enioye the pleasant lande of promise Thou must not let thy iudgemente be so much corrupted as to choose rather a miserable life in the perturbations and remorses of conscience then to enioye a moste quiet and peaceable lyfe in Christ Iesu. VValke on toward that celestiall Hierusalem your free mother their shalt thou fynd perpetuall rest sayth the Apostle Abhorre with all thyne hart such vnquyet trouble and affliction of thy sowle The vearie miserie of thy lyfe it selfe biddeth thee to forsake it The world it selfe crieth out vpon thee not to esteeme it Be not like vnto the children of Gad which willinglie refused the land of promyse for the liking that they tooke vnto the hill of Galaad where they meÌ„t to make their perpetuall habitation In like maner are their diuers that care not for the glorie eternall contenting them selues with the gooddes of this miserable world Thou must not thinke to fynde rest there where all is in a confusion and alteration The worldlie men be amazed and confounded they knowe not them selues what they doe nor whether they doe inteÌ„d to goe no more then did the builders of the tower of Babilon BECAVSE THAT ALL THE consolations of this false vvorld be accompanied vvith so many infinite sorovves and troubles and are full of bitternes and greefe vvee ought onlie to loue God and his eternall beatitudes CHAP. 16. GOD graunteth not that my spirite shold haue rest and hath filled me full of bitternes sayth Iob. Thou canst not in the world enioye any perfect rest nor receyue any true ioye where all is bitternes and sorow Consider what sharpenes is founde hiddeÌ„ vnder that which appeareth sweete First consider the pleasure of synne And after weygh withall the payne that succedeth it Vyces doe allwayes apparell them selues after the best and finest facion being of them selues miserable filthie bondslaues Let not the pleasure of these worldlie shewes deceyue thee for all that is within it is nothing but affliction and bitternes By this thou mayest perceyue what an euill thinge vyce is that going so well galantlie apparelled is in deede all horrible and lothsome And contrariewyse thou shalt konwe the goodnes of vertue who allwayes goeth poorelie and barelie clothed and yet is in deede all fayre and gratious In all wordlie thinges thou shalt fynde greate trouble and greefe Christ our sauiour beinge in the glorie of his transfiguration made mention of his holie passion to teach vs that the felicitie and prosperitie of this world is full of bitternes and vexation If the world being so full of bitternes as it is be yet so much beloued and esteemed how wolde men haue loued and esteemed it if it had bene all sweete and pleasante God hath mingled sorowes among our consolations here in this world because we sholde hate this lyfe and loue the lyfe to come A man that was such a louer of worldly honor was very ioyfull to see how he was inuited to the feast of queene Hester but his greate ioye was turned into bitter mourning when he saw that Mardocheus wold gyue him no reuerence Sorow doth alwayes goe accompanied with worldly ioye and to them that lyue in continuall prosperitie euery small griefe doth much annoyance It is marueylous to beholde that al thinges in this lyfe sholde be so full of bitternes and yet that they sholde be esteemed of so many men for sweete and sauorie Greate is thy daunger if thou canst not onely be contented to lyue amongest so great sorowes but also to take pleasure and delght in them That sicke man is in greate daunger whose stomacke refuseth good and holesome meate and can eate nothing but that which is hurtefull and euill for him and as little hope is there to be had of that man which leaueth thâ— sweete conuersation of Christ Iesu and casteth his affectioÌ„ to like of the poisoned meates which this world doth offer hym VVhen God fedde the Israelites wiâ—â— bread froÌ„ heaueÌ„ yet murmured thei against Moyses and wisshed to haue agayne their old grosse diet of Egipte Their sowles lothed euerie kinde of meate sayth the prophet Dauid The onlie consideration of the bitternes that is in all these worldlie pleasures is sufficient to moue vs to the detesting of all earthlie comfortes Dauid being in his greate triumph and deuydinge of his pray amongest hiâ— souldiers after his victorie receyued the wofull message of the death of Saul thâ— ouerthow of all the Israelites army whicâ— turned his ioyfull victorie into a sorowfull heauines and made both hym selfe all that were present with hym to chaungâ— their myrth into mournynge and the ioyfull feast of their triumphant victorie diâ— they coÌ„uert into a longe lamentinge both for the death of Saul and Ionathas thâ— greate slaughter of the people of Israel Here may yow see how all vpon a sodayne sorow ouertaketh ioye Doe not thou therefore loue the glorie of this preseÌ„t world except thou doest delight to lyue in sorow and disquietnes For wheÌ„ thou art once entred into the delighte of those false alluring pleasures art parting the pray of thy pleasures amoÌ„gest thy senses As Dauid deuyded his bootie amongest his souldiers thou shalt straight wayes be ouertakeÌ„ with the messenger of death which is a troubled conscieÌ„ce fearfull scruples which be allwayes ioyned vnto sinne This is that discomfortable messeÌ„ger which will neuer suffer thee to enioye longe any pleasure of this world This is he which disquyeteth all thy ioyes and turneth all thy worldlie comforts into bitter sorowes O open thyne eyes and consider what thou hast lost by thy louyng of the world Lament vpon thyne owne soule o miserable man and beholde how the noble men of Israell be slayne when the light of grace is gone from the and that thy noble vertues be wounded within thee The people is also destroyed when the merites of thy good workes be lost Shut thou the gate of thy sowle neuer so close thou canst not keepe out this messenger from entring in Now since this euill newes may so easely come vnto thee when thou thinkest least thereof the sure way is for thee to loue God and his eternall and true felicities and so mayest thou lyue contentedlie for this present tyme and enioye the endles comforte of heauen when this lyfe is past THE VVORLD DOTH SO blinde his seruantes vvith the smoke of honors and vvith the svveetenes of his delightes that they setting their vvhole mindes thereupon can not perceyue the deceyts thereof nor the fovvle filthines of synne vvhich they are drovvned in CHAP. 17. MY vertue hath forsaken me and the light of myne eyes is not with mee sayth the Prophet Dauid Thou arte surelie blinde yf thou perceyuest not the vnhappie state that thou lyuest in by seruing of the world Thinkest thou that the faulkener can keepe his hauke quiet vpon the pearch except he put her hood vpon her head to couer her eyes The world
lyfe He wept vpon the Citie of Hierusalem and vpon the crosse And to be shorte all his whole lyfe was but a longe mournyng and a contynualle penitence Our Lord sayth that vnlesse you be as little children you shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Ye knowe that children haue no other weapon to defend theÌ„selues with all but teares And with those must thou likwyse defend thy selfe from the deuill Pharao was drowned in the water of the sea and the deuill is destroyed in the water of teares It is a madnes to take pleasure in this lyfe when thou must lyue in the middest of so many greate daungers The wyse man sayeth I haue taken ioy for my sorow and vnto pleasure haue I saied why doeâ—â— thou so vaynely deceaue me Moyses had rather suffer affliction with the people of God then to be made partaker of the earthly pleasures of the Egiptians and therefore denied he himselfe to be the sonne of Pharaos daughter The teares of the iuste shall be turned into ioy sayeth the prophete And according to the multitude of my sorowes shall thy coÌ„solatioÌ„s coÌ„fort my soule It is better to be troubled with the iuste then to eate the breade of gladnes vppon the table of sinners It is better to weepe in wildernes than to laugh in the pallace of princes Despise thou this soone passing pleasure that thou mayest after receaue the vnspeakeable pleasures in glorie perpetuall GREAT VANITIE IT IS FOR A maÌ„ to gyue hym selfe vnto the pleasures delightes of this vvorld the vvhich doe runne so fast avvay and vvhiche doe cause hym at last to loose the eternall ioyes of heauen CHAP. 24. VVHAT pleasure can I haue to sit here in the darkenes sayed Tobias to the Angell It is vanitie liuing here in the darkenes of this miserable world to seeke after theâ—e vayne pleasures fond delightes of the world VVee wander in such darkenes here that â—vee can not know those that wee daylie keepe company with all yea of them that wee haue coÌ„tinually before our eyes wee can not tell which be good nor which be bad the darkenes is so great that many tymes a man can not see hym selfe The wyseman sayth That a man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue or of hatred That man that trauayleth by the way and knoweth not whether he be out of his way or no can take no greate comforte of his iourney It is vanitie to take pleasure in the way of this peregrination not knowing whether it be acceptable to God or no And greate vanitie is it for a man to take pleasure in that state in the whiche he knoweth not whether he shal be condemned to hell And because this may happen in this lyfe at any tyme thou must allwayes lyue in doubte in feare VVhen thou trauaylest by nighte and art doubtefull of thy way it were greate marueyle to see thee ioconde and merie He that seeth his neighbors howse on a fyer will haue little lust to be merie And verie vanitie is it for the to spend thy tyme in pleasure that is geuen thee to doe pennance in especiallie seeing thy frendes thy neighbours daylie dying before thy face Of death thou art full sure but of the state whâ—â—ein thou shalt dye that knowest thou little of theÌ„ is it an extreeme vanitie for thee to forget the feare of God to gyue thi selfe to laughiÌ„g making merie That father doth much more sorow then he doeth reioyce that burieth his childe the same day that he is borne The pleasure of this world in which thou so much reioycest doth passe away in post slydeth away more swifte then the wynde The wyseman sayth that the foole taketh pleasure at his owne follie And follie it is to make accompte of that pleasure which tarieth no longer with vs. It is a vayne thing to gyue thine harte a tast of that pleasure which thou no sooner tastest of but it is gone agayne The Prophet Esay sayth they gaue greate sighes and did bitterlie bewayle that reioyced with their hartes before for their ioye ceased euen sodenlie It is a vaine pleasure that the birdes doe take when they tast of the corne and are straight taken in the grynne and like vnto that is the pleasure of the fishes which delighte in the bayte vpoÌ„ the hook whiche they no sooner take into their mouthes but death apprehendeth them Thou art as vaine and simple as these vnreasonable creatures if thou doest reioyce amiddest all those vayne prosperities of the worlde hauinge death so neare vnto thee and readie to take thee Remember that the tyme is short and let them that take pleasure be as thoughe they tooke it not God broughâ— the iust man by the right waye The waye is right when the myddest doth answere and is conformable to the begynninge and the ending The man that is strayed out of his waye goeth seeking aboute to see yf he can fynde it agayne to the ende he may get to the place that he intended his iourney to in the begynning The scripture in many places doth liken vs vnto wayfaring folke and wanderers by the way VVee begynne to enter into our pilgrimage when wee be first borne and it neuer endeth agayne vntill death doe end it You may aske of SalomoÌ„ what our begynninge and our ending is The first voyce sayeth Salomon that I vttered comming out of my mothers bely was crying and lamenting nether had euer king of this world any other beginning and like vnto this shall be also thy later ending Thou wast borne in weeping and thou shalte dye lamenting and wilte thou yet lyue laughing This is not the right way by the which the iust must walke Goe thou the strayght way be none of those that walke aboute quyte out of the way which is as Dauid sayeth the right course of the wicked Let the middest be agreeable to the beginning and the ending thou begannest in weeping and after the same sorte maiest thou well beleeue that thou shalte make thyne ending also Takâ— thou no great paynes to be rich seeing that Iob sayeth Naked I came out of my mothers wombe and naked must I retorne to my mother the earth agayne Neuer care thou to make proude pallaces since a poore litle cradle did holde thee when thou camest firste into the worlde and when thou dyest a small pit in the earth must receaue thee agayne Neuer seeke to be greate in this world since thou wast so little wheÌ„ thou camest first into it and at thy death when thou departest from it againe thou shalt be as lowe as thou wast before litle Thou wast both litle poore when thou camest into the world and not greate and riche Thou camest not first into the worlde â—â—ke a coÌ„querour or a reuenger of quarâ—els with thy sworde in thy hande neither â—ust thou be such a one when thou entrest â—â—to thy
could neuer keepe thee in the subiectioÌ„ of his miserable bondage except it first depriued thee of thy sighte Thou woldest not be so tied vnto these earthlie thinges which thou louest so much yf thou diddest but knowe their vanitie and their fowle corruption But because thou arte blinde and knowest not the filthines of sinne in which thou liuest therefore arte thou made a slaue and a bond man vnto sinne and to thyne owne sensuall appetites OpeÌ„ thine eyes looke into the vnhappie state into which thou art fallen The dong of the swallow which 〈◊〉 vpon Tobies eyes being a sleepe maâ—â— him to loose his sight And the Aopstle saieth that the goodes of this earth be but dong which we finde also by experience to haue that quality of making men blind as had the dong of Tobies swallow The propertie of the swallow is to sing at the beginning of the sommer but sodenly afterwarde she stayeth her singing agayne That condition hath the world also first with a little delicate harmonie to lull his louers asleepe and after to make them blynde with the vayne delighte of this earthly mucke and worldly honors These worldly men haue not eyes to see the lighte of God nor the good which they doe loose by hauing their eyes closed vp with the pleasures of those vanities which they so earnestly doe loue They be lyke vnto Ely the priest which had his eye sighte so weake that he colde not see the lampe of God which hange coÌ„tinually light in the temple Although they seeme wyse and of good vnderstanding yet are they not such in deede sauinge onely in worldly matters they be like moles whiche liue vnder the earth which when they come abrode into the lighte to deale in matters touching the soule they shewe them selues to be both blinde and ignorant Open the eyes of thy soule that thou maiest espie the vanities of these corruptible goods behold that diuine light with which our Lord doth lighten his seruaÌ„tes Goe not thou lyke a blinde man falling from one sinne vnto a nother accordinge to that which the prophet Sophonias spake of worldlie men They went aboute like blinde men for they synned against God VValke in the day sayth our lord that thou be not ouertaken with darkenes If synners doe walke by nighte and in the darkenes of their owne ignorance it is no marueyle thoughe they doe falle and hurte them selues The eyes which are accustomed to behold these worldlie vanities when they be once withdrawen from the loue pleasure of the world they be waxen blinde to beholde the true lighte and are fallen into that blindenes whiche God strake the Egiptians withall whiche was such as the scripture sayth That one man saw not an other in three dayes together nor was once able to moue out of his place where the darkenes tooke hym If thou haddest eyes to behold the miserie in which thou liuest thou woldest not stand still as they of Egipte did without mouing thy foote or forsaking thy vyces But thy blindnes doth holde thee fast The loue of the glistering shewes of worldlie vanities doth take away thy sighte as the sighte of a beare is taken away with the beholding of the glistering beames of an hoat burnyng basen shynyng vpon hym If worldlie men had not bene blinde Saincte Iohn wolde neuer haue sayde that the worlde knew not Iesus Christ. It was no greate marueyle that they were blynde and knew hym not hauing vpon their eyes so much earth as they had They went out of their way like blinde men sayth the prophet Iheremy and so blinde that they wolde not take any for their guyde but such other as were blinde also VVhich is the verie trade of synners Blinde folkes doe yet knowe that they be blinde but worldlie meÌ„ be blinde and yet they lawghe and iest at all those which are not blinde according to the saying of the wyse man The wicked men flie froÌ„ al those that ruÌ„ne by the right way Our lord saide vnto certein synners why say you that you doe see beinge blinde your sinne is therefore the greater And because that they doe not see them selues they thinke that other men doe not see them and therefore they doe presume to offend God like vnto the seuentie olde men of Israell which God shewed vnto the prophet Ezechiell Beware of this blindnes except you be willing to falle into the worst and most daungerous errours of all THE DEPARTINGE FROM this present lyfe is a most terrible and sharpe thinge to the louers of this vvorld asvvell for their riches honors vvhich they leaue behinde them as for the paynes vvhich they knovve that they shall susteyne vvhen they be gone hence CHAP. 18. THE trauayle of fooles will greeuouslye afflicte them sayth the wyse man VVheÌ„ death cometh the departing of this lyfe will be very paynefull vnto worldly meÌ„ for that caÌ„ not be departed froÌ„ without sorow which was loued without measure Death vnto a poore man will be lesse trouble that hath not any thing to leaue behinde him then to the welthie man which hath great riches to forgoe then to the louer of these corruptible worldly goodes The troubles of them which despise the worlde shall take ende by death and then shall the tormentes of worldly men beginne a new agayne A terrible tyme shall that be when the bodie of the worldlie man which hath bene brought vp in delicacie and tendernes shal be separated from the sowle to be consumed shortlie after with wormes It wil be a greuous departing that the riche man shall make from his riches which he hath allwayes disordinatelie loued and a â—earie hard thinge it wil be vnto the louer of worldlie honor to see hym selfe so sodeynlie spoyled of them The horses of great men goe couered â—ll daye with costlie furniture and with many men attending vpon them but when they come into the stable at nighte they haue all their fresh furniture taken of â—heir backes and then remayneth nothing â—pon them but the blowes which their maisters haue bestowed on them with the sweat and wearines of their trauayle The riche and the mightie man likewyse that maketh his iourney through this world is of all men coÌ„mended honored serued â—ut wheÌ„ the hower of death doth come al â—is honors and riches be taken away and â—othing remaineth behynd but the blowes which he receyued by his sinnes vices which maistered hym and kept him vnder â—rinces and kinges shall not carrie their gold and siluer with them when they deâ—arte this worlde but onely their necgligences and errors committed in their gouernement and charge Consider how greeuous it will be for thee to departe from those vanities which thou hast so much esteemed And learne tâ— leaue the world before it leaue thee Takâ— thou some good sure handefast betyme that thou falle not into all those miserieâ— which then doe accompany death Allthough that the world doth much tormeÌ„t
and that they doe stand stocke still whilest others doe goe on a pace towards death If death doe come vpon a sodayne and doe carrye anye man awaye with hym neuer say that he playeth the traytor with hym since that he hath longe agoe proclaymed hym selfe for an open enemye to vs all And it is a playne token that he neuer meaneth to make a perfect peace that euerie day is killinge some one or other So that yf he doe take thee vnprouided the fault must needes be thyne seeing he threateneth thee daylie and thou wilt neuer beware Thou must still looke for hym and thinke of hym as of one that were present with thee and so shall he neuer catche thee like a traytor by treason If thou considerest well of death thou wilt lyue with some feare in thy lyfe They which goe throughe the fieldes when they be couered with snowe their eyes doe so dasell that they can skant see any thing when they be entred into their house and therefore were it greate perill for them to come into any place where daunger were Euen so the glisteringe brightnes of this worldlie prosperitie doth so dymme the eyes of worldlie men that haue passed through it that when they once enter into the nexte lyfe through the passage of death they can see nothing but blindly runne into the pit of perdition Into such confusion doe these worldlings runne through their ouermuch delighting in worldly pleasures and the little consideration of their owne estates and conditions and no maruayle is it that they doe then feele pouertie which lyued before in welth ouer wantonly and that they doe taste of sorowe after they be deade which in their lyfe tooke all their fill of pleasure and worldly vanitie It is but meete that he which in his lyfe forgetteth him selfe sholde when he dyeth forget God also at that tyme the worldly man can haue no full sighte of his owne saluation by reason of the glistering lighte of this false deceyuable worlde which doth so dimme his eyes The remedy that such a one hath is first to sit without at the dore of his house and there looke well about him and settle firmelie his eye sight agayne And when he hath shaken of the dymnes of his sight whiche the earnest beholdinge of those shyning visible thinges did dasell his eyes withall then may he safelie enter into his house neuer indaunger him selfe at all After this manner in this lyfe must thou behold death considering what the glorie of this worlde is worth and the vayne honors and riches thereof Elias stode at the dore of his little cabine where he did still meditate and contemplate vpon celestiall thinges And here in the contemplation of death shalt thou see like an other Elias how the furie of gods wrath doth consume all these worldlie thinges and bringeth them to an end And here shalt thou further see allso as Elias did how that God is not in the flamynge fire of these disordinate desires of the world neyther in the honors nor the statelie dignities thereof The fire and the wynde allso passed away a pace before Elias and so doe all worldlie honors pleasure and prosperitie passe away in hast and doe neuer stay Thinke earnestlie on death and consider the vanities of this lyfe that by the despisinge of this short and deceyuable lyfe thou mayest get the eternall and true happie lyfe HOVV GOD SENDETH tribulation vnto man to conquer pryde in hym vvhich is the begynnynge and roote of all his miserie and doth accompany hym that is subiect vnto it i◠〈◊〉 his actions and thoughtes CHAP. 34. ALL that is in the worâ—â— sayth Saincte Iohn eythâ—â— it is the desire or longing 〈◊〉 the eies or the concupisceÌ„â—â— of the flesh or pride of lyfâ— These be the three square battailes wiâ—â— the which the world doth fight against vâ— These be the three armyes that the Chaldeans made for the ouerthrowing of hoâ—y Iob. VVith honors riches and with pleaâ—sures doth the worlde assaulte all thosâ— which are borne to be souldiers in thâ— fielde of this lyfe but pride amongest thâ— reste doth rush in with most violence anâ— indaunger most the soule of man For thâ— roote of all euil is pride saith the wise maâ— If thou wilt gyue thy selfe vnto God flie from the pride of the harte for Goâ— resisteth the prowde harted and vnto thâ— humble doth he gyue his grace Thâ— waters of gods grace doe passe away froâ— â—he mountaynes of the vayne and highe mynded people and doth runne into the valleys of them that be humble and meeke spirited Doe but consider who thou art and â—hou shalt see how little cause thou hast to â—e proude Thou shalt finde thy concepâ—ion to be synne thy birth miserie thy â—yfe payne and thy death anguysh and torâ—ent Almightie God to tame and subdue â—y pride withall hath so ordeyned that â—â—ou sholdest be vexed here in this lyfe â—ith the most vyle and simple creatures of â—is making such as he sent to plague the â—giptians withall as gnattes and frogges â—â—d other small vermyne to the end that â—â—ou mightest knowe how much without 〈◊〉 reason thou arte proude when thou art â—biect to the molestation and offence of 〈◊〉 small and simple thinges Doe not thou proudelie esteeme and â—ake accompte of thy vertues by compaâ—â—ng and conferring them with the defects 〈◊〉 faultes of other men but humblie looke â—â—on thyne owne defectes and consider â—ithall the vertues of thy neighbours If â—â—ou doest lay thyne owne faultes before â—â—yne eyes and the vertues of thy neighâ—â—urs withall thou shalt happelie fynde â—y selfe to be a synner thy neighbour Saincte Be not like vnto the proude â—arisâ—y that reckened vp his owne verâ—es and the Publicans faultes Tell rather thyne owne faultes let other men haâ— the care to tell of thy vertues Be not proude nor highe mynded lest thou doe falle into the most rigorouâ— punnyshement of God for the same Moâ—â— is waxen proude sayth God Thou hast not in thee whereof to be proude but rather deseruest shame and confusion Looke a little into thy selfe and beholde within thee what thou art Thou arteâ— vyle woorme of the earth and a deâ—â—â— full of filth and abhomination Remember that thou art but earth shalt turne into Ashes Moyses threw vp ashes into the ayre and ther folowed after it a greaâ—â— plague amongest the Egiptians And yâ— thou being but ashes doest lifte vp and extol thy selfe by pride thou shalt be puâ—â—nished also as they were Because that Naâ—buchodonoser did aduaunce hym selfe by pride he was depriued of his kingdome Thou canst not by any faulte so much resemble the deuill as by pride The deâ—uill hath a particuler domynion ouer thâ— proude man accordinge to the sayinge oâ— Iob. There is he prince ouer the childreâ— of pride To cure this greate sinne of pridâ— God hym selfe came humblie hether 〈◊〉 the earth Pride is the begynninge of eueriâ—
other had his restinge place in the bosome of our Lorde where he had his heauenlie secretes reueled vnto hym And after in the Isle of Pathmos he reueled vnto hym also the whole state of the church militant By this singuler prerogatiue of their chastity they were more purified had the more exquisite knowledge of diuine thinges as appeareth in the scriptures Thomas of Aquine beinge indued with this singulier vertue did shyne by his wonderfull wisdome in the Church of God He that is free from all earthlie cares may well contemplate the heauenlie secretes Gather thy senses together and refrayne thy appetites and so shalt thou keepe chastitie Iheremy sayth Death entreth in at our wyndowes Vnlesse thou settest a watche ouer thy senses thy soule is in daunger to dye of an euill death Isboseth lost his lyfe because the dores of his house were not well garded and kept If thou takest no care about the keepinge of thy senses thou shalt not be able to keepe this precious treasor Doe but consider what harme hath happened to the world by reasoÌ„ of Eua her ouer earnest settelinge of her eyes vpon the bewtie of the forbidden tree It is not lawfull for thee ouer curioustie to behold that which is not lawfull for thee to desire If Dauid had not so intentiuelie beholden Bersabe as he did he had neuer lost so much good as he did loose neyther had he fallen into so much euill as he fell into Be thou vigilaÌ„t carefull in the keeping of thy senses The scripture sayth myne eye hath taken away my soule This caused the death of Holofernes Lay chastitie for thy foundation and therevpon mayest thou buyld vp other vertues As amonge all vyces none so much troubleth the vnderstandinge nor darkeneth reason as the sinne of the flesh doth so likewyse by the contrarie chastitie setteth man at libertie and submytteth the sense vnto reason Of God that is of his owne nature most pure and clene the scripture saith that he feedeth amoÌ„ge the lillies because that he taketh delight in the cleannes and brightnes of chastitie Euery thing delighteth in his like The puritie that is in a reasonable creature is most acceptable to God wherein as in a thing most conformable to his owne nature his pleasure is cheefelie to rest It is written No vnclene thinge shall enter into the heauenlie citie The spirituall bewtie of our soule is principallie attributed vnto chastitie because it maketh a consonance and a proportionable agreement betwixt the soule and the bodie by subduinge the flesh vnto the soule The wyse man sayth O how bewtifull is the chaste generatioÌ„ with cleannes The memory thereof is immortall and it is well knowen both to God and man It is likened in scripture vnto a rose as well for the bewtie thereof as also because it groweth and contynueth amongest sharpe prickels for chastity neither groweth nor contynueth but where there is sharpenes and austeritie of lyfe and mortification of the flesh Chastitie is alwayes in daunger being among pleasures and delightes Chastitie dyeth without it be maynteyned by fastinge and temperance And beinge vpholden by these two it lyueth and reigneth gloriouslie and is crowned at last immortallie It is as greate a miracle to rayse a deade man to lyfe as it is to be chaste without abstinence Thou must not be idle yf thou wilt haue this vertue Flie from the company conuersatioÌ„ of all those that be dissolutely disposed and by this meanes preparinge thy bodie thou shalt make it a meete dwelling for the holie Ghost The Doue flieng out of the Arke of Noe neuer found where to rest but vpon dead bodies and therefore returned shee backe to the Arke agayne The spirite of our lord doth not inhabite in vncleane bodyes but in those that be pure and chaste This chastitie is a glorious and an Angelicall vertue Fly from the pestilence of carnall vyces that thy soule may be the true and faythfull spouse of Iesus Christ. THOSE THINGES VVHICHE seeme most goodlie to the vvorld being compared vvith heauenlie thinges be as it vvere nothinge And therefore happie are they that doe consider it And doe despise the vvorlde vvith all the vanities thereof and ioyne them selues vnto Christ of vvhome they may afâ—er receyue the revvarde of eternall lyfe CHAP. 40. THEY set nothinge by the lande that most was to be desired saide the prophet of worldlie men It is a wonderfull matter that the thing which wee most of all desire and least make reckenyng of is glorie VVee doe not naturallie loue any thing so much neyther doe we loose any thing more easelie but yet for glorie will no man be content to venter the losse of all he hath or may haue And he that seeketh ambitiouslie after this worldlie glory doth loose in this lyfe the comforte of the spirite and in the other eternall felicitie The seruantes of this world doe depryue them selues of much good greate consolation And for the greate loue they doe beare to those corruptible goodes they neuer come to tast of the sweete conuersation of Iesus Christ. It is much to be lamented to see in what thinges men doe receyue their cheefe delight and that they haue so corrupted their taste that the sweete comfortes of God doe growe vnto them noysome and vnsauorie And the coÌ„templation of God and deuoute praying doe seeme vnpleasant And all the bitter vnsauorie pleasures of this world doe onlie seeme sweete pleasant vnto them The taste of gods loue is so delicate sweete that they onlie may taste thereof that haue no taste in any of the vaine pleasures of this world Flie away from the vanities of this world for so much the further as thou goest from them so much the nearer shalt thou come vnto God And be made pertaker of his heauenlie consolations And the lesse that thou doest conuerse with the world so much shalt thou enioye the more of gods loue If they which doe contemne the vanity of this world doe giue them selues to the seruice of God be so filled with so many and so great spirituall comfortes why doest not thou also make hast to goe toward hym how long wilt thou stay Thy losse thy ruine must needs be great since the loue of such base stuffe as this world doth yeld thee is able to withholde and keepe thee from hym Let not the bitter pleasures of this lyfe depryue thee of the sweete and perfect pleasures of the other lyfe Consume not thy dayes in the loue of such vyle thinges and of so little estimation Consider with thy selfe both what it is that thou loosest and for what thou loosest it that which thou louest in this worlde is nothing and that which God hath prepared for them that doe loue him is infinite as he him selfe is infinite happie is that soule that is fed onely with the loue of God and is norished with the odor of his holy vertues
it most of all The true peace of harte is neuer obteyned by the louers of this world Loue God and thou shalt haue lyfe Deny thy selfe and thou shalt haue the true peace But who is he that getteth perfect peace in deede He that is humble and lowlie of harte Purge thyne harte from all malice and thou shalte haue the true and happie peace Learne to conquer thy selfe in euerie thinge thou shalt haue the inward peace of the mynde Breake of thy disordinate appetites take away thy vayne desires and dryue from thee the vnsatiable loue of the world then shalte thou lyue at peace and quyetnes No man shall then trouble the nothinge shall molest the but thou shalt enioye the sweetenes of spirite find euen Paradice here vpoÌ„ the earth Nothinge can happen vnto a iust man that may gyue hym any perturbatioÌ„ Thine owne proper passions be they that make warre agaynste thee And when thine enemyes be within thee why coÌ„pleinest thou of those that are without thee A greate Lorde is he that can coÌ„maunde hym selfe The dominioÌ„ of our owne will is of wonderfull power effect may doe more theÌ„ all the kings Emperours of the earth who can by no meanes make their enemyes their frendes as your will can doe being disposed therevnto in subiectinge our vnrulie appetites vnto the sweete rule of reason The vearie cause why iniuries â—duersities and all kynde of other tribuâ—atioÌ„s annoy thee so much is because thou â—oest seeke how to flie awaye from them to escape them Thou proclaymest open â—arre against them accoÌ„ptest theim for â—hy enemyes whiche causeth them to â—orke the al thee displeasure they can But â—f thou faule in league with them and â—egynnest once to loue them they that â—efore did gyue thee muche trouble will â—fter gyue thee as much comforte Sainte Andrew reioyced in his Crosse that glorious father Sainte FraÌ„cis called â—nfirmities his sisters whereby we may see â—ow these and other holye men reioyced â—n those tribulations which doe so muche â—ffeÌ„d thee They loued that which thou so â—uch hatest And doe thou loue that which â—hey loued synce it lyeth in thy power â—hou shalt theÌ„ find coÌ„fort in thy tribulatioÌ„s â—s they did If in suffering tribulatioÌ„s thou â—indest the payne greuous vnto the compleine not of theÌ„ that persequute thee but â—ather of thy selfe who hauing free libertie â—n the to loue persequutioÌ„ wilt not loue it Thou must conforme thy selfe to Iesus Christ and loue his Crosse and Passion Resigne thy selfe wholie to hym and loue that wihche he loueth and then shalt thou finde coÌ„forte sweetenes in those thinges whiche now thou takest to be vnsauorie Enter into thy selfe and destroy within thee all thy passions and worldlie desires and thou shalt not haue cause to coÌ„pleyne against any man And yf any thinge seemâ— greeuous vnto the make the reuenge vpâ—â— thine enemyes within thee that doe affliâ—â— thee and neuer compleyne of those enemies which are without thee since they caÌ„not hurt thee but by thyne owne consent Like as the moth bred in the cloath coÌ„sumeth the selfe same cloth wherein hâ— breâ—deth And in like maner the woormâ— eateth vp the wood which broughte hyâ— furth ingendred hym euen so these heâ—â—uie cares whiche so much aggreeue thynâ— harte growe in thee of thyne owne concupiscence They take their norishement iâ— thee at last doe coÌ„sume thee playeng thâ— vypers with thee which eate their way owâ— of their mothers belly which bread them Oh in what peace shouldest thou rest 〈◊〉 thou wert verelie mortefied Trew is thâ— sentence whiche sayth That no man is huâ—â— but by hym selfe The greatest enemy which thow hast iâ— thy selfe All that is good in thee consisteth in the vertue of thy mynde to whiche nâ— man can doe harme allthowghe he takâ— away libertie honour or riches And persequutions doe not onlie noâ— hurt thee but also gyue matter of merite Now yf the glorie of a christian be the crosse of Iesus Christ imbrace it and theâ— shall none trouble thee nor hurte thee buâ— thou shalt obteyne the true rest and quietnes of mynde and lyue euer after contentedlie and peaceablie â—Y THE LYFE AND DEATH of our Sauiour Iesus Christ it is plainly perceyued vvhether the honour and riches of this vvorld ovvght to be esteemed or no VVho being hym selfe vearie true god both by his example and doctrine teacheth vs vvhich vvaye they haue to take vvhich desire to goe the streight and direct vvay CHAP. 3. BE ye folowers of Iesus Christ as his welbeloued children sayth the Apostle let all thy labour and studie be to conforme thy lyfe to â—he lyfe of our sauiour If wee had no other reason for to coÌ„demne the vanities of the world with all yet the lyfe of Iesus Christ and the example which he gaue vs here in earth were sufficient alone to confounde all Chistians with all It were shame for vs to lyue in pleasure and delight our great captayne Ioab liâ—ing in great daunger and ignominie There is not any souldier which seeth his captayne die before his face but that he will willinglie also put hym selfe to the daunger of death forgetting all his former pleasures and delightes If thou seeke for honour when thou seest thy Captayne generall lyue alltogether without honour iâ— is a greate token that thou arte not of his bande And sithence thou reputest thy selfe for a Christian thou maiest well be asshamed to seeke after the loue of suche vanities as the infidelles delight in Many be they which call them selues Christians but there be but few of those whiche folowe the lyfe of Christ in deede in name they agree all together but in conuersation and behauiour they be verie farr coÌ„trarie If the lyues of many Christians were tried and compared together with the lyfe of our redeemer as the woorkemaÌ„ tryeth his woorke by a lyne to finde out the crokednes thereof It would soone appeare veary manifest how much our hartes were gone away froÌ„ the true leuell in the which God did once rightlie settle vs towardes the loue of those thinges whiche he would haue vs to despice and contemne VVhome thinkest thou to knowe more God or the world Now if thou thinkest that God knoweth more Behould how he chooseth pouertie and a moste base kynde of lyfe And this suffiseth for thee to know how much thy lyfe is out of square Thou goest cleane wyde from the true pathe oâ— heauen yf thou doest disordinatlye seekâ— after the honours riches of this world If the worlde had bene good and thâ— â—onours riches thereof profitable our holie redeemer woulde neuer haue commaunded his disciples to despise them In â—he litle esteemynge of hym selfe whilest â—e liued here and in the greate austeritie â—f his owne lyfe our Lorde did teach vs â—ow litle wee ought to make accompte of â—hese worldlie thinges The hard maunger in whiche he was â—yed after his
holie birth condemneth the â—elicatenes of this life of ours That stawle â—â—eweth how vaine the honours and proâ—â—erities of this world are And those simâ—le cloathes wherein his diuine maiestie â—as wrapped gyue-vs well to vnderstande â—hat the riches of this worlde is Proceede thorowghe the whole course â—f his lyfe and consider also of his death â—â—ou shalt fynde that the soonne of God â—â—â—er that he became maÌ„ did allwayes teach 〈◊〉 to despise the world aswell by the exaÌ„â—â—e of his lyfe as by the whole course of â—â—s doctrine and teachinge VVhen he made that greate sermon of â—is on the hill he beganne sayinge Blessed â—e the poore in spirite for theirs is the â—ingdome of heauen Our Lorde came not into this worlde â—o vndoe thee or to ouerthrowe the but â—o teache thee the waye to heauen and to â—ssure thee of thy saluation If Christ erred â—ot then errest thou If he chose well then â—hoosest thou ill And yf he with dishoâ—our and by sufferring opened vnto thee the gates of glory without all doubte thou beinge such a frend to honour and vanitie doest take the straight waye to hell In great daunger doest thou lyue and muche perill doth thy soule run into yâ— thou turnest not back againe from the way that thou art now entred into by hating oâ— that which thou doest now so muche loue And by determyning to folowe the footesteppes of hym that coulde neuer erre Oâ— what an abuse is this that a poore simplâ— woorme made of earth will nedes be greaâ— when the God of all Maiestie was contenâ— hym selfe to be so liâ—tle Oh then thou Christian soule yf thoâ— espie thy spowse Isaack walkinge on thâ— ground thâ—u oughtest to putt on thy cloke couer thee with the veale of shamefastnes as Rebecca did blusshing for vearâ— shame to see thy Lorde and Maister Iesuâ— Christ to walke on the earth in the coÌ„teÌ„pâ—â— of the world And thy selfe to sitt mownteâ— alofte vpon thy cammells backe in highâ— honour and power of the worlde Thou muste come downe as shee diâ— despisinge the honour and vanitie of thiâ— present worlde by conforminge thy selfâ— to the lyfe of thy redeemer so as thoâ— mayest after enioye with hym the trewe riches and honour which induer for euer THE THINGES OF THIS vvorlde allthoughe in apparence they seeme good and delightfull yet are they in deede full of falsehood and vanitie and that for their instabilitie vvee ought not to putt any trust in them lest that in the generall daye of iudgemeÌ„t vve doe in vaine repent vs that vvee haue loued more those vanities then God our Creatour CHAP. 4. ALL is vanitie in this world nothinge but vanitye is in it sayth the wyse man I haue behoulden sayth he all that is vnder the soonne nothinge doe I fynde but vanitie This worlde is worthelie called in holie scripture an Ipocrite because it hath an exterior apparance of goodnes and within it is full of corruption and vanitie In deede there appeareth some shew of goodnes in these sensible thinges but yet are they but coÌ„uterfeyte false Neuer seeke to fasten the anker of the shipp of thyne harte in the large Seas of worldlie loue The Reedes when they shoote out first â—n the springe of the yeare doe with their fresh greene colour delight the eyes for a while but yf thou doe breake them and looke within them thou shalt find nothing there but emptines and holownes Lett not the worlde deceyue thee nor thyne eyes beguyle thee by the meanes of this vayne and counterfett bewtie For trulie yf thou consider it well and looke narowlie what is within it thou shalt finde there nothinge but vanitie If the worlde were to be layed open to the eye And euerie particuler parte thereof vewed and searched out as the Anotomistes vse to doe the bodies of men yt woulde soone make an open shew of all his vanitie For what soeuer is in the worlde eyther it is past or present or els to come That which is past is noâ—ve no longer in beinge That whiche is to come dependeth all vppon vncertenties And that which is present is but vnstable and to indure but for a moment It were greate vanitie to trust in it and a much more vanitie to make accoÌ„pte of the fauours and loue thereof It is a vanitie to desire or wishe for the honours thereof And a greater vanitie to esteeme the riches and pleasures thereof It is a vanitie to loue such transitorie thinges And trulie great vanitie to delighte in the corruptible substance of this worlde It is vanitie to seeke after the wynde of humaine prayses vaine be those cares whiche cause the to serue so vnhappie a maister as the worlde is Finallie all is but vanitie sauing to loue and serue God onlie Happie is he which hath forgotten the worlde suche an one maye lyue in vearie good comforte when no care maye take â—way froÌ„ him his good spirituall exercises â—ut maye still enioye the sweetenes and â—eace of the spirite It is better to be poore then rich And â—etter to be little then greate And better 〈◊〉 is to be ignorant with humilitie then to â—e learned whith pride and vanitie That â—nowledge and those Good gyftes which â—od bestoweth on thee to make thee the â—ore boundeÌ„ to serue him withall feruour â—f hart humilitie Thow takest occasion â—y to be more licentious then other men â—â—e and more vayne and prowde How much better it is to be little theÌ„â—â—eate the latter day of all shall declare in â—â—at rigorous and exact iudgement when â—â—e bookes of our consciences shal be â—â—yed all open to the shew of all the world â—ee woulde then wishe that wee had â—â—ued god more and lesse to haue disputed â—f subtile and curious questions A pure â—onscience shall then preuayle thee more â—â—en thy profounde and most learned serâ—ons that thow hast preached It shall not â—â—en be asked of vs what wee haue saide â—ut what wee haue done It wil be more worth at that tyme to haue â—espised the vanitie of the world then to â—aue folowed the deceytfull delightes â—alse promyses thereof Better it would be â—t that daye that thow haddest done pennance for thy synnes then by fullfilling thyne appetites here for this shorte spacâ— of tyme be after throwen downe to 〈◊〉 for euer Make well thy reckeninge hereof bâ— tyme Enter whithin thy selfe and coÌ„sideâ— how much of thy lyfe thou hast bestoweâ— vpon the world And how little thereoâ— agayne thou hast geueÌ„ to God which gauâ— it thee to serue hym wthall VVhat is beâ—come of so many yeares which are passeâ— wthout any proffit at all what commoditâ— hast thou taken of all the tyme whereiâ— thou hast serued the worlde The tymâ— passed can not now be called backe againe The dayes of thy lyfe doe passe away 〈◊〉 thow thinkest not thereon and death stilâ— wayteth on thee VVhat hast thou of alâ— that thow hast done In thy frendes
thoâ— hast founde no fidelitie In them that thoâ— hast done good vnto thou hast founde inâ—gratitude And in the moste parte of meâ— thou hast found falsehood dissimulatiâ—â— Behould here now how thou hast lost whaâ—â—soeuer thou hast done heretofore 〈◊〉 litle pleasure that thou haste reaped by thâ— worlde And all that whereof nowe thoâ— doest lament thee doe both cal euen 〈◊〉 vnto thee that God is he whom thou onlâ— oughtest to haue serued and loued Thoâ— loosest all thy trauailes and labours whiâ—â— thou doest not bestowe in the onelie seâ—â—uice of Iesus Christ. That time doth onelâ— profit the which thou hast spent in his 〈◊〉 for all the residue is nowghte worth 〈◊〉 thee It is nothinge but euen a meere â—â—nitie If thou consider doest well rememâ—â—â— thee how much tyme of thy lyfe thou 〈◊〉 lost in the pleasinge and contentinge 〈◊〉 these vngratefull persons whome thou 〈◊〉 so muche folowed thou must needes â—â—epe and lament for that parte of thy life â—â—ich is passed And procure all that thou â—â—yest to serue thy Creatour for the 〈◊〉 that is to come And that whiche thou â—â—uldest haue wisshed to haue done in the 〈◊〉 passed whiche is not to be recoueâ—â—d Endeuour thy selfe nowe so to doe â—â—reafter that by thy diligent seruinge of 〈◊〉 thou mayest wholie gayne the tyme 〈◊〉 is to come to be spent onelie in his â—â—â—uice It is a greate vanitie to spend thy tyme â—â—pleasinge of men Resigne vp thy appeâ—â—â—es and doe awaye thyne affections And then thou wilt esteme as nothinge that whiche nowe seemeth somethinge vnto the. VVHOSOEVER VVILL KNOVV hovv vayne these vvorldlie thingâ— are muste not onelie consider the bâ—â—gynnyng of them but vvaye vvithâ—â— the end of them vvhich is allvvayâ— accoÌ„panied vvith bitternes sorovâ— CHAP. 5. THere be many which walâ— of whome I toulde you now doe tell you it weâ—â—ping which are enemyes the Crosse of Christ whâ—â— end is destruction sayeâ— the Apostle The end of those that loue 〈◊〉 world as Sainte Paul saieth is death pâ—â—â—ditioÌ„ Doe not ioine thy selfe in league vnâ—â— those persons which the worlde doth 〈◊〉 vnto thee for thou shalt be draweÌ„ to folâ—â—â— the vanities of their deceiptes The pleaâ—â—â—res which it preseÌ„teth vnto the be the vâ—â—rie messengers of death Flie from the â—â—teringe falsehood thereof for feare 〈◊〉 thou be taken in his snares Looke not 〈◊〉 that which is preseÌ„t but coÌ„sider withal 〈◊〉 which is to come Be diligent in the obsâ—â—â—uinge that whiche alwayes foloweth 〈◊〉 sinne And waying theÌ„ that which is preâ—â—â— with that which is to come thou wilt faâ—â— into a hatred of all the pleasures and 〈◊〉 which this worlde setteth before thee â—llure the with all Our lyues be as it were Ryuers which 〈◊〉 run into the Sea of death The waters â—â—e ryuers are sweet fresh but the end â—hem is to enter into the brackishe â—â—er waters of the Sea Lyfe is a sweete â—â—ge to them that doe loue it but when â—â—â—h doth come then will it be bitter The 〈◊〉 of those sweete waters of the Ryuer is 〈◊〉 made bitter by the Sea that it runneth 〈◊〉 Euen so is the end of mans lyfe vearie â—â—ernes in deede The vanities whiche 〈◊〉 worldlie folkes doe delight in withall doubte will end in sorowe and in â—â—â—f They begynne in weale but they 〈◊〉 end in woe the entree is pleasant but 〈◊〉 â—oing out is verie vnpleasant â—f thou wilt but consider well how â—â—â—e the torment is more then the pleaâ—â—â— thou wilt willinglie renownce all 〈◊〉 vanities And theÌ„ shalt thou not faule 〈◊〉 the fault whiche causeth thy sorow â—â—enteth thy conscience That whiche â—â—ghteth is but shorte and that whiche â—â—enteth is euerlastinge Let not these â—â—ties draw the which this faulse world â—â—eth the But rather consider deepelie â—â—revnto they doe tende God saith Your â—â—ing shal be torned into mourning and 〈◊〉 pleasures into teares your laughinge â—â—â—e mingled with sorow and the end of 〈◊〉 mirth shal be ouertaken with lamenâ—â—â—n That great image which appeared 〈◊〉 Nabuchodonozer had an head of goâ—â— but the feete were all of earth This wâ—â—â— hath lykewyse his begynnynge richeâ—â— bewtifull to the eye whiche is that wâ—â—â— worldlie folke desire But they will 〈◊〉 looke so low as the feet which be of 〈◊〉 They consider not the end thereof whâ—â— is all ruefull and vnpleasant to behoâ—â— But looke thou vnto that whiche hatâ—â— end and thou shalt allwayes lyue wit◠〈◊〉 end Behould not so much what thou 〈◊〉 what thou shalt hereafter be Consider 〈◊〉 so muche this present bewtie as the 〈◊〉 end that this bewtie bringeth the vnt◠〈◊〉 not occupyed still in that which is 〈◊〉 but way well what is to folowe after 〈◊〉 leeue mâ— all thyne euill groweth of 〈◊〉 that thou remembrest thee not of the 〈◊〉 of synne when thou arte entred int◠〈◊〉 begynnynge thereof but thou haste 〈◊〉 â—â—â—oner tasted of the sweete pleasures thâ—â— but it begynneth straight wayes to lay 〈◊〉 abhominacions to thy chardge Prophet Iheremy not without cause 〈◊〉 vpon Hierusalem sayinge Her filth 〈◊〉 her feete and shee would not remeâ—â—â— her latter end In the feete which is thâ— end of sinne had she her vncleanneâ— filthines The sottishe sowle cleane 〈◊〉 her latter end and remembred onliâ— begynnynge And hauing her eyes â—â—â—ed vpoÌ„ the vaine ornameÌ„tes of her 〈◊〉 would neuer enter into the coÌ„sideraâ—â— â—â—ete which is the last end of all The 〈◊〉 why our redeemer wept vpoÌ„ Hieruâ—â—â—â—â— as for that it knewe not the miseries 〈◊〉 â—â—ere to faule vpoÌ„ it It is a thing much â—â—ameÌ„ted that this preseÌ„t tyme should â—â—ch be accompted on that the greefe 〈◊〉 vnto this worldlie pleasure teÌ„deth 〈◊〉 so cleane be forgotten And thereâ—â—â—â—id our Sauiour Iesus Christ weepe 〈◊〉 much as Hierusalem being lulled a 〈◊〉 with the shorte pleasures that were â—â—â—t neuer so much as once thoughte 〈◊〉 sorowes which were to folow after 〈◊〉 â—uch to be lamented to see the so deâ—â—d as not to care at all for the euill 〈◊〉 â—hich these present pleasures and deâ—â—â—s doe lead thee vnto at the last Be 〈◊〉 â—ou led with that whiche appeareth 〈◊〉 â—hyne eye at the begynnynge but 〈◊〉 to knowe vnderstande that which 〈◊〉 â—olowe after 〈◊〉 not thyne appetite haue power and 〈◊〉 â—nyon ouer the whiche is but an â—â—â—ance of reason and no true reason in 〈◊〉 and is receyued by thy will before 〈◊〉 â—ell considered by thyne vnderstanâ—â—â—â— And synce thou knowest now howe 〈◊〉 the end of this worlde is make no 〈◊〉 accompte of the pleasures thereof 〈◊〉 â—ot thy desires exceede thyne vnderâ—â—â—â—â—nge coÌ„monlie men make more acâ—â—â—te of that whiche is passed then of 〈◊〉 â—hiche is to come After the good coâ—â—â— the euill And after these worldlie pleasures succede bitter sorowes The common custome of the world is to gyue a good dynner first and an euil supper afterwarde Euerie one vseth to seâ— the best wyne
on the table first And afâ—ter that whiche is of the meaner sorte sâ— sayde the Stewarde of the Mariage feast aâ— Cane in Galile So is it lykewyse the common guyse of the world to begynne witâ— ioy end with sorow after But at the feaâ— where Iesus Christ is present hym selfe 〈◊〉 is all coÌ„trarie for he gyueth trouble in thâ— begyninge and after great comforte anâ— coÌ„solation The pleasant begynninges doâ— couer the euill whiche is in the worldâ— which the end doth afterwarde discoueâ— VVhen they shall talke and crie out peacâ— and securitie most of all then shall sodeinâ—lie come ruyne destruction vpoÌ„ theâ— The perfectioÌ„ of any thinge is knowâ— allwayes by the end Suche as the ende iâ— suche are likewyse the thinges that thoâ— delightest in The end of pleasures is toâ—â—ment The end of much eatinge is infirmiâ—tie And the ende of this lyfe that thoâ— delightest so muche in is nothinge but woormes and Ashes The end and conclusion of euerie mortall sinne shal be great and euerlasting torment VVYSE MAN OVVGHTE allvvayes diligentlye to consider the end of his actions to the intent that knovvinge the filthie ende that synne bringeth vvith it he maye vvell take heede and bevvare thereof CHAP. 6. MAN being once in honour and knew it not was coÌ„pared vnto the vnreasonable beastes and is become like vnto theÌ„ sayth the Prophet Dauid God gyâ—â—ge vnto man reason and prudence to â—â—esee and consider what was after for to â—â—ne and what end these vanities of the â—â—rld did tend vnto he would not take 〈◊〉 oportunitie and benefite thereof but â—â—ie beheld the preseÌ„t honour he stoode â—and did forgett the bitter payne of the partinge therefrome He remembred 〈◊〉 pleasure that he had before his eyes 〈◊〉 thought nothing on the payne that was folow after yea the payne was euen vpoÌ„â—n before he remembred it or aduysed â—n of it Ecclesiasticus sayth I sayed of 〈◊〉 sonnes of men that God should make â—â—ofe of them and trye whether they â—re like vnto the beastes or no. God maâ—â— AdaÌ„ apparell of the skynnes of beastes after his synne to declare thereby vntâ— hym that he was by his faulte made likâ— vnto them The synner offendeth God and as sooâ— as he hath done he wisheth that he had neâ—uer offended hym synce by experience 〈◊〉 findeth how full of malignitie the world is and how sorow is still ioyned vnto pleaâ—sure But why coÌ„sidered he not this befoâ—â— he synned It is the propertie of a wyseman to conâ—sider thinges in the begynninge And of foole to aduise him selfe when it is to laâ—â— A wyse man bethinketh him first but tâ—â— foole sayth I thought not thereon at all 〈◊〉 thou woldest thinke beforehande of tâ—â— vnpleasant ende whiche these worldâ—â— thinges doe bring with them thou shouâ—â—dest haue no cause of repeÌ„tance after Tâ—â— Prophet Dauid sayth I thought vpon 〈◊〉 wayes and I retourned back from the wâ—â— that I was walkinge in Of the thinkinâ— of the end of synne groweth the desireâ— forsake sinne to retorne againe to keeâ— the commaundementes of God If thou shouldest passe by a waye the whiche it had bene toulde the befoâ—â— that theues murderers did haunt woâ—â—dest thou not forsake thine intended wâ— and take some other In the waye of thâ— pleasures which now thou art entred in there be theeues which seeke to destâ—â— the grace of God in thee to take awaâ— froÌ„ thee thy meanes of meriting Take 〈◊〉 â—ouncell with thee and turne the backe â—gayne yf thou wilt escape death Assone â—s temptatioÌ„ beginneth to assayle thee coÌ„â—ider the way that it leadeth the vnto And â—f thou occupyest thyne vnderstandinge â—ell in the remembringe therof I doubte â—ot but that thou wilt soone turne backe â—gayne The Apostle sayeth That the reward of â—â—nne is death Iacob Esau were in their â—â—others wombe together and contended â—â—gether whiche of them shoulde come â—â—rth first and when they were borne Iaâ—â—b tooke Esau by the sole of the foote â—he head is the first and principall parte 〈◊〉 man and the foote is the last and extreâ—est parte of all the whole man And this 〈◊〉 the difference betwixt euill men and â—â—od The good doe take vice by the foote â—nd the wicked take it by the heade The â—icked imbrace all kynde of pleasures â—â—nours vanities And looke not toward â—â—e end of these matters But the good â—â—ke the world by the foote and doe conâ—â—â—er the bitter end of all these pleasures The pleasures and prosperities of this â—orlde doe shyne brighte like a burninge â—â—ndle whilest the flame thereof dothe 〈◊〉 but wheÌ„ the substaÌ„ce therof is wasted â—endeth with a smoke and an euill saâ—â—ur And euen so doe all these worldlie â—â—â—asures end And allthowgh the shynyng â—his vanitie doth nowe for a tyme deâ—â—â—t thee yet deceyue not thy selfe for in the end it will breede thee great affliction and much remorse of mynde In the Psalme it is writen As the smokâ— coÌ„sumeth so doe all sinners vannysh away froÌ„ the face of God And as wax coÌ„sumeth at the fier so do sinners coÌ„sume perish in the presence of God If thou be wyse thoâ— wilt prouide for that which is to come That which hath bene is an instructioâ— of that which is to come Remember saytâ— the Apostle the thinges that are passed 〈◊〉 consider thereby what is to folow after what proffit sayth he hast thou reapeâ— of all those thinges wheroof thou art noâ— ashamed Reduce in to thy memorie hoâ— vnfruitfull the tyme which thou hast speâ—â— in the worlde hath bene vnto thee Anâ— looke thou retorne not agayne to thy foâ—â—mer follies Allthoughe thou doe lyue iâ— the greatest glorie of the worlde yâ—â— thinke that it must soone haue an end Thâ— vayne muste those worldlie pleasures 〈◊〉 which haue so vayne an end The Prophet Dauid sayth They hâ—â— yet in their mouthes their meate and thâ— anger of God fell downe vppon theâ— These worldlie men likewyse begynneâ— sooner to tast of the vayne pleasures 〈◊〉 this life but the Iustice of God doth coâ—â— vpon them and chastise them for thâ—â— sinnes And since that afflictioÌ„ is thus ioâ—â—ned to all worldlie thinges consider 〈◊〉 end in the begynnynge and forsake the vanities thereof betymes HOVV MAN OVVHGT NOT to muche to be aggreeued vvhen men doe murmure against hym Nor reioyce ouermuche of prayses that be gyuen vnto hym for before the face of God the iudgemeÌ„ts of men doe neither hurt nor good CHAP. 7. CAST thy care vpon God sayth the prophet and he will reeleue the. Let all thy care be to please God and theÌ„ thou shalt not be lifted vp with the vayne prayses â—f men nor beaten downe or troubled â—hen they speake euill of the. The occasion whie their euill speeches â—oe offend the is because thou pretendest â—ith thy selfe to please and content them â—nd the cause for which their prayses doe 〈◊〉 much delight the is for that
that all men â—â—ould sounde furth thy prayses with one â—â—outh If thou beinge a vessell full of all â—â—etchednes iniquitie art yet of many â—â—mmended lett it not displease thee or â—â—eeue thee that there be some agayne â—hich speake litle good of thee There is not any so good or so holie 〈◊〉 this worlde whose lyfe is of all men â—â—mmended neyther is there any mans â—â—â—orke so well iustified but that the â—â—cked will mumure at it It were a fowle â—â—our not to vse vertue in respect of any â—â—â—nge that the worlde can saye against it â—t thy lyfe be neuer so holie there will â—â—t wante some which will speake against 〈◊〉 And yf thou be so light as to be moued â—â—th all that men saye of thee thou shalt â—â—uer doe any woorke that good is The poore blinde man that sat by the â—â—ye syde at Iherico calling vpon Iesus â—â—rist to helpe him wanted not some that â—unde faulte with hym But he the more â—â—ey founde faulte with hym the more he â—â—rseuered in cawlinge vpon hym It is â—â—possible to refrayne the tonges of the â—â—cked and the malignante people Draw thou neare vnto God and folow â—â—e way of vertue and coÌ„tynue in it when â—â—ou hast begonne it not making any acâ—â—mpte of the wordes of idle felowes â—hich haue no other busines but to glose â—â—on other mens intentions and to interâ—â—ete amisse of their neighbours doinges It were a readie waye for thee to makâ— thee to loose thy wittes yf thou shouldeâ—â— gyue eare and make accompte of all thaâ— the people talketh Endeuour thy selfe contynuallie to please God and to fullfiâ—â— his will for all the rest is but vanitie anâ— affliction of mynde LET EVERIE ONE LABOVâ— to doe good onelie to please God vvitâ— all and not for the desire of vvorldliâ— prayse yf he looke to be revvarded foâ— his vvell doinge CHAP. 9. BEVVARE that you doe noâ— your woorkes sayeth ouâ— Lorde to the intent to be seene of meÌ„ And allthoughâ— our Sauiour saieth likewyse in another place Let youâ— light so shyne before men that they mayâ— see your good woorkes yet was it not hiâ— will for all that wee shoulde seeke ouâ— owne prayse but the glorie and honouâ— of God And therefore he added sayingeâ— to the intent that they maye glorifie youâ— father which is in heauen He that doth 〈◊〉 good woorke because he would be prayâ—sed for the doinge of it seeketh not goâ—â— â—lorie but his owne God doth not prohibite vs to doe good â—penlie but he would that our intention â—houlde be secret He commaundeth thee â—ot to seeke thyne owne prayse but in the â—ood whiche thou shalt doe to seeke to â—lease hym If thou commit the treasour of thy â—oorkes to an other mans mouth It is theÌ„â—o longer in thine owne power eyther to â—eepe it or to loose it Keepe thyne owne â—easour thy selfe and hyde priuelie the â—â—ches of thy vertues vnlesse thou wilt let â—â—atterers spoyle thee quyte of them Kynge Ezechias because he shewed his â—â—easure to the Embassatours of the kinge â—f Babilon he was greuouslie punished â—herefore Doe not publishe abrode thy â—ood woorkes whiche thou doest lest â—hou be punnished by God for a vaine 〈◊〉 arrogant person Seeke not for the reâ—ard of thy well woorking in this world â—est thou loose thereby thy rewarde in â—eauen and that the Iudge doe saye vnto â—hee at the iudgement daye Thou hast reâ—eyued thy reward all readie Be not thou desirours to be iustified â—y men for yf thine owne conscience doe â—ccuse the what auayleth thee then their â—ayne prayses Flie from beinge praysed â—est thou be deceyued And so loose the â—erite of thy good worke Let not the prayses of men nor the faâ—ours of those whiche are mightie any thinge moue thee or delight thee for all such thinges as doe seperate thee from the cheefest felicitie of all be bothe vearie vaine and verie daungerous Of woordes make thou no accompte at all for wysemen waye more thy workes them thy wordes A good worke is praise worthie of it selfe and they that seeke after wordes shall nothinge finde at the last The vertue that is wroughte in God shall receiue reward at the hand of God If thou wilt coÌ„mit thy life vnto the mouthes of meÌ„ thou shalt neuer be quiet nor at rest amongest them for sometyme thou shalt be of good accompte amongest them and some tyme agayne thou shalt be no bodie as their fansies serue them The good and iust man is not moued with fayre woordes but seeketh all that he can to please God alone Retorne and looke into thyne owne conscieÌ„ce where thou shalte fynde recorded the vearie truth of that whiche thou art in deede There shalt thou fynde how thou arte a weake and a frayle sinner And that thou hast not longe to lyue here And when death in deede shall come then shalt thou see howe vayne the glorie of this world is how brittle is the ioye And how litle worth the prayses of men are Desire not to be in the mowthes of men for that they doe easelie deceyue with their vaine prayses the greedie and fonde folowers of this worldlie honour It is but a vayne delighte which is not founded vpon a pure and a cleane conscience As goulde is tried in the fornace so is man tried in the mowth of hym that prayseth hym The gould is pourged in the fornace and that whiche is not gould turneth into smoke and sinders So vertue being once passed throwghe the fornace of prayse yf it be false it consumeth awaye to nothinge but yf it be trew it is by praise increased If thou desire the praise of men thou hast not trew vertue in thee If thou doest exalt thy selfe by mans praises thou art not surelie vertuous Those of Babilone when they hard once the musick sounde they adored the Idoll and so doe vearie manie men hearinge them selues once praysed they falle after to the adoringe of the Idoll of vice The Manna which the Israelites did reserue for any of the weeke dayes they founde it allwayes the next daye folowing to be eaten vp with wormes But that whiche was kept for the saboth daye remayned sounde and incorrupte By this is to be vnderstode That by the weeke dayes is signified the tyme of this present lyfe And all the workes that thou doest in this worlde to be praised therefore of men are all marred and corrupted But those which thou doest lay vp in store for the greate feast of the glorious Saboth in heauen wil contynue good and sounde for thee there for the which also thou shalt receyue rewarde Laye therefore all thy woorkes vpp in store against that highe feast of glorie VVhen God commaunded that the stones of whiche the Aulters were made should not be pollished nor wrought but should remayne rude without woorkemanship he ment thereby no other thing but that the woorkes which wee shoulde doe wee should not doe them
â—â—oe thou before them thy selfe that hast â—â—ardge of them yf thou wilt haue them 〈◊〉 proffâ—â— by thee for yf thou doest stand â—â—ll and callest on them to goe forwarde â—â—ey will little regarde thy wordes There is much more force in perswaâ—â—nge by workes and examples then by â—â—ordes yf thou wilt haue thy people to â—â—e well begyn to doe well thy selfe befoâ—â— them The Phisition doth more moue â—â—s patient to drinke his bitter medecyne 〈◊〉 drinkinge parte of yt before his face â—â—en by his onelie worde in willinge hym 〈◊〉 drinke of yt So shalt thou moue thy people more 〈◊〉 doe well yf thou goest before them â—â—d saie vnto them let vs goe on together â—â—en in willing them to goe on and stand â—â—y selfe still Sainte Luke in the actes of the Apostles â—â—yth of our Lorde That he began first to â—â—e and after to teach Neuer trouble thy â—â—lfe with much speakinge which doth no â—â—od when thou thy selfe liuest liceÌ„tiouslie â—â—e while for it is a monstrous thinge for a â—â—an to haue his toÌ„gue larger theÌ„ his haÌ„de Thy tonge is lesse then thy hande and â—â—osed vp in thy mouth because it is gods â—â—ill that thou shouldest vse but few worâ—â—es and many deedes speake little and â—â—oe much The greate rulers of these our dayes â—â—e greate preachers also make greate accompte of their well speakinge and buâ— vearie little reckening make they of theâ—â— vertuous lyuinge And when their lyuing is misliked their doctrine is but little esteemed Be thou the first that shall vse diligent seruice toward God And thou shalt soone perceyue how much thou shalt moue thâ— subiectes more by thy good examples thâ—â— by all thy fyne talkinge and faire wordes It is a greate follie suerlie to haue a desirâ— to be ouer other in auctoritie when thoâ— art bound to gyue a reckening to God oâ— their sowles It will be great trouble to thâ— to be asked a reckenynge of thy subiecteâ— synnes which thy selfe neuer committed It is a madnes for one man to be bound to pay for that which an other man deâ—uoureth VVhen the daye of iudgemeâ—â— cometh it wil be worke enough for eueâ—â— man to answere for his owne soule withouâ— any further accoÌ„pte geuing for the souleâ— of other men If thou shalt theÌ„ find enougâ— to doe for to delyuer thyne owne soule how much more shalt thou haue to doe 〈◊〉 answere for the conscieÌ„ces of other menâ— to deliuer their soules It is suerlie greâ—â— vanitie for thee to put thyne owne saluation into so greate a daunger And much greater vanitie is it for thâ—â— to desire to be greater here in this place 〈◊〉 bannishemeÌ„t exile then other men 〈◊〉 If thou be vertuous and doest 〈◊〉 whiche thou oughtest to doe thou shal◠〈◊〉 better beloued and more honoured of 〈◊〉 allthoughe thou be but a subiect then â—â—u shalt be if thou be taken esteemed 〈◊〉 a proude and an highe mynded ruler Doe awaye thyne affections and put 〈◊〉 thy minde all such vaine thoughtes â—he humilitie as becometh the faithfull â—â—ante of Iesus Christ and dryue from â—â—ne harte the loue of worldlie honour◠〈◊〉 promotioÌ„s for at the hower of death â—â—ich can not be vearie loÌ„ge to since our 〈◊〉 is so shorte these things can nothing â—â—her thee but rather putt thy saluation 〈◊〉 greater daunger â—â—NSIDERINGE HOVV â—ITTLE â—ime vvee haue to tarie in this vvorld vvee oughte not to seâ—t our loue vpon any of these vvorldlie thinges but haue â—ur eye fiâ—ed still tovvard heauen for â—he vvhich vvee vvere created and so â—ughte vvee to vse these vvorldlie â—hinges in this our Pilgrimage as vvee â—ay gaine by them the things celestiall CHAP. 14. VVHILEST wee doe here lyue in this worlde wee are in Pilgrimage and iourney toward our Lorde saith the Apostle Remember that 〈◊〉 arte here in this lyfe a straunger and goinge onwarde thy waye toward heauâ—â— VVee haue here no certaine resting plaâ—â— but wee looke for that whiche is to coâ—â— There is no iourney made without â—â—uayle And synce thou art here a trauayleâ— and a wayfaring man thou must not looâ— to spend the tyme thou lyuest here in 〈◊〉 and pastyme Make not much adoe in building 〈◊〉 howses to make a long abode here in 〈◊〉 barrayne worlde since thou hast so ryâ—â— and so plentifull a country prepared 〈◊〉 thee by thy father in heauen make theâ—â—â—fore what hast thither thou canst Heare what S. Peter sayeth vnto youâ— desire you all that lyue here lyke straâ—â—gers and pilgrims that you will abstayâ—â— from all carnall and sensual delightes aâ—â— lyue ye as it becometh pilgrims to dâ— You know how that pilgrims and passeâ—â—gers here in this world doe lead a lyfe 〈◊〉 of payne and trauayle They are all 〈◊〉 were straungers and lyue voyde of 〈◊〉 frendes here Make thou therefore no â—â—â—compte of worldly frenshippe since thâ—â— knowest that it is hurtfull to the soule 〈◊〉 since thou arte but a trauayler here thâ—â— must not looke to haue all thinges accâ—â—â—ding to thyne owne tast If thou carry 〈◊〉 well this in minde that thou arte 〈…〉 a pilgrime thou shalte thereby escâ—â—◠〈◊〉 mischeefes Thou must passe away in haste 〈◊〉 poste through this worlde and make 〈◊〉 taryeng here He that taketh vp his lodging at adâ—enture in an Inne to staye there but an â—owre or two neuer goeth about to dresse â—p the howse nor to bestow any cost there â—eaning not to reste therein but maketh â—ccompt to get him quickely thence And â—f he sholde doe otherwyse men wolde â—ccompt him but a foole for his labour â—hou arte here but a pilgrime to day thou â—mest hether to morow thou must make â—ccompte to be gone agayne Neuer take thou any care to get hoâ—ours ryches or other lyke vanities since â—â—ou arte lyke no longer to enioy them â—ut parte thou must from them agayne in â—â—eate hast but rather play the good wayâ—ring mans parte who all the way that he â—auayleth hath still his mynd on his iourâ—â—es ende and the place vnto which he 〈◊〉 going So let all thy thoughtes and cogiâ—â—tions be altogether of heauen which is â—e very true lande of the liuing where â—hrist doth rest with his holy elect Thou arte going towardes thy fathers â—ountry let thy mynd be occupied thereâ—â—re vpon the meanes of comming thyâ—â—er of the good enterteynement thou â—â—te lyke to finde there and forget altogeâ—â—er this present banishment for this litâ—â—e space of tyme that thou continewest â—â—ere thou hast no certentie of thyne habiâ—â—tion If thou wert sure to continew here any longe tyme I wold nothinge maruaylâ— at thy buildinge of greate howses nor 〈◊〉 thy greate prouision making for so maâ—â— thinges But thy lyfe being so shorte anâ— the hower of thy death so vncertayne thâ—â— thou knowest not whether thou shalt lyâ—â— vntill to morowe Thou deseruest greaâ—â—â— to be reprehended and sharply to be â—â—â—buked if thou sholdest make accompâ—â— of any thing in this
world as though thâ—â— sholdest alwayes enioye it There be maâ—â— which build fayre howses and when thâ—â— haue done other men doe make thâ—â— dwelling in them Take not these slighâ—â— thinges of the world to be any better thâ—â— they are in deede And since thou art euâ—â—ry howre and momente departing henâ—â— by death esteeme no such vanities of thâ—â— world in which there is no stedfastnes nâ— assurance Euery man is well contented wiâ—â— one euill nightes rest in his Inne when 〈◊〉 remembreth that the nexte day folowiâ—â— he is to rest at home in his owne howseâ—â— his ease This onely consideration mighâ—â— suffice thee to suffer with patience all thâ— troubles of this present lyfe remembriâ—â— with thy selfe that they are not long to â—â—â—dure and continew here but that thou 〈◊〉 ready still euery day to take thy iornâ—â— thine owne howse which is heauen 〈◊〉 thou mayest take thy rest for euer Haue alwayes in thy mind the 〈◊〉 of the holy prophete Dauid saying 〈◊〉 I am a stranger here before thee and â—â—lgrime as my parentes haue bene beâ—â— me If thou doest consider how eternall 〈◊〉 durable that lyfe is which we looke 〈◊〉 hereafter that neuer is to haue ende 〈◊〉 compare it with this lyfe which we 〈◊〉 leade here now all were it a thouâ—â—â—d of yeares yet in comparison of that â—â—er lyfe to come which is perpetuall 〈◊〉 wilt thinke this to be scarse halfe an â—wer Make well thine accompte and thou â—â—â—te finde as the truth is in very deede â—â—at this presente lyfe is in comparison 〈◊〉 that other to come but euen a moment 〈◊〉 This moued the Apostle to suffer with â—â—ience the great trauailles turmoyles 〈◊〉 his Pilgrimage here sayinge to the Coâ—â—â—thians VVe doe take paynes here and doe â—â—â—uaile but yet wee be not forsaken wee â—â—fer persequutioÌ„ but yet wee shrinke not â—t wee are throwen downe but yet wee â—â—rish not we fainte not because our triâ—â—lation is here in this present tyme but â—ie and short wee lyue now beholdinge 〈◊〉 that which wee see with our bodelie â—es but those thinges which wee see not 〈◊〉 visible thinges be but for a tyme but 〈◊〉 inuisible thinges be for euer VVith â—s contemplation both of the breuitie 〈◊〉 this lyfe and of being but as a Pilgrime 〈◊〉 it did the holye Apostle disgest the heauie stormes which he suffered here 〈◊〉 his Pilgrimage toward heauen And whylest thou takest thy selfe 〈◊〉 be but a wayfaring man here thou nedâ— not greatly to care for that thou arte 〈◊〉 better regarded of men here in this lyfâ— If the trauaile of thy lyfe seeme ouâ—â— burdenous vnto thee remember it is 〈◊〉 endure but for a short space Of the saiâ—â— of the old Testament S. Paule sayeth Thâ—â— they confessed them selues to be but piâ—â—grims and strangers vpon the earth liuiâ—â— in caues and vaultes vnder the earth 〈◊〉 that in this lyfe they neuer had reste 〈◊〉 continewed still in wandering on of theâ—â— pilgrimage Lyue not here as though thou weâ—â— an inhabiter in this world Cain began 〈◊〉 buylde cities here vpon the earth and aâ—â—ter he lost the chefe citie of heauen Thâ— first that sought to lyue on this earth lyâ—â— an inhabiter thereof being in deede 〈◊〉 a pilgrime was Cain who was afterwarâ— damned S. Peter was worthely reprehendâ—â— by our M. Christ for as much as he beiâ—â— but a pilgrime vpon the earth wolde 〈◊〉 needes haue had a howse builded on thâ—â— mounte Thabor as though he had 〈◊〉 to haue made his mansion stil on the earâ—â— and haue continued an inhabiter thereâ—â— They which trauayle throughe stranâ—â— countries towardes their owne dwellingâ— doe neuer vse to buy any thinge by 〈◊〉 â—ay as they trauayle but that which they â—ay easalie carry with them they neither â—â—y howses nor trees nor such vnportaâ—â—e ware but onlie things of easie cariage 〈◊〉 Pearles or Iewells whiche be of more â—â—ice greater value then they be either â—â—mberous or heauie to carrie with them â—â—to their countrye Remember that thou 〈◊〉 a trauailer and a pilgrime and that of â—â—â—y worldlie substance thou canst not carâ—â—e ought hence with thee Here must thou â—â—edes leaue all thyne honours riches â—ehynde thee Thy good workes be onelie â—â—e thinges that thou must looke to carrie â—ith thee and therefore labour thou to â—ette good store of them All other things â—olde anoy thee and comber thee These â—â—ll comforte thee and releeue thee VVhat wisdome were it for thee to â—â—eke to be rich here from whence thou 〈◊〉 dayly passing in haste and after when â—â—ou arte gone hence to lyue a beggerly â—â—â—d a bare lyfe at home in thyne owne â—owse Seeke to carry with thee in thy â—â—lgrimage the pretious iewels of good merites that thou mayest come rich home and lyue in prosperitie and honorable welth for euer in heauen THAT THE BEVVTIE OF THâ— soule is more to be set by theÌ„ the bevvâ—â— of thy bodie vvhiche is but a verâ—â— small thinge to be made accompte 〈◊〉 and therefore is thy mynde to be fixeâ— vpon the contemplation of diuine anâ— celestiall thinges vvhich ought onelie 〈◊〉 be loued and esteemed CHAP. 15. BEVVTIE is but a vaynâ— thing sayeth the wyse maâ— And if all vanitie be to 〈◊〉 esteemed as nothinge theâ— with greate reason ought this bodily bewtye of ouâ— be accomted as nothing Amongest all oâ—ther vanities which worldly men doe deâ—lyght in all which thou that arte a gooâ— seruante of Christ oughtest to despise there is none greater then that delyght which is taken in the bewtie of our body And truly they seeme to wante the vse 〈◊〉 reason and are to be esteemed litle betteâ— then fooles that take felicitie in any sucâ— vayne pleasure Let not thyne owne bewtie deceyâ—â— thee nor be not delighted with the vayâ—â— shadowe thereof lest it happen to thâ—â— as it did to that fond felow Narcissus 〈◊〉 â—â—e delyghte that he tooke in his owne â—â—â—e fell into such a foolish fantasie 〈◊〉 often beholdinge the shadowe of â—â—ce in the water that he after perished 〈◊〉 shamefullie thereby â—â—solons goodlie faire lockes of heare 〈◊〉 but the instrumentes of his owne 〈◊〉 â—hat bewtie which almightie God hath â—â—â—wed vpon his creatures is to the end 〈◊〉 the Creator might the more be gloâ—â—â—â— thereby and hym selfe the better â—â—â—veÌ„ by his creatures Doth it not often â—â—â—nce vnto thee as thou trauaylest by â—â—â—aye to espie a small streame of water â—â—â—â—inge which when thou folowest thou â—â—â—st thereby the fountaine from wheÌ„ce 〈◊〉 â—â—â—e So of euerie â—â—â—porall bewtie that 〈◊〉 beholdest thou â—â—st looke to finde 〈◊〉 by due examyning and diligent searâ—â—â—â—ge of one thinge by an other vntill 〈◊〉 thou doest fynde out the principall 〈◊〉 and fountaine thereof which is God â—â—â—selfe from whome all bewtie proceeâ—â—â— It is the propertie of litle children 〈◊〉 they looke in their bookes to marke 〈◊〉 be the goodliest gay letters in all 〈◊〉 bookes and nothing to
thy iourney toward heauen thou seekest for all these worldly impedimeÌ„tes that might hynder thee thitherwarde VVhat good doth it a man for to gayne the whole world and to loose his owne soule God sayth hym selfe that euerie beast which creepeth vpon the earth with hiâ— breast shal be abhominable And verie abhominable is it that man which is createâ— for heauen shold trauayle take paynâ— in the louing of the gooddes of the earth These are verie vnworthie of heaueâ— these be they whome Gedeon the noblâ— Capitaine dismissed out of his army anâ— bid to retorne home agayne as men vnworthie to be partakers of any worthie entreprise who falle downe flat to the earth and lye on their breast to drinke the running waters of these transitorie worldlie gooddes Get thou as greate riches as thou canst yet must thou geue credite vnto Iob that hath told thee longe agoe That naked thou camest out of thy mothers wombe and naked thou must retourne to the earth thy mother agayne The mill wheele turneth al day aboute and neuer resteth nor standeth still But turne it neuer so much al day loÌ„ge at night yet it standeth still resteth in the same place where it fyrst beganne to turne VVell mayest thou trauayle and wander aboute the worlde to be riche and honorable but when death cometh than thou must needes stay from going any further Then shalt thou be founde in the verie same state that thou wast in when thou first entredst into the worlde poore and naked thou camest into it so shalt thou enter into thy graue and in the state thou wert in at the begynninge thou shalt make thy latter endinge whence thou camest thou shalt returne and this must thou needes doe how much soeuer thou hast trauayled in the worlde before to make thy selfe riche and greate therein It is a vanitie therefore in this shorte lyfe to make thy foundation vpon the temporall riches of this worlde If thou contemne them with all thyne harte thou shalt lyue in welth for euer with Christ VVITH MANY GOODLIE REAsons and examples of gods frendes he proueth that in this vvorld mournyng is better theÌ„ laughinge And trauayle and payne more profitable then pleasure and solace CHAP. 23. VVOE be vnto you that laugh for you shall weepe saith Christ woe be vnto you that haue your ioyes in this world synce you shal be so voyde of all ioye in an other worlde VVoe be vnto all them that doe lyue in pleasure for much sorow and trauayle is prepared for them Happie is he that in this worlde being mortified for Christ doth carrie alwayes aboute with him the sorowe of his bitter passion before his eyes Happie is he that in this tyme of teares vale of miserie is daily fed with teares Happie is he who in this tyme of banishmente doth make teares his foode both day and night A man that hath in his remembrance the quiet peaceable countrye of heauenly Sion his owne proper habitation may well with reason lamente and be euen confounded to see hym selfe confined into this place of bannishemente amongest the bitter waters of the Babilonicall state of this worlde Happie be they that weepe for they shal be comforted sayth our Sauiour and God hym selfe shall wype of the teares from their eyes those must needes be comfortable teares which the blessed hand of our Maister doth wype awaye As the lande that is neuer watered bringeth nothing furth but braÌ„bles thistles ingeÌ„dreth serpentes so wil thy soule bring furth nothing but vanitie and vncleanes except thou doe water it with the water of thy teares And as necessarie are teares to the soule as water for the earth All flesh was corrupted and for the remedie thereof God sent the water of that greate flood vpon the earth to clense it agayne And if thou wilt let the flood of teares fall vpon thy soule and ouerflowe it It will kill all sensuall concupiscence in thee Happie is that flood which mortifieth the bodie quencheth all worldlie desires and maketh fruytefull the barreyne field of thy soule They are but vayne which in this lyfe doe seeke their pleasures and delightes It is a greate errour for thee to seeke after these temporall consolations At the houre of thy death it wil be found better for thee that thou haddest lamented and bewailed thy sinnes then in this miserable lyfe to haue spent thy dayes in deceyuable light vanities If thou wilt haue thy feast daye here then must thou keepe thy vigil and fast there If thou doe spend thy dayes in laughing here in this lyfe in hell shalt thou mourne with death for euer Holie Iob sayde I sighe and am sorie before I take my foode In the feastes of the Sainctes the vigil cometh euer before the feast day because they did allwayes in this worlde fast and take paines and therefore afterwarde they must eate and be merie for euer The worldlie maner is all contrarie they doe first eate and make merie and then after they doe pay their scot Death cometh and maketh the reckenyng for them and then shall worldlie folke paye deare for their good cheare that they haue made heare Then shall the laughing and mirth which thou vsedst here be too well payed for with perpetuall mournyng there Those be bitter comforts that must be boughte with euerlastinge tormentes Allthough thou doest here eate a pace take thy pleasure and takest thy selfe no care thereof yet is their one appointed by the gouernour of the howse to take the reckenynge and score vp all the shot so that at the last there shal be nothinge left vnpayed for If thou diddest but way well this with good consideration thy charge sholde not growe so great neither woldest thou with such full scope of libertie gyue thy selfe to the world But now because thou remembrest not that these thinges shall haue an end And that thou must gyue an accompte thereof and paye for all the reckenynge thou spendest here so freelie for the which thou shalt after neuer cease thy payement in hell And as Iob sayde of good men that they sighed and sorowed before they did eate so sayeth he of these worldly folke here They passe furth their dayes in ioye and mirth they reioyce and make merie when the musicke soundeth and in the twinkling of an eye they disceâ—d downe into hell To the riche glotton which S. Luke mentioneth Abraham sayd Thou must remember sayed he that in thy lyfe tyme thou receauedst ioy and contrarywise Lazarus receaued sorow and now is Lazarus comforted and thou tormented This is the ende of worldly comfort and this is the ende of the vayne glory of this world Thou shalt not finde in all the whole euangelistes that euer our sauiour Christ laughed at any tyme but of his weeping wee fynde ofte mention made He wept at the tyme of his owne natiuitie He wept at his raising vp of Lazarus to
as reste is vnto motion for theâ—â— is our rest quyet and perfecte when theâ—â— is not any thinge more to be moued Aâ—â— euen so shall our ioy be full and perfecâ—â— when there is not any thinge more for 〈◊〉 to desiâ—â— or wish for And because that in the things of thâ—â— lyfe our desire neuer findeth perfect reâ—â— hereof it groweth that in the creatures 〈◊〉 this worlde it neuer findeth perfect ioyâ— Therefore doe thou loue God alone whâ—â— filleth thy soule with good desires and 〈◊〉 the onely cause of thy perfect ioy The prophete Dauid sayeth That 〈◊〉 only filleth our desires with good thingâ— Anna the mother of the prophet Saâ—muell sayde my hart reioysed in ouâ— Lord and in my God was all my gladneâ—â— So doe thou reioyce onlie in God becausâ— the ioye of this worlde is false and vainâ— the which shortelie passeth awaye vaniâ—sheth â—OVV GREAT SO EVER ANY mans honours in this vvorld be yet they all vanysh avvay at the last and true honour doth only rest in the seruantes of God both here in this vvorld and in the vvorld to come CHAP. 26. THY frendes are verye honorable O Lord and their gouernement full of comfort Thus sayeth the prophete dauid If thou be the frende of honor thâ—â— arte 〈◊〉 enemy of God for he onely hath true â—â—nor that is in the fauour of god It is vaâ—â—ie to seeke the honor of this presente â—â—rlde for with payne it is gotten and â—â—th charge maynteyned and quickely it â—â—gone agayne Onely true honor belonâ—â—th to the seruantes of God All those â—â—om the worlde doth honor and extoll â—â—re not the frendes of God That honor which the sainctes of God 〈◊〉 both here on the earth and also in â—â—auen was not gotten by the seeking of 〈◊〉 but by the flying away from it VVilte â—â—ou be honorable Then must thou humâ—â—e thy selfe and be brought lowe VVilte â—ou that all men shall knowe thee Labour thou then to be knowen of no body 〈◊〉 lyke a shadow that flyeth from him whiâ—â— foloweth it and it is gotten by throwiâ—â— thy selfe downe to the grounde and alâ—â— sing thy selfe If thou shalte once knowâ— thy selfe but for earth and ashes as thâ—â— arte thou wilte not couet after the vayâ—â— honors which these blind worldly folâ—â—â— doe seeke so much for VVhen thou wiâ—â— haue none of them then shall they be gâ—â—uen thee VVhen thou fliest from theâ—â— then will they come vnto thee and 〈◊〉 humbling of thy selfe thou shalt get theâ— But yf thow wilt desire the honoâ—â— perpetual thou must despise this tempâ—â—rall honour doe but cast thyne eyes vpâ—â— the end that all these temporall vanitâ—â— doe câ—me vnto thou wilt easelie despiâ—â— the vayne honours of this world Thâ—â— be certayne countrie pastimes vsed 〈◊〉 which amongest other their is vsed tâ—â— carying aboute of a certeyn paper Imaâ—â— sett vp a lofte vpon a pole which all 〈◊〉 people folowe froÌ„ place to place to maâ—â— sporte at which he that carieth setteâ—â— furth with all the brauerie gay garmenâ—â— and Iewels that he can get or borowe 〈◊〉 when the play is ended and all that borâ—â—â—wed ware retorned backe to the ownâ—â— agayne then their remaynes nothing 〈◊〉 the bare naked Image as little esteemeâ— theÌ„ as it was folowed coÌ„mended befoâ—â— And euen so falleth it out by thee whâ—â— thou arte alofte in the world decked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honours dignities thereof be 〈◊〉 neuer so vyle a sinner thou shalt not â—t commendacions and vayne prayses â—he people but when thy playing tyme â—nded all that thou haddest borowed â—ore of the worlde restored agayne as â—e will they set then by thee as they 〈◊〉 set by the paper puppet before that 〈◊〉 so much esteemed and folowed Thou must remember that all thy â—â—ddes honours and dignities be all but 〈◊〉 vnto thee here for a tyme and allâ—â—ughe thou doest possesse them for a â—â—e yet mayest thou well see that they be â—ne of thyne since when thy lyfe forâ—â—keth thee thou canst not carrie them â—â—aye from hence with thee since other â—â—lkes must then adorne them selfe with â—â—at which thou diddest so much magnifie â—â—y selfe with all before VVhen the iourney of thy lyfe is ended 〈◊〉 an end is also all thyne honour and â—orldlie reputation and in the earth must â—â—ou lye all poore and naked while others â—ake merie with that which thou so much â—steemedst The greate estates and kinges of the â—arth that sat sometyme full high in their â—â—rones and seates of Maiestie all clad in â—urple and rich array vnto whom folke â—owed their knees made lowe curtisies â—s vnto some earthly God The same folke â—fter when all the honor was gone and â—hey layed lowe in their graues weÌ„t walking ouer their heades shewâ— small reuerence to those whome they 〈◊〉 greatlie magnified before This is 〈◊〉 worldlie guyse to daye in honour to 〈◊〉 row in dishonour To day euery man spâ—â—â—keth honorablie of thee And to moâ—â— not one that will remember thee Aâ—â— passeth the wynde of this vanitie the feâ—â— lasteth not longe and at last in short spaâ—â— cometh all the honour to nought O I wold to God that vnto the eaâ—â—nest louers and folowers of this worldâ—â— false honours and vanities there were 〈◊〉 worse to falle vnto them TheÌ„ after thâ—â— they should be once depriued of them 〈◊〉 death and cleane forgotten of wordâ—â— people there mighte no more harme coâ—â— vnto them But this is loo a miserabâ—â— thing and vearie fearefull to thinke 〈◊〉 that after these short daies be ended 〈◊〉 which they haue serued the worlde thâ—â— which contynued in their vyces and euiâ—â— lyfe vnto the end shall burne in hell 〈◊〉 after for euer This end haue the vanitieâ— which thou seekest after and in this doâ—â— the honours end that thou so much deâ—lightest in The true seruante of Iesus Christ doth not desire this temporall honour which he acknowledgeth for vaine and transiâ—torie The seruante of Christ setteth morâ— by the honour of his Maister then he doeth by his owne honour and coÌ„moditie Happie is he which in all that he doeth â—â—â—ireth nothing but the honour of God 〈◊〉 Happie is he which imbraceth humiâ—â—â—â—e foloweth his maister Christ thereâ—â—â—nd dispiseth all the vayne honour of 〈◊〉 world from the bottome of his harte â—he end that he may reigne with Christ 〈◊〉 euer Care not for the false honour of this â—â—rld that thou mayest get the true hoâ—â—ur of heauen leaue not the truth for 〈◊〉 shadowe The Apostle sayth be not ye in your â—â—ce vnderstandinge like vnto childreÌ„ â—â—ildreÌ„ doe more delight in horses made â—reedes and puppetts made of clowtes â—â—en in true horses verie men and woâ—en in deede Thou must not be a childe â—â—d set more by a shadow of truth then 〈◊〉 the trewth it selfe The riches and honours of this worlde 〈◊〉 but shadowes of the true riches and â—â—nours that be in heauen And since thou art a man of
thinges which seâ—â— for nothing but to extinguysh in thyâ— harte the loue of God The carefulnes 〈◊〉 riches doth suffocate the word of God 〈◊〉 thee It is no marueyle thoughe the geâ—â—tiles infidels liued still in care beleuiâ—â— and trusting in fortune as they did 〈◊〉 thou which art a christian beleeuest 〈◊〉 prouidence of God oughtest not to be 〈◊〉 refull aboute temporall thinges for thâ—â— knowest that yf thou doest that which longeth for thee to doe God will promiâ—â— all that which is necessarie for thy lyfe And yf he maynteyne the birdes whicâ— he created for mans vse will he not mayâ—â—teyne man also which he made for hyâ— selfe Make thyne harte cleane and disâ—charge it of all carefulnes and exterioâ—â— busines that thou mayest the easelier liâ—â— it vp to heauen The distraction of thâ— hart cooleth the affectioÌ„ of loue putteâ—â— man into many temptations and daungeâ— of the deuill Our sensual part is veâ—â— stronge and must well be looked vnto for yt desireth by all meanes to satisfieâ— selfe in the vanities and pleasures of 〈◊〉 worlde whereby the vnderstandinge 〈◊〉 darkened and the spiritie becomeâ— insensible and euerie spirituall excerciâ—â— vnsauorie and without tast Much busines and occupations alâ—though it be in thinges lawfull doe briâ—â— a greate distraction to the mynde whiâ—â— â—ill hynder much thy praying and deuoâ—â—on For they will not suffer the most inâ—â—arde partes of thy sowle to gather them â—â—lues together into any quyet vnitie â—nd accorde Exterior occupations doe blynde â—â—e sighte of our vnderstanding and doe â—epriue vs of our true light he that will â—â—yue hym selfe wholie vnto God must seâ—erate hym selfe froÌ„ euerie worldlie care â—nd exterior occupation HOVV DECEIVABLE AND false the vvisdome of the vvorld is vvhich iudgeth onelie by those thinges vvhich appeare good to the vvould not considering hovv acceptable to God they be and vvhat revvard they doe deserue vvhiche for the loue of God dispise all those thinges vvhich the vvorld holdeth most deare CHAP. 33. THAT which is foolishnes before God the men of the worlde esteeme for high wisdome sayeth the Apostle The world accompteth him for a wyse man which beste can cloke his owne vyces here amongest men and so behaue himselfe 〈◊〉 he can get the dignities and honors of thâ—â— world and those it holdeth no better thâ—â— for very fooles which despise all such vaâ—nities The wyse man sayed in the person 〈◊〉 worldly folke VVe haue taken the 〈◊〉 of iust men to be dishonorable and full 〈◊〉 folly The worlde calleth them wyse 〈◊〉 which desire these false honors and beâ—stowe all their trauayle and labor in 〈◊〉 getting of them And those that lyue 〈◊〉 to this worlde the fonde wisdome of 〈◊〉 worlde reputeth as dead folke they are laughed to scorne of worldly men aâ—â—though they had no wit in their headeâ— The foolish wisdome of the world knoweth not that the seruants of Christ be like vnto â—â—ndles that be lighted the which this world lyke a boysterous winde bloweth and putteth out and therefore they that be good in it doe seeke to hyde them selues out of the way to be in the more safetie they care not for to shew their holines but vnto him whom they seeke to please who is God him selfe who beholdeth not the out side but looketh what is within The wisdome of God is cleane contrary to the wisdome of the worlde Good men are litle esteemed of worldly folke are much esteemed of God The iudgementes of God be verye farre differinge from the iudgementes of men The world â—ooking onely to that which appeareth on â—â—e out side taketh him onely for happye â—hich is mightie and riche VVhen Samuel went about to anoint â—ne of the sonnes of Isay to be king of Isâ—aell he refused him whom the father esâ—eemed most likely and anoynted Dauid â—ing who was thought most vnlikelie â—mongest them all and the other children of Isay that most were esteemed of men were reiected in the sighte of God They â—hat were accompted wisest amongst men were taken for moste ignorante before God and he whom the worlde esteemed â—east him did God choose to be king He that hath a cause to pleade before learned Iudges that can skill of iustice careth not much though he be first condemned by some ignorante Iudge befoâ—e because he knoweth that he shall after appeale before a learned Iudge whose sentence he knoweth to be of force and auayleable VVorldly men be such iudges â—here of the good and doe condemne them for very fooles and people of no value and this sentence holdeth for good while this lyfe lasteth by which they be all condemned and so doe lyue here in this world lyke persons condemned and despised The Princes of the worlde had neuer any better opinion of our holy Martyrs seeing them dye so willingly for their fayth and many wyse men of the worlde esteemed for very madnes the wilfull pouertie and beggerie which they sawe â—â—â—ny good men susteyne for the seruice 〈◊〉 Christ their maister who had suffred 〈◊〉 them so greate and extreme pouertie bâ—â—fore A worldlie wyse man saide vnto S. Paule the Apostle Thy much lerningâ— hath made thee madde S. Paule made anâ—swere I am not madde I speake the wordâ— of truth And because that Festus did not vnderstande the misteries of the Apostlâ— doctrine he reputed him for a foole as thâ— worlde doth now esteeme all that for foolishenes which it neyther coÌ„prehendeth nor vnderstaÌ„deth for want of knowledgâ— and practize therein This is that iudgemeÌ„t which the world gyueth like a blindâ— and an ignorant iudge vpon those whichâ— be good and iust in the world But when death cometh the seruantâ—s of Christ shal appeale to God that great learned and skilfull iudge who knoweth well all their whole cause And then shall he condemne that former false sentence of the worlde for vniust shall gyue hym selfe a cleane contrarie sentence which shal be irreuocable and neuer called backe agayne wherein he wil pronouÌ„ce that the worldlie men which florished in this lyfe were vayne and foolish And those good 〈◊〉 which the world condemned were 〈◊〉 wyse and discrete Therefore let it neuer greeue thee that the world condemneth thy lyfe for thou â—â—st thy remedie of appellation where â—â—ou shalt haue full restitution agayne â—he day is at hand in which the chiefe â—dge of all will approue that whiche the â—orld hath reproued Doe not thou therefore care for the â—â—rldes condemnation The redemer of â—â—e worlde was esteemed of worldly folke 〈◊〉 a foole and for such a one they appaâ—ed him in Herodes howse The deepe â—â—d high wisdome of God is reproued by â—â—e world as that which their blinde eyes â—â—ll not serue them to looke vpon They â—â—ndemne at their pleasure the good and â—â—rtuous men of the worlde but of their â—â—inions take thou no regarde for soone all their vayne iudgements be confounâ—â—d and the true vertue made manifest â—HE VVISDOME
take in their ordinarie pleasures they be so cloyed with the common vse of them But when troubâ—es and misfortunes doe come their parte is greater in them then other mens is because they haue bene allwayes now seled in pleasures and delightes and throwgh the longe lordlie libertie which they haue liued in they thinke that they were not borne for those aduersities The meane sort of people may better abide tribulation when it cometh take more comfort therein because they are more inured with affliction And greate men doe as little escape daungers as the other but rather of the twoe doe tast of them more often then they But vnto all sortes of men in generall God wolde that this lyfe shoulde be troublesome daungerous because they shoulde seeke after the lyfe that he hath created them for which is the eternall lyfe of heauen THE TYME OF OVR LIFE being short vncertayne vvee ought not to prolonge our pennance lest vvee be taken by death vnprovyded and so svvalovved vp by the deuill in to hell CHAP. 38. BE not slacke in turning vnto our Lord neither deferre pennance from day to day for sodaynly shall the angre of God fall vpon thee and in the day of vengeance shal it destroy thee sayeth Ecclesiasticus Thou oughtest to doe thy pennance quickely seeing thou hast not one houre of lyfe sure for thee to lyue 〈◊〉 God sayeth I will not the death of a sinner but that he sholde be conuerted and lyue God doth here promise thee pardon when thou doest aske it but he promiseth thee not to morow to aske it in why puttest thou of thy pennance for a tyme which perhaps thou shalt neuer lyue to see He that is of greate welth and hath fayre inheritance of his owne what matter is it though he doe spende some of his moueable goods But he that hath no more then he getteth day by day and must also gyue a reckeninge to his maister of that to what purpose should he be lauish in spending VVilt thou then that hast not one day certaine to lyue expect for the yeare that is yet comminge to make thy pennance in Thou which art so poore of tyme that thou hast not one howers lyfe of certentie to reckeÌ„ vpon wilt thou so liberally promise to thy selfe many yeare to liue Cast not the tyme away which iâ— gyueÌ„ thee make not thou to light accompte thereof remember that thou art but poore and miserable And yt may chaunce that euen this day there shall a straight accoÌ„pt be asked of thee how thou hast spent the tyme which hath bene gyuen thee for to doe thy pennance in Thy lyfe is in the same daunger that the sheepes lyfe is in which is in the wolues mouth and all the helpe thou hast is to bleate for Christ the trew sheepherd except thou wilt straight wayes be swalowed vp by death Doe not promyse vnto thy selfe any longe lyfe The wysemaÌ„ sayth An vniust promyse hath vndone many that haue put trust therein Doe not ye knowe how our lord saith That the father hath put all tyme in his sonnes power God hath not put the time into thy power but into his The prophet sayth in the psalme The tyme is for thee to worke O lord for they haue destroyed thy lawe Except thou doe vse well this tyme God will shorten the dayes of thy lyfe At Noes tyme God graunted vnto man an hundred and twentie yeares to doe his pennance in but because he vsed the time that he gaue hym so euill at the fludd he cut twentie of them cleane away So shalt thou be cut of quickelie to yf thou vsest thy tyme euill The health of the bodie is gotten by little and little because it is not of any necessitie that health shold comme vpon a sodeyn vnto any man But the health of the soule which is a thinge of necessitie vnto man may be gotten at an instant and of the tyme thou hast but onlie an instant which shall yet suffice thee for thy conuersion vnto God Deferre not thou thy pennance for many yeares since it is gods will that thou shouldest be conuerted in a moment Prolonge not that worke which God wolde haue done lest there may happen some impediment to thee that may keepe the alltogether from the doing of it Tarrie not vntill to morow for it may be he will calle to day for an accompte Be diligent then to doe well since thou arte so neare vnto death This lyfe was gyuen thee to the ende that with these troubles thou mightest buy eternall rest He that taketh any worke to doe in haste and bindeth him selfe to the doing of it by a certeyne day he dispatcheth his handes of all other busines vntill that which he hath vndertaken be done for the keeping of his credite The tyme of this present lyfe our Sauiour calleth the day in which we haue to worke for when the night of our death doth once come on there can no man worke any longer he can then neyther gayne neyther loose This lyfe is the tyme that thou receauedst of God to merite the other in Haue thyne eye vnto this worke which is nowe in thine hande and if the worlde call on thee and wolde haue thee goe about any other worke thou must not harken thereunto and if it bid thee forsake this worke and take his worke in hande promising thee for thy labor honors riches and pleasures tell him agayne that thou canst not for thou knowest not when the tyme of thy lyfe shall haue an ende Make hast and leaue not one iote of thy busines to doe because the time draweth on in which thy lyfe shall be examined and according to thy worke shalte thou receaue thy payment The falcons towarde night be greedie and labor harde to get their prâ—ye for that the tyme of proyeng is paste with them when night cometh Thou must remember also that the tyme of thy working here is but short and that it is meete for thee to vse all carefull diligence to get heauen by sighing sorowing and praying and all the meanes that thou canst vse There be very many that doe but litle consider that the dayes of our pennance doe passe away a pace neyther doe bethinke them that the tyme of their saluation slippeth euen through their fingers A wonderfull thing it is to see any man so necligente going in such hast toward his graue If thou be necligent in seeking the saluation of thy soule thou mayest hap to be handled as that Leuite was which at the intercession of his father in law departed late to his howse and not comming home in due tyme was by meanes thereof greeuouslie abused and iniuried Thou owghtest straight way to doe thy peÌ„nance and not harken to any that wolde withhold thee or deteyne thee lest when thou arte goinge onward in thy way thou be ouertaken with the darke night of death and then thou be forced to take vp thy
lodging in hell and so canst not come at all to rest thee in thyne owne lodginge which is heauen toward which thou wert walkinge Get thee therefore aboute thy busines betyme doe thy pennance here whilest thou hast tyme and place that thou mayest after rest at ease in thyne owne howse and not be taken tardie by the way as thou art goinge A MAN OVVGHT TO CONuert hym selfe to God and to doe pennance vvhile he is in health and not differre the doinge of yt vntill the hovver of death for at that tyme pennance is many tymes vnprofitable CHAP. 39. THIS is the tyme that is acceptable to God these be the dayes of saluation In all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the seruantes of God in much patience in tribulatioÌ„ necessities and afflictions This sayde the Apostle to the Corinthians In the time therfore of thyne health and best lust turne thy selfe vnto God for when the great floodds of water do coÌ„passe thee aboute on euerie side that is to saye when the stormes of greate sorowes shall come vpon thee and the feare of death be present with thee thou shalt not for feare be able to make thy conuersion perfect The prophet saith They that haue in their lyfe tyme gone farre of from God shall not at their death draw neare vnto hym And the Prophet Isay sayth In the tyme that was acceptable to me I haue heard thee and in the tyme that thou wast to worke thy saluation in I haue gyuen thee my help The tyme of workinge of thy saluation is here in the state of this present lyfe VVhich tyme thou must not let passe awaye from thee for thoughe it be shorte yet mayest thou merite eternall rest thereby euerie thinge hath his tyme. There is a tyme to laughe and a tyme to wepe The tyme of wepinge and doinge of pennance is here in this lyfe The tyme of ioye cometh after this lyfe which thou doest seeke after and coÌ„tritioÌ„ of thy sinnes which thou knowest to be a thing so necessarie to get thy saluatioÌ„ by proceedeth from the loue of God which thou mayest not well looke for at the hower of thy death yf thou haue offended God all the tyme of thy lyfe Allthoughe that a man at that tyme doe wepe neuer so much it is to be thought that he doth it rather for the feare of hell then for the loue of God which feare is not enough to iustifie a sinner and therefore is pennaÌ„ce at that tyme for the most parte vnprofitable He that loued not God wheÌ„ he had his owne free dispositioÌ„ of hym selfe to loue hym much lesse will he loue bym when he is in great sorowe and affliction hath the feare of death and hell stille present with hym The passions of malancholie doe more strongelie worke in the mynde of a man then doe those which doe come of any pleasant or delectable cause Now yf a short delectation doth hynder the vse of reason much more will then an extreme sorowe confounde the iudgemente and amongest all other sorowes the sorow of death is most stronge terrible the feare whereof will so darken reason within thee that thou shalt not then turne thee vnto God wheÌ„ thou hast serued the world all thy lyfe before Thyne vnderstanding can neuer behold two obiectes perfectlie at one tyme and then shall sorow so make thee to shake to tremble that thou shalt scarse once lift vp thyne harte to God The wiseman sayth It is not in mans power to retayne his spirite within hym neyther hath he the day of his death in his owne handes The habite or custome of a thing is such a kynde of qualitie as hardlie is put away from a man And then shall thyne euill custome drawe thee on the one syde and greuous temptations shall moue thee on the other syde and then shall thine aduersarye be most busie aboute thee knowing well that yf he loose thee at that tyme he is neuer lyke to lay holde on thee agayne And therefore maketh he his fiersest assaults at that tyme so as those whome he hath often gyuen ouer in their lyfe tyme he hath sought earnestlie to wynne againe at the hower of their death whome yf he doe gayne then he is â—uer of theâ— for euer after And such kynde of of temptatioÌ„s seemed in coÌ„paraison nothing at all And yf thou couldest not in the tyme of thy best health and strength resist his small temptations how wilt thou beinge weake and feeble withstande so fearce greeuous temptatioÌ„s VVhat hope mayest thou haue of wynnynge when thy selfe art most weake and thyne enemy most stronge VVhen thou art in health and in good state of bodie wilt thou refuse to enter into the field against thyne enemye and after comme to offer thy selfe into the listes against hym being all feeble and full of sorow and heauines Now since thou knowest not but that thou mayest be broughte into that case to morowe folow my councell and straight wayes without delay goe aboute to doe pennance and to be sorie for thy synnes King Dauid saide to God hym selfe In death who shall remember thee O lord He aunswereth agayne saying He that liueth shall confesse prayse thee O lord not he that is dyeng but he that is liuing shall remember thee O my God Heare what the wyseman sayeth Remember thy creator in the tyme of thy yowth before that the sonne of thyne vnderstandinge be darkened and the starres of thy senses be decayed It seemeth often that such mens pennance is but false and fayned for that they be seene soone after their recouerie to returne to those faults which they were accustomed to before And to reuenge them of such iniuries and offences as they haue pardoned and forgyuen before And yf the intent of their pennance had bene perfect and good they wold neuer haue returned so easelie to their euill customes agayne Necessitie inforceth such vnto vertue If thou forsake not synne vntill thou canst synne no longer then doth synne forsake thee and not thou yt VVhen the marchant throweth his goods ouer bord into the Sea he throweth them away of necessitie to saue hym selfe but when the storme is past he seeketh how to get his goodes agayne Neither wold he euer haue cast them away yf he had not bene indaÌ„gered by theÌ„ Sucâ— kind of noble liberalitie haue those men bene likewise constrayned to vse at their death who haue had their harte in seruile subiection vnto the worlde all their whole lyfe It seemeth a thing halfe impossible that a worldlie man standinge vpon the poynt to dye shold more thinke vpoÌ„ God theâ— vpon hell If thou haue Iudgement thou wilt soone perceyue the errour wherein thou liuest by prolonging of thy penance Amongest all vanities that is one of the greatest to differre pennance vnto the vearie last hower And he that doth not his penance forthwith doth put it of vnto the last hower for what knoweth he
but that his last hower may be before to morow come And synce thou knowest not whether thou shalt lyue vntill to morowe or no thyne hower beinge â—o vncerteyne turne thee betyme to amendment of thy lyfe lest by deferring of yt vntill the end thou mayest be sodeinlie taken with death wheÌ„ thou woldest seeke for tyme place to doe thy penance in and canst after fynde none A DISCOVRSE HOVV NO maÌ„ ought in this lyfe to put trust in any vvorldlie thinge shevvinge that there is no assurance or stabilitie in any vvorldlie thinge but all thinges in this vvorld are vnstable and full of vanitie CHAP. 40. PVT not thy trust in Princes nor in the sonnes of men for there is no safetie to be founde in them sayth the prophet In no lyuelie creature nor noble parentage or other dignitie owghtest thou to put any trust vnlesse thou wilt be deceyued troubled and disquieted for all is full of vanitie VVherein trustest thou o thou worldlie maÌ„ Trust not in thy greate force synce there haue bene so many valiaÌ„t captaynes in the world of whome wee haue now scarse any memory left to vs. The scripture sayth That the mightie men shall suffer mightie punishement Vaunte not thy selfe in the vanitie of thy greate actes and worthie deedes done by thee It is a vearie follie thy lyfe being so short as it is to make statelie palaces when as our forefathers liued many yeares in simple and meane cotages Iheremy sayth woe be vnto hym that buildeth his howse vpon vnrighteousnes Esteeme not of thy horses well set out and furnished nor the vayne pompes of this world since God sayth woe be vnto you that be riche in Syon and doe put your trust vpon the hill of Samariâ— and doe enter so gloriouslie into the howse of Israell Set not your hartes vpon banqueting and feastinge as many vayne folke doe which doe spend their dayes therein and haue no regarde to the sentence that God pronounced vpon Balthasar kyng of Babilon nor remembreth not his wordes sayinge woe be vnto you that rise vp earlie to eate and drinke and to haue pleasant musicke in your howses and haue no regard vnto the workes of our Lorde Trust not vpon the nobilitie of thy kindered nor in the vanitie of thy bodelie bewtie since it is written All outward grace vanitie and bewtie are deceytefull Doe not put any confidence in the nimblenes and agilitie of thy bodie nor in any other externall thinge for in these thinges the vearie brute beastes doe goe beyonde thee and exceede thee Asael which ranne like vnto a wilde deare of the wood was slayne in the folowing of Abner And these outward graces and qualities of the bodie haue bene to many men cause of their distruction and death Make not any greate accompte of thy learnynge and knowledge for since no man lyuing is comparable therein with the vearie deuills them selues who for all that their knowledg cannot delyuer them selues from the paines of hell In nothing of this miserable world doe thou put any trust for all is vanitie and vearie mere follie It is a greate want of wisdome to gyue iudgement before thou doest heare both parties And yf thou doe recken all these wordlie thinges for good why thinkest not thou the thinges pertenynge to God to be as good VVorldlie men doe gyue their sentence in fauour of the worlde approuinge and esteemynge much of the mucke of this earth because they neuer harde that parte which longeth to the spirite once speake on gods behalfe They thinke the world to be good neither hearing nor seeinge any thinge for gods parte Sainte Paule saide If thou diddest tast the sweetenes of the spirite thou woldest abhorre all fleshlie tast And yf thou diddest but tast likewyse of God thou wouldest coÌ„demne and vtterlie defie all the sinne and the vanitie in the which thou hast bene content to leade thy lyfe hitherto And because thou knowest not the tast of gods dayntie meates nor of his fauorie foode thou takest liking in the bitter and harsh tast of this miserable world Dispise these vanities and put thou no trust in the lyeng nor in the deceipte of this present world that thou mayest get the eternall and true ioyes of heauen The end of the first parte OF THE CONTEMnynge of the vanities of the vvorlde The second parte VVherein is conteyned hovv peruerse the vvorldlie customes are He shevveth first the vvorld to be full of deceipte false shevves and lyeng and hovv it is enemy to all that loue it lading all those that doe esteeme it vvith infinite miseries and calamitieâ— CHAP. 1. DOE not loue the world neither the thinges that be of the world sayth Saincte Iohn He that knoweth not the malice of any thing lyueth in so much more securitie as he feareth lesse the harmes that thereby may come vnto hym Therfore it is meete that thou sholdest know the conditions of the world to the end that when thou knowest it thou mayest the better beware of it The deceytes thereof be vearie manifest and the euill qualities that it hath cry out to all the world How little ought that to be esteemed which gyueth poysoÌ„ to all those that enter into amitie with it And all those that doe ioyne them selues vnto yt it infecteth with contagious pestilence How many doth it deceyue how many infinite people doth it make quite blinde VVhen it flyeth away it is nothing when it is seene it is but a shadow and when it ascendeth vpward it is but a smoke Vnto fooles it is sweete and to them that be wyse and discreete it is vearie bitter They that doe loue it knowe not what it is And they that doe hate it doe see throughlie into it To knowe it well as it ought to be knoweÌ„ one must stand farre of from it for they that drawe to neare vnto it neither doe know it nor theÌ„ selues It bringeth furth much mischiefe and is cause of infinite miseries It blindeth those that drawe neare vnto it and vnto hym that is not well ware of yt it mynystreth matter of much heauie care It hateth those that doe loue it It deceyueth those that doe trust it It persecuteth those that doe serue yt It afflicteth those that be freÌ„ds vnto it It doth shame to those that doe honour it And it forgetteth those that be myndefull of yt More cause haue wee to hate it when it most loueth vs then when it openlie persecuteth vs. The more familier that it is the more daungerous And much worse is it when it fawneth vpoÌ„ vs then when yt flieth away from vs. Eyther must wee laughe at the world or the world laughe at vs And they that contemne not the world shal be contemned of the world VVoe be vnto them that do trust it happie be they that doe despise iâ— It is both to be feared to be fled from The lyfe thereof is deceytfull the trauayll vnprofitable the feare continuall
worlde lest the pleasant and gorgeous â—hewes thereof so glitter in thyne eyes to â—ake thee blinde that it bring thee thereâ—y at the laste vnto distruction There is â—othing in thyne vnderstanding but that was before in thy senses and when thyne vnderstandinge cometh to drinke at the â—esterne of thy senses the worlde playeth â—acobs part and sticketh there downe cerâ—ayne whyte populer tree wandes of faire â—leasant delightes to beguyle thee withal â—nd to infecte thereby thyne vnderstanding The honors and delightes of this world â—e but lyke vnto flowers that soone fade â—nd are gone and doe not thou thinke that in the worlde which thou seest with thyne eyes there is any fruite or commoditie it is all but vayne fruitles leaues 〈◊〉 the populer tree which neuer beare fruitâ— at all Those fruiteles vanities doth thâ— world offer vnto thy senses and althoughâ— thyne vnderstandinge be well purged yoâ— will thy senses earnestlie labour to spoâ—◠〈◊〉 and defile it againe And as a fayre looking glasse doth easely by often lookinge in 〈◊〉 gather spottes so doth our vnderstanding by euill imaginations gather errors And when our vnderstaÌ„ding is watered at thâ—â—enses with earnest imaginations of vaniâ—â—ies disceytes which the world offred â—s It begynneth to conceyue as Iacobâ—â—heepe did spotted lambes whiche be ouâ—â—orldlie desires whiche bringe foâ—â—â—â—ftâ—rward vniust workes Doe not thou therefore behold 〈◊〉 set thyne eyes vpon such varietie of â—â—â—â—ginations as the world doth make shew 〈◊〉 vnto thee for it is but an exterior appâ—â—â—rance without any sounde substanceâ— deceyueth them that are delighted 〈◊〉 it as little children are deceyued withâ—â— candle that is lighted which when thâ— see and earnestlie beholde they will 〈◊〉 their fingers into it vntill they haue bâ—â—â—ned them in the flame And then they 〈◊〉 out and no bodie can still them Eueâ—â— are worldlie men without iudgement 〈◊〉 vnderstanding deceyued with the apâ—â—â—rance of worldlie bewtie casting thâ—â—â—selues into the fierie flame of the vyces â—nd fowle sinnes thereof findinge their handes emptie and their consciences burnte THERE IS NO CREDITE TO be gyuen to the vvorld in any thinge for all the fayre shevv that it maketh tendeth but to falsehood and fayned flatterie vvhiche doe dravve a man from God doe throvv hym dovvne headlong into the depth of all miseries CHAP. 3. HE doth faynedly humblâ— him selfe and his inwarde partes be full of deceyte sayeth the wyse man Doe not beleeue that which the worlde doth â—ell thee nor doe not thou thinke that it â—eareth any perfecte good will vnto thee â—nder the color of good holesome victuâ—ll it gyueth vnto thee poyson to destroy â—hee Doe not thou gyue any truste vnto the world neyther beleeue it to be thy frend â—or if thou doest gyue it credit and comâ—it thy selfe into his handes it will doe â—y thee as Ioab the cheife captayne of â—auid did by Amazias who imbraced him frendly in his armes and kissed him and secretly the whyle did kill him with his dagger Let it say vnto thee what it will let it gyue thee the counsaile that shall best lyke thee for the tyme yet shalte thou finde all false and full of lyes what so euer it hath tolde thee There were no lesse then foure hundreth false prophets which flattered Achab promising him both lyfe and victorie if he sholde goe to the warre And all this was but to please his fantasie and satisfie his minde All that the worlde doth aduise thee to and what so euer thy false appetites doe gyue thee couÌ„saile to be but mere deceytes to abuse thee withal They wold haue thee to thinke by their false persuasions that in liuing after their counsaile and contynuyng the euill trade that thou art entred into thou shalt haue a solemne victorie here lyue in tryumph in this world ende thy daies in peace and after enioye the lyfe euerlasting But yf thou doest beleeue these lyeng prophets thou shalt die as Achab did most miserablie But thou must harken vnto the Prophete Micheas which must be thyne owne conscience it is that which muste tell thee the trewth and discouer vnto thee all their false lyeng and deceytes But thou hast no liking to gyue any eare thereunto no more then Achab had vnto Micheas because he told hym that which was not agreable to his owne appetite And thou hast no regard vnto thine owne conscieÌ„ce because it telleth thee nothing but the truth which thou art not willing to know It seeketh thy profite but thou hast no delite to heare thereof Thou haddest rather goe out of thy way by folowing of liers to the losse of thy lyfe then to doe well with the prophet of God and lyue without deceyts Thou folowest the world and thyne owne appetites and so goest furth to the battaile there art ouerthrowen loosest thy lyfe These be also those false witnesses which Iesabel brought forth who because they be beleeued doe kill thy sowle Gyue no eare vnto their lyenge except thou meane to be taken captyue in the nettes of their false deceytes All the fayre wordes of this worlde be but false fictions to deceyue thee and to take thee vnprouyded Allthoughe that for the present tyme it sheweth a frendlie face yet in tyme of necessitie thou shalt fynde a bitter enemye of it It will doe by thee as quicksiluer doth by golde whiche allthough it be neuer so fast ioyned vnto yt as soone as it cometh to the fyre it goeth straight away from it and forsaketh it And so will this world play by thee wheÌ„ thou comest into any strayte and that the fire of tribulation beginneth to catch hold of thee it will straight way forsake thee And then shalt thou easelie see what all the vayne glorie of the world is that doth so sodaynlie fayle thee The frendship that the world sheweth thee is but of purpose with his fayre shewes good countenance to deceyue thee And allthoughe it pretend thy good neuer so much for the time it seeketh but thereby occasion the better to ouerthrowe thee Drinke not thou of the sweete milke of his deceytes neyther seeke thou to sleepe in the confidence of his frendship vnlesse thou wilte perish and dye an euill death as Sisara did who committing trust vnto Iahell and feedinge of her dayntie fare was miserably put vnto death by her God sayeth O my people they which doe say vnto thee thou art happie be they which doe deceyue thee If the world will bid thee vnto a feaste and tell thee that those honors riches and pleasures which it profereth thee and setteth before thee be very good and sauory meate for thee to feede vpon yet doe not thou beleeue it excepte thou wilt dye an euill death as that prophete did which for the gyuing of ouer lighte credite vnto the wordes of a false prophete was killed with a lyon going by the way Although it say vnto thee that God commaundeth it and that there is no sinne
at all in it neuer yet make thou any accompte of his wordes for although it be true that there is no sinne to lyue in highe degree and statelie honour yet doe they lyue in greate daunger of fallinge into the fowle sinne of pryde which doe lyue in the prosperitie and ioliâ—ie of the world The world seemeth goodly and fayre to the eye being in deede fowle filthie like an image made of a peece of wood which is set out well and fayre paynted to the sighte and within is there nothing but a peece of olde rotten timber The fisher vseth to couer his hookes with bayte to catch and kill his fish withall All this worldly flattering is but to doe thee harme with all And vnder the greene grasse doth the serpent lurke and hyde her selfe The woman mentioned in the Apocalips gaue poyson to drinke in a cuppe of gold O how many hath the world slayne with the poyson of his deceytes And how many doe drinke their owne death out of the cuppe of honours riches and vanitie with this golden cuppe he deceyueth the simple which know not the poyson that is conteyned therein flye from his deceytes if thou wilte escape death THE FALSE PROMYSES OF the vvorld are not to be trusted vnto for it giueth the cleane contrarie of that vvhich in shevv it pretendeth CHAP. 4. MANY haue bene cast away through vniust promyses sayeth Ecclesiasticus Let euerie man be well examyned and let them declare the truth of their owne knowledge and they will say that in all their lyfe they neuer sawe ioye without some sorowe Peace without discord Rest without feare Health whithout infirmitie nor myrth without mournynge The world maketh still his promyses of all good and prosperous thinges but in perfourmance they proue all contrarie It promyseth ioye but it cometh accompanyed with sorowe It promyseth to abyde still with thee but when thou hast most neede of his helpe it wil be furthest from thee It promyseth quyetnes and it gyueth perturbations and troubles It promyseth mirth and perfourmeth mournynge And when it promyseth honour it bringeth shame Finallie it promyseth loÌ„ge lyfe when their foloweth a shorte lyfe a miserable and subiect to much euill That lyfe which it promyseth rather seemeth a lyfe then is in deede a trew lyfe To some it maketh a shewe of a longe lyfe for to deceyue them in the end It shortneth againe the liues of some others to the ende that thoughe they wold conuert them to God yet shall they haue no tyme therunto To others it promyseth leÌ„gth of life because they shold doe what they listed be made worse thereby And vnto other it sendeth a shorte lyfe that they shold haue no tyme to doe good All these doth it deceyue depryuing them of the knowledge which they ought to haue of God of the world and of them selues Iacob serued Laban seuen yeares to haue his daughter Rachell to his wyfe but his deceytfull father in law in the darke night gaue hym Lia to wyfe So playeth the world with thee It promiseth thee one thing and intendeth an other These worldlie men doe neuer take knowledge of these things vntill the mornynge come and that the darkenes of this present lyfe be passed away and gone that is vntill death doe come which doth opeÌ„ the eyes of our vnderstanding and maketh vs to behold the falsehood of the worlde as Iacob in the mornynge perceyued the guyle of his false father in lawe Then shall they perceyue the bitter ende that the honors and pleasures of this worlde doe bring with them and then shall they see how much tyme they haue lost in the seruice of this false lyeng world Many althowgh they see well enough the falsehood of the world yet are they contented to be deceyued thereby As BaalaÌ„ did who fell downe at noone dayes wheÌ„ his eyes were open The three freÌ„des of Iob drew neare vnto hym like frendes to gyue hym comfort at the first but afterwarde they iniuried hym gaue hym many fowle wordes of reproche So doth the world draw neare vnto thee at the first with fayre wordes like a frend but afterward thou shalt well perceyue hym to be an hard aduersarie against thee It cometh flatteringe with pleasant speaches vnto thee to offer thee frendship but shortlie after yâ— becometh thy cruell enemy Let not his sweete wordes enter within thyne eares for thou shalt shortlie after finde a fowle chaunge yet are there many for all that which doe gyue it credit and holde all that for true that it telleth them and by beleeuing his false promises they deferre their pennance perswading them selues that they shall lyue many yeares and then cometh he sodenly and taketh their lyfe away from them They lyue so carelesly and vpon such truste of those false promises as though they were very sure that the worlde tolde them nothing but truth But thou must not beleeue his wordes nor what so euer it shall tell thee for thou shalte finde in the ende that all his promises are false THE MEMORY OF THEM that haue despised the vvorlde continueth but of those that haue bene louers of the vvorld the remembrance is soone gone avvaye CHAP. 5. THE memorie of these wicked worldly folke perisheth lyke the sounde of a voyce in the ayer sayeth the prophete Make not any accompt of this world who soone forgetteth his frendes and of his enemies keepeth a perpetuall memorye If thou wilte that the world shall haue thee still in remembrance thou must despise it and so it will remember thee And who be they thinke you that the world remembreth most Good S. Hierome and others lyke vnto him that fled from all the pleasures of this worlde and lyued alone in desertes Of these who were enemies vnto it and set nothing at all by it the worlde hath yet as freshe a memory as if they were liuing still That is most true which the holy prophet telleth The iust man shall be had in memory for euer The worlde hath yet in good memory S. Paule the heremite that was faste shut vp in a caue ninetie yeares together VVhom hath Rome cheefely in remembrance at this day Not the famous princes and greate men which florished so much there but the poore fisher S. Peter whom the worlde despised and made no reckening of The kinges and emperors of the worlde doe adore and haue in reuerence those most of all that fled from and forsoke those great honors and riches which them selues do lyue in They be more honored of the world which doe hate it then they which doe esteeme it They which hate the world those doth God loue and they that forsake the worlde God receyueth and he honoreth those that despise it here in the worlde doth he make also an euerlasting memory of them It is a notable thing that the seruante of God liuing in a caue farre from the company of men sholde haue his glory manifested
agayne Saul slept careleslie and put hym selfe into verie greate danger hauyng his enemy readie at hand to kill hym In so much that Abisai woâ—d haue thrust hym through with his speare yf Dauid had not staied hym And all this was because he put his trust in his greate force of men and weapoÌ„ that he had aboute hym Many putting trust in their corage and their youth haue stayed from doing of pennance and slept without taking any care for their soules But they sleepe vnder the shadow of this miserable lyfe being allwayes at the poynt of loosing it Thou art more to be blamed theÌ„ euer was Isboseth that hauing thyne enemies still aboute thee being coÌ„passed aboute with so many daungers thou doest sleepe in a carelesse dreame trusting allwayes in thy vayne desires But death shall comme vpon thee and awake thee and then shalt thou knowe that thou wert all that while but vnder a shadowe and that at last thou shalt fynde thy selfe to be sett downe at the hott fire of hell where worldlie men shal be burned and tormented for euer Oh how much shalt thou fynde thy selfe then at that paynefull tyme of thy passage to haue bene mocked and deceyued when thou shalt see before thy face all those vayne pleasures and worldlie delightes in which thou diddest put so much affiance while thou liuedst here cleane vanished away and turned into a smoke Sleepe not vnder the shadow of these worldly vanities least when death cometh to awake thee thou be founde compassed about with miserable troubles and paynefull tormentes HE THAT SERVETH THE vvorld not onelie hath no revvard of it but also is kept by it in contynuall broyles troubles and at last brought to a miserable ende CHAP. 10. YE shall serue straunge gods which shall gyue ye no rest neyther day nor nighte sayeth God vnto worldlie folke They which doe loue the world doe serue their owne passions and doe continually suffer intollerable torment by them The fayned flatterie of Dalida drewe Samson to his death whom the Philistines did firste make blynde and after set him to grynde in a mill wheele Euen so thou that arte a seruante of this worlde and seekest by all meanes to please thyne inordinate appetites and to get the riches and honors thereof thou shalte finde at the laste that thou haste but gone rounde aboute in the wheele as Samson did The prophete sayeth that the wicked goe alwayes compassing about for sinners doe neuer goe the directe way by which the iust doe walke As the wyse man sayeth VVorldly men going still aboute their worldly busines with much trauayle are much lyke vnto a doore going aboute vpon hinges which doe neuer moue out of their place but doe stay them selues vpon sinne as vpon their sure platforme and foundation they goe to and fro and labor vp and downe but from their sinne they will not departe they be so cawght vp with their owne passions they goe aboute still folowing their owne vanities and seeking after their pleasures lyke men that had but little brayne in their heades still trauayling without any profitte or commoditie VVe trauayle through many harde and sharpe passages and we are euen tyred in the way of wickednes sayeth Salomon speaking in the person of worldly folke If thou doest serue the world thou mayest labor and toyle thy selfe to death but of all thy paynes and thy trauayles thou shalt be sure to get no more in the ende then Samson did for all his paynes taken for the Philstines no more doe thou looke for any reward for all thy paynes taken in the seruice of the worlde Iacob serued Laban many yeres with greate trayuayle and payne and yet ten tymes did he deceyue him by chaunging of the rewarde which he had promysed hym And many doe serue the world with like trauayle that Iacob serued Laban moued with desire to increase their wealth and their honour but the worlde playeth Laban with them It chaungeth their reward denying that which it agreed with them for The burthen of their trauaylles be heauie and their paynes be vearie vnprofitable The deceites of Laban be not comparable with those which the worlde doth proffer to his seruantes The world can not coÌ„plaine that wee doe not our true seruice to it but wee may well coÌ„playne that wee haue not our iust rewarde for our paynes of it agayne And allthowghe that worldlie men doe suffer much in this miserable seruitude yet how many be there that will suffer any paine most willingly how sharpe so euer it were for the world which will not suffer a little trouble for Iesus Christes sake to gayne thereby eternall glorie for euer wee will in no wyse chaunge these present thinges for thinges to come The Iewes were many of them at that passe that they had rather haue lyued vnder the tyranny of Pharao still in Egypte then by a little trauayle of their passage thence gayne vnto them selues the fruitfull land of promyse Those which were inuited to the mariage feast in the Ghospell thought it better for them to trauayle aboute their busines with payne then to be partakers in peace of the solemne feast of the eternall kinge If the kinge of heauen had inuited them to trauayle and the world vnto pleasure and ease they might well haue bene excused But when it is all contrarie then is the errour to manifest yf thou shouldest despise the sweete seruice of Christ for the displeasant seruitude of the deuill Thinke it not better for thee to beare the heauie yoke of the worlde then to suffer a little for gods sake and thereby to lyue after in happines for euer He is a foole that passeth many a day in payne many a night without rest throughe the continuall payne of his teeth rather then he will abide a shorte payne in the taking out of the rotten tooth that greeueth him and so to be after at quyet rest and free from all his former payne There be many that will rather leade a paynefull lyfe in consentyng to their owne appetites then by withstanding their passions for a shorte tyme enioye the pleasant sweetenes of the spirite for a longe space after Yow shall see sometyme a free maÌ„ that is in perfect libertie which wil for a little fonde loue which he hath cast vpon some bondwoman be content for the satisfieng of his faÌ„tasie to marrie the woman and thereby cast hym selfe into willfull bondage for euer So doth the will of man loosing the loue of God for his owne fonde affectioÌ„ cast vpon a creature thinke it nothing to put it selfe into the bondage and seruitude of the world Allthough that Samson knew well by the often guylefull deceytes whiche Dalida had vsed shee could not haue any other meanyng in her earnest desire to knowe the secrete wherein his strength did coÌ„siste then thereby to sell hym to the Philistines yet was his affection such vnto her and so much
did he loue her that rather then he wolde displease her he wold be taken and made a seruile prisoner for euer And so was his fond loue the cause of his fowle falle by meanes whereof he was led shortlie after to his death and so was his light crediting of false lyeng wordes made his confusion VVho doth holde thee now in the seruice and bondage of this world but thy light creditynge of his false lyes and flattering wordes whereby at the first thou wert brought vnto this estate which yf thou hast not good regard vnto 〈◊〉 thou mayest happelie be vsed at the last as Sampson was by that false lyeng Dalida Doth it not appeare in the storie how the first thing that they did vnto Sampson after his taking was the plucking out of his eyes And thou which the world taketh into his seruice what arte thou but made blinde thereby As it maketh all those blinde which doe gyue credite to his deceyfull wordes which he abuseth them with to the end that they may not perceyue the paynefull state in which they lyue nor know how sweete the yoke of Christ is Oh how much is it better for thee to reigne with God by seruing of hym then to lyue in the world and suffer extreeme bondage Thou mayest wel see heere now how the world doth vse all those which doe serue it shake of therefore from thy necke the most heauie yoke thereof and put on the most sweete and easie yoke of Iesus Christ. THE CONSIDERATION OF much bitternes that vvee fynde in the vvorld vvherein so little svveetenes is to be fovvnde and that but onelie in apparence doth gyue vs easelie to vnderstand hovv heauie the yoke of his bondage is and hovv much it is to be eschevved CHAP. 11. COME vnto mee all ye that doe trauayle and be laden I will refresh you sayeth our lord The louers of this world sayeth God allmightie doe goe aboute like men that are laden and carrie heauie burtheÌ„s aboute them The world doth gett all that which it â—rauayleth for with trouble and busines and with feare doth enioy it with greefe forgoe it agayne It is writteÌ„ in the Apocalips That thei which had adored the beast neuer had rest which they in deed can neuer obteyne which doe adore their beastlie appetites Little childreÌ„ doe runne vp and downe all day blowing of a fether in the ayer and sometyme they hurte theÌ„ selues by falling but they are to be pardoned because they be without iudgement But thou that art a man of reason and of perfect age art worthie of much reprehension yf thou sholdest runne and take payne after the vanitie of this world the vayne blastes of false honours and riches Thou seest not where thou settest thy feete Thou knowest not the daunger in which thou liuest Thou considerest not the trauayle that thou endurest nor wherefore thou doest endure it which yf thou diddest weygh well thou sholdest fynde all that thou seekest and laborest for here to be in effect nothing VVhat profit doe the little children gett in runnyng all day after a fether they are wel weried for their labour And proffit or commoditie haue they none but sometyme perhappes a good knocke on their head by reason of some fawle that they take And wheÌ„ death cometh that must make an end of thy paynefull lyfe wherein thou haste serued the worlde thou shalt haue no other reward for thy paynes but new sorowes agayne VVhosoeuer will lay siege to a towne will first looke well that the expences of the siege exceede not the comoditie that he shall gett by wynnynge of the towne And yf thou woldest but consider what the seruice of the world doth cost thee thou woldest soone leaue of thyne enterprise If in thy worldlie consolations thou fyndest sorow thou must not marueyle thereat for it is a sower crabbe therefore no marueyle that it setteth thy teeth on edge God sayth I will compasse thy waye aboute with thornes The pleasant orchardes be sett aboute with sharpe thornes because no man shold come at the fruyte These thornes sayth our lord be the cares and loÌ„ginges after riches These hath God layed in our way to the intent that when wee shold see with what payne those fruites be gotten wee shold be affrayed to meddle with them Amonge all our pleasures here God hath planted sorow and remorse of conscience because wee shold not haue any earnest desire or longing after theÌ„ Among our prosperities hath he put much bitternes because wee shold not loue them And synne is allwayes the torment of hym that commytteth it The greefes and the felicities of this preseÌ„t world doe goe allwayes accompanied together If thou doest loue the gooddes of this world thou must needes be subiect vnto much trauayle care for them for when thou hast thâ—m thou wilt be affrayed to loose them But yf thou be disturbed in the quyet possessioÌ„ of theÌ„ then doest thou suffer some trouble presentlie by them which God doth suffer allwayes to falle vnto thee that thou mayest set thyne whole loue vpon hym remoue it cleane away from these vanities of the world God hath appoynted this for a medecyne to temper our disordynate appetites withall But this world hath such a greedie sorte of seruantes folowing it that they will not stick to runne through the thornes all imbrewed with their owne blood for to gather of this fruyte Oh how many are there at this day like vnto those who for the satisfying of their vnruly appetites and for the wynnyng of some fonde pleasure doe suffer greate greefe and remorse of conscience and doe bringe their lewde desires to effect allthoughe it be with neuer so much losse and hynderance to their sowle And all this labor doe they take for to please their senses without any recoÌ„pence at all agayne for their paynes If thou diddest but consider with what preiudice to thy conscience thou diddest buy all this short delight thou woldest not be so much a foole as to thrust thy selfe into so many daungers of the world The seruice of the worlde is a deare seruice It is an hard yoke and an importable burthen Christ calleth all those vnto hym that are weried with carying so heauie a burthen on their backe as the heauie yoke of the world is And when he fyndeth that thou art weryed with seruinge of the world and that thou doest playnlie perceyue all thyne owne defects Then doth Iesus Christ call thee as one being then best disposed to come vnto hym He that doeth not first hate the vanitie of this lyfe will neuer lay hand vpon the crosse of Christ. And vntill thou thinke all this whole lyfe to be but a vearie vayne follie thou art not meete to folow Christ. Therefore Christ our redeemer calleth not those that doe thinke this worldlie yoke sweete but those that doe take yt as an heauie burthen are growen werie of it And so much lesse payne as thou findest
all the fieldes meadowes fresh and greene when sommer cometh the heate of the sonne drieth vp withereth away the greenes of the fieldes and then be the trees in their cheefe bewtie all fresh and florisshing with their greene leaues and their fruyte vpon them This miserable lyfe of ours is nothing els but a sharpe a hard wynter in which worldlie men be fresh and galante like the greene fieldes enioying all the glorie and pleasure of this world But let them nâ—â— put any trust therein for when the pleasaÌ„t sommer cometh of the next lyfe which shall last and continue for euer they shal be dried vp and quyte coÌ„sumed away Death will mowe downe all their grasse and make therewith matter to increase the flame of the fierie fornace of hell I saw sayth Dauid the wicked man exalted aboue the high trees of libanus and a little after I looked agayne and beholde there was not any such The iust men were accompted and holdeÌ„ for dead like vnto the trees in wynter whose true vertue remayneth hidden in the roote which made them to be counted of the worlde for vnprofitable and nothing worth But the sommer cometh and their vertue florisheth and then shall they appeare in their glorious array The iust shall say the winter of our tribulatioÌ„ is past and now doe the flowers shoote vp in our land which shall shyne like the sonne and so be presented before the face of our God Put not thy trust in the greene and glorious shew of this worldly vanitie for all this freshnes is sone gone in an instant is quyte consumed Loue not the worlde which thou seest slide so fast away for the loue and frendship of this world is enemy vnto God Salomon sayth that the world shall passe away like a sodayne tempest as a thunder clap which maketh a great noyce in the ayer and like a sodayne shower of rayne which soone passeth away and by and by cometh fayre weather agayne so is all the pompe and glorie of this world which no sooner cometh but it is gone agayne Loue thou the lyfe eternall which shall for euer endure be carefull to gett that lyfe which lasteth euer where thou maiest allwayes lyue without feare of fallinge into death And yf thou canst loue this lyfe wherein thou fyndest so much trouble and busines how much more oughtest thou to esteeme that lyfe in which there is all rest and quyetnes Remember that thou â—rt but a pilgrime in this world be diligeÌ„t therefore to get the a sure restinge place in heauen All thinges in this world passe like a shadow away And as worthie of prayse be they that will not florish with the world that florissheth as they be worthie of reprehension which doe delight to perish with them that doe perish That payne which thou takest here to deferr death and to prolong this transitorie lyfe of thyne thou mightest doe well to bestowe vpon the getting of the lyfe eternall which can neuer perish THE DESIRE THAT MAN hath to content his ovvne vvill and to abounde in the thinges of this vvorld doth cause hym to haue much care trouble of mynde vvhich neuer vvill let hym be quyet but doth put hym still into nevv thovvghtes more anguyshe of mynde CHAP. 15. YOv shal serue straunge goddes which will neuer let you haue rest neither by day nor night sayth God Allmightie The world will not gyue thee any rest at all If thou doest folow thyne owne appetite thou shalt neuer want trowble and disquietnes In the thinges of this lyfe thou must neuer looke for quyetnes And greater disquietnes can no man haue then in seruing his owne passions Thou which doest serue the world art in asmuch vnquyetnes as the wheeles of a clocke by meanes of thy contynuall carefulnes and taking of thought which doe growe in thee by occasion of the counterpeases of worldlie loue which doe hange vpon thy will This is that which turneth the wheeles aboute This is that whiche maketh thee leade so euill a lyfe This is that whiche neuer suffereth thee to haue rest but doth keepe thee in a contynuall motion There was greate stryfe and contentioÌ„ betwixt the shepherdes of Lott and the shepherdes of Abraham and the cause thereof grew by no other thinge but by their wealth and their aboundance of riches They were both vearie welthie in worldlie substance but what els did it but minister vnto them matter of trouble and disquietnes And it was the cause that these twoe greate frendes and neare kynnesmen were driuen to deuide and seperate them selues one from another This is the good that groweth by much riches One of the greate plagues that God visited Egipt with all was the little busie flies whose properties are allwayes to be buzing about men to molest to vex them And yf they be driuen away froÌ„ one place of a maÌ„s bodie they will get vnto an other And like vnto these be the cares of worldlie men which will neuer suffer them to rest nor be in quyetnes And these cares be sent by God to vex the riche ambitious man as the flies were sent to vex the Egiptians Esay sayth of wordlie men They haue weyued the spiders web The spiders doe consume them selues with much trauayle and payne in making of their fyne webbes to catch flies And so doe worldlie men consume them selues with much â—â—omaginge of their consciences for the getting of riches and honours which doe after worke their owne ouerthrowe vndoinge VVhat proffit and coÌ„moditie doe they gett by all their trauaylles susteyned for the wynnynge of worldlie honour and riches They get nothing at the last but care and trouble And is not this a greate infelicitie for a man to trauaile long and take greate paynes and to haue therefore nothing but care and vnquietnes in the end And in the same chapter the prophet Esai sayeth further They haue put their trust in nothing Thou art much deceaued if thou thinkest that thou canst haue any true reste in the goodes of this world their trust is like vnto a spiders cobweb sayeth Iob. All is with them but trauaile and care and affliction of spirite and if it were but for the vnquietnes that these worldly folke are subiect to thou oughtest to flye the vanities of this world For two causes did the children of Israell desire to departe out of Egipte the one was for the great torment which they susteyned by the tyranny of Pharao the other was for the goodnes and happines of the land of promise The trouble which thou suffrest in the worlde doth inforce thee to forsake the worlde let the goodnes and happines of the lande of the liuinge which is promised thee inuite thee as well to leaue all these false gooddes of the worlde Be not as a number of those Israelites were which wolde rather suffer the vntollerable seruitude of Pharao then
Christ â—hou shalte finde in all thy labors inwarde comforte and sweete consolations and if happely thou sholdest fayle of those inward comfortes here yet since death maketh an ende of all thy paynes thou oughtest to take comforte of that and of thy comfortes to come after death It is not to be accompted trauayle which lasteth so litle a while The lyfe of man is but shorte and the paynes of the sayntes and holy men be paste and all forgotten but the sorowes of worldly men shall endure for euer It were better for thee to obeye God although he sholdâ— commaunde thee to burne in the fier foâ— the tyme thou liuest here then to enioy the pleasures of this world and burne afterwarde in the fier of hell euerlastingly Feare not the trauayles that are to take an end with this lyfe but feare those that when death cometh beginne a new agayne and neuer take ende after thy friendes shall not saue thee from those paynes neither thy riches honor or worldly fauor no there shal not any thing at all redeeme thee from them the world shall haue an ende but God endureth for euer Gyue not eare vnto the false lying deceytes of the worlde for it playeth the hangman with thee which first conducteth thee by a fayre greene path which be the counterfeit comfortes and pleasures of this lyfe and straight wayes after dispatcheth thee towarde the place of thy punnishment which is the euerlasting tormentes of hell but an euill rewarde for so good seruice THE VVORLD HATH NO sooner aduanced those vvhich doe serue it vnto preferment but that it doeth straight vvayes agayne forsake them and so much as it exalteth them higher so much the sorer falle doth it gyue them and maketh them in a moment to vannish avvay vvith all the riches honors that they haue gotten CHAP. 20. I SAVV the wicked man exalted aboue the high trees of Libanus and within a while I passed that way agayne and beholde he was not to be founde sayth the prophet The world doth highlie aduaunce those which doe serue it but when they haue well tasted of his pleasures it forsaketh them and forgetteth them The prophet Baruck was well ware hereof when he cried out alowde saying where be the Princes of the people and those which haue subdued the mightiest beastes of the earth and haue spent their dayes in hawkinge after the birdes of the ayre And those which doe hoord vp golde and siluer and those thinges in whiche men doe commytt trust and yet neuer doe attayne to the end nor doe satisfie their desires They were deuoured by the earth and are discended downe into hell The glorie of this world soone passed away from them and all their comforts ended in a moment The pleasures of the vngodlie doe soone come to noughte It is a vanitie to truste in the honors of this world seeing they neuer remayne with them longe that doe possesse them The wicked man enioyeth that which the world doth gyue hym but for a short tyme and yet many a mocke hath he therewithall The world hath played with Princes greate men for a little while And after that they had well tasted of his pleasures for a space he suffered them to perish and to be lost for euer VVhat were their honors and their high estates vnto them but onely ministers of matter which caused their more dolorous death and more infamous fall To what ende serued all that vayne ware but to gyue them the more payne in the parting from it agayne If thou be exalted on high vnto any greate glory beware that thou sleepe not there the whyle for the worlde watcheth alwayes occasion to plucke thee downe and to gyue thee a fall The glory of this worlde soone vanisheth away and all the pleasures therof be false and deceytefull they be flowers which soone doe fade away and litle trust to be had in them for when worldly men doe thinke them selues most sure of them then doe they soonest forsake them· The hangman bringeth the guiltie person to the toppe of the ladder and â—hen throweth he him most cruely downe â—nd with much shame doth make an ende of hym So doeth the world exalt his seruants intangling them in all kynd of vices to gyue them after the more shamefull falle That greate Babilon mentioned in the Apocalips vaunted of the greate prosperitie which shee had here in the world but the more sure that shee thought her selfe to stande the greater falle shee after receyued in the ende That couetous riche man of whome S. Luke maketh mention bosted of his great riches and power but it was straight wayes told hym thou foole this night shall â—hy soule be taken from thee and then the riches that thou haste gathered together whose shall they be The Children of Israell were scattered abrode to seeke straw and stubble There is no scatteringe abrode to seeke thinges that are precious but men must scatter abrode to seeke straw and such like light stuffe All men doe seeke after riches for all thinges are obedient vnto money And they that be seekers thereof doe goe all scatteringe one from another because couetousnes knoweth no frend neyther remembreth any kynred The little value of honors riches is noted in this saying that they sought all abrode for strawe but the worst of all is this that after they had sought it and founde it to yet were they wel beaten for all that VVhich doth signifie vnto vs that the vanities which wee doe seeke with so much trouble and busines doth gyue vs much sorow both in the getting and the keeping And often tymes it happeneth that the thinges which are earnestlie soughte doe serue also for straw to make a fire in hell for the busie seekers thereof Those poore afflicted Israelites trauayled aboute all the lande of Egypte to seeke out strawe and at the end of all their trauayll they were all beaten for their labor And so falleth it out by those which when they offend God by their busie payne taking here in this lyfe shall after for their labor be punyshed for euer in the next Malice noughtines is a punishement of it selfe For allthough that aâ— euill conscience be some tymes at rest yet is it neuer in perfect suertie And therefore seeing the world so soone forsaketâ— them that loue it and leaueth them destitute of all such pleasures as it was wont 〈◊〉 yeld them be thou no longer in daungeâ— vnto it but preuent it first and forsake it before it forsake thee And so shalt thou gayne honor and credite by it THE HARTES OF VVORLDlie men be so vexed vvith the insatiable desire of the riches honors and solace of this vvorld that eyther they perceyue not or vvill not perceyue the holie inspirations of God by vvhiche he calleth on them to seeke theyr ovvne saluation CHAP. 21. I STAND knockinge at the dore sayth God yf any will heare my voyce and let
Blesse ye all those that doe persecute you blesse but curse not at all And in an other place he sayeth Let vs blesse when we be cursed if persecutions doe fall to vs let vs beare them He sayleth with a contrarie winde as Christ sailed on the shippe of the crosse that prayeth for his enemies and doth good to them that doe persecute him The wicked doe also many tymes suffer persecutions and sickenes as well as the good for that God will that they shall in this lyfe beginne to feele of the tormentes which they must suffer after in hell But by the aduersities them selues it is easelie knowen which be they that be gyuen for to gayne by them lyfe euerlasting And which be they which are gyueÌ„ to begynne euerlasting death by If thou shalt see any man which in his sickenes shall blaspheme or greeuouslie offend God thou mayest perceyue how that tribulation is gyuen hym for his punnyshment and for to begynne to feele his hell here But yf he haue patience and doe gyue God thankes in his punnyshement then mayest thou be sure that God hath sent that infirmitie vnto hym for his good and benefite to clense hym from his former faultes and to augment his glorie in heauen Thou must haue patience in aduersitie yf thou lookest to be of the number of the elect Patience in aduersitie and tribulation is to God a most acceptable sacrifice In patience there be many good thinges Doe but hold thy peace and thou shalt ouercome And yf thou be sorie to day thou shalt be glad to morowe If thou be to day discontented thou shalt to morow be comforted For so small a tyme then temper thy sodayne motions and refrayne thy tongue Doe not afflict thy selfe neyther doe thou drowne thy selfe in a small water In good workes as fasting almes and penitence thou arte so pursued with humayne prayses that thou doest often loose a greate parte of thy merite but patience is a secret treasure For men can not see what thou sufferest neyther can they perceyue the iniuries done vnto thee because they touch not them If thou haue patieÌ„ce and doest holde thy peace thou arte not praysed because in suffering silence beareth the sway and hath the domination but yf thou be impatient then doe many wordes beare all the rule If thou be impatient then doe all men finde fault with thee but yf thou haue patience then will no man saye ought of thee for men doe heare well thine impatient wordes but of thy patieÌ„ce being done sayeng nothing they haue no consideration at all The more that thyne harte is sacrifised vnto God the more is all the worke that thou workest acceptable vnto him and so much as thy workes be lesse noted and commended of men so much be they the more perfect and better accepted of God Suffer then and haue patience a whyle for tyme cureth all thinges if thou be faythfull vnto death thou shalte receyue the crowne of lyfe BECAVSE THE VVORLD IS fâ—ll of confusion disorder and miserie it oughte to be fled from of hym that is desirous to fynde the treasor of heaueÌ„lie riches CHAP. 24. FLYE from the middest of Babilon sayeth God The world is full of confusion where no order is but euerlasting horror Golde is more esteemed then vertue transitorie goodes be preferred before spirituall and true goods the worlde is so full of confusion that he which hath a soule hath not a true lyfe it exalteth them that be euill and it subdueth those that be good Our Sauiour brought three of the perfectest disciples which he had vnto the toppe of an hill for to transfigure himselfe before them The worlde exalteth Iudas vnto honors and high estats leauing those that be good vnder the foote it is good for thee not to inhabite where so litle order and so great confusion is Esai speaking of the great mischeee that reigned in Babilon sayed that the Arabians wolde not pitch their tentes in that place And he that considereth the confusion and disorder of the world will neuer sett his affection therevpon VVhen a sicke man findeth not health in one place he chaungeth his dwelling and goeth to another This world is full of sickenes vearie daungerous for thee to recouer thy health in Thou wilt neuer get thy perfect health whilest thou doest abide with it Chaunge it and thou shalte finde healthe forsake it and thou shalte finde lyfe flie from it betyme yf thou wilt escape death Seperate thy selfe from the noyse of this world yf thou doest meane to lyue in rest and quyetnes The pleasures and the consolations thereof be more bitter then the waters of Iherico and they be as mutable as the moone Thou canst not find so euill waters agayne vpon the whole earth Little shalt thou profit in vertue in so barrayne and hungrie a soyle Abraham looked toward Sodome and he beheld all the land smokinge and flamynge as it had bene a fierie fornace And he that will consider this world well shall finde in it nothing but the smoke of pride and vanitie and the flame of disordinate desires He doth well that forsaketh all worldlie thinges flieng from the wayes of sinners and hydeth hym selfe farre of from all the busines and daungers of this world That seruante is wyse which knowinge that his maister whome he serueth intendeth to put hym awaye doth determyne to forsake hym first and take his leaue of hym And since the world is such as doth forsake his frendes in their chiefe tyme oâ— neede the best is for thee to forsake it before it doe forsake thee VVhen Isaacke was borne Abraham made no feaste at all but when he tooke him from nourrisse and wayned him then he made a great feaste VVhen man is first borne ther is no cause of feaste because a man knoweth not what will become of him but when he is seperated from this worlde and wayned from all his pleasures and delightes then oughte we to make a feast for him Flie from the worlde and thou shalte finde the treasor hidden in the fielde He which diggeth after any treasor the nearer that he cometh vnto it so much the more withdraweth he him selfe from the conuersation and companie of men and the nearer that he approcheth it so much more haste doth he make in his worke So doe the holy and good men the nearer that they draw vnto death the more earnest they be aboute all good workes as though they began but euen then to labor He that did eate of the Pascall lambe was firste circumcised And if thou doest not first circumcise thy selfe by dryuing from thee the loue of this worlde and spoyling thyne harte of all sensuall desires thou shalte neuer taste of the spirituall foode of the soule If thou haddest a greate deale of good grayne in a lowe bottome and one sholde tell thee that it marreth and corrupteth in that place thou woldest strayght waye
good so much did he gett and recouer agayne by vniting hym selfe vnto them It is a daungerous thinge to forsake the coÌ„pany of them that doe feare God And it is a thinge of wonderfull profit to be conuersant amongest spirituall men The holye Ghoste descended vpon VVhitsonday where the disciples were gathered together And if thou wilte contynew amongest good men thou shalte receyue the holy Ghoste as they did thou shalte delyuer thy selfe from the daunger of euill company if thou wilte ioyne thy selfe to those which be good with their wholsome admonitions they doe keepe thee from many euill attemptes and with their vertuous examples doe they excyte thee to doe good workes Choose those for thy companions to walke withall to talke vnto and to imitate by whose sweete conuersation and fruytfull communication thou mayest be brought vnto the loue of God For euill speeches doe corrupt good manners As necessarie and as profitable as it is for the health of thy bodie to haue a good ayre and an holesome situation so necessarie is it for the health of thy soule to haue conference and conuersation with the seruantes of God And since thou fliest from vnsounde and vnholesome places for the coÌ„seruatioÌ„ of thy corporall health why doest not thou likewyse for the mayâ—enance of thy soules health Flye from all worldlie company and seeke out for the frendship and conuersation of those which are good and iust Flie worldlie company as thou woldest flie hell fire and conuerse with the frendes of God for at the ende of thy iourney thou shalte get more by it then thou canst now well imagine ONLY FOR THE LOVE OF God and for the desire of obeying his holie vvill ought man to despise the vvorlde and the vanities therefore yf he vvill that the despising of them shall serue hym for the gettinge of heauenlie glorie CHAP. 29. HE that leaueth his house his father mother and his brothers for my sake shal receyue a hundred tymes as much agayne sayeth our Lorde Many haue forsaken their possessions and neuer receyued rewarde therefore because they despised not the worlde for Christes sake They seeke them selues they loue their owne glory and desire to be talked of in other mens mouthes So much shall thy worke be meritorious as it shall be founde to beare iuste weighte with it iâ— the ballance of God his loue The Apostle sayeth If I shall gyue all that I haue to the poore haue no charitie it profiteth me nothing Let all thy desire pleasure be to contente to please God and let his loue onely moue thee to the seruice of hym despisinge wholie this world and pretending to thy selfe no profit or commoditie thereby God praysed Iob and the deuill replied agayne saying Happelie doth Iob serue thee for nothinge This deuill pleaded his cause subtillie with allmightie God for he denyed not the workes of Iob to be good but he argued vpon his intent sayinge that happelie he did them for his owne commoditie and not freelie of good will For yf Iob had bene moued to doe those workes which he did for his owne interest and profit and not for the loue and glorie of God he had proued by good reasoÌ„ to God allmightie that Iob had bene neyther a iust man nor a good man The seruante of God oughte in all that he doth to haue no other respect principallie but vnto the seruice and honor of God yf he will that his worke shal be meritorious vnto hym for the wicked men doe many good morall workes but the difference is that good men doe their workes in the fayth of God for his loue It is against all reason that the goodes of the earth sholde be preferred before God Art thou better then he that thou doest esteeme thy selfe more then his deuyne Maiestie If thou doest forsake synne eyther onely or principally because God sholde gyue thee glorie therefore thou shalt neuer enter into that glorie Or yf thou despisest the world and leauest synne onlie or cheefelie because thou woldest not come in hell thou hast takeÌ„ euen thereby a redie way thether For yf thou coÌ„siderest all this well thou shalte fynde that it proceedeth from the loue of thy selfe and if thou doest examine well thyne owne intention and meaning herein thou shalte see how the loue that thou haste to thy selfe doth inuyte thee and moue thee thereunto and then arte not thou full lord of thy selfe neyther arte thou throughly mortified neyther canst thou yet tell what thing it is to serue God Doe not thou thinke that all they whiche haue forsaken their temporall goods haue therewith also forsaken them selues nor that all they be the frendes of God that doe despise the world But who is the frend of God in deede Euen he that doth forsake the world for God And who is the seruant of Iesus Christ. Euen he that hath no will in this world but to fulfill the will of Christ. The Prophet Dauid saide I haue inclyned my hart to doe thy commaundementes for a reward The reward that moued that holie man Dauid was God hym selfe According vnto that which God him selfe had told the Patriarke Abraham long before saying I am thy greate and thyne aboundant rewarde God ought onelie to moue thee principally thy will ought to be chieflie to haue hym for the reward of all that thou shalt doe Let al thine intentioÌ„ be onelie to please God and thou shalt merite much euen by the smalest workes that thou doest which ought not yet to be called small when they doe proceede out of that roote Seeke onelie the glorie of God and folow the counsayle of the Apostle which sayeth Doe all that thou doest for the glorie of God The perfect true louer seeketh God in all that he doeth and despiseth hym selfe for charitie is a bonde of loue by the whiche wee be vnited vnto God renouncing our selues Althoughe that naturall loue and diuine loue be like in their outward workinge yet be they farre differinge in the â—ntention for charitie doth not in any â—hing loue it selfe and naturall loue doth â—n all thinges seeke his owne good onelie for it selfe He may well and ought to be esteemed an euill man that is good onelie for his owne pleasure and delighte Let Christ be the cause and the end of all thyne actions yf thou wilt not loose thy tyme in the poing of them THE CONTINVAL REMEMbrance of death and that our bodies must be turned into Ashes is the perfectest and the best remedie against the temptation of sinne CHAP. 30. REMEMBER the last thinges and thou shalt not synne for euer The memory of death helpeth much to make vs lightlie to esteeme the vanitie of this world He will easelie despise all thinges that remembreth he must die God appareled our father Adam with the skynnes of dead beastes because he shold haue euer in his memory the senteÌ„ce of death which he fell into by his
synne Seeke not thou to lyue in pleasure synce that thou seest all pleasant thinges coÌ„temned and abhorred of them that are condemned to dye and thy selfe carying the sentence of death aboute thee drawing daylie toward thy graue thou oughtest to spend this short tyme of thy lyfe in contynuall sorow and sighinge for thy synnes It is a souereigne medecyne for to refrayne thy sensuall appetites withall 〈◊〉 haue in thy mynde the coÌ„sideration of thâ— â—mall tyme that thou hast to remayne here And in how short space thy bodie shall afâ—er be eaten with woormes and conuerted â—nto dust This remembrance of death doth â—s it were throwe water into the fornace of our hoat fierie appetites and desires Death is the clock by which wee sett our life in an order and the memorie therof doth choke vp all that earnest loue that we doe beare vnto the worlde As Daniell with throwing of ashes in the flore discouered by the printe of the feete the deceyte of the false priestes of Babilon So if thou wilte sprincle thy memorie a little with those holesome ashes into which thou must within a while be conuerted thou shalte likewise discouer the deceytes of the worlde the crafte and subtiltie of the deuill the secret temptations with which the enemies of thy soule doe seeke to vndermyne thy saluation O that this thought wolde neuer falle out of thy remeÌ„braÌ„ce with what cleannes of conscience sholdest thou lyue what bitternes sholdest thou then finde in those thinges which nowe doe seeme so sweete vnto thee and how warelie then woldest thou walke in the way of this miserable lyfe which thou doest nowe so inordinatlie loue At that strayte passage of death shalt thou knowe how much it had bene better for thee to haue serued God then to haue consumed and spent out thy tyme which is so pretious a thinge in vanities and idle busines which at that tyme will doe the no good Thy frendes and kynnesfolkes thy riches temporall goodes of whiche thou makest now so greate accompte O how little good shall all these doe thee then when as a pure coÌ„scieÌ„ce at that tyme shall stand thee in better steade then to haue had the whole world vnder thyne obedience The trauayll of that hard passage with tongue cannot be expressed nor by any meanes escaped The maryner that guydeth the shippe sytteth allwayes at the stearne so must thou that wilt sayle in the tempesteous Sea of this world seeke for thy assurance in the end of thy lyfe where thou must staÌ„d as it weere at the stearne of the shipp and there by contemplation of death coÌ„sider well how thou mayest gouerne the course of thy whole lyfe Ashes doe preserue and keepe in the fire And the memorie of Ashes into which thou art to be coÌ„uerted preserueth grace Greate follie is it then for a mortall man that is daylie dying to forget death It is wisdome for euerie man to haue it allwayes in his mynde But worldlie men haue allwayes lyfe in their remembrance and put death cleane out of their mynde and yet nothing dryueth synne away from man so much as the contynuall remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death Happie is he that carrieth daylye before his eyes the remembrance of â—eath and continually disposeth hym selfe to die Happie is he that thinketh in the morning that he shall not lyue till nighte and at nighte thinketh likewyse that he shall dye before the morning come happie is he that is so prepared as death doth neuer finde him vnprepared happie is he that seeketh to be such in this lyfe as he wolde be founde when death cometh It is reason that thou sholdest beleeue the thing which thou seest dayly before thy face At all howres and tymes of thy lyfe let that dreadfull sounde of the trumpet rynge in thy eare whiche will calle â—lowd Rise vp all ye that be dead come vnto iudgment The memorie of death doth clense and purifie all that passeth through it as a strayner clenseth all the liquor that is powred into it Dryue not from thee the memorie of death which many wayes doth thee great good it maketh thee to refrayne from the reuenge of those iniures which thou thoughtest to haue reuenged And it keepeth the from the folowinge of the pleasures and vanities of this world Doe as the seruante of God ought to doe that is forget all such like vanities haue the hower of thy death fixed in thy memory to the intent that thou mayest get that true lyfe eternall whereby thou mayest lyue in blisse for euer VVHEN EACH MAN LABOVreth so earnestlie to bring any vvorldly busines to passe by some certayne tyâ—â— appoynted hym much more ought 〈◊〉 to labor earnestlie about his soules bâ—sines and doe pennance for his sinnes lyfe being so shorte and the houre of death so vncertaine CHAP. 31. VVATCHE sayth our Lord because ye knowe neyther the daye nor the houre Death being so certayne 〈◊〉 the tyme so vncertayne thou oughtest to watch coÌ„tinually for when thy lyfe is ended thoâ— canst not chauÌ„ge that state in which death did finde thee thou oughtest so to orâ—dayne euery day as though that day shoâ—â— be thy last Many doe builde houses not knowing whether they shall dwell in them after they be made Many doe make greate proâ—uision for victuall for the yere that â—â—â—eth and happely they doe not lyue to 〈◊〉 it they prepare for a lyfe which is altogyâ—ther vncertaine and haue no care of deaâ—â— which is most certayne they seeke 〈◊〉 â—ll care and diligence for that tyme which â—hey knowe not whether it shall come or â—o and be altogether necgligent in prepaâ—ing for death which they knowe shall â—urely come And seeing thou prouidest â—or vncertaine thinges with so much care â—hat is the cause that thou makest not â—rouision for death that is so certayne to â—ome It is not meete nor conuenient that â—hou sholdest leaue the certaynetie for the â—ncertainetie The dayes that we haue to lyue be vnâ—erteine and very sure it is that they must â—ll needes shortly haue an ende Neuer â—aue thou any greate care of such thinges â—s thou art vncertaine whether they shallâ—e or no But let thy care and diligence be â—o prouyde for thy selfe to prepare for â—hat houre which thou art vearie sure will â—hortlie come No man knoweth his end 〈◊〉 therefore the wyse man sayth As fishes â—e taken with the hooke and birdes with â—he net so shall synners be taken in the day of vengeance VVhen a thing is neare at â—and and certayne to come thou doest accompt of yt as of a thinge alreadie past â—hat cause is there theÌ„ but that thou sholâ—est so thinke of death also which staÌ„deth â—till readie at thy dore to lay hold on thee And to prepare for yt as for a thing rather present with thee then farre of from thee If a kinge shold gyue thee his graunte of some greate citie or towne of his kingdome And shold but allowe
sinne All other sinnes doe seperate 〈◊〉 from God by certaine meanes as pleasure profit or commoditie But the curseâ— proude man is so shameles and impudeâ—â— â—â—at he euen face to face refuseth God and â—eparteth away from him Other vices doe â—ot shew them selues at all tymes for at â—any tymes they whiche haue them be â—ithout the disordinate thurst of their â—esires The sensuall man is some tymes â—ee from his passions and the glutton â—hen his bellie is full desireth no more â—eate but pride shewethe it selfe in the â—roude man in all thinges that he doeth â—Vhen he speaketh worketh appareleth â—uyldeth eateth or sleepeth he is alwayes â—roude still He sheweth his pride in his â—â—mptuous tables whereat he sitteth In â—is costlie beddes wherein he lyeth in his â—â—rmentes wherewith he appareleth No â—â—ce is so apparante as pride It is a conâ—â—nuall ague that lasteth still and foloweth â— man often yea euen when he is deade â—Vhereof are witnesses the proude stateâ—â—e monumentes and toumbes which they â—â—use to be set vp and erected for them â—â—ter they be layed in their graues Sometyme for the auoyding of pride â—â—od permitteth a man to falle into other â—â—nnes so as that maketh cleare proofe â—â—at it is of all other sinnes the vearie â—â—eatest for great sinnes be neuer suffred â—ut onelie for the auoyding of other that â—â—e greater Pride and arrogancie of harte â—â—e allwayes most detestable before God The proude man sayth Iob stretched â—ut his hand agaynst God and labored â—gainst the almightie And it is written in the prouerbes of Salomon That amongeâ—â— proude men there is alwayes stryfe anâ— contention VVith other sinners there iâ— some conuersation to be had but with the proud maÌ„ there is none at all for he loueth to be singuler and will be alwayes contentious and may abide no company but him selfe The Prophet Samuell sayde vnto Saul VVhen thou wast little in thine owne sight thou wast cheefe amongest all the tribes of Israell Pride is the roote of all vice and the destruction of all vertue The trees that be planted vpon highâ— places be soonest blowen downe with the wynde Loue well to be little and esteeme of humilitie for therein shalt thou finde most safetie OVR GREAT AND MIGHTIE God doth loue humilitie in man and therefore in all ages the humble be most aduaunsed and the more that one doth humble hym selfe the more nighe doth he dravve to God CHAP. 35. HE that humbleth hym selfe shall be exalted sayth God Flye from the cursed vice of pride vnto which the world doth inuyte thee and take â—umilitie for thy refuge as much as pride â—s hatefull to God so much is humilitie â—cceptable vnto him This is the sweete â—pouse of Iesus Christ so dearely beloued of him that he neuer suffred it to departe from him he came into the world with it he lyued in the world with it and he caried it with him vp to the crosse and dyed with it He that will goe in at a lowe dore had neede to stoupe and bowe downe him selfe if thou doest not humble thy selfe thou shalte neuer enter into heauen He that humbleth not him selfe lyke vnto a little childe shall not enter into heauen Learne of me that am humble of harte sayeth our Sauiour Many are humble in their vnderstandinge but fewe 〈◊〉 humble in their will Many doe knowe them selues to be fraile sinners but there are few that woldâ— be so accompted But be thou humble of will and be contented to be as sclenderly accoÌ„pted of by other men as thou knowest well thy selfe to be worthie and thiâ— is to be humble of harte Iesus Christ our blessed redeemer diâ— shew him selfe in the glory of his transfiguratioÌ„ but onely vnto three of his disciples but the shame of his reprochefull death he made open to all the worlde dying vpon a crosse publiquely in the greâ— citie of Hierusalem in the tyme of the solemne feaste of Easter Moste men woldâ— haue their vertues knowen to all men but no man wolde haue his faultes and defectâ— made knowen to any man Our Sauiour did vse moste of all to preach of humilitie because he wold haue that lesson to be perfectly learned of 〈◊〉 all that blessed doctrine of humilitie 〈◊〉 often repeted and pronounced to the people as a most fruitfull thing and greaâ—â— fauor doth our Lorde shew alwayes vnto those that be humble The Centurion saying that he was not worthie to haue Christ enter into his house was preferred before all the Iewes S. Paule that sayd he was not worthy to be called the Apostle of Glâ—â—â—â—â— was the cheefe preacher of the Gospell amongest all the Apostles S. Peter 〈◊〉 â—ought not hym selfe worthie to tarrie â—â—th Christ was appointed by hym to be â—ead of his Church S. Iohn Baptist that â—as so full of humilitie that he thought â—â—m selfe vnworthie to loose the lachet 〈◊〉 Christes shoe was made the frend of â—â—e spouse and he that thought not hym â—â—lfe worthie to vnloose the shoes of our â—â—uiour layed after his handes on his â—ead when he was baptized in the ryuer 〈◊〉 Iordan God did allwayes from the begynning 〈◊〉 the worlde choose out for hym selfe â—â—e least and the simplest in shew Of the â—â—st two brothers that were borne in the â—orlde Cayne and Abell he chose Abell â—â—at was the yonger Of the children of â—braham he chose Isaack that was yonger â—â—en Ismaell Of the children of Isaacke 〈◊〉 chose Iacob that was the yonger broâ—â—er And of the twelue sonnes of Iaâ—â—b he chose Ioseph one of the yongest 〈◊〉 make hym prince and ruler of all Egipt â—mongest the sonnes of Isay he chose â—auid that was the yongest and the least â—teemed of them all and made hym both kinge and a Prophet He made Saul kinge â—f Israell beinge of the least tribe and the â—â—eanest familie of all the Iewes And when this greate louer of humiâ—â—tie came hym selfe into the worlde he â—hose for his companions none of the â—reatest and mightiest princes but the â—oore and simple fishers Amongest all his vnreasonable câ—â—â—â—tures he hath planted in the vearie â—â—â—â—nest and in the least of them all as 〈◊〉 Antes and the Bees such knowledg as câ—â—â—seth admiration in man to behold in thâ—â— And in the creation of the world of â—â—â—teria prima or the first mater as the Phâ—â—losophers doe terme it which is of leaâ—â— accoÌ„pt and most vyle of all hath he maâ—â— all thinges And amongest all his worâ—â— wrought for vs here on the earth in 〈◊〉 one of them did his humilitie more glâ—â—riouslie appeare then in his blessed deaâ—â— and passion VVho humbled hym seâ—â— with all obedience to the death of 〈◊〉 crose as the Apostle sayth So greate a frend did our Lord alwayâ—â— shew hym selfe vnto the simple and meaâ—â— people that calling a little childe vnto hiâ— he saide Let these little ones come vnâ—â— mee for vnto these
his Father in the garden and at many other tymes the Euangelistes doe tell how he went alone for to pray the conuersation of many is noysome and therefore must thou flie from the tumulte and sturre of much people VVhen Adam was alone in Paradise he was gratefull to God and to all his Angels and fearefull to the deuill but after â—hat he was accompanied he loste many a â—enefite whereof company ministred the â—ccasion The prophete Dauid sayeth I â—eperated my selfe by flying away and I â—emayned in the wildernes Elias being alone was fedde with bread â—rom heauen and being amongest a greate â—ompany he colde scarse get whereof to â—ate VVhen man is alone he fyndeth â—eauenly consolation but in the compaâ—y of men he looseth the bread of heauen â—he Children of Israell did neuer eate Manna vntill that they were passed thâ— redde sea which be the perturbations oâ— this present worlde And if thou couetest much the company of men thou mayest happely thereby loose God make not thou so litle accompâ— of God as to loose him for so small a commoditie as the company of this worldâ— doth yelde thee SILENCE IS A GREATâ— keeper and maynteyner of deuotion â— religion and therefore they that obâ—serue it not but are full of vvordes dâ— make avvay for the deuill to hâ—â— them and can by no meanes be perfecâ— religious men CHAP. 20. SILENCE is the best keepâ—â— of iustice sayth Esay He thâ—â— is not a louer of silence aâ—â— solitarines shall neuer be 〈◊〉 perfect religious man Saint Iames sayth thâ—â— whosoeuer thinketh to be a religious maâ—â— and refraineth not his tongue his religâ—â—â— will be to hym but vayne and of no effeâ—â— for whatsoeuer is gotten by prayer is 〈◊〉 agayne by babblinge and much speakinge Silence is the best keeper and maynteyner of deuotion doe not maruayle if thou doest finde thy selfe often tymes colde in thy deuotions if thou doest vse to spend much tyme in superfluous talke and idell wordes Thou must learne to holde thy peace if thou wilt looke to profit for why did God almightie bestow on thee but one tongue two handes but because thou sholdest speake little and doe much God hath ordeyned for thy tongue two dores to kepe it in with the one is of flesh which be thy lippes the other is of harder substance more stronge as bone which be thy teeth to the intent that being so kept it sholde neuer speake vpon any superfluous cause but onlie when necessitie inforceth and gyueth occasion If thou be a busie talker and full of wordes what els art thou but a citie without a wall a house wiihout a dore a shippe without a stearne a vessel without a couer and a horse without a bridle VVhat hast thou gotten or what canst thou keepe if thy tongue be alwayes looselie walkinge And if that parte be no better garded the deuils who are thy mortall enemyes will easelie enter into thee and robbe away from thee all the good that thou hast gotten together Thy death and thy lyfe doe both stand in the handes of thy tongue Holie religious men haue alwayes highlie esteemed silence and haue taken great paines to mainteine it in them as the vearie key of religion lest they sholde haue lost with much talkinge that which they had bene longe aboute in gettinge Esay sayth silence and hope shal be your fortresse silence gyueth a great grace vnto all maner of vertues Zacharias after his longe silence receyued at gods hande S. Iohn which signifieth grace If thou doest holde thy peace and keepe silence thou shalt the sooner receyue the grace of God As the pot that is couered will sooner be hoat cause the liquor that is in it the sooner to boyle theÌ„ that which is vncouered by reason of keepinge in the vapors so if thou doest keepe thy mouth shut vp close by silence thou shalt the sooner waâ— warme and feruent in deuotion and gods seruice If thou wilt not learne to holde thy peace thou shalt neuer learne how to speake Of the good man the scripture sayth thus he wil be solitarie and silent and will haue regarde vnto hym selfe He that holdeth his peace goeth alone bethinketh hym of his owne estate and maketh his contemplation of heauenlie thinges and despiseth the thinges of the earth He that keepeth silence with more ease doth liftâ— vp his harte vnto God Saint Iames sayth let euery man be slow to speake and readie to heare They falle quickelie from the state of perfection that breake silence and vse many wordes Euen as when you shut a conduytes mouth where water passeth the water will strayght wayes mounte vp on highe so yf thou shuttest fast within thee the good spirite of deuotioÌ„ by silence thy prayers shall the sooner ascend vp on highe vnto God and thou shalt the better feele within thee what sweet taste thy deuowte prayers doe bringe vnto thee and by as many idle wordes as thou spendest thou doest as it were by so many smal water streames sende forth agayne the deuotion which thou before receyuedst And so many dores doest thou leaue open to thyne enemy that gyueth good watch vpon thee as thou vsest to speake lighte wordes and vayne It is written He is lyke vnto a citie that is vnwalled that can not refrayne his spirite by keeping silence The citie of our soule muste needes suffer many mortall woundes when it is not defended by the walles of silence Nabuzardam brake downe destroyed the walles of Hierusalem robbed the temple and caried the people captiue to Babilon which the deuill attempteth to doe by thee as often as he seeketh to make thee breake thy silence that so he may robbe thee and make spoyle of the temple of thy conscience and bring thy soule prisoner into the confusion of BabiloÌ„ which is hell it selfe Set then good watch abouâ— thy walles lest thou be robbed spoyled by thyne enemies THE GOOD SERVANTES OF Iesus Christ ought to flie idell talkâ— vvhich breedeth much daunger anâ— detriment to the spirituall lyfe and gyue them selues to the contynualâ— exercise of godlines and pietie CHAP. 21. OF euerie idell worde shalâ— thou gyue a reckeninge iâ— the day of iudgement saitâ— our Lord. Our harte is likâ— vnto a peece of wax thaâ— with colde groweth to 〈◊〉 hard and by heate waxeth softe and tendeâ— agayne and when it is once softe it receyueth the printe of the kinges owne Image Thou must stop thyne eares from hearinâ— vaine and idell wordes for they coole anâ— harden thyne harte And if thou doest 〈◊〉 keepe thy selfe well from hearinge theâ— thou shalt not profit much in the seruicâ— of God Holie and spirituall wordes inflamâ— the harte accordinge vnto the sayinge 〈◊〉 the prophet Thy worde O Lord is fierie In the day of Christes resurrectioÌ„ the two disciples that went trauaylinge by the way toward Emaus talkinge with our Sauiour had their hartes inflamed
thou mayest easelie woodâ—â— well and therefore doe thou neuer ceaâ—â— laboringe to doe well The Apostle sayth let vs neuer 〈◊〉 slow nor slacke in well doinge for in tyâ—â— to come wee shall gather the fruit thereâ—â— It is not good then to leaue the doinge 〈◊〉 good deedes for althoughe thou meritâ—â— not heauen by thy good deedes presentâ—â— done without the state of grace yet mâ—â— thou not faynte in the doinge of them 〈◊〉 the tyme will come when thou shalt haâ—â— chaunged the state of thy lyfe that thâ— wilt reioyce of the doinge of them Christ passing by a figge tree becaâ—â— it had no fruyte vpon it he cursed it anâ— strayght way it withered away And albeâ—it it was not then the tyme of bearinâ— fruite yet for all that he gaue it his curâ—â— God knoweth well that when man is 〈◊〉 sinne it is not his tyme of bearinge fruyâ—â— â—hich be the meritorious woorkes of â—â—ernall lyfe yet will he neuerthelesse that â—e sholde doe them This is to be vnderâ—â—ode in Christes cursinge of the figge tree 〈◊〉 that tyme that man ought neuer to be â—nfurnished of good deedes at any tyme. God wolde not that any vncleane beast â—â—olde be offred to him in sacrifice and â—et he wolde not haue the beast cast away â—ut commaunded to haue it solde away â—â—d onely the pryce thereof offred vnto â—im The workes that be wroughte in â—â—nne out of the state of grace although â—â—at they be morally good yet are they but â—â—ke vnto the vncleane beast and God reâ—eyueth not the worke but onely the price â—â—ereof being willinge that thou sholdest â—xercyse thy selfe in good workes to the â—â—tent that by custome of doing them and â—y the fulfilling of his commaundementes â—hich thou arte bounde vnto God may â—ccepte those workes after in their due â—â—me although that presently those works â—oe merite nothing That Doctor of the lawe which deâ—aunded of Christ which was the greatest â—ommaundement of the lawe although â—â—at he asked it of him to tempt him withâ—ll and of an euill intent yet in as much â—s the demaunde was good he deserued â—y it to haue this much lighte gyuen him â—t Godes hande that he tolde him he was â—ot farre of from the kingdome of God â—or although that thou meritest not glory yet doest thou merite temporall benefites thereby and that the deuill hath the lesse power to doe thee harme therefore it 〈◊〉 good at all tymes that thou sholdest exerâ—cyse thy selfe in doing of good deedes frâ—â— some good by them will redounde vnto thee at the last THE REVVARD OF ETERnall lyfe is not gyuen vnto them thâ—â— beginne to doe vvell and after leaue it of agayne but they are onely crovvneâ— vvith euerlastinge glorie vvhich doâ—â— perseuer therein vnto the ende CHAP. 33. HE that perseuereth vnto the ende shal be saued sayth Iesus Christ. Maâ—â— beginne with vertue but fewe attayne to the endâ— of it It profiteth thoâ— nothinge to haue begonne well yf thoâ— doest leaue it of agayne Take away perseuerance and thy vertue shall haue no reward nor thy good woorke any merite Some doe begynne well and for thaâ— they continue not in it they doe not onely loose the merite of their woorke but also â—â—serue to be punnyshed The frendes of Iob beganne well in â—â—uing of hym comfort and contynued in â—euen dayes together who because that â—â—ey perseuered not in that good woorke â—â—ey deserued punnishement at gods hand The begynnynge of Saule was good â—â—â—t because he perseuered not therein he â—â—ed and euill death If thou doest despise â—â—e vanitie of the worlde worldlie men â—â—ll begynne to persecute thee Returne â—â—â—t agayne to that which thou hast once â—â—ft and quyte forsaken Many haue had the world in contempt â—â—d yet because they haue returned and â—â—oked backe to the worlde agayne like â—â—tts wife that looked backe towarde Soâ—â—me they haue receiued their punnisheâ—ent therefore and doe nowe burne in â—ll for euer Many are nowe in hell that once desâ—sed the vanities of the worlde but they â—â—rseuered not therein And our goostlie â—â—emy the deuill careth not howe well â—â—ou begynnest so that thou perseuerest â—â—â—t therein Labor to continue in the good â—â—â—y wherein thou hast begonne and conâ—â—â—ue on thy course if thou doest thinke â—â—wynne the victorie Be faithfull vnto 〈◊〉 death and thou shalt get the crowne of â—â—fe In the border of the cheefe Priestes â—â—sture there were wroughte certeyne â—â—und gernetts which stoode betwixâ—â— the litle belles of golde that hange at the 〈◊〉 of the vesture Of all the fruit that groâ—â—eth onely the pounegarnet hath a crowâ— in the toppe the which because it is 〈◊〉 rewarde of vertue is placed amonge gâ—â— workes which are signified by the 〈◊〉 belles of golde they are not set in 〈◊〉 highest parte nor in the middest of 〈◊〉 garmente because they are not gyuen vâ—â—to those that beginne well nor vnto thâ—â— that doe come vnto the middest of thâ— worke but they are set in the ende or loâ—â—â—est parte of the vesture because they oâ—â—â—â— shall receyue the crowne that doe coâ—â—â—â—nue vnto the later ende The tree that is often remoued â—â—â—uer taketh any sure rooting and if thâ—â— doest chaunge and alter thy course 〈◊〉 doest not continue in that thou haste 〈◊〉 begonne thou shalte neuer bring forth â—â—â—ny fruite of vertue By the frequenting good workes and the multiplyeng of vâ—â—â—tuous deedes the very habite of verâ—â— is fully grounded in thee Is there any thinge better then Goâ— that thou wilte leaue the seruice of hyâ— for any other thinge Salomon sayth thâ—â— the wise man perseuereth and abideth 〈◊〉 his wisdome firmelie like vnto the sonnâ— but the foole chaungeth still lyke 〈◊〉 moone Be not thou moued at euery winâ—â— The birdes wold haue troubled Abâ—â—â—ham in the offerringe of sacrifice to Goâ— almightie but Abraham wold not leaueâ— his sacrifice for any trouble that they cold gyue him If thou doest gyue thy selfe vnto prayer take heede that thou be not moâ—ested with busie and importante cares which will annoy thee and trouble thee as the birdes troubled Abraham but thou must dryue them away from thee and conâ—inue earnest in that which thou goest aâ—out for what good doeth it to take great matters in hande and bringe none of them â—o a good ende Spende not all thy lyfe in â—eginning to doe well for feare lest death â—ome vpon thee and finde thee idle and â—ut of the way In the psalme it is written Man passeth â—way lyke an image A paynted image of a man that is made sitting in a chayre gyueth 〈◊〉 shew to the eye as though it wolde rise â—tande vp but it neuer standeth it seemeth â—s though it wolde goe but it neuer goeth And so playeth many a man that is often â—etermining to draw toward God but yet â—e goeth not to him at all he maketh maâ—y profers of going and yet standeth still when he sholde goe
this world stoode vpon the lefte hande of aduersities and contrarywyse will lay the lefte hande of his euerlasting punnishment on those that haue here rested them on the right hande of these worldly felicities The goodnes of God is great that gyueth vnto good men so greate honors and rewardes for so small labors and trauaylls bestowed when thou beholdest the presence of God thou shalte haue still before thyne eyes all that thyne harte can desire and so many felicities that as the Apostle sayeth The eyes haue not seene nor the eares haue not heard neyther hath it descended into the harte of man what things God hath prepared for them that doe loue him It is more easie to tell what is wantinge then what is abounding in the eternall felicities of heauen He will wype away the teares from the eyes of his Saintes and they shall neyther weepe nor lamente any more for there shall be perfecte ioye And there shall all the causes of our ioy be ioyned together in one The brethren of Ioseph reioyced and Pharao also with all his whole householde But howe much more must thy ioy be then theirs was that reioysest with God and all his Sayntes If the poore birdes doe ioye at the rysinge of the soonne howe much more oughte our soules to reioyce when they shall see the sonne of Iustice so gloriously shyning If the three wyse men that came to seeke Christ receyued so greate ioye by the seeinge of the starre how much more ioye shall they receyue that doe beholde the glorie of the sainctes in heauen If Saint Iohn Baptist were so full of ioye that he leaped in his mothers bellie at the onely hearinge of Christs presence without any seeinge of hym with his corporall eyes howe much more shall wee reioyce beholding hym face to face in his glorie If the Bethsamites reioyced so much at the seeing of the Arke of our Lorde returne home agayne and Zacheus receyued Christ into his house with so much ioye with how much more reason may wee reioyce by enioyinge his glorious presence in his owne eternall tabernacle of heauen If he that founde out the hidden treasor with so greate ioye did sell all that he had for to haue it how much more shall our soule reioyce in finding and possessing the diuine treasor of his glorie If the people did so much reioyce when Salomon was annoynted king that the veary earth shooke with the crye that they made for the ioye thereof how much more shall thy ioye be to see the kinge of glorie sit in the high throne of his Maiestie And if God wold bestow vpon thee but one halfe houres ioye of that infinite felicitie thou oughtest for it to despise a thousand such worldes as this is howe much more then oughtest thou with thine harte to despise these base vyle pleasures of this shorte lyfe to gayne thereby the infinite eternall ioye of heauen All were it so that this worlde were good and all that is in it were greatlie to be esteemed and that thou sholdest lyue in it a thousand yeares enioye thy perfect health all that whyle with as much honor as thou coldest wish to haue what were all this no better then chaffe in comparison of the most happie state that thou shalte haue in heauen by enioyinge the blessed presence of God but what is then this base beggerly pleasure of this shorte lyfe being such as it is to be accompted of in respect of the ioyes of heauen That is the very true and perfecte ioye in deede which is receyued of the creator hym selfe and not that which cometh from the creature which when thou haste gotten no man can take from thee agayne in comparison whereof all ioye is but sorow all pleasure payne all sweetenes bitternes all bewtie fowlenes and lothsumnes The vearie true substanciall ioyes that thou oughtest to delight in and take as thy finall felicitie be these heauenlie and euerlasting ioyes which thou must loue and which thou wert created for Set therefore before thyne eyes as the vearie true seruante of Iesus Christ the land of the liuinge towardes which thou arte going and despise the vanitie of this world that so thou mayest merite and get the heauenlie glorie and eternall felicitie where thou mayest lyue with Christ and reigne with hym for euer The end of the third and last parte HERE FOLOVVETH A table of the chapters conteyned in this booke Of the vanitie of the vvorld the first parte HOw to enioye God it behoueth to contemne the vanitie of the worlde cap. 1. Of the quietnes and peace of hart cap. 2. How the vanitie of the worlde is knowen by the lyfe of Christ. cap. 3. Of the vanitie of worldly thinges cap. 4 Of the vaine end of worldly things cap. 5. Of the consideration of the vayne end of wordlie thinges cap. 6. Of the vanities of the iudgementes and sayinges of men cap. 7. Of the contempte of the sayinges of men cap. 8. Of the vanitie of prayses of men cap. 9. Of vayne glorie cap 10. Of the contempt of vayne glorie cap 11. Of the vanitie of them that desire to be greate in this world cap. 12. Of the vanitie of such as couet Ecclesiasticall dignities cap. 13. Of the pilgrimage of this world cap. 14 Of the vanitie of corporal bewtie cap. 15. Of the vanitie of costlie garmeÌ„ts cap. 16. Of the vanitie of noble parentage cap. 17 Of the vanitie of temporall riches cap. 18. VVhat small value temporall riches are of cap. 19. Of the basenes and pouertie of earthelie riches cap. 20. Of the loue of earthly riches cap. 21. Of the contempt of earthly riches cap. 22. Of the vanity of worldly laughter cap. 23. Of the vanitie of worldly pleasure cap. 24. VVherein a man ought to reioyce cap. 25. Of the vanitie of worldly honor cap. 26. Of the perill of worldly honor cap. 27. Of the vanitie of worldly prosperitye cap. 28. Of the profit of persecution cap. 29. Of the vanitie of worldly fauor cap. 30. Of the profit of tribulations cap. 31. Of the vayne care of worldlinges cap. 32. Of the vayne and folishe wisdome of the worlde cap. 33. Of the souereignetie of Christs wisdome cap. 34. Of the vanitie and shortenes of mans lyfe cap. 35. VVhy God made our lyfe shorte cap. 36. Of the daungers of mans lyfe cap. 37. Of the vanitie of such as prolonge their pennance cap. 38. â—ow repentance in the houre of death is â—ost commonly vnprofitable cap. 39. â—f the vayne confidence of worldly men cap. 40. The end of the first parte OF THE VANITIE OF THE world The second parte VVherein is conteyned hovv vvicked the conditions of the vvorld are OF the conditions of the worlde cap. 1. Of the deceytes and snares of the worlde cap. 2. Of the falsehood that is in the worlde cap. 3. Of the false promyses of the world cap. 4. How the worlde forgetteth her dealinge cap. 5.
The memorie of this world momentaniâ— God onely remembreth his seruaÌ„tes eternallie cap. 6. How the world knoweth not her folowers cap. 7. Of the daunger wherein worldlie mâ—â— lyue cap. 8. Of the carelesnes wherein worldlie meâ— doe lyue cap. 9 Of the slauerie of wordlie men cap. 10 Of the heauie yoke of the world cap. 11 Of the sweetenes of Christ yoke cap. 12 How in our afflictions wee are to rune 〈◊〉 God and not to the world cap. 13 How speedelie the world passeth away cap. 14. Of the vnquiet and carefull myndes 〈◊〉 worldlinges cap. 1â— â—ow worldly consolations are full of bitternes cap. 16. Of the blindnes of worldly men cap. 17. Of the greefe of worldly men in partinge with the worlde cap. 18. Of the wages that the worlde gyueth her seruantes cap. 19. â—ow quickely the worlde casteth of her seruantes cap. 20. â—owe the loue of the worlde excludeth God cap. 21. â—ow the worlde doth continually persecute the good cap. 22. Of patience in aduersitie cap. 23. Of flying from the worlde cap. 24. Of the mutabilitie of the worlde cap. 25. How we are to shunne the small euills of the worlde cap. 26. Howe we oughte to flye the companie of worldly men cap. 27. Howe we oughte to accompanie with the good cap. 28. Of the intention of him that despiseth the worlde cap. 29. Of the memory of death cap. 30. Of the vncertaine houre of death cap. 31. VVhy God will not haue vs to to knowe the houre of death cap. 32. That the seruante of God oughte to meditate vpon death cap. 33. Of the firste armie of the worlde which is pryde cap. 34. Of humiltie cap. 35. Of couetousnes cap. 36. Of Liberalitie cap. 37. Of Lasciuiousnes cap. 38. Of Chastitie cap. 39. Of the good that worldly meÌ„ loose ca. 40. The end of the second parte OF THE VANITIE OF THE worlde The third parte VVhich shevveth vs hovv contemnynge vvorldlie vanities vvee ought to serue Iesus Christ. HOw the worlde doth not satiate our soules cap. 1. Howe God alone doth satiate our soules and not the world cap. 2. VVhy God doth satiate our soules and not the world cap. 3. How perfecte contentement is founde in God alone cap. 4. How we ought to trust in God alone ca. 5. Of the loue of God cap. 6. Of the loue of our neighbour cap. 7. Of the loue of our enemies cap. 8. Of selfe loue cap. 9. Of the denying of our selues cap. 10. Of the contempt of our selues cap. 11. Of the conquest of our selues cap. 12. Of the knowledg of our selues cap. 13. Of the consideration of mans miserie cap. 14. Of the knowledg of God cap. 15. Of meditation and conteÌ„plation cap. 16. Of true mortification cap. 17. Of abstinence and fasting cap. 18. Of the loue of solitarines cap. 19. Of Silence cap. 20. Of Idle wordes cap. 21. Of murmuring cap. 22. How the seruante of God oughte not to â—xamine the lyfe of others cap. 23. â—ow we oughte to beare with our neyghbours imperfections cap. 24. â—f Idle thoughtes cap. 25. â—f Idlenes and slouth cap. 26. â—f the fâ—ruor of good workes cap. 27. â—owe we oughte not to resolue rashely cap. 28. â—f the feare of God cap. 29. â—f obedience cap. 30. â—f pouertie cap. 31. â—ow we oughte continually to doe good workes cap. 32. â—f perseuering in goodnes cap. 33. â—f temptations cap. 34. â—f the profit of temptations cap. 35. â—f the remedie agaynst temptatioÌ„s which is prayer cap. 36. â—f the end whereto man is created ca. 37. â—f the dreadfull iudgemeÌ„t of God ca. 38. â—f the paynes of them that loue the vanitie of this worlde cap. 39. â—f the glory that they shall haue which despise the vanitie of the world cap. 40. The ende of the third and last parte Laus Deo O felix puerpera gloriae lucerna Surge veni propera domina superâ—â— Mea terge vulnera veniae pincerna Me Christo confedera me sempeâ— guberna Iesu fila Dauid 〈…〉 O regina virginu per quaÌ„ luxest orta Reparatrix hominuÌ„ felix coeli porâ—â— Verus splendor luminum quaeso mâ— conâ—orta Sursum ante dominum preceÌ„ meaâ— porta Mat. 6. Exd. 3. 1. Reg. 5. Exod. 2. Exod. 16. Io. 14. Pr. 12. Gal. 6. Eph. 5. 2. Reg. 11. Mat. 4. Luc. 2. Mat. 5. Gen. 24. Eccl. 1. Phi. 3. Amos. 9. Prou. 14. Danie 2 Thren 1. Luc. 9. Ioh. 2. 1. Thess. 5 Psal. 48. Eccle. 3. Genes 3. Psal. 118. Rom. 6. Gene. 25. Psal. 67. Rom. 6. Psal 77. Psal. 54 1 Cor. 4. Math. 27. Iohn 8. Iohn 5. Luc 18. Mat 6. Mat. 5. 4. Reg. 20 Mat. 6. Prou. 27. Dan. 3. Exo. 16. Exo. 20. Ios. 7. Esa. 10. Exo. 10. 1 Cor. 15. Apoc. 4. Psal. 113. Esa. 25. Dan. 4. Iu. 15. Iob. 31. Exo. 4. Oze 13. 1. Cor. 10 Psal. 29. Psal. 29. Mat. 25 Iohn 8. 1. Cor. â—1 Psal. 90. Luc. 17. Luke 18 Rom. 11. 4. Reg. 25. Mat. 20. Mar. 10. Num. 10. Mat. 26. Iob. 1. Gene. 30. Exod. 13. Act. 1. 2 Cor. 5. Heb. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Psal. 141. Psal. 38. 2. Cor. 4. Heb. 11. Prou. 31. 2. Reg. 18. Eccle. 11. Luke 16. Mat. 11. Mat. 6. 1. Tim. 6. Gal. 1. Heb. 11 Iob. 1. Iob. 16. Psal. 34. Esa. 14. Psal. 98. Sohp 1. Eccl. 19. Iob. 17. Ose. 9. 1. Reg. 9. Math. 4. Psal. 61. Psal. 75. Eccl. 13. Luc. 15. Luc. 10. Genes 3. 2. Cor. 12 Mat. 15 Eccle. 5. 1. Tim. 6. Psal. 75 Philip. 3. Luc. 10. Iob. 1. Sap. 7. Psal. 4. 1. Iohn 2. Gen. 13. Gene. 31. Exo. 1. Dan. 4. Gene. 1. Rom. 1. Phil. 3. Luke 14. Gene. 39. Mat. 19. Mat 16. Leu. 11. Iud. 7. Iob. 1. Luc. 6. Psal. 83. Psal. 41. Psa. 136 Mat. 5. Apo. 7. Apo. 21. Iob. 3. Iob. 21. Luc. 16. Iohn 11. Luc. 19. Iohn 11. Luc. 19. Mat. 18. Exo. 14. Eccl. 2. Exod. 2. Psal. 93 Tob. 5. Prou. 15. Esa. 24. 1. Cor. 7. Sap. 10. Heb. 11. 1. Pet. 2. Sap. 7. Psal. 11. Ioâ— 1. Iob. 10. Io. 16. Phil. 4. Luc. 10. 1. Cor. 1. Psal. â—1 Esa 14. Prou. â— Luc. 1. Psal. 3. Can. 4. Ioh. 14. Eph. 2. Gen. 21. Iohn 16. Gal. 5. Psal. 102. Psal. 138 1. Cor. 14. Eccl. 9. Psal. 90. Io. 12. Io. 19. Gene. 3. Iob. 1. Prou. 1. 1. Re. 9. 2. Reg. 11. 2. Reg. 1. Gene. 40. Mat. 17. Mat 5. 2. Tim. 3. Luc. 13. Math. 7. Io. 15. Io. 12. Mar. 55 Mar. Vlt. Io. 15. Mat. 5. Act. 7. 2. Cor. 12. Mat. 5. Hester 3. Mat. 16. Luke 16. Act. 14. Psal. 60· Prou 13. 2. Re. 20. Psal. 50. 1. Pet. 2. Gene. 42.45 1. Re. 26. Tob. 11. Psal. 15. Psal. 119. Gene. 1. Exod. 1. Act. 9. Psal. 2. Mat. 6. Exo. 12. Num. 11. Ag. 1 Mat. 6. Gene. 1. Mat. 25. 1. Pet. 5. Psal. 93. Luc. 8. Io. 19. 1 Cor. 3. Srp. 5. 1. Re 3. Act. 26. Luc. 23. 1. Cor. 3. Pro. 10. Luc. 16 Sapi. 5. Exo. 4. Prou. 3 Gen. 32. Eccl. 27. Exod.