backe again open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentaunce for their owne sinfulnesse and to haue a sure trust in the mercy of God and in the merit of Christs passion and death though they be euen at the departure out of this presēt life for it is neuer too late so long as life lasteth Let vs therefore with all feruentnesse call vpon them and exhort them in any wise with a good courage and a sure and vndoubful faith aske call and cry for Gods mercy for his sweet sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake and vndoubtedly they shall haue it For since the beginning of the world hitherto was there neuer one that in faith asked mercy heartely but he had it through the gratious goodnesse of our aforesaid most mercifull sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour laude and praise world without end Amen Yours at commaund to his power T. C. Giue all the honor laud and praise to God onely 1. Tim. 1. The prayer of Daniel turned into metre and applyed vnto our time Daniel IX O Lord thou high and fearefull God By whom all things do moue Thy mercies great are sure to such As thy precepts doe loue We sinfull men haue sore transgrest Against thy lawes deuine Full frowardly we haue fled backe From these precepts of thine Thy Prophets deare to speake were prest In setting forth thy name Both rich and poore as bold were bent For to gainesay the same To thee therefore thou Lord of hoastes All iustice doth belong To poure on vs such shame and griefe In this we haue no wrong Our shame is great and due to all Our flight is but in vaine To tread strange lands our sin hath sought Our shame doth still remaine But though such shame a reward iust To all in common be Yet mercy Lord and to forgiue Doth still belong to thee Indeede O Lord as for our selues No lesse confesse wee can But that thy lawes wee set at nought Much lesse haue kept them than Thy Prophets spake wee would not heare Ne of thee stand in awe Strange plagues from time to time we felt For breaking of thy lawe The force whereof so fiercely bent Was such as hath not bene For all the plagues in Moses lawe Fell on this Realme for sinne And yet to thee who made his sute His path way so to guide That flying vice might learne thy lawe And therein to abide Wwerefore thou sawest all would not helpe And couldst not hold thine hand But haste thy curse which now doth fall Vpon this sinfull land For as thou art a righteous God Thy workes doe soe appeare Consuming such as scorne doth take Thy louing voyce to heare But yet O Lord thou broughtest forth Thy flocke from Egipt land Whereby thy name was largely spread So now stretch forth thine hand But we haue sinned more then they Oh Lord yet stay thy rod. As for this land was sometime thine And thou also our God Our sinnes and eke our fathers faultes This day to passe hath brought That all which border vs about They set vs cleane at nought Now then O Lord hide not thy face Oh heare thy seruaunts cry Behold thine house sometime full rich How wast it doth nowe lie Thy truth is fled thy flock fast bound As sheepe led to be slaine Thy foes preuaile and prosper much Though mischiefe they maintaine And wilt not thou thy foes confound That thus thy workes reproue At least yet for thy great names sake Their vile intents remoue For why as for our owne deserts We can no such thing haue It is for thy great mercies sake That we such thinges doe craue Forgiue vs Lord intreated be To heare vs make no stay We beare thy name it is thy cause Oh Lord make no delay A Prayer against Despaire O Eternall God most louing and gratious father in Iesus Christ who art alwaies praysed and magnified by thy children in theyr great deliuerances and preseruation from their perils and daungers but especially when they perceiue themselues freede from the power of Satan death and hell from the which no creature can saue and deliuer them but thou onely O Lorde And because no chaine of the deuill or euill temptation is more strong to fetter the body and soule of man then despaire which is a wilfull forsaking of faith and confidence in thee O God it arising springing from fear and doubt as if thou wert not faithfull in thy promises or able in thy power to preserue vs Helpe Lord I beseech thee and free and deliuer me thy poore seruaunt from this temptation thraldome of Satan and soe strengthen I humbly pray thee my faith and confidence euer more in thee that in al my perils necessities wants sorrowes and griefe in this world I may haue a strong and stedfast hope in thee whereby I may ouercome repell and keepe backe the dangerous and subtill suggestions of Satan the world and the flesh to thy great glory and praise and my eternall and vnspeakable comfort through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ A Prayer for the Morning O Lord thou which couerest the night with darkenesse and causest man therein to take his rest and by euery day and night doest shew thy great glory in the heauens and also thy wisdome and power by gouerning and preseruing all thy creatures vpon the earth O Lord I thy poore seruaunt and creature doe most humbly thanke thee from the bottome of my heart for my sweete and comfortable rest this night past and for watching ouer mée by thine eye of prouidence and kéeping both my body and soule by thy grace from sinne and death beseeching thée O Lorde God my father Sauiour and comforter to blesse to sanctifie direct and preserue me in this thy new day and that I may become a newe creature vnto thée O God in holinesse and righteousnesse labouring faithfully and painfully in my calling that so my laboures this day may be sanctified and blessed vnto mée and mine and that I may shew forth thy praise in al my waies and declare my loue and charity vnto men in all my works that after the dayes of this my life and pilgrimage finished and ended here in this world I may liue with thee for euer in the world to come throgh Iesus Christ my Lorde and Sauiour who liueth and reigneth with thée and the holy Ghost euer one God world without end Amen ¶ A Prayer for the Euening O gratious and mercifull God I am most bound vnto thy heauenly Maiesty for my preseruatiō this day because I and al men are continually subiect vnto all dangers and perils griefes sorrowes sicknesse and death yea we lie open vnles thy grace and might doe defend vs vnto the temptations tyranny of the world the flesh the deuill which daily seek and desire our hurt and confusion both of body soule for euer Wherefore O gratious and euerliuing God as thy right hand and sauing health hath bene with mée this day and thou hast directed blessed and comforted mee thy poore seruaunt in all my wayes and labours for the which I most hūbly thank thée so I most earnestly entreat thy Maiesty in thy loue and mercy for Christ Iesus sake to keepe mée and al mine in safety this night and to couer vs vnder the shadow of thy winges from all perils and dangers whatsoeuer and that our soules as well as our bodies may take their swéet and comfortable rest and ioy in thée and likewise that thou wouldest grant that whensoeuer thou shalt knocke at the doore of our hearts to call vs vnto thee O God we may with the wise Virgins be watchfull haue oyle in our lamps that we may be receiued into eternall rest through Iesus Christ thy deare sonn and our onely Sauiour Amen FINIS
AN EXCELLENT Treatise touching the restoring againe of him that is fallen Written by the worthy Saint Chrysostome to Theodorus a friend of his who by leud liuing was fallen from the Gospell fit to read for reclaiming their hearts which are in like case Englished out of an auncient Latin translation written in Velume by R.W. With an annexed Epistle of comfort from one friend to another where in the Anabaptists error of desperation is briefly confuted and the sinne against the holy Ghost plainly declared Heb. 3.13 Exhort ye one another daily while it is called to day LONDON Printed for I. Helme and are to be sold at his shop at S. Dunstans Church Of the profit of this Treatise THe prince of Surgeons Phoebus sonne In curing famous was Machaon and his brother too By art brought much to pas The best of these in festered sores Did all and could no more To soule of man corrupt by sinne Their skill denied a dore But heere behold ' gainst dreadfull crimes A soueraigne medcine lies A Moly Panaceia sweete To him that vpward sties If fallen downe thou feele dispaire Read through this pamphlet small It Theôn cheiras powerfull salue In such assaults maist call R. W. 1. Pet. 4.3 It is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunâ—ennesse gluttonie drinkings and in abominable idolatries To the Worshipfull and his special good friend Master IOHN KEMPTHORNE Esquier R.W. wisheth in this life prosperous successe in all affaires and in the life to come a crowne of glorie SEeing alwayes it hath bin accouÌ„ted a superfluous worke either to commend in Apollo wisedome or to extoll in Hercules puissance or to prayse in Minerua knowledge it may bee thought no lesse needlesse for mee to prayse in fined wordes and garnished stile if so I were able to doe your ardent zeale in Gods truth and maruellous affection towardes the true professors thereof And because among those that know you it shineth so oriently as in words to set it foorth were rather to imbeazle than illustrate it and among those that know you not by commending it abundantly may feare the censure of smoothing I thinke it better at this time as Salust saith of Carthage to speake nothing at all of it than a little Yet surely though the enuious happily mislike it this I affirme when I bethought to finde a meete protector for this pamphlet that might loue it as Antonius the Emperor was wont to loue books as Alphonsus was accustomed to esteeme the workes of Cicero that might reade it diligently as Erasmus did Terence as Bishop Iewell did Horace as Ladie Iane Graie did Platoes Phaedon none came to my minde before your Worship vnder the wings of whose tuition these my slender labors might safely be shadowed from all the malice of spitefull reproouers and taunting carpers Now concerning the worke some I knowe will finde fault with my presumption that being a tender suckling and nouice in good letters I would dare to put foorth ought in print especially in such a plentifull time of bookes Let these take this aunswere that I did it not voluntarily but inforced and that by the request not of one or two but of many whose good will I haue often experimented whose friendship in the Lorde I will not for a small cause violate whose authoritie I may not despise For lighting by chaunce on this treatise of Chrysostome reuerencing it at the first sight more for antiquitie than ought else assoone as I had read it ouer I did it faithfully for my priuate vtilitie into English neuer thinking it should come to this passe But hauing lent it vnto some of my friends desirous of such a peece of matter they fell suddenly into that liking and louing of it that they neuer ceased exhorting begging compelling I may say vntill maugre my head I graunted it should goe foorth for the benefit of many Which now beeing newly borne and come into the world I beseech your courtesie to receiue into your patronage and as it proceeded from a willing minde so to take it with a gladsome countenance And notwithstanding this testimonie of a gratefull minde doe not any way counterpoise the weight of your demerits yet I beseech you to accept of the poore widowes mites and of the cheerefull giuers minde Thus surceasing any longer to enterrupt your Worships serious affaires I suppliantly craue of the Almightie dayly to augment his graces in you and the vertuous Gentlewoman your wife that after your race run in this dale of miserie you may for euer enioy the sight of Christ Iesus in heauen Your worships daily and humble Orator ROB. WOLCOMB Of the restoring againe of him that is fallen OH Iere. 9.1 that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares Much more fitly it is spoken of mee now The worthines integritie once of the person to whom he writeth Ecclu 16.3 then at that time of the Prophet of God For howbeit not many cities neither a whole countrey is to bee lamented of me yet I must mourne for a soule of more worth than many nations of more price than many cities For if one that doe the will of God be better than a great companie of the wicked thou also wast better once than many multitudes of the Iewes Wherefore let no man wonder if I peraduenture vse more large lamentations at this time The cause of the lamentation and powre out were plenty of teares than at that time the Prophet did For as I said I do not bewaile the sacking of a city which is taken nor the thraldome of the common people little set by but the downfall of an excellent soule and the ruine of a temple which Christ inhabited If any euer knew the ornaments of thy mind which now the flame of the diuel hath consumed if any euer beheld the temple of thy body when it glittered with the brightnesse of chastitie soothly he would deeme that lamentation of the Prophet small and much inferior wherein hee bewaileth that the handes of Barbarians had prophaned the holy place and that the enemies fire had destroied the Temple that the Cherubin and the Arke were defiled and that the mercy seat with the tables of stone and the golden potte were polluted For this lamentation which I vse is by so much more piteous and bitter than the other by how much more truly and euidently all these things were to bee seene in thy soule than betweene the wals of the Temple the Temple which was in thee was much holier than the other It shined not with the mettals of golde and siluer but with the vertues of the mind and giftes of the holy Ghost it had within it the Arke and the two Cherubins that is the faith of the father and the sonne and the holy Ghost The wretched plight whereinto this man was fallen Yet now nought of
all these is left all things are taken from thy soule she is bereft of all her beautie and all the giftes which God bestowed on her she remaineth spoiled deformed fowle she hath lost all her aide and safegard No doore now is shut in her no entrie is kept but she lyeth open to all naughtie spirits which corrupt the soule No vncleane thought no filthie desire is thence expelled but if the spirit of fornication come it entreth in if the spirit of pride if the spirit of auarice if more hellish and vnpure than these shall come none forbiddeth them none beareth them backe For she hath no keeper no Sexton And as to the secrets of heauen there is no accesse for an vngodly person so at the first no infection could touch thy mind But perhaps I may seeme to speake incredible things to those especially that knew not thy former estate and onely see the destruction wherein thy soule now lieth This surely is the cause why I weepe without remedie because I knew thee and why I sorrow vncessantly because I remember how long it is vntill I see thee returne vnto thy wonted and pristine glory Which for all that men may iudge impossible Mat. 19.26 * Psal 113.8 9. 1. Sam. 2.8 For he it is that raiseth the needy out or the dust lifteth vp the poore out of the dunge That he may sâ—t him with princes â—uen with the princes of the people He it is that maketh the barren woman to dwell with a family and a ioyfull mother of children Let vs not then doubt nor despaire If Sathan draw to sin God can pull backe to goodnes but that thou mayest be conuerted into a better case For if the diuell could do so much in thee as to draw thee from the height of vertue to the depth of wickednes how much more shal God be able to reclaime thee to the highest pitch of goodnesse and not onely make thee that thou wast once but farre more blessed than thou diddest seeme in thy owne conceit Onely be of stout courage neither cast of the hope of goodnesse let not I pray thee that betide thee which doth the godlesse Vngodlines without penitencie breedeth to despaire It is impietie not the multitude of sinnes that bringeth a foole to desperation and therefore Salomon sayd not that each one when hee commeth into the depth of euils contemneth but * Pro. 18.3 the wicked saith he if he come into the depth of euils contemneth It is then a point of the impious to haue no hope of saluation Or when the wicked commeth theÌ„ commeth contempt and to contemne when they come into the depth of sinnes vngodlinesse not permitting them to haue respect to God and to returne thither from whence they fell So that this thought which cutteth away all hope of conuersion issueth from impietie and as a most heauie stone accloying the soule it perpetually compelleth it to behold the earth and neuer to looke vpward on God When we sinne we must not despaire But a lusty stomacke and loftie minde will cast down this hurtful weight of his soule and tread vnder feet Sathan that being his owne gouernour hee may sing the Psalmists words of God * Psal 113 2. As the eies of seruans looke vpon the hands of their masters and as the eies of a maiden vpon the hands of her mistres so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God till he haue mercy vpon vs. Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we haue suffered too much contempt And in these wordes of this heauenly prophecie there is singular doctrine we haue suffered too much contempt This is that hee would haue vs say that although for the multitude of our sinnes wee haue suffered much contempt and are surrounded with reproches yet our eyes shall waite vpon the Lord our God till hee haue mercy vpon vs that we will not leaue of beseeching vntill we be vouchsafed forgiuenes We ought to be earnest in prayer when wee sue for forgiuenes and not to rest till God haue fulfilled our petitions For this is the badge of a constant and setled minde that it is not wearie of perseuering in intrearie through dispaire to obtaine but continueth and persisteth in crauing vntill the Lord haue mercy vpon it * These two periods following G.F. Capito hath not in his translation And least you should think you offende greatly before the Lord if not vouchsafed to be heard you continue importunately in prayers call to memory the Euangelicall parable and there you shall find that the Lord sheweth that stiffe perseuering beggers are not vnacceptable to him For he saith * Lu. 11.8 Though he would not giue him because he is his friend yet because of his importunitie he will rise and giue him as much as hee needeth Vnderstand therefore deare friend that the diuell putteth into our mindes despaire of obteining to this end that he may cut from vs the hope of the goodnesse of God which is the Anchor of our saluation the foundation â—f life the guide of the way â—hrough which wee passe to â—eauen in briefe the Apostle â—aith * Ro. 8.24 by hope we are saued Insomuch that our saluation consisteth in hope which drawâ—th vp our soules from out the earth knit as it were to certaine chaines hanging downe from heauen and calleth againe those to the heauenly dwelling place which cleaue to themselues exalting them securely aboue the troubles of this life and earthly miseries Wherefore if any encumbred with these calamities bee dissolute and let goe out of his hands the anchor of hope hee must needes fall and be caried into the bottomlesse pit and profunditie of euils The dangers of despaire Which assoone as the enemie shall perceiue and see vs loath the multitude of our sinnes and feare through remorse of conscience straightway he draweth neere and casteth before our eyes cogitations of despaire more heauie than any leade or grauell which if wee vndertake we must of necessity bee drowned in the depth or euils because with the very load the staies of our saluation are broken Into the which depth because thou art cast thou dost throw behind thee the precepts of a good and gentle lord and thou doest obey the becke of a bloudy and mercilesse tyrant Mat. 11.30 the enemie of thy saluation Thou hast shaken off the sweete yoke of Christ and hast laid on thy necke for it the hard and iron fetters of sinne thou hast shaken off the easie burden of a lowly and meeke Lord and for it hast hanged about thy neck a milstone but how long doest thou so continue Stand now at the last and cease to drown thy vnhappy soule without any care without any aduise how long doest thou hast it foorth and cast it downe headlong to thy owne decay Luke 15. And truly the woman in the Gospell which found againe the lost groate
who waite vpon him and suppose our selues wretched if we bee not vouchsafed any place amongst them though we know the weaknes and instability of thâ—se terrene things somtimes for forreine warres sometimes for ciuill conterwaits and sometimes for malicious spite yet howsoeuer it bee it grieueth those that haue fallen thence How then shall it not much more vexe vs if with the highest king who holdeth the whole globe of the earth Isai 40. not a part thereof onely yea who holdeth it in his fist who measureth the heauen with an hand breadth who supporteth each thing by the word of his power who reckoneth the Gentiles as nothing yea as spettle with this I say when he bestoweth honour that shal last for euer we haue no place neither be numbred among his seruants Will it not pinch vs more then any paine But peraduenture thou sayest it will suffice vs to escape hell albeit wee bee not thought worthy of the sight of the King What more vnhappy and wretched soule is there than to which this is sufficient Supposest thou that the King wherof we speake shall come to iudge the earth carried in Chariots of Mules or in gilded waggons or with the terrible power of a diademe Nay harken how the Prophets foretold as much as might be declared to men the comming of Christ One of them saith thus Our God shall come Psal 50.3 and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuour before him and a mighty tempest shall be mooued round about him he shall call the heauen aboue and the earth to iudge his people And harken how another to wit Isaiah sheweth the diuerse sorts of punishments these are his wordes Behold the day of the Lord commeth cruel with wrath Isai 13.9 and firce anger to lay the land wast and he shall destroy the sinners out of it For the starres of heauen Verse 10. and the planets thereof shall not giue their light the Sunne shall be darkened in his going forth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine Verse 11. And I will visit the wickednes vpon the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I wil cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease I will make a man more precious then fine Gold Verse 12. euen a man aboue the wedge of gold of Ophir Verse 13. Therefore I will shake the heauen and the earth shall remooue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hoasts and in the day of his fierce anger And againe hee saith the windowes from on high are open Jsa 24.18 and the foundations of the earth doe shake The earth is vtterly broken downe 19. the earth is cleane dissolued the earth is exceedingly mooued The earth shall reele too and fro like a drunken man 20. and shall be remoued like a tent the iniquity thereof shal be heauy vpon it so that it shal fall and rise no more And in that day 21. shal the Lord visit the hoaâ—t aboue that is on high euen the Kings of the world that are vpon the earth and they shal be gathered together as the prisoners in the pit and they shall be shut vp in prison And the Prophet Malachies words are consonant hereto Malac. 3. Verse 1.2 Behold he shall come saith the â—ord of hoasts But who may abide the day of his comming and who shall indure when he appeareth For he is like a purging fire and like fullers sâ—pe Verse 3. And hee shall sit downe to fine and try the siluer he shall euen fine the sons of Leuie and purifie them as gold and siluer Chap. 4.1 And againe he saith for behold the day commeth that shall burne as an ouen and all the proud yea and all that doe wickedly shall bee as stable and the day that commeth shall burne them vp saith the Lord of hoasts and shall leaue them neither roote nor branch And another of the Prophets saith Dan. 7.9 I beheld till the thrones were set vp and the auncient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snow and the haire of his head like pure wooll Verse 10 A fiery streame issued and came forth from before him the iudgement was set and the bookes opened And a little after Vers 13. as I beheld in visions by night beholde one like the sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen and approached vnto the auncient of these dayes and they brought him before him And he gaue him dominion Vers 14. and honour and a Kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion which shall neuer be taken away and his kingdome shall neuer bee destroyed Vers 15. I Daniel was troubled in my spirit in the midst of my body and the visions of mine head made me afraid So then when these things shall begin the gates of heauen shall be opened yea rather the very heauen shall be taken away as if the couerings of a pauilion were drawne together to wit that it may be restored and transfigured into better Then all things shall be in feare amazednesse and trembling shall fill euery place Then also feare shall shake the Angels and not the Angels alone but perchance the Archangels thrones dominions rules and powers For this is signified where it is said I will shake the heauen Jsai 13.13 for they are the fellow seruants of them that must bee iudged and must giue an account of this life If when one Citie is to bee iudged by the iudges of this world other feare and shake although it be not for great danger like to insue when the vniuersal world shall come to be iudged of him that lacketh not witnesse that doth not seek arguments that doth not require an orator for the cause but all these things being remooued that doth reueale the deeds wordes and thoughts of men that placeth each thing in open sight and heweth euery fact as it wrre in a painted table before the eyes both of the transgressors and the beholders how much more shall euery creature bee mooued with feare And if then no fierie streame should issue forth neither the terrible Angels or greesely executioners should stand by but if thus onely it were that men should be called before the king and some should be praysed and honoured other some without honour cast to confusion if men did onely suffer this punishment would it not surpasse the torments of hell that when other were endowed with gifts of the king they should shamefully suffer the repulse Which paine how vntolerable it is although speech now may not declare yet then shall we cleerely perceiue it when we come to experience Furthermore besides all these anguishes of torments fet before your eyes not confusion alone and vtter shame but the way how men are drawne to fire and deliuered vp to racking Thinke vpon those cruell and vgly tortors which throw sinners downe headlong
that sinketh shal draw with it the worker Rewardes in the life to come of workes both good and bad If the multitude of euils shal ouer-poyse it will pull the worker to hell but if the good works shall be greater they will resist and repugne against the euils and will bring their worker to the place of the liuing euen from the gates of hell This is not phantastically imagined of my braine the diuine Scriptures disassent not from it for this the word of God speaketh Thou * Psal 62 12. Mat. 16.27 DiffereÌ„ces of ioyes plagues in the life to come Caluin Iustitu lib. 3. cap. 25. sect 10. Bulling in Comment Erasmus in Paraphras in 41 vers cap. 15. 1 Cor. rewardest euery one according to his worke For not in hell onely but in the kingdome of God there shall be many differences * Iohn 14.2 In my fathers house saith he are many dweling places And againe * 1. Cor. 15.41 There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone What is more wonderfull then that he sheweth how exactly the measure of our deedes shall be weighed One starre saith he differeth from another starre in glory that by it he might shew that amongst all and euery one that shall be in that kingdome there will be a difference Therefore sith wee know all this let vs not withdraw our selus froÌ„ goodworks neither yeeld to sloth sluggardie the presence of despaire And admit we cannot attaine to the clearenesse of the Sunne or Moone yet we must desire the brightnes of a starre howbeâ—t inferior to them let vs seeke at the least for some light by our good deeds let vs labour to be sound worthy to inlarge somewhat the shining of heauen If we cannot be gold if we cannot be precious stones yet let vs be in stead of siluer onely let vs now be turned into that matter which fire may consume that we be not found to be wood hay or stubble let vs be euen the last in goodnes not the first in euill * By often adding a little there will arise a great heape as wittily said Hesiodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Small good workes conioyned with faith and repentance go not without reward And as worldly riches increase when euery small gaine is regarded so it fareth in heauenly riches in increasing the which no little good deede must be coÌ„temned Surely it is an absurdity seeing our Iudge doth not deny a reward for * Mat 10 a cup of cold water for vs to say that vnlesse wee doe great things it wil be nothing auaileable Yea this more I ad that he that despiseth not small and little things will by little and little come to great things and * Eccl. 19.1 he that contemneth small things which concordeth with the Scripture shall fall by little and little And therefore I thinke for this cause our Lord and Sauiour did ordaine for small things great rewardes For what is lesse than to visit the sicke And yet for this small worke hee hath laid vp a great reward And againe what is so easie as to giue the hungry bread the thirstie drinke the naked raiment and to seeke out him that is shut vp in prison Yet these things that be so little and small he reckneth so great as that he accounteth them ministred not to man but to himselfe and for them hath promised the celestiall kingdome Wherefore most deerely beloued enter enter the waye to eternall life and put on againe * My yoke is light my burden light This burden is not the weight of him that is loden but the winges of him that flieth For birds haue burdens of their feathers which on earth they beare of them they are borne into the heauen Augustine the yoake of Christ which is easie and his burden which is light recouer the vertues of thy mind make thine end according to thy beginning let not the treasure of spirituall graces gotten by such labour decay and they will verely perish if thou persist in euils exasperate the wrath of God against thy deedes But before thou loose much of thy treasure and before thy manured field be surrounded with hurtfull deluges if thou exclude the entrance and stop the ouerflowing of sinne thou maist bring it againe to his pristine fertility and by husbanding make it very battle Arise therefore arise and shake off the dust from thee arise from the earth and straightway beleeue mee thine enemy will be affraid For he threw thee downe as though thou shouldest neuer rise vp but if he shall see thee to rise from the earth and lift thine eyes towards the heauens incontinent thy boldnes will out-countenance him * Resist the deuil and he will flie ftom you Jam. 4.7 If one flie the deuill he is a Lion if one resist he hath for he is Belzebub that is a God of flies no more power than a weak flie according to the old verse Hostis non laedit nisi cum tentà tus obedit Est leo si cedis si stas quafi musca recedit and the more ready thou art the more fearefull he will be and the more thou presumest the more fraile and infirme thou makest him Thinke also on this that the more hardinesse God shall indue thee withall the more he will weaken both his boldnesse and might If so be thou haue affiance in my wordes me thinketh I see towards thee the mercy and aide of God but thine aduersary to be affrighted by reason of shame and confusion Me thinketh I perceiue now in my mind that with all gratefulnes and fauour euery vertue allureth thee to her hold on then earnestly labour chearefully runne forward willingly Thou shalt find no want of me in that I can but I will still reason with thee in speech I will continually exhort and stir thee vp both present with liuely voice and absent with letters Albeit I perswade my selfe if thou gladly read this I haue now written there will bee no cause why thou shouldest seeke for farther medicines Deo soli sapienti laus gloria TO THE Reader IF the wicked would earnestlie consider the terriblenes of the day of the Lord it must needes bee that they would either wholy renounce sinne or at least not so much bee delighted therewith VVhich Chrisostome right wel perceiued for that so copiously so liuely as it were with a pencile he depainteth that day and time On the other side to ponder equally the rewards that in heauen abide for them who in this life seeke chiefly the setting forth of Gods glory the benefitting of their neighbour who bewailing theyr sinnes with true and vnfayned repentance by the hand of faith lay hold on Gods promises auayleth not a little to the abandoning of sinne and iniquitie VVherefore gentle Reader in the sentences following I haue vsed this order that those which appartaine to the second comming
of Christ and the punishment of the vngodly are set first in the second place those that shew the ioyes of the world to come and in the last roome those that teach that by faith sincere repentance and amendment of our liues we may inioy that heauenly blisse My petition to thee is this that thou daine to accept my labour which if thou doe I shall bee occasioned to iudge my trauell well bestowed The Lord of his mercy grant that sith wickednes neuer more abounded nor men neuer lesse remembred the comming of Christ vnto iudgement wee may heartely repent vs of our sinnes because the wrath of God hangeth ouer our heads and that wee may as good Christians liue worthy of our vocation liuing so as though euery one particularly should say with that holy man S. Hierome as often as I remember that day euery member of my body quaketh for whether I eate or drinke or do any thing else mee thinketh alwaies that dreadful trumpet soundeth in mine eares arise O ye dead and come to iudgement because the last houre is at hand Amen As desirous of thy profit as of his owne in the schoole of Christ Iesus R. Wol. OENIPODES Non cistae sed pectori Sentences collected out of the fathers workes which haue such agreement with the former Treatise as that they are not vnfit for this place Of the punishments of hell and of the day of iudgement IN that terrible ho wex of the death of a wretched sinner Bernard in spec pec immediatly there will come euil spirits like roaring lions to snatch away their pray When suddenly shal appeare the horrible places of torments the Chaos and obscuritie of darkenesse the dread of miserie and confusion the terror of that fearefull mansion where is the place of weepers where is the place of groaners where is the voyce of them that crie wo wo wo bee to vs the children of Euah when the miserable soule departing from the body shall heare see and seele these and sēblable thinges yea a thousand times worse then may be spoken in what I pray how great and how wonderous feare and trembling shall shee be what tongue can vtter it what booke declare it what will now auaile the boasting of knowledge the pompe of the people the vanitie of the world the greedinesse of earthly dignitie what shall then auaile the appetite of ryot delitiousnesse of meate exquisite drinke curiositie of garments nicenesse of the flesh gluttony of the belly superfluousnesse of foode surfetting and drunkennesse curious building of houses possessiō of terrene goods scraping together of prebends hoording of riches whether can these thinges deliuer the wretched soule of a man from the mouth of the hydious and horrible Lion that is from the iawe of the cursed dragon when that cunning deceiuer Idem ibid. that sonne of iniquitie that most eager enemy of our soules shall miserably and dreadfully meet with thy soule how wilt thou be able to abide the fearefull sight of his terrible countenance the intollerable stink of his mouth the brimstone-like flames of his eyes How then wilt thou be of force to abide so great feare of so horrible a beast Be assured that the feare of his dreadfull presence exceedeth euery kind of torments which may be deuised in this world At which the Prophet quaking betooke himselfe to prayer saying heare my prayer O God when I call vpon thee deliuer my soule from the feare of the enemy He said not from the power of the enemy but from the feare of the enemy But alas my brother if the sinfull soule bee so much and so greatly daunted at the sight onely of Sathan how great confusion or how great horror how great affiction and how great lamentation shal she haue through his touching and tormenting when the Lord shall be about to iudge the sorrowfull world Hierom. ad Heliod it shall make a great noyse and one kindred shal strike the breast to another kindred The Kinges once most puissaunt shall quake without a guard foolish Plato with his schollers shal be brought forth then Aristotles argumēts shall not be profitable when that sonne of the poore woman which exercised a craft shall come to iudge the endes of the earth That iudge is neyther preuented with fauour Augu. li. 3. de symb nor mooued with pitty nor bribed with money neyther will he be appeased with satsfaction or repentance Here let the soul deale for it selfe while it hath time as long as there is a place for mercy because there will be a place of iustice Greg. hom 15. In the last day of iudgment when the heauens being opened the Angels ministring the Apostles sitting together Christ shall appeare in the seate of his maiestie all the elect reprobate shal see him that both the iust may reioyce without end of the gift of theyr reward and the vniust euer lament for the reuengement of theyr plague Ansel de similitudini bus mundi On the right hand there shall be our sinnes to accuse vs on the left hand infinite deuils beneath the horrible confusion of hell aboue an angry Iudge without the worlde flaming within our conscience burning there scarce the iust shall be saued Alacke wretched sinner whither wilt thou flee It is impossible to be hidden intollerable to appeare The ioy of the time present must be so vsed Greg hom 32. that the remembrance of the bitternes of the iudgment to come may neuer depart from vs. Of the ioyes of heauen SO great is the beautie of righteousnes Aug. lib. de morb so great is the sweetnesse of the euerlasting light that is of the immutable wisdome that although we might not tarrie in it more then one day for this alone innumerable yeares of this life replenished with delights and aboundance of temporal goods were not without cause and reason to be contemned Jdem li 3. de symb Wee can easilier tell what there is not in that eternall life then what there is There is not death there is not mourning there is not wearinesse there is not weaknesse there is not hunger there is no thirst no parching heat no corruption no lacke no sorrowe no sadnesse Make haste thither where you may liue for euer Ide devtil agen poen For if you so loue this miserable and transitorie life wherein you liue with such labour and wherein by running trauelling sweating breathing thou scarce get things necessary for the body how much more ought you to loue the life euerlasting where you shall sustaine no labour where alwaies is great quietnes great felicitie happy libertie happy blessednesse where shal be fulfilled that the Lorde spake in the Gospell Men shall be like the Angels And that the iust shall shine c. Temporall life compared with eternall life Greg. in homil is rather to be called death then life For the daily fainting of corruption what is it els but a certaine long continuance