A poore mans rest founded vpon motiues, meditations, and prayers. Expressing to the inward man, true consolation. In all kindes and times of afflication. By Io. Norden.

A most Christian and comfor∣table Consultation, and sweete resolution, what course in time of deepest distresse men ought to take: worthy of all men to be considered, to their vnspeakable comfort.

Read and Regard.

IT is a general complaint among the distressed children of men, that great and dangerous is the triall, to be long visited with the punishing hand of our high and powerful God, especially

notwithstanding the many instant cries, and humble petitions of the af∣flicted soule, who finding no ease, nor feeling any comfort, but contrariwise troubles & miseries, crosses & griefes to increase daily, thinking himselfe vt∣terly forgotten of God, or méerely to be hated of him: the silly afflicted soule thus bewrapped with feare, & féeling of his miseries, many times fainteth, and so falleth from faith in God, to séek succour at the hands of mortall men, and finding that to be a course of cold comfort, with whom neither prayers take place, nor endeauours preuaile, he then (pressed downe, as vnder the bur∣den of vtter despaire of any succour) is moued oftentimes to frame his affecti∣ons to contriue vnlawfull meanes, by his naturall and corrupt conceit, that his owne will and wit may shape some course to a hauen of more secure rest: and so hoysing the sayles of his owne peruerse imaginations, betaketh him∣selfe to the main sea of his vngodly de∣uices, t••l at the length, instead of a hap∣py hoped harbour, he suddenly sinketh, and is swallowed vp of the ougly de∣uouring gulfe of irrecuperable confu∣sion. For the world, as a sea, tossing the

weake ones that saile therein, trieth the inclinations of all, and approueth and condemneth, but not according to the right rule of Christian reason, and godly wisedome, but after a sensuall manner of false iudgement, affirmeth, such as saile with a full fore-winde of prosperity here, to be onely blessed, happy, and beloued of God, and such as are becalmed with distresse and mi∣series, with crosses and calamities, and kéepe not the glorious way with the worldly-minded, to be hated and ac∣cursed of him. And this wretched and false censure of carnall men, driues many weake soules vpon the rocks of bitter ruine, euen when they dreame of a course of swéetest happinesse. For as Dauid found, Psalme 49. 18. much more this age affoordeth the experi∣ence, that men doe praise them that make much of themselues, namely, such as wallow in the delights and pleasures of the flesh. But them they estéeme mad men and fooles, and cast-awayes, and accursed, that liue in a base, and low, and poore, and ignomi∣nious estate, though neuer so conten∣ted: the foolishnesse of worldly men is wisedome, and the true wisdome of the

poore is foolishnesse, with the worlds flatterers. And this is that dangerous rocke, vpon which oftentimes euen the godly make shipwracke, when they consult with flesh and bloud, which argueth it the safest course, to become licentious, to imbrace vanity, and to studie the profitable and praised arts of flattery and dissimulation, to walke the broad way to preferment, to scale the wals of wealth and estimation by fraud and force, to leape ouer loue and lowlinesse (as dangerous blocks) and to sit in the seat of scorning the poore, with the proud and ambitious. And if the godly (such as haue professed knowledge and zeale) be driuen from their right course, by the winde of this vaine worlds Paralites, what be∣comes of such as haue no coasting card of Christian knowledge, nor née∣dle of faith to conduct them? And if such as haue the world vnder their féet, & can crush the poore in their fist, be easily carried away from̄ iustice and iudgement, to rapine and bribery, ex∣tortion and wrong; what a dangerous triall is it vnto the poore and distressed man, who euen for relieuing necessa∣ries, is forced to bend his course to the

hauen of any small comfort? Yet this worlds wisedome censureth, that it is holden hardly lawfull for the poore to tread the steppes of the rich to relieue himselfe. Such an vnequall match there is betwéene these two, that for strength the one subdueth the other without great encounter; for wisdome, he stoppeth his mouth with faire words, Eccles. 9. 16. Because the world holdeth him wisest that is weal∣thiest, and him best that is brauest. The wisedome of the poore is despi∣sed, and his words are not heard. He is accounted most honourable, that can subdue the lowest with loftiest lookes: great men often speake what their hearts thinke not; and the poore pine in penurie, while the rich preach dis∣simulate plenty: the worst in their liues séeme most glorious in their liuings: the wicked increase in world∣ly wealth, while the poore doe pe∣rish. But sith it thus fareth with the dearest children of God, that they must be as cast-outs in the world and cast-awayes among worldlings; sith they haue no hope here, nor helpe, nor succour, nor pleasure, nor delight here, it is necessary that a carefull

consultation be had in such a dange∣rous warfare, how wée may be best def••••ded, and most eased, and surest guarded. And for that the poore s••••me to haue no share amongst the rich, the weake no part with the strong, nor the simple any portion with the deceit∣full, (and yet a necessity laid vpon the poorest to prouide ••oode, though in meane measure to sustaine life, and ragges in simplest manner to couer the skinne) a course must be taken after the rule of right reason, wherein wée must leaue the sleights of the méere flesh, and leane to the aduice of the spi∣rit; lest that, through a carelesse negli∣gence, and negligent sluggishnesse, we be found authors and workers of our owne miseries.

And to this end that all should be without excuse, and none should plead Gods iniustice or partiality, in punish∣ing or correcting: God, the Father of all, hath sent proclamation and war∣rant to all to come to him. Such as are burdened, he will ease: such as are hungry, he will feed: such as are sad, he will com∣fort: and such as are in miserie, he will re∣leeue. He then that complaineth, must complaine to him, he that praieth, must

cry to him: and hée that n••••deth, must come to him. But a caueat is giuen, as a prou••so in this generall warrant, that hee that will come to God, must depart from s••••ne: wherein are com∣prehended two inseparable conditi∣ons: the one, that wée beléeue the pre∣mise of Gods protection: the other, that wée performe our duties in our calling: for without the latter, the first hath no ground: for wée cannot beléeue without the promise, and to the promise is tied obedience, and to this obedience, exercise of good things, the endeauours of vertue and godly life.

And this cannot be without the blessing, which bringeth with it the timely supply of bodily necessaries here, and the true assurance of the ioyes to come in heauen, which also begin euen here, through the testimo∣ny of that liuely spirituall Comforter, which giueth inward contentation, in outward crosses, and outward reliefe in inward sorrow: it yeeldeth illumi∣nation to the dark vnderstanding, and quickneth the dull desires to doe good: it heaueth vs from the earth and vn∣helping earthly things séene, to hea∣uen

and heauenly society concealed: it turneth our carnall desires of worke∣ing our owne wils, to the contempla∣tion of diuine things, and maketh vs to séeke first that Kingdome which is aboue, as the principall end of our hope and happinesse, and then to séeke the things of this life, as things of ne∣cessity; and not to couet them, to be the more glorious here, but the more god∣ly; not to be wealthy here, but rightly wise; not to be ambitious here, but humble, and content with a meane estate; not to fill our bellies with the gluttonous, but to séede, as fasting from all desire of superfluities.

Being thus mortified in our affecti∣ons, and furnished and adorned with the most sauory fruits of contentation in our estates, high or low, rich or poore, famous or base, wée cannot but walke patiently in our callings, and not to grudge at our miseries, be they neuer so great; wée cannot but be re∣solute Christians, and abide the en∣counter of the worlds furies, be they neuer so fierce and cruell: and there∣fore let vs be all of good courage, let vs fight the good fight, and stand as men. Flie not to idle and euill meanes to

reléeue our distresses, nor repine at the wealthy and wicked, that haue the winde of euery mans plausible Al haile, to driue them on from one proud con∣ceit of themselues to another: for if it be duely weighed, what weight of va∣nities it heapeth on them (which as stabble in the end shall consume them∣selues with the fire of their guilty con∣sciences) it will cause vs to leaue off to loue their liues, or long for the like: for their time is short and swéet (as a feast in a dreame) here; but in the end bitter, and for euer.

And contrariwise, our miseries are but for a moment, and our ioyes per∣petuall, and the smallest things (if we feare God) are better to vs then the greatest riches to the wicked. And though wee fall, wée shall not be cast off, for God supporteth vs with his hand.

But the wicked shall be cast downe, and neuer be able to rise: though they flatter themselues in their owne eyes, while their wickednesse is found out, worthy to be hated and abhorred of all godly and vertuous men.

Let vs therefore trust in the Lord, and not be idle in well-doing; and in

our déepest miseries, let vs wait pa∣tiently for the Lord, and not be weary: let vs hold fast by his promises, for though hée sée me to hide himselfe from vs, he will be found at length, and will grant and giue vs what is necessary for vs as children, and not what may make vs more wanton, as his Ene∣mies, Worldlings and Reprobates: hée may suffer vs to lye among Lyons, for a season with Daniel, but hée will shut & close vp their deuouring lawes, that they shall not preuaile, till the Wicked come within their power, whom they shall teare in péeces with∣out mercy.

Hée may suffer vs a while to liue in the Wildernesse, as hée did his deare Dauid; but hee will bring vs home a∣gaine, to take comfort of our friends, and to comfort our families: he may suffer vs to be imprisoned long, as hée did Ioseph, but at the length hée will enfranchise vs, and turne it to our ad∣uantage.

And what if the wicked raile and reuile vs, as Shemei did Dauid? It may be, and surely the Lord will doe vs good for their euill, if wée can tem∣per and mortifle our choller, and with

patience brooke their slanders: we may be sicke and diseased, yea twelue, or thirty yeares, with the woman and the man in the Gospell; but he can cure vs, or comfort vs, that it shall be easily borne. We may loose our goods, as Iob did, and become méerely vndone, as we thinke, and yet he will restore it, if we be patient and faithfull.

God hath a time to correct, and a time to comfort, a time of triall, and a time of reward: he neuer faileth them that faint not, nor forsaketh them that forsake him not: hée may make vs mourne now, but he will make vs mer∣ry againe: though hée make vs wéepe now, he will take a time to wipe away our teares, and put them in a bottle, reseruing the remembrance of them till the end, when wée shall haue our porti∣on with him in ioyes endlesse and vn∣speakeable.

And therefore wée that goe foorth with little séede, and sow it in sorrow, let vs wait, without wauering: for a plentifull increase will come, and a ioyfull haruest. We sée our beginning, and féele it hard and dangerous: but if we dwell in the land and grudge not, our end shall be ioyfull and glorious.

We haue but one day to labour, and then comes our hire: hée that calleth vs is sure, hée that promiseth is faith∣full; what he speaketh, is Yea and A∣men, as certaine as if it were presently done.

Our naturall Fathers indéede may forget vs, and our familiar friends may forsake vs, and our enemies may threaten vs; but hée will take vs vp, stand by vs, and guard vs: he will fo∣ster vs and defend vs.

As a Father fauoureth his Sonne, and as a Mother tendereth her infant; so doth our heauenly Father, and farre more dearely regard his children: yea, when hée séemeth to frowne, it is not in disfauour; when hée correcteth vs, he hateth vs not; when we thinke he leaueth vs to the raging waues of this worlds troubles, and when wée séeme to sinke, hée hath vs in his hand to hold vs vp: wée are alwayes in his sight, and he beholdeth all our wayes, and recordeth all our workes: our going forth, and our comming in, are in and by him, and he hath charged his Angels to watch ouer vs, and to guard vs from euils that lye in secret to de∣uoure vs: when wée rise vp, and when

wée lye downe, sléeping, or waking, he careth for vs: hée is the Watch-man of Israel, that slumbreth not: he is the Li∣on of the Tribe of Iuda, at whose voice the Wicked tremble, and by whose strength the Righteous stand.

In our youth, and in our age, in our wealth, and in our want, in our life, and in our death, hée is alwayes ours, and neither the height aboue nor depth beneath, nor distance of place, can se∣parate vs from him, nor hinder his presence with his Children; neither pouerty, nor sicknes, nor ignominy, nor misery, can estrange him from such as trust in him.

Such a Father is he vnto the fa∣therlesse: such a Friend to the Friend∣lesse: such a staffe to the Weake, and such a Benefactor to the néedy, as no man truely trusting in him shall pe∣rish: hée heareth his Children, as in his bosome, and loueth them whom the World hateth: hée fauoureth them on whom the World frowneth: he em∣braceth them that the World retecteth: he cleareth them that the World accu∣seth, and saueth them that the World condemneth; his glorious, are in the World most base; his dearest, are in

the World disdayned. Not the most Rich, but the most Righteous, not the most Glorious, but the most godly; not the most Lofty, but the most Lowly in the world are dearest to him: hée pre∣ferred the poore Begger in h••s rags, and with his scabs, before the glori∣ous Glutton with his riches and per∣fumed Robes. Who then will rep••ne at a poore estate? Who will be sad at ignominy? Who will grudge at mise∣ry? •…•…h wée haue riches vnséene, glo∣ry concealed, and infinite ioyes, & com∣forts vnspeakeable within, through the Comforter, which no man, but the Soule of the godly man can compre∣hend? Thus is the faithfull Soule fedde, thus is the Godly man re∣lieued, and thus is the Childe of GOD preserued. And therefore, let vs that are poore and misera∣ble, and despised in the World, be silent in the World, that hateth vs, and cry vnto God who heareth vs, be∣cause wee are his, and in his beloued hée loueth vs, hée can and will helpe vs, when most neede is, and in greatest perils shew his powerfull presence: hée came to Daniel, when the Lions would haue deuoured him: to the

thrée Children, when they should haue béene consumed with fire: to Susanna, when shée should haue béene vniustly condemned; to the Widdow of Sarepta, in her néede, and when all her oyle and meale was spent, he then renewed her store: he heard the groanes of Israel in Egypt; hée considered the desire of Anna in her silence; he saw Agar soli∣t••ry, and grieued in the Wildernesse: hee was with Dauid banished, with Eliah an hungred, with Sampson when he thirsted. And none, no not one, was euer disappointed of his hope, that continued constant vnto the end: though we silly Soules cannot com∣prehend his prouidence, nor limit his power, both which are alwayes wor∣king wonderfull things, and are neuer idle, euer perfect, and neuer defectiue in any thing, his will shall come to passe: he is onely wise, and all flesh fooles: he is onely strong, and all men weake: Princes are at his disposition: Kings are at his command, the raging Sea he calmeth, the dryest land he watereth, the hardest heart he bendeth, and the most Tyrannous he talmeth, as a Lambe, by his Word.

May not this suffice to bring our

raging affections vnder, and worke such contentation in our miseries, as that we should thinke vs beholding to this powerfull Protector, and lay downe our necks to his will, and hear∣tily and willingly waite his good time of renuing our estates? but if it be his will to kéepe vs alwayes low, and ne∣uer to raise vs; alwayes poore, and ne∣uer to releeue vs; alwayes distressed, and neuer to comfort vs with the com∣fort of this life, can we thinke that we through our small and short sufferings could deserue the high fauour of so pre∣uailing a God, especially the ioyes that he hath laid vp in heauen for euer, for such as with Patience, and Faith, and Loue, and Obedience, and Well-do∣ing, endure vnto the end.

And therefore for our present resolu∣tion & comfort, let vs consider that we are not as the World deemeth vs, nor the Worldlings as the World estee∣meth them. For we are in their eyes cast-awaies, but in our owne conscien∣ces, the childrē of God through Christ: and they, in their own conceits, blessed in their wealth, & wanton, and delicate, and loose liues; but by the Word of God, without repentāce, Reprobates▪

And therefore faith Christ vnto them; Woe be vnto you that are rich, for you receiue your consolation in this life. And againe, Weepe and howle, yee wealthy and worldly men, for the miseries that shall come vpon you. But vnto his little ones, such as are least estéemed in the World, he saith: Feare not, my little Children, I haue prepared for you a City. And againe, I will neither faile you, nor forsake you: What shall wée then say? The Lord is our portion, and our sure defence, why then should wée feare, what man can doe vnto vs? Esay 9. 7. The zeale of the Lord of Hoasts will per∣forme this

Let vs therefore rouze vp our soules that are dulled with our miseries, and let vs rest vpon him that is the God of mercies. Let vs be faithfull, patient, and humble? let vs only grieue that we haue sinned, and be fearefull to offend againe. Let vs fall downe before his foot-stoole, for he is holy: let vs cry to him, for hee is pittifull: let vs aske of him, for he is liberall: let vs referre vs to his will, for he is louing.

O Lord increase our Faith.