stronge that they come to lxxx what so euer is more is nothinge but labour and sorowe Thus you may perceiue not The tirannie of death only the necessitie of deth that die we must but also how cruell a tiraunte deathe is whose tyrannye daylye increaseth againste vs more and more euerye day shorteninge oure liues and shootynge more nere the marke then other Whose assaultes and lieng in wayte for vs be wonderfull subtile and craftie Sometime he maketh towarde vs as it were with open batayle sendynge before hym vnto vs diuerse infirmities and sycknesses and vnto some hoare heares blered eies tremblinge and shakinge handes stouping shulders and croked backes as it were messengers or herauldes at armes sent before him Somtime he commeth priuely creapinge as a thefe and stealynge vpon vs like as he dyd vpon the richeman of whome we rede in the twelfeth of saincte Lukes gospel sending to'vs no warninges or messengers at all before him Therfore almightie God to cause vs to be in a redines againste his sodaine comminge and oftentimes to haue the vncertaine houre of deathe in remembraunce whiche our fraile and deadlie sicknes maketh vs so ofte to forget hath sent vnto vs his Prophete Moyses which prophete Moâ—ses much lamentyng and sorowynge our great blindnes saieth vnto vs these wordes of my Theme Gens absque consilio sine prudentia Vtinam saperent et intelligerent ac nouissima c. But why doeth the Prophet Moyses so vehementlye wishe and desire vnto vs this cleare wisedome and perfite vnderstandinge of the vanitie of this presente lyfe of the myserye of the same of the filthines of our owne corruption and the necessitie of deathe Doubtlesse forbycause the perfite knowledge and throughe vnderstandinge of these thynges are in vs the destruction of pride the quenchinge of enuie the verye medicine of malice the driuing awaye of lecherye and the extirpation of all worldly boast vanitie and finallye the recoueringe of euerlastynge lyfe For what thinge I praye you lyeth in the compasse of mans wit that sooner moueth a man to mekenes to the perfection of al holines then doth the consideratioÌ„ of his own corruptioÌ„ and the diligent vnderstaÌ„dinge how that he liueth here in this wretched world as an outlaw a pilgrime a geste full poore in all vertues full vnstable in liuinge peraduenture not abydinge here till to morowe For this maner of consideration diligent vnderstaÌ„ding doubtles shall cause a man to despise al the boaste of this life the busines of worldly vanities and all vncleane lustes and delectations of the fleshe And in this maner of thinkinge the soule receiueth knowledge of sinne the knowledge of synne bryngeth repentaunce repentaunce causeth amendemente and satisfaction makynge for synne and all these together do engender in a man a verye hope sure truste and firme strength in our Lorde God The which thinge the Prophete Moyses throughlye consideringe wissheth by feruent desire sayinge vnto you the wordes of my Theme Vtinam saperent intelligerent ac nouissima prouidesent Would God men woulde be wise and vnderstande and prouide for the last thinges But alas howe longe shall we be sicut gens absque consilio sine prudentia as it were people voide of good counsell and without foresight and wisedoÌ„ All to fewe beynge amonge vs that haue the coÌ„sideration the wysedome and cleare vnderstandynge of these thynges in perfit remembraunce â–ª Ful few there be that sette before their eyes the knowledge of their own infirmitie their bodely corruption the minde of their sinnes the day of their deth or yet the paynes of hell but muche like vnto brute beastes do proÌ„cede liuinge here in this world neither regardynge God nor yet verye muche fearing the deuil Woulde God therfore in folowyngs thys exhortation of the prophet Moyses we would once begin to waxe wise to vnderstande and to make prouision for the laste thinges And The glasse of our own corruption that by the contemplation and beholdinge of our selues in this so profytable a myrroure and glasse of our owne corruption and frayle nature and of the greate certitude of death that abydeth therin At whose first entrye and breakynge into our houses beholde howe the conscience begynneth to dreade howe the hearte quaketh the heade stoupeth the witte wasteth the strengthe faileth the visage waxeth pale the tonge fombleth the breath goeth awaye the speche very rare and thynne all the beautie of the body cleane tourned into a griselye and fylthye corruption and after that the bodye is buried it falleth into a carionlyke stenche the fleshe cleane tourned into grubbes meate Be you wyse therefore O ye mortall creatures and vnderstand howe that thys is an horryble syghte but it is full profitable O howe blessed and happye is he that circumspectlye beholdeth hym selfe in this mirrour or glasse when there is no crafte no medicine none instruction or teachynge that sooner destroyeth all vices and planteth al vertues then doeth the inwarde beholdinge of a mans owne corruption and laste ende To this glasse therefore repaire Yonge men ye first O ye lustie yonge men whiche by the deceitfull wantoÌ„nes of your youth do go so vpright stretching out your selues bearing vp your heades aloft with lustie courage and learne of stronge Sampson of mightie Golias and of the hardie captaine Holofernes and other which perished in the boaste of their owne strength what great folie it is to glorie in the strength of the bodye whiche shall so sene decay and be ouerthrowen To this glasse come ye al O Olde men ye olde fathers vnto whome deathe beyng very fauourable hath sent before him vnto you so many messengers as youre hoare hears bleared eies droppinge noses sagginge chekes your lippes hanging stowping neckes and shulders come you hither and beholde your selues and learne at the least wayes nowe in youre olde age to be wise vnderstaÌ„de what vaine hope you be in whiche do loke and make your most vayne accomptes to liue one yeare longer be ye neuer of so greate an age euer crepynge awaie and fore fearinge to die O ye olde fathers and hoare heares why feare ye to die at lxx or lxxx yeres of age when all the tyme that ye shal liue after is in heuines in greuous aches in continual decaiyng and neuer vpright but rolinge relinge and redye to fall in to the graue whiche you do so lothe Why therfore feare ye so sore to dye when by deathe God doethe chaunge vs from an olde filthy house into a newe For certainlie death is but a playe wherin the player if he be wise aduentureth but a litle to winne muche Whiche thynge is verye easlie perceyued of all those men which are of perfit knowledge howe muche blessednes God is of vnto whome we hope to go by death and of how muche euyll these worldly men are wyth whome we are conuersant here by life O ye gentlemen and men of Gentlemen nobilitie come you hyther also to beholde your selues
suÌ„t dies mei saith Iob. For my daies Iob. vii are nothing God so disposinge cleane to withdraw the inordinate loue of this wretched lyfe out of the hartes of men When there is no man of any wisedoÌ„ or vnderstanding that shoulde much regard or set by that life whiche is so vncertaine as the floure of the felde so inconstaÌ„t as the winde so vaine as a shadowe so transitory as a vapor tossed and tombled in the aire and finally so litle worth as nothing But by this wise knowledge and vnderstandynge the more vile that this present life is knowen to be the more easelye it maye of all men be neglected despised set at nought for the loue of that life which shal neuer vanish but euer endure Besides this knowledge how fikell howe fraile howe vayne â—â— To know â—he miseries â—herof and howe transitory this present life is the prophete Moyses wisheth vnto vs a further knowledge to be had of thys our mortall lyfe and that we mortall creatures woulde be wise and vnderstande how sorowfull is the first entringe of mans lyfe into this wretched The first entry of maÌ„ into this world is ful of sorowe worlde maximo cum fletu vagi tu inertia imbecillitate magna with much wepynge crying with muche ignoraÌ„ce and feblenes He is borne naked into the worlde and naked from hence he muste departe againe made of the earth and to the earth he must retourne agayn How chauÌ„geable his life is for his time here abydinge and as The tyme of his abyding here is ful of mutabilitie Iob. xiiij Iob saieth Nunquam in eodem statu permanens Neuer continuing in one state now riche nowe poore nowe hoole nowe sicke nowe merye nowe sorye nowe counynge nowe ignoraunt nowe seyng nowe blind nowe free nowe bonde nowe good nowe euyll And finallye His ende departure full of fear howe terrible and fearfull shal be the passynge of the same at his departure againe Ouer and beside these knowledges â— To know the necessitie of death the prophete Moyses earnestly wisheth that we miserable creatures here abiding in this worlde woulde once be wise and vnderstande and knowe the great necessitie of death that raigneth ouer vs An acte and decree beinge alreadie past against vs that die we must StatutuÌ„ est saieth S. Hebre. ix Paule oÌ„nibê° hominibus femel mori It is decreed appointed for al men once to die And this great straite necessitie of death then fyrst beginneth to take place in man when the soule is ioyned to the bodie and continueth in man vntyll the separation of the soule froÌ„ the bodie againe For life is no soner comme into the bodie by the presence of the soule but but death furthwithall issueth out of his graue and sepulchre to take away the same againe and by the very same way that life goeth death commeth Do not we see the order of this present life to be suche that after infancie commeth childhod after childhod youth after youth mans state after mans state age then olde age and so at the last death The whiche order and naturall course can by no law statute or meanes that man can inuent be infringed or broken neither yet once staied or pluckt backe No not Minos Minos Lycurgus the lawe maker at Crete nor Lycurgus at Lacedemony nor yet the wife Solon in Solon his lawes deuised at Athenes could make any repeale of this decree and ordinaunce of God When from the first man AdaÌ„ vnto this most noble and gracious queene of Spaine late departed none hath escaped or caÌ„ escape this senteÌ„ce of death No not Noe for all his righteousnes Noe. Loth. nor Loth for al his hospitalitie nor yet Toby for all his diligeÌ„ce in buriyng the dead Toby could escape this rigorous senteÌ„ce of death WheÌ„ it was neither the strong mightie faith of AbrahaÌ„ nor the supplanting Abraham of vices that was in Iacob nor the great mekenes of the Iacob prophete Moyses nor the chastitie of Ioseph nor yet the holines Moyses Ioseph of the prophet Samuel that coulde persuade death to be the more fauourable to theÌ„ The great wisedome riches might power of kyng Salomon Salomon the great strength force of Sampson agaynst his enemies the puissaunce of the king and prophete Dauid his feates of chiualtie great mighte in armes coulde not auaile against the assaultes of deathe death beynge fauourable to no man but like cruell and tirannous to euery man And therefore I do rede that death was portred painted of the Paynims with the face and couÌ„tenaunce of a tiraunt hauinge in his hande redie bente bow and arrowes to kill slea and shote at euerye man withoute all respecte or acception of persons And in daily lousing of his dartes at vs albeit that sometime he ouershoteth vs and in faylinge of vs sleath kinges Quenes Dukes Earles Lordes Sometime his darte lighteth to shorte of vs and in the stead of vs striketh our seruauntes oure tenauntes and our poore innocent neighbours dwelling by vs soÌ„time his dart maketh a very narrow mysse of vs on the right hand and killeth our wiues our children oure frendes kynsfolkes so derely beloued And albeit that his fierce dart glyde somtymes to wyde on the lefte hande and in fayling of vs kylleth oure aduersaries and enemies and therby bryngeth vs oftymes into a vaine comforte foolishe mirth and reioysinge makinge vs beleue that he is our frende in the dispatche of those that loue vs not Yet the tiraÌ„nie of his haÌ„de is suche that he will not faile at the length to hitte vs. And wheras death at the beginning was so vnripe and vnperfite a boweman that he firste shootinge and lousynge his dartes at oure first father AdaÌ„ it was nine hundred and thirtie yeres Adam 930. whose age was no fewer yeares in nuÌ„bre before he coulde strik him And wheras he bare his bow dailie bent against his sonne Seth it was nine hundred Seth. 912. and twelue yeares before he coulde hit him And wheras he daylye laie in waite to ouerthrowe with his dart Mathusalem Mathusalem 969. Enoches sonne it was nine huÌ„dred threscore and nine yeares before he coulde ouerthrow him Yet within a certeÌ„ space after by daily custoÌ„e and exercise of his hande he began to waxe a more perfitte bowemanne euerye daye shootynge more nere his marke theÌ„ other in so muche that by the time dayes of kynge Dauid he got him suche a redinesse and stedfastnesse of shotynge that he would not haue failed for the more part to strike his marke within the space of lxx or lxxx yeres like as the prophet Dauid witnesseth saying Dies annorum Psal 89. nostroruÌ„ in ipsis septuaginta annis Si autem in poteÌ„tatibus octoginta anni amplius eorum labor dolor The daies of our age â–ª saith he are lxx yeres and yf men be so
in thys glasse And here you shal learne to be wise vnderstande whether the filthie grubbe worme or maggotte dare not aswell breede in youre fleshe of your bloode whereof you bragge so muche wast consume your carcasses of your partes alwayes so deintely made of so de licately nourished fed aswell as other inferior porer mens O ye gentlewomen faire Gentle women ladies greatlie deliting in pure glasses forgette not I praye you to beholde youre selues in this glasse of al other most profitable which are so fōdely geuen here in this worlde to set forth youre selues wyth youre browdred heare whiche is a greate abuse youre fyngers be set with ringes bearing purses full of swete sauoures smelles and bandes aboute youre neckes fynely wroughte wyth silke and beset with pearles with bracelets ful of gaudies and suche other like maner of disguisinges O ye folishe women whiche do bestowe and spende a greate parte of youre liues in the deuise of suche vanities Vtinam saperetis intelligeretis Would God you would once lerne to be wise perceiue vnderstād with what goodlye trinkettes you shall be apparailled in the straitnes of your graues and sepulchers where ye shall with Iob say Putredini dixi pater meus es tu mater mea Iob. xvij soror mea vermibus I saide vnto corruption thou arte my father and vnto the wormes you are my mother and my sister Why do ye therfore make so much of so filthie a carkas and wast so much time in washinge kemming and pranking of the same vnto no smale prid and ostētation when ye do but loose youre laboures and in so doynge you do nothing els but floure a fylthye donghyll and garnish a smokie miskin which you shall neuer make sauerie washe him neuer so muche O ye great richmen men of Riche and honourable men authoritie honour and estimation whiche are as Gods here in this world all thinges therin beinge at your commaundement by reason of your authoritie and riches Come you also and repaire vnto this glasse tell me whether you can wyth all your authoritie might and power with all your golde syluer and worldlie treasures either feare or corrupte death yea so much as to make him so partial and fauourable to you that he will let you escape like as in al other worldly thinges els you can do peruertinge all good lawes by the suppression of iustice O ye worldlynges which liue here as goddes vpō the earth Do not you here lyuinge perceiue howe the time flieth without retorninge how the life traueileth on her iorney withoute ceassynge howe the fleshe consumeth withoute felynge and howe the glorye of this woride passeth as it neuer had bene The landes possessions riches iewelles and treasures therof oftentimes falling into those mennes handes who by oure willes shoulde haue the lest part therof Why therfore be ye so forgetfull of youre selues and so noselde in all worldlie vanityes as thoughe they shoulde euer contynewe and neuer take ende O ye kynges and Princes ▪ ye Kinges Princes magistrates and rulers of thys world O ye prelates byshoppes hauynge charge of Christes Priestes Byshippes subiectes churche and familie O all ye of hyghe and lowe degree whether ye be gouernoures or subiectes maisters or seruauntes superiours or inferiours come hither beholde your selues in this cleare mirroure and glasse of your own corruption by a diligent examinaciō and consideration wyth youre selues Consider what we were what you haue bene and of howe vyle a matter borne in to thys worlde nēpe ex menstruo mulieris What you are at thys presente touchynge the What we are bodie when as S. Bernard saith Considera quid per oculos quid per nares per os per aures coeterosque corporis meatus emiserit et nunquam vidi vilius sterquiliniū Cōsider wel saith he what a man sendeth furth and auoydeth by his eies his nosetrilles his mouth his eares and other the passages and pooers of the bodie and thou maiest well say nunquam vidi vilius sterquilinium I neuer saw a viler donghil And what we shall be nempe terra et What we shall be ciuis Euen verie earth and asshes Quia pulnis es in puluerē reuerteris For duste thou arte Genes iij. into dust thou shalt returne againe and you shall beginne to waxe wise perceaue and vnderstande howe muche more matter we haue in our selues of humilitie then of pryde of mekenes then of ostentation of sorowe then of ioye howe muche more matter also of abhorring oure selues then of gloriynge in oure selues of contemnynge setting this world at nought then of reioyse in the worlde of followynge the moste godlie and holsome counsel of the prophete Moyses then of neglectyng the same Which prophete as an embassador sente of God to plucke vs into a more perfite remembraunce and knowledge of our selues with most earnest and heartie desire wisheth the same saying vnto vs the wordes of my theme vtinam saperent et intelligerent c. And this wisedome and vnderstanding beyng first obteyned and got by the consideration and diligent beholdynge of our selues in this mirrour and glasse of our own corruption mortal nature let vs now procede to the last part of this theme expresse in a worde or ij what To prouide for the laste thynges prouisiō muste be made of oure partes for the last thynges so I shall shortly cōmit you to go And touchig a right order to be obserued in this prouision making for the last thinges Firste I shall declare vnto you what these last thinges are so after what prouision of oure partes oughte to be made for thē And these last thīges being many in nūbre whē al these thīges may iustly be called nouissima the laste thinges which shall serue at the last be of cōfort to the soule of mā when al frendship al helpe confort pleasure of this world shal faile But here at this present to vse breuitie I shall entreate chefely of these foure last Foure las◠thynges thinges that is to say of death of the iudgement of God of the paynes of hell and of the ioyes of heauen For the which foure last thinges I would haue you in the short course of this presēt life to make prouisiō First that First we may here finish our life and die wel Secōde that we ma receiue Seconde at the hādes of God a cōfortable a merciful iudgemēt Thirdly we must here prouide Thyrde to auoide the horrible paines of hel Fourth last we must proprouide Fourthe so here to liue that we may be partakers of the life euerlasting ioyes of heauen And to auoide cōfusiō herin the maner of this our prouison making must be sundry diuerse like as the vocations degrees and estates of men be sundry and diuerse As the Bishoppes Priestes prelates
A notable sermon made within S. Paules church in LoÌ„don in the presence of certen of the kinges and Quenes moost honorable priuie couÌ„sell at the celebration of the exequies of the right excellent and famous Princesse lady Ione Quene of Spayne Sicilie Nauarre c. the xviij of Iune Anno. 1555. By maister Iohn Feckenam Deane of the sayd Churche of Paules ¶ Set furth at the request of some in auctoritie whose request could not be denayed ⧠EXCVSVM LONDINI IN aedibus Roberti Caly Typographi â–ª Mense Augusti Anno. 1555. Cum priuilegio Gens absque consilio sine Theme Deut. xxxij prudentia Vtinam saperent intelligerent ac nouissima prouiderent People voyde of good counsel voide of wisedom and of all foresyghte of thynges to come Vtinam saperent et intelligerent Would God they would be wise and vnderstande and prouide for the last thinges THese are the wordes of the prophet Moyses written in the xxxii chaptre of Deute Which I haue chosen as a theme or proposition at this tyme to staye vpon for so muche as you do so manifestlye declare your selues to be gens absque consilio People cleane voide of all good consyderation knowledge or couÌ„sell what to do sine prudentia wythout wysedoÌ„ foresighte to knowe howe thinges ought to be done That by the declaration made of the said theme you myghte be broughte into some more better coÌ„sideration of your selues of your owne most fraile and brickel estates and thereby to learne nowe at the leÌ„gth after so oft callinges vpon so many vertuous and most godlye instructions these thre notable and chiefe sessons wherof the first is sapere to be iij Lessons wise the seconde is intelligere to vnderstande and the thirde is nouissima prouidere to make prouision for the laste thinges That by the fyrst lesson learnynge of wisedome we maye haue sure knowledge of thinges past By our seconde lesson of perfite vnderstandinge we may haue the right consideration of thinges present therby the more earnestly to atteyne the third lessoÌ„ of good prouisioÌ„ making for the thiÌ„ges to come wheÌ„ SalomoÌ„ saith in ye. xiiij of the prouerbes acceptus est regi minister Prou. xiiij intelligens A wise seruauÌ„t saith he whiche by the knowledge of thinges past and wise disposition of thinges present shall here in his lyfe time make good prouision for thinges to come acceptus est regi is approued and accepted before God Let vs therfore at this present learne of the prophet Moyses these thre notable lessons that is to say sapere intelligere ac nouissima prouidere to be wyse to vnderstand and to prouide for the last thinges that we maye be made wise seruauntes and prudent ministers be accepted and approued before God oure Lorde and kynge When by the first lesson sapere of wisdome we may here in this lyfe haue intelligence of al thinges apperteyning to God By oure seconde lesson intelligere of discrete and perfit vnderstanding howe passing and transitorye howe vayne and slydyng these worldly thinges are Whereby we shal the more easely atteine the thirde lesson nouissima prouidere of good prouision makynge for the laste thinges and thinges to come When by the first lesson of a wyse circumspecte knowledge a man shall perceyue Gods most vprighte terrible iudgementes which can not be deceyued By the seconde lesson of cleare vnderstaÌ„ding he shall enter into the remembrauÌ„ce of him selfe of his owne corruption and mortall nature which can not be auoided Therby to make the better prouision for the ioyes to come which can not be expressed Be you wise therfore derely beloued let vs from hence furth be no loÌ„ger sicut geÌ„s absque consilio sine prudentia as people voyde of good counsell and withoute wisedome and knowledge but let vs now presently lift vp our hartes prepare oure selues to learne these thre so profitable lessons sapere intelligere ac nouissima prouidere to be wise to vnderstande and to prouide for the last thinges and with so much the better willes for that it hath pleased almightie God Qui non Ezec xviij vult mortem peccatoris sed magis vt conuertatur et viuat who desireth not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednes and liue like a most bountiful and most mercyfull father to sende hys prophet Moises as an ambassadoure to excite admonishe and call vpon vs for the same with these wordes whiche I haue chosen for my theme Gens absque consilio sine prudentia Vtinam saperent intelligerent ac nouissima prouidereÌ„t People voide of good counsell voide of wisedome and all foresyght of thinges to come Woulde God they wold be wise vnderstaÌ„d prouide for the laste thinges Hic fiunt preces Gens absque consilio sine prudentia Thema i. ii membrum vtinam saperent intelligerent ac nouissima prouiderent People voide of good counsell voide of wisedome and of all foresight of thinges to come vtinam saperent intelligerent Would god they wold be wise and vnderstande and prouide for the last thinges First the prophete Moyses Firste to knowe that this present lyfe is slydynge Gods ambassadour earnestly wisheth and desireth that we mortall creatures here liuinge in this worlde as it were in a slipper passage vnto deth shold be of suche ripe wisedome and perfite vnderstandinge as to knowe howe that this present life is but transitory and as Iob saith ê™ quasi flos egreditur that it passeth away as it were Iob. xiiij a floure fugit velut vmbra flyeth as it were a shadowe repletur multis miseriis and is albewrapped in wretchednes subiecte to all maner of vanitie defoiled with the filthinesse of sinne and that it shall perishe within a shorte time And therfore in the scriptures the life of man is coÌ„pared and resembled vnto thinges of moste vanitie As somtime to herbes or grasse growing in the feld as the prophet Dauid saith Homo sicut Psalm cii foenum dies eius sicut flos agri sic efflorebit The daies of man are but as grasse he doeth florishe for a litle season euen as it were a flowre in the felde Somtime to a shadow and vanitie Homo vanitati similis factus Psal cxliii est dies eius sicut vmbra praetereunt saith the Psalmist MaÌ„ is made like vnto a vanitie his daies passe awaye as it were a shadowe Somtime to a wind Ventus enim est vita mea saieth Iob. My life is but a blaste of Iob. vij winde Somtime to a vapor as Sainct Iames saieth Quae est eni vita vestra vapor est ad modicum Iaco. iiii parens deinceps exterminabitur What thing is your life saith sainte Iames It is saieth he euen a vapor appearing for a litle season and then it vanisheth awaye And sometime to nothiÌ„g Nihil enim