my side who And there looked out to him two or three chamberlaines And he sayd throwe her downe so they threw her downe and her bloud dashed toward the wall and toward the horses and he troade her vnder foote And so she was deuoured of dogges Why boastest thou thy selfe thou tyraunt that thou canst do mischiefe where as the goodnes of God endureth yet dayly put me now in remembraunce for we wil reason together shewe what thou hast for thee to make thee ¶ The signification THe womaÌ„ signifieth Gods loue The hart continuance of the same Hell vnder her signifieth death and destructioÌ„ vnto the careles liuers of this world the lambe signifieth the quiet conscience of the faithfull And death vnder him signieth the chaunge of life vnto all the good to immortalitie the bad to destruction righteous thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against me The earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compasse of the worlde and they that dwell therein who shall assend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise vp in his holy place Euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure hart and that hath not lifte vppe his minde vnto vanitie nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour What man liuing can say that he is cleane and hath not offended now therefore consider what wonderfull loue our creator hath to man when he by his holy spirite calleth vs to repentaunce to the ende that all shoulde come to hys eternall and heauenly kingdome From all misdedes wherin they haue offended against me I saith the lord wil clense them and all their blaspeemies which they haue done against me when they regarded me not I will forgeue them and this shall gette me a name and prayse and honour among all the people of the earth which shall here of the good that I will shewe vnto them yea they shalbe afrayed and astonned at all the good deedes and benefites that I will do for them God so loued the world that he gaue hys only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life for God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the worlde through him myghte be saued he that beleueth on him is not condemned but he that beleueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleued on the name of the onely begotten sonne of God and this is the condemnation that light is come into the word and men loue darckenes more then light because theiâ— deedes were euil foâ— euery one that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light least his deedes shoulde be reproued but he that doth truth coÌ„meth to y e light that his deedes may be knowne how â— t they are wrought in God Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children and walke ye in loue euen as Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs an offringe and a sacrifice of a sweete sauour to God as for fornication and all vncleanes let it not be once named amonge you nor coueteousnes as it becommeth saintes or filthines or foolishe talking or iesting which are not comely but rather geuing of thaÌ„ks for this ye know that no whoremoÌ„ger either vncleane person or couetous person which is a worshipper of Images hath any inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ and of God let no man therefore deceiue you with vayne wordes for because of such thinges commeth the wrath of God vpoÌ„ the childreÌ„ of disobedience be not ye therefore companions of them ye were sometyme in darcknes but now are ye light in the Lorde for vngodly communication strengthneth the body against the spirit and withdraweth the minde from al good exercise and labour and thereby deserueth the iust wrath of God and such as are worshippers of Images fornicatours such like hath no part wyth Christ in his kingdome to whome be all glory for euer Be not wise in thine owne consent but feare the Lord and depart from euill so shall thine nauell be hole and thy bones strong honour the lord with thy substauÌ„ce with y e firstlings of al thine increase geue vnto the poore so shal thy â—arnes be filled with plenteousnes and thy presse shall flowe ouer with sweete wine My sonne depise not the chastening of the lord neither faint wheÌ„ thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth him he chasteneth and yet delighteth in him euer as the father in his owne sonne if ye endure chasteninge God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes what sonne is he whome the father chasteneth not Reioyce ye heauens and singe prayses thou earth talke of ioy ye hilles for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his that be in trouble but Sion saide God hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Will a mother forgette the childe of her wombe and not pitie the sonne whome she hath borne And though she do forgett yet will I not forgette thee sayth the Lorâ—e These are the wordes that the Lorde sheweth vnto Ieremy saying Thus saith the Lord God of Israel write vp diligently all the wordes that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto thee in a booke for loe the time commeth sayth y e Lord that I will bringe agayne the prisoners of my people Israell and Iuda sayth the Lord for I will restore them vnto the lande that I gaue to their fathers and they shal haue it in possession By this may it euidently appeare that God is alwayes myndefull of hys people and will not forget them although for a time he suffer them yet at the length he will visite and helpe them For when the Phariseyes had heard that he had put the Saduces to silence they came together and one of them which was a Doctour of the law asked him a question and tempting him saying Maister which is greatest commaundement in the law Iesus saide vnto him Thou shalt loue thy Lorde thy God with all harte and with all thy soule and wyth all thy minde this is the firste and greatest commaundemeÌ„t And the second is like to it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe in these two commaundementes hange al the law and Prophetes In this commaundement the which our Sauiour Christ spake to a Doctour of the seâ—t of the Phariseyes and Saduces in willinge them firste to loue God and next his neighbour or neighboures is plainely to be vnderstanded the loue of our Sauiour Christ towards man in declaring that he which loued God faithfully and also his neighbour should receiue for his reward the euerlasting ioyes and feliciâ—ie thâ—t soroâ— is â—endent plaine that for the great louâ— our â—auiour Christ hath towarâ—â—s man dyd not onely teach all those the which were mindefull of his euangelicall doctrine but also shedde his most precious bloud to 〈◊〉 come man from the bondage of sinne vnto the life of righteousnes and so 〈◊〉
most doth him annoy and so of death he hath his fill ¶ The signification HE which striketh with death behind him signifieth enuiousnes against the quiet state of the faithfull and in hoping by enuie to destroy death is hys reward the other by constaÌ„t faith in Christ is preserued by the sword which is the word of God and so ouercoÌ„meth enuie the Angell behind hym is Gods prouident loue which neuer faileth all those that trust in hym THe vngodly is caste downe for his iniquitie but the righteous hath a good hope euen in death A pacient maÌ„ is better then one stroÌ„g he that can rule him selfe is more worth then he that winneth a citie Thorow enuie Acis was slaine by the monster Poliphemus because he would haue rauished Galathe the wife of Acis Also the two sonnes of king Phillip of Macedon Percius Demetrius thorow enuie sought eche others death and were both slaine Also Nessus deceaued Hercules of Dianira at a riuer and being on the other side would haue violated her wherby Hercules shotte an arrowe through his body Nessus perceauing him selfe to haue his deathes wound gaue a venomed shirte to Dianira saying that to whom soeuer she gaue that shirte his loue should neuer depart from her so that by the sayd shirte Hercules was destroyed Thus enuie hath vndone many a man and woman brought theÌ„ to vtter destruction O wretched enuie and daughter to pride which neuer seeth the end of thy miseries thou desirest to see the people in misery and then thou reioycest and art glad when that thy neighbour decayeth by thee neither from thee may come any profite neither in this world nor in the world to come To Serpent like I may compare those greedie wolues that lambes deuoure Awayting still to catch in snare all such as gette they may by power ¶ The signification THe Dragon signifieth the enemie to all that professe the worde of God the Cardinall persecution or a persecutor of the same the Fryer murther the sheepe which are a killing signifieth the professours of Christ from the beginning of the worlde to these present dayes ENuie is blinde can doe nothing but dispraise vertue it is a scabbe of thys world to haue enuy at vertue O y e miserable conditions of people that are to bee gouerned amoÌ„g whom diligeÌ„ce is hated negligence is reproued where sharpnes is perillous liberalitie thaÌ„keles coÌ„municatioÌ„ deceatfull pernitious flattery euery mans couÌ„tenance familiar many mens mindes offended waite to hurt priuily faire wordes openly wheÌ„ officers be coÌ„ming they tary for theÌ„ while they be present they do await on theÌ„ being out of authoritie al do forsake theÌ„ All other sinnes are not so pestiferous as enuy for y e lecherous by his sinne getteth somtime a frend or louer but it may be accoÌ„pted a miserable deadly kind of frendship The couetous by his vsury getteth goods possessions The negligent by his sloth oftentimes hath peace because he medleth with nothing The proud of such as he is him self is often praysed If he be rich of the poore for feare or if he hath ought for that which he hath The irious or wrathfull maÌ„ is often feared The glutton by filling hys panch of sweete and delicate meates Thus among all sinnes enuie is most pernitious and to be accompted most miserable When daintie dames hath whole delight with proude attyre them selues to ray Pirasmos shineth in the sight of glittering glasse such fooles to fray ¶ The signification THe woman signifieth pride the glasse in her hand flattery or deceate the deuill behinde her temptation the death head which she setteth her foote on signifieth forgetfulnes of the life to come wherby commeth destruction TAke heede y t thou fall not into pride least thou perishe with such as before haue offended Example of Lucifer which for his pride was cast down into y e infernal hell Also Adam by traÌ„sgression fell thorow y e subtill intisinges of the Serpent Agar the seruant of Sara thorow pride disdained her mistres because of a childe that she had by Abraham therefore she was driuen to flie into the wildernes by the way that lyeth to Sur. Also Membroth or Nimrod thorow pride caused the Tower of Babell to bee builded And the Lorde sayd Beholde the people is one and they haue all one language Come let vs goe downe and confound their language that euery one vnderstand not hys neighbours speach And so the Lorde scattered them from that place into the vpper face of all the earth It is therfore to be vnderstanded y e pride surmouÌ„ting folly all sinne is shame seruitudâ— Pharao king of Egypt through hys obstinate pride was drowned in the red sea all his hoste so y t there remained not one of theÌ„ Haman for his pride was haÌ„ged on y e gallowes that he had ordayned for Mardocheus Abimilech because a womaÌ„ smote him on y e head with a peece of a milstone therwith brake his braine panne as he approched the Tower of Thebez he therefore caused his harnesse bearer to runne him through y e body for that it should not be sayd y t a woman had slaine him Also Nabuchadonozor was transformed into a dumbe beast for the space of vij yeares because he so proudly exalted him selfe saying Thys is the great Citie of Babylon which J my selfe with my power and strength haue made The rich to prayse in some respecte as from all vice will soone refraine But such as Pauper doe detecte those gestes with Diues must take paine ¶ The signification THe rich man signifieth a proude maÌ„ couetous such a one as careth for no poore man but for such as hym lyketh to many such are not good in a coÌ„mon wealth the poore man signifieth the pouertie generall whose petitions of such are not heard nor once relieued ANtiochus also for hys pride was greatly punished of God smitten with such a disease of y t which he might not be healed Nicanor thorowe pride was discoÌ„fited ouercome of y e Iewes Phaeton because he toke vpon him to gouerne y e chariot of his father Phâ—bus he therfore had a great fall Dedalus was also drowned because he tooke vppon him to flie so hie in the ayre that the force of the sunne beames melted hys magicall winges in refusing his father Icarus counsell Dauid the kyng after that hee had numbred the people his hart smote hym saying I haue sinned exceedingly in that which I haue done Iezabell proudly sought the death of the Prophets and therfore the Lorde sent Iehu to Iezraell And wheÌ„ Iehu was come to Iezraell Iezabell heard of it and starched her face and tyred her head and looked out at a window And as Iehu entred at the gate she sayd had Zimri peace which slue hys maister And he lift vp his eyes to the window and sayd Who is of
a thousande shall fall beside thee and ten thousande at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee yea with thine eyes shalte thou beholde and see the rewarde of the vngodly God beginneth iudgement at his owne house for he sendeth tribulations and afflictions vnto his church If ye be rayled vppon for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirite of glory and the spirite of God resteth vpon you one theyr part he is euill spoken of but one your partes he is glorified see that none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theife or an euil doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters if any suffer as a christian maÌ„ let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God on his behalfe for the time is come y e iudgement must begin at the house of God if it first begin at vs what shal the end be of theÌ„ which beleue not the gospell of God and if the righteous scasely be saued where shal the vngodly sinner appeare wherfore let them that suffer according to y e will of God commit their soules to him with well doing as vnto a faithful creator Riches helpeth not in y e day of veÌ„geaunce but righteousnes deliuereth from death the righteousnes of the iust shall deliuer them but the wicked shalbe taken in their owne vngodlines If we had truely iudged our selues we shoulde not haue bene iudged but when we are iudged of the Lord we are chastened because we should not be damned with the world Uerely verely I say vnto you the tyme shall come and now is when the dead shall heare y e voyce of the sonne of God and they that heare shall liue for as the father hath life himselfe so likewise hath he geuen to the sonne to haue life in hymselfe and hath geuen hym power also to iudge in that he is the sonne of man Maruaile not at this the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forth they that haue done good into the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrectioÌ„ of damnatioÌ„ For God so loued y e world y t he hath geueÌ„ his only son y e none y t beleue in him should perish but should haue euerlasting life for God seÌ„t not his son into y e world to condemne the world but that the world through hym myght be saued he that beleueth on hym shall not be condeÌ„ned but he that beleueth not is condeÌ„ned already because he beleueth not in the name of the only sonne of God He that refuseth me and receaueth not my wordes hath one that iudgeth hym the wordes that I haue spoken they shall iudge hym in y e last day There shall goe a fire before hym and burne hys enemies on euery side hys lightnes gaue shine vnto the worlde the earth saw it and was afrayd The Lords comming shalbe heard like a great noyse froÌ„ the Citie and shall reward hys enemyes on a sodayne euen as the trauayling of a wife wheÌ„ she bringeth forth a maÌ„ childe or euer she suffer the paine of the birth and anguish of the trauayle The night is passed and the day is come nye let vs therefore cast away the dedes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light Let vs walke honestly as it were in the day light not in eating and drinking neither in foolishnes as strife and enuiyng but put ye on y e Lord Iesus Christ and make no prouision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it Of y e times and seasons brethren ye haue no neede that I write vnto you for ye your selues know perfectly that the day of the Lord shal come euen as a theife in y e night when they shall say peace and no daunger then commeth on them sodayne destruction as the trauayling of a woman with childe and they shall not escape therfore let vs not sleepe but watch diligently for the comming of the Lord that at our calling we may be found occupied in all God exercises least being found idell we perish in our owne iniquitie and so come to destruction both of body soule Examine therefore euery maÌ„ amoÌ„g your selues and so spende y e dayes of thys troublesome pilgrimage that in y e ende we may come and appeare at y e generall day before y e eternall iudge who shall iudge all flesh according to theyr desartes and let vs most chiefely pray vnto God so to ayde vs wyth hys holy spirit against the temptacions of Sathan that at our appearance we may be found lawdable and glorious in the sight of that most pure and imaculate lambe Iesus Christ and to receaue y e blessed benediction when he shal say come ye blessed children into my euerlasting kingdome prepared for you from y e beginning of the world And to y e reprobate wicked ones goe ye wicked into the infernall hell prepared for you the deuill and his aungels Let all faithfull hartes pray vnto God and alwayes glorify his most blessed name vnto the which God be all glory power and dominion for euer and euer AmeÌ„ A Smalle reward I looke to haue Of such as do the truth despise No whit at all I mynde to craue But further truth in any wise All flesh is frayle and soone doth rotte As doth the flower in the fielde When man is gonne full soone forgot Therefore in tyme to truth do yelde Lament all flesh that liuing be With brinish teares and blubbrid eyen Then after death you soone shall see The christall glasse of light to shine Which glasse is Christ our Sauiour That for vs all his bloud hath shed Yelde vnto him all might and power Our only ioy and supreme head Let fickle fancie not you moue From him which can both kill and saue For like as gold so will he proue If light you way to late to craue FINIS Eccl. 14 Eccl. 16 Eccle. 10. Oseas 5. Iohn 18. Psal. 15. Ezech. 12. 1. Thess. 5 The property of the viper is the femall biteth of the males head and the yong gnaweth themselues out of their dammes belly Chitofell Aiax 2. Esd. 13. Prou. 19 Deut. 19. Prou. 17. By the Asse is meÌ„t the cruell Antechristians Iohn 12 Mark 13 Luk. 12 Rom. 8 Prou. 27. Tullius Augustinus Ambrosius Ambrosius Gen. 34. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 6. Heb. 13. 1. Cor. 5. Augustiâ—us Tullius Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Luk. 18. Dan. 13. Math. 14 Prouer. 6. Eccle. 23. Rom. 1. Hieronimus Luke 15. Abessa of BetheleÌ„ was iudge in Israell about thys tyme. ReguÌ„ 16. â— Reg. 13. Iudit 13. Gen. 9. Ouid. lib. 14. Iudges 17 Cor. 6. Tullius Ecclesia Boctius Eccle. 31. Osea Luk. 21. Eccle. 37. Ephe. 5. Prou. 31. Prou. 23. Eccle. 31. Rom. 12. Eccle. 23. Esau. * Heb. 12 Gen. 25. Exod. 16. Luk. 16. Percius in hys Satires Cato â—