convenient apparel for every ftate agreeable, but against the fuperfluity, against the vain delight to covet fuch vanities, to devife new fashions to feed thy pride with, to fpend fo much upon thy carcafe, that thou and thy hufband are compelled to rob the poor, to maintain thy coftlinefs. Hear how that noble holy woman Queen Efther fetteth out thefe goodly ornaments, (as they be called) when (in refpect of faving God's people) the was compelled to put on fuch glorious apparel, knowing that it was a fit tale to blind the eyes of carnal fools. Thus the prayed: Thou knowefl, O Lord, the neceffity, which I am driven to, to put on this apparel, and that I abbor this fign of pride and of this glory which I bear on my head, and that I defy it as a filthy cloth, and that I wear it not when I am alone. Again, by what means was Holofernes deceived by the glittering fhew of apparel, which that holy woman Judith did put on her, not as delighting in them, nor seeking vain voluptuous pleafure by them? But the ware it of pure neceflity by God's difpenfation, ufing this vanity to overcome the vain eyes of God's enemy. Such defire was in thofe noble women, being very loth and unwilling otherwife to wear fuch fumptuous apparel, by the which others fhould be caufed to forget themfelves. Thefe be commended in Scripture for abhorring fuch vanities, which by constraint and great neceffity, againft their hearts defire, they were compelled to wear them for a time. And fhall fuch women be worthy commendations, which neither be comparable with thefe women aforefaid in nobility, nor comparable to them in their good zeal to God and his people, whofe daily delight and feeking is to flourish in fuch gay fhifts and changes, never fatisfied, nor regarding who fmarteth for their apparel, fo they may come by it? O vain men, which be fubjects to their wives in thefe inordinate affections! O vain women, to procure fo much hurt to themfelves, by the which they come the fooner to mifery in this world, and in the mean time be abhorred of God, hated and fcorned of wife men, and in the end like to be joined with fuch, who in bell, too late repenting themselves, fhall openly complain with thefe words: What hath our pride profited us? Or what profit hath the pomp of riches brought us? All these things are paffed away like a fhadow. As for virtue, we did never thew any fign thereof: and thus we are confumed in our wickednefs. If thou fayeft that the custom is to be followed, and the ufe of the world doth compel thee to fuch curiofity; then I afk of thee, whofe cuftom

fhould

fhould be followed? wife folks manners, or fools? If thou fayeft the wife; then I fay, follow them: for fools cuftoms, who fhould follow but fools? Confider that the confent of wife men ought to be alleged for a cuftom. Now if any lewd cuftom be used, be thou the first to break it, labour to diminish it and lay it down: and more laud before God, and more commendation fhalt thou win by it, than by all the glory of fuch fuperfluity.

Thus ye have heard declared unto you, what God requireth by his word concerning the moderate use of his creatures. Let us learn to use them moderately, as he hath appointed. Almighty God hath taught us to what end and purpose we fhould ufe our apparel. Let us therefore learn fo to behave ourfelves in the ufe thereof, as becometh Chriftians, always fhewing ourselves thankful to our heavenly Father for his great and merciful benefits, who giveth unto us our daily bread, that is to fay, all things neceffary for this our needy life: unto whom we fhall render accounts for all his benefits, at the glorious appearing of our Saviour Chrift: to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft be all honour, praife, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen,

AN

AN

HOMILY

OR

Rom. z.

Matt. vi.

SERMON

Concerning Prayer.

HERE is nothing in all man's life, well-beloved in

our Saviour Chrift, fo needful to be fpoken of, and daily to be called upon, as hearty, zealous, and devout prayer, the neceflity whereof is fo great, that without it nothing may be well obtained at God's hand. For as the Apoftle James faith, Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, and proceedeth from the Father of lights; who is alfo faid to be rich and liberal towards all them that call upon him, not because he either will not or cannot give without afking, but becaufe he hath appointed prayer as an ordinary means between him and us. There is no doubt but he always knoweth what we have need of, and is always moft ready to give abundance of those things that we lack.

Yet, to the intent we might acknowledge him to be the giver of all good things, and behave ourfelves thankfully towards him in that behalf, loving, fearing, and worshipping him fincerely and truly, as we ought to do, he hath profitably and wifely ordained, that in time of neceflity we fhould humble ourfelves in his fight, pour out the fecrets of our heart before him, and crave help at his hands, with continual, earnest, and devout prayer. By the mouth of his holy Prophet David he faith on this wife: Call upon me in the days of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee. Likewife in the Gofpel, by the mouth of his wellMatt. vii. beloved Son Chrift, he faith, Afk, and it shall be given you; knock, and it fhall be opened: for whosoever afketh, receiveth; whofoever seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketb, it fhall be opened. St. Paul alfo moft agreeably confent

Pfal. 1.

Col. v.

ing hereunto, willeth men to pray every where, and to con- 1 Tim. ii. time therein with thanksgiving. Neither doth the bleffed Phil. iv. Apoftle St. James in this point any thing diffent, but earneftly exhorting all men to diligent prayer, faith, If Jam, i. any man lack wisdom, let him afk it of God, which giveth liberally to all men, and reproacbeth no man. Allo in another place, Pray one for another, faith he, that ye may be Jam. v. bealed: for the righteous man's prayer availeth much, if it be fervent. What other thing are we taught by thefe and fuch other places, but only this, that Almighty God, notwithstanding his heavenly wifdom and foreknowledge, will be prayed unto, that he will be called upon, that he will have us no lefs willing on our part to afk, than he on his part is willing to give? Therefore moft fond and foolith is the opinion and reafon of thofe men, which therefore think all prayer to be fuperfluous and vain, becaufe God fearcheth the heart and the reins, and knoweth the meaning of the fpirit before we afk. For if this flethly and carnal reafon were fufficient to difannul prayer, then why did our Saviour Chrift fo often cry to his difciples, Watch and pray? Why did he preferibe them a Luke xxii. form of prayer, faying, When ye pray, pray after this fort: Matt. vi. Our Father, which art in beaven, c. Why did he pray fo often and fo earnefily himfelf before his paffion? Finally, why did the Apottles, immediately after his afcen- A&ts i. fion, gather themfelves together into one feveral place, and there continue a long time in prayer? Either they muft condemn Chrift and his Apoftles of extreme folly, or elfe they muft needs grant, that prayer is a thing moft neceflary for all men, at all times, and in all places. Sure it is, that there is nothing more expedient or needful for mankind in all the world, than prayer. Pray always, faith St. Paul, with all manner of prayer and fuppli- Ephef. vi. cation, and watch therefore with all diligence. Alfo in another place, be cvilleth us to pray continually, without any 1 Theff. v. intermiffion or ceafing; meaning thereby that we ought never to flack or faint in prayer, but to continue therein to our lives' end. A number of other fuch places might here. be alleged of like effect, I mean, to declare the great neceffity and ufe of prayer: but what need many proofs in a plain matter? feeing there is no man fo ignorant but he knoweth, no man to blind but he feeth, that prayer a thing moft needful in all eftates and degrees of men. For only by the help hereof we attain to thofe heavenly and everlafting treafures, which God our heavenly Father hath referved and laid up for his children in his dear and John xvi. well

is

Exod. i.

well-beloved Son Jefus Chrift, with this covenant and promife moft affuredly confirmed and fealed unto us, that, if we afk, we shall receive.

Now the great neceffity of prayer being fufficiently known, that our minds and hearts may be the more provoked and stirred thereunto, let us briefly confider what wonderful ftrength and power it hath to bring ftrange and mighty things to pafs. We read in the Book of Exodus, that Jofhua, fighting againft the Amalekites, did conquer and overcome them, not fo much by virtue of his own ftrength, as by the earneft and continual prayer of Mofes, who as long as he held up his hands to God, to long did Ifrael prevail; but when he fainted, and let his hands down, then did Amalek and his people prevail: infomuch that Aaron and Hur, being in the mount with him, were fain to ftay up his hands until the going down of the fun, otherwife had the people of God that day been utterly difcomfited, and put to flight. Joshua x. Alfo we read in another place of Jofhua himself, how he

2 Chron. xx.

1 Kings

XVIII.

Aug. Ser.

at the befieging of Gibeon, making his humble petition to Almighty God, caufed the fun and the moon to ftay their courfe, and to ftand fill in the midst of heaven for the space of a whole day, until fuch time as the people were fufficiently avenged upon their enemies.

And was not Jehofaphat's prayer of great force and ftrength, when God at his requeft caufed his enemies to fall out among themfelves, and wilfully to deftroy one another? Who can marvel enough at the effect and virtue of Elijah's prayer? He, being a man fubject to affections as we are, prayed to the Lord that it might not rain, and there fell no rain upon the earth for the fpace of three years and fix months. Again, he prayed that it might rain, and there fell great plenty, fo that the earth brought forth her increate moft abundantly.

It were too long to tell of Judith, Efther, Sufannah, and of divers other godly men and women, how greatly they prevailed in all their doings, by giving their minds earnettly and devoutly to prayer. Let it be fufficient at this time to conclude with the fayings of Auguftine and Chryfoftom, whereof the one calleth prayer the key of Temp. Chry. Sup. heaven; the other plainly affirmeth, that there is nothing Matt. xxii. in all the world more ftrong than a man that giveth himfelf to fervent prayer.

26. de

Now then, dearly beloved, feeing prayer is fo needful a thing, and of fo great firength before God, let us, according as we are taught by the example of Chrift and his

Apofiles,