TRELCATIUS (OF LEYDEN).

BORN 1542-DIED 1602.

1. Of all things here there is nothing immortal; but everything marcheth by little and little to corruption and decay.

2. The points of God's eternal decree are man's bounds, the which he hath no sooner touched but he dies.

3. What care, waywardness, passions, troubles, hinder the action of a true life?

4. What is the present but the twinkling of an eye, a moment which flies away as suddenly as can be spoken? Whatsoever is past is dead to us, as if it had never been; whatsoever is to come is as if it should not be. The hours pass, so do the days and years; what is past returns no more; neither can we divine what is to come; who can assure us that the moment after this shall remain to be added to the former? This which we call life, what is it else but a very point, a moment?

5. Thou canst not comprehend this depth of time without time, which we call eternity; in like sort thou canst not conceive rightly the shortness of thy life.

6. Let the assurance of God's decree make us resolve and attend His will and ordinance, in all events, in every place, at all times, and at every moment; laying our care on Him who hath numbered all our days.

7. The counsel of God is a power too wise and a wisdom too powerful to resist either by force or policy.

8. Let this brevity put us in mind, on the one side, of the justice of God in the punishment of our sins; on the other, of His mercy, for that it hath pleased Him to convert this punishment into a blessing and an expectation (as sure as it is short) of that eternal and immortal life; for seeing that sin hath banished us from that celestial paradise, and that this world is, as it were, the place of our exile, what sweeter comfort can we receive than a short and speedy end of our banishment, and a sudden recall into our heavenly country?

9. As the perfection of nature in its integrity was to live and not to die, so the imperfection of corrupted nature is to die, and that soon.

10. Shall we not esteem the days of this life very short, if we compare them with the eternal Sabbath, which shall not only give an end to all our labours, but also change our six days into eternity?

11. Shall we, who are Christians, be so delicate, not only to take pleasure in this garment (the flesh), but also like children to cry and weep when it is spoiled, if a thorn take hold of it, or any one in passing hath rent it? The flesh is not the wedding garment, but the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we put on by believing in Him; for that is the garment of our eldest brother, wherewith we must be clothed if we will be partakers of the blessings of our heavenly Father, as Jacob, putting on the garment of his elder brother Esau, received the blessing of his father Isaac.

12. The exchange is dangerous, to lose the infinite for that which is momentary, the eternal for the temporal, heaven for earth, this glory so surpassing excellent for a shadow of inconstant pleasure.

13. What is then this duty of watching, seeing this life is but a watch of the night? To watch for with a burning affection, a constant patience, and a most certain assurance, the coming of the morning and most glorious appearing of our sun. Shall not we, who are watchmen in this world, sigh under the toils of this night, after the coming of that final day of our deliverance?

14. Let that voice which cries at midnight, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, sound continually in our ears and awaken us.

15. Let our conversation be as of burgesses of heaven, and that our hearts be where our treasure is, that is, Jesus Christ.

16. We have been chosen from all eternity, and shall be glorified in all eternity.

17. We must not measure the life according to the time, but according to the actions.

18. Let us aspire with a holy desire and firm hope to the enjoying of this eternal life; sighing under the vanity and shortness of this frail and earthly life. Jesus Christ saith, For certain I come soon: let us, with the church, answer with holy affection, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

DENT (ARTHUR).

BORN (P)-DIED 1607.

1. Most men now-a-days have nothing to spare for Christ, nothing for His church, nothing for the poor children of God and needy members of Christ. Christ is little beholden to them.

2. Men are sick of the golden dropsy; the more they have, the more they desire. The love of money increaseth as money itself increaseth.

3. Why should we hang down our heads? Why do we not pluck up good hearts and be of good cheer? God is our father, our best friend, our daily benefactor; He keepeth us at his own cost and charges; He grudgeth us nothing; He thinketh nothing too much for us; He loveth us most dearly; He is most chary and tender over us; He cannot endure the wind should blow upon us; He will have us want nothing that is good for us; if we will eat gold, we shall have it. Let us, therefore, rejoice and be merry; for heaven is ours, earth is ours, God is ours, Christ is ours, all is ours. The world clap their hands and crow long before it be day, saying, All is theirs ; but the children of God may say, and say truly, All is ours.

4. Mark and consider what a man may do, yea, what one man may do; what an Abraham may do; what a Moses may do; what an Elijah may do; what a Daniel, what a Samuel, what a Job, what a Noah may do! Some

one man, by reason of his high favour with the Eternal, is able sometimes to do more for a land by his prayers and tears, than many prudent men by their counsel, or valiant men by their swords. Yea, it doth evidently appear, in the sacred volume of the Holy Ghost, that some one poor preacher, being full of the spirit and power of Elijah, doth more in his study either for offence or defence, either for the turning away of wrath or the procuring of mercy, than a camp-royal even four thousand strong.

5. Now-a-days we have many hedge-breakers, few hedgemakers; many openers of gaps, few stoppers; many makers of breaches to let in the flood of God's wrath upon us, but very few to make up the breach and let down the sluices, that the gushing stream of God's vengeance may be stayed.

6. We ought to be as sure of our salvation as of any other thing that God hath promised, or which we are bound to believe.

7. Is not the doctrine of the assurance of salvation a most comfortable doctrine? Yes, doubtless, for except a man be persuaded of the favour of God, and the forgiveness of sins, and consequently of his salvation, what comfort can he have in anything? Besides this, the persuasion of God's love toward us is the root of our love and cheerful obedience towards Him.

8. The doctrine of the Papist, which would have men always doubt and fear, is a servile sort, is most hellish and uncomfortable. For as long as a man holds that, what encouragement can he have to serve God? What love to His majesty? What hope in the promises? What comfort in trouble? What patience in adversity?