looke on pleasures backe loke not on plesure comming towards thee for she hath an whorishe painted smiling beautifull face to enamout thee but looke vpon pleasure going from thee and thou shalt se a most vgglie and filthie taile and end of had I wiste shame and wretchednesse O that doting age would consider this order not to looke backe lyke Lots wyfe to the follies of their youth and the world passed not neyghing lyke olde stallions and prouokyng other by delyghte in fylthie talke to sutche bestiall wickednesse as they haue liued in and can now do no more them seiues but be stales for the diuell to catche other not considering the wretched ende that them selues are euen ready to fall into Let vs therfore make our Omega our Alpha our end our beginning our last euen our firste As the Philosophers discribed wisdom by a serpente winding about in a rounde circle til she put her taile into her mouthe let vs be wise as serpentes dryuing all the actions of the circle of oure lyfe euen to the tayle and ende thereof If then in all worldly things this be the speciall difference of Folie and Wisedome to begin with the ende how mutche more with the last end the chiefe and euerlasting end to make our first beginning Memorare nouissima tua in aeternū nō peccab◅s These endes are here set out in these wordes Vt non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam that it should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe By perishing he meaneth death the contrarie to life but not this transitorie death wherby the soule for a time is dissolued from the body for this is via vniuersae terrae out eternall death of body and soule in hell fire prepared for the diuels and the reprobate As appereth by the contrary end that here he maketh relation vnto that is eternal life By eternal life he meaneth not only the coniunction again of the substaunce of body soule to unmortalitie but also he comprehendeth al the vnspeakeable glory ioye and felicitie that is prepared for the electe of god And here first of al thou hast to set before thee that there are but two endes not three endes after this present lyfe as the Papists do beare vs in hande of Purgatorie but the Scripture here and in all other places maketh mention of two only Secondlye for these two endes beholde the order that our sauiour Christ obserueth firste he placeth perdition and then Eternall life Thou muste first behold the danger thou standest in of condemnation else wilt thou neuer perfectly seeke for saluation He that perceiueth not him selfe to stand in peril wil neuer search the means to be deliuered The firste thing therefore is to set before vs thys ende of perdition whiche as it is a moste dreadfull sight the horror of eternall death so must we consider howe it came Perditio tua ex te ◅ Israel c. Thy perdition O Israel came euen of thy selfe of thyne owne wickednesse Stipendia peccati mors the reward of sinis death And here we see that in his nature no sinne is venial as the Papists saie but leadeth euen to perdition how◅eit not so but that by the meanes in this sentence set foorth not only the same is made veniall but also cleane taken away and no hindrance to the other end euen of eternal life Here is the law here is the Gospell in these two wordes comprehended Here is both sinne and grace wrath and fauoure euen life and death set before vs here is a wretched ende of perdition to be considered on the one part an ende without ende of all vnspeakable paine torment Compare me now this endlesse ende of perdition to the vayne pleasures that ende so soone of this transitorie life and put them altogither What hast thou gotten if thou hadst gayned al the world sayth Christ lost thine owne soule all the pleasures of this worlde are nothyng comparable to the to◅mēts woes of hell On the other part behold the end of eternal life those glories and ioys that tong can not expresse nor pen can write nor hart cōceiue that are layd vp for the sons of God whiche if thou viewest-well will so enflame thee that the ioyes glories of this life shall seme but grefes vile vnto thee the agonies afflictiōs of this life shall seeme nothing worthy of the glorie that shal be reuealed to thee Thou wouldest euer feare to sinne to behold perdition thou wouldest neuer feare to dye to beholde Eternall lyfe Here is not Pythagoras Y to looke vpon but a far more excellent matter than euer Pythagoras was able to discerne Pythagoras described the lyfe of Man by this letter Y that as the Y endeth in two strakes so the lyfe of man hath two ways leading to two endes But the true ends of mans lyfe Pythagoras neuer knewe as his foolishe opinions of the passage of mans soule out of one thing into an other dothe declare These endes Aristotle neuer knewe nor all the Peripatetici that dreamed the worlde to haue bene for euer without beginning and so to continue without endyng These endes Epicure neuer knewe considering the end of man no further than the bodily death These endes the Platonistes neuer knew whether the soule wente after the bodies deathe althoughe they imagined the soule was immortall These endes the Athenians neuer knewe that scorned S. Paule when he preached to them of the bodies resurectiō And wolde to god concerning these endes that Pythagoras Aristotle and Epicure that the Academikes and other Heathen had no disciples euen among vs Christians or rather wee were not worse than they that knowinge there are these two endes to ensue are nothing moued by them But is there any that knowing these two endes to followe are at least not so farrefoorth moued therby that they woulde not gladlie auoyd damnation and be partakers of eternall life surely none except he bee worse than madde Euery man woulde wish hym self wel the most wicked wil say on his alebench God sende vs to come to heauen none by their good will would be in hell although ye may here some ruffians iest therat Howe then commeth it to passe that so fewe obteyn eternal lyfe but this question is most easily assoyled Al runne in a race sayth S. Paule but all get not the garlande All would haue it but they refuse the meanes wherby they shoulde obteyne it Wishers and woulders were neuer good housholders theyr wishyng is but a vaine woulding either they know not what they would or they would not what they should The Turke the Iewe the Heretike they know there is an heauen they knowe there is an hell they would come to Heauen and not to hell But alacke they know not what they woulde Nescitis quid petitis but are carried awaye with theyr owne dreames of heauen and hell bicause they reiecte the worde of God that should
sonne than vs but only he did it for the loue of vs yet his loue of vs is onely in and for his sonne The Prince might seeke glorie and renowne by this strange fact as the Philosophers did in al their sufferings but Christ sought ignominie due to vs to bring vs to raigne in glorie with him In the ende the Prince must nedes die and his sonne also and how soone either of them God knowes And whether by not so famouse a deathe or no God knowes And how they shold haue liued with what troubles feares and changes God knows These things might moue them to be the willinger to suffer death that once they must nedes suffer and this they know But the sonne of God was not subiecte vnto deathe he neded neuer to haue died for death had no power ouer him as he truly sayd Habeo potestatē ponēdi animam meam iterum sumendi eam I haue power to geue ouer my life and to take it againe It lay in his owne power to die or not to die but that of his mere loue he vouchesaued for to die Moreouer the Princes death could worke but a small and trifling benefit the sauing of theyr bodily life for a whyle that perchaunce myght die body and and soule within a minute of an houre after But the death of oure vnspotted Lambe the sonne of God is become suche a sweete and acceptable sacrifice to GOD the Father and so effectuall vnto vs that if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for oure sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde To conclude there is as mutche difference betweene this or any other case that can be put of any creature husbande wife parentes children frend enemie neighbour stranger maister seruant prince subiect or whose loue soeuer it be as is betwene the creature creator as is betwene the person of a wretched mortal man the person of the liuing and immortall god The loue of God therefore whereby he so loued the worlde that he gaue his sonne for it doth excell all comparison doth excede all speache doothe passe all vnderstanding Wee speake but in a darke speeche theron we vnderstand it but as chyldren we see it but thorough a gl◅sle we know it but in part yea the angels meruaile at it and cannot fully conceaue the breadth the length the depthe the heigthe of this incomprehensible loue of God to manne and to knowe this loue of Christe whiche go◅th beyonde all knowledge But that we may haue some taste of this sweete loue of God some ioy of this his excellent gifte let vs deare beloued as we maye a little beholde the same He gaue his only begotten son Here are two things to be considered The one is the thing it self that for this loue he bestowed vpon vs The other is the maner of his bestowing it The thing that he bestowed was euen his sonne not his seruant but his sonne not his frende but his sonne euen his true begotten sonne and that his only begoten son Such as the father is suche is the sonne the Father is God the sonne is God God of the substance of his father very God and equall to his father in substance eternitie grace glorie power and euery thing For all that the Father hathe hee hathe giuen to him and he and the father are one Hee is the expresse image of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures the wisdome of his father by whome the world was made the light of the worlde the way the truth and the life the authour and fynisher of our faithe the prince of pastours and great shepeherd of our soules the true vine the bread of lyfe the rock and fountayn of the liuing waters the corner stone of the building and foundation therof the king of glorie the prince of peace the anoynted of God the high priest the mediator of the new Testament the lamb of god that taketh away the sinnes of the world the reconciler of God and man the Emanuel the Messias the blessed seede the hope and redemption of Israell The lord sauior Iesus Christ in whome is the fulnesse of the diuinitie in whom only is layde vp the vnsearchable treasorie of all the riches of the glorie grace fauor of this infinit loue of God euen the only begotten son of god So muche more excellent than the angels in as much as he hath obteined a more excellēt name thā they For vnto which of the angels sayde he at any tyme Thou art my son this day haue I begotten thee And agayne I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and againe when he bringeth in his firste begotten sonne into the world be saith And let al the angels of God worship hym c. to the Son he saith O god thy throne is for euer euer the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellows And thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine handes they shal perish but thou dost remayn and they al shall waxe old as doth a garmēt and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp they shal be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shal not fayle Vnto whiche of the angels sayde hee at any tyme Sitte thou at my right hād til I make thy enemies thy foote stoole And hath he then poured foorth on vs poore and wretched synfull misers sutche treasures of hys blessings that he hath giuen vs euen this his son in quem desiderant angeli prospicere on whom the angels desire to looke yea saithe the same sonne him self Dedit vnigenitum filium suum He gaue his only begotten sonne O infinite and vnspeakable loue O most preciouse gifte O most orient pearle O most happie marchant that can get this iewel The price of this gifte can not be tolde the value of this iewel is inestimable siluer and gold pearle and stone is nothing comparable to this wonderfull gifte of god No we are not bought with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the precious bloud of Christ the sonne of God The sonne of God why could no lesser gift haue serued vs might not he haue geuen vs an angell But euen his sonne And that his only begotten son Might not he haue gyuen vs one of his adopted sonnes some notable man or womā some patriarche some Prophet some apostle or some holy sainte of god No God spared not to giue his his onely begotten son for man Yea nothing coulde sufficiently pacifie the wrath of God satisfie his iustice make due recompence for our vndue offence reconcile vs to the fauour of GOD againe vanquishe
all things therein conteyned Mundus peripsum factus est The world was made by him Of this signification he speketh not here For as God by his eternal purpose wold that the reprobate Angels shoulde euerlastingly peryshe and not haue Eternall Lyfe so the moste of other Creatures eyther dyuerse of them haue no lyfe at all or of those that haue lyfe theyr lyues returne to nothynge Secondely the worlde beetokenethe all Mankynde for whose sake all creatures were made euen for Iesus Christes sake all was made Angelles and all was made for Manne And therfore Manne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lyttell Worlde whose heade is euen as it were a little Globe of the Worlde and conceauethe all worldely thynges And herevnto sayeth CHRISTE Euntes in Vniuersum mundum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae c. Goyng your wayes into all the worlde preache the Gospell to euery creature meanynge Mankynde onely and not as Saincte Frauncis fondely imagyned to stones to Geese and Sparrowes but vnto menne And althoughe that all menne are conteyned in thys name Worlde yet by a a thyrde signification in the moste places especiallye of the Newe Testamente the Worlde sygnifyeth onely the wycked worldelings partely bycause throughoute the worlde they are the greatest and the most flourishyng parte of Mankynde and partely for that they are altogether worldely mynded reckenyng chiefly vppon thys Worlde seekyng for worldely rychesse glorye power and pleasures the whyche to obteyne they do serue and woorshyppe the Dyuell euen as theyr Prynce and God of thys Worlde and therefore are they called by the name of the world it selfe Of these wyeked ones sayeth Christe Non pro mundo oro I praye not for the worlde Mundus gaudebit c. The worlde shall reioice but you shal mourne The world hateth me The worlde loueth his owne c. Therefore sayeth Saincte Iohn Nolite diligere mundum Loue not you the world nor the things that are in the world c. But shall then the wicked worldelyngs that for these causes are called the world or all the world in generall and euery man not peryshe but haue eternall lyfe Howe then dothe Christe saye Lata porta spatiosa via est c. Broade is the gate and wyde is the waye that leadethe to perdition and many they are that enter thereby Narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leadeth to lyfe and fewe there bee that fynde it Yea none fyndeth it but whome the Father draweth to Christe in whome they were electe euen beefore the constitution of the worlde Wherof Sainct Paule hathe taughte the wholle degrees and order Quos elegit hos vocauit c. Whome hee hathe electe those hee called whome hee called those hee iustifyed whome hee iustified those hee glorified That is hee ordeyned them to haue eternall lyfe But howe then sayth our Sauioure Christe Hee soloued the Worlde Quos dilexit in finem dilexit eos Those whome hee loued euen vnto the ende hee loued them Heere nowe therefore the Worlde is to bee vnderstoode by a fourthe Signification euen for the elect of god To whom though this worde the Worlde seeme contrary yet for diuers considerations euen the Godly are called by it chiefly for three fyrst to put them in continual remembrance from whence they came Vos non estis sayth Christe to his chosen ex hoc mundo You are not of the worlde but withall he telleth that they were of the worlde sed ego elegi vos ex hoc mundo but I haue chosen yee oute of the worlde Haec fuistis sayth S. Paule sed abluti estis c. Suche ones ye were but ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified And notable is thys vpbrayding the name of the world to the childrē of God not onely to sturre them vp to a thankfull recordation to consider from whence they are deliuered but also if they forget thēselues and waxe proude to put them in remembrance what they were the which greatly abateth the pride of man And therfore Agathocles that of a Potter was made a Prince hong vp the potters whele in euery place and vsed no other than vessels of clay to put him in remembrance from whence he came So Kyng Philip of Macedone Alexanders father leaste hee should waxe proude of his victories gotten was euery mornyng saluted with this Uerse for his breakefast Remember Philip thou art but a mā And so God himself putteth thee in remembrance Quod puluis es in puluerē reuerteris That thou art but dust into dust thou shalt returne So God vpbraidyng to his people their proude forgetfulnesse sayth vnto them by his Prophete Ezechiel Son of man cause Hierusalem to know her abhomination and say thus sayth the Lorde vnto Hierusalem Thine habitation and thy kinrede is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Ammorite and thy mother was an Hethite And if wee lykewyse the people of Englande whom God hath more plentifully lightned with his truthe beautified with his graces and by diuers his bountifull giftes hath made vs nobler than many nations woulde consyder what an vnnoble what a rude sauage barbarous and brutishe people naked like Irishe men paynted like diuels fierce like Scythians vnknowne to the worlde like the newe Indians neyther knowynge ▪ God lyke Gentiles neyther knowing our selues like beastes wee were in tymes past as Chronicles write of vs and what ciuilitie plentie peace kuowledge and policie we bee now growne vnto it mighte make vs ashamed so to abuse these benefites and pul downe our pride in thinking what we be nowe to remember what before we were And euen so the elect of God are called the worlde to remēber what of them selues they were the children of wrath a lumpe of sinne a masse of damnation and at one word the world neyther were they the worlde onely so that now they are cleane deliuered out of the worlde nay rather they bee not onely in the worlde but in parte they beare the worlde aboute with them euen as they beare with them the flesh the first Adam the olde man the bodie of dethe the law of rebellion the vnperfections spots and wrinckles that our corupte nature is subiecte still vnto For although the worlde bee crucified to them and they to the worlde yet they haue not kylled the worlde Although they nede not feare the worlde for Christ hath sayd I haue ouercome the worlde Although the worlde haue hys Iudgement and be caste out alreadye yet so long as the fleshe resysteth the Spirite so long as the Churche is militante so long as the worlde lasteth euen so long wil Sathan tempte vs by the worlde and the worlde will hate vs and allure vs bycause wee bee still in the worlde Those Monks that said they died to the world and they were out of the worlde bicause they had caste off theyr former coates and tooke a coule bycause they