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.

To all that are in any distresse; rest, and conso∣lation, in Christ IESVS.

I Am out of doubt, by mine own experience, that this little Booke, intituled, The poore Mans rest, shall bring no lesse vn∣to thee, then the title importeth: if thou faithfully vse it, it offereth thee the meane by perseuerance and practice, to attaine vnto the rest of the soule: not as the rich man, vainely promising rest vnto his Soule, through the superfluous fulnes of worldly blessings, & was sent suddenly to hell: but that rest which Christ himselfe promiseth,

Mat. 11. 29. Where he saith: Take my yoke on you, & learn of me, that I am meek & lowly in heart, & ye shal finde rest for your soules. True rest commeth not by the pleasures of this life, but by the yoke of Christ, namely, by his corrections, which consisteth in troubles, in crosses, in afflictions, in miseries, in want, in hunger, in na∣kednesse, in imprisonment, in ba∣nishment, in things displeasing to flesh & bloud: Why then should we seeme to kicke against Gods louing chastisements and milde correcti∣ons, which as an easie yoke he put∣teth on our necks, & as a light bur∣then he laieth on our shoulders? He tryeth vs but a little while, & will neuer ouer-charge vs if we seeke rest, and reliefe, and power, and strength to beare it at his hands, &

not at the hands of mortall men: whom yet the Lord in mercy vseth to comfort his afflicted Children. Why then couet we not to bevisited with the rod, rather then to be left to the liberty of this wicked worlds vanities, that are only the baits of confusion? And therefore saith E∣liphas, Iob 5. 17. Blessed is the man whom GOD correcteth. Paul, 2 Thes. 1. 5. affirmeth, that it is a token of GODS righteous iudgement, to punish his Chil∣dren here, that they may be ac∣counted worthy of the King∣dome of God, and that they be not cōdemned with the world: and it is a righteous thing with him, to recompence tribulatiō to them that trouble you, but to you that are troubled, rest; not the outward rest of the body,

while it abideth on the earth, thogh woldly men hold liberty and lust, and health, and honour, & posses∣sions, and authority, and wealth, and wa••••onnesse, and vanity, and fulnesse; yea, and filthines, a sweet and more certayne rest, then the rest & peace of a good conscience, which in all the assaults of sin and Sathan, in all trials, troubles and crosses, in pouerty, sicknesse, taunts and ignominy, and in most bitter misery, if thou canst say truly with Paul, Gal. 6. 14. God forbid, that I should reioice, but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, wher∣by the world is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the world: thou shalt haue rest for thy soule. And therefore, what if ye be cast down as into the gulfe of disdaine among men, and seeme out-casts in the

world, & cast-awaies of the world for your troubles & trials sake, and because of the want of the worlds glory? thinke it not strange, nor grudge, hut reioyce; for it mini∣streth vnto you occasion to flye worldly confidence, & to take hold of the heauenly promises: it wor∣keth discord between you & Beli∣al, and concord betweene you and Christ, raising your thoughts from earth to heaue, because as the body is earthly, & being furnished with the worlds pleasing vanities, is loth to depart and leaue them; so the soule being fettered by naturall & carnall affections, is held also cap∣tiue, and cannot lift it selfe vp by the wings of desire of heauenly things, vntill the body be depriued of her delights here; then hath the Soule & inner man scope (sancti∣fied

by the spirit of God) to mount by the wings of Faith vnto her rest namely, to a resolute contentation, to abide the Lords leasure & pur∣pose in all things; yea, when we seeme to be meerly forsaken of the world, we should neither feare nor be faint-hearted, knowing that our Redeemer liueth. But as the Lord of life saith, Seeke yee my face, Psal. 27. 8. Let vs answere with Dauid. Thy face, O Lord, will we seeke. For this is the rest that poore men must seeke; this is the rest that will fill vs better then the Gluttons feast, & is more precious then the health of the body, then the wealth of the world, then the pleasures of the flesh. The gold of al the Indies cannot purchase it, the Kings of the earth (by force) can∣not obtaine it, nor the wisest of the

world comprehend it. But thou poore man, who so thou be, in what case soeuer thou art, poore and nee∣dy sicke and weake, hated & despi∣sed, threatned and abused, appre∣hended and imprisoned, or in what miserable case else soeuer, euen thou shalt attaine vnto this rest, if thou seeke it instantly, praying faithful∣ly; if thou be patient, and grudge not when thou art visited of the Lord, thou shalt be merry when others mourne, and thou shalt sing when others lament. And therfore learne of Paul in what estate soe∣uer thou be, to be content. Infinite are the comfor•••• in the Bible, search and yee shall adde more and more rest vnto your soules. For this little trifle, which I here offer thee, per∣use it, and vse it: It may moue thee

to meditate, and procure thee to pray, which preuaileth much if it be feruent. The eyes of the Lord are ouer the Righteous, and his eares are open vnto their cryes. 1 Pet. 3. 12. And therefore cast your care vpon him, for he careth for you, he will not faile you, nor forsake you, that hath conquered, and hath pro∣uided for you a Crowne: therfore fight the good fight, and feare not what man can doe to you.

Yours in Christian good will, Io. NORDEN.