tuis super milia Better is one day within thyne entresse than many thousandes els where This is than one great difference of the Joyes of heuyn fro the Joyes of this worlde THe seconde dyffereÌ„ce is this The ioyes of this worlde haue adioyned with theÌ„ many dredes ¶ we be certayne that ones we must forgoo these pleasures here we knowe it well and therfore we can nat but alway drede to forgo and lese them And the more dere they be vnto vs the deplyer we set our hertes vppon them the more we shall drede to forgo theÌ„ ¶ A lytle sykenes a lytle trouble a nye lykelyhood of dethe dysapoynteth all these pleasures we must nedes therfore drede and fere sikenes feare trouble and fere the sodeyne comynge of dethe and fere euery thynge that may let or breke our pleasures And verely of suche pleasures aryseth theyr owne dystruccyon at the ende the whiche dyd ryght well appere in the pleasaunt syghtes wherof I spake before For by the reason of them great money was spent many great mennes coffers were emptyed many were brought to a great ebbe pouerty This ebbe caused a greater flowe of Couytyse afterwarde in many mennes hartes Sumof them were the syker the weker in theyr bodyes dyuers toke theyr deth therby Sum by reason of theyr sumptuouse apparelment lernyd so great pryde y t hytherto they coulde nat shyfte it fro them Neuer was sene in England suche excesse of apparelment before as hath ben vsed euer syns And thereof also must nedes aryse moche harte brennynge and secrete enuye amongest many for the apparell They whiche had the leest dyd enuye the other whiche had rycher apparell than they had or myght reche vnto Thus many for these pleasures were the worse bothe in theyr bodyes in theyr soules ¶ But the pleasures of heuyn be after another maner No man is enpayred by theym There is no dred of pouerty there is no gredynesse of Couytyse there is no wekenes of any maner of sykenesse nor feare of any maner of dethe There is no pryde nor enuye nor desyre of honour but charyte concorde peace tranquylyte and perfyte rest and euery persone Joyeth as well of his neyghbours furtheraunce as of his owne as glad of his neyghbours welth as of his owne ¶ Oh what Joyfull place is this Oh how confortable it were to dwell in this kyngedome For these be the thynges whiche we all desyre we flye pouertye and we wolde haue rychesse and there is plenty Gloria et diuitie in domo eius we flye sykenes and dethe and wolde haue contynuaunce of helth Here we get it nat there we may haue it Mors vltra non erit After that we be entred thether we shall no more fele dethe nor any cause or occasyon therof we flye trouble and busynes and wolde haue rest which can nat be gotten nor had here There we may be sure to haue it and therfore it is called Eterna req ies euerlastyng rest And saint Paule sayth Festinemus ingredi in requieÌ„ illam Let vs make spede to entre into that rest for as it is wryten in the Apocalipsis Neque luctê° neque clamor neque dolor erit vltra There shall neuer be mournynge or complaynyng of any maner of sorow For these causes the Joyes of heuen incomperably passeth all the Joyes that can be deuysed in this wretchyd world or coÌ„ceyued by mortall mennes wyttes THe thyrde dyfference is that the pleasures whereof I spake had many interrupcyons For that lytell whyle that we were there somtyme there was suche dust and therewithall so great wyndes that all the ayre was full of dust The gownes of veluet and clothe of golde were full of dust the ryche trappers of horses were full of dust hattes cappes gownes were full of dust the here and faces of men were full of dust briefly to speke horse man were so encombred with dust that scantly one myght se another The wyndes blewe downe many tentes shakyd sore the houses that were buylded for pleasure and let dyuers of them to be buylded Somtyme agayne we had raynes and thunders so vnmeasurably that noo man myght styre forth to to se no pleasures Somtyme whan men wolde lenger haue dysportyd them at the Justes cam the nyght darkenes vpon them interruptyd theyr pleasure ¶ In Heuyn is no suche interrupcyons There is no dust nor droughtes there is no raynes nor no wetes there is no blastes nor stormes of wyndes there is no thunder ne tempestes There is no nyght nor darkenes but a contynuall day a contynuall temperauÌ„ce a clere ayre without mystes and cloudes wherfore the Joyes of that place be neuer interrupted abated nor mynyshed in any poynt THe fourth the pleasures aforsayd were sone done they dyd nat abyde where be all tho pleasures now they were but shadowes lyke shadowes they be past lyke shadowes they be slyd away lyke shadowes they be now vanysshed away from vs. Ye se somtyme a clowde that is alofte in the ayre betwene the soÌ„ne the grouÌ„de make a shadow vpoÌ„y e grouÌ„de tarieth nat but slydeth away euen so slydeth away y e pleasures of this life But the pleasures of Heuyn contynually abyde They passe nat they slyde nat they vanyssh nat away they neuer lesse but rather eÌ„crease they neuer enpayre ne dye but waxe better and fressher Therfore the Prophete Dauyd sayd CuÌ„cupiscit et deficit aiÌ„a mea iÌ„ atria dnÌ„i My soule couetith faiteth for desyre to be within the house of my Lorde that is to say within the kyngdome of heuyn THe fyft last difference is y t all the gloryous syghtes worldly y t can be deuised of men be but couÌ„trefeytes in coÌ„paryson of the Joyes aboue in heuyn All the glory whiche is shewed i this world of worldly prynces be borowed of other creatures it is nat theyr owne natural glory Fyrst the cloth that they were it cometh onely of the poore shepes backes The fyne costely furres from other vnreasonable beestes The sylkes wherwith they couer theyr bodyes were taken of the intrales of wormes The fresshe colours bothe of clothe and sylke be made by the craft of diynge and by the myxture of dyuers thynges taken of ryght vyle creatures The golde whiche by crafte is tourned into theyr garmeÌ„tes what is it els but erthe The precyous stones lykewyse be gadered som out of beestes some out of fysshes som out of the see some out of the erthe In these thynges stande all the gloryous syght of man and this is nat his owne naturall glory whiche he hath by nature yet for synne remaineth in vs the wouÌ„de of shame that we dare nat shew our owne naturall glory but couer it with a borowed glory taken and begged of other creatures which is nat naturall vnto vs but may be layd asyde remoued whan so euer we lyst And whan this apparell is remoued fro vs where is than our glory
shakyd out of this slepe yf thā we haue not the ryghtwysnes of good lyuyng we shalbe excludyd from the kyngdom of heuyn accordyng to the wordes aboue rehersyd Nisi abundauerit iustitia vestra plusquam scribarum et phariseorum non intrabitisin regnum celorum ¶ Onelesse your ryghtwysnes be more large than was the ryghtwysenes of the scrybes and the pharyseys ye shall not enter in to y e kyngdō of heuyn Scrypture tellyth how that the fyrst man Adā was put into a place all of pleasure named paradyse In y e which was moche pleasaūt delycate fruit but especyally there was two trees that is to saye the tree of lyfe whiche was assygned vnto hym to eate vpon and the tree of knowlege of good and bad whiche was for bod vnto hym Almyghty god gaue vnto hym vnder payne of deth that he shold not eate of this tree But not withstandynge this commaundemēt Adam folowyng the mynde of his wyfe left the tree of lyfe whiche was assigned vnto hym and ▪ ate of that other whiche was forbed hym ¶ For this dysobedyence for this vnryghtwysnes and for brekynge of this commaundement almyghty god excludyd hym out of paradyse out of y t place of excellent pleasure and put hym into this vale of mysery this wretchyd worlde And fynyally to the entent that the waye of entresse into that place sholde be kept he set before hym an aungell of the order of Cherubin and a brēnynge swerd two egged that neyther he nor yet any other of his posteryty sholde haue entresse there oneles he were iustified ¶ This Scripture euydently declaryth the wordes of our sauyour chryst aboue rehersyd that is to say that no man shall enter in to the kyngdome of heuyn y t hath in hym any spot of synne or of vnryghtwysnes For the whiche more clerely to be shewyd ▪ I wyll here touche thre thynges by order ¶ Fyrst how the demeanour of Adā representeth the demeanour of euery synner in this worlde ¶ The second how that for the brekynge of iustice and dysobedyence vnto the commaundemente of god we be excludyd fro the pleasure of heuyn lyke wyle as he was from the pleasures of paradise ¶ The thyrde what those lettes do mene which he set in the entresse in paradise that no synner can entre thyder oneles he be iustifyed before ¶ Euery man and woman that lyueth in this worlde hath in them by a maner of representacyon these two persones Adam Eue for they haue a soule and a body and the soule representeth Adam and the body Eue. For as the man sholde order his wyfe soo sholde the soule rule and gouerne the body And as the wyfe sholde be ruled by her husbande soo the body sholde be gouerned and be obedyent vnto the soule ¶ where the soule gouerneth there wysdom gouerneth there reason gouerneth there Adam is mayster and there is all well ¶ where the body gouerneth there foly gouerneth there bestelynes gouerneth there Eue is maystresse and all is amysse ¶ But here we shall declare thre poyntes necessary to be knowen ¶ Fyrst what these fruytes do meane and betoken vnto vs. ¶ The second ▪ whan we synne by tastynge of this fruyte and whan nat ¶ Thyrdly the great foly of Adam and how all synners be in lyke foly THre maner of frutes there was i Para dyse One that was called the fruyt of y e tree of lyfe This Adam ▪ ate nat of all the tyme he was in Paradyse as apereth Ne forte mittat manum suam et sumat etiam de ligno vite viuat ineternum ¶ Than was there another fruyte of the tree that was called the tree of knowlege of good bad And the taste of this fruyte was to Adam the fruyt of dethe Besyde these two was the thyrde maner of fruyte the whiche neyther gaue lyfe nor dethe but onely refresshed the eater and was as ye wolde say Indyfferent These thre fruytes betoken thre kynde of pleasures that we men taste in this wolde Fruyt may well betoken vnto vs pleasure because that fruyt is pleasant for to taste And therfore these thre fruytes betoken thre dyuers maners of pleasures whiche be offred vnto vs in this lyfe THe fyrst maner of pleasures be the pleasures of lyfe which fruyt comyth of the tree of lyfe that is to say of Cryst Jesu which is called in Scriptutes the tree of lyfe Out of this tree spryngeth moche dylycyouse fruyt wherof to taste is to be made partyners of euer lastynge lyfe ¶ we taste of this fruyt whan we delyte in his wordes whan we conforte vs in his doctryne whan we Joy in his moost blessed byrth passyon Resurreccyon whan we take pleasure in redyng of his moost gpacyous lyfe And generally all pleasures in god and godly thynges is the fruyte that spryngeth of thys moost gracyouse tree For by hym and of hym aryseth all these gracyouse pleasures vnto vs. And for the tastynge of this fruyt we shal haue the rewarde of euerlastynge lyfe ¶ we taste ete of this fruit whan for the loue of Chryste we gyue almesse vnto the nedy and do forgyue iuiuryes done vnto vs. ¶ whan we pray fast watch any of these to do for the loue of Cryste is to taste of the fruyt and of the tree of euerlastynge lyfe THe seconde maner of pleasures be the pleasures of deth and bryng our soules to euerlastynge deth And these be suche pleasures as be forbed by the law of god They be forbed by the commaundementes of god who that foloweth these pleasures and taste of this fruyt breketh the commaundementes of almyghty god Suche be they that lyuyth in auowtry the man that taketh an other woma besyde his wyfe and that woman that takyth an other man besyde her husbande they that beleuyth not trewly of almyghty god and of his doctryne they that commyt periuryes and wyllyngly for swere them selfe vpon a boke or other wyse they that breke theyr holy dayes and commyth not to the seruyce of god and to here the worde of god as other chrysten people do They that brybe and stele by wrongfull meanes get other mennes goodes they that do nat nat due honour to theyr fathers and mothers they that commyt assent or councell to any murder doynge They that bere false wytnesse or brynge vp false slaunders of theyr neyghbours All these be dedly pleasures and be the fruyte of dethe And the synall rewarde of these pleasures and of this truyte shall be euerlastynge deth THe thyrde maner of pleasures be those that be indyfferent so that neyther we shall haue greate rewarde for theym ne yet great punysshment And these pleasures be necessary eatyng drynkyng kepyng walkyng spekynge and necessary recreacyon For these we shall neither haue euerlastyng punysshmēt nor yet the rewarde of euerlastyng lyfe These pleasures be comon to all folke and indifferent to good bad without these pleasures no man may contynue Euery man must eat drynke
slepe And in these so longe as they passe nat y e bondes of necessytye neyther make a man good ne bad nor make it to deserue other ponysshmeÌ„t or any rewarde by theym Thus ye perceyue what is ment by these thre maner of frutes ¶ Now secondly I wyll shew vnto you whan the tastynge of this fruyte is dedly synne ¶ Loke man or woman whan thou folowest the desyres of thy body Eue is the ruler Whan thou folowes the desyre of thy soule of thy reason than Adam is orderer Therfore saynt Austyn sayth whan y u begynnest to fele in thy selfe any vnlefull pleasure aryse there Eue he sayth tastyth of the apple and offreth it vnto Adam for to eat yet Adam is at his lyberty whether he will taste of this apple ye or nay That is to say after that the body be styred to vnclennes the â—â—reasonable soule is at his lyberty whether it wyll assent to the styrynges vnclene delytes of the flesshe ye or nay But yf it assent than Adam eteth of the Apple ¶ Also yf thy reason and thy wyll do assent to this vnlefull pleasure than doste thou taste of this dedly fruyte of deth For by this fruyt is betokened as I sayd before all vnlefull pleasures specyally those which be contrary vnto the commauÌ„dement of almyghty god ¶ whaÌ„ so euer for our pleasure to be done we breke y e coÌ„mauÌ„dement of almighty god than we taste of this myscheuous fruyt Our flesshe carnall desyres are ê“ne redy to tast of this fruit of deth of all y t nought is perillous vnto our soules Our flesshe wolde haue y e carnall pleasures the worldly rychesse the coÌ„modytees honours of this life All these desyres aryse in vs by the reason of our flesshe no man lyueth but he felyth in him selfe som desyre of these Neuertheles yf his soule wyll assent nat vnto these desyres yet Adam hath nat tastyd of the fruyte of deth nor hath as yet broken the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of almighty god Many a good man many a good woman felyth in them selfe great temptacyoÌ„s great mocioÌ„s styringes now to lechery now to pryde now to couetise But if they be sory for them in theyr soules resyst wrastyll against them kepe them selfe so that they do nat asseÌ„t inwardly by theyr wylles to folow these same mocyons Yet they kepe them fro the eatyng of the apple This is no synne in them but it shall be gretly to theyr meryt These batailes which they make agaynst the sterynges desyres so longe as Adam is nat wyllyng to take folow this pleasure all is well So long as the reason of man is content to forbere stryueth there is no synne But whan Adam that is to say maÌ„nes reason wyll agreeth to the eatyng of this apple whan he doth assent is content to take any pleasure contrary to the commaundement of god than is synne done than is synne commytted in thy soule though thou neuer made further in doyng the dede This consent is syn ¶ Marke what I say Thou man seest peraduenture a fayre woman thou haste a carnall lykynge of her a pleasure to beholde her so y t thy body is styred moued with an vnclene desyre to haue her at thy wyll yf thy soule do nat assent vnto this steryng mocyon of thy body yet art thou safe front any certayne syn except thy negligence to repell this thought fro the y e suffrauÌ„ce of it to abyde in thy mynde w tout any resistence which by the fathers is thought to be synne But yf thy wyll ones asseÌ„t to this desyre of thy flesshe though they neuer go any forther or though thou neuer come to the actuall dede thou doost offende and synne deedly by this only consent of thy selfe Neuerthelesse yf thou reuoke this consent betymes repeÌ„t thy selfe it is moche lesse offece more pardonable than yf thou perfourmed thy desyre w t the actuall dede ¶ By this that I haue sayd thou mayst ê‘ceyue whan thou doest synne by tastyng of this fruyt Now let vs here the great foly of synners ¶ Many there be whiche folow the steppes of the olde Adam they leue the moost profytable fruyte and take the worse ¶ Adam lefte the fruyte of lyfe and tastyd of the fruyte of dethe ¶ Adam all the whyle that he was in Paradyse he neuer touched the tree of lyfe as playnly it dothe appere by the wordes wryten in the same storye Ne forte sumat etiam de ligno vite et comedat et viuat in eternuÌ„ That is as moche to saye leest peraduenture he eate of the tree of lyfe and so lyue for euer ¶ Almyghty god wolde betymes haue hym excludyd out of paradyse leest he sholde haue etyn of the tree of lyfe lyke as he had done before of the tree of dethe Adam tasted of the tree of deth so brake the coÌ„maundement of almyghty god thereby wherby he became mortall was assured for to dye But yf he had absteined therfro kept hym selfe to the fruyt of the tree of lyfe he sholde neuer haue dyed but haue lyued euer lastyngly Thus all synners do they leue the gracyous fruyt wherby they myght meryt the lyfe euerlastyng boldly taste eat of the pestylent fruit wherby they deserue the deth euerlastyng Yf Adam had had any lyke example before hym of som punysshment taken for synne as was taken vpon hym selfe for brekyng of this coÌ„maun dement it is full lyke that he wolde haue esche wed that offence but he neuer saw example of suche ponysshement And for this coÌ„syderacyon the madnes of synners in tastyng of this vnlefull fruyte is moche more greuous odyous be-before the tyeÌ„ of god for whaÌ„ they haue nat only y e example of this sore punisshment but many other mo before theyr iyes yet they wyll nat beware but styll coÌ„tynue in theyr foly madnes This one example yf there were no mo wryten in all scrypture myght suffyse to make the synner to represse leue his wretchyd pleasures that be agaynst the lawes coÌ„maundementes of almyghty god seyng so greuous punysshmeÌ„t was taken vpon the fyrst man Adam for so lytle a defaut This greuous punysshmeÌ„t was taken vpon hym for eatyng of an apple Thus he y t was so ê‘fytely created made by the handes of god nat many houres before was lifted vp to suche a dygnyty Yet for the fyrst faut y t euer he made for so lytle a faut he was spoyled of his dygnyte cast out of Paradyse the place of excelleÌ„t pleasures into mysery wretchydnes fynally striken with dethe nat only in hym selfe but in all his postorytye ¶ Yf this one defaut in hym that neuer herde ne saw any example of punysshment before were thus sore punysshed how greuously shall in other men the multytude of defautes be toutmentyd whiche hath herde and sene many