that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes which thow hast yet to lyue were now ended and that thow were euen at this present stretched out vppon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnall frindes aboute the weepinge and howlinge the phisitions 〈◊〉 with theire fees as hauinge geeuen the ouer thow lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitifull agonie expectinge from moment to moment the last stroake of death to be geeuen the. Tell me in this instant what would all the pleasures and commodities of this world doe the good what comforte would it be to the to haue bene of honour in this world to haue bene ryche and purchassed muche to haue borne office and bene in the princes fauoure 〈◊〉 haue left thy children or kynred wealthye to haue trodden downe thyne enimies to haue sturred much and borne greate swaye in this lyfe what ease I saye or comfort would it be to the to haue ben fayre to haue ben gallant in apparell goodlie in personage glytteringe in golde would not all thes thinges rather afflict than profit the at this instant for now shouldest thow see the vanitie of thes trifles now would thy hart begyn to saye within the o follye and vnfortunate blindenes of myne Loe heere is an end now of all my delytes and prosperities all my ioyes all my pleasures all my myrth all 〈◊〉 pastymes are now finished where are my frindes whiche were wont to laugh with me my seruantes wont to attende me my children wont to disporte me where are all my coches horses wherwith I was wont to make so goodlie a shew the cappes and knees of people wont to honour me the troupes of suters followinge me where are all my daliances and trickes of loue all my pleasant musicke all my gorgeous buyldinges all my costlie feastes and banquettinges and aboue all other where are my deare and sweete frindes whoe seemed they would neuer haue forsaken me but all are now gone and hath left me heere alone to aunswere the reckoninge for all none of them will doe so muche as to goe with me to iudgemēt or to speake one worde in my behalfe VVoe worthe to me that I had not foreseene this daye rather so haue made better prouisiō for the same it is now to late and I feare me I haue purchased eternall damnation for a litle pleasure and lost vnspeakable glorie for a slootinge vanitie Oh how happie twise fortunate are they whiche so lyue as they maye not be a fearde of this daye I now see the difference betwixt the endes of good and euill and maruaile not thought the scriptures saye of the one the deathe of sainctes are precious And of the other the death of sinners is miserable Oh that I had lyued so vertuouslye as some other haue donne or as I had often inspirations from God to doe or that I had done the good deedes I might haue donne how sweete and confortable woold they be to me now in this my last and extremest distresse To these cogitations and speeches deare brother shall thy harte be enforced of what estate soeuer thow be at the hower of death yf thow doe not 〈◊〉 it nowe by good lyfe and vertuous actions whiche onlye can yeeld the comfort in that sorowfull daye For of good men the iudge hym selfe sayeth His autem fieri incipientibus respicite leuate capita vestra quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra VVhen these terrible thinges begyn to come vpon other men doe you looke aboute you and lyft vp your heades for that yourred emption cōmeth on from the laboures and toyles of this worlde And the holye prophet sayeth of the vertuous man which hath done good woorkes in this lyfe that he shal be at this tyme beatus vir a happye man he 〈◊〉 the cause quia in die mala liberabit eumdominus opē feret illi super lectum doloris eius For that God will deliuer hym in this euill daye and will assist hym vppon the bed of his sorow VVhiche is ment no doubt of the bed of his last departure especialye for that of all other beddes this is the most sorowfull as I haue shewed beinge nothinge els but a heape of all sorowes together especiallie to them whiche are drawen vnto it before they are readie for the same as commonly all they are which deferre their amēdement from daye to daie and doe not attend to lyue in such sorte now as they shall wishe they had done when they come to that last passage Of the paines appointed for sinne after this lyfe and of tvvo sortes of the same CHAP. IX AMongest all the meanes whiche God vseth to wardes the childrē of men to moue them to this resolution wherof I entreate the strongest and most forcible is the consideration of punishmentes prepared by hym for rebellious sinners and transgressours of his cōmaundemēts VVherfore he vseth this motyue often as maye appeare by all the prophetes whoe doe almost nothinge els but threaten plagues and destruction to offenders And this meane hath often tyme preuailed more than anye other that could be vsed by reason of the naturall loue which we beare towardes our selues and consequentlie the naturall feare whiche we haue of our owne dannger So we reade that nothinge could moue the Niniuites so much as the foretell nge them of theire imminent destruction And S. Iohn Baptist although he came in a simple and cōtemptible maner yet preachinge vnto the people the terrour of vengeance to come and that the axe vvas novv put to the tree to cut dovvne for the fyre all those vvhich repented not he moued the verie publicanes and souldiers to feare which otherwise are people of verie harde mettall whoe came vnto hym vppon this terrible embassage and asked what they should doe to auoyde these punishmentes After then that we haue considered of death and of godes seuere iudgmente which ensueth after death and wherin euerie man hath to receyue accordinge to his woorkes in this lyfe as the scripture sayeth it followeth that we consider also of the punishmentes which are appointed for them that shal be founde faultie in that accounte hereby at leastwise yf no other consideration will serue to induce Christians to this resolution of seruinge God For as I haue noted before if euerie mā haue naturallie a loue of him selfe and desire to conserue his owne ease then should he also haue feare of perill wherby he is to fall into the extreame calamitie This expresseth S. Bernard excellently accordinge to his wounte O man saiethe he if thow haue left all shame which appertaineth to so noble a creature as thow art if thow feele no sorow as carnall men doe not yet leese not feare also which is founde in very beastes VVe vse to loade an asse to werie him out with laboure and he careth not because he is an asse but yf thow
neuer want the temptations of the world and deuill the resisting wherof is muche more difficult in time of peace and wealthe than in time of externall affliction and persecution for that these enemies are stronger in slatterie than in force whiche a godly father expresseth by this parable The sunne wynde sayeth he agreed one day to proue their seueral strengthes in takinge a cloke from a wayesarynge mā And in the forenoone the wynd vsed all violence that he could to blowe of the saide cloke But the more he blewe the more fast held the trauailer his clocke and gathered it more closely about hym At after noone the sunne sent foorthe her pleasant beames and by litle and litle so entered into this man as he caused hym to yeeld and put of not onelye his cloke but also his cote VVhereby ys proued sayeth this father that the alluremetes of pleasure are more strong and harder to be resisted than the violence of persecutiō The lyke is shewed by the example of Dauid whoe resisted easilie manye assaults of aduersitie but yet fell daungerouslie in tyme of prosperitie VVherby appearethe that vertuous men haue no lesse warre in tyme of peace than in time of persecution Nor euer wanteth there occasion of bearing the crosse suffering affliction to hym that will accept of the same And this may suffice for this first poynt to proue that euery man must enter into heauen by tribulation as S. Paul sayeth Touching the second whye God wolde haue this matter so yt were sufficient to answere that yt pleased hym best so without seeking any further reason of his meaninge heerein euen as it pleased him without all reason in oure syght to abase his sonne so much as to send hym hyther into this world to suffer and dye for vs Or yf we will needes haue a reason hereof this one myght be sufficient for all that seynge we looke for so great a glorie as we doe we should laboure a litle first for the same and so shewe our selues woorthie of gods fauoure and exaltation But yet for that yt hath pleased his diuine maiestie not onelye to open vnto vs his will and determination for our suffering in this lyfe but also diuers reasons of his moste holy purpose pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation which doe suffer I will in this place repeate some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great loue and fatherlie care towardes vs. The first cause then and the most principall is to encrease therby our merite glorie in the lyfe to come For hauing appointed by his eternall wisdome and iustice that none shall be crowned there but according to the measure of his fight in this world the more and greater cōbates that he geueth together with sufficient grace to ouercome therin the greater crowne of glorie prepareth he for vs at our resurrection This cause toucheth S. Paul in the woordes before alleaged of the saintes of the olde testament to VVitt that they receaued no redemption from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also meant Christ expresselie whē he sayed Happie are they vvhich suffer persecution for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen happie are you vvhen men speake euell and persecute you c. reioyse and be glad I saye for that your revvarde is greate in heauen Hither also doe appertaine all those promyses of gayning lyfe by leesing lyfe of receauing a hundred for one and the lyke Heere hence do proceede all those large promyses to virginitie and chastitie to such as geld them selues for the kyndome of heauen to voluntarie pouertie and to the renovvncing of our owne will by obedience All vvhich are greate conflictes agaynst the fleshe woorld and our ovvne sensualitie and can not be performed but by sufferinges and afflictiō Finally S. Paul declareth this matter fullie when he sayeth that a litle and short tribulation in this lyfe vvorketh a vveight of glorie aboue all measure in the hyght of heauen The second cause vvhy God appoynted this is to draw vs therby from the loue of the world his professed enemye as in the next chapiter shal be shevved at large This cause S. Paul vttereth in these vvordes VVe are punished of God to the end vve should not be damned vvith this vvorld Euen then as a Nurse that to vveane her child from the lykyng of her mylke dothe anoynte her teat with Alloes or some other suche bytter thing so our mercyfull father that vvolde retire vs from the loue of worldlie delytes whereby infinite men doe perish dayly vseth to send tribulation whiche of all other thinges hathe moste force to woorke that effect as we see in the example of the prodigall sonne whoe could by no meanes be stayed from his pleasures but onelyeby affliction Thirdlie God vseth tribulation as a most present and soueraigne medicine to heale vs of many diseases otherwyse almoste incurable As first of a certayne blyndenes and careles negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In whiche sense the scripture sayeth that affliction geueth vnderstanding And the wyse man affirmeth that the rodde bryngeth uvisdome This was shewed in figure vvhen the sight of Tobie was restored by the bytter gaule of a fishe And we haue cleare exāples in Nabuchadonasar Saul Antiochus and Manasses all which came to see their owne faultes by tribulation which they wolde neuer haue done in tyme of prosperitie The lyke we read of the brethren of Ioseph whoe falling some affliction in Egypt presentlie entered into their owne conscience and sayd VVe suffer those thinges vvoorthely for that vve synned against our brother And as tribulation bryngeth this light whereby we see our owne defectes so helpeth yt greatlie to remoue and cure the same wherin it may be well lykened vnto the rodde of Moyses For as that rodde strikinge the harde rockes hrought foorth water as the scripture saieth so this rodde of afflictiō falling vpon stonye harted synners mollyfyeth them to contrition and often times bringeth foorthe the fluddes of teares to repentance In respect wherof holy Tobye sayeth to God In tyme of tribulation thou forgeuest sinnes And for lyke effect it is compared also to a fyle of yron which taketh away the rust of the soule Also to a purgation that driueth out corrupt humours And finallie to a golde smythes fyre which cōsumeth away the refuse metalls and fineth the golde to his perfectiō I vvill trye thee by fyre to the quick sayeth God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I vvill take avvaye all thy tynne and refuse metall And againe by Ieremie I vvill melt them and trye them by fire This he meant of the fyre of tribulation whose propertie is according as
promises Modestie without arrogancie Continencie from all kynde of wickednes Chastitie in conseruing a pure minde in a cleane and vnspotted bodie Against these men saithe S. Paul there is no lavve And in the verie same chapiter he expresseth the spirite of the world by the contrarie effectes sayeing the worckes of fleshe are manifest whiche are fornicatioÌ„ vncleannes wantoÌ„nes lecherie Idolatrie poysonninges enemities contentions emulatioÌ„s wrathe strife dissention sectes enuie murder dronkennes gluttonie and the like of whiche I foretell you as I haue tolde you before that those men whiche doe suche thinges shall neuer obteyne the kyngdome of heauen Heere now may euery man iudge of the spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ and applieing it to him selfe may coniecture whether he holdeth of the one or of the other S. Paul geeueth two pretie shorte rules in the very same place to trye the same The first ys They vvhiche are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe uvithe the vices and concupisceÌ„ces therof That is they haue so mortified their owne bodies as they committ none of the vices and sinnes repeated before nor yeeld not vnto the concupiscences or temptations therof The second rule is yfvve lyue in spirite then let vs vvalke in spirit That is our vvalking and behauioure is a signe vvhether vve be alyue or dead For yf our vvalking be spirituall suche as I haue declared before by the tvvelue fruites therof then doe vve lyue and haue life in spirite but yf our vvorkes be carnall suche as S. Paul novv hathe described then are vve carnall and dead in spirite nor haue vve any thing to doe vvith Christ or portion in the kingdome of heauen And for that all the vvorlde is full of those carnull vvorkes and bringeth foorthe no fruites in deede of Christs spirit nor permittethe them to grovv or prosper vvithin her thence is yt that the scripture alvvayes putteth Christ and the vvorld for opposite opeÌ„ enemies Christ hym selfe saveth that the vvorlde can not receaus the spirit of trueth And againe in the same EuaÌ„gelist he sayeth that nether he nor anye of his are of the vvorlde thoughe they liue in the vvorld And yet further in his moste vehement prayer vnto his father pater iuste mundus te non cognouit Iust father the world hathe not knowen thee For which cause S. Iohn writeth If any maÌ„ loue the vvorld the loue of the father is not in hym And yet further S. Iames that vvho soeuer but desireth to be freend of this vvorld is therby made an enemye to God VVhat will worldly men saye to this S. Paul affirmeth plainlie that this world is to be damned And Christ insinuateth the same in S. Iohns gospell but moste of all in that wonderfull fact of his when prayeing to his father for other matters he excepteth the world by name Non pro mundo rogo saithe he I doe not aske mercie and perdone for the world But for those whiche thow hast geuen me owt of the worlde Oh what a dreadfull exception is this made by the Sauioure of the world by the lambe that taketh awaye all sinnes by hym that asked perdone euen for his tourmentoures and crucifiers to except now the world by name from his mercie Oh that worldlie men wold consider but this one point onelie they wolde not I think liue so voyde of feare as they doe Can any man maruayle now why S. Paul cryeth so carefullie to vs nolite conformari huic saeculo coÌ„forme not your selfes to this world agayne that we should renounce vtterlie all secular desires can anye maruayle whye S. Iohn whiche was moste priuie aboue all other to Christs holie meaning here in sayeth to vs in suche earnest sorte Nolite diligere muÌ„dum neque ea quae in mundo sunt Doe not loue the world nor any thing that is in the world If we maye nether loue it nor so muche as conforme our selues vnto it vnder so greate paynes as are before rehearsed of the enemitie of God and eternall damnation what shall become of those men that doe not onelye conforme them selues vnto it and the vanities therof but also doe folowe it seeke after it rest in it and doe bestowe all theyr labours and trauailes vpon it If you aske me the cause whye Christ so hateth and abhorreth this world S Iohn telleth you 〈◊〉 mundus totus in maligno posius est for that all the whole worlde is set on naughtynes for that it hathe a spirite contrarie to the spirite of Christ as hathe bene shewed for that it teacheth pryde vainglorie ambition enuie reuenge malice with pleasures of the fleshe and all kynde of vanities And Christ on the contrarie side humilitie meekenes perdonyng of enemyes abstin ce chastitie sufferance mortisicatioÌ„ bearing the crosse with contempt of all earthelye pleasures for the kyngdome of heauen for that it persecuteth the good aduanceth the euill for that it rooteth owt vertue and planteth all vice And finalie for that it shutteth the doores against Christ when he knocketh strangleth the harte that once it possessethe VVherfore to conclude this parte seyng this world is suche a thing as it is so vaine so deceytfull so troublesome so daungerâ—…us seyng it is a professed enemye to Christ excoÌ„municated and damned to the pitt of hell seyng it is as one father sayeth an arcke of trauaile a schoole of vanities a feare of deceite a labirin the of errour seing it is nothing els but a barraine wildernes a stonye fyeld a durtye Stye a tempestuous sea seing it is a groue full of thornes a medowe full of scorpions a flourishing garden without fruite a caue full of poysoned and deadlie basiliskes seyng it is finallie as I haue shewed a fountaine of miseries a ryuer of teares a faigned fable a delectable frensie seyng as S. Austen sayeth the ioy of this world hathe nothing els but faise delyte true asperitie certaine sorowe vncertaine pleasure trauailsome labour fearfull rest greeuous miserie vayne hope of selicitie seyng it hathe nothing in it as S. Chrisostome saythe but teares shame repentance reproche sadnes negligences labours terrours sicknes sinne and deathe it selfe seyng the worlds repose is full of anguishe his securitie without foundation his feare without cause his trauailes without fruite his sorowe without profitt his desires without successe his hope without rewarde his myrthe without continuance his miseries without remedies seyng these and a thousande euills more are in it and no one good thing can be had from it who will be deceyued with this visard or allured with this vanitie hereafter who will be stayed from the noble seruice of God by the loue of so fond a trifle as is this world And this to a reasonable man may be sufficient to declare the insufficencie of this third impediment But yet for the satissieing of my promisse in
of children and how seruile feare is profitable for sinners The fiueth chapiter Of the fyueth impediment vvhiche is delay of resolution vpon hope to doe it better or vvith more ease aftervvarde VVherein a declaration is made pag. 271. OF seuen speciall reasons whye the deuill moueth vs to delaye And of six principall causes whiche make our conuersion harder by delaye How hard it is to doe pennance in olde age for him that is not accustomed to yt what obligation and charge a man draweth to hym selfe by delaye That the example of the theese saued on the crosse is no warrant to suche as deferre theyr conuersion Of diuers reasons whie conuersion made at the last howre is insufficent The sixt chapiter Of thre other impedimēts that is slothe negligence hardnes of hart vvherein is declared pa. 403. THe fower effectes of slothe the meanes how to remoue them Of two causes of Atheisme at this daye And of the waye to cure careles men Of two degrees of hardnes of hart How hardnes of hart is in all persecutors The discription of a hard hart and the daunger therof The conclusion of the whole booke TO THE CRISTIAN READER TOVVCHINGE two editions of this booke ABowt three yeres past good reader a certaine learned and deuout gentilman consideringe the greate want of spirituall bookes in Englande for the direction of men to pietie deuotic̄ whiche ought to be the cheefest point of our exercise in this lyfe tooke the paines to translate a godlye treatise to that effect named the exercise of a Christian life writen in the Italian toung by a reuerende man of the socretic of Iesus named Gasper Loartes Doctor in diuinitie and of greate experience in the handlinge and managinge of sowles to that purpose VVhiche booke because I vnderstande of certaintie to haue done greate good to haue wrought forcebly in the hartes of manye persons towards the foresayed effect of pietie and deuotion I was moued to cause the same to be printed againe and that in muche more ample manner than before hauinge added vnto it two partes of three which were not in the former booke The reason of this so large an additiō shall appeare in the Induction followinge where snalbe shewed the partes of this booke with the causes and cōtentes therof But the principall cause and reason was to the ende our countrye men might haue some one sufficiēt directiō for matters of life and spirit among so manye bookes of controuersies as haue ben writen and are in writinge dailye The whiche bookes albeit in thes our troublesome quarrelous times be necessarie for defence of our faithe againste so manye seditious innouations as now are attempted yet helpe they litle oftentymes to good lyfe but rather do fill the heades of men with a spirite of contradiction and contention that for the most parte hindereth deuotiō which deuotion is nothinge els but a quiet and peaceble state of the sowle endewed with a ioyful promptnes to the diligent execution of all thinges that appartayne to the honour of God In respect wherof S. Paule geeueth this counsayle to his scholer Timothie contende not in vvordes for it is profitable to nothinge but to subuert the hearers The lyke counsayle he geuethe in diuers other places in respect of this quiet deuotion whiche is trowbled by contention But yet as I haue saide these bookes of controuersies are necessarie for other considerations especialie in thes our tymes when euerye man almost is made of a fancie and apte to esteeme the same greate wisdome except it be refuted Suche are our dayes most vnhappie truelye in respect of our forefathers whoe receauinge the grownde of faithe peaceably without quarelinge from their mother the Chuche did attend onlye to builde vppon the same good woorkes and Christian life as their vocation required But we spendinge all the tyme in ianglinge abowte the foundation haue no leysure to think vpon the building and so we wearye out our spirites without cōmoditie we dye with muche adoe and litle profit greate disquiet small rewarde For whoe knoweth not that what faithe so euer a man hathe yet without good lyfe it helpeth hym litle I am therfore of opinion gentle reader that albeit trew faithe be the grownde of Christianitie without which nothinge of it selfe can be meritorious before God yet that one principall meane to come to this trew faithe and right knowledge and to ende all thes our infinite cōtentions in religion were for eche man to betake him selfe to a good vertuous life for that God could not of his vnspeakeable mercie suffer suche a man to erre lōge in religion VVe haue a cleare exāple of Cornelius a Gentile to whome God in respect of his religious lyfe prayer and almes deedes as the scripture affirmeth sent his Apostle S. Peter to instruct him in the right faithe So mercifull is God to those whiche applye thē selues to vertue and pietie albeit they erre as yet in pointes of faithe And on the contrarie side as loose lyfe and worldlye ambition was the first cause of all heresye in Christian religion from the beginninge so is it the cōtinuance of the same and it is verie harde for him that is so affected to be recalled from his error For that as the scripture saithe the vvisdome of God vvill not entre into a malitious minde nor dvvell in a bodye subiect to sinne And our Saueoure in the gospell askethe a question of certaine ambitious worldlynges whiche geeuethe greate light to the thinge we talke of hovv sayeth he can you beleeue vvhich seeke glorye one of an other as whoe woulde saie that this worldly ambition and euill life of theirs did make it impossible for them to come to the trewe faithe VVherfore gentle reader if thow be of an other religiō than I am I beseche the most hartelye that layenge a side all hatred malice and wrathfull contention let vs ioyne together in amendmēt of our lyues and prayeng one for an other and God no doubt will not suffer vs to perishe finallye for want of right faithe And to Catholiques I must saye further withe S. Paule and S. Iames that all their faith will profitt them nothinge except they haue charitie allso bothe towardes God and man and therby doe directe their lyues accordinglye VVhiche God of his holye mercye geeue them 〈◊〉 to doe to his honour and their eternall saluation And I most humblye request the good Christian reader to praie for me allso if thow take any commoditie by this booke that I be not like the Conduit pipe whiche bringeth water to the citie without drinkinge anye it selfe or as S. Paule withe muche lesse cause than I haue feared of hym selfe to witt lesse that after preachinge to other I become perchaunce a reprobate my selfe Remēbre allso I beseeche the that most vertuous good gentilman whoe by his first translation was the cause of
woldest thrust him into fyre or flynge hym into a ditche he woold auoide it as muche as he coulde for that he loueth lyfe and 〈◊〉 death Feare thow then and be not more insensible than a beast Feare death feare iudgement feare hell this feare is called the begynninge of wisdome and not shame or sorow for that the spirite of feare is more potent to resist sinne than the spirite of shame or sorow wherfore it is saide remēber the ende and thovv shalt neuer sinne that is remember the finall punishmentes appointed for sinne after this lyfe Thus far S. Bernarde First therfore to speake in generall of the punishmentes reserued for the lyfe to come yf the scriptures did not declare in perticular theire greatnes vnto vs yet are there manie reasons to persuade vs that they are most feuere dolorous intollerable For first as God is a God in all his woorkes that is to saye greate wounderfull terrible so especialie he sheweth the same in his punishmentes beinge called for that cause in scripture deus iustitiae God of iustice as also deus vltionum God of reuenge VVherfore seinge all his other woorkes are maiestical exceedinge our capacities we maye lykewise gather that his hande in punishmēt must be wounderfull also God hym selfe teacheth vs to reason in this maner when he sayethe And vvill ye not then feare me and vvill ye not tremble before my face vvhiche haue putt the sande as a stopp vnto the sea and haue geeuen the vvater a commandement neuer to passe it no not vvhen it is most trovvbled the flooddes most outragious as who would saye yf I am wounderfull doe passe your imaginatiō in these woorkes of the sea and other which you see daylie you haue cause to feare me cōsideringe that my punishmentes are lyke to be correspondent to the same An other coniecture of the great and seuere iustice of God maye be the cōsideration of his infinite and vnspekeable mercie the whiche as it is the verie nature of God without ende or measure as his godhead is so is also his iustice And these two are the two 〈◊〉 as it were of God embracinge kyssnge one the other as the scripture saieth Therfore as in a man of this world yf we had the measure of one arme we might easely cōiecture of the other so seinge the wounderfull exāples dailie of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we maye imagyne by the same his seuere iustice towardes them whoe he reserueth to punishment in the next lyfe and whome for that cause he calleth in the scriptures Vasa furoris Vessels of his furye or vessels to shew his furye vppon A third reason to perswade vs of the greatnes of these punishmentes maye be the maruailous patiēce and longe sufferinge of God in this lyfe as for example in that he sufferethe diuers men from one sinne to an other from one daye to an other from one yere to an other frō one age to an other to spend all I saye in dishonoure and dispite of his maiestie addinge offence to offence and refusinge all perswasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of frindshipp that his mercie can deuise to offer for theire amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortall hart can shew suche patience but now yf all this should not be requited with seueritie of punishmēt in the worlde to come vppon the obstinate it might seeme against the lawe of iustice and equitie and one arme in God might seeme longer than the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saithe doest thovv not knovv that the benignitie of God is used to bringe thee to repentance and thovv by thy harde and impenitent hart doest hoord vpp vengeance vnto thy selfe in the daye of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shall restore to euerie man accordinge to his vvorkes he vseth heere the wordes of hoordinge vpp of vengeance to signifie that euen as the couetous man doth hoorde vp monie to monie dailie to make his heape greate so the vnrepentant synner dothe hoorde vp sinne to sinne and God on the contrary side hoordeth vpp vengeance to vengeance vntill his measure be full to restore in the end measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home accordinge to the multitude of our ovvne obhominations This God meant when he sayde to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet full vpp Also in the reuelations vnto S. Iohn Euangelist when he vsed this cōclusion of that booke He that doth euill let hym doe yet more euill and he that lyeth in filth let hym yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklye and my revvarde is vvith me to render to euerye man accordinge to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his bearinge tolleratinge with sinners in this lyfe is an argument of his greater serueritie in the lyfe to come which the prophet Dauid also declareth when talkinge of a careles sinner he saieth Dominus irridebit eum quoniam 〈◊〉 quòd veniet dies eius Our God shall scoff at hym foreseinge that his daye shall come This daye no dout is to be vnderstoode the daye of accounte and punishement after this lyfe for soo dothe God more at large declare hym selfe in an other place in these wordes And thow sonne of man this saieth thy lord God the end is come now I saye the end is come vppon the. And I will shew in the my furye and will iudge the acoordinge to thy waies I will laye against the all thy abominations and my eye shall not spare the nor will I take anye mercie vppon the but I will put thyne owne wayes vppon the and thow shalt know that I am the lord Behold affliction commeth on the end is come the end I saye is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come crusshinge is now come vppon the the tyme is come the daye of slaughter is at hand Shortlie will I poure owt my wrathe vppon the and I will fill my furye in the and I will iudge the accordinge to thy waies and I will laye all thy vvickednes vppon the my eye shall not pitie the nor vvil I take any compassion vppon the but I will laye thy vvaies vppon the and thy abhominations in the 〈◊〉 of the and thovv shalt knovv that I am the lorde that striketh Hytherto is the speeche of God hym selfe Seinge then now we vnderstāde in generall that the punishmentes of Cod in the lyfe to come are moste certaine to be greate seuere to all suche as fall into them for whiche cause S. Paule saithe Horrendum est incidere in manus dei viuentis it is is a 〈◊〉 thinge to fall into the handes of our lyuinge God Let vs consider some what in particular