<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-03-19</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Brian Matzge</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist: x *Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x *Review 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, TRAILER, OPENER, CLOSER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, DATELINE, BYLINE, etc. x *Check for GAPs x *Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x *Check ^, 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 *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 x * Run Check x *Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B11431">
<STC T="S">1963.7</STC>
<STC T="C">S113180</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99848419</BIBNO>
<VID>176934</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A STAFFE OF COMFORT TO STAY THE weake from falling, <HI>very needfull for the afflicted.</HI></P>
<P>By RICHARD BERNARD, Preacher of Gods Word, at <HI>Batcombe</HI> in <HI>So|mer&s;et-&s;hire.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Art thou any way tempted, or trou|bled? reade, beleeue, and reioyce.</HI></P>
<P>LONDON, Printed by <HI>Felix Kyng&s;ton,</HI> for <HI>John Budge,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop, at the South doore of S^t. <HI>Pauls</HI> Church. 1616.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE WOR|SHIPFVLL HIS Chri&s;tian good friends, M^r. <HI>Iames Bi&s;&s;e,</HI> and M^r. <HI>Ed+ward Bi&s;&s;e,</HI> E&s;quires: with his very kinde wel|wi&s;her, M^r. <HI>Ro|bert Groue.</HI> TO HIS LOVING and a&s;&s;ured friends, Ma&s;ter <HI>Iohn Bernard,</HI> and M^r. <HI>Ed|ward Bernard,</HI> both of <HI>Downe|&s;ide,</HI> louing brethren, con&s;tant in vnitie. All &s;auing graces, all &s;pirituall comforts for &s;oules &s;afety: all corporall welfare, and outward pro&s;peritie, for encouragement to all duties <HI>of godline&s;&s;e. Euen &s;o, Amen.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WOr&s;hipfull, and Gentlemen (my good friends) Co~|forts, I well know, might
<PB REF="3"> &s;eeme to be vn&s;ea&s;onably of|fered in a world of &s;ecuri|ty; but that al&s;o I am not ignorant, that in a &s;ecure world, many &s;leepe not in the cradle of &s;ecurity. There is a righteous <HI>No|ah,</HI> in a world of the vn|godly, &amp; a iu&s;t <HI>Lot</HI> among the Sodomites, vexed in heart with their vncleane conuer&s;ation. Where many (as one of the Prophets &s;pea|keth) eate the Lambs of the flocke, and Calues of the &s;talls, faring, as it is &s;aid of <HI>Diues,</HI> deliciou&s;ly euery day; there may bee &s;ome (like poore <HI>Lazarus</HI>) lying at their gates begging food,
<PB REF="3"> for pre&s;eruation of life. While &s;ome, perhaps, may bee chaunting the &s;ong, to the &s;ound of the violl, and be &s;inging merrily the tune of worldly contentment: O|thers, peraduenture, may be &s;ad in heart, and &s;et downe heauily mourning for their mi&s;eries. What if a <HI>Gallio</HI> reli&s;h not religion, nor doth care any thing at al, though <HI>Paul</HI> be &s;mitten wrongful|ly; yet mu&s;t we think, there be &s;uch as do not forget, but truely take to heart the af|fliction of <HI>Io&s;eph?</HI> While &s;ome are whole, not needing the Phy&s;ician, as in their owne conceits they fooli&s;hly
<PB REF="4"> imagine; &s;ome other neuer|thele&s;&s;e may feele their &s;pi|rituall maladies, yea and groane vnder their burthe~, de&s;iring to be ea&s;ed. Albeit full &s;tomackes tread vnder|foot the hony combe: yet the hungry &s;oule is glad of the crummes which fall from the Lords Table. Indeede, the carnall libertine, if he may enioy worldly wealth, &amp; earthly re&s;t, he feeleth no want of &s;pirituall comforts, nor taketh any notice of his &s;piritual bondage; but a ho|ly <HI>Paul,</HI> a true conuert to God, though hee haue out|ward contentments, yea &amp; inward peace; yet becau&s;e
<PB REF="4"> he cannot doe the good hee would, but often the euill, which he would not, he cri|eth out; O mi&s;erable ma~ that I am, who &s;hall deliuer mee from the body of this death!</P>
<P>Therefore to tho&s;e that &s;tand in need of co~fort, and de&s;ire the words of heauen|ly refre&s;hment; to tho&s;e that are troubled in mind, in &s;pi|rit wounded and in their con&s;cience afflicted: to tho&s;e that are a&s;&s;aulted by Satan, vexed by ill men, di&s;quieted in their outward e&s;tates, cro&s;&s;ed in the hone&s;t cour&s;e of their callings, or any waies tempted; to all tho&s;e, and for their &s;akes haue I
<PB REF="5"> laboured in this worke of Comforts, that they may find (if God plea&s;e) &s;ome &s;o|lace hereby to their poor af|flicted &s;pirits. I &s;end it not to gybing <HI>I&s;maels,</HI> mock|ing at the children of the promi&s;e, but to obedient and faithfull <HI>I&s;aacs;</HI> not to prophane <HI>E&s;aus,</HI> but to religious <HI>Iacobs:</HI> to <HI>Io|&s;eph</HI> in pri&s;on and bonds, not to his brethren at liber|tie at home, and vnhum|bled: to the oppre&s;&s;ed <HI>I&s;|raelites,</HI> and not to op|pre&s;sing <HI>Egyptians.</HI> I of|fer it not to proud and hau|tie <HI>Hamans;</HI> but to hum|ble and mournful <HI>Morde|cayes</HI>
<PB REF="5"> clothed in &s;ackcloth: to <HI>Ieremy</HI> and <HI>Amos</HI> the true dealing Prophets, and not to <HI>Amaziah</HI> and <HI>Pa|&s;hur</HI> the flattering Prie&s;ts: to <HI>Abedmelech</HI> a godlie Courtier, and not to <HI>Zibah</HI> the &s;ycophant and cou&s;iner: to a con&s;tant <HI>Ruth,</HI> not to a backe-&s;liding <HI>Orpha:</HI> to an <HI>Hannah,</HI> a woma~ trou|bled in &s;pirit, pouring out her &s;oule before the Lord, &amp; not to a Peninah, a vex|ing and vpbrayding aduer|&s;ary: not to a <HI>Michol</HI> moc|king her Lord and hu&s;|band; but to a contemned and de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Leah.</HI> In a word, it is to the heauie loa|den
<PB REF="6"> that I wi&s;h refre&s;h|ment, and to the &s;orrowfull glad tidings, health to the &s;icke, re&s;t to the troubled; &s;oundnes of comfort, to the broken in heart, &s;trength to the weak and feeble &s;oule, and full &s;upply of what&s;oe|uer is wanting for true ioy to euery one of the Lords e|lected people.</P>
<P>Oh (my wor&s;hipfull, and worthy good friends) I wi&s;h the &s;pirit of the Lord God vpon me, to publi&s;h power|fully good tidings to the meeke, to binde vp the bro|ken hearted, to proclaime liberty to the captiues, the o+pening of the pri&s;on to them
<PB REF="6"> that are bound, to declare the acceptable yeere of the Lord, &amp; to comfort all that mourne: this is my de&s;ire, this is the true intendment of this my labour. If God &s;o ble&s;&s;e it, how ioyful &amp; glad &s;hall I be? and that it may be, I intreat the Lord, to ap|point and giue vnto them that mourne in Sion, beauty for a&s;hes; the ioy of oyle, for mourning; the garment of prai&s;e, for the &s;pirit of hea|uines, that they may bee cal|led the trees of righteou&s;nes the planting of the Lord, that hee may bee glorified. This mercy I craue al&s;o of God for you, and doe de&s;ire
<PB REF="7"> that this my worke (which here I pre&s;ent to you) may bee both friendly accepted of, as I offer it for a te&s;timo|ny of my true and hearty af|fection, and al&s;o &s;o diligent|ly peru&s;ed, as you may reape the ioyfull fruit thereof, &amp; &s;peake from experience the prai&s;es of God; and thus in my be&s;t well-wi&s;hes, not doubting of a kind accep|tance, and your continu|ance of loue, I heartily be|take you to the protection and louing mercies of our heauenly Father.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Batcombe</HI> <DATE><HI>Decem. 29.</HI></DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Yours in all Chri&s;tian duties, and &s;eruices of my calling, RIC. BERNARD.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="7">
<HEAD>HEAVENLY COMFORTS, AND holy contentments; &s;et <HI>out by Obiections, and An&s;weres.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of Religion.</HEAD>
<P>Obiection.</P>
<P><HI>_There is much tal|king &amp; &s;trife a|bout that, which men call Religi|on: but to this day I could neuer know certainly, what it &s;hould be.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is that,<NOTE PLACE="marg">What that is, which we call Re|ligion.</NOTE> which is pre&s;cribed in the holy
<PB N="2" REF="8"> Scriptures, called, the way of the Lord. Act. 18.25. the old way, and good way. Ier. 6.16. the path of life, P&s;al. 16.11. the perfect way, P&s;a. 101.2. the way of wi&s;dome, Prou. 4.11. the right way, 2. Pet. 2.15. the way of vn|der&s;tanding, Prou. 9.6. the way of life, Ierem. 21.8. the way of God, Matth. 22.16. Act. 18.26. the way of &s;aluation, Act. 16.17. the way of truth, 2. Pet. 1.2. and the way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, 2. Pet. 2.21. This Religion, pure and vndefiled before God, and the Father, is al&s;o to vi&s;it the fatherle&s;&s;e and the widowes in their affli|ction, &amp; to keepe our &s;elues vn&s;potted of the world, Iam. 1.27.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="8">
<P>Obiect. <HI>It may &s;eeme by this, that Religion is but one way: and yet there are many religions, that I know not which way to turne me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">There is but one true Re|ligion.</NOTE> Indeed there is but one true religion, as there is but one true God and Father of all, one Lord, one Spirit, one body, one faith, one hope of our voca|tion, and one Bapti&s;me, E|phe&s;. 4.5. Therefore turne neither to the right hand, nor to the left, Prou. 4.27. For know, that hee which wandreth out of the way of vnder&s;tanding, &s;hall remain in the congregation of the dead, Prou. 21.16. but they that walk in the good way, &s;hall finde re&s;t vnto their &s;oules. Ier. 6.16.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="9">
<P>Obiect. <HI>But &s;o many, though they be of diuers and differing opinions, doe chal|lenge to them&s;elues this one Religion, and do &s;o condemne one another, as I, (an igno|rant man) cannot tell what to doe, or how to know the truth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Meanes to know the truth.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Dearely belo|ued (&s;aith Saint <HI>Iohn</HI>) be|leeue not euery &s;pirit, but trie the &s;pirits, whether they are of God, 1. Ioh. 4.1. de&s;pi&s;e not prophecying; trie all things, and hold that which is good, 1. The&s;&s;al. 5.20.21. and then if any man will doe the will of God, he &s;hall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. Ioh. 7.17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Among the pro|fe&s;&s;ors
<PB N="5" REF="9"> of that Religion, which &s;ome take to bee the be&s;t, there are not wanting, errors, &s;ects, and &s;chi&s;mes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There mu&s;t bee here&s;ies, that they which are approued may be made manife&s;t, 1. Cor. 11.19. for from without &s;hall ari&s;e grieuous Wolues, &amp; enter into Gods Church, not &s;pa|ring the flocke: and from within &s;hall ari&s;e vp men, &s;peaking peruer&s;e things, to draw Di&s;ciples after them, Act. 20.29.30. Let not therefore this offend thee; for it mu&s;t needs be, that of|fences &s;hall come, Matth. 18.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Me thinkes Re|ligion is but a phan&s;ie, or a policie; becau&s;e the mo&s;t, of
<PB N="6" REF="10"> what Religion &s;oeuer, do liue, not an&s;werable to their pro|fe&s;&s;ion, but cleane contrary.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Doe not for this, condemne Religion it &s;elf: but con&s;ider, that many are called, but few are cho&s;en, Mat. 20.16. That wide al&s;o is the gate, and the way broad, that leadeth to de|&s;truction, and many there be that goe in thereat: be|cau&s;e the gate is &s;trait, and the way narrow that lea|deth vnto life, and few there be that finde it, Mat. 7.13.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tianity is no grie|uous yoke.</NOTE>Obiect. <HI>Nay, the bon|dage, and burthen&s;omene&s;&s;e of Religion may &s;eeme to bee the cau&s;e hereof, which is too heauie for any man to beare.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The law of Chri&s;t is a perfect law of liberty,
<PB N="7" REF="10"> Iam. 1.25. by which hee hath made vs free, Gal. 5.1. who exhorteth vs to take his yoke on vs, and we &s;hall finde re&s;t vnto our &s;oules; for his yoke is ea&s;ie, and burthen light, Mat. 11.29.30. and his Commande|ments are not grieuous, 1. Ioh. 5.3.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I was (I may tell you) of that Romane faith, &s;poken of through the world, as Saint</HI> Paul <HI>&s;peaketh, Rom.</HI> 1.8. <HI>and</HI> 16.19. <HI>but now am of this, called the reformed Religion; I feare me, that I haue done much ami&s;&s;e, in for&s;aking that, which the A|po&s;tle hath &s;o commended.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">He is happie that for&s;a|keth Pope|rie.</NOTE> Thou ha&s;t not for&s;aken that true and an|cient Catholicke faith,
<PB N="8" REF="11"> taught by Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> but now do&s;t profe&s;&s;e the very &s;ame, then taught by the A|po&s;tles, as that <HI>Same Epi&s;tle of Saint Paul,</HI> and the re&s;t of the Scripture teach. But this pre&s;ent Romi&s;h religi|on thou ha&s;t done well to for&s;ake, therein obeying Chri&s;ts commandement, &s;hewing thy &s;elfe thereby one of Gods people. Reuel. 18.4. and &s;auing thy &s;elfe from that fearefull ven|geance, and tho&s;e horrible plagues, which are to bee powred out vpon that An|tichri&s;tian &s;tate. Reuel. 14.9.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This our Reli|gion hath not &s;o many goodly Ceremonies; nor holy Church ordinances, to keepe the peo|ple
<PB N="9" REF="11"> in deuont exerci&s;es for the &s;eruice of God, as that hath.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Poperie is onely mens precepts.</NOTE> In vaine they wor&s;hip mee (&s;aith Ie&s;us Chri&s;t) teaching for do|ctrines mens precepts. Mat. 15.9. They wor&s;hip they know not what:<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3.17. Heb. 9.14.</NOTE> we know what we wor&s;hip: the true wor&s;hippers wor&s;hip the Father in &s;pirit, and in truth; for the Father &s;eeketh &s;uch to wor&s;hip him. God is a &s;pirit, and they that wor|&s;hip him, mu&s;t wor&s;hip him in &s;pirit and in truth, Ioh. 4.22.23.24.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But yet this refor|med Religion is euery where &s;poken again&s;t of many: and this I can &s;ay, that men very wi&s;e in the world, men of
<PB N="10" REF="12"> great place, and very lear|ned too, like that Religion, &amp; cannot away with this, but for the pre&s;ent &s;tate.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Why wi&s;e men of the world can|not away with the true &s;piritual wor&s;hip of God.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;tianity in the Apo&s;tles time, was euery where &s;poken again&s;t, Act. 28.22. was it therfore not y^e Truth? And as for the&s;e wi&s;e men of the world, li|king that, and di&s;liking this &s;pirituall wor&s;hip of God, maruell not at it. For not many wi&s;e men after the fle&s;h, not many mighty, nor many noble are called. 1. Cor. 1.26. And the naturall man receiueth not the things of the &s;pirit of God; for they are fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e vn|to him: neither can he know them, becau&s;e they be &s;piri|tually di&s;cerned. 1. Cor. 2.14</P>
<PB N="11" REF="12">
<P>Obiect. <HI>Many among vs now adaies fall to that Reli|gion.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They are gone out from vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Who they be, that fall to Poperie from vs, and the rea&s;ons why.</NOTE> becau&s;e they were not of vs: for if they had been of vs, they would (no doubt) haue continued with vs: but they are gone out, that they might bee made manife&s;t; that they were not at all of vs, 1. Ioh. 2.19. And this is come to pa&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they profe&s;|&s;ing the truth with vs, yet receiued not the loue of the truth, that they might be &s;a|ued. Wherefore God hath &s;ent them &s;trong delu&s;ions, that they &s;hould beleeue a lie, 1. The&s;&s;al. 2.10.11. And for this cau&s;e al&s;o, when with vs they knew God,
<PB N="12" REF="13"> they did not glorifie him, neither were thankful, they became vaine in their ima|ginations, and their fooli&s;h heart was darkened, and by profe&s;&s;ing them&s;elues wi&s;e, they are now becom fools, Rom. 1.21.22.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But that Religi|on hath been &s;pread mightily abroad, many Monarches of the earth haue with one mind giuen their power and au|thoritie to that See; and kin|dreds, tongues, and nations, haue wor&s;hipped the &s;ame.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">That where|of the Pa|pi&s;ts doe boa&s;t, is a marke of the Bea&s;t.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This is the power of the bea&s;t, Reuelat. 13.7. and of the whore &s;itting vp|on the waters; that is, peo|ple, multitudes, nations, and tongues, Reuel. 17.15. wor|&s;hipping that bea&s;t: who&s;e
<PB N="13" REF="13"> names are not written in the booke of life, of that lambe, which was &s;laine from the beginning of the world, Reuel. 13.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>If this were &s;o, men of wi&s;edome and lear|ning on that &s;ide would &s;ee it, without all doubt.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I may &s;ay with the Prophet:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Why it is, that Idola|ters cannot &s;ee their ve|ry damnable and gro&s;&s;e Idolatrie.</NOTE> Stay and won|der; the Lord hath couered them with a &s;pirit of &s;lum|ber, and &s;hut vp their eyes: the Prophets and the chiefe Seers hath he couered, the vi&s;ion of them al is become as the words of a book that is &s;ealed vp,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 29.9.</NOTE> which cannot bee read, E&s;a. 29.9.10.11. They know not, they vn|der&s;tand not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 29.4.</NOTE> becau&s;e hee hath &s;hut their eyes that
<PB N="14" REF="14"> they cannot &s;ee, and their hearts that they cannot vn|der&s;tand nor con&s;ider, E&s;a. 44.18. and for that Satan worketh with all deceiue|ablene&s;&s;e of vnrighteou&s;nes in the~ that peri&s;h, that they might be damned,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Many &s;ee and know the truth, which yet they will not imbrace; but with Scribes and Phari&s;ies wilfully re|&s;i&s;t it.</NOTE> who be|leeue not the truth, but take plea&s;ure in vnrighteou&s;nes, 2. The&s;&s;al. 2.10.12. Yea, they &s;eeing, will indeed not &s;ee; and hearing, will not vnder&s;tand, becau&s;e their hearts are hardened.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Tho&s;e of that Religion hope to aduance a|gaine that &s;upreme head (as they call him), and &s;ome with vs feare that he wil preuaile, and get dominion ouer vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare it not, their hope is vaine; he is that man
<PB N="15" REF="14"> of &s;inne now in a con&s;ump|tion.<NOTE PLACE="marg">That Anti|chri&s;t of Rome &s;hall no more preuaile to rule ouer vs.</NOTE> 2. The&s;&s;al. 2. his fall is certainly determined. Reu. 14.8. and 18.2. The Angell hath &s;worne by him that li|ueth for euer &amp; euer. There &s;hall be now no more time for him to encrea&s;e his &s;trength, and to ri&s;e vp a|gaine. The little booke is eaten, the witne&s;&s;es haue prophecied, Reuel. 10.5.6.10.11. and 11.3. The &s;e|uenth Angell hath &s;ounded his trumpet, &amp; &s;o the king|domes become the Lords, by little and little, Reue. 11.15. The viols haue al&s;o a good &s;pace &s;ince, begun to bee poured out, which are the la&s;t plagues of Gods wrath. The Angels that poure them out, come out
<PB N="16" REF="15"> of the Temple, &amp; &s;o are for y^e Church, &amp; again&s;t the ene|mies thereof, who&s;e power now they feele, &amp; &s;hal &s;o do now for euer, Reu. 15. &amp; 16. The Lord hath giuen them blood to drink, for they are worthy, Reu. 16.6. Of the ten horns, &s;ome haue begun to hate that whore: &amp; in the time appointed, they &s;hall make her de&s;olate &amp; naked, &amp; &s;hall eat her fle&s;h, &amp; burn her with fire, Reu. 17.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But in the meane &s;pace they murther many of Gods Saints.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints &s;ufferings comfor|table.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Great is yet the Saints comforts: for who|&s;oeuer will loo&s;e his life for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, &s;hall &s;aue it, Luk. 9.24. Mat. 10.39. and 16.15. Mar. 8.35. yea ble&s;|&s;ed
<PB N="17" REF="15"> are &s;uch, for they die in the Lord, and their workes follow them, Reuel. 14.13.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 16.18. Mat. 24.</NOTE></P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e bee good comforts; yet I reade, that before the great ouerthrow of this romi&s;h &s;tate, &amp; before Chri&s;ts co~ming, there &s;hall be terrible daies; in which mens hearts &s;hal faile them with feare, which may make vs greatly to bee di&s;mayed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Oh,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The flocke of Chri&s;t haue no cau&s;e to feare.</NOTE> yet feare not little flocke (&s;aith our Saui|our) it is your Fathers plea|&s;ure to giue you a king|dome, Luk. 12.32. In pati|ence po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e your &s;oules; for there &s;hall not an haire of your head peri&s;h, Luk. 21.18. Looke vp therefore and lift vp your heads: for euen when the&s;e things be|gin
<PB N="18" REF="16"> to come to pa&s;&s;e, the day of your redemption draweth neare, Luk. 21.28.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Many thinke it an idle thing, to contend and &s;triue about Religion, and to bee &s;o zealous for good things, as &s;ome hote &s;pirits be.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">It is meete to be zea|lous for Re|ligion.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Striue to enter in at the &s;trait gate, for many will &s;eeke to enter, and &s;hal not bee able, Luk. 13.24. I follow hard, or pre&s;&s;e to|wards the marke (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) Philip. 3.14. who exhorteth to bee feruent in &s;pirit, &s;eruing the Lord, Rom. 12.11. And Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us gaue him&s;elfe for vs, that hee might redeeme vs from all iniquity, and purge vs, to bee a peculiar people
<PB N="19" REF="16"> to him&s;elf, zealous of good workes: and Saint <HI>Iude</HI> doth exhort vs al&s;o to contend earne&s;tly for the faith, which was once deliuered vnto the Saints, ver&s;. 3.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>There is for all this, &s;mall profit in keeping Gods Commandements.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In keeping of them there is great reward,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Religion wants not a reward. Prou. 2.10-12.16.20. and 3.2.4.22.23.24. and 4.22.</NOTE> P&s;alm. 19.11. And godlines is great gaine, 1. Tim. 6.6. It is profitable to all things, which hath the promi&s;e of this life, &amp; the life to come, 1. Tim. 4.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue had now and then a mind, to haue be|come &aacute; diligent reader of the Scriptures, but that againe I thought thus: What profit is there in it?</HI></P>
<PB N="20" REF="17">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">It is good to &s;tudie the Scriptures.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The whole Scrip|ture is giuen by in&s;piration of God, and is profitable to teach, to conuince, to cor|rect, and to in&s;truct in righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, 2. Tim. 3.16. It conuerteth the &s;oule, ma|keth wi&s;e the &s;imple, reioy|ceth the heart, enlighteneth the eyes, P&s;al. 19.7.8. It is a lanterne vnto our feete, a light vnto our pathes, P&s;al. 119.105. Making ab&s;olute and perfect the man of God vnto all good workes, 2. Tim. 3.17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e meere Bi|ble-Clerkes, that haue no|thing but Scripture, &amp; &s;uch as addict them&s;elues there|unto, making it their chiefest &s;tudie, are held men vnlear|ned, of weake apprehen&s;ions,
<PB N="21" REF="17"> without vnder&s;tanding and iudgement.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Dauid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 19.7. &amp; 119.130. Prou. 1.4. The word of God ma|keth men wi&s;e.</NOTE> the King of I&s;rael, a man of warre, va|liant, and wi&s;e, &s;aith: Oh how I loue thy Law! it is my meditation all the day, P&s;a. 119.97. through which hee did get vnder&s;tanding, ver&s;. 104. and became wi&s;er then his enemies; and got thereby more vnder&s;tan|ding then his teachers, and the ancient, ver&s;. 98.99.110. a good vnder&s;tanding haue they, that do thereafter, P&s;a. 111.10. It is the wi&s;edome and vnder&s;tanding of Gods people; and for their know|ledge &amp; obedience to this, they are accounted an vn|der&s;tanding and wi&s;e nati|on, Deut. 4.6.</P>
<PB N="22" REF="18">
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the &s;tudie of this maketh men to erre, to become Schi&s;matickes, and Heretickes, and vnquiet per|&s;ons in the State.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignorance of the Scrip|ture cau&s;eth errour.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is a &s;ure word, to which while wee attend, wee doe well, 2. Pet. 1.19. and men erre, not knowing the Scriptures, Mat. 22.29. P&s;al. 95.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Many yet that reade the Scriptures, doe run into by-paths.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Who they be, that run into by-paths, and why.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The vnlearned, and vn&s;table, doe wre&s;t the Scriptures to their own de|&s;truction, 2. Pet. 3.16. be|cau&s;e to &s;ome it is giuen to know y^e &s;ecrets of the king|dome of heauen, and not to other &s;ome, Mat. 13.11. to whom God giueth not eyes
<PB N="23" REF="18"> to &s;ee, nor hearts to per|ceiue, Deut. 29.4. for he re|&s;i&s;teth the proud, and gi|ueth grace vnto the hum|ble. 1. Pet. 5.5.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>If religion were &s;o good, &s;o comfortable a thing as men &s;ay: then many that haue &s;eemed most for|ward, and zealous, would not for&s;ake their &s;uch godli|ne&s;&s;e, zeale, and &s;incerity, for earthly plea&s;ures, which they once condemned; for profits, which they once neglected, and for honours, which &s;ee|med to bee greatly de&s;pi&s;ed, and which they formerly haue inueighed against. This is to mee a great &s;tumbling blocke, and maketh me veri|ly to thinke, that men, which &s;peake &s;o much of the com|forts,
<PB N="24" REF="19"> and ioy in Religion, doe but counterfeit, and talke of more then either they feele, or Religion indeed can af|foord them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly feele com|fort in Re|ligion.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The kingdome of God is righteou&s;nes, peace, and ioy in the holy Gho&s;t, Rom. 14.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.72.103.127. and 19.9.</NOTE> <HI>Dauid</HI> felt Gods word &s;weeter then honey, and the honey combe; and &s;aith, they are more to bee de&s;ired then gold, yea then much fine gold, P&s;al. 19.10. Hee reioyced in the way of Gods te&s;timonies, as much as in all riches, P&s;alm. 119.14. and &s;uch ioy and com|fort found he in the exerci|&s;es of Religion, that hee wi|&s;hed to dwell in the hou&s;e of the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84.1.2.3.4.10. and 122.1.</NOTE> all the daies of his life, P&s;al. 27.4. Now hee
<PB N="25" REF="19"> being a man after Gods owne heart, did not coun|terfeit; and therefore Reli|gion giueth &s;ingular com|fort to the truly godly. As for the back&s;liding of &s;ome from their godline&s;&s;e, zeale, and &s;incerity;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Religion it &s;elfe not to be the wor&s;e e&s;teemed of, becau&s;e men fall from it.</NOTE> it ought not to make vs to bee offended with Religion it &s;elfe, to thinke it affoordes no com|fort: for there be that heare and receiue the word with ioy, &amp; yet for want of root, endure but a &s;ea&s;on, Matth. 13.20.21. <HI>Demas</HI> for profit for&s;ooke his profe&s;&s;ion, 2. Tim. 4.10. and zealous <HI>Ie|hu,</HI> for honour, left the true &s;eruice of God, and wor|&s;hipped Idols, 2. King. 10.31. <HI>Salomon</HI> the wi&s;e, that loued the Lord in the be|ginning,
<PB N="26" REF="20"> 1. King. 3.3. after|wards through fle&s;hly plea|&s;ures, had his heart in his old age turned to vanity, 1. King. 11.4.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e &s;orts of men, thus declining from goodne&s;&s;e, do often pro&s;per in this world: they get prefer|ment in the Church, and in the Common-wealth:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 12.43 Luk. 11.24.46.</NOTE> <HI>and are not the least aduer&s;aries to that their own former &s;hew of goodne&s;&s;e; and therefore it may &s;eeme, that God is not of|ffended with them, neither is it any great matter, whether we be religious or prophane &s;o be it, that we walke wi&s;ely after the world.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 15.6.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It had been bet|ter for the&s;e per&s;ons, not to haue knowne the way of
<PB N="27" REF="20"> righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Back&s;liders are in a mo&s;t fearfull con|dition.</NOTE> then after they haue knowne it, to turne from the holy com|mandement deliuered vnto them. For it is happened vnto them, according to the true prouerbe: The dog is turned to his owne vomit againe, and the &s;ow that was wa&s;hed, to her wallow|ing in the mire, 2. Pet. 2.21.22. How&s;oeuer they enioy the world, as <HI>Iehu</HI> did, yet God taketh no plea&s;ure in them, Hebr. 10.38. and vn|le&s;&s;e they doe repent with <HI>Peter,</HI> and returne, confu&s;i|on &s;hall light vpon them, Ier. 17.13. P&s;alm. 125.5. for the righteous &s;hall not liue for his former righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, in the day of his tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion, Ezech. 33.12. If
<PB N="28" REF="21"> he be turned away from his righteou&s;nes, &amp; doth com|mit iniquitie, according to the abominations that the wicked man doth, his righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e that hee hath done, &s;hall not bee mentio|ned; but in his tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|on that he hath committed, and in his &s;inne that he hath &s;inned, in them &s;hall he die, hee &s;hall die euen for the &s;ame, hee &s;hall euen die for his iniquitie that hee hath done, Ezech. 18.24.26.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Seeing this is &s;o, that a man may enter into the profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, and afterwards &s;lide backe, and bee plagued of God for the &s;ame, it maketh me fearefull to begin to enter into that &s;trait way, le&s;t being wearie
<PB N="29" REF="21"> of well doing, I fall away, and my la&s;t &s;tate bee wor&s;e then the fir&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 11.26.</NOTE> <HI>as Chri&s;t him&s;elfe tels vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The foundation of God remaineth &s;ure,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The elect cannot vt|terly peri&s;h.</NOTE> and hath his &s;eale, the Lord knoweth who are his, 2. Tim. 2.19. they heare his voice, and follow him, Ioh. 10.27. for all that the Fa|ther giueth him, &s;hall come to him: and him that com|meth, will he in no wife ca&s;t out: becau&s;e he came down from heauen, not to doe his owne will, but the will of him that &s;ent him: and this is the Fathers will that &s;ent him; that of all which hee hath giuen him, hee &s;hould lo&s;e nothing, Ioh. 6.37.38.39. for he giueth to them e|ternall
<PB N="30" REF="22"> life, and they &s;hall not peri&s;h, neither &s;hall any pluck the~ out of his hands; his father which gaue them to him, is greater then all, and no man is able to pluck them out of his Fathers hands. Ioh. 10.28.29. Ther|fore feare not to come to him; for if thou bee the Lords, thou &s;halt al&s;o euer remaine with him.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of religious Per&s;ons.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>GOd maketh no more reckoning of tho&s;e per&s;ons that are cal|led religious, then hee doth of others, for any thing I know.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If heerein the Lord him&s;elfe by his word
<PB N="31" REF="22"> may be beleeued:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The religi|ous are in high e&s;teem with God. P&s;al. 73.1. &amp; 119.165. Prou. 12.2. and 13.22. and 3.33. and 15.9. Eccle&s;. 2.26. and 9.12. E&s;a. 3.10. P&s;al. 84.4.5.11. and 85.8. and 91.1-16. and 92.12.13.14. P&s;al. 34.9. with 91.10. E&s;a. 65.13.14</NOTE> then ve|rily the Lord doth mo&s;t highly e&s;teeme of them, &amp; mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed are they. Ble&s;|&s;ed is the natio~, who&s;e God is the Lord, and the people whom hee hath cho&s;en for his owne inheritance, P&s;al. 33.12. his eyes are vpon them, ver&s;. 18. with mercy he compa&s;&s;eth them, P&s;alm. 32.10. the Angell of the Lord campeth about them, P&s;alm. 34.7. to them there is no want, ver&s;. 9. of that which is good, ver&s;. 10. his eyes are vpon them; his eares are open to their cry, ver&s;. 15. and deliuereth the~ out of all their troubles, ver. 17. P&s;al. 22.24. from death, from famine, P&s;alm. 33.19. he vpholdeth them, P&s;alm.
<PB N="32" REF="23"> 37.17. and pre&s;erueth them for euer, ver&s;. 28. for hee delighteth in them to doe them good, Ier. 32.41. Pro. 11.20. and hee that touch|eth them mu&s;t know, that hee toucheth the apple of Gods eye, Zach. 2.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>If the Lord &s;o delighted in them, and loued them, &s;urely the world would not &s;o hate them, as it doth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The world hateth the godly, and why.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yes, becau&s;e the Lord loueth them, and hath cho&s;en them out of the world; therefore the world hateth them, Ioh. 15.19. Chri&s;t our Sauiour, is the e|uer beloued of God; yet the world hated him, ver&s;. 18. Ioh. 7.7. &s;o doth it al Chri&s;ts true Di&s;ciples, for that hee
<PB N="33" REF="23"> hath giuen them his word, and becau&s;e they are not of the world, Ioh. 17.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They bee of the meanest &s;ort of people, for the mo&s;t part, that either are, or el&s;e do carrie the &s;hew of hearty affection to Religi|on, which in rea&s;on, me think, &s;hould not be Gods choyce.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The meaner &s;ort haue of|ten greater mea&s;ure of grace in this world, then the great ones, Luk. 10.21.</NOTE> I thank thee (&s;aith our Sauiour) O Father, Lord of heauen and earth, be|cau&s;e thou ha&s;t hid the&s;e things from the wi&s;e and prudent, and ha&s;t reuealed them vnto babes; euen &s;o Father, for &s;o it &s;eemed good in thy &s;ight, Mat. 11.25. God calleth not many (though &s;ome) noble, migh|ty, and wi&s;e men after the fle&s;h; but hee chu&s;eth the
<PB N="34" REF="24"> fooli&s;h things of the world, to confound the wi&s;e; the weake things to confound the mighty; &amp; ba&s;e things, and things that are de&s;pi&s;ed hath God cho&s;en; yea and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no fle&s;h &s;hould glory in his pre&s;ence, 1. Corinth. 1.26-29.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They are de&s;pi|&s;ed, as of no value with men.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">What the godly bee with God.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But with God they are a cho&s;en generati|on, a peculiar people, 1. Pet. 2.9. and his chiefe trea&s;ury, Exod. 19.5. P&s;alm. 135.4. And take heed &s;aith our Sa|uiour, that yee de&s;pi&s;e not one of the&s;e little ones: for I &s;ay vnto you, that in hea|uen their Angels doe al|waies
<PB N="35" REF="24"> behold the face of my Father, which is in heauen, Mat. 18.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They bee all ac|counted as ba&s;e and vile, and are not of men beloued.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But they be pre|tious in Gods &s;ight, honou|rable and beloued, who wil giue men for them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14.21.</NOTE> &amp; peo|ple for their life, E&s;a. 43.4.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>None delight in their companie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But the Lord de|lighteth in them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God deligh|teth in them.</NOTE> Prou. 11.20. and a <HI>Dauid,</HI> a man af|ter the Lords heart, hath his eyes vpon the faithfull:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 6.22.23</NOTE> hee delighteth in the Saints that are in the earth, and in them that excell in vertue, P&s;alm. 16.3.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The be&s;t &s;ort a|uoideth
<PB N="36" REF="25"> their companie, and cannot endure them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God will dwell with the godly. E&s;a. 57.15.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But God the Fa|ther, and Chri&s;t his &s;onne, will come vnto them, and make their abode with the~, Ioh. 14.23. and a <HI>Dauid</HI> wil haue &s;uch to dwell with him, P&s;al. 101.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e men are not &s;o well e&s;teemed of, as ma|ny others be, which are not of their &s;tampe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But (&s;aith <HI>Salo|mon</HI>) the righteous is more excellent then his neigh|bour, Prou. 12.26.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They be hated of not a few.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They that hate the righteous, &s;hall be de&s;o|late. P&s;al. 34.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They bee moc|ked,
<PB N="37" REF="25"> derided, and laughed to &s;corne.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> So was <HI>Dauid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 44.13.14</NOTE> P&s;a. 22.7. other godly men, P&s;alm. 123.3.4. and Ie&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, as that P&s;alme &s;heweth; and the E|uangeli&s;t, in Matth. 27.39. the &s;eruants may not looke to be better then their Ma|&s;ter.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I think they car|rie a hell in their hearts, they are neuer merrie like other men.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Salomon</HI> &s;aith the contrary,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly are of a mer|rie and glad heart. P&s;al. 118.15.</NOTE> that God giueth to a man, that is good in his &s;ight, wi&s;dome, and know|ledge, and ioy, Eccle&s;. 2.26. and againe hee &s;aith, the righteous &s;ing and reioyce, Prou. 29.6. but in the Lord,
<PB N="38" REF="26"> Phil. 4.4. P&s;alm. 64.10. and in goodne&s;&s;e, 2. Chro. 6.41. and this their ioy &s;hall not bee taken from them, Ioh. 16.22. folly is ioy to him that is de&s;titute of vnder|&s;tanding, Prou. 15.21. but the godly cannot (as the foole doth) make a &s;port of &s;inne, Prou. 10.23. and 14.9. and reioyce in doing euill, as the wicked do, Pro. 2.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I cannot perceiue for all this, that they thinke they may be merrie.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">They may be merrie.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They are exhor|ted to bee merrie, and to re|ioyce, P&s;al. 33.1. and hearti|ly, P&s;al. 95.1. and continu|ally, Phil. 4.4.1. The&s;&s;. 5.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, but I meane in honest mirth, in things
<PB N="39" REF="26"> indifferent.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yes verily,<NOTE PLACE="marg">They may v&s;e hone&s;t recreations.</NOTE> they know that zealous <HI>Dauid</HI> might play on a harpe, and &s;ing as he did, 1. Chron. 13.8. Holy <HI>Iob</HI> might take plea&s;ure in his harp and or|gan, cap. 30.31. and that the people of God may make good cheare, eate, &amp; drink, and bee merrie, Nehem. 8.1. King. 4.20. But heerein they reioyce, as if they did not reioyce, as the Apo&s;tle exhorteth them, 1. Cor. 7.30.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>If this bee &s;o, I could almo&s;t be one of the&s;e, but that the wicked are &s;o o|uer them, and will &s;o bee, I thinke for euer, though they &s;uppo&s;e the contrary.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The pro&s;perity
<PB N="40" REF="27"> of the wicked is but &s;lippe|rie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wicked &s;hall not e|uer rule o|uer the- godly. Pro. 14.19.</NOTE> P&s;al. 73.18.19. who one day &s;hall burne as an ouen, and be as &s;tubble, and haue neither roote nor branch; when vnto them that feare the Lord, the &s;onne of righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall ari&s;e, who &s;hall tread downe the wic|ked, euen as a&s;hes, vnder the &s;oales of their feet, Mal. 4.1.2.3. yea the Saints &s;hall iudge the world, 1. Cor. 6. and others &s;hall be made to come and wor&s;hip before their feet, Reuel. 3.9. So as then &s;hall men ea&s;ily di&s;|cerne betweene the righte|ous and the wicked; be|tweene them that fear God, and them that feare him not, Mal. 3.18.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="41" REF="27">
<HEAD>Of Gods Church.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>GOds people and Church heere is to&s;&s;ed too and fro, as if God did altogether neglect vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We are here but pilgrims and &s;trangers, 1. Pet. 2.12. and not of the world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Church is not neg|lected of the Lord.</NOTE> Ioh. 15. yet God hath an eye vnto vs, 1. Pet. 3.12. hee counteth all our wandrings, P&s;alm. 56.8. he followeth vs, whither &s;oe|uer wee goe, Io&s;h. 1.9. and cau&s;eth his Angels to take charge of vs, P&s;al. 91.11. and 34.7. who alwaies attend before God for our &s;afety, Matth. 18.10. Hebr. 1.14.</P>
<PB N="42" REF="28">
<P>Ob. <HI>Yet I am not a little troubled, to &s;ee the godly on the one hand &s;o brought vn|der, vexed, and per&s;ecuted; and the proud aduer&s;aries on the other hand &s;o lifted vp, liuing at ea&s;e, in all outward peace, and worldly content|ments.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">No cau&s;e is there, to grieue at the pro&s;perity of the wic|ked.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fret not thy &s;elfe becau&s;e of the pro&s;perity of the wicked neither enuie at them, Prou. 23.17. and 24. 1. P&s;al. 37.1. for they &s;hall &s;oone bee cut downe like gra&s;&s;e, and wither as the greene herbe, P&s;al. 37.2. yet a little while and the wic|ked &s;hall not bee: yea thou &s;halt diligently con&s;ider his place, and it &s;hall not be, ver&s;. 10. their armes &s;hall be broken, ver&s;. 17. they &s;hall
<PB N="43" REF="28"> peri&s;h and become as the fat of lambs, they &s;hall con|&s;ume, into &s;moake they &s;hal con&s;ume away, ver&s;. 20. The righteous &s;hall reioice when hee &s;eeth the ven|geance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 37.35.36.</NOTE> hee &s;hall wa&s;h his feete in the blood of the wicked: &s;o that a man &s;hall &s;ay; verily there is reward for the righteous; verily, he is a God, that iudgeth in the earth, P&s;al. 58.10.11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 37.12.32.</NOTE> <HI>but in the meane &s;ea&s;on they plot a|gain&s;t the iu&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord &s;hall laugh at them; for he &s;eeth that their day is comming, P&s;al. 37.13.</P>
<P>Obiect.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 37.14.</NOTE> <HI>But they watch the righteous and &s;eeke to &s;lay him: they haue drawne
<PB N="44" REF="29"> out the &s;word to &s;lay &s;uch as be of an vpright conuer&s;ati|on.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare them not, the &s;word &s;hall enter into their owne heart, P&s;al. 37.15.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But they haue gotten him into their hands, and condemned him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will not leaue him in their hands, nor condemne him when he is iudged, P&s;al. 37.33.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh, the enemie rageth, and &s;eeketh to ouer|flow vs as a flood: what is to be done?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Stand &s;till, feare not, behold the &s;aluation of the Lord, Exod. 14.2. Chro. 20. for &s;afety is of him, Pro.
<PB N="45" REF="29"> 21.31. who &s;itteth vpon the flouds, and is King for euer, P&s;al. 29.10. and 96.10. to deliuer his Saints out of the hands of the wicked, P&s;alm. 97.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>We are in pre&s;ent danger.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God is our re|fuge and &s;trength, a very pre&s;ent helpe in trouble. P&s;al. 46.1.5.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>We want &s;trength.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will giue &s;trength vnto his peo|ple, P&s;al. 29.11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Our enemies are vnreconcileable, &s;o as they will mo&s;t cruelly torture and torment vs, if they get vs in|to their hands.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If our waies plea&s;e the Lord, hee will
<PB N="46" REF="30"> make our enemies be at peace with vs, Prou. 16.7. and will &s;hew mercies vnto vs, y^t they may haue mercy vpon vs, Ier. 42.12. &amp; 15.11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, but we haue by our &s;innes &s;o prouoked him vnto wrath, that wee may iu&s;tly feare he will indeed vt|terly ca&s;t vs off.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God will not vtterly ca&s;t his off. Lam. 3.31.32. Ier. 51.5. 1. Sam. 12.22.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will not ca&s;t off his people, nei|ther will he for&s;ake his in|heritance, P&s;alm. 94.14. If wee repent, hee will, al&s;o re|pent of the euill, which hee hath thought again&s;t vs, Ie|rem. 18.8. for he retaineth not his anger for euer, Mic. 7.18. it endureth but a mo|ment, P&s;alm. 30.5. becau&s;e he delighteth in mercy, Mich. 7.18.</P>
<PB N="47" REF="30">
<P>Obiect. <HI>I wonder at this, that the Lord letteth many of them, that mo&s;t &s;incerely &s;erue him, to bee per&s;ecuted, &amp; murthered of the enemies.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Maruell not;<NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly mu&s;t &s;uffer, and why.</NOTE> for it is giuen to them in the behalfe of Chri&s;t, not onely to beleeue on him, but al&s;o to &s;uffer for his &s;ake, Phil. 1.29. who&s;e death is pretious in Gods &s;ight, P&s;al. 116.15. who&s;e &s;uffering is al&s;o vnto them an euident token of &s;aluation; but vnto their e|nemies, a manife&s;t token of damnation, Phil. 1.28. for, it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribu|lation to them that trouble the godly; but to the&s;e, re&s;t with God, when the Lord Ie&s;us &s;hall be reuealed from<PB N="48" REF="31"> heauen, 2. The&s;&s;al. 1.6.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The Lords wrath hath been long vpon his peo|ple, euen to con&s;ume them, and cruell tyrants haue ex|erci&s;ed their malice vpon them, no &s;mall &s;pace of time.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Why the wicked are &s;uffered to tyrannize ouer the godly.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will not leaue his altogether vnpu|ni&s;hed; yet will he correct in mea&s;ure, and not make a full end of them, Ier. 30.11. for it hath plea&s;ed him to make them his people. 1. Sam. 12.22. onely hee tur|neth his hand vpon them, to purge purely away their dro&s;&s;e, and to take away all their tinne: afterwards they &s;hall bee accounted a righ|teous and faithfull people, E&s;a. 1.25.26. for the tyran|nie of the enemies know,
<PB N="49" REF="31"> that they be but the rod of the Lords anger, their po|wer, his &s;taffe of indignati|tion, E&s;a. 10.5. the axe which he heweth with, ver. 15. to accompli&s;h what he him&s;elfe hath determined vpon his people, and the ve|ry time is &s;et downe, Ier. 29.10. Gen. 15.13. which be|ing expired, he will certain|ly &s;et his people at liberty, Gen. 15.14.16. Ier. 29.10.11. E&s;a. 10.25.27. and de|&s;troy the aduer&s;aries, Gen. 15.14. E&s;a. 10.12.16.17.18.25.26. and 14.25. Ier. 30.16. and 50.18. and 51.24. therefore (&s;aith he) reioyce O ye nations with his peo|ple: for he will auenge the blood of his &s;eruants, and will render vengeance to
<PB N="50" REF="32"> his aduer&s;aries, and will bee mercifull vnto his people, Deut. 32.43.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But they may be perhaps forgotten, and &s;o bee as a for&s;aken people.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God neuer doth forget his.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Can a woman forget her &s;ucking child, that &s;hee &s;hould not haue compa&s;&s;ion of the &s;onne of her wombe? Yea, they may forget; yet will not I forget thee (&s;aith the Lord): be|hold I haue grauen thee vp|on the palmes of my hands, E&s;a. 49.15.16. I haue for a moment for&s;aken thee: but with great mercy will I ga|ther thee: In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment: but with euer|la&s;ting kindne&s;&s;e will I haue
<PB N="51" REF="32"> mercy on thee, &amp; my kind|ne&s;&s;e &s;hall not depart from thee, neither &s;hall my coue|nant of peace bee remoued, &s;aith the Lord thy Redee|mer, that hath mercy on thee, E&s;a. 54.7-10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The Pope, and his power, make great prepa|ration again&s;t vs, of the re|formed religion, to root vs out, and to de&s;troy vtterly our names from vnder hea|uen.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 8.9.-13. &amp; 41.10.-16.</NOTE> let vs not bee faint hearted, for the&s;e &s;moaking firebrands, their coun&s;ell is wicked, &amp; it &s;hall not &s;tand, neither &s;hall it come to pa&s;&s;e. E&s;ay 7.4.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e our ene|mies haue their Diuiners,
<PB N="52" REF="33"> and their Wi&s;e men, they giue credit to their Machiauilian Ie&s;uites, and their coniuring Prie&s;ts, mocking at the Prea|chers of Gods word among vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord doth fru&s;trate the tokens of the liars, and maketh the diui|ners mad, and turneth wi&s;e men backward, and maketh their knowledge fooli&s;h; but confirmeth the words of his &s;eruants, and perfor|meth the words of his Me&s;|&s;engers, E&s;a. 44.25.26.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The Church is robbed of the&s;e &s;eruants and me&s;&s;engers, the true Pa&s;tors, by Antichri&s;t; the vi&s;ion thus failing, the people pe|ri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Returne (&s;aith
<PB N="53" REF="33"> the Lord) for I am merciful, I will not keepe anger for euer, but if you &s;o do, I will giue you Pa&s;tors according to my hart,<NOTE PLACE="marg">People that &s;eeke to plea&s;e God, &s;hall haue faithfull Pa|&s;tours.</NOTE> which &s;hall feed you with knowledge and vnder&s;tanding, ver&s;. 15. &s;o will I &s;aue my flocke, and they &s;hall no more bee a prey, Ier. 3.12.15. Ezech. 34.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The &s;hepheards feede them&s;elues,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 34.4.</NOTE> <HI>&amp; not their flockes, they eate the fat, and cloathe them&s;elues with the wooll, but &s;uffer the Lords flocke to be &s;cattered, and to become a prey vnto the bea&s;ts of the field. Few care to &s;trengthen the di&s;ea&s;ed, to heale the &s;ick to bind vp that which is broken, to bring backe that which was driuen
<PB N="54" REF="34"> away, and to &s;eeke vp that which is lo&s;t, but with force and cruelty to rule them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ill Shep|heards &s;hall not alwayes fleece the flocke. Ier. 23.1.2.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Behold, (&s;aith the Lord) I am again&s;t the&s;e Shepheards, and wil require my flocke at their hand, and cau&s;e them to cea&s;e for fee|ding the flock, neither &s;hall the&s;e Shepheards feed the~|&s;elues any more.<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 40.11.</NOTE> I will de|liuer my flocke from their mouth, that they may not be meate for them. I will my &s;elfe feede them in a good pa&s;ture, they &s;hall lye in a good fold, and in a fat pa&s;ture &s;hall they feed. I wil &s;eeke that which was lo&s;t, and bring again that which was driuen away. I will binde vp that which was broken: and wil &s;trengthen
<PB N="55" REF="34"> that which was &s;icke.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 23.4.5.</NOTE> And I will &s;et one &s;hepheard ouer them, that &s;hall feed them; and he &s;hall be their Shep|heard. I the Lord will bee their God, and my &s;eruant a Prince among them: I the Lord haue &s;poken it. Yea I will cau&s;e the euill bea&s;ts to cea&s;e, and wil breake the bands of their yoake, and deliuer them out of the hands of tho&s;e, that &s;erue them&s;elues of them. Ezec. 34.10.14.16.23.24.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="56" REF="35">
<HEAD>Of a godly mans ten|tations, and of one called vnto the &s;tate of grace.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>WHen I was bapti&s;ed, I made a &s;traight couenant then to become a true and faithfull &s;eruant to Chri&s;t; but yet, alas, I did &s;inne and offend my God, through my wretched nature, contrary to my promi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The be&s;t are offenders.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is not a iu&s;t man vpon earth, that doth good and &s;inneth not. Eccle&s;. 7.20. Who can &s;ay, I haue made my hart clean, and am pure from my &s;in? Prou. 20.9. If wee &s;ay wee
<PB N="57" REF="35"> haue no &s;inne, wee deceiue our &s;elues, and the truth is not in vs, 1. Iohn 1.8. For there is no man that &s;inneth not, 2. Chron. 6.36. What is man that hee &s;hould bee cleane, and he that is borne of a woman, that he &s;hould be righteous? Iob 15.14. In many things wee &s;inne all, Iames 3.2.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh but I am much grieued, that I cannot yet ouer-ma&s;ter wholly my corruptions &s;o, as I would; I daily pray again&s;t them, and yet am not &s;et free.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Grace is &s;uf|ficient.</NOTE> My grace (&s;aith God to Saint <HI>Paul</HI> in the the like ca&s;e) is &s;ufficient for thee, either to preuent thy &s;inning, or to pardon the offence, 2. Cor. 12.9.
<PB N="58" REF="36"> And know for thy comfort, that thus &s;triuing, it is no more thou, but &s;in in thee, Rom. 7.19. From which bo|dy of death, thorow Chri&s;t Ie&s;us thou &s;halt be deliue|red, Rom. 7.24.25.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But be&s;ides my nature prone to ill, I haue &s;ince I entred into a more con&s;cionable profe&s;&s;ion of my Chri&s;tianity, contrary to pro|mi&s;e, and a very bold prote|&s;tation before diuers, that if euer trouble &s;hould come for my religion, I would &s;tand out to the faces of the aduer|&s;aries; and though other &s;hould fal away of a da&s;tard|ly feare, yet I would &s;tand out to the death. Neuerthe|le&s;&s;e, alas, at my fir&s;t exami|nation by ba&s;e per&s;ons; be|fore
<PB N="59" REF="36"> I was brought to any of authority, I, like a cowardly wretch, denied my profe&s;&s;ion; euen my Lord and Sauiour, with &s;wearing and cur&s;ing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly of weakenes &s;ometime fal fearefully in time of ten|tation.</NOTE> This fearefully befell the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter,</HI> e|uery way, and in euery de|gree, as thou &s;peake&s;t of thy &s;elfe, Matth. 26.33.35.70.72.74. Luke 22.33. But hee remembring the words of Ie&s;us, being hear|tily &s;orry, and bitterly wee|ping for his &s;innes, ver&s;. 75. the Lord was reconciled to him, affording him his fa|uour with the re&s;t, to bee &s;till one of his ble&s;&s;ed Apo|&s;tles; by whom hee after|wards wrought mightily in word and deed; neuer men|tioning to him his &s;o feare|ful
<PB N="60" REF="37"> a denyal of him: So albe|it that thou ha&s;t fallen with him, yet if thou doe&s;t al&s;o in &s;ort repent with him, be a&s;&s;ured the Lord will re|ceiue thee to mercy, for hee is one and the &s;ame for e|uer.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, but &s;uch is my exceeding weakene&s;&s;e (the Lord be mercifull vnto mee) that I fall this way and that way, by this and that occa&s;i|on &s;o often, though not wil|fully, yet for want of &s;trength to re&s;i&s;t &amp; bridle my &s;udden pa&s;&s;ions, as I feare vtterly to be ca&s;t off at the length.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Though the godly fall, they &s;hall not be ca&s;t off.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The &s;teps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he &s;hall not bee vtterly ca&s;t
<PB N="61" REF="37"> downe; for the Lord vp holdeth him with his hand, P&s;alm. 37.23.24. &amp; 145.14. For hee that commeth vnto Chri&s;t, in no wi&s;e hee will ca&s;t out; becau&s;e it is his fathers will, that of all which hee hath giuen him, he &s;hould lo&s;e nothing, but &s;hould rai&s;e him vp at the la&s;t day, Ioh, 6.37.39.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, but when I &s;o &s;inne, I infinitely di&s;plea&s;e God, I cannot then, but looke for damnation, though I bee &s;orry from my very &s;oule, when I doe ami&s;&s;e in the very least mea&s;ure, that may bee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods mercy doth preuent damnation.</NOTE> Con&s;ider that the Lord pardoneth iniquitie, &amp; pa&s;&s;eth by tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, in his infinite mercy, and re|taineth not his anger for e|uer,
<PB N="62" REF="38"> becau&s;e hee delighteth in mercy, Mich. 7.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I cannot thinke, though I turne, that hee will turne towards me, and &s;hew me mercy, wil he (think you)?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Surely hee will turne againe, hee will haue compa&s;&s;ion, Mich. 7.19.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But my iniqui|ties haue &s;ubdued mee, and my &s;innes are gone ouer my head.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will &s;ubdue them, and ca&s;t them all in the depths of the &s;ea, Mich. 7.19.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, it may be &s;o, if I had not beene a backe|&s;lider, &s;ince I receiued a loue of the truth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The backe|&s;lider is not made hope|le&s;&s;e of mer|cy, if he re|turne.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Go and proclaime the&s;e words (&s;aith the Lord)
<PB N="63" REF="38"> Returne thou backe&s;liding I&s;rael, and I will not cau&s;e mine anger to fall vpon thee; for I am mercifull (&s;aith the Lord) and will not keepe anger for euer: onely acknowledge thine iniquitie, that thou ha&s;t tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed again&s;t the Lord thy God, Ier. 3.12.13. and I will heale your backe&s;liding, and will loue you freely, for mine anger is turned away, O&s;ea. 14.4.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This and &s;uch like promi&s;es, are made to the po&s;terity and children of the Patriarke</HI> Abraham: <HI>What is this to mee, who am of the Gentiles, and not of the Iewes? except I were one of</HI> Abrahams <HI>children, I can take no co~fort by this promi&s;e
<PB N="64" REF="39"> or any other made to the god|ly among the Iewes.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The promi|&s;es of &s;alua|tion made to Abra|hams po&s;te|rity, belong to vs belee|uing Chri|&s;tians.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> Knowe&s;t thou not, that hee is not a Iew that is one outward; but hee is a Iew that is one within, ha|uing the circumci&s;ion of the heart in the &s;pirit. Rom. 2.28.29. and al&s;o this know, that hee that belee|ueth in Chri&s;t, is the &s;onne of <HI>Abraham,</HI> Luke 19.9. Gal. 3.7.29. And the pro|mi&s;e dooth belong al&s;o to the Gentiles, as many of them, as the Lord our God &s;hall call, Act. 2.39. And in euery Nation, hee that feareth God, and wor|keth righteou&s;nes is accep|ted with him, Act. 10.35. The word of &s;aluation is &s;ent to euery one that fea|reth
<PB N="65" REF="39"> God, Act. 13.26. Euen vnto the Gentiles, Act. 28.28. The righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God, is now by the faith of Chri&s;t vnto all, and vpon all that beleeue, for there is no difference, Rom. 3.22. The partition wall being now broken, Ephe&s;. 2.14. So as tho&s;e, which in times pa&s;t, were not a people, are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy; but now haue ob|tained mercy, 1. Pet. 2.10. Ephe&s;. 2.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am glad to heare this, yet there be &s;o ma|ny crooked by-paths, &amp; &s;uch turnings to the right hand and to the left, as I feare for want of wi&s;edome and know|ledge, and one to in&s;truct me
<PB N="66" REF="40"> in the right way, to bee mi&s;|led.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Lord is the guide of the godly.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God giueth to a man, that is good in his &s;ight, wi&s;edome, and know|ledge, and ioy, Eccle&s;. 2.26. Hee will in&s;truct him and teach him the way hee &s;hall choo&s;e, P&s;alm. 25.12. And in the way that he &s;hal goe, he will guide him with his eye, P&s;al. 32.8. Yea hee &s;hall heare a word behinde him, &s;aying: This is the way, walke thou in it, when he is turning to the right hand, and when hee is turning to the left, E&s;a. 30.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I feele my &s;elfe heauily loaden with the bur|den of my &s;innes, and am full of angui&s;h of heart de&s;iring to be deliuered.</HI></P>
<PB N="67" REF="40">
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Come vnto me (&s;aith Chri&s;t) all ye that labour &amp; are heauy laden,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t can &s;upply all our nece&s;&s;i|ties.</NOTE> and I will giue you re&s;t, Mat. 11.28.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am naked with|out rayment, poore and de&s;ti|tute of the graces of God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t hath a robe of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e for thee, Reuel. 19.8. and hee will make thee rich, Reue. 3.18. and decke thee with orna|ments, Ezech. 16.11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am filthy with &s;inne.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Hee will wa&s;h thee, and &s;pread his skirts ouer thee, and couer thy filthyne&s;&s;e, Ezech. 16.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am blacke, foule, and vncomly.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The foule are made faire in Chri&s;t.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will make thee beautifull, and
<PB N="68" REF="41"> perfect it through his com|lines which he will put vp|on thee, Eze. 16.14. And though thou ha&s;t lien a|mong the pots; yet &s;halt thou bee as the wings of a Doue couered with &s;iluer, and her feathers with yel|low gold, P&s;al. 68.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am of a troubled &s;pirit, ah, deepe are my wounds: the Lord hath &s;laine me, and the arrowes of God &s;ticke in me.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is the cure of the &s;oule.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is the Phy&s;ician of the &s;oule, Mat. 9, 12. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue, Deut. 32.34. Hee healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth vp their wounds, P&s;al. 147.3. Hee maketh &s;oare and bindeth vp, hee woundeth, and his
<PB N="69" REF="41"> hands make whole, Iob. 5.18. Come (&s;aith the Prophet O&s;ea) let vs returne vnto the Lord, for he hath torne and he will heale, hee hath &s;mitten, and hee will binde vs vp, Chap. 6.1. For hee is the father of mercies, and the GOD of comfort, 2. Cor. 1.3.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But it may bee long, ere the Lord thus in mercy looke vpon me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> After two dayes will hee reuiue thee, and in the third day hee will rai&s;e thee vp, and thou &s;halt liue in his &s;ight, O&s;ea 6.2.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I thir&s;t after his mercies, and hunger after righteou&s;nes: Oh I &s;hall not be &s;atisfied.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed are they
<PB N="70" REF="42"> that hunger and thir&s;t after righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, for they &s;hal bee &s;atisfied,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The hungry and thir&s;ty &s;hall be &s;a|tisfied.</NOTE> Matth. 5.6. I will (&s;aith the Lord) poure water vpon him that is thir|&s;ty, and floods vpon the dry ground, E&s;ay 44.2. They &s;hal be abundantly &s;atisfied with the fatne&s;&s;e of Gods hou&s;e (&s;aith the Prophet) and he will make them that tru&s;t in him, drinke of the riuers of his plea&s;ures; for with the Lord is the foun|taine of life, P&s;al. 38.8.9. And of the water of Life, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us giueth to all that will aske of him, Iohn 4.10. And who&s;oeuer drin|keth thereof, &s;hal neuer bee made athir&s;t, but it &s;hall bee in him a well of water &s;pringing vp to eternall life, Ver. 14.</P>
<PB N="71" REF="42">
<P>Obiect. <HI>I cannot pray, but in great weakene&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly haue a help in prayer.</NOTE> Though we know not, what we &s;hould pray for, as we ought; yet the &s;pi|rit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh interce&s;&s;ion for vs, with groanes that can|not be expre&s;&s;ed, Ro. 8.26.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>There is no a&s;&s;u|rance to be heard, though we doe pray.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>The faithfull haue a&s;&s;u|rance to be heard of God.</P>
<P>Prou. 10.24. 1. Iohn 5.14. Matth. 7.7.</P></NOTE> If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye &s;hall aske what you will (&s;aith our Sauiour) and it &s;hall bee done vnto you, Iohn 15.7. &amp; 14.13. What|&s;oeuer ye &s;hall aske the Fa|ther in my name, hee will giue it you, Iohn 16.23. Therefore (&s;aith he againe) what&s;oeuer yee de&s;ire when
<PB N="72" REF="43"> yee pray, beleeue that yee &s;hall receiue, and yee &s;hall haue them, Mark. 11.24.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But my faith is exceeding weake in Prayer.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A weake faith (if true) preuaileth with God. Mark. 11.23.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If yee haue faith, as a graine of mu&s;tard &s;eed, yee &s;hall &s;ay to this moun|taine; remooue hence to yonder place, and it &s;hall remooue; or to this Syca|mine tree, bee thou pluckt vp by the root, and be thou planted in the &s;ea, and it &s;hal obey you; and nothing &s;hall bee impo&s;&s;ible vnto you, Mat. 17.20. Luke 17.6. Therefore pray with the Apo&s;tles, &s;aying, Lord in|crea&s;e our faith, Luke 17.5. And cry, as the childs fa|ther in the Go&s;pell, Lord I beleeue, helpe my vnbelief,
<PB N="73" REF="43"> and the Lord will heare thee, as he did him, Marke 9.24.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Satan &s;ore a&s;|&s;aulteth my faith, I feare it will faile me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But Chri&s;t pray|eth, that this faith faile not, Luke 22.32.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This was Chri&s;ts &s;peech to</HI> Peter, <HI>and the A|po&s;tle; but I doubt whether he will pray for mee al&s;o, as well as for them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I pray not (&s;aith our Sauior) for the&s;e alone, but for them al&s;o that &s;hall beleeue in me through their word, Iohn 17.20.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am very igno|rant, and doe want this hea|uenly wi&s;edome and know|ledge, which I &s;ee and ad|mire
<PB N="74" REF="44"> in many, very &s;illy and &s;imple men to &s;ee too.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Wi&s;dome is of God. Prou. 2.1.-5. Iob 38.36. Eccle&s;. 2.26. Dan. 1.17. &amp; 2.21.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> If any of you lacke wi&s;edome (&s;aith S^t. <HI>Iames</HI>) let him aske of God, that giueth to all men liberally and vpbraideth not, and it &s;hall be giuen him. For the Lord giueth wi&s;edome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnder&s;tan|ding, Pro. 2.6. It is true that there is a &s;pirit in man, but the in&s;piration of the al|mighty giueth them vnder|&s;tanding, Iob 32.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I finde &s;uch cor|ruptions in me, and heereby iudge my &s;elfe &s;o cur&s;ed a creature, as I often dare not bee bold to draw neere into Gods pre&s;ence.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We haue a great
<PB N="75" REF="44"> high Prie&s;t that is pa&s;&s;ed into the heauens,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Through Chri&s;t we may boldly goe to God.</NOTE> Ie&s;us the &s;on of God, who is touched with the feeling of our infir|mities, we may therfore go boldly vnto the throne of grace, Heb. 4.14.15.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am fearfully tempted by Sathan, &s;ome|time to pre&s;ume, &s;ometime to de&s;paire, and &s;ometime to ca&s;t off religion, and to be|come a worldling, now to one thing, now to another, he &s;carce lets me re&s;t. Surely, if I were Gods childe; I &s;hould not bee &s;o tempted of that helli&s;h &s;pirit.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>Sathans dai|ly tempting, a &s;igne of our deliue|rance from him.</P>
<P>Matth. 3.17. Marke 1.11.</P></NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou do&s;t not conclude well, for this is a &s;ure &s;igne, that hee hath not po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of thee: for where the &s;trong man is, all
<PB N="76" REF="45"> is in peace, Luk. 11.21. Al&s;o Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, the euer dear|ly beloued and only Sonne of the Father, was tempted by the diuell, Matth. 4. who, though at Chri&s;ts co~mand he departed from him, Ver. 10.11. Yet did hee then leaue him, but for a little &s;ea&s;on, Luk. 4.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>There is no way to driue him away.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yes, re&s;i&s;t the diuell (&s;aith Saint <HI>Iames</HI>) and hee will flee from you, Chap. 4.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>His power is migh|ty to doe what he will, and go|eth vp and downe, &s;eeking like a roaring Lion whom to deuoure.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> His power is li|mitted, Iob. 1.12. &amp; 2.6. and
<PB N="77" REF="45"> without leaue can hee not enter into an heard of filthy &s;wine, Mat. 8.31.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan can do no more but what God will.</NOTE></P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>There bee many inchanters, witches, practi|&s;ers of &s;orceries, diuiners, and lot-ca&s;ters, to doe vs mi&s;chiefe: the&s;e bee &s;trong and powerfull limbes of the diuell, and doe much hurt, their cur&s;ed doings are not to be auoided.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Witches ca~|not worke their wills vpon the godly.</NOTE> <HI>Haman</HI> and his con&s;orts ca&s;t lots and took coun&s;ell at his wi&s;e-men, to bring a mi&s;chiefe vpo~ good <HI>Mordecay</HI> and the other Iewes, but preuailed not, E&s;ter, 3. &amp; 7.10. <HI>Balac</HI> hi|red the witch <HI>Balaam,</HI> to cur&s;e Gods people, but hee could not doe it, Numb. 23.13. For &s;urely there is no
<PB N="78" REF="46"> inchantment again&s;t <HI>Iacob,</HI> neither is there any diuina|tion again&s;t I&s;rael, Ver&s;. 23.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I finde plaine contraries within mee, moo|ning to good, and moouing to that which is euill, and this continually: for if I decline neuer &s;o little awry to the world, or plea&s;ures, then their commeth &s;om one place of Scripture or other, to my minde, which cau&s;eth my con&s;cience to checke me, and maketh me to feare; and if I bee earne&s;tly deuoted to the be&s;t things, as to the reading of Gods holy word, meditatio~ of heauenly things, Fa&s;ting &amp; Prayer; then il motions a|ri&s;e vp in my hart, &amp; my &s;en|&s;es carry me away, and &s;o in|terrupt this godly cour&s;e, as
<PB N="79" REF="46"> I am much grieued herewith, and know not what to thinke or iudge of this my e&s;tate.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;triuing of fle&s;h and &s;pirit, a note of our happy &s;tate.</NOTE> This is the fle&s;h lu&s;ting again&s;t the &s;pirit, &amp; the &s;pirit again&s;t the fle&s;h, and the&s;e are contrary the one to the other, &s;o that thou can&s;t not do the things that thou woulde&s;t, Gal. 5.17. Al&s;o this remembring of &s;ome Scripture when thou art ami&s;&s;e, to reclaime thee, is a token that the Lord hath put his Law into thy inward parts, and writ|ten it in thy heart, Ier. 31.33. To make thee feare him, that thou maie&s;t not depart from him, Ier. 32.40. As al&s;o that God keep|eth his promi&s;e made, E&s;a. 30.21. To giue thee a word
<PB N="80" REF="47"> of direction, when thou art going wrong; thy &s;tate therefore is mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue (God be ble&s;&s;ed) a competent meanes to liue vpon, and &s;omewhat to &s;pare now and then: yet when the poore craueth any thing of me, I am not &s;o rea|dy to giue, becau&s;e I thinke it but ca&s;t away vpon them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mercy to the poore, is very accep|table vnto God. Pro. 14.21. &amp; 11.17.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Oh no, hee that hath pittie vpon the poore, lendeth vnto the Lord; and that which hee hath giuen, wil he pay him againe, Pro. 19.17. Ble&s;&s;ed is hee that con&s;idereth the poore, the Lord will deliuer him in time of trouble, the Lord wil pre&s;erue him, and keepe him aliue, and hee &s;hall bee ble&s;&s;ed vpon the earth, P&s;al. 41.1.2.</P>
<PB N="81" REF="47">
<P>Obiect. <HI>I doe feare to want my &s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Hee that giueth vnto the poore, &s;hall not lacke, Prou. 28.27.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But a man may be too liberall.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 112.9. 2. Cor. 9.9. Pro. 11.17. &amp; 21.26.</NOTE> Hee that hath a bountifull eye, &s;hal be ble&s;|&s;ed, for hee giueth of his bread to the poore, Pro. 22.9. Giue and it &s;hall bee gi|uen vnto you, euen a good mea&s;ure, and pre&s;&s;ed down, &s;haken together and run|ning ouer, &s;hall men giue into your bo&s;ome, Luke, 6.38. There is that &s;cattereth and yet increa&s;eth; for the liberall &s;oule &s;hall be made fat, and hee that watereth, &s;hall be watered al&s;o him|&s;elfe, Pro. 11.17.24.25.</P>
<PB N="82" REF="48">
<P>Obiect. <HI>The poore are very vnthankefull.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ca&s;t thy bread vpon the waters, for thou &s;halt finde it after many dayes, Eccle&s;. 11.1.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Men doe not prai&s;e nor esteeme of him, that is merciful: he that ga|thereth riches and &s;toreth vp trea&s;ure, though he care not for the poore, hee is made much off.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Oh, giue not thy almes to be prai&s;ed of men, but let it bee in &s;ecret; and thy father that &s;eeth in &s;e|cret, will reward thee o|penly, Matth. 6.2.4. As for &s;uch as &s;pare more than is meete, &s;urely it tendeth to pouerty, Prou. 11.24.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I dwell amongst
<PB N="83" REF="48"> &s;hamele&s;&s;e &s;inners, woe is me,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 3.8.9.</NOTE> <HI>&s;urely their de&s;erued plagues are comming, and I &s;hall not e&s;cape free from the &s;ame.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Surely a woe is vnto them; it &s;hall bee ill with the wicked: But (&s;aith the Lord) &s;ay yee to the righteous,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly &s;hall e&s;cape, when venge|ance com|meth vpon the wicked.</NOTE> it &s;hall bee well with them, for they &s;hall eat the fruit of their doings, E&s;a. 3.10.11. And &s;o care|full is the Lord for the &s;afe|ty of his people, as hee will haue all I&s;rael on the &s;hore, &s;afe, before the wrath re|turne to drown the Egypt|tians, Exod. 14. and <HI>Lot</HI> out of Sodome before he burne it with fire, Gen. 19.2. Pet. 2.5.6.7. and <HI>Noah</HI> in the Arke before the flood came, Gen. 6. &amp; 7. Yea before de|&s;truction,
<PB N="84" REF="49"> he &s;ends his An|gell to marke tho&s;e in the forehead, that &s;igh and cry for all the abominati|ons, giuing a charge to the in&s;truments of his wrath, not to come neere to any of the&s;e, Ezech. 9.4.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>It greeueth mee to be as one alone, among &s;o many mockers of religion, I cannot go to any neighbour that I haue, for &s;pirituall comfort.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly are often left alone.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w. Noah</HI> was with his family alone, in his ge|neration, Gen. 6. <HI>Lot</HI> a|lone in Sodome, who&s;e righteous heart was euery day vexed, with the vn|cleane conuer&s;ation of the people, 2. Pet. 2.7. <HI>Eliah</HI> was, as it were alone in I&s;|rael:
<PB N="85" REF="49"> &s;o as this is no other|wi&s;e with thee, then it was with the&s;e holy and righte|ous per&s;ons. But know, that a godly man is neuer alone, and that more are with him than again&s;t him, 2. King. 6.16. 2. Chron. 32.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I dwell far from the Church, and without a|ny nigh neighbours louing me, but rather hating me for my profe&s;&s;ion: and yet I car|ry my family (all that can vnder&s;tand) with me, leauing my hou&s;e without any de|fence (in a manner), which makes me feare often a mi&s;|chiefe to bee done mee, be|fore I can returne againe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round a|bout them that feare him,
<PB N="86" REF="50"> and deliuereth them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods prote|ction is ouer &s;uch as &s;eeke to &s;erue him. P&s;a. 91.10.11 Zach. 2.5.</NOTE> P&s;alm. 34.7. The Lord maketh an hedge about him, and about his hou&s;e, and about all that he hath on euery &s;ide, Iob. 1.10. Neither &s;hall any (&s;aith the Lord to I&s;rael, and &s;o now to the I&s;rael of God) de&s;ire thy land, when thou &s;halt goe vp to appeare be|fore the Lord thy God, Exod. 34.24.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of trouble for Reli|gion.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am in great heaui|ne&s;&s;e through the ma|nifold tentations, troubles, and vexations that come vp|on me, for my Chri&s;tian pro|fe&s;&s;ion.</HI></P>
<PB N="87" REF="50">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Sure it is, that tri|bulation is not ioyous for the pre&s;ent, but grieuous; neuerthele&s;&s;e afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, vnto them that are exerci&s;ed thereby, Heb. 12.11. Al&s;o con&s;ider, that vnto vs it is giuen for Chri&s;t (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle), that not onely we &s;hould beleeue in him, but al&s;o &s;uffer for his &s;ake, Phi|lippians 1.29. And being partakers of the &s;ufferings,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.17.</NOTE> &s;o &s;hall wee bee al&s;o of the con&s;olations, 2. Cor. 1.7. Knowing that this is but the tryall of our faith, being much more precious than gold that peri&s;heth (though it be tryed with fire), that it might bee found vnto our
<PB N="88" REF="51"> prai&s;e, and honour, and glo|ry, at the appearing of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, 1. Pet. 1.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am loaden a|boue mea&s;ure with reproa|ches: the wicked enemies and vngodly vaine per&s;ons doe hate mee, and &s;peake all manner of euill again&s;t mee, that they can imagine, &s;epe|rating me from their compa|ny, and doe ca&s;t mee out, as a man of an euill name, from a|mong them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly are to re|ioyce greatly in afflictions, for righte|ou&s;nes &s;ake.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> Thus haue the wic|ked done heeretofore vnto the godly, Lu. 6.23. P&s;a. 35.15.16. &amp; 57.4. &amp; 31.18. But (&s;aith our Sauiour) ble&s;&s;ed are you, when men &s;hall hate you, &s;eperating you from ther company, re|uile you, and &s;ay all manner
<PB N="89" REF="51"> of euill again&s;t you fal&s;ely, ca&s;ting out your name (as e|uill) for mee, the Sonne of mans &s;ake: Reioyce yee in that day, be exceeding glad, and leape for ioy; for be|hold, great is your reward in heauen, Matth. 5.11.12. Luke 6.22.23. And be|cau&s;e al&s;o the &s;pirit of glory re&s;teth on you, which on their part is ill &s;poken of, 1. Pet. 4.14. Therfore feare not the reproach of men, neither bee afraide of their reuilings; for the moth &s;hal eat them like a garment, and the worme &s;hall eat them like wooll, E&s;ay 51.7.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh, but in the meane &s;pace I feare, by &s;uch vn&s;ufferable euills, &s;uch de|&s;pitefull
<PB N="90" REF="52"> tauntings, odious re|proches, hatefull &s;landers, &amp; cruell per&s;ecutions, to be &s;ha|ken off from my profe&s;&s;ion, &amp; drawne from my &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e to the wayes of the wicked.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We &s;tand not of our &s;elues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A man &s;tands not con&s;tant in &s;uffering, but by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;ting power, and grace onely.</NOTE> but wee are kept (as Saint <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith) by the power of God vnto &s;alua|tion through faith, 1. Pet. 1.5. Hee worketh all our workes in vs, E&s;ay 26.12. Tru&s;t therefore in the Lord for euer, for in the Lord <HI>Ie|houah</HI> is euerla&s;ting &s;trength Ver&s;. 4. Ca&s;t thy burthen vpon the Lord; hee will beare thee vp, hee will ne|uer &s;uffer the righteous to be moued, P&s;al. 55.22. &amp; 16.8. Al&s;o God is faithfull, who will not &s;uffer vs to be
<PB N="91" REF="52"> tempted aboue that wee are able; but will with the tentation al&s;o make away to e&s;cape, that wee may be able to beare it, 1. Cor. 10.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>My outward man is ready to peri&s;h, and I am in danger of my life euery day, and for the maintenance of the truth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Though our out|ward man peri&s;h;<NOTE PLACE="marg">A good man by &s;uffering gaineth much.</NOTE> yet the inward man is renewed dai|ly; and our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory, 2. Cor, 4.17. So that the &s;ufferings of this pre&s;ent life, are not worthy to bee compared with the glory, that &s;hall be
<PB N="92" REF="53"> reuealed in vs, Rom. 8.18. Therfore faint not to death, knowing what Chri&s;t &s;aith: that who&s;oeuer &s;hall hate his life in this world, and &s;hall lo&s;e it for his &s;ake, &s;hal keepe it vnto eternall life and finde it, Matth. 10.39. &amp; 16.25. Iohn 12.25.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I want &s;trength, and feele my &s;elfe to faint, vnder the burthen of my heauy cro&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God wil giue &s;trength, that we faint not in trouble.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ha&s;t thou not knowen (&s;aith the Prophet) ha&s;t thou not heard, that the euerla&s;ting God, the Lord, the Creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary? he gi|ueth power to them that faint, and to them that haue no might, hee increa&s;eth
<PB N="93" REF="53"> &s;trength, E&s;a. 40.28.29. They that wait vpon the Lord &s;hall renue their &s;trength, they &s;hall mount vp with wings as Eagles, they &s;hall runne and not be weary, they &s;hall walke and not faint, Ver. 31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>My tryalls and troubles are as waters, ready to drowne mee, and as fire to con&s;ume, the flame whereof is almo&s;t kindled vpon me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare not (&s;aith the Lord to his people) when thou pa&s;&s;e&s;t thorow the waters,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God is in our compa|ny in all af|flictions.</NOTE> I will bee with thee; and thorow the riuers they &s;hall not ouerflow thee: when thou walke&s;t thorow the fire, thou &s;halt not bee burnt, neither &s;hall the flame kindle vpon thee, E&s;a. 43.1.2.</P>
<PB N="94" REF="54">
<P>Obiect. <HI>The world is full of &s;educers, and I am of &s;o meane a capacity, of &s;o &s;hal|low a iudgement, and &s;o weak hearted, that (I feare) being &s;et vpon I &s;hall turne a&s;ide, either to the right, or to the left.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">How, and by whom, to e&s;|cape &s;edu|cers.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> To e&s;cape the&s;e, be humble, and God will teach thee the way thou &s;halt choo&s;e, P&s;al. 25. Glo|rifie God according to thy pre&s;ent knowledge, and haue a loue to the truth, and pray, &s;o God will not giue thee ouer to thy &s;elfe, and to beleeue lyes, Rom. 1. 2. The&s;. 2. And this vnder|&s;tand, that to deceiue the elect it is vnpo&s;&s;ible, Matth. 24.24. Mark. 13.22.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am to bee cal|led
<PB N="95" REF="54"> before authority, to an|&s;were for my religion, which I am willing to doe: but in|deed, I feare I am not able to defend the truth, again&s;t their &s;ubtle &s;ophi&s;try.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Bee not afraide,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God will a&s;|&s;i&s;t his, in an&s;wering for the truth, again&s;t their aduer&s;aries.</NOTE> neither bee troubled, but &s;anctifie the Lord God in your hearts (&s;aith Saint <HI>Pe|ter</HI>), and bee ready alwayes to giue an an&s;were to euery man, that asketh you a rea|&s;on of the hope that is in you, with meekene&s;&s;e and reuerence, hauing a good con&s;cience, 1. Pet. 3.14.15.16. Not being carefull, nei|ther taking thought how or what thing yee &s;hall an|&s;were, or what ye &s;hall &s;ay; for the holy Gho&s;t &s;hall teach you in the &s;ame
<PB N="96" REF="55"> houre, what yee ought to &s;ay, Luke 12.11.12. And Chri&s;t will giue you a mouth, &amp; wi&s;edome; which all your aduer&s;aries &s;hal not be able to gaine&s;ay, nor re|&s;i&s;t, Luk. 21.15.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, the fal&s;e|heartedne&s;&s;e of this world! when I was in pro&s;perity and in peace, I had many that would &s;ay well of mee; looke vpon mee cheerefully, not holding it any di&s;grace to be in my company; and if any did oppo&s;e me, they were rea|dy to an&s;were in my behalfe: but now as &s;oone as authori|ty called mee in que&s;tion, they are &s;hrunke backe; yea my neere&s;t acquaintance haue for&s;aken me, and doe auoide my company for feare, though
<PB N="97" REF="55"> my cau&s;e be the truth, which they al&s;o profe&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">In peace they accom|pany vs, who in aduer&s;ity and dangers may for&s;ake vs.</NOTE> that at his fir&s;t an&s;wering no man &s;tood with him; but all men forfooke him, 2. Tim. 4.16. Notwith&s;tan|ding the Lord &s;tood with him, and &s;trengthened him, and hee was deliuered out of the mouth of the Lion, Ver&s;. 17. Let this be there|fore thy comfort, that God doeth &s;tand by thee; and con&s;ider al&s;o how Ie&s;us Chri&s;t was thus dealt with. His Di&s;ciples (whom hee calls friends) Ioh. 15.14.15. for&s;ooke him and fled, and &s;uch as at other times ap|plauded his doctrine, reue|renced his per&s;on, admired his workes, and wondered
<PB N="98" REF="56"> at his gracious words; did when he was taken of his e|nemies, leaue him; and in+&s;tead of their former cry|ing <HI>Ho&s;annah,</HI> now with the mighty they tooke part &amp; cryed, away with him, let him be crucified, Mat. 27.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I can haue no re&s;t, nor peace with the nighe&s;t of my bloud, but they al&s;o are again&s;t me, onely for my pro|fe&s;&s;ion, and doe &s;eeke my bloud; yea I am not &s;afe in mine owne hou&s;e, but there|in haue I aduer&s;aries. I thought I &s;hould haue beene more peaceable, but I finde it cleane contrary.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Religion here on the earth, affords little out|ward re&s;t to vs, but rather occa&s;ions of trouble fro~ the wicked. Luk. 12.35.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Doth not our Sauiour &s;ay: I came not to &s;end peace, but rather a &s;word and diui&s;ion, Matth.
<PB N="99" REF="56"> 10.34. Luk. 12.51. I am come to &s;end fire, Ver&s;. 49. And to &s;et a man at vari|ance again&s;t his father, and the daughter again&s;t the mother, and the daughter in law, again&s;t hir mother in law, Matth. 10.35. There &s;hall bee fiue in one hou&s;e diuided, three again&s;t two, and two again&s;t three, Luk. 12.52. A mans foes &s;hall be they of his owne hou&s;e, Matth. 10.36. The brother &s;hall deliuer vp the brother to death, and the father the childe: and the children &s;hall ri&s;e vp again&s;t their parents, and cau&s;e them to be put to death, Matth. 10.21. Yea, yee &s;hall (&s;aith Chri&s;t) be betrayed by pa|rents, and brethren, and
<PB N="100" REF="57"> kinsfolkes, and friends; be|ing hated of all men for my names &s;ake, Luk. 21.16.17. But there &s;hall not a haire of your head peri&s;h: in your patience po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e your &s;oules, Ver&s;. 18.19. For he that indureth to the end &s;hall bee &s;aued, Matthew 10.22.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue lo&s;t ma|ny friends by rebuking &s;inne, though I did it very re&s;pec|tiuely, in true loue to the par|ties, in compa&s;&s;ion to their &s;oules, and in regard of Gods glory, and di&s;charge of my Chri&s;tian duty; becau&s;e men are &s;o full of &s;elfe-loue, and for that the world affoordeth &s;o many flatterers, to whom men ea&s;ily giue an eare; that they cannot with patience
<PB N="101" REF="57"> heare a louing, wi&s;e, and Chri&s;tian reprehen&s;ion.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Faithfull dealing findes, a better ble&s;|&s;ing in the end, then flattery &s;hall.</NOTE>He that rebuketh a man &s;hal finde afterwards (though not perhaps at the fir&s;t) more fauour, than hee that flattereth with his tongue, Prou. 28.23. Hee that &s;aith vnto the wicked, thou art righteous; him &s;hal the people cur&s;e, nations &s;hall abhorre him; but to him that rebuketh him &s;hall be delight, and a good ble&s;|&s;ing &s;hall come vpon him, Prou. 24.24. When as hee that &s;peaketh flattery to his friends, euen the eyes of his children &s;hall faile, Iob 17.5.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The wicked doe cur&s;e mee for cro&s;&s;ing their lewd cour&s;es, and becau&s;e I
<PB N="102" REF="58"> am an enemy to their Idola|try, &s;uper&s;titions, and wicked vanities.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A cau&s;le&s;&s;e cur&s;e, is not to be feared.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The cur&s;e that is cau&s;le&s;&s;e &s;hall not happen vnto thee. Prou. 26.2. And where God doth ble&s;&s;e, the wicked cannot cur&s;e. Num. 23.8. So as with <HI>Dauid,</HI> thou mai&s;t &s;ay; it may bee the Lord will look vpon my affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for the cur&s;ing, 2. Sam. 16.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue lo&s;t very much for my con&s;cience, and more than euer I looke to get againe.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God rewards all lo&s;&s;es for righteou&s;nes &s;ake.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Verily, there is no man (&s;aith our Sauiour Chri&s;t) that hath for&s;aken hou&s;e, or brethren, or &s;i|&s;ters, or father, or mother,
<PB N="103" REF="58"> or wife, or children, or lands for my &s;ake and the Go&s;pels, but hee &s;hall re|ceiue an hundreth fold: now in this time hou&s;e and brethren, and &s;i&s;ters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with per&s;ecutions; and in the world to come, &s;hall inherit euerla&s;ting life, Marke 10.29.30. Mat. 19.29.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am almo&s;t (for all this) made weary of my profe&s;&s;ion, by &s;o many ten|tations and trialls at home and abroade.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be not weary of well doing, Gal. 6.9. But rather account it exceeding ioy (&s;aith Saint <HI>Iames</HI>) when you fall into diuers tenta|tions, knowing that the
<PB N="104" REF="59"> triall of your faith worketh patience, Iam. 1.2.3. Pa|tience experience, and ex|perience hope, and hope maketh not a&s;hamed, Rom. 5.4.5. For in due time we &s;hall reape, if we faint not, Gal. 6.9. And ble&s;&s;ed is the man, that indureth ten|tation; for when hee is tri|ed, hee &s;hall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promi&s;ed to them that loue him, Iames 1.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue entertai|ned &s;uch as haue come with the truth of Chri&s;t, onely for my &s;pirituall comfort, and for the &s;ame haue I beene mole&s;ted and troubled.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> How&s;oeuer men deale with thee, God will
<PB N="105" REF="59"> reward thee: for wee read,<NOTE PLACE="marg">To entertain the faithfull, is a worke that &s;hal not want the re|ward.</NOTE> that hee which receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, &s;hal receiue a Pro|phets reward: and hee that receiueth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, &s;hall receiue a righte|ous mans reward, Mat. 10.41.42. And for thy farther comfort, know who then were thy gue&s;ts; euen God the Father, and Chri&s;t his Sonne. For (&s;aith he) hee that receiueth whom I &s;end, receiueth me; and hee that receiueth me, receiueth him that &s;ent me, Ioh. 13.20.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Neuer man hath beene &s;o afflicted, and &s;uffe|red the &s;ufferings, which I haue indured of my malici|ous enemies, for the truth.</HI></P>
<PB N="106" REF="60">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;ts pati|ent &s;uffering, and other following his &s;teps before vs, helpe greatly to comfort our fainting &s;pi|rits.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For thy comfort, lea&s;t thou &s;houlde&s;t bee wearied and faint in minde, Heb. 12.3. Con&s;ider the Lord Ie&s;us (thy ma&s;ter) who endured the &s;peaking a|gain&s;t of &s;inners, endured the cro&s;&s;e, and de&s;pi&s;ed the &s;hame, Ver&s;. 2.3. Behold, thy fellow &s;eruants, and ho|ly men, and Saints of God recorded in Scripture, their like and farre greater af|flictions.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue beene ca&s;t (as a malefactour) into the common goale, and &s;traight|ly kept.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> So were the A|po&s;tles, Act. 5.18. &amp;. 12.4.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue beene brought before authority, &amp; before examination I haue
<PB N="107" REF="60"> beene commanded to be bea|ten, whipped, &s;et in the &s;tocks and impri&s;oned.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thus were <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> dealt with, being grieuou&s;ly whipped vnto bloud, and then were thru&s;t into an inner pri&s;on, Act. 16.22.23.24. <HI>Ieremy</HI> was &s;mitten, and put into the &s;tockes, Ier. 20.2.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, but I ha|uing beene examined and found not guilty, but inno|cent in the Iudges owne con|&s;cience; yet mo&s;t vniu&s;tly, for feare and fauour haue I been commanded to be whip|ped, and deliuered to the &s;e|cular power to bee put to death, and had died, but that God &s;trangely deliuered mee.</HI></P>
<PB N="108" REF="61">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thus dealt <HI>Pi|late,</HI> that fearefull flattering and vniu&s;t Iudge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 15.15.</NOTE> with our Lord and Sauiour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, Matth. 26.18.24.26. Who was not onely in dan|ger of death; but was put to death indeede, in his cru|cifying was very de&s;pight|fully abu&s;ed, Ver&s;. 29.34.39.48. Marke 15.19.20.23.29.31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The pri&s;on I lay in was filthy and &s;tinking.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The dungeon which <HI>Ieremy</HI> was ca&s;t into was full of mire; &s;o as the poore &s;oule &s;tucke fa&s;t ther|in, and had there dyed, be|ing allowed no food at all to eat: but that one <HI>Abed|melech</HI> the Morian, went to the King him&s;elfe, to get
<PB N="109" REF="61"> him deliuered from thence, Ier. 38.6.9-13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue indured manifold per&s;ecutions, be|&s;ides the&s;e now mentioned.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 14.22.</NOTE> By many tribula|tions haue many of the mo&s;t holy Saints of God, entred into the kingdome of God: they haue beene tried by mockings, &s;cour|gings, bonds and impri&s;on|ment, Heb. 11.36. They haue beene made gazing|&s;tockes, by reproches and afflictions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Many and &s;undry tor|ments haue the Saints &s;uffered, for righteou&s;nes &s;ake.</NOTE> and &s;poiled of their goods, Heb. 10.33.34. Some haue beene ca&s;t into a burning ouen, Dan. 3. Others into the denne of Lions, Dan. 6. Some haue beene &s;toned, &s;ome &s;laine with the &s;word, &s;ome hew|en
<PB N="110" REF="62"> in &s;under; others wan|dred in Wilderne&s;&s;es, and Mountaines, and Dennes, and Caues of the earth vp and downe, clad in &s;heepe skinnes, and goates skins, being de&s;titute, afflicted, and tormented, Hebr. 11.37.38. And wanting re|liefe of men, haue eaten no other food, then that the foules of the heauen, (by Gods admirable and mo&s;t wonderfull prouidence) did bring them, 1. Kin. 17.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Men haue lien in wait to take mee, and di|uers haue banded them&s;elues &s;ometimes together, &s;wea|ring to kill mee, and cur&s;ing me; though I neuer had any thing to doe with them, nor euer gaue them iu&s;t occa&s;ion
<PB N="111" REF="62"> of offence, farther then they tooke offence, by my profe&s;|&s;ing and defending the truth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 15.10. It is the good graces in Gods chil|dren (which the wicked hate them for), as <HI>Cain</HI> did his bro|ther <HI>Abell.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Ieremy</HI> did not meddle with worldly bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es among the people, neither giuing nor taking to v&s;ury, yet the people cur&s;ed him. The Iewes lay in wait by the gates of the City, for <HI>Paul,</HI> (day and night) to kil him, Act. 9.24. being aboue fortie men did &s;weare his death, and neuer to eat or drinke till they had done it, Act. 23.12.13.21. Though he was to them all a harmele&s;&s;e per&s;on, nei|ther had hee giuen any iu&s;t occa&s;ion to them (in any worldly re&s;pect) &s;o to doe. But God in mercy, proui|ded meanes to deliuer him|&s;elfe
<PB N="112" REF="63"> &s;afely from them, Acts 9.25. &amp; 23.30.31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The&s;e things are able to &s;eparate a man from Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Afflictions &s;hall not faint the hart of the faith|full, to make them fall fro~ the truth.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Verily no: the holy Prophets, Apo&s;tles, and Saints of God; haue for the Lords &s;ake beene killed all the day long, and beene accounted as &s;heepe to the &s;laughter, Rom. 8.36. 2. Cor. 4.11. Shall then tribu|lation, or di&s;tre&s;&s;e, or per&s;e|cution, or famine, or naked|ne&s;&s;e, or perill, or &s;word &s;e|parate vs from the loue of Chri&s;t? Nay in all the&s;e things, wee are more then conquerours, through him that loued vs. And the A|po&s;tle is per&s;waded not on|ly for him&s;elfe; but al&s;o for
<PB N="113" REF="63"> tho&s;e that bee truely the Lords; that neither death, nor life, nor Angells, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre&s;ent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature &s;hall bee able to &s;eparate vs from the loue of God, which is in Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us our Lord, Rom. 8.37.38.39.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of one (as it were) wholly ca&s;t downe with the &s;ight of &s;in, &amp; refu&s;ing comforts.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am none of Chri&s;ts: offer me no comfort.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou art bapti|&s;ed, and as many as haue
<PB N="114" REF="64"> beene bapti&s;ed into Chri&s;t, haue put on Chri&s;t, Galat. 3.27.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am in &s;in, and brought forth in iniquity.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> So was zealous <HI>Dauid,</HI> P&s;al. 51. Yet a man after the Lords owne heart, 1. Sam. 13.14. So as his na|turall corruption, did not hinder the worke of grace.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am wrapped in</HI> Adams <HI>tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, which I may mourne for, but not wipe away by repentance.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> As by the of|fence of one, iudgement came vpon all to condem|nation; euen &s;o by the righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e of one, the free gift came vpon all men, vn|to iu&s;tification of life, Rom. 5.18. For as by one mans
<PB N="115" REF="64"> di&s;obedience,<NOTE PLACE="marg">As by the fir&s;t <HI>Adam</HI> we are con|demned: &s;o by the &s;e|cond <HI>Adam</HI> we are &s;aued</NOTE> many were made &s;inners: &s;o by the o|bedience of one, many &s;hall bee made righteous, Ver&s;. 19. As in <HI>Adam</HI> all dye, euen &s;o in Chri&s;t &s;hall all be made aliue, 1. Cor. 15.22. Therefore as thou doe&s;t looke vpon the fir&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> a liuing &s;oule, the man by who~ came death: &s;o behold (with comfort) the &s;econd <HI>Adam,</HI> the quickning &s;pi|rit, the man by whom com|meth the re&s;urrection of the dead, Ver&s;. 20.45.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue giuen my &s;elfe to the diuell.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But yee are not your owne (&s;aith the Apo|&s;tle) yee are bought with a price. 1. Corinth. 6.19.20. Therefore can&s;t thou not
<PB N="116" REF="65"> giue thy &s;elfe vnto him, be|ing none of thine owne to giue.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I neede not giue my &s;elfe to him, for I am his already by nature.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But by faith in Chri&s;t wee are all the chil|dren of God, Gal. 3.26. For as many as doe receiue him, to them he giueth power to become the &s;onnes of God, euen to them that beleeue on his name, Ioh. 1.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Though I &s;hould beleeue in Chri&s;t, and doe his will, I cannot thinke either my e&s;tate, or any other mans, to be any whit better, or our &s;elues to be in any more hap|py ca&s;e, then men are (or may be perhaps) by wit, educati|on, learning, or otherwi&s;e.</HI></P>
<PB N="117" REF="65">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Verily,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Without new birth, no &s;aluation.</NOTE> except a man be borne from aboue, of water and of the &s;pirit, he cannot &s;ee the kingdome of God, nor enter thereinto. Ioh. 3.3.5. But Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath made vs Saints by cal|ling, 1. Cor. 2. Kings and Prie&s;ts vnto God his father, Reuel. 1.6. Yea, if we doe what hee commandeth vs, hee will call vs his friends, and we &s;hall bee accounted as his brethren and &s;i&s;ters, Mark. 3.34.35. And &s;hall be fellow-heires with him in the life to come, Rom. 8.17. Gal. 4.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I cannot get out of the hands of Satan, hee is the &s;trong man, able to keepe po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, who ruleth in all that are his, (as a Prince)
<PB N="118" REF="66"> and are taken captiue by him at his will.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2.1. 2. Tim. 2.26.</NOTE></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sata~ can not hold &s;uch, as be the Lord Chri&s;ts.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is a|ble to ca&s;t him out, he is the &s;tronger, Luke 11.22. Who came to de&s;troy his works, Heb. 2.14. And to a&s;&s;ure vs hereof, God hath couenan|ted and &s;worne by an oath, to deliuer his out of the hands of their enemies, to &s;erue him without feare, in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;nes, all the dayes of their life, Luk. 1.73.74.75.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I finde in my &s;elfe no power to doe, nay, not to will any thing that is good.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is God that worketh both to will, and to doe, Phil. 2.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But I am not worthy, that GOD &s;hould
<PB N="119" REF="66"> worke any good de&s;ire, or any grace of godly practi&s;e in me: I cannot therefore &s;ee, vpon what ground I may ex|pect it, or looke to become one of his.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God doth vs good of his owne good plea&s;ure. Deut. 7.7.8. &amp; 9.5. P&s;al. 44.3. Ezech. 36.32</NOTE> God worketh in vs the will and deed, of his owne good plea&s;ure, Phil. 2.13. It hath plea&s;ed him to make vs his people, 1. Sam. 12.22. In Chri&s;t hath hee cho&s;en vs, before the foundation of the world, hauing prede&s;tinated vs vn|to the adoption of chil|dren, by Chri&s;t Ie&s;us vnto him&s;elfe, according to the good plea&s;ure of his will, Ephe&s;. 1.4.5.9.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh, I am a &s;in|ner.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath
<PB N="120" REF="67"> power to forgiue &s;ins,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is he that &s;a|ueth &s;inners.</NOTE> Luk. 5.24. Hee came to call &s;in|ners, Ver&s;. 32. and to &s;aue &s;inners, 1. Tim. 1.15. And &s;hall &s;aue his people from their &s;innes, Matth. 1.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But God is angry with vs for our &s;innes.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God is well plea&s;ed in Chri&s;t. P&s;al. 103.9.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But yet in Chri&s;t is he well plea&s;ed, Matth. 3.17. And who is like our God, who pardoneth ini|quity, and pa&s;&s;eth by the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of his people? Hee retaineth not his anger for euer; becau&s;e he deligh|teth in mercy, hee will haue compa&s;&s;ion, Mich. 7.18.19.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>God is of an e|uerla&s;ting remembrance; &amp; therefore hee cannot forget my &s;ins, neither will hee blot them out.</HI></P>
<PB N="121" REF="67">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God blot|teth out of his remem|brance the &s;innes of his people.</NOTE> I haue (&s;aith the Lord) blotted out, as a thicke cloud, thy tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions, and as a cloud thy &s;innes, for I haue redeemed thee, E&s;a. 44.22. Hee will put them out of his re|membrance, Ezech. 33.16. Ca&s;t them into the depths of the &s;ea, Mich. 7.19. And remember them no more, Hebrewes, 8.12. &amp; 10.17. Yea, though thy iniquities &s;hould bee many, and thy &s;inne &s;ought for, they &s;hall not bee found, becau&s;e hee hath pardoned them, Ierem. 50.20.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>God is a iu&s;t and terrible God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But hee is al&s;o full of compa&s;&s;ion,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God as he is iu&s;t, &s;o mer|cifull.</NOTE> and gra|cious, the Lord is good
<PB N="122" REF="68"> and ready to forgiue, P&s;al. 86.5.15.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But hee is not &s;o to euery one.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God as he is iu&s;t, &s;o mer|cifull.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> He is plenteous in mercy, and good to all that call vpon him, P&s;al. 86.5. &amp; 145.9.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue liued, and &s;o long continued a lewd and bad cour&s;e, that it is in vaine to looke for mercy.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">When wee doe repent, God will forgiue. E&s;a. 57.15.16.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Let the wicked (&s;aith the Prophet) for&s;ake his way, and the vnrighte|ous man his thoughts, and let him returne to the Lord, and he will haue mercy vp|on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly par|don, E&s;a. 55.7. And &s;pare them as a man &s;pareth his owne &s;onne, Mal. 3.17. As
<PB N="123" REF="68"> I liue (&s;aith the Lord), I haue no plea&s;ure in the death of the wicked; but that he turne from his way and liue; and if hee turne, he &s;hall not fall by his wic|kedne&s;&s;e, in the day that he turneth, he &s;hall &s;urely liue, and not die, Ezech. 33.11.12.15. &amp; 18.21. For hee doth not afflict willingly, nor grieue the children of men. Lam. 3.33.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Though God be mercifull, yet mu&s;t al&s;o his iu&s;tice bee &s;atisfied; which neither I, nor any other man can doe: there is none there|fore to worke my peace with him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">It is Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, that maketh peace be|tweene God and vs.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If any man &s;in, we haue an aduocate with the father, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the
<PB N="124" REF="69"> righteous,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is Chri&s;t Ie&s;us that makes peace be|tweene God and vs.</NOTE> and hee is the propitiation for our &s;innes, 1. Ioh. 2.1. Through whom wee haue peace with God by faith, Rom. 5.1. By who&s;e death we are recon|ciled vnto God, and haue receiued the attonement, Ver&s;. 10.11. Yea I, euen I am he (&s;aith the Lord) that blotteth out thy tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions for my owne &s;ake, and wil not remember thy &s;ins, E&s;a. 43.25.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am vnder the Law.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t re|deemeth vs from vnder the Law.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God hath &s;ent forth his Sonne, made of a woman; made vnder the Law: to redeeme them that were vnder the Law, that we might receiue the adop|tion of &s;onnes, Gal. 4.4.5.</P>
<PB N="125" REF="69">
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the Law is of force to condemne, and ac|cur&s;eth all that obey it not, and doe not ob&s;erue and keep all things therein contained, which I can not do, and ther|fore my &s;inne and iudgement remaineth, and I am accur|&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t deli|uereth vs from the cur&s;e of the Law.</NOTE> Chri&s;t hath re|deemed vs from the cur&s;e of the Law, being made a cur&s;e for vs, Gal. 3.13. an offering for &s;inne, E&s;a. 53.10. Vpon whom the Lord layed the iniquity of vs all, Ver&s;. 6. Hee was wounded for our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, hee was brui&s;ed for our iniqui|ties, the cha&s;ti&s;ement of our peace was vpon him, and with his &s;tripes were wee healed, Ver&s;. 5. Therefore
<PB N="126" REF="70"> to &s;uch as are in Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> there is no condemna|tion: for hee doth iu&s;tifie, who then can condemne? Ver&s;e. 33.34.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh, but all &s;in|ners are not alike, nor all &s;innes: mine are as &s;carlet, and red as crim&s;on.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Though your &s;innes bee as &s;carlet (&s;aith the Lord), they &s;hall bee as white as &s;now: though they be red (like crim&s;on), they &s;hall be as wooll, E&s;a. 1.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, but I haue &s;inned horribly, in damnable idolatry, in filthy forni|cation, bea&s;tly adultery, in effeminatene&s;&s;e, Sodomitry, theft, couetou&s;nes, and drun|kennes; I haue beene a railer, and an extortioner, yea what not?</HI></P>
<PB N="127" REF="70">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Such were &s;ome of the Corinthians,<NOTE PLACE="marg">No &s;in dam|nable to the truly repen|tant per&s;on.</NOTE> yet be|ing truly penitent and cal|led, they were wa&s;hed, &s;an|ctified, and iu&s;tified, in the name of the Lord Ie&s;us, &amp; by the &s;pirit of our God. 1. Cor. 6.11. Yea, the bloud of Chri&s;t clen&s;eth vs of all our &s;innes, 1. Ioh. 1.7.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, it might thus fall out well to them, be|ing onely offenders, (as igno|rant heathen) again&s;t the morall Law, and Law of nature: but I was trained vp in the Church of God; yet mo&s;t wickedly, haue I volun|tarily beene a diuelli&s;h infor|mer again&s;t the godly, get|ting authority to impri&s;on them, and to put them to death, and &s;o haue I indeed
<PB N="128" REF="71"> done, and therefore am I a bloudy and damned per&s;e|cutor.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Bloudy per|&s;ecutors, are not without hope of mer|cy, if they re|pent and be|leeue,</NOTE><HI>An&s;w. Mana&s;&s;es</HI> was religiou&s;ly brought vp, yet he fell to wickedne&s;&s;e, and did much euill in the &s;ight of the Lord, and &s;hed much innocent bloud in Ieru&s;a|lem, 2. King. 21.16. Yet when hee be&s;ought the Lord, and humbled him|&s;elf greatly before him, and prayed vnto him, hee was intreated of him, and hee heard his &s;upplication, 2. Chron. 33.12.13. Saint <HI>Paul</HI> was al&s;o a bla&s;phemer, a per&s;ecutor, and an oppre&s;|&s;our of the Saints, 1. Tim. 1.13. Breathing out (as a mad man) threatnings and &s;laughter, Act. 9.1. Volun|tarily
<PB N="139" REF="71"> &s;eeking &amp; getting au|thority of the high Prie&s;t, Ver&s;. 2. To binde all that called vpon the name of Chri&s;t, Ver&s;e 14. Hee ca&s;t many of them into pri&s;on; and when they were put to death, he gaue his &s;entence, yea hee compelled them to bla&s;pheme, Chap. 26.10.11. Yet was he receiued to mercy, and Chri&s;t Ie&s;us counted him faithfull after|wards, and put him in &s;er|uice, 1. Tim. 2.12.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Though Saint</HI> Paul <HI>was pardoned, yet I can not be pardoned; for hee &s;in|ned in zeale, of ignorance, through vnbeliefe, and was otherwi&s;e &s;trict of life in his profe&s;&s;ion: but I profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;t, and yet haue done as
<PB N="130" REF="72"> much as euer Saint</HI> Paul <HI>did, and liued mo&s;t filthily, which hee neuer did; therefore my &s;inne is impardonable, which I haue done again&s;t Chri&s;t, &amp; he wil neuer forgiue it me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Who&s;oeuer &s;pea|keth a word again&s;t the Sonne of man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t ex|cludeth none from hope of mercy, that doe repent &amp; beleeue, but &s;uch as &s;inne again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t.</NOTE> it &s;hall bee forgiuen him, Matt. 12.32. Yea all &s;innes &s;hall bee for|giuen to the &s;onnes of men, and bla&s;phemies wherewith &s;oeuer they &s;hal bla&s;pheme, Mark. 3.28. For no &s;inne is impardonable to the truely penitent, Ezech. 18.21.22. And the Lord excludeth none from mercy, but &s;uch as &s;inne again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t, Matth. 12.31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Alas, alas, woe is me, I am then damned: for
<PB N="131" REF="72"> I feare that I haue &s;inned a|gain&s;t the holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">They that feare and are &s;orry for &s;inne, haue not &s;inned again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t.</NOTE> That thou doe&s;t feare and grieue, through feare that thou ha&s;t com|mitted it, is an infallible argument, that thou ha&s;t not committed it: for &s;uch as once &s;inne this &s;in, haue no feare nor contrition of heart for &s;inning, for they cannot po&s;&s;ibly repent. A|gaine, it is not enough to make thee guilty of this; becau&s;e thou ha&s;t been, and art yet one profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t, and ha&s;t per&s;ecuted others al&s;o profe&s;&s;ing him: But there mu&s;t bee the illu|mination of the &s;pirit, and thou mu&s;t haue ta&s;ted of the good gift of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6.5.6. &amp; 10.29. Matth. 12.31</NOTE> which many profe&s;&s;ing him, (only
<PB N="132" REF="73"> by a formall education) ne|uer come to, and fall to per&s;ecute maliciou&s;ly that knowne truth, de&s;piting the &s;pirit of grace, making a mocke of Chri&s;t. Now thou holde&s;t a profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, and de&s;ire&s;t to be re|conciled vnto God; art &s;or|ry al&s;o that thou ha&s;t beene &s;o wicked, and lamente&s;t they ca&s;e, fearing to bee guilty of this &s;in: all which (mo&s;t certainely) may a&s;|&s;ure thee, that thou ha&s;t not &s;inned this &s;inne, again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Mine is a legall repentance, like that in</HI> Iu|das, <HI>Matth.</HI> 27. <HI>Not that godly &s;orrow which the A|po&s;tle &s;peaketh of,</HI> 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.10. <HI>Which I haue not, nor
<PB N="133" REF="73"> can not yet attaine vnto.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Behold,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Repentance is Gods gift, and is pro|mi&s;ed to all that be his.</NOTE> GOD hath exalted Ie&s;us Chri&s;t with his right hand, both to giue repentance to I&s;rael, and al&s;o forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes, Acts 5.31. Yea the Lord hath promi&s;ed to worke repentance, and the grace of conuer&s;ion in all his, Ezech, 36.25.26.27. Therfore pray with <HI>Dauid,</HI> Create in me a cleane heart, O God, and renue a right &s;pirit within mee, P&s;alme 51.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But I want the Spirit of God, to helpe mee to pray.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God will giue his ho|ly &s;pirit vnto his people.</NOTE> The Father will giue the holy Gho&s;t to them that de&s;ire him, Luke 11.13. And Chri&s;t hath pro|mi&s;ed
<PB N="134" REF="74"> al&s;o to &s;end him from the Father, Iohn 15.26. And it is a part of the couenant made with his people, to put his &s;pirit into them, Ezech. 36.27.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>It is too great a reque&s;t to aske this (of my &s;elfe) at Gods hands; if Chri&s;t would doe it for mee, then &s;hould I haue hope, o|therwi&s;e I thinke my prayer but vaine.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Heare then for thy comfort: I will (&s;aith our Sauiour) pray the Father, and hee will giue you the Comforter, that hee may a|bide with you for euer, Ioh. 14.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, for all this, I am afraide to goe to God, becau&s;e of my &s;innes, for hee
<PB N="135" REF="74"> &s;aith: the fooli&s;h &s;hall not &s;tand in his &s;ight, hee hateth all them that worke iniquity, and telleth them that hee will not heare them, that their &s;innes haue made a &s;eparati|on betweene him and them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Not the pre|&s;umptuous &s;inners, but the truely penitent, are inuited to come vnto Chri&s;t.</NOTE> The Lord &s;pea|keth to &s;uch as are not re|pentant, but liue in their &s;innes, and yet pre&s;umptu|ou&s;ly come vnto him, and thinke to be heard. But to other that be &s;orry for their &s;innes, and feele the heauie burthen of them, hee mo&s;t louingly inuiteth to come vnto him, &s;aying; Come vn-mee all yee, that are wearie and heauie laden, and I will ea&s;e you, Matth. 11.28. Be|leeue in Chri&s;t, and thou ha&s;t peace with God, Rom.
<PB N="136" REF="75"> 5.1. And ha&s;t receiued by him the attonement, Rom. 5.11. Who is our high Prie&s;t making interce&s;&s;ion, Rom. 8.34. Feeling our in|firmities; and therfore mai|e&s;t thou, and euen all of vs, goe boldly to the throne of grace, that wee may receiue mercy, and finde grace to helpe in time of neede, Heb. 4.15.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Chri&s;t is man, and &s;o may inuite vs; but God doth not will me, or any &s;uch &s;infull wretches to come vnto him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yea God doth be&s;eech vs, that wee would bee reconciled vnto him, 2. Cor. 5.20.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But God is a mo&s;t righteous God, hating
<PB N="137" REF="75"> wickedne&s;&s;e: I a lewde and &s;infull caitiffe, voide of all righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: there can ve|rily then bee no reconciliati|on, except there were a medi|atour betweene vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is mediatour betweene God and vs.</NOTE> There is one God, and one mediatour betweene God and man, which is the man Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, 1. Tim. 2.5. Who is made &s;inne for vs, which knew no &s;inne, that wee might bee made the righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God in him. 2. Cor. 5.21. He is our righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Ier. 23.6. Our wi&s;edome, holine&s;&s;e, and redemption, 1. Cor. 1.30. And hee hath by his bloud clen&s;ed vs of all our &s;innes, 1. Ioh. 1.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This were no
<PB N="138" REF="76"> &s;mal comfort and incourage|ment to goe to God, if Chri&s;t be indeede a &s;ufficient Saui|our, and able to &s;aue vs.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is perfectly able to &s;aue vs.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For this, heare what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, hee is able to &s;aue them (to the vttermo&s;t), that come vnto God by him, &s;eeing hee e|uer liueth to make interce&s;|&s;ion for them: For he is the high Prie&s;t for vs; holy, harmele&s;&s;e, vndefiled, &s;epa|ted from &s;inners, and made higher than the heauens, He. 7.25.26. And is &s;et on the right hand of the throne, of the maie&s;ty of God, Heb. 8.1. Rom. 8.34. Hauing obtai|ned eternall redemption for vs, Heb. 9.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The Apo&s;tle was a Iew, and writeth here
<PB N="139" REF="76"> thus vnto the Hebrewes (a &s;eparated nation from all the world), I being no Hebrew, may haue no benefit by Chri&s;ts death.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ie&s;us was to die,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us was to dye for Gentiles, as well as Iewes.</NOTE> not for that nation onely, but al&s;o that he &s;hould ga|ther together in one, the children of God that were &s;cattered abroade, Iohn 11.52.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Alas, that I knew not this before now, it is too late: death is &s;eazing vpon mee: and I feare the time too &s;hort to call to God for mercy, and to repent.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">No time too late to re|pent heere: if it be (in|deed) vnfai|ned repen|tance.</NOTE> The good theefe vpon the Cro&s;&s;e, had but a little time: yet when hee confe&s;&s;ed his &s;innes, con|demned him&s;elfe for the
<PB N="140" REF="77"> &s;ame, acknowledged his in|flicted puni&s;hment iu&s;tly de&s;erued, reprouing his fel|low-co~panion in euill, pro|fe&s;&s;ing his faith in Chri&s;t, and crauing mercie at his hands, had pre&s;ently a ble&s;|&s;ed promi&s;e of life, that hee &s;hould (euen that day) bee with the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in Paradi&s;e, Luk. 23.42.43.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yet one thing troubles mee very much, I &s;ee many that &s;ay, Chri&s;t is their Sauiour, and that God is mercifull, and hath forgi|uen them their &s;innes, and yet haue had the heauie rodde of God vpon them for all that: therefore in &s;uch a ca&s;e it is but a conceit to thinke we are pardoned.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Though the
<PB N="141" REF="77"> Lord doe afflict them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly may be par|doned, and yet cha&s;ti&s;ed.</NOTE> yet it is not a conceit to bee per|&s;waded of the pardon of their &s;innes: for the P&s;al|mi&s;t &s;aith, Thou wa&s;t a God that forgaue&s;t them, though thou tooke&s;t vengeance of their inuentions, P&s;al. 99.8. And <HI>Nathan</HI> plainely tells <HI>Dauid,</HI> that his &s;inne was pardoned, and yet becau&s;e by his deede, hee had cau&s;ed the enemies of God to bla&s;|pheme, his childe did die, and afterwards in a diuers manner was he him&s;elfe af|flicted, 2. Samuel 12.11.13.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But God per|haps, when he hath forgiuen, may call backe his mercy, and not &s;hew con&s;tantly his mer|cy according to his Word.</HI></P>
<PB N="143" REF="78">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;aluati|on of the e|lect, is an euerla&s;ting &s;aluation.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> With the father of lights there is no varia|blene&s;&s;e, nor &s;hadow of tur|ning, Iam. 1.17. The Lord is good, his mercy is euerla|&s;ting, and his truth endu|reth to all generations, P&s;a. 100.5. &amp; 118.1.29. I&s;rael &s;hall bee &s;aued in the Lord, with an euerla&s;ting &s;aluati|on: Yee &s;hall not (&s;aith the Prophet) bee a&s;hamed nor confounded, world with|out end, E&s;a. 45.17. The heauens &s;hall vani&s;h away like &s;moake (&s;aith the Lord), and the earth &s;hall waxe old, like a garment, and they that dwell therein &s;hall die in like manner: but my &s;aluation &s;hall bee for euer, and my righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e &s;hal not be aboli&s;hed,
<PB N="142" REF="78"> E&s;a. 51.6.8. Matth. 24.35.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>For the outward cro&s;&s;es of this life.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>THough I feare God, I am in no better &s;tate then others, that make no con&s;cience of their wayes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Touching the&s;e out ward things, all things come alike to all, and one condition to all, Eccle&s;. 9.2.3. &amp; 8.14. &amp; 2.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue many bodily infirmities.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. I&s;aac</HI> was blind, Gen. 27.1. Holy <HI>Zachary</HI> dumbe for a time, Luk. 1. <HI>Iacob</HI> halted, Gen. 32.31. <HI>Hezechias</HI> was &s;icke and
<PB N="144" REF="79"> and had the plague, E&s;a. 38.1.21. <HI>Dauid</HI> decayed in &s;trength and wanted bodi|ly heat, 1. Kings 1.1. <HI>Iob</HI> was full of &s;ores, botches, and boyles, Chap. 1.7. <HI>Eli|&s;ha</HI> had his bodily infirmi|tie, 2. Kings 13.14. <HI>A&s;a</HI> was extreamely di&s;ea&s;ed in his feet, 2. Chron. 16.12. <HI>Pe|ters</HI> mother in Law, was ta|ken with a great feauer, Luk. 4.38. And <HI>Mary Magdalen</HI> was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed once with &s;euen deuills.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I was rich, but my &s;tate is decayed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It was <HI>Iobs</HI> ca&s;e, a iu&s;t and holy man, Chap. 1. 15-18. &amp; 2.7. &amp; 16.12. But con&s;ider the end that hee made, Iam. 5.11. Iob Chap. 42.</P>
<PB N="145" REF="79">
<P>Ob. <HI>Oh, yet I can not but grieue, when I con&s;ider my former e&s;tate and compare this with it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Afflictions bitter to the fle&s;h, but the &s;oules &s;afe|ty, and me|dicinable to the whole man.</NOTE> No cha&s;ti&s;ement for the pre&s;ent &s;eemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous, neuerthele&s;&s;e afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteou&s;nes, vnto them that are exerci&s;ed thereby, Heb. 12.11. And con&s;ider with thy &s;elfe, if any iniqui|tie bee in thine hand, put it farre away, and let not wic|kedne&s;&s;e dwell in thy taber|nacle, Iob, 11.14. For then &s;halt thou lift vp thy face without &s;pot, yea thou &s;halt bee &s;tedfa&s;t and not feare, thou &s;halt forget thy mi|&s;erie, and remember it as waters that pa&s;&s;eth awaie,
<PB N="146" REF="80"> Ver&s;e 15.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue very lit|tle to begin the world againe with.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Seeke vnto God betimes, and make thy &s;up|plication to the almightie: though thy beginning bee &s;mall, yet thy latter end &s;hal greatly increa&s;e, Iob, 8, 5.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Oh, my pouertie remaineth vpon mee, and I haue nothing to liue vpon.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pouertie is not to pre&s;&s;e downe any mans heart.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us was borne in a poore &s;tate, &s;o liued, and &s;o died poore. Reme~ber that thou brough|te&s;t nothing into the world, neither &s;hall any man carry any thing out of the world Naked we came, and naked &s;hall we returne, Iob, 1.21
<PB N="147" REF="80"> Eccle&s;. 5.14. 1. Tim. 6.7. So as thou can&s;t not bee poo|rer, than thou came&s;t hither, neither &s;hall any other bee better then thy &s;elfe, in the end of their daies.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But yet the&s;e worldly wants (for the pre|&s;ent) doe much trouble mee, and the cares thereof doe &s;o much di&s;quiet me, as I know not which way to turne mee, for none taketh care for me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be nothing care|full, Phil. 4.6.<NOTE PLACE="marg">No cau&s;e to bee troubled with worldly cares.</NOTE> Ca&s;t all care on the Lord, for hee careth for thee, 1. Pet. 5.7. Our heauenly father knoweth that we haue neede of all the&s;e things, Mat. 6.32. Ca&s;t therefore thy burthen vpon the Lord, and hee &s;hall &s;u|&s;taine thee, P&s;al. 55.22.</P>
<PB N="148" REF="81">
<P>Obiect. <HI>I liue onely from hand to mouth, and cannot get before hand, I haue only food and rayment.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Supply of pre&s;ent ne|ce&s;&s;ary wa~ts &s;hould cau&s;e vs to be con|tented.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be not couetous, content thy &s;elfe with that thou ha&s;t, Heb. 13.5. If thou ha&s;t food and rayment, bee therewith content. 1. Tim. 6.8. As <HI>Iacob</HI> was, Gen. 28.20. For the Lord hath &s;aid, hee will neither faile thee, nor for&s;ake thee, Heb. 13.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This hauing but onely for the pre&s;ent, maketh me too carefull and doubting for the time to come.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to care for to mor|row.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> Take no thought for to morrow, Matth. 6.34. Luk. 12.22. But &s;ay with <HI>Abraham,</HI> God will pro|uide, Gen. 22.8. Con&s;ider the Rauens, for they neither
<PB N="149" REF="81"> &s;owe nor reape, which nei|ther haue &s;tore-hou&s;e nor barne, &amp; yet God feedeth them. How much more are ye (&s;aith our Sauiour) better than fowles? Luke 12.24-30. P&s;al. 104.27. &amp; 145.15. Leuit. 26.4. Matth. 6.25-31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the world is now a hard world, and I feare fami&s;hing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>The godly neede not feare fami&s;h|ment.</P>
<P>Prou. 10.4. &amp; 13.4.</P></NOTE> The Lord will not fami&s;h the &s;oule of the righteous, Prou. 10.3. Loue not thou &s;leepe, lea&s;t thou come to pouertie, Prou. 20.13. The idle &s;oule &s;hall &s;uf|fer hunger, Prou. 19.15. And he that followeth vain per&s;ons, &s;hall haue pouerty enough, Prou. 28.19. But open thine eyes, and thou
<PB N="150" REF="82"> &s;halt bee &s;atisfied with bread, for the diligent hand and the ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord maketh rich, Prou. 10.4.22. And his &s;oule &s;hall be made fat, Prouerb. 13.4.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the poore (e|&s;pecially being religious) are not beloued of worldlings, which doe po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the things of the earth, and are hard hearted, vnwilling altoge|ther to relieue their wants, and therefore may wee pe|ri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God can re|lieue his childrens wa~ts, though the world be neuer &s;o hard.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord can giue his people fauour in the &s;ight of the Egyptians, &s;o as they &s;hall lend them, &s;uch things as they require, Exod. 12.36. And if man be mercile&s;&s;e, hee can make
<PB N="151" REF="82"> Rauens feed his &s;eruants, 1. King. 17.4. And &s;end food from heauen, Exod. 16.35. So as they &s;hall not bee a|&s;hamed in the euill time: and in the dayes of famine, they &s;hall be &s;atisfied, P&s;al. 37.19.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Alas, my charge is great, my labour and meanes very weake, to beare vp daily &s;uch a heauy bur|then.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Walke before God, and be vpright,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Small means may (by Gods ble&s;|&s;ing) &s;uffice to maintaine many.</NOTE> he is all &s;ufficient, Gen. 17. Hee can ble&s;&s;e very &s;mal means, euen a crui&s;e of oyle, and a little meale to nouri&s;h a whole family, 1. King. 17. Hee can feed a thou&s;and with a loafe of bread, as he did fiue thou&s;and with fiue
<PB N="152" REF="83"> loaues and two fi&s;hes, be|&s;ides women and children, and cau&s;e to bee taken vp twelue baskets full of bro|ken meat, Matth. 14.20. Know this, that man liueth not by bread only, but by e|uery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 4.4.</NOTE></P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But corne is &s;o &s;carce, and at &s;uch an ex|ce&s;&s;iue rate, that wee poore may thinke no otherwi&s;e, but to peri&s;h by famine, before the price will abate.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Knowe&s;t thou not, that ouernight in Samaria,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God can turne &s;carci|ty into great plenty, and that in a &s;hort &s;pace.</NOTE> that women eat their chil|dren for hunger, 2, Kings 6.28.29, and that an A&s;&s;es head was at eightie peeces of &s;iluer, Ver&s;e 25; and yet the next day (according to
<PB N="153" REF="83"> the word of the Lord), a mea&s;ure of fine flower was &s;old for a &s;heckle, &amp; 2. mea|&s;ures of barly for a &s;heckle, in the gate of Samaria, 2. Ki. 7.1.16. For with God no|thing is impo&s;&s;ible.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, the&s;e had Gods word to comfort them, to expect &s;uch mercy: but we haue no &s;uch word for vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">We haue promi&s;es fro~ God to pro|uide for vs, P&s;al. 132.15.</NOTE> What&s;oeuer things are written afore time, are written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scrip|tures might haue hope, Ro. 15.4. Al&s;o the Lord hath promi&s;ed, not to fami&s;h the &s;oule of the righteous, Pro. 10.3. Hee giueth meate to them that feare him, and is euer mindfull of his pro|mi&s;e,
<PB N="154" REF="84"> P&s;al. 111.5. The Ly|ons roare and &s;uffer hun|ger: but &s;uch as feare the Lord &s;hall want nothing that is good, P&s;al. 34.9. In dearth he will redeeme thee from death, &s;o as thou &s;halt laugh at de&s;truction and fa|mine, Iob, 5.20.22.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am not worthy that God &s;hould &s;o prouide for mee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God regardeth not thy worthine&s;&s;e: for of his goodne&s;&s;e he prouideth for the poore.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>My pouertie ma|keth mee to bee de&s;pi&s;ed of them that haue wealth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The godly poore are better then the wicked rich.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> As for contempt, learne to contemne it, for the Lord regards thee, P&s;al. 40.17, and know that a lit|tle
<PB N="155" REF="84"> which a righteous man hath, is better than the ri|ches of many wicked, P&s;al. 37.16. And that better is the poore, that walketh in his vprightne&s;&s;e, than hee that is peruer&s;e in his waies, though hee bee rich, Prou. 28.6. &amp; 19.1.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>My pouertie hin|dereth me, that I cannot doe the good I would, to &s;uch as &s;uffer and are in bands for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake, which doth not a little grieue mee: though I giue my myte, yet it is nothing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A willing minde to do well after our ability, is acceptable vnto God.</NOTE> God doth ac|cept the will for the deed; for if there be fir&s;t a willing minde, it is accepted accor|ding to that a man hath, and not according to that hee
<PB N="156" REF="85"> hath not, 2. Cor. 8.12. A cup of cold water &s;hall not lo&s;e the reward, Matth. 10.42. And the poore wid|dowes myte is more accep|table to God, than the &s;u|perfluitie of the wealthy, Mar. 12.43.44.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of commom cro&s;&s;es, vexations, and out|ward mole&s;tations.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am cro&s;&s;ed one way or other: the Lord is euer correcting me and try|ing mee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Happy is the man whom the Lord cor|recteth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 94.11.13.</NOTE> Iob, 5.17. P&s;alm. 94.12. For whom the Lord loueth, hee cha&s;ti&s;eth, and
<PB N="157" REF="85"> &s;courgeth euery &s;on whom he receiueth; for if wee be without cha&s;ti&s;eme~t, wher|of all are partakers, then are we ba&s;tards and no &s;onnes, Heb. 12.6.7. Al&s;o ble&s;&s;ed is he that indureth tentations, Iam. 1.12. For God doth thus proue his children, that he might doe them good in the latter end, Deut. 8.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am iniured vn|iu&s;tly, and it vexeth mee to be wronged of them, that I do no wrong vnto.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Dauid</HI> was per&s;e|cuted without cau&s;e, P&s;al. 119.161. So was Ie&s;us him|&s;elfe; let not this therefore vex thee, knowing that it is thanke-worthy to indure griefe, &s;uffering wrongful|ly: and it is acceptable to
<PB N="158" REF="86"> God to take it patiently, 1. Pet. 2.19.20.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But &s;uch, as both by rea&s;on and religion are bound to mee, haue yet abu|&s;ed me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Dauid</HI> was abu|&s;ed of his familiar friend, P&s;al. 41.9. With whom he had taken &s;weet coun&s;ell, and walked into the hou&s;e of God in company, P&s;al. 55.14. And Ie&s;us Chri&s;t be|trayed by <HI>Iudas,</HI> one of his twelue cho&s;en hou&s;e-hold &s;eruants, and that with a token of loue, and vnder a friendly &s;alutation, Matth. 26. This is therefore no &s;trange tryall, but &s;uch as befell the be&s;t beloued of God.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue many ad|uer&s;aries,
<PB N="159" REF="86"> and am now at this pre&s;ent in great danger of them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Dread them not, the Lord hath a hooke to put in their no&s;trils, 2. Kings 19.28. He can con|found their wi&s;edome, as he did <HI>Achitophels,</HI> 2. Sam. 17.14, or &s;trike them blind, as hee did the Sodomites, Gen. 19, and the armie of the Aramites, 2. King. 6.18, or hide thee from their wrath, as he did <HI>Eliah</HI> from the furie of <HI>Iezabell,</HI> 1. Kin. 18.12. &amp; 19. And <HI>Ieremy</HI> with <HI>Baruch,</HI> from the hands of the Princes, Ier. 36.26, or command them not to hurt thee, as hee did <HI>Laban</HI> pur&s;uing <HI>Iacob,</HI> Gen. 31.24.29, or turne their
<PB N="160" REF="87"> harts, as he did <HI>E&s;aus</HI> toward <HI>Iacob,</HI> Ge. 33. Making them to bee at peace with thee, Prou. 16.7, or rai&s;e vp for them enemies to keep them bu&s;ied, that thou maie&s;t e&s;|cape, 1. Sam. 23.27.28, or el&s;e make their hearts melt, taking knowledge of thine innocency, and cau&s;e their owne mouthes to iu&s;tifie thee, and condemne them|&s;elues as <HI>Saul</HI> did, when hee vniu&s;tly pur&s;ued after <HI>Da|uid,</HI> 1. Sam. 24.16.17.18. &amp; 26.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>My aduer&s;aries are full of trickes and deui|&s;es, to bring their matters a|bout.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord di&s;ap|pointeth the deui&s;es of the craftie, that their hands
<PB N="161" REF="87"> can not performe their en|terprizes, Iob, 5.12.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 21.11. &amp; 33.10. E&s;a. 33.11. Nehe. 4.15.</NOTE> Yea he taketh the wi&s;e in their owne craftine&s;&s;e, Ver&s;e 15, and their owne coun&s;el &s;hal ca&s;t them downe, Iob. 8.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They are migh|tie and rich, and I am of a meane and poore e&s;tate.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 22.22.23.</NOTE> But the Lord &s;a|ueth the poore from the &s;word, from their mouth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 140.12.</NOTE> and from the hand of the mighty, &s;o as the poore hath hope, Iob, 5.15.16. For the Lord will maine|taine the cau&s;e of the affli|cted, and the right of the poore.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They &s;peake lies, and are fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es a|gain&s;t me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The mouth of
<PB N="162" REF="88"> them that &s;peake lies &s;hall be &s;topped,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 12.19.22. &amp; 19.5.9. &amp; 21.28.</NOTE> P&s;alm. 63.11. And they &s;hall bee de&s;troy|ed, P&s;al. 5.6. <HI>Dauids</HI> ene|mies did belye him. P&s;alm. 35.11. So did <HI>Naboths,</HI> 1. King. 21. The Iewes aduer|&s;arie <HI>Haman,</HI> E&s;ter, 3.8, and others, E&s;dr. 4.12. And the enemies of the Lord Ie&s;us did wickedly belye him; &s;o as the malice of thine ene|mies heerein, is no other than was Chri&s;ts, and all the&s;e before named. But hearken what is &s;aid, The almightie will witne&s;&s;e for thee, though thine aduer&s;a|ries &s;hould write a booke again&s;t thee, Iob, 31.35.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They trauel with mi&s;chiefe, they haue digged a pit, and &s;pread a net, and
<PB N="163" REF="88"> haue &s;et trappes in the way for me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reade the whole 64. P&s;alme, no|ting the ma|lice of the wicked, their policy and combination again&s;t the true hear|ted, and their ouer|throwe.</NOTE> Let them trauell with mi&s;chiefe, they &s;hall bring forth a lye, P&s;alm. 7.14, and fall into the ditch which they haue digged, Ver&s;. 15, and in the net which they haue hid, &s;hall their owne feet bee taken, P&s;al. 9.15.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>In my aduer&s;itie my friends for&s;ake mee, and for verie feare of mine ene|mies, my deere&s;t and nighe&s;t of bloud haue left mee, and I am &s;o de&s;titute of &s;uccour.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Of &s;uch friends <HI>Iob</HI> complaineth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Friends faile in aduer&s;ity. P&s;al. 142.4. &amp; 69.8. &amp; 38.11.</NOTE> Chap. 19.19, and <HI>Dauid,</HI> P&s;alm. 31.11. &amp; 38.11: but what though man leaue vs, the Lord will &s;tand by vs, 2.
<PB N="164" REF="89"> Tim. 4.16. And when fa|ther and mother doe for|&s;ake vs, the Lord will take vs vp, P&s;al. 27.10. For the Lord will regard the pray|er of the de&s;titute, and not de&s;pi&s;e their prayer, P&s;alm. 102.17, and will deliuer them out of the hand of the wicked, P&s;al. 97.10, &s;tan|ding at the right hand of the poore, to &s;aue him from tho&s;e that condemne his &s;oule, P&s;al. 109.31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am in danger of impri&s;onment, and the crueltie of mine enemies is &s;uch, if they once throwe me into pri&s;on, I &s;hall neuer get out.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">His proui|dent care is ouer poore pri&s;oners.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord look|eth downe from the height of his &s;anctuarie, from hea|uen
<PB N="165" REF="89"> doth the Lord behold the earth, to heare the groa|ning of the pri&s;oner, to lo&s;e tho&s;e that are appoin|ted to death, P&s;al. 102.19.20. <HI>Ieremy</HI> was in a dunge|on, <HI>Iehoiaehim,</HI> 2. King. 25.27. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Sylas</HI> in pri|&s;on, yet GOD deliuered them; yea and <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> in chaines, and that for his wickedne&s;&s;e, yet then truely repenting and praying for mercie, the Lord &s;et him al|&s;o at libertie, 2. Chron. 33.11.12.13.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But I know the pri|&s;on that I &s;hall go to, is kept by a &s;turdy and hard hear|ted goaler, without any re|ligion, therefore may I peri&s;h while I am there.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Io&s;eph</HI> was ca&s;t
<PB N="166" REF="90"> into pri&s;on vnder a hea|then, but the Lord being with him, and &s;hewing him mercy, gaue him fauour in the &s;ight of the keeper of the pri&s;on, Gen. 39.21: &amp; S. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Sylas</HI> being at the fir&s;t cruelly dealt with by a Goaler, vnder whom they were impri&s;oned, yet &s;oone got &s;peciall fauour at his hands, the Lord hauing conuerted him to the faith of Chri&s;t, Acts, 16.24 33.34.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Ah, I am ca&s;t downe, my wicked aduer|&s;aries haue preuailed, I al|mo&s;t faint in this my trou|ble.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be of good cou|rage the Lord wil &s;trength+en thine heart, P&s;al. 31.24
<PB N="167" REF="90"> &amp; 27.14. Waite on the Lord, and he will &s;aue thee, E&s;a. 25.9. He will rai&s;e vp all tho&s;e that bee bowed downe, P&s;alm. 146.14. &amp; 146.8. Hee lifteth vp the meeke, and ca&s;teth the wic|ked downe to the ground, P&s;al. 147.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>It grieueth mee to &s;ee how they now triumph, and reioyce ouer mee, as one vtterly for&s;aken, left de&s;ti|tute, and forgotten of God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 22.24. The Lord thinkes vp|on the af|flicted, to deliuer them.</NOTE> The Lord forget|teth not the cry of the af|flicted, P&s;al. 9.12, hee re|gardeth the prayer of the deftitute, P&s;al. 102.17, hee is a refuge in times of trou|ble to the oppre&s;&s;ed, P&s;alm. 9.9. &amp; 14.6; yea, for the oppre&s;&s;ion of the poore, for
<PB N="168" REF="91"> the &s;ighing of the needy, now will I ri&s;e (&s;aith the Lord) I wil &s;et him in &s;afe|tie, from him that puffeth at him, P&s;a. 12.5.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But &s;eeing I am not deliuered, I feare God hath for&s;aken mee, and the rather, for that I haue v|&s;ed good and lawfull meanes for deliueraunce, and yet &s;ince that time I haue beene wor&s;e dealt with then be|fore.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Meanes at fir&s;t may &s;eeme to be weake, which after may pre|uaile.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> So were the I&s;|raelites (for a while) wor&s;e dealt with by <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and the Egyptians, becau&s;e <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> were means for their deliuerance, but at the length they were &s;et free, Exod. 5.23. &amp; 12.41. Waite therefore on the
<PB N="169" REF="91"> Lord, and he wil &s;aue thee, Prou. 20.22. For the Lord for&s;aketh not them that &s;eeke him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 18.30..</NOTE> P&s;al. 9.10. &amp; 37.28. Hee &s;aueth by his right hand them that put their tru&s;t in him, from tho&s;e that ri&s;e vp again&s;t them, P&s;alm. 17.7. Remember I pray thee, who euer peri|&s;hed being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Iob, 4.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I hope I &s;hould doe well, but that I feare one man, that is high minded and mightie, who beareth the mo&s;t &s;way, and is a great friend to my aduer&s;aries, and &s;o my enemy, beleeuing lyes al&s;o and fal&s;e reports again&s;t mee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed is the
<PB N="170" REF="92"> man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Man is not to be feared.</NOTE> that maketh the Lord his tru&s;t, and re&s;pec|teth not the proud, nor &s;uch as turne a&s;ide vnto lies, P&s;al. 40.4. Why &s;houlde&s;t thou bee afraide of a man that &s;hall dye, and euen in a moment? Iob, 5.20. or of the Sonne of man, which &s;hall be made as gra&s;&s;e? E|&s;ay, 51.12. If God be with vs (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) who can be again&s;t vs? Rom. 8.31. Therefore &s;ay with <HI>Da|uid,</HI> my defence is in God, P&s;al. 7.10. The Lord is on my &s;ide, I will not feare what man can doe vnto me, P&s;al. 118.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea, but if I had &s;ome &s;uch great helpes to &s;tand for mee, as they haue for them, it were the better,
<PB N="171" REF="92"> and I &s;hould hope &s;o the &s;oo|ner to preuaile.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is better to tru&s;t in the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Though it be not a|mi&s;&s;e to haue fauour of man, yet it is be&s;t to tru&s;t onely in God.</NOTE> then to put any confidence in man: it is better to tru&s;t in the Lord, than to put confi|dence in Princes, P&s;al. 118.8.9; In whom there is no help, P&s;al. 146.3. For mans breath goeth forth, hee turneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts pe|ri&s;h, Ver&s;. 4. Happy there|fore is he, that hath the God of <HI>Iacob</HI> for his helpe, who&s;e hope is in the Lord his God, who keepeth truth for euer, and executeth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">udgement for the oppre&s;|&s;ed, Ver&s;. 5.6.7. Turning the way of the wicked vp|&s;ide downe, Ver&s;. 9.</P>
<PB N="172" REF="93">
<P>Obiect. <HI>I know it is be&s;t to tru&s;t in God, who is able to deliuer, but what meanes to v&s;e, that God may deliuer me, I know not.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prayer a meanes to be v&s;ed for deliuerance in trouble.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> Euen humble and feruent praier, for (&s;aith the Lord) Call vpon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliuer thee, and thou &s;halt glorifie me, P&s;al. 50.15. For the Lord is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him: to all that call vpon him in truth, P&s;al. 145.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue often cal|led, and (ble&s;&s;ed be his name) he hath often heard mee, but I may not yet thinke, that he will doe &s;o &s;till.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will deliuer thee in &s;ix troubles,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God is not weary of well doing.</NOTE> yea in &s;euen, there &s;hall no
<PB N="173" REF="93"> euill touch thee, Iob. 5.19. Many times did hee deliuer the I&s;raelites, P&s;al. 106.43. For the goodne&s;&s;e of God indureth continually, P&s;al. 52.1. And he delighteth to doe good to his people, Ier. 32.41.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am con&s;trai|ned to make my &s;ute vnto the King, and I feare to thinke of it (though my cau&s;e bee mo&s;t iu&s;t), becau&s;e of the ma|ie&s;ty of that his place and per&s;on.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Pray vnto the King of Kings, for the Kings heart is in the hands of the Lord, as the riuers of wa|ter, hee turneth it whether &s;oeuer he will, Prou. 21.1.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I feare that &s;ome haue fal&s;ly informed again&s;t
<PB N="174" REF="94"> mee, and &s;o the truth of my cau&s;e &s;hall not bee vnder|&s;tood.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> What if they haue? it is the honour of a King to &s;earch out a matter, Prou. 25.2. And the eyes of the Lord pre&s;erue know|ledge, and he ouerthroweth the words of the tran&s;gre&s;|&s;our, Prou. 22.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But a wicked</HI> Zibah, <HI>in his treacherous cour&s;es by flatterie, and his &s;i|ni&s;ter practi&s;es mis-led</HI> Da|uid <HI>(a wi&s;e Prince) in mat|ter of iudgement.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> A King that &s;it|teth in the throne of iudge|ment, &s;cattereth away all euill with his eyes, Prou. 20.8. And a wi&s;e King &s;cat|tereth the wicked, &amp; bring|eth
<PB N="175" REF="94"> the wheele ouer them, Ver&s;. 26. For by taking a|way the wicked from be|fore him, his throne is e&s;ta|bli&s;hed in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Prou. 25.5. In his lippes is a diuine fentence, and his mouth tran&s;gre&s;&s;eth not in iudgement, Prou. 16.10.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>A</HI> Dauid, <HI>though he bee both a wi&s;e and a good King, yet is hee but a man, and &s;o may do ami&s;&s;e again&s;t me, a poore di&s;tre&s;&s;ed</HI> Me|phibo&s;heth, <HI>made contemp|tible by my enemies.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Mercy and truth doe pre&s;erue the King, and his throne is vpholden with mercy, Prou. 20.28. To Kings it is an abomination to commit wickednes, Pro. 16.12. And the King that
<PB N="176" REF="95"> faithfully iudgeth the poor, his throne &s;hall bee e&s;tabli|&s;hed for euer, Prou. 29.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I &s;hould haue good hope to &s;peede, but that my aduer&s;aries can make friends, and haue many de|ui&s;es to hinder my &s;uite.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> There are many de|ui&s;es in a mans heart;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 21.30. Ier. 9.23.</NOTE> neuer|thele&s;&s;e the coun&s;ell of the Lord, that &s;hall &s;tand, Prou. 19.21. Many &s;eeke and will intreate the fauour of the Prince, Ver&s;. 6. But euerie mans iudgement commeth from the Lord, Prouerbs, 29.26.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="177" REF="95">
<HEAD>Of euils in a Common|wealth.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Thinke there was ne|uer a wor&s;e age, one can not tru&s;t an other; &s;uch deceit, lying, flattering, &s;wea|ring, for&s;wearing, mi&s;chiefe, and crueltie, yea and all ini|quitie: but truth and good|ne&s;&s;e few like and allow of.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Formertimes wor&s;e: yet the pre&s;ent time com|monly com|plained off.</NOTE> Mans heart po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed with griefe of pre&s;ent euills, which he onely con|&s;idereth off, maketh him forget what hath been. But behold thou now the for|mer time, and weigh the complaints of the Pro|phets. <HI>O&s;ea</HI> &s;aith, there was
<PB N="178" REF="96"> in his daies, no mercy, truth, nor knowledge of God in the Land; but &s;wearing, ly|ing, killing, &s;tealing, and whooring, and bloud tou|ching bloud, Chap. 4.1.2. They &s;et trappes and laide nets to catch men, many by deceit became great, and waxed rich, Chap. 5.26.27. Brothers would &s;upplant one another, and neigh|bours would walke vp and downe with &s;landers, and one deceiue another, they would &s;peake peaceably with the mouth, but in hart would lay waite, Chap. 9.4.5.8. They were &s;hamele&s;&s;e in adulteries, and abomina|ble whooredomes, like fed hor&s;es, neighing after their neighbours wiues, Chap. 5.
<PB N="179" REF="96"> 8. Couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and fal&s;e|hood raigned in Prophets, and Prie&s;ts, &s;oothing and flattering vp the people, and that without &s;hame, Chap. 6.13.14.15. Being in <HI>E&s;aus</HI> dayes as greedy dogges, ne|uer &s;atisfied, Chap. 56.11. But neither they, nor the people were valiant for the truth. Ier. 9.3. None called for iu&s;tice, none pleaded for truth, E&s;a. 59.4. The cau&s;e of the fatherle&s;&s;e, and right of the needy they iudged not, Ier. 5.28. Their Princes were rebellious, and companions of theeues, they loued gifts, and fol|lowed after rewards, E&s;a. 1.23. They altogether brake the yoke, and did bur&s;t the bands of their obedience
<PB N="180" REF="97"> towards God, Ier. 5.5. And the hou&s;e of God in tho&s;e wicked times by &s;tealing, murther, adultery, and o|ther &s;innes was made a den of theeues, Ierem. 7.9-11. And therfore now no grea|ter cau&s;e to complaine of this age than formerly hath beene, the con&s;ideration may worke patience and prayer: yet not without griefe of heart, as the euills did cau&s;e the godly men in tho&s;e dayes to mourne.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 4.4.</NOTE>Obiect. <HI>I can not but maruell to &s;ee the oppre&s;&s;ion of the poore, and violent per|uerting of iudgement and iu&s;tice.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Maruell not at the matter: for hee that is higher than the highe&s;t re|gardeth,
<PB N="181" REF="97"> and there is grea|ter then they, Eccle&s;. 5.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>It may &s;eeme that there is no prouidence, that God regardeth not, and that hee doth not behold, what is done here vpon earth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Chro. 16.9 Gods eyes are euery where, and knowes all and euery particular mans doing. Ier. 32.19.</NOTE> The Lord from the place of his habitati|on, looketh vpon all the in|habitants of the earth, hee fa&s;hioneth their hearts, hee con&s;idereth al their works, and beholdeth all the &s;ons of men, P&s;al. 33.13.14.15. Yea he looketh to the ends of the earth, and &s;eeth vn|der the whole heauen, Iob, 28.24. P&s;al. 113.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>This may bee &s;o in generall in a confu&s;ed manner: but hee doth not take notice of euery particu|lar
<PB N="182" REF="98"> mans doing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is not any creature, that is not mani|fe&s;t in his &s;ight: but all things are naked and open to his eyes, with whom wee haue to doe, Heb. 4.13. The wayes of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and hee pondereth all his do|ings, Prou. 5.21. Hee &s;eeth a mans waies, and counteth all his &s;teppes, Chap. 31.4. His eyes are in euery place, beholding the euill and the good,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Chro. 28.9 P&s;al. 7.10. &amp; 20.12. &amp; 94.11.</NOTE> Prou. 15.3. Hee try|eth the raynes and the hart, Ier. 11.20. 1. Sam. 16.7. Though it bee deceitfull a|boue all things, Ier. 17.9.10. And con&s;idereth our thoughts long before.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Be it that God
<PB N="183" REF="98"> &s;eeth thus, as is &s;aied;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">All things are po&s;&s;ible with God.</NOTE> <HI>yet it may be, he is not able to rule and gouerne them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God is greater than man, Iob, 33.12. And doth what he will in heauen and in earth, for there is no|thing too hard for him, Ier. 32.17. P&s;al. 135.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Then it may &s;eeme, that hee is re&s;pectiue of per&s;ons: if hee can take order with them, and will not.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God is no accepter of per&s;ons. Deut. 10.17. 2. Chro. 9.7. Act. 10.34. Rom. 2.11.</NOTE> Hee doth not accept the per&s;on of Prin|ces, nor regardeth the rich more then the poore, for they are all the work of his hands, Iob, 34.19.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Well, for all this, &s;eeing that God forbids &s;in, and hateth iniquitie, and yet
<PB N="184" REF="99"> men commit &s;inne and ini|quity: it &s;eemeth not rea&s;o|nable, that hee &s;hould &s;uffer them to liue vpon the earth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God &s;uffe|reth the wic|ked to re|maine vpon the earth.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God giueth not account of any of his mat|ters, Iob, 33.13. But what if God, willing to &s;hew his wrath, and to make his power knowne, doth in|dure (with much long &s;uffe|ring) the va&s;&s;als of wrath made vp to de&s;truction, Rom. 9.22. Otherwi&s;e they &s;hould &s;oone be cut down, and the Lord would raine vpon them &s;nares, fire and brim&s;tone, and an horrible tempe&s;t, this &s;hould bee their portion to drinke, P&s;a. 11.5.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Mee thinke yet, they &s;hould not be &s;uffered to
<PB N="185" REF="99"> doe what they li&s;t, as wee &s;ee they doe daily.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They doe not what they li&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wicked do not what they li&s;t.</NOTE> though wee thinke &s;o, and that they them&s;elues al&s;o bee &s;o per|&s;waded. It is the Lord that doth onely what&s;oeuer hee plea&s;eth, P&s;alm. 115.3. Iob, 23.13. But they doe not what they will, for they can not &s;peake but as hee will, Prou. 16.1. Nor goe, but by his direction, Ver&s;. 9. Ierem. 10.23. Prou. 20.24. Their power, coun&s;ell and con&s;ent doe that, which Gods hand and his coun&s;ell determined before to bee done, Act. 4.28. Therefore in all the&s;e things which come to pa&s;&s;e, wee may &s;ay with <HI>Ely:</HI> It is the Lord, let
<PB N="186" REF="100"> him doe what &s;eemeth him good,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Sam. 16.10.11.</NOTE> 1. Sam. 3.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But it may not &s;eeme credible, that the Lord doth heare and &s;ee all their wayes, &amp; the iniquitie which they doe commit; for it is &s;o horrible, &amp; the villany ther|of in many &s;o outragious, that man can not indure it. Can God heare and &s;ee, and let them alone?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God be|holds the wicked, and &s;eeth what they doe.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Mine eyes (&s;aith the Lord) are vpon all their waies, they are not hid from my face, neither is their ini|quitie hid from mine eyes, Ier. 16.17. For he that plan|ted the eare, &s;hall hee not heare? hee that formed the eye, &s;hall not hee &s;ee? and hee that teacheth man knowledge, &s;hall not hee
<PB N="187" REF="100"> know? P&s;al. 94.1.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Belike then, the Lord is not angrie with them, and therefore may they continue and proceede on, without feare of puni&s;h|ment.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 42.14. God is an|gry with the wicked, though hee forbeare to reuenge him&s;elfe for a &s;ea&s;on.</NOTE> Though the Lord keepe &s;ilence a long time, when men do the&s;e things: yet one day will he reproue them, and &s;et their &s;innes in order before them, P&s;alm. 50.21. In the meane &s;ea|&s;on, hee is angry with the wicked euery day, P&s;alm. 7.11. And hee &s;eeth and be|holdeth mi&s;chiefe and &s;pite, to requite it with his hand, P&s;a. 10.14. For the wicked, and him that loueth vio|lence, doth his &s;oule hate, P&s;al. 11.5. Yea hee hateth
<PB N="188" REF="101"> all the workers of iniquity, abhorring the bloudie and deceitfull man, P&s;alme 5.5.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The mighty &s;it in iudgement to iudge o|thers: but none taketh no|tice of their proceedings.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yes verily, God &s;tandeth in the congregati|on of the mightie. Hee iudgeth among the Gods, P&s;alm. 82.1. And &s;itteth in the throne iudging right, P&s;al. 9.4. For the righteous Lord loueth righteou&s;nes, his countenance doth be|hold the vpright, P&s;al. 11.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The poore com|plaine, the oppre&s;&s;ed are not releeued, the fatherle&s;&s;e and widowes are neglected, their cau&s;e co~meth not before the~.</HI></P>
<PB N="189" REF="101">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The poore afflicted, haue God for their iudge, hee pleadeth for them.</NOTE> The Lord exe|cuteth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and iudgement, for all that are oppre&s;&s;ed, P&s;al. 103.6. Hee heareth the cry of the affli|cted, Iob, 34.28. Hee hea|reth the poore, P&s;al. 69, 33. He deliuereth the poore in his affliction, Iob, 36.15. The Lord will maintaine the cau&s;e of the afflicted, &amp; the right of the poore, P&s;al. 40.12. He is a father of the fatherle&s;&s;e, and a iudge of the widdow in his holy ha|bitation, P&s;alm. 68.5. Hee wil deliuer the needy when hee cryeth, the poore al&s;o, &amp; him that hath no helper, P&s;al. 72.14.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the&s;e want an aduocate and Lawyer to plead for them, and there|fore
<PB N="190" REF="102"> are they &s;poyled, of tho&s;e that &s;eeke their ouerthrow.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 3.13.14.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord will plead the cau&s;e of the poore and afflicted, and wil &s;poyle the &s;oule of tho&s;e that &s;poyle them, Prou. 22.23. For their Redeemer is mightie, Prou. 23.11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Though a man may haue his cau&s;e pleaded, iu&s;tly defended, and &s;entence on his &s;ide pronounced, yet it may want execution.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord al&s;o executeth righteou&s;nes and iudgement, for all that are oppre&s;&s;ed, 103.6. He e&s;ta|bli&s;heth equitie, P&s;al. 99.4. For righteou&s;nes &amp; iudge|ment, are the habitation of his throne, P&s;al. 97.2.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="191" REF="102">
<HEAD>Of Warres.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>THere is a pre&s;&s;ing of &s;ouldiers euery where, we mu&s;t into the wars: but how we &s;hall preuaile I can not &s;ee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Through God we &s;hall doe valiantly, for he it is that &s;hall tread downe our enemies, P&s;al. 60.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>We want &s;trength and skill.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 68.35. &amp; 144.1.</NOTE> God girdeth his with &s;trength vnto the bat|tell, &amp; teacheth their hands to warre, and with their armes to breake euen bowes of &s;teele, P&s;a. 18.32.34.39.</P>
<PB N="192" REF="103">
<P>Obiect. <HI>Wee are very &s;hortly to ioine in battel with a great hoa&s;t, which bee the enemies of our faith and true religion.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Not to feare to fight a|gain&s;t the e|nemies of the Church.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare them not (&s;aith the Lord) for I am with you: be not di&s;maied I will &s;trengthen you, yea I will helpe you, yea I will vphold you with the right hand of my righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, E&s;a. 41.10. For the battell is not yours, but the Lords: goe out therefore again&s;t them; for the Lord will be with you, 2. Chron. 20.15.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But we Captaines feare, that many newly pre&s;|&s;ed are faint hearted and will not fight.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They &s;hall be as
<PB N="193" REF="103"> mighty men, which treade downe their enemies in the mire of the &s;treets in the battell, and they &s;hall fight becau&s;e the Lord is with them, Zach. 10.5.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>The enemies &s;erue vnder a mightie po|tentate, and are a great mul|titude.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Bee &s;trong and couragious,<NOTE PLACE="marg">There are moe with the godly, than with the wicked. 2. King. 6.16.</NOTE> bee not afraide nor di&s;maied for that King, nor for all the multitude that is with him, for there be more with vs, than with him. With him is an arme of fle&s;h: but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs, and to fight our battels, 2. Chron. 32.7.8. There is no king &s;aued by the multi|tude of an hoa&s;t, a mightie
<PB N="194" REF="104"> man is not deliuered by much &s;trength, P&s;al. 33.16.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But be&s;ides his owne &s;trength and pui&s;&s;ance, hee hath many Princes his confederates, who haue ioy|ned their powers to his, and we are but an handful: ther|fore doe they boa&s;t and make them&s;elues &s;ure of the vi|ctorie.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;mal com|pany may preuaile a|gain&s;t a huge hoa&s;t.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Let not him that girdeth on his harne&s;&s;e boa&s;t him&s;elf, as he that put|teth it off, 1. Kin. 20.11. As did <HI>Benhadad,</HI> who came a|gain&s;t <HI>Ahab</HI> with Hor&s;es and Chariots, and thirtie two Kings al&s;o with him, Ver&s;e 1. Yet &s;euen thou|&s;and two hundred thirtie &amp; two of I&s;rael ouerthrew his hoa&s;t, and made him flye
<PB N="195" REF="104"> out of the field, Ver&s;. 15.20. <HI>Zerah</HI> the Ethiopian came again&s;t <HI>A&s;a</HI> with a huge hoa&s;t, of a million of men, with many Chariots and hor&s;e-men, yet becau&s;e <HI>A&s;a</HI> did rely vpon the Lord, that innumerable multi|tude was ouerthrowne, 2. Chron. 16.8. &amp; 14.9.13. For it is nothing with the Lord to helpe, whether with many, or with them that haue no power, V. 11.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But be&s;ides the multitude (being two to one) the enemy hath by a &s;trata|gem of warre, gotten vs into the very mid&s;t of them, they haue laied an ambu&s;hment, &s;o as the battell is before and behinde.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is not policie
<PB N="196" REF="105"> that can preuaile again&s;t the Lord.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Policy can|not preuaile, where God will giue the victory.</NOTE> <HI>Ieroboam</HI> that Idola|ter came into the field with a cho&s;en army of eight hun|dred thou&s;and mighty men of valour, 2. Chron. 13.3. And <HI>Abiiah</HI> a true wor|&s;hipper of God, but with halfe &s;o many, being al&s;o compa&s;&s;ed round with <HI>Ieroboams</HI> hoa&s;t, yet cry|ing vnto the Lord, hee deliuered them into the hand of <HI>Abiiah,</HI> who &s;lew of them fiue hundred thou|&s;and cho&s;en men, Ver&s;e 14-17. Becau&s;e <HI>Iudah</HI> relied vpon the Lord God of their fathers, Ver&s;. 18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They are well furni&s;hed with weapons.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No weapon that is framed again&s;t thee &s;hall
<PB N="197" REF="105"> pro&s;per, E&s;a. 54.17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They haue got|ten the places of aduantage, the Hils and Mountaines from vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Truely in vaine is &s;afetie hoped for,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The aduan|tage of the place, pre|&s;erues not again&s;t Gods power.</NOTE> from the hils, and from the mul|titude of mountaines: true|ly in the Lord our God is the &s;aluation of I&s;rael, Iere. 3.23. Who is God in the valleys, as well as on the hils, to giue his people vic|torie, 1. King. 20.28.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They bee &s;trong in hor&s;e-men.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> A hor&s;e is a vaine thing for &s;afety,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 31.3.</NOTE> neither &s;hal he deliuer any by his great &s;trength, P&s;al. 33.17. The riders on hor&s;es &s;hall be confounded, Zach. 10.5.</P>
<PB N="198" REF="106">
<P>Obiect. <HI>They haue many Chariots.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 31.1. Prou. 21.31. 2. King. 6.7.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Indeed &s;ome put their tru&s;t in Chariots, &s;ome in Hor&s;es, but let vs remem|ber the name of the Lord our God, who&s;e Chariots are twentie thou&s;and, euen thou&s;ands of Angels, P&s;al. 68.17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Well, they bee gathered together to bid vs battell.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Behold they &s;hall &s;urely gather together, but not by me. Who&s;oeuer &s;hal gather together again&s;t thee (&s;aith the Lord) &s;hall fall for thy &s;ake, E&s;a. 54.15. Ob. <HI>But it &s;eemeth to me im|po&s;&s;ible to e&s;cape in the bat|tel, fro~ the &s;hot of the Artil|lery, it flieth &s;o thicke vpo~ vs.</HI></P>
<PB N="199" REF="106">
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Tru&s;t in God, and hee &s;hall couer thy head in the day of battell (P&s;alm. 140.7) vnder his wings; his truth &s;hall be thy &s;hield, and buckler, thou &s;halt not need to feare the terrour of the night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the de&s;truction that wa&s;t|eth at noone. A thou&s;and &s;hall fall at thy &s;ide, and ten thou&s;and at thy right hand, but it &s;hall not come nigh thee, P&s;al. 91.4-7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Wee want a wi&s;e and valiant man of warre to be our Leader.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord mighty in battell (P&s;al. 24.8.) &s;hall goe forth as a mightie man, like a man of warre, he &s;hall cry, yea roare; hee &s;hall be|haue
<PB N="200" REF="107"> him&s;elfe mightily, and preuaile again&s;t his ene|mies, E&s;a. 42.13.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Wee want the company and countenance of mighty Princes, to helpe vs.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Earthly Princes power, is not to be tru&s;ted vnto, but we are to beleeue in the Lord.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Put not your tru&s;t in Princes, nor in the &s;onne of a man, in whom their is no helpe, P&s;al. 146.3. For he goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts peri&s;h, Ver&s;. 4. It is better to tru&s;t in the Lord, than to put any con|fidence in man. It is better to tru&s;t in the Lord, than to put any confidence in Prin|ces, P&s;al. 118.8.9. For the eyes of the Lord runne too and fro, throughout the whole earth, to &s;hew him|&s;elfe &s;trong in the behalfe
<PB N="201" REF="107"> of them, who&s;e heart is perfect towards him, 2. Chron. 16.9.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They haue &s;trong helpers: but we haue few, or none to take part with vs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Feare not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">If God be with vs, none can &s;tand a|gain&s;t vs. Ier. 17.5.</NOTE> 2. Kin. 6.16. Though men doe not aide vs, yet God being for vs, who can bee again&s;t vs, Rom. 8.31. For with them is onely an arme of fle&s;h: but with vs, is the Lord our God to helpe vs, and to fight our battels, 2. Chron. 32.8. So as they that bee with vs, are moe then they that be with them, 2. King. 6.16. 2. Chron. 32.7.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Yet peraduenture the enemy may force vs to retire, and wee are neere no Ca&s;tle, &s;helter, or place of refuge.</HI></P>
<PB N="202" REF="108">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord is a &s;helter, a &s;trong tower, P&s;a. 61.3. A rocke of &s;aluation, P&s;al. 62.2. And our refuge, P&s;alm. 46.7. &amp; 48.3. Yea, the name of the Lord is a &s;trong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is &s;afe, Prou. 18.10.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of particular callings and cour&s;es of life, and fir&s;t concerning Parents.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Parents.</NOTE></HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a careful father, and yet am I vexed with a lewd and rebellious child,, which doth not a lit|tle afflict me.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Godly pa|rents may haue vngod|ly children.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Faithfull <HI>Abra|ham</HI> (the friend of God)
<PB N="203" REF="108"> had a mocking <HI>I&s;maell;</HI> good <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> a prophane <HI>E|&s;au;</HI> and zealous <HI>Dauid,</HI> his mo&s;t wicked and vnnaturall &s;onne <HI>Ab&s;olom.</HI></P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue in&s;tructed him, but he is not the better, I will therefore leaue him to him&s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> A childe left to him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Correction good for children.</NOTE> bringeth his Pa|rents to &s;hame, Pro. 29.15. But correct thy &s;onne, and hee &s;hall giue thee re&s;t, yea hee &s;hall giue delight vnto thy &s;oule, Ver&s;e, 17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am not in want my &s;elfe, nor euer was de&s;ti|tute of competent meanes to liue (I thanke God), yet am I very much troubled about my childrens welfare, how they &s;hould doe after me, be|cau&s;e
<PB N="204" REF="109"> I haue little or no|thing to leaue them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord is a &s;trong confidence to him that feareth him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The childre~ of the righ|teous are ble&s;&s;ed. P&s;al. 103.17. &amp; 115.14. Prou. 13.22.</NOTE> and his children &s;hall haue a place of refuge, Prou. 14.26. The iu&s;t man walketh in his in|tegrity, and his children are ble&s;&s;ed after him, Prou. 20.7. For the generation of the vpright &s;hall bee ble&s;|&s;ed, P&s;al. 112.2. Of which <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;peaketh from his experience, &s;aying, I haue beene young, and now am old, yet haue I not &s;eene the righteous for&s;aken, nor his &s;eede begging bread, P&s;al. 37.25.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am de&s;irous to haue my children well brought vp, and could be con|tent
<PB N="205" REF="109"> to be at co&s;t (to the vt|mo&s;t of my power) for the &s;ame, but that I can not &s;ee how po&s;&s;ibly they may come to preferment; for not mens de&s;erts, but (for the mo&s;t part) fauour, friends, money, outward grace, and counte|nance of the world, fraude and flattery get men their places and preferments.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Behold,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Preferment is onely of God, and the earth di&s;po|&s;ed at his plea&s;ure. Ier. 27.5.</NOTE> God exalteth by his power, Iob, 36.22. Preferment (what|&s;oeuer man thinketh, or what&s;oeuer meanes hee v|&s;eth to obtaine it) commeth neither from the Ea&s;t, nor from the We&s;t, nor from the South: but God is the iudge, hee putteth downe one, and &s;etteth vp another, P&s;alm. 75.6.7. Both riches
<PB N="206" REF="110"> and honor come from him. He raigneth ouer all. In his hand is power and might. In his hand it is to make great,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 107.41.</NOTE> and to giue &s;trength vnto all, 1. Chron. 29.12. He rai&s;eth the poore out of the du&s;t, and lifteth the needy and beggar out of the mire from the dung-hil, that hee may &s;et him with Princes, euen with the Princes of his people, P&s;al. 113.7. And to make him inherit the throne of glory, 1. Sam. 2.8.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Children.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a child, (I &s;peake it with harts griefe,) of ill di&s;po&s;ed Parents, I
<PB N="207" REF="110"> feare that God will vi&s;it vp|on mee their &s;innes and ini|quities.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A good child &s;hall not fare the wor&s;e, for his fathers wickednes.</NOTE> Behold (&s;aith the Lord) all &s;oules are mine, as the &s;oule of the fa|ther, &s;o the &s;oule of the &s;onne is mine. The &s;oule that &s;inneth, it &s;hall die, the father in his owne iniquity, Ezech. 18.4.18. But loe, if hee beget a &s;onne that &s;eeth all his fathers &s;innes, which he hath done and con&s;ide|reth, and doth not &s;uch like, he &s;hall not die for the ini|quity of his father, hee &s;hall &s;urely liue, Ver&s;es, 18.14.17.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Wee bee father|le&s;&s;e children, wee haue none to flye vnto for &s;uccour, to haue remedy for the wrongs we doe &s;u&s;taine.</HI></P>
<PB N="208" REF="111">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God is the guardian to father|le&s;&s;e chil|dren.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord is the helper, and a father of the fatherle&s;&s;e, P&s;alm. 10.14. &amp; 68.5. Hee is their mightie redeemer, hee will plead their cau&s;e with the oppre&s;|&s;or, Prou. 23.11. Hee will iudge the fatherle&s;&s;e and oppre&s;&s;ed, that the man of earth may no more op|pre&s;&s;e, P&s;al. 10.18.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue very vn|kind and vnnaturall bre|thren, without cau&s;e on my part.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w</HI> Not more vn|kind and vnnaturally cruel, than <HI>Cain</HI> was to innocent <HI>Abell,</HI> or <HI>E&s;au</HI> to <HI>Iacob,</HI> and <HI>Iacobs</HI> ten &s;onnes to their brother <HI>Io&s;eph,</HI> whom they did intend mercile&s;ly to murther, euen of meere en|uie,
<PB N="209" REF="111"> for the graces of God in him.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Married per&s;ons.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am vnequally yoked.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God &s;o di&s;|po&s;eth by his prouident hand in his wi&s;edome, that a religious <HI>Dauid,</HI> &s;hall match with a mocking <HI>Mi|chol;</HI> and a wi&s;e <HI>Abigail</HI> with a fooli&s;h and churli&s;h <HI>Nabal.</HI></P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>We are of &s;o cro&s;&s;e natures, as we &s;hall neuer be brought to accord.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Pray vnto the Lord, for hee maketh them of the hou&s;e to bee of one minde. P&s;al. 68.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Wee haue too
<PB N="210" REF="112"> many children.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Children are the ble&s;&s;ing of God.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Say not &s;o, be|hold, children are an heri|tage of the Lord, and the fruit of the wombe is his reward, P&s;al. 127.31. Ble&s;|&s;ed is the man that hath fil|led his quiuer, his hou&s;e full of them, Ver. 5. It is a ble&s;|&s;ing promi&s;ed to him that feareth God, that his wife &s;hall bee as a fruitfull vine by the &s;ides of his hou&s;e, and his children as Oliue branches round about his Table, P&s;al. 128.31.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But I am growne old, and haue the charge, not onely of mine owne chil|dren, but of my childrens children.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is no cau&s;e of di&s;contentment, but of
<PB N="211" REF="112"> glory and reioy&s;ing, for childrens children are the crowne of old men, Prou. 17.6.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>See how very vnthankefull &s;ome are for Gods ble&s;&s;ing, in giuing them children! but I that de&s;ire them can not haue them, and remaine hopele&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God can make the barren to beare chil|dren.</NOTE> <HI>Hannah</HI> remained long childle&s;&s;e, yet at the length God made her fruit|full, 1. Sam. 1.20. &amp; 2.21. For the Lord &s;etteth the &s;o|litarie in families, P&s;al. 68.6. And maketh the barren woman to keepe hou&s;e, and to bee a ioyfull mother of children, P&s;al. 113.9, when it plea&s;eth him. If thou do&s;t remaine childle&s;&s;e, be con|tent to bee without a cer|taine
<PB N="212" REF="113"> care, for an vncertaine comfort. For as a wi&s;e child maketh a glad father, and cau&s;eth the mother to re|ioyce, Prou. 15.20. &amp; 23.24.25. So a fooli&s;h &s;onne is a griefe to his father, and bitterne&s;&s;e to her that bare him, Prou. 17.25.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Vnmarried.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A good wife is Gods gift.</NOTE>Ob. I <HI>Haue a mind to mar|ry: but I feare to bee ill &s;ped.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Goe vnto God for his furtherance &amp; ble&s;|&s;ing; for hou&s;e and riches are inheritance from Pa|rents, but a prudent wife commeth of the Lord, Pro. 19.14. By his fauour thou
<PB N="213" REF="113"> &s;halt finde her, Pro. 28.22. And hee will &s;end his An|gel with thee to guide thee in the way, Gen. 24.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue beene married, but haue now lo&s;t a comfortable yoke-fellow, and a mo&s;t obedient louing wife: the remembrance of her is &s;uch, as though I hard|ly can containe, yet am I ve|ry loth to marry againe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Abraham</HI> had his beloued <HI>Sarah,</HI> for beautie hardly comparable, admi|rable in graces, matchle&s;&s;e for her loue to her husband, and held worthy to bee re|corded by the Apo&s;tle, as a patterne to all wiues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 3.6.</NOTE> for her reuerence and obedi|ence in word and deede vn|to her Lord and husband,
<PB N="214" REF="114"> yet at the Lords call &s;hee went before him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 23.2.</NOTE> who mourned and wept greatly for her: but yet hee being very old,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 25.1.</NOTE> afterwards marri|ed <HI>Keturah.</HI> But for the younger &s;ort in yeeres, that can not containe, let them euer con&s;ider what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith: It is better to marry then to burne, 1. Cor. 7.9.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am a poore wi|dow that haue lo&s;t a good husband, a man fearing God, yet hath he left me in a great debt, and with a charge of children, and now the credi|tors come vpon me to take all away, and to leaue me no|thing, neuer poore woman was in &s;uch a ca&s;e. Alas, I know not what to doe.</HI></P>
<PB N="215" REF="114">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God proui|deth for poore wi|dowes, and fatherle&s;&s;e children.</NOTE> Bee patient and waite on God: thou maie&s;t read of a good mans wife, one that feared God, to haue beene left in the verie &s;elfe &s;ame ca&s;e, 2. King. 4.1. Yet did the Lord (as an hu&s;|band to her), and a merci|full father to her children, miraculou&s;ly prouide for them, both for their main|tenance and paiment of the debt, Ver&s;e 3-7. For the Lord is a father of the fa|therle&s;&s;e, and a iudge of the widow, P&s;al. 68.5. He al&s;o relieueth the fatherle&s;&s;e and widow, P&s;al. 146.9. And e|uer hath had &s;peciall care of them, both for their reliefe, Deut. 24.19.21, the pre|&s;eruation of their &s;tate, Prouerbs, 15.25, and pre|uenting
<PB N="216" REF="115"> of wrongs offered vnto them, Exo. 22.22.24.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Ma&s;ters and Seruants.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a ma&s;ter of a fa|mily, but a world of griefe it is to &s;ee the deceit and fal&s;hood of &s;eruants, I am almo&s;t vndone by them, I thinke neuer ma&s;ter was thus dealt with.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A good &s;er|uant &s;erueth the Lord.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Had not mo&s;t ho|ne&s;t, mo&s;t true hearted <HI>Me|phibo&s;heth,</HI> a notable decei|uer to his &s;eruant, that wic|ked villaine <HI>Zibah?</HI> 2. Sam. 16. Had not religious <HI>Phi|lemon,</HI> his pilfering <HI>One&s;i|mus?</HI> Doe&s;t thou not know that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe had a traitour to his &s;er|uant,
<PB N="217" REF="115"> who for gaine &s;old his life into the hands of his bloudy enemies? Con&s;ider and learne patience.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am a poore &s;er|uant, I labour faithfully, but my reward is &s;mall.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A good &s;er|uant &s;erueth the Lord.</NOTE> In &s;o doing thou &s;erue&s;t the Lord Chri&s;t, of whom thou &s;halt receiue thy reward, Col. 3.24. For if with a good will thou doe&s;t &s;eruice to thy ma&s;ter, as vnto Chri&s;t, with feare and trembling in &s;inglenes of heart, not with eye-&s;er|uice, as a man-plea&s;er, but as a &s;eruant to Chri&s;t, doing the will of God from the heart, for the good thing thou doe&s;t, thou &s;halt bee recompen&s;ed of the Lord, Ephe&s;. 6.5-8.</P>
<PB N="218" REF="116">
<P>Obiect. <HI>My ma&s;ter is a very worldling, and dealeth not hone&s;tly with mee in my wages, according to coue|nant. If it were not for com|mon &s;hame, or that he knowes by law I may recouer my dew, he would &s;end me away empty-handed: it can not but grieue a man to doe faithfull &s;eruice to &s;uch a man.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The ma&s;ters wickednes, &s;hould not make the &s;eruant faithle&s;&s;e. Gen. 30.26.33. &amp; 31.6.37.38.39.40.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou mai&s;t not yet cea&s;e to be faithfull, loo|king for a reward at God<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> hand, <HI>Iacob</HI> was a mo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> faithfull and painefull &s;er+uant to <HI>Laban,</HI> yet did thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> his vncle and ma&s;ter wron<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> him, and changed his wa+ges tenne times, Gen. 31. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> 41. And except the God o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Abraham,</HI> and the feare o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> his father <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> had been
<PB N="219" REF="116"> with him, &s;urely his ma&s;ter <HI>Laban</HI> had &s;ent him away emptie, Gen. 31.42.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 31.9.12.42.</NOTE> But God &s;aw the faithfulnes of <HI>Iacob,</HI> and all that <HI>Laban</HI> did vnto him, and the affli|ction of his &s;eruant, and the labour of his hands, and therefore did he graciou&s;ly reward him, &amp; God is one and the &s;ame to all faithfull &s;eruants, Ephe&s;. 6.8.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am con&s;trained to be at command to &s;uch, as be enemies to true religion, idolaters, and per&s;ecutors, and can not get away, which maketh me to thinke my &s;elfe left of God, and not to bee reckoned among &s;uch as feare him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;. Io&s;eph</HI> a godly man, liued in <HI>Pharaohs</HI> Court,
<PB N="220" REF="117"> Gen. 41.40.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A good man may &s;erue a bad ma&s;ter &s;ometime.</NOTE> <HI>Iacob</HI> was a &s;eruant to idolatrous <HI>La|ban,</HI> Gen. 31. <HI>Daniel</HI> was with <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> and <HI>Darius,</HI> Dan. 2.48. &amp; 6.3. <HI>Abedmelech</HI> was one in <HI>Ze|dechias</HI> Court, Ierem. 38.7. And <HI>Obediah,</HI> one fearing God was in <HI>Achabs</HI> hou&s;e, 1. King. 18.3. Yet were they not left of God, but &s;uch as did &s;erue and feare him. For though they were &s;eruants to men: yet were they (be|ing good) euen the Lords freemen, 1. Cor. 7.22.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Men in publike autho|ritie.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a magi&s;trate, but much di&s;couraged in the execution of my magi|&s;tracy,
<PB N="221" REF="117"> for matters are &s;o packt vp of others, lewde per&s;ons &s;o borne with all, and my &s;elfe for iu&s;t proceeding &s;o little regarded of my bet|ters, &s;o oppo&s;ed by my equals, and &s;o de&s;pi&s;ed hereby of in|feriours, as in deede, I mu&s;t either giue ouer my place, or cea&s;e to be vpright.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">We may not cea&s;e to doe well, though we be cro&s;|&s;ed in our callings.</NOTE> For all this take heed what thou doe&s;t: thou iudge&s;t not for man, but for the Lord, who is with thee in the iudgement, 2. Chro. 19.6. Ble&s;&s;ed are they that keepe iudgement, and he that doth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e at all times, P&s;al. 106.3. Let therefore the feare of the Lord bee with thee, take heed and do it, 2. Chr. 19.7.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am a iudge, and
<PB N="222" REF="118"> one &s;itting in the place of iu|&s;tice: but indeed a very per|uerter of iu&s;tice and truth: for I haue more often pre|tended law, than followed it; and if I had law, (then for my owne aduantage and profit, or to reuenge mee on my ad|uer&s;aries, or to plea&s;ure my friends, or for hope of a bribe, or to haue (in the like occa|&s;ion) an other to doe as much for me, or my friend, or for feare &s;omtime) I would make the be&s;t of that law; &amp; where it would &s;erue the turn, there would I &s;tretch it vpon the ten<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="4 letters"> making the &s;inewes thereof cracke againe; and where it might make for the aduer&s;e party, that braunch I would fal&s;ly interpret, or make it to bee of no force.
<PB N="223" REF="118"> Thus vniustly haue I &s;it in iudgement. Woe is me: I can not hope of mercy.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 19.8.9. An vniu&s;t Iudge may finde mercy, if he repent and make re&s;titution.</NOTE> Saluation is come to <HI>Zacheus</HI> hou&s;e, if he be|leeue in Chri&s;t, &s;hew mer|cy freely and bountifully to the poore, and &s;hall re&s;tore backe againe, what he hath gotten by forged cauillati|on. For the Lord looketh vpon men in his mercy. And if any &s;ay I haue &s;inned, and peruerted that which was right, and it profited mee not, hee will deliuer that mans &s;oule for going into the pit, and his life <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> the light, Iob, 33.2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Pa&s;tors and Teachers.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a Pa&s;tour ouer a flocke, but haue a re|bellious
<PB N="224" REF="119"> people, who cau&s;e me to feare to di&s;charge faith|fully my dutie, they are &s;o wickedly bent again&s;t me.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 3.9.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be not afraide of their faces, for though they doe fight again&s;t thee, they &s;hall not preuaile: for I am with thee, to deliuer thee (&s;aith the Lord,) Ier. 1.18.19. And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the wic|ked, Ier. 15.20.21.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I haue preached painfully, yet I finde no fruit of my labours, my diligence is but lo&s;t vpon them.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A painefull Pa&s;tour &s;hall not lo&s;e the reward of his labour.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The word (&s;aith God) that goeth out of my mouth, &s;hal not returne vn|to mee void, but it &s;hall ac|co~pli&s;h that which I plea&s;e, and it &s;hall pro&s;per in the
<PB N="225" REF="119"> thing, wherto I &s;end it, E&s;a. 55.11. How&s;oeuer it doth preuaile with them, yet art thou in thy mini&s;tery, a &s;weet &s;auour of Chri&s;t vnto God, both in them that are &s;aued, and in them that pe|ri&s;h, 2. Corinth. 2.15. Thy iudgement is with the Lord, and thy worke with thy God, E&s;a. 44.4. And though the people bee not gathered, yet &s;halt thou bee glorious in the Lords eyes, and he &s;hal be thy &s;trength, Ver&s;e, 5.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But if they amend not, I feare to become guiltie of their bloud.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> If thou do&s;t warne the wicked, and hee turne not from his wickedne&s;&s;e, nor from his wicked way,
<PB N="226" REF="120"> he &s;hall die in his iniquitie, but thou ha&s;t deliuered thy &s;oule, Eze. 3.19. And art free from his bloud, Act. 20.26.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Truely, I am weary of my calling, and ready to giue ouer my mini&s;tery, I am &s;o di&s;couraged both at home and abroad, of the laietie I am reproached, and of the clergie (in authority) I am not a&s;&s;i&s;ted, but rather ba&s;e|ly e&s;teemed and neglected as a contemptible per&s;on. I haue &s;uffered of all &s;orts &s;uch wrong, onely for my faith|fulne&s;&s;e in my mini&s;tery, as I am not able to indure it.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t is to vs his mini|&s;ters, a pat|terne of patience.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That thou maie&s;t not be wearied and faint in minde, con&s;ider the Lord Ie&s;us, who indured &s;uch contradiction of &s;inners a|gain&s;t
<PB N="227" REF="120"> him, and for the ioy that was &s;et before him, in|dured the cro&s;&s;e, de&s;pi&s;ed the &s;hame, and is now &s;et at the right hand of the throne of God, Heb. 12.2.3. Saint <HI>Paul</HI> fought a good fight, kept the faith, and &s;o fini&s;hed his cour&s;e, &amp; there|fore was a crowne of righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e layed vp for him, 2. Tim. 4.7.8. For he that in|dureth tentation, when hee is tried, &s;hall receiue the crowne of life, Iam. 1.12.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>I am complained off to the highe&s;t authority, as an vn&s;ufferable man.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> So was <HI>Amos</HI> the Prophet, by <HI>Amaziah</HI> to <HI>Ieroboam,</HI> Amos, 7.10.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>They hold me a mad fellow, an enemy to the
<PB N="228" REF="121"> State, &amp; &s;ome preach again&s;t the truth which I teach, and yet mu&s;t I be &s;ilent, if I com|plaine, I am not heard, I haue &s;o many, and tho&s;e great enemies again&s;t me.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ieremies</HI> mi|&s;eries.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w. Ieremy</HI> that mo&s;t &s;incere, zealous, and faith|full Prophet of God, was held a mad fellow, one that taught without authoritie, to be worthy &s;tocking, and impri&s;onment, Cha. 29.26.27. The Prie&s;ts and fal&s;e teachers &s;poke again&s;t him, and brought him before au|thoritie, as an enemy to the Sate, Chap. 26.8.10.11. &amp; 28.1&mdash;&amp; 38.4. They deui&s;ed mi&s;chiefes again&s;t him, a|bu&s;ing him with their tongue, Chap. 18.18. They had him and his mini&s;tery
<PB N="229" REF="121"> in deri&s;ion, mocking &amp; re|proaching him, Ch. 20.7.8. His familiars watched to catch aduantage again&s;t him, Chap. 20.10. His very life was &s;ought, Cha. 18.20.23. <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> &s;mote him, and put him in the &s;tockes, Cha. 20.2. His writings were burnt, Chap. 36.21.23. And hee ca&s;t into a mo&s;t loath|&s;ome, filthie and &s;tinking pri&s;on, Chap. 38. Ver&s;e, 6. Thus was <HI>Ieremy</HI> dealt with. What &s;hall I &s;peake of other Prophets? <HI>Micha|iah,</HI> 1. Kings 22.27. <HI>Vriiah.</HI> Ier. 26.23. <HI>Eliah,</HI> and the re&s;t al&s;o of the Apo&s;tles, Bi|&s;hops, and Pa&s;tors, faithfull Martyrs of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t af|ter them? Thou ha&s;t not with the&s;e re&s;i&s;ted vnto
<PB N="230" REF="122"> bloud &s;triuing again&s;t &s;in, Heb. 12.4.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Marchants.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>WE dwell by the &s;ea &s;ide, and the &s;eas doe &s;o often &s;well, and rage in a &s;torme, as wee may feare they will at length ouerflow the earth.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;ea can|not pa&s;&s;e the bounds.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord hath placed the &s;and for the bound of the &s;ea, by a per|petuall decree, that it can|not pa&s;&s;e it; and though the waues thereof to&s;&s;e them|&s;elues, yet can not they preuaile, though they roare, yet can they not pa&s;&s;e ouer it, Ierem. 5.22, to turne a|gaine to couer the earth, P&s;al. 104.9. For the Lord
<PB N="231" REF="122"> hath &s;et barres and doores, &s;aying, hitherto &s;hall you come, but no further, and heere &s;hall the proud waues bee &s;taied, Iob, 38.10.11.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I am a Marchant, and am often to trade vpon this vn&s;table element, and doe feare ca&s;ting away, for the waues are mightie, and rage horribly, when the &s;tor|my winde lifteth them vp, &s;o as we in the &s;hippes mount vp to heauen, and downe againe to the depth, reeling and &s;tag|gering to and fro (like drun|ken men), and &s;ometime are almo&s;t brought vnto our wits end.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">There is &s;afety vpon the &s;eas.</NOTE> There is yet &s;afety vpon the &s;eas, for the Lord ruleth the raging of the &s;ea,
<PB N="232" REF="123"> when the waues thereof a|ri&s;e he &s;tilleth them, P&s;alm. 89.9. Hee is mightier than they, P&s;al. 93.4. For when men doe cry vnto him in their troubles, he deliuereth them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;e: hee makes the &s;torme to cea&s;e, and the waues to bee &s;till, and bringeth them to their de&s;ired harbour, P&s;al. 107.28.30. O that men would therefore prai&s;e the Lord for his goodne&s;&s;e, and his wonderful works to the children of men! P&s;al. 31.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Trade&s;-men.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am a trade&s;-man, &amp; de&s;ire to liue hone&s;t|ly: but if I &s;o doe, I &s;ee I &s;hal not thriue.</HI></P>
<PB N="233" REF="123">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The vpright &s;hall haue good things in po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion, Prou. 28.10.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But by my hone&s;t dea|ling, I get but little, when o|thers po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e great riches.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Better is a little in the feare of God, then great riches without equitie and right, Prou. 16.8. And a lit|tle that a righteous man hath, is better tha~ the riches of many wicked. P&s;. 37.16.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But thus &s;hal I leaue little to my children, when o|thers make theirs gentleme~.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> The iu&s;t man that walketh in his integrity, his children are ble&s;&s;ed after him, Prou. 20.7. As for the heritage ha&s;tily gotten, it &s;hall not bee ble&s;&s;ed in the end, Prouerbs, 20.21. For
<PB N="234" REF="124"> wealth gotte~ by vanity, &s;hal be dimini&s;hed, Pro. 13.11.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I could gaine, if I might but v&s;e the common &s;hifts, and &s;peake vntruely now and then, which are v&s;u|all euery where betweene the buyer and the &s;eller. Yea, tho&s;e that are held the mo&s;t hone&s;t market-men, and ap|proued chap-men, are not free from &s;ome &s;hifts, and vn|true &s;peaking without which they can not liue, by buying and &s;elling and gaine therby.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Goods ill gotten &s;hall not pro&s;per. Prou. 12.3. &amp; 28.8. &amp; 13. &amp; 11.22. Iob, 27.17. &amp; 21.5.6.7. Ier. 22.13.17</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> The getting of trea|&s;ures by a lying tongue, is a vanitie to&s;&s;ed too and fro, of them that &s;eek death, Pr. 21.6. Al&s;o lying lippes, are abomination to the Lord: but they that deale truly are his delight, Prou. 12.22.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="235" REF="124">
<HEAD>Husband-men.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. <HI>MY calling is very litle e&s;teemed off, and doth want wherewith to commend it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is not &s;o,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Husbandry a calling not to be de&s;pi|&s;ed.</NOTE> for this calling of the husband-man is of very great anti|quitie. The fir&s;t man of the fir&s;t world was an husband-man, euen <HI>Adam,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.</NOTE> who al&s;o brought vp his children therein, Gen. 4. And the fir&s;t man of the latter world, was an husband-man, euen righteous <HI>Noah,</HI> Gen. 9. It is al&s;o of very great nece&s;&s;ity, for the profit of the earth is for all. The King him&s;elfe is &s;erued by the field, Ecc. 5.9.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But none of account
<PB N="236" REF="125"> had euer e&s;teeme thereof, for now men of any ciuill bring|ing vp, &s;corne to be imployed about this calling of hu&s;|bandry, though they doe not put their hands to the labor.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mo&s;t hono|rable per|&s;ons, haue honoured husbandry.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> The fir&s;t Monarch euen God him&s;elfe planted a garden, Gen. 2.8. The two next vnder him, the &s;ole Monarches of the earth, <HI>A|dam</HI> and <HI>Noah</HI> were hu&s;|band-men. Al&s;o <HI>Vzziah</HI> a valiant King, 2. Chron. 26. Who&s;e name, for his noble acts and victorious battells &s;pread farre, Ver&s;. 8. Yet lo|ued husbandry, Ver&s;. 10. If therefore mo&s;t honourable per&s;ons, may make a calling honourable: then is this calling of husbandry mo&s;t honourable.</P>
<PB N="237" REF="125">
<P>Ob. <HI>It may be God doth not re&s;pect &s;o much a man in this calling, as he doth in an|other, and then there is &s;mall comfort in it, how honoura|ble, ancient, and nece&s;&s;ary &s;o|euer it be.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> How much God re&s;pects the husband-man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God re|&s;pects the husband-man.</NOTE> appeareth in the&s;e things: that God is his God, and in|&s;tructeth him to di&s;cretion, &amp; teacheth him, E&s;a. 28.26. He promi&s;eth al&s;o ble&s;&s;ing vpon his labour, if he be di|ligent, Pro. 27.23.27. &amp; 28.19. &amp; 12.11.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But &s;ometime it fal|leth out, that doe what wee can, one crop will not bring in an other, though wee hu&s;|band it neuer &s;o well.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> If you will walke in
<PB N="238" REF="126"> my &s;tatutes (&s;aith the Lord) your thre&s;hing &s;hall reach to the vintage,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mens &s;innes marre their husbandry.</NOTE> and the vin|tage &s;hall reach to the &s;ow|ing time, and yee &s;hall eat your bread to the ful, Leuit. 26.5. Ye &s;hall eat old &s;tore, and bring forth the old be|cau&s;e of the new, Ver&s;. 10.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Wee oftentimes want raine, and many times haue it vn&s;ea&s;onably.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God promi|&s;eth &s;ea&s;ona|ble weather, to &s;uch as &s;erue him. Leuit. 26.4. Deut. 28.12. Ioel, 2.23.26</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> If you will hearken diligently vnto my co~man|dements (&s;aith the Lord) which I command you, to loue the Lord your God, &amp; to &s;erue him with all your heart, and with all your &s;oule, then I will giue you the raine of your Land in his due &s;ea&s;on, the fir&s;t raine and the latter raine, that
<PB N="239" REF="126"> thou maie&s;t gather in thy fruits, Deut. 11.13.14, haue gra&s;&s;e al&s;o in the field for thy cattell, that &s;o thou maie&s;t eat and be full, Ver&s;. 50. And prai&s;e the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrou&s;ly with you, Ioel, 2.26.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I thinke the raine falleth according onely to the cour&s;e of nature, and is carried (as wee common people thinke) by Planets, and not by any &s;uch a proui|dent hand of God; for I haue knowne it to raine in one place, and not in another, &amp; the &s;ame not far a&s;under.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Raine is by Gods ap|pointment.</NOTE> It is the Lord God that calleth for the waters of the &s;ea, &amp; poureth them out vpon the face of the
<PB N="240" REF="127"> earth, Amos, 5.8. And &s;en|deth waters vpon the field, Iob, 5.10. Yea it is hee that watereth the ridges of the earth abundantly, making it &s;oft with &s;howers, and ble&s;&s;eth the &s;pringing ther|of, P&s;al. 65.9.10. Hee doth al&s;o withhold the raine be|fore the harue&s;t, and cau&s;eth it to raine vpon one Citie, and cau&s;eth it not to raine vpon another, Amos, 4.7&mdash; And he only it is that re&s;er|ueth vnto vs, the appointed weekes of the harue&s;t, Ier. 5.24. Prai&s;ed be his name.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of Death.</HEAD>
<P>Ob. I <HI>Am but young, very healthful and &s;trong, and yet neuerthele&s;&s;e I feare
<PB N="241" REF="127"> &s;udden death, or vntimely taking away.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The houre of death is certainely determined of God.</NOTE> If it be good for thee, &amp; God &s;o plea&s;e thou &s;halt goe to the graue in a full age, and as a ricke of corne commeth in due &s;ea|&s;on to the barne, Iob, 5.26. How&s;oeuer know this, that there is an appointed time to man vpon earth, Iob, 7.1. His time is in Gods hand, P&s;al. 31.15. His daies and moneths are numbred, and his appointed bounds hee cannot pa&s;&s;e, Iob, 14.5.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I feele an vnwilling|ne&s;&s;e in me to dye.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">We &s;hould not be vn|willing to die.</NOTE> Con&s;ider that it is the way of all fle&s;h, Io&s;h. 23.14. 1. King. 2.2. And that it is appointed vnto men once to die, Heb. 9.27.
<PB N="242" REF="128"> And though the wicked die without hope,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob, 21.33. Eccle&s;. 7.2.</NOTE> Prou. 11.7. Yet the righteous in death hath hope, Prou. 14.23. For wee doe know that if this earthly hou&s;e of this taber|nacle were di&s;&s;olued, wee haue a building of God, an hou&s;e not made with hand, eternall in the heauens, 2. Cor. 5.1. And &s;hall for e|uer ble&s;&s;edly re&s;t from our labours, Reuel. 14.13. &amp; 21.4.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Oh, but (I feare me) we are &s;wallowed vp of death, and &s;o there is no more re|membrance of vs.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The dead as well as the liuing, are in remembra~ce before God.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> God is not God onely of the liuing here on earth, but al&s;o of them that be departed this life, Matth. 22.32. Who will giue vs
<PB N="243" REF="128"> victory ouer death, through our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, 1. Cor. 15.57. Who will rai&s;e vs vp at the la&s;t day, Ioh. 6.44. For all that beleeue in him &s;hall not peri&s;h, but haue life euerla&s;ting, Iohn, 11.25.26. &amp; 8.51.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But the elect of God are &s;cattered all the earth ouer: Yea, and milli|ons of men are dead and con|&s;umed to du&s;t in the graue; it is not like that the&s;e can be brought together, to meete the Lord at his appearing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Yes verily;<NOTE PLACE="marg">All &s;hall be rai&s;ed vp at the la&s;t day.</NOTE> for the Lord will &s;end his Angels with the great &s;ound of a trumpet, and they &s;hall ga|ther together his elect from the foure windes, from one end of heauen to the other,
<PB N="244" REF="129"> Matth. 24.31. The trumpet &s;hall &s;ound, and the dead al&s;o &s;hall ri&s;e, 1. Cor. 15.52. For I know (&s;aith <HI>Iob</HI>) that my Redeemer liueth, and that hee &s;hall &s;tand at the latter day vpon the earth, and though after my skin, wormes de&s;troy this body, yet in my fle&s;h &s;hall I &s;ee God, whom I my &s;elfe &s;hall &s;ee, and mine eyes &s;hall be|hold, and none other for me, Iob, 19.25.26.27.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Yet tho&s;e that are in the graue, dead and rotten when Chri&s;t commeth, can not as &s;oone appeare and be|hold his pre&s;ence, as tho&s;e that be then aliue; the con&s;i|deration thereof may make vs de&s;ire &s;till to liue.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> They that are aliue,
<PB N="245" REF="129"> and remaine vnto the com|ming of the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The dead in graue &s;hall not be pre|uented, by the liuing at Chri&s;ts com|ming.</NOTE> &s;hall not preuent them that are a|&s;leepe, for the Lord him&s;elfe &s;hall de&s;cend from heauen with a &s;hout, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Chri&s;t &s;hall ri&s;e: fir&s;t the~, we which are aliue and remaine, &s;hall together with them be caught vp in|to the clouds, 1. The&s;&s;. 4.15.18.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>This is comfortable, but, alas, one thing much troubleth my minde often, when I think vpon my death: for my corruptions are &s;o great, my faith &s;o weake, Sa|tans &s;ugge&s;tions &s;o &s;trong, &amp; my owne con&s;cience &s;o for|cibly accu&s;ing many times,
<PB N="246" REF="130"> that I feare my end will bee fearefull.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The i&s;&s;ues of death are in the hand of God.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Lord doth know (though we doe not) how to deliuer the godly out of tentations, 2. Peter, 2.9. For he is our God, e|uen the God of &s;aluation, to whom belong the i&s;&s;ues of death, P&s;alm. 68.20. By who&s;e power (and not by our owne) wee are kept through faith vnto &s;aluati|on, 1. Pet. 1.5. Who al&s;o is faithfull, and will not &s;uffer his to bee tempted aboue that they are able, but will with the tentation al&s;o make a way to e&s;cape, that they may bee able to beare it, 1. Cor. 10.13. So as thou mai|e&s;t &s;ay (with Saint <HI>Paul</HI>) that the Lord will deliuer
<PB N="247" REF="130"> thee from euery euill work, and will pre&s;erue thee to his heauenly kingdome, 2. Tim. 4.18.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>Well, though I e&s;|cape a fearefull end before men: yet may I be damned at the la&s;t day.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">No condem|nation to tho&s;e that are in Chri&s;t. Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> He that heareth my words (&s;aith our Lord Ie&s;us) and beleeueth in him that &s;ent mee, hath euerla|&s;ting life, and &s;hall not come into condemnation, but hath pa&s;&s;ed from death to life, Ioh. 5.24.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>But when we are in heauen, wee may perhaps bee ca&s;t out thence againe, as the Angels were, and &s;o be &s;epa|rated from Chri&s;t againe.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Elect at the la&s;t day &s;hall be euer with Chri&s;t.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> No, we &s;hall at the la&s;t day be like him, 1. Iohn,
<PB N="248" REF="131"> 3.2. And appeare with him in glory, Col. 3.4. And &s;o &s;hall wee be euer with the Lord, 1. The&s;. 4.17. There|fore let vs comfort one an|other with the&s;e wordes, Ver&s;. 18.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>That &s;hall be a happy day to the godly: but mee thinke, hee is &s;lacke in com|ming, the day is long too.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t is not &s;lack in com|ming, but &s;taieth for our good.</NOTE><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be not ignorant of this one thing, that with the Lord a thou&s;and yeeres, is but as one day: neither is the Lord &s;lacke concerning his promi&s;e (as &s;ome men count &s;lackne&s;&s;e) but is long &s;uf|fering to vs-ward, not wil|ling that any &s;hould peri&s;h, but that all &s;hould come to repentance, 2. Pet. 3.8.9. For the long &s;uffering of
<PB N="249" REF="131"> the Lord, we mu&s;t account to be &s;aluation, Ver. 15. To all that gladly expect his comming.</P>
<P>Ob. <HI>I haue heard happily of many &amp; &s;undry comforts, which might make glad the heart of the mo&s;t pen&s;iue &s;pi|rit, if there bee no doubt of the truth thereof.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods word is mo&s;t infal|libly true. P&s;a. 119.142.</NOTE> The words of the Lord are pure words, as &s;il|uer tried in a furnace of earth purified &s;euen times, P&s;a. 12.7. Pro. 30.5. The te|&s;timony of the Lord is &s;ure, P&s;. 19.7. His word is truth, Ioh. 17.17. It is true from the beginning, P&s;a. 119.160. It indureth for euer, 1. Pet. 1.25 Ble&s;&s;ed be God, &amp; his mer|cies bee magnified for euer and euer, Euen &s;o</P>
<CLOSER>Amen.</CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="132">
<PB REF="132">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
