The other is concerning praier A good conscience maketh request vnto God and when we haue an euill conscience with what heart shall we offer vp our praiers to God or how shal they be accepted at gods hand According to that we reade Iob. 11. 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand toward him if iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away And therefore Mardocheus is bold to come into Gods presence vnder the warrant of a good conscience Hester 13. 12. Thou knowest saith he all things and thou knowest Lord that it was neither of mallice nor presumption nor for any desire of glorie that I did this and not bowe downe to proud Haman For I would haue bene content with a good will for the saluation of Israel to haue kist the sole of his feete But I did it because I would not preferre the honor of a man aboue the glory of God and would not worship any but onely thee my Lord. And this haue I not done of pride Séeing therefore the ioy of a good conscience is so great well might the wise man say Pro. 15. 15. A good conscience is a continuall feast and the greatest comfort in the greatest trouble and such a comfort that the world cannot giue The ioy and comfort whereof may appeare by the contrary in the wicked For where the want of a good conscience is there is neither ioy nor comfort but feare and sorrow As we reade Prou. 15. 13. A ioyfull heart maketh a cheerfull countenance but by the sorrow of the heart the mind is heauie And Iob. 11. 20. The eies of the wicked shall faile and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of minde An ill conscience bringeth great dumpes and the heart of the people is filled therewith And this is one of the chiefest iudgements that God doth lay vpon the wicked as we may reade Wisd 17. That they were sick and died for feare and they swounded when a sodaine feare not looked for came vpon them For it is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her owne testimonie and a conscience that is touched doth euer forecast cruell thinges By the which feare the succours which reason offereth are betraied for indéede no reason can allay the force therof but only the grace and good spirite of God which is farre from the obstinate and vnrepentant sinner Whose hope the lesse it is within the greater doe the tormentes to come séeme vnto them Wickednesse is full of feare and giueth testimonie of damnation against it selfe and a troubled conscience alway suspecteth cruell matters to be imminent and to hang ouer it selfe as it maketh account to haue descrued The miserable estate of a wicked mans conscience is also liuely described Iob. 15 in these wordes A wicked man is prooued all the daies of his life though time be vncertain how long he shall play the tyrant The sound of terror and feare is alwaies in his eares and although it be in time of peace yet he alway suspecteth some treason against him expecting on euery side the sword to come vpon him When hee sitteth downe to eate he remembreth that the day of darknesse is ready at hand for him tribulation terrifieth him and anguish enuironeth him euen as a king is enuironed with souldiers when he goeth to war What can be more miserable then that man that hath such a butchery and slaughterhouse within his own heart What are his fearee how great are his anguishes Suspecting all things doubting their own shadowes fearing euery little noise thinking euery one to come against them that come toward them and others that talke togither to talke of them and their sins Such a thing sin is that it bewraieth it selfe though no man accuse it it condemneth it selfe though no man beare witnesse against it Pro. 28. The wicked man flieth thogh no man pursue him And why doth he flie Because that he hath within his conscience an accuser pursuing him whom alwaies he carrieth about him And as he cannot flie from himselfe so cannot he flie from his accuser but wheresoeuer he goeth he is pursued and whipped by the same his wonnd incurable And wherehence groweth all this feare but only because our consciences shal be our greatest accusers at the day of iudgement as we reade Reuel 20. 12 And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes of their consciences were opened and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in those bookes according to their workes Now therfore it appeareth that one of the chiefest ioyes of the godly is the testimonie of a good conscience which is only proper to the godly and vnto the which the wicked can in no sort attaine Without the which there is nothing but the feare of death and damnation Wherefore let euerie one haue care to make a good conscience his only ioy and let all our works be ruled thereby without the which all things no doubt shall go farre out of square The ioy also of the godly consisteth in this that they The glorie of God turne all their ioy to the setting forth of Gods glory According to the example Hamah the mother of Samuel who being in great sorrowe of minde because she was barren and wanted the ioy of children she made her humble and earnest request vnto god to make her a ioyful mother Promising therewithall that if God would vouchsafe to graunt her a child that she would him to the Lord and consecrate him to his seruice Contrary to the course of the wirked and the fashion of the world which perisheth who réferre and apply all their ioy to the fulfilling of their pleasures and the saisfying of their lustes Which thing the Apostle Saint Iames doth worthily reproue in them Chap. 4. 3. 4. Yee aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that yee might consume it on your lustes Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the amitie of the world is the enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemy of God Looke what ye sowe ye shall reape if ye séeke Gods glory ye shall reape honour and if your ioy bee setled in worldly and sinfull matters your ioy shall be turned into shame And herehence ariseth another kind of ioy of the godly Heauenly blessings who counting worldly ioyes but sinne and shame or at lestwise but friuolous vaine haue resolued with themselues to settle all their delight in heauenly blessings and inward comforts and in such things wherin the wicked hath no delight As in praier to God in singing Psalmes in hearing his word in reading his lawe Blessed is the man whose delight is in the lawe of the Lord and who meditateth therein day and night And séeing they are risen with Christ they séeke those things which are aboue their treasure is in heauen where their heart is As for the earth they
himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of GOD. An other sort there is that willingly plucke their neckes out of the choller and would be spectators and beholders of other mens misery by reason of sinne and transgression There is no man iust by excuse thinking themselues without spot and blamelesse standing vppon this guarde that they neuer knew the law of Moses the seruaunt of GOD whereby they might direct their liues according to the will of GOD. Nothing regarding the firmament the heauens and all other creatures whereby they are incited to acknowledge the eternall power and wisedome of God and to glorifie him in them and to giue him thankes for so great benefites which he hath ordeined for the vse of man But more blockish are they which boast and vaunt of the The righteousnesse of man standeth not in the knowledge of the lawe knowledge of the lawe of God as did the Iewes who put all their safetie in this that Abraham was their father that the oracles of God were committed to them that the couenaunt was propper vnto them that the temple of God was amongst them that they were the people of God and the beloued of the Lord and yet for all this labour not to liue in the obedience of the lawe For the Lorde chose them as a peculiar people that they might serue him in all holinesse and righteousnesse which thing they altogither neglected thinking that God had chosen them for their worthinesse Wherefore the foolish All excuse takeÌ„ away from them heart of man which is full of darkenesse cannot deuice any way how to be righteous but his deuices and his righteousnesse is foolishnesse before God and altogither condemned of the spirituall man For if hec thinke to bee iust by condemning other breaking out into these words with the Pharisée O God I thanke thée that I am not as other men extorcioners vniust adulterers or euen as this publican he Hipocrite pronounceth the sentence of iudgement against himself in that comparing his life to the law he is most culpable and faultie But rather let vs vnderstand and learne what the meaning of this is Euerie man that exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe and he that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted If he would start aside because he knoweth not Gentile the lawe and so imagine himselfe to be frée his conscience is a thousand witnesses and the light of nature and reason commaunding and highlie commending those things which are good hating forbidding and punishing those things which are wicked and euil sheweth him how to liue in the seruice and feare of God For in that by nature saith the Apostle of all they doe the things contained in the lawe they hauing not the lawe are a lawe vnto themselues and they that haue sinned without the lawe shall perish without the lawe The effect of which knowledge of God by the light of nature and reason being written in their hearts and consciences shall ridde them from all excuse and be most effectuall yea horrible in that dreadfull day of doome when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Chist the bookes that is their consciences being then laid open Lastly if only the knowledge of the lawe Iewe. could preuaile that therby we might be iustified and counted righteous we had wherein we might reioyce But séeing not the hearers but the doers of the law are iustified before God and that God requireth a circumcised hart and is uot satisfied with vaine shewes and ceremonies it followeth that they are not iust which onlie know the lawe and yâ—the circumcision of the hart I mean the inward righteousnes consisteth in the spirit not in the letter Wherefore they that sinne in the law that is hauing knowledge of the lawe shal be iudged by the lawe This then is the full summe of the matter that both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne that is are iustly condemned for sinnes and are subiect to the curse which is due vnto sinne For as with righteousnesse there is absolution so with sinne there is condemnation So that it is not in man to ridde himselfe from the curse of the lawe by any deuised righteousnesse Hitherto the drift of the Apostle hath beene to shewe howe that mans righteousnesse is farre from the obedience of the lawe and that righteousnesse which God requireth at our handes And endeuouring to giue a more cleare light to the righteousnesse of God hée plucketh away the visor of their faigned righteousnesse and discouereth their faces yea he setteth before vs and launceth out the venome and corruption of our heart comparing our righteousnesse or rather our excessiue wickednesse with the rule of the lawe which by a fit exaggeration he sheweth vs as plaine as if blacke and white were laid togither darkenesse and light were weighed in a ballaunce Such is therefore the righteousnesse of man that The righteousnesse of man compared to the lawe howe faultie it is wée thinke our selues iust without the knowledge of the lawe without the effectuall working thereof and before we examine our selues our liues and sinnes thereby Sinne is not imputed while there is no lawe and no man is punished as guiltie and faultie For where no lawe is there is no transgression and contrariwise by the lawe is the knowledge of sinne And sinne that it might appeare sinne worketh death in vs by that which is good that sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commandement Moreouer the lawe entered thereupon By the lawe is the knowledge of sin that sinne might abounde both that which is originall and that which daily carrieth the sway in our actions The vse of this manifestation is referred to The vse of the lawe is two sold two pointes The first is that men might be so much the more guiltie Secondly the benefit of god in Christ Iesus should bee so much the more glorious The second VVhat the lawe is in it self and what to vs. The lawe is spirituall generall poynt in this comparison is what the lawe is in it selfe and also hauing respect vnto vs. In it selfe it is holy and the commaundement holy iust and good it is spirituall and requireth of vs an beauenly purenesse yea the heart and inwarde affection because God iudgeth the secret motions of the same and a chéerfulnesse and a willingnesse in the outwarde déede So that nothing is more contrary to the lawe then hypocrisie lying and deceit Nowe then as the lawe is spirituall so wée VVe are carnall are carnall solde vnder sinne and being in the flesh the affections of sinne which are by the lawe haue force in our members to bring foorth frute vnto death Yea the whole naturall man is bondslaue to the lawe of the fleshe and of sinne whiche possesseth the vnregenerate and wholly raigneth in them For they neither will nor doo good so that although the lawe of nature and
to like of pleasure and opens the doore to one vanitie which he loues straight as many vanities flocke to him as Salomon had Concubines till the Temple of God be like a den of théeues Therefore when Salomon beheld such a pluralitie and Totquot of Vanities like surges comming one vpon another in pleats and folds he spake as though he would shew Vanitie hatching vanities Vanitie of vanities All is Vanitie The first saying doth passe without let but the last rubbes and sincks not into the hearts of men so easily as it is spoken Me thinks I heare some dispute for Baâll and bid Salomon stay before he come to All is Vanitie It may be that sinne is Vanitie and pleasure is Vanitie but shall we condemne all for sin and pleasure What say you to Beautie which is natures dowrie and cheareth the eye as swéet meate doth the tast Beautie is like a faire Picture take away the cullour and there is nothing left Beautie indéed is but a cullour and a temptation the cullâ—ur fadeth and the temptation snareth But what say you to Riches which make men Lords ouer the rest and allow them to go braue and lie soft and fare daintily and haue what they list Riches are like painted grapes which looke as though they would satisfie a man but do not slake hunger nor quench his thirst Riches indéed do make a man couet more and get enuie and kéepe the minde in care But what say you to Honour which sets a man aloft and makes the knée how and the tongue sooth and the head stand bare as though they were other kind of creatures aboue men Honour is like a King in a play when his part is done his ornaments are taken from him and he which held the bason to him is as good as he Honor indéed may command all but life he makes a faire shewe now but when death comes all is one But what say you to prosound Knowledge in déepe misteries which makes men sought vnto and called déepe Clarkes and great Doctors Knowledge is like the Letters which Vriah carried against himselfe so Knowledge draweth a greater iudgement and oftentimes condemnes the bearer Knowledge without Vertue leaues a man without excuse and is a witnesse against him because he vnderstands what is good and will not do it Yet there is another darling of account behinde what say you to long life which causeth a man to sée his childrens children and makes him reuerent vnto the people Long life is like a long night when a man cannot sléepe so Age is wearisome with sicknesse and striues with it selfe because it cannot walke nor talke nor heare nor sée nor sléepe nor taste as it was wont therfore wisheth often that night were gone that the pain were past Indéed he that sées many dayes sees many miseries and therefore what is not vaine in life sith life it selfe is vaine Shew me the light which will not darken shew me the floure which will not fade shew me the frute which will not corrupt shewe me the garment which will not weare shew me the beautie which will not wither shewe me the strength which will not weaken shew me the time which will not passe and I will reclaime that all is Vanitie yet this will not go for truth before men haue smarted for the triall Some are so vaine that they count nothing Vanitie but that which is vainer than the rest delights them most for there is as it were a common-weale of vain persons and he that can be vainest is like a King of the rest Some are of this mind that they thinke all is vaine but that which they loue and therfore they call them vaine and curious and phantasticall which speake against their vanities and say that it is necessary to be vaine for they cannot liue vnlesse they deceiue they cannot please vnlesse they flatter they cannot be beléeued vnlesse they sweare they cannot be estéemed vnlesse they royst as Demetrius thought hée should begge vnlesse hée should sell Images There is another sort lyke the buyer in Prouer. 20. which saith It is naught it is naught but when he is gone apart he boasteth It is naught before men and sweare that all is vanitie but when they are gone apart they reconcile themselues vnto it and kisse it and promise to be vaine still but they cannot abide to bee counted vaine the vainest man that is This shewes that the folly of the worlde is so open and shamefull that her louers must néedes condemne her You shall heare them say oftentimes It is a vaine worlde a wicked worlde a naughtie world yet they will not forsake it to dye lyke dastarde souldiers who raile against the enemy but dare not fight against him All is Vanitie but this is Vanitie of vanities that men will follow that which they condemne But this is that euery sinner might condemne himselfe for the conscience must iudge first and then God as our Sauiour saith Out of thy owne mouth and so out of thine owne heart I will condemne thee naughtie seruant shewing that the wicked condemne themselues before they are condemned of GOD. These are thewords of fooles which cares not what is their end so that their way be pleasant Oh that here were a full end or conclusion of Vanities but behold a greater vanitie is behind for our religion is Vanitie lyke the Scribes and Pharisies as Mathew saith in the 23. Chapter and 27. verse hauing a bare shew of holinesse as he saith he could call it but a shewe of holilinesse and scarce that Our Vanitie is vanitie but our holinesse is but a shewe of holinesse not worthie to bee called holinesse but lyke holinesse yet the most part haue not so much as the shew of holinesse as the Pharisics had but are vaine in shewe inside and outside too Thus wée finde nothing yet but Vanitie I cannot leade you from one vnto another to shewe you the seuerall vanities of euery person or euery thing because Salomon saith All is Vanitie How many then haue wée to condemne vs whose vanities are sprinkeled in euery thing which haue not onely so many vanities as there bee thinges but many vanities in euerie thing As in our fare howe many vanities are there whiche makes vs rise sometimes sicke sometimes sléepie sometimes drunke yet are there also more Vanities in our sportes our laughing and swearing and ieasting and scoffing and dallying and playing with the Scriptures which oftentimes leaues such a sting behind that we had rather haue lost our sport than feele the worme that gnawes vs for it And yet there be moe vanities in our apparell ruffe vpon ruffe lace vpon lace cut vpon cut 24. orders to the third and fourth degrée as though our apparell were apparelled vntil the woman be not worth so much as her attire that if we could sée Vanitie her selfe how she would goe if she did weare apparell she would goe euen almost lyke our women for she could not
neither did any heresie false doctrine false religion idolatrie superstition or vaine opinions blind his vnderstanding or trouble his minde Then was there no wicked lustes that did assault his will and desire or that did hinder him from the worship and seruice of God but hée was wholly framed and inclined to doo the will of God His eyes were not filled with lust his tongue was not giuen to euil slanderous and blasphemous spéeches his hands were frée from theft his féete were not swift to shead blood drunkennesse and gluttonie had not taken hold on him fornication and whoredome had not defiled him neither had any other sinne that may bee named power ouer him But whatsoeuer things were true whatsoeuer things were honest whatsoeuer things were iust whatsoeuer things were pure whatsoeuer things pertained to loue and charitie whatsoeuer things were of good report if there were any vertue or if there were any praise on these thinges his thoughts were setled to these thinges his minde was onely and wholly inclined And thus you see what is ment by holinesse and righteousnesse which is the chiefest part of the image of God and the especiall consideration thereof The next matter which is to be considered in the image of God is that our first parents had Fréewill to performe that which was good pleasant and acceptable in the sight of God But they had it in such sort that they might fall away frō it and when they were fallen away they could not come to it againe neither was it in their power to recouer it as also their posteritie could neuer attaine vnto it although they make great boast They giue forth spéeches of winde and great brags without truth Indéed it cannot be denied but that in the time of the innocencie of our first parentes they had Fréewill as we read Eccle. 15. 14. God made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his counsel and gaue him his commandements and his precepts that if he would he might obserue the commaundements and testifie his good will He set water and fire before him to stretch out his hand vnto which he wold Before man was life and death good and euil choose him whether But alasie in stéed of good he did choose euil in stéed of a blessing a curse in stéed of life death By the gift of God it was in his power and Fréewill to obey the commandements of God that so after this life hee might bee partaker of the heauenly toyes Which gift for want of good héed taking he lost and that to the great misery ouerthrow of all mankind This gift and good quallitie did not long continue but by an vnhappie meanes he did commit euil and so to the end of his life continued inclining rather to euil thē doing good Once he had Fréewil and at the time of his creation when God powred his blessings on him in great measure but after that he fell away from God by disobeying his commandement neither he nor his posteritie had euer after any power to do good of themselues but rather the contrary And then was their Fréewill turned into a slauish will because it was wholly made subiect to the power of sinne through their owne desert and through their owne procurement and through the craftie working of the diuel and now all our mindes are set vpō nothing so much and delighteth in nothing more then in ill doing Much like a crooked trée which can neuer grow straight The first man had not this grace of God whereby he should neuer encline to euill but yet he had that grace whereby hee might alwayes haue bene preserued from euill if hée woulde haue continued therein but by his Fréewill he forséeke this grace And when he had thus wounded himselfe hée could not bee healed of himselfe and when hée had made himselfe sicke hée could not rise againe at his pleasure But for the better vnderstanding of this matter I will laie you downe foure degrées of Fréewill in man which may stand and bee approoued by the scriptures and written word of God The first degrée is that hée had Fréewill but chaungeably that is GOD left him in the hand of his owne counsell to stande or fall to continue or to go astray hée gaue him not withall full strength to abide and to hold out vnto the ende as he gaue vnto the heauenly Angels who by his grace continue in well doing And such was his weakenesse that he did not continue whereby we may vnderstand what is in man if he be left vnto himselfe and not vpholden by God his grace The second degrée of Fréewill is to bee considered after the fall of our first parents and that may truly be termed a slauish will being as I may say frée and most farre from doing well and most vnable thereunto Because now no flesh that is men and women that are begotten of flesh blood can of themselues do but the workes of the flesh that is all that euil naught is as euery one hauing iust triall of themselues knowe whether those things that they doo are perfectly agréeable to the commandements of God and so their owne conscience shall be their witnesse and thereby they shall accuse and iudge themselues that they are farre wide And although in the outward shewe of the worlde such workes which they do may seeme good and godly yet being examined by the lawe of God and by the straight rule thereof we must néeds confesse and acknowledge our works to be both naught and euill so farre foorth as they procéede from our selues and are not directed by God which direction of gods good grace holy spirit maketh an other difference Wherfore the third degrée of Fréewill is in them whome God hath called to a better course of life that is to holinesse and righteousnesse to vertue and goodnesse And yet this power of Fréewill to doo good is very weake and slender because they cannot stand endure and continue they cannot do that which is good without the especiall grace and gift of God Who also are readie to fall away from god into some gréeuous sinne or other euery houre As indéed such kinde of people the diuel doth greatly and mightily and most of all tempt and prouoke to sinne For for them which are his owne alreadie he takes no thought They who are thus altered and their mindes chaunged from following euill waies which come by the temptations of the diuel and the secret deceits of sinne that dwelleth within them and of the world which hath so many euill examples to allure them they should soone swarue and easily be ouercome vnlesse they were sustained and vpholden by the help assistance of God Which helpe which gift which grace and assistance we obtaine at the hands of God onely by praier and by a stedfast faith The last and the fourth degree of Fréewill is in the best sort of people and that after this life in
hearts our affections and dispositions the bodie all the actions thereof now are chaunged the whole man is nowe framed to a new man as though he were cast in a new mould Worldly lusts haue their warning to be packing and to goe into exile and banishment and now are good and godly waies imbraced The féeling of sinne and their former euill life bréedes a hatred thereof and the loue of God of vertue and goodnesse which are arguments and tokens of Gods good grace begin to haue the vpper hand And howe ioyfull a thing is it for him that by sicknesse was almost brought to his death to come to health and enioy life A life in sinne is but a sicke life a languishing life and death it selfe so that when we leaue it and the custome thereof we rise againe as it were from the nethermost pit clap our hands for ioy that we sée life before we were vtterly dead And herehence followeth a true amendment of our life whereby we dedicate giue our selues to the seruice of God as in time past we gaue our selues to the seruice of the diuel now righteousnesse holinesse is our delight where before we serued sinne iniquitie They who by the grace of God are brought so farre as to deny their worldly lusts they do daily more and more hate and flie from their sinnes as from a serpent which would sting theÌ„ to death Yea there is also a sorrow in their mindes that they haue so highly displeased offended god Which their sorrow the Apostle doth liuely expresse 1. Cor. 7. 11. For behold saith he this thing that ye haue bene godly sorry what great care it hath wrought in you yea what indignation yea what feare yea howe greate desire yea what zeale yea what punishment Yea then shall we knowe and féele also the working of Gods grace in denying our worldly lusts when there is a true sorrow according to God in our hearts consciences for euery thing which we know to be forbidden by God yea the least matters as all light oathes idle wordes profitable lies or vaine actions and when we féele a study and an endeuour in our selues to auoid the first motions that créepe in our mindes When there is a clearing of ourselues from all suspition by auoiding all appearance of euil when there is an indignation and anger for al such things past and a fear lest through our corruption they should fal out again when there is a great desire to preueÌ„t them a zeale against them and a punishing of them by exercising all due authoritie which God hath giuen vs against sinne and finally when there is a great desire in vs to spende all the rest of our time not according to the will and commaundements of God The denying of our worldly lustes is nothing but the hatred of our sinfull waies which by these thrée reasons will growe to bee moste forcible and effectuall in vs. As first if wee consider that it is the greatest pleasure that can be to the diuel to sée men and women who were created to the image of God to delight more in the workes of darknesse then of light and so with might and maine as they say to make spéede to their owne destruction Secondly if we consider what harme sinne bringeth and how much it hurteth not our selues only but others also through our example According to that saying Mat. 18. 7. Woe be to the world because of offences necessary it is that offences fall out but woe to them by whome they fall out and better it were that a milstone were hanged about their neckes and they throwne into the bottome of the sca The third and last reason by the which the hatred of sin shall grow effectuall in vs is when we call to minde howe foule and horrible a thing it is to gréeue the holy spirit who dwelleth as a guest within vs and by the which we are sealed as it were with a sure pledge against the day of Redemption and of the accomplishment of our saluation 1. Iohn 3. 24. Hereby we know that god by his grace dwelleth in vs euen by his sanctifying spirit which he hath giuen which teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lustes and to liue Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present world Thrée good effects and apparant tokens of Gods good Soberlâ— grace sobrietie righteousnesse and godlinesse For whereas before we were giuen to all excesse and riot following our desires in drunkennesse gluttonie lecherie in pride and braue apparell in gathering heaping and couetting other mens goods in carrying a mind altogither not contented with our estate when the grace of God hath fully perswaded our mindes to deny all worldly lusts then wée beginne to frame our mindes to a meane and to a measure knowing that as Gods blessing is in the vse of his creatures so in the abuse and sinfull vsing of them they turne to our curse and vnlesse we amend to our condemnation The propertie of our sinnefull lusts is in all excesse and Lusts therefore it is well said that they that are bewitched with the diuels temptations follow their lusts with gréedinesse but they whose mindes are renued frame themselus to a godly meane and as we say to a golden meane that is wondrous well and in good sort soberly For Sobrietie is nothing else but the right vse of Gods creatures Nature is content with a litle sobrietie asketh no more and when we excéede nature is ouerpressed sobrietie is disgraced and we in so doing by the iudgements of all contemned and despised Great difference there is betwixt necessitie and superfluitie euen as much as betwixt life and death Who knowes it not that of drunkennesse gouts dropsies and such diseases grow which make a man loathsom to other yea to himselfe and he is aweary of his life and so at last his painefull and languishing daies are cut off who might haue liued longer many a faire day What doth gluttonie bring but surfettings and oftentimes a spéedy riddance Therefore it was well said of a wise man Plures gula quaÌ„ gladio periere That is more die by surfetting and distemperature then by the sword and by violent death What séeking there is to the phisitian in such cases whereas sobrietie might be our phisitian if we would followe the rule thereof which is nothing else but to vse a meâ—ne Who liues longer then the ploughman and the countrey man whose diet and fare is but to serue his turne and no more Bibbing and bowling carousing and gurmundizing this is the diuels vadge and the messenger of death Sobrietie teacheth vs that meate and drinke was ordained of God for the sustenaunce of our bodies that we may bee the better able to performe those duties which God hath appointed to euery one of vs in our vocation and not to the satisfying of our pleasures And therefore we are commanded to pray O Lord giue vs our daily