The Resolved Christian Exhorting to Resolution, Title page – Table of contents
THE Reſolued Chriſtian, exhorting to Reſolution.
Written, To recall the Worldling, to comfort the Faint-harted, to ſtrengthen the Faithfull, and to perſwade all Men, ſo to runne, that they may obtaine.
By Gabriel Powel.
The night is paſt, and the day is at hand, let vsus therefore cast away the workes of darkeneſſe, and let vsus put on the armor of light.
Rom. 13.12.
LONDON Printed by V. S. for Thomas Buſhel, and are to be ſold at the great north doore of Paules. 1600.
To the right honorable Sir Tho. Egerton knight, L. Keeper of the great Seale of England, one of her Maieſties moſt honorable priuie Councell.
RIght Honorable, I make bolde to preſent vntounto your Lo. patronage this ſmal Treatiſe: the Subiect whereof, affoording ſtore of weapons, to fight againſt the allurements of the world, the frailty of the fleſh, and the feare of death, is neyther triuiall nor vnprofitable: the maner of handling, furniſhed with ſentences of holy Scripture, fraught with exampls, & garniſhed with variety of familiar ſimilitudes, not affected nor vnpleaſaunt: the Vſe, to recall the vnruly worldling, to comfort our diſtreſſed frend, & to ſolace our owne ſoules, very fruitfull & neceſsary: & the End, to ſtrengthen the faithful, to arme them with Faith & Patience, againſt the ſerpentine aſſaultes of the Children of Babylon (who long ſince hauehave heated their furnace hoter than that of Nabuchad-nezzars, wherin they are ready to throwe all thoſe that will not fall downe and worſhip their golden Image) a ſtrong & neceſsary prouiſion. Thus not doubting of your Lo. good liking, & acceptance hereof, ſuch is your zeale to Vertue and Piety: and humblie entreating that your L. good fauor which hath bene ſo much enlarged towardes Doctor Powel my Father (who now with the Lorde hath rest from his labors) wil not be ſtraightned vntounto vsus, his poore Children: I beſeech the Lord Ieſus bleſse your Honour, and make you zealous more and more, for the Goſpel: giuegive you a ſwift foote to hunt out the Bulles of Baſan, and the wily Fox-cubbes that deſtroy the yoong Ʋines: heape vppon you his bleſſings ſpirituall and temporall, that in a good hope you may runne your race, and in the end, obtaine the high price of your calling.
Your Lordſhips to commaund, Gabriel Powel.
To the Reader.
Reſolute, or Not-reſolued Chriſtian, ſeeing Delight is the onelie marke that the Humors of our Age do aime at: Behold (Man deſcribed, the World diſplaid, Death vnmasked, Feare diſpelled, Temptations retented: the Sicke comforted, the Priſoner cheered, the Faint-hearted ſtrengthned, the Afflicted ſolaced, the Strong emboldned, the Perſecuted encouraged, and Perſecutors warned) an effectuall, delightfull, and ſweet baite, to allure all men to Reſolution, very wholeſome, profitable and neceſſary.
The Arguments of eueryevery Chapter and Section, of both the Bookes.
Chap. I Of the Miſerie of Man.
Sect.
1 Of the miſeries and calamities of this life.
2 Of the miſerable nature and condition of Man.
3 Of the miſeries incident to the ſeuerall Ages of Man.
4 Of the miſeries of all estates.
5 Of mans three cruell enemies which further and encreaſe his miſerie.
6 Why God would hauehave our life to be ſo miſerable as it is.
Chap. II Of Death.
Sect.
1 What Death is, and of the neceſſitie thereof.
2 Of the vncertainty of the houre of death.
3 That death is to be deſired of the godly.
Chap. III The cauſes why Man doth feare death.
Chap. IIII Of the firſt cauſe that maketh death feareful to a worldly man, which is, the loſſe of honors, wealth, pleaſure, &c. And the Remedies againſt the ſame.
Sect.
1 How farre we ought to be addicted vntounto the world.
2 A Remedie againſt the temptation of worldly honors and preferments.
3 A Remedie againſt the temptation of worldly riches and wealth.
4 An other remedie againſt the ſame temptation.
5 Testimonies out of the word of God, againſt the vanitie of worldly wealth.
6 A remedie against the temptation of worldly pleaſures.
7 A remedie against the temptation of vnwillingneſſe to forſake Wife, Children, and Friends.
8 That though a man die in debt, yet hee ſhould not feare Death.
9 Testimonies out of the holy Scriptures, touching the care that God hath ouer Widowes and fatherleſſe Children.
Chap. V Of the ſecond cauſe that maketh death fearefull to a worldely man: which is, the paines and ſickneſſes which come before or accompany Death: And the remedies againſt the ſame.
Sect.
1 Vnmortified men no fit inhabitants for the heauenly Ieruſalem.
2 That ſickeneſſe and tribulation is a token of Gods louelove.
3 That God hath appointed his holy Angels to guarde and preſerue vsus in our ſickneſſes and troubles.
4 Comforts taken from the conſequents following death.
5 Testimonies out of the holy ſcriptures, that God is alwayes ready to help and aſſist them, that ſeeke vntounto him in the time of affliction and miſerie.
Chap. VI Of Patience.
Sect.
1 An exhortation to Christian Patience, after the example of Chriſt our ſauior. And how the wicked behaue themſelues in their afflictions.
2 How the godly behaue themſelues in their ſickeneſſes and other calamities whatſoeuer.
3 That extreamitie of paines ſhoulde not cauſe vsus to be impacient.
4 That no man may aſſwage his griefe, by laying violent hands on himſelfe.
5 That our impatiency doth prouoke God the more to puniſh vsus.
6 Testimonies out of the holy ſcriptures exhorting vntounto patience.
Chap. VII Of the third cauſe that makes a worldly man to feare death; which is, the want of Faith and Hope. And the remedies againſt the ſame.
Sect.
1 That Faith is grounded vponupon the faithfull promiſe of Almighty God: and of the excellent effects of the ſame.
2 Remedies againſt the weaknes of faith
3 That though a man preſently feeles not the peace of conſcience; nor hath a liuely apprehenſion that he is the child of god, yet he may hauehave true Faith.
4 That god dooth oftentimes ſuffer his Children to be in a maner desperate; and yet raiſeth them vp againe. And how we may know if we hauehave any faith
5 That the least meaſure of true Faith that is, or can be, is effectuall to ſaluation.
6 Testimonies out of the worde of God, concerning life euerlasting, vntounto the which the Faithfull do come by death.
Chap. VIII Of the fourth Cauſe that maketh Death fearefull to a worldly man: which is, his guiltie conſcience, and the feare of Gods iudgements and puniſhments. And the remedies againſt the ſame.
Sect.
1 That God is ready to forgiue our ſins, and to receiue a repentant ſinner into grace and fauour.
2 That the faithfull ought not to feare damnation, forſomuch as they be the children of God.
3 That the members of Chriſt ought not to feare death and damnation, becauſe Chriſt their head hath vanquiſhed and ouercome them already.
4 That Forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, is not a common benefite, as the ſecure and careleſſe chriſtian imagineth.
5 What we muſt doe for the obtaining of the remiſſion of our ſinnes.
6 Teſtimonies out of the worde of God concerning the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, promiſed to all ſuch, as, cleauing faſt to the merites of Chriſt only, are truly penitent.
The Arguments of the Chapters and Sections of the ſecond Booke.
Chap. I A Remedie for vnpenitent and obſtinate Malefactors, that by the Magiſtrate are adiudged to die.
Sect.
1 That there is a God.
2 That the ſoule of man is immortall.
3 The wrath of God againſt the tranſgreſſors of this Commaundements.
4 Tranſgreſſours of eueryevery one of the ten Commaundements, and their puniſhments.
5 God his puniſhments vponupon ſinners at the day of Iudgement, with an exhortation to Repentance.
Chap. II Comforts for the broken-hearted and penitent Malefactors, that by the Magiſtrate, are adiudged to die.
Sect.
1 That iudgement commeth from God.
2 Particular directions for the diſtreſſed partie.
3 How the place of Peter is to be vnderſtood, where he ſaith, Let none of you ſuffer as a murtherer or as a theefe, &c. And that God ſometimes doth call men by this meafnes.
4 That the multitude of our ſinnes ſhould not make vsus faint-hearted.
5 That late repentance is good, if it be true repentance, and how a man may iudge, whether his repentance be vnfained, or not.
Chap. III comforts for ſuch condemned perſons, who feare and dread the rigor of the puniſhment they are enioyned to ſuffer.
Sect.
1 What a man muſt do to be eaſed to the painefull apprehenſion of death.
2 How God ordinarily behaueth himſelf towards the Elect in this life.
3 That the continuance of tormentes, ſhould not make vsus afraide or vnwilling to die.
4 That God oftentimes dealeth more mercifully with vsus, then we doe perceiue he doth.
Chap. IIII Comforts for perſons wrongfully condemned to death.
Sect.
1 That becauſe we hauehave deſerued death by our manifold ſins, we ought to die willingly, though otherwiſe wee be innocently condemned.
2 That we muſt not reuenge our wrongs.
3 Comforts taken from the examples of them that hauehave beene innocently adiudged to die.
4 Comforts taken from the example of our ſauior Chriſts innocent ſuffering: with a briefe declaration of the ſame.
Chap V Comforts for ſuch as ſuffer perſecution or death, for the Teſtimonie of a good conſcience in matters of Religion or Iuſtice.
Sect.
1 Whereof it commeth that the wicked doe perſecute the godly.
2 That we muſt patiently ſuffer perſecution and affliction for Religion or Iuſtice ſake: and why?
3 That it is a bleſſed thing to ſuffer perſecution for Religion or Iuſtice ſake.
4 Of the benefites that the Croſſe or affliction bringeth vntounto vsus.
5 That our afflictions are foreſeene, and appointed by God, and therefore to be taken in good part.
6 That wee ought not to bee diſmaide at perſecution, forſomuch as our cauſe is good.
7 That their eſtate is very daungerous that neuer ſuffer affliction.
8 That whoſoeuer will bee aſhamed of Chriſt, Chriſt will be aſhamed of him.
9 That worldely pleaſure, wealth, &c. ſhoulde not withdrawe vsus from the confeſſion of the trueth.
10 Conſcience in religion muſt not bee diſſembled.
11 Againſt the offence of the yeelding of time-ſeruers, though they be better learned and wiſer then we be.
12 That though the world condemne vsus for fooles, and too nice, yet wee muſt not take the ſtart of profeſſion.
13 That impriſonment for the teſtimony of a good conſcience, is not thraldome and bondage, but rather libertie and freedome.
14 That increaſe of torments ſhould not feare vsus, but rather comfort vsus the more.
15 That God loueth vsus neuer the leſſe, though hee ſuffer vsus to taſte of his cup, but rather, that he doth louelove vsus the more.
16 That burning aliue is not ſo extreme a torment, as commonly it is thought to bee.
17 That the patience of the ſaints is not Stoicall indolencie.
18 That we muſt not be diſmaide, though friends forſake vsus: and that we muſt not yeeld vntounto their vngodly ſuggeſtions.
19 That the pretence of nouriſhing of wife and children (when they hauehave no other meanes to liue) is no cauſe why we ſhould deny or diſſemble the knowne trueth.
20 That the Lord will not faile his children in theſe daies, no more then he did in times paſt, in the olde Teſtament, and in the time of the Primitiue Church.
21 That we ſhould not be diſmayd at the faces, behauior, and maieſty of mortall men.
22 Comforts againſt the dulneſſe of ſpirite, and vnfitneſſe to ſuffer.
23 What a great dignitie Martyrdome is. And how we ſhould not think our ſelues vnworthy to ſuffer for Chriſts ſake.
24 What the enemies of the trueth procure vntounto themſelues by perſecuting and murdering of Gods children.