Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	life_n	old_a	5,148	5	5.6715	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11933	A godlie and learned commentarie vpon the excellent book of Solomon, commonly called Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher in the vvhich commentarie are briefly and plainly layde downe the methode, sense, and vse of that most profitable sermon, on the which, yet there hath neuer bin set forth any exposition in the English tong before this time, in such large and profitable manner. VVritten in Latin by Iohn Serranus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood, school-master of Tunbridge.; Commentarius, in Solomonis Ecclesiastes. English	Serres, Jean de, 1540?-1598.; Stockwood, John, d. 1610.	1585 (1585)	STC 22247; ESTC S117199	256,809	478

and fit Preface A necessarie Preface The light in deede is sweete and it is pleasant to beholde the Sunne that is to saye the light and vse of this life is sweete it is a pleasant thing to enioy the commodities of this life 8 Truely if Yet if thou throughly consider the spaces and times of thy whole life although thou liue manye yeres and so long as thou liuest enioy al kind of pleasures and doe but set against them the discommodities and troubles of the which thou hast had experience al thy life and shalt cast thine accountes what hath befallen thee in all the course of thy life no doubte thou shalte finde that in thy life there is great vanitie which thing is so manifest by experience it selfe that the Sunne shineth not more clearely at noone day What then doeth hee I praye you gather hereof We must so liue that we remember that we shall dye 9 Reioyse The summe and effect is considering the vanitie of our life wee must so liue that wee remember that wee must dye therfore wee are to vse this life soberly and moderately and not so handle the matter that wee bee made drunken with the delites and pleasures of the same Now this doctrine is common vnto all men yet Solomon applyeth it properly and peculiarly vnto young men who through the strength and lustinesse of age and want of experience of things do not think that they shall dye nor that strength of lustie age shall faile them at any time and therfore they followe pleasures the more licentiously and intemperately In another place in deede the wise man biddeth vs to reioyse but in this sense and meaning namely that wee shoulde vse the commodities of this life merily and ioyfully but that it is not so to bee meant in this place these wordes doe declare Walke in the wayes of thine heart c. the whiche doubtlesse doe not will that wee shoulde so doe This therefore is to bee vnderstoode to bee a graunting ironically or in mockage As if he should saye Go to O young man which art lustie in age followe thy pleasure and spare not doe what thou wilt according vnto thy minde and lust yet knowe for all this that in the ende at length thou must giue accountes vnto GOD of thy life For as much then as thou shalt haue to doe with so mightie a Iudge 10 Take away anger our of thine heart that is to say beginne a course of a better and a more holye life abandoning those euill lustes whervnto thine age is subiect By these wordes Anger and euill or wickednesse Anger hee vnderstandeth all the corrupt affections of man And the principall poynt of a newe life is the mortifying of the olde man that the newe may be restored and repaired By the worde Anger besides the common signification hee noteth a certaine indignation or obstinacie wherewith hee that is reprehended hardeneth him selfe against reprehensions By malice euill or wickednesse Euil malice or wickednes hee signifieth the moste sower leuen of sinne wherewith oure whole life is corrupted Of that same disorder the which is in vs by oure nature corrupted the first is that same natiue sinne that is borne with vs the which the Apostle calleth sinning or sinfull sinne from this blot there is borne with vs rashnesse the which firste in children sinneth through a certaine vnaduised and blinde brunt or brayde and as age increaseth and boldnes is brought in to sinne it becommeth malice and obstinacie to sinne Theses are as it were habites or growen practises and qualities of vices that besides that same naturall stayne of sinne through an euill custome also of sinne waxeth and groweth more and more that it is made more sinfull and becommeth a corruption of corruption Hee counsayleth yong men betimes to preuent or withstand these euils least that in an age that is prone and readie vnto lust licentiousnesse of sinning doe growe from worse to worse Therefore hee doeth earnestlye beate into their heades this admonition Because childhoode c. that is to saye because it harde and scarselye falleth oute that Wisedome accompanyeth yong age Yong age trulye is verye daungerous The daungerousnesse of youth so that Paule nothing doubted to admonishe Timothie a young-man otherwise indued with excellent giftes and amonge other men as it were an Aungell that hee shoulde take heede of that age and flye youthfull lustes by whiche Worde hee doeth not vnderstande those vntemperate dissolutenesses and lewdenesse of young men the whiche no doubte Timothie was free and voyde of but certayne fyttes and panges of those lustes the whiche commonlye pricke forwarde young age as ambition lightnesse pride vnskilfulnesse and suche lyke vices the whiche oftentimes accompanye vnexperienced and vnaduised yong age Hee goeth forwarde with the same matter The twelfth chapiter 1. Remember thy Creator c. That age seemeth that I may so speake by a certayne priuiledge to haue libertie to be wanton youth woulde haue as it wer a certain priuiledge to bee wanton as if as yet it were not time to be wise as many at this day with this sorie shifte washe of sober and graue admonitions Contrariwise the Wise man teacheth that the time of well doing is not any longer to bee put off but that euen in childhoode and youth wee must make a beginning to be wise And therefore that it is meete that a yong man Remember his Maker We must begin to be wise euen in our youth For Godlinesse is the principall pointe and foundation of framing our life well and blessedlye Of which matter he sayeth that wee muste thinke betimes Before c. Before that the time of olde age yea and that whiche more is of death it selfe and too late repentaunce doth approche the whiche the occasion being not taken suffreth not to goe backe agayne and to returne vnto the olde opportunitie of doing wel as it were recouering againe a thing that was lost He that should forslew the seasons of sowing and reaping should in vaine wishe for them at an other time of the yeare That is sowne in youth the which must bee reaped in stayed yeres and in olde age it selfe If this season of sowing flie away from whence shall wee looke for an haruest The preacher faieth therefore that the time of age draweth nigh the whiche will come with a still pace making no noyce and hastening on will beguile vs before we be aware and death followeth vppon it manye times ouertaking those which when they haue departed this life did not yet now consider for what cause they came into this life And Solomon in a notable kind of speaking doth painte out the whole matter as it were in a table We must thinke on death betimes The summe and effect of this whole place is That we must thinke on death betimes to the end to liue wel that we die well And hee excellentlye describeth and setteth out the order

course of nature He might haue sayd that it cōmeth oftentimes to passe that yong men are taken away in the very flower of their age their bodye being lustie and in very good plighte yea and by sundrie kindes of death when they think no such thing and contrary vnto the expectation of all men and that at such time also when as they seemed likelye to prolong and continue out their life yet many yeres But because yong men by the ordinarie course of nature doe promise vnto themselfe a long life therefore hee setteth out before them this ordinarye course of nature For yong men become old men and in the ende death commeth as they did sing sometimes in the daunce VVee are that which you haue bene you shall be that which we are we haue bene that which you are One and the same age doth not still continue neither is there any returning vnto the age that is past Go to therefore sayeth Solomon Beholde O yong man what is the estate of the life of man 2. Before the sunne waxe darke He maketh a very liuely and excellent description of old age as it were in a table A most liuely description of old age that the thing can not bee more plainely and effectuallye set before the eyes to be seene and viewed Whereby shineth forth the eloquence of the holy ghost fitly and aptly vsed in time maner and place as neede requireth Wherevnto no doubt the eloquēce of all Heathen writers albeit neuer so exquisit The eloquēce of the holy ghost when time and place requireth giueth place Although in the wordes themselues where the sence notwithstanding and meaning is plaine there is great obscurity and darknesse and as in alligories is wont to be diuerse and sundrie interpretations and expositions And he seuerally discusseth and handleth all the circumstances to lay so many barres in the way of vaine bragging youth that it may at laisure consider that the forme and beautye of the members in good plight and liking wil not remaine vnto them for euer as if he should say beholde O yong man the beautie of thy body and looke vppon euerye one of thy members and by the common estate of life consider in what brauery they will end at the last To bee breefe hee describeth the discommodities of olde age The sunne wax darke By this kinde of speeche the interpreters do think to be meant that the power of seeing is diminished in olde men The sunne wax darke which thing indeede is true but that this cannot properly be vnderstood of the eyes the wordes that follow doe declare in the whiche there is expresse mētion made of the eyes waxing dimme Therefore I take the simple meaning of these words to be That old men haue not the vse of those things the whiche is indifferently common vnto all men in so much as the Sunne the Moone the starres doe not sufficiently shine vnto them The whiche kinde of speaking is vsuall also vnto the Prophets to expresse and set out sorrowfull and heauy times For when as the mind is ouercome with greefe and heauines the Sunne shineth not bright ynough Clouds no not at noone day And the clouds returne after the rain that is to saye by reason of withered feeble age diseases do increase dayly more and more as fortokens of the tempest to come in death The keepers of the house 3. When as the keepers of the house shall mooue themselues that is to say the handes shall shake and tremble and not do their dutie sufficientlye He calleth them keepers by a fine Metaphor because of their verye greate and necessarie ministerie and seruice And the strong men shall bowe themselues The strong men Some doe hereby vnderstande the Thighes but I had rather vnderstande it of the Reines and Kidneyes For olde men become crooked Hestodus sayeth It maketh the olde man crooked like a VVheele Ouid Crooked age shall come with a still foote And Strength dwelleth especially in the Reines and Kidneyes The Grinders shall cease that is to saye the Teeth because they grinde the meate that being made small it may goe downe into the Stomach The Grinders Because they shall diminishe not only in strenth but also in number For the falling away of teeth is common vnto olde men The lookers through the Windowes shall wax dimme that is the eyes They shall be darkened The lookers through the windowes they shal be more dimme for the diminishing or decaying of the sight is a common accident that happeneth vnto old men 4. And the doores shall be shutte without c. The doores without He speaketh of the mouth The doores without he calleth the lippes the whiche are fitlye lykened vnto a Doore The sound of the mill The Sounde of the Mill he tearmeth the noice of the teeth whose office in olde men is not liuelye and stronge because that appetite vnto meate in them abateth and fainteth To be breefe Hee signifyeth that olde men cannot nowe anye longer eate as they did when as they were young men The voice of the bird Hee riseth vp at the voice of the birde By the worde Birde I thinke is meant the Cough Fleume the Rheume and suche like the which do follow old men for the most part for their brest is shaken with suche diseases and they that are troubled with them are wont to arise euery foote and to haue little sleep He signifyeth therefore the rawnesse and weakenes of Stomach in old men being not able to digest whereof it commeth that sleepe in old men is but short or often times broken because of their often being shaken with the former diseases or else he meaneth this because that old men take but little sleepe that therefore they heare the crowing of the Cocke The daughters of Song or singing The daughters of singing shal be abased In my iudgement letting passe the expositions of others he calleth the voyce the The daughters of singing He saith that in old men the voice is dulled and waxeth hoarse And therefore in steede of it that when as they were yong men they did sing with a sweete and a pleasaunt voyce then when they are old men they hold their peace Going decaieth in old me 5. Also they shal be afraide of an high thing For old men are afrayd to clime vp high places and they go softly and fearefully His meaning therefore is that in an olde cripled crooked man and such one as goeth tooting on the groūd as they say his pase is altogether weakned so that he goeth fearefully and carefully And the Almond tree shall flourish He meaneth hoarinesse the badge of old age The Almond tree The Almonde tree among other trees doth first bring forth flowers After the selfe same maner of speaking Sophocles calleth an old man Flowring as Mercerus my countrie man hath learnedlye noted And Orpheus by the same metaphor attributeth vnto old age A

flower of Haruest And the locust shal be a burden vnto him The locust By the worde Locust they vnderstand the priuie members the which in old men are stretched out The which exposition seemeth to be the more simple and playne because it followeth And lust shall bee driuen away the which wordes doe plainelye shewe that in old men the power of desiring not only of meate and drinke but cheefely of lust doeth abate and waxe cold when as the vitall and naturall desires doe faile but the priuation and bereauing of those powers the whiche hee rehearsed before is an assured token of death drawing neare Because man goeth vnto c. that is to saye by this meanes a waye is made vnto death For hee calleth death The house of man his age as the euerlasting seate or dwelling place in the which euerye man must dwell vntill the daye of the resurrection or rising agayne And the mourners M●urners He signifieth the graue And setteth out the maner of burial yea and also death it selfe For the deade were wont to be lamented women being hired for this seruice the which of the Latines were called Praeficae And that this custome was muche vsed among the men of the east The siluer coard it doth appear by many places 6. The siluer coard c. Some doe expounde the siluer coarde to be the ridgebone of the back the which is tied together as it were with certaine linkes He calleth it Siluer because of the white colour as appeareth in a deade bodye And the Coard in my iudgement is sayde to be stretched out because that in death the ioyntes are made more loose and especiallye in olde men whose reines are crooked Others vnderstande the sinowes grislie muscles ioints cordes because that the sinowes are like vnto white stringes and in as much as they are the instrumentes of the sences and of moouing they haue especiall force and power in the body of man The golden ewer or pot The golden ewer or golden pot by whiche kinde of speaking they saye the brayne to be signifyed or else that skin in the braine the whiche is called Pia Mater Plato placeth the tower and fortresse of life in the braine Some take it to be meant of the heart because the heart is the fountaine and spring of the vitall powers and of the cheefe heate and the similitude of gold seemeth rather to agree vnto it together with the spirites The Pitcher be broken By the worde Pitcher they suppose the hollow veine to bee signified The Pitcher namelye the receiuer of the bloud which the vitall powers do drawe from the liuer that from thence as it were by pipes it maye bee conueighed by the vaines into the whole bodye the which distribution and conueighing of the blood into all the parts of the body Plato calleth hydreian and diocheteusin By the word Fountaine they saye the liuer is noted Fountaine the which is the principall and natural vessell to conteine the blood And by this kinde of speaking he meaneth that the blood fayleth and so consequently that death followeth Virgil One and the selfe same way the blood and the life doe follow The wheele The wheele be broken vpon the Cisterne They say that by the wheele the Heade is signified because of the power attractiue and that by the Cisterne is meante the hearte from the whiche the natural powers are drawn after the like maner as a bucket full of water is drawne out of the well by a wheele The Cesterne The originall and first heate being quenched when as the sences and all the instrumentes of the sences weare and consume away death followeth The which in expresse wordes bee by and by sheweth And dust returne c. there bee a separating of the soule and the bodye the which is a true definition of death when as namely the two natures of that essence whereof man consisteth and hath his name A true definition of death shall returne vnto their principles the earthy vnto the earth and the diuine and heauenlye vnto God and therefore the body bee broughte againe vnto the earth and the soule go vnto heauen and be ioyned with GOD after whose Image it was made It is therefore a most notable place Concerning the immortalitie of the soule To wit that there is in man one part earthlye and mortal an other part diuine and immortal the one that is to say the body goeth to the earth the other that is to say the soule vnto GOD. This auntient or simple truth is to be opposed or set against the deuises of prophane men the whiche haue gone aboute to darken this truth with the tedious discourses of subtil and deep disputations the sparkes whereof notwithstanding haue remayned in the mindes of some of the heathen euen in spite of the teeth of the Deuill Arist●tle Aristotle in this matter being wonderfull obscure and darke doth entangle the mindes of the vnwarie and vnskilfull with daungerous suspicions Plato In Plato there are greater remnantes of this truth albeit hee speake not so rightly as hee ought to doe concerning this mysterie or secret Euery where notwithstanding hee holdeth that this doctrine of the immortalitie of the soule is the foundation of true Philosophie and gathering the summe and effecte of this long disputation hee declareth his iudgement concerning this matter in expresse and plaine wordes saying The soule therefore is immortall and free from all destruction And when as death commeth vnto man that indeed whiche is mortall as reason is it should dieth but that which is immortall goeth away sound and voyde of all corruption giuing place vnto death Phocylides truly out of that auncient philosophie Phocylides teacheth the immortality of the soule in euident and cleare wordes The which place also it shall not greeue me to set downe that it may appeare that they which either denie the immortalitie of the soule or else call it into doubt are conuinced and reproued of follye and madnesse euen through the force and power of the light of nature that I recite not the excellent testimonies of Cicero touching this matter The bodies dead the soules of men The golden verses of Phocylides concerning the immortalitie of the soule doe vncorrupt remaine For bodies from the earth we haue and into it resolude againe VVe are but dust to Heauens hie VVhen body dieth the soule doth flie And these wordes of Solomon are expresly to be noted to the ende we maye knowe howe wickedly and lewdly they deale the which take occasion out of this booke eyther to establish vngodly doctrines or else doe reiecte and refuse the same as not sound The place therefore the which is in the third chapter verse 21 is to be vnderstoode by comparing it with this In the ende therefore of this sermon he enterlaced the mention of olde age and of death to the ende that we should vnderstand that this is euen an especial vse of godlinesse that weying both the vanitie of this life and also the vncertaine houre of death the

and conuenient remedies against that carefulnesse of mind the whiche is wonte to arise of the wante of worldly thinges which want hee had before declared at the full Secondlye that it teacheth a way to frame our life well and honestly He vseth therefore an especiall garnishing and as it were poolishing of those thinges the whiche hee had taken before for the makinge vnto happinesse according vnto the common iudgemente of man his reason and as hee had taughte that happinesse was farre from them so he strengtheneth our mindes against them Therefore in the 5. chapter and seuenth verse he entreateth first of the remedies against that most greeuous tentation Of the which hee had spoken cap. 3. ver 16. How namely it commeth to passe that innocency is punished vnder the shewe and title of iustice and they oftentimes become the ministers of iniustice the which by God are appointed the keepers and maintayners of Iustice ver 7.8.9 From the 10. ver he beginneth to entreat of the remedies against the want vanity of riches 〈◊〉 setting out that same disease it selfe many wayes vnto the 8. ver of the 6. chapter In the eyghth verse of the sixth Chapter hee teacheth a remedye agaynst the vanitye of man his knowledge of the which he had entreated in the very beginning of the disputation Then hee mindeth to shew remedies agaynste the quiddities and hardnesse of man his wisdome of the which also hee had spoken chapter 2 and 3. from the thirde verse of the 7. chapter vnto the 8. verse hee teacheth remedies agaynste triumphing pleasure From that eyghth verse of the seuenth chapter vnto the eyghteenth verse of the same chapter he teacheth remedies against impatiencie the which ariseth of sorrow concerning thinges in trouble and out of order and then especially when as vertue is euill entreated euen vnder the coloure and shewe of iustice of the whiche matter hee had intreated chapter third and fourth and fifth From thence he maketh himselfe an entrance vnto the seconde part of the vse which he teacheth to proceede of godlinesse namely of the framing of our life aright in the whiche second part notwithstanding he very fitly repeateth manye thinges which appertaine vnto the first part First of all hee setteth downe general rules concerning the framing of our life well and honestly whose sure and certayne safegarde he sayth to consist in godlinesse it selfe from the ninteenth verse of the seuenth chapter vnto the twentie and one verse of the same Then he giueth a lesson for the auoyding of curiositie vnto the 22 verse of the same seuenth chapter from the 23. ver vnto the ende of the chapter Of auoyding of lust and Wantonnesse In the 8. chap. ver 1. Of Modestie vnto the second verse From that vnto the fift of Prudence whereby wee maye know safely how to behaue our selues with Kinges great personages From the 5. ver vnto the 15. ver of the 9. chap. Of stoutnes of mind to behaue our selues constantly and couragiously in so great hurliburly of things of this world that we bee not ouerwhelmed with those waues where is discoursed a notable place Of the end of the wicked There is handled an excellent comparison of Wisedome with Folle from the 16. ver of the 9. chap. vnto the 3 ver of the 10. chap. from the 4 ver of the same chapt vnto the 7. is taught a lesson of modesty Of the keping of modesty euē toward waiward bad magistrates The 8. ver of the same chap. of auoiding of deceit and Of babling ver 9.11 Then of Industrie and diligence ver 15. of a King ver 16 17. that is to say how auaileable it is for the commō wealth to haue a good king The 18 ver of the same cha of Slouthfulnes that is to say of the hauing no care for a mā his houshold against the which he matcheth thrift and profitable diligence ver 18. Herevpō taking occasion in the 10 chap. he setteth down a most holy precept concerning Charity to helpe the poore albeit there appeare no hope of recouering of that which we giue vnto thē In the 12. chap. applying that doctrine vnto yong men the which do most neede the same he teacheth a most holesome necessary lesson Soberly to vse this life with the earnest thinking vpon death as it were with a bit to holde in and rule the delites and wanton pleasures thereof and not to let passe the occasion to doe well least we be ouertaken with death at vnwares Therefore he warneth yong men in their flourishing and strong age earnestly to think vpon old age yea and also death it selfe So he maketh an end of the whole disputation and as the rules of a true demonstration doe require he setteth downe the summe of the disputation in plaine words The end of the whole law is heard Feare God c. Of which words doubtlesse the contents and matter of the whole disputation is to bee iudged as if he should say That which was to be proued And he doth in such sort note the chiefe and principall ende that he doth withall shew the cheefe and essentiall partes of the disputatiō He declareth by way of praeface that he bringeth not these thinges neither from the opinion of the common people nor from the schooles of man his wisedome but fetcheth out of the very storehouse of the truth which soūdeth in the Church of God grounded on sure sentences of God his decrees as namely that happines consisteth in godlines and in the true vse therof that is in the keeping of the commandements of God That this is all man or the whole of man that is the principall and cheefe end of man his life the master end as they vse to speake Finally that God by his prouidence doth wisely order things that are entangled and will in his time repaire them The issue therfore of the whole disputation is perfect and ful That happinesse is not to be founde in thinges of this world That the same doth consist in godlinesse to wit by the which we are ioyned vnto God that we maye obtayne life euerlasting that is true and perfect happinesse that the vse and profit of Godlinesse is very great and very excellent the which doth plentifully flow through all the parts of our life This seemeth to be the discription and frame of this discourse in the which with a wonderful knitting together of arguments and a loftie and indeed philosophicall kinde of writing is handled a most weighty place of true moral philosophy Concerning the cheefe and soueraign good and of the way to attaine it and of the vse of the same But after a far other sort then the morall Philosophers are wont to do which in their darkenesse and ignorance haue hard and scarcelye reteined some certaine small sparkes of the original truth the which are here very plainly declared And in the very maner of reasoning there is apparant a notable example of that order

if thou shalt bestow any benefit vpon the poore thou shalt not lose it but it is laid vp and kept for thee by GOD according vnto the rule of that promise whereby hee hath bounde himselfe vnto thee This is the true and simple meaning of these wordes and the garnishing of the wordes that went before In the multitude of dayes thou shalt finde thy breade Doubtlesse thou shalt receiue frute of thy liberalitie Obiection But nowe man his reason obiecteth Howe shall I knowe that I shall reape profit I giue my goods the which I haue in mine owne hande but the issue of my beeing rewarded againe is vncertaine The wise man aunswereth 4 He that obserueth the winde Aunswere As if he should say this feare is vnaduised without consideration For like as he that is superstitiously giuen to the marking of the signes of heauen beholding of the windes will not sowe to day so wil he put it off also to morrow for the same cause thus thorough too much feare whilest he daylye fyndeth delayes hee will in the ende neuer sowe at al. As therefore the issues and fallings out of thinges naturally being vnknown vnto vs euen seuerally do not let but that the workes of husbandrie are done abroad at their set and appointed seasons so ought we not to be called backe from our duetie of releeuinge our brethren albeit that we see not the reward of our labours He setteth forth the same thing by new symilitudes and examples 5. As thou art ignorant That is to saye as thou seest not the wind yet doest feele his force and power and albeit that thou see not the infant in the wombe of the mother yet it is there indeed frō thence commeth forth at his due time so the works of God are dark indeed the issues fallings out of things are vnknown yet must thou with assured hope do those thinges the which God hath commaunded thee according vnto thy dutie vntil that the issues do follow fal out Christ vsed the similitude of the wind Iohn 3. ver 8. signifying the misterye of regeneration or newe birth which springeth from the secret power of the holy ghost And here is also notably set down a similitude of a child in the mothers wombe and this doctrine besides his peculiar proper circūstance may be stretched further Like as we know not how we are formed or fashioned in the womb of our mother What we ma● learne by this similitude so the issues of many things can not be seene and yet as by the very shape of the infant wee see that it is preserued by the wonderfull prouidence of God that the mother is saued great with childe that life is powred into the shaped bodie that nourishment is made apte and fit to nourish it with all that the enclosures are wonderfully opened when as the childe commeth into the worlde that the childe knoweth the due time to come foorth so let vs knowe that all our affaires are cared for of God and that the issue of our calamities and troubles is appointed by GOD as Christ also by the similitude of a woman in trauell doeth describe the issue of our afflictions But the proper circumstance of the similitude requireth that it bee vnderstoode of the issue and ende or successe of liberalitie or bounteousnesse This therefore being determined persuade thy selfe that thou shall haue a certaine effect of thy charitie No occasion of weldoing is to be let passe 6 In the morning sowe That is to say whilest thou mayest and hast occasion let passe nothing appertaining vnto thy calling vpon euery occasion bee thou readie to helpe thy neyghbour to deserue well of the Church and of mankinde Sowe morning and euening If here thou haue no good successe thou shalt haue good successe elsewhere Onely doe thy duetie watch diligently all occasions to doe well and redeeme them doe thy duetie and leaue the successe vnto God For this doctrine may and ought generally to bee applyed vnto the discharging of our calling The worde sowing is vsed by Paul in this self same argument 2. Cor. 9. vers 6. whereas this place concerning the bounteousnesse of Chistian charitie is plentifully and notably handled the which is so much the more earnestly to be often taught by how much in this most wicked worlde the charitie of many is not onely waxen colde but also cleane frozen A precept concerning the vse of life and earst thinking vpon death From this 7. verse vnto the 8. verse of the 12. Chapter 7 Surely the light is sweete and it is a pleasant thing vnto the eyes to behold the Sunne 8 Truely if a man liue many yeares and reioyse in them all and doe call to remembrance the dayes of darkenesse because they are manie whatsoeuer commeth to passe he will iudge to be vanitie 9 Reioyse O young man in thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and according vnto the sight of thine eyes but knowe thou that for all these things God will bring thee vnto iudgement 10 But take away anger from thine heart and remoue euill from thy flesh because that childhood and youth are vanitie The twelfth Chapter 1 And remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth before the euill dayes come and the yeares drawe neere of which thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them 2 Before the Sunne waxe darke and the light the Moone and the Starres and the clowdes returne after the raine 3 In the daye in which the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bowe themselues and the grinders shall cease because they shall diminish and the powers shal waxe darke which looke through the windowes 4 And the doores shal bee shut without because of the abating of the sound of the mill and hee shall arise at the voyce of the birde and all the daughters of singing shal be abased 5 Also they shall bee afrayd of an high ●hinge and they shall feare in the waye and the Almonde tree shall florish and the locust shall bee a burden vnto him and lust shall bee driuen away because man goeth vnto the house of his age and the mourners goe vp and downe in the streete 6 Before the siluer coard be lengthened and the golden ewer broken and the pitcher broken at the well and the wheele bee broken at the cisterne 7 And dust returne vnto the earth as it was and the spirite vnto God that gaue it The Exposition and doctrine 7 Surely the light A moste wholesome and profitable precept that wee shoulde vse this present life soberly and with the earnest thinkinge vppon death as it were with a bit or bridle hold backe and rule the delightes of life and wanton pleasure And this notable ende hee maketh of the notable doctrine concerning the vse of godlinesse the which in their places wee haue sayde to bee the thirde and last parte of this whole discourse Hee vseth a necessarie

actions there is great vanitie and therefore happinesse is away from them as which are miserable full of trouble vnquiet combersome fleeting vnstable through vncertaine alterations and in a word altogether in bondage vnto corruption The doctrine 1 In that he so precizely condemneth all the things of men of vanitie foresaith that he doth it as a Preacher An especiall duetie of the seruantes of God we are taught that it especially appertaineth vnto the office of the seruantes of God earnestly to condemne the vanitie of men and to thunder against the pride of men that the wit of man rest not in it selfe but séeke his felicitie and happinesse without himselfe Let therefore their lying vaine bablings goe who whilest by sundry disputations they seeke man his happinesse in man they throwe man downe headlong into a bottomlesse gulfe of infelicitie or vnhappinesse This namely is the difference betwéene the trueth and a lie the one pleadeth man guiltie of his infirmitie and weaknesse with an healthfull condemnation the other kéepeth man within himselfe with an hurtfull error 2 It is also a true note of true pastours A true note of true pastours with admonitions and reprehensions according as occasion and necessitie shall require to apply this general reproofe of vanitie vnto al the parts of life there is no doubt but that this way of teaching is a right diuiding of the worde Contrariwise flatterie is a badge of false teachers 3 And out of this cleare and expresse description of the vanitie of man we doe learne Men ought diligently to thinke vpon their vanitie how diligently we ought to thinke vpon our vanitie that we may walke with great carefulnesse in this course of our life and vocation for if Adam in Paradise left tokens of his so sorowfull inconstancie what shall we doe in this mire of vanitie Let therefore this decrée of God concerning our vanitie come into our minde and let vs not go about to wash it off with vaine exceptions for this vanitie is not peculiar and proper either to some one age or vnto certaine persons or vnto some one part of our minde but common both vnto all men and ages and vnto all partes of the minde so that there is nothing in man to be excepted vnto the which this infection of vanitie hath not reached And there is a verie notable picture of this our vanitie in Dauid If man and vanitie saith he be put in a ballance men shal be founde lighter euen then vanitie it selfe Yea and in the verie minde it selfe there is most great and most vaine vanitie and the companion and nurse of this vanitie is corruption and peruersnesse as appeareth by the saying of the workemaister complaining of the deprauation and naughtines of his worke that all the imagination of the thought of the heart of men is wicked continually This is in déede to know a man his selfe to stand in néede of remedie that we may be eased of our griefe the disease being knowen that we diligently runne vnto the remedie The exposition 3 What profite The chiefe proposition of the confutation being set downe Hee prooueth all men and all affaires of men to be subiect vnto vanitie he commeth vnto the proouing of the same and in plaine wordes teacheth vnto what subiect he attributeth this vanitie namely vnto man whom he pleadeth guiltie of this vanitie The summe effect is that this is a token of most vaine vanitie for that men reape no commoditie of so many and so great labours which they so toilesomely take in this life For this is the Chiefe circumstance of that vanitie the which he goeth about to prooue Namely that all the labours of men are vaine if they be considered by the outward euent and issue of the same The interrogation or asking of a question after the maner of the Hebrewes What this figure interrogation importeth besides the grace of the figure maketh vnto the certaintie and vehemencie of this matter for that he intreateth of a thing that is not doubtfull but yet such a thing about the which we all ought to labour with all the thought of our minde as which is the chiefe point of all our life And vnto this question the answere must be made namely that no profit commeth vnto men of their labours that the proposition may be full That there is nothing in man whereby any profite may arise vnto him for the attaining of happinesse yea and moreouer whatsoeuer is in him the same to be most vaine for that he is not able for to enioy neither good things present nor absent In getting of them there is great labour great wearinesse in keeping them most great carefull pensiue hardnesse and in loosing of them the greatest paine of all The lawfull labours of our callings not condemned For his meaning is not to condemne the lawfull labours in our vocation but by the issue and falling out of things belonging vnto men as we taught in the first rule he doeth iudge of the labours themselues the which manie times passe away in vaine vnto men besides their purpose and meaning Mens labors are lost sundry wayes Nowe mens labours doe perish and are lost vnto them sundrie wayes Namely through the selfe same miserable care and carking pensiuenesse By ouermuch care and pensiuenesse whereby it commeth to passe that men cannot enioy euen the present good things therefore haue no more that which they haue then that which they haue not Moreouer by the losses and ouerthrowings of the things themselues By the losse of things By how many and how notable experiences is it founde true that men do roule the stone of 1 That is they take endles paines to no purpose By death it selfe Sisyphus profit not one whit yea that they build the tower of Babel To conclude by death it selfe the which doth cause vs will we nill we to leaue behinde vs heapes of things that are most deare vnto vs for according vnto the first rule wee haue to note that Solomon speaketh according vnto the iudgemēt of man his reason which determineth of the things themselues by the issues of the things she seeth death to be the end of all things and that all one estate tarrieth for all men later or sooner the which without all doubt shall come at the last at his time This is the knitting together and meaning of those wordes The old translater hath verie well expressed the Hebrew word which is translated Profit saying What is there more remaining vnto a man It signifieth that which remaineth that is to say profit or commoditie that which is ouer and aboue Rom. 4. aduantage or gaine What is the fruite of labour For after labour fruite is looked for but what remaineth vnto men after so manie labours taken Nothing that is wearinesse and vaine hopes Furthermore he doth most clearly set downe the endeuours of men The Hebrew word signifieth