of Angels Therefore if the righteous for their secret pride or negligence and ingratitude became so vnmiâ—d full of God after they had béene his dutifull Seruaunts so many yeares What doest thou looke for hauing framed thy life to no other trade then to accumulate one sinne vppon an other Therefore whosocuer we sée to liue in this sort as wee haue tolde of before shall it not bee expedient that hee shoulde nowe at the length cease to fill vppe the measure of his iniquities and to assay to please God and to deliuer his soule from bondage should it not suffise him that he hath liued so leaudlie till this houre addicting himselfe wholy to the worlde the flesh and the diuell and hereafter to imploy himselfe and to runne out the remnant of his race 〈◊〉 the homage and honour of God is it not néedefull after so long time and so many iniuries committed against his Diuine Masestie to feare his seuere instice which the more patiently it beareth with the wicked so much the more rigorously is reuenged vppon them in the ende shall it not be reason that hee should bee afraid to lye so long swallowed vppe in the gulfe of sinne depriued of the grace of God and to haue so strong an enemie as is hee who of a deare father through his deserts is become his adnersarie and his iudge Shall it not bée reason to dread least the force of long vse bee turned into nature and habitte making of vice necessitie How should hee not feare by little and little to fall into a reprobate sence whereunto when a man is come hee doth not any thing that is acceptable in the sight of almightie God The Patriarke Iacob said to his father in lawe Labin Fourtéene yeares are passed since I haue scrued thée and haue had charge of thy businesse and now it is time that I attend vppon mine owne affaires and that I begin to prouide for mine owne house Wherefore I pray thée sith thou hast bin so long not a retayner but a daylie waiter to the worlde not letting slip any oportunitie of this life which was eyther appendaunt to thy pleasures or agréeing to thy appetites shall it not to be reasonable for thée nowe at the length to get some commoditie for the soule and for the bertering of thy estate in the other life certainly there is nothing more short and vnsure then the life of man Why then thou prouiding so carefully all necessaries for that which is so momentall and transitory dost not likewise make some prouision for that which endureth for euer The Argument A man ought to remember himselfe and that he is a Christian and that he beleeue firmely all that he is taught by his faith which should mooue him eyther through loue or feare All things inuite him to the loue and seruice of God among which hee should acquire wisedome and harken to the words of Christ who fixed himselfe to the crosse for our redemption CHAP. XIIII NOw therfore if it be true as I haue said I beséech thée deare brother and charge thée by the precious blood of Christ that thou remember thy selfe that thou art a Christian and that thou take all that which our faith teacheth for vnfeined veritie which plainly prooueth vnto thée that besides other things thou hast a iudge to whose eye lyeth open all the actions and moments of thy life who will come at a day vnwares wherin he will exact an account of thée euen of euery idle worde This faith telleth shée farther that a man at his death is not quite extinguished because after this mortall life succéedeth an other which lasteth eternally and shat mens foules doo not perish with their bodies but that the bodies resting and raked vp in their graues the soules yet enter into a newe Kingdome and into an other new world where such condition and company shal be assigned vnto them as their manner and behauiour hath bin in this life Héere vnto this faith adioyneth yet more that as the rewarde of vertue so the scourge of vice is so infinit that although the whole worlde were full of bookes and euery creature were a Scriuener the writers woulde sooner dye and the world be at an ende before it could bee knowne and treated of particularly that which each of these doth containe in it selfe This faith also informeth thée that our debt and dutie is so great through our benefites receiued of God that though the number of a mans yeares did surpasse the sandes of the seas yet they should be too fewe to acquite himselfe in his seruice towards him The same faith affirmeth that vertue is of such passing valour that all the treasures of the worlde and all that a mans heart can desire may in no respect be coÌ„pared the reunto Wherfore if such and so great things doo exhort vs to vertue why be there so fewe which imbrace it and endeuour themselues to attaine it If men may bee mooued with any aduauntage or interest what greater gaine is there what life more perdurable If with feare what sharper punishments what paint more permanent If with the bonds of bountious liberalitie what greater debt haue wee then that which we owe vnto God of whom wee haue receiued all things If the dread of dangers may stirre vs what greater perill can there bee then that of death whose comming is so vncertaine whose account so straight If peace if libertie if the gifts of the holy Ghost and the solace of a sugred life be desired of all men it appeareth euidently that all these things are founde more readilie in that life which is lead by vertue and reason then in that which is ruled by rage and passions for that a man is a reasonable creature and not a beast But if all this bee not regarded shall it not bee sufficient that for the maintenaunce of veriue GOD descended from Heauen to the earth and was made man who hauing created the world in six dais imployed thirtie and thrée yeares in this worke wherein hee also spent his bloud and life God dyed to slay sinne yet for all this wee endeuour to reuiue in our hearts those whom God would destroy with his owne death What should I say more for all reasons are sufficient to promote this matter or to shewe it as it is Fo I say not respecting the crosse onely but which way soeuer we turne our eyes we shall finde that all things doo cry and cal vs to this commoditie sith there is no creature in the world if hee bee well noted but doth inuite vs to the loue and seruice of our supernall Lord in such sort that looke howe many creatures there be in the world so many preachers there are so many bookes so many voyces which doo stirre vs therevnto Wherefore howe is it possible that so many shriking sounds as héere thou hearest so many promises thundring threats can beare no parte to perswade thée thereunto What should God or could
beloued sonne and all the sorrowe and torments that he hath suffered for me Therefore most mercifull father for the feruent loue and petitions of thy deare sonne forgiue the faults of thy histoyall vassall regarde the noble sacrifice offered by thy sonne and race out of thy remembraunce the disobedience of thy leaud seruaunt For the raunsome that he hath payde for my deliuerie surpasseth farre any my debts or trespasses whatsoeuer Oh that it would please thée to put in a payre of balance my leaudnesse thy liberalitie my wickednesse and thy woundes no doubt the peise of them would bee more weightie a great deale For what guilt can bee so gréeuous for which such sorrowe cannot satisfie sufficiently which cannot bee washed away with such affliction with so many teares and with such obedience and humilitie with such inuincible patience and aboue all with such immeasurable loue What crime can be so enormous which may not bee cleansed with that bloudie sweat yea whole flouds of blood What sinne is there so execrable which is not cured by Christes death Oh heauenly Father I offer here vnto thée the selfe-same my Sauiour and Redéemer Iesus Christ thy sonne beloued most tenderly His sharpe sorrowes his agonies incomprchensible the which thou knowest exactly to be suffered for my defects and in stead of the contrition which I ought to haue for them I offer vnto thee his bloudie sweat in stead of my teares which I cannot shed because of the adamanticall harnesse of my hart I offer vnto thée his humble and feruēt praiers for all my slouths and negligences For ende I offer vnto thée all his loathsome labours and vertuous exercises his austere life and all that he hath wrought therein and the bitter tormēts that he did abide as a worthie sacrifice of thy diuine glorie for all the iniquities wherewith my whole life I haue offended thée and for the good things which I haue omitted and left vndone Which liuest and raignest for euer and euer Amen The Argument In the sixt consideration a man should thinke vpon death the last iudgement and bell paines And how greeuous will be the separation of the soule from the bodie by meanes of death which by reason of diuers accidents occurring then togither is the very receit of excessiue sorrows anxieties CHAP. VIII TO these considerations I wil adde other thrée out of Sarasinus of Fermus that is death iudgement and she paines of hel which are a very necesry appendix to all that we haue treated of before The same Doctor telleth vs that to him that is newly conuerted nothing is more behouefull and requisite then the meditation of death both for that it repelleth vaine delightes as also because the practise thereof is of such facilitie as the whiche we daily viewe with our eyes and féele with our hands yea we may rather say that our surest portion is with death and that we dye continually hauing a bodie so corruptible that euery houre altereth chaungeth his shape and neuer resteth in one estate Like vnto a riuer that passeth with a furious and headlong course wherof no part can be marked throughly for it running swiftly whilest ye note one waue straight it is not the same that ye looked vppon before but is turned into another Many deuout considerations may be had cōcerning death which the matter it selfe yéeldeth sufficiently to him that aduisedly deliberateth herevpon Of which minding to collect a fewe I doo affirme that if thou intende to reforme thy life when thou risest in the morning perswade thy selfe so much as thou maiest that the same will bee the last day of thy life and dispose of thy soule and worldly affaires in suche sort as though in verie déede thou shouldest not liue one houre longer and thinke not that thou deceiuest thy selfe in so dooing for if death may attache thée euery day thou shouldest likewise daily attende his comming And farther I say vnto thée that no one day of thy life shall passe without many negligences vnlesse thou doest enforce thy selfe to beléeue that euery of them is the laste of thy life Thinke also vppon the dreadfull stroke of Death which because it is so vncertaine ought to bee feared continually And consider to howe many perilles of death we are subiected and thou shalt finde that they are innumerable as well within the bodie as without in so muche that if thou looke warily about thée thou shalt perceiue Death to be paynted in euery place and businesse Thinke also what pressures and agonies shall assault thée at the poynte of death To this consideration it shall assist thée much to beholde sometimes a man dying Marke the accidents and painefull passions of that houre howe his bodie lyeth forsaken of naturall heats his sences without force or moouing as though it were a very stone the extremities and vttermost parts waxe colds the face is turned into the colour of leade the bowles of the eyes dipped in the mouth full of fome the tongue swollen the necke winding to euery side Then marke also howe the brest beateth and panteth and is readie to burst asunder with paine the lippes waxe blewe the téethe become dumbe Finally all the bodie dissoluing it selfe and being forsaken of the soule with sorrowe inestimable the man resteth a lumpe of earth Thou perceiuing and viewing well such perplexities in other maiest likewise represent the same spectacle in thy selfe imagining that the Phisttians haue nowe giuen thée ouer as knowing the maladie to bee incurable thy friendes and kinsfolkes about thy bedde whose presence shal augment the griefe of thy departure O how dreadfull shall that separation be where welth shall not asswage thy woe but shall rather plunge thée déeper in the gulfe of calamities neyther shall honours assist thée yea thou shalt leaue them with like vehement smart as thou gottest them with gréedie desire and for thy wonted delights shalt reape the fruites of a gnawing conscience What then wilt thou doo béeing brought to this poynt what counsell wilt thou then take To go out of thy bodie will be intollerable to abide there impossible to deferre thy departure cannot be graunted thée neither maiest thou returne to thy sensuall delightes which nowe are senslesse togither but knowing thy selfe and scanning them more narrowly shalt bee abashed at thine owne brutish behauiour and if it were possible wouldest flie from thy selfe Shalt sée thy selfe beset with horrible monsters that is with thine owne sinnes of whom whither soeuer thou wandrest thou shalt be pursued and hedged in all that is passed shall séeme vnto thée as the twinkling of an eye and shalt know the time to come to be infinite Then mayest thou well say with the Prophet The dolours and daungers of death hath inclosed mée rounde about and the furie of hell hath assaulted mée By this minding and meditation of death thou shalt acquire many great commodities First thou shalt be stirred and incensed to the seruice of God the feare of
THE CONVERsion of a Sinner Faithfully translated out of Italian by M. K. Psalm 36. vers 27. Declina a malo fac Bonum Leaue sinne ere sinne leaue thee do good And both without delay Lesse fit he will to morrow be Who is not fit to day LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede for I. P. To the Reader I Doo heere present vnto thy fauourable view most curteous and gentle Reader this Pamphlet which wanting a particular Patron commeth as it were a begging vnto thee for no lesse then thy whole selfe and that chiefly for thine owne good The way to protect it is to direct thy life by it to suffer it to possesse thee assoone as thou hast possest it which if thou be so happie to accomplish it will teach thee to win Loue by feare Life by death yea euerlasting happinesse by the transitorie troubles of this wretched world And to giue it iust praise in a word it is a worke of the learned and spirituall Granado aptly translated by a vertuous Gentleman into our English Lamentationes Let Dread of paine for sinne in after time Let Shame to see thy selfe ensnared soe Let Greefe conceiued for foule accursed crime Let Hate of sinne the worker of thy woe With Dread with Shame with Greefe with Hate enforce To deawe the cheeks with teares of deep remorce Carmen So Hate of sinne shall make Gods Loue to grow So Greefe shall harbour Hope within thy hart So Dread shall cause the flood of Ioy to flow So Shame shall send sweete Solace to thy smart So Loue so Hope so Ioy so Solace sweete Shall make thy soule in heauenly blisse to fleete Vae Woe where no Hate doth no such Loue allure Woe where such Greefe makes no such Hope proceed Woe where such Dread doth no such Ioy procure Woe where such Shame doth no such Solace breed Wo where no Hate no Greefe no Dread no Shame No Loue no Hope no Ioy no Solace frame Non tardes conuerti ad Deum A brief Treatise exhorting sinners to repentance commonly called The Conuersion of a sinner The Argument Sinners are commonly coÌ„uerted to God through feare and dread Who if they read and well weigh holy writ would tremble and quake considering the iminent perils wherein they dwell and would diuert from their wicked wayes to the path of perfection thereby the better to ridde themselues from the gnawing gripes of a giltie conscience and dreadfull torments due vnto sin which otherwise God threateneth vppon them The first Chapter WE reade in the diuine Scriptures that God before he defaced vtterly rased the Citie of HierusaleÌ„ by Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon sayd to the Prophet Ieremie in this wise Iere 32. Take a booke not written in before and write therein that which I haue said vnto thée against Iuda and against Israel from the first day I began to talke with thée euen vntill this present day and publish it in the presence of all the people thereby to prooue whether this Nation vnderstanding the manifold miseries I minde to bring vpon theÌ„ will reuolt from their iniquities that in so dooing I may haue compassion vppon them pardon their offences and cease to exercise the whippe of my wrath which I haue alreadie prepared The Scripture addeth further that Baruch Scribe to this Prophet pronouncing that which hee had written in the open audience assembly of the people and Princes such horrour and feare fell amongst them that as meÌ„ amazed each beheld others considering the heapes of woes and wretchednesse which then was vttered before them This is the way gentle Reader that God then practised and hath don many times since to daunt mens hearts and violently to wrest them from their wickednesse as the most effectuall and forcible meanes that may bee founde to that purpose For such and so great are the things which the Scriptures and our fayth daylie telleth vs in the fauour of vertue and hatred of vice that if men would reade them attentiuely and ponder them aduisedly there is no doubt but their hearts would relent and their flesh tremble thereat considering the dreadfull daungers wherein they dwell Wherefore the chéefest thing that the Prophet desired aboue all others Deut. â—2 for the redresse of this vncurable maladie was this when hée said I would GOD this senselesse generation which are vtterlye deuoyde of counsell did know and throughly foresée what will happen vpon them which if they did as in dutie they are bound to doo they could not possibly procéede or coÌ„tinue longer in their so crooked course of life But they are all sunke in the vile sinke of sensuall delights some hunt after honours some for high promotions and dignities others beating theyr braynes day and night how to cloath curiously theyr carraine corps and to accomplish their carnall concupiscence haue no time eyes nor heart to looke to their owne estate and with the eyes of their minde to meditate vppon these things whereof the Prophet speaketh very properly Osea 7 saying Behold Ephraim is like vnto a Doue deceiued that hath no heart For the wicked haue heart wit and will inough to loue to couet and to count againe and againe vppon the pelfe of this world but they haue neither witte nor will once to thinke vppon the glory of the worlde to come which is so infinite and so inestimable that if the least part thereof bee exactly tried and examined in the minde it would suffice to euacuate the filthy smoake which hath shut vp the eyes of their vnderstanding and to make them to acknowledge and confesse their owne errour For this cause therefore beeing moued principally I haue thought it very requisite to set downe certaine perswasions tending to this purpose to the view of al that list to read or write them Following héerein the example of the Prophet Ieremie to shew not onely the gréeuous calamities that God hath prepared for the vniust but also the perfect blisse that he hath prouided for his seruants the godly that the euill disposed returning from their wicked race may be receiued into the fauour and mercy of God released of their trespasses and deliuered froÌ„ all those punishments which God menazeth vpon them in holy scriptures The Argument A Christian ought to consider his profession that he is subiect to death and must render a straight account in the other life of all his doings here Where he shall discerne sensibly the cryes and griefes intollerable wherwith death sinne rewardeth the vngodly both here and in the world to come there neither the beautie and fine feature of the body neither the flattery of false fortune nor yet the pompe of stately dignitie shall ought preuaile to withstand the wrath of the iust Iudge against the wretched sinner Chap. II. TAking my first entry in that which is most obiected to our sences Remember that thou art a Christian and a man Concerning thou art a man hold it for a ground infallible that
whom is the foundation of wisedome and beginning of true blisse Endeuour therefore so to arme and addresse thy selfe at all poynts that thou be not vanquished by sinne Farther shalt viewe thine owne wretchednesse and infirmities whiche will serue as a corzie to quallifie the swelling rancor of pride and to establish humilitie the very quéene and guide of all other vertues And shalt easily reiect hatefull auarice and gréedie gaping for earthly vanities For the memorie of death causeth thée to knowe that none of these thinges can be called thine which thou canst not carry with thee out of this world And thou coÌ„tinuing in this exercise vnwares thy dread shall be turned into desire and death shall not séem so terrible vnto thée for that it depriueth thée of thy temporall life as delightful and acceptable because it giueth ende to so many gréefes and miseries and giueth enterance to life and light eternall And thou shalt perceiue howe little cause thou haddest to complaine or to be sorie weighing that whilest thy bodie doth perishe and consume in the graue thy soule liueth blisfully in heauen with a firme beléefe to rise againe at the last day to life euerlasting The Argument In the seuenth consideration ought to be premeditated how seuere and rigorous Christ will be at the day of iudgement for that his countenance will then declare to the wickid beholders nothing else but furious wrath and reuenge which none can escape for there must be giuen vp an exact account of all thinges done and thought of in this world CHAP. IX EAch man proueth and perceiueth in himselfe by often experience that his vnderstanding by the apprehension of some fearfull obiect or weightie consideration retireth and coucheth closely within it selfe and for that instant repelleth easily all other idle imaginations For which cause it is most prositable counsayle that a sinner at his first conuersion exercise himselfe seriously in such cogitations for that by this meanes péeuish fansies sometime through dread sometime through wonder will be either brideled or banished quite If the memorie of death as is aforesaide hath such force to cut off and to restraine our vaine and bagraum thoughts howe much more may this be done by the remembraunce of that which insueth after death immediately whiche is Gods iudgement and the paines of hell By which meditations if thou often thinke vpon them shall be brought to passe that which Ecclesiastick affirmeth Remember thy daies whereby hee meaneth that which then shall happen vnto thee and thou shalt neuer doo amisse S. Hierome not without iust cause said Whether I eate or drinke mee thinkes still I heare the sounde of the Trumpet buzzing in my eares Arise from death and come to your iudgement Which howe terrible it shall be cannot be imagined sith all other terrours or tragedies whatsoeuer in comparison of this is nothing at all Many times God hath manifested his iudgements in this worlde as when hee drowned the worlde with the great floud when hee burned Sodome and the Cities adioyning when he strooke Egypt with diuers dreadfull plagues when he made the earth to open in the desert to swallow vp sinners all which iudgements beeing compared to that generall iudgement which shall be exercised in the last day are but shadowes but shewes and figures of the veritie If then thou desire to come to thy selfe and to gather thy wits togither with the remembraunce of this represent to thy imagination the terriblenesse of Christ thy iudge whose countenance shall declare nothing else but rigour and reuenge as at the first comming he shewed mildenesse altogither From whom thou canst not appeale to any other because he is supreme Iudge neither canst thou auoide his furie because he is most puissant and for that hee is the very fountaine and God of knowledge nothing can be concealed from him And because he hateth iniquitie out of measure hee will not suffer any sinne to be vnreuenged There thou must bee accountable of all thy transgressions debts and trespasses whereof if the least be inough to put thée in extreame danger and perplexitie who can make satisfaction for so many debtes and arrerages as shall bee exacted at thy handes Then thou shalt bee examined how thou hast vestowed thy time howe thou haste ordered thy body howe thou hast gonerned thy sences and how thou hast guided thy heart howe thou hast answered to the diuine inspirations how thou haste acknowledged so many curtesies In the which accusation thou shalt bee conuinced with so many witnesses as are the creatures which thou hast abused by sinne which then will be so stirred to reuenge the wrong done vnto their creator that if it were possible those which are immortall would dye with feare For it shall be a horror inestimable to sée the worlde all on fire the buildings and princely Pallaces ouerthrowne and torne in péeces the earth to tremble to viewe the elements to chaunge theyr course the Sunne to bee darkened the Moone and Starres to léese theyr light to beholde the death and destruction of all creatures the open gaping of graues to heare the voyce of the terrible trumpe and wofull waylings of nations to marke the discouering of consciences to regarde the monstrous deformed diuels and she inâ—â—â—nall furnace sparkling with furious flakes But of all other things shall be most terrible to looke vppon the victorious flagge of the Crosse clittering in the ayre with all the ensignes of the glorious passion of our Sauiour To sée the Iudge to charge his enemies for the making frustrate yea the reitteration of so many torments as hee hath suffered for their redemption Who might more easily endure the smart of hell paines then to sée themselues so accused and accursed of the Lord of bountie and courtesie and to be expelled from his presence to perpetuall punishment The Argument In the eight consideration we ought to premeditate vpon the intollerable terrour of hell paines which shall be perpetuall But of al those torments the most greeuous is the losse and lacke of Gods chearefull countenance without any hope for euer to gaine it againe CHAP. X. BUt it may so chance that mauger thy might for all these considerations ydle thoughts will not forsake thee though it must néedes bee a sounde fléepe and a very drowzie dreame that will not bee awaked with such incitations Yet thou must not be discomforted but howe much more difficults doo arise so much the more stoutly thou shouldest striue to atchieue thy enterprise Assay then whither the search of hell paines will bee more behouefull vnto thée concerning which two things are chiefly to be noted that is the vehemencie of their smart and the time of their continuance The least of these is able to mollifie the most stubborne and stony heart of the worlde but the which is not mooued neither with the one nor with the other is eyther dead in his soule or else beléeueth not that which the Christian faith sheweth For though the greatnesse of hell torments cannot bee imagined nor expressed filled with most iust feare If thou accustome thy selfe to such exercises aâ—â— doest perseuer therin in short space thou thalt become a newe man for by these meditations thy minde shall be brought to despise the world to shun sinne to fear these paines and to loue vertue And though at the beginning thou bee appaled and affrighted vehemently yet hand patience a while for thy colde feare shall be qualified and tempered with the heat of loue as the black night is turned by little and little into the bright shining day EINIS