is formed and made of Dust Clay Asshes and a matter much vyler which for modestie I doe not name coÌ„â—…eiued in concupisence of the fleshe in the feruent heate oâ—… lust in the loathsome stinck of desyre and that worse is in the blot and blemish of sinne borne vnto payne sorow and fearâ—… yea and that which is most miserable vnto death He doth lewd thinges wherby he offendeth God his neighbor and him selfe He doeth filthy facts whereby he defileth his good name his conscience and his person and he doth vayne thinges wherby he neglecteth serious profitable necessary things He shal become the fewel for fier which alwayes burneth and can not be quenched the foode of worms which euer gnaw and féede vpon him the continewall masse of corruption which alwayes stincketh is filthie odious and horrible Then our Lord God hath formed man of the â—…ime of the Earth which is more vile then the rest of the Elements as it appeareth in the second of Genesis He made the Planets and Starres of the Fyer the blastes and wyndes of the Ayre the Fisshes and Fowles of the Water and Man and beast he made of Earth Then if he consider of the creatures created in the water he shall perceiue him selfe to be vile Considering the creatures made of Ayre he shall finde himself more vile coÌ„sidering the creatures of fyer he shal fynd himself most vyle Neither shal he make him self equal with the heaueÌ„ly creatures nor dareth prefer himselfe before the creatures of the Earth for he shal finde him selfe equal vnto beastes and shall acknowledge himselfe lyke vnto cattell sithence th end of man and cattel of the feild is all one and their condicion and estate are equall neither can man doe any more then a beast From the Earth they sprang and rose and to the Earth they shal retorne together These are not the wordes of any worldly man but of the wysest euen Salomon What is man then but slyme and dust and thervpon he sayth vnto God Remember I besech thée that thou hast made me lyke vnto Earth and shalt bring me into dust againe and thervpon also God sayth vnto man Thou art dust and shalt retorne into dust I am compared sayth Iob vnto Clay and am lykened vnto Imbers and Asshes Clay is made of Water and dust and both the substaunces doe remaine therein and Asshes are made of Fyer woode and bothe the substances doe fayle An expresse mistery but to be expounded in an other place Then what is Clay to be prowde on or whereof doest thou extoll thy selfe O dust O Asshes whereof doest thou glory Peraduenture thou wylt answere that Adam him selfe was fashioned and formed of clay and that thou art procreate of the séede of man But he was formed out of virgin clay and thou art procreate of séede which is vncleaue for who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede What is man that he may seme vndefiled or that which is borne of man may seme iust For behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother conceiued me in sin Not onely in one iniquitie nor in one onely transgression but in many iniquities and in many transgressions yea euen in strange iniquities and transgressions for there are two kinde of conceptions one of séede an other of nature The first is made in such factes as are committed The second in such thinges as are purchased and gotten for the parents commit in the first and their issue doe purchase in the second For who is ignorant that the act of generation yea euen betwene maried folkes is neuer committed without prouocation of the fleshe without heate of lâ—…st or of concupisence wherevpon the séedes which are conceiued be vncleane be blotted and made corrupt and the sowle beinge therewith ouer flowed dothe purchase the spot of sinne the blot of gilt and transgression and the blemish of iniquitie euen as liquor is corrupted beinge thrust into an vâ—…cleane vessell and beinge once poluted is defiled euen by the first touch therof For the sowle hath thrée natural powers or three natural forces that is to say a reasonable power to deserne betwene good and euill a passionate power to reiect the euill and a power of appetite to desier that which is good These three powers are originally corrupted with three opposite and contrary vices the reasonable power â—…y ignoraunce that it may not deserne betwene good and euill the passionat power by wrath and anger that it may reiect the good the power of appetite by the concupisence that it may desier that which is euill The first of these vices begetteth transgression the last bringeth forth sinne the midlemost ingeÌ„dereth both sinne traÌ„sgression for it is traÌ„sgression to doe that which is not to be done it is sinne to indeuor that which is not to be indeuored These thrée vi â—…es are purchased and gotten out of corrupted flesh by thrée allurements for in carnall copulation the vnderstanding is lulled on slepe to th ende that ignorance may be sowed the prouocation of lust is styrred vp to th ende that anger and motion of mynde may be spred a broade and the affection of voluptuousnesse is satisfied to thend that concupicence may be obtayned This is that Tyran fleshe the lawe and ruler of the members of man the norishment of sinne the languishment of nature and the fodder of death without the which no man is borne and without the which no man dyeth the which although it passe ouer at any tyme in state of accusation yet it remayneth alwayes in acte For if we say that we haue no sinne we beguyle our selues the trueth is not in vs Oh greuous misery and vnhappy estate condition before we sinne we are bound and wrapped in sinne and before we transgresse we are caught in transgression By one man sinne entered into the worlde by sinne death tooke hold of all men for dyd not the forefathers eate a sower Grape and their childrens téeth are set on edge Wherfore theÌ„ was light geuen to him that is in wretched nesse lyfe lent to such as are in bitternes of the sowle Oh happie they are which dye before they are borne which tast of death before they know what lyfe is for soure are borne so deformed and prodigious that they seme not men but rather abhominations vnto whom nature perhappes should much better haue foresene if she had neuer suffered them to be sene for they are demonstrate and set to shew as monsters and shewes and some againe lacking some of theyr members sences are borne vnperfect to the grefe of their freindes the infamy of their parents and the abashinge of their neighbors But what nede I speake perticularly of these imperfections sithence all men generally are borne without knowledge without speach without vertue without power wéeping wayling weake féeble and but little deâ—…eringe from brute beastes or
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
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
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
no man to geue eare vnto thée being appoynted of the kinge and he sayde more ouer who wyll make and constitute me Iudge ouer the lande that all they which haue busines to doo may come vnto me as vnto a iust Iudge Yea when any man came vnto him and saluted him he reached him his hand and imbracing him kissed his chéeke and thus he dyd vntyll all Israell which came vnto iudgement to be hard of the king And he dyd labour for the harts of the men of Israell And when Absolon was gon into Ebron he sent spyes into euery trybe of Israel saying as soone as you shal heare the sounde of the Trampet say you Absolon reigneth in Ebron and a great conspyracie was made thereby the people coÌ„ming togeather dyd increase greatly with AbsoloÌ„ But put the case that the ambicious man be raysed vp on high be caryed vp a loft immediatly cares doo grow priuily carefulnes is accumulate fasting are proloÌ„ged watchigs are lengthened whereby both nature is corrupted the spirits are weakened The sléepes are brokeÌ„ the appetite is lost the vertues are weakened the body wareth leane and so fayling in his owne defect he liueth not halfe his dayes But concludeth a miserable lyfe with a more miserable ende That saying of the Poet is true Great thinges are forbydden to stande longe They are raysed vp an high that they may fall the more greuously But that saying of the Prophet is more true I saw sayth he the wicked man exalted and raysed vp on high as the boughes of Lybanus I went by and be houlde there was none that knewe him I sought him and his place was not to be founde Before his dayes be fulfilled he perisheth let him reioyce as a vyne when it first florisheth And let his clusters be as the ollyfe when it buddeth Marke the saying of the wyse therevpon All men in aucthoritie sayth he are short lyued As soone as the ambitious man is promoted to honour he is puffed vp with pryde and becommeth vnbrydled in boasting neyther doth he care to profit but gloryeth to beare rule He presumeth himselfe to be the better bicause he is growne to be higher But the vertue and not the degrée the honestie and not the dignitie dothe make a good man Men thus aduaunced doo disdayne their former friendes ouer sée their knowne companions contempn their accustomed fellowes tourne their countenaunces hould vp theyr heads set vp their heare shew theyr pryde speake bigge muse vpon déepe matters They can not abyde to be commaunded they séeke to rule the roast Enuious at all other that be preferred And grenous vnto such as are vnder their subiection They beare no griefe defer no conceypt heady bolde glorious and ignorant heauy and importunate O pryde hateful vnable to be borâ—… of any man Emongst all vices thou alwayes arte both first and last For all kinde of sinne if thou come in the way is committed And all kynde of sinne if thou step a side out of the waye is omitted As it is wrytten the beginninge of all sinne is pryde The first begotten death For this in the beginning of all thinges dyd rayse vp the creature against his creator An â—…ngell against god But immediately and without delay it threw him downe againe Bicause he continewed not in the trueth it threw him down againe from innocencie into sinne from delights into miseries and from the bright heauen into a thick mystie ayre Harken vnto the Prophet saying How dyddest thou fall Luryfer which sprongest in the morning Thou fellâ—…st downe vpon the ground which diddest wounde the nations and saydest in thine hart I wil go vp into heauen and will exalt the soll of my foote aboue the Starres of god I wyll syt in the mount of the testameÌ„t in the sydes of the Northwynde and will clyme vppon the height of the Clowds I wyl be lyke vnto the highest Thou wert in the delights of Paradise of God an Image token of his likenesse full of wisedome and perfect in all comlines all kyndes of precious stones were in thy bestemeÌ„ts The Topase the Iaspis the Chrystolite the Onyxe the Berall the Carbuâ—…cle the Saphir and the Emerald Gold was the workemanship of thy comelynesse and thy holes priuities were prepared in the day that thou werte made Thou wert that mightie and great Cherub and I put thée in the holy hill of god Thou walkedst in the middest of the fyery stones as perfect in thy wayes from the daye of thy creation vntill iniquitie was found in thée Thou hast sinned and I cast thée out of the mount of god Myne heart was raysed vp in thy comelynesse and I haue cast thée out against the earth The Cedar trées were no higher theÌ„ he in Paradise The Firre trées were not equal vnto his toppes the Palm trées were not equal vnto his boughes No woode in Paradise was lyke vnto him nor vnto his bewtie bicause I made him bewtiful without many thick boughes He is king aboue all the sons of pryde he is that great red dragon hauing seuen heads tenne hornes seuen crowns vpon his heads Whose tayle drewe the thyrd parte of the Starres of heauen and threw them downe vpon the earth And that great dragon is throwne â—…oorth that old Sâ—…rpent which is called the diuell and Satanaâ—… Wâ—…h 〈◊〉 the whole worlde and was throwen forth vpon the earth and his angels were sent with him Of whome the truth sayth I sawe Satanas as a lyghtenyng fallynge from heauen For eueryone that exalteth himself shal be humiliate and he that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted O proude presumption and presumptious pride whiche wouldest not onely be equall vnto the angels of god but also diddest presume to make men Gods. But those whome he raysed vp he put downe whome he exalted he brought lowe Here vpon the Lorde saythe vnto the Prophet O sonne of man say vnto the Prince of Tyre thus sayth the Lord god Bicause thine hart is raised vp as the hart of god and thou hast sayd I am a god when thou arte but a man and no God therefore I will bring the strongest people vpon thée and will kyll thée And Thou shalt dye in the ouerthrowe of them that be slayne Nabuchodonozar bicause he did proudely bragge on his power and sâ—…yd is not this Babylon which I haue â—…ylded in the house of my kingdome and in the strength of my fortitude the glory of my coâ—…lynesse when the word was yet in the kings mouth a voice sel from heauen saying To thée king Nabâ—…chodonosar is it sayd thy kingedome is gone from thée and I will cast thée out from men and thy dwellinge shal be with cattell and wylde beastes Thou shalt eate haye lyke an Oxe and seuen tymes shal be chaunged vpon thée vntyll thou know that the highest hath dominion in the kingedomes of men And he geueth
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
made so much the huger and greater the more that he is bound vnto equitie and the more or greater benifittes that he hath receyued of God yea the more learned or able that he was to haue done wel Thirdly it is weighed and noted in the qualitie of the matter whereaboutes the sinne is committed agaynst a mans person then agaynst his substance But those sinnes are moste gréeuous which are directly committed agaynst god As blasphemy infidelitie or desperation Fourthly by meanes of the end which the sinner tendeth too for the worse that the sinner his intent is the more greuous is the sinne Fiftly by the circumstances that is to say of the tynâ—…e and place Sixtly of the verie deformitie of the sinne it self according to it self by reason of it selfe The which is alwayes so much the greater and more loathsome as the vertue is the gallanter and more worthie which is contrarie vnto it Whervpon as the loue of God is the highest vertue so to â—…ate God is the greatest sinne So that on all sides and in all respectes the vylenesse filthinesse and enormitic of sin is multiplyed and increased And therefore holy Gregorie sayeth if we knewe in what maner our soule is wounded and doth fester by euery least sin or faulte we would surely vnto death resist sin And again a stinking dog is more tollerable sayeth hée vnto mans smell than a sinfull soule vnto God â–ª Go to then my dearly beloued if we feare or be vnwilling to be to appeare vyle filthie detestable ignoble before the holy and moste worthie maiestie of God If we abhorre that the countenaunce of our creator should bée turned from vs let vs then auoyde sinne with all carefulnesse and pure affection Forasmuch as no deformitie no hurt no blot can so much defyle infect or disorder mans bodie and make it séeme so detestable and disfigured in mens eyes as the reasonable soule is with euerie mortall sinne blemished made vyle infected and made filthie and detestable before the sight of the diuyne maiestie and of his holie Angels For it is made lyke to the verie diuil himself béeing turned from the fountayne of light it is filled with the â—…arcke clouds of lothsomenesse and filthinesse What sinne is Art. 4. BY the witnesse of holy Ambrose sin is a bâ—…king or infringing of the diâ—…yne lawes and a disobedience to the heauenly commaundementes Lykewise according to Augustine sinne is sayth he to cleaue vnto changeable thinges and to dispyse the vncâ—…angéable goodnesse And agayne sinne sayeth hée is a will and desire to retayne or to get that which rightuousnesse doeth forbid So that sinne is the transgression of the dâ—…nc wil and commaundements as to doe that which 〈◊〉 forbiddeth or to omit that which he commaundeth Where vpon it foloweth that it is siu to speake to thinke to desire or to â—…oe agaynst the lawes diuyne Now there are two thinges to be considered in sinne That one is as it were formal that is to say the auertyng and turning of the mynde from the high and vnchangeable goodnesse which is principall or capitall sinne That other is as it were materiall That is the conuersion of the mynde created variable and readie to fall vnto the stedfast consideration of the high goodnesse Herevpon two euil thinges there are also coriespondent vnto sinne For as touching the formall poynt the payne of the losse or damage is coriespondent vnto it which is extreame miserie and lacke of the heauenly fruition But as touching the materiall poynte of sinne the payne of the sences doeth therevnto corresponde That is to say the sencible paynes of hell which are the punishmentes of eternall fyre Dionyce briefely deâ—…neth â—…nne to be a going backe from order that is to say from that conuenient and due estatâ—… wherevnto the mynde created ought to cleaue fast and be subiect vnto the creator For that doeth right order require that the inferiuâ—…â—…ould be subiect to the superior that the effect may be coâ—…ed vnto the cause thereof That the creature of vnderstanding may bend it self vnto his creator as vnto a beginning that maketh it blessed And all this is subuerted by sinne for by it the mynde created rebelleth agaynst his creator And doeth as it were turne his backe against his creators fact neyther doeth it indeuour it selfe according to his counsell but trusteth in his owne strength Furthermore it is sinne to preferre a mans wil before the wil of God and not to brydle and restrayne a mans owne libertie according to the terrour of the diuyne lawe Wherevpon in all sinne the sinner doeth propounde vnto him selfe an ende in some frayle and created goodnesse vnto the which he is inordinately affected and doeth viciouslye cleaue vnto it yea more than vnto God bycause it is agaynst hys will and ordynaunce This doeth truelye and directly repugne vnto the diuyne charitie bycausâ—… wée ought to loue GOD aboue all thinges and to béâ—… conformed and effected lyke vnto hym and to cleaue faâ—… vnto him And lykâ—…wyse vnto rightuousnesse bycausâ—… wée are bounden aboue all things to obey the deuyne preceptes And therefore according to the doctours whatsoeuer â—…oeth directly repugne vnto charitie by the which God and our neighbour is loued yea or vnto rightuousnesse is in his kynde mortall sinne And so sinne is a contempt â—…f the deuyne bountie an 〈◊〉 to the diuyne maiestie an offence to the diuine holâ—…nesse a râ—…bellion agaynst the diuine will a forsaking of the diuyne wysedom an ingratitude for heauenly benefites A fulfilling of frowardnesse and selfe will a seducing of reason an infection of the soule a woundyng of the forces thereof a filthinesse of mynde a murdering of grace a rauishing of charitie a snare of death a way to dampnation a gate of hell a net of the diuill an imitation of wicked spirites Detesting of Angels an excéeding mallice a right crookednesse a wonderfull deformitie a moste filthie kynde of monster a most cruel wylde beast and a lamâ—…ntable perpetuall losse of that true felicitie To conclude sinne is that which moste displeaseth God most pleaseth the diuil is most hurtfull vnto mans harte Behold now thou séest my welbeloued howe much sinne is to be hated eschued and detested Yea more than any of vs can comprehend or expresse it is to be hated and highly to be auoyded Wherefore let vs incessantly arme our selues stâ—…utly to fight agaynst this euill agaynst this so mischéeâ—…ous an enimy and so deadly and mortal foe Our weapons are none other then the vertues them selues And our combates are euen the actions of vertue especially the laude and praysing of god And prayer as it is written I will laude and cal vpon the Lord and I shall be safe from mine enimyes Also the diligent watch and custodie of the hart is to consider the continuall diuyne presence To humble our selues in all thinges and to hope in God with all our harte and euer to feare him Of the enormitie of sinne
lewed the thinge then it selfe is vnlawfull As if any man praye fast and geue almes to obteyne mens prayses thereby Then for asmuch as by the testimonie of Dyonysius goodnesse is an entyer cause that is to say whyther all the circumstaunces of vertue before rehearsed doe concurre and the defectes or euilles doe happen by the omyttinge of any circumstaunces Therefore the gréeuousnesse of the sinne is so much the greater the more that the number of cir cumstaunces be which are forsaken and the more that the partie doeth goe from the verie conuenyent circumstaunces of vertue it selfe Herevpon let vs now not onely be sory that we doe those thinges which of their owne nature be vicyous and absolutly euill and doe also omit things that we should doe But also bicause we haue sinned in an iuconuenient tyme in a place more for bydden to a very wicked ende and purpose by dishonest meanes or assistaunce and in a moste vnapt manner and fashion euen vnfearfully and vnreuerently altogither we must consider also how often with what maÌ„ner of person with how great delight in sinning and with how great or what kynde of offence to our neighbour For the more that the desiere of sinning I meane the verie willingnesse to euill be more bent thervnto the fault is so muche the more gréeuous Lykewise it is conuenyent and we must consider of the good thinges whiche wée doe whither they bée done in due tyme and place with a right intent and reuerently also For it is more gréeuous in the time of diuine seruice on the holy daies and in the church to haue a wandring mynde to tattle to looke gazinge about and to set mynde vpon vice and wickednesse Therefore my welbeloued indeuour thy selfe to fulfil the good déedes wherevnto thou art bounden with the circumstaunces before rehersed as much as in thée lieth and doe héedely consider the gréeuousnesse of thy sinnes by all these thinges now rehersed which doe aggreuate sinne and wickednesse Of the deformytie hatefullnesse and loathsomnesse of sinne by consideration of it selfe Art. 14. BYcause god which is dishonoured by sinne doth consist of an infinyte great honorablenesse aâ—…blenesse and bewtie Therefore sinne is iudged to be also of an infinit loathsomnesse hatefulnesse and deformytie For asmuch as it is displeasing coÌ„trary to the diuine will holynesse and equitiâ—… herevpon sinne ought by the lawes of God neyther to be committed nor to be alowed for no cause for no feare of damage danger or torment nor for any loue of commodytie prosperitie or â—…ye Yea rather should a man willingly receaue indâ—…â—…ost gréeuous death then to incurre the least sinne And therefore whosoeuer doth either for flatterie or for menaces or by regardinge mans fauour yeld vnto sinne he declareth sufficiently that he is imperfect To conclude the least euill of the fault that is to say The least sinne is more hatefull and more to be fledd from then any kynde of euill in the payne or any kynde of punnyshment yea though it be infernall as touchinge that it is méerely punishment Therfore we ought not to sinne for the auoyding of any torment losse or discomodity but rather ought a man to be willing to beare any payne then to offende God For to offende god is as much as to léese god I meane the vnmesurable goodnesse of God and to set our owne wicked wills directly against his most holy will. And therefore now my welbeloued consider how great is their frowardnesse how farr are they distant from true perfection whose whole affection tendeth day and night to doe those thinges which are forbydden by thy diuyne lawes Which by slattery gyftes poursute doe labour to drawe those thinges vnto their consent with the which they may fulfil ther most filthy desiers And which studie to be hououred to be inrytched and to haue their proprietie in this worlde Therefore let the state of our myndes stand inflexible Let vs neither be puffed vp with prosperitie nor yet ouer come with aduersitie Neither let vs fall hedlong from the way of righteousnesse tâ—…rough feare of mans displeasure rebuke or dismaying and let vs beyond all comparison feare the death of the sowle which is sinne more then the death of the body Against those which doe more feare eschewe and hate the euill of the punishment then the 〈◊〉 of the fault Art. 15. FEare is the flying from or detesting of euil Therfore the worse that any things bée the more to be fled from and the more detestable they are iudged to bée For as muche as euil is the obiect of feare So y it is alreadie euident that the euil of the fault is vnmeasurably to be fled froÌ„ But the euil of the paine or the punishment of sin or any kynde of afflictiue aduersitie is not in it self absolutely euil or simply to be fled froÌ„ or auoyded But it is iustly sent by God is profitable in this world to the taking away of sin the powring of grace vpon vs In hell it is the worke of the diuine iustice ordeyned for the fault although it be hurtfull vnto the dampned If theÌ„ since these things are so how vnperfect vyle childish are they which in this life do rather feare flye from the iust punishment confusion rebuke of their sinnes then from the very 〈◊〉 thie deformitie of sin it self the displeasure of the diuine holinesse and the dishonor of the highest God These be those disordered and miserable creatures in whom priuate loue doth wey downe godly loue in whom seruyle feare is greater then chyldish obedience which doe more honour dread and estéeme the sight iudgement of the world theÌ„ of god neuer fearing to doe that in the presence and beholding of God him self which they would be abashed to doe in the sight of a man being their iudge in this world These are more sorowfull for their own temporal or corporal discommodities losses or punishments theÌ„ for gods displeasure for the losse of grace or for the wounding of their soule These men doe pretend fayne a certaine amendment wheÌ„ the iudgement examination of men is at hand or approcheth But when he is absent whom they feared and is not loked for to returne shortly vnto iudgement or punishment theÌ„ they liue as they did before Go to then welbeloued let vs feare God most sincerely let vs without all comparison hate the euil of the fault and hartely imbrace such punishment as is layd vpon vs for sinne yea and lot vs beare it patiently â—…nd let vs most faithfully bewayle and lament the hurts of the soule that is sins more theÌ„ the lâ—…se of temporall things or the afflictions of y bodie Last of all we shal be able to accomplish all these things if we mark effectually that saying of Salomon My sonne honor God thou shalt prosper Besides him sée thou feare no man And agayne he sayeth Hée that feareth God doth tremble at nothing and he
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
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
thinges sweare not Agayne our Sauyour sayeth Resist you not the euill dooer But if any man stryke you on the left chéeke turne the other vnto him hlso And he which will contende with thée in Judgement and take thy cote from thée geue him also thy cloke Loue your enemyes doe well to them that hate you and praye for them which persecute you and quarrell with you What thing can bée haâ—…der then this worde For euen as it is most easie most naturall for a man to loue his freind euen so it is most hard and moste vnnaturall for a man to loue his enemye And yet as Hierome sayth it is necessarye towardes saluation Naye rather sayth he he which hateth any one man doth loue no man truely and spirytually No neyther can he loue himselfe nor God being in such gréeuous and heynous sinne Furthermore our Sauiour sayth If you doe not forgeue offences one to another neyther will your heauenly father forgeue you your sinnes And agayne hée sayth Laye not vp treasure in earth and bée not carefull for to morrowe And also Judge not and you shall not be iudged Furthermore thynke not sayth he that I came to set peace in the world I came not to set peace hut the sworde For I came to seperate the Sonne from the Father the daughter from the mother and the sonnes wyfe from her father by lawe And then He which loueth father or mother more then me he is not worthy of me Also he which taketh not vp his Crosse and foloweth me he is not worthy of me And in another place The kingdome of heauen doth suffer wrong or violence and yet the violente doo take euen 〈◊〉 force And agayne For euery idell worde that men speake they shall render accoumpt in the day of iudgement And like wise he that will come after me let him dâ—…nye himselfe and take vp his Crosse dayly and folowe me For he which wyll saue his soule let hym léese it For he whiche looseth hys lyfe for me he shall finde it agayne And then thus Wo be to hym by whome offences come And Whosoeuer offendeth one of these lyttle ones beléeuing in me it were better for him that a mylstone were tyed about his necke and he drowned in the depth of the Sea. And agayne Unlesse you conuerte and become as one of these lyâ—…tle ones you shall not enter into the kingedome of heauen Herewith not forgetting that It is easyer for a Camell to enter through a Néedles eye then for a rytch man to enter into the kingdome of god We must remember also where he sayth Whosoeuer amoungest you woulde be greatest let hym be your mynister or seruaunt And Wo be to â–ª you rytch men which haue your consolation here Wo be to you which are filled for you shall hunger Wo be to you which laugh now for you shall mourne and wéepe Wo be to you when men shall prayse and blesse you Or thus what séest thou a moth in thy brothers eye and canst not see a beame in thyne owne Well Iesus sayed vnto a certayne man folowe me And he answered Lord suffer me first to go and burye my father And Iesus sayd Suffer thou the deade to burye their deade And he sayth Feare not them which kyll the body but cannot kyll the soule But feare you him which hath power to throwe the body and soule into euerlasting fyre And in another place O foole This night shall they take thy soule from thee Then whose shall that be which thou hast gathered And therevpon Such is euery man which hoordeth vp treasure and is not rytch in god What should we ouerpasse these sentences Sell that you possesse and geue almes Unlesse you repent you shall all peryshe to gither Departe from me all you which haue done wickedly 〈◊〉 thou makest a dynner or supper doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy brethren thy kynsmen nor thy next rytch neighbours 〈◊〉 peraduenture they byd thee agayne And so thou be wel recompenced But when thou makest a feast call the 〈◊〉 the weake the halte and lame and the blynde and thou shalt be blessed If any man come vnto me and doe not hate his father mother wyfe chyldren bretheren and â—…isters yea and his owne soule hée cannot bée my discyple And he which doth not forsake all that he hath cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discyple And that which is hyghly esteemed with meâ—… is abhomynation in the sight of god Fynally When you haue done all that which was commaâ—…nded you then saye We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue 〈◊〉 but that which we ought and were bounde to doe Agayne Euery man which exalteth himselfe shal be 〈◊〉 lowe And he which doth humble himselfe shal be exalted â–ª Beware least you ouercharge your bodyes with gluttony dronkennesse or the cares of this worlde By these and infinite other places my déerely beloued â–ª thou 〈◊〉 perceiue how streyght in déede and how narrowe the waye and gate are which leade to saluation But of these before 〈◊〉 passages some perteyne vnto the commaundements And therevnto all men are bounden Some other are of conncell and aduyse which neuerthelesse are to be obserued of as many as professe Christ sincerely Yea futhermore the selfe same may apeare by dyuers other Scryptures For the Apostle sayth They which are of Christ haue crucifyed theyr fleshe with the vyces and concupysences thereof Whosoeuer therfore doe not extinguish vyce and concupisence nor chastyse theyr bodyes they then perteyne not vnto christ Agayne A wyddowe saith he which liueth in delightes is dead liuing For though she liue by lyfe of nature yetis she dead by the death of punishment and iudgement Then if delightful lyfe be a fault or sinne in wyddowes how much more blameful is it to be thought in such as ought by reason of their 〈◊〉 to be gydes and paternes of godlynesse to others Herevnto many thinges might be added but let these suffise And these welbeloued I haue here thus rehearced to the end I might thereby induce thée to the feare of God the watchful care of thy harte and to the diligent reading of scripturs least thou shouldest in vayne flatter thy selfe with gods mercye And so become one of their socyetie which walke in the broad and spatyous waye For as the Apostle sayeth If we suffer with Christ wée shall also reygne with Chryst. If wée bée pacyente wyth him wée shall also lyue wyth him Yea and must we not accordyng to the Apostles wordes entre into heauen by many trybulations But it is true which GOD forbyde should be verified in thée which Bernard sayth Lorde many would reigne with thée but they will not suffer with thée Many would be with thée but fewe will folowe thée Many would finde thee but fewe doe seeke thee Therefore let vs not be afeard to beare trybulations synce Hierome sayth No seruaunt of Christ is without trybulation And if thou
bicause he hath promised to giue vs greater rewards in the heauenly kingdome And to this feruentnesse of charitie let vs alwayes enforce our selues For by Augustynes opinion it is neyther the great number of workes nor the long continuance of tyme but the greater heate of charitie and the better readinesse of our wil which maketh God for his Christ to accept our merites For whosoeuer doeth obserue charitie in all his actions he fulfilleth as wel that which is apparant as also that which is mysticall in Gods booke For charitie doth as it were open the mynde and maketh the louer to be loued O Lord my God thou arte charitie sayth the Apostle thou art loue which can not be extinguished Doe thou therfore lighten my hart and make it dronken in thée Wherfore am I tossed about wherfore run I from one place to another why doe I wander after many things Is ther not in thée only most holy honorable mighty glorious God y perfect possessioÌ„ y incomprehensible pleÌ„tie and y infinit aboundance of all things y are good pleasant or to be desired TheÌ„ what is more exceleÌ„t or more louely y I shuld therfore withdraw my hart from thée turn it vnto frail things coueting or desiring any maner of thing without thée or besides thée And where was I when I was not with thée Whither ranne myne affections astray when they did not desire thée onely O God of my lyfe howe vaynely is it consumed And how vnfruitfully are my dayes stolen away whilest I liued idelly vnprofitably before thée But from henseforwardes let my soule bee vnmoueably fixed in thée For euen as the harte desireth the freshe fountaynes when he is chased euen so my hart desireth to be with thée O God. Whosoeuer doth glorifie mée I wil also glorifie him saith the Lord God in the second Chapiter of the first booke of the Kings And they which coÌ„tempne me shal be dishonored For of the loue of God the zeale of y diuine honor doth ryse and procéed As also an excéeding affection to adore worship him in all things Which zeale y prophet Helie had wheÌ„ he said I am become zealous in zeale for the Lord god And y more feruently that we loue him the more entâ—…tiuely also we desire to worship him in all things yea and to enduce others with vs to the worshipping of his name For euen as God by reason of his vnmeasurable bountie his infinite amyablenesse is such that no man can loue him so much as he is worthie to be beloued but doth infinitely fayle thereof So by the reason of his maiestie dignitie and vnmeasured asured holinesse he is infinitely to be honoured So that euery man is much defectyue in doing of suche reuerence vnto him as he in him self doth deserue And here vpon the holy fathers profoundlye pondering these considerations did estéeme all their déedes conuersatioÌ„ how perfect so euer it were to be of none effect And therfore the doctors say A man shuld rather suffer death theÌ„ commit the least fault or offence wilfully For as muche as sinne in that it derogateth any thing from the excéeding great maiestie of God is a huge and vnreasonable enormitie Then if we do honor the excelent maiestie of God so much the more bicause by the beholding consideratioÌ„ of his worthinesse we are able to dispise hartily to reiect all frail vain transitorie things to the end that being vnburthened and clean dispatched of them we may attentiuely giue our selues to that pure frée entire worshipping of the same it must néedes follow that they whiâ—…h through zeale doe altogither dispyse and forsake the world shall immediately honor God with all integrytie of harte And therefore by his grace and mercies are made worthie to be glorified honored extolled with him And lykewise the lesse that a man doe occupie him selfe in many businesses so much the more perfectly he is bent vnto the onely god And so much y loftier more sincere his mynde is in the praysing of his name Yea hée may so much the more be wholly at leysure to exercise him selfe in his seruice and walke vprightly in all godlynesse Moreouer Salomon saith Honor God with all thy substance and the first fruites of thine increase If then it pertayne vnto the honor of God to offer him any parte of our outward substance it must by stronger reason appertaine more vnto his honour to refuse all worldly things fréely for the worshiping and glorifying of him and to preseÌ„t our selues vnto him with full deuotion And so do they which coÌ„tempne the world in such maner as is beforesayd And therfore to the end thou mayest vncessantly as much as in thée lyeth giue thy selfe vnto the praise worship and honour of the diuyne maiestie yea that thou mayest quyetly repose thy self in the swéet contemplation of his mercyes reioyse in his blessednesse lyke a naturall louing chylde and spend all the dayes of thy lyfe vertuously I exhorte thée my welbeloued altogither to disspyse the world and to passe ouer all the transitorie vanities thereof with a noble courage yea to goe hartily to worke in the onely honoring of god For is not the vylenesse lothsomenesse of this world infinite being compared to the highest and vnchangeable goodnesse yea doest thou not thinke it an vnworthie thing by occasion of earthly and worldly coÌ„uersation to be hyndred letted from the duetie which thou owest vnto the honour and maiestie of God â–ª and to be withdrawen from the holy exercyses of vertue and godlinesse for the moste vayne liberties of worldly conuersation and vnlawfull actions To conclude if thou doe in this maner glorifie God and dispise the world then God doubtlesse wil cause thée to be honoured excéedingly as Esay witnesseth saying if thou glorifie God following not thyne owne wayes nor yelding to thyne owne will the Lord will giue thée rest and wil fill thy soule with comely brightnesse Yea then shalt thou be much delighted in the Lord and he shall set thée vp aboue the height of the earth Wherevpon Hyllarie sayeth This doe I chieflye owe vnto God that all my power all my sences all my spirits may sounde his praise For to that end we receyued bodie and bodily members yea lyfe and soule of God that we might worship him generally with them all And therefore the Apostle sayeth As you haue giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie so now sayth hée giue ouer your members to doe rightâ—…esse and holinesse And this it is to honour God worthyly to doe for his honour whatsoeuer we may possybly doe to please him yea and yet neuerthelesse humbly to confesse that we doe nothing worthy of thankes or meryte Therofore it is written To gloryfie God as much as lyeth in vs shall preuayle with his mercy and is beyonde all prayse Deferre not then my welbeloued to geue
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
Egypt without the helpe of thy diuine Maiestie euen so no man caÌ„ be pulled or withdrawen from this world vnlesse he be helped with the fynger and power of the heauenly hande Yet shall there neuer be founde any defect in God so that man will doe his best that he maye Agayne the world is compared to a deserte by the which the chyldren of Israell went from Egipt vnto the land of promisse And in this desert they met so many letts and impedyments that of thréeskore thowsand numbred onely two euen Caleph and Iosue were brought into the land of promyse O how the Diuils doth reioyse to sée them all now in the synke and filthynesse of their sinnes Men cleaue vnto worldly thinges and in worldly thinges they are wyse but they neyther care for God nor for his commaundementes neyther are they astonyed when they heare his moste terryble iudgementes But they accompt them as fables Oh all thinges that are be euill bestowed vpon vs For our hardnesse is neuer mollâ—…ed But thinke we that God will omyt his iudgement Or leaue these sinnes vnrewarded Or suffer the wordes which he hath spoken of the iudgement to come and of the euerlasting paynes to be falsified God forbyd that we should so thynke Furthermore whosoeuer is ouercome with the loue of earthly thinges he is not delyghted in god But no man can long abyde without some delectation And therefore such as are not delighted in spyrituall things doe powre themselues out vnto worldly solace And so consequently are ouerwhelmed in the multytude of sinnes and vyces Wherevpon Saint Augustine sayth Blessed is he O Lord which loueth thée For he which loueth not thee loueth the world is seruaunt and bounde vnto sinne he is neuer quyet neuer in safetie but is dystracte and dyspersed in the varyable cares vanityes and pompes of the world And whosoeuer doth contempne the volupteousnesse of this world and thereby eskaye the snares of the Diuill shal be most happy in that his soule is delighted in such thinges as cannot be blotted or defiled with any vncleannesse but is immediately clensed purged with the cleannesse of truth And synce y lawe of God doth so delight him y he shal be able ther by to avoyde eschew y delightes of y world But as longe as we delight in the deceyptfull tast of iniquity so long we shall thinke it most sower and bytter to faste of equitie And to whome the world séemeth swéete sauorye to him Christ séemeth bytter and sower Yet hauing tasted the spyrite of God all fleshe shall as it were dote and playe the foole Agayne whosoeuer doeth with his whole mynde serue and please this world is thereby enfected with a manyfold deformytie of vyces And he which tasteth nothing of the heauenly swéetenesse will not be afeared to be polluted with earthly desires But if such as for the loue of God despyse the world kéepyng themselues contyneually conuersant in spyrytuall thinges cannot yet he altogither pure and clensed from sinnes with how heauy burdens of vyces are theâ—… loden which are not afearde to walke in the myddest of the world wrapped in vanities without carefulnesse or feare of God What is theyr lyfe but sinne it selfe For the myrth and ioye of the world is wickedâ—…sse vnpunyshed But y which the reprobate doe accompt delight and comforte that the elect and verteous doe take and defâ—… to be most gréeuoâ—…s payne Thynking and concluding that the soule 〈◊〉 néedes peryshâ—… 〈◊〉 by that wherein the â—…she for a tyme did delight most pleasantly Wherefore you louers of this world howle and crye out which doo myserably kyll your body and soule before the tyme appoynted Whyles you attend wholly vpon the vyces of glottonye and lecherye immoderately and vylely And thereof euen in this world doe procéede sundrye infirmyties and sodayne deathes Reioyse and be merrie nowe in this most shorte space which you haue that hereafter you maye complayne and bewayle with the Diuill perpetually Banquet and drynke dronken that after a whyle you maye call for a droppe of water and yet not haue it when you shal be daÌ„pned in hell with the riche man which lyued in greate delightes and fared delycately euery daye Why are your hartes harder then yron stéele or stones when you doe not weye and consider nor â—…e not afeard in payne of these most vnhappy and frayle sollaces and vanyties of this world to heare that most dreadfull and horryble sentence of Chryst go ye accursed into euerlasting fyre But here peradnenture you will saye God is mercyfull and benigne he would not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and lyue And againe In what houre soeuer a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeÌ„t him I will no more remember all his iniquites So that if a sinner doe bewayle his sinnes eueÌ„ at the very time of death he shall be saued And I doe confesse that all these sayinges are true Nay rather the excieding greatenesse of the heaâ—…nly pietie doth beyond all comparyson excéede and surpasse the verye capacytie of our mynde For it is vnmeasurable As may playnely appeare in that he 〈◊〉 sinners so longe to the ende they maye bée conuerted yea expecteth and desireth theyr conuersyon he 〈◊〉 such as retorue moste mercyfully he quyckly for 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 and doth aboundantly powre asmuche grace vpon them as if they had neuer sinned nor offended And is not this an infynite pietie But his equytie and iâ—…styce is no lesse then his pitiye And though he doo beare with and longe suffer such as he attendeth to repent and conuerte yet if they doe not conuert he doth the more greuously punyshe and detest them And that which the Prophet sayeth of the contrytion and sorowe of a sinner must be vnderstood of true contrytion and harty repentaunce But the true contrycion doth procéede of the true faith and loue of God and of the lothing of sinne and an affection vnto righteousnesse Yea and as Hierome testyfieth Repentaunce and harty contrytion are necessarye Wherevnto that saying of Chrisostome agréeeth Compunction is the thing whiche maketh purple séeme vyle maketh men desire hearecloth loue teares and eschewe company Syuce then these thinges â—…ée certaynly thus what kynde of contrycion and bewayling can that be which commeth onely at the very houre of death and then repenteth bicause he thynkes he can lyue no longer Or peraduenture if he hoped of longer lyfe he would deferre it Surely it séemeth doubtfull that through seruyle feare and constrayned fayth his contrycion procéedeth by the onely beholdyng of his owne onely refuge And that it is not true contrycion but a terryfing of the spyrite But he which will soundly and perfectly repent must first be sorye for his faulte bicause it is filthy transgression and offensyue vnto god Yea and a dyshonour vnto the diuine sanctitye and Maiestie Wée reade in the Machabes That Antyochus dyd repent and yet obteyned not mercy The Apostle doth wryte the lyke of
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
held back and death followeth instantly and will not be stopped This is then that wonderfull thing that the more it groweth the more it decreaseth and the further that life procedeth so much the néerer it draweth vnto an ende The time which is graunted and lent for quiet rest is not suffered to be quiet For dreames 〈◊〉 vs and visions doo vex trouble vs And though they be not in déede sorowful or terrible or laboursome which dreamers doo dream yet are they in déed made sorowful affrighted wâ—…ried thereby In so much that some times men wéepe in their sléepe dreams yea being awaked are yet excéediÌ„gly vexed Mark what Elephas Thematices saith vpon this poynt In the horrible dread of a vision by night saith he feare treÌ„bling came vpon me al my bones quaked for dread wheÌ„ the spyrit passed ouer in my preseÌ„ce the here of my flesh stoode right vp for fear CoÌ„sider vpon the words of Iobe which saith If I say that my bed shal yeld me quiet comfort that I shal be releued whilest I talke with my selfe in my couch theÌ„ wilt thou terrifie me in dreams wilt strik me with horrour in visions Nabuchodonosor saw a dream or visioÌ„ which troubled terrefied him maruelously And the visioÌ„ of his head did amaze vex him Many cares do follow dreams wher many dreames be there are also many vanities Dreames haue caused many men to doo amisse they haue béen ouerthrowen whilest they trusted in theÌ„ For often times filthie Images doo appere in dreams by the which not onely the flesh is polluted by nightly illusioÌ„s but also the sowl is ther with blotted and defyled Wherevpon our Lorde God speaketh in the Leuiticall lawes saying If there be emongest you any man which is polluted in his nightly sléepe let him goe foorth of the tents let him not return vntil he be washed with water in the euening And after the Sunne set let him retorne into the tents With how great sorrow are we troubled with how great trembling are we striken when we féele or vnderstaÌ„d the losses or damages of any our frends or dread the perils of our kinsfolke parâ—…ts many times a whole maÌ„ is more troubled with feare then a sicke man is with his infirmitie Some one man is of a voluntary wil more afflicted with the afflictioÌ„ of sorrow theÌ„ some â—…ther vnwilling is through the force effect of the laÌ„gnishing paine that saying of the poet is true Res est soliciti plena timoris Amor. Whose breast is so brasen or whose hart so stony hard bat he will sigh and grone and shed trickling teares when he beholdeth the deathe or greuous hurt or sicknesse of his neighbour or frende who can refrayne from hauing compassion on the passionate or from lamentinge with him that lamenteh Iesus him selfe when he sawe Mary and the Iewes that came with hir vnto the Sepulchre weping became vexed in his spirit troubled with in his mynde wept Percase not bycause he was dead but rather bycause beinge dead they reuoked him to behold the miseries of liefe But let him acknowledge himselfe blamefully hard harted and hardhartedly to be blamed which bewayleth the corporall death of his freind and neuer lamenteth for the spirituall death of his sowle Mishapes fall sodeynly when they are least suspected or loked for Sodeynly calamytie rusheth in at dores sicknesse inuadeth a man and death steppes in whome no man can eskape Therefore boast not of to morowe synce thou knowest not to what th end of the present day may bring thée to A man knoweth not his ende but euen as fishes are caught with the hooke and byrdes with snares and gynnes so are men caught and snatched vp in the euell tyme Wheâ—… they are come to that whereof they might long before haue bewared The Industry of the Phisicons coold neuer yet since the begynninge of the world search out so manie kyndes of diseases nor so many sundry sortes of passions as the frailtie of man could sustaine indure Shal I tearm it a tollerable intollerablenesse or an vntollerable tolleracion or shal better put them both togethers For I must call it vntollerable hauing regarde to the bitternesse of diseas And tollerable I must terme it since it is of necessitie to be suffered So froÌ„ day to day more more the nature of man is corrupted and made weaker In such sorte as many medecyens which in tymes paste were holesome are nowe throwe the desceyt of mans nature deadly and daungerous to bâ—… receyued For both these kyndes of worldes doe nowe wax â—…ld That is to say Macrocosmus and Microcosmus which is to say the greater world the lesser world And the longer that lyfe doth linger in eyther of them so much the worse is nature in each of them troubled and vexed What should I say of the wretched offendors which are punished with innumerable kindes of tormentes They are beaten to death with malles they are thrust throughe with swordes burned with flames of fyer ouerwhelmed with stones they are twytched in péeces with tonges and hanged vpon gibbettes wrung with mannacles and scourged with whyppes bounde in cheynes fastened in snares thrust down into darke dungeons Starued with fastinges throwne downe hedlonges drowned flayed and pulled in péeces quartered and some tymes smothered Those which are condemned to death dye those that are put to the sword must suffer there with those which are iudged to famishe must sterue and those which are put into captiuitie must indure it Crewel iudgement outragious punishment and sorowfull sight to be holde They are made a pray for the Byrdes of the Ayre the beastes of the feild and fishes of the sea Alas alas alas O miserable mothers which brought forth such miserable and vnhappy children Therefore I haue thought good to repete that horrible fact which Iosephus doth discribe in the seige of Hierusalem A certayne woman being both for bloud and wealth honourable dyd paciently beare and abyde the misery of the seige with the rest that were fled into the citie of Hierusalem and the tyrantes dyd straightwayes inuade the remnaunt of hir substaunce which she brought with hir from hir house into the Citie Yea if any thing yet remayned of hir aboundauâ—…t riches whereby she might poorely sâ—…staine hir with dayly foode the Captaynes of the sedicious rushing in at tymes dyd take it from hir by force Wherevpon the wooman by this outragious dealing was dryuen into a certayne disdayne euen as it were into a fury So that many times she prouoked the sedicious spoylers with reprochfull wordes and curses to haue killed hir But when as no man either of pittie or of furious fiercenesse would dispatch hir and yet as fast as she sought for any thinge to comfort hir there came others which sought as fast to take it from hir and hir plentie began now