wherof he maketh mention in his writings As also al godly men by his example have used the like helps since for the better resisting of sinful temptations when need required and the like Wherof I could here recite great store of examples out of the holy fathers which would make a man to woonder and afeard also if he were not past fear to see what extream pain and diligence those first Christians tooke in watching every little sleight of the devil and in resisting every little temptation or cogitation of sin wheras we never think of the matter nor make account either of cogitation consent of hart word or work but do yeeld to al whatsoever our concupiscence moveth us unto do swalow down every hook laid vs by the devil and most greedily do devour every poisoned pleasant bait which is offered by the enimy for the destruction of our souls and thus much about resisting of sin 9 But now touching the second point which is continual exercising our selves in good works it is evident in itselfe that we utterly fail for the most part of us in the same I have shewed before how we are in scripture cōmanded to do them without ceasing and most diligently whiles we have time of day to do them in for as Christ saith The night wil come when no man can work any more I might also shew how certein of our forefathers the saints of God were most diligent and careful in doing good works in their dais even as the husbandman is careful to cast seed into the ground whiles fair weather lasteth and the merchant to lay out his mony whiles the good market endureth They knew the time would not last long which they had to work in and therfore they bestirred themselves whiles opportunitie served they never ceased but came from one good work to another wel knowing what they did and how good and acceptable service it was unto God 10 If there were nothing els to proove their wonderful care and diligence herein yet the infinite monuments of their almes-deeds yet extant to the world are sufficient testimonies of the same to wit the infinite churches builded and indued with great abundant maintenance for the ministers of the same so manie schooles colledges vniversities so many bridges highwais and publik commodities Which charitable deeds and a thousand mo both private and publik secret and open which I cannot report came out of the purses of our good ancesters who oftentimes not only gave of their abundance but also saved from their own mouths and bestowed it upon deeds of charitie to the glorie of God and benefit of others Wheras we are so far of from giving awaie our necessaries as we wil not bestow our very superfluities but wil imploy them rather upon hawks and dogs and other brute beasts and somtimes also upon much viler uses than to the releefe of our poore brethren 11 Alas deer brother to what a carelesse and senseles estate are we come touching our own salvation and damnation S. Paul crieth out unto us Work your own salvation with fear and trembling and yet no man for that maketh account therof S. Peter warneth us gravely and earnestly Brethren take you great care to make your vocation and election sure by good works and yet who almost wil think upon them Christ himselfe thundereth in these words I tel you make your selves frinds in this world of uniust mammon that when you faint they may receive you into eternal tabernacles And yet for al that we are not moved herewithal so dead we are and lumpish to al goodnes 12 If God did exhort us to good deeds for his own commoditie or for any gain that he is to take therby yet in reason we ought to pleasure him therin seing we have receaved al from his only liberalitie before But seing he asketh it at our hands for no need of his own but only for our gain to pay us home again with advantage it is more reason we should harken unto him If a common honest man upon earth should invite us to do a thing promising us of his honestie a sufficient reward we would beleve him but God making infinit promises unto us in scripture of eternal reward to our wel doing as that we shal eat with him drink with him raigne with him possesse heaven with him and the like can not move us notwithstanding to works of charitie But bicause those forefathers of ours were moved herewithal as having harts of softer metal than ours are of therfore they brought foorth such abundant fruit as I have shewed 13 Of al this then that I have said the godly Christian may gather first the lamentable estate of the world at this day when amongst the smal number of those which bear the name of Christians so many are like to perish for not performing of these two principal points of their uocation Secondly he may gather the cause of the infinit difference of reward for good and evil in the life to come which some men wil seeme to marvel at but in deed is most just and reasonable considering the great diversitie of life in good and evil men whiles they are in this world For the good man doth not only endevor to avoid sin but also by resisting the same daily and hourly encreaseth in the fauor of God The loose man by yeelding consent to his concupiscence doth not only lose the favor of God but also doubleth sin upon sin without number The good man besides avoiding sin doth infinit good works at the least wise in desire and hart wher greter abilitie serveth not But the wicked man neither in hart nor deed doth any good at al but rather seeketh in place therof to do hurt The good man imploieth al his mind hart words and hands to the service of God and of his servants for his sake But the wicked man bendeth al his force and powers both of body and mind to the service of vanities the world his flesh Insomuch that as the good man increaseth hourly in the favor of God to which is du increase of grace and glory in heaven so the evil from time to time in thought word or deed or in al at once heapeth up sin and damnation upon himself to which is du vengeance and increase of torments in hel and in this contrarie course they passe over their lives for twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres and so come to die And is it not reason now that seeing there is so great diversitie in their estates there should be as great or more diversitie also in their reward Especially seeing God is a great God and rewardeth smal things with great wages either of everlasting glorie or everlasting pain Thirdly and lastly the diligent and careful Christian may gather of this what great cause he hath to put in practise the godly counsel of Saint Paul which is That every man should prove
at Gods hands Hereof foloweth the reason of divers things both said and done by God in the scriptures and taught by Divines touching the punishment of sin which seeme strange unto the wisdome of the world and in deede scarce credible As first of al that dreadful punishment of eternal and irrevocable damnation of so manie thousands yea millions of Angels created to glorie with almost infinite perfection and that for one onely sin once committed and that only in thought as Divines do hold Secondly the rigorous punishment of our first parents Adam and Eve and al their posteritie for eating of the tree forbidden for which fault besides the chastising of the offenders themselves al the creatures of the earth for the same and al their children ofspring after them both before the incarnation of Christ since for albeit we are delivered from the guilt of that sin yet temporal chastisements remain upon us for the same as hunger thirst cold sicknes death and a thousand miseries mo besides also the infinite men damned for the same besides this I say which in mans reason may seeme severe inough Gods wrath and justice could not be satisfied except his own son had come downe into the world and taken our flesh upon him and by his pains satisfied for the same And when he was come down and had in our flesh subjected himselfe unto his fathers justice albeit the love his father bare him were infinite yet that God might shew the greatnes of his hatred and justice against sin he never left to lay on upon his own blessed deere son no not then when he saw him sorrowful unto death and bathed in a sweat of blood and water and crieng O Father mine if it be possible let this cup passe from me And yet more pitifully after upon the crosse O my God why hast thou forsaken me Notwithstanding al this I say his father delivered him not but laid on stripe upon stripe pain upon pain torment after torment until he had rendred up his life and soul into his said fathers hands which is a wonderful and dreadful document of Gods hatred against sin 7 I might here mention the sin of Esau in selling his inheritance for a little meat of which the Apostle saith He found no place of repentance after though he sought the same with teares Also the sin of Saul who his sin being but one sin and that only of omission in not killing Agag the king of Amalek and his cattel as he was willed was utterly cast off by GOD for the same though he were his annointed and chosen servant before and could not get remission of the same though both he and Samuel the prophet did greatly lament and bewail the same sin or at least that he was rejected 8 Also I might alledge the example of king David whose two sins albeit upon his hartie repentance God forgave yet notwithstanding al the sorrow that David conceaved for the same God chastised him with marvelous severitie as with the death of his son and other continual affliction on himselfe as long as he lived And al this to shew his hatred against sin and therby to terrifie us from committing the same 9 Of this also do proceed al those hard and bitter speeches in scripture touching sinners which comming from the mouth of the holie Ghost and therfore being most tru and certein may justly geeve al them great cause of fear which live in sin as where it is said Death bloud contention edge of sword oppression hunger contrition and whips al these things are created for wicked sinners And again God shal rain snares of fire upon sinners brimstone with tempestuous winds shal be the portion of their cup. Again God wil be knowen at the day of judgment upon the sinner who shal be taken in the works of his own hands many whips belong unto a sinner let sinners be turned into hel God shal scatter al sinners God shal dash the teeth of sinners in their mouths God shal scoff at a sinner when he seeth his day of destruction commeth on the sword of sinners shal turn into their own harts thou shalt see when sinners shal perish the arms of sinners shal be crushed and broken sinners shal wither from the earrh desire not the glorie and riches of a sinner for thou dost not know the subversion which shal come upon him God hath given him riches to deceave him therwith behold the day of the Lord shal come a cruel day and ful of indignation wrath and furie to make desolate the earth and to crush in peeces hir sinners within hir The just man shal rejoice seeing this revenge and then shal he wash his hands in the blood of sinners These and a thousand such sentences more of scripture which I omit uttered by the holy Ghost against sinners may instruct us of their pittiful estate and of the unspeakable hatred of God against them as long as they persist in sin 10 Of al these considerations the holy scriptures do gather one conclusion greatly to be noted and considered by us which is Miseros facit populos peccatum Sin bringeth men to miserie And again Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam He which loveth iniquitie hateth his own soul. Or as the Angel Raphael uttereth it in other words They which commit sin are open enimies to their own soules Wherfore they lay down to al men this general severe and most necessarie commandement upon al the pains before recited Quasi á facie colubrifuge peccata And again Cave ne aliquando peccato consentias Beware thou never consent to sin for howsoever the world doth make litle account of this matter of whom as the scripture noteth The sinner is praised in his lusts and the wicked man is blessed Yet most certain it is for that the spirit of God avoucheth it Qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est He which committeth sin is of the divel And therfore is to receave his portion among devils at the latter day 11 And is not al this sufficient deer brother to make us detest sin and to conceave som fear in committing therof Nay is not al this strong inough to batter their harts which live in state of sin and do commit the same daily without consideration or scruple What obstinacie and hardnes of hart is this Surely we see the holy Ghost prophesied truly of them when he said Sinners alienated from God are possessed with a fury like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrice which stoppeth hir eares to the inchanter This fury I say is the fury or madnes of wilful sinners which stop their eares like serpents to al the holy inchantments that God can use unto them for their conversion that is to al his internal motions and good inspirations to al remorse of their own consciences to al
they do in althings agree with them Freedom of wil and merit of works were indeed jolly matters to puffe us up higher in our own aestimation but we can be prowd inough without them Sufficient for us it ought to be that we may be saved let us leave the glorie therof wholy to God and take no part therof to our selves Since the fal there is not in man any inclination at al unto good that is of that kinde saving only in those that are regenerate and that which is in them is not ever continual but somtimes very rare and weak likewise and ever is the special working of God in us And though our works that are done in faith and love have reward promised unto them and so consequently by promise du yet are the best of them on our parts or so much therof as is ours so unperfect and weak that by right they could otherwise than by merciful acceptance deserve nothing at al. And when we are sure we have most absolute redemption fully and wholy in the merits of Christ what need we trouble our selves further to search out whether that we may not think that our good works have in some sense merited also Traditions so far as they do not swarve from the written word or are to aedifieng we do not mislike otherwise we think we have alreadie so much to do that is expresly commanded unto us that we think they hinder us much in the service of God that incumber us with more The preesthood and sacrifice of Iesus Christ we account to be of that sufficiencie in themselves and so proper to him alone that we cannot yet be persuaded either that we need or that we may set up any other but that we must needs bewray either our great ignorance in the one or that we have a very slender and over-base an account of the other Otherwise if these wil not serve needs must we be more out of hope to get any good by those that are brought in by them Howbeit his preesthood continueth forever and his sacrifice once made is a ful satisfaction for al so that we need never be careful for any thing else to be joined withal As for their purgatorie and the sillie helps that they have allotted therunto we can neither stand in fear of the one nor if we should be distressed by it can hope of any releefe of the other Of their purgatorie we cannot stand in fear both bicause the scripture doth not tel us of any such place and besides that it lappeth up al forgivenes of sins and remembrance therof to al beleevers in the death and sufferings of Christ and that in so ful and comfortable maner that it leaveth to us no dread at al of any such torments to be afterward suffered for sin by any of us and bicause it is so evident to al the world that it was at the first an heathenish opinion among the gentils before they came to the knowledge of Christ and hath been since used in the church of Rome as a compendious way to get in monie and that beyond al measure and mean The helps that they use to releeve the souls that they suppose to be afflicted therin can do little good both bicause that nothing can be any satisfaction for sin to the justice of God but only the death and sufferings of Christ and bicause that those helps of theirs besides that they are verie weak in themselves are not ordeined of God to be the means to apply the same unto any but only the faith of the parties themselves wrought in them by the holie Ghost In their worshipping of saints and images there is some ods howbeit we cannot finde the better of them both their worshipping of saints I mean to be any better than plain idolatrie so oft at least as it goeth beyond that honor which in the second table and fift commandement is appointed to fathers mothers and reacheth unto the worship which in the first table and in the first second commandements is before taken up unto God As also we think themselves should perceive that if they do it as a dutie that they ow unto them or as a thing that saints do like of or to get some benefit at their hands in al these points they do but wast leese their labor for that they ow them no such dutie neither do they like that they should offer them any such nor yet can help them in those things that they crave at their hands And as for their images neither are they blessed of God to yeeld any such fruit as they require at their hands neither should we so maintain the dignitie of our creation being ordeined to repraesent the person of God to al these his creatures if we shuld so servilely abase our selves to stoks and stones when as the Lord hath made us the head over them not them over us Concerning the marriage of those that are of the clergie seeing that both the scripture alloweth of it in al estates and degrees whatsoever and that God in his wisdome ordeined the same and seeing that the practise of al antiquitie hath had it in continual use it is a thing we think more plain than that we may allow any controversie therof to be made If this wil not serve let them but turn bak their eies to themselves and but make an indifferent search how fowl and manifold pollution hath broken foorth among them since the time that they have abandoned marriage from their orders and that one thing we think wil be sufficient to teach them that heerin they were far overshot and have found it tru in themselves by experience that which before they might have learned at the mouth of the Lord that generally it is not good for any estate of men to live unmarried when as therby they so quikly brought al their orders so fowl out of order As for their inhaerent justice and that with some distempered affections as it seemeth they charge us to allow of none other but that which is putative and only faith the substance of this matter being before specially touched it is not needful heer to say any more therof So these are in effect those great matters for whose sakes we are charged to have translated so corruptly and so consequently in the judgement of some that we have not the word of God at al among us Wherunto would they ad but this little correction that for these matters we have it not to their good liking therunto could we be content to yeeld and therwithal think that we stil must want al authoritie of scripture for thē Otherwise they have sufficiently found even in the ruines of their own usurpation and doctrines that we have the scriptures among us as also not many of themselves do charge us but only for these and for a few such others besides of such like or lesse importance
for to belong to the church of Christ as on the other side whosoever they are that have not this faith that those are none of the church of Christ whatsoever thing else they can praetend So that the church of which we speak at this praesent is that universal assemblie or gathering togither of al those whether congregations or several persons in any part of al the world that beleeve in Christ or professe the same that we cal christianitie or the Christian faith Concerning the members it may sufficiently appeer by this that is said alreadie who they are that do appertain to that account whether they be whole congregations or several persons that come in quaestion For whosoever they are that professe according to the pattern aforesaid those must needs be very good members and those that swerve from it whether more or lesse are in like sort to be accounted to be in the like proportion departed from the sinceritie of the better sort So that in any wise we must take heed that in this account we measure not the goodnes of any member either in the secret election of God for that it is unknown unto us or in the framing of the conversation to outward sobrietie or holines of life wherin we may be very soone guiled but only that we now seeke out those that are visible members alone measuring the woorthines of everie member by the profession before set down until that once having found out the truer members of the church we then examin among themselves who they are that more sincerely answer their holie calling 17 Having so found out what it is to be of the church who are the visible members therof now may we with lesse labor espie what it is to depart from the same especially if we take heed of this that we use no other tokens for to teach us when we are wrong than only that same wherby we have lerned when we are right For as a sea mark on the shore or a beakon upon the hil doth by one and the selfesame labor teach them both so the same likewise that before is set down is sufficient to declare unto al that do walk by direction therof who they are that are right who on the other side do wander amis out of the way We have therfore first to resolve our selves that for this matter we wil take our aim therat then to seek out by direction therof who they are that depart from the church That we should so resolve our selves we have as good reason as can be desired for that otherwise we may be deceived but never if we take our aim by this The reason that otherwise we may be deceived is for that al things else wherby others do commonly judge what is the course that they hold are nothing else but either points of lesse importance if they do belong unto this or else are of some other kind either directly contrarie to it or divers from it If it be of the former that is appertaining indeed to sound religion and yet nevertheles not so material or very needful but that christianitie may stand without it then if any man depart from it although that therin he do withdraw himselfe from the truth yet may not that be accounted any departing away from the church so long as he keepeth unto the substance of christianitie As for example the truth is that of al that were born of women Christ only was without sin and yet for our sin that he sustained for which he had to satisfie the justice of God he was hartily touched with the horror of death Nevertheles if any there be that cannot be as yet persuaded but needs he must think it more honorable for the blessed virgin yea for Christ himselfe that tooke flesh of hir to have been without sin therupon for his part do rather think that by special praerogative she also was praeserved frō original corruption or els do but dowt it to be somwhat reprochful to Christ that being as he was the son of God he should be so much afraid of death although that heerin he do indeed depart from the truth in those two points or at least in his weaknes come short therof yet bicause that neither of them is so much of the substance of religion but that christianitie may be acknowledged where nothing else but these or such like are wanting therfore may we not by any aequitie account any such to be out of the church that holding al things else besides only sticketh in some of these So likewise if any should depart from that which hath been for a long time received and yet is either against the truth of religion as the worshipping of images or but more than the scripture teacheth as the altering of the sabboth to another day than was woont to be observed as in the former he were so much the rather of the church of God so in the latter he were not to be condemned as no member therof holding al things else sincerely For though our selves do like the altering of the sabboth new from that which was observed of the Iews unto the day of Christs resurrection yet must we needs grant with al that it was somwhat more than needed and that if it had stood as it did it had not been against the Christian faith which is so much the rather to be noted for that not only divers of the antient fathers in times past have been but we also at this praesent in like sort are a great deal too hastie to condemn in such cases al that do not fully accord in al points with us In these cases therfore or any such like whosoever wil condemn al those to be none of the church that are not fully persuaded as we are therin he might soone condemn many such as might after be found to be the children of God when himself and his fellows should be excluded and besides that in the mean season commit an uncharitable part towards those his brethren and that which might grow to an il example for others to follow The reason that we cannot in any wise be deceived if we cleave to the other hangeth on two principal points the one that there is no other way to the kingdome of God the other that it is the only faith that is common to al that unto this kingdome do appertain That there is no other way than Christ alone it is in it selfe so very cleer that it needeth no further help Out of it likewise must the other very necessarily arise that seeing there is none other way but it alone therfore so many as belong therunto must needs be of the same profession In which respect that which is the substance of this profession by divers of the fathers of old hath bin termed catholik yet is so called to this praesent day For howsoever Christian churches have at al times varied in
and were not readie jump at the very hour to go in with him and would not know them when they came after and finally he promiseth to damn al those without exception which shal work iniquitie as S. Mathew testifieth 7 Moreover being asked by a certain ruler on a time how he might be saved he would geeve him no other hope so long as he sought salvation by his works though he were a prince but only this If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements of God And talking with his disciples at another time of the same matter he geeveth them no other rule of their life but this If ye love me keepe my commandements As who should say if you were never so much my disciples if ye break my commandements there is no more love nor frindship betwixt us And S. Iohn which best of al others knew his meaning herein expoundeth it in this sense when he saith If a man saith he knoweth God and yet keepeth not his commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him And more yet to take away al hope or expectation from his disciples of any other way pleasing him than by keeping his commandements he saith in another place that He came not to take away the law but to fulfill it and streight way he inferreth upon the same Whosoever therfore shal break one of the least of these commandements shal be called the least in the kingdom of heaven For which cause at his departure out of the world the verie last words that he spake to his Apostles were these that They should teach men to observe al his commandements whatsoever 8 By which appeereth the severe meaning that Christ had touching our account for the keeping of his commandements in this life The which also may be gathered by that being asked whether the number were smal of them that should be saved he counseleth men to strive to go into the strait gate for that many should be shut out yea even of them which had eaten and drunken with him and had enjoied the corporal presence of his blessed bodie but had not regarded to live as he commanded them In which case he signifieth that no respect or frindship must take place with him at the last day for which cause he said to the man whom he had healed at the fish pools side in Ierusalem Behold now thou art hole see thou sin no more least worse come to thee than before And generally he warneth vs in Saint Mathews gospel that we agree with our adversaries and make our accounts streight in this life otherwise we shal pay the uttermost farthing in the life to come And yet more severely he saith in another place That we shal render account at the day of iudgment for every idle word which we have spoken 9 Which day of judgement he warneth us of before and foretelleth the rigor and danger in sundrie places of holie scripture to the end we should prevent the same and so direct our lives while we have time in this world as we may present our selves at that day without fear and danger or rather with great joy and comfort when so manie thousands of wicked people shal appeer there to their eternal confusion 10 And bicause there is nothing which so fitly sheweth the severitie of Christ in taking our account at the last day as the order and maner of this judgement described most diligently by the holy scripture it selfe it shal make much for our purpose to consider the same And first of al it is to be noted that there be two judgements appointed after death wherof the one is called particular wherby ech man presently upon his departure from this world receaveth particular sentence either of punishment or of glorie according to his deeds in this life as Christs own words are wherof we have examples in Lazarus and the rich glutton who were presently caried the one to pain the other to rest as Saint Luke testifieth And to dowt of this were obstinacie as Saint Austen affirmeth The other judgment is called general for that it shal be of al men togither in the end of the world where shal a final sentence be pronounced either of reward or punishment upon al men that ever lived according to the works which they have done good or bad in this life and afterward never more question be made of altering their estate that is of easing the pain of the one or ending the glorie of the other 11 Now as touching the first of these two judgements albeit the holy ancient fathers especiallie Saint Austen do gather and consider divers particulars of great severitie and feare as the passage of our soul from the body to the tribunal seat of God under the custody both of good and evil angels the fear she hath of them the sodain strangenes of the place where she is the terror of Gods presence the strait examination she must abide and the like yet for that the most of these things are to be considered also in the second judgement which is general I wil passe over to the same noting only certain reasons yeelded by the holy fathers why God after the first judgement wherin he had assigned to ech man according to his deserts in particular would appoint moreover this second general judgment Wherof the first is for that the body of man rising from his sepulchre might be partaker of the eternal punishment or glorie of the soul even as it hath beene partaker with the same either in vertue or vice in this life The second is that as Christ was dishonored and put to confusion here in the world publikly so much more he might shew his majestie and power at that day in the sight of al creatures and especially of his enimies The third is that both the wicked and good might receave their reward openly to more confusion hart greefe of the one and to the greater joy and triumph of the other who commonly in this world have been overborn by the wicked The fourth is for that evil men when they die do not commonly carie with them al their demerit and evil for that they leave behind them either their evil example or their children and familiars corrupted by them or els books and means which may in time corrupt others Al which being not yet done but comming to passe after their death they cannot so conveniently receave their judgement for the same presently but as the evil falleth out so their pains are to be increased The like may be said of the good So that for examples sake Saint Pauls glorie is increased daily and shal be unto the worlds end by reason of them that daily profit by his writings and example and the pains of the wicked are for the like reason daily augmented But at the last day of judgment shal be an end
in another place Audite coeli auribus percipe terra Harken ye heavens and thou earth bend hither thine eares Filios enutrivi exaltavi ipsi autem spreuerunt me I have norished up children and have exalted them and now they contemn me What a pitiful complaint is this of God against most vile and base worms of the earth But yet God amplifieth this iniquitie more by certain examples and comparisons The oxe saith he knoweth his owner and the asse knoweth the manger of his Lord and maister but yet my people know not me wo be to the sinful nation to the people loden with iniquitie to this naughtie seed to wicked children What complaint can be more vehement than this What threatning can be more dreadful than this wo comming from the mouth of him which may punish us at his pleasure 19 Wherfore deer brother if thou have grace cease to be ungrateful to God any longer cease to offend him which hath by so manie wais prevented thee with benefits cease to render evil for good hatred for love contempt for his fatherly affection towards thee He hath done for thee al that he can he hath given thee al that thou art yea and in a certain maner al that he is woorth himselfe and meaneth besides to make thee partaker of al his glorie in the world to come and requireth no more for al this at thy hands but love and gratitude O deer brother why wilt thou not yeeld him this Why wilt thou not do as much to him as thou wouldest haue another man to do to thee for lesse than the ten thousand part of these benefits which thou hast receaved For I dare wel say that if thou hadst given a man but an almes at thy dore thou wouldest think him bound to love thee for it albeit thou hadst nothing in thee woorth love besides But now thy Lord besides these his gifts hath infinite causes to make thee love him that is al the causes which any thing in the world hath to purchase love and infinite more besides for if al the perfections of al things created in heaven and in earth which do procure love were put togither in one as al their beautie al their vertu al their nobilitie al their goodnes and the like yet thy Lord and Savior whom thou contemnest doth passe al this and that by many and infinite degrees for that he is not only al these things togither but also he is very beautie it selfe vertu it selfe wisdom it selfe sweetnes it selfe nobilitie it selfe goodnes it selfe and the very fountain and welspring where hence al these things are derived by litle peeces and parcels unto his creatures 20 Be ashamed then good Christian of this thy ingratitude to so great so good bountiful a Lord and resolve thy selfe for the time to come to amend thy course of life and behavior towards him Say with the prophet which had lesse cause to say so than thou Domine propitiare peccatomeo multum est enim O Lord pardon me mine offences for it is great in thy sight I know there is nothing O Lord which doth so much displease thee or dry up the fountain of thy mercy and so bindeth thy hands from dooing good as ingratitude in the receavers of thy benefits wherin hitherto I have exceeded al other but I have done it O Lord in mine ignorance not considering thy gifts unto me nor what account thou wouldest demaund again of the same But now seeing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthy of this grace also wherby to see and know mine own state and default I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace of thine to shew my selfe a better child towards thee O Lord I am overcome at the lenth with consideration of thy love and how can I have the hart to offend thee hereafter seeing thou hast prevented me so many wais with benefits even when I demanded not the same Can I have hands ever more to sin against thee which hast given up thine own most tender hands to be nailed on the crosse for my sins heretofore No no it is too great an injurie against thee O Lord and wo woorth me that have done it so often heretofore But by thy holy assistance I trust not to return to such iniquitie for the time to come to which O Lord I beseech thee for thy mercy sake from thy holie throne of heaven to say Amen CHAP. VIII Of what opinion and feeling we shal be touching these matters at the time of our death THe holie scriptures do teach us and experience maketh it plain that during the time of this life the commodities preferments and pleasures of the world do possesse so strongly the harts of manie men and do hold them chained with so forcible inchauntments being forsaken also upon their just deserts of the grace of God say and threaten what a man can bring against them al the whole scripture even from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as indeed it is al against sin and sinners yet wil it prevail nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeve not or esteem not whatsoever is said to that purpose against their setled life and resolution to the contrary Of this we have infinite examples in scripture as of Sodom and Gomorra with the cities about which could not heare the warnings that good Lot gave unto them Also of Pharao whom al that ever Moises could do either by signes or saiengs mooved nothing Also of Iudas who by no faire means or threatnings used to him by his maister would change his wicked resolution But especially the prophets sent from God from time to time to dissuade the people from their naughtie life and consequently from the plaegs hanging over them do give abundant testimonie of this complaining everie where of the hardnes of sinners harts that would not be mooved with al the exhortations preachings promises and thunderings that they could use The prophet Zacharie shal testifie for al in this matter who saith of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction Hoc ait Dominus exercituum c. This saith the Lord of hosts iudge iustly And so foorth And presentlie he addeth And they would not attend but turning their baks went away stopped their ears to the end they might not heare and they did put their harts as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the law and the words which God did send in his spirit by the hands of the former prophets wherby Gods great indignation was stirred up 2 This then is and alwais hath been the fashion of worldlings reprobate persons to harden their harts as an adamant stone against any thing that shal be told them for the amendement of their lives and for the saving of their souls Whiles they are in helth prosperitie they wil not know God As in
you is now the state of this afflicted soul It is no marvel if a wise man become a foole or a stout worldling most abject in this instant of extremitie as we often see they do in such sort as they can dispose of nothing wel either towards God or the world at this hour the cause is the extremitie of pains oppressing their minds as Saint Austen also proveth or some other under his name and giveth us therwithal a most excellent forewarning if men were so gracious as to folow it When you shal be in your last siknes deer brother saith he O how hard and painful a thing wil it be for you to repent of your faults committed And why is this but only for that al the intention of your mind wil run thither where al the force of your pain is Manie impediments shal let men at that day as the pain of the bodie the fear of death the sight of children for the which their fathers shal oftentimes think themselves often damned the weeping of the wise the flatterie of the world the temptation of the devil the dissimulation of physitions for lucre sake and the like And beleeve thou O man which readest this that thou shalt quickly proove al this tru upon thy selfe and therfore I beseech thee that thou wilt repent before thou come unto this last day dispose of thy house and make thy testament while thou art thine own man for if thou tary until the last day thou shalt be led whether thou wouldest not Hitherto are the Authors words 6 The second thing which shal make death terrible and greevous to a worldly man is the sudden parting and that for ever and ever from al the things which he loved most deerly in this life as from his riches possessions honours offices faire buildings with their commodities goodlie apparel with rich jewels from wife and children kindred and frinds and the like wherwith he thought himselfe a blessed man in this life and now to be plucked from them upon the sudden without ever hope to see or use them again oh what a greef what a torment wil this be For which cause the holie scripture saith O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantijs suis O death how bitter is thy memorie unto a man that hath peace rest in his substance riches As who would say there is no more bitternes or greefe in the world to such a man than to remēber or think on death only but much more to go to it himselfe that out of hand when it shal be said unto him as Christ reporteth it was to the great wealthy man in the Gospel which had his barns ful and was come now to the highest top of felicitie Stulte hac nocte animam tuam repetent à te quae autem parasti cuius erunt Thou foole even this night they wil take thy soule from thee and then who shal have al that thou hast scraped together 7 It is unpossible I say for any toong to expresse the doleful state of a worldly man in this instant of death when nothing that ever he hath gathered togither with so much labor and toil and wherin he was woont to have so much confidence wil now do him good any longer but rather afflict him with the memorie therof considering that he must leave al to others and go himselfe to give account for the getting and using of the same perhaps to his eternal damnation whiles in the mean time other men in the world do live merilie and pleasantly upon that he hath gotten litle remembring and lesse caring for him which lieth perhaps burning in unquenchable fire for the riches left unto them This is a woful and lamentable point which is to bring manie a man to great sorrow and anguish of hart at the last day when al earthly joies must be left al pleasures and commodities for ever abandoned Oh what a doleful day of parting wil this be What wilt thou say my freend at this day when al thy glorie al thy wealth al thy pomp is come to an end What art thou the better now to have lived in credit with the world In favor of princes Exalted of men Feared reverenced and advanced seeing now al is ended and that thou canst use these things no more 8 But yet there is a third thing which more than al the rest wil make this day of death to be troublesom and miserable unto a worldlie man and that is the consideration what shal become of him both in bodie and soul. And for his bodie it wil be no smal horror to think that it must inherit serpents beasts worms as the scripture saith that is it must be cast out to serve for the food of vermins that bodie I mean which was so delicately handled before with varietie of meats pillows and beds of down so trimly set forth in apparel and other ornaments wherupon the wind might not blow nor the sun shine that bodie I saie of whose beutie there was so much pride taken and wherby so great vanitie and sin was committed that bodie which in this world was accustomed to al pampering and could abide no austeritie or discipline must now come to be abandoned of al men and left onlie to be devoured of worms Which thing albeit it can not but breed much horror in the hart of him that lieth a dieng yet is it nothing in respect of the dreadful cogitations which he shal have touching his soul as what shal become of it Whither it shal go after hir departure out of the bodie And then considering that it must go to the judgment seat of God there to receive sentence either of unspeakable glorie or insupportable pains he falleth to cōsider more in particular the danger therof by comparing Gods justice and threats set down in scripture against sinners with his own life he beginneth to examin the witnes which is his conscience and he findeth it readie to lay infinite accusations against him when he commeth to the place of justice 9 And now deer brother beginneth the miserie of this man For scantly there is not a severe saieng of God in al the scripture which commeth not now to his mind to terrifie him withal at this instant as If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements is a liar Manie shal saie unto me at that day Lord Lord c. Not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law shal be iustified Go from me al workers of iniquitie into everlasting fire De not you know that wicked men shal not possesse the kingdome of God Be not deceived for neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor unclean handlers of their own bodies nor Sodomites nor theeves nor covetous men nor dronkards nor bakbiters nor extortioners
shal ever possesse the kingdome of God If you live according to the flesh you shal die and the works of the flesh are manifest as fornication uncleannes wantonnes luxurie poisonings enmities contentions emulations hatred strife dissentions sects envie murder dronkenes gluttonie and the like Wherof I foretel you as I have told you before that they which do these things shal never attein to the kingdome of God We must al be presented before the iudgment seat of Christ every man receive particularly according as he hath done in this life good or evil every man shal receive according to his works God spared not the Angels when they sinned You shal give account of everie idle word at the day of iudgement If the iust shal scarce be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeer Few are saved and a rich man shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven 10 Al these things I say and a thousand mo touching the severitie of Gods justice and the account which shal be demanded at that day wil come into his mind that lieth a dieng and our ghostly enimie which in this life labored to keep these things from our eies therby the easier to draw us to sin wil now lay al more too before our face amplifieng and urging everie point to the uttermost alledging alwais our conscience for his witnes Which when the poore soul in dieng cannot denie it must needs terrifie hir greatly for so we see that it doth daily even many good vertuous men Saint Ierom reported of holie Saint Hilarion whose soul being greatly afeard upon these considerations to go out of the bodie after long conflict he took courage in the end and said to his soul Go out my soul go out why art thou afeard thou hast served Christ almost threescore and ten yeeres and art thou now afeard of death But if so good a man was so afeard at this passage yea such an one as had served God with al puritie of life and perfect zeale for threescore and ten yeeres togither what shal they be which scarce have served God truly one day in al their lives but rather have spent al their yeeres in sin and vanitie of the world Must not these men be needs in great extremitie at this passage 11 Now then deer Christian these things being so that is this passage of death being so terrible so dangerous and yet so unavoydable as it is seeing so many men perish and are overwhelmed daily in the same as it cannot be denied but there do and both holie scriptures and ancient fathers do testifie it by examples and records unto us what man of discretion would not learn to be wise by other mens dangers Or what reasonable creature would not take heed and look about him being warned so manifestly and apparantly of his own peril If thou be a Christian and dost beleeve indeed the things which Christian faith doth teach thee then dost thou know and most certainly beleeve also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition soever thou be now yet that thou thy selfe I say which now in health and mirth readest this and thinkest that it litle pertaineth to thee must one of these dais and it may be shortlie after the reading hereof come to prove al these things upon thy selfe which I have here written that is thou must with sorrow and greefe be inforced to thy bed and there after al thy struglings with the darts of death thou must yeeld thy bodie which thou lovest so much to the bait of worms and thy soul to the trial of justice for hir dooings in this life 12 Imagin then my frind thou I say which art so fresh and frolik at this day that the ten twentie or two yeeres or it may be two moneths which thou hast yet to live were now ended and that thou were even at this present stretched out upon a bed wearied and worn with dolor and pain thy carnal frinds about thee weeping and howling the phisitions departed with their fees as having given thee over and thou lieng there alone mute and dum in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to moment the last stroke of death to be given thee Tel me in this instant what would al the pleasures and commodities of this world do thee good What comfort would it be to thee to have beene of honor in this world to have beene rich and purchased much to have born office been in the princes favor To have left thy children or kindred wealthy to have troden down thine enimies to have sturred much and born great sway in this life What ease I say or comfort would it be to thee to have been fair to have been gallant in apparel goodly in personage glittering in gold Would not al these things rather afflict than profit thee at this instant For now shouldest thou see the vanitie of these trifles now would thy hart begin to say within thee O follie and miserable blindnes of mine Lo here is an end now of al my delites prosperities al my joies al my pleasures al my mirth al my pastimes are now finished where are my frinds which were woont to laugh with me My servants woont to attend me my children woont to disport me Where are al my coches and horses wherwith I was woont to make so goodlie a shew the caps and knees of people woont to honor me the troups of suters following me Where are al my daliances and triks of love al my pleasant musik al my gorgeous buildings al my costly feasts and banquetings And above al other where are my deer and sweet frinds who seemed they would never have forsaken me But al are now gone and have left me here alone to answer the rekoning for al and none of them wil do so much as to go with me to judgement or to speak one word in my behalfe 13 Wo worth to me that I had not foreseen this day sooner and so have made better provision for the same it is now too late and I fear me I have purchased eternal damnation for a litle pleasure and lost unspeakable glorie for a floting vanitie Oh how happie and twise happie are they which so live as they may not be afeard of this day I now see the difference betwixt the ends of good evil and marvel not though the scriptures say of the one The death of saincts is precious And of the other The death of sinners is miserable Oh that I had lived so vertuously as some other have done or as I had often inspirations from God to do or that I had done the good deeds I might have done how sweet and comfortable would they be to me now in this my last and extreemest distres 14 To these cogitations and speeches deer brother shal thy hart be inforced of what estate soever thou be at the hour of death if thou do not
without abatement al goodnes without any evil Where youth florisheth that never waxeth old life that knoweth no end beautie that never fadeth love that never cooleth health that never diminisheth joy that never ceaseth Where sorrow is never felt complaint is never heard matter of sadnes is never seen nor evil successe is overfeared For that they possesse thee O Lord which art the perfection of their felicitie 15 If we would enter into these considerations as this holie man and other his like did no dowt but we should more be inflamed with the love of this felicitie prepared for us than we are and consequently should strive more to gain it than we do And to the end thou maist conceive som more feeling in the matter gentle reader consider a little with me what a joiful day shal that be at thy house when having lived in the fear of God and atchived in his service the end of thy peregrination thou shalt come by the means of death to passe from miserie and labour to immortalitie and in that passage when other men begin to fear thou shalt lift up thy head in hope according as Christ promiseth for that the time of thy salvation commeth on Tel me what a day shal that be when thy soul stepping foorth of prison and conducted to the tabernacle of heaven shal be received there with the honorable companies and troups of that place With al those blessed spirits mentioned in scripture as principalities powers vertues dominations thrones Angels Archangels Cherubins and Seraphins also with the holie Apostles and disciples of Christ Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Innocents Confessors and Saints of God Al which shal triumph now at thy coronation and glorification What joy wil thy soul receive in that day when she shal be presented in the presence of al those states before the seat and majestie of the blessed Trinitie with recital and declaration of al thy good works and travels suffered for the love and service of God When there shal be laid down in that honorable consistorie al thy vertuous deeds al the labors that thou hast taken in thy calling al thy almes al thy praiers al thy fasting al thy innocencie of life al thy patience in injuries al thy constancie in adversities al thy temperance in meats al the vertues of thy whole life When al I say shal be recounted there al commended al rewarded shalt thou not see now the valure and profite of vertuous life Shalt thou not confesse that gainful and honorable is the service of God Shalt thou not now be glad and blesse the hour wherin first thou resolvest thy selfe to leave the service of the world to serve God Shalt thou not think thy selfe beholding to him or hir that persuaded thee unto it Yes verilie 16 But yet more than this when as being so neer thy passage heer thou shalt consider into what a port and haven of securitie thou art come and shalt look bak upon the dangers which thou hast passed and wherin other men are yet in hazard thy cause of joy shal greatly be increased For thou shalt see evidentlie how infinite times thou were to perish in that journey if God had not held his special hand over thee Thou shalt see the dangers wherin other men are the death damnation wherinto many of thy frinds and acquaintance have fallen the eternal pains of hel incurred by many that used to laugh and be merie with thee in the world Al which shal augment the felicitie of this thy blessed estate And now for thy selfe thou maist be secure thou art out of al danger for ever and ever There is no more need now of fear of watch of labor or of care Thou maist lay down al armor now better than the children of Israel might have done when they had gotten the land of promise For there is no more enimy to assail thee there is no more wilie serpent to beguile thee al is peace al is rest al is joy al is securitie Good Saint Paul hath no more need now to labor in the ministerie of the word neither yet to fast to watch or to punish his bodie Good old Ierom may now cease to afflict himselfe both night and day for the conquering of his spiritual enimie Thy onlie exercise must be now to rejoice to triumph to sing Halleluias to the lamb which hath brought thee to this felicitie and wil keep thee in the same world without end What a comfort wil it be to see that lamb sitting on his seat of state If the wise men of the east came so far off and so rejoiced to see him in the manger what wil it be to see him sitting in his glorie If Saint Iohn Baptist did leap at his presence in his mothers belly what shal his presence do in this his roial and eternal kingdome It passeth al other glorie that saints have in heaven saith Saint Austen to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face and to receive the beams of glorie from the brightnes of his majestie And if we were to suffer torments every day yea to tollerate the verie pains of hel for a time therby to gain the sight of Christ and to be joined in glorie to the number of his saints it were nothing in respect of the reward O that we made such account of this matter as this holy and learned man did we would not live as we do nor leese the same for such trifles as most men do 17 But to go forward yet further in this consideration imagin besides al this what a joy it shal be unto thy soul at that day to meet with al hir godly frinds in heaven with father with mother with brothers with sisters with wife with husband with maister with schollers with neighbors with familiars with kindred with acquaintance the welcoms the mirth the sweet imbracements that shal be there the joy wherof as noteth wel Saint Cyprian shal be unspeakable Ad to this the daily feasting and inestimable triumph which shal be there at the arrival of new brethren and sisters comming thither from time to time with the spoils of their enimies conquered and vanquished in this world O what a comfortable sight wil it be to see those seats of Angels fallen filled up again with men and women from day to day To see the crowns of glorie set upon their heads and that in varietie according to the varietie of their conquests One for martyrdom or confession against the persecutor another for chastitie against the flesh another for povertie or humilitie against the world another for many conquests togither against the divel There the glorious companie of Apostles saith holy Cyprian there the number of rejoising prophets there the innumerable multitude of martyrs shal receive the crowns of their deaths and sufferings There triumphing virgins which have overcom concupiscence with
the discipline of the Lord and be not wearie when thou art chastened of him For whom God loveth he chasteneth he whippeth every son whom he receiveth Persevere therfore in the correction laid upon you God offereth himselfe to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not If you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastards and not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth unpleasant and sorrowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruit of justice unto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen up your wearie hands and loosed knees make way to your feet c. That is take courage unto you and go forward valiantly under the crosse laid upon you This was the exhortation of this holie captain unto his countrie men soldiers of Iesus Christ the Iewes 47 Saint Iames the brother of our Lord useth another exhortation to al tru Catholiks not much different from this in that his epistle which he writeth generally to al. Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he until the comming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruit of the earth so pretious unto him bearing patiently until he may receive the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your harts for that the comming of the Lord wil shortly draw neere Be not sad and complain not one of another Behold the judge is even at the gate Take the prophets for an example of labor and patience which spake unto us in the name of God Behold we account them blessed which have suffered You have heard of the sufferance of Iob and you have seen the end of the Lord with him you have seen I say that the Lord is merciful and ful of compassion 48 I might heer alledge many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is most copious heerin and in verie deed if it should al be melted and powred out it would yeeld us nothing else almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulation in this life But I must end for that this chapter riseth to be long as the other before did and therfore I wil only for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of old Mathathias unto his children in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iews Now saith he is the time that pride is in hir strength now is the time of chastisement towards us of eversion and indignation come Now therfore O children be you zealous in the law of God yeeld up your lives for the testament of your fathers remember the works of your ancestors what they have done in their generations and so shal you receive great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed unto him for justice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandements and was made Lord over al Egypt Phinees our father for his zeal towards the law of God received the testament of an everlasting preesthood Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captain over al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the church received an inheritance David for his mercie obtained the seat of an eternal kingdom Elias for that he was zealous in zeal of the law was taken up to heaven Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleef were delivered from the flame of the fire Daniel for his simplicitie was delivered from the mouth of lions And so do you run over by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And do you not fear the words of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and worms to day he is great and exalted and to morrow he shal not be found for he shal return unto his earth again and al his fond cogitations shal perish Wherfore take courage unto you my children and play the men in the law of God For therin shal be your honor and glorie Hitherto are the words of Mathathias which shal suffice for the end of this chapter CHAP. III. Of the third impediment that letteth men from resolution which is the love of the world AS the two impediments remooved before be indeed great staies to many men from the resolution we talk of so this that now I take in hand is not only of it selfe a strong impediment but also a great cause and common ground as it were to al the other impediments that be For if a man could touch the very pulse of al those who refuse or neglect or defer this resolution he should find the foundation therof to be the love of this world whatsoever other excuse they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended fear to be the cause why they could not resolve to confesse Christ openly but Saint Iohn that felt their pulse uttereth the tru cause to have been For that they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Demas that forsook Saint Paul in his bands even a little before his death pretended another cause of his departure to Thessalonica but Saint Paul saith it was Quia diligebat hoc seculum For that he loved this world So that this is a general and universal impediment and more indeed dispersed than outwardly appeereth for that it bringeth foorth divers other excuses therby to cover hir selfe in many men 2 This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of Christ recorded by three Evangelists of the three sorts of men which are to be damned the three causes of their damnation wherof the third and last and most general including as it were both the rest is the love of this world For the first sort of men are compared to a high way where al seed of life that is sown either withereth presently or else is eaten up by the birds of the aire that is as Christ expoundeth it by the devil in carelesse men that contemn whatsoever is said unto them as infidels and al other obstinate and contemptuous people The second sort are compared to rocky grounds in which for lak of deep roote the seed continueth not wherby are signified light and unconstant men that now chop in and now run out now are fervent and by and by key-cold again and so in time of temptation they are gon The third sort are compared to a field where the seed groweth up but yet there are so many thorns on the same which Christ expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries deceveable vanities of this life as the good corn is choked up and bringeth foorth no fruit By which last words our savior signifieth that whersoever the doctrine of Christ groweth up yet bringeth not foorth du fruit that is whersoever it is
rich men of this world not to be high minded nor to put hope in the uncertaintie of their riches The reason of which speech is uttered by the scripture in another place when it saith Riches shal not profit a man in the day of revenge That is at the day of death and judgement which thing the rich men of this world do confesse themselves though too late when they crie Divitiarum iactantia quid nobis contulit What hath the braverie of our riches profited us Al which evidently declareth the great vanitie of worldly riches which can do the possessor no good at al when he hath most need of their help Rich men have slept their sleep saith the prophet and have found nothing in their hands that is rich men have passed over this life as men do passe over a sleep imagining themselves to have golden mountains and treasures and when they awake at the day of their death they find themselves to have nothing in their hands In respect wherof the prophet Baruch asketh this question Where are they now which heaped togither gold and silver and which made no end of their scraping togither And he answereth himselfe immediately Exterminati sunt ad inferos descenderunt They are now rooted out and are gone down unto hel To like effect saith Saint Iames Now go to you rich men weep and howl in your miseries that come upon you your riches are rotten and your gold and silver is rustie and the rust therof shal be in testimonie against you it shal feed on your flesh as fire you have hoorded up wrath for your selves in the last day 23 If wealth of this world be not onlie so vain but also so perilous as heer is affirmed what vanitie then is it for men to set their minds upon it as they do Saint Paul saith of himselfe that He esteemed it al but as doong And he had great reason surely to say so seeing indeed they are but doong that is the verie excrements of the earth and found only in the most barren places therof as they can tel which have seen their mines What a base matter is this then for a man to tie his love unto God commanded in the old law that whatsoever did go with his breast upon the ground should be unto us in abhomination How much more then a reasonable man that hath glewed his hart soul unto a peece of earth We came in naked unto this world and naked we must go foorth again saith Iob. The mil-wheel stirreth much about and beateth it selfe from day to day and yet at the yeers end it is in the same place as it was in the beginning so rich men let them toil and labor what they can yet at their death must they be as poore as at the first day wherin they were born When the rich man dieth saith Iob he shal take nothing with him but shal close up his eies and find nothing Povertie shal lay hands upon him and a tempest shal oppresse him in the night a burning wind shal take him away and a whirl wind shal snatch him from his place it shal rush upon him and shal not spare him it shal bind his hands upon him and shal hisse over him For that it seeth his place whither he must go 24 The prophet David in like wise forewarneth us of the same in these words Be not afraid when thou seest a man made rich and the glorie of his house multiplied For when he dieth he shal take nothing with him nor shal his glorie descend to the place whither he goeth he shal passe into the progenies of his ancestors that is he shal go to the place where they are who hath lived as he hath don and world without end he shal see no more light 25 Al this and much more is spoken by the holie Ghost to signifie the dangerous vanitie of worldly wealth and the folly of those men who labor so much to procure the same with the eternal peril of their souls as the scripture assureth us If so manie physicians as I have heer alledged scriptures should agree togither that such or such meats were venomous perilsom I think few would give the adventure to eat them though otherwise in tast they appeered sweet and pleasant How then commeth it to passe that so many earnest admonitions of God himselfe cannot stay us from the love of this dangerous vanitie Nolite cor apponere saith God by the prophet that is Lay not your hart unto the love of riches Qui diligit aurum non iustificabitur saith the wise man He that loveth gold shal never be iustified I am angrie greatly upon rich nations saith God by Zacharie Christ saith Amen dico vobis quia dives difficile intrabit in regnum caelorum Truly I say unto you that a rich man shal hardly get into the kingdom of heaven And again Wo be to you rich men for that you have received your consolation in this life Finally Saint Paul saith generally of al and to al They which wil be rich do fal into temptation and into the snare of the divel and into manie unprofitable and hurtful desires which do drown men in destruction and perdition 26 Can any thing in the world be spoken more effectually to dissuade from the love of riches than this Must not heer now the covetous men either denie God or cōdemn themselves in their own consciences Let them go and excuse themselves by the pretence of wife and children as they are woont saieng They mean nothing els but to provide for their sufficiencie Doth Christ or Saint Paul admit this excusation Ought we so much to love wife or children or other kindred as to endanger our souls for the same What comfort may it be to an afflicted father in hel to remember that by his means his wife and children do live wealthily in earth Al this is vanitie deer brother and meer deceit of our spiritual enimie For within one moment after we are dead we shal care no more for wife children father mother or brother in this matter than we shal for a meer stranger and one penie given in alms while we lived for Gods sake shal comfort us more at that day than thousands of pounds bestowed upon our kin for the natural love we bare unto our own flesh and blood the which I would to Christ worldlie men did consider And then no dowt they would never take such care for kindred as they do especially upon their death-beds whence presently they are to depart to that place where flesh and blood holdeth no more privilege nor riches have any power to deliver but only such as were wel bestowed in the service of God or given to the poore for his names sake And this shal be sufficient for this point of riches 27 The third branch of worldly vanities is called by
gall and their clusters of grapes are most bitter their wine is the gall of dragons and the poison of cotatrices uncurable By which dreadful and lothsome comparisons he would give us to understand that the sweet pleasures of this world are indeed deceits and wil proove themselves one day most bitter and dangerous 44 The fourth point that we have to consider is how this word aerumna that is miserie and calamitie may be verified of the world and the felicitie therof Which thing though it may appeer sufficiently by that which hath been said before yet wil I for promise sake discusse it a little further in this place by some particulars And among many miseries which I might heer recount the first and one of the greatest is the brevitie and uncertaintie of al worldly prosperitie Oh how great a miserie is this unto a worldly man that would have his pleasures constant and perpetual O death how bitter is thy remembrance saith the wise man unto a man that hath peace in his riches We have seen many men advanced not endured two moneths in their prosperitie we have heard of divers married in great joy and have not lived six daies in their felicitie we have read of strange matters in this kind and we see with our eies no few examples daily What a greefe was it think you to Alexander the great that having subdued in twelve yeers the most part of al the world should be then inforced to die when he was most desirous to live and when he was to take most joy and comfort of his victories What a sorrow was it to the rich man in the Gospel to hear upon the sudden Hac nocte Even this night thou must die What a miserie wil this be to many worldlings when it commeth Who now build pallaces purchase lands heap up riches procure dignities make marriages join kindreds as though there were never an end of these matters What a doleful day wil this be to them I say when they must forgo al these things which they so much love When they must be turned off as princes mules are woont to be at the journeis end that is their treasure taken from them and their gauld backs only left unto themselves For as we see these mules of princes go al the day long loden with treasure and covered with fair cloths but at night shaken off into a sorrie stable much brused gauled with the carriage of those treasures so rich men that passe through this world loden with gold and silver and do gaul greatly their souls in cariage therof are despoiled of their burden at the day of death and are turned off with their wounded consciences to the lothsome stable of hel and damnation 45 Another miserie joined to the prosperitie of this world is the greevous counterpeaze of discontentments that everie worldly pleasure hath with it Run over everie pleasure in this life and see what sawce it hath adjoined Aske them that have had most proofe therof whether they remain contented or no The possession of riches is accompanied with so many fears and cares as hath been shewed the advancement of honors is subject to al miserable servitude that may be devised the plesure of the flesh though it be lawful and honest yet is it called by Saint Paul Tribulation of the flesh but if it be with sin ten thousand times more is it environed with al kind of miseries 46 Who can reckon up the calamities of our bodie So manie diseases so manie infirmities so many mischances so manie dangers Who can tel the passions of our mind that do afflict us now with anger now with sorow now with envie now with furie Who can recount the adversities and miseries that come by our goods Who can nūber the hurts and discontentations that daily insu upon us from our neighbors One calleth us into law for our goods another pursueth us for our life a third by slander impugneth our good name one afflicteth us by hatred another by envie another by flatterie another by deceit another by revenge another by false witnes another by open arms There are not so manie dais nor hours in our lives as there are miseries and contrarieties in the same And further than this the evil hath this prerogative above the good in our life that one defect only overwhelmeth and drowneth a great number of good things togither as if a man had al the felicities heaped togither which this world could yeeld and yet had but one tooth out of tune al the other pleasures would not make him merrie Heerof you have a cleere example in Aman cheefe counceller of king Assuerus who for that Mardocheus the Iew did not rise to him when he went by nor did honor him as other men did he said to his wife frinds that al his other felicities were nothing in respect of this one affliction 47 Ad now to this miserie of darknes and blindnes wherin worldly men live as in part I have touched before most fitly prefigured by the palpable darknes of Egypt wherin no man could see his neighbor no man could see his work no man could see his way such is the darknes wherin worldly men walk They have eies but they see not saith Christ that is though they have eies to see the matters of this world yet they are blind for that they see not the things they should see indeed The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light But that is only in matters of this world in matters of darknes not in matters of light wherof they are no children For that the carnal man understandeth not the things which are of God Walk over the world and you shal find men as sharp eied as egles in things of the earth but the same men as blind as beetles in matters of heaven Therof ensu those lamentable effects that we see daily of mans laws so carefully respected and Gods commandements so contemptuously rejected of earthly goods sought for and heavenly goods not thought upon of so much travel taken for the bodie and so little care used for the soul. Finally if you wil see in what great blindnes the world doth live remember that Saint Paul comming from a worlding to be a good Christian had scales taken from his eies by Ananias which covered his sight before when he was in his pride and ruff of the world 48 Beside al these miseries there is yet another miserie greater in some respect than the former that is the infinit number of temptations of snares of intisements in the world wherby men are drawn to perdition daily Athanasius writeth of Saint Anthonie the hermite that God revealed unto him one day the state of the world and he saw it al hanged ful of nets in every corner and divels sitting
by him that asked pardon even for his tormentors and crucifiers to except now the world by name from his mercie Oh that worldly men would consider but this one point only they would not I think live so void of fear as they do 53 Can any man marvel now why Saint Paul crieth so carefully to us Nolite conformari huic saeculo Conform not your selves to this world And again That we should renounce utterly al worldly desires Can any marvel why Saint Iohn which was most privie above al others to Christs holie meaning heerin saith to us in such earnest sort Nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt Do not love the world nor any thing that is in the world If we may neither love it nor so much as conform our selves unto it under so great pains as are before rehearsed of the enmitie of God and eternal damnation what shal become of those men that do not only conform themselves unto it and the vanities therof but also do follow it seek after it rest in it and do bestow al their labors and travels upon it 54 If you ask me the cause why Christ so hateth and abhorreth this world Saint Iohn telleth you Quia mundus totus in maligno positus est For that al the whole world is set on naughtines for that it hath a spirit contrarie to the spirit of Christ as hath been shewed for that it teacheth pride vain glorie ambition envie revenge malice with pleasures of the flesh and al kind of vanities and Christ on the contrarie side humilitie meeknes pardoning of enimies abstinence chastitie sufferance mortification bearing the crosse with contempt of al earthly pleasures for that it persecuteth the good and advanceth the evil for that it rooteth out vertu and planteth al vice and finally for that it shutteth the doores against Christ when he knocketh and strangleth the hart that once it possesseth 55 Wherfore to conclude this part seeing this world is such a thing as it is so vain so deceitful so troublesom so dangerous seeing it is a professed enimie to Christ excommunicated and damned to the pit of hel seeing it is as one father saith an ark of travel a schoole of vanities a feat of deceit a labirinth of error seeing it is nothing els but a barren wildernes a stonie feeld a dirtie stie a tempestuous sea seeing it is a grove ful of thorns a medow ful of scorpions a florishing garden without fruit a cave ful of poisoned and deadly basilisks seeing it is finally as I have shewed a fountain of miseries a river of tears a feined fable a delectable frensie seeing as Saint Austen saith the joy of this world hath nothing els but false delite tru asperitie certain sorrow uncertain pleasure travelsom labour fearful rest greevous miserie vain hope of felicitie seeing it hath nothing in it as saint Chrysostom saith but tears shame repentance reproch sadnes negligences labors terrors siknes sin and death it selfe seeing the worlds repose is ful of anguish his securitie without foundation his fear without cause his travels without fruit his sorrow without profit his desires without successe his hope without reward his mirth without continuance his miseries without remedies seeing these and a thousand evils more are in it and no one good thing can be had from it who wil be deceived with this visard or allured with this vanitie heerafter Who wil be staied from the noble service of God by the love of so fond a trifle as is the world And this to a reasonable man may be sufficient to declare the insufficiencie of this third impediment 56 But yet for the satisfieng of my promise in the beginning of this chapter I have to ad a word or two in this place how we may avoid the danger of this world and also use it unto our gain and commoditie And for the first to avoid the dangers seeing there are so manie snares and traps as hath been declared there is no other way but only to use the refuge of birds in avoiding the dangerous snares of fowlers that is to mount up into the air and so to fly over them al. Frustra iacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum saith the wise man that is The net is laid in vain before the eies of such as have wings and can flie The spies of Hiericho though manie snares were laid for them by their enimies yet they escaped al for that they walked by hils saith the scripture wherunto Origin alluding saith that There is no way to avoid the dangers of this world but to walk upon hils and to imitate David that said Levavi oculos meos ad montes unde veniet auxiliū mihi I lifted up mine eies unto the hils whence al mine aid and assistance came for avoiding the snares of this world And then shal we say with the same David Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium Our soul is delivered as a sparrow from the snare of the fowlers We must say with Saint Paul Our conversation is in heaven And then shal we little fear al these deceits and dangers upon earth For as the fowler hath no hope to catch the bird except he can allure hir to pitch and come down by some means so hath the divel no way to intangle us but to say as he did to Christ Mitte te deorsum Throw thy selfe down that is pitch down upon the baits which I have laid eat and devour them enamor thy selfe with them tie thine appetite unto them and the like 57 Which grosse and open temptation he that wil avoid by contemning the allurement of these baits by flieng over them by placing his love and cogitations in the mountains of heavenly joies and eternitie he shal easily escape al dangers and perils King David was past them al when he said to God What is there for me in heaven or what do I desire besides thee upon earth My flesh and my hart have fainted for desire of thee Thou art the God of my hart and my portion O Lord for ever 58 Saint Paul also was past over these dangers when he said that Now he was crucified to the world the world unto him and that He esteemed al the wealth of this world as meer doong and that albeit he lived in flesh yet lived he not according to the flesh Which glorious example if we would follow in contemning and despising the vanities of this world and fixing our minds in the noble riches of Gods kingdome to come the snares of the divel would prevail nothing at al against us in this life 59 Touching the second point how to use the riches and commodities of this world to our advantage Christ hath laid down plainly the means Facite vobis amicos de Mammona iniquitatis Make unto you frinds of the riches of iniquitie
The rich glutton might have escaped his torments and have made himselfe an happie man by help of worldlie wealth if he would and so might manie a thousand which now live and wil go to hel for the same Oh that men would take warning and be wise whiles they have time Saint Paul saith Deceive not your selves looke what a man soweth and that shal he reap What a plentiful harvest then might rich men provide themselves if they would which have such store of seed and so much ground offered them daily to sow it in Why do they not remember that sweet harvest song Come ye blessed of my father enter into the kingdome prepared for you for I was hungrie and you fed me I was thirstie and you gave me to drink I was naked and you appareled me Or if they do not care for this why do they not fear at least the blak Sanctus that must be chaunted to them for the contrarie Agite nunc divites plorate ululantes in miserijs vestris quae advenient vobis Go to now you rich men weep and howl in your miseries that shal come upon you 60 The holie father Iohn Damascen reporteth a parable of Barlaam the hermite to our purpose There was saith he a certain citie or common welth which used to choose themselves a king from among the poorest sort of the people and to advance him to great honor wealth and pleasures for a time but after a while when they were wearie of him their fashion was to rise against him and to despoile him of al his felicitie yea the very cloths of his bak and so to banish him naked into an iland of a far country where bringing nothing with him he should live in great miserie and be put to great slaverie for ever Which practise one king at a certain time considering by good advise for al the other though they knew that fashion yet through negligence and pleasures of their present felicitie cared not for it took resolute order with himselfe how to prevent this miserie which was by this means He saved every day great sums of money from his superfluities and idle expenses and so secretly made over before hand a great treasure unto that iland wherunto he was in danger daily to be sent And when the time came that indeed they deposed him from his kingdom and turned him away naked as they had done the other before he went to the iland with joy and confidence where his treasure lay and was received there with exceeding great triumph and placed presently in greater glory than ever he was before 61 This parable drawing somwhat neer to that which Christ put of the evil steward teacheth as much as at this present needs to be said in this point For the citie or common wealth is this present world which advanceth to authoritie poore men that is such as come naked into this life and upon the sudden when they look least for it doth it pul them down again turneth them naked into their graves and so sendeth them into another world where bringing no treasure with them they are like to find little favor and rather eternal miserie The wise king that prevented this calamitie is he which in this life according to the counsel of Christ doth seek to lay up treasure in heaven against the day of his deth when he must be banished hence naked as al the princes of that citie were At which time if their good deeds do follow them as God promiseth then shal they be happie men and placed in much more glorie than ever this world was able to give them But if they come without oil in their lamps then is there nothing for them to expect but Nescio vos I know not you And when they are known Ite maledicti in ignem eternum Go you accursed into fire everlasting CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth impediment which is too much presuming of the mercie of GOD. THere are a certain kind of people in the world who wil not take the pains to think of or to allege any of the said impediments before but have a shorter way for al and more plausible as it semeth to them and that is to lay the whole matter upon the bak of Christ himselfe and to answer what soever you can say against them with this only sentence God is merciful Of these men may Christ complain with the prophet saieng Supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores prolongaverunt iniquitatem Sinners have built upon my bak they have prolonged their iniquitie By which words we may account our selves charged that prolonging of iniquities in hope of Gods mercie is to build our sins on his bak But what followeth Wil God bear it No verily for the next words insuing are Dominus iustus concidet cervices peccatorum God is iust he wil cut in sunder the neks of sinners Heer are two cooling cards for the two warm imaginations before Mean you Sir to prolong your iniquitie for that God is merciful Remember also that he is just saith the prophet Are ye gotten up upon the bak of God to make your nest of sin there Take heed for he wil fetch you down again and break your nek downward except ye repent for that indeed there is no one thing which may be so injurious to God as to make him the foundation of our sinful life which lost his own life for the extinguishing of sin 2 But you wil say And is not God then merciful Yes truly deer brother he is most merciful and there is neither end nor measure of his mercie He is even mercie it selfe it is his nature and essence and he can no more leave to be merciful than he can leave to be God But yet as the prophet heer saith he is just also We must not so remember his mercie as we forget his justice Dulcis rectus Dominus Our Lord is sweet but yet upright and iust too saith David and in the same place Al the wais of the Lord are mercie truth Which words holie Barnard expounding in a certain sermon of his saith thus There be two feete of the Lord wherby he walketh his wais that is mercie and truth and God fasteneth both these feete upon the harts of them which turn unto him And every sinner that wil truly convert himselfe must lay hand fast on both these feet For if he should lay hands on mercie only letting passe truth and justice he would perish by presumption And on the other side if he shuld apprehend justice only without mercie he would perish by desperation To the end therfore that he may be saved he must humbly fal down and kisse both these feet that in respect of Gods justice he may retain fear and in respect of his mercie he may conceive hope And in another place Happie is that soul upon which our Lord Iesus
for him he blessed them both and finally shewed al possible tokens of love that might be But what insued Adam committed but one sin and that at the intisement of another and that also a sin not of so verie great importance as it may seem to mans reason being but the eating of the tree forbidden and yet the matter was no sooner done but al frindship was broken between God and him he was thrust out of paradise condemned to perpetual miserie and al his posteritie to eternal damnation togither with himselfe if he had not repented And how severely this greevous sentence is executed may sufficiently appeer by this that infinite millions of people even the whole race of mankind is for it cast down unto the unspeakable torments of hel excepting those few that since are ransomed by the comming down of Gods own son the second person in Trinitie into this flesh and by his intollerable sufferings and death in the same 9 The two miracles of the world Moises and Aaron were of singular authoritie and favor with God insomuch as they could obtain great things at his hands for other men yet when they offended God once themselves at the waters of contradictiō in the desart of Sin for that they dowted somwhat of the miracle promised to them from God therby did dishonor his majestie before the people as he saith they were presently rebuked most sharply for the same though they repented hartily that offence and so obtained remission of the fault or guilt yet was there laid upon them a greevous chastisement for the same and that was that they shuld not enter themselves into the land of promise but should die when they came within the sight therof And albeit they intreated God most earnestly for the release of this penance yet could they never obtain the same at his hands but alwais he answered them Seeing you have dishonored me before the people you shal die for it and shal not enter into the land of promise 10 In what special great favor was Saul with God when he chose him to be the first king of the peple caused Samuel the prophet so much to honor him and to anoint him prince upon Gods own inheritance as he calleth it When he commended him so much and took such tender care over him And yet afterward for that he brake Gods commandement in reserving certain spoils of war which he should have destroied yea though he reserved them to honor God withal as he pretended yet was he presently cast off by God degraded of his dignitie given over to the hands of an evil spirit brought to infinite miseries though he shifted out for a time and finally so forsaken and abandoned by God as he slew himselfe his sons were crucified or hanged on a crosse by his enimies and al his family and linage extinguished for ever 11 David was the chosen and deer frind of God and honored with the title of One that was according to Gods own hart But yet assoon as he had sinned the prophet Nathan was sent to denounce Gods heavie displeasure and punishment upon him And so it insued notwithstanding that he sorrowed and humbled himselfe so much as he did for the sin that he had done as may appeer by his fasting praier weeping wearing of sak eating of ashes and the like By which is evident that how great Gods mercie is to them that fear him so great is his justice to them that offend him 12 The scripture hath infinite examples of this matter as the rejection of Cain and his posteritie streight upon his murder the pittiful drowning of the whole world in the time of Noe the dreadful consuming of Sodom and Gomorra with the cities about by fire and brimstone the sending down quik to hel of Chore Dathan and Abyron with the slaughter of two hundred and fiftie their adherents and many thousands of the people besides for rebellion against Moises Aaron the sudden killing of Nadab and Abju sons of Aaron and chosen preests for once offering of other fire on the altar than was appointed them the most terrible striking dead of Ananias and Saphira for retaining some part of their own goods by deceit from the apostles with manie mo such examples which the scripture doth recount 13 And for the greevousnes of Gods justice and heavines of his hand when it lighteth upon us though it may appeer sufficiently by al these examples before alleged wherin the particular punishments as you see are most rigorous yet wil I repeat one act of God more out of the scripture which expresseth the same in woonderful maner It is wel known that Benjamin among al the twelve sons of Iacob was the deerest unto his father as appeereth in the book of Genesis and therfore also greatly respected by God and his tribe placed in the best part of al the land of promise upon the division therof having Ierusalem Iericho and other the best cities within it Yet notwithstanding for one only sin committed by certain private men in the citie of Gabaa upon the wife of a levite God punished the whole tribe in this order as the scripture recounteth He caused al the other eleven tribes to rise against them and first to come to the house of God in Silo to aske his advise and follow his directiō in this war against their brethren And thence having by Gods appointment entered battel twice with the tribe of Benjamin the third day God gave them so great a victorie as they slew al the living creatures within the compasse of that tribe except only six hundred men that escaped away into the desart the rest were slain both man woman children and infants togither with al the beasts and cattel and al the cities villages and houses burnt with fire And al this for one sin committed only at one time with one woman 14 And who wil not then confesse with Moises that God is a iust God a great God and a terririble God Who wil not confesse with Saint Paul It is horrible to fal into the hands of the living God Who wil not say with holie David A iudicijs tuis timui I have feared at the remembrance of thy iudgements If God would not spare the destroieng of a whole tribe for on sin only if he would not pardon Chore Dathan and Abiron for once the sons of Aaron for once Ananias and Saphyra for once if he would not forgive Esau though afterward he sought the blessing with tears as the apostle saith if he would not remit the punishment of one fault to Moises and Aaron though they asked it with great instance if he would not forgive one prowd cogitation unto the angels nor once eating of the tree forbidden unto Adam without infinite punishment nor would passe over the cup of affliction from his own Son though he
asked it thrise upon his knees with the sweat of blood what reason hast thou to think that he wil let passe so many sins of thine unpunished What cause hast thou to induce thy imagination that he wil deal extraordinarily with thee and break the course of his justice for thy sake Art thou better than those whom I have named Hast thou any privilege from God above them 15 If thou wouldest consider the great and strange effects of Gods justice which we see daily executed in the world thou shouldest have little cause to persuade thy selfe so favorably or rather to flatter thy selfe so dangerously as thou doest We see that notwithstanding Gods mercie yea notwithstanding the death and passion of Christ our savior for saving of the whole world yet so many infinite millions to be damned daily by the justice of God so many infidels heathens Iews and Turks that remain in the darknes of their own ignorance among Christians so many that hold not their profession truly or otherwise are il livers therin as that Christ truly said that few were they that should be saved albeit his death was paid for al if they made not themselves unwoorthy therof And before the comming of our savior much more we see that al the world went a-wry to damnation for many thousand yeers togither excepting a few Iews which were the people of God And yet among them also the greater part it seemeth were not saved as may be conjectured by the speeches of the prophets from time to time and specially by the saiengs of Christ to the Pharisies and other rulers therof Now then if God for the satisfieng of his justice could let so many millions perish through their own sins as he doth also now daily permit without any prejudice or impechment to his mercie why may not he also damn thee for thy sins notwithstanding his mercie seeing thou dost not only commit them without fear but also dost confidently persist in the same 16 But heer som man may say If this be so that God is so severe in punishment of everie sin and that he damneth so manie thousands for one that he saveth how is it tru that The mercies of God are above al his other works as the scripture saith and that it passeth and exalteth it selfe above his iudgements For if the number of the damned do exceed so much the number of those which are saved it seemeth that the work of justice doth passe the work of mercie To which I answer that touching the smal number of those that are saved and infinite quantitie of such as are damned we may in no wise dowt for that beside al other prophets Christ our Savior hath made the matter certain and out of question We have to see therfore how notwithstanding al this the mercie of God doth exceed his other works 17 And first his mercie may be said to exceed for that al our salvation is of his mercie and our damnation from our selves as from the first and principal causes therof according to the saieng of God by the prophet Perditio tua Israel tantum modo in me auxilium tuum Thy only perdition is from thy selfe O Israel and thy assistance to do good is only from me So that as we must acknowlege Gods grace mercy for the author of every good thought and act that we do and consequently ascribe al our salvation unto him so none of our evil acts for which we are damned do proceed from him but only from our selves and so he is no cause at al of our damnation and in this doth his mercie exceed his justice 18 Secondly his mercie doth exceed in that he desireth al men to be saved as Saint Paul teacheth and himselfe protesteth when he saith I wil not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn from his wickednes and live And again by the prophet Ieremie he complaineth greevously that men wil not accept of his mercie offered Turn from your wicked wais saith he why wil ye die you house of Israel By which appeereth that he offereth his mercie most willingly freely to al but useth his justice only upon necessitie as it were constrained therunto by our obstinate behavior This Christ signifieth more plainly when he saith to Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them to death that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children togither as the hen clocketh hir chickins underneath hir wings but thou wouldest not Behold thy house for this cause shal be made desart and left without children Heer you see the mercie of God often offered unto the Iews but for that they refused it he was inforced in a certain maner to pronounce this heavy sentence of destruction and desolation upon them which he fulfilled within fortie or fiftie yeers after by the hands of Vespasian emperor of Rome and Titus his son who utterly discomfited the citie of Ierusalem and whole nation of Iews whom we see dispersed over the world at this day in bondage both of bodie and soul. Which work of Gods justice though it be most terrible yet was his mercie greater to them as appeereth by Christ words if they had not rejected the Son 19 Thirdly his mercie exceedeth his justice even towards the damned themselves in that he used many means to save them in this life by calling upon them and assisting them with his grace to do good by mooving them inwardly with infinite good inspirations by alluring them outwardly with exhortations promisses examples of other as also by siknes adversities and other gentle corrections by giving them space to repent with occasions opportunities and excitations unto the same by threatening them eternal death if they repent not Al which things being effects of mercie and goodnes towards them they must needs confesse amidst their greatest furie and torments that his judgements are tru and justified in themselves and no wais to be compared with the greatnes of his mercies 20 By this then we see that to be tru which the prophet saith Misericordiam veritatem diligit Dominus God loveth mercie and truth And again Mercie and truth have met togither iustice and peace have kissed themselves We see the reason why the same prophet protesteth of himselfe I wil sing unto thee mercie and iudgement O Lord not mercie alone nor judgement alone but mercie and judgement togither that is I wil not so presume of thy mercie as I wil not fear thy judgement nor wil I so fear thy judgement as I wil ever dispair of thy mercie The fear of Gods judgement is alwais to be joined with our confidence in Gods mercie yea in verie saints themselves as David saith But what fear That fear truly which the scripture describeth when it saith The fear of the Lord expelleth sin the fear of God hateth al evil he that
whole course and canon of scripture runneth that Christians should be Attenti vigilantes solliciti instantes ferventes perseverantes sine intermissione that is Attent vigilant careful instant fervent and perseverant without intermission in the service of God But these men have no one of these points nor any degree of any one of these points but every one the clean contrarie For they are neither attent to those things which appertain unto God nor vigilant nor solicitous nor careful and much lesse instant and fervent and least of al perseverant without intermission for that they never begin But on the contrarie side they are carelesse negligent lumpish remisse key-cold perverse contemning and despising yea loathing and abhorring al matters that appertain to the mortifieng of themselves and tru service of God What part have these men then in the lot and portion of Christians beside only the bare name which profiteth nothing 16 And this is sufficient to shew how great and dangerous an impediment this careles senseles and supine negligence is to the resolution wherof we intreat For if Christ require to the perfection of this resolution that whosoever once espieth out the treasure hidden in the field that is the kingdome of heaven and the right way to come to it he should presently go and sel al that he hath and bie the field that is he should prefer the pursute of this kingdome of heaven before al the commodities of this life whatsoever and rather venture them al than to omit this treasure if Christ I say require this as he doth when wil these men ever be brought to this point which wil not give the least part of their goods to purchase that field nor go forth of doore to treat the bieng therof nor wil so much as think or talk of the same nor allow of him which shal offer the means and wais to compas it 17 Wherfore whosoever findeth himselfe in this disease I would counsel him to read some chapters of the first part of this booke especially the third and fourth treating of the causes for which we were sent into this world as also the fift of the account which we must yeeld to God of our time heer spent and he shal therby understand I dowt not the error and danger he standeth in by this damnable negligence wherin he sleepeth attending only to those things which are meere vanities and for which he came not into this world and passing over other matters without care or cogitation which only are of importance and to have been studied and thought upon by him 18 The third and last impediment that I purpose to handle in this booke is a certain affection or evil disposition in some men called by the scriptures hardnes of hart or in other words obstinacie of mind Wherby a man is setled in resolution never to yeeld from the state of sin wherin he liveth whatsoever shal or may be said against the same And I have reserved this impediment for the last place in this booke for that it is the last and woorst of al other impediments discovered before containing al the evil in it selfe that any of the other before rehearsed have and adding besides a most wilful and malicious resolution of sin quite contrarie to that resolution which we so much indevor to induce men unto 19 This hardnes of hart hath divers degrees in divers men and in some much more greevous than in others For some are arrived to that high and cheefe obduration which I named before in such sort as albeit they wel know that they are amisse yet for some worldly respect or other they wil not yeeld nor change their course Such was the obduration of Pilate though he knew that he condemned Christ wrongfully yet not to leese the favor of the Iews or incur displeasure with his prince he proceeded and gave sentence against him This also was the obduration of Pharao who though he saw the miracles of Moises and Aaron and felt the strong hand of God upon his kingdome yet not to seeme to be overcome by such simple people as they were nor that men should think he would be inforced by any mean to relent he persevered stil in his wilful wickednes until his last and utter destruction came upon him This hardnes of hart was also in king Agrippa and Felix governor of Iewrie who though in their own cōscience they thought that Saint Paule spake truth unto them yet not to hazard their credit in the world they continued stil and perished in their own vanities And commonly this obduration is in al persecutors of vertu and vertuous men and especially of those that professe the truth whom though they see evidently to be innocent and to have the word of God and equitie on their side yet to maintain their estate credit and favor in the world they persist without either mercie or release until God cut them off in the midst of their malice and furious cogitations 20 Others there are who have not this obduration in so high a degree as to persist in wickednes directly against their own knowledge but yet they have it in another sort for that they are setled in firm purpose to follow the trade which alreadie they have begun and wil not understand the dangers therof but do seeke rather means to persuade themselves and quiet their consciences therin and nothing is so offensive unto them as to hear any thing against the same Of these men holy Iob saith Dixerunt Deo recede à nobis scientiam viarum tuarum nolumus They say to God depart from us we wil not have the knowledge of thy wais And the prophet David yet more expressely Their furie is like the furie of serpents like unto cocatrices that stop their ears and wil not hear the voice of the inchanter By this inchanter he meaneth the holie Ghost which seeketh by al means possible to charm thee from the bewitching wherin they stand called by the wise man Fascinatio nugacitatis The bewitching of vanitie But as the prophet saith they wil not hear they turn their baks they stop their ears to the end they may not understand they put their harts as an adamant stone least they should hear Gods law and be converted 21 The nation of Iews is peculiarly noted to have been alwais given to this great sin as Saint Steeven witnesseth when he said unto their own faces You stifnecked Iews you have alwais resisted the holie Ghost Meaning therby as Christ declareth more at large that they resisted the prophets saints of God in whom the holie Ghost spake unto them from time to time for amendement of their life and for that through the light of knowledge which they had by hearing of Gods law they could not in truth or shew condemn the things which were said or avoid the just reprehensions used toward them
consider withal that holding so much as themselves do know and wil grant that we do it wil be verie hard to devise how the same might be brought to passe unles both we had the word among us and highly did aesteem of the same Them selves I trust think no otherwise of us but that we are persuaded that we fully hold togither with them whatsoever is catholik if it be so the matter is not so verie great if we varie somwhat in these Though a man want an arm or a leg yet notwithstanding he may be a man Let everie one take heed to his head if it be wanting the rest is nothing though there want not a joint besides And could but some of them be yet at the last as indifferent as manie of them have long been greevous against us could they now be so readie to take in good part what we have done wel as long as they have been to take to the woorst whatsoever left them any such advantage I cannot see how it should come to passe but that laieng that greater part which themselves acknowledge we have translated wel unto that lesse wherin they suppose we have done il they might see our wel doing so far to exceed that which is il that they need not think it so great a matter the truth of the text sufficiently saved more quietly to put up at our hands the one for the other especially when they themselves come in to translate so late as they do and have the benefit of our former labors For such of al others it doth not become to come in so late with such controlling that should have been with the formost at the work themselves to have seen to the orderly proceeding of it The stronger cause we think should have following the greater effect And so notwithstanstanding al the corruptions that divers of them lay to our charge not after a niggish but in liberal maner yet nevertheles so manie as shal more advisedly consider the force of that charge shal not we think finde any great cause to stand in dowt the rather for it whether we have the truth of Gods word among us or not 13 As for any more special treatise of these matters as it belongeth not to the course that I have taken so is it likewise both a needles thing in it selfe being so often and so thoroughly done alreadie by many others and such as is rather to be left to those that are to deal in the work it selfe than to be by a scanter handling incumbred by me Nevertheles if it please them with any indifferencie to consider of them what great cause have they either to mislike so much as they do of that which we do hold therin or so inexorably to urge their opinions to us A man would think that there were some passing ods else that they would never be so earnest in it That which they hold of Lymbus patrum is it so consonant to the word of God or else but so constant in it selfe that they may look to draw al men with them to be of the same opinion therin Was it ever yet taken to be so perilous a point of doctrine for a Christian man so to build upon the satisfaction that Christ made on the crosse to the justice of God that he might in no wise account it to be in force for those that died in the faith before as wel as for those that after succeeded especially when as we are plainly taught that he was yesterday and today and the same for ever that he is the lamb slain from the beginning of the world that there is no condemnation to any of those that are in Christ that God is not a God of the dead but of the living that by the sufferings of Iesus Christ the fathers also of old were releeved and by his stripes made whole and many others such like as these The sun being gotten to the height of the heavens or shrunk downward towards the midst of the afternoone or gotten almost to the very setting doth it not yet notwithstanding give a cleer light unto the east and to al other coasts of the world besides And shal not the death and suffering of Christ though it were long after the world began be available likewise to those that are gone before that lived and died in the faith of Christ An attonement we know there was before for that God dealt oft times so favorably with man and the same was grounded only in Christ. And what reason can there be given why they make it to stand with the justice of God that before the time of that satisfaction actually made he should have any favor towards them heer in this life as wel as to us and yet deprive them of that fruition of it after this life which they grant unto us And if their Lymbus be so uncertain what need they then to that end urge any such descending of Christ That in such sort he descended into hel as is fully sufficient in the justice of God both to acquit the fathers before that otherwise should have come thither and to be a discharge unto us that afterward live it is a thing that is fully beleeved of us al if they wil go further and set down with themselves in what maner also he did it further than the scripture doth warrant can they not determin therin for themselves unlesse they carrie al others likewise into the same adventure with them As touching their doctrine of the real praesence knowing that alreadie we do beleeve that the faithful receiver receiveth not any bare sign but togither with the outward sign whole Christ God and man his sufferings and merits may not this be accounted sufficient unlesse we go further to have his praesence in the very maner that they have imagined which notwithstanding was not agreed on among themselves but very lately The fathers before the incarnation of Christ could not otherwise receive him as also themselves grant that they did not and yet notwithstanding was that sufficient for their salvation And so long as they shew no further reason than they do why such a kinde of receiving of Christ might wel be available to their salvation and not unto ours especially when as otherwise we finde but one communion of saints as wel in profession as in state of salvation why may they not be content to admit that this kinde of receiving which we professe is so much as they need to require of us or else that it failed in the fathers also that were before the incarnation of Christ As for their other sacraments as they term them admit they might be vouchsafed that honor in some account among them for unities sake if needles they would have them so to be called yet what reason is it that they should so over-rule the judgements of others likewise as to account so basely of them unlesse in such needles and by-matters
world cannot be partaker of this benefit neither the hart replenished with carnal cares and cogitations For as Gods Ark and the idol Dagon could not stand togither upon one altar so cannot Christ and the world stand togither in one hart God sent not the pleasant Manna unto the people of Israel as long as their flower chibals of Egypt lasted so neither wil he send this heavenly consolation unto thee until thou have rid thy selfe of the cogitations of vanitie He is a wise merchant though a liberal he wil not give a tast of his treasure where he knoweth there is no wil to buy Resolve thy selfe once indeed to serve God and thou shalt then feele this joy that I talk of as many thousands before thee have done and never yet any man was herein deceived Moises first ran out of Egypt to the hils of Madian before God appeered unto him and so must thy soul go out of worldly vanitie before she can look for these consolations But thou shalt no sooner offer thy selfe thoroughly to Gods service than thou shalt find intertainment above thy expectation For that his love is more tender indeed upon them that come newly to this service than upon those which have served him of old as he sheweth plainly by the parable of the prodigal son whom he cherished with much more daliance and good cheere than he did the elder brother which had served him of long time And the causes hereof are two the one for the joy of the new gotten servant as is expressed by Saint Luke in the text the other lest he finding no consolation at the beginning should turn bak to Egypt again as God by a figure in the children of Israel declareth manifestly in these words When Pharao had let go the people of Israel out of Egypt God brought them not by the country of the Philistines which was the neerest way thinking with himselfe that it might repent them if they should see wars streightway rise against them and so should return into Egypt again Vpon which two causes thou maist assure thy selfe of singular consolations and comforts in the service of God if thou wouldest resolve thy selfe therunto as al other men have found before thee and by reason therof have prooved the way not hard as worldly men imagin it but most easie pleasant and comfortable as Christ hath promised 17 After this privilege of internal consolation insueth another making the service of God pleasant which is the testimonie of a good conscience wherof Saint Paul made so great account as he called it His glorie And the holy Ghost saith of it further by the mouth of the wise man Secura mens quasi iuge convivium A secure mind or a good conscience is a perpetual feast Of which we may infer that the vertuous man having alwais this secure mind and peace of conscience liveth alwais in festival glory and glorious feasting And how then is this life hard or unpleasant as you imagin In the contrarie side the wicked man having his conscience vexed with the privitie of sin is alwaies tormented within it selfe as we read that Cain was having killed his brother Abel and Antiochus for his wickednes done to Ierusalem and Iudas for his treason against his maister and Christ signifieth it generally of al naughtie men when he saith that They have a worm which gnaweth their conscience within The reason wherof the scripture openeth in another place when it saith Al wickednes is ful of fear giving testimony of damnation against it self therfore a troubled conscience alway suspecteth cruel maters That is suspecteth cruel things to be imminent over it selfe as it maketh account to have deserved But yet further above al other holie Iob most lively setteth foorth this miserable state of wicked men in these words A wicked man is prooved al the dais of his life though the time be uncertain how long he shal play the tyrant the sound of terror is alwais in his eares and although it be in time of peace yet he alway suspecteth some treason against him he beleeveth not that he can rise again from darknes to light expecting on everie side the sword to come upon him When he sitteth down to eat he remembreth that the day of darknes is readie at hand for him tribulation terrifieth him and anguish environeth him even as a king is environed with soldiers when he goeth to war 18 Is not this a marvelous description of a wicked conscience uttered by the holie Ghost himselfe What can be imagined more miserable than this man which hath such a boucherie and slaughter house within his own hart What feares what anguishes are heer touched S. Chrysostom discourseth notably upon this point Such is the custom of sinners saith he that they suspect al things dowt their own shadowes they are afeard at every little noise they think every man that commeth towards them to come against them If men talk togither they think they speak of their sins Such a thing sin is as it bewraieth it self though no man accuse it it condemneth it selfe though no man bear witnes against it it maketh alwais the sinner fearful as justice doth the contrarie Heare how the scripture doth describe the sinners fear the just mans libertie The wicked man flieth though no man pursu him saith the scripture Why doth he flie if no man do pursu him For that he hath within his conscience an accuser pursuing him whom alwais he carrieth about him And as he cannot flie from himself so can he not fly from his accuser within his conscience but whersoever he goeth he is pursued whipped by the same and his wound incurable But the just man is nothing so The iust man saith Salomon is as confident as a lion Hitherto are the words of Saint Chrysostom 19 Wherby as also by the scriptures alledged we take notice yet of another prerogative of vertuous life which is hope or confidence the greatest treasure the richest jewel that Christian men have left thē in this life For by this we passe through al afflictions al tribulations adversities most joifully as S. Iames signifieth By this we say with Saint Paul We do glorie in our tribulations knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience proofe and proofe hope which confoundeth us not This is our most strong and mightie comfort this is our sure ankor in al tempestuous times as Saint Paul saith We have a most strong solace saith he which do flie unto the hope proposed to lay hands on the same which hope we hold as a sure and firm armor of our soul. This is that noble Galea salutis the head-peece of salvation as the same apostle calleth it which beareth off al the blowes that this world can lay upon us And finally this is the only rest set up in the hart of a vertuous
man that come life come death come health come siknes come wealth come povertie come prosperitie come adversitie come never so tempestuous storms of persecution he sitteth down quietly and saith calmly with the prophet My trust is in God and therfore I fear not what flesh can do unto me Nay further with holie Iob amidst al his miseries he saith Si occiderit me in ipso sperabo If God should kil me yet would I trust in him And this is as the scripture said before to be as confident as a lion Whose propertie is to shew most courage when he is in greatest peril and neerest his death 20 But now as the holie Ghost saith Non sic impij non sic The wicked cannot say this they have no part in this confidence no interest in this consolation Quia spes impiorum peribit Saith the scripture The hope of wicked men is vain and shal perish And again Praestolatio impiorum furor The expectation of wicked men is furie And yet further Spes impiorum abhominatio animae The hope of wicked men is abhomination and not a comfort unto their soul. And the reason heerof is double First for that in verie deed though they say the contrarie in words wicked men do not put their hope and confidence in God but in the world and in their riches in their strength frinds and authority and finally in the Deceaving arm of man Even as the prophet expresseth in their person when he saith We have put a lie for our hope That is we have put our hope in things transitorie which have deceived us this is yet more expressed by the scripture saieng The hope of wicked men is as chaf which the wind bloweth away and as a bubble of water which a storm disperseth as a smoke which the wind bloweth abroad and as the remembrance of a ghest that staieth but one day in his In. By al which metaphors the holie Ghost expresseth unto us both the vanity of the things wherin indeed the wicked do put their trust and how the same faileth them after a little time upon every smal occasion of adversitie that falleth out 21 This is that also which God meaneth when he so stormeth and thundereth against those which go into Egypt for help and do put their confidence in the strength of Pharao accursing them for the same and promising that it shal turn to their own confusion which is properly to be understood of al those which put their cheefe cōfidence in worldly helps as al wicked men do whatsoever they dissemble in words to the contrarie For which cause also of dissimulation they are called hypocrites by Iob for wheras the wise man saith The hope of wicked men shal perish Iob saith The hope of hypocrites shal perish Calling wicked men hypocrites for that they say they put their hope in God wheras indeed they put it in the world Which thing beside scripture is evident also by experience For with whom doth the wicked man consult in his affairs and dowts With God principally or with the world Whom doth he seeke to in his afflictions Whom doth he cal upon in his siknes From whom hopeth he comfort in his adversities To whom yeeldeth he thanks in his prosperities When a worldly man taketh in hand any work of importance doth he first consult with God about the event therof Doth he fal down of his knees and aske his aid Doth he refer it wholy and principally to his honor If he do not how can he hope for aid therin at his hands How can he repaire to him for assistance in the dangers and lets that fal out about the same How can he have any confidence in him which hath no part at al in that work It is hypocrisie then as Iob truly saith for this man to affirm that his confidence is in God wheras indeed it is in the world it is in Pharao it is in Egypt it is in the arm of man it is in a lie He buildeth not his house with the wise man upon a rok but with the foole upon the sands and therfore as Christ wel assureth him When the rain shal come and fluds descend and winds blow and al togither shal rush upon the house which shal be at the hour of death then shal this house fal and the fal of it shal be great Great for the change that he shal see great for the great horror which he shal conceive great for the great miserie which he shal suffer great for the unspeakable joies of heaven lost great for the eternal pains of hel fallen into great every way assure thy selfe deer brother or else the mouth of God would never have used this word great and this is sufficient for the first reason why the hope of wicked men is vain for that indeed they put it not in God but in the world 22 The second reason is for that albeit they should put their hope in God yet living wickedly it is vain and rather to be called presumption than hope For understanding wherof it is to be noted that as there are two kinds of faith recounted in scripture the one a dead faith without good works that is which beleeveth al you say of Christ but yet observeth not his commandements the other a lively a justifieng faith which beleeveth not only but also worketh by charitie as Saint Pauls words are So are there two hopes following these two faiths the one of the good proceeding of a good conscience wherof I have spoken before the other of the wicked resting in a guiltie conscience which is indeed no tru hope but rather presumption This Saint Iohn prooveth plainly when he saith Brethren if our hart reprehend us not then have we confidence with God That is if our hart be not guiltie of wicked life And the words immediately folowing do more expresse the same which are these Whensoever we aske we shal receive of him for that we keep his cōmandements do those things which are pleasing in his sight The same confirmeth Saint Paul when he saith that The end of Gods commandements is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience Which words Saint Austen expounding in divers words and in divers places of his works prooveth at large that without a good conscience there is no tru hope that can be conceaved Saint Paul saith he addeth from a good conscience Bicause of hope for he which hath the scruple of an evil conscience despaireth to attain that which he beleeveth And again Every mans hope is in his own cōscience according as he feeleth him selfe to love God And again in another book the apostle putteth a good cōscience for hope for he only hopeth which hath a good conscience and he whom the guilt of an evil conscience doth prik retireth bak from hope hopeth nothing but his own damnation I might heer