bitternesse of those gourds that were put therein mors in olla mors in olla death is in the pot oh death is in the pot and by that meale oh Lord thy word which is the breade of life although we seeme to be dead yet are we still renued SECT 70. Old age not to be despised IT is a thing most foolish in the sight of good men and an offence most heynous before God to mocke olde men who are as wee shall bee and who were as wee are now Age Time and death these three a man may fore-thinke of but neuer preuent SECT 71. Wisdome and discretion goe not alway by yeares YOuth neuer runneth wel say we vnlesse age holdeth the bridle this seemes to be true it is so but alas wisdom consists not onely in age as the vulgar sort of people censure for the young man beardlesse may bee as wise as the gray head outward grauitie argues wisdome verie seldome but wisdome continually shewes grauitie the young man fearing God is both graue and wise and he that hath this feare before him is the soules best councellour Iohn 3.5 And this cannot a father bequeath vnto his Sonne it goes not by birth not by our first birth which is full of corruption except we be regenerate and born a new and then this latter birth extinguisheth the flames of the former Neither as I said before doth discretion goe by yeares for there are manye old fooles giuen vp wholy to sensualitie which solely belongeth to the beast amongst all creatures and there are many young men betrothed to ciuilitie and this appertaineth vnto man the image of God euen the best of all creatures this is that vvhich maketh men on the earth famous in the earth glorious and in heauen aboue the earth immortall immortall both in soule and bodie SECT 72. The praise of loue and amitie MEn in the beginning builded townes for societie and safetie but now a man may finde more friendship in the wildernesse amongst beares and tygers then he can find in the contrey wherein he was borne but surely I haue thought with my selfe that if men liue neuer so richly and at variance their liues are farre worse then death for it is a second hell as wee terme it friendship is the chiefest ornament that graceth Christians whereby many mens hearts and wils are vnited in one a bosom-friend me thinkes is a pretious iewell fit to weare about ones necke within whose bosome a man may vnload his sorrowes and vnfold his secrets which he will either releiue with counsel or els perswade with reason and if thou declare vnto him ioyfull newes he wil reioyce with thee if dolefull and heauie Rom. 12.15 hee will mourn with thee and in all thy affaires thou shalt find him Alter ipse a second selfe SECT 73. Men are soone mooued vnto wrath BVt now alas as the nature of the bruit beast is Plin. Senec. philos lib. 3. de Ira cap. 10. such is the condition of man trifles and vaine things doe moue vs vnto anger a red cloth stirreth vp the bull the venemous aspe of Africk riseth vp at a shadow and a white cloth or table napkin mooueth vnto rage the bear and lyon horses wolues nay most things els very fierce of nature are troubled with the sight of very small and friuolous things and in a manner with nothing and euen so it fals out with penish froward people that they are stroke with the very conceit only and suspition of a thing so that now and then they are wrath if a man wisheth them neuer so well or speake them neuer so faire euen at the putting forth of a question they are soone moued vnto rage the vngodly Psal saith Dauid are froward euen from their mothers wombe SECT 74. The end of discord IF a man will liue in rest it is better for him sometimes to dissemble a double wrong then to reuenge a single let him rather bee accounted a dastardly coward then a desperate caitiffe yet valour in rightfull causes is to be commended and if done with discretion highly also to be regarded and rewarded Gal. 5 26. but othervvise all mischiefe that may be doth follovv the heeles of selfe-loue and discord vvhat then my soule had we best imbrace vvhile vve haue time and opportunitie Ecch. Vnitie SECT 75. A meditation on the disciples filling of twelue baskets full of the broken meate that remained WHerefore grant O my sweet Lord that wee laying aside all maliciousnesse 1. Pet. 2.12 Rom. 6.4 and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euill speaking we may as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of thy word that we may grow thereby Feed our soules O Lord with the bread of life that spirituall foode and giue vs thine heauenly grace that so we spill none thereof but gather vp the broken meat that nothing bee lost O thou whose mouth is as sweet things and art wholly delectable this thou commandedst thy disciples Iohn 6. and they gathered and filled twelue baskets full with the fragments of the fiue loaues and two fishes but why should there remain iust twelue baskets full and no more nor lesse surely because there were twelue Apostles which those twelue baskets did prefigure who were filled with the bread of life did nourish the soules of the beleeuers into euerlasting life But first O my sweet Lord before thou gauest the people to eate thou diddest comaund them to sit dovvne and there vvas much grasse in that plece and therefore we who desire to be fed with the spirituall food Psal to be refreshed with the sweete dainties of the grace of God and to come taste how good and gratious the Lord is must crush downe kicke and despise the lusts of the flesh which thorowout the whole Scriptures is likened vnto grasse all flesh is grasse saith the Prophet and the glorie thereof as the flower of grasse Esay 40. let vs sit downe then vpon this ground vpon this grasse Col 4.5 let vs chasten our bodies tame our inordinate affections and continually bridle our rebellious hed-strong lusts SECT 76. On the fiue barlie loaues and the two fishes FVrthermore it is said that Iesus tooke fiue barly loaues and two fishes surely by these fiue barly loaues wee may vnderstand the fiue bookes of Moses which he laid wide open vnto the spirituall eyed dayly and hourely to refresh their soules therewith and they may well be likened vnto so many barly loaues from the austeere and sharpe decrees of the Law that was contained in them yet at the last like a good father because hee would not suffer his children to eat any longer drie bread hee added two fishes which were diuided among them that is the two Sacraments whose nature is to make pleasant and moysten the harsh drith of the loaues the lawe killeth and is giuen to the lawlesse 1. Tim. 1.9 but mercie trueth commeth
good to be mingled with what is naught for a bad word will sooner disgrace a good man then a good man can grace what wee know to be bad what is good may be stained with what is naught before that which is naught may be made good SECT 22. A Meditation on the losse of Christ when hee was but twelue yeares old COmfort my soule oh Lord stretch foorth thine hands of compassion and reach vnto me euer lasting life Cant. 5. whose hands are as rings of Gold set with the crysolite whose bellie like white Iuorie couered with Saphirs whom Mary and Ioseph sought sorrowing but could not finde him vntill the third day Luke â—â— they sought my Lord in the Citie and in the Countrie within the wals and without the wals in Ierusalem and abroad among his kinsfolkes but could not finde him and they sorrowed the more for that they lost their Sonne when as he was but twelue yeares old O sweet childe where wa st where didst hide thy selfe who gaue thee house-roome who gaue thee meate and drink who pluckt off thy hozen and shun De omnibus inquit Bernard Coniicere vel opinari aliquid libet affirma re autem temere non licet Mark 10 who made cleane thy coates what coÌ„pany diddest thou vse whether in heauen or earth or in any house in the meane time didst thou remaine surely thou wast in some secret place with some of thy yong and tender yeares teaching them the secrets of the kingdome of heauen according to thine owne words in the Gospell suffer little Children to come vnto mee and forbid them not but what was the cause my sweet Lord that thou haddest no compassion on thy poore mother seeking thee grieuing for thee sighing and sobbing and powring out whole streams of teares for losse of thee And why Mary diddest thou seeke the child so earnestly whom thou knewest to be God directly diddest thou feare least that he was starued with hunger or vexed with cold or least that he should be wronged by some Children playing in the streetes what is not this hee who defendeth all men who feedeth all things who nourisheth all creatures liuing who doth array and cloath the grasse of the fielde which groweth now and a non is cast into the ouen and makes them more glorious then Solomon in all his royalties SECT 23. On the same WEe see here with what sighing and sobbing with what lamenting with how great sorrowing grieuing and groaning they sought the babe and specially Mary his mother and how great this was who is able to expresse euery word she spoake was shut vp with a teare teares made full stops yet were her wordes neuer fully ended euerie line she vttered had a parenthesis with wringing and wrefling of the handes and crying as Ruben did wheÌ„ he sought his brother Ioseph Gen. 37.30 and could not finde him The Childe is not heere and I whether shall I go and Mary when she sought her sonne and could not finde him cried likewise the childe is not heere and I whither shall I goe the childe is not heere oh the childe is not here and I whither shall I goe and wee therefore who haue lost this childe Ioseph this babe Christ through sinne must seeke him againe by repentance with much grieuing and sorrowing as Mary did if we cannot finde him in one prayer we must goe vnto another and neuer cease crying with Rubin and I whither shall I goe SECT 24. On death how it is our greatest friend IT is the manner and fashion of men in this age to salute those whome they meet to salute and imbrace all their friends and acquaintance yet is there one whome we dayly meet and our greatest friend too but we take no notice of him death I meane who is our friend yea and our chiefest friend for by him wee passe ouer the seas of misery vnto the blessed land of rest and true felicitie we meet him daily yet we thinke not on him the longer we liue the more inwardly wee are acquainted together and the nearer wee come vnto him Hieronimus quotidie morimur saith one father quotidie commutamur we die dayly and we are daily hourely changed yet are our soules immortall and heereon hangs the Christians ioy death then is such a friend that without the which the godly cannot liue for it is transitus a passage vnto life euerlasting and thereon do the Godly Meditate both night and day Cicero and without the which the wicked must not liue it keepes downe their proude hearts it keepes them in awe seruill feare for if it were otherwise they would euen scorne God to his face and bid him do what he durst doe if the godlie be desirous to liue it is a token that they are bent to doe some good but on the contrarie if the wicked would liue it is to doe some mischiefe yet in the end neither good nor bad can withstand death some die at first some at last so that all die at length death surely to the godly minded man is life whose meditation is on diuine matters and whose hope is the ioyes of heauen none indeed doe feare death saue those that haue committed so much iniquity as after death deserueth damnation for hell is reserued of old for the disobedient but where are the godly Reuel 21. what saith thy soule Dyogines Ecch. In ease SECT 25. On the suddennesse thereof and vncertaintie THe world saith that a merrie heart liues long but I say a ioyfull soule liues for euer it is not the death that destroyeth the soule but a bad life therefore God hath hid the time of our departure froÌ„ our eyes because we should make hast to amend for if wee now knowing how that death comes suddenly are carelesse of Gods seruice what would wee doe if wee did know it to bee delayed for some long time August in libr. de Scrip. Christian Augustine saith Latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies our last day is not knowne vnto vs because wee should still be so prepared as if the next day still following were the appointed time of our departure we see if a man loose a thing of any price Luke 15.8 he will seeke for it foote after foote yea and light a candle too as the gospell speaketh whereby he may bee assured not to ouerslip what hee lost So we if we meane to finde heauen must begge of God by earnest prayer to illighten our feete with the lampe of his holy spirit and so make conscience of all our waies and examine euerie step vntill wee haue found what we sought a thing of great praise and prise be sure then to step charily for O man saith Bernard it is cetaine that thou must die but vncertaine where how or when Because then that death doth looke for thee in euerie place and at all times doe thou then also if thou art wise look
for it euerie where too and this me thinkes is the best way to match subtill death But men in these daies who haue not this knowledge doe most shamefully complaine vpon God for the shortnesse of their liues when as they as short as it is doe throgh ryoting surfeiting drinking and bowsing and through malice murders make it more short both in themselues and also in others yet mee thinkes if men would duely consider of what molde they are made they wold not be so carelesse of their soules health and of Gods seruice one sillie flea in the night will soone breake their sleepe one small pricke with a thorn or pin will euen force teares to issue from their eyes if thy body were brasse or steele then O man thou mightest haue some cause to tryumph and glorie in thy selfe thou mightest haue some cause to think thy selfe able to resist all misfortune and to withstand all putrifaction but marke I pray thee the frailtie of thy flesh which if it lie in the graue but onely three or foure daies thy derest friend that thou leauest behinde thee will not be able by reason of the noysome smell of thy dead carkasse to come neere it or yet once indure the sight thereof Remember now that thou art but dust and wormes meate and beare therefore about thee the Anatomie of thy faults search into the botome of euery particular fin and goe into the house of fasting and not into the house of feasting for where sorrowing for sinnes and sadnesse is there is the heart of wisemen but where mirth is there is the heart of fooles SECT 26. The frailtie of our bodies MAny times haue I thought with my selfe how that it may one day so come to passe that this earthly bodie of ours now pampered vp kept from the winde and weather now honoured much respected may one day serue to make vp a mud-wall for a time may happen when some building may bee made neare vnto the graue bee it neuer so gay and sumptuous and that they might digge for some earth out of the same to make morter for a wall Omnes morimur et sicut aqua labimur in terram Eccl. and so shall thy feely bodie being now changed into earth become afterwards an earthen wall although it be at this present the most noble body and most delicately cherished of all bodies in the world and how many bodies of Kings and Emperours I wonder haue come already to these promotions Eccho Ocyons SECT 27. On the same O The basenesse and beastlinesse of the bodie when as the soule is departed out of it and O the continuall moouing and wasting of our life and hastning vnto this basenes what minute of an houre passeth but that we go one step forward towards our death what other thing thinke ye is the mouing of the Heauens but as it were a very swift wheele which is continually spinning and winding vp our liues for like as a rolle of wooll saith one father is spunne vpon a wheele of the which at euerie turning about some part is wound vp at the first turne a little at the second a little more and so forth at euerie turne vntill all be ended so doth the wheele of the heauens continually spinne and windc vp our life in that at euerie turning round that it maketh a peece of our life is spunne and wound vp and therfore holy Iob saith Iob. 9.25 that his daies were more swift then one that rideth in poste for hee that rideth in post though his message requireth neuer so much haste yet sometimes necessitie causeth him to stay but our life neuer staieth neither wil it giue vs so much libertie as the space of one houre of rest SECT 28. Why God will not haue vs to haue knowledge of things to come IN this as in all other things the wisdome of God is infinite who will not haue nor yet suffer men to haue knowledge of future things of things to come for if they had aprescience or foreknowledge of their prosperitie they would bee careles and negligent toward God their maker and againe vnderstanding of their aduersitie they wold be senceles as a male-factor who commonly is halfe dead so soone as the rope is cast about his necke man therefore hath only knowledge of things present and past of things present for that he may at all times behold the workes of God and presently betake himselfe vnto a new and holy life vnto heauenly meditations oft past for that he may giue God glory for his good deedes Iames. seeling that euery good perfect gift commeth from aboue and be sorie for his bad his corrupt and euill life SECT 29. What a good conscience is and the praise thereof THe best way for a man to promise his soule euerlasting life after death is to make much of a good conscience while he liues surely the wisest of kings king Solomon had thorowly tasted the delicacie of this daintie dish in that he calleth it a continuall feast a meat wherwith he could neuer be glutted by it the innocent smileth before the furiousnes of the feareful iudge when as in the meane space Prou. 15.13 17.22 the guiltie by inward gripings discouereth his offence though all men seeme to winke at it nay before he be suspected of any It is a bad conscience that pursues his master at the heeles and knoweth how to take vengeance in due time hee will not cease to post after him vntill hee hath pind him to the bar for let him be girded about with Irō garded with souldiers attended on by counsellers shut vp with wals of brasse in strong holds and castles yet will he be in a woefull case in a perplexed misery seeing that there is no salue for a sicke cōscience surely it is like vnto those mice which deuoured one Hatto a merciles bishop of Germanie Munster in Cosmo for if hee saile out vpon the seas it will swimme after the ship yea and be readie to drowne the puppe if he place himselfe in the center of a fietie circle it will leape ouer vnto him if hee ascend vp vnto the top of a castle it will climbe vp vnto him by the wals if hee descend downe into the earth it will dig him vp againe if he sleepeth he shall haue feare for his bedfellow if he awaketh walketh abroad he shal haue care for his companion and alwaies the sting of conscience for his torment there is no way to preuent it but by death and this also is vncertaine which maketh it the more grieuous for eyther hee shall bee presently healed or more grieuously hated SECT 30. We must make speed to amend THerefore when thou goest from home ponder with thy selfe what thou wilt doe abroade and when thou returnest home call to minde what thou hast done there when thou arisest in the morning determin to passe the day following as if at night they bed should be
thou also wise with him and art thou hard fauoured with Bias be thou also learned with him so then they that look vpon thee will deceiue themselues both in thy riches and also in thy beautie truely it is the greatest beautie to bee indued with learning and greatest wealth to be inriched with wisdome a poore man vertuous is as far beyond a rich man vicious as the soule is beyond the body it is better to be a man without money then to be money without a man wherefore if aduersitie approacheth learn wisdom if thy troubles bee small beare them because they bee easie to be borne but if they be great grieuous beare with them also for in so dooing thy glorie shall be the greater nay both in bearing them and also bearing with them it is thy duetie and and so shalt thou purchase the reward of obedience lastly if thou canst not haue what thou wouldest thou must be contented with what thou canst gette to will much is follie where ability wanteth and to desire nothing is content which despiseth all things If thou hast neither land nor liuing labour diligently and eate thy bread in the sweat of thy browes so God commanded and appointed thy father Adam to doe Gen. 3.19 23. and the riches that proceed heere-hence are sweetest the blessing best of all and tell and those my soule what they must trust too that haue hands SECT 105. For such as are visited with sicknesse ANother crieth I am horribly punished with sicknesse art thou so perswade thy selfe that thou shalt haue case anon wherefore did God create Physitions saue onely to helpe the sicke what if thou art sick now perswade thy selfe that sickenesse and diseases cannot last long for eyther thou wilt leaue them or else they will leaue thee we cannot be at one stay it maketh no matter how ill thy budy be so that thy soule be sound indeed if the inward man haue a paine in his head wherby he caÌ„not lay him downe in peace and take his rest the contagion then surly is much to be feared Psal 4.8 thinke not that bodily sicknesse is any crosse at all it is rather a propertie who then may auoid it SECT 106. For such as are griened with old age THe third crieth old age is crept vpon mee I am filled with griefes and aches alas my body is weake thereby mine hands shake mine eyes dazell my feet tremble so that I am wearie of my life I would to God I wer a yard vnder grouÌ„d or else I would I were as lustie as euer I was ah sinfull wish I see now that thou delightest in naught but in sporting and toying in vanities vain pleasure if Gods spirit did dwell in thee thou wouldest not so earnestlie complaine but giue God praise and thanks for thy long life and reioyce at thy gray head which deserues much honour Ieuit. 19. this is that age which the Lord hath promised vnto all them that loue him Exod. 19. and keepe his commaundements hee hath promised that their daies shall be long in the land that they shall liue many yeares Nay this is that age which euerie man defireth and tell mee didst not thou thy selfe desire to see it when thou wast young thinke then that thou art happie now for that thou hast thy wish this also is no crosse onely a propertie Porphiâ— p opâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ra de Senect onely belonging vnto man but not vnto euerie man In this age there is no swilling no swearing no swaggering no quaffing nor surfeiting SECT 107. For such as are discontented for that they must leaue the world ANd now who is hee that will not complaine when he must die and howle and cry when he must leaue this world who will say from his heart I haue liued a great while this then is the part of an vnthankfull man who is not contented with the time hee hath liued Grieue not because thou must dy that thou must leaue thy wife and children thy lands and lordships and all things else behinde thee say not thou woe is mee woe is mee that I must die and must thou so 2. King 12 what then It is the nature of a man to die it is no punishment when thou camest first into the world it was vpon this condition that thou shouidest once goe out againe this life is but peregrination for when thou hast walked vnto the end of thy iourney thou must then returne backe nay it is the part of a foole and a dastard to feare that which by no meanes can bee auoided many are gone before thee and many shall goe after thee and thou must knowe that thy life is not thine owne thnu art onely vita commodatus and not donatus thy life is onely lent vnto thee thou hast not a lease thereof thou art but a tenant at will Grieue not at the remembrance of death for death it selfe cannot be greeuous seeing that it is but once it bringeth all happinesse with it and to the godly it is a verie great aduauntage But must thou die indeede if Godly then be glad if wicked repent no man I trow wil speak against death saue he who hath a guiltie conscience death indeed makes this man tremble quake but thou shalt hardly see an honest man vnwilling to die Yet another disc ontented bloud cries out alas what must I dyin my youthfull daies how sottish and how ignorant art thou tell me what is not a commoditie sweetest when as it commeth vnexpected nay death doth euen as well appertaine to youth as vnto old age the Lambs skin comes euen as soon to the market as the sheeps And it makes no matter how many yeres thou hast to liue but how many thou hast liued then if thou canst liue no longer that is thine old age and this the state and condition of all mankinde euen to die at last SECT 108. For such as are slandered YEt another grieues because hee is slaundered so that me thinks there is neuer an heauenly minded man amongst vs art thou slaundered if guiltlesse reioyce if guiltie amend wilt thou grieue at slaunders thou must knowe that no good man will slaunder thee and wouldest thou bee praised of euill men I tell thee to bee commended of them is as bad as to be commended for euill dooing Themistocles did neuer any famous thing in all his life time Senec de odio Inuid or yet what was praise-worthy and yet did no man euer speake against him Oftentimes haue I saw cankers gnawing the greenest and freshest leaues and oftentimes haue I likewise saw enuie pricking those especially that were godly and religious be thou then of good comfort if Cicero if Scipio if Cato if Dauid if Salomon if Peter if Paul or if any of the Prophets or Apostles if any good man should speake euill of thee then hadst thou some cause to grieue but these as malitious vipers doe enuie thy