estate is soâ—â—â—ong therefore seeing I cannot chuse but sinne I wil for euer remaine therein Little thinking their foolishnes is so great that though we sinne against GOD through weakenes not of presumption if it be a hundred times yet if we turne to the Lord by tru repentance hee will so often forgiue vs. These faint-harted people despairing of Gods goodnesse and mercy and hauing no hope of amendement cast themselues headlong into sinne and yeeld themselues wholy into the power of sathan perceauing theÌ„selues to be falne from grace from the fauour of God This prodigall sonne had rather suffer the most terrible tiranny of the deuill then to endure some hardnes in comming to his fathers house where he should enioy all freedome and wealth Straite is the gate that entreth into life and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction The Israelites had rather returne into Egypt to suffer the tiranny and persecution of Phamo then to vndertake a little labour in the Wildernes that they might enioy the promised Land flowing with milke and honny Such is the estate of many finners who had rather stil 〈◊〉 kept vnder the slauery of the deuill then by confessing theyr sinnes to receaue spirituall comfort from Christ and to obtaine his grace and fauour He sent him to his farme to feed swine To feede Swine He is cast out of the Citty which is an honourable place and sent to base drudgery The sinner is dismissed of heauenly meditations and intangled in wordly busines and ouercome thereof Such is the course of most men now adaies beeing giuen to worldly busines marchandise bargaines and other affaires of this world that they leaue no time to serue God hauing theyr mindes herewith choked vp so that they doe not so much as once thinke of God Neyther doe theyr mindes runne vpon any thing else speake doe desire any thing but that which is worldly temporall and fleshly In this sort mayst thou be termed a keeper of swine which feeding thy body doost suffer thy soule to starue And as after the death of swine there is no more remembrance of them so of all these thy worldly labours there shall be no profite remaining to thee concerning an other life For what shall a man get if he win the whole world looâ—â— his own soule Our soule is that whereof wee ought to haue especiall care and by the which we are reasonable creatures and differ from brute beastes But following our owne fleshly desires wee become like brute beasts and feede swine taking vppon vs a most abiect state of life not whorthy to be called men but to bee compared to refuse and dunge To feede the eyes with beautifull shewes the taste with sweet meates and the feeling with all inticements what is it else but to feede the belly the sences and the flesh as if with swine wee delighted to wallowe in dirt and mire The place of Esay chap. 34. is notable comparing mans ruinous estate to desolations where in the place of come shall growe nettles and thornes and theyr stately houses shall be nothing else but an habitation for dragons a court for Ostriches c. This swinish people shall be like vnto the Madianites to Sisera and vnto Iabin of whom mention is made psal 83.9 which perrished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth And he would faine haue filled his belly with the huskes that the swine eate but no man gaue them him By husks are heere vnderstood all other matters besides and without God as pleasures profits wherwith we desire to satisfie our selues vvhich are the iewels of this present world For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world Which things the most part of the world do hunt after and for the which they are so eagerly set that they raise strife discord Inâ—â—â—â— and when they haue all doone it is but for buskes for vaine and transitory thinges The daintiest foode dooth but fill the bellie and afterward goeth into the draught and the chiefest pleasures serue but for a time afterward damne the soule When men enioy those pleasures which they would they thinke they shall neuer haue enough therefore is heere mention made that although the prodigall sonne woulde haue filled his belly yet no man gaue them him The deuill will not fulfill thy appetite in the course of sin fearing least when thou hast thy fill thou shouldest forsake him and detest his seruice and betake thy selfe to the seruice of God The deuill sets before thee the beauty of euery woman thou lookst vpon to drawe thee into his net When hee hath caught thee he keepes thee from the presence sight of the woman which thou louest least being satisfied with her loue thou begin to contemne the sin and to condemne thy selfe and depart froÌ„ that sin and turne to the Lord. This is the deuils pollicie to giue thee but a tast to keepe thy appetite alwayes fresh to hunger after his sauce keeping thee still in slauerie and making thy chiefest delight to bee a torment vnto thee Pharao denied to giue the Israelites strawe to make them more weary Holophernes stopped the water springs froÌ„ the Bethulians so that through scarcely of water their thirst was rather increased then quenched So the deuill giues thee a taste to make thee more hungry but neuer satis-fieth thy desire to make thee the more greedily to hunt after it Thou refusest the fountaine of the water of life and diggest vnto thy selfe vnwholsome waters our of broken cesterns thy waters stink through the vncleannes of thy vices and taste full euill through the bitternes of our conscience diuersly defiled What madnes therefore hath entred into our mindes that we forsaking the true and euelasting goodnes of GOD should desire to be fedde with chaffe and with huskes that are cast vnto Swine especially seeing our creation is so noble and that by gods word and by his grace we are chosen called to enioy such excellent treasure in Christ Iesus We being blinded take huskes for dainty meate which are rather prouided for swine then for 〈◊〉 whose stomacks can hardly away with such meate Beware therefore seeing thou are bought of Christ with so high a pâ—icâ— and redeemed and set at liberty that thou deliuer not thy selfe againe into the â—â—iuery of sinne and the deuill Compare this present estate of a sinner with that former wherein he was created or wherein since wee were created by Gods grace we stood Before vvee had a Father nowe vvee haue a Lord what said I a Lord nay a tyrant before we were free but now slaues before was this prodigall sonne furnished with plentie now is he pinched with scarcety before hee liued in his fathers house now among robbing destroying strangers before hee was accepted among the sonnes of a kinde father now is
therefore GOD rested in making man let mans chiefest happines be in resting in God God filleth our desires with goodnesse saith the Prophet neyther is our appetite satis-fied vntill it enioy that vvished end For our soule is of so noble a disposition that it can finde rest no where but in the chiefest good Therefore the holy king and prophet sayth Euen as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee ô God My soule is a thirst for God yea euen for the liuing GOD when shall I come before the presence of God My teares were my meate day and night while they daily said vnto me where is now thy God Hee was absent farre from god therefore he wept hungring and thirsting after him desiring to be replenished with god that hee might finde all perfect ioy And feeing the worlde cannot fill vp thy desire betake thy selfe to Christ Come vnto me ye that hunger and thirst and I will refresh you Math. 11.28 Iohn 4.14 And I will fill the emptie soule with goodnes Psalm 36. Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee thy haâ—s desire Hetherto we haue shewed how that in the world there is nothing but famine and great scarcetie and penury of all thinges but in God onely there is perfect sufficiencie ioy and glorie to be sounde Nowe let vs see a further reason of these thinges afore-sayde and vvhy in the vvorlde is scarcely and all plenty with God which is the third thing to be spoken of The world is not sufficient because the large and ample capacitie of our mindes dooth further extend it selfe The soule which was created for God what-soeuer is inferiour to God it counteth it but base The pottle or the gallon cannot bee filled with the measure of a pynt all the worlds goods is but as a graine of mustard seede in the belly of an Elephant they fill the soule satisfie the minde in such sort that stil there is some place empty so vaine they are and fall of sound as empty vessels haue a great sound in these desires there is no soundnesse no perfection Againe the desires of the soule are infinite the profits pleasures of this world haue their bounds So that there is no other remedy for vs in this life but to remoue our mindes from the desire of these earthly things and to transport them vnto God and heauenly considerations that so our mindes and our desires may fully be contented For all other creatures GOD hath appoynted theyr foode but God only is the foode of the soule As grasse for the Lyon flesh for the horse is vnmeete foode because they are not agreeable to theyr nature so ought not earthly desires to be the foode of the soule For there is nothing in the worlde to serue the minde but onely God Pryde and couetousnes and enuy and pleasure are the things that mens mindes doe most ayme at but these are rather the famine then the foode of the soule The grace of God and the heauenly gyfts of his holy Spirit they onely comfort and nourish the soule and strong then it Why is breade rather the nourishment of mans body then poyson The reason is because the one is agreeable to the nature of man the other dooth destroy it So is GOD the foode of the soule because his presence and goodnesse is most agreeable there-vnto beeing created after the likenes of God as for all other matters they are nothing else but death and famishment And if thou feede the soule vvith any earthly considerations it is as if thou shouldest feede the body with stones and grauell As our soule without God beginneth to be sad heauy hungry and dead so all the delights pleasures profits commodities of this worlde are nothing but misery pouerty The fist generall matter is the miserable estate of a sinner vnder the condition of the prodigall sonne feeding Swine Then hee went and claue to a Cittizen of that Country and hee sent him to his Farme to feed swine This is the best preferment that we get by the deuils seruice First by our owne voluntary free-will we yeeld ourselues slaues vnto the deuill for the deuill hath no power ouer vs till wee haue put our necks into his yoake Which worke when we haue once performed we are very hardly with-drawne from our vngodly purpose And when the deuill hath vs in his bands he then sticks too close vnto vs neither is it as we may suppose so easie a matter to shake off his yoke Our wilfull disobedience comes not of ignorance or infirmitie but of froward and stubborne disposition inclined to all wickednesse And this is the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked the godly falling into sinne riseth againe but the wicked continueth his course Neyther can wee be likened to the deuill in nothing more then in the perseuerance of sinne in spending the best of our time so and in waxing old therein The prodigall Sonne inforced by famine went not to his Father Shame vnprofitable not that hee had altogether forgotten his Father but that shame kept him back which keepeth many from good purposes He had rather suffer famme and banishment then that he would once confesse his fault Many had rather be vexed by the torment of conscience then in the sight of God to humble themselues and to keepe a smothering fire within their breast then to open theyr griefe to a godly friend or faithfull Minister to haue ease comfort If thou didst consider the safetie of thy soule and the quietnes of thy conscience the reproch of men shoulde neuer daunt thee neyther should the shame of the world euer confound thee VVhat needest thou to care what the world thinketh of thee so that thou be in Gods fad our and be reconciled vnto him VVhose displeasure if thou couldest perceiue neither the shame of the world nor any other let should keepe thee backe from the due consideration of thine estate God knoweth all why shouldst thou be ashamed to confesse thy fault before him But because either the shame or estimatioÌ„ of the world doth more preuaile with thee then the quietnes of thy conscience or the feare and fauour of GOD therefore art thou drowned in thy sin sinking therein daily more and more It may be he thought his father so seuere and extreame that he would not be intreated or that all former charity or fauour was banished from his breast so that eyther by famine Despaire or through despayre hee was brought into that case to be separated farre from his Father and to yeelde himselfe into dishonorable slauery who before was free But many are of so abiect a mind that they feare there is no place for mercy hauing so often repented and yet falne againe and despayring of amendement they say within themselues Many times haue I purposed to cut off the course of sin and to mend my life but yet I cannot my sinfull
this is the badge of Christians whereby they are distinguished froÌ„ the douils company VVhen our Sauiour Christ taught his disciples the time he was conuersant with them humilitie patience contempt of the world and other christian vertues and duties the perswasion of loue charitie and good will he reserued to his last supper to the intent that hee might most firmly imprint the loue of our neighbour into the harts and memories of his disciples For this is giuen vs by nature that looke what our friend doth giue vs last in charge wheÌ„ he departeth from vs that stickest longest in our remembrance In this duty of loue consisteth the perfection of al christianity Therefore S. Paule sayth that the whole lawe is comprehended in this one thing Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe He that fulfilleth both these commaundements as he ought may without blushing appeare before God Dauid saith ô Lord I haue loued thy commaundements and therefore he desired the presence of God but Adam beeing called fled from God hid himselfe because hee had disobeyed God and therefore durst not come into his presence The prophet saith not I haue knowne thy law or I haue kept thy lawe but I haue loued thy lawe To keepe thy lawe is of necessity and feare but to loue proceedeth from inward affection The loue of God is perpetuall but the loue of the worlde or of our selues is but for this life for the loue of the worlde and of our selues we indanger our selues but for the loue of God we finde a meanes to be pertakers of the kingdome of God and of euerlasting ioyes The especiall cause of louing our neighbour is in respect of his soule And a good shepheard wil not spare to lay downe his life for his sheepe and many haue been content to be offered vp for the confirmation of the faith of others This doâ— and thou shalt liue See how Christ doth prouoke vs vnto good works This do c. teaching vs that we should walke in them He saith not Say this or beleeue this but doe this That is loue God and loue thy neighbour and shew forth the vvorkes of charitie As the Apostle speaketh 1. Ioh. 3. Let vs not loue in word neither in tunge onely but indeed in truth Hee that seeeth his neighbour in necessity shutteth vp his compassion from him how remaineth the loue of God in him Hee that loueth his neighbour hath life and hee that loueth not abidâ—th in death 1. Corin. 13 Though wee speake with the tongue of men and Angels haue not loue it were nothing As the body is sustained by naturall heate so is charitie the life of the soule without the which it is as dead If thou hatest thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead and if thou findest thy selfe thus dead loue and liue We are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren Nothing is so precious vnto vs as life whereof this is an cuident token that for the same we can be coÌ„tent to haue an â—r me or a leg cut off and to drink most bitter potions Yet is this life no true lyfe but rather a shadow an image of death If we can be content to endure such things for this life which is of so short continuance how should we bestirre our selues what should not wee vndertake to attaine the glorious life euerlasting For Christ speaketh not heere of this transitorie lyfe but of euerlasting life which is the seate dwelling place of the blessed The Gods of the Gentiles require the death of infants and that men should sley themselues but the Lord saith by the prophet Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he returne liue Oh how good is our God who I would were loued of vs as meete is and that wee could frame our selues to obey his holy will and for thys our loue and holy obedience requiteth vs not onely with this transitory life but will crowne vs hereafter with eternall ioyes But hee willing to iustifie himselfe sayd vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour But. c. Heerein he sheweth himselfe to be an hypocrite that he would iustifie himselfe as though he had fulfilled the whole lawe of God perfectly and left nothing vndoone Our hypocrisie is especially founde in the keeping of the second table for that is the sold giuen to the poore not being moued there-vnto through charitie but because hee was a thiefe and bare the bagge The sonne of Iacob when they sold their brother Ioseph willing to iustifie themseluâ—s before theyr Father and to cleere themselues from all offence brought their brothers garment stayned with blood as though nothing might be lay de to theyr charge So Herod purposing to kil Christ made a shewe that he would goe vvorship Christ The wicked Iudges woulde haue cleered themselues to be farre from the offence which they lay de to Susannas charge But let all these vnderstand which dissemble with their double hart that there will come a time when all shall bee reuealed as the trechery of Absolon Heliodorus Herods was if not in this world yet in another He sayth he loueth God and yet maketh question who is his neighbour But he that loueth not his neighbour whom hee seeth daily how shall hee loue God whom hee hath not seene He speaketh suspiciously as though a man might loue God and yet neuer thelesse be cruell and hurtfull to his neighbour The Iewes they had onelie respect to them of their owne nation supposing it was lawfull for them to hate allants and forrenners and to let them alone without dooing them any benefit on good at all But the name of neighbour dooth extend it selfe to a further compasse to wit vnto all men Forasmuch as oftentimes it chaunceth that hee which is nighest to vs in birth or country is farther from vs in affection and loue then our very foe And Iesus aunswered and said A certaine man went downe from Ierusalem to Icricho This might bee for Ierusalem was in the high mountaine Sion and Iâ—icho in a low place Besides there was a desert betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho where passengers were spoyled by theeues and where Zedechias the King vvas taken by by the Captaines of the king of Babel when he fled from Ierusalem Some apply this man that was wouÌ„ded by theeues vnto Adam and vnto man-kinde the priest and the Leuite vnto the sacrifices of the old lawe and Christ vnto the Samaritane which healed man-kind being spoiled by the deuils temptations of the gifts graces of God the denill beeing compared heere vnto theeues Some compare the man that came from Ierusalem to Iericho vnto a sinner that falleth from the estate of grace vnto the deformity of sin But how far this is from the sence and true meaning euery man may perceiue For the chiefed cope that our Sauiour aâ—â—eth at 〈◊〉 to shewe vvho is our neighbour
hath forsaken him persecute and take him because there is none to deliuer him Therefore the prophet prayeth Psal 51.11 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me VVhen the King leaueth his Court all goe with him and when God departeth from the soule all his blessings goe after neyther doe they stay behind As if they should say God is not in thys place in this man or this vvoman therefore let vs depart hence and be gone Ezech. 3.20 If a righteous man turne from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie I will lay a stumbling block before him and hee shall die Hee that hath gone the right way and hath turned backe with resolution or vpon presumption I wil giue him vp into a reprobate minde Againe chap. 18.24 If the righteous turne away from his righteousnes commit iniquity and do according to all the abhorninations that the wicked man doth shal he hue All his righteousnes that hee hath doone shall not be mentioned but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Were it not great follie in that man which had brought great treasure from a far country with his owne danger and hazard that hee should venture all at the throwe of a Die which hee hath laboured so painfully for and shall we for a little pleasure of sin lose all the hope of a vertuous life runne into so great danger as may follow there-after Yea wee shall shewe our selues farre more mad for he that hath lost his treasure may vndertake the iourney and bring as much more againe But the presumptuous sinner GOD forsaketh him and sildome or neuer doth helpe him The deuill tempteth man consenteth and obeyeth God forsaketh Such a one shal be like vnto Lots wife that was turned into a piller of salt the earth which is sowed with salt can bring foorth no fruite Of turning of Lots wife into salt Maister Doctor Babington writeth very effectually in his comfortable notes on Genesis to this present purpose When Zedekiah was taken his eyes were put out and hee was led into captiuity so whē the deuil taketh vs the second time he blindeth the eyes of our mind and keepeth vs in continual bondage vntil the time doe come that he may thrust vs into hell That shippe which is without a guide goeth not where it were best but where the tempest enforceth it So that man or woman which is destitute of Gods grace doth not that which is meete and conuenient but that which the deuil tempteth thē vnto leading them along with sweete and sugred baites If one onely offence of our first parents brought so great mischiefe vnto all mankind how much more dangerous shall our manifold daily and hainous offences be The light of nature doth shew vnto vs the dishonesty and shame of sinne because it makes vs to be noted and pointed at For this cause we hide our selues would not be seene or knowne perceauing well how great honour credite we loose by sinne and that thereby we fall into publique disgrace and discredit I let passe the wofull punishment after this life and think good to make mention of those griping sorrowes where-with an euill conscience is tormented in this life First End the end of sinne is dolefull and hath such a sting with it The sting of conscience that it often-times bringeth despaire vnto the party that for want of Gods grace and true repentance grounded vppon the promises of Gods sweete and euerlasting mercies they become the lamentable executioners of them-selues The sting of thy conscience is a sharpe thorne and as a dagger to stab thee at the hart The sound of feare is alwayes in thy eares and when thou thinkest of peace thē treason is toward thee and when thy body would take rest thy restlesse mind will suffer no sleepe When Ammon defiled his sister his conscience abhorred the deede and his sister was loathsome vnto him Iudas the Traytour when he had solde his Maister his guilty conscience neuer rested vntill it had brought his damned body to a shamefull death Shame The second torment of a guiltie conscience is vvorldly shame That woman that hath a spotte in her face is alwayes desirous to hide it but being beautifull and faire shee reioyceth to be seene Adam getteth Figge leaues to couer his shame and afterward hideth himselfe out of sight Dauid would hide his adultery by sending for Vriah home to his house that he might take her home vnto him and lie with her and to this intent hee sendeth him delicate fare to prouoke him to lust all which when hee refused and nothing would serue he sent him into the vvarre to be slaine The thirde torment of an euill conscience Feare of punishment is the restlesse feare of punishment in the vvorlde to come which the distrustfull minde by the light of reason and guilt of sinne and the threatnings of Gods lawe doth fore-cast so that wee neede not eyther Scripture to prooue it or fayth to perwade it seeing that GOD is a iust Iudge and sendeth punishments in this vvorld as fore-runners of the punishmentes in the world to come The wicked man is alwaies fearefull and distrustfull and leades a life without comfort He flyeth when no man pursueth him Pro. 28. The thiefe flyeth at euery least suspition The Viper is not killed with his owne poyson but sinne destroyeth that conscience wherein it enhabiteth it ray seth vp feares and prouoketh to despaire The last state of that man that is fallen into sinne agayne not so much of infirmity as of delight and purpose The last state worse in three respects continuance in sinne is worse then the first in three respects First in respect of the deuill Secondly in respect of the sinner himselfe and thirdly In respect of the deuill in respect of God In respect of the deuil because he handleth him more cruelly and watcheth him more narrowly giuing him no liberty nor scope to escape The laylour fearing not his prisoner giueth him some liberty but if he escape and returne againe he layeth on double fetters looking to him day and night least eyther he should file his irons in sunder or breake prison In like case the deuill hauing vs within his compasse he takes little thought and care perswading himselfe that we are sure enough Well by Gods help and by his grace and goodnes we escape his hands we are freed from his thraldom and set him at defiance and find in our selues a meruailous readines and cheerefulnes there-vnto But if thou beest so vnhappy as to fall into his thraldom againe then is thy second misery worse then the first then wil he lay on load of irons and watch euery instant and at euery turne Where before he offered thee a few temptations he wil now practise a thousand wayes he will lay many stumbling blockes before thee
boast of the name of a Christian and not to shewe the practise thereof in our life conuersation For not euery one that can say Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that dooth the will of my Father which is in heauen Math. 7.21.22 Many shall say in that day Lord Lord. And hee shall say vnto them I know yee not Depart from me yee that worke iniquitie The foolish Virgins Math. 25.11 could say Lord Lord open to vs But he aunswered and said Verily I knowe you not And they that sayd Lord when sawe wee thee a hungry or naked To them it shal be sayd Inasmuch as yee did it not to the poore for my sake yee did it not to mee knowing that I committed and commended the poore vnto you in my steed The poore yee haue alwaies with you but mee shall ye not haue alwaies Then also shall they heare that dolefull doome sentence and iudgement Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire Math. 25.41 Father Abraham haue mercy on me He called for mercy too late as also he was farre vnworthy of mercy which would take no pitty and compassion of his poore neyghbour And he shall haue iudgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy Math. chap. 18. Heere-hence wee may gather two profitable instructions The first is to shewe mercy to our poore neighbour if vve will looke for mercy at Gods hands Secondly to call for mercy and forgiuenes and pardon of our sinnes in this life and not to deferre it vntill the last howre or at least wise till after death To defer it to the last howre is to hazzardous and venterous when as we may sooner misse theÌ„ to haue our request graunted the other that is after death is altogether vaine and vnprofitable He that would not shewe mercy to his fellowe seruant that ought him but a hundred pence was greeueously punished Ecclus. 28.2 Forgiue thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done to thee so shall thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee also when thou prayest What measure thou metest the same shall be measured to thee Endeuour therefore what thou canst to be mercifull to the poore calling thy selfe to rememberance how greatly thou standest in neede of mercy from God As for this rich mans too late repentance hee was not so wise as Dauid psal 50. Heare ô Lord and haue mercy vpon me Lord be thou my helper for what profit is there when I goe downe to the pitte and out of hell there is no redemption And therefore earnestly and humbly hee prayeth for mercy in his lyfe time before the eternall barres doe close him in Neither did this rich man repent that hee had offended God but beeing in excessiue paine he called for release vvhen as then none would bee granted Follow the Wise mans counsell Eccles. 9.10 All that thy hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention not knowledge nor vvisedome in the graue whether thou goest O Lord in death who wil remember thee and in hell whose tale shall be heard So long as a great peece of timber is caried vppon the water so long it seemeth light but when it is cast vppon the Land then he that before could moue it with his hand cannot now doe it with all the force of his body Likewise so long as wee liue the burden of sin seemeth light as though wee had no burden at all but when death Gods messenger hath cited vs to appeare before the court of his tribunall seate then doe our sinnes appeare in theyr collours shewing themselues to be infinite and the burden of them intollerable And vvee which woulde not fore-see these eternall punishments shall then be thrust dovvne among the damned for euer to feele them My sinnes saith Dauid are gone ouer my head and are like a burden too heauy for me to beare psalm 40. My sinnes haue taken such holde vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head my hart hath failed mee O Lord let it be thy plesure to deliuer mee make hast ô Lord to helpe mee Set the 50. psalme before thee for a patterne to follow and let thy hart shed forth teares aboundantly And then shalt thou finde that comfort which Christ promiseth Math. 11.28 Come vnto me all yee that are weary and laden and I vvill ease you And howe comfortable this easing shall be looke vppon the historie of the prodigall sonne Luke 15. Thys foolish rich man would not lay downe his burden in his life time after death is was bound of so fast that he could not shake it of But why did he speake to Abraham not to Lazarus Because hee iudged him after his owne disposition that hee would not forget to reuenge whereas vvith the godly there is no such qualitie euen in thys life much lesse in another Thinking thys with himselfe If I in my great prosperity had no care of him surely hee will haue as little care of me neither will he come vnto me Therefore he maketh his request vnto Abraham supposing that hee knewe not what was happened But let vs heare what his request vvas Send Lazarus that hee may dip the typ of his finger in water coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Alas what could a droppe of water comfort him and should he not by and by againe be in as great torment And what was the torment of the tongue to the vnspeakable paines of all the rest of the body Iust are the iudgements of God and hee recoâ—â—penceth accordingly For he that denied small matters was enforced to craue euen the least helpe which neuerthelesse according to his desert was denied him Let no man despise the poore for God can make the richest man poore in a moment The sonnes of Iacob came afterward into the hands of Ioseph Despise no body whom before they hated vnto the death contemned and despised Thou mayest stand in need of his helpe whom now thou dost scorne For so it may fall out that GOD may appoint him to doe thee good Saul deadly persecuted Dauid God deliuered Saul into his hands twice and had not the godly hart of Dauid had more pitty the cruelty of Saul had iustly deserued death Simei that cursed Dauid and thought hee should neuer returne any more to raigne was faine to cast himselfe downe as it were at his feete to craue mercy Haman was enforced to doe Mardocheus great honour whom before hee could not abide to looke vpon And this hapneth to many VVherefore if thou beest placed in high authority doe not exalt thy selfe too high for he whom thou contemnest may be in higher estate then thy selfe and may requit thee againe VVhere there is mention made of the rich mans tongue wee must vnderstand that the soule hath no tongue nor hands nor fingers Tongue but this is rather to be vnderstoode in