driueth from the face of the earth bicause their harts are not made faste vnto the highest vnchangeable onely true and most perfect goodnesse Ttherefore they wander in thinges created and are deuided in mynde and are most vnordinately affected Wherevpon Ieremy speaketh saying Ierusalem hath committed synne and therefore it is become vnstedfast Furthermore euen as the bayte vpon the hooke doth beguile the fishe So doth synne beguyle the synner Bicause whiles he doth vaynely and wickedly delight therein It bringeth him to euerlasting sorrowe Herevpon Augustine in his xiiii booke De ciuitate dei doeth affirme saying We may well say that all synne is a lye For we doo not synne sayth he but of a desyer that good may come to vs And yet of all synne euell commeth to vs Againe synne doeth make the synner lyke vnto a Serpent which goeth vppon his brest and eateth the earth Euen so sinners doe cleaue fast vnto sinne and doe striue to fill and glutt themselues therewith Sinne doth also shewe y the sinner is a foole Bicause by sinning euery man doth more and more ouercharge gréeue and oppresse himselfe He gathereth and layeth vpon his owne shoulders the sticks wherewith he kendeleth the fyer that burneth him in hell Yea he serueth him which requyreth séeketh nothing but his eternall dampnation and will so much the more torment him the greater seruice that he hath done him Furthermore sinne doth take away true libertie And maketh thereof most miserable bondage Bicause as our Sauiour witnesseth by the Euangelist Euery man that sinneth is the seruant of sinne Therefore Augustine in his fourth booke De ciuitate dei Doth confesse that the goodman although hée serue is yet a frée man But the wicked sayth hée yea although hée reigne is yet the seruant of as many maisters as he hath vices And againe in the fourth booke hée saith that the will of man is then truely in fréedome when it is not in bondage to vyce or sinnes And SalomoÌ„ in the booke of his Prouerbes protesteth That righteousnesse doth rayse vp and enoble the people But sinne sayth he doth make people miserable For if paine make a man miserable and the fault much more miserable then shall it so much the more in all respectes make him miserable as the fault is more detestable then the payne is Wherevpon Augustine in the xi booke de Trinitie sayth To will or desiere sayth he that which is not decent is a most miserable thing And agayne sayth he euery man is made mserable by onely euill desier But more miserable by power thereof For thereby the desiers of an euill thought are fulfilled And bicause the sinner doth cleaue sticke fast vnto vayne thinges therefore sinne dothe finally leaue him which sinneth vayne and voyde of all thinges As the Appostle sayth to the Romanes What fruite had you then that is to say in sinne when you sinned in those thinges where at you now doe blushe For the ende thereof is death Furthermore sinne doth chéefely greue the sinner at the tyme of his death For it maketh him sorowfull for the losse of the temporall thinges that is to say The delightes ritches and honors of this worlde which he loued It maketh him also to feare the streight iudgement of god The infernall punyshementes of the spéedy coÌ„myng of the Diuills Who then doe cheifely indeuour to drawe y sinner into desperation and many other euills And then the wicked is sorowfull that he hath lost and spent his tyme so viciously vnfruitfully Here withall after death sinnes doe vnspeackeably gréeue the vniust Bicause they shewe y they are before the iust iudgement of God most worthy of euerlasting payne and confuston And then they morne to here that terryble word Goe you accursed into euerlasting fier And doe vnrepayreably hold them as turned awaye from the high goodnesse fountayne of true felycitie And lastly As sinnes are hurtfull to them that are in sinne themselues euen so then gréeue those which by repentaunce doâ—… with drawe themselues from sinnes First bicause it neuer recouereth the glorye of the first innoceÌ„ce As a mayde once deflowered can neuer be a virgyne againe Secondarily bicause it bryngeth vs to payne and penaltie Thyrdly bicause it kepeth man back from glory For the penytent shall not enter vntill through Christ his merites and mercy he be restored to the purenesse which he had in baptisme Fourthly bicause he shall neuer recouer the tyme past lost the which he might haue gayned with reward Yea and it happeneth often tymes that the sinner being peniteÌ„t doth yet by the dreggs and reliques of his old accustomed sinnes become more cold in his affections more ready to the lothesomenesse of good thinges darker in his vnderstandinge weaker to doe well and much more frayle and féeble to resist the euill And therefore Augustyne in his eleuenth booke de ciuitate dei doth say Our mynde sayth he in the which reason and vnderstanding naturally haue residence doth become vnable and weake by certein cold and darkesome vices not onely to cleaue to the fruicion of God but also to beare and abyde that vnchangable light Untill suche tyme that beinge from day to day healed and renewed it maye be made capable of such great felycitie Whereby it is manifest how foolyshely they behaue themselues which foreslowe their conuersions and saye that after a certayne tyme they wil be altogither conuerted yet remayninge the meane while in their vices and wickednesse For they doe not rightly weighe into how many daungers perrilles hurtes they fall in the meane tyme And therefore sinne doth alwayes hurt many men First him which sinneth Secondarily the neighbours and all the church of god Bicause in the meane while the neighbour thereby taketh offence and the church it selfe which is an armye to withstand the Deuill is by a certayne kynde of meane thereby also diminyshed and weakened by him which is wickedly conuersant and occupied Thirdly it hurteth also those that are dampned Bicause the more that discend into hell the greater horror howling and tormentes there are For that prouerbe hath there no place whiche sayth Solatium est misero socium habere miseriae Fourthly it hurteth by a certayne meane the blessed in their habytations By meane of subtraction For the greater and more copyous that the number of the blessed is the reward accidentall is thereby made the greater by the happy socyety one of them gloryinge in an others felicitie And lastly the sinner doth incurre many euills and daungers by relapse into his olde vices For his faultes are made the greater and so more hardly to be forgeuen As Ieremy witnesseth saying Now vyle art thou made by returning vnto thy wayes For a wound hurt againe is the hardlyer and more slowly healed God also is made the harder to be pacified And the Deuill the stronger to possesse as Christ sayth in the Gospell That then goeth the Deuill and taketh vnto him seauen
to their parentes disorderâ—…d without loue without truth and without mercy With such and much worse this world is replenished as with heritikes scismatikes periures Tyrans Symonsellers hypocrytes ambitious men robbers spoylers extorcioners and pollers vsurers and false witnesses wicked théeues and church robbers traytors lyers flatterers deceyuers tale tellers wauerers gluttons dronkards adulterers incesteous men tender treaders and vayn vauÌ„ters slouens sluggardes and loyterers prodigall spenders and vnthriftes rashe quarellers and hackers vnpatient and vnconstant men poysoners and witches presumpteous and â—…rogant wretches deuilish mynded and desperate men To conclude with such as are packt full of all paltry of the earth and farced with all kynde of vyle abhomination Yet euen as the smoke vanisheth away so shall they vanish and as waxe melteth before the fyre so shall sinners perysh before the face of God. The wicked men doe suffer foure princypall paynes at theyr death The fyrst is the perpiexitie of the body which is then greater and more gréeuous than euer it was or is in this present lyfe vntil that tyme of dissolution For some thinke that euen without motion suche is their gréeâ—…ous paines they teare themselues in péeces For the violence of death is strong and vncomparable Bicause the knyttinges and naturall combyninges of the body with the spirit arâ—… then broken insonder And therevpon the Prophet Dauid sayth in the Psalme the panges of death haue compassed mée There is no member nor no parte of the body but is touched and twitched with that vntollerable payne Thâ—… second payne is when the body being altogither wéeryed and ouercome the force and strength therof cleane vanquished the Soule doth much more playnely perceyue in one moment all the works which it hath done good and bad and all those things are set before the inward eyes This payne is so great and this torment and disquiet is so gréeuous that the soule being much vexed and troubled is constrayned to confesse and declare against it selfe As it is sayde in the Psalmes the floodes of iniquitie haue troubled mée For as the floodes come with great force and sway and séeme to beare downe all things before them so in the houre of death the wicked man shall sodeinly sée and behold all the workes that he hath done or committed good or bad The third paine is when the soule now beginneth iustly to iudge and séeth all the paynes and tormentes of hell to hang worthely ouer it for all the iniquities whereof it is giltie Wherevpon it is also sayd in the Psalme the paynes of hell came about mée The fourth payne is when the soule béeing yet in the bodye doeth sée the wicked spirites readye to receyue it wherein the dread is suche and so vnspeakeable payne that the myserable soule although it be now parted from the body doeth runne about as long as it may to redéeme the tyme of hir captiuitie before shée forsake the body Also euery man as well good as euill doeth sée before the soule departe from the bodye Christ crucified The wicked séeth it to his 〈◊〉 when hée maye blushe and bée ashamed that hée is not redéemed throughe the bloud of Christ and that his owne giltynesse is the cause thereof Wherevpon it is sayde vnto the wicked in the gospell They shall sée agaynst whom they pricked and stoonge The which is vnderstoode by the commyng of Christ vnto iudgement and of his comming at the instant tyme of any mans death But the good man shall sée him to his comforte and reioysing as we may perceyue by the wordes of the Apostle which sayeth vntill the comming of our Lord Iesu Christ that is to say at the day of death when Christ â—…rucifyed shall appeare as well vnto the good as vnto the wicked And Christ him selfe sayeth of Iohn the Euangelist So will I haue him to abyde vntill I come That is to say continuing in virginitie vntill I come vnto hys death For we read of foure maner of commings that Christ shall come Two of them are visible The first in humilitie to redéeme the world The second in maiestie vnto iudgement And the other two are vnuisible The first whereof is in the mynde of man by grace Whereof it is sayd in the gospell wee shall come vnto him and shall make our remayning place with him The second is in the death of euery faythfull man And therevpon Iohn in the reuelation sayeth come Lord Iesus HIs spirite shall departe and he shall return into his earth At y tyme all their thoughtes shall perishe O howe many things how greate thinges doe mortall men consider and thinke vpon about the vncerteyntie of theyr worldly prouisions But sodeynly by the comming of death all thinges which they thought on and forecasted doe immediatly vanish away Lyke vnto a shadow when the sunne declyneth they are taken away And lyke vnto a Locust they are smitten down So that the spirit of man shal go out of him not willingly but vn willingly Hee shall dismisse with doler that which he did professe with desire and whether he will or nyll there is a terme apoynted the which hée shal not passe ouer In the which earth shal return vnto earth For it is written Thou arte earth into earth thou shalt goe For it is naturall that the thing made of any substance should bée resolued into that substance agayne He shall take away their spirite therefore and they shall fayle and shall returne into their dust And when man dyeth hée shall enherite beastes cattell Serpents and wormes For all those shall rest in dust and wormes shall consume them The worme shall eate them lyke a garment and shall consume them as a moth consumeth the wollen cloth I am to bée consumed sayeth Iob lyke vnto rottennesse and lyke vnto a garment that is fretted with mothes I haue sayde vnto rottennesse My father my mother my sister are gone vnto wormes meate Man is rottennesse and putrifaction and so are the sonnes of man Filthy are our forefathers vile are our mothers and how vyle are our sisters For man is begotten and conceyued of bloud putrifyed by the feruent heate of lust and concupisence And yet the wormes do come about his carkasse as mourners Whilest he liued he bredde nittes and lyse and being dead hée bréedeth wormes and magottes Whilest he liued hee made filthy ordures and excrements And being dead he maketh putrefaction stinke One man defendeth another onely But being dead hée defendeth many wormes Oh what is more filthy than the carkasse of a man or what more horrible than a dead man he whose embrasing had bene most aâ—…able méeting him on lyue euen his looke will bée most terrible when hée is dead What preuayle ritches therefore whatpreuayle banquetings what delightes they can not deliuer man from death They can not defend him from the worme Neyther shall they preserue
mayest enioye him thy fill most swéâ—…tely and aboundauntly For in him the whole fulnesse of blessednesse doth consist Yea the delight of God is to be with such a soule and to dâ—…cke and adorne it daily with great plenteousnesse and to vysit and comfort it with most godly reioysinges Then let vs for gods sake by the beholding of so great profit and by the desyre and affection whiche we ought to haue vnto so greate nobylitie learne to contempne euen from our hartes this moste vayne varyable néedye frayle intysing world which with draweth vs from god Synce it cannot satysfie nor contâ—…t our affecte nor our desire As Augustine 〈◊〉 saying A reasonable soule created to the lykenesse of God maye be occupyed in all thinges but it cannot be replenyshed satysfied nor fulfilled For he which is capable of GOD cannot be filled and satisfied with any thing that is lesse theÌ„ god And agayne he sayth O Lorde thou hast made â—…ur hart for thée and it is therefore troubled out of quyet vntyll it maye come vnto thée Nowe we haue shewed before sufficiently that the more our soule is stretched out or dâ—…spersed in earthly thinges yea the more it be occupied in temporall thinges and affected vnto worldly thinges so much the lesse can it be occupyed gathered together or affected towardes god And therefore if we would haue it incessauntly occupyed and exercysed in him by syncere contemplation feruent loue déepe medytation contyne wall praier harty prayse and thankesgeuing let vs withdrawe and turne it away from the world and all that is therein and let vs wholy applye it yea and as it were laye it flat and prostrate before the diuine maiestye For so shall it wounderfully growe and increase in grace And let vs so entirely loue and conserue this true godly and moste noble perfection which is beyond all comparyson better more excelent and more to bée desyred then all the goods of this world that we may altogither and in euery respect contempne the world for the loue and desire which we haue to the said perfectioÌ„ as a thing of nothing and altogither vayne Neyther yet let vs thynke that we haue done anye greate thing to leaue and forsake earthly and base things for so supernaturall and excellent treasures but let vs singe prayses vnto God with an humble and louely spirite bicause he hath so taught illumynate erected and styrred vp our hartes to the true discerning and full forsaking of all vanytie and vylenesse in this world For they are truely blessed whome the Lord â—…oth so vouchsafe to teach so to enduce vnto the contempt of the world and so to rayse and styre vp vnto the full perfectioÌ„ of a spyrituall lyfe Now my welbeloued should not he séeme to haue a mynde sore darkened a hard hart which hauing red hard and vnderstood these thinges is neyther prouoked to contempne the world nor enflamed to attayne the Godly perfection before rehearsed Doe not thou then for the loue of the lesse hazard to lose the more Be not more delighted in creatures then in the creator Doe not cleaue more earnestly vnto the world then vnto god For behold the world with all the concupyscence and vanytie thereof passeth away and vanysheth lyke smoke But he which doth the will of God shall abyde for euer It is written in the seuenth Chapiter of Ecclesiastes remember thy latter ende and thou shalt neuer sinnne And surely such as neyther the horrour of death the trembling feare of Gods iudgemente the bytter and euerlasting paynes of the infernall tormentes nor the infinyte felicitye of the heauenly habitacion can prouoke or styre to walke warely to amend theyr lyfe penitently to feare GOD and to contempne the world Are to be thought of a stony or rather a stéely hart and mynde Especyally since we must beleue nay rather we know perfectly that we must once dye and yet we are altogither ignoraunt when we shal be called hence Therewithall we must vnderstand y after this lyfe ther is no tyme of conuersion nor repêtaunce And why doe we then ouerskype any 〈◊〉 or occasion wherein we might doe well Why doe we suffer anâ—… houre to passe without some fruite or profit Or why â—…are we presume to perseuer in such estate as yet we â—…ave not dye therein But let vs doe as Salomon sayth Whatsoeuer thy hand can worke that doe thou worke earnestly For there are neyther working skyl connyng nor knowledge beneath where thou goest Yea let it not be fulfilled in vs which Salomâ—…n sayth in the same place meaning by the neglygent and vnaâ—… uysed euen as fyshes are taken with the hooke and byrdes with snares so are mâ—…n caught and ouer taken in the 〈◊〉 ill houre which shall sodeynely come vpon them Wherefore let vs neuer suffer the horrour of death the stryctnesse of Gods dreadefull iudgement nor the feare of hell fyre to be estranged or eloyned from the eyes of our vnderstanding For as â—…ierome sayth Nâ—…thing can more withdrawe a man from sin then the ofteÌ„ remembraâ—…ce of death And as Chrysostome sayth This world is deâ—…full the ende thereof doubtfull the issue horryble the Iudge terryble and yet the payne vntermynable To conclude euen as Ambrose sayth Plato the Phylosopher was also of the same opymon the whâ—… lyfe of theÌ„ which are wyse is exereysed in the 〈◊〉 of death And therefore let vs forecast what we must be in tyme to come For whosoeuer doth stoutly consider in himselfe that he must dye he shall doubtlesse despyse thinges prâ—…sent and make hast towards thinges to come Wherevpon it restâ—…th that god would haue our end vnknoweÌ„ vnto vs And y day of our death vncertayne That whiles it is alwayes vnknoweÌ„ and yet alwayes thought to be redy at hand euery man might be so much the more ferueÌ„t in operatioÌ„ as he is the more vnâ—…rteyne of his voratioÌ„ Therfore let vs not ouerpasse such 〈◊〉 dreadfull causes with skipping dauncing Neyther let â—…s sollycit the affayres of our death iestingly or vnaduisedly But wheÌ„ we ryse betime let vs not thinke to liue vntill the euening when we lye downe to rest let vs not presume of our vprysing And by these meanes we shall easily brydle our selues from all vyce and worldly affection Let vs well ponder that the houre approcheth wherein we shall remoue out of this lyfe into an vnknowen region There immedytately to abyde before the trybunall seate of the most mighty and dreadfull indge Then our tyme myspent and vnfruitfully lost will playnely appeare to be irrecuperable Neither shall any thinge that we haue vnordynately loued or vniustly done here be anye waye able to helpe or to comforte vs Then shall we be sory that we haue lyued so carelesly that we haue omytted so many good things and coÌ„mitted so many euils But let vs now whiles we haue tyme shewe forth the true fruites of repentaunce Let vs nowe so reuerence and honour Christ our iudge that we
rather hauinge lesse perfectâ—…oÌ„ in many things then they haue for they goe as soone as they be borne but we can neither goe straight vpon our féete no nor crepe vpon our hands if nede were We are all borne crying that we may thereby expresse our misery for a male childe lately borne pronounceth A. and a woman childe pronounceth E So that they saye eyther E. or A as many as discend from Eua. And what is Eua but Heu Ha eche of these soundes is the voyce of a sorowful creature expressing the greatnesse of his grefe here vpon before Eua sinned she was called Virago and after she sinned she deserued to be called Eua when she hard sayed vnto hir Thou shalt bring forth in sorrow and payne for ther is no payne to be compared to that which a woman abydeth in hir labor Wherevpon Rachel with ouer great grefe of laboring dyed and at hir death shee called the name of hir sonne Benony which betokeneth the sonne of sorrow or payn The wife of Phinees faling sodeynly in labor brought forth a childe dyed withall euen at the instant of death she called hir sonne Icabod But a woman licke vnto one that hath escaped shipwrack is sorowfull sad whiles shee laboreth but when she hath brought forth a childe then remembereth she not hir paynes for ioye bicause a man child is borne into the world Then she conceiueth with filth and vncleannesse she bringeth forth is deliuered with paine and heauinesse bringeth it vp and nowresheth it with toyle and carefulnesse and kepeth and preserueth it with dread fearefulnesse Man commeth forth naked and shall retorne naked he commeth poore and he goeth poore Naked sayeth Iob I came out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thether we brought nothing into this world and doubtlessâ—… we can carry away nothing But if any man depart out of this world clothed let him marke well what kinde of clothing he bringeth filthy to be spokeÌ„ more filthy to be heard and most filthie to be sene O vile vnworthinesse of mans estate and condicion O vnworthy estate of mans vilenesse Search the trees the herbes of the Earth they bringe forthe boughes leaues flowers fruits A man bringeth forth nitts lyse worms They distill powre out Oyle Wyne and Balmes and a man maketh excrements of spettle pisse and ordure They smell breathe all swetenesse of smell and pleasauntnesse whereas man belcheth breaketh wynde and stincketh for such as the tree is such fruites it bringeth forth and an euil tree can not bring out good fruit Then what is man according to his shape and proporcion but a tree turned topsie turuey whose rootes are his heares the stub of the roote is his head and his neck the body of the tree is his breast belly and bulke the boughes are his armes legges and the little braunches and leaues are his fingers and toes This is the leafe which is tossed with the wynde and the stuble which is dryed vp with the Sunne In the first age of Man it is read that he lyued nyne hundreth yeares and more but when mans lyfe began by lyttle and lyttle to declyne then our Lorde GOD sayd to Noe My Spirit shall not remayne with man for euer because he is fleshe and his dayes shall be one hundreth and twenty yeares the which may be vnderstoode aswell by the tearme of mans lyfe as by the space to repeÌ„t him for from that tyme forthwardes fewe are read of which lyued any longer But when mans lyfe was dayly more and more shortned then was it sayde by the Psalmest The dayes of his tyme are seauentie yeares or if it be a stronge bodyâ—… foure skore yeares and then theyr payne and sorrow increaseth For shall not the small number of my dayes be finished in smal tyme Our dayes doe passe away more swiftly then the webbe is cut from the weyuers hand A man borne of a woman lyuinge short tyme replenished with many miseries commeth forth lyke a flower and is plucked vp and flyeth away lyke a shadowe and neuer contineweth in one estate For now a dayes men doe lyue forty yeares and very fewe doe reache sixtie yeares But if man doe attayne vnto age immediately his hart is afflicted his head is troubled his spirites languishe his breath stincketh his face is wrinckled his body is bowed his eyes are daseled his féelinge faylleth and his quickenesse quayleth his teeth become rotten and his eares are closed vp An olde man is soone prouoked but hardly reuoked beleauing quickly and mistrustinge laysurely coâ—…etous and greédy heauy and needy Swyft to speake and sâ—…owe to heare praysing thinges of antiquitie and dispysinge what is vsed presently blaminge the tyme present and allowing the tyme past he sigheth and is vexed he waxeth weake and is astonâ—…ed as Horace sayth Multa senem circum 〈◊〉 in comodâ—… To conclude neyther let olde men glory against yonge men nor yet let younge men waxe insolent and disdayne olde men for they haue béen as we are and we shall one daye be as they now are The Byrde is created to flye a lofte and Man is borne to be weryed with toyle and labour All his dayes are full of labours and paynes neyther can his mynde be quiet in the scilent night and what is this but vanitie there is no man without labour vnder the Sunne nor without defectes and imperfections vnder the Moone nor without vanitie vnder tyme Tyme is the delay of thinges subiect vnto change the vanitie of vanities as the Preacher sayth and all is vanitie O how variable are mens studies and how diuers be theyr exercises and yet they haue all oâ—…e ende and one selfe same effect euen labour payne and vexacion of the mynde There is much businesse created for all men and a great yoke is layd vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day that they come forth of their mothers wombe vntil the day of their Sepulture in the earth which is mother to all lyuing creatures Let wyse men search narrowly let them héedely consider the height of the heauens the breadth of the yearth and the depth of the Sea let them argue and dispute euery one of this let them haÌ„dle them all ouer and let them alwayes eyther learne or teach and in so doing what shall they fynde out of this busie toyle of our lyfe but traueyle and payne that knewe he by experience which sayed I inclyned my hart to know learâ—…nge prudâ—…ce error and folishnesse and I perceyued that all was labor affliction of the spyrite For asmuch as in great wisedome and knowledge there is great disdayne and be which increaseth knowledge increaseth also payne trauayle for although whilest that he sercheth it out he must sweat many tymes and watch many nightes with sweat and labor yet is there scarcely any thing so vyle or any thing so easy that
the lord They went about in shéepes felles in goates skynnes néedy afflicted miserable For whome the worlde was not yet worthy Straying in solitarie places in mountaynes in dennes and in caues of the carth in daunger of floods in daunger of théeues in daunger of the Iewes in 〈◊〉 of the Gentylles and in daunger of faulse brethren In labour calamitie in much watching in hunger and thirst in many necessities and in cold and nakednesse For the 〈◊〉 doth deny himselfe and 〈◊〉 his members together with all vices and coâ—…pisences that the world may be 〈◊〉 vnto him And he to the worlde He hath héere no place of aboade but séeketh diligently for the heauenly habitation to come He susteyneth the world as an exile beinge 〈◊〉 vp in his bodie as in a pryson sayinge I am an inhabitour and a stranger in the earthe as all my forefathers haue bene Forgeue me that I may be cooled before I depart I will abyde no longer Alas that my dwelling place is prolonged I haue euer dwelled with the inhabitaÌ„ts of cedar my sowle hath remayned with them Who is weakened and I am not weake Who is weakened and I am not vexed For the sinnes of the neighbors are the refreshinges of the iust This is that watering place which Caleph gaue vnto his daughter Axa in dowry The lyfe of man vpon earth is a warfare Yea is it not 〈◊〉 right warfare when manyfold enemies doe on euery syde assayle it that they may take man and persecute him and kyll him the deuill and man the world and the flesh The deuill with vices and concupisences man with beastes the world with Elements and the flesh with the sences For the flesh doth couet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But we must not wrastle against flesh and bloud but against the lyuely breathinges of wickednesse in heauenly thinges and against the captaines of these darcknesses For your aduersary the deuill goeth about lyke a roaring Lion séeking whome he may deuowâ—…r The fyry dartes of the most wicked are kindled Death commeth in by the wyndowes the eye doth robbe the Sowle the whole world doth fight against the sences that is nacion against nacion kingedome against kingdome great Earthquakes in many places pestilences and hongers tempestes and terrors from heauen The Earth bringeth forth thornes and thissells the water flooddes and raging tempestes the Ayre thunder and great wyndes the Fyer lightninges and flashâ—…nges Saying cursed be the Earth in thy works it shall bring forth thornes and thissells vnto thée With the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread vntill thou retourne to the Earth For Earth thou art and to the Earth thou shalt goe The Bore out of the woode doth lye in waight and the best fruites are destroyed The Woulfe and the Beare the Leopard and the Lyon the Tyger and the wylde Asse the Crocodyle and the Gryffen the Serpent the Snake the Adder and the Bassâ—…liske the Dragon and the Ceracte the Scorpion the Uyper yea Nittes Lyse Fleas and Ants Flyes and Gnats Waspes and Hornets Fyshe and Fowles For whereas we are created to beare rule ouer the Fyshes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and all lyuing creatures which moue vpon the Earth Now we are geuen as a praye for them and are made foode for their mouthes For it is wrytten I will send the téeth of wylde beastes against them with the fury of Serpents and things which glyde vppon the Earth Unhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me out of the body of this death Surely man would be brought out of pryson and would depart out of his body For the body is the prison of the Sowle Wherevpon the Psalmist saith Bring my sowle out of pryson No rest nor quietnesse no peace nor securitie at any tyme On all sydes feare and trembling and on all sides labour and payne Flesh shall be sorowful euen whylest it lyueth and the sowle shal morne and lament ouer it selfe Who had euer yet a whole day pleasant in his delight who in some part thereof the guiltinesse of consience the feare of anger and feircenesse or the motion of concupisence hath not troubled whome the swelling of enuie the earnest desyer of couetousnesse or the puffing vp of pryde hath not vexed Whome some losse or offence or passion hath not disquieted and to conclude whom neither sight nor hearing or some thing that touched dyd not offend Rara auis in terris 〈◊〉 simillima Signo Herken herevpon vnto the saying of the wise man Betwene morning sayth he and night the tyme shal be changed Uayne thoughts and cogitacions doo one succede another the mynde is wrapped into sundry conceytes They houlde the Tymbrell and Lute in theyr handes and they reioyce at the sounde of the Organnes they leade theyr life in iollytie and at the twincke of an eye they goe downe into hell Alwayes some sodeyne sorrowes doo succede and fâ—…low after worldly ioye And he which beginneth in ioye endeth in griefe For the worldly felicitie is mingled with many sorrowes and sharpe mishappes as he well knewâ—… which sayd They laughter shall be mingled with sorrow lameÌ„tacioÌ„ comes in th end of reioycing This did the sonns children of Iobe wel trye who whiles they did eat draÌ„k wine in the house of their eldest brother sodeynly a vehement wynde brake in from the desart country strake the foure corners of the house which fell downe and oppressed theÌ„ all Whereby their father sayed not without iust cause My harp is tourned into lamentacion myne organe pypâ—… into the voyce of wéepers mourners But it is better to goe vnto the house of weping lamentacion then to the houses of banqueting Geue eare and marke a holsome admonicioÌ„ In the day of reioycing good fortune be not vnmidfull of mishaps Remâ—…ber the latter daies thou shalt neuer sin Alwayes the last day is the first and yet the first daye is neuer reputed for the last yet we should so liue as though we were euer ready to dye For it is written Be myndeful and remember that death will not long tarry from thée time passeth away death approcheth A thousand yeares before the eyes of him the dyeth are as yesterday which passed away For all thinges to come doo grow and renew and alwaies thinges present doo dye and fade And whatsoeuer is past is altogether dead Then we dye alwaies as long as we lyue then at length we leaue dying when we leaue to lyue any longer Therefore it is better to dye vnto lyfe then to lyue vnto death Wherevpon Salomon saide I haue more praysed the dead then the liuinge and haue accounted him more then bothe which was neuer borne Life flieth swiftly away and cannot be
away lyke vnto a shadowe neuer continewinge in one estate Wherefore should he desyer muche when as little may suffise him If we haue sayth the Appostle meat drynck and cloth let vs there with be contented wherefore should man séeke necessarie thinges with great carefulnesse when as they proffer themselues without any great difficultie harken what the truth sayth vpoÌ„ this poynt Be not carefull saying what shall we eate or what shall we dryncke or where with shall we be couered For your heauenly father doth know that you haue neede of all these thinges But first séeke you the kingedome of heauen then all thinges shal be geuen vnto you For I neuer sawe the iust forsaken nor his séede begging his bread Tantalus is thrirsty in the myddest of the water the couetous man is néedy in the myddest of his welth Unto whom asmuch auayleth that which he hath not as that which he hath Since he neuer taketh the youse of that which he hath gotten But still is gréedily bent vpoÌ„ the getting of more Salomon sayth He is lyke vnto a ritch man wheÌ„ he hath nothing he is lyke vnto a poore man when he is ouer whelmed with much rytches Both the sicke man and the couetous man eateth disgesteth not Receyueth and restoreth â—…ot A couetous man doeth neyther take compassion on them that suffer nor helpeth nor pittieth them which are in misery But offendeth god Offendeth himselfe and offendeth his neighbour For from god he withhouldeth that which is due To his neighbour he denyeth that which is necessary And from himselfe he conueyeth that which is most conuenyent Unthanckfull to god wicked to his neighbour and crewell vnto himselfe Substance is to no purpose for a couetous and nigardly maÌ„ And to what end serueth gold in the handes of an enuious man he which is euill vnto himselfe howe shall he be good vnto others and he shall not reioyce in his substaunce He which hath the wealth of this world and séeth his brother in necessitie and shutteth vp his store from him howe doeth the loue and charytie of god dwell in him For he loueth not his neighbour as himselfe But letteth him perishe for néede pouertie Neyther doth he loue god aboue all thinges But preferreth gold and more estéemeth syluer The Appostle doth well defyne couetousnesse sayinge Couetousuesse is the bondage or seruice of Idoles For as the Idolater doth serue the Immage or Idoll So doth the couetous man serue and attend his gold For as the Idolatour doth diligently amplifie the honour and ceremonies of Idolatry euen so doth the couetous man willingly increase the heapes of his mony That one with all diligence decketh and worshipeth the Idoll and that other with all care néede doth heape his treasure That one putteth his hope in Idolatrie and that other putteth his hope in his ritches That one is affeard to hurt the Image or Idoll and that other is affeard to demynishe his treasury A couetous man is prompt to craue slowe to geue and bould to denie If he spende any thing he thincks that he loseth all He is heauy coÌ„mplayning wayward being careful he sigheth and is vexed He is doubtful when he hath most he dispatcheth all thinges with an euill will He doth â—…agnifie and extoll that which is already geuen â—…ut dispyteth and vylefyeth that which must be geuen He geueth to gayâ—…e but he gayneth not to gyue He is liberall vpon anothermans pursse and sparing of his owne He pincheth his belly to fill his coffer and punysheth his body to pamper his pursse His hand serueth not to geue that which is gathered but to receyue that which is reached vnto him To conclude the substaunce of the vniust man shal be dryed vp lyke vnto a puddle For he which doth euil heape together will soone disperse it A iâ—…st iudgement of god That suche thinges as are euill gotten may be as euill spent And that such thinges as preséed not of goodnesse should neuer clyme vnto the name of goodnesse So that the couetous man hath the condempnation of this lyfe of the lyfe to come Tâ—… we it is therefore that the wyse man protesteth sâ—…ying gold siluer haue vndone many man He which loueth gold shall not be iustified Wo be vnto them which folowe it For behould the synuers themselues are abundant in this worlde and haue obteyned rytches Herevpon the verie truth dyd coÌ„maund the Appostles saying Possesse you neyther gold nor siluer nor mony in your pursses For euen as a Cammell cannot enter at the eye of a néedle so is it hard fâ—…r a rytch man to enter into the kingdome of heauen for the way is narrowe and the gate very strayght which lâ—…adeth vnto lyfe The Appostle therefore folowinng the rule of truth sayeth I haue neither golde nor siluer Woe be vnto you then which ioyne house to house and feild to feild vntyll you haue altogether the earth is replenished with siluer and golde And there is no end of his treasures For the iniquitie of his couetousnesse I am angry and haue strooken him But Abraham was ritch Iobe had abundaunce Dauid was also very ritch yet the scripture sayth of AbrahaÌ„ that he beleued in god it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes and it is writen of Iob that there was not his lyke in the land A man symple right fearinge god And declyninge from euill Of Dauid it is written that god found a man according to his hart But then these men were as though they had nothinge and possessed all thinges According to the saying of the Prophet If ritches come vpon you set not your hart thereon But we are lyke vnto men that possesse all thinges and yet haue nothing So sayth also the Psalmist The riche men did néede and were hungry For with more ease shall you finde a man whiche louâ—…th riches and hath them not then a man whiche hath riches and loueth them not for as it is hard to lye in the fyre and not to burne so is it hard to possesse riches and not to loue them Geuâ—… eare vnto the Prophet Ieremy who sayth that from the least to the greatest all men apply their myndes vnto couetousnes And froÌ„ a Prophet to a priest al meÌ„ deuise subtilies Euery couetoâ—…s man doth endeuour stryue against nature For nature brought man poore into the world And nature taketh the poore man out of the worlde For as the earth dyd receue him naked at his birth so shall it râ—…ceue him â—…aked at his death But the couetous man desyreth and taketh care to become ritch in this world I will pul downe my barnes sayth he make them greater and therein will I heape vp all myne increase and all my goods But it was sayde vnto him O foole this night shall thy sowle be taken from thée And
then more holsome to contempne this liefe for the loue of that most happy and eternall lief which is to come To abiect all the vanity and impietie therof and to cleaue most faythfully fast vnto that diuyne eternall and vumeasurable goodnesse Behold in this present and most vnstedfast lief we must of necessitie haue regard either to eternal felycity or euerlasting dampnation Chuse then my welbeloued that which thou perceauest to be most holesome for thée And hate eschewe and detest most hartely all kynde of sinnes Secondarily the diligent consideration of death doth not a little preuayle to make vs eschewe and avoyde sinnes which death doth most swyftly and vncessantly approch At which time the vicyous liefe which now delighteth vs shall hanâ—… a most miserable end For then the perverse and wicked which dâ—…e cleaue more and more bent to this world then vnto God shall séeke but truce for one hower And onely their sinnes shall march on with them Thyrdly the consideratioÌ„ of the highest and most rigorous straightnesse of gods 〈◊〉 As to thinke what a horryble thing it shal be strayghtwaies after death to be presented before the trybunall seate of Christ to be of him most iustly iudged to abyde the pronouncynge of sentence to bée accused of the Deuylls and of our owne concience and to be séene and found vicyous before him Also the consideration of the last generall iudgement which is to come in the end of the world Which wil be so terryble as no tonguâ—… is able to conceyue the same Therefore whosoeuer doth déepaly consider how miserable sorowful and horrible a thing it wil be then with body and soule to goe downe into the infernall pitt to fall headlong into euerlasting â—…yer being shutt in the most tenebrous prison of hell there desperately to remayne for euer to haue the most dolorous 〈◊〉 and societie of Deuills and to be there vncessantly tormented more then can be told That man doubtlesse will auoyde and eschewe sinnes Who so euer wil bewayle those whiche hée hath already commytted will kéepe his hart with fearefull watch Fourthly the effectuall consideration of the whole infernall punyshement And therefore if he which is delighted and alured with vanytie of hart or voluptousuesse of the fleshe in this world would rightly wey and consider vnto how great desolacion and eternall payne yea the plenteous fulnesse of all calamyties and miseryes those delightes doe leade him he would vtterly abhorre them and flye froÌ„ them O my most entierly beloued brother would God that these thynges dyd sauour and were vnderstoode of thée as it is méete and right that they should For then thou wouldest most readely dispyse the world For behould who would now lye but the space of one houre in a hott burnyng furnace to gayne all the world thereby Wherfore then doest not thou eschewe daily sinnes For the which so great payne must bée suffered yea much more gréeuous then any punyshement which maye bée geuen in this present liefe But these foule considerations whereof I last spake which with drawe vs from sinne doe principally pertayne vnto foolyshe and vnperfect men Which declyne from vyces rather by feare of euill then by loue of goodnesse Fyftly then the consideration of that highest and incomprehensible heauenly felycity which God will geue to those that for his loue doe eschewe and hate sinnes is of great power to withdraw vs from sinne Synce the hope â—…f reward doth diminish the force and smart of the scourge there can be nothing in this world so painful so laboursom or so hard but y he that doeth rightly and worthily ponder the inexcogitable glorie of that blesseonesse would not readily and willingly indure Sixtly to the same end preuayleth deuout trusâ—…ie often praying â—…s if a man which thinketh coÌ„sidereth that without the abundant grace of God he can not flye from nor 〈◊〉 sinnes doe therefore neuer cease to pray hartely vnto God for grace to liue vertuously For we must as our sauiour sayeth alwayes pray and neuer cease Seuenthly the consideration of the diuyns presence is chiesly auaylable to the eschuing of sinnes by the which god doeth behold and consider vs euery where By which consideration there aryseth in vs a chaste shamefastnesse from doing of any thing that is dishonest Eightly the consideration of his benifits Furthermore it appertayneth vnto theÌ„ which are perfect to auoyde sins chiefly by coÌ„sideration of the diuyne goodnes before whome in sin the frayle goodnesse is preferred Also by consideration of the diuyne maiestie which by deadly sinne is infinitely dishonored Agayne by consideration of the diuyne holinesse and equitie vnto the which sinne is infinitly displeasing And lykewyse by consideration of the diuyne charitie by the which God did first loue vs. Moreouer by the verie loue of vertue and purenesse and the horror of the deformitie of sinne As a vertuous man did affyrme saying Although I knew that God would forgiue 〈◊〉 yet would I not â—…inne sayd hée for the verie disordrednesse thereof It is also written that the generall remedyes 〈◊〉 sinnes are 〈◊〉 these Fyrst patience in pouertie that a man may suffer néedâ—… and penurie in all things quietly and gladly as an Embassador sent by God wâ—…ither it be in food clothing or other necessaries For as the abuÌ„dance of temporal things is the 〈◊〉 of many vyces So pouertie withdraweth from many euils The second is the dispising of worldly men and their pratses yea though thou be in all things contemned reproued and troubled without cause giuen For so is the swelling of pryde repressed and a singular grace obteyned of the Lord. The thirde is a ghostly magnanimitie a stout mastership ouer a mans self without which a man is oftentimes enforced to coÌ„mit such things as wold els displease him to omit those things the which hee would willingly doe It preuayleth much for worldlings in all things to forsake their own wâ—…l The fourth is y eloyning of a man from comfort of worldly affayres By which verie often times the quiet and purenesse of the soule is much hindred The fift of conference with learned vertuous men and the following of their counselles and betwéene God and thy conscience to take an account of thy life passâ—…d doth helpe to ouercome sins and the temptations of the 〈◊〉 for since the diuil is the Prince of darkensse he doth hate flye from the light or the recordation or manifestation of his deceiptes and the humble accusing of a mans own self But the forgetting or kéeping secrete of his wyles hée 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herevpon our sauiour sayeth Euerie man which doth euil hateth the light but hee which dealeth truly commeth to the light that his workes may bee made manifest bycause they are done in god But there are some which are verie naughtely dangerous shamefast 〈◊〉 no will to call to remembrance and examyne their owne consciences of the secretes of their thoughts affections temptations wherby it coÌ„meth to passe
the sight of theyr consistories that they were thought worthie to suffer that continually for the name of Iesus Consider then my welbeloued in which of these thrée kyndes or sortes of Trauaylers thou arte to bée accompted For he which doeth onely attayne vnto the first rehearsed degrée let him not thereby boast that he is in suretie of saluation And therefore it shall bée thyne industrye not to be contented with the first degrée but that thou haue desyre of passing by the seconde to clyme vnto the thyrde degrée of perfection That leadyng a heauenly and angelycall lyfe in the fleshe and dayly increasing in all fayth charitie knowledge and grace thou mayest bée accompted amongest the sonnes of the holye and glorious God and not bée foreslowed after thy departure from the glorie of his maiestie And out of a sermon of holy Bernard I haue taken certaine chosen sentences touching this matter Be not sayeth hée lyke vnto the fâ—…lishe Trauayler whome the fayre shewe of this worlde dóeth entyse the prosperitie thereof doeth lulle him on sléepe the fauor thereof doeth deceyue him and the ioyes therof entrappe him in such sort that being drawen and turned from God hee is helde backe from his iourney and hyndered in hys wayes Doe not then vse or estéeme this world as thy countrey as Beda forewarnesh bicause this is the difference betwéene the chosen and the reprobate That the electe béeyng now Alyens and straungers banyshedde doe expecte and hope for a perpetuall habitation in heauen do so much the lesse delight in the frayle ioyes of this preseâ—…t lyfe bycause they hope to receyue the ioyes â—…out end which are to come to raigne with Christ for 〈◊〉 But â—…he reprobate haue their countrey héere And vnto the desires of this life they onely doe cleaue and therfore after this life they are sent into euerlastyng banyshement whereas lacking all pleasures and delightes they doe onely suffer aduersitie in torments The 〈◊〉 Mathew in his seuenth Chapiter hath these wordes Enter or goe in by the narow gate for the way is broad and 〈◊〉 which leadeth vnto distruction and many there he which goe in the reat But the way is straight and the gate narow which leadeth to euerlasting life and fewe there be which fynde it out These wordes procéeded from our sauiour Christ and are reported by his Euangelist saint Mathew And what could haue bin spokeÌ„ more terrible then these wordes or what soundeth more thundringly in our eares It had bene sufficient to terrifie the stoutest hart if Christ had onely sayde The way of saluation is straight and broad or wide opeÌ„ is the way of dampnatioÌ„ â–ª Whereby it might haue bene sufficieÌ„tly apparaÌ„t how hard it is to be saued and how easâ—…e to be dampned But he procéedeth saying That verie fewe doe finde the straight way of saluation and that â—…erie many doe walke in the voyde open way to dampnation Whereby he doeth ensinuate also that right fewe shal be saued and verie many dampned The which he doth more euidently set downe in another place saying Many are called but fewe are chosen Therefore who would not feare yea and tremble to heare these wordes if he be of the faythful and haue obteyned a liuely beliefe in Christ Jesus For the faith and true dutie of a christian is such and so misticall so great and yet so difficult that although we certainly know by the testimonie of Gods spirite the certaintie of our saluation in Christ yet should euerie wayfaring man in this worlde doe verie well to feare and forecast least hée in respect of infirmitie of fleshe should fall and offende and so consequently should doe well to walke in dread and reuerence before the Lord god For as we are bound to beleue that after this transitorie lyfe we shall be brought before the Tribunall seate of Christ the euerlasting God and infallyble dreadfull and moste iuste iudge there to receyue from him eyther euerlasting paynes of hell fyre or the euerlasting ioyes of heauen euen so if we behold the same with a cleare and lyuely fayth it were wonderfull if euer wee should be frée from trembling and dread But the malice and necligence that is in vs doeth blynde our hartes For if we were to passe through a field or place full of théeues wherin fewe passengers or wayfaring men had escaped who were he that would not feare excéedingly to light in danger of corporall death But now we passe and walke dayly through a fielde of this wicked worlde replenished with all kynde of diuilish temptations Wherein as is abouesayde verie fewe in comparison doe escape dampnation Neyther yet doe we feare but laugh playe sporte and banquet Yea we are throughly replenished with a vayne and moste perillous securitie or carefulnesse But my welbeloued let it not bee so let it not for Gods sake beé so amongest vs Let vs not so superficially heare the wordes of Christ least we neglect yea and loose our selues in vnrecouerable vntollerable and eternall distruction Let vs rather profoundly and cunningly fulfill the wordes of our sauiour thinking alwayes vpon that which is written Sanctifie the Lorde of Hostes for he is your feare and your terrour And agayne Be thou all day in the feare of God thou shalt haue wheron to hope in the latter day Wher vpon Hieremie also considering these things sayd There is no man lyke vnto thée O Lorde thou arte greate and thy name is also greate in strength And who shall not be afeard of thée O King of kingdomes Where vpon it is also written Great wonderfull are thy workes O Lord God omnipotent iust and true are thy wayes O Lorde and King of all worldes Who wil not magnifie and feare thy holy name bicause thy iudgements are manifest But before I wade any further let me say a little of the wordes before rehearsed of our sauiâ—…ur christ For he sayth that the way is narow the gate straight which leadeth to saluation Or rather as I take it he sayth that the way is verie narow the gate very straight For in y he demaundeth interrogatiuèly how straight is the way c. It is to be vnderstood y he ment very straight and narow But he plainly affirmeth that the way is broad and spatious which leadeth to euerlasting dampnatioÌ„ And by the wordes before rehearced the vnderstanding hereof is made manifest For as I haue a little before alledged there are two kyndes of wayes which men walke in One bright vertuous the which is the way of the chosen which fearfully and carefully serue the Lord God that is the straight and narrow way For as much as knowledge and vertue are alwayes occupyed about hardest things As I will hereafter more playnly declare And there is another vitious darksome way which is the way or lyfe of the reprobate the which is accoumpted broad and spatious bicause it is an easie matter to declyne from the
written Thy name and thy memoriall O Lord are in the desires of my soule My soule hath desired thée by night yea thy spyrite is in the secretes of my harte and early in the gray mornyng will I wayte for thée Herein as goodnesse is the obiecte of our appetyte and desire so since god is the highest purest vnmeasurable perfectest goodnesse so is he insinitely to be desired to be loued In such sorte that we ought beyond all comparison to loue him aboue all things And so consequently it is méete and requisite to dispyse to refuse and to caste away whatsoeuer may let foreslow or turne vs from his loue and the feruentnesse therof But the world and that which 〈◊〉 thervnto doe withdrawe vs specially let and 〈◊〉 vs from the loue and goodnesse of God as Gregorie sayeth wée are euen so much disioyned and seperated from the loue of y high God as wée are wrapped in worldly thinges delighted in base things and occupyed in earthly things For vertue is both greater and of more force when it is vnited thē when it is dispersed therfore the more that the 〈◊〉 of our mynd are dispersed and deuyded into the inordinate loue of worldly creatures the weaker also colder blynder and more vnapte they be to loue God. Wherevpon Chrysostome sayeth looke howe muche thy mynd is set vpon any thing and euen so much the lesse it is set vpon god For what are these earthly carnall things but onely heauy wayghtes and burthens which draw down the affections of mans mynd from desire of heauenly things Let vs therefore extend our whole harte vnto god Let vs be borne vnto him with our whole mynde Let him be such a cause of loue vnto vs in al other things that we estéeme no worldly creature more thē for that it may as a meane serue vs towardes the attayning of his loue That is to say so far forth as it may bee vnto vs necessarie and profitable to further vs in our way towardes the heauenly kingdome But let vs become so feruent in the loue of God yea let vs so much estéeme his most swéete and delectable loue that we may dispise all and singular other vayne and transitorie things as vyle durte So that the omnipotent and eternall God may be more precious more to be desired more gloryous swéeter fayrer and in euerie kynde of comparison better of more perfection and worthinesse thē any other thing And let any liuyng worldly creature be lothsome vnto our soules being thus occupyed in contemplation of the diuyne maiestie Let vs sée and perceyue hereby that the whole 〈◊〉 world in respect or comparison of the vndiscrybable God is but as a small title of no reputation or louelynesse Yea in such sorte that we thinke these transistorie thinges vnworthie to be looked on But that we be wholly transformed 〈◊〉 established dissolued and swallowed vp in Christ Iesus So that we may say with his holy Prophet The God of my harte and God is my portion for euer And agayne I will loue thée O Lorde my strength And as the Apostle said I know that neither death nor life nor any creature can seperate me from Gods loue Let vs but marks and behold how vyle it were for the delightes of the mortal and miserable fleshe for the prayse and glorie of men and for temporall honour and preferment to be withdrawen or foreslowed from this highest supressentiall vnchangeable and incomprehensible goodnesse of god Let vs be made heauenly conformable vnto God and deyfyed yea familiar and entyrely beloued vnto the liuing god For what haue we to doe with these earthly things we being made and created to the shape and lykenesse of the most holy Trinitie béeyng redéemed and made frée by the bloud of Christ and called to the blessed fellowship of Angels Let vs therefore dispyse all these things and let our whole occupation conuersation entention and affection be fixed and altogither reposed in him onely which is onely necessarie to bee imbrased accordyng to the admonition of Augustine Let man sayth hée if he turne any way conuert him selfe vnto him which created him for by going backe from him he waxeth cold but by turning vnto him he shall waxe warme By going backe he shall waxe dimme and darke but by turning to him hée shall become bright and shyning For euen where he receyued his creation and being there must he also fetche his being good or godly For he the Lord our God is the verie swéetnesse swéete aboue all kynde of swéetenesse Brighter then any light déeper then any secret and higher then any honour or degrée Moreouer he is that purest kynde of lyfe to turne 〈◊〉 om him were a gréeuous fall but to returne vnto him is a highe rysing or clyming To abyde in him is a certaine dwelling and to dwell in him is happie lyfe And euen as corne in the wet furrow doeth rotte and 〈◊〉 but in the rydge or higher part of the land it is preserued florisheth so our hartes if they be raysed vp to God shalt neuer putrifie nor decay But if they be ouerthrowne or sunken in earthly things they rotte and consume immediately And myne earnest desire is my welbeloued that thou doe spurne from thée and dispise all transitorie things detest abhorre all the pompe of this world for the loue of the diuyne bountie and through the affection that thou haste to procéede in the imbrasing thereof Yea and that by the desire of so contemplatyue and holy meditations thou mayest with all thy hart and mynde be giuen ouer vnto him All which can not come to passe vnlesse thou dispise all corporal delightes all worldly vanities and all thine owne desires As Cassianus affyrmeth saying our affectiōs saith he are neuer perfectly kindled to the desire of eternal things neither is our vnderstandyng euer sharpened vnto the perfect contemplation of heauenly thinges vntill the cares and desires of the fleshe bee perfectly bridled in vs My welbeloued if thou wilt be rich and a possessor of infinite goods and treasures giue eare then vnto the counsell of Ambrose He that wil sayth he possesse God let him first renounce the world that God may be vnto him a blessed possession and heritage For looke how much thou dye vnto y world so much lyfe thou gaynest with god And the more that thou lyue as to this worlde so muche the more thou dyest vnto God. To conclude whosoeuer loueth the world doeth loue an enimie imbraseth a Traytor and dandleth in his lappe an vnspeakeable daunger Wherevpon Augustyne sayde if this world delight thée thou shalt alwayes be vncleane And if thou louingly kysse the worlde he will hungrily and gréedily swallowe and deuour thée And to make an end of thys deuision wee ought aboue all things to loue God. First for his vnmeasurable goodnesse Secondarily bicause he first loued vs. Thirdly bicause he powreth so many benifits vpon vs. Fourthly
Sea which is tossed with tempestes And is passed with great daungers and many difficultyes Agayne behold the Lorde GOD with whome all thinges doe consist in an vnchangeable eternytie as the highest thinge to be séene or beheld vpwardes And the world it selfe as the lowest thynge downewardes Then consider saye they lykewyse the mynde of man placed as it were in the myddest béetwene them both The which by the crcellence of manes condition doth floate aboue the chaungeablenesse of this world and yet hath not attayned the vnchaungeablenesse of the diuyne nature Then if mans minde should chaunce through loue gréedy desire of these thinges which passe downwards to drown it selfe therin immediately it wil be ouerthrowen with sundry waues and beinge as it were deuided from it selfe wil quickly be dyssipate and destroyed But so much the easier it wil be to gather it altogether on a heape to preserue it if it rayse vp it selfe with an earnest thought and desire forsaking those base and earthly places vntill at last it become altogither vnchaungeable by atteyning vnto that highest most excelent immutabylity Againe when a mans minde doth declyne downewardes by the loue which it hath to earthly thinges it suffereth shipwracke in the floodes of this world And being myxed or myngled amongest the changeable thinges doth flowe away with the streame Yea it is by a kynde of twofould daunger tossed retossed For both it is in perill to be drowned by the déepe affection it beareth to the lower parts and againe by contyne wall working of the waue in multytude of affections it is meruelously dyssypate and dysseuered But if it rayse it selfe vpwardes from the loue of this present lyfe by the desire that it hath vnto eternytie and doe gather together all his thoughtes and cogitations then doth it as it were swym alofte in the floode and doth spurn and kycke awaye all traunsitory thinges as fylth or wéedes swymming lose in the water Therefore let the mynde of man as it were so repose it selfe in safety by raysing it selfe aboue and on it selfe towardes God and by retorning to it selfe in it selfe that by the considerations aforesayd it béeing raysed aboue the world maye behold the perylles a farre of and reioyse that it hath by any meanes eskaped them And this it is to go into the Arke of the hart and the spyrituall Shippe By helpe whereof we maye happyly eskape the waues of this worlde wherewith we are tossed alwayes Then spurne from thée and despyse these transitorye and frayle thinges and behold thou arte swoome and eskaped out of this great dyluge of roaring waters Consider déepely and medytate the heauenly Sacraments of thy redemption together with the benefytes of the diuine goodnesse bestowed vpon thée and thou art alredy entred into the Arke of thy hart and the Shippe aforesayde Againe this world is most conueniently compared vnto a large féelde full of crewell théeues and robbers In the which many are kylled and murdered and very few eskape at any tyme vnwounded or not sore hurt Yea that which is worst they which walke commonly in this field doe betray eche other into the hands of those théeues That is whilest one of them doth leade another into the fall of finne whereby he falleth into the diuells handes And thou my welbeloued if thou wouldest be afeard to walk in such a féelde replenished with théeues who might endaunger thée with temporall death how darest thou then walke through this wycked worlde wherein so many enemies are suborned by wycked spyryts and so many stumbling blockes are layed to make thée fall into euerlasting fyre Agayne this world is compared to a wood set on fyre wherof in maner all the trées are burnt and destroyed For we maye dayly behold howe the loue and charytie of God is waxed colde in mens hartes how the loue of the world hath preuayled howe the fyre of concupyscence the feruentnesse of pryde and the flame of couetousnes are kyndled In such sorte that almost euerye man séeketh to shyfte for himselfe And neuer séeketh Christe Jesus nor those thinges which pertayne vnto his glorye Men are carefull for worldly sustenaunce and not for the purenesse of the soule nor the cleanennesse of the hart Yea they doo rather séeke to avoyde the dyscoÌ„modities of this present lyfe then to eskape the bytter and eternall tormentes of hell fyre And howe then darest thou chuse but be carefull how to eskape out of this woode yea and that with spéede least thou be burned and consumed with the fyre of vyce lewdenesse Lastly it is compared vnto an olde Citie which for the morâ—… part is become ruinous battred destroyed In such sort that the enemyes may aproch and assault it on euery syde So that it is now no safe dwelling therein But we must flye vnto some stronger place of defence For if we doo rightly consider our owne frayltie how prone we are to euyll and how slow to goodnesse we shall fynde it requisite to séeke some safer resting place for our soules wherein we may the better eschew and auoyde all occasions of sinnes The princely Prophet in his foure and fortyth Psalme hath these wordes My daughter behold and geue eare and bend thyne eare to me and forget thy people and the house of thy father and the king will earnestly desyre thy coomlynesse Although these wordes be lytterally to be expounded by the Church which is the vniuersall Spouse of Christ yet may they also be vnderstoode by euery faythfull soule and mynde which is also the perticuler Spouse of christ For as Sainct Augustine sayth euery soule is eyther the spouse of Christ or the diuells concubyne And therefore the holy Prophet saying Forget thy people and thy fathers house meaneth despise these earthly thinges in respect of God and for his sake Set asyde kynsmen brethren neyghbors and all â—…arnall affections To th ende that all thyne affection may be towardes god Yea make thy selfe ryche of spirituall ryches and adorne and decke thy selfe with all grace and vertue For the more perfectly that thou contempne worldly thinges so much the more thou shalt be replenyshed with heauenly treasure As Gregory sayth He doth very well withdraw his loue from the creatures which doth onely with the eyes of his hart and vnderstanding beholde the excedinge bright bewtie and louelynesse of the Creatour So that my deare and chrystian brother if thou doo so the kyng of kynges the lorde of lordes the onely begotten sonne of GOD wyll earnestly desyre thy coomelynesse That is thyne inward coomelynesse thyne inward reformation the bryghtnesse of thy wysedome and the feruentnesse of thy loue And that shal be sayed vnto thée which is wrytten in the Cantycles O my beloued how fayre and amyable thou art yea he wyll louâ—… thée being so fayre and louely He will blesse thée with heauenly light and the true fruites of the holy Ghost He will assocyate thée vnto him for euer So that thou
floorysh in iniquitie which hath alredy withdrawen the footesteppâ—…s of his affâ—…ction from the loue of this world For if we would thinke vpon the eternall rewardes wee should soone espâ—…e that the present glorie is nothing at all But he which fyxeth his harte in things present neuer weying nor consideryng the punyshmentes to come for the wicked but is puffed vp with false ryches and reioyseth when he hath more cause to be lamented he is subiecte vnto many mischiefes Synce there can be no truer nor ryghter myserie then false and vayne tryumphyng Yea and euerye man doeth so much the more outwardly reioyce as hée doth inwardly the lesse remember him selfe These sentences before alleaged I haue gathered out of Gregorie wherby thou mayest playnely perceyue how perillous a thyng it is especially for suche as professe reformation to apply our affections vnto these earthly things But peraduenture thou doest purpose to vse ryches without abuse and to bee conuersaunt amongest worldlyngs but not worldly and wantonly and to eate and drynke amongest them without ryotte or banquettyng And fynally to vse the fauour and honour of men without tryumphyng or glorying therein Surely if thou couldest performe this it were a great perfection But hardly can the best and most perfect continue therein And howe seldome it is séene marke thy selfe by these wordes of Gregorius It is commonly séeâ—…e sayth he and doeth seldome fayle that voluptuousnesse and sensuall appetytes doe followe banqueting For the bodie of the riche glutton is melted and dissolued into delightes and hys hearte is opened vnto vayne ioye The ryche man is ouercome with excesse of delight and becommeth vnbrydeled in boastyng wordes Hée runneth where hee lusteth and falleth into all vnlawfull things Yea those thinges which were the occasions and allurementes of hys vyces doe become the instruments of hys payne and punyshment But examyne thy selfe whither thou doe onely féede and sustayne thy bodye accordyng to thy necessitie and vtillity or if thou doe not delicately and tenderly pamper and cherishe thy volâ—…ptuousnesse Or els harken agaâ—…e vnto tâ—… wordes of Gregorie As it is vnpossible sayth he that fyre should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in water so is it vnpossible that a compâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contryte mynde should lyue in 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 méere contraryes and eche of them distroyâ—… and 〈◊〉 the other Furthermore weigh and consider the excelâ—…cie of tyâ—… and bee abashed to spende it in vanities 〈◊〉 pâ—…sse it oâ—…r vâ—…fruitefully and to leade thy lyfe therein wickâ—…dly Yâ—… harken vnto the doctryne of the auntient fathâ—…rs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of vs â—…et lyght by tyme which is consumed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The worde flyeth from vs irrâ—…uocably The tyâ—…e â—…th from vs vnredéemably and the foole knoweth not nor marketh not what he looseth Let vs talke and common togâ—…ther say some vâ—…till an â—…oure be paste 〈◊〉 thou doâ—… let passe an houre the which the merâ—…y of thy Creator hath 〈◊〉 thée to repent to obtayne gracâ—… and to winne and attayne vnto euerlasâ—…yng â—…lorie Untill the tyme doe passe ouer wherein thou oughtest 〈◊〉 make intercession vnto the diâ—…yne maiâ—…stie approâ—… and make haste vnto the companye of the Angelles sighe and lamente for the losse of thy 〈◊〉 herytage aspyre vnto the felicitie proâ—…ysed and prâ—…pared styrre vp thy â—…acke and â—…uggish will and bewaile 〈◊〉 the iniquityes which thou hast committed For thoâ—…gh wee set so lyght by tyme yet by Bernardes opynion nothing is more precious The dayes of health and saluacion passe ouer our heades and no man marketh them Wherefore my best beloued on earth euery eueninge or tyme that thou goest about to take rest or quiet reuolue and cast in thy mynde how thou hast spent the daye What euill thou hast commytted and what good thinges thou hast omytted How many good thinges thou mightest haue done and dyddest neclâ—…ct them How thou hast dishonored God and pleased the diuill by sinning and doing amisse How thou hast wounded and hurt thy soule and displeased God. Fynally howe neare thou haste approched vnto hell This beyng done yelde thankes and glorie vnto God for all that thou hast well done and for all that thouhast done amisse be sorie from the bottome of thy harte Determyne an amendment and accomplysh it in déed Consider herewith that sinners which doe now spende theyr tyme in worldly vanitye doe at the houre of theyr death séeke one houre or the least momente of tyme to repent The which they had then rather obtayne then a massye heape of Golde as greate as the whole worlde Remember that at the daye of iudgement all tyme that was lent thée shall bée requyred at thy handâ—…s howe thou haste spent it Yea euerye leaste moment or twynckling of an eye Therefore let thy hearte be replenyshed with good thoughts thy mouth with holy words and readyng of scriptures and thy handes with doyng of vertuous déedes That as often as the enimy doe come he may fynde thée armed For suche as hee doeth fynde idle hee ceaseth not to tempte them Then if it bee so euill to bee idle howe muche worse is it to bée euyll occupyed Wée fynde written The prayse of the wycked is shorte and the ioye of the Hypocryte lyke vnto a moment If hys pryde goe vp into heauen and hys heade touch the cloudes yet in the ende hee shall bee as a dunghyll Hee shall bee lyke vnto a dreame flyinge awaye which is not seene when wee awake and hee shall passe ouer as a nightly vysion If wee doâ—… well and throughly consider the eternytie of the felycitie and lyfe to come yea the soundenesse trueth and vncorruptiblenesse thereof I doe verily beleue that this world present life togither with all temporal glory shal euen from the harte séeme vile vnto vs Neither shall we disperse our affections in worldely thynges but rather we shal most gredily séeke out y euerlasting ioyes vnchaÌ„geable good things prepared for vs in the heaueÌ„ly kingdom For in asmuch as our soule is immortal for the brightnes of vnderstaÌ„ding much hygher and worthier then any materiall substance or nature it ought not to take ioye or felicitie in corruptible material or tranâ—…torie things but it ought to goe forwards with a pure harte towardes the immortall vnuariable and â—…st perfecte god So that we ought not to loue this present lyfe but the lyfe to come principallye and aboue all things Yea we ought to dispise and contempne all transitorie delectation all temporall honor and all prayse of men for the hartie loue of the diuyne and celestiall beatitude For looke howe much we cease from the affection of worldly vanitie and temporall glorie so much the more doe we please God and so muche the néerer we approche vnto the blessednesse which is to come For vnto God onely all honour aâ—…d glorie are due From whom all good thinges doe procéede But to vs be confusion shame which doe so often offend dishonour and neclecte god Wherfore it shall not be
Furthermore Augustine in his booke entituled De miseria mundi doth plainly treat saying Take héed to thy self least being wrapped in the snares of the diuill thou become a pray to y huÌ„ter which raÌ„geth and séeketh whom he may deuour For this lyfe is fugityue and vntrustie since it doth not performe faithful dealing no not to the louers therof Yea euen from the beginning of the world it hath deceyued all such as put their trust therin And all such as haue wrapped theÌ„ selues therein it hath beguiled And so it hath shewed it self vncertain to all men y it might proue it selfe a lyer vnto all men For beholde the worlde which we so much loue estéeme doth passe ouer â—…ly away And yet we follow it â—…ing so froÌ„ vs through a blynd mynd of carnal ccÌ„upisâ—… cleaue fast vâ—…to it whilest it 〈◊〉 So that beyng vnable to hold it vp falling we fall with it percompany Yea is not this our lyfe lyke vnto death since therin doe abound so many dolors lamentations sighes and so great miseries one man being gréeued with loffe cryeth out Another coÌ„tinually bewayleth the barenesse of his ground One lamenteth the death of his friend another sitteth sadly being ouer whelmed in pouertie So y there is much tribulation from y time y man commeth into this world Yea his first voice or sound doth shew infirmitie He is borne an infant straight way cryeth out He can not yet speake neuerthelesse he is y Prophet of his own calamitie His teares are witnesse of his miserie paine dread y is to come WheÌ„ he is growen a little he beginneth to hunger thirst to bée weary To conclude man hath alwayes two sundry tormeÌ„ts which by turnes doe vexe him continually The which are feare sorow If A man be well he feareth if he be euil at ease he soroweth What is he whom the prosperitie of thys world hath not deceiued Or who is it y hath not ben gréeued with y aduersitie therof theÌ„ behold man what great afflictions thou doest suffer in this world which thou so much estemest Wherin in very déed there are nothing but false deceiptful voluptuousnes true yea vndoubted calamitie No safetie of myrth and ioye but a tormentyng feare a gréedie couetousnesse and a fruitlesse lamentation And who is he which can number or accoumpt all the euilles and discommodities of this lyfe For to ouerpasse with scilence those euilles which doe commonly oppresse all men that is to say secret sorowes and especiall griefes whereof all men may fynde them selues giltie let a man but call to mynde what euylles hee hath both sustayned and committed from hys youth vpwardes let him but set before hys eyes the tymes passed and diligently consider howe many vayne labours he hath vndertakeÌ„ how often he hath swet in vain for the loue of this wretched world How often he hath founde deceyptfull issues of hys most earneste trauayles and let hym then ponder that after long troubles he hath yet obteyned no rest and he shal quickly know what accoumpt is to be made of this world O myserable man then what doest thou or whether goest thou whiles thou art in this world thou doest but iust and roonne in a Tyltyearde Wherein thou findest an enemie which is to strong for thée whome thou neyther canst sée nor yet eskape from him He entyseth thée with tryflyng toyesthereby to robbe and despoyle thée of the ioyes of heauen Yea and thereby to put into thée the very tormentes of hell His lackye lyeth close hidden in the way couered with earth which is the diuells concubyne and lenunan The enimy of mankynde doth behold the manners and naturall enclynacions of euery man and vnto what vyce they be most prone those he setteth before theyr faces which may most aptly allure and betray theyr myndes And whiles he maketh them gaze at the gaynes of glystryng gold they neuer sée the perill of theyr perdicion but lyke fooles being deceiued with the delightes which they sée and carnally doe loue they neuer marke how they fall hedlong into damnacion And bicause all men are voyde of vnderstandinge they perishe perpetually Wherefore if the world doe please and delight thée beware the deceyptfulnesse thereof Remember that as Salomon sayeth Lamentacion and dolor doo come in the ende of ioyes and merymentes For all mans pleasantnesse is bytter and sowre in the ende When a man reioyseth in the world be reioyseth not in God. But yet alas how many ther be which reioyse in the world neuer reioyse in God To reioyse in the worlde is to boast tryumphe and glory in iniquitie vanitie ryches honor outwarde coomlynesse fylthy conuersacion vayne pastimes with vnfreutefull and leuds communicacion Which is in effecte to purchase sorowe and lamentacion For no man can embrace Christ and the world bothe attones Many men professing Christ doe prayse him loue him and rendre thanckes vnto him whiles they be in theyr worldly prosperitie But if aduersitie light vpon them they cursse â–ª blaspheme him Such men serue god for profit and not for loue Unto whom the Lord God may iustly saye For your owne benefit and commoditie you haue obserued my commaundementes and not bicause you loued me with a pure entent And wherefore doest thou extoll thy selfe in vanitie O man is not thy body as the Preacher sayth dust and asshes Art not thou thy selfe of earth and shalt soone be resolued againe into earth Looke into the Sepulchres of the greatest Prices and sée if any other thing doe there remayne but bones and dust And all this being thus doest thou by so many errors make hast vnto hell which hast bene enstructed in so many pathes to heauen by Christ him selfe Why is that beloued which must be forsaken and that neclected which may perpetually be enioyed These sentences and many such lyke Sainct Augustine dothe moste deuoutely propounde in his bookes before named And finally he wryteth in a certeyne Sermon saying Attende and marke O myserable Soule of sinfull Man that horryble houre in which thou shalt depart from the body Where as thou shalt prefently beholde the wycked ministers of Sathan the cursed diuills the horryble dampned spirites and the most crewell roaryng Lyones ranging and hunting about for theyr praye which is thy sorowfull selfe With the twynekling of an eye the horryble places of eternall paynes shall apeare the Chaos or confuâ—…ed heape of darkenesse the horrour of mysery the terrour and tremblyng dreade of sorrowe the quaking feare of horryble vysions and of that most horryble mansion where ther is continuall wéepinge and gnashing of téethe gnawing of wormes howling and crying the lamentacions of them that mourne perpetually and the voyce of such as crye wo wo wo be vnto vs chyldren of Eue. When the wretched and vnhappy soule departing out of the body shall heare these things and such lykâ—… or rather a thousand fold worse worse then can be expressed when
it shall behold them and féele them then may it sensibly vnderstande what excéeding trembling dreade and terrour doth ensue of the loue and delightes conceyued in this frayle vnconstant and most wretched woâ—… But my beloued doe thou forecast all these thinges 〈◊〉 suffre none of these admonicions to slyppe out of thy mynde That thou mayest eschewe and eskape eternall payne and punishment and atteyne vnto the ioyes which shall endure worlde without ende Amen A LETTER WRYTTEN by I. B. vnto his famyliar frende G. P. teaching remedies against the bytternesse of Death WHen I remember your request made vnto me at our last parting which was that I should wryte some what vnto you either to ingender in you a meditacion of contented death or at the least to diminish the desyre of long lyfe I can not but much lyke and commend in you that disposition whereby it appeareth your desyre and mynde is let not in the loue of things transitory but in knowledge and in that knowledge which of all other is moste perfect and méete for a wyse man For if that be worth the learning that is necessary and that for euery age degrée and sexe all creatures must necessarily dye and no man of reason dyeth better and more lyke a man then he that hathe learned the Science thereof And if that knowledge be worth the learning whereof commeth certeyne and great commoditie none can be compared with the Scyence of well dying the fruite whereof is comfort and lyfe neuer enâ—…ynge And as this knowledge is most perfect worthie learninge so haue you taken a verye méete and conuenient tyme for the atteyninge of it which is youth the flower of your age haing in it selfe strengthe and habilitie to learne any Scyence and leauing tyme to practise that is well learned For as none other science profitable being lyberall is sodenly learned neither is it enough to byd a man though he be wytty sodenly to drawe a figure in Geometrie make a proporcion by Arithmiticke be a good sowldier ingenier or other lyke for he may say he lacketh tyme teaching and exercise to atteyne such knowledge euen so is the science of dying wel to be learnid with tyme meditacion and exercise And who so sayth to a sicke man not practised herein be content to dye forgo this mortal life may here of him againe I know what it is to lyue by experience but to dye I haue not learned and the lesson is not so easie as you thinke it Wherein if many would doo as you séeme to meane that is to learne to dye when they may bâ—…st lyue they should bothe lyue more quiet and dye better contented And now somewhat to satisfie your desyre and to entre into this treatie which I entende not to make longe I wyl kéepe this ordre Fyrst to shew that vnto a Christian man Death is not to be fledde but rather to be desyred or at the least well to be taken no plague but â—…enefyt no losse but gayne Next I will shewe what the lettes and causes be that make vs indge otherwise And thirdly tell how those lettes may be remoued and our opinion somewhat changed to thincke of Death and lyfe as they are without preiudice that men commonly bringe with them To the heathen not knowing GOD nor the vertue of the lyfe to come the first parte that Death is not to be fledde shonnid and terrible is a lesson harde or rather vnpossâ—…ble to be taught For lyfe being good as all men thinke and of it selfe it is no man can willingly leaue the good but for the better for otherwise he shall thinke him selfe to make suche a bargaine as the Pâ—…ete sayth Glaucus made with Diomedes change gold for copper And bicause the heathen knowe not the beâ—…r which knowledge is learned onely in Christes schole 〈◊〉 of their bookes though they wrote many of the contempt of Death with fayre and glorious woordes could make either them selues or their heires with right iudgement content to dye if they might liue to leaue presâ—…t life which thei thought good and were content with for an other to come whereof their knowledge was none or doubtfull and vncertayne And therefore a Philosoper emong the reste most learned sayde of all thinges dredefull most drâ—…adfull is Death And the excelent Dratour who in health and wealth spake lyke a whole man and as a man learnid perswaded other being for a tyme banished was him self without all comfort And when he drewe towardes death perceued he had sayde more then he could iustifie and performe in him selfe In lyke case was the Emperour for wisedome so much renowmed who approching néere to death and speaking as he founde cause by proofe and tryall and not as he before had vaynely thought sayde he was toubled with the feare of Death bicause he knewe not whether he should goe nor what the gods immortall for so he termid them had determined of him vnto whome he recommendid him selfe with this doubt that if they had appoynted any good of him they should then shew it These thrée examples of the best with other able to fill a great volume doe well shewe that the heathen were not learned in this scieÌ„ce anâ—… much lesse méete to be scholemaisters and teachers to them that will rightly learne it and therefore I intende not to vse their examples though they make a faire muster which when I sée other men do in this argument wryting vnto a christian reâ—…der I thinke they doe not wel remember what is méete for the argument they take in hande and for the person to whome they wryte But as to the heathen the ende of lyfe being is and for causes aforesayd must be dreadfull so vnto a christian man it neither is nor should séeme so vnto whom death is the beginning of lyfe the gate of blysse the ende of soroâ—… and mortal â—…reefe Whereof he is not onely informed by coniecture lyke to be true but assured by promise of him y can be all thinges sauing false so that a scholer of Christe should rather doubt whether the Sunne shyne by daye or whether he féele being awaked then whether the promises made thereof be assured or no. Then if it be so that Death endeth all sorow payne misery and trauayle and setteth vs in place of solâ—…ce comfort blysse and quiet and that such as neither hath enterlacing of the contrary nor ende of it selfe Who is sorye to make this change but he that beleueth not how good it is and how well made or how shall we thinke he beleueth it to be good and also true who slyeth from it when it is comminge towarde him or would not haue it true in him selfe that he beleueth Let him feare Deathe who hath not hard of Christe to whome Christe hathe promised naught desyrous neither to heare of him to sée him not to be with him whome fantasie leadeth vanitie pleaseth lust ruleth and the world blyndeth séekinge
for rest in trouble for ioye in sorow for ease in payne for assuraunce where â—…thinge is but slyttinge for 〈◊〉 where nothinge please the longe But he that is a Citizen of Ierusalem a souldier vnder Christes banner armed with Fayth shylded with Hope strengthned with Charitie who knoweth in whome he hath put his truste and where he looketh for his méede Such 〈◊〉 one is content to vse this lyfe as his â—…lgrimage contented if it be short not offended if it be long desyringe neyther the one nor the other but still lookinge to his home â—…earing with the rest bicause he appoynteth his quiet ther. Unto him bicause Câ—…rist is lyfe death can not be but gayne bicause he â—…indeth that he séeketh and atteyneth that he loueth content to leaue the world which loued not him or which he louid not whose commodities if he sought he founde nothing but either occasion to enuie them he should loue or to stryue with them that would enioy them as well as him selfe 〈◊〉 be angry with them that kept him from the atteyning theâ—… whome being men he should embrace Yea though he hatâ—… nor misused no man which is harde in that cause to â—…oyd yet louing the world and the commodities thereof he found meanes whereby he was moued to forget his iourny and the ende thereof to make his Inne his home to syt downe before his wayes ende to turne his loue from the better to the worse from heauen to earthe from God to him selfe or rather from and agaynste him selfe to thinges vayne which first would make him worse then they sounde him and afterward leaue him whan he began to loue theÌ„ and leaue him in that euill estate they founde him not So if the world doe vndoubtedly hurt them that loue it and be but payâ—… and trauayle to them that loue it not bicause they hauâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor pleasure where they loue not then followeth it 〈◊〉 loue is onely to be bestowed on God and that â—…n must desyre to be wher his loue is for so natuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue be true And surely if ther be in vs the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ue of god we can not be asrayde of that â—…ich bringeth 〈◊〉 to him nor loathe to heare of that â—…ithout which we can not come to him And if thâ—… were no more benefit in Death but that he maketh an ende of sinne sithe sinne displeaseth God and â—…aritie willeth vs to loue that he loueth and 〈◊〉 that he hateth we can neither be afraydâ—… nor ill content with deathe which bringeth vs out of the occasion of sinnâ—… and daunger thereby to disâ—…lease God. And although this séeme vnto many hard and vnto some almost vnpossiible mâ—…suring all other by their owne footâ—… y any man who may enioy lyfe should be coÌ„tent or desirous â—…o lâ—…ue y same yet is it not only aprouâ—…â—…ost vndoubted true by y teching of scriptures which no man can deny but also by y exaÌ„ple of infinit martirs wherof each couÌ„try hath had great nuÌ„bers who hauing libertie to flye therby to liue inflamed only with the sire of charitie loue of god were not only coÌ„tâ—…t to be taken but offered theÌ„ selues for his sake whom they louid and that not onely men in whome naturally courage is but women and children whose weake sexe and tender age declared more playnely what true and hartie loue is able to worke which as it brought Christ downe from heauen into earth so being truely rooted in man it is able to draw him from earth into heauen without respect had to him selfe or any thing that is his And thus much spoken of the first parte doth now make the waye open to bring in the second for it may be sayde if there be any meanes to take away the feare of Death and diminish the desire of lyfe who should atteyne to the same so soone as christian men And sith we be all of that number howe commeth it then to passe that so fewe are contented to dye and many so affrayde thereof that neither them selues will thinke of it nor willingly heare other speake of it To the which question although I might in fewe woordes aunswere and say that there lacketh in vs that lyuely and perfect loue of God and the lyfe to come which should be in vs and was in them of whome I spake Yet to make this point more playne for it is lesse to saye all then to touche eache parte of all I finde thrée causes especiall that make men desirous to liue and lothe to dye 1 The one is our weakenesse which séemeth to haue some excuse bicause nature desireth the conceruacion of it selfe abhorreth dissolucion which both taketh away our being and also bringeth with it great gréefe and paynes which men séeing in other and flying in them selfe feare Deathe whose seruants and messengers they are 2 The second cause is either the lacke or the small quantitie of fayth in vs whereby we beleue not or fayntly beleue the meruailous promises of incomparable blysse promised by GOD vnto his faythfull after this transitory and present lyfe 3 But the greatest cause is the third which is a loue and swéetenesse conceaued of this lyfe the goods and commodyties of the same wherewith who so is possessed it can not be auoided but vnto him the very remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death which taketh froÌ„ him that he loueth must be sower bitter as the scripture saith To say somewhat to these thrée things which maketh lyfe swéet death sower is the third part of my matter which I promised to entreate of And for the first which is a naturall weaknes ingeÌ„dering of it selfe the feare of death we can not say it hath no power in vs mortal men sith Christ our patron being more thaÌ„ man confessed to haue some féeling of it in him selfe But if we coÌ„sider that he was weak to make vs strong who gaue the onset made the conquest of death weaknes that not for him selfe but for vs in our nature saying afterwarde to vs be bolde feare not I haue made a conquest of the world And y he hath by taking on him our nature meruelously ioyned incorporated vs vnto him so that by grace participacioÌ„ y is true in vs which by perfection of nature was true in him theÌ„ fynde we that this weaknes remayneth not as before in his force but is inforced couÌ„teruayled by a streÌ„gth geuen vs besides our selues which bicause we should firmely beleue not to be imagined or onely in words but true in déedes God hath shewed it by the example of thousandes of his martirs not flying as before is said but desiring death not fearing but conteÌ„ning it triumphing in tormeÌ„t coÌ„quering in weakenes not saying sad heauie is myne hart vntil death be past but I desire to be in the féeling to begin to lyue swéete is the torture colde is the fire dul is the axe for what is ther in death dreadful
vnto a faythfull christian man is it the dissolucion of the bodie that a christian man desireth who is able to say I long to be dissolued is it that death bringeth an ende of life being heare that is not much to him that knoweth he hath an other lyfe to come in comparison of which this is no lyfe but death no ioy but sorow no ease but trauayle no quiet but misery So that either there is in deade very smal weake faith in vs to beleue gods promises infallibly made to all his Or if we doo assuredly beleue theÌ„ the greatest feare in that behalfe is past for he that loseth his lyfe temporall fyndeth eternal goeth froÌ„ labour to rest from the sea into the hauen froÌ„ weaknes to strength from sicknes to health from death to lyfe from sinne to iustice from sorow heuines paine to the place where there is no gréefe nor sighinge those former parts are then past Let the heathen feare to dye who may truely say I know not whether I goe nor what is ordeyned for me to what ende the gods haue created me whether it be good or no who are borne in sin not new borne in holines who haue neither teaching or knowledge of life neither promis of the same But a christiaÌ„ man being taught y death is the entre to lyfe that he is ordeyned to lyue with Christ created to be partaker of his glory regenerat sanctified by him with promis of blisse inestimable if he after all this retorne to the same loue of lyfe feare of death y is in the gentil what doth he then else but practise to be come a gentil heathen again selling away his enheritaÌ„ce for lesse then a messe of potage and renouÌ„cing his priuiledge whervnto he is singularly and especially called But as we haue sayd before weaknes may be a great cause to make a man feare death lack of beléefe a greater but yet are they not the greatest for perfect loue ouercoÌ„meth weaknes increaseth reuiueth faith wher loue is whole sounde the rest is soone recouered if it be lost or increased if it be decated But if loue be either deuided betwene god this world lyfe present or wholly traÌ„slated froÌ„ god vnto things traÌ„sitory How should a man be content to parte froÌ„ y he loueth and séeke that he careth not for sithe it is so true saying that where the man loueth he lyueth and vnpossible is it that who so is delited here possessed with the loue of this lyfe should willingly heare of death which can onely be welcome to them that therby desire to be with Christ whom they loue better then theÌ„selues or this lyfe so can be coÌ„tent to leaue the good for the better their welbeloued for the best beloued or y they estéeme light they entirely and tenderly loue For if it be asked what is the thing of such force y is able to make a man content to forsake his goods his liuing him selfe and his life if we will answere truely and in fewe words we must say it is loue nothing else which wher so euer it be faâ—…ed ma keth al other things séeme nothing in coÌ„parison of that it lyketh And herein to vse some exaÌ„ples it was none other thing the made the Philosopher cast himselfe into the burning fire of Aetna nor the Romain getleman-on horse backe to leape in wher y earth gaped the young man after y reading of Platoes booke to break his neck So many captains souldiers wyllingly wittingly to goe to their death but loue They louid somthing better then lyfe the wysest their couÌ„try and frendes whome they would preserue thother fame and as they called it immortalitie the lightest vayne estimacion glory but euery one somwhat wherewith they were ledde Sith theÌ„ loue is of such force as y same is able to bereue a man not only of his goods treasure but also of his lyfe and that by his owne will and coÌ„sent the right waye to learne coÌ„tentidly to receaue death when god sendeth it is to learne to employ wel fasten our loue wher it should be is due that is vppoÌ„ god and the lyfe to come louing that onely for it selfe and other things so much and so farre as we neither change nor remoue y out of his place which lesson if it be not onely beleued but practised maketh the lyfe godly and comfortable and the death easy And who so euer marieth him to the loue of the world following y desires thereof and making the desyres of it his delight that man may speake boldly of death vntil it come But when he shal stand vpon his gard to receue the assault he must will vndoubtedly shrink shew him selfe a weake souldier lacking the armour that should theÌ„ defend him for if faith his buckler byd him be strong thinck vpon the coÌ„quest that Christ his captaine hath made vpon that triumph y is prouided for him his owne hart coÌ„science which is néere him than his armour will saye all that is prouided for such as beare their loue true hart to their onely captaine whome they promised to serue for such as before in the time of theyr seruice dyd resist his enimie his atteÌ„ptes and not for such as yelded themselues prisoners vnto him content to be in his Campe and to fight vnder his banner His sword which is the worde of God being not well handeled of him before nor much occupied wyll then agrée ill with his hand he for lack of exercise not able to giue a strong blow therwith his curates of charitie so thin that eache dart arrow shal perce it his helm of hope vnlyned neither wel fitting to his head nor able to kéepe of the force of the byll Is it possible think ye y a souldier thus armed besides this not exercised in feates of warre shold withstaÌ„d a mightie stroÌ„g practised wel armed man no verely He wil either runne away if the grouÌ„d serue him or with shame be takeÌ„ prisoner and captine When I consider the maner of dying of such as were in gods fauour of whom we reade in the Scriptures old new coÌ„pare our selues with theÌ„ how willing ready glad they were to leaue this lyfe how loath backwarde sory we are for the greater part to doe the same I meruaile we should be called one mans children that are so vnlyke in condicion Moses being tolde he should no longer lyue therefore to prouide his successour dyd w his own hands ordre appoynt Iosua without coÌ„playnt sorow or token of gréefe prouiding for theÌ„ that shold lyue as it were nothing thinking on him selfe Isaac byd his sonne go hunt prouide gett him meat that he might blesse him before he dyed The lycke coÌ„tentacioÌ„ appeared in Iacob Tobias Dauid sundry other whome we finde not onely neuer to haue shunned death
but coÌ„tentedly to haue receaued it The loue they bare vnto God his will in their lyfe kept theÌ„ from disorderid loue of the world and froÌ„ the coÌ„mon sinnes vices which men for worldly thinges coÌ„mit being not troubled with conscience remorce therof sawe no cause to shunne to feare death And as this loue of god his wil encreased in the new testament where the holy ghost the spirit of loue was is more pleÌ„tiously powred in to y harts of the right beleuiÌ„g So the loue of lyfe decresed the desire of death increased in y best professors therof the appostles martirs infinite not only coÌ„tented to leue this life but also desir eddeath who receuig the faith gospel beig taught therby to coÌ„fornie theÌ„ selues to y life image of Christ did with perfect faith pleÌ„tious charitie full hope coÌ„meÌ„d theÌ„ selues to the will of God the expectation of the life to come which they knew was prouided for them y loueth God neither is there any other cause why we dye not like theÌ„ but bicause we liue not like them we feare death bicause we liue not wel some more some lesse according as the order of our liues hath ben and who so saith that the maner of death is a touchstone to way the life is not much deceiued I wil not say but many men may dye wel that liueth ill for mercie is aboue iudgement but none coÌ„tent to dye but he that by death loketh to be with Christ which is he that by his life showeth that he knoweth loueth Christ without which loue y more faith at that time the lesse comfort For faith teacheth Gods mercy his iustice and if iustice be all against vs either faith ingendreth in vs sorow of such a life and so repentance which is good an entry toward life or if it ingender not an earnest repentance it bringeth nothing to comfort ease releue vs but all contrary And therfore he that wil liue in coÌ„tinual meditation of death which is y way to make him a familier so no dreadful gest nor stranger must liue in loue I meane y loue of vprightnes honestie cleanesse iustice integritie doing good where hée can hauing inteÌ„t to hurt none getting vprightly to suâ—…in himself his of that remayneth departing liberally to the poore as he séeth cause is able to such a man y remeÌ„brance of death caÌ„ not be vnpleasant for it shal neither take him vnprouided nether beriue him of any thing wherwith he is disorderly in loue Such a man liuing coÌ„teÌ„tedly in y place wherin he is called traueling carefully to fil satisfie the same wheÌ„ death approcheth doth méekly say to God with Christ I haue done the worke thou sentest me to doe And albeit there hath bene much weaknesse many infirmities in his trauel and accomplishing that worke he was sent to doe yet with a great indifferencie he shal be able to vse the words of the vertuous learned Bishop neither haue I liued so among you that I should be ashamed to liue neither doe I feare to die bicause we haue a good Lord master The man so liuyng and so thinking is onely happie neither troubled with inordinate desire of highe estate which he taketh but for a place to trauayle for many neither affrayde to be in meaner then he is knowing that where so euer God placeth him he hath his worke to doe wherwith he may please him euer quyet content to dye and not vnwilling to liue But here some man may say although he be not disordridly desirous of life yet can he well be coÌ„teÌ„t to liue though not for him self or for his owne sake yet for others therin wisheth nothing vngodly but deceÌ„tly to kéepe the place whervnto he is called which he can fill if not better yet as wel as an other maÌ„ to help such as néed him to bring vp his childreÌ„ to see theÌ„ disposed finally to bestow the benifits y God hath lent vnto him he y maketh this obiectioÌ„ lieth not on him self is not of y worst sort nor much to be misliked vnto whoÌ„ neuertheles it must be answered if his desire be to liue for others who by him may be y better he must coÌ„sider y wel doing is not all his own wherof though maÌ„ be y minister God is the giuer who will dispose him self to doe many good and none hurt so coÌ„tinue God knoweth man knoweth not but this maÌ„ knoweth y without gods giuing he doth it not wel knoweth he also y happie had bene SalomoÌ„ if he had ben taken in his youth wel doing the like may ye read of many say by experience of some whither he would be one of them by long life he knoweth not if ther were no dauÌ„ger it shuld not haue ben writteÌ„ he y staÌ„deth let him take héed y he fal not if he think there were no dauÌ„ger in him self theÌ„ is he proud and lyke to be one of them that would fall if he doubt then is it wisdome to put him self to him that knoweth And sith he knoweth and is sure that after death no sinne is done better is the choyse to go with safetie as Gods seruant wheÌ„ God willeth then in continuaunce to put that in a hazarde which if it goe amisse at the ende can not be recouered nor the losse redubled Déepe in payne lye many who by long lyfe fell into sinne and therby into their damnation who had then dyed in their youth had lyued with Christ and howe much they bewaile their long life the oceasâ—…oÌ„ of their paiâ—… no tonge can tell nor harte thinke But to returne to the matter if he say he would doe many good in long tyme and lyue accordyng to his place and callyng let him shewe that in the tyme he hath giuen him and if in so doing he be takeÌ„ sith he may say to God I haue done the worke thou sentest me to doe and when God calleth hym away hee knoweth there is no more appointed for hym to doe he knoweth also there is no more cause for him to lyue bicause desire of doing good was the only cause why he would lyue His childre are Gods more then his who leaueth not the seede of the iust who calleth him selfe the father of Orphans and iudge of Widdows whose blessyng if they haue they shal prosper though they lacke a mortall father And if they lacke that much sorow and small comforte should the father haue to see that he could not amend for eche good father neither maketh nor leaueth a good chyld And yet doeth not such a man lacke wyfe and friendes to whom he may commit the care of children and if his friendes will doe much for them at his request and recommendation why should he mistrust Gods proÌ„uydence helpe and dyrection if hée commend them vnto hym By whom