A Weeks Work and a Work for Every Week, Title page – Dedication
A WEEKES WORKE. AND A WORKE FOR EVERY weeke.
By R. B. The third Edition.
LONDON, Printed by Felix Kyngſton, and are to be ſold by Nathanael Newbery. 1616.
TO THE VERTVOVS AND RELIgious Ladies, the Ladie Elizabeth Barkley of Bruton, the Ladie Elizabeth Barkley, of Yearlington, and the Ladie Anne Horner; that wiſdome which is from aboue; that true peace, which is from within; and the manifeſtation of both in the fruits of the ſpirit, to their perfect ioy.
AS I conſider with my ſelfe how Mary did make choice of the better part, I cannot but bleſſe God for the worke of grace: So (Right Worſhipfull) on the contrary, marking the mad choyce of others, I follow the counſell of the Prophet Eſaiah, I ſtay & wonder. Eue had free-will, the choyce of an apple and Paradiſe was before her: God ſaid, eate not, and liue: but eate, ſaid the Serpent, thou ſhalt not die. The diuell was credited, God not beleeued: the apple was eaten, & Paradiſe loſt: a miſerable choice. But led ſhe the way in this point of follie, and hath ſhee had no followers? What, none of her poſterity to walk in her ſteps? Behold the ſonnes of God choſe the daughters of men, and forſooke the generation of the righteous. Lot left Abraham, and made choyce to dwell in Sodome: Eſau loueth his bellie, and for a preſent meſſe of pottage ſelleth away his birth-right. The mixt people among the Iſraelites, rather deſire garlicke, and onyons, and to ſit by the fleſh-pots of Egypt, then to eat that ſweet Manna frō heauē. Yea, ſo mad are men in their choyce, as the Iewes from the higheſt to the loweſt, cry out to hauehave a rebell, a theefe, a murtherer, euen a Barrabas, inſtead of that iuſt one and innocent, Chriſt the righteous.
As I hauehave ſtayed in my thoughts vponupon theſe; ſo now ſhould I wonder, but that among our ſelues, I finde many as fooliſh, and as vnreaſonable in their chuſing. They eſteeme more of pleaſure, then of peace wiih God: they will ſell godlines for earthly gain: they preferre profit before piety; worldly goods they like of better then heauenly graces: they chuſe rather to reſt vponupon an idle conceit in themſelues of ſaluation, then vponupon the witneſſe of Gods word, & a truly informed conſcience; they wil plead rather cuſtom, then diuine precepts; mens examples now for liberty in ſinn e, rather then the holy liues of the godly recorded in Scripture: moſt, in a word, chuſe rather to be reputed religious, then ſo to be indeed.
But perhaps you (Ladies) will ſay, what of all this to you? Surely, that you beholding nature corrupted, and your ſelues, through Gods mercy, ſanctified by grace, may in your more happie choyce, giuegive due praiſes heartily vntounto God, who affoordeth you from aboue ſo much power and ſtrength, that you may in ſome meaſure with holy Elizabeth, walke in the Commandemēts of the Lord; with religious Mary, ſit down at Chriſts feet & heare his word; with that bleſſed Virgin Chriſts mother, ponder the words, and lay them vp in your hearts; with afflicted Hannah, poure out in your neceſsities, your ſoules by prayer vntounto God; and with that deuout Anna, ſerue God in faſting and prayers day and night.
For this end and purpoſe, to further eueryevery well diſpoſed Chriſtian, in the path that leadeth vntounto life and glory; I hauehave now this third time publiſhed this Weeks work, & worke for eueryevery weeke. I hauehave preſumed to ſend it forth vnderunder your names, not in any merit of the worke, but in my true eſteeme of your godlineſſe, and certaine perſwaſion of your good deſires to pleaſe God; which the Lord encreaſe in you more & more with ſuch inward comfort of ſpirit, as you may perſeuere in eueryevery good worke of grace, to goe boldly to the throne of grace, in eueryevery ſtate and condition, to the end of your daies; euen ſo, Amen.
Your Ladyſhips in all Chriſtian duties, RIC. BERNARD. Batcombe Iuly 14.