The godly mans choice, or, A direction how single godly persons, who intend marriage, may make choice of a fit and meet yoak-fellow being the meditations of Caleb Grantham in his single state, as a rule and guide for himself to walk by, and since his death perused and published with some profitable directions how persons should live as becometh Christians in the married state / by Henry Scudder ...

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE JOHN, Earle of Exeter, Baron of Burley, &c.

Noble Lord,

MAny whose eyes are upon your Lordship, do ac∣knowledge the good hand of the Lord towards you, not in con∣ferring eminency of honour

upon you in your minoritie, (as it were, before your time) but in giving you a serious discerning spirit, farre above your yeers, whereby they con∣ceive great hope, and powre out many prayers to the Lord, that he may in due time bring you forth in publique, as a choice Instrument in the hand of your God, to do wor∣thily* 1.1 in Ephratah, and to be fa∣mous in Bethlehem.

Among others the publi∣shers of this small Treatise, (part whereof being the Me∣ditatiōs, of a pious yong man, now with God, and the residue the labour of a reverend Di∣vine) to declare their great affection to your Lordship, have importuned mee to re∣commend

this Tractate to your Honour, conceiving, that under your Lordships Name these Meditations not only may appeare to the world with some access of lu∣stre, but that the influence they may have upon some hereby may prove more a∣vailable.

The subject herein hand∣led, is about the choice of that which scarce yet e∣ver entered into your seri∣ous thoughts, yet it is wis∣dome to store up good rules before you need to use them: Mariners learne their skill before they launch into the deeps: All Artists study the Theory before the Practice; Wise men are long in con∣templation,

before they ad∣venture upon action: It's a known rule, Deliberation must be long, where Deter∣mination can be but once; and where there is no ad∣mission of second thoughts to reverse a former errour, the first thoughts must be carefull, that errour be pre∣vented.

In the interim, before the Lord incline your heart to think of any choice that way on earth, be intreated to make your choice in hea∣ven; that the Lord Jesus may be the guide of your youth, & so the God of your age, that God may say of you: I remember the kindness* 1.2 of thy youth, and the love of thy espousals.

Surely it can be no dis∣paragement, for the grea∣test of men to betroth them∣selves to the great God, to contract spirituall alliance with innumerable companies of* 1.3 Angels and Souls made per∣fect, and to match with him* 1.4 of whom the whole familie of Heaven and Earth is called.

Satan hath done his ut∣most to brand the servants of God with ignominy, and to deterre men of quality from owning the way called holy. It is not long since some of our Nobility, emi∣nent* 1.5 for pietie, paralleled our age with the sad times of* 1.6 Salvian, wherein the com∣plaint was, that great men were forced to be more sin∣full,

that they might not be reputed to be lesse honou∣rable.

But God hath begun to take away the reproach of his peo∣ple from off the earth; and doubtless, will make his ser∣vants an eternall excellency, when men of carnall policies shall be made an abhorring to all* 1.7 flesh.

You cannot make any choice higher, nor is it possible you should begin too soone to love him, who hath loved you from all eternitie. Love of all affections is most active, and in youth predominant; It's restles till it fix, and if it fix any where below Christ, it debaseth it selfe, and may easily be enthralled, but can∣not

easily be disingaged: What pittie is it those vi∣tall streames should run in a channell that goes downe to the Chambers of death?

I hope the Father of mer∣cies is looking towards your Lordship, and saying unto you as once unto his Church, Surely, this is a time of love.* 1.8 Your pious mother, whom I may truely call an Elect La∣dy, is to your Lordship as another Monicha to Saint Augustine; You are the sonne of many prayers: and as Sa∣lomon was to Bathsheba, You are the sonne, not onely of her wombe, but of her vowes;* 1.9 Shee hath learned to love* 1.10 you in the Lord, and for the Lord: The longings of her

soule, are for your spirituall* 1.11 and eternall good. It is one of her greatest comforts on earth, that shee hath such a sonne to call her mother: But it will be farre greater, even the Crowne of her glo∣ry, to see you the adopted sonne of the eternall Father, and that God hath honoured you, even in your youth, to obtain an Inheritance among them that are sanctified.

You are left in your fathers familie, with your hopefull sister, as the onely branches of many, which have long since ceased from among men. And when the de∣stroying Angel was smiting all, the Father of mer∣cies looked upon you, and

said, Destroy him not, for a bles∣sing* 1.12 is in him.

The Lord delight to fill you with all spirituall bles∣sings in heavenly things, and make it every day more and more appeare, that God hath reserved you to be blessed, and to be a blessing to your family, to your Countrey, and to the Kingdomes. And when your Lordship▪ settles in the world, you may begin with Josuahs fixed resolution, I and my house will serve the* 1.13 Lord. And that you may shew forth the grace of him that hath called you out of darknesse, and the shadow of death, into his marvellous light; that they that observe your Lordship may see, that greatnesse and

goodnesse, as they are insepa∣rable in God, so they are not incompatible to the sonnes of men. That so you may rejoyce above all greatnesse, that you have your name written in the Lambes book of life, and you may look be∣yond death▪ and the grave, and see your greatest portion in eternitie; which is the ear∣nest prayer of

Your Lordships servant, JER: WHITTAKER.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ruth 4. 11
• * 1.2

  Jere. 2. 2.
• * 1.3

  Heb. 12. 22, 23.
• * 1.4

  Eph. 3. 15.
• * 1.5

  E. M.
• * 1.6

  Cogunt•••• ••ss•• ma•••••• 〈◊…〉〈◊…〉 ••sse v••les Sal▪ de Prov.
• * 1.7

  s••. 66. 24.
• * 1.8

  Ezek. 16. 8.
• * 1.9

  Pro. 31 1.
• * 1.10

  Filii dili∣gend•• sunt in Deo, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 propter Deum.
• * 1.11

  Quid Christus nisi Deum in nobis dilexit, non quem habebamus sed ut ha∣beremus, Lomb. l. 3. D. 27.
• * 1.12

  Isa. 65. 8.
• * 1.13

  Jos. 24. 15