blindnes of spirit inconsideration inconstancie precipitation selfe-loue hatred of God too great a desire of this life horror of death and of the iudgment of God together with dispaire of eternall felicitie Greg. l. 31. Mor. c. 31. Ose 4. 2. Reg. 11. Dan. 13. Pro. 13. Sap. 4. Psl. 51. Tim. 3. Psal 20. Iac. 4. Ephes 4. Fornication and all vncleanes let it not so much as be named among you as it becometh Saints that is to say Christians Ephes 5. 3. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Taking therfore the members of Christ shall I make them the members of an harlot God for bid 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19. Doe not erre nether fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate shall posesse the kingdome of God ibid. 10. If you liue according to the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. 13. You haue heard that it was said to them of old thou shalt not commit adulterie but I say to you that whosoeuer shal see a woman to lust after her hath already committed adulterie with her in his hart Mat. 5. 28. S. Bernard saith that Luxurie is one of the chariots of Pharao who pursued the seruants of God and carries them that sit thereon to the red sea of the infernall flames Her four wheeles are Gluttonie and drunkennes curiositie of apparell iâ—lenes and ardor of concupiscence The two Coursers or horses are prosperitie of life and aboundance Vpon these two horses doe sit stupid ignorance and blinded assurance Sor. 39. in Cant. EXAMPLES Behould the horrible punishments which God hath imposed vpon this sinne 1. For the sinne of the flesh God hath drowned all the world Gen. 7. 21. 2. The citties of Zodome and Gomorah and all the contrie round about with their inhabitants were con-consumed by fire sent from heauen Gen. 19. 25. 3. Hemor sonne of Sichem with all the inhabitants of the cittie of Sichem were put to the sword Gen. 34. 26. 4. All the tribe of Benianim were cut off for the same cause Iudg. 20. 48. 5. Sampson was blinded with ouermuch affection towards his wife Iudg. 16. 21. 6. Amnon was slaine by his brother Absalon 2. Reg. 13. 29. 7. Dauid was persecuted of his sonne 2. Reg. 11. 15. 8. Salomon became an adulterer 3. Reg. 11. 9. The husbands of Sara were strangled by the deuil Asmodeus Tob. 3. 8. 10. The two old men that coueted the chast Susanna were stoned to death Dan. 13. 11. Four and twentie thousand of the people of Israel were put to death Num. 25. 12. Marie daughter to the kinge of Arragon wife to the Emperor Othon the 3. hauing solicited the Count of Modena to condescend to her lubricitie and he most constantly refusing her was accused by her calumniously that he would haue induced her to sinne wherupon the Emperor cut off his head But before he died hauing declared his innocencie to his wife he prayed her to carry his head after his death vpon her bare feete into a great fire in witnes of the integritie of her husband which she performed nether that head nor yet her body being hurt any whit at all Which the Emperor seeing he commanded the Empresse to be cast into the fire Thus God permitted that this terrible chasticement shauld befall her not only for this calumnie and filthie desire but also for that she had somtimes abandoned her body to a young youth disguised like a wenche who serued her for a chamber maide and was also burnet aliue by the commandement of the Emperor but she receiued pardon by the intercession of the princes and Lordes of the court The 2. Chron. Gotscalcus Holenser 23. p. Hyem Licosthemes in theatro mundi D. Antonin p. 2. tit 6. c. 3. Baron anno 998. Iacobus Serada in thes Imp. Krantz l. 4. Saxon. c. 26. 13. Raimond of Capua confessar to S. Catharin of Sienna writeth that this Saint could nether see nor abide to come neere those which were infected with the sinne of the flesh that if she spake with them she was enforced to stop her nose Sur. 20. of Ian. 14. Palladius writeth that S. Pachomus hauing giuen a box on the eare vnto the diuell which appeared vnto him in the forme of an Ethiopian had his hande so infected that he spent more then two yeares to take away the stink therof In his Lausiaca 15. S. Euthimius Abbot as Cyrillus Monke writeth in his life passing by one who had consented to a dishonest thought smelt such a stinke that he supposed him selfe to haue bene posest of the diuell See before a terrible and fearfull historie of this matter in the 3. cap. example 3. and another in the 4. cap. § 2. example 6. and in the 2. booke cap. 2. § 2. Loe here the gayne and reward which is got by this sinne for a beastly pleasure and which lasteth so litle plunging ones selfe into so many euills temporall and eternall Let vs say with that wise Pagan Demosthenes I will not buy a repentance at so deare a price Agell noct Act. l. 1. c. 8. §. 4. Particular Considerations against the sinne of voluntarie Pollution It is with great griefe that I speake at all of this sinne yea that I doe so much as name it because it is so enorme and detestable yet so it is that I cannot altogether ommit the same for that it is o heauie case so coÌ„mon and so vniuersall Hearken hereupon to Cardinal Toletus The sinne of voluntarilie pollution is amongst al others the most difficult to be amended and this by reason that one hath alwaies with him the occasion for to fall therein and is so vniuersall that I beleeue that the most part of those that goe to hell are damned for the same sinne l. 5. Instruct sacerd c. 13. Ioannes Benedictus in his Summe vpon the 6 commandement of the deâ—alogue writen after Conradus Clinâ—ius be it that the same be knowen by reuelauelation or else by experience that those which are habituated in this sinne as many yeares as our Lord liued that is to say thirtie three are incurable and as it were without hope of their saluation vnles that God doe succour them by a maruellous rare and extraordinarie grace This is that which this author saith But touching the sinne it selfe accordinge to the minde of the Cardinall before alleadged there is no better remedy then to be confessed often to communicate twice or thrice aweeke and this vnto the same confessar Note all this Christian and if euer thou felst into this curssed sinne resolue to rise out of it from this very instant that thou readest this page for feare lest habituating thy selfe therin thou canst not afterwardes rid thee thereof and that thou twist not by litle and litle the netts and vnloosable lines which draw thee in the end into the abisse of mischiefe and eternall torments For accordinge to the Apostle Effeminat nor liers with mankinde shal not possesse the kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. EXAMPLES 1.
c. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 6. Eccl. 11. Zachar 8. Mat. 6. Pro. 22. The Apostle S. Paul calleth it the seruice of Idols Colos 3. 5. And to the Ephes 5. 5. They that will be made riche fall into tentation and the snare of the diuell and many desires vnprofitable and hurtfull which drowne men into destruction and perdition for the roote of all euils is couetousnes 1. Tim. 6. 9. Nothing is more wicked then the couetous man Eccl. 10. 9. S. Bonauenture compareth the couetous man vnto the hog for euen as the hog is nothinge worth so long as he is a liue and is only profitable when he is dead euen so the couetous man is nothing worth so long as he liueth because he keepeth all to him selfe and doth no good to any body vntil he be dead for then he giues his soule to the diuells his body to the wormes and his welth to his kinsfolkes S. Bon. in diaeta salutis tit 1. c. 6. The scripture likewise compares him to one sick of the dropsie who the more he drinketh the dryer he is the more he hath the more he would haue Eccl. 5. 9. S. Gregorie of Nazian compares the couetous to the cursed Tantalus who is pictured by the poets plunged in the infernall waters as high as the chinne and dies for drithe and hauing the Apples of delight hanging nere their nose can not eate them The couetous also beare their hell in their owne bosome and doe endure it the more riches they swallow the more they thirste the more they abound in victualls and foode the more are they famished Is not this a hell in this world to be oppressed with sleepe vpon a bed of fethers and to be enforced to watch To be pinched with extreame hungar at a table full of good meates and not to be able to eate To burne with thirst hauing the goblets full of delicious wine hard at his mouth and not able to drinke Beâ—hould the hell which the miserable couetous doe endure is there then a more miserable sinne in the whole worlde EXAMPLES 1. Giesi Elias seruant was for his couetousnes punished with leprosie 4. Reg. 5. 27. 2. Iudas egged by auarice sould his master for thirtie pence after hunge him selfe burst asunder in the midst and gaue his bowells to the earth and his damned soule to the diuels Mat. 26. 14. 27. 5. 3. Ananias and Saphira retayning the halfe of their goodes thorough auarice dyed both one after another with soddanie death Act. 5. Achan in Iosue 7. of Saul 1. Reg. 15. 20. Of Achaâ— and Iesabell 3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 9. 4. During the Empire of Constantine sonne of Heraclius there was in Constantinople a riche man who being in danger of death gaue to the poore thirtie pounds of gold but recouering after he repented him selfe of his almes A certaine friend of his endeuored to take this sadnes from him but seing that he profited not he said vnto him I am ready to restore you your thirtie poundes vpon condition that you shal say in the Church in my presence Lord it was not I that gaue the almes of thirtie poundes but this is he He accepted it and said it But o incomparable secret of the iustice of God as he thought to goe forth of the Church with his mony he fell to the ground starke dead Baron tom 7. annal an 553. ex Cedreno Raderus ex Menoeo Grecorum 5. A woman vnder the cloke of pietie and religion hauing made a great many of pilgrimages to holie places she had gathered together a great deale of mony which she fayned to be for the redeeming of prisoners for the necessitie of the poore â—he hid the same vnder the ground within her house that none but her selfe should singar the same Her daughter was askt what her mother had done with her mony And because she could tel no tydinges they sought so long that at last they found it The Bishop caused it to be carried to the graue of this couetous woman and to be cast vpon her carkas About midnight most pittifull cryes were heard to issue forth of the hollow places of that sepulcher and a voice which said with a lamentable accent My gold burnes me my gold burnes me These cryes lasted three whole daies at the end wherof they opened the graue a fearfull thinge and saw the gold that had beene there laid all melted and in flames to runne into the mouth of this wicked woman S. Greg. of Tours reports the same l. 1. of the glorie of Martirs c. 106. 6. S. Atoninus writeth that an aâ—aritious man admonished of his parents and friends being sick euen to death to confes him selfe answered I haue no hart how then will you that I confes And that you thinke not that I doe but ieste goe to my coffre you shall finde it amidst my gold wherin I haue put my whole hope This said he died without any repentance His coffre is visited and iust as he said his hart was found amidst his gold so true it is which our B. Sauiour somtimes said Where thy treasure is there is thy hart also Mat. 6. S. Ant. in Summa 2. p. tit 1. c. 4. § 6. 7. Behould another like case arriue vnto a couetous man whose hart was found in his coffre after his death betwixt the clawes of a Dragon which lay vpon the gold and siluer saying that hart was geuen vnto him by the dead during his life In Gabr. Inchinoser 1. of the puritie of hart 8. Another being at the point of death could neuer be induced to be confest but as soone as he saw the priest depart he called his wife and caused a platter full of gold to be brought vnto him to which he said Thou art my gold in thee it is that I doe hope let the Priests say what they please thou art it that shouldst asist me Hauinge said these wordes he bowed his head into the platter and there rubbing it amidst the gold which he kist and adored for his idoll he so died miserably Extracted out of the annales of the societie 9. Such another also was he of the cittie of Constance recounted by Niderus and Pinelli who falling sick of set purpose to spare his mony caused him selfe to be carried to the hospitall And seeing him selfe neere his end caused to be made him some pease pottage and cast his gold into the same hauing stird it with his spoone endeuored to swallow it downe but he choked him selfe and died before he had eate it vp Pinelli pag. 1. c. 5. 10. Reginherus bishop of Misne haueing buried his treasure in his own chamber was found on the morrow laid theron with his face against the ground and starke dead Lambert Schafnabur apud Baron to 11. anno 1067. O strange and tragicall deathes of couetous parsons §. 3. Of the sinne of Luxurie Luxurie is a disordinate appetite of carnall pleasure her daughters are
Innocentia hauing had a cankre vpon her breast was tould of a principall phisitian that there was no maner of meanes for to heale her She then seeing her selfe vtterly destitute of humane helpe resolued to haue recourse vnto God Hereupon our Lord said in her sleepe vnto her that towardes the holy feast of Easter she should goe nere to the baptismall fontes and that the first baptised mayden or wife that she should meete should make the signe of the Crosse vpon her breast She beleeued this councell which being done she found her selfe perfectly healed Aug. l. 22. ciuit c. 8. 6. Tilmanus Bredembachus recounteth in his conferences that an heretique going from Geneua to Lausania in the companie of a Catholique the heauens were troubled vpon a soddaine with abundaÌ„ce of thunder-claps and of lightninge The Catholique according to the pious custome of the Christians armed and blest him selfe with the signe of the Crosse which the heretike seeing asked him in scoffing at him if he did the same to driue away the flies But this his blasphemy escaped not without present punishment for scarcely had he pronounced those wordes but that the thunder began to redouble its blowes and stroke him with a bolt which slew him outright vpon the place without any hurt in the worlde vnto the Catholique l. 7. col sacr c. 58. What say you o you scoffing heretiques vnto these maruelles of the Crosse But behould here more 7. A certaine Witch confessing one day vpon the rack her wicked witchcraft said that she had bene carried aboue fiftie times by the diuell to kill the litle sonne of one of her kinred which was as yet in the cradle but that she neuer had any power ouer him for that his mother before she laid him downe made alwaies the signe of the Crosse vpon his forehead Bartholomeus Spineus master of the sacred palace quest de stigibus l. 17. seq Martinus Delrio disq mag l. 2. q. 10. Loe what a goodly example this is for you fathers and mothers 8. Editha daughter to the Kinge of England hauing all her life this for a custome to make vpon all occasions the signe of the Crosse with her thuÌ„be vpon her forehead when her body was taken vp thirteene yeares after her death S. Dunstan founde that her eyes her handes and her feete being rotten the thumbe only of the right hande wherwith she was wont to blesse her selfe still remayned whole and entire Surâ—us in her life tom 5. 16. Sept. e. 4. 5. Pet. de natal l. 11. c. 70. What can be more cleare to proue that to make the signe of the Crosse is a thinge marueillouslie aggreable to almightie God THE II. CHAPTER Of Prayer and Thanksgiuing which a Christian ought to make morning and euening before and after meate And of the inuocation of our B. Lady of our Angell Gardian and our other Patrons AS the night and sleepe are not giuen to man but for the ease and rest of the body a for that our enimie the diuell sleepeth not whilst we sleepe b ether to strangle vs if we be in sinne or to fill vs with dreames and filthie illusions if we be in grace And seing that the day is not giuen vs but to worke our saluation c and yet can do nothing d say nothing e thinke f nor haue anything without the asistaÌ„ce of almighty God from whom we haue our being mouing life g doth it not follow that it is more theÌ„ reason altogether necessarie to haue recourse vnto God in al seasons especially in the morning to passe the day profitably and in the euening to auoide the dangers of the night h And if an humble acknowledgment be the meanes to draw and attract new benefits i how much ought we to thanke the diuine bountie which from moment to moment bestoweth vpon vs so many fauors giftes and graces Consider moreouer that he who will obtaine any fauor of a Kinge is wonte after he hath presented some request vnto him to repaire to the Queene and to such other courtiers as are most highest in his fauor iudge theÌ„ if it be not the part of a wise man after he hath preseÌ„ted his prayer vnto God to haue recourse to our B. Lady k the Queene of Angells and mother of God to the holy Angells and l particularly to him that keepes him m and next vnto the other Saintes n but aboue al others to those of whom one beareth the reliques or their name or else hath taken them for his especiall patrons all which doe loue vs with a most perfect charitie o and can preuaile exceedinge much with almightie God p as those which are his courtiars his domesticalls and his fauorits q a S. Bernard ad fratres de monte Dei b Mat. 13. 25. 1. Pet. 5. 8. c Luc. 19. 13. d Ioan. 15. 5. Phil. 2. 13. e 1. Cor. 12. 3. f 2. Cor. 3. â— g Art 17. 28. h Psal 90. 6. i Cassiod in psal in epist k Chrisost Gen. Hom. 9. l Ber. in serm in Nat. B. Mariae m Amb. l. de viduis n Heb. 1. 14. Tob. 12. Apoc. 8. 3. o Iob. 5. 1. psal 150. 1. p Ber. ser 2. de S. Vict. q ibid in vigil Pet. Paul Apost r Damas l. 4. de orthod fide c. 16. §. 1. Of the prayer which a Christian ought to make morning and euening It is a thinge vnbeseeming a Christian who nether sleepeth nor waketh but for the glorie and seruice of almightie God to employ together with the night a part also of the day in slouthfull sleeping and to lye a bed without necessitie especially then when all creatures euen the vnreasonable doe laude and praise their Creator euery one after his kinde and that artificers for the pelfe and goods of this present worlde are busied about their worke from the breake of the day How much is one houre worth to him which liueth not saue only to negociat his saluation And what losse is it to loose that which is worth so much and neuer can be recouered againe Ber. serm ad scolares It is enough to sleepe seauen houres both to youÌ„g old saith the prouerb Loue not sleepe lest pouertie oppresse thee saith the wisman Pro. 20. 13. S. Bernard saith Take heede as much as possible thou maist that thou giue not thy selfe wholie to sleepe lest that which ought to serue for repose to the wearied body and for reparation of the spirit serue for the burying of the body and for the extinction of the spirit Ad fratres de monte As soon as thou art awake make the signe of the Crosse and say this short prayer much recommended by S. Iohn Chrisostome ser 21. ad pop Antioch I renounce the diuell and rely vpon thee o Iesus Christ who art the way the truth the life and by this meanes thou shalt present and giue thy first thought to almighty God which the diuel laboureth and casteth how to carry away At
Her the eldest sonne of Iudas was kild by the deuill Asmodeus and dyed an horrible death as Abulensis writeth as also his brother Onan for that retiringe him selfe in the coniugall act they polluted them selues Gen. 38. 7. And the scripture speakinge of Onan saith Therfore our Lord strooke him weigh well these wordes because he did a detestable thinge If God punished in this sort these two bretheren in an age so rude wherin there was so litle knowledge of the goodnes of God and malice of sinne how thinke you will he punish those which beinge enlightned with the light of the euangellicall gospell doe commit this detestable sinne 2. The admirable S. Christine saw vpon a day in spirit all the whole world repleat and drowned in this sinne and that for this cause God prepared most terrible scourges wher with to punish them who to the end to auert these horrible scourges he afflicted and chasticed him selfe with diuers horrible and strange punishments P. Cornel. a Lapide in c. 38. Gen. 7. Take heede sinner for it is a horrible thinge to fall into the handes of the liuing God Heb. 10. See the 7. cap. of this 1. booke § ◠§. 5. Of the sinne of Enuie Enuie is a sadnes and hatred at the good and felicitie of another of superiors for that one is not their equall of inferiors for feare lest one be made equall to them of like because that one is equall to them Canis ex Aug. l. 11. de Genes ad lit 6. 14. Prosper sent 292. Her daughters are hatred whispering detraction leaping of the hart at others aduersities and afliction of spirit for their prosperitie The Enuious are like vnto the diuell for the wiseman saith By the enuie of the diuell death entred into the worlde and they follow him that are of his part Sap. 2. 24. Where Enuie is saith the Apostle S. Iames there is contention inconstancie and all sorts of wicked workes Iac. 3. 16. There is nothing more pernitious in the whole worlde then Enuie who hurtes none but its owne author S. Basil Hom. 11. var. argument Enuie saith S. Cyprian is the roote of all euills the fountaine of all misfortunes the schoole or seminarie of sinnes Serm. de zelo liuore S. Bonauent are saith that Enuie is as the worme to the wood the rust to the iron the mothe to the garment In diaeta salutis tit 1. c. 4. S. Basil compareth the Enuious to vipers who teare and kill their owne mothers Supra S. Chrisostome vnto madde or enraged dogges Hom. 41. in Mat. EXAMPLES Consider the grieuousnes of this vice by its effects 1. By Enuie Caine slew his brother Abell Gen. 4. 2. Iacobs children sould their own brother Gen. 37. 3. Saul seeing that Dauid was more extolled then him selfe sought to kill him and in the end kild him selfe 1. Reg. 18. 31. 4. A man enuyinge the honor which kinge Assuerus had done to Mardocheus conspired his death and the vtter ruine of all the Iewes but all fell vpon his owne head for he him selfe was hanged vpon the same gibbet which he had set vp for him and all his race and kinred was put to the sword Hester 7. 5. Finally it was this cursed Enuie which incited the Iewes to procure the death of the Sonne of God the author of life Loe from what degree of malice this vice doth throwe downe its owne seruant §. 6. Of Gluttonie and Drunkennes Gluttonie is a disordered appetite of eating and drinking S. Greg. lib. 30. Moral c. 27. S. Bernard l. de passione Dom. c. 42. Her daughters are immoderat laughter babling scurillitie filthines and impudicitie with stupiditie of the sences and vnderstanding l. 31. morall c. 31. Aug. l. 30. c. afore alleadged S. Gregorie declareth fiue maners or fashions by which one falleth into this vice 1. Preuenting the time to eate and drinke so Ionaâ— has sinned the sonne of Saul 1. Reg. 14. 27. 2. Seeking for delicate and exquisite meates and drinkes as did the Israelites Num. 11. 4. 3. Commanding to prepare season meates albeit common with extraordinary licorish sauces like the sonne of Hely 1. Reg. 2. 4. Exceeding in the quantitie and measure as did the Zodomites Ezech. â—6 49. 5. Eating with ouer much greedines base and grosse meates as Esau did his dishe of pottage Gen. 25. 33. Let vs now see what the holy scriptures say Of surfet many haue dyed but he that is abstinent shall adde life Eccl. 37. 34. 31. 36. Psal 77. 29. 30. 31. Num 11. 33. Deut. 32. 15. 24. 32. 33 Pro. 21. 17. Looke well to your selues lest perhaps your harts be ouer-charged with surfeting and drunkennes Luc. 21. 34. A workman that is a drunkard shall not be riche Eccl. 19. 1. To whom is woe to whose father woe to whom broyles to whom ditches and dangers to whom woundes without cause to whom blood shedding eyes Is it not to them that passe their time in wine and studdy to drink out their cuppes Pro. 23 29. By wine is to be vnderstood all that which may make one drunke No drunkards shall posesse the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. Gal. 5. 21. O see 4. 11. Pro 31. 4. Eccl. 19. 1. â— Woe to you that rise vp early to follow drunkennes and to drinke euen vnto euening Isay 5. 11. 22. 13. Pro. 23. 20. Amos 6. 6. Luc. 6. 25. Are not these thunder-darting sentences which the spirit of God doth launche forth against drunkards Let vs see if the holy fathers doe say any lesse S. Basill saith that drunkennes is a voluntarily deuill Hom. 14. The drunkard is worse then the Asse saith S. Chrisostom For an Asse can neuer be induced nether by faire meanes nor yet by force to drinke more then may suffice his thirst but the drunkard bursts him selfe with drinking without thirst or necessitie Hom. 29. in Mat. Where drunkennes is saith this Saint in another place there is the diuell Hom. 57. ad pop Ant. If this vice be so detestable in a man how much is it in a mayden or a woman A woman giuen to drunkennes is great anger saith the wiseman Eccle. 26. 11. and her contumelie and turpitude shall not be hid There is nothing more villanous and infamous then a drunken woman saith 5. Chrisostom Hom. 16. in Mat. 71. ad pop EXAMPLES 1. Noe being drunke presently was infamously vncouered mocked and dishonored by his owne sonne Gen. 9. 21. 22. 2. Lot being drunke fell into double incest Gen. 19. 33. c. 3. Holofernes readie to burst with wines and aboundance of other meates had his head cut off with his owne sword by a woman and his soule cast into the eternall flames Iudith 11. 12. 13. 4. Balthasar kinge of Babilon making him selfe drunke with his concubines and curtisans saw his sentence of death written with the fingar of God vpon the wall and the same night it was executed Dan. 5. 5. The rich glutton
a reasin at a weddinge Plato Foulques Count of Aniou runinge after a Hare Cardinal Columnus vice-Roy of Naples in the time of Charles â—he fift tasting of Figges refresht in yce gaue vp the ghost betwixt the armes of his seruants P. Coton in the sermon of death And that foolish Richman in the gospell who thought him selfe so sure of his health and of his substance heard he not all vnexpected the sentence of his soddaine death Luc. 12. Finally deceiue not thy selfe for death slayeth in euery place Aristobulus in the bathe The Apostata Emperor amidst his armie Philippes by the Altar Caligula in a caue vnder ground Carloman a hunting Cesar in the senat Erricus by his mother Alboinus by his wife Ariston by his seruants Baiazeth by his sonne Mustapha by his father Conrad by his brother and Cato by him selfe EXAMPLES OF THOSE who refrained from sinne by the remembrance of death 1. A certaine brother Conuerse an Alman called Leffard hauing for many yeares exercised the office of a porter in his monasterie at the last debauched him selfe thinking that notwithstanding his nobilitie and decrepid age he was still put vnto so base an office he who might be in pleasures and delightes in the worlde and so resolued to leaue his monasterie and his habit Now as he was on a night in this fond fansie waytinge for the breaking of the day ro runne his way behould a venerable old man which appeared vnto him and commanded him to follow him the which he did They came at the last to the gate of the Church which opened of its owne accord from thence they went into the church-yard where they were not so soone entred but all the graues opened of them selues The old man caused this religious to draw nere to the one and shewed him the carion that was therin Seest thou quoth he this man Thou shalt be like vnto him within a while why then wilt forsake thy cloister From thence he would haue led him to another but Laffard had conceiued such horror at the sight of that one the he besought the old man to bringe him back vnto his dortorie swearing vnto him that from that time forward he would neuer more thinke of departinge thence which he performed Vincent de Bauuais in his miroir Hist. P. Albertinus in his treatise of our Angell Gardien c. 6. O how many such repentants would there be at this present day in the worlde if only by a serious reflection of spirit they would looke downe in to the sepulcher Arise and goe downe into the potters house said God our Lord vnto leremie that is to the church yardes and sepulchers where the pots of earth that is bodies are turned into earth by the almightie hande of him that made them and there thou shalt heare my wordes Ierem. 18. 2. 2. A younge effeminat fellow who could by no meanes or reason be brought into the right way was at lenght visited of a good religious man who at his departing from him said vnto him Vnder thee shall the mothe be strawed and wormes shall be thy couering Isay 14. 11. and therupon withdrew him selfe These wordes though few yet were not spoken in vaine for this young man imprinted them so profoundly in his hart that whasoeuer he did he could not thinke of any other thinge Hence by litle and litle he had a holy disgust of the worlde and in the end quite forsooke it and became religious Plautus l. 3. de bono stat relig c. 38. 3. Theodosius chiefe superior of a monastery taught his disciples for the first foundation of a religious life to haue euer before their eyes the remembrance of death And to this effect commanded them euery one to make him a graue the sight whereof should reduce to their mindes that they must die Sur. tom 1. Ribad 11. of Ian. ex Metaphrast 4. Lord Francis of Borgia Duke of Gandia and vice-Roy of Catalognia by one only sight of the dead body of the Empresse Isabella wife to Charles the fift was so touched that he resolued from that time to forsake the worlde and within a while after hauing geuen order to his affaires entred into the Societie of Iesus and therin died the third Generall leauing to all persons great opinion of his sanctitie Tom. 1. Hist of the Societie 5. A noble Knight named Rouland hauing passed a whole day in feasting and dancing as he was returned to himselfe he fell to consider how al the pleasures of that day were past and vanished and that all the rest that he could take would slide away in the same maner and in the end what shall I haue said he within him selfe what will all these vanities auaile me These thoughtes lasted him the whole night and made such a breach in his hart that the morning being come he went and askt the habit of the Friar Preachers receiued it liued dyed therin most holily Plautus as before 6. A certaine Damosell wholy giuen vnto vanities refused all the pennances which her CoÌ„fessar proposed vnto her but at the last she accepted this as the most easie of all the rest in her opinion to say within her selfe as often as she washt her handes This flesh shall be eaten vp of wormes she performed it and with such good successe that she whollie changed her selfe within a while after and became so virtuous as she had bene vitious and as exemplar as she had bene scandalous P. Coton in his sermon of death 7. A monke of Egipt being vpon the point to satisfie his sensuallitie was hindred by the remembrance of death as he confest him selfe to S. Iohn Climacus 8. Another which had liued very licentiously and scandalously fell sick was reduced to the point of death yea held for dead And hauing bene an houre in that estate he came to him selfe and presently besought his companions to withdraw them selues and to stop and damme vp his chamber dore with stones The which was done and so shut vp liued there for twelue yeares without speakinge to any person and eating nothinge but bread and water hauing his eyes continually fixt vpon the selfe same place with aboundance of teares At last when he was to die his fellowes brake a passage into his chamber and praid him to giue then some wordes or councell of edification Pardon me said he vnto them for no man can euer sinne who doth effectually remember him of his death S. Iohn Climachus as an eye witnes relateth the same in his booke intituled Scala coeli grad 6. 9. M. Guido Priest of Niuelle being Regent at Schonege in Hainault hauing thorough curiositie cast his eye a litle too fixedlie vpon a woman was in such wise tempted that for the space of three yeares he could doe nothinge but thinke of her although she was dead And seing that this tentation was most perillous vnto him to surmount the same he went by night to open the graue of the same woman being slidden