An eye to heauen in earth A necessarie watch for the time of death, consisting in meditations and prayers fit for that purpose. With the husbands christian counsell to his wife and children, left poore after his death.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR Henrie Hobart Knight and Baronet, Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas, CHANCELOR to Prince CHARLES, and to the rest of that honorable Socie∣tie of his Highnesse Commissioners of Reuenues Prosperitie in this life temporall, and blessed∣nesse in that which is Eternall.

IF it should be demaun∣ded (Right Honorable) why I would aduenture to vndertake a

matter of this subiect; so farre (in opinion) diffe∣ring from my ordinarie imployments: It may please you to conceiue, that it is not altogether contrarie to my publike profession, as being a Chri∣stian, though no professed Diuine: and therefore may stand with my ordinarie worldly trauailes. For I am not ignorant, that eue∣ry man is bound, to inde∣uour, in his function of this present life, to seeke the meanes, to know, and to attayne vnto the life to come. And what I haue done in this, I may truly

say I haue done it only, (with earthly, and corpo∣rall) to entermixe and in∣crease my spirituall con∣solation and comfort; by these priuate, (though weake) Meditations: Not purposing to haue expo∣sed them to the variable censures of exquisite wits, whereunto I know they are now subiect: But that some of impartiall iudge∣ment (as I hold them) ha∣uing an accidentall view of them, thought it not vnfit (weake as they are) that they should be made publike: for the mouing of others, to a considera∣tion

of their fraile estates, being all subiect to one and the same mortalitie; as also in the course of their liues, to the like cen∣sure of their doings, and execution of their vocati∣ons in this present life; which reasons, I trust, may excuse both mine vnder∣taking and the publishing of these my weake Medi∣tations.

I may also be deman∣ded how I could presume, to make choice of your Honorable Patronages, of a worke so weake, and vn∣worthy. It may please you also to conceiue, that they

more properly belong vn∣to your Honors (as being my labours) then to any other: especially for that I am subiect in accompt, vnto that Honorable Table, of mine imployments, principally vndertaken by your directions and com∣mands: And for that your imployments require not the totall allowance of time, which (to my little profit) I find my selfe to haue; I can no better ex∣pend the idle interims of the rest of my libertie (my dutie and care, to answere your expectations in my seruice, duly respected and

performed) then to seeke mine owne satisfaction, in that which immediately concerneth not your or∣dinarie imployments: But my future accompt of an∣other seruice, enioyned me by another Master. And although it be true, that, a man cannot serue two Ma∣sters, God and Mammon: he may yet serue GOD and Man: But in seuerall re∣spects; God in Spirit and Truth: And Man in Loue, and faithfull execution of his vocation: And hee that so serues the one, as hee neglect not the other; He is that faithfull seruant of

that one, that shall reward him here with an inuisible gratuitie, peace of consci∣ence: and of that other, who shal recompence him with a competent tempo∣rall salarie. This is that gol∣den meane, which whoso keepes (be he of highest or lowest function in the world) wades safely be∣tweene the two extremes: for, he that so serues Man, as he neglects God: Or so serues God, as he is no way seruiceable to the Church or Common-weale, serues rightly neither God nor Man. For, as GOD crea∣ted Man for himselfe, as

touching his spirituall: so hath hee enioyned labour for man, as touching his corporall part. And both these may bee performed (and ought) by euery man, without exception, according to his calling: Nay, one stands not with-out the other: But the one is performed the better for the other: for, without seruing of God, no bles∣sing is obtayned, & with-out Gods blessing, corporal labours neither prosper, nor profit man: and with-out an honest calling duly and truly executed, God nor Man is rightly serued.

Therefore I, (though I come far short of per∣fection in either) do en∣deuour with vnfayned desire, so to walke and work, as I may perform my dutie to both: Hum∣bly requiring your Ho∣nours to shewe the like mind towards mee, as doth my heauenly Ma∣ster, namely, to accept the Will for the Deede: So shall I thinke my selfe happy in my reputed vnhappinesse, and in∣deuour to bestowe the residue of mine vnplea∣sant pilgrimage, as neere as I can, to the discharge

of my duties and serui∣ces to GOD and Man; Recommending your Honours to GOD, my selfe to your seruice, and this silly Pam∣phlet vnto (though vnworthy of) your per∣vsalls.

At my house at Hendon, the 10. of Aprill. 1619.

Your Honors in all seruice readie to be commanded,

IO. NORDEN.