rebuke nature neuer so much yet will she returne agayne All men doe not vnderstande this saying or obtayne this grace but hee which can conceyue or comprehende it sayth oure Lorde lette hym Wherevppon when GOD gaue commandement vnto Moses and Aaron for the ordering of the holy garmentes and of thâ— apparelling of theyr children â—ee did not onely gyue commaundement for the couering of the thighes but willed them to vse linnen sâ—oppes to couer their priuities when they shoulde enter into the Tabernacle of witnesse The Apostle also sayth to those which be maried Do not defraud one another vnlesse it be perhappes by consent for a time that you may be more feruent in prayer and afterwardes returne agayne vnto the same least that Sathan tempt you through incontinency For it is better for a man to marrie than to burne For the Angell of Sathan with suttle deuises continually prouoking lewde liking doth alwayes warre and fighte with maidenly chastitâ— and manly constancie He kindleth the fire of nature with the blast of fraile suggestion He also layeth matter before vs to worke our lewde lusts He fighteth a combate with vs casting before our eyes the glorious shape of some gallant dame whereby the feeble minde is secretly sauced with amorous desiresâ— and the body made prone to perdition He changeth our affections dayly with the sighte of â—undry pleasant shapes Let King Dauid suffise for example who in the after noone walking in his Princely palace beholding Bersabe washing hir selfe on the other side sent for hir tooke hir and slepte with hir for she was exceeding faire and beautifull But the maried man is carefull for those thyngs which belong to his wiff and family and is deuided in him selfe For diuers cares draweth him sundry wayes sundry thoughts disquiete his troubled minde The feare of eâ—il fortune doth vexe him the losse of welth doth torment him and the charge of household doth deuide him diuersly For all hys stâ—die is howe â—o mayntayne his wiâ—e to procure things necessary for his children and to discharge the hire of his seruants And therefore most truly is it sayde that such meÌ„ haue the â—roubles and cares of the flesh Hys wife desireth to haue pretious ornamentes and rich iewelles shee craueth diuers sutes of gorgious and sumptuous apparell and sundry parcels of householde sâ—uffe yea and oftentimes the wiues furniture doth exceede the reâ—enewe of hir husbands lands But if she be denyâ—d what she demandeth theÌ„ doth she mourne and sighe day and nighte she frowneth and murmureth â—he chatteth and checketh with greeuous complaintes of hir husbandes ingratitude withoute ceasâ—â—g There be three things saiâ—h Salomon whiche doe not peâ—mitte a man to tarrie in hys house that is a smokie chimney a dropping roufe and a shrewde wife Often times she sayeth vnto hir husbande suche a mans wife goeth gorgeously and finely apparelled and is esteemed and much made of by euery one but I poore wretche all alone am nothyng regarded amongst my neighbours I am contemned and despised of euery one Shee only will bee loued and praysed she thynketh the good countenance shewed vnto an other to procure hatred vnto hir and shee surmiseth the commendation of an other to be for hir disgraces All that she loueth must â—e lyked of and all that she hateth must â—ee disliked she will be mistresse and cannot be maistred she may not abide to serue as a subiect but she must rule as a gouernour shee will seeme exâ—erte in all things and will shewe hir selfe ignorant in nothing If shee be fayre she is soone beloued of others if she be foule she is not hastily desired But it is a hard matter to keepe that whiche is beloued of many and it is a greeâ—e to possesse that which no man esteemeth Some men allure hir by the comelynesse of theyr personage some gayne victory by policie some do moue affection by mercie conceytes or pleasant deâ—ises other some doe winne good will through liberalitie and needes muste there be some breache where the batterie is layde on euery side The goodnesse of the Horse the Asse the garmente the bedde the potte and also the pitcher are firste tryed and after bought but the manners or conditions of a woman are â—ardly knowen least misliking growe before mariage But after mariage whatsoeuer befall hir bee shee foule or faire wise or folish patieÌ„t or proud lothsome or handsome shee cannot bee separate but onely for adultrie Ye a neyther can the man which putteth away hys wife for this cause marrie an other neyther yet can the wife put so away take another husbande For whosoeuer shall forsake hys wife vnlesse it bee for adultrie gyueth hir occasion to committe adulterie and hee whiche doethe marrie hir that is dismissed for adulterie doeth also committe adulterie If the wife shall goe from hir husbande for thys cause sayeth the Apostle â—hee oughte â—yther to remayne vnmarryed or else â—ee reconciled to hir husbande agayne Therefore the burthen of wedlocke is greeuous For as Salomon sayth â—e is foolish and vnwise which keepeth his wife being an adulâ—resse and he is the patrone of his wiues dishonestie whiche doth cloke hir crime If then a man put away his wife being aâ— adultresse he is punished without his faulte for that he must so long as shee liueth remaine chast And therefore Christes disciples said If a mans condition and case be suche wiâ—h his wife it is better for man not to marrie For no man can well brooke a mate in loue and who so euer is the subiect of ielousie is the sâ—aue of suspition Yea and alâ—hough the Scripture dothe affirme that man and wife shall be two in one fleshe yet besydes that the very loue of the husbande it selfe doethe cause him to be impatient of partners Of miserie of good and euill men Chap. 16. THere is no cause sayeth the Lorde wherefore the vngodly shuld reioyce for looke by what partes man doth sinne in the same shall hee bee tormented For the worme of conscience shall neuer die and the fyre of reason shall neuer be put out I did see sayeth Iob those which wroughte iniquitie and did sowe and reape their own sorowe I did see them saith he perish with the blast of gods mouth and with the breath of his wrath I sawe them consumed Pride puffeth vs vp and causeth vs to forget oâ—r selues Enuye doeth inwardly consume vs and dryeth vp our bloud Couetousnesse pricketh vs to euil Anger or rage suppresseth â—eason Glutony distemperâ—th the body and Leachery weakeneth the same Lying doeth â—ynde vs to answere and Manslaughter deâ—ileth vs and cryeth for vâ—ngeaunce Euen so lykewise the rest of monstrous and horrible sinnes with the delights that mâ—n take therein are as instruments for God to punish sinne The malitious or enuions man sayth the Poâ—t withereth away at the prosperous estate of an other And the Tyrants of Sicil neuer founde greater torment than malice
desire and thirst after riches Chap. 2. NOthing then as the wise man saith â—s more wicked than the couetous man and nothing more vniust than is the loue of money Which the Apostle doth confirme in these wordes Those that will be made riche fal into temptations and into the snare of the deuill into many desires both vnprofitable and hurtfull which doth drowne men in the pit of hell and doth lead them to their own damnation and to vtter perdition For couetousnesse is the roote of all euill couetousnesse doth commit sacriledge theftes couetousnesse doth practise robberies hunteth after prayes couetousnesse maketh war and causeth manslaughter couetousnesse byeth and selleth spiritual things couetousnesse demaundeth vniust giftes and receyneth vnreasonable rewardes couetousnesse changeth the vnnatural vse of money into the vnlawfull gaynes of vsury shee vseth deceites to the dammage fraude of others shee breaketh hir promise and doâ—th violate hir othe she corrupteth witnesses and perâ—erteth iudgementes Of vniust râ—wards and bribâ—sâ— Chap. 3. MArke wel the Prophet Esay who saith All men loue money and seeke after rewardes they do not iudge the cause of the orphane or fatherlesse the cause of the widow is not called before them They do not enter into iudgemeÌ„t before their bribes rewardâ— bicause they iudge not for the loue of iustice but bribes and gifâ—s do preuent them in their iudgements for that they iudge for the loue of money They alwayes haue respecte to the gift to the promise or to the â—ope of reward And therfore do they not iudge in fauour of the orphane of whom nothing is giuen promised or hoped for O you rulers false of promiseâ— companioÌ„s of theeues who so euer you be that loue bribes and goâ— after rewards you shal neuer kepe your hands cleane from bribes except you first wash away the couetous desire froÌ„ your harts The Prophet therfore speketh this of you Their rulers be like rauâ—ning wolâ—es which do rob take violeÌ„â—ly their pray most couetously do folow theâ—r gain And likewise saith the prophet Micheas Their rulers gouernours did iudge for rewards their priests ministers taught for hyre and their prophets did prophesâ—e for money Behold the Lord did coÌ„mauen Moses in the law Thou shalt ordain iudges and rulers in all thy gates that they may iudge my people in iust iudgement decline on neyther side Thou shalt accepte no personâ— nor receyue any rewards bicause bribes giftes do blind the eyes of wise men doe change the sayings of the righteous but thou shalte prosecute that which is to be done iustly thou shalt liâ—e Hee speaketh here of two things iust and iustly for some men doe prosecute that which is vniust vniustly againe there be which doe persue that vniustly which is iust and last of all some doe prosecute that iustly which is vniust Of the accepting of persons Chap. 4. WOe bee vnto you which being corrupt by petition or rewarde or els moued through affection affirm that which is good to be euil that which is euill to be good proclaiming the light to be darknesse darkenes to be light condemning the soules to dye which dye not making the soules to liue which liue not For you do not coÌ„sider the equitie of the cause but the deserts of the persons not the lyfe of the man but the giftes that are giuen not iustice but money not what reason biddeth but what will affecteth not what the law ordaineth but what the minde desireth You doe not whet your wits and bend your wils to the maintenance of iustice and aduancement of equitie but yoâ— wreste â—ustice to your own will wickednesse not â—o the intent that that which is lawfull may please you but that it which doth please you may be lawfull Your eye is neuer so simple that all the bodye is made cleane and bright but alwaies you mingle it with som euel leaâ—en whereby you corrupte the whole peece You doe neglecte the poore mans cause and with all care and diligence supporte the cause of the riche You shewe all extremitie and rigor vnto the poore man but with curâ—eous and gentle dealing you doe dispence with the welthy You scarcelye cast your countenaunce vppon the poore but you deale fauourably with those that bee of substance You hear the poore mans cause negligeÌ„tly but to the rich maÌ„ you giue eare most diligeÌ„tly the poore man crieth for iustice and none doth giue eare vnto him the riche man speaketh and euery man ioyfully giueth eare Wherevpon saith Salomon When the rich man speaketh euery one keepeth silence and what he saith they extoll it vp to the clowds but when the poore man telleth his tale they say what felow is this and if be offend in any word they will ouerthrowe him Hee suffereth violence and cryeth out and no maÌ„ heareth him Hee vttereth his griefe with mourning voice and there is none that iudgeth his cause If by chance you take in haÌ„d the cause of the poore you folowe it slowly but when you take in hande the riche mans cause you folowe it most earnestlye You despise the poore you honor the riche with reuerence you giue place to those that bee welthie but contemptuously you reiecte those that bee needy If one come into the place where you are assembled hauing a golde ring vpon his fingar in a fayre white garment and a poore man also homely apparelled if you beholde him whiche is clothed in gorgeous apparell you will say vnto himâ— Sir sitte you downe here makyng place for him but to the poore man you will say stand thou there or sit on my footestole Doe you not in this case iudge according to your affection and become iudges of vâ—iust imaginations For of you and against you the Prophete speaketh when hee sayeth They be magnified enriched made faâ—te and grosse they haue not pleaded the cause of the fatherlesse and haue not iudged the poore mans cause But it is commanded in the law There shall bee no difference of persons you shall heare the small as well as the greate you shall accept no man his person bycause it is the iudgement of God for there is no acception of persons with God. Of the â—elling of iustice Chap. 5. O You corrupte Iudges whiche neuer shewe fauoure where reason woulde you shoulde ne yet vprightly minister iustice For if no gayne or profite fal vnto your lot vpright iudgement proceedeth not from you and nothing is giuen you but for the sale of iustice You vse oftentimes suche prolonging of Iustice that you take more from the â—uters than the valew of the thing which is in sute for so muche as the expences and charges do farre surmount the commoditie or profit reapt by the sentence But what can you answere to him in that strayt iudgement who commaundeth you saying Freely haue you receyued itâ— therfore frankly giue
for water to comfort my liuely yong trees when they budde and spring out I haue possessed bondmen and handmaydes and haue hadde a greate famâ—lie I haue hadde greate heardes of beastes and greate flockes of â—â—eepe yea more than all the other Kings whiche raigned before mee in Ierusalem I gathered and heaped vâ—pe golde and siluer and the riches of Kings and prouinces I ordeyned for my pleasure singing men and singing women and the delicate recreations that might be had for the children of menâ— I made cuppes and flagons of siluer and golde to put winâ— intoâ— and I did exceede iâ— riches all the kings that were before me in Ierusalem But when I turned my selfe backe and beheld those things which my hands had made and considred my paynes in the which vaynly I had trauelled and sweat I did see in tâ—â—m all nothing else but vanitie and affliction of the minde and that there was nothing permanent vnder the sunne Of diuers griefes and sorowes of mankinde Chap. 12 O What sorowe and anguishe of minde doeth vexe mortall men Thought consumeth them pensiuenesse doth possesse them heaâ—inesse harmeth them feare putteth them out of comforte tremblyng moueth all the partes of them horror dâ—pryueth them of their perfite senses terror doeth afflict them sadnesse doeth trouble them and trouble doâ—th make them sadde and hâ—auye The poore and the riche the seruante and the master the maried and the single man to conclude the good and bad be all tormented with worldly vexations and are all toste with worldly tempestes Beleue in this a master that hath tryed it If I shall bee wicked sayth Iob then woe vnto mee if I shall bee iuste and vpright I shall not lifte vp my heade beyng burdened and ouercharged with affliction and misery The miserie of the poore and riche Chap. 13. THe poore are prest with famine supprest with sorow opprest with thirst colde and needinesse They be nothing esteemed they consume and pine away they be despised and discomforted O howe miserable is the condytion of him that beggeth For to aske â—or Gods sake hee is abashâ—d througâ— sâ—ame and if he doeth not aske he is pained and pyneth away through neede And therefore is he constrayned by meere necessitie to begge He doth accuse and fynde fault with God as that he were vnrightuous and partiall for so much as he did not deuyde these worldly thinges equally Hee blameth hys neighbour as wicked and vnmercyfull for that hee doth not fully and sufficiently succour his neede He doth fret and fume murmureth and curseth Marke what the wyse man sayth vppon this It is better saith he for a man to dye than to stand in need The poore man shall be odioâ—s euen to his neighbour All the dayes of the poore be euill and miserable yea verilye his owne bretherne oftentymes doe shunne him hys friendes loathe hym hys ennimyes laughe at hym And therefore vppon greate cause the Poâ—t sayeth Whylest fortune doeth fauour thee thou shalte fynde manye friendes but if woe doe bewytche thee thou shalte be lefte alone Out vpon this shamefull worldly consideration that the person of a man shoulde bee esteemed according to his fortune whereas in deede the giftes of fortune ought rather to be esteemed according to the goodnesse of the person that doethe possesse them But suche is the iniquitie of tyme that a man is taken to be so good as hee is riche and so euill as hee is poore whereas indeedeâ— eache man oughte rather to bee thought so riche as he is good and so poore as he is euill The riche man is ouerthrowen through his abundance hee is caried away by vayne glory and through the confidence that he hath in his welthe he braggeth and boasteth being puâ—t vp with pride hee runneth at his pleasure and falleth into that whiche is vnlawfull But those thyngs truely which were his delightes and causes of offences shall bee eftsoones made the instrumentes of his tormâ—ntes The laboure in getting the feare in possessing and the sorow in losing doth alwayes trouble and disquiet his mind For where thy treasure is sayth Christ there is thy hart The miseries of Seruantes and Mastâ—rs Chap. 14. THe seruante or bond man is vexed and weried about the prouision of his maisters necessaries with watching and carying of things from place to place he is beaten with stripes and spoyled of his wealth If he haue no riches his labour must make a painful purchase if he haâ—e ought he is coÌ„pelled to spende it at his masters pleasure The offence of the master is the peyne of the seruant the offence of the seruant turneth to the pray of hys master For as the Poete saith Wherein soeuer the rulers do amisse the poore subiects feele the smart The wilde asse in the wildernesse is the game or pray for the Lion euen so is the poore man the pray for the riche O extreame condition of bondage Nature hathe brought foorth all men free but fortune hath made slauâ—s and bond men The bondman is forced to suffer and no man is permitted to take compassion vppon â—ym hee is compelled to weepe wayle and to be sorowfull and no man is suffered to be sory with him so is â—e not his owne man and in his miseries soroweth comfortlesse The martiall mindes liue in miserable moodes for besydes the great paynes they endure and the continual daungers they â—tande in they make theyr onely felicitie of other mens miserie and it is an odious thing to liue vppon the spoyle of an other The cruell master lyueth alwayes in feare least the treason of hys seruantes shorten hys dayes If he be gentle then hys familiaritie breedeth contempte feare then dothe vexe him if hee be seuere and contempte setteth him at nought if hee be curteous For crueltie getteth hatred and contempt foloweth familiaritie Furthermore familiar care causeth weerineâ—se and priuate regarde bringeth griefe Wherefore it behoueth a man to be readie and well fenced on euery syde that hee may beware and take heede before hand of the ambushes and the craftie fetches or deceytes of the malitious and enuious men whereby hee may repell and put away the iniuries of those whyche assaulte hym to the ouerthrowe of hys enimies and to be able to defende hys neyghbors and protect hys countrey men For one daye is not satisfyed in hir malice â—owardes man in thys lyfe but she bringeth foorth laboures and sorowes for an other and one nyghte doeth shewe and declare knowledge to another Wee therefore do leade our dayes in trauell and passe ouer many nightes without sleepe The miserie of the maried and vnmaried man Chap. 15. SO deepely rooted is lecherous lust in the fleshe of man that if it be possible for fire not to burne it is possible for man not to lust For howsoeuer the fleshe shall bee kepte vnder yet shall not that vnquiet Iebusite bee dryuen out or conquered For although thou
sorowes vnloked for which happen vnto men Chap. 20. SOdayne heauinesse doeth alwayes accompany worldly myrth and that which beginneth with ioye doeth alwayes â—nd with some sorowe for worldly pleasure is mixte with manye bitter corsies This knewe he right well which sayd Laughter is mixt with griefe and the end of mirth is finished with wayling The children of Iob did proue this true by experience the whiche whiles that they were making mery in their eldest brothers house a sodayne myghtie wynde riâ—ing out of the deserte ouerthrewe the house destroyed them all And therefore their father might wel sayâ— My â—arp is changed into mourning my citherne is turned into the vâ—yce of those that weepe It is better saith the wise man to go into the house of moâ—rning than of banketting Harken therfore vnto his good counsayle In the day of thy mirth prosperitie forget not sorow and aduersitie and remember thy laste and ending day and thou shalt not sin damnably Of â—he neâ—renesse of death Chap. 21. THe last day of our lyfe is vnto vs alwayes the first day to lyfe and yet wee doe neuer accompt the first day to be the last Wherâ—as in deede we should still so line as though we shuld alwaies die For it is writen Remember that death doeth not â—arry long and is not slow in comming Tyme passeth away and death approcheth nighe A thousand yeeres are before the eyes of hym that dyeth as it were but yesterday which is already past For the things which God will haue come to passe are alwayes springing and things present doe dayly decaye and perish and those things which are past are cleane dead and consumed We then are dying whiles we liue and then doe we cease from dying when we cease to liue Therefore it is better to dyeâ— alwayes to liue than to liue to dye euer For the mortall lyfe of man is but a liuing death Whereuppon sayth Salomon I commend more the estate of those that be dead than of those that liue and I iudge him that is not yet borne happier than them both The lyfe of man passeth swiftly away and can not be stayed and death commeth vppon him instantlye and can not bee hindered Man therefore is that wonderfull thing which doth decrease and encrease and al in a moment For howe much the more mans life encreaseth so much the neerer he approcheth to his ende Of the terror of dreames Chap. 22. THe verye tyme whyche is graunted man in this lyfe for his rest is not permitted to be quiet vnto hym for in dreames dreadfull things often times appeare which cause a manne to feare and visions in hys sleepes doe molest him And although in very deede those things which men dreame of be not sorowfull terrible or payneful yet for certaynetie those whyche are molested with such dreames are caused to be pensiue sorowfull and fearefull In so muche that sometymes in their sleepes they feruently weepe and when they are waked out thereof are often troubled in their minds Marke well what Elephas Thematices sayeth of this matter In the terror of a vision sayeth hee in the night time when men are wonte to sleepe a greate feare and trembling came vppon mee and all my bones did shake for feare and when the spirit passed in my presence the heare of my head stood vp Consider the saying of Iob also in these wordes If I say vnto my selfe my bedde shall comfort me and I shall bee eased talking with my selfe vpon my couch thou wilte terrifie me with dreames and wilte make me shake for feare through visyons Nabuchodonozer sawe in a dreame that thing whiche made him throughly afrayde and the vision being firmely imprest in his mynde dyd much vexe trouble him Many thoughtes and cares do folowe dreames and where there is many dreames there is exceedyng many vaniâ—ies Dreames haue caused many to erre and do amisse and the hope that men haue had in them hathe byn made frustrate In sleepes also happen often tymes vncleane imaginations whereby not onely the flesh is polluted by illusions in the night but the soule is also defyled wheâ—â—vpon the Lord in the Leuiticall lawe sayeth thus if there bee any man amongst you which by illusion is abused in his sleepe by night let him goe out of the tents and let him not returne before that in the euening he bee washed cleane with water and after the going downe of the Sunne let him come agayne into the tentes Of Compassion Chap. 23. O With what griefe be wee vexed with what trembling feare bee wee shaken when wee vnderstande the losses or hinderaunce of our friendes and howe muche doe wee stand in feare of the dangers and losse of our parents yea sometymes he that is whole add sounde of bodye is more troubled and vexed in his feare than the sick and feeble is in his sicknesse For the voluntary sicke man is more afflicted with the affection of his griefe than the sicke patient man languishing in his feebleâ—esse Herevpon breaketh out the Poet in these wordes Loue is a lothsome thing God wote and passing full of griefe Whose breast is so hardened whose harte is so stonye that hee can not bee sorye and lament that he can not weepe and wayle when â—e doeth beholde the sickenesse or death of his friend or neighbour that hee can not suffer with him that suffereth and sorow with him that mourneth Our sauiour Christ him selfe when hee sawe Marye Magdalen the Iewes which came with hir to Lazarus monument all weeping hee was afflicted in spirit and troubled in him selfe and wepte Not peraduenture bicause Lazarus the brother of Mary was deade but rather for that he should rayse him vp or cal him being now deade vnto the myseries of this lyfe againe For let him perswade him selfe to be guiltie of great hardnesse of hart and to bee accompted as one faulte worthy who soroweth more at the corporall departure of his friend than the spirituall death of his soule Of sundry misfortunes that happen vnto men Chap. 24. SUch is our casual coÌ„dition that when we seeme to staÌ„d in great securitie we dwell in deepeste daunger and when wee least feare we sonest fall Calamitie falleth vppon vs not loked for sickenesse sodaynlye inuadeth vs and death without ransome requireth his duetie Doe not therefore boaste vppon the nexte day being ignorant what the day folowing will bring forth Man knoweth not his end but as the fishes be taken with the booke and the byrdes bee sodaynly entrapped with the snare so men bee preuented in their dayes and sometymes taken in an euill houre when death shall speedily arrest them Of the innumerable kindes of sicknesses that man is subiect vnto Chap. 25. THe knowledge that man hath hadde to searche oute the causes and natures of things these many hundreth yeeres could as yet neuer finde out so many