678

The Practice of Piety.

Heb. 11.
35, &c.
1 Pct. 5. 9.

4. That nothing commeth to pass in this case vnto thee, but such as ordinarily befell to others the brethren: who (being the *beloued* and *vndoubted* seruants of God when they lived on earth) are now most *blessed* and *glorious* Saints with Christ in Heaven: as *JOB*, *DAVID*, *LAZARUS*, &c. They groaned for a time, as thou doest, vnder the like *burthen*; but they are now delivered from all their miseries, troubles, and calamities. And so likewife *ere long* (*if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lords leisure*) thou (halt also bee deliuered from thy fickeneſſe and paine; either by *reſtitution* to thy former health with *JOB*; or (which is farre better) by being *receiued* to heauenly *rest*, with *LAZARUS*.

5. Lastly, that God hath not giuen thee ouer into the *band* of thine *enemie*, to bee puniſhed and

The Practice of Piety.

679

and disgraced; but (being thy louing Father) hee correcteth thee with his owne mercifull hand. When DAVID had his wifh, to chuse his owne chaſtife-ment, hee chose rather to bee corrected by the hand of God, then by any other meanes; Let vs fall into the hands of the Lord: for his mercies are great, and let mee not fall into the hands of man. Who will not take any affliction in good part, when it commeth from the hand of God, from whom (though no affliction seemeth ioyous for the present) wee know nothing commeth but what is good? The consideration heereof made David to endure Shemeis curled rayling, with great patience; and to correct him ſelfe another time for his impatience; I should not have opened my mouth, because thou didst it: and Iob to reprooue the vnaduſed ſpeech of his wife; Thou

Gg 4

ſpakeſt

2 Sam. 24.
14.

Heb. 12. 11.

1 Sam. 16.
9, 10.

Psal. 39. 9.

680

The Practice of Piety.

Iob 2.10.

Mat. 16,36.

Verse 42.

speakest like a foolish woman,
What? Shall we receive good at
the hand of God, and not receive
enill? And though the cup of
Gods wrath due to our sinnes,
was such a horror to our Sa-
uious loumane Nature, that hee
earneſtly prayed that it might
passe from him: yet( when hee
considered that it was reached
unto him by the hand and will
of his Father) he willingly sub-
mitted himselfe to drinke it to
the very dregs thereof. Nothing
will more arme thee with pati-
ence in thy ſickness, then to see
that it commeth from the hand
of thy heauenly Father; who
would neuer ſend it, but that hee
feeth it to bee vnto thee both
neecſull and profitable.

The

681

The Practice of Piety.

The ſecond ſort of Meditations
are, to consider from what enils
death will free thee.

T freeth thee from a corrup-
tible body, which was concei-
ued in the witneſſe of ſlesh, the
heate of luſt, the staine of ſinne,
and borne in the bloud of fil-
thineſſe : a living prison of thy
ſoule, a liny instrument of ſin,
a very ſacke of ſtinking dung;
the excrements of whose no-
ſtrils, eares, poress and other
paffiges (duly considered) will
ſeeme more lothsome then the
uncleanſt ſinke or vault. In-
ſomuch that whereas trees and
plants bring forth leanes, flow-
ers, fruits, and sweete smells,
mans body brings forth, natu-
rally, nothing but lice, wormes,
rottenneſſe, and filthy ſtinch.
His affections are altogether
corrupted; and the imaginations
of his heart are onely euill con-
gun. 1. 14. 1.
Gen. 6.5.

Gg 5 tinnally,

Psal. 14. 1.

Gen. 6.5.

682

The Practice of Piety.

tinually. Hence it is, that the
ungodly is not satisfied with
prophaneneffe, nor the voluptuous
with pleasures, nor the ambiti-
ous with perferments, nor the
curious with preciseneſſa, nor the
malicious with reuenge, nor the
lecherous with vncleanneſſe, nor
the coutous with gaine, nor the
drunkard with drinking. New
passions and fashions doe daily
grow, new feares and affliCTIONS
doe ſtill arife: here wrath lies
in waite, there vaine glory vex-
eth; here pride lifts vp, there
dafgrace caſts downe; and euery
one wyteth who ſhall arife in
the ruine of another. Now a
man is prinily ſtung with back-
bisters like fiery Serpents, anon
he is in danger to be openly de-
uoured of his enemies, like Da-
nels Lyons. And a godly man,
where ere hee liueth, ſhall euer
bee vexed (like Lot) with So-
doms vncleanneſſe.

2. Death brings vnto the godly

The Practice of Piety.

godly an end of finning, and
of all the miseries which are
due vnto finne: So that after
death there ſhall bee no more for-
row, nor crying: Neither ſhall
there bee any more paine; for God
ſhall wipe away all teares from
our eyes. Yea, by death we are
separated from the companie
of wicked men, and God ta-
keth away merciful and righte-
ous men from the euill to come.
So hee dealt with Iofiah; I will
gather thee to thy Fathers, and
thou ſhalt bee put into thy graue
in peace, and thine eyes ſhall not
see all the euill which I will bring
upon this place. And God hides
them for a while in the graue, va-
till the indignation paffe ouer. So
that as Paradise is the Hauen of
the Soules ſoy: so the graue may
be tearmed the Hanen of the bo-
dies reſt.

3. Whereas this wicked
body liues in a world of wick-
edneſſe, so that the poore soules
canno

683

Rom.6.7.

Apoc. 21.4.

Isa.57.1.

1 Kin. 22.29

1S.26.20.

Iob 5. 19.

684

The Practice of Pious.

cannot looke out at the Eyes,
and not bee infelted; nor heate
by the Eare, and not be diftra-
ked; nor smell at the Nostrils,
and not bee tainted; nor talte
with the Tongue, and not be
allured; nor touch by the Hand,
and not bee defiled; and euery
fense, vpon euery temptation,
is ready to betray the Soule; by
death the Soule shall be delive-
red from this chraldome, and
this corruptible body shall put on
incorruption, and this mortall
immortalitie. 1.Cor. 15. 5, 3. Oh
blessed, thrice blessed bee that
death in the Lord, which deli-
ers vs out of so cuill a world,
and freeth vs from such a bodie
of bondage and corruption!

The third sort of Meditation,
to consider what good Death
will bring vnto thee.

Death bringeth the god-
ly mans Soule to enjoy
an

an

685

The Practice of Pious.

an immediate Communion with
the blessed Trinitie, in cuerla-
fting bliffe and glory.

2. It translates the soule from
the miseries of this world, to the
contagion of Sinne, and society of
sinners, to the City of the living
God, the celestiall Hierusalem,
and the company of innumerable
Angels, and to the Assemblay and
Congregation of the first borne,
which are written in Heauen, and
to God the Judge of all, and to
the Soules of just men made per-
fect, and to Jesus the Mediator
of the new Couenant.

3. Death putte the Soule
into the actuall and full posses-
sion of all the Inheritance and
happineſſe, which Chriſt hath
either promised vnto thee in his
Word, or purchased for thee by
his bloud.

This is the good and hap-
pineſſe, whereunto a blessed
death will bring thee. And
what true Religious Christian
that

Heb.12:27,
23,524.

686

The Practice of Piety.

Plut. in vit. Caton. Cic. Tuc. quæſt. li. 1. Vel de praci- piti venias in Tartarasana. Vr qui Sova tieu de nece legit opus. Ouid.in Ibid.

that is young, would not with himſelfe old, that his appoined time might the sooner approach to enter into this celeſtiall Paradife, where thou mayeſt exchange thy braſſe for gold, thy vanity for felicity, thy vileneſſe for honour, thy bondage for freeſome, thy leaſe for an inſheritance, and thy morſtall ſtate for an immortall life? Hec that doth not daily deſire this bleſſedneſſe abone all things, of all others he is leſſe worthy to enioy it.

If * Cato Uticenſis, and Cleombrotus, two Heathen men, (reading Platoes booke of the immortalitie of the Soule) did voluntarily, the one breake his necke, the other runne upon his ſword, that they might the ſooner (as they thought) haue enioyed thofe ioyes: what a ſhame is it for Chriſtians (knowing thofe things in a more excellent meaſure and manner, out of

The Practice of Piety.

687

of God's owne Booke) not to be willing to enter into thofe heauenly ioyes? Especially when their Master cals for them thither. If therefore there bee in thee any loue of God, or deſire of thine owne happineſſe, or ſaluation: when the time of thy departing draweth neere; that time, I ſay, and manner of death, which GOD in his vnchangeable counſell hath appointed and determined before thou waſt borne: yeeld and ſutrender vp (willingly and cheerefully) thy Soule into the mercifull hand of Ieſus Chriſt thy Saviour. And to this end, when the time is come, as the Angel in the fight of Manoah, and his wife, ascended from the Altar vp to Heauen in the flame of the Sacriſce: So endeauour thou that thy Soule, in the fight of thy friends, may from the Altar of a contrite heart, ascend vp to heauen, in the ſweet perſume

Mat. 25. 10.

Luk. 13. 19, 20.

688

The Practice of Piety.

fume of this, or the like spiritu-
all sacrifice of Prayer.

A Prayer for the熙ke man, when
hee is told that hee is not a man
for this world, but must pre-
pare himselfe to goe vnto God.

O Heauely Father, who
art the LORD GOD of
the Spirits of all flesh, and hast
made vs. these foules, and hast
appointed vs the time, as to
come into this world. So (sal-
ing finished our bourse) to goe
out of the fame. The number of
my dayes, which thou haft de-
termined, are now expired, and
I am come to that vmoft
bound, which thou haft ap-
pointed, beyond which I cannot
paffe. I know (O Lord) that if
thou entreft into Judgement, no
flesh can be inftamed in thy fight:
And I (O Lord) of all others
should

Num. 16. 22.

Num. 27. 16.

1er. 38. 16.

Act. 13. 25,
26.

1 Tim. 4. 7.

Psal. 90. 12.

1 John 14. 5, 7, 8

& 6. 22. &

1 John 21.

Luk. 22. 5, 3.

Psal. 14. 2, 2.

The Practice of Piety.

Should appeare most impure &
voiusht; for I haue not fenght
that good fight, for the defence
of thy Faith and Religion, with
that zeale and constancie that I
should : but for feare of dif-
pleasing the world, I haue given
way vnto Sinnes and errors; and
for desire to pleafe my flesh, I
haue broken all thy Command-
dements, in thought, word, and
deed: I that my Sinnes haue
taken such hold on me, that I am
not able to looke up; and, they are
more in number then the haires
on my head. If thou wil straictly
marke mine iniquities, O Lord,
where shall I stand? If thou
weighest me in the Ballance, I sha
be found too light: For I am void
of all righteouſneſſe, that might
merit thy mercie; and loaden
with all iniquities, that moſt
inſtly deferue thy heauieſt
wrath. But, O my Lord, and my
God, for Jesu Christ thy Sonnes
ſake, in whom onely thou art well
pleased

689

1. Tim. 4. 7.

Psal. 41. 12.

Psal. 30. 3.

Dan. 5. 27.

Mat. 11. 28.

Mat. 3. 17.

690

The Practice of Piety.

I Tim. 1. 15

Ezek. 18. 22.

Psal. 51. 7.

I Pet. 1. 19.

Ioh. 1. 29.

Rotn. 4. 25.

1Cor. 13. 3, 4

I Pet. 2. 2.

pleased with all penitent and beleeuing sinners, take pitrie and compafension vpon me, who am the chiefe of sinners. Blot out all my finnes out of thy remembrance, and wash away al my transgressions out of thy fight with the precious blood of thy Sonne, which I beleeue that hee (as an undefiled Lambe) hath shed for the cleansing of my finnes. In this faith I liued, in this faith I dye : beleeuing that Jesus Christ dyed for my fins and rose againe for my justifica tion. And leeing that hee hath endured that death, and borne the burthen of that Judgement, which was due vnto my finnes; O Father, for his death and paf sions fake, now (that I am com ming to appeare before thy Judgement Seat) acquit and deliuer mee from that tearefull Iudgement which my finnes have iustly defecued: And per forme with mee that graci-

ous

691

The Practice of Piety.

ons and comfortable promise, which thou haft made in thy Gospell; That whosoever beleeuen thee, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into Iudgement, but shall paffe from death vnto life. Strengthen, O Christ, my Faith, that I may put the whole confidence of my faluation, in the merits of thy obe dience and blood. Encreafe, O holy Spirit, my patience : lay no more vpon mee then I am able to beare : and enable mee to beare so much as shall stand with thy bleffed will and pleafure. O bleffed Trinitie in Vnitie, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, vouchsafe, that as my outward man doth decay; so my inward man may more and more by thy grace and consolation, increafe and gather strength. O Saujour, put my foule in a readinesse, that (like a Wise Virgin, hauing the Wedding Garment of thy

Ioh. 5. 24.

Luk. 17. 5.

I Cor. 10. 14.

Mat. 25. 4.

Mat. 12. 11.

692

The Practice of Riotte.

Apoc. 19.

Apoc.19.7.

1oh 17.22.

Zach.3.2.

Pf.12.20,21

Mat.18.8.

Hob.1.14.

Luk.16.2.

Mat.8. 11.

Luk.13.18.

Eph.1.10.

A&.15.11.

thy, righteousnesſe and holi-
neſſe) ſhee may bee ready to
meete thee at thy comming,
with Oyle in her Lampe, Marry
her vnto thy ſelſe, that she may
bee one with thee in everlaſt-
ing lone and fellowship. O Lord,
reproue Satan, and chafe him
away: Deliner my Soule from
the power of the Dogge: Sane
mee from the Lyons mouth. I
thanke thee, O Lord, for all
thy bleſſings, both ſpirituall
and temporall beſtowed upon
me: especially for my Redemp-
tion, by the death of my Sauti-
our Chriſt. I thanke thee that
thou haſt protected mee with
thy holy Angels from my youth
vp. vntill now. Lord, I be-
ſeech thee, giue them a charge
to attend vpon mee, till thou
calleſt for my ſoule ; and then
to carry her ( as they did the
ſoule of Lazarus) into thy hea-
uenly Kingdome. And as the
time of my departure ſhall ap-
proach

693

The Practice of Piety.

proach neerer vnto mee: so
grant, O Lord, that my ſoule
may draw neerer vnto thee:
And that I may ioyfully com-
mend my ſoule into thy hands,
as into the hands of a louing Fa-
ther, and mercifull Redeemer,
and at that instant, O Lord,
gradiously receive my ſpirit. All
which that I may do, aſſiſt me,
I be ſeech thee, with thy grace,
and leech thy holy Spirit continue
with me vnto the end, and in the
end, for Iefus Chriſt his ſake,
thy Sonne, my Lord, and onely
Saniour: In whose name I giue
thee thy glory, and beg these
things at thy hand, in that Pray-
er which Chriſt himſelfe hath
taught mee, ſaying: Our Father,
&c.

Medi-

Pfal. § 1.4.

A&.7.59.

694

The Practice of Piety.

Meditations against desfaire,
or doubting of Gods mercy.

It is found by continual experience, that near the time of death (when the Children of GOD are weakest) then Satan makes the greatest flourish of his strength: and although them with his strongest temptations. For he knoweth, that either he must now or never preuaile; for if their soules once get to Heauen, hee shall never vexe nor trouble them any more: and therefore hee will now beстirre himselfe as much as hee can, and labour to set before their eyes all the große sinnes which either they committed, and the Judge-ments of God which are due vnto them, thereby to drive them, if hee can, to desfaire; which is a grieuouer sinne then all the sinnes that they com-

The Practice of Piety.

695

committed, or he can accuse them of.

If Satan therefore trouble thy Conscience more towards thy death, then in thy life time:

1. Confess thy sinnes vnto God, not only in general, but also in particular.

2. Make satisfaction vnto those men, whom thou haft wronged, if thou be able. And if thou doft iniuriously or fraudulently detaine or keepe in thy possession any lands, or goods, that of right doe belong to any widdow or fatherlesse childe; pre-ume not, as thou tenderest thy soules health, to looke Christ the righteous fudge in the face; vnlesse thou doft firſt make a restitucion thereof to the right owners: for the Law of God, vn-der the penaltie of his curſe, re-quireth thee to restore whatsoe-uer was given thee to keepe, or which was committed to thy truſt, or whatsoever by robbery, or vio-lent

Satan's firſt stratagem in time of death. The defeature.

Leu. 6. 2, 3,
4, &c.

Num. 5, 6,
7, 8.

Non remitti-
tur peccatum
nis restitua-
tur ablatum.

696

The Practice of Piety.

Luk. 19.⁸,⁹

Ezek. 15.39

11, 16.

Mic. 6.10,11.

Luk. 13.1.

Ier. 18.7.

A9.2.38.

Act. 8.22.

1 Pet. 3.9.

Gen. 29.7.

Iam. 5.14,

15, 16.

Leu. 6.6,7.

lent oppression thou tookest from
thy Neighbour, with a fifth part
for amends added to the principle.
And vncleſſe that like Zach
chews thou doelt make restitution
of ſuch goods and lands, according
to God's Law, thou
canſt neuer truely repent; and
without true repentance, thou
canſt neuer bee ſaued. But
though by the temptation of
the Diuell thou haſt done
wrong and injury; yet if thou
doelt truely repent, and make
Reſtitution to thy power, the
Lord haſt promised to be merciful
unto thee, to heare the
Prayers of his faithfull Ministers
for thee, to forgiue thee thy
trespaſſe and finne, and to receive
thy ſoule in the merits of
Christ's blood, as a Lambe without
bllemiſh.

3. Aske God for Chriſt his
fake pardon and forgiueneſſe. And
then the ſe troubles of mind are
no discouragements, but rather
com

697

The Practice of Piety.

comforts, exerciſes, not puniſhments. They are affurances vnto thee, that thou art in the right way: for the way to Heauen is by the gates of hell: that is, by suffering paines in the body, and ſuch doubrings in the mind: that thy eſtate in this life being euery way made bitter, the ioyes of eternal life may reliſh vnto thee better and more ſweete.

If Sathan tell thee that thou
haſt no faith, because thou haſt no
feeling: meditate,

1. That the trueſt faith hath
often times the leaſt feeling, and
greatest doubts; but so long as
thou hateſt ſuch doubrings,
they ſhall not bee laid vnto thy
charge; for they belong to the
ſlesh, from which thou art diuorced.
When thy ſlesh ſhall perſis,
thy weake inward man,
which hates them, and lones the
Lord Iesius, ſhall be ſaued.

2. That it is a better faith to
beleeue without feeling, then
H h with

Sathans
ſecond al-
fault.

The Chri-

ſtians en-
counter.

Psal. 7.19.

Mat. 9.24.

Mat. 17.

&c.

Mat. 14.

31.

Iob 35.16

698

The Practice of Piety.

Mat.17. 20.

with feeling. The least faith (so much as a grain of Mustard-seede, so much as is in an infant baptized) is enough to faue the soule which loueth Christ, and beleeueth in him.

Mat.10. 14.

3. That the Childe of God which desireth to feele the af-surance of Gods fauour, shall haue his desire, when GOD shall see it to bee for his good: for God hath promisèd to giue them the Water of Life, who thirst for it. Wee haue an exam-ple in f. Mafter Glouer the ho-ly Martyr, who could haue no comfortable feeling till he came to the fight of the Stake; and then cryed put, and clapped his hands for ioy to his friends; saying, O Austin, he is come, he is com; meaning the feeling joy of Faith, and the Holy Ghost. Tarry therefore the Lord's leicure: be strong and he be well comfort thine heart.

Apoc.2.6
Ihes 55. 1.
f. Fox, f. Act.
Morum
Fol.15. 55
in the laft
Edition.

Psal.27 16

Sathans 3
assault.

If Sathans shall aggrauate unto thee

The Practice of Piety.

699

thee the greatnes, the multitude,
and haynousnesse of thy finnes ;
meditate :

1. That vpon true repen-tance, it is as easie with GOD to forgiue the greatest finne, as the least, and hee is willing to forgiue many, as to pardon one. And his mercy Shineth more in pardoning great sinners, then small offenders: as appeares in the examples of Manasses, Magdalen, Peter, Paul, &c. And where finne most abounded, there doth his grace reioyce to abound much more.

2. That God did neuer for-fake any man, till that man did first forfake God, as appeares in the examples of Cain, Saul, Achitophel, Ahazia, Iudas, &c.

3. That God calleth all, ie-uen those sinners who are hea-nie laden with finne, and that he did neuer deny his mercy to any finner that asked his mercy

H h 2

with

The En-
counter.
I Tim. 1.
15.

Rom.5.20

Mat. 11.28

700

The Practice of Piety.

with a penitent heart. This the History of the Gospel witnesseth: There came vnto Christ all forts of fickle sinners : the blind, halt, lame, lepers; such as were fickle of palsies, dropfies, cloudy fluxes; such as were Lunaticke, and poſſessed with vncleane spirits, and Diuels: Yet of all those not one that came and asked his mercie and helpe, went away without his errand. If mercy hee asked, mercy he found; were his finne neuer so great, were his Diſeafe neuer so grisuous. Nay, hee offered and gaue his mercy to many who neuer asked it, (beeing mooued onely with the bowels of his owne compassion, and the fight of their miſery) as to the woman of Samaria, the widow of Naim, and to the fickle man that lay at the poole of Bethesda, who had beene 38. yeares fickle. If he thus wilfully gaue his mercy to them that

Ioh. 5.54.
Luk.7.13.

The Practice of Piety.

that did not aske it, and was found of them (as the Prophets) that ſought him not; will he deny mercy vnto thee, who doſt so earneſtly pray for it with teares? and doſt, like the poore Publicane, so heartily knocke for it, with penitent fifts vpon a bruised and broken heart? Especially when thou prayest to thy Father, in the name and mediation of Christ, for whose ſake he hath promiſed to grant what ſoever we ſhall aske of him: as ſure as God is true hee will not. Though Niniehs finnes had prouoked the Lord to ſend out his ſentence againſt them, yet vpon their repence, hee re-called it againe, and ſpared the Cittie: how much more if thou likewife repenteſt, will hee ſpare thee, ſeeing his ſentence is not yet gone forth againſt thee ? If hee deferred the Indgement all *Ahab's* daies, for the externall *H h z* ſhew

701

Iah.561.
Rom.10.
20.

Ioh 14.14

Nouit dom-
minus mi-
tare ſenten-
tiam ſitu
neueris, e-
mendare
vitã. Aug.
in Pfal. 5c

702

The Practice of Piety.

How onely which hee made of humiliation; how much more will hee cleane turne away his vengeance, if thou wilt unfainedly repent of thy finne, and returne vnto him for grace and mercy?

Gen 4,2.

Hee offered his mercy vnto Cain (who murthered his innocent Brother) If thou doest well, shall thou not bee accepted? As if hee should haue faid, If thou wilt leaue thy enuie and malice, and offer vnto me from a faithfull and contrite heart, both thou and thine Oblation also shall bee acceptable vnto mee. And to Indas (that so treacheroufly betrayed him) in calling him Friend, a sweete appellation of loue; and when Indas offered, he willingly consented with that mouth (wherein neuer was found guile) to kisse those dislembling lips, under which lurked the poyson of Afkes. Had Indas apprehended this word

Mat. 26. 50.

1 Pet. 2.22
Ps. 140.3
Mar. 26.50

The Practice of Piety.

word friend, out of the mouth of Chrift, as Benhadad did the word Brother from the mouth of Achab, doubtlesse Indas should haue found the God of Israel more mercifull then Benhadad found the King of Israel. But God was a more displeased with Cain for despairing of his mercy, then for murthering his Brother; and with b Indas for hanging himselfe, then for betraying his Master: in that they would make the finnes of mortall men, greater then the infinite mercy of the eternall God, or as if they could be more finnefull then God was mercifull. Whereas the leaft droppe of Christs blood is of more merit to procure Gods mercy for thy saluation, then all the finnes (that thou haft committed) can be of force to prouoke his wrath, to thy damnation.

If Sathan shall suggest, that all H b 4 this

703

I King.
20.32.33.
Verse 31.

a Iudas non tam scelus quam de- (peratio fecit penitus interire. Aug. lib de will. panis. B sceleration omnibus, O Iuda, exti- (tifi, quem non pœnit- tia duxit ad Domi- num, fed desperatio traxit ad laqueum. Leo.

Sathans fourth assault.

704

The Practice of Piety.

this is true of God's mercy, but that it doth not belong unto thee, because that thy finnes are greater than other mens, as being fins of knowledge, & of many yeares continuance; and such as whereby others have bene undone: and all (for the most part) committed wilfully and presumptuously against God, and thy Conscience. And therefore though hee will bee mercifull unto others, yet he will not bee merciful unto thee: meditate,

The En-
counter.

1. That many(who are now in heauen most blessed and glorious Saints) committed in the same kinde (when they liued on earth)as great, and greater finnes then euer thou haft committed, and continued (before they repented) in those finnes, as long as euer thou haft done. As therefore all their finnes, and the continuance in them, could not hinder God's mercy, vpon their repentance, from

705

The Practice of Piety.

from forgiuing their finnes,
and receiuing them into fa-
uour: no more shall thy finnes
and continnance therein, hinder
him from being mercifull vnto
thee, if thou doeſt repent as they
did: yea,vpon thy Repentance,
euery one of their examples is
a pledge that hee will doe the
same vnto thee that hee did vn-
to them. For as the least fin, in
Gods Iustice, without Repen-
tance is damnable; so the grea-
test finne, vpon Repentance, is
in his Mercy pardonable. Thy
greatest and inueterateſt finnes
are but the finnes of a Man ;
but the least of his mercies is
the mercie of God. Because
thou knoweſt thine owne fins,
thou doubteſt whether they
ſhall be pardoned: Marke how
this doubtfull caſe is refolued
by GOD himſelfe. Many in
Ifaies daies thought (as thou
doeſt) that they had continued
ſo long in finne, that it was

1 Tim. 1.
16.

H h 5

too

706

The Practice of Priety.

Isa. 55. 6.
7, 8.

too late for them now to seeke to returne vnto God for grace and mercy. But God answereth them; Seeke yee the Lord whilft hee may be found : call yee vpon him whileft he is neere. As if he had said; Whileft life lasteth, and my Word is preached, I am neere to bee found of all that seeke mee, and pray vnto mee. The people reply : But wee (O Lord) are grievous sinners, and therefore dare not pre-ume to call vpon thy Name, or to come neere thine Holineffe. To this the Lord answereth: Let the wicked forfake his way, and the man of ini quitie his thoughts, and let him returne vnto mee, and I will have mercy upon him, and bee his God, and I will parden him abundantly. But wee would thinke (say the people) that if our sinnes were but ordinary sinnes, this promise of mercy might belong vnto vs. But because our sinnes

707

The Practice of Priety.

sinnes are to great, and of such long continuance, therefore we seare, least when wee appeare before God, hee will reiect vs. To this GOD answereth againe: My thoughts (of mercy,) are not your thoughts; neither are your wayes (of parning) my wayes: for as the heauens are higher then the Earth, so are my wayes higher then your wayes, and my thoughts then your thoughts. If therefore euery linne in the world, were a world of such sinners as thou art: doe thou but yet what Gods bids thee) Repent and Beleeue; and the bloud of Iesus Christ, being the blood of God, will cleanse both thee and them from all your sinnes.

2. That as God did fore-see all the sinnes which the world did commit, and yet all those could not hinder him from lovin the world, so that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne to the death.

Aft. 20. 28
1 Ioh. 1. 7.

Ioh. 3. 16.

708

The Practice of Piety.

death to saue as many of the
world as would beleene and re-
pent: much lesse shall thy fins,
(being the finnes of the least
number of the world) bee able
to hinder God from louing thy
soule, and forgiuing thy finnes,
if thou doeſt Repent and Be-
lieue.

Rom. 18. 3

3. That if hee loued thee so
dearely when thou waſt his e-
nemy) that hee payed for thee so
deare a price, as the spilling of
his Heart blood; how can hee
now but bee gracious vnto
thee, when to saue thee, will
come him but the casting of a
gracious looke vpon thee ?
Looke nor thou therefore to
the greatnesſe of thy finnes, but
to the infinitenesſe of his mercy,
which is so surpassing great,
that if thou puttest all thine
owne grieuous finnes together;
and add'st vnto those the finnes
of Cain and Indas; and put
vnto them all the finnes of all,
the

709

The Practice of Piety.

the Reprobates in the World
(doubtlesſe it would be a huge
heape:) yet compare this huge
heape with the infinite mercy
of God, and there will bee no
more comparisón betwixt
them, then betwixt the least
Mole-hill, and the greatest
Mountaine in a Counrey. The
crie of the grieuouſest finnes
that euer wee reade of, could
neuer reach vp higher then vn-
to Heauen, as the crie of the
finnes of Sodome: but the mercy
of God (faith David) reacheth
up higher then the heauens, and
so ouertoppeth all our finnes.
And if his mercy be greater then
all his workes, it muſt needs bee
greater then all thy finnes. And
so long as his mercy is greater
then the finnes of the whole
World, doe thou but repent,
there is no doubt of par-
don.

If Sathan shall obiect, that
thou hast many times vowed to
repent

Gen. 19.

13.

Psal. 108.

4.

Pf. 145. 9.

Sathans
first aſ-
fault.

710

The Practice of Piety.

repent, & haſt made a ſhew of re-
pentance for the time, & yet didſ
fall to the ſame ſins againe, & a-
gaine, & thatal thy repětace was
but ſained and a mocking of God.
And that ſeeling thou haſt ſo oftè
broke thy vow, therfore God hath
withdrawne his mercy, and hath
changed his louse, &c. meditate:

The En-
counter.
*I remem-
ber (ſaith
Luther)
that Stau-
pitius was
wont to
tel me, Eg-
plusquam
millies Deo
voni, &c. I

haue more then a thousand times vowed vnto
God, that I would amend my life, but I could
neuer performe my vow. Henceforth I wil make
no ſuch vow, becaufe I verily know that I can-
not keepe it. Vnleſſe therſot God will be merci-
fall vnto me for Chriſt his ſake, and grant me a
blessed departure out of this wretched life, al my
vowes and good workes will ſtand mee in no
ſtead. This is the ſtate of the deareſt children of
God in this life, Reade Luther on Galat. Chap. 5.

that

The Practice of Piety.

711

that they will vow no more.
Their *vowes* ſhew the deſires
of their ſpirituall man ; their
*breakings*, the *weakenes* of their
corrupt ſlesh, And our oft *flips*
to the ſame ſinnes *Chrifter* fore-
ſaw, when hee *taught* vs to
pray daily; O *Father*, *forgive*
vs *our trefpasses*. And why doth
*Chrifter* enioyne thee (who art
but ſinnefull man) to *forgive* thy
*Brother* ſeuén times in a day, if
he *shall* *returne* ſeuén times in a
day, and ſay, *It repenteth mee* ?
but to *affure* thee, that (hee be-
ing the GOD of mercy, and
goodneſſe it ſelfe) will *forgive*
vnto thee thy *Seuentie times*
*ſeuén folde ſinnes a day*, which
thou haſt committed against
him, if thou *returne* vnto him
by true repentance. The Iſ-
*raelites* were cured by looking
(though with weake eyes) on
the *Brazen Serpent*, as oft as
they were ſtung by the *fiery*
*Serpents* in the *wilderneſſe*, to
*affure*

Luk.17.

3.4.

Mat. 18.

21.22.

Num. 21.9

712

The Practice of Piety.

Post lacry-
mas gemi-
tusque gra-
ues clemen-
tia Chrifti,
Conſtim
eſt ocuio
ante loca-
da tuos.

Iam.1.17.

Rom.8.28

Rom 9 11

* By theſe
Keyes Pe-
ter opened
heauen to
himſelfe,
and after-
wards
with the
reſt of the
Apoſtles
vnto o.
thers.
Luke 22.
62

62

Luke 24.

47. &c.

1oh 20.21

& Ioh.13.

1.

Rom.11.

29.

Rom.8.39

aſſure thee that vpon thy teares
of Repentance, thou haſt be re-
couſred by faith in Chriſt, as of-
ten as thou art wounded to
death by Sinne.

2. That thy ſaluation is
grounded, not vpon the con-
ſtancie of thine obedience, but
vpon the firmeneſſe of Gods
Couenant. Though thou va-
riet with God, and the Coue-
nant bee broken on thy behalſe,
yet it is firme on Gods part ;
and therefore all is ſaſe enough
if thou wilt returne: for there
is no variablenefſe with him,
neither ſbaddow of change. Hce
hath locked vp thy ſaluation,
and made it ſure in his owne
unchangeable purpose; and hath
deliuered to thy keeping the
Keyes, which are * Faith and
Repentance ; and whilſt thou
haſt them, thou mayeſt per-
ſwade thy ſelfe that thy ſalua-
tion is ſure and ſaſe : For whom
God loueth, he loueth to the end,
and

713

The Practice of Piety.

and neuer repenteth of beſtow-
ing his loue on them who re-
penſt and beleeue.

Laſtly, If Sathan ſhall per-
ſwade thee, that thou haſt beene
doubting a long time, and that
it is beſt for thee now to deſpaire,
ſeeing thy Sinnes increaſe, & thy
indgement draweth neere: medi-
tate,

1. That no ſinne (though neuer ſo great) should be a cauſe to mooue any Chriſtian to deſpaire, ſo long as Gods imerſcy, by ſo many millions of degrees, is greater, and that euery penitent and beleeuing Sinne hath the pardon of all his Sinnes confirmed by the Word and Oath of God; two immutable things, wherein it is impoſsible that God should lie. His word is, that at what time ſoener, a Sinne, who ſoener, doth repent of his Sinne, what ſoener, (for both time, and Sinnes, and Sinners are indefinite) from the bottome of his

Sathans
ſixt af-
ſault.

Heb.6 18

Ezek.18.

22.

D King of
London his
Lectures
on Ienab.

714

The Practice of Piety.

Ezek. 33: 11.

O fœlices
nos, quorum
causa iurat
Deus!
O misera-
mos nos fi
non Deo
quidem in-
ranti cre-
demus.
Tertul.

his heart, God will blot foorth all
his fins out of his remembrance,
that they shall be mentioned vnto
him no more. If we will not take
his word (which God forbid
wee should doubt of) hee hath
giuen vs his oath: As I line,
I desire not the death of the wic-
ked, but that the wicked turne
from his way and line. As if he
had said: Will yce not beleeue
my word? I fweare by my life,
that I delight not to damne a-
ny finner for his finnes, but ra-
ther to faue him, vpon his con-
verſion and repentance. The
Meditation heereof mooued
Tertullian to exclaime: O
how happy are we, when GOD
fweareth that hee will not our
damnation! Oh, what miserable
wretches are wee, if we will not
belceue God, when hee fweareth
his truth vnto vs! Listen, O
drooping Spirit, whose Soule
is affailed with waues of faith-
leſſe deſpaire; how happie
were

715

The Practice of Piety.

Isa. 28:14.

were it to see many like thee,
and Hezekias? (who mourne
like Doneſ for the ſense of ſinne,
and chatter like Cranes and
Swallowes for the ſeare of Gods
anger) rather then to behold
many who die like beaſts, with-
out any feeling of their owne
eſtate, or any ſeare of Gods
wrath, or tribunall ſeat, before
which they are to appeare?
Comfort thy ſelfe, O langui-
ſhing Soule, for if this earth
hath any, for whom Chriſt ſpilt
his blood on the Croſſe, thou
affuredly art one. Cheere vp
therefore thy ſelfe in the All-
Sufficient Attonement of the
blood of the Lambe, which
ſpeaketh better things then that
of Abel. And pray for thofe who
neuer yet obtained the grace
to haue ſuch a ſenſe and de-
tection of ſinne. Thou art
one indeed, for whom Chriſt
dyed; and from whom a
wounded ſpirit (iudging rather
accor-

Heb. 12: 24.

716

The Practice of Piety.

Mat. 27.
46.

2 Tim 2.
11.

2 Cor. 1.
20.

Apoc. 3.
14.

Heb. 6. 6.

according to his feeling, then his faith) hath wrung that doleful voice of Christ; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And doubt not, but ere long thou shall as truely reigne with him, as now thou doest suffer with him: for Yea, and Amen hath spoken it. Noinne barres a man from saluation, but onely incredulity and impenitencie: nothing makes the fin against the Holy Ghost vnpardonable, but want of repentance. Thy vnfained desire to repent, is as acceptable vnto God, as the perfectest repentance that thou couldest wish to performe vnto him.

Meditate on these Evangelical comforts, and thou shall see, that in the very agony of death, God will so affix thee with his Spirit, that when Sathan looketh for the greatest victory, hee shall receive the foulest foile; yea, when the eye-strings

717

The Practice of Piety.

strings are broken, that thou canst not see the light, Iesus Christ will appeare vnto thee to comfort thy Soules, and his holy Angels will carry thee into his heauenly Kingdome. Then shall thy friends behold thee, like Manoahs Angell, doing wonders indeed; when they shall see a fraile man in his greatest weaknesse (by the more affiistance of Gods Spirit) ouercomming the strength ofinne, the bitternesse of death, and all the power of Sathan; and in the fire of Faith, and perfume of Prayer, ascend vp with Angels victiously into Heauen.

An Admonition to them who come to visit the sicke.

T Hey who come to visit the sicke, muft haue a speciall care not to stand dumbe and staring in the sicke persons face

Luk. 19.
22.

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The Practice of Piety.

Space to disquiet him, nor yet to
speak idly, and to aske unprofitable questions, as most doe.

If they see therefore that
the sicke party is like to die, let
them not dissemble, but lo-
vingly and discreetly admo-
nish him of his weakenesse, and
to prepare for eternall life. One
houre well spent, when a man's
life is almost out-spent, may
gaine a man the assurance of
eternall life. Sooth him not
with the vaine hope of this life,
least thou betray his Soule to
eternall death. Admonish him
plaineely of his estate, and aske
him briefly these, or the like
Questions.

Questions to bee asked of a sicke man, that is like to die.

Doeſt thou beleeue that
Almighty God, the Tri-
nity of Persons in Vnity of Ef-
sence, hath by his power made
heauen

719

The Practice of Piety.

heauen and earth, and all things
therein? and that he doth still
by his Divine prouidence go-
uerne the fame; so that nothing
comes to pass in the world nor
to thy selfe, but what his diuine
hand and counsell had determi-
ned before to be done.

2. Doeſt thou confesse, that
thou haſt transgresſed and bro-
ken the holy Commandements
of Almighty God in thought,
word and deed? And haſt deter-
ued for breaking his holy lawes;
the Curſe of God, which con-
taineth all the miseries of this
life, and everlaſting torments in
hell fire, when this life is en-
ded, if so bee that God ſhould
deale with thee according to
thy deſerts?

3. Art thou not sorry in thy
heart, that thou haſt so broken
his Lawes, and neglected his
Seryice, and worſhip, and so
much followed the world, and
thine owne vaine pleatures ?
And

720

The Practice of Piety.

And wouldst thou not lead a holier life, if thou wert to begin againe?

Rom.8.
34.

Heb 9.24

4. Doeſt thou not from thy heart desire to bee reconciled vnto GOD in Iesus Chriſt, his bleſſed Son, thy Mediator, who is at the right hand of God in heauen, now appointed for thee in the fight of God and making requeſt vnto him for thy Soule?

Heb 9.11.
1Tim.2.5

Heb.7.25

5. Doeſt thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediaſtors, or Interceſſors, Saints, or Angels, beleeuing that Iesus Chriſt the onely mediator of the New Teſtament, is able perſectly to ſaue them that come vnto God by him ſeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them? And wilt thou with David ſay vnto Chriſt, Whom haue I in Heauen but thee? And there is none vpon earth that I deſire be ſide thee.

Ps.73.25.

6. Doeſt thou confidently believe, and hope to bee ſaued by the

721

The Practice of Piety.

the onely merits of that bloudy death and passion, which thy Sauiour Iesus Christ hath suffered for thee? Not putting any hope of ſaluation in thine owne merits, nor in any other meaneſ or creatures? Being alſuredly perſwaded, That there is no ſaluation in any other: and that there is none other name vnder Heauen, whereby thou muſt be ſaued.

Act.4.12.

Act.10.43

Eſa.26.29

7. Doeſt thou heartily forgiue all wrongs, or offences done or offered vnto thee, by any manner of perſon whatfoeuer? And doeſt thou as wilſingly (from thy heart) aske forgiueneſſe of them whom thou haſt grieuouſly wronged in word or deed? And doeſt thou caſt out of thy heart, all malice and hatred, which thou haſt borne to any body: that thou mayeſt appeare before the face of Chriſt (the Prince of peace) in perſect loue & charity?

Ii

8.Doth

Eſa.9.6.

Heb.12.

24.

722

The Practice of Piety.

8. Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing, which thou haſt wrongfully taken, and doeſt ſill withhold from any widow or fatherleſſe children, or from any other person whom-foeuer ? Be affured, that vnleſſe thou ſhalt restore, like Zachaus, these goods and lands (if thou bee able) thou canſt not truely repent; and without true repen-tance, thou canſt not be ſaued, nor looke Chriſt in the face, when thou ſhalt appeare before his Iudgement ſeat.

9. Doeſt thou firmly be-
leeue, that thy body shall be rai-
ſed vp out of the Graue, at the
found of the laſt Trumpet? And
that thy body and ſoule ſhall
bee vnited together againe in
the rerefrection day, to appeare
before the Lord Iesus Christ;
and thence to goe with him
into the kingdome of Heauen,
to liue in cuerlaſting Bliſſe and
glory ?

If

723

The Practice of Piety.

If the ſicke party ſhall an-
fwer to all theſe queſtions like
a faithfull Christian ; then let
all who are preſent, ioyne toge-
ther and pray for him, in theſe
or the like words.

A Prayer to bee ſaid for the ſicke
by them who viſit him.

O Merciful Father, who
art the Lord and giuer
of Life, and to whom be-
longs the ills of death: wee
thy children heere affembled,
doe acknowledge, that (in
respect of our manifold finnes)
wee are not worthy to aske any
blessing for our ſelues at thy
hands; much leſſe to become
fuiters to thy Maiestie in the
behalfe of others: yet becauſe
thou haſt commanded vs to pray
one for another, especially for
the ſicke, and haſt promised

I i 2

that

James 5.

724

The Practice of Piety.

that the prayers of the righteous shall auaile much with thee: in the Obedience therefore of thy Commandement, and confidence of thy gratious promise, wee are bold to become humble suiters vnto thy diuine Maie. Fie, in the behalfe of this our deare Brother (or Sifter) whom thou haft vistied with the chafisement of thine owne fatherly hand. Wee could gladly wifh the Restitution of his health, and a longer continuance of his life and Christian Fel. lowship amongst vs: but for as much as it appeareth (as farre as wee can discerne) that thou haft appointed by this visitation, to call for him out of this mortall life: wee submit our wills to thy blessed will, and humbly entreate for Iesus Christ his fake; and the merits of his bitter Death and Passion (which hee hath suffered for him) that thou wouldest

725

The Practice of Piety.

deft pardon and forgiue vnco him all his finnes; as well that wherein hee was conceiued and borne, as also all the offences and transgressions which euer since, to this day and houre hee hath committed in thought, word, and deed against thy diuine Maieſly. Caft them behinde thy backe, remeoue them as farre from thy prefence, as the East is from the West; blot them out of thy remembrance; lay them not to his charge; waſh them away with the Bloud of Christ, that they may no more be ſeene, and deliuer him from all the Iudgements, which are due vnto him for his finnes, that they may neuer trouble his Conſcience, nor rife in Iudge ment against his Soule, and impute vnto him the righouſneſſe of Iesus Christ, whereby hee may appeare righteouſ in thy fight: And in this extremitie at this time, wee beſeech

Ii3

thee

Pf. 1c3.1.

726

The Practice of Piety.

thee looke downe from Hea-
uen vpon him with thofe eyes
of grace & compassion, where-
with thou art wont to looke
vpon thy children in their af-
fliction and mifterie. Pittie thy
wounded Servant, like the
good Samaritan: for here is a
ficke Soule that needeth the
helpe of such an heauenly Phy-
ſitian. O Lord, increafe his faith,
that he may beleeue that Christ
dyed for him, and that his
bloud cleanseth him from all
his fins: and either affwage his
paine, or else increafe his pati-
ence, to endure thy bleſſed will
and pleafure. And (good Lord)
lay no more vpon him, then
thou ſhalt enable him to beare.
Heaue him vp vnto thy ſelfe,
with thofe ſighes and groanes,
which cannot bee expreſſed.
Make him now to feele what
is the hope of his Calling: and
what is the exceeding greatnes
of thy Mercy and power to-
wards

727

The Practice of Piety.

wards them that beleeue in
thee. And in his weakeneffe, O
Lord, shew thou thy strength,
Defend him againſt the ſuege-
ſtions and temptations of Satan:
who (as hee hath all his life
time) will now in his weake-
neſſe, especially, ſeeke to affaile
him, and to deuoure him. O
ſaue his ſoule, & reproue Satan,
and command thy holy Angels
to bee about him, to aide him,
and to chafe away all euill and
malignant Spirits farre from
him. Make him more and
more to loath this world, and
desire to bee loosed and to bee
with Christ. And when that
good houre and time ſhall come
(wherein thou haſt determined
to call for him out of this pre-
fent life) giue him grace peace-
ably and ioyfully to yeeld vp his
ſoule into thy mercifull hands.
And doe thou receiue him into
thy mercy, and let thy bleſſed
Angels cary him into thy king-
dome,

I i 4

718

The Practice of Piety.

Rom. 8.
26.

dome. Make his last hour, his best hour, his last words, his best words, and his last thoughts his best thoughts. And when the fight of his Eyes is gone, and his Tongue shall faile to doe his office, grant (O Lord) that his Soule may (with Stephen) behold Jesus Christ in Heauen, ready to receive him: and that thy Spirit within him, may make requests for him, with fighes which cannot be expressed: Teach vs in him to reade and see our owne end and mortalitie: and therefore to bee careful to prepare our selues for our last ends, and put our selues in a readinesse against the time that thou shall call for vs, in the like manner. Thus, Lord, wee recommend this our deare Brother (or Sister) thy ficek servant, vnto thy eternall grace and mercie in that Prayer, which Christ our Sauiour hath taught vnto vs, saying,

Our

719

The Practice of Piety.

Our Father which art in Hea-
uen &c.

Thy Grace, O Lord Jesus
Christ, thy loue O heanenly Fa-
ther; thy comfort and consolati-
on, O holy Spirit, be with vs all,
and especially with this thy ficek
seruant, to the end, and in the
end, Amen.

Let them reade often vnto
the Sicke, some speciall Chap-
ters of the holy Scriptures,
38:

The three first Chapters of
the booke of Iob.

The 14. and 19. Chapters of
Iob.

The 34. Chapter of Deutero-
nomy.

The two last Chapters of
Iobua.

The 17. Chapter of the first
of Kings.

The 2.4. and 12. Chapters of
the second of Kings.

The 38.40. and 65. Chapters
of Isaiah.

Ii-

The

730

The Practice of Piety.

The History of the Passion of Christ.

The 8. Chapter to the Romanes.

The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians.

The 4. of the first Epistle to the Theffalonians.

The 5. Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.

The first and last Chapters of Saint James.

The 11. and 12. to the Hebrews.

The first Epistle of Peter.

The three first, and the three last Chapters of the Revelation, or some of these.

And so exhorting the sicke partie to waite vpon God, by Faith and Patience, till he send for him; and praying the Lord to send them a ioyfull meeting in the Kingdome of Heauen, and a blessed Resurrection at the last day, they may depart at their

731

The Practice of Piety.

their pleasure in the peace of God.

Consolations against impatience in sickness.

IF in thy sicknes by extremity of paine thou bee driven to impatience, meditate:

1. That thy sinnes haue determined the paines of hell: therefore thou mayest with greater patience endure these fatherly corrections.

2. That these are the courages of thy heauenly Father, and the rod is in his hand. If thou didst suffer with reverence being a childe, the correction of thy earthly parents; how much rather shouldest thou now subiect thy selfe (beeing the Childe of God) to the chaftisement of thy Heauenly Father, seeing it is for thine eternal good?

3. That

Heb.12.9.

734

The Practice of Piety.

2 Sam. 24, 23.
Psal. 56.8.

Angel of the Church of Smyrna: three daies plague to David. Yea the number of the godly mans teares are registred in God's booke and the quantitie kept in his Bottle.

Modicu & videbo vos.
Ioh. 16. 16
Psal. 80.
Apo 6. 11

The time of our troubles, (Faith Chrift) is but a modicum, God's anger lasts but a moment (Faith David.) A little fear, (Faith the Lord:) and therefore calls all the time of our paine, but the houre of sorrow. David, for the swiftnesse thereof, compares our present troubles to a Brooke: and Athanasius to a Showre. Compare the longest misery that man indures in this life, to the eternity of heauenly ioyes, and they will appear to bee nothing. And as the fight of a Sonne safe borne, makes the Mother forget all her former deadly paine: so the fight of Chrift in Heauen, who was borne for thee: will make all these pangs of death to

Ioh. 16.
Psa 110.7
Nubecula est, cito trăsigit.

Ioh. 16. 21

The Practice of Piety.

735

to be quite forgotten, as if they had neuer beene: like Stephen, who as soone as he saw Christ, forgat his owne wounds, with the horror of the graue, and terror of the stones; and sweetly yeelded his soule into the hands of his Sauiour. Forget thine owne paine, thinke of Chrifts wounds: Bee faithfull vnto the death, and he will giue thee the Crowne of eternall life.

Afs 7.

Apo. 2. 10.

6. That you are now called to Repetitions in Chrifts Schoole; to see how much Faith, Patience, and Godlinesse, you haue learned all this while: and whether you can, like Iob, receine at the hand of God some euill, as well as you haue hitherto receined a great deale of good. As therefore you haue alwaies prayed, Thy will be done, so bee not now offended at this which is done by his holy will.

Iob 2. 10.

7. That all things shall worke together

Rom. 8. 28

7:6

Verse 38.

39.

Morbus nò
molis ad-
numeram-
dus, quia
multus uti-
liter acce-
dit. Basil in
Hexam.
Morbus eft
utiles que-
dam insti-
tutio, que
docet cad-
ca asperne-
re, & ce-
leftia spira
re. Nazia.
ad Phila-
gium.

The Practice of Piety.

together for the best to them that
loue God: insomuch that neither
death, nor life, nor Angels, nor
Principalities, nor Powers, &c.
shall be able to separate us from
the loue of God, which is in Jefus
Christ our Lord. Affure your
ſelfe, that every pang is a pre-
vention of the paines of Hell;
every reſpit, an earnest of Hea-
uens Reſt: And how many
ſtripes doe you eſteeme Heauen
worth ? As your life hath beene
a Comfort to others; ſo give
your friends a Christian exam-
ple to dye, and deceive the Di-
uell as Iob did. It is but the
Croſſe of Christ ſent before, to
cruciſe the loue of the World
in thee; that thou mayeſt goe
eternally to line with Chriſt,
who was cruciſed for thee. As
thou art therefore a true Chri-
ſtian, take vp (like Simon of
Cyrene,) with both thy armes,
his holy Croſſe, carrie it after
him vnto him; thy paines will
shortly

The Practice of Piety.

737

shortly paffe, the ioyes ſhall ne-
uer paffe away.

Consolations against the fear of
Death.

I F in the time of thy ſickneſſe
thou findeſt thy ſelfe ſeare ſuſſull
to die; meditate :

1. That it argueth a daſturd-
ly minde to feare that which is
not: for in the Church of Chriſt
there is no death, Ifay 25.7.8.
And, whoſoener lineth and be-
leeneth in Chriſt, ſhall neuer die,
John 11. 26. Let them ſeare
Death, who line without
Chriſt. Chriſtians die not; but
when they please G O D, they
are like Enoch, translated vnto
God. Their paines are but E-
liahs ſtery Chariot to carry them
vp to heauen: or like Lazarus
ſores, ſending them to Abra-
hams boſome. In a word, if
thou bee one of them that
like

Gen. 5.24.
1 King. 2.
11,12.

Luk.16.2.

738

The Practice of Piety.

1oh. 14.

like Lazarus, lowest Iesus, thy
sicknesse is not vnto the death, but
for the glory of God: who of his
loue changeth thy liuing death
to an enerlasting life. And if
many Heathen men, as Socra-
tes, Curtius, Seneca, &c. dyed
willingly, ( when they might
haue liued) in hope of the im-
mortalitie of the Soule; wilt
thou, beeing trainede so long in
Christ's Schoole, (and now cal-
led to the Marriage Supper of
the blessed Lambe, Apoc. 19. 7.)
be one of those Guefts that re-
fuse to goe to that ioyfull Ban-
quet? God forbid.

2. Remember that thy abode here, is but the second degree of thy life: for after thou hadst first liued nine moneths in thy Mothers wombe, thou waft of necessity driuen thence, to liue heere in a second degree of life. And when that number of Moneths which God hath determined for this life, are expired;

1ob. 14 15

739

The Practice of Piety.

pired; thou muſt likewise leaue
this, and paſſe to a third degree
in the other world, which ne-
uer ends. Which to them that
liue and dye in the Lord, ſur-
paſſeth as farre this kinde of
life, as this doth that which
one liues in his mothers wombe.
To this laſt and excellenteſt de-
gree of life, through this doore,
paſſed Christ himſelfe, and all
his Saints that were before thee:
and so ſhall all the reſt after
them and thee. Why ſhouldſt
thou feare that which is com-
mon to all Gods Elect? Why
ſhould that be vncouth to thee,
which was so welcome to all
them? Feare not death, for as
it is the Exodus of a bad, so it is
the Genefis of a better world:
the end of a temporall, but the
beginning of an eternall life.

3. Conſider that there are
but three things that can make
Death so ſeaſefull vnto thee :
first, the loſſe thou haſt thereby :
second-

Mors præ-
sentis vita
exi us &
introitus
melior is.
Ber. in Epist
ad Rom.

740

The Practice of Piety.

Mat. 6. 19
20.

Iob 14. 1.

2 Cor. 5. 1.

secondly, the paine that is there-
in: thirdly, the terrible effects
which follow after: All these
are but false fires, and causelesse
feares. For the first, if thou
leauest here uncertaine goods,
which Theues may rob, thou
shalt finde in Heauen a true
Treasure, that can neuer bee ta-
ken away: these were but lent
thee, as a Steward upon ac-
counts; those shall be given thee
as thy reward for euer. I thou
leauest a louing Wife; thou
shalt be married to Christ, which
is more lonely: If thou leauest
Children and Friends, thou
shalt there finde all thy Religi-
ous Ancestours, and Children
departed: yea, Christ, and all
his bleffed Saints and Angels;
and as many of thy Children
as be Gods Children, shall thi-
ther follow after thee: Thou
leauest an earthly possession, and
an House of clay, and thou shall
enjoy an Heauenly inheritance,
and

The Practice of Piety.

741

and mansion of glory: which is
purchased, prepared, and refer-
ued for thee. What haft thou
lofti Nay, is not death vnto thee
gaine? Goe home, goe home, and
we will follow after thee.

Secondly, for the paine in
death: the feare of death more
paines many, then the vieie
pangs of death: for many a
Christian dyes without any
great pangs, or paines. Pitch
the Anchor of thy hope on the
firme ground of the word of God
who hath promifed in thy weak-
ness to perfect his ſtrength, and
not to ſuffer thee to bee tempted
aboue that thou art able to
beare. And Christ will ſhortly
turne all thy temporall paines to
his eternall ioyes.

Lastly, as for the terrible ef-
fects which follow after death,
they belong not vnto thee
being a Member of Christ;
for Christ by his death hath ta-
ken away the ſting of death to
the

Timor mor-
tu ipse mor-
te peior.

2 Cor. 12.

9.

1 Cor. 10.

13.

742

The Practice of Piety.

Rom. 8. 1.

Ioh. 5. 24.

1 Cor. 15

1 Thes. 4.

Eph. 26.

Apoc. 14.

Ioh. 14. 1

αἰτολυσις
δεσπυν.

Luke 3.

2 Cor. 5.

Phil. 2.

αὐταλυσις,

Mor; porta

glorie Gre.

ianua vitæ.

Bernard.

the faithfull : so that now there
is no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Iesus. And Christ
hath protested, that bee that be-
leeneth in him, hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into con-
demnation, but hath passed from
death unto life. Hereupon the
holy Spirit from Heauen faith,
Blessed are the dead that die in
the Lord : and that from thence-
forth they rest from their labours
and their workes do follow them.

In respect therefore of the
faithfull, death is swallowed vp
into victory, and his sting, which
is sin, and the punishment there-
of, is taken away by Christ.
Hence Death is called, in re-
spect of our bodies, a sleepe, and
rest : in respect of our soules, a
going to our heauenly Father; a
departing in peace; a remouing
from this body to goe to the Lord;
a dissolution of soule and body to
be with Christ. What shall I say?
Precious in the fight of the Lord

is

743

The Practice of Piety.

is the death of his Saints. These
paines are but thy throwes and
tranuell to bring soorth eternall
life. And who would not paffe
through Hell, to goe to Para-
dise ? Much more through
death ? There is nothing after
death, that thou needest feare;
not thy sinnes, because Christ
hath payed thy ransome ; not
the Ludge, for hee is thy louing
Brother, not the Grane, for it is
the Lords bed; not Hell, for thy
Redeemer keepes the keyes: not
the Diuell, for Gods holy An-
gels pitch their tents about thee,
and will not leaue thee, till
they bring thee to Heauen.
Thou waft neuer nearer Eter-
nall life; glorifie therfore Christ
by a blessed death. Say cheare-
fully, Come Lord Iesus, for thy
seruant commeth vnto thee: I
am willing, Lord, helpe my
weakeneffe.

Seuen

744

The Practice of Piety.

Seven sanctified thoughts, and
mournefull sighes of a sicke
man ready to die.

Now for as much as God
of his infinice mercy doth
so temper our paine and sick-
nesse, that wee are not alwaies
oppreffed with extremity: but
gives vs in the middeft of our
extremities some reſpite, to
eafe and refresh our ſelues; thou
muſt haue an eſpeciall care
(confidering how ſhort a time
thou haſt, either for euer to lobe
or to obtaine Heauen.) to make
vſe of euery breathing time,
which God doth affoord thee:
and during that little time of
eafe to gather ſtrength againſt
the fits of greater anguifh. Ther-
fore in these times of relaxation
and eafe, vſe some of these ſhort
thoughts and ſighes.

The

745

The Practice of Piety.

The first Thought.

Seeing euery man enters into
this life in teares, paffeth it in
swear, and ends it in sorrow; ah
what is there in it; that a man
should defire to liue any longer
in it! Oh what a folly is it, that
when the Marriner roweth
with all his force to ariue at the
wished port; and that the Trauel-
ter neuer reſteth till he comes to
his iourneys end; wee ſeare to
delſcrie our Port; and therefore
would put backe our Barke, to
be longer toſſed in this continu-
all tempeſt! we meepe to ſee our
iourneys end; and therfore deſire
our iourney to bee lengthened,
that wee might bee more tyred
with a foule & cumberſome way

The ſpirituall Sigh thereupon.

O LORD, this life is but a
troublesome pilgrimage:

K k

ſew

748

The Practice of Piety.

The third thought.

T
hinke how it behooves
thee to bee affured, that
thy Soule is Christs : for death
hath taken sufficient gages to
affure himselve of thy body, in
that all thy Senſes begin alrea-
dy to dye, faue onely the ſenſe
of paine: but ſith the beginning
of thy being began with paine,
maruell the leſſe if the end con-
clude with dolours. But if thofe
temporall dolours (which onely
affliet thy body)be ſo painefull:
O Lord, who can endure the de-
nouring fire ? Who can abide the
euerlaſting burning?

Isa. 33. 14.

The ſpirituall Sigh upon the
third Thought.

O Lord Iesus Christ, the
Sonne of the liuing God,
who art the onely Phyſitian
that canſt eafe my Body from
paine,

749

The Practice of Piety.

Paine; and restore my Soule
to Life eternal; put thy Paffion,
Crosse, and Death, betwixt my
Soule and thy Indgements, and
let the merits of thy Obedience
stand betwixt thy Fathers In-
ſtice and my disobedience, and
from these bodily paines receive
my Soule into thine everlaſting
peace: for I cry vnto thee with
Stephen, Lord Iesus receive my
ſpirit.

A&.7.52.

The fourth Thought.

T
hinke that the worſt that
death can doe, is but to
ſend thy Soule sooner then thy
ſlesh would bee willing, to
Chrifter and his heauenly ioyes:
Remember, that that worſt, is
thy beſt hope. The worſt there-
fore of death, is rather a helpe
then a harme.

K k 3

The

750

The Practice of Piety.

The spiritualall Sigh upon the fourth Thought.

O Lord Iesus Christ, the Saint of all them that put their trust in thee: for sake not him that in miserie flyeth vnto thy Grace for succour and mercie; O found that sweets woyce in the eares of my Soule, which thou spakest vnto the penitent thiefe on the Cross, This day shall thou be with mee in Paradise: For I, O Lord, doe (with the Apostle) from my Soule speake vnto thee, I desire to be dissolued, and to bee with Christ.

Luk.23.
43.

The fifth Thought.

THinke (if thou fearest to die) That in Mount Sion there is no death: for he that be-leeneth in Christ, shall neuer die. And if thou darest to liue with-

Isa.25.7,8

Ioh.11.25

751

The Practice of Piety.

without doubt the life eternall (whereunto this life is a passage) surpasseth all. There doe all the faithfull departed (having ended their miseries) liue with Christ in ioyes: and thither shall all the godly which suruiue, bee gathered out of their troubles, to enjoy with him eternall rest.

The spiritualall Sigh upon the fifth Thought.

O Lord thou seest the matter of Sathan, who (not contenting himselfe, like a roaring Lyon, all the daies & nights of our life, to seeke our delusion) shewes himselfe most busie, when thy Children are weakest and neerest to their end. O Lord reprove him, & preferue my Soule. He seekes to terrifie me with death, which my sinnes haue deferued; but let thy holy Spirit comfort my Soule with the assurance of eternall Life,

K k 4

which

1 Pet. 5. &

752

The Practice of Piety.

which thy blond hath purchase
fed. Affwage my paine, increafe
my patience, ( and if it bee thy
blessed will) end my troubles;
for my soule beleecheth thee
with old blessed Simeon, Lord,
now let me thy seruant depart in
peace, according to thy Word.

Luk.29

The fixt Thought.

T
hinke with thy selfe, what
a blessing God hath be-
ftowed vpon thee aboue many
Millions of the World, that
whereas they are either Pa-
gans, who worship not the
true God; or Idolaters, who
worship the true God falfely :
Thou haft liued in a true Chri-
tian Church, and haft grace to
die in the true Christian Faith,
and to bee buried in the Sepul-
cher of Gods Seruants; who all
waite for the hope of Israel, the
raising of their bodies in the Re-
surrection of the Iust.

Act.26.6.

7.
Luke 14.

14.

The

753

The Practice of Piety.

The spiritualall figh vpon the
fixt Thought.

O LORD Iefus Chrift, who
art the Refurrection, and
the Life, in whom whofoeuer be-
leeueth, shall liue though hee
were dead, I beleene, that who-
foeuer lineth, and beleeueth in
thee shall neuer die: I know this
I shall rife againe in the Refurre-
ction of the last day: for I am sure
that thou my Redeemer liueft :
And though that after my death,
wormes destroy this body, yet I
shall see thee, my Lord, and my
God in this flesh. Grant therfore,
O Chrift, for thy bitter death &
Passion fake, that at that day I
may bee one of them to whom
thou wilt pronounce that ioy-
full sentence; Come ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdome
prepared for you, before the foun-
dation of the world.

K k 5

The

1oh.11.25

26.

Verſe 24.

Iob 19.25

26.

Mat.25.4

754

The Practice of Piety.

The seventeenth Thought.

Gal.3.13.
Lam.1.12

Thinke with thy selfe how
Chrift endured for thee a
cursed death, and the wrath of
God, which was due vnto thy
sinnes, and what terrible paine,
and cruell torments the Apostles
and Martyrs, haue voluntarily
suffered for the defence of
Chrifts Faith, when they might
haue lined by dissembling or de-
nying him: how much more
willing, shouldleft thou bee to
depart in the Faith of Chrift,
hauing lesse paines to torment
thee; and more meanes to com-
fort thee?

The spiritualall Sigh upon the se-
venth Thought.

O Lord, my sinnes haue de-
ferued the paines of Hell
and eternall death : much more
theie fatherly corrections, wher-
with

The Practice of Piety.

755

with thou doest affliet mee:
But, O blessed Lambe of God,
which takest away the sinnes of
the world, haue mercy vpon mee,
and wash away all my filthy fins,
with thy most precious bloud:
and receiue my soule into thy
beauenly Kingdome: for into thy
hands, O Father, I commend
my Spirit, and thou haft redee-
med me, O Lord, thou God of
truth.

Ioh.1.29.

Apo.5.1.

Luk.23.4.

Psal.31.3.

The sicke person ought now to
send for some godly and re-
ligious Pastor.

IN any wife remember (if
I conveniently it may bee) to
send for some godly and religi-
ous Pastor, not onely to pray
for thee at thy death (for God
in such a case hath promifed
to heare the Prayers of the righ-
teous a Prophet, and b Elders of
the Church) but also vpon thy
confes-

a Gen. 20. 7

Ier. 18. 20.

and 3. 1.

Ezek. 4. 14.

1 Sam. 9.

7, & 12.

19. 22.

b Iam. 5.

14, 15, 16.

756

The Practice of Piety.

<table><tr><td>6 Mar. 1.4</td><td>confeſſion, and vnſained repen-<br/>tance, to abſolue thee of thy<br/>finnes. For as Chriſt hath giu-<br/>uen him a Calling, to c baptize<br/>thee vnto repentance, for the<br/>remiſſion of thy finnes: So hath he<br/>likewise giuen him a calling, &<br/>d power and e authority, (vpon<br/>repentance) to abſolue thee from<br/>thy finnes. f I will giue thee the<br/>Keyes of the Kingdome of Hea-<br/>uen; and what ſoemer thou ſhalt<br/>binde vpon earth, ſhall be bound<br/>in Heauen; and what ſoemer thou<br/>ſhalt looſe on earth, ſhall be loofed<br/>in Heauen. And againe, Verily,<br/>I ſay vnto you, what ſoemer, yee<br/>binde on earth, ſhall be bound in<br/>Heauen; and what ſoemer ye looſe<br/>in earth, ſhall be loofed in heauen.<br/>And againe, Receiue ye the holy<br/>Ghoſt? who ſoemer finnes ye remit,<br/>they are remitted vnto them, and<br/>who ſoemer finnes ye retaine, they<br/>are retained. This DoCTRine was<br/>as ancient in the Church of<br/>God, as Iob, for Elihu tels him,<br/>That</td></tr><tr><td>Act. 19.4.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4. d 1 Cor. 5.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4. e 2 Cor. 10. 1.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>f Mat. 16. 19.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mat. 18. 18.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ioh. 20. 21</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Iob 33. 1 3</td><td></td></tr></table>

The Practice of Piety.

757

That when G O D strikes a man
with malady on his bed, so that
his ſoule draweth neere the graue
& his life to the buriers: if there
be any meſſenger with him, or an
Interpreter, one of a thousand, to
declare vnto man his Righteouſ-
neſſe, then will hee haue mercie
vpon him, &c. And anſwerable
here vnto (Faith Saint lames) If
the ſicke hane committed finnes,
(vpon his repentance, and the
prayers of the Elders) they ſhall
be forgiuen him. These haue pow-
er to ſhut Heauen, and to deli-
uer (the ſcandalous impenitent
finners) to Sathan: For, the wea-
pons of their warfare are not car-
nall, but mighty, through God, to
caſt downe, &c. and to haue ven-
geance in readinesſe against all
disobedience. They haue the Key
of loofing, therefore the power of
abſoluing.

The Bishops and Pastors of
the Church, doe not forgiue
Sinne by any absolute power
of

Iam. 5. 17
18.

Apo. 11. 6.

1 Cor. 5. 4

1 Cor. 10.

3, &c.

Marke 16

Miniflvi

peccata remittut non
avτεσσοιες,
ſed ὁγαυ-
μως.

1 Cor. 5. 4

1 Cor. 4. 2

2.

Act. 13. 3 8

758

To this end faith Basil. in Afcet.c.13
Christus omnibus Parloribus & Doctovibus
inuo παριχριστισσιανα
æqualem tribuit potestatem,
cuius signe est quod omnes ex
æquo ligant & soliunt ut Petrus,
Papifts dare not deny this.
Quilibet factur
cerdos (quam
tum est ex virtute clauium)
habet potestatem in
differenter in omnes.
In supplement. Th
4.6.

The Practice of Piety.

of their owne ( for so onely
Christ their Master forgiueth
finnes but minifterially, as the
seruants of Christ and stewards,
to whose fidelitie the Lord
and Master hath committed
his Keyes; and that is, when
they doe declare and pronounce,
either publikely, or privately, by
the word of God, what bindeth,
what looseth, and the mercies
of God to penitent Sinners; or
his Ind judgement to impenitent
and obfinate perſons : and so
doe apply the generall promiſes,
or threatnings to the penitent
or impenitent. For Chriſt from
Heauen doth by them (as by
his Minifters on earth) declare
whom he remitteth and bindeth,
and to whom hee will open the
Gates of Heauen, and againſt
whom he will ſhut them. And
therefore it is not ſaid : whose
finnes ye signifie to be remitted,
but whose finnes ye remit. They
then doe remit finne, becaufe
Christ

The Practice of Piety.

Christ by their miniftry remitteth Sinnes, as Christ by his Difciples loosed Lazarus, Ioh. II.
44. And as no water could wash away Naamans Leproſe, but the water of Iordan, (though other Riuers were as cleare, becaufe the promise was annexed vnto the water of Iordan, and not of other riuers) So, though another man may pronounce the ſame words, yet haue they not the ſame efficacie and power to worke on the Conſcience, as when they are pronounced from the mouth of Chriſts Minifters, becaufe that the * promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouthes : for them hath hee b. choſen, c. ſeparated, and d. ſet apart for his worke, and to them he hath committed the e. Miniſtery, and word of reconciliation, by their holy f. calling, and g. ordination they haue receiued the h. holy Ghoſt; and the minifteriall power

759

Ioh.10.

* Ioh. 20.

23.

b Ad. 1.

24.

c Acf. 13,2

d Rom. 1.

1.

e 2 Cor. 5.

18. 19.

f Acf. 13.2

1 Cor. 1.1.

Heb. 5.4.

g Tit. 1.5.

h Ioh. 20.

22. 23.

Acf. 13.24

760

The Practice of Piety.

<table><tr><td>* αὐτοῦ τοῦ αἰφημοῦ τοῦ αὐραρτίας.<br>Ioh. 20. 21</td></tr><tr><td>Kαὶ αἰφις ἐνδυνάμει<br>αἰμαρτίας ἐνδυσάμενος.</td></tr><tr><td>Luk. 11. 4.</td></tr><tr><td>2 Cor. 5.<br>18.</td></tr></table>

power of binding and loosing,
They are sent forth of the holy
Ghost, for this work whereunto
he hath called them.

And Christ giues his Minis-
ters power to forgiue Sinnes
to the penitent, in the same
* words that hee teacheth vs in
the Lords Prayer, to desire God
to forgiue vs our Sinnes; to
affure all penitent Sinners, that
God by his Ministers absolu-
tion, thor fully, through the
merits of Christ's bloud, for-
give them all their fins. So that
what Christ decreeth in Hea-
uen, In foro Indicy the same he
declareth on earth by his recon-
ciling Minifters, in foro pœnitentie:
So that as God hath recon-
ciled the world to himselfe by Ie-
fus Christ: so hath he (faith the
Apoftle) giuen vnto vs the Mi-
niftery of this reconciliation.

He that sent them to baptize,
saying, Goe & teach all Nations;
baptizing them, &c. sent them
also

The Practice of Piety.

761

also to remit Sinnes, saying, As
my Father sent me, so send I you:
who soeuer Sinnes yee remit, they
are remitted vnto them, &c.
As therefore none can baptize,
(though he vse the same water,
and words) but onely the law-
full Minifter, which Christ hath
called and authorised to this di-
uine and ministeriall function:
so though others may comfort
with good words; yet none can
absolue from Sinne, but onely
those, to whom Christ hath
committed the holy Minifterie
and word of Reconciliation: and
of their Absolution Christ spea-
keth, he that beareth you, beareth
me. In a doubt full title thou wilt
aske the counsell of thy skilfull
Lawyer; in peril of sickneſſe, thou
wilt know the aduice of thy
learned Phyſitian, & is there no
danger in dread of damnation,
for a Sinne to be his own Judge?

Iudicious Calvin teacheth
this point of Doctrine most
plainely

Ioh. 20. 12
13.

2 Cor. 2. 7.
10.

Heb. 5. 4.

2 Cor. 5.
18, 19.

Luk. 10.
16.

Lib. 4. Inſtit
cap. 4. ſeſt.
12.

762

The Practice of Piety.

plainly: Etsi omnes mutuò nos
debeamus consolari, &c. Al-
though (faith he) wee ought to
comfort & confirme one another
in the confidence of Gods mercy,
yet we see that the Ministers
are appointed as witnesses and
fureties to ascertaine our Con-
sciences of the remission of Sins:
Insomuch as they are said to re-
mit sinnes, and to loose Soules.
Let euery faithfull man therfore
remember, that it is his duty (if
inwardly hee be vexed and affli-
ted with the sense of his sinnes)
not to neglect that remedy which
is offered unto him by the Lord,
to wit, that (for the easing of
his Conscience) hee make pri-
nate confession of his sinnes vnto
his Pastor; and that he desire his
priuate endeavour for the appli-
cation of some comfort vnto his
Soule: whose office it is (both pub-
likely and privately) to admini-
ster Evangelicall Consolation to
Gods people.

Beza,

763

The Practice of Piety.

Bexa highly * commendeth
this practise, and Luther faith,
That he had rather lose a thou-
sand worlds, then suffer priuate
confession to be thrust out of the
Church. Our Church hath euer
moft a foundly maintained the
truth of this doctrine; but moft
inſtly abolished the tyrannous
and Antichriſtian abuse of Po-
pish Auricular confession, which
they thrust vpon the Soules of
Christians, as an Expiatory Sa-
crifice, and a meritorious ſat-
faction for ſinne; racking their
Conſcience to confesse, when
they feele no distreſſe, and to
enumerate all their ſinnes,
which is impossible; that by
this means they might diue
into the ſecrets of all men,
which oft-times hath prooued
pernicious, not onely to priuate
persons, but also to publike ſtates
But the truth of God's Word
is, that no person, having re-
ceiued Orders in the Church of

Rome,

* In Antith
Papatus &
Christianis.
vo. 1. fol. 66
Luther to
6. fol. 109.
& seq.

a Witnes
ourLitur-
gy D. Hol.
absolued
D.Rainolds
at his
death,
who not
beingable
to ſpeake,
kiffed the
hand
wherwith
hee was
absolued.

764

The Practice of Piety.

<table><tr><td>† Apo.3.9</td></tr><tr><td>Mar.2.7.</td></tr><tr><td>Luk.5.21.</td></tr><tr><td>† Mat.16.19.</td></tr><tr><td>‡ 1 Co.4.1</td></tr><tr><td>× 2 Cor.5.20.</td></tr><tr><td>Ministers claus duplex est, una scientifica discernendi.</td></tr><tr><td>1 Cor. 12.10.</td></tr><tr><td>1 Ioh.4.1.</td></tr><tr><td>Ier.25.15.</td></tr><tr><td>Alia est potestas ligandi &amp; absoluendi.</td></tr><tr><td>Ioh.28.</td></tr><tr><td>Mat.27.4.</td></tr><tr><td>Heb.7.24 27,28.</td></tr></table>

Rome can truly *absolue* a sinner: for the Keyes of *absolution* are two: the one is the Key of *Authority* and that onely of *Christ* hath: the other is the Key of *Ministery*, and this hee giues to his *Ministers*, who are therefore called, *The Ministers of Christ*; *The Stewards of Gods Mysteries*: *The Ambassadors of Reconciliation*, *Bishops, Pastors, Elders, &c.* But *Christ* neuer ordained in the New Teftament, any order of *sacrificing Priests*, neither is the Name of *justice*, which properly *signifieth* *Sacerdos*, or *Sacrificing Priest*, giuen to any Officer of *Christ*, in all the New Teftament: Neither doe we reade in all the New Teftament, of any, who confesſed himſelfe to a *Priest*, but *Indas*. Neither is there any reall *Priest* in the New Teſtament, but onely *Christ*. Neither is there any part of his *Priesthood*,

765

The Practice of Piety.

hood, to be now accomplished on Earth, but that which hee fulſilleth in *Heauen*, by making *intercession* for vs. Seeing therefore *Christ* neuer ordained any Order of *Sacrificing Priests*: and that *Popiſh Priests* ſcorne the name of *Ministers* of the *Goffell*, to whom onely *Christ* committed his Keyes: it neceſſarily followeth, that no *Popiſh Priest*, can truly either *Excommunicate* or *Absolue* any Sinner, or haue any lawfull right to meddle with *Christ's Keyes*. But the *Antichriſtian abuse* of this diuine Ordinance, ſhould not aboliſh the lawfull uſe thereof betwixt Chriſtians and their *Pastors* in *cafes*, of *difſtreſſe*, of *conſcience*, for which it was chiefly ordained.

And verily, there is not any meanes more excellent to *humble a proud heart*, nor to *raſe up an humble ſpirit*, then this *ſpirituall*

Heb. 8.4.
Heb. 7.15.

766

The Practice of Piety.

Luk. 10.
16.

tuall conference betweene the
Pastors and the people com-
mitted to their charge. If any
finne therefore troubleth thy
conſcience, confesse it to God's
Minifter, aske his Counſell, and
if thou doest truely repent,
receiue his Absolution: And
then doubt not in foro Conſci-
entie but thy finnes be as verily
forgiuen on earth, as if thou
didst heare Chriſt himſelfe in
foro iudicij, pronouncing them
to be forgiuen in Heauen. Qui
vos audit, me audit; Hee that
heareth you, heareth me. Trie
this, and tell me whether thou
ſhalt not finde more eafe in
thy conſcience, then can bee
expressed in words. Did pro-
phane men confider the Dig-
nity of this Diuine Calling,
they would the more honour
the Calling, and reuerence the
Persons.

The ſicke man (hauing thus
eaſed his conſcience, and recei-
ued

The Practice of Piety.

767

ued his Absolution) many doe
well (hauing a conuenient
number of faithfull Chriſtians
ioyned with him) to receiue
the holy Sacrament of the Lords
Supper, to encourage him in
his Faith; to discourage the
Diuell in his affaults. In this
reſpect the c Councell of Nice,
termeth this Sacrament, Viati-
cum, the ſoules prouifion for her
tourney. And albeit the Lords
Supper bee an Eccleſiasticall
aſtion, yet for as much as our
Lord (at the firſt institution)ce-
lebrated it in a d priuate house,
and that e S. Paul termeth the
houses of Chriſtians, the Chur-
ches of Chriſt; and that f Christ
himſelfe hath promiſed to be
in the middest of the faithfull,
where but two or three are ga-
thered together in his Name : I
ſee no reaſon, but if Chriſt-
ians deſire it ( when they are
not, through ſickneſſe, able to
come to the Church ) but that
they

c Concil.
Nic.Ca.12

d Mat. 26.

18.

Lu.22.12.

e Rom.6.

5.

Phil.v.2.

f Mat.18.

20.

768

The Practice of Piety.

a Iewel a-gainſt Har-ding, Art. 1,
of priuate Masse, fol 4
b In miſſis priuatis
Sufficit ſi-omus ſit
præſens, sci-licet Mini-ſler, qui po-puli totius
perſonam gerit Aqu-part. 3.
quæſt. 38.
Art. 3.

they should receiue, and Pa-stors ought to adminiſter vn-to them the Sacraments at home. He ſheweth more ſim-plicitie then knowledge, who thinkes that this ſauours of a priuate Masse: For a Masse is called priuate, not becauſe it is ſaid in a priuate houſe, but be-cauſe (as Bishop a Iewel tea-cheth out of b Aquinas) the Priſt receiuen the Sacrament himſelfe alone, without diſtri-bution made vnto others, and then it is priuate, although the whole Parish bee preſent and looke vpon him. There is as much difference betweene ſuch a Communion, and the Antichriſtian Idoll of a priuate Masse, as there is betwixt Heauen and Hell. For at a Communion in a priuate Fa-mily vpon ſuch an extraordi-nary occaſion, Chriſt his inſti-tution is obſerued: Many faith-full Brethren meete together, and

The Practice of Piety.

767

and tarry one for another. Chriſt his death is remembred and ſhewed, and the Minifter, toget-her with the faithfull, and the ſicke party doe communicate. M. Caluin ſaith, That hee doth very willingly admit Admini-string of the Communion to them that are ſicke, when the caſe and opportunity ſo requireth. And in a other place he ſaith, That he hath many waighty reaſons to compel him not to deny the Lords Supper vnto the ſicke. Yet I would with all Christians to vſe to receiue often (in their health) especially once euery Moneth with the whole Church; for then they ſhall not need so much to asſemble their friends vpon ſuch an occaſion, nor to much to be trou-bled theinſelues for want of the Sacrament. For as Maſter Perkins ſaith very well. The fruit and efficacie of the Sacra-ment is not to bee restrained to L l the

Decæna administra-tionc ita ſentio, libë-ter admit-tendum eſſe hunc morè vi apud ægrotos ce-lebretur communio, cum ita res & opportu-nitas feret. Epiſt 51.
a Cur cœna ægrotis ne-gandam eſſe non ar-bitror, mul-tæ & graues cauſe me impeliunt. Epi 63. 1.
Perkins his right way to dying well.

768

The Practice of Piety.

the time of receiving, but it extends itself to the whole time of man's life afterwards: the efficacy whereof, did men throughly understand, they should not need to be often exhortet to receive it.

Pastores omnes hic exoratos vellem, ut in huius controuersio ftatum penitus introspiciant: nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes, & panem vita petentes, viatico suo fraudari finant, ne lugubrisiſta in iis adimpleatur lamentatio: Paruuli panem petunt, & non fit qui frangat eis.

As therefore when a wicked Liuer dyeth, hee may say to Death, as Ahab ſaid to Eliah, Haſt thou found mee, O mine enemie? So on the other ſide, when it is told a peatent ſin. ner, that death knockes at the door, and beginnes to looke him in the face; hee may ſay of death, as David ſaid of A- himaaz, Let him come and welcome

Admonitio ad pastores.

Lam.4.4.

2 King.
22.2c.

2Sam.18.
27.

Vi moriare
pius, viuère
difce piè.

769

The Practice of Piety.

come: for hee is a good man, and commeth with good tidings: hee is the meſſenger of Christ, and bringeth vnto mee the ioyſull newes of eternall Life. And as the Red Sea was a gulph to drowne the Egyptians to deſtruction; but a paſſage to the Israelites, to conueigh them to Canaans poſſession: so death to the wicked, is a ſinke to hell and condemnation; but to the godly, the Gate to everlaſting life and ſaluation. And one day of a *blessed death, will make an amends for all the ſorrowes of a bitter life.

When therefore thou perceiued thy Soule departing from thy body, pray with thy tongue, if thou canſt, eſſe pray in thy heart and minde, theſe words, fixing the eyes of thy Soule vpon Iefus Christ thy Sauiour.

*Summum hominis boni bonus ex hac vita exitus.

L12

A

770

The Practice of Piety.

Ioh.1.29.

Act.7.59.

Pfal.36.1.

Pfal.4.6.

A Prayer at the yeelding vp of
the Ghost.

O Lambe of God, which by
thy Blood haft taken a-
way the Sinnes of the World:
haue mercy vpon mee a Sinne,
Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit.
Amen.

When the sicke party is departing
let the faithfull that are pre-
sent, kneele downe and com-
mend his Soule to God, in these
or the like words.

O Gracious GOD, and
mercifull Father, who
art our refuge and strength, and
a very preſent helpe in trouble;
lift vp the light of thy fauou-
rable countenance at this in-
tant vpon thy Seruant, that
now commeth to appeare in
thy preſence: waſh away, good
Lord, all his Sinnes, by the merits
of

771

I Ioh.1.7.

The Practice of Piety.

of Christ Iesus bloud, that they
may neuer bee laid to his
charge. Increase his Faith,
preferue and keepe safe his
Soule from the danger of the
Diuell, and his wicked Angels,
Comfort him with thy holy
Spirit, cause him now to feele
that thou art his louing Father,
and that hee is thy Childe by
Adoption and Grace. Saue, O
Christ the price of thine owne
bloud, and suffer him not to be
loft, whom thou haſt bought
so dearely. Receive his Soule, as
thou didſt the penitent Theefe
into thy heauenly Paradife. Let
thy bleſſed Angels conduct
him thither, as they carried the
Soule of Lazarus; and grant
unto him a ioyfull refurrecti-
on at the last day. O Father,
heare vs for him, and heare
thine owne Sonne, our onely
Mediator, that fits at thy right
hand, for him and vs all: euen
for the merits of that bitter

L 1 3 death

Rom.8.

34.

772

The Practice of Piety.

death and passion which hee
hath suffered for vs. In confi-
dence whereof, we now recom-
mend his soule into thy father-
ly hands: in that blessed Prayer,
which our Sauiour hath taught
vs in all times of our troubles
to say vnto thee:

Our Father, &c.

Thus farre of the Practice of
Piety in dying in the Lord.

Now followeth the Practice of
Piety, in dying for the
Lord.

The Practice of Piety in dy-
ing for the Lord, is termed
Martyrdome.

Martyrdome is the testimony
which a Christian beareth to
the Doctrine of the Gospel, by
enduring any kinde of death to
inuite many, and to confirme all,
to

1 Cor. 12.
13.
Sanguis
Martyrri
semen Ec-
clesie.

773

The Practice of Piety.

to embrace the truth thereof. To
this kind of death, Christ hath
promised a Crowne: Bee thou
faithfull vnto the death, and I
will giue thee the Crowne of life.
Which promise the Church so
firmely beleeueth, that they
termed Martyrdome it selfe a
Crowne: And God, to animate
Christians to this excellent
prize, would, by a prediction,
that Stephen, the first Christian
Martyr, should haue his name
of a Crowne.

Of Martyrdome there are
three kinds:

1. Sola voluntate, in will on-
ly: as John the Evangelist, who
(being boyled in a Cauldron of
Oyle) came out rather anointed
then sod, and dyed of old age at
Ephefus.

2. Solo opere, in deed onely:
as the Innocents of Bethlehem.

3. Voluntate & opere, both
in will and deed: as in the
Primitiue Church, Stephen

L 14

Poly-

Martyres
acceptunt
non dederunt
coronas,
Leo Mar-
tyrio coro-
natus. Ful-
visually
sacram sot
τούς σοφισμού
τῶν ζων.
Apoc. 2.
10.

Beyn Ser.
in seft.
Innoc.

Frid.Nauf
invit. Io-
han Flo-
res Hift.
ad An. 59.

Mat. 2.

Act 7.

774

The Practice of Piety.

Acts and Monuments.

1 Pet. 2. 19
Causa non
passio, facit
Martyrem.

Aug. Ep.
6 1.

Non morres; fed morres.

D. Boyes
Tho. Aqu.
1. 2. quæſt.
19. art. 6.

Ioh. 16. 2.
Aft. 9. 1.
Phil. 3. 6.

Polycarpus, Ignatius, Laurentius, Romanus, Antiochianus, and thousands. And in our dayes, Cranmer, Latimer, Hooper, Riddley, Farrar, Bradford, Philpot, Sanders, Glouer, Taylor, and others innumerable: whole fiery zeale to GODS truth, brought them to the flames of Martyrdome, to zeale Chrifts Faith. It is not the crueity of the death, but the innocency and holinesſe of the cauſe, that maketh a Martyr. Neither is an erroneous confidence a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdome, becauſe Science in Gods Word muſt direct Conſcience in man's heart. For they who killed the Apoſtles, in their erroneous conſciences, thought they did God good ſeruice: and Paul of zeale breathed out ſlaughters against the Lords Saints. Now whether the cauſe of our Seminarie Priefts and Ieſuites be so holy, true

The Practice of Piety.

775

true and innocent, as that it may warrant their Conſciences to suffer death, and to hazzard their eternall ſaluation thereon, let Pauls Epiftle written to the ancient Chriſtian Romans, (but againſt our new Antichriſtian Romanes) be iudge: And it will plainely appeare, that the DoCTRINE which S. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome, is ex diametro, oppoſite in 26. fundamentall points of true Religion, to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth. For S. Paul taught the Primitiue Church of Rome.

1. That our Election is of God's free grace, and not exo-peribus præuſis, Rom. 9. 12. Rom 11. 5, 6.

2. That wee are inſtified before God by faith onely, without good workes, Rom. 3. 20. 28. Rom. 4. 2. &c. Rom. 1. 17.

3. That the good workes of L. 15 the

Epiftola ad Romanos,
is now,
Epiftola in Romanos.

775

The Practice of Piety.

the regenerate, are not of their
own condignity meritorious, nor
such as can deferue Heauen,
Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6.
23.

4. That those Bookes onely are
Gods Oracles and Canonical
Scripture, which were com-
mitted to the custody and credit
of the Iewes, Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2
Rom. 16. 16. such were neuer
the Apocripha.

5. That the Holy Scriptures
haue Gods authority.º Rom. 9.
17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. con-
ferred with Gal. 3. 21. There-
fore aboue the authority of the
Church.

6. That all, as well Laity as
Clergy, that will be faued, muſt
familiarly reade or know the ho-
ly Scriptures, Rom. 15. 4. Rom.
10. 1, 2, 3. Rom. 16. 26.

7. That all Images made of
the true God, are very Idols,
Rom. 1. 23. and Rom. 2. 22. con-
ferred.

8. That

d Note
that the
Scripture
faith, and
Godfaith,
the Scrip-
ture con-
cludeth,
is all one
with Paul.
των ουσιων
Hauing
reference
to what
he spake
before.
Rوم. ۱. ۲۲.
of Images

777

The Practice of Piety.

8. That to bow the knee reli-
giously to an Image, or to wor-
ship any creature, is meere Ide-
latry, Rom. 11. 4. and a lying
fernice, Rom. 1. 25.

9 That wee muſt not pray
vnto any, but to God onely, in
whom we beleeue, Rom. 10. 13,
14. Rom. 8. 15. 27 therefore not
to Saints and Angels.

10. That Chriſt is our onely
Intercedtor in Heauen, Rom. 8.
34. Rom. 5. 2. Rom. 16. 27.

11. That the onely Sacrifice
of Chriſtians, is nothing but
the ſpiritual ſacrificing of their
ſoules and bodies to terue God
in Holinesſe and Righteouſneſſe,
Rom. 12. 1. Rom. 15. 16. there-
fore no reall ſacrificing of Chriſt
in the Maſſe.

12. That the religious wor-
ship, called dulia, as well as la-
tria, belongeth to God alone,
Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. Rom. 6.
18. confetred.

13. That all Chriſtians are
to

778

The Practice of Piety.

to pray vmo God in their owne natine language, Rom.14.11.

14. That wee haue not of our selues, in the flate of corruption free wil vnto good,Rom. 7.18.&c. Rom.9.16.

15. That Concupisence in the Regenerate, is finne,Rom.7. 7,8,10.

16. That the Sacraments do not conferre grace, ex opere operato, but signe and seale that it is conferred already vnto vs, Rom. 4.11,12.Rom.2.28,29.

17. That euery true beleeuing Chriſtian may in this life be affured of his saluation, Rom. 8.9.16.35 &c.

18. That no man in this life, since Adams fall, can perfectly fulfill the Commandements of God,Rom.7.10.&c.Rom.3.19. &c.Rom.11.32.

19. That to place Religion in the difference of Meates and Dayes, is Superſtition,Rom.14. 35.6.17.23.

20. That

779

The Practice of Piety.

20. That the imputed right of nature of Chriſt, is that onely that makes vs iuſt before God, Rom.4.9.17.23.

21. That Chriſts ſlſh was made of the Seed of David, by Incarnation: not of a Waſer Cake, by Tranſubſtantiation, Rom.7.3.

22. That all true Chriſtians are Saints, and not thofe whom the Pope onely doth canonize, Rom.17. Rom.8.27. Rom.15. 31.Rom.16.2. and 15.Rom.15. 25.

23. That Ipſe, Chriſt, the God of Peace, and not Ipſa, the Woman, ſhould bruſe the Serpents head, Rom.16.20.

24. That euery ſoule muſt of conſcience be ſubieſt, and pay tribute to the Higher Powers, that is, the Magiſtrates which beare the ſword, Rom.13.1,2, &c. and therefore the Pope and all Prelates muſt bee ſubieſt to their Emperours, Kings, and Magi-

780

It seemes
by Rom.
15.19.20.
and the
whole last
Chapter,
that the
Christians
who were
in Rome
before
Paul came
thither,

were con-
verted by
those Prea-
chers who
he had set
thitherbe-
fore him;
for he cals

them his
帮pers. v. 3
9. Kinsmen
v.7.13/fel-
low priso-
ners, v.7 the
first fruits
of Achaia,
where he

had preached, v. 7. all familiar to him and to Tertius, who writ the Epistle. v. 22. And therefore they came so joyfully to meete Paul at Apis forum, hearing that he was comming towards Rome, Act. 28.15.

taught

The Practice of Piety.

Magistrates, voleffe they will
bring damnation vpon their
Soules, as Traytors, that refift
God and his Ordinance. Rom.
13.2.

25. That Paul, (not Peter) was ordained by the grace of God, to be the chiefe Apostle of the Gentiles, and consequently of Rome, the chiefe Citie of the Gentiles, Rom. 15.15.-16.19,20 &c. Rom. 11.14. Rom. 16.4.

26. That the Church of Rome may erre, and fall away from the true Faith, as well as the Church of Ierusalem, or any other particular Church, Rom. 11.20,21,22.

And seeing the new upstart
Church of Rome teacheth in all
these, and in innumerable
other points cleane contrary
to that which the Apostles

taught the Primitive Romans,
let God and this Epistle judge
betwixt them and vs; whether
of vs both stands in the true
ancient Catholic Faith, which
the Apostle taught the old Ro-
mans? And whether wee haue
not done well to depart from
them, so farre as they haue de-
parted from the Apostles Do-
rine? And whether it bee not
better to return to Saint Pauls
truth, then fill to continue in
Romes errour? And if this bee
true; then let Iesuites and Se-
minary Priests take heede and
feare, least, it bee not faith, but
faction, not truth, but treason;
not religiö, but rebellion, begin-
ning at Tyber, and ending at
Tyburne; which is the cause of
their deaths: And being sent
from a troublesome Apoſta-
tical Sea, rather then from a
peaceable Apostolical State,
becaus they cannot bee suffe-
red to perſwade Subjeets to

breake

781

The Practice of Piety.

782

The Practice of Piety.

Ps. 149.9.
Vt Alexá-
dricaufa
ys quillam
scire cupiùt
patefiat :
- indicatuseft
Epheſi ab
Æmilio
Frontino
Preconfule
non propter
professionis
nomen fed
propter per-
petrata la-
trocinia:
cum iam
effet præua-
ricator (&
proditor)
Euseb.hift.
Fecleſlib.
5.cap.18.

breake their Oathes, and to
withdraw their Allegiance
from their Souereigne, to raiſe
rebellion, to mooue inuafion,
to ſtabbe and poyſon Queenes,
to kill and murther Kings, to
blow vp whole States with
Gun-powder ; they desperately
caſt away their owne bodies to
bee hanged and quartered,
and (their ſoules ſaued, if they
belong to God) I wifh ſuch ho-
nour to all his Saints that ſends
them. And I haue iuſt cauſe to
ſeaſe that the myracles of Lip-
fus two Ladies, Blunt-Stones
Boy, Garnets Straw, and the
Maides fiety Apron, will not
ſuffice to cleare, that theſe men
are not Murtherers of them-
ſelues, rather then Martyrs of
Christ.

And with what conscience
can any Papift count Garnet a
Martyr, when his owne Con-
science forced him to conſeſſe,
that it was for Treſon, and
not

The Practice of Piety.

783

not for Religion that hee dyed ?
But if the Priefts of ſuch a Gun-
powder Goſpell be Martyrs, 1
maruell who are Murderers? If
they be Saints, who are Scythi-
ans ? And who are Canibals, if
they be Catholiques ?

But leauing theſe, if they
will be filthy, to their filthinesſe
ſtill; let vs (to whose fidelity
the Lord hath committed his
true Faith, as a precious depo-
ſitum) pray vnto God, that we
may leade a holy life, anſwe-
rable to our holy Faith, in Pie-
ty to Chriſt, and obedience to
our King: that if our Sauiour
ſhall euer count vs worthy that
honour to ſuffer Martyrdome
for his Goſpels ſake: bee it by
open burning at the Stake, as
in Q. Maries daies: or by ſe-
cret murdering, as in the In-
quisition houſe; or by outrag-
ious massacring, as in the Pari-
sian Mattens, in being blowne
vp with Gun-powder, as was
intended

2 Tim. 6.
20.

Pro. 24.21
1 Pet. 2.17

Act. 5.41

784

The Practice of Piety.

intended in the Parliamet-
House: we may haue grace to
pray for the ailitance of his
holy Spirit, so to strengthen
our frailtie, and to defend his
cause, as that wee may seale
with our deaths the Euangeli-
call truth which we haue profes
fed in our lines : That in the
daies of our liues we may bee
blessed by his Word,in the day
of death,be blessed in the Lord:
and in the day of Judgement,be
the blessed of his Father, Euen
so grant Lord Iefus, Amen.

Luk.11.
28.
Apoc.14
13.
Mat.25.
31.
Apoc.22.
20.

A divine Colloquy betweene the
Soule and her Sainjour, con-
cerning the effectuall merits
of his dolorous Passions.

Soule.

Lord, wherefore diddest thou
wash thy Disciples feet?
Christ. To teach thee how
thou

The Practice of Piet y.

785

thou shouldest prepare thy selfe
to come to my Supper.

S. Lord, why wouldest thou
wash them thy selfe?

C. To teach thee humility,
if thou wilt be my Disciple.

S. Lord, wherefore diddest
thou before thy death institute
thy last Supper?

C. That thou mightest the better remember my death, and bee affured that all the merits thereof are thine.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou goe to such a place, where
Iudas knew to finde thee?

C. That thou mightest know that I went as willingly to suffer for thy sinne, as euer thou wentest to any place to commit a sinne.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou begin thy Passion in a Gar-
den?

C. Because that in a Garden
thy sinne tooke first begin-
ning.

S. Lord,

Ioh.13.14

Luk.12.19

Ioh.18.2.

Ioh. 18.1.

Gen.3.3.

786

The Practice of Piety.

<table><tr><td>Mat.26. 40.</td><td>S. Lord, wherefore did thy three select Disciples fall so fast asleep, when thou beganst to fall into thy agony?</td></tr><tr><td>I say 63. 5.</td><td>C. To shew that I alone wrought the worke of thy Redemption.</td></tr><tr><td>Mat.26. 4</td><td>S. Lord, why were there so many plots and snares laid for thee?</td></tr><tr><td>Psal.92. 3.</td><td>C. That I might make thee to escape all the snares of thy ghostly hunter.</td></tr><tr><td>Mat.26. 42.</td><td>S. Lord, why wouldst thou suffer Iudas (betraying thee) to kisse thee?</td></tr><tr><td>Gen.3.4.6.</td><td>C. That by enduring the words of dissembling Lips, I might there beginne to expiate sin, where Sathan first brought it into the world.</td></tr><tr><td>Mat.27. 3</td><td>S. Lord, why wouldst thou be sold for 30. pieces of silver?</td></tr><tr><td>Mat.26. 39.</td><td>C. That I might free thee from perpetuall bondage.</td></tr><tr><td>Heb. 5.7.</td><td>S. Lord, why didst thou pray with such strong crying and teares?</td></tr></table>

The Practice of Piety.

787

C. That I might quench the fury of Gods Justice, which was so fiercely kindled against thee.

S. Lord, why waft thou so affraid, and cast into such an Agony?

Luke 22. 44.

C. That suffering the wrath due to thy sinnes, thou mightest bee more secure in thy death, and finde more comfort in thy croffes.

S. Lord, wherefore didst thou pray so oft, and so earnestly, that the cup might pass from thee?

Mat.26. 39.42.44.

C. That thou mightest perceive the horrour of that curse and wrath, which being due to thy sinnes, I was then to drinke and endure for thee.

S. Lord, wherefore didst thou after thy will, submit thy will to the will of thy Father?

Gal.3. 13.

C. To teach thee what thou shouldst do in all thy affections: and how willingly thou shouldst yeeld to beare with

788

The Practice of Piety.

Luk.22.
44.

with patience that Croſſe,
which thou seest to come from
the iuſt hand of thy heauenly
Father.

S. Lord, wherefore diddeſt thou
sweat ſuch drops of water and
blond?

C. That I might cleanſe
thee from thy ſtaines and blou-
dy ſpots.

Lnk.22.
54.

S. Lord, why wouldeſt thou be
taken, when thou mighteſt hane
eſcaped thine enemies?

Mar.5.25.

C. That thy ſpirituall ene-
mies should not take thee, and
caſt thee into the prison of vt-
ter darkeneſſe.

Mat.21.
13.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldeſt
thou be forſaken of all thy Diſci-
ples?

Mat. 26.
56.

C. That I might reconcile
thee vnto God, of whom thou
waſt forſaken for thy finnes.

Ioh. 18.8.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldeſt
thou ſtand to bee apprehended a-
lone?

C. To ſhew thee, that my
loue

The Practice of Piety.

789

loue of thy Saluation was more
then the loue of all my Diſci-
ples.

S. Lord, wherefore was the
young man caught by the Souldi-
ers and vnſtript of his linnen, who
came out of his bed, hearing the
ſtir at thy apprehension, and lea-
ding to the high Priest?

C. To ſhew their outrage in
apprehending me, and my pow-
er in prefering out of their
outragious hands all my Diſci-
ples, who otherwise had beene
worſe handled by them, then
was that young man.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldeſt
thou be bound?

C. That I might looke the
cords of thine iniquities.

S. Lord, why waſt thou denied
of Peter?

C. That I might confefſe thee
before my Father, and thou
mighteſt learne, that there is no
truſt in man, and that ſaluation
proceeds of my meere mercy.

S. Lord,

Mark. 14.
51.52.

Mat.27.2.

Luk.2.57.

790

The Practice of Piety.

Luke 22.
60.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou bring Peter to repentance
by the crowing of a Cocke ?

C. That none should despise
the meanes which GOD hath
appointed for their conversion,
though they seeme neuer so
meane.

Luke 22.
61.

S. Lord, wherfore didst thou
at the Cocke crowing, turne and
looke upon Peter ?

C. Because thou mightest
know, that without the helpe
of my grace, no meanes can
turne a finner vnto God, when
he is once falne from him.

Ioh.19.5.

S. Lord, wherefore wast thou
conered with a purple robe ?

Isa.1 8.

C. That thou mightest per-
ceiue that it was I that did a-
way thy Scarlet fins.

Mark.27.
29.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou be crowned with thornes?

C. That by wearing
Thornes, the first fruits, of the
curse, it might appeare, that
it is I which takes away the
sinnes

The Practice of Piety.

791

sin and curse of the world, and
crowne thee with the Crowne
of life and glory.

S. Lord, why was a Reed put
into thine hand?

C. That it might appeare
that I came not to breake the
bruised Reed.

S. Lord, wherefore wast thou
mocked of the lewes?

C. That thou mightest in-
sult ouer Diuels who other-
wise would haue mocked
thee, as the Philistims did
Sampson.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou haue thy blessed face defiled
with spittle?

C. That I might cleanse thy
face from the shame of sinne.

S. Wherefore Lord, were thine
eyes hood winkt with a vaile ?

C. That they spirituall blind-
neſſe beeing remooued, thou
mightest behold the face of my
Father in Heauen.

S, Lord, wherefore did they
Mm buffet

2 Pet.5.

Apoc.2.

10.

Mat.27.

29.

Mat.12.

20.

Mat.27.

29.

Iud.16.

25.

Mat.26.

27.

Mat.14

65.

Mar.27.

20.

792

The Practice of Piety.

Mat. 27.

15.

Mat. 27.

39.

Ioh. 19. 3.

Isa. 53. 2.

Mat. 13.

13.

Mat. 22.

30.

Ioh. 19. 1.

Mar. 14.

53.

buffet thee with fifts, and beat thee with stanes?

C. That thou mightest bee freed from the stroakes and teares of infernal fiends.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest thou be reuiled?

C. That God might speake peace vnto thee by his Word and Spirit.

S. Lord, wherefore was thy face disfigured with blowes and bloud?

C. That thy face might shine glorious, as the Angels in Heaven.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest thou be so cruelly scourged?

C. That thou mightest bee freed from the fling of confi. ence, and whips of everlafting torments.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest thou bee arraigned at Pilates Barre?

C. That thou mightest at the last day bee acquitted before

The Practice of Piety.

793

fore my Iudgement Seat.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest thou be falsely accused?

C. That thou shouldst not be iustly condemned.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest thou turned ouer to be condemned by a strange Indge?

C. That thou being redeemed from the captivity of a hellifh Tyrant mightest be restored to God whose own thou art by right.

S. wherefore, O Chrift, didst thou acknowledge, that Pilate had power ouer thee from aboue?

C. That Antichrift, vnder Pretence of being my Vicar, should not exalt himfelfe aboue all Principalities and powers.

S. Lord, why wouldest thou suffer thy Passion vnder Pontius Pilate, being a Roman President to Cæsar of Rome?

C. To shew that the Cæsarian, and Pontifician pollicie of Rome, should chiefly per-secute

Luk. 23. 2.

Mat. 27. 2.

Ioh. 19. 1.

Rom. 13. 1

1 Pet. 2. 13

14.

Luk. 23.

1.

Ioh. 19. 1.

&c.

Note well

Apoc. 11.

8

Apoc. 17.

5, 6, 24.

794

The Practice of Piety.

Ioh.19.16

Luk.23.

24.

Rom.8.3.

Mat.27.

24.

Ioh.19.6.

Mat.27.

34.

Heb.13.

13.

Luk.23.

25.

Mat.27.

32.

secute my Church, and crucifie
me in my members.

S. But why Lord, wouldest
thou be condemned?

C. That the Law being con-
demned in mee, thou mightest
not be condemned by it.

S. But why wast thou condem-
ned, seeing nothing could bee pro-
ued againft thee?

C. That thou mightest
know, that it was not for my
fault but for thine, that I suffe-
red.

S. Lord, wherefore wast thou
led to suffer out of the City?

C. That I might bring thee
to rest in the heauenly City,

S. Lord, why did the Iewes
compell Simon of Cyrene, com-
ming out of the field, to carry thy
Crosse?

C. To shew the weakneſſe
whereunto the burthen of thy
ſaines brought me: and what
must bee euery Chriſtians caſe,
which goeth out of the field
of

The Practice of Piety.

795

of this world, toward the hea-
uenly Ierusalem.

S. Lord, Why wast thou un-
stripped of thy Garments?

C. That thou migteſt see
how I forſooke all to redeem
thee.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou ke lift vp upon a Crosse?

C. That I might lift thee vp
with me to Heauen.

S. Lord wherefore didſt thou
hang upon a cursed Tree?

C. That I might ſatísſe for
the ſinne committed in eating
the forbidden fruit of a Tree.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldeſt
thou hang betweene two theeues?

C. That thou my deare ſoule,
mightest haue place in the midſt
of heauenly Angels.

S. Lord, wherefore were thy
hands and ſeete nailed to the
Crosse?

C. To inlarge thy hands
to doe the workes of righte-
ouſneſſe: and to ſet thy ſeete

M m 3

at

Ioh.19.23

Luke 23.

Luk.23.

33.

Gen.2.17

Luk.23.

33.

Pfal.22.16

Ioh.20.25

798

The Practice of Piety.

<table>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Luk.23.<br>39</td>
      <td>S. Lord, why did not the other<br>Thiefe which hanged as neere<br>thee, obtaine the like mercy?</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Rom.9.18<br>22.</td>
      <td>C. Because I leaue whom I<br>will, to harden themselves in<br>their lewdnesse to destruction;<br>that all should feare, and none<br>presume.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mat.26.<br>50.</td>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore didst thou<br>cry with such a loud and strong<br>voice in yeelding up the ghost?</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ioh.10.18</td>
      <td>C. That it might appeare<br>that no man tooke my life from<br>mee, but that I laid it downe of<br>my selfe.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Luk.13.<br>45.<br>Ioh.13.1.</td>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore didst thou<br> commend thy soule into thy Fa-<br>thers hands?</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mat.27.<br>51.</td>
      <td>C. To teach thee what thou<br>shouldst doe being to depart<br>this life,</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ephes.2.<br>14.<br>Heb 10.<br>19.20.</td>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore did the<br>vaile of the Temple rend in<br>twaine at thy death?</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td></td>
      <td>C. To shew that the Leuiti-<br>call Law should bee no lon-<br>ger a partition wall betweene<br>Iewes</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

The Practice of Piety.

799

<table>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Iewes and Gentiles: and that the way to Heauen is now open to all beleeuers.</td>
      <td>Mat.27.<br>51.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore did the earth quake, and the stones cleane at thy death?</td>
      <td></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>C. For horror to beare her Lord dying: and to vpbraid the cruell hardnesse of sinners hearts,</td>
      <td></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>S. Lord wherefore did not the Souldiers break thy legs, as they did the Theenes who hanged at thy right and left hand?</td>
      <td>Exod.12.<br>45.<br>Psal.22.<br>16.<br>Zach.12.<br>10.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>C. That thou mightest know, that they had not power to doe any more vnto mee, then the Scripture had foretold, that they should doe, and I should suffer to save thee.</td>
      <td></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore was thy fide opened with a Speare?</td>
      <td>Ioh.20.34</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>C. That thou mightest haue a way to come neerer my heart.</td>
      <td></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>S. Lord, wherefore ran there out of thy precious fide bloud and water?</td>
      <td>Ioh.19.34</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mm 5</td>
      <td>C.To</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

800

Ther is a-
boutmans
heart
a skin cal-
led Peri-
cardion,
contai-
ning wa-
ter which
cooles &
moystens
the heart,
least it
should be
scorched
with
continual
motion.
This skin
once pier-
ced, man
cannot
lie, Co-
lumb, Ana-
tom.lib.7.
Hift. de
nat.human.
lib.1. enar.
87.5.
*1 Joh.5.6
Mat.27.
52.

The Practice of Piety.

C. To assure the, that I was
flaue indeed, seeing my heart.
bloud gushed out, and the water
which compassed my heart,
flowed forth after it: which
once spilt, man must needs die.

S. Lord, wherefore ranne the
bloud first by * it selfe, and the
water afterwards by it selfe, out
of thy blessed wound?

C. To assure thee of two
things: 1. That by my bloud-
shedding, Iustification and San-
ication were effected to
faue thee: 2. That my Spirit
by the conficionable vse of the
Water in Baptisme, and Bloud
in the Eucharift, will effect in
thee righteousneſe and holines,
by which thou Shalt glorife
me.

S. Lord, wherefore did the
graues open at thy death?

C. To signifie that Death,
by my death, had now receiued
his Deaths wound, and was o-
nercome.

S. Lord,

The Practice of Piety.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou be buried?

C. That thy finnes might ne-
uer rife vp to iudgement againſt
thee.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldeſt
thou be buried by two ſuch hono-
rable Senators, as Nicodemus
and Ioseph of Arimathea.

C. that the truth of my
death (the cause of thy life)
might more evidently appeare
unto all.

S. Lord, wherefore wouldest
thou be buried in a new Sepulchre, wher-
in was neuer man laid before?

C. That it might appeare,
that I; and not another aroſe:
and that by mine owne power,
not by anothers vertue; like
him who reuiued at the touch-
ing of Elisbaes bones.

S. Lord, wherefore didſt thou
raſe vp thy body againe?

C. That thou maſt be affu-
red that thy finnes are dischar-
ged, and thou art iuſtified
S. Lord

801

Mat. 27.
60.

Mat. 27.
60.

Joh. 19.
39,40.

Joh 19.4.
Mat.27.
60.

2 King.
13. 1.
Mat. 28 6.

Rom 4:35

802

The Practice of Piety.

Mat. 27.
52,53.

Act. 17.
31

Psal. 116.
11.
Gal. 6. 17.

S. Lord, wherefore did so ma-
ny bodies if thy Saints (which
flept) arise at thy Resurrection?

C. To give an assurance, that
all the Saints shall arise, by the
vertue of my Resurrection at the
last day.

S. Lord, what shall I render
unto thee for all these benefits?

C. Loue thy Creator, and
become a new creature.

The Soules Soliloquy, ransified
in contemplation of the Pas-
sion of our Lord,

What haft thou done, O
my sweet Saviour, and
aye blessed Redeemer, that
thou waft thus betrayed of In-
das, sold of the Ieses, appre-
hended as a Malefactor, and
led bound as a Lambe to the
flaughter? What euill hadst
thou committed, that thou
shouldst bee thus openly ar-
raigned,

803

The Practice of Piety.

raigned accused falfly, and vn-
iustly condemned before Annas
and Caiphas, the Jewish Priests,
at the Judgement Scate of
Pilate the Romane President ?
What was thine offence? Or to
whom didst thou euer wrong?
that thou shouldst bee thus
pitifully scourged with whips,
crowned with thornes, scoffed
with flowtes, reviled with
words, buffeted with fifts, and
beaten with staues? O Lord,
what diddeft thou deferue, to
haue thy bleffed face spit vp-
on, and conered as it were with
fhame? To haue thy garments
parted, thy hands and feet nay-
led to the Croffe? To be lifted
vp upon the curled Tree, to bee
crucified amongst Theeues, and
made to tafte gall and viviger?
And in thy, deadly extremitie,
to endure such a Sea of Gods
wrath, that made thee to cry
out, as if thou hadft beene for-
faken of God thy Father? Yea,
to

804

The Practice of Piety.

to have thy innocent heart
pierced with a cruell speare,and
thy precious bloud to bee spilt
out before thy blessed Mothers
eyes? Sweete Sauour, how
much waft thou tormented to
endure all this, seeing I am so
much amazed but to thinke
upon it! I enquire for thine
offence, but I can find none in
thee; no, not so much as guile
to have been found in thy mouth.
Thine enemies are challenged,
and none of them dare rebuke
thee of Sinne: Thine Accusers
(that are suborned) agree not
in their witnesse: the Judge that
condemnes thee, openly clea-
reth thine Innocency: his wife
Sends him word, that shee was
warned in a dreame, that thou
waft a just man; and therefore
should take heed of doing in-
justice vnto thee: The Centu-
rion that executes thee confes-
leth thee of a truth, to be both a
just man, & the very Son of God.

The

1 Pet. 2. 22.

1 oh. 1. 46.

Mat. 27

19

The Practice of Piety.

805

The Thieſe that hanged with thee, iuſtifieth thee: that thou haſt done nothing amife. What is the cauſe then, O Lord, of this thy cruell ignominy, Paſſion, and Death? I, O Lord, I am the cauſe of these thy ſorrowes: my Sinnes wrought thy ſhame, mine iniquities are the accaſion of thy iniuries. I haue co nmiſted the fault, and thou art plaſued for the offence: I am guil-tie, and thou art arraigued: I committed the Sin, & thou ſuſ-feredt the death: I haue done the crime, and thou hangedt on the Croſſe. Oh the deepneſte of God's loue! Oh the wonderfull diſpoſition of heauenly grace! Oh the vnmeaſurable meaſure of diuine mercy! The wicked transgresseth, and the Iuſt is pu-niſhed; the guilty is let eſcape & the innocent is arraigued, the miſle factor is acquitted: and the harme leſſe condemned: what the euill Man deferueth; the good

806

The Practice of Piety.

good man suffereth: the servant
doth the fault, the Master en-
dures the stroakes, What shall I
say? Man finneth, and God
dieth. O Sonne of God! who
can sufficiently expresse thy
loue? Or commend thy pitty? or
extoll thy praise? I was proud,
and thou art humbled: I was
disobedient, and thou becamest
obedient: I did eat the forbidden
fruit, and thou didst hang on
the cursed tree: I played the
Glutton, aud thou diddest fast:
Enil concupiscence drew mee to
eate the pleasant Apple, and per-
felt charitie led thee to drinke
of the bitter Cup: I affayed the
sweetneffe of the fruit, and thou
diddest taste the bitterneffe of
the gall. Foolish Eue smiled,
when I laughed: but blessed
Mary wept, when thy heart
bled and died. O my God, here
I see thy goodneffe and my bad-
neffe: thy Inustice and my iniu-
stice: the impiety of my flesh,
the

810

The Practice of Piety.

the piety of thy nature. And
now, O blessed Lord, that thou
hast endured all this for my
fake: What shall I render vnto
thee for all thy benefits beftowed
vpon mee a sinfull soule? In-
deed, Lord, I acknowledge,
that I owe thee already for my
Creation, more then I am able
to pay; for I am in that respect
bound with all my powers and
affections to loue and to adore
thee. If I owed my selfe vnto
thee, for giuing mee my selfe in
my Creation; what shall I now
render vnto thee, for giuing
thy selfe for mee to so cruell a
death, to procure my redempti-
on? Great was the benefit, that
thou wouldest create me of no-
thing, but what tongue can suf-
ficiently express the greatneffe
of this grace, that thou didst
redeeme mee with so deare a
price, when I was worse then no-
thing? Surely O Lord, if I can-
not pay the thankes which I
owe

808

The Practice of Piety.

owe thee; (and who can pay thee, who bestowest thy graces without either respect of merit, or regard of measure?) it is the abundance of thy blessings that makes mee such a banked-rupt; that I am so vnable to pay the principall, that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy loue.

But, O my Lord, thou knowest, that since the loffe of thine Image, (by the fall of my first vnhappy Parents) I cannot loue thee with all my might, and my minde, as I should : therefore as, thou diddest first cast thy loue vpon mee, when I was a child of wrath, and a lumpe of the lost and condemned world; so now, I be seech thee, shead abroad thy loue by thy Spirit through all my facilities and affections: that though I can neuer, pay thee in that measure of loue which thou haft deferred, yet I may endeavour

809

The Practice of Piety.

endeavour to repay thee in such a manner, as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy; that I may in truth of Heart, loue my Neighbour for thy fake, and loue thee aboue all for thine owne fake. Let nothing be pleasant vnto me, but that which is pleasing vnto thee. And sweete Sauiour, suffer me neuer to bee lost or cast away, whom thou haft bought so dearely with thine owne most precious cloud. O Lord, let me neuer forget thine infinite loue, and this vn speakable benefit of my Redemption: without which, it had bin better for me neuer to haue beene, then to haue any being.

And seeing that thou haft vouchsafed mee the affiftance of thy holy Spirit; suffer mee, O heauenly Father, who art the Father of Spirits, in the mediation of thy Son, to speake a few words in the eares of my Lord. If thou, O Father, despiest

807

The Practice of Piety.

despisest mee for mine iniquities, as I haue deferued; yet be mercifull vnto mee for the merits of thy Sonne, who so much for me hath suffered. What if thou seest nothing in mee but misery, which might mooue anger and Passion? Yet behold the merits of thy Son, and thou shalt see enough to mooue thee to mercy and compassion. Behold the mystery of his Incarnation, and remit the misery of my transgression: And as oft as the wounds of thy Sonne appeare in thy fight; Oh, let the moes of my sinnes bee hid from thy presence. As oft as the rednesse of his bloud glisters in thine eyes; Oh let the guiltiness of my sinne bee blotted out of thy Booke, The wantonnesse of my flesh prouoked thee vnto wrath: Oh, let the chastity of his flesh perfwade thee vnto mercy: that as my flesh seduced me to sinne, so his flesh may

The Practice of Piety.

811

may reduce me vnto thy fauor,
My disobedience hath deferued
a great reuenge, but his obedi-
ence merits a greater weight
of mercy: for what can man
deferue to suffer, which GOD,
made man, cannot merit to
haue forgiuen? When I con-
sider the greatnesse of thy Paflfi-
on, then doe I see the trunesse
of that saying; that Iesus Christ
came into the world to faue the
chiefest finners. Dareft thou
then, O Cain, say, that thy sinnes
are greater then may be forgiuen?
Thou lyeft like a Murtherer;
The mercies of one Christ, are
able to forgiue a whole world of
Cains, if they will belecue and
repent. The sinnes of all finners
are faite: the mercies of God
are infinite: Therefore, O Fa-
ther, for the bitter death and
bloody passion sake, which thy
Sonne Iesus Christ hath suffered
for me, and I haue now re-
membred vnto thee, pardon
and

812

The Practice of Piety.

and forgive thou vnto mee all
my sinnes; and deliuer me from
the curse and vengeance which
they haue iustly deferued: and
through his merits, make mee
O Lord, a partaker of thy mer-
cy. It is thy mercy that I so
earneſtly knocke for. Neither
ſhall mine importunitie ceaſe
to call and knocke, with the
man that would borrow the
loaues, vntill thou arise and
open vnto mee thy gates of
Grace. And if thou wilt not
beſtow on mee the loaues; yet,
O LORD, deny mee not the
crums of thy mercy, and thofe
ſhall ſuffice thy hungry Hand-
maid.

And ſeeing thou requireſt
nothing for all thy benefits, but
that I loue thee in the truth of
my inward heart; (whereof a
new Creaure is the trueſt out-
ward teſtimony) and that it is
as eaſie for thee to make mee a
new creature, as to bid mee to
be

813

The Practice of Piety.

be ſuch: Create in me, O Christ,
a new Heart, and renew in mee
a new ſpirit: and then thou
ſhalt see how (mortifying old
Adam and his corrupt luſts)
I will ſerue thee as thy new
Creature, in a new life; after
a new way: with a new tongue,
and new manners: with new
words and new workes; to
the glory of thy Name, and
the winning of other ſinfull
ſoules vnto the faith by my de-
uout example.

Keepe mee for euer, O my
Sauiour, from the torments
of Hell, and Tyranny of the
Dinell, And when I am to de-
part this life, ſend thy Holy
Angels to carry mee, as they
did the ſoule of Lazarus, into
thy Kingdome. Receiue mee
then into that moſt ioyfull Pa-
radife, which thou diddeſt pro-
mife vnto the penitent Thieſe:
which at his last gaſpe vpon
the Croſſe, ſo devoutly beg-
ged