A pathvvay to patience in all manner of crosses, tryals, troubles, and afflictions: inwardly for sinne, or outwardly by sicknesse, pouerty, enemies, imprisonment, banishment, slaunders, disobedience of children, houshold-crosses betweene man and wife, &c. With necessary prayers for euerie of them; as also for diuers other necessarie purposes. By I.N.

To the right Honourable Earle of PEMBROOKE, Lord Chamberlaine to his Maiestie: And to his entirely beloued and most louing bro∣ther, the Earle of MONTGO∣MERIE; health, honour, and happinesse here, with all hea∣uenly blessings; and eternall saluation, when the Lord Iesus shall come to glorifie his Saints in heauen.

My good Lords,

ALthough it behoueth e∣uerie man, that vnder∣takes to instruct others in any Art, Mysterie, or

Science, to be himselfe well furnished with knowledg, iudgement, practise, or experience, in the thing he vnder∣takes to teach: yet for want of the depth and quintessence of that knowledge and iudge∣ment; he may speake, to the instruction of o∣thers, by the experience of his owne practise. I haue little knowledge to iudge, & lesse iudge∣ment truly and iustly to censure other mens ver∣tues or vice;: onely ha∣uing some speculation,

in, and some practise of, and by practise some experience, in that which I am bold (vn∣der your Honourable names) to publish, Con∣cerning that most excel∣lent vertue of the minde, perfect Patience: I haue essayed (partly for mine owne, partly for the cōfort of others) what profit I could produce by mine owne experi∣ence, of the patient bea∣ring of mine own cros∣ses and troubles; there∣by to confirme mine owne assurance, and to

intimate vnto others, that are any way affli∣cted, or troubled in∣wardly in minde, or outwardly with any crosse or tryall; that im∣patience, murmuring, or grudging, make the lightest crosses & trou∣bles seeme more irk∣some, more harsh, and heauier, then in deede they are of their owne nature: And, that per∣fect patience, makes them seeme light, and easie to be borne, being neuer so weighty in the opinion of men. And

therefore I haue, out of my slender experience, endeuoured (in this little Pamphlet, rudely dige∣sted) to remember some seuerall occasions (a∣mong infinite) requi∣ring this diuine vertue Patience; wishing there∣by all men to prepare themselues, to vnder∣goe their troubles, pre∣sent, or when they come, with godly pati∣ence; as Dauid did, who suffered manifold tenta∣tions, yet his soule alwayes kept silence vnto God, as∣suring himselfe, that

he should not, much be mo∣ued: not much; yet the most godly man may doe, as Dauid did in his hast; fret at the prosperi∣tie of wicked men, him∣selfe in affliction, pouer∣tie, and vnder the crosse. But a wise man soone reformes himselfe as he did; when he conside∣reth, that though many are the troubles of the righte∣ous, and that it is his lot to suffer, yet that God will deliuer him in the end out of all. Therefore is he patient vntill his de∣liuerie come. And to the

end that such as haue, or may haue occasion, to make vse of these my weake meditations and prayers; I haue in all humblenesse presumed, to publish them vnder your Honorable names. Entreating your good Lordships, not to con∣ceiue, that I seeme there∣by, so idlely vaine-glo∣rious, and so forgetfull of your places, wise∣domes, and Honorable estates, as to presume to teach your Honours, the necessitie and vse of this heauenly, and (con∣sequently)

Honourable vertue. But onely that your good Lordships would be pleased to grace, this my weake la∣bour, with your Hono∣rable countenance; for the weaker the buil∣ding is, it requires the stronger supporters: cra∣uing your Honourable fauours therein, that O∣ther men that haue oc∣casion to vse it, may the more willingly em∣brace it. For, if men, of whatsoeuer quality, ho∣nourable, or inferiour, truly knew the sweet∣nesse

of this vertue, though euery man hath not one and the same, yet the most of men haue, or may haue some cause to practise it, if they will haue comfort in their crosses, which are of as many kindes, as are the seuerall estates and conditions of men, of whatsoeuer quality, high or lowe.

Most humbly entrea∣ting your Lordships Honourable pardon, of my rudenesse, in hand∣ling of a work worthy the labour of a man of

most exquisite guifts; And to beare with my too much boldnesse, in vsing your Honourable names, in a matter so impertinent to your Honours. But I am so much the more encou∣raged, to present it vnto your good Lordships, by how much, I con∣ceiue (as well by the approbation of all ver∣tuous men, as by mine owne experience) your Honourable enclinati∣ons to the practise of all diuine vertues: And doe assure my selfe, that

your Honours wil take in good part, that which I haue (though weake∣ly) done, more in re∣gard of my good mea∣ning, then of the thing it selfe; which I hum∣bly recommend, vnto your most Honourable acceptations.

Euer more bound vnto your good Lordships for many your most Honourable fauours, IOHN NORDEN.