owne Macedonians Constantine the great vnhappily ended his empire He pursued the good Bishop Athanasius He brought home the Heritike Arrius and became an Apostata Mauritius of a long time gouerned happily but afterwards he became so cruell so couetous so violent that he was hated of his owne subiects and slaine by Phocas There be many such examples but there is one before our eies the wisest Prince that euer was a long time gouerning religiously and vertuously but in his old daies falling in most grosse and beastly manner Of whom it may be said as it was said of Origen Vbi bene nemo melius vbi male nemo peius where he did well none did better where he did euill none did worse I meane in respect of his vnbrideled and filthy lust seeing therefore that the best and the wisest Princes are subiect to the temptations of Sathan to the allurements of the world flesh and sinne and may decline and fall away from good beginnings and proceedings let all good Christians and good subiects pray hartily and continually to God not onely to make their Princes good but also to hold keepe continue and encrease them in goodnes And seeing that all of vs are subiect to the like temptations let vs all be carefull not onely to begin well but also to holde on and continue to the end remembring that fearefull sentence of God saying If the righteous turne away from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie and doe according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shall hee liue all his righteousnes which hee hath done shall not be mentioned but in his transgression which hee hath committed and in the sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall he die And let vs neuer forget that excellent counsell of Salomons The way of the righteous shineth as the light that shineth more and more vntill the perfect day His meaning is that as the light in the morning when it once appeareth encreaseth more and more till it be perfect day so good men they growe daily in knowledge grace and goodnes Againe he saith age is a crowne of glory if it be found in the way of righteousnes Happie is that young man that hath liued well but more happie is that old man that hat liued well It is not sufficient that we haue bene good except we continue so still the righteous saith Dauid shall flourish like a palme tree and shall growe like a Cedar in Libanon Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in their age Young men must remember their Creator in their youth the powers of their body and minde is then fittest for the seruice of God They are subiect to death as well as others they must giue their best time and first fruites of their age to God They cannot tell how soone they may die and they must come to iudgement as well as others and the pietie of their young age will be a comfort and a credit to them in their old age and therefore let them be carefull of religion and holy conuersation in their tender yeares and let old men and women take heed of vices and doe nothing that is vnseemely to their age And in very deed the beautie and ornament of the elder sort is the true knowledge of God and heauenly wisedome and an vnblamable life they may set that no age is free from danger If the diuell cannot deceiue vs in our youth he will not leaue vs but will deceiue vs in our age if he can some in this age are guiltie of Salomons sinnes both of vncleannes and Idolatrie Some are ignorant some prophane some vniust some ouercome with lying some with drunkennes and the most in their olde age are subiect to impatience and couetousnes and are vnwilling to die and leaue this sinfull world but let them of all other be examples of wisedome vertue let them flie from the lusts of youth follow after righteousnes faith loue peace with thē that call on the Lord with a pure heart Let the elder men be sober honest discreet sound in the faith in loue and in patience the elder women likewise that they bee of snch behauiour as becommeth holines not false accusers not giuen to much wine but teachers of honest things Oh how pleasant a thing is it when gray-headed men minister iudgement and when the elders can giue good counsell Oh how comely a thing is wisedome to aged men and vnderstanding and prudence to men of honour The crowne of olde men is to haue much experience and the feare of God is their glory They are to giue themselues to continuall prayer and deuotion to reading and hearing of the word to the meditation of the shortnes of their life and of the happinesse and eternity of the life to come Worthy is the example of Barzillai the Giliadite who went to conduct King Dauid ouer Iorden and King Dauid sayd vnto him Come ouer with me and I will feede thee with me in Ierusalem I am this day foure score yeere olde sayth hee and can I discerne betweene good or euill hath thy seruant any taste in that I eate or that I drink can I heare any more the singing voyce of men or women wherefore then should thy seruant be any more a burthen thy seruant will goe a little way ouer with thee I pray thee let thy seruant turne backe againe that I may die in my owne City and bee buried in the graue of my father and of my mother His meaning is that the pleasures of the Courte was not fit for him though he was a man of great account substance yet being old his minde was of death of his graue and buriall Happy is he that hath so liued both in young and olde age that hee can say with good Ambrose seeing his friendes weeping about him at his death I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue still amongst you neither am I afrayde to die because we haue a gracious good Lord. Now let young old and all sorts of men and women especially Princes and great persons let all I say take heede of these two vices where with Solomon is touched namely vnbridled lust Idolatrie God is a holy and pure spirit hee hath ordeyned mariage as a bridle and remedie against vnclearle and vnlawfull lust and wee are to liue chastelie in virginitie and single life which is the first degree of chastitie or else to liue in mariage the ordinance of GOD which is the second degree of chastitie But the Deuill he is a foule filthie and vncleane spirit an enemie to mariage to chastitie and honestie and therefore from the beginning hee hath sought to defile and pollute that holy institution of GOD by multitude of wiues by fornication whoredome adulterie and other wandering wanton and vagabonde lustes These are against the law of nature
children The Kingly Prophet exhorts Kings of the earth and all people Princes and Iudges of the world young men and maydens also old men and children to prayse the name of the Lord. Saint Paul chargeth Timothie and Titus to teach old and young without exception Saint Iohn writeth his Epistle to fathers young men and children therefore the youngest are not exempted in regard of their young and tender yeeres Inasmuch as God is their Creator they are to remember him in the dayes of their youth Seeing in their first entrance into the world they haue beene baptised into the name of the blessed Trinitie and so haue taken vpon them the profession of true religion their proceeding and practise when they come to yeeres must be answerable to their beginning Further that age is slipperie weake dangerous and subiect to many temptations easilie seduced and ouercome by bad counsell and company They had neede therefore betimes to bee armed with the shielde of faith and sword of the spirit their witte and capacitie is then most fresh pregnant to conceiue remember keepe and hold good and gratious instructions Parents therefore are commaunded to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the LORD And it is the counsell of the wise man Teach a childe the trade of his way and when hee is olde he will not depart from it Againe yong men are subiect to death and must appeare before the great Iudge in that day as well as other Neede therefore haue they of due preparation Besides a religious disposition and behauiour in young age will bring them credit and honour all the dayes of their life and comfort ioy and peace of conscience in old age And what ioy what exceeding ioy will this be to Parents friends Tutors teachers and to all that loue and feare God A wise sonne saith Salomon maketh a glad father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his mother It is therefore sayde of Iohn the Baptist that his father should haue ioy of him and many should reioyce at his birth because hee was filled with the holy Ghost in his mothers wombe Saint Iohn writing to that noble and worthie Lady reioyceth greatly that hee found her children walking in the trueth And examples we haue of grace and religion in the younger sorte Samuel from his childhood was consecrated and dedicated to the seruice of God Iosiah was but eight yeares old when he began to raigne in Ierusalem yet there was neuer any before nor after him more vertuous and religious Salomon though most tender and deare in the eyes of his father and mother yet in his young yeares was taught diuine and heauenly wisedome When our Sauiour Christ came riding to Ierusalem in a base manner though the Scribes and Pharises disdained him yet children cry Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Timothie from his childhood had knowledge in the scriptures being instructed by his good Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunicâ— Iohn the Baptist grew and â—â—â—ed strong in the spirit and Iesus Christ being but 12. yeares old increased in wisedome in statute and fauour with God and men God will haue the first borne the first fruits and he that begins well is halfe his way Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet The tree that buds not in the spring is dead and such as are deformed in youth neuer proue welfauoured in age As the arrow is first directed so it flyeth youth is compared to the day while it is day let vs walke in the light the night commeth when no man can worke The time of youth is the summer time with the Ant and Bee we must prouide in summer against winter The time of youth is compared to Haruest wherin men take the occasioÌ„ vse all meanes they can for the reaping and enioying of the fruits of the earth if they let that time slip all is lost He that sleepes in haruest is the sonne of confusion Dauid in his youth killeth the Lyon the Beare and great Goliah Sampson in his youth killed the Philistines let vs by our spirituall armour ouercome the wicked one euen in our young time Now besides all this giue me leaue Right Hon. to put you in remembrance of one worthie example of a noble young man Ioseph full of grace and vertue worthie to be imitated of Kings Princes and Potentates In this famous patterne I obserue these sixe vertues The first is his rare chastitie who being tempted to follie by his mistresse did flatly refuse her saying How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God He knew with Iob that this was is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned yea that it is a fire which shall deuoure to destruction and shall roote out all his encrease The second vertue in young 〈◊〉 which is the ground of all the rest is his religion and the true feare of God in his heart All his actions and all his proceedings doe sauour of the feare of God It was this that kept him from that grosse iniquitie He ascribes the interpretatioÌ„ of dreams not to himselfe but to God He protesteth to his brethren that he feareth God And againe when he made himselfe knowne to his brethren he said Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that you sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruation And when his father asked him of his sonnes These are my sons sayd he which God hath giuen me This is the chiefe vertue in great persons the best Nobilitie A third vertue in Ioseph is his faithfulnes to his Prince He gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corne which hee bought not for his owne priuate vse but for the profit of the King his maister And as he is carefull to preserue the royall dignitie of the King and seeketh the wealth of Pharoah so hee hath a pittifull heart to the poore distressed people and is carefull to relieue them This is an excellent vertue in great persons which serue in the Court not to seeke their owne priuate gaine but the credit and wealth of their Prince and yet to haue louing and merciful hearts to the poore distressed commons The fourth vertue in Ioseph is his seueritie and clemencie wisely mixed together Hee speaketh roughly to hiâ— brethren hee threatens them and chargeth them to be spyes and yet his heart is full of compassion and loue When they are truely humbled know themselues hee doth entertaine them kindly and receiue them with much ioy And this is a speciall vertue required of Princes and Magistrates They must with Dauid in the gouerning of their Court Church Common-wealth and house strike on these two strings Mercie and Iudgement They must bee seuere and rough against notorious offenders and yet
nor friend but his enemie he that hath not contented himselfe with many Lordships and countries he that hath ioyned house to house land to land then a little peece of ground will serue his turne By such reasons doth Salomon proue the miserie of riches and he concludeth that the whole life of the rich man is miserable saying All his dayes he eateth in darkenes with much griefe sorrow anger Finally riches are deceitfull and dangerous they hinder vs from Gods kingdome they drawe our heart to them and make it as a captiue and slaue they ouerloade presse vs with cares they make vs faint-harted and fearefull cowards to endure any thing for the Gospell of Christ they often hinder vs and keepe vs backe froÌ„ wisedomes Schoole and though wee come thither yet they doe choake the seede of the Word in vs. Therefore there is no true Happinesse in them Those bee true Riches which when wee haue them wee cannot loose them Earthly substance compared to Eternall felicity is no helpe but a burden This life compared with Eternall life is rather to be called death then life The sonnes of Adam saith Bernard are a couetous generation What haue you to doe with earthly Riches which are neither true riches nor yet yours Gold and Siluer is red and white Earth which the error of man doth make and account more precious And if they be yours take them with you when you die It is a true saying of these Earthly riches Hic gigâ—untur Hic amittuntur Hic dimiâ—tuntur Heere they are gotten here they are lost and heere they are left Those then which repose Felicitie in Riches haue neither true Wisedome nor true Happinesse nor true Riches They are as much deceiued which put anie happinesse in Earthly pleasures Some of these are Carnall and wicked and haue their beginning from Hell Of this speaketh Salomon when he saith It is a pastime for a Foole to doe wickedly And of this speaketh Esaiah when hee saith The Lorde calleth to weeping and mourning and beholde ioy and gladnes slaying Oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh drinking wine Eating and drinking for tomorrow we shall die Of this speaketh our Sauiour CHRIST when hee saith Woe bee to you that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe In such pleasures the rich man liued in the gospell all his life time vpon earth but after death his soule was tormented in Hell The Apostle saith of the wanton widdowe that shee liuing in pleasure was dead while shee liued and indeed those which were most liuely and lusty in these pleasures are but dead men in grace and goodnes But to let these sinfull pleasures passe wherein yet manie too wholie spend their time and count it their chiefe Felicitie And to come to honest lawfull and ciuill pleasures yet there is no true Felicitie in them Let the best the greatest ioye and delight bee named yet it is but transiorie It is not true and perfect ioy It doth not satisfie and content vs. After wee haue it we loath it It is common both to good euill It doth leade to corruption it doth ofteÌ„times cause grief and sorrow The other pleasures indeed they come from hel and these are but from the earth They are but pettie ioyes bitter sweetings seeming Ioyes earthly and bastardly ioyes in comparison of true and perfect ioy we are not borne to spend our time in mirth ioy but rather to mourne and lament in respect of our sinnes and miseries Blessed are they which mourne saith Christ for they shall be comforted and they that sowe in teares for they shall reape in ioy and there is a godly sorrow that leadeth vs to repentance and so to saluation the true way to godly ioy is to feele godly sorrow Oh that we would remember the greatnes and the multitude of our sinnes the certaintie of death the vncertaintie of the houre of it the account that we are to make in that great day the manifold duties that we owe and are to performe to God to the Church to the common-wealth to our countrie to our families and others and the remembrance of these things no doubt would abate restraine and moderate our lawfull pleasures Let them that reioyce be as though they reioyced not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world passeth away Loue not this world saith S. Iohn neither the things that are in the worlde If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of life is not of the Father but is of the worlde and the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer The glorie of this worlde saieth one is deceitfull and is worthily refused It is but like the flower of Grasse and a vapour appearing for a time In what state so euer of this life there is more griefe then pleasure whilest thou doest reuenge defend enuie suspect whilest thou doest alwayes loue that which thou hast not and hauing gotten something thy desire is not diminished What rest is there in thy glorie If there bee anie the ioye passeth away not returning againe and thy griefe remaineth which will neuer leaue thee Oh wicked worlde who doest wont so to blesse thy onely Friendes that thou doest make them the enemies of God There is small ioy to a man when hee seeth his Neighbours house on Fier Hee is vaine which spendeth the dayes of his Repentance in pleasure when he seeth daylie before his eyes both his Friendes and others to die and so seeth that Death is certaine Is hee not vaine then that forgetting the feare of God doeth giue himselfe to vaine delights Parents do more grieue then ioye when they see their Childe borne and die in one day The ioy of this worlde is short It is a foolish thing to delight in our owne Foolishnes It is a vaine thing to fill our hearts with delights which are ended before they beginne It is a vaine ioye of the Byrdes in the middest of Nettes Trappes and Snares set for them And it is a foolish thing in the Fishes to delight in the bayte of the hooke which bringeth present sorrow and death And they are as vaine as those vnreasonable creatures which glorie in the vaine delights of this world Seeing that Death is so neere them The very Heathen haue proued and mocked this follie of men Some saying That we come into the world weeping we goe out of the worlde wailing And yet we liue heere laughing others saying that the desire of pleasures are griefe that the fulnes of pleasure is full of repentings that the end of pleasures is heauy and grieuous that if any may be counted blessed for them then the beasts also may