off theyr hands 19. Then shall they all bee heard to sing a song of glory to the victorious King their voice shall bee heard in all the parts of the earth and the memory of thy singular goodnesse and infinite mercy shall bee engraued in mens mindes to passe from age to age euen to their last posteritie when the earth shall bee consumed the waters dryed vppe the firmament vanished away and the heauens come to an end euen then shall men sing forth the glory of the eternall God 20. The eternall GOD who hath vouchsafed from the highest heauens to cast his eyes downe to the depths of the earth to take notice of the torments of poore captiues deteined in the prisons of hell who hath heard their gronings and made haste to vnbinde and deliuer these poore wretched prisoners and their whole posterity Death had ouercome them with the weapons of sinne and confined them in his darke prisons but the God of life hath vanquished death and set them all at liberty 21. To the end ô Lord that they may declare thy praise in Sion and preach thy mercy in Ierusalem But though euery one of them had an hundered mouthes and a voyce as strong as thy thunder they should neuer bee able to attaine to the greatnesse of thy glorie All the parts of the world doe conspire together but to represent in their motion some part of thy power and infinite goodnesse and yet they shall misse the marke for they are bottomlesse pitts and more then bottomlesse pitts which haue neither banke nor bottome and which must onely bee look't vpon a farre off 22. Bee pleased then ô my God that thy people assembled together and revnited in body and minde doe deuoutly offer vnto thee the holy desire and will which they haue to honor thee for the effect it selfe can in no sort draw neer to thy desert Take it in good worth ô Lord that the Kings of the earth doe come and humble themselues before thee to pay the homage and seruice which is due vnto thee as to their souerain Lord. They shall lay their scepters on the ground and their crownes at their feete and shall present thee with a sacrifice of humble deuotion and an innocent conscience I will be the first ô my God that will prostrate my selfe before thee to adore and serue thee with my whole heart I will settle my thoughts on thee onely vnto thee alone will I consecrate my spiritte Quicken it ô Lord to the end that it beeing purified by the holy heat of thy charity it may receaue into it selfe like a well-pollished looking-glasse the Image of thine incomprehensible beauty and perfection and that it may feele the reflection of thy sincere affection so as thine infinite goodnes may make it one of the number of thine elect to bee a coheire with them of eternall life 23. I doe now already feele ô my God that thou hast enlightned my soule by thy grace and hast shewed me the mercy which thou wilt offer to all the children of the earth my spirit hath already seene from a farre off how readily thou walkest to deliuer the world which was in danger of death before thine arriuall that was the cause why thou heardest it cry out vnto thee saying tell me ô Lord the number of my yeares and what time thou wilt giue an end to my daies 24. Cut not of the thred of my life ô Lord at the first or second turne of the wheele shorten it not in the middest of his course stay my God til the time be come when as thou wilt open the treasures of thy graces to giue a largesse of saluation vnto men or if at the least thou hast determined of mine end and that my life cannot bee so farre stretched out yet remember my posterity and cause him to bee borne of my stocke who by his comming shall sanctifie the world 25. In very deed ô Lord I know that in the beginning thou diddest make heauen and earth and all that excellence which wee see in this world is the worke-man-shippe of thy hands 26. But all that shall weare away like an ouer-worne garment men shall seeke after and enquire what is become of it but it shall bee no more found it hath beene made and it shal be vndone it had a beginning and must needs haue an end but thou alone ô Lord which art from all eternity shalt remayne for euer at one stay Age and time which consumes all things doe but confirme thine essence and publish thy diuinity and it seemeth vnto me that men are borne vpon the earth to none other end but to behold on the one side thine incomprehensible greatnes and their owne weakenes on the other 27. Men shift not shirts so often as one selfe-same land doth oftentimes change hir inhabitants the one pusheth on another and all is renued in a moment But thou art yet my God to day the same that thou wert at the beginning Euery Prouince of the earth makes mention of a great number of Kings which haue commaunded therein one after another but heauen and earth doe continually sing vnto vs that thou hast alway beene alone euer like thy selfe and that neither the time past nor that which is to come can in any sort change thee 28. Yet notwithstanding ô Lord that we must part hence I doe not lose my hope to taste one day of the sweet fruite which will heale vs of this contagious disease which our first parents haue communicated to vs by eating of the fruite of sinne and death For our children shall succeed vs and thou wilt doe vs this fauour ô Lord to continue our posterity from age to age vntill that all of vs together doe appeare in thy presence not to receaue a rigorous iudgement but to enter by the merrits and intercession of thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiour into the inheritance of eternall blessednesse which shal be purchaced for all thy faithfull ones by the adoption of thy sonne in the house of thy seruant Dauid De profundis Psalme 129. FRom the bottome of the deepes I haue cried vnto thee oh my God being buried and lost in the most fearefull cauernes of the earth I haue called vpon thy name listen to my voyce and giue eare vnto my praier for all hope of aide was taken from mee I saw nothing round about me but feare and trembling and yet notwithstanding I was not discourraged but haue expected from thee that which thou hast promised to all those which shall liue in the feare of thy name and in the obedience of thy commandements 2. Lend then a fauourable eare ô Lord vnto my prayer if sinne haue set it selfe betwixt thee and mee to whet thee on against mine iniquitie and to make thee an enemy to my request chace it away from the aspect of thine eye of mercy or else ô Lord shut for a while the eye of thy iustice vntill that thine eare of clemencie hath receiued
the Lord hath heard my prayer my teares haue ouercome his wrath and loe I enioy the frute of his holy fauor The brightnesse of his goodnesse hath shined vpon me and behold the mists wherin my head was wrapped are on a sodaine scattered and vanished away 9. I had skarce opened my lips to inuoke his ayde my heart did skarcely dispose it selfe to craue his pardon when as I felt his grace to bee shed vpon me to comfort and quicken my languishing soule euen as an hot bath doth the members of a poore Pilgrime tired with trauell oh incredible clemency how comes it to passe O Lord that thou art so ready to forgiue I ranne on to offend thee and thou came'st flying to giue me pardon I haue employed all the dayes of my life to seeeke both by sea and land matter for my ambition auarice and licentiousnes and after that I had engulphed and lost my selfe in mine owne pleasures thou pearced'st in a momēt the heauens and clowdes and cam'st to deliuer me So as now I triumphe ouer my sinne which followes the tropheis of my penitency the which hath found fauour in thy fight And in this manner my hope which mine offences had almost smothered is reuiued more then before doth promise me not onely the Empires of the world which houer where the Lord enclineth them but openeth the highest heauens vnto me and assureth mee after an happie life in this world the enioying of diuine immortallity What shall then mine enemies doe now when they shall see such felicity heaped vpon me They shall blush for shame and shall by greatly troubled in their mindes they shall retire themselues all confounded and astonished For he whome they thought to destroy is raised higher then euer he was Alas they mocked mine ashes they iested at my fasts they flouted my teares and whilest by abstinence I tamed my flesh the true enemy to my soule they did swimme in worldly delights but loe the arme of God was ready to thunder on their insolency ô my God giue them leasure to perceaue the extreame danger wherein they are and to begge from an high the onely remedy for their disease and as for me who feele my selfe purified from those filthinesses which compassed mee about which feele my soule enflamed with the fire of thy charity teach my lippes to set forth thy prayses adresse my voyce to resound thy mercy and direct mine affection to loue thee sincerely and to establish her cheefe happinesse and highest felicity in the knowledge of thy truth Beati quorum Psalme 31. HOw happy my God are those whose offences thou hast pardoned and whose sinns thou hast buried in a tombe of forgetfulnesse For alas what can become of him whom thou causest to endure the iust punishment for his sinnes an armie of miseries enuirons him pouerty assailes him sicknesse afflicts him famine oppresseth him and death it selfe which he thinketh to bee the hauen of this tempestuous nauigation is the bottomlesse pit to draw him into eternall torments 2. Thrice and foure times happy then are they of whom God demandeth none account of their actions but is satisfied so that they humble themselues before him acknowledging their infirmity and opening vnto him the depths of their hearts For his mercy is to bee called vpon by true confession and sincerity of conscience hee that will be heard must humble himselfe before him As hee which goeth to a fountaine puts downe the mouth of his vessell before hee can fill it with liqour in like manner it behooueth him to cast himselfe down before his creator which will draw and taste of the water of this sacred fountaine from whence distilleth the humour which alone can cleanse and purge our consciences 3. I did thinke sometimes oh my God to hide my faults from thee haue said vnto my selfe How can hee tell or not what I haue done In this manner my sinne waxed old in my bones and like the sores of a sick man who is ashamed and dares not shew his disease to the surgeon they doe increase and waxe worse till the whole body perrish in like manner the sinnes which I haue hidden from thee haue wholy infected me 4. But at the last thou hast in such sort day and night layde thy heauy hand vppon mee and hast caused mee to taste so many kindes of misfortunes betwixt which my soule liueth without rest quelled with a continual pricking in my consciēce which pierceth the very bottom of my heart as I haue acknowledged my falt the which I now carry in my hand Take notice of it ô my GOD but not in thine anger for the streaming teares which haue quenched with weeping the light of mine eyes ought likwise also to haue extinguished the heate of thy iust indignation And then am I not the worke of thine hands and that which is more the liuely image of thy diuinity who is hee so transported with choller which will breake in peeces the workmanship which hee hath so much delighted to polish and bring to perfection because it is a little foule and slubberd This image is loden with filthinesse I confesse but is it not much better to clense burnish it then to destroy it and tread it vnder foote 5. Teach me then my God what satisfaction I am to make for I haue now discouered vnto thee all those faults which before I did conceale The feare which possessed me then when I hid my selfe from thee now when I lay my selfe open vnto thee is turned into hope of fauor and pardon And now I cast my selfe into thine armes as my surest refuge with the selfe same countenance as the poore patient who shewing his wound to the Surgeon lookes attentiuely vpon him and manfully endureth the search and lancing for the desire and hope which hee hath to bee healed But that which giueth me most hope of health is that those vices wherein I delighted heertofore doe now make mee afraide to behold them as the meates where-with a man is stuffed in health doe afterwards make him sicke at the heart That which made mee fierce doth now make mee ashamed when I consider the danger of death wherevnto my pride had exposed my poore soule I thanke that day which first gaue mee the light to acknowledge my fault I did on that day my GOD receiue a singular testimony of thy goodnesse towards mee let it please thee then that the pleasure which I haue receyued in displeasing my selfe may continue with me as long as that which I tooke in my vices For if I can take as great contentment in my penitencie as I haue taken in my sinne my happinesse shall bee equall to that of thine Angels and by my humilation before thee I shall see my selfe exalted to the highest toppe of thy fauour 6. Who doubteth ô Lord that thou wilt not receiue mee to mercy thou whose meekenesse and benignity is not only vnspeakable but incomprehensible I did no sooner thinke of
returning vnto thee but thou diddest meete mee I did no sooner say that I would confesse my misdeeds but thou diddest grant mee pardon I did no sooner know what punishment belonged to my sinne but thou forgauest it I tooke the roddes in hand to chastice my flesh and thou tookest them from mee To bee short I thought that thou wouldest haue proclaimed war against mee and thou offeredst mee a charitable reconciliation Oh how much more rather ô Lord doost thou pardon then punish Can a good Father more louingly receiue his Childe which beggeth his pardon then thou hast receiued mee when I did cast my selfe at thy feete Mine heart also leapeth for ioy and boyleth with an holy heat to praise thy name it reioyceth in the fauor which thou hast shewed it accusing none but it selfe for what is past and cryeth out it is I which willed it it is I which haue done it it is I which tooke pleasure therein but my God was mercifull vnto mee 7. How could he haue refused me his mercy seeing Christ Iesus is my Aduocate and thy Saints whose prayer is so deere vnto him haue prayed doe pray and will continually pray vnto him for mee They are those who make intercession for mee who procure his fauour for mee who implore his goodnesse for in those prayers which they powre out for thy vniuersall Church I hope to haue my part They haue need alas to intercede for mee seeing that the impiety of my heart hath in such sort blinded mine vnderstanding by her euill thoughts as my soule could not looke vp towards heauen to lift vp her hand to him who onely can and will saue it what remained for mee more but that those whom thou drawest neere to thy selfe and whom thou hast receiued into the sacred consistory of thine eternity should beseech thee to haue pitty vppon mee Vpon me who a cheife enemy to my selfe haue neuer could nor would haue prayed vnto thee for mine offence I doe now then comfort my selfe for that thou hast opened mine eyes to see the lothsomnesse of my conscience for that thou hast mollified my heart to make true contrition to lodge therin If it hath not beene so soone as it shold it hath not at the leastwise beene so late but thou hast vouchsafed to receiue mee as thou art wont to doe those who let slippe no time of repentance 8. For those which make haste to sinne and do willingly neglect repentance when they perceiue their faults and haue meanes to doe it deferring till their liues end to craue thy mercy louing kindnesse and to make a deluge of their eyes they are in great danger of deceiuing themselues and true repentance cannot afterwards enter into their hardned hearts their sorrow will be like that of desperate people and thy mercy prooue deafe to their too late repentance 9. But I runne in time to thee as vnto the refuge and end of my hopes to my comfort in tribulation which hath enuironed mee in the same manner as the feare of death sezeth vpon him that is appointed to some shamefull punishment Cause mee then now to taste the pleasure which that man feeleth in his heart who is freed from Irons deliuered out of prison and defended from the punishment wherein his enemy hath a long time held him captiue And on the contrary let the enemy of my soule blush for shame when hee shall perceiue mee so deuoutly to craue the assistance of my God who with the onely twinckling of his eye can deliuer me from the voluntary bondage which I vowed to damnable voluptuousnesse at such time as I drank the sweet honney of delicious pleasures which it presented vnto mee with a deceitfull hand in the loathsome cuppe of this world 10. Alas when I call to minde the time that thou diddest thus returne vnto mee and when with that eye of mercy thou madest a signe vnto me of pardon mercy and saluation it seemeth vnto mee that I doe verily behold a cleere sunne-shine to arise amiddest the stormes and tempests of the sea who by little and little perceiuing the clowdes bringeth back a cleere and calme season and vniteth the raging waues of the water Euery houre I seeme to vnderstand that sweet and gracious word when thou diddest say Feare no more for behold my spirit shall direct thy pathes and shall not lose the sight of thee thou shalt walke now vnder his conduct who bringeth in pure cleane soules into my glorious kingdome So soone as I heard this word I fixed mine eyes on my guide like the attentiue Pilot on the shining starre that directeth the course of his Nauigation O God! how sweet shall that rest bee which I shall enioy after that I haue walked in those wayes which thou hast taught mee I which went astray out of the path which leadeth to thy holy Tabernacle I was already entred into the thick forrest of this world where such doe easily loose them selues who to enioy tho pleasure and sweetnesse of the shades doe flye from tho light of the day which should direct them in their iourney for soone dooth the fearfull face of night afright them and deliuers them for a prey vnto wilde beasts that cruelly teare deuoure them I did already wander in this Labyrinth and I was hopelesse to get forth of it but that thou diddest put the thred into my hand which brought mee out of this dangerous prison Be hold I am now at liberty to doe homage and seruice vnto that GOD which did deliuer mee to present vnto him his image pure and vndefiled and to acknowledge all those fauors which it hath pleased him to bestow on mee to proceed from his onely goodnesse Hee hath not onely heard mee aboue his other creatures giuing mee the vse of diuine reason but hee hath likewise among men lifted mee vp into a throne of honor and magnificence so that there was nothing left to perfect my happinesse but onely to bee able to know it and after that I had forgotten my selfe he did enlighten me by his holy light and gaue mee time and will to bewaile my life past and to amend in time to come 11. Doe then like mee that are my friends and haue recourse in time to his mercy for he himselfe calleth you into the way of saluation and bee not like to the stubborne Mule which kicketh against the spur hee wanteth reason knowledge and iudgement 12. For a bit is put into his mouth and he doth continually feele the spurre in his side In like manner if at the first warning which the Lord giues you to returne into his wayes you doe not obey his will hee will raine vppon you showers of calamities which will make you more miserable then misery it selfe 13. You see the starres which twinckle in the firmament the sand which lyeth on the Sea shoare but neither hath the sea so much sand nor the heauens so many starres as there are punishments prepared for the obstinate
to the afflicted which call vppon him hee forsakes him not neither day nor night so soone as sorrow hath humbled vs and caused vs to know what neede wee haue of him behold hee is at hand to saue vs. 18. The righteous indeede are afflicted with strange calamities and wee may in a maner say that they are the subiect of misery so many euills doe at once seeme to ouer-whelme them But it is onely to make the mercy of God the more illustrious notable in their behalfe For the greater that their tribulation is the brighter doth Gods pitty and compassion shine in their conseruation 19. Hee preserueth the least of their bones yea namely not an haire of their heads shall perish or be pluckt off but by his expresse will and he neuer wils it but for their good and saluation More-ouer a their wealth and store is vnder his protection and when hee pleaseth hee will multiply their riches hee will make his blessings to florish in their houses and hee will encrease their wealth and possessions aboue all enuy 20. On the contrary the life of the wicked shal be miserable If at the least-wise for to try theÌ„ to inuite them to returne vnto him he doth lend theÌ„ some wealth in this life hard and lamentable shall bee their death Death which shall turne them ouer to eternall torments Death which shall plung them in the botomlesse pitte of fires vnquencheable there to bee deuoured and neuer consumed there to bee euer languishing and neuer dead such shall bee the end of the wicked and of him which persecuteth the iust man 21. And thy poore seruants in the meane time whom thou hast so deerely redeemed out of the hands of death and sinne shall enioy in all happinesse the saluation which thou hast purchased for them and holding death and sinne in bands vnder their feete in the chaines of thy mercy they shal trust in thee so long as they shall remain in this worldly exile after that they are come forth of it they shall enioy that eternall blessednesse which thou hast promised them beholding in thy countenance that fountaine of brightnes goodnes and beauty wherwith thou diddest create heauen earth and al therein contained Noli Aeâ—ulari Psalme 36. IN regard that Gods prouidence which gouerneth the world oweth a recompence to euery man according as hee hath deserued I am sometimes amazed to see how those whose onely study is to do euill do receiue so many fauours in this life and doe bath them-selues in so many kindes of pleasures But as my heart begins to swell and to bee despited in it selfe I feele as it seemeth vnto me the spirit of God which comes and toucheth me and plucking me by the eare it saith vnto me soft and faire soft and faire thou poore wretch thou losest thy selfe in this ouer-deepe and dangerous discourse comfort thou thy selfe in mee and enuie not the good of the wicked bee not iealous of those which worke iniquity 2. For that which thou thinkest to bee their felicity is but a vaine shaddow a false and deceitfull image which will bee lost betwixt their hands will flie away when they shall thinke to hold it fast As the hay which is mowen downe fades withers in a moment euen so in a moment shal the magnificence of the wicked lose his colour brightnesse The herbes in a garden are not so soone withered as thou shalt perceiue the riches of the wicked to fal away and perish Hast thou not beheld the flower Emerocall true beauty of a day which flourisheth with a crimson dye in the morning keepeth his coulour all day long and in the euening becomes so pale and withered as though it had bin bitten with the frozen teeth of winter The happinesse of the wicked if a deceitfull smile of an apparent felicity may be termed a happinesse doth properly resemble that flower for it is withered so sodainly is changed in so short a time and is transformed in such diuerse manner as it is a wonder to behold it 3. Put then thy trust in God and beleeue it the insolence of the wicked shall neuer continue so long as the diuine iustice shall beare rule and bee likwise assured that the iust man shall neuer bee forsaken what affliction so euer he be in Discourage not thy selfe but continue in wel doing for he which perseuers vnto the end shall be saued Dwell in the land which thy God hath giuen thee content thy selfe with the graces which he hath giuen thee and enter not into iudgment with him For thou shalt find in the end that the riches of the wicked are but giuen them to keepe 4. Reioyce thou in the hope which thou hast in thy God lay aside the melancholy which thou hatchest in thy soule which like rust eats consumes thy heart For when thy minde shall bee once purified and thy thoughts lifted vp to thy Lord he will accomplish all thy wishes will cause thee to enioy all that which y u art able to desire 5. But do not present thy selfe before him with wauering goe not vnto him with diffidence do not hide thy thoughts opeÌ„ the very bottom of thy heart before him discouer thy thoughts For it is impossible to deceiue him and it is dangerous to goe about it He seeth and noteth all things chiefly a double and vnbeleeuing heart the which aboue all things else hee detesteth but hee receiueth and embraceth the poore man that is humbled hee harkeneth to his prayer and giues him before hand that which he ment to ask 6. Nothing is wanting neither wealth nor honour vnto him which hath his fauour if thou please him once hee will cause the glory of thy righteousnesse to shine brighter then the day light and the equity of thy iudgments to glister like the mid-daies sunne For people on all sides shall be seene to come from thee blessing thy house for a temple of iustice praysing thy word for an oracle and reuerencing thee as the cause of their rest and liberty Euery one shall exalt thine integrity as the protector of good men and sure defence of the afflicted But the more honour and glory that thou receiuest humble thy selfe so much the more vnder the hand of thy GOD and acknowledge this good to come from him and yeeld him homage The homage which hee demandes of thee besides thy heart is but thy mouth and hands thy mouth to set foorth his praise thy hands to serue him according to his commandements 7. Loe this is that which the spirit of God told mee I communicate it to you my friends and make yeepertakers of these holy aduertisements to the end that if here-after you see any one to prosper in his affaires and yet to blaspheme in his life yee should not bee offended thereat nor be angry in your selues though hee which worketh iniquity do abound in all manner of wealth 8. Be quiet then in your minds
things acknowledged the goodnesse and mercy of God and the folly misery and infirmity of men 4. That is the reason why beeing wholy confounded in the admiration of his greatnesse and compassion of our owne weakenesse I thought good forthwith to listen vnto that which my soule taught me and to take carefull heed of those things the knowledge and truth whereof it shewed mee couertly and vnder a disguised forme And after I had carefully vnderstood and examined it I tooke my Harpe in hand and framing my voyce to the sweet tunes thereof I prepared my selfe to commit my conceits to the ayre and to cause my meditations to bee heard of all those which would giue eare vnto them to the end they might bee pleasing vnto God the author of such holy thoughts and serue for a wholsome instruction to the fauorable hearer of my discourse 5. If yee would then know what I said vnto my selfe it was thus what should I feare in the hardest time of my life whereof should I bee afraide though death did lay his hand vppon mee and tooke me out of this world Alasse death is a strange peece of worke I know not any one but would seare him seeing no man can defend himselfe from him How can I shield my selfe from his darts what rampiar can I make against his assaults which vndermines and ouerthrows houses castles Cittyes Kingdomes Empires which thretens the destruction of the world and will at the last giue end vnto himselfe no armour will preuaile but innocency Thereof will I make a strong shield of steele For vnles I looke well to my selfe the traitor sin deaths hired soldiar will dog me at the heeles he will lodge in my concupiscence and will turne mee ouer at the time of the fight into the hands of damnation 6. O deere and pretious innocency thou art onely our safety vnder thy trust wee constantly wayte for all that which may happen vnto vs and wee knowe thee to bee stronge enough to defend vs from death ô foolish madde men which forsaking this trusty protection do strengthen themselues in their power and greatnesse and highly account of their riches and magnificence They reckon vppe the nations which are vnder their gouernment they number the treasure which they haue vnder locke and key but how can all this defend them from death 7. If the brother cannot redeeme his brother with the price of his owne life if being willing to dye for him inexorable death will not accept thereof what shall man then giue vnto death for his owne ransome shal he giue those goods which are not his owne or the Empiers which dye with him nothing lesse God will by no meanes be appeased after he hath pronounced his iudgment against mortal men He will compound with no man man is his creature the clay of his earth from whom when he pleaseth he will draw that spirit which he breathed into him man hath nothing to say against it nor must not dispute with him 8. Let vs I pray you a little rate the price of mans soule let vs see what he will offer vnto God to redeeme it from him let him labour all his life time let him goe to the corners of the earth let him thrust his hands into the bowels of the mynes let him draw drye the golden dugges of both the Indies let him spoile the East of her pearles and hauing heaped all this together let him come and trafficke with God for the prolonging of his life It is eauen as though a prisoner should make offer to leaue his irons if he might haue his liberty Poore wretch that which thou thinkest to be thy safety is the window whereat death enters Death comes of sinne sinne from thy concupiscence thy concupiscence is nourished enflamed and encreased by those trumperies God will talke with thee when thow art starke naked as he sent thee into this world before he will capitulate with thee he wil haue thee to render that which thou hast stolne from him his goods which thou hast mispēt then thou maiest consider whether thou hast any thing of thine owne to pay the double yea the foure-fould for the punishment of thy euill life Alasse poore mad creature if thou commest once to that point what wilt thou say to death seeing that the wisest men haue bended their necks vnder his yoake Thou who neuer madest acount of any thing but of thy corruptible and perrishing ritches dost thou think to be preserued from corruption and the wise man who as much as in him lay did immortalize himselfe in this life and conuersed with the Angells could not shield himselfe from it thou seest him come to his end and yet thou hopest to be immortall no no the wise and the foolish dye both together yet for all that in a diuerse fashion for the wise mans death is but a passage at his returne hee shall finde his Tallent infinitely multiplyed the glory which hee sewed shall growe vp in aboundance and shall shaddow the generation of his children 10. But these poore blinded people who haue euer their eyes fixed on the ground their minde shut in their pursse who haue no more vnderstanding but to loue those things which loue nothing who neglect the Sunne and Moone the chiefe workes of nature to admire stones marble gold and siluer the excrements of the earth shall leaue the wealth which they so much loued and for which they hated all the rest You shall see them striue with death they would gladly drawe their wealth with them to the graue but death will strike them ouer their fingers and make them leaue off their hold Beeing halfe dead they shall open their eye liddes to beehold with halfe an eye their treasures but at the last they must marche away they must forsake all this trashe a stronger power hales them away But vnto whom shall they leaue this store Perhappes an vnknowne stranger shall bathe him-selfe in the sweate of this poore wretched creature vnto whom for a portion shall bee alotted a graue of fifteene or twenty foot at the most that must be his house let him dwell there if he will 〈◊〉 And what is now become of those goodly pallaces where are those guilded roofs those gallant rankes of carued Pillars those marbles so brauely pollished those emblems engrauen in brasse and all his other miracles of vanity is there nothing left for him He purchased lands to continew from generation to generation he gaue names to his houses truely he was a great Lord. 12. Alasse the poore man when he was in honor had not the witte to know it and now he is like to the beastes and resembleth the horse and asse which haue no reason nor vnderstanding For what greater honor could he desire then to haue bene cast in the mould of the diuinity and to be placed amongst the workes of God to command ouer them as his Lieftenant He was little inferiour to the Angells and had a soule able
to comprehend the greatest wonders of the diuinity but eschewing the day-light of knowledge he went groaping vp and downe in the dennes and caues of ignorance and blockishnes and remained therein all his life-time hatching this miserable ritches and at the last is become like to a bruite beast For as a beast â—eigheth after his prouender and takes no care but how to feede euen so this man would not stir but for the necessities of the body nay he would scarcely vse that wealth which he had so much coueted being heerein much worse then all other beasts whose vnbridled appetite is satisfied by the vse of those things which they desire 13. O how scandalous and infamous is the life of such people what share haue they in this world or in the next but only shame in this and paine and torment in the other Let them now please themselues in their owne discourse let them grow proud in their wealth let them now a little call to mind the speeches they were wont to vse when they esteemed no man but themselues and their money and held all other men in contempt 14. Behold they are haled into hell like sheep to the slaughter death hath deuoured them and there is nothing left but their bare boanes which rotte in their graues 15. The iust man who with patience endured their pride his turne is now come loe his time is to raigne and he is now at his ease He riseth vp by the breake of day and after he hath giuen thankes vnto God he goes to behold the place where one of those miserable wretches dwelt the place where he was wont to braue and tiranize ouer the world and saies softly to himselfe praised be God who hath clensed the earth from this filth and hath giuen place vnto those which blesse his name This wretch is rotten and his glory with him He is now in torment and no man helps him let him remaine so hardly for death vnto him is a going on but not a comming back 16. As for my selfe ô Lord. I know very well that I must dye the sinne of our first parent hath bound vs to this debt it is the reward of his disobedience we must returne into the earth from whence we came Yet for all that ô Lord thou shalt redeeme me from death and deliuer me from the hands of hell when it would seaze on me Thou wilt not suffer me to goe downe so low thou wilt set me at liberty at the entry of the dore and wilt be satisfied that I should know without suffering the punishment of my deserued bondage and captiuity But what shall be the price of my redemption shal it be the goods of the earth the aboundance of gold and siluer Not so ô Lord. Thou thy selfe shalt be the price of my redemption thou shalt giue vp thine owne body to death to the end to deliuer my soule from hell thou shalt put on the sorrowes of the graue to the end to cloath me with the ioyes of immortallitie I will then hence-forward ô my God haue none other wealth but thou possessing thee I shall enioy the whole world louing thee I shall be in thee and thou in me and being so thou wilt bring thither all the wealth of the world all the strength all the glory of the world and wilt fill mee with an other manner of wealth then that of these poore wretches they know thee not their riches is but the fruite of their sinne which with their sinne shall perrish 17. Wee must not be amazed to see them sodainly wax riche nor account them happy for that if they doe abound in false honor which they hunt after and that they are loden with this vaine and fleeting glory which is nothing but a shew we must not wonder at it much lesse enuie them for it 18. For so soone as they shall kisse the earth and bee clothed with their winding sheete they shall carry away nothing with them but the cloth that couers them nothing shal follow them but their shadow Nay I beleeue that wil leaue them also for the light which causeth the shadow wil faile them insteed of these magnificent shews pompous solemnities wherewith they scared little children grief sorrow anguish pouerty misery shall wrap them about and cast them into the lake of Brimstone 19. And not without cause they tooke their pleasure in this life their happinesse was in this world they obteined what they wisht for wealth came to them by heapes greatnesse and felicitie was a burthen to them they loued none but such as inriched them they made much of none but those which encreased their reuenues they are dead haue nothing left them in the next world for they made no prouision of the wealth that is currant there they satisfied themselues to haue sufficient riches for this earthly life that is now ended and they are in pouerty They desired honor but it was vaine and fleeting which depended onely on the opinion of fooles they had it but they could not well tell how to keepe it They would needs sitte on the top of the wheele it turned round and threw them head-long downe Happy are they which can sitte at the foote thereof constant and vnmooued and behold in safety how it turnes about 20. But these miserable wretches did not so they willingly mounted the top from whence they fell into hell they are now of the number of their fathers they found their Ancestors there from whom they drew their birth and manners they imitated their vices and after death they pertake their punishment They learne but too late and when repentance is vnprofitable what it is to lift themselues vp against God and to resist his glory They learn what it is to afflict the iust to oppresse the poore to deride the afflicted They are confined in darknesse and the light shineth no more before their eyes They heare nothing but horror and gnashing of teeth they breath out nothing but sighs grones they do not moue vp and down but in feare and ttembling 21. When these wretched mad-men were in honor they knew not what it was and became like beasts without vnderstanding But alas this is no true comparison for when beasts die death takes away their feeling of sorrow as well as that of pleasure but these wretches which wold not know wherein their happinesse consisted who would not looke vpon eternall light who stopped their eares at the spirituall word their feeling shall remain for the subiect of their tormeÌ„ts their soule shal liue perpetually to coÌ„ceiue their misery and they shal for euer languish Quam bonus Israel Deus Psalme 72. HOw great is the goodnesse of our God how certaine is his helpe to those which waite on him to those I say who neuer turned away their thoughts from his mercy who holding the eie of their soule fixt on his prouidence haue neuer let slip the hope which they ought