once &s;aid, calling them our Chaplins.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But Sir pray you an&s;wer me this Que&s;tion, doth love a&s;cend or de&s;cend?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> It de&s;cends, for God loves &s;in|ners and Parents Children, more than they do them, &amp; my L. Protector would be a great deal more be loved than be is, if he goes on indeed to deny the Crown &s;o importunat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">y pre&s;&s;ed on him,
<PB N="52" REF="30">and bend all his force again&s;t Anti-chri&s;t and &s;trength of Anti-chri&s;t, the onely Son of the Bea&s;t, or Chri&s;tian King, as Papi&s;ts call the Son of perdition, the <HI>King</HI> of <HI>Spain,</HI> who&s;e de&s;truction is certainly near: But what did <HI>Balaam</HI> wi&s;h to die the death of the righteous, <HI>Numb.</HI> 23.10. and mo&s;t men will &s;ome|times &s;igh and &s;ay, O that God, O that Chri&s;t, O that Heaven were mine, O that I might live a little longer, that I had done this or that, or never done what I did, I would give for Heaven &s;o much; but what &s;hall it profit a man to gain the World, if he lo&s;e his &s;oul, no|thing &s;aith Chri&s;t; <HI>Matt.</HI> 16.26. for thats immortal, ever living, and &s;hall ne|ver die.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What is meant by the &s;oul?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Sometimes the inward, &s;ometimes the outward, &s;ometimes the whole man, and nothing is more pretious than the &s;oul, but God and Chri&s;t; who would lo&s;e all and a heaven for a moment lu&s;t, which will be a home when all is done, as we u&s;e to &s;ay, and there is no home like to heaven: But Swearers, Drun|kards, Whores and Harlots, with Hy|pocrites
<PB N="53" REF="30">and worldlings forgo this hea|ven for a hell, and will go to the Devil for their hell, or lu&s;ts which leads them on to hell; and money will to money in marriage as long as the world &s;tands, and Saints and Devils couple together, rather than lo&s;e a little honour, the off-&s;pring of &s;uch who are the be&s;t and wor&s;t of men in the nation.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But whether do good men go?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> To <HI>Abraham,</HI> and <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> to God, and to Angels: and the bo&s;ome of <HI>A|braham</HI> is <HI>I&s;aac, Luke</HI> 16, 26. and the bo&s;ome of <HI>I&s;aac</HI> is Chri&s;t; yea, he is the bo&s;ome of all, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.18. and he leads all to the bo&s;ome of the Father, that will come unto him. O &s;hew us this bo&s;ome, and it &s;ufficeth &s;aith <HI>Tho|mas</HI> unto Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.8.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But is there any heaven indeed?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Yes, in this bo&s;ome, and no where el&s;e, unle&s;s it be in the &s;oul of a heavenly-minded Saint, and there is a heaven al&s;o; peace, joy, and commu|nion with God, in which much of the heaven of heavens lies, in a way of me|ditation and contemplation of God and his goodne&s;s: O how great is that
<PB N="54" REF="31">&s;aith <HI>David</HI> P&s;al. 31 19.</P>
<P>Q <HI>But what is God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> A Spirit: and they that wor&s;hip him mu&s;t wor&s;hip in Spirit and in Truth, <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.24. who is that eternal Being, that gives breath and being to all things what&s;oever; yea, every thing has his being from him, and &s;hall be di&s;po&s;ed by him; he makes fire, hail, ice, &s;now, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 147.16.17 and the Wind to blow when and where he plea&s;eth, and while&s;t he flings down one part of the morning &s;tars or Angels, <HI>Job</HI> 38.7. unto the lowe&s;t d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ns of darkne&s;s, he rai&s;eth up another part of man into the highe&s;t thrones of Glory.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But Fat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">er, What be tho&s;e dens?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> The D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s holes.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what do the Devils do in tho&s;e dens?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Nothing but drag &s;inners from one holt unto another.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what do the &s;inners do in tho&s;e holes?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Nothing but move like Serpents from one hole to another, &s;eeking death and cannot find it, <HI>Mic</HI> 7.17.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>And what is Chri&s;t compared to?</HI></P>
<PB N="55" REF="31">
<P><HI>A.</HI> Every thing that is u&s;eful, preti|ous, &s;weet, or excellent; and he is more excelling than all thing, or things, a thou&s;and times, he is compared to the Bread of life, <HI>Joh.</HI> 6.50, 58. the Tree of life, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.2. the Well of life, the Water of life, and that living water which he that drinks &s;hall never thir&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.14. he is compared to a Lilly and a Ro&s;e; the Ro&s;e of <HI>Sharon,</HI> the Lilly of the Valleys, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2.1. to a Vine, to an Apple-tree, and Olive-tree, the fruitful Vine, the fatting Olive, and that tree who&s;e fruit is &s;weet indeed; and &s;hadow much delighting, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2.3. He is compared to a Trea&s;ure, and a Pearl, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.46. and a pretious Pearl and Rayment is he, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3 18. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2 6 to a Rock, yea the Rock of Ages, and that Rock alone upon which the Church of God &s;tands, and the Gates of Hell &s;hall never prevail, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. In the mean time he is as the &s;hadow of a Rock in a weary Land, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 32.2. where milk and hony ever flowes, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 81.16. for a thir&s;ty &s;inner; Come, O my beloved, eate and drink abundantly, yea, make ha&s;te and come away, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2, 10, 11,
<PB N="56" REF="32">yea, he is that good &s;hepherd that layes down his life for his &s;heep, <HI>Joh.</HI> 10.11. and was led as a &s;heep to the &s;laughter: Behold the Lamb of God (&s;aith <HI>John</HI>) that taketh away the &s;ins of the world, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.29.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Well. But how many Fathers have mo&s;t Children?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Some two, and &s;ome three, that are called &s;o; and &s;ome never a one, and that is &s;ad indeed: I had rather have one God, than a thou&s;and Fa|thers, or Grandfathers, when I come to die he can do me mo&s;t good, and whil&s;t I live, and therefore they are fools indeed, that do not live to him, nor think upon him till they be old and ugly, yea, and &s;carce than: when as <HI>Solomon</HI> would have none to &s;tand be|fore him but &s;uch as were young and comely: and &s;aith God, Carry the halt and lame to the Princes, and &s;ee whether he will except it; how much more &s;hall I your decrepid &s;ervices, &s;aith the Lord by <HI>Micah, Mic</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P>Q <HI>But what Mothers have you?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I have Mother <HI>Earth,</HI> and Mo|ther <HI>Eve, Mother</HI> bare me, and <HI>Sion</HI> the
<PB N="57" REF="32">Mother of us all, if we be the faithful Children of God: but if we be not, then there is Mother <HI>Sin,</HI> and Mother <HI>Sinai,</HI> Mother <HI>Death,</HI> and Mother <HI>Hell</HI> to take us all; yea, &s;in and &s;orrow that is brought forth by Sin, &s;hall &s;et down, and lay down upon the heads, hearts, and &s;ouls of all that will not hearken unto me, &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Prov.</HI> 8.32.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But how many Children have &s;ome men?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Too many a great deal: for it is better a great deal to get never an one, than to get three or four for the Devil: other creatures die but once, but wicked men twice; once when they go from men to the grave, and once when they go from God to the Devil: yet &s;ome go in more &s;tate a great deal than others; and 'tis a fooli&s;h thing to gaze much upon that man who led a wicked life; or to cry, There is a brave Funeral indeed, when he led a vicious one: but Lord keep me from that &s;econd Death, which is that death of deaths, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.14. though I want a grave for my bed, or a skin for my bones: Young men are fools, old men are wi&s;e; yet I &s;el|dome
<PB N="58" REF="33">know any of them converted, or doth the world by all its wi&s;dom find out God, 1 Cor. 2 6 7, 8 9, or the true knowledge of God. O Lord open my eyes, that I may &s;ee the wondrous things of thy Law, &s;aith <HI>David, P&s;al</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">9 and a thou&s;and Laws &s;hould never keep a man from his God, or doing that thing that lies in his power to honor God.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Who denied Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Peter John</HI> 18, 17.</P>
<P><HI>Q.</HI> And who confe&s;t him?</P>
<P><HI>A. Thomas</HI> wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n he cryed, My Lord and my God, <HI>Iohn</HI> 20 28.</P>
<P><HI>Q. Who per&s;ecuted Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Paul, Acts</HI> 9.4 and preached him more than any man; &s;o that the wor&s;t &s;inner makes the be&s;t Saint &s;ome|times.</P>
<P><HI>Q. Who murdered his brother?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A. Cain,</HI> and every one is a Murderer of his brother that hateth his brother in his heart, as Chri&s;t expounds the Law, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5 22.28</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But who is your true Brother?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Chri&s;t, and he that believes in Chri&s;t; we are all brethren in the purpo&s;e of God, the merits of Chri&s;t, union with
<PB N="59" REF="33">Chri&s;t, or vi&s;ible profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, I know no other Go&s;pel-brotherhood than this: there is a holli&s;h brotherhood between Whores and H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">rlots, knots of Drunkards, Thieves and Cheaters go all together; yet more are damned for meer civilty, and having nothing el&s;e but ci|vility, than al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> the open &s;ins in the world.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>But what mu&s;t you do if you will be &s;avea?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> I mu&s;t fa&s;t and pray, love mercy, and do ju&s;tly, live uprightly, and walk hone&s;tly, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">d yet believe; for that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ore than all in order to &s;alvation. For if a man &s;hould fa&s;t and pray, and c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">y, Lord have mercy upon me, Lord have merc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon me, and ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould not roll his &s;oul upon that mercy that is from everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting, 'twere to no purpo&s;e. Some men cannot believe, and &s;ome men &s;hal not whil&s;t they live, if they &s;trive for qualifications, they mu&s;t be &s;o and &s;o bef<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re they can bel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">eve. Some would be no &s;inner before they would be a Saint, or believ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> and lay hold on the promi&s;e of eternal life: But Sai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">t and Sinner go together, and dwel together in one and the &s;ame skin, and a grain
<PB N="60" REF="34">mu&s;t be allowed to the be&s;t man I know in all the world, and the be&s;t skin is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, and I had ra|ther be in that than mine own a thou&s;and times: Chri&s;ts active and Chri&s;ts pa&s;&s;ive obedience, is that righteou&s;ne&s;s wherein the Father ju&s;tifies the Son, and the Sun ju&s;tifies us: For you know he did all, and &s;uffered all in our behalfe in his na|ture on the Tree, from all hands e&s;peci|ally the Fathers.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What did God do then wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n he made him cry out, My God, My God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Nothing but kil him, and let him go,</P>
<P>Q <HI>Why did God kill him?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Becau&s;e he could not be a Sacrifice nor a Te&s;tator of the new Covenant el&s;e.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>What doth the new Covenant &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Believe and live, or rather live and believe. But the old is, Do, Do, and re|quires nothing but doing til it breaketh the poor heart with endeavouring what we can never do.</P>
<P><HI>Q. Can you build a Hou&s;e?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> Yes, and &s;ooner go to <HI>Rome</HI> than keep one of the ten Comandements as I &s;hould. Do you think I can look upon
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