THE MOTHER'S BLESSING. OR The godly counsel of a Gentlewoman not long since deceased, left behind her for her CHILDREN:  
Containing many good exhortations, and godly admonitions, profitable for all Parents to leave as a Legacy to their Children, but especially for those, who by reason of their young years stand most in need of Instruction.  
By Mris DOROTHY LEIGH..  PROVERB. 1.8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. 
Printed at London for john Budge, and are to be sold at the great South-door of Paul's, and at Britain's Burse. 1616.   

TO THE HIGH and excellent Princess, the Lady ELIZABETH her Grace, daughter to the high and mighty King of great Britain, and Wife to the illustrious Prince, the Count Palatine of the Rhine: D. L. Wishes all grace and prosperity here, and glory in the world to come.  
MOst worthy & renowned Princess,  
I being troubled and wearied with fear, lest my children should not find the right way to heaven, thought with myself that I could do no less for them, than every man will do for his friend, which was, to write them the right way, that I had truly observed out of the written word of GOD, lest for want of warning they might fall where I stumbled, and then I should think myself in the fault, who knew there were such downfalls in the world, that they could hardly climb the hill to heaven without help, and yet had not told them thereof. Wherefore I writ them the right and ready way to Heaven well waranted by the scriptures of the old and new Testament, which is the true word of God, and told them how many false paths they should find, how they should find them, and what care they should have to shun them: if they took a false way, what a trouble they should have in turning again, what danger if they went on: and of many doubts which the world would make without a cause, and how silent it would be in danger. Thus when I had written unto them of these things, I was at much peace, quiet and contentment.  
But as no contentment in the world continueth long, so suddenly there arose a new care in my mind, how this scroll should be kept for my children: for they were too young to receive it, myself too old to keep it, men too wise to direct it to, the world too wicked to endure it. Then in great grief I looked up to heaven, from whence I knew cometh all comfort, and looking up, I saw a most Angelical throne of Princely Peers and peerless Princes prepared for heaven, and yet by the appointment of God were here to comfort us on the earth: then I perceived that this Throne was the joy of England: then I considered that the highest blood had the lowest mind: then I saw humility looking downward, while the sweet slips of her virtue grew upward: then, even then, Princely Lady, I beheld your mild and courteous countenance, which showed, your heart was bend to do good to all: wherefore without fear, and with much faith, I adventured to make your Grace the protectress of this my Book, knowing that if you would but suffer your name to be seen in it, Wisdom would allow it, and all the wicked wind in the world could not blow it away. The Lord multiply his graces more and more on you, and vouchsafe unto you a numerous posterity, in whom your Grace may receive much joy and comfort, and GOD'S Church, and true Religion continual defence and propagation.  
Your Graces, in all humble and observant duty. D. L.   

TO MY Beloved sons, GEORGE, JOHN, and WILLIAM LEIGH, all things pertaining to life and godliness.  
MY Children,  
God having taken your Father out of this vale of tears, to his everlasting mercy in CHRIST, myself not only knowing what a care he had in his life time, that you should be brought up godlily, but also at his death being charged in his will by the love and duty which I bore him, to see you well instructed and brought up in knowledge, I could not choose but seek (according as I was by duty bound) to fulfil his will in all things, desiring no greater comfort in the World, then to see you grow in godliness, that so you might meet your Father in heaven, where I am sure he is, myself being a witness of his Faith in Christ. And seeing myself going out of the world, and you but coming in, I know not how to perform this duty so well, as to leave you these few lines, which will show you as well the great desire your Father had both of your spiritual and temporal good, as the care I had to fulfil his will in this, knowing it was the last duty I should perform unto him. But when I had written these things unto you, and had (as I thought) something fulfilled your Father's request, yet I could not see to what purpose it should tend, unless it were sent abroad to you: for should it be left with the eldest, it is likely the youngest should have but little part in it. Wherefore setting aside all fear, I have adventured to show my imperfections to the view of the World, not regarding what censure shall for this be laid upon me, so that herein I may show myself a loving Mother, and a dutiful Wife: and thus I leave you to the protection of him that made you, And rest till death,  
Your fearful, faithful, and careful Mother, D. L.   

Counsel to my Children.  

MY Sons, the readers of this book,  
I do you not entreat  
To bear with each misplaced word,  
for why, my pain's as great  
To write this little book to you  
(the world may think indeed)  
As it will be at any time  
for you the same to read.   

But this I much and oft desire,  
that you would do for me,  
To gather honey of each flower,  
as doth the labourous Bee.  
She looks not who did place the Plant,  
nor how the flower did grow,  
Whether so stately up aloft,  
or near the ground below.   

But where she finds it, there she works,  
and gets the wholesome food,  
And bears it home, and lays it up,  
to do her Country good,  
And for to serve herself at need  
when winter doth begin:  
When storm and tempest is without,  
than she doth find within.   

A sweet and pleasant wholesome food,  
a house to keep her warm,  
A place where softly she may rest,  
and be kept from all harm.  
Except the Bee that idle is,  
and seeks too soon for rest,  
Before she filled hath her house,  
whereby her state is blest.   

And then as she did rest too soon,  
too soon she sorrow knows:  
When storms and tempests are without,  
than she herself beshrowes.  
She looketh out and seeth death,  
ready her to devour:  
Then doth she wish that she had got  
more of the wholesome flower.   

For why, within, her store is spent,  
before the winter's past.  
And she by no means can endure  
the stormy winter's blast.  
She looketh out, and seeth death,  
and finds no less within,  
Then too too late for to repent,  
you see she doth begin.   

Therefore see you noridle be,  
this I would have you know,  
Be sure still that the ground be good,  
whereout the Plant doth grow:  
Then gather well and lose no time,  
take heed now you do see,  
Lest you be unprovided found,  
as was the idle Bee.   D. L.  

THE MOTHER'S Blessing.  

CHAP. I. The occasion of writing this Book, was the consideration of the care of Parents for their Children.  
MY Children, when I did truly weigh, rightly consider, and perfectly see the great care, labour, travail, and continual study, which Parents take to enrich their children, some wearing their bodies with labour, some breaking their sleeps with care, some sparing from their own bellies, and m●ny hazarding their souls, some by bribery, some by simony, others by perjury, and a multitude by usury, some stealing on the Sea, others begging by Land portions from every poor man, not caring if the whole Commonwealth be impoverished, so their children be enriched: for themselves they can be content with meat, drink, and cloth, so that their children by their means may be made rich, always abusing this portion of Scripture: He that provideth not for his own family, is worse than an Infidel: 
1. Tim. 5.8.  ever seeking for the temporal things of this world, and forgetting those things which be eternal: when I considered these things, I say, I thought good (being not desirous to enrich you with transitory goods) to exhort and desire you to follow the counsel of Christ: 
Mat. 6. 33.  First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things shall be administered unto you.   

CHAP. 2. The first cause of writing, is a Motherly affection.  
But lest you should marvel; my children, why I do not, according to the usual custom of women, exhort you by word and admonitions, rather than by writing, a thing so unusual among us, and especially in such a time, when there be so many godly books in the world, that they mould in some men's studies, while their Masters are marred, because they will not meditate upon them; as many men's garments motheate in their chests, while their Christian brethren quake with cold in the street for want of covering; know therefore, that it was the motherly affection that I bore unto you all, which made me now (as it often hath done heretofore) forget myself in regard of you: neither care I what you or any shall think of me, if among many words I may write but one sentence, which may make you labour for the spiritual food of the soul, which must be gathered every day out of the word, as the children of Israel gathered Manna in the wilderness. By the which you may see it is a labour: but what labour? a pleasant labour, a profitable labour: a labour without the which the soul cannot live. For as the children of Israel must needs starve, except they gathered every day in the wilderness and fed of it, so must your souls, except you gather the spiritual Manna out of the word every day, and feed of it continually: for as they by this Manua comforted their hearts, strengthened their bodies, and preserved their lives; so by this heavenly Word of God, you shall comfort your souls, make them strong in Faith, and grow in true godliness, and finally preserve them with great joy, to everlasting life, through Faith in Christ; whereas if you desire any food for your souls, that is not in the written Word of God, your souls die with it even in your hearts and mouths; even as they, that desired other food, 
Num. 11.3  died with it in their mouths, were it never so dainty: so shall you, and there is no recovery for you.   

CHAP. 3. The best labour is for the food of the Soul.  
OH my Children, is not this a comfortable labour? Our Saviour Christ saith, Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat that endureth to everlasting life: 
joh. 6.27.  and yet I see and fear, you shall see how many there be that cross Christ in these words: nay rather, cross themselves: for, contrary to our blessed saviours counsel, they labour for the meats that perisheth, and in the mean time they lose the food of everlasting life. This (my beloved sons and dear children) this is the cause that maketh me so much to fear you, and those who hereafter shall come of you, because I see so many that regard not the words of our Saviour Christ, who came from the high Throne of God, and preached to us, and prayed for us, 
Gal. 4.4.  and took our flesh upon him, and kept it without sin, refusing no company, healing every sickness and disease, 
Math. 4.23.  fed the hungry, gave pardon to every sinner that would but ask it, died for us, 
Rom. 4.25.  endured the pains of hell for us, yea, more than this, even in our own flesh he overcame sin, death, and hell, yea, and more than that also, he carried our flesh into Heaven in the sight of many, and there keeps it, and is become a Mediator for us in it; he joined himself to us in our flesh, as it is written, He took our flesh upon him: 
Heb. 2.14.  he taught us to join our flesh unto him by faith, that Where he is, there we might be with him also: 
joh. 17.24.  and if we will not follow him, that hath done all this for us, and much more than I can write or declare, how unthankful shall we show ourselves?  
My dear Children, have I not cause to fear? the holy Ghost saith by the Prophet, Can a Mother forget the child of her womb? 
Es. 49. 15.  As if he should say, Is it possible, that she, which hath carried her child within her, so near her heart, and brought it forth into this world with so much bitter pain, so many groans and cries, can forget it? nay rather, will she not labour now till Christ be form in it? will she not bless it every time it sucks on her breasts, when she feeleth the blood come from her heart to nourish it? Will she not instruct it in the youth, and admonish it in the age, and pray for it continually? Will she not be afraid, that the child which she endured such pain for, should endure endless pain in hell? Could Saint Paul say unto the Galathians, that were but strangers to him concerning the flesh, only he had spent some time amongst them to bring them to the profession of the truth, from which he feared they would fall: and could he, I say, write unto them, My little children, of whom I do travail again in birth, until Christ be form in you? 
Gal. 4. 19  And can any man blame a mother (who indeed brought forth her child with much pain) though she labour again till Christ be form in them? 
Rom. 9 3.  Could S. Paul wish himself separated from God for his brethren's sake and will not a mother venture to offend the world for her children's sake? Therefore let no man blame a mother, though she something exceed in writing to her children, since every man knows, that the love of a mother to her children, is hardly contained within the bounds of reason. Neither must you, my sons, when you come to be of judgement, blame me for writing to you, since Nature telleth me, that I cannot long be here to speak unto you, and this my mind will continue long after me in writing; and yet not my mind, but I seek to put you in mind of the words of our Saviour Christ, which saith, Labour not for the meat that perisheth, etc. 
joh. 6. 27  where you see, that the food of the soul is to be gotten by labour. Why stand you here (saith Christ?) 
Mat. 20. 6.  here is not time to be idle: they that will rest with Christ in heaven, must labour to follow him here on earth. Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord: for they rest from their labour. 
Reu. 14. 13  Thus you see, if you will go to the place, which Christ hath bought for you, you must labour to follow Christ: he laboured to get it for you, or else all your labour would have been as nothing; and now you must labour to lay hold on him, or else all your labour will be worth nothing. Many there be that labour the clean contrary way; for they leave Christ, and take hold of traditions: and a number loiter, and by that means never get hold on Christ. And this is the cause why I write unto you, that you might never fly from him with the one, nor yet loiter with the other, but that you might learn to follow him, and to take hold of him in the written Word of God, where you shall find him (as Christ himself witnesseth) and nowhere else. 
joh. 5. 35  Search the Scriptures, saith he, for they testify of me. Labour therefore, that you may come unto Christ.   

CHAP. 4. The second cause is, to stir them up to write.  
THe second cause, my sons, why I write unto you (for you may think that had I had but one cause, I would not have changed the usual order of women, is needful to be known, and may do much good. For where I saw the great mercy of God toward you, in making you men, and placing you amongst the wife, where you may learn the true written Word of God, which is the pathway to all happiness, and which will bring you to the chief City, new jerusalem, and the seven liberal sciences, whereby you shall have at least a superficial sight in all things: I thought it fit to give you good example, and by writing to entreat you, that when it shall please God to give both virtue and grace with your learning, he having made you men, that you may write and speak the Word of God without offending any, that then you would remember to write a book unto your children, of the right and true way to happiness, which may remain with them and theirs for ever.   

CHAP. 5. The third cause is to move women to be careful of their children.  
THe third is, to encourage women (who, I fear, will blush at my boldness) not to be ashamed to show their infirmities, but to give men the first and chief place: yet let us labour to come in the second; and because we must needs confess, that sin entered by us into our posterity, let us show how careful we are to seek to Christ to cast it out of us, and our posterity, and how fearful we are that our sin should sink any of them to the lowest part of the earth; wherefore let us call upon them to follow Christ, who will carry them to the height of heaven.   

CHAP. 6. The fourth cause is, to arm them against poverty.  
THe fourth cause is, to desire you, that you will never fear poverty, but always know, it is the state of the children of GOD to be poor in the world. Christ saith, Ye shall have the poor with you always. 
joh. 12.8.  It may be he hath appointed you or yours to be of this poor number: do not strive against Christ. It is as hard (saith he) for a rich man to enter into heaven, as for a Camel to go thorough the eye of a needle. 
Math. 19 24.  Saint james saith, Woe be to you that are rich. 
jam. 5.1.  S. Paul saith, The desire of money is the root of all evil. 
1. Tim. 6. 10.  Which if it be true, as it is not to be doubted of, and you fear poverty, then doth it necessarily follow, that you will desire the root of all evil, which is money, and so become good for nothing. The fear of poverty maketh men run into a thousand sins, which nothing else could draw them to: for many fearing the cold storms of poverty, which never last long, run on to the hot fire of hell, which never hath an end. This matter requireth many words, for it is hard to persuade the nature of man from the fear of poverty: wherefore I will speak more of that afterwards: only I now say, Fear not to be poor with Lazariu, but fear a thousand times to be rich with Dives.   

CHAP. 7. The fifth cause is, not to fear death.  
THe fifth cause is, to desire you never to fear death; for the fear of death hath made many to deny the known truth, and so have brought a heavy judgement of God upon themselves. A great reason, why you should not fear death is, because you can by no means shun it: you must needs endure it, and therefore it is meet that you should be always prepared for it, and never fear it. He that will save his life, 
Math. 16. 26.  saith Christ, shall lose it, and he that will lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, shall find it. Do not fear the pains of death, in what shape soever he come: for perhaps thou shalt have more pains upon thy bed, and be worse provided to bear them, by reason of some grievous sickness, than thou art like to feel, when God shall call thee forth to witness his truth. The only way not to fear death, is always to be provided to die. And that thou mayest always be provided to die, thou must be continually strengthening thy faith with the promises of the Gospel; 
joh. 11.25. 26.  as, He that liveth, and believeth, shall not die: and though he were dead, yet shall he live. 
Psal. 1. 2.  Meditate in the laws of the Lord day and night (as the Psalmist saith) and then thou shalt be fit to bring forth fruit in due season: then thou shalt be fit to serve God, thy King and country, both in thy life and in thy death, and always shalt show thyself a good member of JESUS Christ, a faithful subject to thy Prince, and always fit to govern in the Christian commonwealth: and then thou mayest faithfully and truly say: Whether I live or die, I am the Lords. 
Rom. 14.8.  But without continual meditation of the Word this cannot be done. And this was one of the chief causes why I writ unto you, to tell you that you must meditate in the Word of God; for many read it, and are never the better, for want of meditation. If ye hear the Word, and read it, without meditating thereon, it doth the soul no more good than meat and drink doth the body, being seen and felt, and never fed upon: for as the body will die although in see meat: even so will the soul, for all the hearing & reading of the word, if that ye do not meditate upon it, and gather faith, and strengthen it, and get hold of Christ; which if ye do, Christ will bring you to the kingdom of his Father; to which you can come by no means but by faith in him.   

CHAP. 8. The sixth cause is, to persuade them to teach their children.  
THe sixth reason is, to entreat and desire you, & in some sort to command you, that all your children, be they Males or Females, may in their youth learn to read the Bible in their own mother tongue; for I know, it is a great help to true godliness. And let none of you plead poverty against this; for I know, that if you be neither covetous, prodigal, nor idle, either of which sins will let no virtue grow where they come, that you need not fail in this: but if you will follow the commandment of the Lord, and labour six days, and keep the seventh holy to the Lord, and love him with all your heart, soul, and strength, you will not only be willing, but also able to see them all brought up to read the Bible. Solomon that was wise by the Spirit of God, said: 
Eccl. 12.1.  Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. And ye are also commanded, to write it upon the walls of your houses, and to teach it your children. 
Deut. 11. 19.20.  I know (saith God) that Abraham will teach his children, 
Gen. 18.19.  and his children's children to walk in thy commandments. Also I further desire you, because I wish all well, and would be glad you should do as much good as could be in the wilderness of this world, that if any shall at any time desire you to be a Witness to the baptizing of their child, that then you shall desire the person so desiring, to give you his faithful word, that the child shall be taught to read, so soon as it can conveniently learn, and that it shall so continue till it can read the Bible. If this will not be granted, you shall refuse to answer for the child; otherwise do not refuse to be a witness to any; for it is a good Christian duty. Moreover, forget not, whether you answer for the child or no, to pray, that the child baptised, may receive the holy Ghost, with all other children of the faithful, especially when you are where a child is baptised; for it is your duty to pray for the increase of the Church of God. Pray for the peace of jerusalem (saith the Psalmist) let them prosper that love thee. 
Psal. 122.6.    

CHAP. 9 The seventh cause is, that they should give their children good names.  
THE seventh cause is, to entreat you, that though I do not live to be a witness to the baptizing of any of your children, yet you would give me leave to give names to them all. For though I do not think any holiness to be in the name, but know that God hath his in every place, and of every name; yet I see in the Bible, it was observed by GOD himself, to give choice names to his children, which had some good signification. I think it good therefore, to name your children after the names of the Saints of God, which may be a means to put them in mind of some virtues which those Saints used; especially, when they shall read of them in the Bible: and seeing many are desirous to name both their own children and others after their own names, this will be a means to increase the names of the Saints in the Church, and so none shall have occasion to mislike his name, since he beareth the name of such a Saint, as hath left a witness to the world, that he lived and died in the true faith of JESUS Christ. The names I have chosen you, are these; Philip, Elizabeth, james, Anna, john and Susanna. The virtues of them that bore those names, and the causes why I chose them, I let pass, and only mean to write of the last name 
* The story of Susanna, though it be not canonical, nor to be equalled to those books that are, yet it may be true, and of good use, as many other histories written by men are.  Susan, famoused through the world for chastity; a virtue which always hath been, and is of great account, not only amongst the Christians and people of God, but even among the Heathen and Infidels: insomuch that some of them have written, that a woman that is truly chaste, is a great partaker of all other virtues; and chose, that the woman that is not truly chaste, hath no virtue in her. The which saying may well be warranted by the Scripture; for who so is truly chaste, is free from idleness and from all vain delights, full of humility, and all good Christian virtues: who so is chaste, is not given to pride in apparel, nor any vanity, but is always either reading, meditating, or practising some good thing which she hath learned in the Scripture. But she which is unchaste, is given to be idle; or if she do any thing, it is for a vain glory, and for the praise of men, more than for any humble, loving and obedient heart, that she beareth unto God and his Word: who said, Six days thou shalt labour; 
Exod. 20. 9  and so left no time for idleness, pride, or vanity; for in none of these is there any holiness. The unchaste woman is proud, and always decking herself with vanity, and delights to hear the vain words of men, in which there is not only vanity, but also so much wickedness, that the vain words of men, and women's vainness in hearing them, hath brought many women to much sorrow and vexation; as woeful experience hath, and will make many of them confess. But some will say, Had they only lent an ear to their words they had done well enough. To answer which, I would have every one know, that one sin begetteth another. The vain words of the man, and the idle cares of the woman, beget unchaste thoughts oftentimes in the one, which may bring forth much wickedness in them both.  

Gen. 3. 12.  Man said once, The woman which thou gavest me, beguiled me, and I did eat. But we women may now say, that men lie in wait every where to deceive us, as the Elders did to deceive Susanna. Wherefore let us be, as she was, chaest, watchful, and wary, keeping company with maids. Once judas betrayed his Master with a kiss, & repented it: but now men like judas, betray their Mistresses with a kiss &, repent it not: but laugh and rejoice, that they have brought sin and shame to her that trusted them. The only way to avoid all which, is to be chaste with Susanna, and being women, to embrace that virtue, which being placed in a woman, is most commendable.  
An unchaste woman destroyeth both the body and the soul of him, she seemeth most to love, and it is almost impossible to set down the mischiefs, which have come through unchaste women. Solomon saith, that her steps lead to hell. 
Prou. 2.18  Wherefore bring up your daughters, as Susanna's Parents brought up her: teach them the law of the Lord continually, and always persuade them to embrace this virtue of chastity.  
It may be, that some of you will marvel, since I set down names for the imitation of their virtues, that bore them; why I placed not Mary in the first place, a woman virtuous above all other women. My reason was this, because I presumed, that there was no woman so senseless, as not to look what a blessing God hath sent to us women through that gracious Virgin, by whom it pleased GOD to take away the shame, which EVE our Grandmother had brought us to: For before, men might say, The woman beguiled me, and I did eat the poisoned fruit of disobedience, and I die. But now man may say, if he say truly, The woman brought me a Saviour, and I feed of him by faith and live. Here is this great and woeful shame taken from women by God, working in a woman: man can claim no part in it: the shame is taken from us, and from our posterity for ever: The seed of the woman hath taken down the Serpent's head; 
Gen. 3.15.  and now whosoever can take hold of the seed of the woman by faith, shall surely live for ever. And therefore all generations shall say, that she was blessed, who brought us a Saviour, the fruit of obedience, that whosoever feedeth of, shall live forever: and except they feed of the seed of the woman, they have no life. Will not therefore all women seek out this great grace of God, 
joh. 6. 53  that by Mary hath taken away the shame, which before was due unto us ever since the fall of man?  
Marry was filled with the Holy Ghost, and with all goodness, and yet is called the blessed Virgin: as if our God should (as he doth indeed) in brief comprehend all other virtues under this one virtue of chastity: wherefore I desire, that all women, what name so ever they bear, woule learn of this blessed Virgin to be chaste: for though she were more replenished with grace then any other, and more freely beloved of the Lord, yet the greatest title that she had, was, that she was a blessed and pure Virgin; which is a great cause to move all women, whether they be maids or wives (both which estates she honoured) to live chastened, to whom for this cause God hath given a cold and temperate disposition, & bound them with these words; Thy desire shall be subject to thy husband. 
Gen. 3.6.  As if God in mercy to women should say; You of yourselves shall have no desires, only they shall be subject to your husbands: which hath been verified in Heathen women, so as it is almost incredible to be believed: for many of them before they would be defiled, have been careless of their lives, and so have endured all those torments, that men would devise to inflict upon them, rather than they would lose the name of a modest maid, or a chaste Matron. Yea, and so far they have been from consenting to any immodesty, that if at any time they have been ravished, they have either made away themselves, or at least have separated themselves from company, not thinking themselves worthy of any society, after they have once been deflowered, though against their wills. Wherefore the woman that is infected with the sin of uncleanness, is worse than a beast, because it desireth but for nature, and she, to satisfy her corrupt lusts.  
Some of the Fathers have written, that it is not enough for a woman to be chaste, but even so to behave herself, that no man may think or deem her to be unchaste. We read, that in the Primitive Church, when there were wars between the Christians and the Pagans, if at any time the Pagans had gotten the victory, that then they would seek to deflower the Virgins: to the which sin before the Christians would yield, they would continually lay violent hands upon themselves; in so much that the Doctors of the Church were oftentimes constrained to make divers Sermons and Orations to them, to dissuade them from that cruelty, which they inflicted upon themselves, rather than they would suffer themselves to be deflowered: such a disgrace did they think it, to have but one spot of uncleanness, and yet none of these were so holy as this Mary, this pure and undefiled Virgin.  
Some godly and reverend men of the Church have gathered this, that there were five women of great virtue in the time of the Law, the first letters of whose names do make her whole name to show, that she had all their virtues wholly combined in her, as namely; 

Michal,  
Abigail,  
Rachel,  
judith, &  
Anna,    

1. Sam. 19 12.  She was as faithful to her husband, as Michal, who saved her husband David from the fury of Saul, although he were her father and her King, not preferring her own life before the safety of her husband. 
1. Sam. 25. 3.  She was as wise as Abigail, who is highly commended for her wisdom: amiable in the sight of her husband, as Rachel: 
Gen. 29.17  stout and magnanimous in the time of trouble, as judith: patient and zealous in prayer, 
1. Sam. 1. 10.11.  as Anna. Seeing then, that by this one name, so many virtues are called to remembrance, I think it meet, that good names be given to all women, that they might call to mind the virtues of those women whose names they bear: but especially above all other moral Virtues, let women be persuaded by this discourse, to embrace chastity, without which we are mere beasts, and no women.   

CHAP. 10. Reasons of giving good names to Children.  
IF ye shall think me too tedious about the naming your children, I tell you, that I have some reason for it; and the first is this, to make them read in the Bible the things which are written of those Saints, and learn to imitate their virtues. Secondly, because many have made a God of the virgin Marie, the Scripture warranting no such thing, and have prayed to her, (though there they shall find that she was a woman, yea, and a comfort to all women, for she hath taken away the reproach, which of right belonged unto us, and by the seed of the woman we are all saved) it was therefore fit I should speak largely of that name. Thirdly, seeing many have heretofore, and now do make Images of Saints, to put them in mind of the Saints, and so by little and little have at last worshipped the works of their own hands, and for fear of forgetting the Saints, have forgotten the second Commandments; I thought it better to have you remember them, by bearing their names, and by reading what they taught us in the Scripture, and how they led their lives, then by looking upon a painted piece of Paper, or a carved stone. And this by the way may be marveled at, that they which love to worship Images, never love to name their Children after the names of the Saints; for if they had so done, by this time we should have had no other names but Matthew, Mark, Luke, john, Timothy, and such as followed Christ faithfully. Then Moses and his mildness would be more talked of: Samuel and his obedience would be more sought after: Abraham and his faithfulness, would be more followed. Lastly, this I will tell you, that there is no man but will be ashamed to do any thing, which shall disgrace the good name, after which is called; as if one should say, Is this a Moses? Is this an Elias, and have such qualities as these?   

CHAP. 11. Children to be taught betimes, and brought up gently.  
I Am further also to entreat you, that all your Children may be taught to read, beginning at four years old or before, and let them learn till ten, in which time they are not able to do any good in the Commonwealth, but to learn how to serve God, their King & Country by reading. And I desire, entreat, and earnestly beseech you, and every one of you, that you will have your Children brought up with much gentleness and patience. What disposition so ever they be of, gentleness will soon bring them to virtue; for frowardness and cursedness doth harden the heart of a child, and maketh him weary of virtue. Among the froward thou shalt learn frowardness: let them therefore be gently used, and always kept from idleness, and bring them up in the Schools of learning, if you be able, and they fit for it. If they will not be Scholars, yet I hope they will be able by God's grace to read the Bible, the law of God, and to be brought to some good vocation or calling of life. Solomon saith, 
Pro. 22.6.  Teach a child in his youth the trade of his life, and he will not forget it, nor depart from it when he is old.   

CHAP. 12. Choice of Wives.  
NOw for your wives the Lord direct you; for I cannot tell you, what is best to be done. Our Lord saith; First seek the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all things else shall be ministered unto you. First, you must seek a godly wife, that she may be a help to you in godliness: for God said, It is not good for man to be alone, let him have a helper meet for him; 
Gen. 2.18.  and she cannot be meet for him, except she be truly godly; for God counteth that the man is alone still, if his wife be not godly. If I should write unto you how many the Scripture maketh mention of, that have been drawn to sin, because they married ungodly wives, it would be tedious for you to read.  

Gen. 6.2.3  The world was drowned, because men married ungodly wives. 
1. King. 11.4.  Solomon, who was not only the wisest man that ever was, but was also mightily endued with the Spirit of God, by marrying idolatrous women, fell for the time to idolatry. Never think to stand, where Solomon fell. I pray God that neither you, nor any of yours may at any time marry with any of those, which hold such superstitions, as they did, or as some do now; as namely, to pray to Saints, to pray in Latin, to pray to go to purgatory, etc. Let no riches or money bring your posterity to this kind of tradition. The beloved Apostle of Christ saith: 
1. joh. 2. 15.  Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world: for he knew well that a little that a man loveth not, would suffice him: a little with a godly woman is better than great riches with the wicked. Rebecca saith, I shall be weary of my life, if jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth; as if she should say, If my Son marry an ungodly wife, than all my comfort of him and his is gone, and it will be a continual grief to me, to see him in league and friendship amongst the wicked. If such a shame and sin cometh upon my Son, as can by no means be helped, nor I by no means comforted, what availeth me then to live?  

2. Cor. 6. 14.  Be not unequally yoked (saith the holy Ghost.) It is indeed very unequal, for the godly and ungodly to be united together, that their hearts must be both as one, which can never be joined in the fear of God & faith of Christ. Love not the ungodly: marry with none, except you love her, and be not changeable in your love; let nothing, after you have made your choice, remove your love from her; for it is an ungodly and very foolish thing of a man to mislike his own choice, especially since God hath given a man much choice among the godly; and it was a great cause that moved God to command his to Marry with the godly, that there might be a continual agreement between them.   

CHAP. 13. It is great folly for a man to mislike his own choice.  
Me thinks I never saw a man show a more senseless simplicity, then in misliking his own choice, when God hath given a man almost a world of women to choose him a wife in. If a man hath not wit enough to choose him one, whom he can love to the end, yet me thinks he should have discretion to cover his own folly; but if he want discretion, me thinks he should have policy, which never fails a man to dissemble his own simplicity in this case. If he want wit, discretion and policy, he is unfit to marry any woman. Do not a woman that wrong, as to take her from her friends that love her, and after a while to begin to hate her. If she have no friends, yet thou knowest not, but that she may have a husband, that may love her. If thou canst not love her to the end, leave her to him that can. Me thinks, my son could not offend me in any thing, if he served God, except he chose a wife that he could not love to the end: I need not say, if he served God; for if he served God, he would obey God, and then he would choose a godly wife, and live lovingly and godlily with her, and not do as some man, who taketh a woman to make her a companion and fellow, and after he hath her, he makes her a servant and drudge. If she be thy wife, she is always too good to be thy servant, and worthy to be thy fellow. If thou wilt have a good wife, thou must go before her in all goodness, and show her a pattern of all good virtues by thy godly and discreet life: and especially in patience, according to the counsel of the holy Ghost: 
1. Pet. 3.7.  Bear with the woman, as with the weaker vessel. here God showeth that it is her imperfection that honoureth thee, and that it is thy perfection that maketh thee to bear with her; follow the counsel of God therefore, and bear with her. God willed a man to leave Father & Mother for his wife. 
Gen. 2.24.  This showeth what can excellent love God did appoint to be between man and wife. In truth I cannot by any means set down the excellency of that love: but this I assure you, that if you get wives that be godly and you love them, you shall not need to forsake me; whereas if you have wives that you love not, I am sure I will forsake you. Do not yourselves that wrong, as to marry a woman that you cannot love: show not so much childishness in your sex, as to say, you loved her once, and now your mind is changed: if thou canst not love her for the goodness that is in her, yet let the grace that is in thyself move thee to do it; and so I leave thee to the Lord, whom I pray to guide both thee and her with his grace, and grount that you may choose godlily, and live happily, and die comfortably, through faith in JESUS Christ.   

CHAP. 14. How to deal with servants.  
YEt one thing I am to desire you to do at my request, and for my sake: and though it be some trouble to you to perform it, yet I assure myself you will do it. If God shall at any time give you or any of you a servant or servants, you shall ask them, if they can read. If they cannot, you shall at my request teach them, or cause them to be taught, till they can read the ten Commandments of almighty God: And then you shall persuade them to practise by themselves, and to spend all their idle time in reading, that so they may come the better to know the will of God written in his Word. Remember, your servants are Gods servants as well as yours: if they be not, say as David said: 
Psa. 101.7.  There shall not an ungodly person dwell in my house, he that loveth or maketh lies, shall depart out of my sight.  
It is not for you, by any means, to keep any ungodly, profane, or wicked person in your house; for they bring a curse upon the place wherein they are, and not a blessing, neither will they be taught any goodness: but you must keep those that be tractable and willing to serve God, that he may bless you and your household. For, God doth not delight in that Master, that will suffer his servant to blaspheme his name, or to misspend his Sabbaoths: for God commanded the master, 
Ex. 20.10.  that he should see his servants to keep holy the Sabbaoth day; and if he keep that day holy, he will learn to spend all the other days in the week well, in following the duties of his calling. I pray you keep the servants of God, and then remember they are your brethren: use them well, and be as ready to do them good, as to have their service. Be not chiding for every trifle; for that will hinder good living, and nothing enrich you. Be careful that they be godly; 
1. Tim. 4.8 1. Tim. 6. 6.7.8.  for Godliness hath the promise of this present life and of the life to come: godliness is great riches, if a man be contented with that he hath: for we brought nothing with us into this world, neither shall we carry any thing out of the world, if we have food and raiment, let us therewith be contented.   

CHAP. 15. Patience is necessary for Governors of families.  
Live godlily and patiently in your house: if you cannot be patient, never think to live godlily; for if Satan see you of a froward mind, he will soon find matter enough to set you on work. Pray faithfully with your servants twice a day, and live so godlily, that you may be an example to them to follow you. Pray often privately, faithfully, and zealously unto GOD, in the name of Christ, so as may be well warranted by his Word; for that is a true mark of the child of God. 
Matt. 22.14.  Many hear the Word, as our Saviour witnesseth, but few follow it. Many pray openly as the pharisees did, 
Mat. 6.16.  to be seen of men; but Christ saith, they have their reward. This was not because Christ misliked public prayer, but because he saw their hearts, and so knew that they prayed more to be seen of men, then for any true faith they had in him. Christ saith, 
Mat. 18.20.  When two or three be gathered together in my name, I will be with them. And this merciful promise is enough to make any man pray: for though he do it very weakly and coldly; yet he showeth his humility and obedience to God; and confesseth his own weakness, and calleth to God for his assistance and grace to serve him. One is also helped by the prayer of another; and the weaker is made partaker of the prayers of the stronger; for Christ taught us to pray one for another, 
Mat. 6.12.  Forgive us our trespasses. When Christ saith, If two or three be gathered together in my name, I will be with them; he doth not say, With some of them, but I will be with them, that is, with all of them that are joined together in my name. Though some be weaker, and some be stronger, yet they all show their obedient hearts, and God will accept them in Christ. And this is a great means to stir up their hearts to prayer; for it is the hardest thing that is, for any man to perform rightly, truly, and faithfully.   

CHAP. 16. Means to further private prayer.  
NOw all things are to be used, that are means to stir us up to private prayer, and all things are to be shunned, that hinder us from it. Those things that may further us to it, are hearing the Word, reading it, praying publicly, and being in company with others when they pray; for all these help to increase and strengthen faith, and without faith it is impossible to pray aright, either publicly or privately, or to take hold of the promises of God in Christ, believing that our prayers shall be accepted and granted, so far forth as shall be to God's glory and our good: and the true servant of God will never desire more, than he knoweth by faith in Christ (which he hath learned by the promises of the Gospel) that he shall have.   

CHAP. 17. Le's.  
THere be many things that will hinder both man and woman from this duty. The devil will do what he can to hinder us: the world is our hindrance continually: and a man's own friends are oftentimes hindrances too: yea, a man's own nature will never be willing to talk with God; for by nature we run away from him with Adam, and rather hide ourselves with figge-leaves, and excuses, then come to God and fall down before him on our faces, confess our sins, acknowledge our unworthiness, crave pardon for Christ's sake of God, for all of our transgressions. Yet Adam had more cause to run away, than we have, and we have more cause a great deal to come to God, than he had; for he knew not then that God would call him back again, and give him his pardon in Christ, who should tread down the head of the Serpent, which beguiled him: but we know that GOD hath called Adam and all his posterity, & given them pardon in Christ, if they will come and ask it in faith and repentance. He therefore that doth not often and privately fall down and humble himself before God, and confess his own sins, craving pardon in Christ, & by faith applying the promises of God to himself, hath great cause to fear, that his heart is not true and right before God. And therefore if thou canst not pray privately, or feelest thyself cold in prayer, for to help thyself, thus thou shalt do.   

CHAP. 17. Helps against the former lets.  
EVery morning, so soon as thou canst, (for the sooner, the better) before the world get hold on thee, either with profit or pleasure (for these are the devils baits) or before thou feedest thy body (for the body is a great deal more subject to the Spirit, when it is not pampered nor fed at it own will) than I say, go into some private place, and fall down on thy face, as the Publican did, and see thyself a far off, and say, 
Luke. 18. 13.  God be merciful to me a sinner. O Lord, I acknowledge that I cannot pray: pardon me, dear Father, for jesus Christ's sake, and quicken me with thy holy Spirit; give me faith to call upon thee; and I beseech thee graciously to remember thy promise, which sayeth, 
Mat. 11.28  Come unto me, all ye that labour, and be heavy laden, and I will ease you. Oh Lord, I am loaden with my sins, and against all reason they keep me from seeking pardon for them, and grace to shun them. Good Father, for Christ's sake, remove my sins far from me, and give me faith in thy Son, which may assure me, that thou dost accept of me, as of thy servant in him. And though I be most unworthy in myself, yet by thy promises in Christ, which shall never fail, I pray thee accept me.  
Furthermore, for the better stirring thee up to pray, read some Chapter of the Testament, as namely, the 6. of Matthew, or some other, wherein thou mayest hear the promises of GOD in Christ, to strengthen thy faith. Take heed of idleness and slothfulness, which is a great hindrance. I know that all sins are hindrances to prayer, but idleness, and following the world, either for profit or pleasure, are wonderful mighty ones.   

CHAP. 18. To pray often.  
Never make account of thyself as a diligent servant of God, if thou dost not twice a day (at the least) come privately to God and acknowledge thy infimities, and confess that thou canst not pray, and desire GOD to give thee grace to do it faithfully. When thou feelest a motion to pray, do not overslip it for any cause in the world; for thou knowest not what graces or blessings GOD means to bestow upon thee at that time; for it is the Spirit of God calling thee; and therefore find no delays, but go; for the nature of man, of itself will never be stirred to private prayer: But howsoever thou dost, be thou Master, or be thou servant, be thou at home, abroad, or in what condition or place soever thou be, do not sleep at night, till thou hast humbled thyself before God on thy knees in prayer; for night is a time when the world leaves a man (as it were) for a while, and when the world leaves him, the devil hath not so much power over him; for the world is a great Instrument for the devil to work by. Therefore when the world is asleep (as it were) the devils power is weakened, and then be sure thou prayest to God to deliver thee from the devil, and from the world. The world is like Pharaoh, which by no means would suffer the children of Israel to go to serve the Lord; so doth the world, if it know that thou goest to serve God, it will bring thee back again, if it be possible: and therefore it is best to pray privately, though thou do it but weakly; for within a while this weak prayer will strengthen greatly thy faith. Pray when the world is asleep, for assoon as it is awake, it will cry and call on thee (as Pharaoh did on the Israelites) to attend it: it will bring thee more work still, as he did to them. And as that Tyrant told the Israelites, that they should go and serve their God; but when the time came, he would not let them, but still found employment for them; even so will the world do by any that will believe it; it will promise, At such a time thou shalt go serve God; and, When such a thing is done, thou shalt go pray; but when the time cometh, it will find more work for him still, and will not let him go. Pharaoh is the very figure of the devil, and the devil calleth himself the god of this world. And if the devil hath to do with this world, as no doubt but he hath, than it is certain, that the world will never give us leave to serve God. Our own nature is as the nature of the Israelites; for they had rather have tarried with Pharaoh, who was the very image of the devil, 
Num. 11.5  and have been his slaves still, then to have gone thorough the red-sea, and the wilderness, to the promised land of Canaan, which was the figure of heaven: and even so had we rather be slaves and drudges to the world, which will take all from us, and cast us to the Devil (as Pharaoh would have done by the children of Israel) than we will leave the world and all his baits, and go to our God every day, and humble ourselves at his foot, and confess ourselves to be weak in faith, and acknowledge our frailty, and call earnestly for the help of God to overcome the world for us, and to strengthen us by his power against the devil, the world, and our own frailty, and wicked fleshly lusts; and yet, except we do call continually to God for his grace and help, we can no more overcome these, than the children of Israel could overcome Pharaoh, or go thorough the red sea without drowning: for it was God that overcame Pharaoh for them, and also all their enemies, & delivered them out of the red sea: and so it must be God that must overcome the Devil and all thy enemies in the world, and deliver thee, that thou sink not in the sea of thy own sins.   

CHAP. 20. Not to neglect private Prayer.  
WHerefore I desire you, and every one of yours to the world's end, that whatsoever service of God you omit, you do not neglect private prayer; for many may hear the Word of God, as Adam did, and disobey it presently after: & some hear the Word of of God, as Adam did after his fall, and had rather be further off as he had then. But private prayer is, to offer thyself and thy service to God, confessing thy own imperfections, and to call to God for his assistance. Now when a sinner by himself calleth his own ways to remembrance, and confesseth his particular sins, than he seeth what sin his own nature is most subject unto, and prayeth earnestly against that sin, wherewith he is most infected, and confesseth his own weakness, and wondereth at himself that he is not able to overcome that one sin, as well as some other sins of as great force. The reason is this, the nature of man is wholly corrupted with sin, and is good for nothing; as the earth is fit to bring forth nothing but weeds, except it be digged and dressed, and continually laboured and weeded: yet one weed or other will grow in some part of the earth by nature, which will not grow in another part, though it besowne there; but some other weed will grow there, that is as ill, and one weed overgrowing the ground, is able to make it unprofitable for any thing: so one sin will rule where another will not, and that one overrunning thee, is able to make thee an unprofitable member of the Church: therefore thou must labour by private prayer to overcome it.   

CHAP. 21. Men become worse for want of using good means.  
Moreover, as a garden, if it be twenty years kept with digging, watering, and weeding, and then be let but two years alone, it will become unprofitable, savage, and of no respect; even so, if thou dost in thy youth, or many years use private prayer, and hearing of the Word preached, and public prayer and fasting, & all good means to keep thy earthly body in subjection; yet if thou becomest negligent and careless but a while, it will soon become savage and wild, and consequently an unprofitable member of Christ his Church, or rather manifest thyself to be no member, as the earth will be no garden; and therefore you must have a continual care of yourselves. It is not for a small matter that you must have this care, but for a great & a most glorious kingdom, which lasteth for ever, where thou shalt enjoy the sweet and loving presence of almighty God, and be a a member of jesus Christ in the Kingdom of heaven for ever, world without end. Then neither Satan, nor the world, nor thy own flesh shall be able one minute to trouble thee, if through faith in Christ, by continual prayer, thou once gettest thither. Neither is it to shun a little danger, that you must be thus watchful and wary of yourselves, as was drowning in the red sea, which was a figure of hell: but it is to avoid burning in hell's torments for ever and ever, and being joined to the devil and all his wicked spirits for ever, there to be tormented, and never have rest. And this will be more than a thousand millions of pains, to those that shall enter into these torments, to think that God hath offered so merciful a means, as to send his own Son to endure those pains for them, that they might never have felt them, and sent them his Word, and willed them to follow that; and that should teach them to follow Christ, and Christ should bring them to heaven: and if that the devil, the world and the flesh, did lay blocks in their ways more than they could remove, that then they should call upon him, & he should help them over, and make the way in time more plain and easy for them; and yet they would not take a little pains here, to keep them from endless pains of hell-fire. Oh, how will they be tormented, when they know that there never will be an end of their perpetual misery? What would they not give? (nay, they have nothing to give; for the world hath deceived them, and hath taken all things from them) but what pains would they not take to follow our Saviour now, if they might? pains? nay they would think it a great pleasure, and wonder greatly at themselves, that they ever could think it pains; when indeed it is the most pleasant, and most comfortable, the most profitable, and most delightful, yea, and the most contenting thing in the world.   

CHAP. 22. To lay hold on Christ, is the best thing in the world.  
IT is the most pleasing thing, because it brings so sweet contentment to the soul, mind, and conscience of man, that nothing can offend it. It is the most comfortable thing, in regard it so comforteth and strengtheneth the heart, that nothing can grieve it. It is most profitable, for it getteth an everlasting kingdom to those that use it. It is most delightful, for it bringeth joy to the whole man. It is most contenting, for no cross in the world can discontent it; when as the world on the contrary side are never content, never quiet, never feel joy in their hearts. Though they laugh, 
Es. 48.22.  their hearts are not quiet; for there is no peace to the ungodly. And this is the cause that they seek so much for pastime, and sit up in the night swilling and drinking, until they feel sleep call them to bed, and then they lie down like bruit beasts, never regarding the misspending of their time, nor calling for grace to spend the rest of their days better. And yet for all this, in the dark they often feel discontent in their minds, because they do follow the devil that wicked serpent, which will torment them, and he begins to torment here, and yet they will serve him. On the contrary, those that serve God, and follow Christ, and every night reconcile themselves unto him, and confess their own weakness, and pray Christ their Saviour to defend them that night and evermore, they feel much comfort in their hearts; for Christ begins the comfort here. I laid me down in peace and rose again (saith David) and the Lord sustained me. 
Psa. 3. 5.  So they which serve God, and follow Christ, are in peace; for the Lord sustaineth them.   

CHAP. 23. What need there is to speak much of Christ.  
IT may be you marvel my Sons, why I write so much of Christ. Marvel not why I write, for I wonder, that every one which hath heard of him, doth not write what Christ hath done for us. For was it not a great wonder, that the only begotten Son of God should come down from heaven, and take our flesh upon him, and keep it without sin, and suffer himself to be buffeted, and also to have his face spit in, and to be most spitefully crowned with a crown of thorns? And being with out sin, he bore all our sins upon him, and having never offended God, he bore all the wrath of God, and endured the pains of hell for us, which was due unto us for our sins, and he hath overcome sin, death and hell for us; and ascended into heaven to prepare us a place there; & yet he left us not thus, but he left his Will and Testament, to direct us the right way how to come unto him; and yet he did more for us then this; for he taught us in his Word, how we should know when we were out of the way, and how we should return into the right way again. And yet he did more for us then this, he promised that he would be with us unto the world's end, 
Mat. 28.26.  and whensoever we wanted his help, do but call upon him, and he would help us. And yet he did more for us, he sent preachers to call upon us, and put us in remembrance of these benefits, and to direct us the right way to heaven to himself. And what promises he hath made to us to entice and draw us to come unto him, and what threatenings and warn he hath given us to shun hell, it is impossible for me and all the Writers in the world to write. Saint john saith, 
john 21. 25.  If all things which Christ did were written, the world would not contain the Books. But I am sure if all the Writers in the world, had written what Christ hath done for us, they could not sufficiently declare it. If all the sea were ink, and all the iron in the world were pens, and all the creatures writers, they could never declare the great benefits, the great blessings, and the great mercies given unto us in Christ jesus our Lord & Saviour. What is man without Christ, more than a firebrand of hell? and what an excellent creature a man is in Christ, can hardly be expressed; and yet there are many that are angry, because there are so many books. Reading good books worketh a man's heart to godliness; for even as the fire warmeth the wax and maketh it fit to receive a good fashion; even so good books, written of the mercies of God in Christ, are the way to Christ, and teach us how to shun the way that leads from Christ. But because I would have you writers of the mercies of God in Christ, I will tell you what good writing of books doth. It maketh the the way to Christ easy to those that desire to go in it. And I will tell you who are they that are angry with writing of books: they are such as are ignorant, and the more ignorant they are the more angry: they are those that love the world so well, that they cannot find leisure to read books. Saint john saith, Love not the world nor the things that are in the world: for the love of the world is an enmity to God. And here you see that they are enemies to God; for they love not to have him so much written of. And they that love not many books, love not many Sermons, neither do they care so much to know what Christ hath done for them, and how they should follow Christ: they are stalled with it: they love the earth, they can talk of it year after year, and they are never weary. In truth, it would weary a heavenly minded Christian, to hear an earthly-minded man how continually he will talk of the earth and earthly things; the very time that he is in the Church, he can hardly hold his peace from talking of some earthly thing or other, and the whole Sabbath which God sanctified, and rested himself, and in mercy to him commanded him to rest, that will never rest from these earthly and transitory things, for heavenly rest he never respecteth. Truly I think he meaneth to make himself sure of hell hereafter: for Christ saith, He that loveth the world, is an enemy to GOD, And he that is an enemy to God, can never come to be an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, except he return, and reconcile himself to God through Christ: and he cannot be thus reconciled, except he leave his earthly affections and attend upon Christ: for God loveth none but those, whom he seeth waiting and attending upon his Son; & then the Almighty God accepteth him as his son, and bids him call him Father, and whatsoever he needs, he is ready to furnish and relieve him withal: but if he be obstinate, and will not attend upon Christ, but attends his own business and worldly affairs, GOD never respecteth him, how many friends soever he hath in the world, nor how mighty soever they are, and then are his riches and his friends nothing worth, neither can they do him the least good as can be thought of. Now he that loves not writing of books, nor hearing of Sermons, he hath little leisure, and less desire to pray this I assure you is true, and his own conscience will tell him so much, let him examine it when he will; for Sermons, and reading good books, are the only means to bring a man to prayer, and prayer is the only means to help us to the mercies of God in Christ; for if we hear Sermons, and do not pray earnestly to GOD, for jesus Christ's sake, to send the holy Ghost to enlighten our understanding, and to sanctify our hearts, and follow that which we hear, we are never the better; for many hear and understand not, and many understand and follow it not: but there is none that prayeth faithfully to understand, and for grace to follow it, that obtaineth not, if he continue in true prayer. The holy Ghost saith, 
1. Thes. 5. 17.18.  Pray always, and in all things be thankful, and the promise is made, Ask and ye shall have: 
Mat. 7.7.  that is, whatsoever you go about, pray to God to bless it, and thank God in prosperity and adversity, or howsoever it pleaseth God to deal with you; for it cometh by his providence, & therefore be thankful to God, what cross soever it pleaseth him to lay upon thee. Do not as they which rage and swear at the loss of a few earthly things; but thank God again and again, that it is no worse. If it be but for the loss of some earthly thing, it cannot be ill for the child of God; for job never honoured God so much, nor did so much good in the Church of God, while he was rich, as when he was poor; for when he was rich, the devil himself told God, that job served him not for nothing. 
job. 1.9.  As if he should say, Thou hast given him many blessings, if he should not be thankful, it were a marvel.   

CHAP. 24. The unthankfulness of rich men, a great sin.  
OH, this will be a witness against many rich men, which receive many great blessings, and yet they be unthankful: for the devil thought, that he which received gifts and blessings, could not choose but be thankful: and yet when job was rich, he never did God so much honour nor service in his Church, as when his goods were gone: for before, he was a rich man, and lived well, and gave something to the poor: what should he have done with his goods else? & so did many more besides him. But when all his goods were taken away, he did not as worldly men do, he did not say, I am bewitched; or, it is the negligence of my servants; but he said, 
job 1.9.  The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh, and as it pleaseth the Lord, so it cometh to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord, And thus he became thankful for his losses. This is a thing that every one cannot do: and he was so patient and thankful, what crosses soever it pleased God to lay upon him, that he glorified God in his obedience, and showed that he loved God, and that his love was not set on this worldly wealth. So he might have God without the world, he cared not, he was none of those that must needs have God and the world together, or else they will none; but he was one that left an example to the whole Church of God to be thankful and patient.   

CHAP. 25. How to read with profit.  
I Pray read the story of job, and not only read, but gather some fruit out of it, and ever when you begin to read any part of the scripture, lift up your hearts, souls and minds unto God, and pray privately or publicly; but of private prayer never fail, and desire God for Christ's sake to enlighten your understandings, to sanctify your hearts, and to make them fit to receive the good seed of his word, and to give you grace to bring forth fruit to God's glory: for Christ saith, 
joh. 15.8.  In this is my father glorified, that you bring forth much fruit, and be made my Disciples. And again he sayeth, 
Mat. 5.16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven: Here you may see you must glorify God, and you must leave an example to the Church, that you serve and love God: this did job, and I pray God, for Christ's sake that you may do the like; and that you may do it, you must pray to God continually, yea and in private for his grace and assistance.   

CHAP. 26. The pre-eminence of private prayer.  
THis is the most excellent virtue and happiness, that belongeth to private prayer, no man by any means can deprive a man of it. Some have had their Bible's taken away, that they could not read: Preachers have been banished, that could not hear: they have been separated from company, that they could not have public prayer, yet private prayer went with them: thereby they talked with God, and made all their miseries known unto him, and craved his assistance in all their troubles. And this is the greatest comfort that all good Christians have, that no man can bar them from private conference with God. Then take heed you do not bar yourselves from it, since none else can do it, and you know not what need you shall have of it, nor what accident may happen to you in your lives, nor what need you shall have of it in the hour of death. Therefore if you would always have it, you must always use it, and then you shall see what profit will come by it, and then you will be humbly, faithfully, & familiarly acquainted with God.   

CHAP. 27. The benefit of acquaintance with God.  
OH heavenly and happy acquaintance! for the longer thou usest it, the stronger will be thy faith, the humbler thy heart, the earnester thy zeal, & the holier thy life; and this makes God accept you in Christ, and then thou art he that Christ speaketh unto; when he saith, 
joh. 16.23  Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Thy faith will be the stronger, because thou shalt see, that God heareth thy prayers, and granteth thy request. The more humble will thy heart be, because thou seest thine own misery and corruption, and that all grace and goodness comes to thee from God: and this will make thee more earnest and zealous in prayer; and thy earnest and faithful prayer will move God, according to his promise, to give thee grace and faith; for the Apostles prayed and said, 
Luk. 6.25.  Lord increase our faith. And this grace and faith will work in thee holiness of life, and then shalt thou be able to fulfil Christ's saying, 
Mat. 5.16.  Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.   

CHAP. 28. How long we have need of private prayer.  
NOw that you and every one of you shall have need of private prayer, from the very beginning of your life, to the very last hour of your days, my own experience teacheth me: and the word of God a true witness, affirmeth that we are wholly corrupted by the fall of Adam with sin, and therefore continually we ought to suspect ourselves, and to call upon God without ceasing, for his help, grace, and assistance in all our actions: for we know that our own flesh is our own enemy, and that it is made of the earth, and is so heavy and earthly-minded, that it can never seek for heavenly things, without the especial grace of God; and the devil hath made an entrance into this earthly body, by reason that our own parents Adam and Eve, did take of the fruit of disobedience at his hands, and did eat at his appointment: so that now he claimeth such an interest in us, that none but Christ can keep him out: and therefore we have no way, but to call continually on the name of God in Christ, to assist us with his gracious spirit, which will keep away the devil, overcome the world, and conquer our own flesh for us.   

CHAP. 29. Who pray privately.  
THis is certain, that there are none godly, but those that pray privately and truly to God according to his word; and there is no ungodly person, no swearer, no profaner of the sabbaoth, no drunkard, no adulterer, no covetous person, no profane person, nor none that is of a false religion, not warranted by the word of God, that doth pray privately, truly, and faithfully. By these considerations you shall find out the true marks of the children of God; for the wicked can hear the word, read, come into public assemblies of prayer: the hypocrite will talk of faith, as if he had come presently from heaven; but to go into a private place, and lay open his heart before God, confess his own imperfections, and pray that he may not be an hypocrite, he is far enough from it. The swearer, the adulterer, the covetous, the idolater, nor no unclean person dare come to God in the name of Christ except they leave their wicked ways; and without they bring Christ with them they cannot come to God; and Christ delighteth not to go with those that are continually breakers of his father's commandments: for Christ himself telleth them, 
Math. 5.19  that he that keepeth the commandments, and teacheth men so to do, he shall be great in the kingdom of heaven: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God, 
Psa. 50.23  saith God by the Psalmist. Moreover Christ saith, 
Mat. 16 24  He that will follow me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. As if he should say, I am gone to heaven, and if you mean to follow me thither, you must forsake yourselves. I know this will be a cross unto you, but you must take it up and follow me, or else you may not come there.   

CHAP. 30. The way to rule our corruptions.  
Again, when the children of God, who would fain be with their father, see that they cannot rule their own flesh, then with humble hearts they go to God, and cry and call to him for help, that he would help to bridle their unruly affections, even but for that day, and at night, they will wait upon his majesty a gain; and thus they will never leave him, till they feel the spirit of God working in their hearts; and that will stir them to continual prayer. But the wicked want faith to go in the name of Christ, and this is the cause, there are so many wicked prayers in the world; for they that make them, have no faith in Christ: and without him, they have no promise to be heard; and therefore wanting faith to come to Christ, they go to the Saints to pray for them; and yet the Saints did never promise them so to do, neither do they know whether the Saints hear them or no. Again, some pray in latin, when they do not underderstand what they say, nor what they pray for; but the holy Ghost saith, Pray with the spirit, and pray with the understanding also. 
1 Cor. 1.4.15.  Why say they, God knows our hearts; we pray with the heart. God knows indeed that their hearts are vain and foolish, because they do not pray with understanding, and therefore they have no promise to be heard, & yet they will have a pair of beads, and tell how many prayers they say, though they cannot tell what they say. I dare undertake, a parrot might pray as well they do, if it could speak all the words. They pray while they live, that they may go to purgatory; and when they die, they give much goods to others, to pray that they may come out of purgatory again: these are most vain prayers never warranted by the word of God. They pray also to our Lady to help them, much as the Israelites prayed to the Queen of heaven: and as the Israelites prayers were accepted, so are theirs. But I pray God, for Christ's sake, that you, nor none of yours may make such prayers. And I pray God to bless his whole Church, that their prayers may be right and faithful, for prayer is the key which openeth unto virtue. Oh Lord, let not our prayers be turned into sin; for then the gates of thy mercy shall be shut against us. Wherefore we humbly beseech thee, give us the spirit of truth, that we may pray rightly, which if we do, we must needs search the scriptures & see there how Christ teacheth his Disciples to pray. When ye pray, pray on this manner. Our Father which art in heaven, etc. 
Mat. 6.9  And whatsoever prayer is not on this manner is wicked and ungodly. And yet here you see, there is neither praying to Saints nor Angels, neither praying for the dead, nor to the dead: and therefore all such prayers are wicked, and are the overthrow of those that use them. But Christ saith, 
Mat. 6.6.7.  When thou prayest enter into thy chamber, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy father in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, will reward thee openly: use no vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think to be heard for their much babbling, but whatsoever ye ask the father in my name, that will he give you. 
joh. 16.23  Ask and you shall have, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 
Mat. 7.7.  If your children ask you bread, will ye give them a stone, or if they ask you fish, will you give them a serpent? 
Mat. 7.9. 10.11.  If ye which are evil, can give your children good gifts, how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy Ghost unto them that ask it? And this was a great mercy in Christ, not only to bid us pray, but also to promise, that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name, we should have it, and he appealeth to our consciences, how we would deal with our children, if they ask us any thing, and giveth us warning we should use no vain babbling, and telleth us we should ask in one word the holy Ghost, without the which we are miserable wretches: which if we have, we enjoy all happiness and peace; for he must be our Comforter and bring us unto Christ, and he will bring us unto his Father. Christ also willeth us to ask the Spirit of truth, 
john 16.13.  because he will enlighten us, and show us the way of all happiness: and because our faith should be strengthened to ask the holy Ghost, he also promised us to send him, to teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance, without which we are like a house which is built fair on the outside: 
john 15.26.  but there are no windows to show any light at all into it, and then the house is good for nothing, because there remains nothing but darkness in it: even so dark is to earth of Adam, which we are made of, that though we seem never so fair on the outside, yet if we have not the holy Ghost within us, we can never see to find the way to Christ: and then it is unpossible to come unto the Father; and so consequently we must needs perish; for Christ saith, 
Mat. 11.27  No man cometh to the Father, but by me. And here you see, that those that put their trust in Saints to pray for them, have no promise to be heard, and it shows that they are not enlightened by the holy Ghost, to see the way to Christ, and they themselves will confess, thet they dare not go to Christ: which showeth that they have no faith to believe his promises, nor will to obey his Word. For Christ saith, 
Mat. 11.28.  Come unto me all ye that labour, and are laden & I will ease you. Here you see, that he leaves out none, but calls all sinners unto him, and promiseth that he will ease them. I humbly beseech God to give you and every of you, to the world's end, grace to pray to God for the holy Ghost. And I pray you, let me request you to pray to God continually, to enlighten you with the holy Spirit, that the holy Ghost may bring you to Christ, so Christ to bring you to his Father; and then shall you reign with them for ever and ever, world without end. Which God grant for Christ's sake, our only Mediator and advocate.   

CHAP. 31. The benefit of the holy Ghost.  
SEeing some pray not at all, and others pray falsely, do ye often and earnestly pray for the holy Ghost; for I will tell you what he will do, he will enlighten you, and unite you to Christ, and give you grace to rule over all your affections, and make you able to be masters of yourselves: where on the contrary side, they which have not the holy Ghost written within them, are mastered and ruled by their own filthy affections, and so become servants to them; but if ye have the holy Spirit, ye shall be able to say to yourselves, as the master saith to his servants, Thou shalt do this, and, Thou shalt do that: Thou shalt not swear, nor blaspheme thy God; Thou shalt not drink and swill like a beast, neither shalt thou come in company among such, etc. Reason thus, I will overcome thee by God's grace, thou earthen potsherd, which broughtest me nothing, and wouldst thou now confound all these excellent graces, which it hath pleased the almighty God to bestow upon me in Christ? no, by the grace of God, I will rule over thee, or else I will pine thee. I may say with Saint Paul, 
2. CO. 12.7  These are the messengers of Satan to buffet me, I will pay to my God to assist me, 
2. CO. 12.9.  and his grace is sufficient for me. I know thy nature, thou art like an unruly colt, that if he be pampered, fed, and well kept, he will throw his master under his feet, and cares not what become of him, so he may be rid of him, and then he runs whither he list himself, although he fare much worse than he did before: even so is it with those that become subject to their affections, they are as hard to be overcome, as a wild colt, which many times is like to be, and sometimes is, the utter destruction of his master: therefore your resolution must be, to deal with your stubborn and rebellious affections, as you will deal with a pampered wild colt, and say unto them, By God's grace, I will not be overmastered by you, I scorn to serve so beggarly and so base a slave as thou art, I will bridle thee, and thy headstrong, stout, proud, scornful, and disobedient, untemperate, unholy, highminded, froward, covetous, and idle disposition; for there is no goodness in you by nature, but by God's grace I will temper you, I will make you humble, patient, chaste, quiet, and diligently to fall to some labour, you shall never be idle, for that will bring you to nought. And this must be the victory betwixt yourselves and your affections, and then the holy Ghost will teach you to master yourselves, and not suffer you to be subject to every filthy motion of the flesh. Further, he will teach thee all things, and bring all things to thy remembrance; as, 
john 14. 26.  God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 
jam. 4.6.  He that committeth adultery, 
1. Cor. 6. 18. 19  sinneth against his own body, and maketh the Temple of God, 
2. Thes. 3. 10  the temple of an harlot. He that will not work, 
Eph. 6.16.  let him not eat. He will give thee faith to quench all the fiery darts of the devil. Therefore pray for the holy Ghost in all temptatious, he will be with thee in them, & strengthen thee to overcome them, he will be with thee in the hour of death, when all thy friends, thy pleasures, and profits will forsake thee, and then he will bring thee to Christ; and therefore pray for him, and acknowledge his great mercy in Christ, who hath taught thee thus to pray, and whatsoever thou neglectest, neglect not private prayer, and howsoever thou dost, seek for continual knowledge, that your prayers may be according to the Word of God; for if they be not such, then are they turned into sin, and then thou hast nothing to relieve, comfort, or reconcile thyself to God again: for as concerning all the sins, that a man hath fallen into, through the frailty of nature, he hath been reconciled to God by faithful prayer; but if your prayers be not at all, or not as they ought to be, than all your help is in vain.   

CHAP. 32. God accepts weak Prayers.  
IT is a very weak Prayer that God will not accept, if it be rightly made. I speak thus much, because I would not have you discouraged, and think you had as good not pray at all, as pray weakly for the almighty God accepteth your obedience and well meaning, that you will prepare yourselves to pray as well as you can. But if thou see thyself neglect private prayer, be sure that satan hath something to work against thee; and by this you may understand, that there are none that ever did or shall perish, but it was, because either they did not pray at all, or else because they did not pray as God hath warranted them in his word. Me thinks if I were a man and a preacher of God's word, as (I hope) some of you shall be, and I pray God for Christ's sake, you may, I surely persuade myself, that through God's grace I should bring many to pray rightly, which now pray unadvisedly or not at all. But those that have gotten a custom to pray after the invention of men, and contrary to the word of God, as to pray to Saints, to pray to Angels, to pray to our lady, to pray in a tongue they understand not, to pray to the dead, to pray for the dead, to pray to go to purgatory; these, I say, you may pray for, that they may not use such prayers any longer, but to persuade them, is almost as vain as their prayers. Yet once again I say unto you, Pray: for you have no promise except you Pray. 
Mat. 7.7.  Ask, and you shall have (saith Christ) he doth not say, you shall have, whether you ask or no: but he saith, Ask, and you shall have. Was not this a great mercy of our Saviour jesus Christ to proffer us, if we would but ask, we should have. Surely, I think he were a very unworthy person, that would think much to ask a thing, for which he might be the better forever. If a master should say to his servant, when such a lease comes out, ask me for it, and I will let thee have a very good pennyworth in it: because thou hast spent thy time in my service and in attending upon me, therefore I would have you get something to live upon hereafter to defend the world withal, that thou mayest not beg when thou art old: and this were a very reasonable thing. Now the Master being a worthy man, and fully resolved to do his servant good, when the time comes, he considers with himself, at how easy rate he may set the rent of his farm for him to live upon, and yet give some attendance upon him still. The time being come, he expecteth when he should ask; but if the servant thinks much to ask, it is ten to one but his Master's mind will be clean altered, although he were never so fully bend to deal liberally with him, and saith to himself, If it be not worth the ask, it shall be worth the keeping; or, If it be not worth the ask, it is not worth thanks: and very likely he will think worse of his servant, than ever he did before, because he would not ask it, and think he is grown proud, and scorned his gentle offer. Now if the Master will not give his servant the thing so promised, because he will not ask him, although indeed he ought in conscience to give him something; for God faith, Let not thy servant go away a poor man; how dost thou think thou shalt receive the thing which our Saviour hath promised, upon the same condition that thou shouldest ask, when thou hast deserved nothing at his hands, but he of his own free mercy hath bought thee, and paid a dear price for thee, and thou hast done nothing for him, but forty beggarliness he biddeth thee ask and thou shalt have? What canst thou look to obtain, when our Saviour Christ hath precisely told thee, thou must ask, & yet thou refusest to do it? Enter into thy chamber, 
Mat. 6.6  saith he, and shut thy door. Although every place will serve, yet it pleaseth Christ to name thy chamber, because he would have a man without accumberances. Every man findeth one place, or other to lodge in; let them then find the same place, or some place else to pray privately in. Shut the door (saith Christ) as if he should say, shut thyself from the world, and shut the world from thee; it may be thou hast some thing to say to me, that thou wouldst not have the world to hear. Oh the mercy, the wonderful mercy of Christ of man how he became man for man. And he knew the nature of man, that he would be loath that every one should know the corruption which was in him, and therefore said, come to me alone, & shut the door, no body shall know, what is betwixt thee and me. I know thy sins already, but I would know whether thou knowest them or no; for many a man sinneth and knoweth it not, because he knoweth not my word: but if thou knowest them, confess them to me and I will give thee pardon for them: and if thou wilt leave them, & canst ask help of me, I will give thee grace to overcome them; for I have overcome them all for thee, even in thine own flesh, and thou through mine help shalt do a greater work; for thou being a sinner, shalt overcome in thyself, which is a greater work than for me, whicham God, and without sin to overcome sin: and yet not you, but I your Saviour, who dwell in all those, that lay hold of me by true faith, for without me ye can do nothing; & therefore come to me, follow my counsel, come secretly, let no body know of it for hindering you, or for fear vain glory should follow you, no man shall need to know of it, for I will reward yond openly. Oh the wonderful mercies of Christ to man, never able to be set out! he knew that man would be desirous to have it known that he served such a worthy master as none could serve a better, that every one should say he served Christ, he served the son of God, who will bring him to preferment. Every one desireth to have it known, that he serveth a noble master, and therefore he will wear his cognisance upon his sleeve; that it may be known what an excellent man he serves; for it is a great credit to serve a worthy master, and a man shall be very well accounted of for his sake: but he that serveth a wicked and ungodly man, shall never be so well thought of, because his master is wicked, & he is oftentimes ashamed of his masters doings so that he will never be a credit unto him; and therefore never serve a wicked man, although he be never so rich; for the desire of man is to serve a master of credit, and that Christ knew: he knew also that man was loath to have his sins openly known; and therefore out of his great mercy and wonderful wisdom, he appointed man to confess his sins privately, without which there can be no good prayer. 
Therewards of Christ's service are heavenly.  He told man, that he should not need to make show of it unto the world; for he would reward him openly, and make it known, that he served a good master indeed; for he would give him such graces and blessings, as all that knew him, should perceive that he had them neither of the world, the flesh, nor the devil, nor of his own nature: but it should appear, they were only the gifts of the almighty God. He did not promise earth and earthly things, you may see; for every venomous earthworm, is full of these: the usurer that is as far from heaven: as it is to hell, where if he take not heed, in time he may find his part, he (I say) may brag of his gold: the extortioner, whom God hateth, may brag of his silver: the covetous person, whom God abhorreth, he may brag what a deal of earth and earthly dirt he hath purchased, as the Prophet saith, 
Hab. 2.6.  they load themselves with clay: he doth not say, God giveth it them; but they load themselves. Among these foolish and abominable people, whom the scripture speaketh so much against, as against no man more, nor so much, I think, strumpets and whores, who for covetousness sake sell their souls and bodies, and make themselves such filthy vessels in this earth, that it is most loathsome to think of, may brag as well of their jewels and costly apparel that the world bestoweth upon them, as any other of these covetous wretches, whom God abhorreth, and giveth warning that no man shall speak well of them, for the holy Ghost saith, Speak not good of the covetous whom God abhorreth. And that thou mayest know it is no worldly trash that God bestoweth on thee: know, that the devil calleth himself the prince of this world: and so one would think he were; for these outward things are most commonly bestowed upon the wicked; but that which God will bestow on thee, is a treasure which the wicked ones have not, nor are never like to enjoy, except they leave their wicked ways, and go privately to the Lord jesus Christ, and lay open their miserable estate to him, and crave his pardon and grace to live a new life, and then he will give thee the greatest treasure that man can imagine, even a most heavenly treasure: he will give thee faith, which will bring thee to the everlasting kingdom of heaven: he will give thee patience, to bear all the crosses & troubles in the world: he will give thee humility, which will fill thee full of grace, and make thee in favour with God and man: he will give thee his grace so plenteously, that thou wilt speak always the truth, and keep thy promises, though it be never so much to thy hindrance in the sight of the world. Nay, in the sight of the world it must needs be a praise to thee, for the world seeth that every earthworm can break their promise or turn it so, that it is worse than a promise breaking for it showeth that they are full of hypocrisy, dissemblers, and would serve the world, and would not have the Devil know it: but the devil will not be so deceived, he maketh account the world is his, and he hampereth all those that love it, in chains, and he will have the world know it, that it may be a witness on his side at the day of judgement. Nay, 
The danger of breaking promise.  his own conscience will be a witness against him at the day of judgement, that breaketh his word, even at that dreadful day, when the trash, for which he so lightly regarded his promise, shall be consumed with fire & brimstone, then will he wonder, he could think it would be so long before that day would come, and now seeing it is come, he fully persuadeth himself, that his pain will never have an end. If thou thinkest, that breakers of their word have a room in heaven, read the fifteenth Psalm. But what should I speak of a room in heaven, when indeed they ought to have no room amongst civil men on the earth: nay, nor yet among the heathen? for it hath been accounted so great a shame for a man to break his promise, that he would rather die, than it should be said that he were one of those. But pray thou privately and faithfully, and God will not only give thee power to keep thy promise with men; but thou shalt also have grace to keep thy word and promise thou hast made to Almighty God, to forsake the devil, the world, and thine own filthy affections: Which will show openly that thou art the servant of God, and that God hath bestowed his manifold graces and blessings upon thee, 
Matth. 16. 17.  as Christ said unto Peter, Flesh and blood hath not taught thee these things, but my Father which is in heaven. So every one that beholdeth thee, will know, that neither the devil, the world, nor thine own flesh hath bestowed these gifts on thee, but the Father which is in heaven. Blessed be the name of Christ for his bountiful goodness bestowed upon mankind; he did not only bid men pray, and promised they should be heard, but also told them to whom to pray; and because men durst not go to God alone, he bade them go in his name, and promised that he would be there with them, and he would be a Mediator, which none else could do, and he would make peace between God and them, and therefore any might boldly come to him; he teacheth them where to ask: privately: and what to ask: the Holy Ghost, without the which, wear fire-bands of hell: but if we have him, we are Saints in heaven, even joined to Christ and as his members; and yet he fearing all this would not serve, it was his greatest mercy to show us more concerning two men, which were praying, and made us acquainted how they prayed, 
Luk. 18.10  and how they sped. Christ saith, There was Pharisie and a Publican went into the Temple to pray. The Pharisie was one that thought himself a just man, and despised others. The Publican accounted himself a sinner openly known. The Pharisie stood up and prayed, and said, I thank thee, oh Father, I am not as other men are, nor like this Publican: I fast twice in a week: and give tithe of all that I have. Now you may see who they be, that say I fast, or we fast: as if they should say, I fear it shall never be known that it is I, or we that fast and pray, and pay tithe of all that we have, and that we deal justly and keep the commandments. But the Publican stood a far off, and durst not look up to heaven, but smote on his breast, and said, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. here you see we must humble ourselves, and confess our sins; for Christ saith, He went away justified rather than the other: for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted; and he that exalteth himself, shall be brought low. Also he willeth always to pray, and not to wax faint, saying: There was a certain judge in a city, 
Luk. 18.2.  which neither feared God, nor reverenced man, and there was a widow in the city, which said, Do me justice against mine adversary; but he would not for a time; yet afterwards he said, Although I fear not God, nor reverence man, yet will I do her justice, lest at the last she chance to weary me, And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith, and shall not God avenge the cause of his Elect, which cry and call day & night upon him? And therefore pray continually. And do not think (my sons) that I have spoken too much of prayer; for as I said before, without it we have no promise to obtain any favour of God, nor yet to be kept from any evil by God, and therefore do it. You must needs also be thankful to God for his mercies in Christ, & most humbly thank Christ, who hath thus mercifully taught you to pray, and give God thanks who hath brought you into the world in such a time, when as you may be taught to pray according to his word; and I beseech him, that you may pray according to his counsel.   

CHAP. 33. No certain rule for private prayer.  
NOw I would have you know, that private prayer is for every man's private use; and therefore there is no certain rule, neither can words be set down what ye should say: for though we be all sinners, yet some are more troubled with one sin, some with another, and some are troubled because they cannot be troubled so much with their sins as they desire, which sort Christ calleth unto him, saying, 
Matth. 11. 28.  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are laden, and I will ease you. But although all sins dwell in us, and we are subject to them (wherefore Christ saith, 
Matth. 26. 41.  Ye had need watch and pray) Yet there is in every one of us, some one sin, that will draw to a head, & bear some rule in us, and will not be subject nor subdued to the Spirit, as the child of God would have it: but then he goeth to Christ, and craveth his assistance, and yet sometime the sin will overcome him, and then he goeth and confesseth his sin again, and craveth pardon, confessing withal his own weakness, that he should be overcome of so vile and base an affection. And thus every one ought to seek by prayer to God, to get victory of that sin, which otherwise would overcome, and destroy him body and soul for ever and ever.   

CHAP. 34. divers men troubled with divers sins.  
SOme are troubled most with envy, some with pride, some with anger, some with covetousness, and some with sloth, etc. All these with a company that attend on them, set upon every man, but one must be captain; then overcome the captain, and all the army will be discomfited. In wars, if the Captain prevail, the soldiers will ruinate the City: even so it is with sin, if the chief sin getteth the victory, it will let in a great number of enemies that will never leave, until they have utterly ruinated and brought to confusion the whole body and soul of a man; and therefore every one ought to pray to God, for help and assistance against his greatest temptation; for if we overcome that, the rest will fly, as S. james saith, Resist the devil, 
jam. 4.7.  and he will fly from thee. And this will be a great comfort to any man, when he seeth his enemy cannot triumph over him: then the devil shall have no cause to laugh in his face, nor the world to left behind his back, neither can his own affections brave nor upbraid him: but he shall have a greater comfort than this; for by obtaining this victory, he shall be sure to be servant and soldier to the most worthy Captain that ever was. Yet he must acknowledge that he got the victory by the help of his Captain; and so long as he is a soldier under him, he shall always have the victory: for the devil himself is afraid of this Captain, the world will fly at his presence, and thine own affections will fall down before thee, if he come.   

CHAP. 35. Be not hurt by a little temptation.  
THere is another thing, which I must admonish you of, that ye be not overcome of a little temptation; for that is the basest thing in the world: even as if a great Captain should be overcome of a mean soldier, that had neither might nor policy, which must needs return with shame to the Captain. But it is much more shame for a Christian, that hath vowed to forsake the devil, the world, and his own affections, to be overcome by the weakest of them all. There be many that think, if the devil overcome them not in a great sin, all is well, though that indeed he set them on work continually on trifles, and by this means keep men in some device or other. He cares not what they do, so they serve not God, and so he may blindfold them that they cannot see their own sins. And thus they are in a very dangerous and evil case, and know not what they do; yet they shadow their folly, that the world may not perceive it. & then they think it is well enough. Thus the devil leads them quietly to hell, and they never know whither they are going, till they come there; even as a wind carrieth a ship, and they that are in it, know not where they shall be set on shore For the devil is a cunning fowler, he will never lay a great bait, where he knows, a little one will serve the turn, and he is so full of policy, that he seeth a great bait would make the party afraid to come near it: but thus doth the devil, first he giveth a little bait, and saith to him whom he meaneth to catch, I warrant thee, thou mayest take this, go near it, taste of it, it will not hurt thee, many swallow a greater bait than this, and thou seest no hurt come of it: as he said to Eve, It is but an apple, it may do thee much good, to bring thee to knowledge, and make thee like a God. And therefore now we see, we had need set a special watch over ourselves, that we may spy the devil, when he goeth about thus to entrap us in his engines, with his alluring baits, and return his baits again, and when he offereth us any of them, may say: I defy thee, Satan, and by God's grace have knowledge that thou art a wicked serpent, and didst deceive our first Parents with an apple. I will not play with thy baits, be they never so sweet, pleasant, or beautiful. I know thy subtlety, and I know that I serve a Captain, Christ, that thou art afraid of, and he will bring us to a happier Paradise, than thou didst put us out of, and he will make me like a God, and renew the image that thou didst decay in us. Thou didst scoff at me, and saidst, I should have knowledge, when thou wouldst have utterly overthrown me; yet I have this knowledge (I thank the almighty God for it) that now I can see thy policy, and how thou camest to our Parents, when they were alone; thou thoughtest they could not stand by themselves: but thou shalt never find me alone; I know I cannot stand by myself, and therefore I draw near unto my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ by faith, and I will attend upon him, and will not leave his Commandment undone, for all thy baits and allurements thou canst show me in the world, where thou callest thyself Prince, but thou gettest it by wicked policy, and thou rulest it by a wicked tyranny, destroying the good, and maintaining the wicked, & bestowest thy trash on them not for any love thou bearest to them, but to make them thy wicked instruments, that thou mayest do the more hurt by them And as soon as they have served thy turn a while, thou wilt bring them to shame in this world, and everlasting destruction in hell fire. And therefore now I would have thee know, that I have knowledge, and perceive that all these usurping tyrants have learned all their mischievous policies of thee, using all means they can possibly, to destroy the good, and with their paltry trash, which they call their wealth, they win the wicked to their wills; and when they have their purpose a while, they will pick some quarrel against them, although they have no reason for it, and although they follow their wicked wills never so much, yet in the end they will overcome them. And so, Satan, dost thou deal with all that serve thee; and therefore thou art an usurping tyrant: for the earth is my Lords, who hath made it, and all that is therein; and that which belongeth unto thee, is nothing but that trash, that he careth not for: it is like tars, and the worse sort of grain, more fit to feed swine, then for the children of so mighty a King as my Lord is, who hath such treasure for those that belong unto him, as thou shalt never come near. Yet this is thy despite and envy, because thou canst get none of it thyself, thou wouldst have me have none of it neither. But thou shalt not deceive me with these earth than baits, which one day my almighty God shall set on fire about their ears that love them so well, when themselves shall be suddenly strangled with the smoke thereof: and it makes me marvel, how thou shouldest deceive so many as thou dost with them; for once my gracious Lord drowned them & all that loved them, & many times he sinketh very much trash in the sea, that Pirates might see they shall sink one day, and all those that sell their souls for such trash, except they turn speedily unto my Lord and and Saviour jefus Christ, who is a Saviour and will save all sinners that turn unto him. But thou art a destroyer, and wilt destroy all those that follow thee: thou knowest my Lord burnt Sodom and Gomorrha, with other Cities, which were full of the glistering dross, to show that he cared no more for it, than Kings do for counters: for if he had respected it, he would never have burnt it, and consumed it with fire: Yet thou, Satan, dost deceive worldly wisemen, giving them dross for gold, which is no better than copper counters, and in the mean time thou makest them deceive themselves of an everlasting treasure. Earthly treasure may be compared to glass, which is so brittle a metal, it can never continue long; for as it might be, now a man hath it to do him good, and in the turning of a hand it is broken and worth nothing even so it is with the trash and pelf of this world, and the life of man which is but a breath, and what can be of less power than a breath. The Scripture saith, 
jam. 4.14.  it is like a vapour, which appeareth suddenly, and is as suddenly gone again; Christ saith, Thou fool, this night shall they take away thy soul from thee, 
Lu. 12.20  and whose things shall these be that thou hast gathered together? If our Saviour Christ calleth him a fool, that careth for earthly things, I know he is a fool, and therefore thou shalt not make me so simple, but thou shalt make me wise; for I will ever be watchful, and wary in all my ways, continually attending upon the Son of God, Christ jesus, my Lord and Saviour, that thou mayest not find me alone. I will also keep company with the godly, by which means the way of my Saviour will be made more easy for me; for when many godly men are together, they encourage one another to that which is good.   

CHAP. 36. Idleness and covetousness to be avoided.  
Now though every sin be a great hindrance to prayer, yet idleness and covetousness are two of the greatest; and therefore we ought most earnestly to pray against these sins, and to take heed of such sports and recreations, which have no warrant in the Word of God for many are so carried away with idleness and pastimes, that they can find no time to pray; and therefore we had need to be very circumspect, and watchful over ourselves, lest we be snared with this part of the devils policy: for if a man take not heed, Satan will fill his heart so full of these vain and idle pastimes, that he shall never have any regard of preparing himself to pray. GOD saith, Six days thou shalt labour, and do all that thou hast to do; 
Exo. 20.9  and therefore be sure there is no time appointed in these six days to follow your idle pleasures and sports; and the seventh day, we must keep holy. The holy Ghost saith, What soever is not of faith is sin; 
Ro. 14.23  and thou canst do nothing of faith, except thou hast good warrant for it in the Word of God: 
Ephe. 516  and the Word of God saith, Redeem the time, for the days are evil. And thou canst not redeem the time with vain recreations. I speak not to bar any from lawful recreation, but to warn you to take heed that for a little foolish and idle pleasure, which presently cometh to an end, you lose not a glorious kingdom which endureth for ever. And this Kingdom can never be gotten without private, true and faithful prayer; for although Christ hath already obtained it for us, yet we have no promise of it, except we lay hold on him by faith, which faith we can never have, except we pray for the holy Ghost to enlighten us, and teach us to lay hold on Christ. You must continually call for mercy and grace; mercy for thy sin, and grace to serve God. And this I am well assured of, that hearing of the Word preached, is the very means that God hath appointed for obtaining of faith, and by no means may we neglect that, except you will contemn the counsel of the Holy Ghost, which I pray God for Christ's sake you may never do. The holy Ghost telleth you, 
1. Cor. 3. 6.  that Paul planteth, and Apollo wateneth, but God giveth the increase. So you must always have your prayers ascending to the Almighty God to desire him to send the showers of his grace into your hearts, that the seed of his Word may grow, and bring forth fruit to everlasting life.   

CHAP. 37. A dangerous let of prayer.  
I Will let you understand in my judgement, what is one of the greatest hindrances unto prayer that can be, but it is so close and subtle an enemy unto mankind, that I can by no means discover it so well as I would; for it is to cunning, and so forcible an allurance of the Devil, that it draweth many more from true & faithful prayer, than any net that ever he laid: but I cannot well tell, which way to describe it unto you. I cannot say, that it is altogether covetousness: for as David saith, If it had been an open enemy, 
Psal. 56. 12.  that had done me this dishonour, I could have borne it; So I may say, If it were an open sin, which would deprive you of this benefit of prayer, peradventure I should find some way to disgrace it unto you; but it is a thing that carrieth some colour of goodness, even amongst them that think themselves good, and yet indeed it is stark nought, and deceiveth a multitude, & it frequenteth every place, city and town, and among all sorts of people, husbandmen, tradesmen, and all kinds of arts and professions in the world: so that I cannot, as I would, tell you which way to shun it: I would to God it were not amongst Preachers. Now as well as I can I will explain it unto you: it is an overmuch care of those things which a man may lawfully use. For man being earth, those earthly things bear much sway in his mind, and especially because they carry the name of lawful: and so they make a man forget the Law of God, and neglect the duty of Prayer; the which two things being overslipped, he loseth the promise of the gospel, which is an everlasting kiugdome. And that it is thus, I will make it more plain unto you, because I hope God will give you grace to shun it, which I desire you may for Christ's sake. Man being earth, and Satan being the Prince of this earth, he labours to set men's earthen minds altogether on this earthen world, which he may easily do: for man being earth by nature, & naturally inclined to love earthly things, he is the more easily drawn unto this earthly affection. It is even as if a man should run down a steep hill, he can more easily run down, then go up softly: even so man can easier run after these earthly things, then stay himself in a mean. He hath nothing to help his earthly nature, but grace; which he must needs pray for, or else he can never have it; yet doth he follow the things of the earth so much, that he hath no leisure to pray for it. In the night, when he should meditate on the Law of God by the appointment of the H. Ghost, he is thinking of some earthly thing or other, either of this bargain, or that purchase, or such like; when oftentimes he might be much more happy to be without it. And me thinks, he that can think of heaven & have it, is well enough: but these kind of people would have heaven and earth too. It is said, 
Matth. 19 24.  It is as hard a matter for a rich man to be saved, as for a Camel to creep thorough the eye of a needle. And this is the cause of it, his head is so busied about earthly things that be lawful, that he forgets to meditate of the Law of God in the night. And in the morning when he should pray, before he can settle himself to it, his earthly business is so much, & requires so great haste, that then he cannot stay to pray; but if he do, they are such prayers as some offer to their Saints: they speak of God, but their hearts are on the world: some are troubled with their merchandise, some with buying & selling, some coveting to grow rich, some casting to maintain their families, but their riches are so unlawfully used, and so hard a matter it is for them to use them lawfully, that it cannot by any means be expressed. But the most merciful and mighty God hath taught man what to do in such a case, which is to meditate in his laws day and night, & then he shall bring forth his fruit in due season, and shall know when to serve God, and when to deal in the world. Take heed therefore: you see what danger you are in, whilst you are here on earth; for this is a dangerous disease, and many die of it; and therefore cleave to the mercies of God in jesus Christ, which hath given you such warning of this desperate disease, saying, 
joh. 6.27.  Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the food of ever lasting life. Thus you see, what Christ saith, he bids you not labour for earthly things, he tells you, they perish; he bids you labour for the food of the soul, which shall never have end. The holy Ghost saith, 
1. Tim. 4. 8.  Bodily labour profiteth little; but godliness is profitable to all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of that which is to come. here you see godliness hath the promise of the life present, and therefore I marvel men should refuse to be godly: it hath the promise of the life present, and of the life to come; whereas worldliness hath not so much promise, as of the life present. Godliness is great gain. 
1. Tim. 6.6  Would you have gain? then embrace godliness; so shall you have your desire: for that purchaseth a Kingdom, and it is profitable for all things. 
Mat. 6.33  Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all things else shall be ministered unto you. here Christ promiseth, that if you will serve God, all worldy things shall be given you. Christ saith, 
Mat 6.34.  Care not for tomorrow; let to morrow care for itself, the day hath enough with his own grief. here you see, Christ would not have you care so much for these earthly things, as you do. 
Psal. 37.5.  Cast all your care upon God; for he careth for you. here you see, that God dischargeth you of all your earthly cares, and telleth you, that he taketh care for you, as if he should say, Your care can do you no good, and therefore take none: serve me, and I will take care for you; as if a father should say to his son, Go to the school of learning, study to serve God, your King and Country, and I will provide you all things necessary, and you shall want nothing. Labour for learning, or else you can never get it; that is a thing, which I cannot buy for you; you must get it by your own industry and diligent study, if you will have it: but when you have it, it is more worth than all I can leave you beside. It will be a wise master to teach you, a diligent servant to attend you, a discreet Counsellor to admonish you, a witness of the well spending of your time, a faithful friend, and of great account, able to credit thee even with Princes: and these things cannot by any means be gotten without thine own diligent study. Even so our loving father in Christ tells us by the mouth of his Son our Saviour, that we should not care for these earthly things, for they shall be given unto us: but we must care for the Kingdom of heaven; for that cannot be gotten without care and labouring for; and this is a thing worth our labour, this is a kingdom, and lasteth for ever; it will bring comfort to your hearts, even in this life, and bring you in favour with God and all good men, and everlasting happiness without woe, want, or end. Furthermore I will tell you, what cause you have to take care for this kingdom: if you lose it, you fall into a pit of everlasting destruction, where you shall be tormented with fire and brimstone for ever and ever, where no man shall ever come out again; for there is no redemption: and therefore by all means possible I advise you to take heed. Christ endured the pains of hell for you, because he pitied you, & knew you were not able to overcome them. Therefore you may believe me, if you could bear all the pains of hell one hour, and then could be delivered, you would never come there again for all the world, nay you would never love the world, nor any thing that is in it, because they are nothing but baits to draw men to destruction. But if the Devil get you once there, you can never come back again, & Christ will never fetch you from him; for the Devil and he are enemies, and he is able to live without any of his servants: for those that will serve him, shall have an everlasting Kingdom, and live in joy and happiness: and those that will serve the devil, he will torment them in fire and brimstone for ever. Now if Satan can get any to serve him, he is worthy to have them; for Christ will none of them: and therefore I tell them now, if they come once in hell with the devil, they shall never come in heaven with Christ; for he is just, and will not meddle with the servants of another. But if any see his filthy and base ways, and consider the miserable and wretched estate it will bring him unto, and then turn to me (saith Christ) and defy the Devil and all his works, and serve me, I will save him; for I am a Saviour, and that is my name, and my glory: for there is no Saviour but myself, I came into the world to save sinners, but not such sinners as will serve the Devil; for though there be none in the world but sinners, yet those that love me, and keep my commandments, them will I save; but them that serve the Devil, I will destroy and torment them. Although all are sinners, yet those sinners that pluck up their sins, as a Gardener pulleth up his weeds, and cast them behind them, and follow me; although they be weak, and fear that they cannot overtake me, yet I will put forth my hand, and take hold of them, they shall not need to fear. 
Matth. 12. 20.  The bruised reed will I not break, and smoking flax will I not quench: I came to bind up the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives, etc. to comfort them that mourn: let all that labour and are heavy laden, come to me and I will ease them; but those that follow their sins, and are merry and joyful, and carry them lightly, and never feel any weight in them, they never call for help to bear them, they carry them well enough, they dance after the devils pipe, they follow the devil more swiftly, than my servants follow me: for they follow nature, and the Devil helpeth them forward, and the world is a friend to them both, and they like laden asses follow the Devil with his treasure, and make him their Lord and Master; and yet some of them will not stick to say, they hope, I will save them, though I have often told them, I will save none by my servants, and I will not meddle with them; for if they will serve me, they must clean forsake mine enemy the devil: for he is an enemy to me & all mine, and doth all the despite against us, that he can; and I will not save him that will serve mine enemy, & therefore let them never presume upon my mercy: for I have told them, that the hope of the ungodly shall perish. He that is an ungodly person, a swearer, a drunkard, a profaner of the Sabbaoth, false in religion, careless in life, and yet hopes to be saved by me, his hope is in vain, and grounded upon no foundation; for I never made promise to save any such: and therefore they have no reason to say, they hope I will save them, except they speedily return from the devil, and his ways, and follow me and my ways; for I have plainly told them, 
Mat. 16.24  He that will be my Disciple, must for sake himself, take up his cross and follow me, and assuredly I will save him. Now tell me, how would a man like one that should serve his utter enemy, and do what his enemy could devise to hurt and grieve him, and then when he had done all the hurt, that he could against him, when he could do no more than he would come to him, and think to have a great blessing and a great benefit of him? he should surely be deceived. Then with what face can a sinner go to Christ to save him when he dieth, who would never serve Christ while he lived? Though God had commanded him to cast all his care upon him, for he would care for him, yet he hath spent almost all his time in serving the world, the flesh, and the devil.   

Chap. 38. Reasons of casting our care upon God.  
I Will tell you great reason, why you ought to cast all your care upon God, and none upon the world; for God is our Father, our Maker, and governor, and our feeder: Christ is our Saviour. Now the father and governor knoweth, what is fit for the child, better than the child; for the child would surfeit, if he might have his own will; therefore let him be content with that which his governor will give him. Another great reason why we should cast all our care up-god, is, because when the devil maketh all his poisonous baits, wherewith he draweth an innumerable company of souls to hell, he covereth them all with some worldly thing or other, that they may not see the hook; some he covereth with gold, some with silver, some with earth, some with clay, some with honour, some with beauty, some with one thing, and some with another. He will not lay all his baits alike; for he is cunninger than a fisher: he knoweth a little bait, will serve for a little fish, and a great bait for a great fish; for a great bait will not serve to catch a little fish, nor a little bait will not serve to catch a great fish. And besides this, he must have the alteration of baits, as the cunning fisher well knoweth; but with these baits he must have a sharp hook to take them, and a long line to draw them to himself. So soon as he seeth they have swallowed the sweet bait, he lets them play a while with it, but before it belong, he draweth them out of the sweet stream, the water of life, and throweth them into a pan of boiling liquor: and as sometime the fisher is fain to entangle the fishes with his nets, and so take them: even so Satan findeth the humour of every man, and then he searcheth in the world to find a bait fit for him, & having found the bait he presently poisoneth it: then he puts in a hook and a line, to draw him from the pure sweet stream, the water of Life, the Word of God: and then he lets them play a while with the poisoned baits of the world, and so draws them to him, and throws them into a furnace of boiling brimstone, whose boiling shall never end. Now there is none that can keep us from the baits of the devil, but only God our Faher, our governor, our Saviour, our sanctifier; and had we not need then cast all our care upon God, since we are in so great a danger, and none can keep us from the devil but he? We cannot keep ourselves from the baits of the devil, no more than children can guide themselves in all their ways, to feed, learn, govern, & cloth themselves, without the help of their father and governor. Shall the children depend only upon their father and governor, and shall not we depend only upon our God, that is our Maker, our Father, and our governor? and who, when we fell from him, and followed the counsel of the devil, sent his only Son to die for us, and to endure the pains of hell for us? the holy Ghost saith, 
Ro. 8.32.  If he hath given his son for us, will he not with him give us all things also? And yet shall we not dare to depend upon him? Is he not able to dry up the waters of the red Sea, that thou mightest go on foot dryshodde thorough? Cannot he rain thee Manna, that thou needst not starve? Cannot our God give thee water out of the rock? He giveth thee water out of the rock Christ every day: Oh that thou wouldst receive it! But I know what thou wouldst have: thou wouldst have Quails to fulfil thy lusts: 
jam. 1.15.  for lust when it conceiveth, bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Then mayst thou cry, Oh wretched man that I am, 
Ro. 7. 24.  who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through jesus Christ our Lord, it is he that must deliver me from this body of death. And yet thou wilt not follow him, nor depend upon him. Another reason why thou shouldest follow Christ and depend upon him, is, because if the devil find thee at any time alone, thou canst not escape his hands: and therefore my greatest desire is, that I might persuade you to cast all your care upon God, and none upon the world: nay, I pray God, that Christ may prevail with you, for he hath gone about to persuade you already, and told you a reason, for he careth for you: and if he careth for you, you need no more care, for you shall be well provided for: therefore obey him, cast all your care upon him, and care not for this world; live as he hath appointed you, labour in your vocation six days, and keep the seventh holy to the Lord, and in all your labour use no kind of deceit, nor desire to be rich. Do you labour in your vocation, and be sure you pray morning and evening, and at noon, and at all times & hear and read the Word of God, & meditate on that day and night, and follow Christ and take hold on him by faith; let that be all your care, and for your bodily goods take no care. If you dare not trust God with your bodies, who feedeth them as you see every day, how dare you trust him with your souls, which you cannot well discern by reason of your earthly nature? You have a promise for your bodies, if you will serve God and keep his Commandments; and yet many dare not trust him, they would serve him with all their hearts, if they durst trust his Word. If they should lose their mortal bodies, it were but a small matter, for they must have an end. And for your souls you have but his Word and promise, upon condition that you follow Christ, and take hold of him by faith: now if you neglect the condition, the promise is void: and yet you say, you durst trust God with your souls, when you never go about to keep his Commandments: you never follow Christ, nor take hold of him by faith, nor have you any experience by your bodies, for you never durst trust Christ. David saith, 
1. Sam. 17 34. 35.  I have killed a Lion & a Bear, and therefore I dare venture on this uncircumcised Philistine. If he had suffered the Lion and the Bear to have overcome him, he had never overcome the Giant, & then had he never been made the King's son. So if thou wilt overcome that great Goliath, thou must first kill the Lion and the Bear: thou must first overcome the temptations of the world, if thou meanest to overcome the devil, and so be made the King's son of heaven.   

CHAP. 39 Against immoderate care.  
Our Saviour saith, Care not for to morrow, let tomorrow care for itself; the day hath enough with his own grief. here you see, that our Saviour pities you, that you will take such care, and willeth you that you should not take care for the next morrow, because you do not know, whether you shall live till then or no; for Christ sainh, 
Lu. 12.20.  Thou fool, this night will they take away thy soul from thee. As if Christ should say, I thou diest with taking care for this world, thou losest the kingdom of heaven, and thou shalt lie burning in hell fire. Then dost thou not show thyself a fool, to take so much care for this world, since thou knowest that hell fire is before thee, and thy goods are behind thee, and thou knowest not who shall enjoy them? 
Psal. 39.6.  If thou thinkest thy children shall, thou knowest not whether they shall live or no, or spend and waste them wickedly, as thou perhaps hast gotten them, or whether they shall be other ways deprived of them or no. A thousand ways may separate thy sons and their goods asunder: thou knowest not but that the world may end: thou knowest not what shall become of thy goods, or whether any body shall enjoy them or not: and to say the truth, some of you make sure work that none shall enjoy them; for whosoever getteth them, were better be without them, if they be not gotten in the fear of GOD, and then they cannot be enjoyed in the faith of Christ; for it is unlawful to have stolen goods in thy house, and thy goods may bring a punishment upon thy children, and therefore thou art a fool, to take any care at all for or about these things, and thou art a fool because thou dost care, yea and spend all thy care about these things. Thou knowest, if thou dost not spend thy tune in the fear of God which is but the beginning of wisdom, 
Prou. 1.7.  and in the faith of Christ, which is the end and finishing of wisdom; thou thyself, thy body, and thy soul shall lie burning in hell fire for ever and ever, and there is no means for thee to be delivered. Thou mayst turn thee and tumble thee in the fire of hell, and canst never get out, & wonder at thyself, that thou wert such a fool to take care for those things which thou shouldest never know what became of them, and take little or no care for thyself, when thou knewest, thou shouldest come to this miserable and wretched end, that should never end. Here in the world none dare call a richman fool: but Christ saith, he is a fool that setteth his heart on these worldly things. But if by taking care for worldly things, he miss heaven, & fall into hell; he will call himself a thousand millions of fools, that omitting better things, he would take care for this world, which is worth nothing: nay, it is worse than nothing; for his own conscience will tell him, if he had had nothing, he should have cared for nothing, and so he might have served GOD and gone to heaven: and having something, his care was so much to compass more, that indeed he had gotten nothing but everlasting torment. And now he knoweth not what to do: sometimes he thinks, I would I might creep thorough ten thousand hells, and be ten thousand millions of years in crawling thorough them, to go to Christ, and then get faith, & take hold on Christ: for he knoweth now, that none can come to God, but by faith in his son, for the which he would now take all the pains that could ever be devised, to obtain that faith in the end, and yet he thought, whilst he was in this world, that one Sermon in a month would have served him to have gotten that faith; but he seeth he would not believe the word of God, for Gods own word willed him, that he should not labour for the meat that perisheth, 
Matth. 6. 28. 29.  but for the food of everlasting life; And lest he should doubt of these things which God saith, Christ saith, Consider the Lilies of the field, they labour not, neither spin they: I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. If God so clothe the grass, which is here to day, and to morrow is cast into the furnace, will he not do much more for you, Oh ye of little faith? here Christ tells them that will not believe his promise, and follow his counsel, they are of little faith. And the holy Ghost telleth us that faith cometh by hearing of the word preached: 
Ro. 10.17  and, 
Heb. 11.6.  Without faith it is impossible to please God: and there were never any saved but by faith, nor there were never any damned, but for want of faith. For the holy Ghost saith, He that cometh to God, must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them thot seek him. He did not believe that God would provide for him in this world, and save him in the next, because he wanted faith. And he wanted faith, because his delight was not as mary's was, to leave his worldly affairs, & to hear the Word preached. He could not pray, that he might profit by the Word preached, because he had no knowledge by the word to see his wants. He had no knowledge, because he did not continually hear and read the word, which would have taught him to have known God and himself. If he prayed sometime without knowledge and faith, his prayers were vain and frivolous. And thus he seeth, it was his own negligence that brought him to hell, because he would not labour for the meat that perisheth not, and now he is so vexed at himself because he did not follow the counsel of our blessed Saviour Christ, that took such pains for him, and gave him so many warnings, and told him how he should find it, if he would follow his counsel, that he would now, if it were possible, be revenged on himself, as judas, 
Mat. 27.5.  when he had done that which Christ had warned him of, and saw that now it could not be undone, he laid violent hands on himself to be revenged upon himself. But when they see they cannot be revenged on themselves, nor no way can mitigate their torment, than they are ten thousand times more tormented with torments, which cannot be expressed; then they will defy Satan, & cry out against the world they loved so well, and say, Satan laid all his baits by the things which are in the world, yea many baits he laid, and took many even with things that were lawful to be used in the world, by the appointment of God, as you shall see. Meat is ordained of God for the nourishment of man; and yet how many doth Satan take with the sin of gluttony; and therefore take heed that thou eatest temperately. Meat is ordained for the belly, and the belly for meat, but God will destroy both them and it. 
1 Cor. 6. 13.  Drink is very lawful; yet how many doth Satan take with the sin of drunkenness? and therefore Christ saith, Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be overcome with drunkenness and surfeiting, and cares of this world. 
Luk. 21.34  Mark this counsel of Christ, Lest at any time. As if he should say, be continually careful, lest thou art overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this world; for thou mayest surfeit and be drunken with any thing thou takest care for in this world. And therefore Christ saith, 
Mat 6.31. 32.  Take no care and do not say; What shall we eat; and what shall we drink? and wherewith shall we be clothed? for after these things seek the Gentiles. And your heavenly father knoweth, you have need of these things. But first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be ministered unto you. Oh the mercy of God, which would tell you, that your heavenly Father knew, that you had need of these things, and he would give you that he knew sufficient? Seek ye the Kingdom of heaven, and these things shall be ministered unto you. Seek ye the heavenly treasure, and a little of this earthly trash will serve the turn. And if you knew all, and how Satan hath poisoned most of it, you would be afraid to take any of it. But if you take nothing but at my hands (saith christ) Satan's poison shall never hurt you: but if you begin to be your own carvers, Satan will so sauce it with sweet poison, that he will deceive the wisest worldling in the world. And therefore see you take nothing but at the hands of the Lord; for Satan hath spread his net, as the spider doth her web. Now the spider lieth close hidden in a dark hole, until the silly fly be entangled, and then he comes and taketh her as his own: and even so Satan lieth close, until he see you entangled within the things of this world, and then he claimeth the world, and you and all, for his own.   

CHAP. 40. The poison of outward things.  
SEe how Satan hath poisoned all things in this world, as apparel with pride, honour with haughtiness, beauty with vanity, recreations with swearing, riches with covetousness: a thing clean against reason: for the natural man would think, that he which is rich, need not be covetous; and yet it is commonly seen, the more rich, the more covetous. Yea, and even our virtues, how doth Satan seek to poison them? as for liberality, how doth he seek to poison it with prodigality, and honest labour with carefulness? And therefore S. john saith, Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world: for the love of the world is enmity to God. 
1 joh. 2. 15.  Then some worldly man will say, What? shall we do nothing? Yes: but see how soon the Devil will lay a snare to entangle the withal, that thou mayst be idle; the very bait with the which he catcheth all: for many desire goods, that they may be idle, and the Devil hath most leisure to talk with a man, when he is idle; and idleness bringeth a man to many vain recreations, and so to much eating and drinking, and to many wicked sins. The holy Ghost saith, 
Matth. 12. 36.  that we shall give account for every idle word that we speak: and therefore thou mayest not be idle by any means. Thou must labour six days, for GOD hath commanded thee so to do; and thou must do it, not for any care thou hast of the world, but because GOD commanded thee: and thou must show thyself obedient to him, and all thy care in thy labour must be how to please him, and leave the success of thy labour to him, and thou must be careful in thy labour, that thou takest no care for thine own profit, nor thine own pleasure, but how to please God, and then let it please thee: but be sure it please not thee and offend God. And thus thou must labour six days; and follow the commandment of God, and his example, after whose image thou wert made, and whom thou art to imitate: he laboured and made in six days these things for thee, labour thou to obey him: he laboured and looked over his work, and saw it was good. So thou must labour, and look over thy work, and see that it be good before God. Though there are many imperfections in thee, yet because thou art reconciled to GOD in Christ, and now showest thy humble obedience to his commandment, that thou wilt neither be idle, nor yet labour for thine own profit nor pleasure, nor do thy own ways, but see that thou dost those things that he hath appointed thee, taking hold of Christ by faith; he accepteth them for good through Christ, who hath fulfilled all for thee: for obedience is better than sacrifice. 
1. Sam. 15. 22.  Then also thou must rest the seventh day, for so for thy ensample he rested, & commanded thee to rest that day, and to keep it holy to the Lord. Now he commandeth thee to leave all earthly business, and attend upon him and hear what further instructions he hath for thee, how to strengthen thy faith, how to take hold on CHRIST, and how to come to his kingdom. Now thy care must be, how to learn at his mouth to keep his commandments. Now he will show thee the figure of that everlasting rest, which he will bring thee to through Christ. Now if thou be'st not very ready and diligent to attend upon him the seventh day, thou showest, that all thy labour on the six days was for thine own pleasure or profit, more than for thy obedience toward the Lord thy God: for if thou wouldst have obeyed him in thy labour in the six days, thou wouldst have obeyed him in thy rest the seventh day also. This shall be a witness to thine own conscience, lest that thou be deceived, as many be, who think that they labour all the week to please God, when indeed they labour to please themselves, because that commandment pleaseth their humour better, then to keep holy the Sabbath: and they will be willing to take one hour from the Lord in the morning, and another in the afternoon, or two it may be, which showeth that their minds and affections are more on the world, then on the true service and obedience they owe to God.   

CHAP. 41. Prodigality set out.  
SOme think, that the prodigal man taketh too little care for the world: but I say, he is a wicked man, and taketh too much care for the world, and too little care to please God. He is an idle man, and will not labour 6. days. He is a disobedient man, and will not keep holy the seventh day. He is a waist full man, he will spend wastefully for the vainglory of the world, which somesay they care not for, he leaveth those things which God hath given him and his family without care. Yea, he is a covetous man, for he will borrow of others, and spend it wastefully, and never pay it again. He breaketh the commandment, which saith, Owe nothing to any man, but this, 
Ro. 13.8  that you love one another, for the holy Ghost saith, The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again, 
Psa. 37.21  but the merciful man is liberal and dareth. Some will say, they would pay if they had it: but indeed they will not have it, because they will not obey God, and live as he hath appointed them. They are proud, and will spend so far beyond their calling, that they have nothing to lend to the poor children of God, because they spend either upon the wicked, or in excess when there is no need, or upon those that have as little, or less need than themselves. Such a person is worse than an Infidel, 
1. Ti. 5.8.  because be provideth not for his own household. God doth not say, Because he taketh not care for his own household; for all his care should be to please God: but he careth not to please God, neither doth he obey God, to labour 6. days, and to see his household labour; for whilst he is idle, or using some vain pastime out of his calling, his children & servants dissobey GOD, and misspend their time, and weaken his estate, and all through his own carelessness to please God. He showeth himself no good Christian: for a good Christian life is a careful life, not careful of the world, but careful lest the world should hinder him any way from serving of God, either in being too negligent in his calling, and so provide not for his household, & become worse than an Infidel; or lest he should be covetous, and become the man whom God abhorreth. And yet there be some so ignorant, that they will say, The prodigal man beareth a noble mind, But he bears a wicked mind, & they know not what a noble mind is, that say so. Our Peers and Princes are called Noble men, because they bear noble minds, that is, they are virtuous and temperate, & discreet, governing the Commonwealth according to their calling, regarding the virtuous, & keeping under the vicious, holding in the prodigal, who would run away with a whole kingdom, if they might have it: nay, no kingdom is able to satisfy prodigal persons; for their disobedient humour will never be satisfied, because they do not labour to keep the commandment of God. Some are more infected with this sin, than others, but all that are not infected with prodigality, have a disobedient humour, they are undiscreet because they cannot spend when they should, and spare with discretion when the time is. They are unthankful because they do not heartily thank God for his blessings, but wish they were more. Neither will they be thankful to the King, nor a worthy noble Prince or Peer; for if they spend a little prodigally in their service, they will think they are indebted to them, though all of it were by the Prince liberally bestowed on them: but indeed such are not to be about Princes or Peers, no more than the covetous. Some wise and learned men have disputed, whether the covetous or the prodigal be the worst member in the Commonwealth; but I pray God you nor yours be none of both: but here what the holy Ghost saith, The covetous is the man whom God abhorreth: The prodigal is worse than an infidel. And thus I leave them, and pray to God for Christ's sake, they and we may leave both those and all other sins, and take hold of Christ by faith, and live through him with God for ever and ever.   

CHAP. 42. Difference between an act & habit of sinning.  
NOw you must know this, that the dear children of God, for want of discretion, do sometime an act, which may be called covetous & yet not upon a covetous, humour; and an act, that may be called prodigal, and yet not upon a prodigal humour, but for want of discretion at that time: for there is none so discreet at all times, that is not somewhat infected with either of these sins; for we are infected with all sins; and therefore God, in great mercy to man, made the Sabbath, or Lords day, so that if a man did in six days overslip himself, as indeed we all do, and did not reconcile himself to God every night, as we ought to do; yet on the Sabbath day, the Lord calleth him to him, and showeth him his faults, and wisheth him to be reconciled unto him through Christ, and breatheth into his face the breath of life again, and reneweth in him the image of God again, that was decayed by his sin, and so he goeth home a renewed man. And therefore I say, & say truly, that all the writers in the world cannot express, what hurt that man, woman or child doth himself, that doth not attend on the Lord on the Sabbath day, neither can any man or woman do their servants more hurt, than to keep them from the Lords house that day. The Lord hath charged thee, that thou (if thou hast any under thee) shalt see them come, and come thyself, as thou wilt answer it: for the Lord himself is now there prepared to teach thee and thine; and therefore go to him, and go prepared, 
jam 4.8.  cleanse thy heart of all earthly things, & know that he is there to see thine heart, and all thine affection and behaviour. Some will say, I would go to the Church, but there will be little: but I say unto thee, I fear that thou wilt not learn that little. If God, for thy disobedience, will speak but a little to thee that day, yet thou hast a great deal to say to him; confess thy sins, show thine obedience, be an example to them, which would stay from the presence of God, pray for his grace upon thee and them, & the whole Church, & appeal to the promise of God; 
Mat. 18.20  When two or three be gathered together in his name, he will be with them: pray that GOD may send his word plentifully for Christ's sake, although our sins deserve to have it taken away altother; seek to do some good to the poor, although there be but a poor company of you gathered together. Move the people to provide themselves a Preacher, tell them of their wants, speak to the Magistrates, mourn to see the Alehouses full, and the Church of God empty.   

CHAP. 43. The service of the Sabbath ought to be be public.  
SOme will go to the Church of God in the forenoon, and in the afternoon they will serve God at home, but thou canst not do God so great service at home: serve him six days at home, and the seventh go to the Church of the Lord, if God be truly worshipped there, as I pray God he ever may be in our Churches to the world's end; and I pray God you may be true worshippers of God. And always in the Church of God, both forenoon and afternoon, let there be one the more for thee. But of this I warn you, for the love I bear to your souls & bodies; if you cannot get the people to provide a Preacher, which may dispense the Word truly & sincerely, remove you, where you may have and hear the Word so preached; for where the Word of the Lord is not truly preached, the people perish for want of knowledge. 
Prou. 29. 18.  But if you can get a Preacher where you dwell, and do good both to yourself and others, I think it better so; for the harvest is great, but the labourers are few; 
Matth. 9 37. 38.  therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest: for the true labourers indeed are not few, but very few: for as the holy Ghost saith, 
Phil. 2.21.  All seek their own, and not that which is jesus Christ's. All is taken here, as it is in many other places, for the most part; for the most seek their own: nay, it would seem well, if some would be contented with their own; but they seek more than their own: if they examine themselves well, they shall find it so; whereas the true Preachers of God's word will be contented with less than their own; so they may win souls unto Christ they care not. They count all the world dung, as indeed it is, so they may be Christ's, and draw many to him. I hope in God, that through his grace some of you will be preachers. I pray God, for Christ's sake, to enlighten you with his Spirit, and give you grace, that you may betruly godly, and very zealous for the glory of God, labouring by all means possible to increase the glorious kingdom of Christ. And of this be sure, if you will lose nothing of your own, you will never win many to Christ: and mark how the holy Ghost saith, They seek their own. He doth not say, They seek more than their own: but, They seek their own. As if he should say, as indeed he meaneth; They busy themselves about seeking their own, but in the mean time they neglect the great work and the great business that I have set them about, to gather together the souls that jesus Christ the Son of God shed his heart blood for; & contrary to all reason, they look for their wages, before they have done their work. S. Paul which was called to be a Preacher of the Word of God, saith, Woe be to me, if I preach not the Gospel. 
1. Cor. 9 16.  But he doth not say, Woe be to me, if I seek not goods. He saith, Necessity is laid upon me to preach the Gospel. But he doth not say, Necessity is laid upon me to get goods. Yet some of them will say, they must not lose their goods & right: rather they must go to law for them: but contrary to the Law of God, they neglect their duty in his Church, they do not study how to divide the word of God aright, & to give to every one that which is fit for him. What doth the holy Ghost call negligent Preachers, but dumb dogs that will not bark? 
Esay 56. 10. 11.  The dog will bark and give warning to the whole household within, if any danger be near: but those that should deliver my message unto the people, they busy themselves about their own affairs, they slumber and delight in sleeping: they will not call out to the people, and give them warning of the danger that is near them. I pray tell me, or let any man tell me if he be a good servant, which will go about his own business, and neglect his masters or no? no man will account of such a servant, but will cast him off for nought: even so God will cast them off for nought, that seek their own, & neglect the diligent seeking of that which is jesus Christ's.   

CHAP. 44. The honourable calling of Ministers stained by wordliness.  
I Must needs say, I have been very desirous, and have of ten begged of, GOD, that some of you might be Preachers, yea and all of you and yours, if it might please his divine Majesty to bestow such graces upon you, as were meet for so high a calling. But God knows, I never desired it, because you should get any thing in the world, but because you should get servants to God, and souls to Christ, and because you might be so enlightened with the Word through the holy Ghost working within you, that you might make no account of the world, as indeed it is nothing, nay, it is worse than nothing; for nothing doth no hurt, and the world doth much hurt. I pray not for the world, saith Christ, but for those thou hast given me out of the world: 
joh. 17.9.  those, that though their bodies be in the world, yet their hearts, their minds and their affections are as high as heaven. 
Col. 3.1.  If you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: set not your affections on things which are on the earth, but on things which are in heaven. I pray GOD for Christ his sake, you may be of those, which Christ prayed for, those which have their minds and hearts busied about heavenly things, & never taking care for the things of the world. Woe is me, which fear, lest any of you or yours should love this world: but if it please God that any of you hereafter should be a Preacher, and love the world, I cannot express the grief it would be to me, even so long as I were in the world. If any of you should ask me, if it were not as evil in another man, as in a Preacher? I answer, no; for it is a very dangerous and indeed a damnable estate to love the world. I know what I say; I do not say, to be covetous, or desire to be rich, whereby one is moved to use unlawful means to get goods: but I say, to love lawful goods which God hath given thee, and to neglect the service of God about them, if it be but in thinking of them, and to be at any time more loath to lose thy lawful goods, then to go to law to the hurt of thy brother whom Christ died for, it is a wicked sin in any man. To set a rent or price of any of thy lawful goods or lands, more than thou in such a case wouldst be willing to give, it is a wicked sin. To let or sell any thing to any man, 
The danger of dealing with wicked men.  for sinister respects, that thou dost not think to be the true and faithful servant of God, if thou mayst let it well to those that are, is a sin. But to let a Farm to any that thou dost not think to be the true servant of God, but because he is richer, or is better able to pay thee, or will give thee more for it, is a great sin: For the earth is the Lords, and all that is therein, & he hath set thee as a steward over some part of it, and thou art by his appointment to let it to his children & servants that love him; and because many things have many prices, he bids thee deal in all his business, as thou wouldst be dealt withal in such a case. He bids thee deal liberally with thy brother, 
job 31.29  that his soul may bless thee: yet thou wilt neglect thy brother, whom thou seest careful to serve God in Christ, & let it to one that hath little or no Religion in him, because thou seest that he can deal more warily in the world, or more wisely, as the world calls it, though indeed it be more wickedly before God: yet because thou seest he is more able to pay thee thy rent, thou wilt let it to him, who is indeed God's enemy, and for whom God never made it: for God made these things for his children and servants, & he doth neither love God as his Father, nor obey him as a servant: neither will be more become obedient to God, & serviceable to his Church, if thou let him a good pennyworth; whereas if he thrive not of it, he will rail on thee, and on thy religion, which is indeed against God; for he knoweth not, that it is God that giveth power to get goods, and that it is God again, that keepeth men short: although sometimes with his mouth he speaketh it, yet the true knowledge of it dwells not in his heart; and if he grow rich upon it, he will not be liberal to the poor children of God, considering their wants as if they were his own: for he hath no natural affection towards them, because they are not his brethren. Lo, here thou seest what to do with thine own, or, as somesay, Gods and thine own; or, as the truth is Gods, and not thine own; and therefore thou mayst offend God in it: for thou art but a tenant at the will of the Lord, and art to depart at an instant; yet thou hast a great title under God for thy time and thy title is good, & lawfully thou mayst enjoy them, yet the love that thou bearest unto them is utterly unlawful; for it is the love that thou bearest to these worldly goods, that maketh thee to let them to such a tenant, as will neither serve God, nor do good to the poor servants of God. The man to whom thou lettest it, may be a civil honest man in the world: for among the heathen, yea, among the jews that would kill Christ again, if they had him, & hate the children of God; there are such as in the world will deal civilly, and pay at their day, perhaps, better than some Christian. But if thou be'st the true child of God, thou must have a discerning eye of faith, which every one hath not, and know the child of God from a civil man: neither mayst thou judge the other for all that, but pray for him, and hope that though he be not the true servant of God now, yet in good time, by God's grace he may be. Thou mayest not impart the benefits of God, as near as thou canst, but to those whom thou knowest to be the lords true servants, and thou must do it for the love thou bearest to God. Why shouldest thou not love God's children much more than any goods thou hast? There is great reason to do it, able to persuade any man, if his heart be not of stone. For GOD made us most excellent creatures, according to his own image. Satan came by stealth and subtlety, & through envy stole away that excellent image from us, and made us most ugly persons, deformed devils, so that we were ashamed of ourselves, ran away and hid ourselves, and we were good for nothing, but evil for all things, fit for nothing but firebrands of hell, into the which we were ready every hour to fall, & God had said, that if we suffered the devil to deceive us, hell should be our portion, the devil stood gaping to receive us: wert thou not in a miserable case then? I tell thee, we were all in this miserable case. And I tell thee true, I am sorry at the heart, when I see any that doth not consider the case wherein he was, and I am afraid, lest any of you should forget the state wherein ye were, and so become unthankful, and fall into it again. Oh, the danger is great! But tell me, wouldst thou not love him, that would come and make thee like a God again, and wash away all thy filthy poison, and deliver thee from the slavery of the devil, & from the fire of hell, and set thee in Paradise again, yea in such a Paradise as the devil can never have power to deceive thee? and for thy better assurance bids thee hold thee by him, and thou shalt never need to fear? If thou shouldest not love him and all his, thou wert greatly to blame. But I know now in thy distress thou dost not make so much question, whether thou shouldest love him or no; for thou thinkest it unpossible but that thou shouldest love him and all his, & do whatsoever he would bid thee. If thou wert once in God's favour again, thou wouldst not disobey him for all the devils and worlds that ever were. But ôn the misery! here is the thing: how is it possible that thou shouldest be helped? God is thine enemy, the devil is thine enemy, the world can do thee no good, nor make thee clean: for all the blood within thy veins is corrupted, thy heart blood is become most filthy poison, & thou art become most ugly deformed like the devil, and thou art a shame to thyself, although no body see thee but thyself, and hell fire is so big, that all the water in the world cannot quench it. Thus beginning to despair, thy torments begin to increase, when thou couldst see no way to escape it: but ôh the love of God, the wonderful love of God toward thee never to be expressed, not for any goodness that is in thee; for behold here what a filthy creature thou art; but for the everlasting goodness, that was in himself, his great mercy and wonderful wisdom he found a way, even for his own sake; or else man and his posterity had been burning in hell fire for ever and ever. How did he find a way? he sent his only Son to wash this filthy creature man, his only Son, I say, the Son of God. And how did he wash him? No water would make him clean: he washed him with his own blood, & he sweat water and blood with washing of him, yea, he shed his heart blood, & gave it man to drink, 
Mat. 26.27.  that it might enter into his heart, and so run through all his veins, & so cleanse him indeed. 
Gen. 6.12.  Man's flesh was corrupted. The Son of God broke his body, & gave them his flesh to eat, 
Mat. 26.26  that it might renew their flesh, and that their leprosy might be healed: and the Son of God did this indeed; he broke his body, and gave it us to feed on; he shed his blood, and gave it us to drink, or else we could never have been cleansed. But woe is me, God would not accept him, he said that man for his disobedience to him, and obeying the devil, must go to hell and burn there. Oh the mercies of the Son of God, how is it possible they should be shadowed out! for no body can express the depth of it, 
Eph. 3.18. 19  that he would endure the pains of hell for us: he being man, 
Gal. 3.13.  endured them; and being God, overcame them: he stopped the mouth of the devil, shut the gates of hell, took man by the hand, he having washed him and endured the pains of hell for him: 
john 14.7  he takes him by the hand I say, and leads him to his father, 
john 8.36  he accepts him in Christ. Oh the mercies of God in Christ, that are never able to be set out by man! 
Eccl. 7.29  Man through his fall wrought his utter ruin alone by himself; Christ the Son of God, hath wrought his recovery alone by himself, without the help of any, 
john 3.16  and set man in a far better estate, than he was before; for now he hath given him the hand of faith to hold on him, 
joh. 11.25  that he may never fall: before, man was alone, but now he is joined fast unto Christ by faith. 
Mar. 16.16  Now what hath man to do, To follow Christ, & take hold of him by faith. Not that man deserveth heaven by following Christ, no nor by his faith; but he taketh hold of him, which hath deserved heaven for him, and bringeth him thither, and setteth him in a glorious place by God his Father, and God accepteth him in Christ, & taketh him at his hands. No man cometh to the Father, 
Mat. 11.27  but by me (saith Christ) Now oughtest not thou in conscience to love, obey, and follow his counsel, that hath done all this for thee? & to love his children & servants, better than the children and servants of thy utter enemy the devil? who was not only enemy to thee, then when he first corrupted thee & thy seed, but he is utter enemy to thee still, & not only an utter enemy to thee, but also to christ thy Saviour, and will by all means hinder him, and impoverish his kingdom, & if he can possible he will bring thee from Christ to hell again? And wilt thou enrich his kingdom for a little goods (which Christ never bid thee get) who is an utter enemy to thy Saviour, and seeketh by all means to impoverish his kingdom, to speak against his Word, to scoff at them that follow him, yea, often stoppeth their mouths that would gladly speak on Christ's side, saying, If thou art altogether on Christ's side thou art not Caesar's friend, 
joh. 19 12  & wilt not enrich his kingdom? Thou knowest when thou inrichest Satan's kingdom, thou weaknest the kingdom of Christ, in that thou weaknest thy faith; for thou canst not in faith part with any of thy goods, to one whom thou dost not think the servant of God in Christ; 
Ro. 14.23.  and whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. And I prove this unto thee thus. When thou losest the favour of God, and becomest a bond slave of the devil, thou losest all the blessings, which God in mercy hath made for thee, and bestowed on thee. But they did not then fall to the devil, but did fall to the Lord, whose they were; for they were not thine before, but the Lords, and therefore thou couldst not lose them, nor forfeit them to the devil: yet thou hast lost them from thyself, & they fell to the Lord, who lent thee them so long as thou didst serve him: but the Devil finding thee possessed of them, claimeth them now, not that he hath any right to them, but like an usurping Tyrant, and it it was thy fault in yielding thy o-obedience to him, which maketh him to claim thee as his bondslave, & all thy goods to be at his commandment; but thou hadst nothing to lose but thyself, and that thou losest, but Christ redeemed thee. Take heed therefore, for as an usurping Tyrant, who having gotten once possession of a kingdom, will ever after lay claim to it, and will use all the means he can to get it again; and the first possession is not only a great light to make him get it the easier, but also it maketh him if he get it again, to keep it more strongly, and fortify it with a mighty power, & keep watch and ward in it, that he will never lose it again: So will the Devil, & therefore take heed thou deal not with any of the servants of the devil, nor by no means enrich his kingdom. If a noble and worthy-minded man, who hath great possessions, pass by some puddle, where he should see a harlot casting away her own son, if he should inquire for the father, & find that contrary to nature, he were run away from his own child, leaving it to utter ruin & destruction; if this nobleminded Gentleman should take up the child, and cause it to be washed, clothed & fed, and cause it to be instructed, & taught those things which it were fit it should learn, & when he came to be a man, he should say, I found thee thus and thus, and seeing no body had care of thee, I took thee up, and ever since maintained thee is good estate; & now I would have thee acquainted with my affairs & business; for I mean to trust thee with those things that I have: for so it is, my King calleth for me, & the affairs of my Country require that I should neglect mine own business & attend upon them; wherefore I leave my Lands, Lordships and Tenements with you in trust, till I come again: let them to my friends, & let them such penniworths, that they may well live upon them: let your own friends some part of them; deal so in it, as at my coming home I may find you faithful. Now if this servant should neglect his charge, neglect his own friends and his masters, and go for a little more rend, which his master cared not a whit for, & let his lands and tenements to his utter enemies, who growing rich with the Lands and goods of this noble Lord, would be ready to bid him battle at his return home, & to strike at him with his own sword; judge you, would not this Lord think, he had dealt very evil with him? nay, would not every honest man that should but hear of it, think & say that he had dealt most vildly with so good a Lord and Master, and that he were never meet to come in the company of an honest man again? Thus hath Christ dealt with us; When our wicked father and ungodly mother, Adam and Eve, cast us into the puddle of sin, & ran away, & left us there, where we should never have been able to have gotten out, jesus Christ, the only Son of the high and mighty God, our merciful Lord and Saviour, came by, and washed us, and brought us up at his own cost & charges, and we have nothing but from him; he taught us himself in all good doctrine; and being gone to overcome the enemy of his King and Country, he hath left his goods with thee, bids thee to deal well with his servants, and let them good penniworths, and deal not with his enemies, neither make any marriage with them: 
2. Cor. 6.14.  yet thou for a little money wilt buy and sell, marry and give in marriage with them, yea & thinkest, because thou findest them more rich in the world, they are better for thee to deal withal; & yet they are the utter enemies of thy Lord, and will be ready at his coming to bid him battle, and strike at him with his own sword.   

CHAP. 45. The right use of goods.  
Here thou seest, what cause thou hast to love Christ and his servants, and how thou oughtest not to love thine own; but to use it, as the Lord hath appointed thee, whose indeed it is. If thou dealest not with thy Lords goods and lands, as he hath appointed thee, art thou not in a great fault? Surely thou hast nothing to say for thyself, save to appeal to his mercy, confess thy sins, & amend thy life. But if a Preacher, whom God hath enlightened to see, what he was out of Christ, & what he is in Christ, and hath willed him to tell the people from his mouth, how he and they should now behave themselves inwardly in their hearts, 
Tit. 2.1.  & outwardly in their goods and substance; if he, I say, 
Mat. 5.14.  Whom God hath set upon a hill to give light to many; if he I say; whom God hath given much unto, 
Luk. 12.48  and of whom much shall be re-required; if he, I say, whom the sun of understanding should arise upon; nay, if he, I say, in whose heart the glorious Son of God should shine, will darken his glory with the thick clouds, or rather thick clods of this earthen world, his sin is great: but what did I say, darken their light? nay, they darken the light of the Gospel, that all should see to go by: nay, they darken the glorious light of the Son of God, & eclipse his glory: whereas they should draw many unto Christ by their liberality and true preaching, 
1. Tim. 4. 16.  they drive many from Christ by love of their own (as they say) & by their idleness & negligence in preaching (as I say) & I say, this love of their own, as they call it, is a thousand times worse in them, & doth a multitude more of hurt, then in other ordinary men, who love the world as well as they; but there are not so many that look on them, and God hath not set them for a light, as he hath done the Preachers. And the reason why the Preachers are many times overcome, is this, because the enemy doth bend all his forces against them, not unlike the enemy to the Israelites, who said, Fight neither against more nor less, but against the King of Israel. 
1. King. 22 31.  So doth our enemy the Devil, he fighteth neither against more nor less, but against the Captains of the Church, namely the Preachers; for he knoweth, that if they be once overcome, than the whole army will soon be confounded and brought to nought. Be you all upholders of them, which by no means can be done but by prayer; for as our preachers should pray for all, so all should send up their prayers to Almighty God, in the name of his Son, to send his holy Spirit into the hearts of the Preachers, to sanctify them throughout, that they maybe holy in body & mind, following the example of our Saviour Christ, who said to Peter his Apostle, whom he had appointed to be chief Preacher to the Church of the jews, 
Luk. 22.31.  Peter, Peter, Satan hath sought to winnow thee like wheat, but I have prayed that thy faith fail not. Again S. Paul appointed by the Son of God to be chief Preacher to the Church of the Gentiles, witnesseth of himself, saying, The messenger of Satan was sent to buffet me, but I besought the Lord jesus, that he might depart from me. 
2. Cor. 12. 7.8.  Now in these two great combats made between the devil & the dear children of God, ye see, that prayer is the weapon whereby the Tempter is overcome. Wherefore I earnestly entreat you, let your prayers always be sent up to God, through Christ, for the Preachers, & all such as are in high places, that so they continuing firm and steadfast, your faith may by them be more confirmed. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost be with you all from this time, even to the world's end. Amen.   
FINIS.