The conquest of temptations, or Mans victory over Satan especially, the great assaults, at the agony of death, full of very strong and effectuall consolations, to sustaine and comfort the weakest heart, in the greatest conflicts which can befall a Christian in the vvhole course of of life, and approach of death / gathered by the holy and deuout labour of Iohn Gerard, doctor of diuinitie, and superintendent of Heldburge ; newly Englished by Rich. Bruch, minister of Gods word.

XL. The separation from Wife, Children, and Kinsfolkes.

The Tempted.

I Must leaue my most sweet children; I must leaue my most faithfull wife; I must leaue my most pleasant kinsfolkes; who shall pro∣uide for my wife and children? who will be their defender and Patrone?

The Comforter.

IT is God which calles himselfe the Fa∣ther of Orphanes, and the defender of widdowes, commend them to his Patro∣nage and defence. God which is thy God, will also be the GOD of thy seede. Thy children are not thine onely, but they are also Gods, nay they are more Gods then thine, seeing he hath bestowed more things vpon them, canst thou therefore doubt of the fatherly care of God towards them? The Prophet of the Lord doth testifie, that he hath beene young, and also olde, yet neuer did he see the righteous forsaken, or his seed to begge their bread. The generation of the righteous shall be blessed at length. God hath promised to thy children the heauenly treasures, hée will not suffer them, beléeue mée, to perish for hunger. Hée hath giuen them life, he wil not deny them the mainte∣nance of life: he hath giuen thē a body, that which he hath wonderfully framed, he wil also kindely sustaine. But take héede, that thou be not so carefull for the bodily safety of thy wife and children, that in the meane

time thou neglect the care of thy soule. If any man come to me, saith Christ, and doth not hate his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brothers, and Sisters, yea and his owne soule, he cannot be my Disci∣ple: that he expoundeth else-where so: He that loueth Father or Mother more then mee, is not worthy of me: and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me, is not worthie of me. Behold God calles thée by death, take héede thou doe not so loue thy wife and children, that therefore thou refuse to follow God, calling thée, with a readie heart. The loue of the heauenly Father must be preferred before the loue of chil∣dren; the loue of our Bridegroome Christ must be set before the loue of wife, the be∣nefit must not more be loued then the be∣nefactour. What shall I speake of kins∣men? if thou leauest those that are deare, thou shalt receiue them héereafter more déere. For wée doe hope on a most faith∣full promise, that when we goe out of this life, whence being to depart, we haue not lost, but sent before, some of ours, that are departed: we shall come to that life, where by how much they shall be better knowne of vs, so much they shall be dearer vnto vs, and without the feare of any dissen∣sion, amiable. If thy kinsmen be déere vnto thée, let Christ be déerer, which is thy brother. If it be a pleasant thing to be here conuersant with thy kinsmen, let it be more pleasant vnto thee, that thou commest to the mount Sion, and Citie of the liuing God the heauenly Hierusa∣lem,

and to the company of innumerable Angels, and to the congregation of the first borne, which are written in heauen, and to God, the iudge of all, and to the spi∣rits of iust and perfect men.

Notes

• Psa. 68.6.
• Gen 17.
• Psa. 37.25
• Psa. 112.2
• Luk. 14.26
• Matth. 10.37.
• Ambro. in cap. 12. p. 111. Bern. Serm. 26. in Cant. Col. 569. August. Epist. 6. ad Vid.
• Heb. 12.22
• ••er. 23.