yet thinke as many doe that there is no God Psal 13.1 and as Dauids foole affirmes in his heart then truely this man of al men is most ridiculous who will sweare by that which hee supposeth not to be this is the fashion of all scoffing Atheists then tel the world O my soule what such men as these what such blasphemers vse to doe when one shall but speake vnto them kindely at euerie word that they shall answere Eccho Sweare SECT 86. What God is IT is not for a Christian to make a iest of swearing Psal 33.5 if hee sweare he must sweare in truth in iudgement and in righteousnesse for otherwise though a mā swear often yet by my cōsent he should seldome bee beleeued And a guiltie conscience cleared by an oath is like vnto foule hands scowred with sope through which although they be made cleane yet they smell verie rancke thereof a long time afterward and a periured soule though it be cleared and blamelesse in the sight of the world by forswearing yet that same oath adioyned to the former fact terrifies the soule the more that false kisse betraies it inwardlie though it cannot be deciphered by a long space outwardly then in conclusion tell me and tell all men my soule what God that great thundering Iehouah most detests and most detestfully Loathes Ecch. Oathes SECT 87. A Meditation on the betraying of Christ O Sweet Christ O sweet Sauiour how wast thou tormented for these sinnes of ours and the like Lament 1. come then my friends let vs weepe together mourne let teares runne down our checkes and among all our louers let there be none to comfort vs Mat. 26.14.15 let our streets lament let no man feast let all our gates be desolate let our Priests sigh let virgins be discomfited and let vs all bee in heauinesse for we haue sinned our sinnes are great and for them is the sonne of GOD crucified Iudas solde him kist him and betraid him he sold him for thirty pence O thou naughty Traitor at what price dost thou set the Lord of all creatures at thirty pēce what my Lord sold for thirtie pence O what a vile and slender price is this for a Lord of such maiestie certainely a very beast in the shambles is commonly sold for more And dost thou oh Traitour sell for so smal a price almighty God himselfe hee setteth not thee at so small a price for so much as hee buieth thee with his owne most pretious blood Oh what a great price and estimation was that of man and how base an estimation and price was this of God God was solde for thirty pence and man was bought with the dearest bloud of God himselfe And when this Iudas had betrayed him and was deliuered into the hands of the Iewes see how each one giueth him buffets and and stroakes Mat. 27.29 Mat. 14.65 Mark 8.22 23. see how they spit vpon that diuine face with their diuelish mouthes see how they hoodwinke his eyes and strike him on the face scoffing and iesting at him saying Aread who hath smitten thee O my soule great were the mockes and taūts hee suffered for thee how patiently did he beare the spitting of those infernal mouthes that had himselfe not long before with the spittle of his owne mouth restored a blind man to his perfect sight how suffered he their whippings whose seruants were wont in his name with mightie power to whip the very diuels how was hee crowned with thornes that crowned his martyrs with euerlasting Garlands how was he smitten on the face with palmes of mens hands that giueth the palme of victorie vnto such as be cōquerors how was he robbed of his erthly garmēts which cloatheth his saints with garments of immortallitie how was heproffered most bitter gaule that giueth vs the bread of life how was hee offered Vinegar to drink that giueth the cup of saluation Haec omnia sunt cypriani Consider moreouer at what time the Sauiour of the world was nailed to the Crosse how both the heauens and the earth were troubled the Starres were obscured the elements disturbed how the earth quaked how the light was darkened when the sunne turned away his eyes and would not suffer his beames to shine vppon the earth least happilie it might see such a great crueltie SECT 88. Our sinnes the cause of Christs death IF thou be not mooued to take compassion on our sweet Sauiour seeing him in this doleful case for thy sake if now when he sheds drops of blood through out all his body thou canst not shed any teares from thine eyes thinke verily with thy selfe that thou hast a very hard and stonie heart and if thou canst not weep for loue towards him yet at the least weepe for the multitude of thy sinnes for so much as they were the verie cause of this his agonie and greefe Now the tormenters doe not whip him neyther doe the Souldiers crowne him with thornes that do cause bloud to gush out of his body but it is thy very sinnes offences those are the thornes that do prick him they are the speare that do thrust him into the side they are tormētors that do afflict him they are the heauy burthen that doe cause him to sweat this so strange wonderfull a bloudie sweat Oh my sweet Sauiour and Redeemer Oh thou lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world how dearely hast thou bought my saluation SECT 89. They that are in authoritie must shew good examples GOuernours eyther spirituall or temporall sinne more grieuously by example then by act their act destroieth but one their example may destroy many and therfore surely the greater account they are to render and the more circumspectly to behaue themselues least that in their owne precepts they bee found faultie the greater power then that one man hath aboue others must teach him to excell in vertue aboue them for what doth it profit an Emperor to be Lord and king ouer many kingdoms if on the other part he become bondslaue to many vices titles of honour bee nothing worth if the life of the party bee bad surely true nobilitie consisteth not in dignitie linage large possessions and the like but in wisdom knowledge and vertue and this nobility bringeth a man to dignitie in the kingdome of heauen and as for this life it is not the place as foolish men suppose that makes the person renowned but it is the person that maketh the place alwaies honorable SECT 90. The praise of silence OF all vertues the chiefest is silence for by it thou hearest the imperfections of others and concealest thine owne for commonly emptie vessels make the lowdest sound and men of the weakest wit and least capacitie are the greatest bablers the heart of the foole saith Syracke is in his mouth Eccl. 21.26 but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart then thinke this with thy selfe before thou makest any mā of thy
for it euerie where too and this me thinkes is the best way to match subtill death But men in these daies who haue not this knowledge doe most shamefully complaine vpon God for the shortnesse of their liues when as they as short as it is doe throgh ryoting surfeiting drinking and bowsing and through malice murders make it more short both in themselues and also in others yet mee thinkes if men would duely consider of what molde they are made they wold not be so carelesse of their soules health and of Gods seruice one sillie flea in the night will soone breake their sleepe one small pricke with a thorn or pin will euen force teares to issue from their eyes if thy body were brasse or steele then O man thou mightest haue some cause to tryumph and glorie in thy selfe thou mightest haue some cause to think thy selfe able to resist all misfortune and to withstand all putrifaction but marke I pray thee the frailtie of thy flesh which if it lie in the graue but onely three or foure daies thy derest friend that thou leauest behinde thee will not be able by reason of the noysome smell of thy dead carkasse to come neere it or yet once indure the sight thereof Remember now that thou art but dust and wormes meate and beare therefore about thee the Anatomie of thy faults search into the botome of euery particular fin and goe into the house of fasting and not into the house of feasting for where sorrowing for sinnes and sadnesse is there is the heart of wisemen but where mirth is there is the heart of fooles SECT 26. The frailtie of our bodies MAny times haue I thought with my selfe how that it may one day so come to passe that this earthly bodie of ours now pampered vp kept from the winde and weather now honoured much respected may one day serue to make vp a mud-wall for a time may happen when some building may bee made neare vnto the graue bee it neuer so gay and sumptuous and that they might digge for some earth out of the same to make morter for a wall Omnes morimur et sicut aqua labimur in terram Eccl. and so shall thy feely bodie being now changed into earth become afterwards an earthen wall although it be at this present the most noble body and most delicately cherished of all bodies in the world and how many bodies of Kings and Emperours I wonder haue come already to these promotions Eccho Ocyons SECT 27. On the same O The basenesse and beastlinesse of the bodie when as the soule is departed out of it and O the continuall moouing and wasting of our life and hastning vnto this basenes what minute of an houre passeth but that we go one step forward towards our death what other thing thinke ye is the mouing of the Heauens but as it were a very swift wheele which is continually spinning and winding vp our liues for like as a rolle of wooll saith one father is spunne vpon a wheele of the which at euerie turning about some part is wound vp at the first turne a little at the second a little more and so forth at euerie turne vntill all be ended so doth the wheele of the heauens continually spinne and windc vp our life in that at euerie turning round that it maketh a peece of our life is spunne and wound vp and therfore holy Iob saith Iob. 9.25 that his daies were more swift then one that rideth in poste for hee that rideth in post though his message requireth neuer so much haste yet sometimes necessitie causeth him to stay but our life neuer staieth neither wil it giue vs so much libertie as the space of one houre of rest SECT 28. Why God will not haue vs to haue knowledge of things to come IN this as in all other things the wisdome of God is infinite who will not haue nor yet suffer men to haue knowledge of future things of things to come for if they had aprescience or foreknowledge of their prosperitie they would bee careles and negligent toward God their maker and againe vnderstanding of their aduersitie they wold be senceles as a male-factor who commonly is halfe dead so soone as the rope is cast about his necke man therefore hath only knowledge of things present and past of things present for that he may at all times behold the workes of God and presently betake himselfe vnto a new and holy life vnto heauenly meditations oft past for that he may giue God glory for his good deedes Iames. seeling that euery good perfect gift commeth from aboue and be sorie for his bad his corrupt and euill life SECT 29. What a good conscience is and the praise thereof THe best way for a man to promise his soule euerlasting life after death is to make much of a good conscience while he liues surely the wisest of kings king Solomon had thorowly tasted the delicacie of this daintie dish in that he calleth it a continuall feast a meat wherwith he could neuer be glutted by it the innocent smileth before the furiousnes of the feareful iudge when as in the meane space Prou. 15.13 17.22 the guiltie by inward gripings discouereth his offence though all men seeme to winke at it nay before he be suspected of any It is a bad conscience that pursues his master at the heeles and knoweth how to take vengeance in due time hee will not cease to post after him vntill hee hath pind him to the bar for let him be girded about with Irō garded with souldiers attended on by counsellers shut vp with wals of brasse in strong holds and castles yet will he be in a woefull case in a perplexed misery seeing that there is no salue for a sicke cōscience surely it is like vnto those mice which deuoured one Hatto a merciles bishop of Germanie Munster in Cosmo for if hee saile out vpon the seas it will swimme after the ship yea and be readie to drowne the puppe if he place himselfe in the center of a fietie circle it will leape ouer vnto him if hee ascend vp vnto the top of a castle it will climbe vp vnto him by the wals if hee descend downe into the earth it will dig him vp againe if he sleepeth he shall haue feare for his bedfellow if he awaketh walketh abroad he shal haue care for his companion and alwaies the sting of conscience for his torment there is no way to preuent it but by death and this also is vncertaine which maketh it the more grieuous for eyther hee shall bee presently healed or more grieuously hated SECT 30. We must make speed to amend THerefore when thou goest from home ponder with thy selfe what thou wilt doe abroade and when thou returnest home call to minde what thou hast done there when thou arisest in the morning determin to passe the day following as if at night they bed should be
prosperitie no honest or vertuous man will backebite his neighbour and we know that the veryest whore will crie whore first they that are moste vicious will soonest speake of other mens vices of other mēs deformities and enormities there are also many dogs that barke often Senec. de Kemed fortuit not for any cause that they haue but onelie for custome sake SECT 109. For such as haue lost their money YEt me thinkes I heare another set sighing for that he hath lost his money what if thy money be gone now thou art in lesse daunger oh how happie were thou if thou hadst lost thy couetousnes with it too art sure thou hast lost thy money prethee tell me how many money hath lost truely thou hadst better loose it then to let it loose thee and now shalt thou bee more light in thy iourney and more safe at home SECT 110. For such as are lame and ill fauored ANother is discontented and cries alas I am lame I goe vppon crouches I am crompt sholdred crooked deformed I am of an vgly visage and the like so that the least and lightest crosse is burdensome and grieuous vnto vs. Art thou deformed so was Aristotle so was graue and prudent Aesope and yet both of them in their age the wisest men that were it is not the proper flature of the bodie it s not the beard the tyranuizing countenance stately apparell new fashions new cuts rings Iewels or yet any outward ornament else that makes the man and likewise on the contrarie it s not a platter face maimed limmes one legge one arme or yet a paire of bow-legs that hindereth his difinition a man as he is a man doth not consist of flesh and bloud but of minde and courage of soule and spirit we say such a beast is a faire beast but we say such a man is a vertuous man which vertue onely proceedeth from his minde pray how doe we define a man we doe not say a man is a liuing Creature set out with a large paire of hose or the like but wee rather define him thus Arist Homo est animal rationale a man is a liuing creature indued withreason to conclude a man is a man if hee hath but a socke on his head What art thou lame indeed be content thy crouch serueth as well to fight withall as to leane on SECT 111. For such as are banished SOme againe weepe by cause they are banished but let me aske them whether they haue not deserued it indeed we say that fooles and children commonly will eate their cake and yet haue it too if they could but bee thou contented it s no crosse at all though thou thinkest it one its law iustice it fitteth wel thy desert what though thou art banished out of this lād thou shalt dwel in another thou canst not bee banished out of the world oh I shal be banished out of my countrie wherein I was borne thou art deceiued for Patria est vbicunque bene est that is thy countrie not that wherein thou wast borne but wherein thou canst best liue what is thy banishment it is but a trauelling and what noble spirit doth not desire to trauaile and to see new fashions if thou art not banished from the land of the liuing thou hast no cause to grieue Oh but I shall then die in a strange countrie what then thou shalt goe to heauen in a strange land as soone as in thy natiue countrie for heauen contrarie to the rules of Philosophie is a centre and the earth a circumference from which vnto the centre are drawne many lines and though many ascend vp one line many byanother yet at length all meet and reioyce in one and the same place let not this thought vexe thee for there is no earth strange vnto a dead man but yet alas it may be as I wander vp and downe I shall dy by my selfe and so I may lie vnburied what then thou shalt feele neither colde nor heat winde nor weather nay if thou doost respect that it is warmer lying aboue ground where the sunne shineth pleasantly then vnder the earth where is naught else but a colde crude and dampish moysture and what if thou shalt lie vnburied know that Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam hee that hath neuer a graue or coffin to shadow him hath the whole heauens to couer him What care I when I am once dead whether fier consumes me wilde beasts deuour me the sea drownes mee or the earth rots me surely I will neuer take thought for my body had not I as good let the birds those little prettie harmelesse creatures picke gently my bones as to let those filthy stinking maggots deuour them burying was not inuented first for those sakes that die but for those that remaine aliue afterward that so all the noysome smels and stinking vapours arising from the dead carkasse Senee de Rem fortuit might bee kept from them SECT 112. For such as weepe for losse of Children YEt crieth another I haue lost my Children Oh what will become of mee alas how sottish art thou to grieue for mortalitie is it a strange matter to see thy Children die surely it s no matter to see the tree stand and the Apples fall and no more strange is it then to see the fruite of thy bodie diseased and thy selfe aliue now shalt thou neuer heare worse of them and wilt thou mourne for that they bee in ioy surelye then thou doost not loue them though thou seemest loath to leaue them SECT 113. For such as mourne because they are in bondage ANd lastly another cries I am a slaue I am a bondman dost not know Qui non didicit parere non potest imperare hee that hath not learned to obey can neuer gouerne or rule his houshold well thou needest not now to hoe as wee say for hous-rent seruants wages and the like things which thy maister doth if thou art not a slaue vnto old Sathan al is wel But alas I haue not my belly ful if thou hast not bee contented for God punisheth the glutton as much as he doth thee if thou hast stomacke and little vittailes hee hath vittailes and little stomacke if thou labourest for meat for thy stomacke hee laboureth for stomacke for his meat nay the drunken to spot is as often thirstie as the drie trauailer SECT 114. An example of content in Dyogines the Cynicke I Wonder greatly at the impatience of this age that cannot suffer a fleabiting without rubbing and scratching learne of the sillie bird who although she be kept in a close cage bard from all liberties and pleasures minst of her diet yet sings shee more melodious and sweete then she that flies abroad in the open ayre no close imprisonment no thought can molest her But we are sullen in afflictions murmuring in crosses and powting in our sweetest trobles what though my lodging be in bulkes porches and tubs Vita