of al our dooings then it shal be seene evidently what ech man is to have in the justice and mercie of God 12 To speak then of this second judgement general and common for al the world wherin as the scripture saith God shal bring into iudgment everie error which hath beene committed There are divers circumstances to be considered and divers men do set down the same diversly but in mine opinion no better plainer or more effectual declaration can be made therof than the very scripture maketh it selfe setting forth unto us in most significant words al the maner order and circumstances with the preparation therunto as followeth 13 At that day there shal be signes in the sun and in the moone and in the stars the sun shal be darkened the moone shal geeve no light the stars shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heaven shal be mooved the firmament shal leave his situation with a great violence the elements shal be dissolved with heat and the earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire the earth also shal moove off hir place and shal fly like a little deere or sheepe The distresse of nations upon the earth shal be great by reason of the confusion of the noise of the sea and fluds and men shal wither away for fear and expectation of these things that then shal come upon the whole world And then shal the signe of the Son of man appeer in the skie and then shal al the tribes of the earth moorn and wail and they shal see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with much power and glorie great authoritie and majestie And then in a moment in the twinkling of an eie he shal send his Angels with a trumpet and with a great crie at midnight and they shal gather together his elect from the fower parts of the world from heaven to earth Al must be presented before the judgement seat of Christ who wil bring to light those things which were hidden in darknes and wil make manifest the thoughts of mens harts and whatsoever hath beene spoken in chambers in the eare shal be preached upon the house top Account shal be asked of every idle word he shal judge our very righteousnes it selfe Then shal the just stand in great constancie against those which have afflicted them in this life and the wicked seeing that shal be troubled with an horrible fear shal say to the hils fal upon us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the anger of the lambe for that the great day of wrath is come Then shal Christ separate the sheepe from the goats and shal put the sheepe on his right hand and the goats on the left and shal say to those on the right hand come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world I was hungry you gave me to eat I was a stranger and you gave me harbor I was naked and you clothed me I was in prison and you came to me Then shal the just say O Lord when have we done these things for thee And the King shal answer truly when you did them to the lest of my brothers you did it to me Then shal he say to them on his left hand Depart from me you accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and ye fed me not I was a stranger and you harbored me not I was naked and you clothed me not I was sick and in prison and you visited me not Then shal they say O Lord when have we seen thee hungrie or thirstie or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison did not minister unto thee And he shal answer verily I tel you seeing you have not done it to one of these lesser you have not done it to me And then these men shal go into eternal punishment and the just into life everlasting 14 Tel me what a dreadful preparation is here laied down How many circumstances of fear and horror It shal be saith the scripture at midnight when commonly men are asleep it shal be with hideous noise of trumpets sound of waters motion of al the elements what a night wil that be trowest thou to see the earth shake the hils dales mooved from their places the moone darkened the stars fal down from heaven the whole element shivered in peeces and al the world in a flaming fire 15 Can any tong in the world expresse a thing more forcibly than this matter is expressed by Christ the Apostles and Prophets themselves What mortal hart can but tremble in the middest of this unspeakable terror Is it marvel if the very just men and the Angels themselves are said to fear it And then as S. Peter reasoneth If the iust shal scarce be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeer What a dreadful day wil it be for the careles and loose Christian which hath passed his time pleasantly in this world when he shal see so infinite a sea of fears and miseries to rush upon him 16 But besides al these most terrible and fearce preparations there wil be many other matters of no lesse dreadful consideration as to see al sepulchres open at the sound of the trumpet and to yeeld foorth al their dead bodies which they have received from the beginning of the world to see al men women and children kings and Queens princes and potentates to stand there naked in the face of al creatures their sins revealed their secret offences laid open done and committed in the closets of their pallaces and they constrained and compelled to geeve accounts of a thousand matters whereof they would disdain to have beene told in this life as how they have spent the time how they have imploied their welth what behavior they have used towards their brethren how they have mortified their senses how they have ruled their appetites how they have obeied the inspirations of the holy ghost and finally how they used al good gifts in this life 17 Oh deare brother it is unpossible to expresse what a great treasure a good conscience wil be at this day it wil be more worth than ten thousand worlds for wealth wil not help the judge wil not be corrupted with money no intercession of worldly frinds shal prevail for us at that day no not of the angels themselves whose glorie shal be then as the prophet saith To bind kings in fetters and noble men in iron manacles to execute upon them the iudgement prescribed and this shal be glorie to al his saints Alas what wil al those wise people do then that now live in delites and can take no pain in the service of God What shift wil they make in those extremities Whether wil they turn
down again and imagin with thy selfe which was greater either the joy in getting or the sorow in leesing it Where are now al these emperors these kings these princes and prelates which rejoiced so much once at their own advancement Where are they now I say Who talketh or thinketh of them Are they not forgotten and cast into their graves long ago And do not men boldly walk over their heads now whose faces might not be looked on without fear in this world What then have their dignities done them good 12 It is a woonderful thing to consider the vanitie of this worldly honor It is like a mans own shadow which the more a man runneth after the more it flieth and when he flieth from it it followeth him again and the only way to catch it is to fal down to the ground upon it So we see that those men which desire honor in this world are now forgotten and those which most fled from it and cast themselves lowest of al men by humilitie are now most of al honored honored I say most even by the world it selfe whose enimies they were while they lived For who is honored more now who is more commended and remembred than Saint Paul and his like which so much despised worldly honor in this life according to the saieng of the prophet Thy frinds O Lord are too too much honored Most vain then is the pursuit of this worldly honor and promotion seeing it neither contenteth the mind nor continueth with the possessor nor is void of great dangers both in this life and in the life to come according to the saieng of scripture Most severe iudgment shal be used upon those that are over others the mean man shal obtain mercy but the great and strong shal suffer torments strongly 13 The third vanitie that belongeth to ambition or pride of life is nobilitie of flesh and blood a great perle in the eie of the world but indeed in it selfe and in the sight of God a meer trifle and vanitie Which holie Iob wel understood when he wrote these words I said unto rottennes thou art my father and unto worms you are my mother and sisters He that wil behold the gentrie of his ancestors let him look into their graves and see whether Iob saith truly or no. Tru nobilitie was never begun but by vertu and therfore as it is a testimonie of vertu to the predecessors so is it another of vertu unto the successors And he which holdeth the name therof by descent without vertu is a meer monster in respect of his ancestors for that he breaketh the limits of the nature of nobilitie Of which sort of men God saith by one prophet They are made abhominable even as the things which they love their glorie is from their nativitie from the bellie and from their conception 14 It is a miserable vanitie to go beg credit of dead men when as we deserve none our selves to seek up old titles of honor from our ancestors we being utterly uncapable therof by our own base maners and behavior Christ cleerly confounded this vanitie when being descended himselfe of the greatest nobilitie that ever was in this world and besides that being also the son of God yet called he himselfe ordinarily the son of man that is the son of the virgin Marie for otherwise he was no son of man and further than this also called himselfe a shepheard which in the world is a name of contempt He sought not up this and that old title of honor to furnish his stile withal as our men do Neither when he had to make a king first in Israel did he seek out the ancientest blood but took Saul of the basest tribe of al Israel and after him David the poorest shepheard of al his brethren And when he came into the world he sought not out the noblest men to make princes of the earth that is to make apostles but took of the poorest and simplest therby to confound as one of them saith the foolish vanitie of this world in making so great account of the preeminence of a little flesh and blood in this life 15 The fourth vanitie that belongeth to ambition or pride of life is worldly wisdom wherof the apostle saith The wisdom of this world is folly with God If it be folly then great vanitie no dowt to delite so in it as men do It is a strange thing to see how contrarie the judgements of God are to the judgements of men The people of Israel would needs have a king as I have said and they thought God would have given them presently some great mightie prince to rule over them but he chose out a poor felow that sought asses about the country After that when God would displace this man again for his sin he sent Samuel to annoint one of Isai his sons and being come to the house Isai brought foorth his eldest son Eliab a lustie tall felow thinking him indeed most fit to govern but God answered Respect not his countenance nor his tallnes of personage for I have reiected him neither do I iudge according to the countenance of man After that Isai brought in his second son Abinadab and after him Samma and so the rest until he had shewed him seven of his sons Al which being refused by Samuel they marveled said there was no mo left but only a little red headed boy that kept the sheep called David which Samuel caused to be sent for And assoon as he came in sight God said to Samuel this is the man that I have chosen 16 When the Messias was promised unto the Iewes to to be a king they imagined presently according to their worldly wisdom that he should be some great prince and therfore they refused Christ that came in povertie Iames and Iohn being yet but carnal seeing the Samaritans contemptuously to refuse Christs disciples sent to them and knowing what Christ was thought streightway that he must in revenge have called down fire from heaven to consume them but Christ rebuked them saieng You know not of what spirit you are The apostles preaching the crosse and necessitie of suffering to the wise gentils and philosophers were thought presently fooles for their labors Festus the emperors lieftenant hearing Paul to speak so much of abandoning the world and following Christ said he was mad Finally this is the fashion of al worldly wise men to condemn the wisdom of Christ and of his saints For so the holie scripture reporteth of their own confession being now in place of torment Nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabamus insaniam We fond men esteemed the lives of saints as madnes Wherfore this is also great vanitie as I have said to make such account of worldly wisdom which is not only follie but also madnes by the testimonie of the holie Ghost himselfe 17 Who would not think but that
should yeeld a reconing of so much time spent in singing so much in daunsing so much in courting and the like who would not laugh at his accounts But being further asked by his maister what time he bestowed on his marchandise which he sent him for if he should answer none at all nor that he ever thought or studied upon that matter who would not think him woorthie of all shame and punishment And surely with much more shame and confusion shall they stand at the day of judgment who being placed here to so great a busines as is the service of almightie God have notwithstanding neglected the same bestowing their studies labors and cogitations in the vain trifles of this world which is as much from the purpose as if men being placed in a course to run at a golden game of infinit price they should leave their mark and some step aside after flies or fethers in the aire and some other stand still gathering up the dung of the ground And how were these men woorthie trow you to receave so great a reward as was proposed to them 9 Wherfore deer Christian if thou be wise consider thy case while thou hast time follow the Apostles counsel examin thy own works wais deceave not thy self Yet maist thou have grace to reform thy self bicause the day time of life yet remaineth The dreadful night of death wil overtake thee shortly when there wil be no more time of reformation What wil al thy labour and toil in procuring of worldly wealth profit or comfort thee at that hour when it shal be said to thee as Christ said to thy like in the gospel when he was now come to the top of his worldly felicitie Thou foole this night shal they take away thy soul and then who shal have the things which thou hast gotten togither Beleeve me deer brother for I tel thee no untruth one hour bestowed in the service of God wil more comfort thee at that time than an hundred yeeres bestowed in advauncing thy selfe and thy house in the world And if thou mightest feele now the case wherin thy poore hart shal be then for omitting of this thing which it should most have thought upon thou wouldest take from thy sleepe and from thy meat also to recompence thy negligence for the time past The difference betwixt a wise man a foole is this that the one provideth for a mischeef while time serveth but the other when it is too late 10 Resolve thy self therfore good Christian while thou hast time Resolve thy self without delay to take in hand presently and to apply for the time to come the great and weightie busines for which thou wast sent hither which only in deed is weightie and of importance and al others are meere trifles and vanities but only so far forth as they concern this Beleeve not the world which for running awrie in this point is detested by thy saviour and every frend therof pronounced an enimy to him by his Apostle Say at length unto thy saviour I do cōfesse unto thee O Lord I do confesse can not deny that I have not hitherto attended to the thing for which I was created redeemed and placed here by thee I do see my errour I can not dissemble my greevous fault I do thank thee ten thowsand times that thou hast given me the grace to se it while I may yet by thy grace amend it which by thy holy grace I mean to do and without delay to alter my course beseeching thy divine majestie that as thou hast given me this light of understanding to see my danger and this good motion to reform the same so thou wilt continew towards me thy blessed assistance for performance of the same to thy honor and my souls health Amen CHAP. IIII. Of the end of man in particular and of two special things required at his hands in this life HAving spoken of the end of man in general in the former chapter shewed that it is to serve God it seemeth convenient for that the matter is of great and singular importance to treat somwhat more in particular wherin this service of God doth consist that therby a Christian may iudge of himself whether he perform the same or no and consequently whether he do the thing for which he was sent into this world 2 First therfore it is to be understood that the whole service which God requireth at a Christian mans hands in this life consisteth in two things the one to fly evil the other to do good And albeit these two things were required of us also before the coming of Christ as appeareth by Dauid whose cōmandement is general Decline from evil and do good and by Esay the prophet whose words are Leave to do perversly and learn to do wel Yet much more particularly and with far greater reason are they demaunded at the hands of Christian people who by the death and passion of their Redeemer do receave grace and force to be able in some measure to perform these two things which the law did not give albeit it commanded the same 3 But now we being redeemed by Christ receaving from him not only the renewing of the same cōmandement for the performance of these two things but also force and abilitie by his grace wherby we are made somwhat able to do the same we remain more bound therto in reason and dutie than before for that this was the fruit and effect of Christ his holy passion as Saint Peter saith That we being dead to sin should live vnto righteousnes Or as Saint Paul more plainly declareth the same when he saith The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to al men instructing vs to this end that we renouncing al wickednes and worldly desires should live soberly iustly and godly in this world 4 These two things then are the service of God for which we were sent into this world the one to resist sin the other to folow good works In respect of the first we are called soldiers our life a warfare upon the earth for that as soldiers do alwais lie in wait to resist their enimies so ought we to resist sin and the temptations therof And in respect of the second we are called labourers stewards fermers and the like for that as these men attend diligently to their gain and increase of substance in this life so should we to good works to the glorie of God and benefit of others here in this life 5 These therfore are two special points which a Christian man should meditate upon two special exercises wherin he shuld be occupied two special legs wherupon he must walk in the service of God and finally two wings wherby he must flie and mount up unto a Christian life And whosoever wanteth either of these though he had the other yet can he not ascend to any tru
God in some measure of his majestie did passe by in glorie And when he was past God tooke away his hand and suffered Moises to see his hinder parts only which was notwithstanding most terrible to behold 5 The prophet Daniel also describeth the majestie of this God shewed unto him in vision in these words I did see saith he when the thrones were set and the old of many dais sate down his apparel was as white as snow his haire like unto pure wool his thron was of a flame of fire his chariots were burning fire a swift flud of fire came from his face a thousand thousands did serve him and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him he sate in iudgement and the books were opened before him Al this and much more is recorded in scripture to admonish us therby what a prince of majestie he is whom a sinner offendeth 6 Imagin now brother mine that thou seest this great king sitting in his chaire of majestie with chariots of fire unspeakable light and infinite millions of Angels about him as the scripture reporteth Imagin further which is most tru that thou seest al the creatures in the world stand in his presence and trembling at his majestie and most carefully attending to do that for which he created them as the heavens to move abovt the earth to bring foorth sustenance and the like Imagin further that thou seest al these creatures how big or little soever they be to hang and depend only of the power and vertu of God wherby they stand move and consist and that there passeth from God to ech creature in the world yea to everie part that hath motion or being in the same some beam of his vertu as from the sun we see infinite beams to passe into the aire Consider I say that no one part of any creature in the world as the fish in the sea the grasse on the ground the leaves of the trees or the parts of man upon the face of the earth can grow moove or consist without some litle stream of vertu and power come to it continually from God So that thou must imagin God to stand as a most glorious sun in the midst and from him to passe foorth infinite beams or streams of vertu to al creatures that are either in heaven earth the aire or the water and to every part therof and upon these beams of his vertu al creatures to hang and if he should stop but any one of them it would destroy and annihilate presentlie some creature or other This I say if thou shalt consider touching the majestie of God and the infinite dread that al creatures have of him except only a sinner for the devils also do fear him as Saint Iames saith thou wilt not marvel of the severe judgement of God appointed for his offence For sure I am that very shame of the world maketh us to have more regard in offending the poorest frind we have in this life than a wicked man hath in offending God which is an intollerable contempt of so great a majestie 7 But now if we adjoin to this contemplation of majestie another consideration of his benefits bestowed upon us our default wil grow to be far greater for that to injurie him who hath done us good is a thing most detestable even in nature it selfe And there was never yet so fearce an hart no not amongst brute beasts but that it might be woon with curtesie benefits but much more amongst reasonable creatures doth benificence prevail especially if he come from great personages whose love and frindship declared unto us but in smal gifts doth greatly bind the harts of the receavers to love them again 8 Consider then deer Christian the infinite good turns and benefits which thou hast receaved at the hands of this great God therby to win thee to his love that thou shouldest leave of to offend and injurie him and albeit no toong created either of man or Angel can expresse the one halfe of these gifts which thou hast receaved from him or the valew of them or the great love and hartie good wil wherwith he bestowed them upon thee yet for som memorie sake I wil repeat certain general and principal points therof wherunto the rest may be referred 9 First then he hath bestowed upon thee the benefit of thy creation wherby he made thee of nothing to the likenes of himselfe and appointed thee to so noble an end as is to serve him in this life and to reign with him in the life to come furnishing thee for the present with the service and subjection of al creatures The greatnes of this benefit may partly be conceaved if thou do imagin thy selfe to lak but any one part of thy bodie as a leg an arm an eie or the like and that one should freely geeve the same unto thee or if thou wantest but any one sense as that thou were deafe or blind and one should restore sight or hearing unto thee how wouldest thou esteeme of this benefit How much wouldest thou professe thy selfe beholding unto him for the same And if the gift of one of these parts only would seeme such a benefit unto thee how great oughtest thou to esteeme the free gift of so manie parts together 10 Ad to this now as I have said that he hath created thee to the likenes of no other thing but of himselfe to no other end but to be his honorable servant in this world and his compartener in kingly glorie for al eternitie to come and this he hath done to thee being only a peece of dirt or clay before Now imagin thou of what maner of love proceeded this But yet ad further how he hath created al this magnificent world for thee and al the creatures therof to serve thee in this busines the heaven to distinguish times and seasons and to geeve thee light the earth and aier and water to minister most infinit varietie of creatures for thy use and sustinance hath made thee lord of al to use them for thy comfort and his service And what magnificent gifts are these And what shameful ingratitude is it to turn the same to the dishonor and injurie of so loving a geever as thou dost by using them to serve thee in sin 11 But yet consider a little further the benefit of thy redemption much greater than al the former which is that thou having lost al those former benefits again and made thy self guiltie by sin of eternal punishment wherto the Angels were now delivered for their sin committed before God chose to redeeme thee and not the Angels and for satisfieng of thy fault to deliver his own only Son to death for thee O Lord what hart can conceave the greatnes of this benefit Imagin thy selfe being a poore man hadst committed a greevous crime against a kings majestie together with some great man of his cheefest nobilitie and that
shal ever possesse the kingdome of God If you live according to the flesh you shal die and the works of the flesh are manifest as fornication uncleannes wantonnes luxurie poisonings enmities contentions emulations hatred strife dissentions sects envie murder dronkenes gluttonie and the like Wherof I foretel you as I have told you before that they which do these things shal never attein to the kingdome of God We must al be presented before the iudgment seat of Christ every man receive particularly according as he hath done in this life good or evil every man shal receive according to his works God spared not the Angels when they sinned You shal give account of everie idle word at the day of iudgement If the iust shal scarce be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeer Few are saved and a rich man shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven 10 Al these things I say and a thousand mo touching the severitie of Gods justice and the account which shal be demanded at that day wil come into his mind that lieth a dieng and our ghostly enimie which in this life labored to keep these things from our eies therby the easier to draw us to sin wil now lay al more too before our face amplifieng and urging everie point to the uttermost alledging alwais our conscience for his witnes Which when the poore soul in dieng cannot denie it must needs terrifie hir greatly for so we see that it doth daily even many good vertuous men Saint Ierom reported of holie Saint Hilarion whose soul being greatly afeard upon these considerations to go out of the bodie after long conflict he took courage in the end and said to his soul Go out my soul go out why art thou afeard thou hast served Christ almost threescore and ten yeeres and art thou now afeard of death But if so good a man was so afeard at this passage yea such an one as had served God with al puritie of life and perfect zeale for threescore and ten yeeres togither what shal they be which scarce have served God truly one day in al their lives but rather have spent al their yeeres in sin and vanitie of the world Must not these men be needs in great extremitie at this passage 11 Now then deer Christian these things being so that is this passage of death being so terrible so dangerous and yet so unavoydable as it is seeing so many men perish and are overwhelmed daily in the same as it cannot be denied but there do and both holie scriptures and ancient fathers do testifie it by examples and records unto us what man of discretion would not learn to be wise by other mens dangers Or what reasonable creature would not take heed and look about him being warned so manifestly and apparantly of his own peril If thou be a Christian and dost beleeve indeed the things which Christian faith doth teach thee then dost thou know and most certainly beleeve also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition soever thou be now yet that thou thy selfe I say which now in health and mirth readest this and thinkest that it litle pertaineth to thee must one of these dais and it may be shortlie after the reading hereof come to prove al these things upon thy selfe which I have here written that is thou must with sorrow and greefe be inforced to thy bed and there after al thy struglings with the darts of death thou must yeeld thy bodie which thou lovest so much to the bait of worms and thy soul to the trial of justice for hir dooings in this life 12 Imagin then my frind thou I say which art so fresh and frolik at this day that the ten twentie or two yeeres or it may be two moneths which thou hast yet to live were now ended and that thou were even at this present stretched out upon a bed wearied and worn with dolor and pain thy carnal frinds about thee weeping and howling the phisitions departed with their fees as having given thee over and thou lieng there alone mute and dum in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to moment the last stroke of death to be given thee Tel me in this instant what would al the pleasures and commodities of this world do thee good What comfort would it be to thee to have beene of honor in this world to have beene rich and purchased much to have born office been in the princes favor To have left thy children or kindred wealthy to have troden down thine enimies to have sturred much and born great sway in this life What ease I say or comfort would it be to thee to have been fair to have been gallant in apparel goodly in personage glittering in gold Would not al these things rather afflict than profit thee at this instant For now shouldest thou see the vanitie of these trifles now would thy hart begin to say within thee O follie and miserable blindnes of mine Lo here is an end now of al my delites prosperities al my joies al my pleasures al my mirth al my pastimes are now finished where are my frinds which were woont to laugh with me My servants woont to attend me my children woont to disport me Where are al my coches and horses wherwith I was woont to make so goodlie a shew the caps and knees of people woont to honor me the troups of suters following me Where are al my daliances and triks of love al my pleasant musik al my gorgeous buildings al my costly feasts and banquetings And above al other where are my deer and sweet frinds who seemed they would never have forsaken me But al are now gone and have left me here alone to answer the rekoning for al and none of them wil do so much as to go with me to judgement or to speak one word in my behalfe 13 Wo worth to me that I had not foreseen this day sooner and so have made better provision for the same it is now too late and I fear me I have purchased eternal damnation for a litle pleasure and lost unspeakable glorie for a floting vanitie Oh how happie and twise happie are they which so live as they may not be afeard of this day I now see the difference betwixt the ends of good evil and marvel not though the scriptures say of the one The death of saincts is precious And of the other The death of sinners is miserable Oh that I had lived so vertuously as some other have done or as I had often inspirations from God to do or that I had done the good deeds I might have done how sweet and comfortable would they be to me now in this my last and extreemest distres 14 To these cogitations and speeches deer brother shal thy hart be inforced of what estate soever thou be at the hour of death if thou do not
what severitie But it is not lawful we onlie which are yet alive have that singular benefit if we know it or wold resolve our selves to make the most of it One of these dais we shal be past it also and shal not recover it again no not one hour if we would give a thousand worlds for the same as indeed the damned would do if they might Let us now therfore so use the benefit of our present time as when we are past hence we have not need to wish our selves here again 24 Now is the time we may avoid al now is the time we may put our selves out of danger of these matters now I saie if we resolve our selves out of hand For we know not what shal become of us to morrow it may be to morrow our harts wil be as hard and carelesse of these things as they have been heretofore and as Pharao his hart was after Moises departure from him Oh that he had resolved himselfe thoroughlie while Moises was with him how happie had he been If the rich glutton had taken the time while he was in prosperitie how blessed a man had he been He was foretold of his miserie as we are now by Moises and the prophets as Christ signifieth but he would not hear Afterward he was in such admiration of his own follie that he would have had Lazarus sent from Abrahams bosom unto his brethren to warn them of his successe But Abraham told him it was bootlesse for they would not have beleeved Lazarus but rather have persecuted him as a liar and defamer of their honorable brother dead if he should have come and told them of his torments Indeed so would the wicked of the world do now if one should come tel them that their parents or frinds are damned in hel for such and such things and do beseech them to look better to their lives to the end by their comming thither they do not increase the others pains for being some cause of their damnation for this is onlie the cause of care which the damned have towards the living and not for any love they now bear them if I saie such a message should come from hel to the florishing sinners of this world would they not laugh at it Would they not persecute eagarlie the parties that should bring such news what then can God devise to do for the saving of these men What waie what means may he take when neither warning nor example of others nor threats nor exhortations wil do anie good We know or may know that leading the life which we do we can not be saved We know or ought to know that manie before us have been damned for lesse matters We know and can not choose but know that we must shortlie die and receave our selves as they have receaved living as they did or woorse We see by this laid down before that the pains are intollerable and yet eternal which do expect us for the same We confesse them most miserable that for anie pleasure or commoditie of this world are now fallen into those pains What then shuld let us to resolve to dispatch our selves quiklie of al impediments To break violentlie from al bonds and chains of this wicked world that do let us from this tru and zealous service of God Why should we sleep one night in sin seeing that night may chance to be our last and so the everlasting cutting off of al hope for the time to come 25 Resolve thy selfe therfore my deer brother if thou be wise and cleer thy selfe from this danger while God is willing to receive thee and mooveth thee therunto by these means as he did the rich man by Moises and the prophets while he was yet in his prosperitie Let his example be often before thine eies and consider it throughly and it shal do thee good God is a wonderful God and to shew his patience and infinite goodnes he wooeth us in this life seeketh unto us and laieth himselfe as it were at our feet to moove us to our own good to win us to draw us and to save us from perdition But after this life he altereth his course of dealing he turneth over the leaf and changeth his stile Of a lamb he becometh a lion to the wicked and of a saviour a just and severe punisher What can be said or don more to moove us He that is forewarned and seeth his own danger before his face and yet is not stirred nor made the more warie or fearful therby but notwithstanding wil come or slide into the same may wel be pitied but surely by no means can he be helped making himselfe incapable of al remedies that may be used CHAP. X. Of the most honorable and munificent rewards proposed to al them that truly serve God THE reasons and considerations laid down before in the former chapters might wel suffice to stir up the hart of any reasonable Christian to take in hand this resolution wherof we talk and wherunto I so much covet to persuade thee for thy only good and gain gentle reader But for that al harts are not of one constitution in this respect nor al drawn and stirred with the same means I purpose to adjoin heer a consideration of commoditie wherunto commonly ech man is prone by nature And therfore I am in hope it shal be more forcible to that we go about than any thing else that hitherto hath beene spoken I mean then to treat of the benefits which are reaped by service of God of the gain drawn thence and of the good pay and most liberal reward which God performeth to his servants above al the maisters created that may be served And though the just fear of punishment if we serve him not might be sufficient to drive us to this resolution and the infinite benefits alreadie received induce us to the same in respect of gratitude of both which somwhat hath been said before yet am I content so far to inlarge this libertie to thee good reader that except I shew this resolution which I crave to be more gainful and profitable than any thing else in the world that can be thought of thou shalt not be bound unto it for any thing that hitherto hath beene said in that behalfe For as God in al other things is a God of great majestie ful of bountie liberalitie and princely magnificence so is he in this point above al other in such sort as albeit whatsoever we do or can do is but du det unto him and of it selfe deserveth nothing yet of his munificent majestie he letteth passe no one jot of our service unrewarded no not so much as a cup of cold water 2 God commanded Abraham to sacrifice unto him his only son Isaac which he loved so much but when he was ready to do the same God said Do it not it is inough for me that I see thine obedience And bicause thou hast not refused
for this purpose which is this world a place of intertainment and trial for a time which afterward is to be destroied again But yet in creating of this transitorie world which is but a cottage of his own eternal habitation what power what magnificence what majestie hath he shewed What heavens how woonderful hath he created What infinite stars and other lights hath he devised What elements hath he framed And how marvelouslie hath he compast them togither The seas tossing and tumbling without rest and replenished with infinite sorts of fish the rivers running incessantly thorough the earth like veins in the bodie and yet never to be emptie nor overflow the same the earth it selfe so furnished with al varietie of creatures as the hundred part therof is not imploied by man but only remaineth to shew the ful hand and strong arm of the creator And al this as I said was done in an instant with one word onlie and that for the use of a smal time in respect of the eternitie to come What then shal we imagin that the habitation prepared for that eternitie shal be If the cottage of his meanest servant that made onlie for a time to bear off as it were a shower of rain be so princely so gorgeous so magnificent so ful of majestie as we see this world is what must we think that the kings pallace it selfe is appointed for al eternitie for him and his frinds to raign togither We must needs think it to be as great as the power and wisdome of the maker could reach unto to perform and that is incomparable and above al measure infinite The great king Assuerus which raigned in Asia over an hundred twentie and seven provinces to discover his power and riches to his subjects made a feast as the scripture saith in his citie of Susa to al princes states and potentates of his dominions for an hundred and fourscore daies togither Esay the prophet saith that our God and Lord of hosts wil make a solemn banket to al his people upon the hil and mount of heaven and that an harvest banket of fat meats and pure wines And this banket shal be so solemn as the verie Son of God himselfe cheefe Lord of the feast shal be content to gird himselfe and to serve in the same as by his own words he promiseth What maner of banket then shal this be How magnificent How ful of majestie Especiallie seeing it hath not onlie to endure a hundred and fourscore dais as that of Assuerus did but more than a hundred and fourscore millions of ages not served by men as Assuerus feast was but by Angels and the verie Son of God himselfe not to open the power and riches of a hundred twentie and seven provinces but of God himself King of kings and Lord of lords whose power and riches are without end and greater than al his creatures togither can conceive How glorious a banket shal this be then How triumphant a joy of this festival day O miserable and foolish children of men that are born to so rare and singular a dignitie and yet can not be brought to consider love or esteme of the same 8 Other such considerations there be to shew the greatnesse of this felicitie as that if God hath given so many pleasures and comfortable gifts in this life as we see are in the world being a place notwithstanding of banishment a place of sinners a vale of miserie and the time of repenting weeping and wailing what wil he do in the life to come to the just to his frinds in the time of joy and mariage of his Son This was a most forcible consideration with good Saint Augustine who in the secret speech of his soul with God said thus O Lord if thou for this vile bodie of ours give us so great and innumerable benefits from the firmament from the air from the earth from the sea by light by darknes by heat by shadow by dews by showers by windes by rains by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of herbs variety of plants and by the ministery of al thy creatures O sweet Lord what maner of things how great how good and how innumerable are those which thou hast prepared in our heavenly countrie where we shal see thee face to face If thou do so great things for us in our prison what wilt thou give us in our pallace If thou givest so many things in this world to good evil men togither what hast thou laid up for onlie good men in the world to com If thine enimies frinds togither are so wel provided for in this life what shal thy only frinds receive in the life to come If there be so great solaces in these dais of tears what joy shal there be in that day of mariage If our jail contein so great matters what shal our countrie and kingdome do O my Lord and God thou art a great God And great is the multitude of thy magnificence and sweetnes And as there is no end of thy greatnes nor number of thy wisdome nor measure of thy benignitie so is there neither end number nor measure of thy rewards towards them that love and fight for thee Hitherto Saint Augustine 9 Another way to conjecture of this felicitie is to consider the great promises which God maketh in the scriptures to honor and glorifie man in the life to come Whosoever shal honor me saith God I wil glorifie him And the prophet David as it were complaineth joifullie that Gods frinds were so much honored by him Which he might with much more cause have said if he had lived in the new testament and had heard that promise of Christ wherof I spake before that his servants should sit down and banket and that himselfe would serve and minister unto them in the kingdome of his father What understanding can conceive how great this honor shal be But yet in some part it may be gessed by that he saith that they shal sit in judgement with him and as Saint Paul addeth shal be judges not onlie of men but also of Angels It may also be conjectured by the exceeding great honor which God at certain times hath done to his servants even in this life Wherin notwithstanding they are placed to be dispised and not to be honored What great honor was it that he did to Abraham in the sight of so many kings of the earth as of Pharao Abimelech Melchisedech and the like What honor was that he did to Moises and Aaron in the face of Pharao and al his court by the woonderful signes that they wrought What excessive honor was that he did to holie Iosue when in the sight of al his armie he staied the sun and moone in the midst of the firmament at Iosue his appointment obeing therin as the scripture saith to the voice of
man that come life come death come health come siknes come wealth come povertie come prosperitie come adversitie come never so tempestuous storms of persecution he sitteth down quietly and saith calmly with the prophet My trust is in God and therfore I fear not what flesh can do unto me Nay further with holie Iob amidst al his miseries he saith Si occiderit me in ipso sperabo If God should kil me yet would I trust in him And this is as the scripture said before to be as confident as a lion Whose propertie is to shew most courage when he is in greatest peril and neerest his death 20 But now as the holie Ghost saith Non sic impij non sic The wicked cannot say this they have no part in this confidence no interest in this consolation Quia spes impiorum peribit Saith the scripture The hope of wicked men is vain and shal perish And again Praestolatio impiorum furor The expectation of wicked men is furie And yet further Spes impiorum abhominatio animae The hope of wicked men is abhomination and not a comfort unto their soul. And the reason heerof is double First for that in verie deed though they say the contrarie in words wicked men do not put their hope and confidence in God but in the world and in their riches in their strength frinds and authority and finally in the Deceaving arm of man Even as the prophet expresseth in their person when he saith We have put a lie for our hope That is we have put our hope in things transitorie which have deceived us this is yet more expressed by the scripture saieng The hope of wicked men is as chaf which the wind bloweth away and as a bubble of water which a storm disperseth as a smoke which the wind bloweth abroad and as the remembrance of a ghest that staieth but one day in his In. By al which metaphors the holie Ghost expresseth unto us both the vanity of the things wherin indeed the wicked do put their trust and how the same faileth them after a little time upon every smal occasion of adversitie that falleth out 21 This is that also which God meaneth when he so stormeth and thundereth against those which go into Egypt for help and do put their confidence in the strength of Pharao accursing them for the same and promising that it shal turn to their own confusion which is properly to be understood of al those which put their cheefe cōfidence in worldly helps as al wicked men do whatsoever they dissemble in words to the contrarie For which cause also of dissimulation they are called hypocrites by Iob for wheras the wise man saith The hope of wicked men shal perish Iob saith The hope of hypocrites shal perish Calling wicked men hypocrites for that they say they put their hope in God wheras indeed they put it in the world Which thing beside scripture is evident also by experience For with whom doth the wicked man consult in his affairs and dowts With God principally or with the world Whom doth he seeke to in his afflictions Whom doth he cal upon in his siknes From whom hopeth he comfort in his adversities To whom yeeldeth he thanks in his prosperities When a worldly man taketh in hand any work of importance doth he first consult with God about the event therof Doth he fal down of his knees and aske his aid Doth he refer it wholy and principally to his honor If he do not how can he hope for aid therin at his hands How can he repaire to him for assistance in the dangers and lets that fal out about the same How can he have any confidence in him which hath no part at al in that work It is hypocrisie then as Iob truly saith for this man to affirm that his confidence is in God wheras indeed it is in the world it is in Pharao it is in Egypt it is in the arm of man it is in a lie He buildeth not his house with the wise man upon a rok but with the foole upon the sands and therfore as Christ wel assureth him When the rain shal come and fluds descend and winds blow and al togither shal rush upon the house which shal be at the hour of death then shal this house fal and the fal of it shal be great Great for the change that he shal see great for the great horror which he shal conceive great for the great miserie which he shal suffer great for the unspeakable joies of heaven lost great for the eternal pains of hel fallen into great every way assure thy selfe deer brother or else the mouth of God would never have used this word great and this is sufficient for the first reason why the hope of wicked men is vain for that indeed they put it not in God but in the world 22 The second reason is for that albeit they should put their hope in God yet living wickedly it is vain and rather to be called presumption than hope For understanding wherof it is to be noted that as there are two kinds of faith recounted in scripture the one a dead faith without good works that is which beleeveth al you say of Christ but yet observeth not his commandements the other a lively a justifieng faith which beleeveth not only but also worketh by charitie as Saint Pauls words are So are there two hopes following these two faiths the one of the good proceeding of a good conscience wherof I have spoken before the other of the wicked resting in a guiltie conscience which is indeed no tru hope but rather presumption This Saint Iohn prooveth plainly when he saith Brethren if our hart reprehend us not then have we confidence with God That is if our hart be not guiltie of wicked life And the words immediately folowing do more expresse the same which are these Whensoever we aske we shal receive of him for that we keep his cōmandements do those things which are pleasing in his sight The same confirmeth Saint Paul when he saith that The end of Gods commandements is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience Which words Saint Austen expounding in divers words and in divers places of his works prooveth at large that without a good conscience there is no tru hope that can be conceaved Saint Paul saith he addeth from a good conscience Bicause of hope for he which hath the scruple of an evil conscience despaireth to attain that which he beleeveth And again Every mans hope is in his own cōscience according as he feeleth him selfe to love God And again in another book the apostle putteth a good cōscience for hope for he only hopeth which hath a good conscience and he whom the guilt of an evil conscience doth prik retireth bak from hope hopeth nothing but his own damnation I might heer
as for example within are the rebellions of his concupiscence and other miseries of his mind wherwith he hath continually to make war if he wil save his soul. Without are the world and the devil which do never cease to assalt him now by fair means and now by fowl now by flatterie and now by threat now alluring by pleasure and promotion now terrifieng by affliction and persecution Against al which the good Christian hath to resist manfully or else he leeseth the crown of his eternal salvation 4 The verie same also may be shewed by the examples of al the most renowned saints from the beginning who were not only assalted internally with the rebellion of their own flesh but also persecuted and afflicted outwardly therby to confirm more manifestly this purpose of God As we see in Abel persecuted and slain by his own brother assoon as ever he began to serve God also in Abraham afflicted diversly after he was once chosen by God and most of al by making him yeeld to the killing of his own deer and only child Of the same cup drank al his children posteritie that succeeded him in Gods favor as Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moises and al the prophets of which Christ himselfe giveth testimonie how their blood was shed most cruelly by the world The affliction also of Iob is woonderful seeing the scripture affirmeth it to have come upon him by Gods special appointment he being a most just man But yet more woonderful was the affliction of holie Tobias who among other calamities was striken blind by the falling down of swallows dung into his eies of which the angel Raphel told him afterward Bicause thou wert a man acceptable to God it was of necessitie that this tentation should proove thee Behold the necessitie of afflictions to good men I might ad to this the example of David others but that the apostle giveth a general testimonie of al the saints of the old testament saieng That some were racked some reproched some whipped some chained some imprisoned others were stoned cut in peeces tempted and flain with the sword some went about in hair-cloth in skins of goats in great need pressed and afflicted wandring and hiding themselves in wildernesses in hils in caves and holes under ground the world not being woorthy of them Of al which he pronounceth this comfortable sentence to be noted of al men Non suscipientes redemptionem vt meliorem invenirent resurrectionem That is God would not deliver them from these afflictions in this life to the end their resurrection and reward in the life to come might be more glorious And this of the saints of the old testament 5 But now in the new testament founded expressedly upon the crosse the matter standeth much more plain that with great reason For if Christ could not go into this glorie but by suffering as the scripture saith then by the most reasonable rule of Christ affirming that The servant hath not privilege aboue his maister It must needs follow that al have to drink of Christs cup which are appointed to be partakers of his glory And for proofe herof look upon the deerest frinds that ever Christ had in this life and see whether they had part therof or no. Of his mother Simeon prophesied and told hir at the beginning That the sword of tribulation should passe hir hart Signifieng therby the extreme afflictions that she felt afterward in the death of hir son and other miseries heaped upon hir Of the apostles it is evident that beside al the labors travels needs sufferings persecutions and calamities which were infinite and in mans sight in tollerable if we beleeve S. Paul recounting the same beside al this I say God would not be satisfied except he had their blood also and so we see that he suffered none of them to die naturally but only Saint Iohn albeit if we consider what Iohn also suffered in so long a life as he lived being banished by Domitian to Pathmos at another time thrust into a tun of hot oil at Rome as Tertullian and Saint Ierom do report we shal see that his part was no lesse than others in this cup of his maister I might rekon up heer infinite other examples but it needeth not For it may suffice that Christ hath given this general rule in the new testament He that taketh not up his crosse and followeth me is not worthy of me By which is resolved plainly that there is no salvation now to be had but only for them that take up that is do bear willingly their proper crosses and therwith do follow their captain walking on with his crosse on his shoulders before them 6 But heer some man may say If this be so that no man can be saved without a crosse that is without affliction and tribulation how do al those that live in peaceable times and places where no persecution is no trouble no affliction or tribulation To which I answer first that if there were any such time or place the men living therin should be in great danger according to the saieng of the prophet They are not in the labor of other men nor yet whipped and punished as others are and therfore pride possessed them and they were covered with iniquitie and impietie and their iniquitie proceeded of their fatnesse or abundance Secondlie I answer that there is no such time or place so void of tribulation but that there is alwais a crosse to be found for them that wil take it up For either is there povertie sicknes slander enmitie injurie contradiction or some like affliction offered continually For that those men never want in the world wherof the prophet said These that do render evil for good did detract from me for that I followed goodnes At the least wise there never want those domestical enimies of which Christ speaketh I mean either our kinred and carnal frinds which commonly resist us if we begin once throughly to serve God or else our own disordinate affections which are the most perilous enimies of al for that they make us war upon our own ground Again there never want the temptations of the world devil the resisting wherof is much more difficult in time of peace and welth than in time of external affliction and persecution for that these enimies are stronger in flatterie than in force which a godly father expresseth by this parable The sun and wind saith he agreed on a day to prove their several strengths in taking a cloke from a waifairing man And in the forenoon the wind used al violence that he could to blow off the said cloke But the more he blew the more fast held the travailer his cloke and gathered it more closelie about him At afternoon the sun sent foorth his pleasant beams and by little and little so entered into this man as he
by to watch the same The prophet David to signifie the very same thing that is the infinite multitude of snares in this world saith God shal raign snares upon sinners That is God shal permit wicked men to fal into snares which are as plentiful in the world as are the drops of rain which fal down from heaven Every thing almost is a deadly snare unto a carnal and loose harted man Every sight that he seeth every word that he heareth every thought that he conceiveth his youth his age his frinds his enimies his honor his disgrace his riches his povertie his companie keeping his prosperitie his adversitie his meat that he eateth his apparel that he weareth al are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchful 49 Of this then and of the blindnes declared before doth follow the last and greatest miserie of al which can be in this life and that is the facilitie wherby worldly men do run into sin For truly saith the scripture Miseros facit populos peccatum Sin is the thing that maketh people miserable And yet how easily men of the world do commit sin and how little scruple they make of the matter Iob signifieth when talking of such a man he saith Bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem He suppeth up sin as it were water That is with as great facilitie custome and ease passeth he down any kind of sin that is offered him as a mā drinketh water when he is a thirst He that wil not beleeve the saieng of Iob let him prove a little by his own experience whether the matter be so or no let him walk out in to the streets behold the doings of men view their behavior consider what is done in shops in hals in consistories in judgement seats in pallaces and in common meeting places abroad what lieng what slandering what deceiving there is He shal find that of al things wherof men take any account nothing is so little accounted of as to sin He shal see justice sold veritie wrested shame lost and equitie despised He shal see the innocent condemned the giltie delivered the wicked advanced the vertuous opressed He shal see many theves florish many usurers bear great sway many murderers extortioners reverenced honored many fools put in authoritie and divers which have nothing in them but the form of men by reason of money to be placed in great dignities for the government of others He shal hear at every mans mouth almost vanitie pride detraction envie deceit dissimulation wantonnes dissolution lieng swearing perjurie and blaspheming Finally he shal see the most part of men to govern themselves absolutely even as beasts do by the motion of their passions not by law of justice reason religion or vertu 50 Of this doth insu the fift point that Christ toucheth in his parable and which I promised heer to handle to wit that the love of this world choketh up and strangleth every man whom it possesseth from al celestial and spiritual life for that it filleth him with a plain contrarie spirit to the spirit of God The apostle saith Si quis spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius If any man hath not the spirit of Christ this fellow belongeth not unto him Now how contrarie the spirit of Christ and the spirit of the world is may appeer by the fruits of Christs spirit rekoned up by Saint Paul unto the Galathians to wit Charitie which is the root and mother of al good works Ioy in serving God Peace or tranquillitie of mind in the storms of this world Patience in adversitie Longanimitie in expecting our reward Bonitie in hurting no man Benignitie in sweet behavior Gentlenes in occasion given of anger Faithfulnes in performing our promises Modestie without arrogancie Continencie from al kind of wickednes Chastitie in conserving a pure mind in a clean and unspotted bodie Against these men saith Saint Paul there is no law And in the very same chapter he expresseth the spirit of the world by the contrarie effects saieng The works of flesh are manifest which are fornication uncleannes wantonnes lecherie idolatrie poisonings enmities contentions emulations wrath strife dissention sects envie murder droonkennes gluttonie and the like of which I foretel you as I have told you before that those men which do such things shal never obtain the kingdome of heaven 51 Heer now may every man judge of the spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ and applieng it to himselfe may conjecture whether he holdeth of the one or of the other Saint Paul giveth two pretie short rules in the very same place to trie the same The first is They which are of Christ have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences therof That is they have so mortified their own bodies as they strive against al the vices sins repeated before and yeeld not to serve the concupiscences or temptations therof The second rule is If we live in spirit then let us walk in spirit That is our walking and behavior is a sign whether we be alive or dead For if our walking be spiritual such as I have declared before by those fruits therof then do we live have life in spirit but if our works be carnal such as S. Paul now hath described then are we carnal and dead in spirit neither have we any thing to do with Christ or portion in the kingdome of heaven And for that al the world is ful of those carnal works and bringeth foorth no fruits indeed of Christs spirit nor permitteth them to grow up or prosper within hir thence is it that the scripture alwais putteth Christ and the world for opposite and open enimies 52 Christ himselfe saith that The world cannot receive the spirit of truth And again in the same Evangelist he saith that Neither he nor any of his are of the world though they live in the world And yet further in his most vehement praier unto his father Pater iuste mundus te non cognovit Iust father the world hath not known thee For which cause S. Iohn writeth If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him And yet further Saint Iames that Whosoever but desireth to be frind of this world is therby made an enimie to God What wil worldly men say to this Saint Paul affirmeth plainly that this world is to be damned And Christ insinuateth the same in Saint Iohns Gospel but most of al in that wonderful fact of his when praieng to his father for other matters he excepteth the world by name Non pro mundo rogo saith he I do not aske mercie and pardon for the world but for those which thou hast given me out of the world Oh what a dreadful exception is this made by the savior of the world by the lamb that taketh away al sins
by him that asked pardon even for his tormentors and crucifiers to except now the world by name from his mercie Oh that worldly men would consider but this one point only they would not I think live so void of fear as they do 53 Can any man marvel now why Saint Paul crieth so carefully to us Nolite conformari huic saeculo Conform not your selves to this world And again That we should renounce utterly al worldly desires Can any marvel why Saint Iohn which was most privie above al others to Christs holie meaning heerin saith to us in such earnest sort Nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt Do not love the world nor any thing that is in the world If we may neither love it nor so much as conform our selves unto it under so great pains as are before rehearsed of the enmitie of God and eternal damnation what shal become of those men that do not only conform themselves unto it and the vanities therof but also do follow it seek after it rest in it and do bestow al their labors and travels upon it 54 If you ask me the cause why Christ so hateth and abhorreth this world Saint Iohn telleth you Quia mundus totus in maligno positus est For that al the whole world is set on naughtines for that it hath a spirit contrarie to the spirit of Christ as hath been shewed for that it teacheth pride vain glorie ambition envie revenge malice with pleasures of the flesh and al kind of vanities and Christ on the contrarie side humilitie meeknes pardoning of enimies abstinence chastitie sufferance mortification bearing the crosse with contempt of al earthly pleasures for that it persecuteth the good and advanceth the evil for that it rooteth out vertu and planteth al vice and finally for that it shutteth the doores against Christ when he knocketh and strangleth the hart that once it possesseth 55 Wherfore to conclude this part seeing this world is such a thing as it is so vain so deceitful so troublesom so dangerous seeing it is a professed enimie to Christ excommunicated and damned to the pit of hel seeing it is as one father saith an ark of travel a schoole of vanities a feat of deceit a labirinth of error seeing it is nothing els but a barren wildernes a stonie feeld a dirtie stie a tempestuous sea seeing it is a grove ful of thorns a medow ful of scorpions a florishing garden without fruit a cave ful of poisoned and deadly basilisks seeing it is finally as I have shewed a fountain of miseries a river of tears a feined fable a delectable frensie seeing as Saint Austen saith the joy of this world hath nothing els but false delite tru asperitie certain sorrow uncertain pleasure travelsom labour fearful rest greevous miserie vain hope of felicitie seeing it hath nothing in it as saint Chrysostom saith but tears shame repentance reproch sadnes negligences labors terrors siknes sin and death it selfe seeing the worlds repose is ful of anguish his securitie without foundation his fear without cause his travels without fruit his sorrow without profit his desires without successe his hope without reward his mirth without continuance his miseries without remedies seeing these and a thousand evils more are in it and no one good thing can be had from it who wil be deceived with this visard or allured with this vanitie heerafter Who wil be staied from the noble service of God by the love of so fond a trifle as is the world And this to a reasonable man may be sufficient to declare the insufficiencie of this third impediment 56 But yet for the satisfieng of my promise in the beginning of this chapter I have to ad a word or two in this place how we may avoid the danger of this world and also use it unto our gain and commoditie And for the first to avoid the dangers seeing there are so manie snares and traps as hath been declared there is no other way but only to use the refuge of birds in avoiding the dangerous snares of fowlers that is to mount up into the air and so to fly over them al. Frustra iacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum saith the wise man that is The net is laid in vain before the eies of such as have wings and can flie The spies of Hiericho though manie snares were laid for them by their enimies yet they escaped al for that they walked by hils saith the scripture wherunto Origin alluding saith that There is no way to avoid the dangers of this world but to walk upon hils and to imitate David that said Levavi oculos meos ad montes unde veniet auxiliū mihi I lifted up mine eies unto the hils whence al mine aid and assistance came for avoiding the snares of this world And then shal we say with the same David Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium Our soul is delivered as a sparrow from the snare of the fowlers We must say with Saint Paul Our conversation is in heaven And then shal we little fear al these deceits and dangers upon earth For as the fowler hath no hope to catch the bird except he can allure hir to pitch and come down by some means so hath the divel no way to intangle us but to say as he did to Christ Mitte te deorsum Throw thy selfe down that is pitch down upon the baits which I have laid eat and devour them enamor thy selfe with them tie thine appetite unto them and the like 57 Which grosse and open temptation he that wil avoid by contemning the allurement of these baits by flieng over them by placing his love and cogitations in the mountains of heavenly joies and eternitie he shal easily escape al dangers and perils King David was past them al when he said to God What is there for me in heaven or what do I desire besides thee upon earth My flesh and my hart have fainted for desire of thee Thou art the God of my hart and my portion O Lord for ever 58 Saint Paul also was past over these dangers when he said that Now he was crucified to the world the world unto him and that He esteemed al the wealth of this world as meer doong and that albeit he lived in flesh yet lived he not according to the flesh Which glorious example if we would follow in contemning and despising the vanities of this world and fixing our minds in the noble riches of Gods kingdome to come the snares of the divel would prevail nothing at al against us in this life 59 Touching the second point how to use the riches and commodities of this world to our advantage Christ hath laid down plainly the means Facite vobis amicos de Mammona iniquitatis Make unto you frinds of the riches of iniquitie
omit to labor 11 The second impediment is called by me in the title of this chapter negligence But I do understand therby a further matter than commonly this word importeth For I do comprehend under the name of negligence al careles and dissolute people which take to hart nothing that pertaineth to God or godlines but only attend to worldly affairs making their salvation the least part of their cogitations And under this kind of negligence is contained both Epicurism as Saint Paul noted in some Christians of his dais who began only to attend to eat and drink and to make their bellies their God as many of our Christians now do and also a secret kind of Atheism or denieng of God that is of denieng him in life and behavior as Saint Paul expoundeth it For albeit these men in words do confesse God and professe themselves to be as good Christians as the rest yet secretly indeed they do not beleeve God as their life and doings do declare Which thing Ecclesiasticus discovereth plainly when he saith Vae dissolutis corde qui non credunt Deo Wo be unto the dissolute and careles in hart which do not beleeve God That is though they professe that they beleeve and trust in him yet by their dissolute and careles doings they testifie that in their harts they beleeve him not for that they have neither care nor cogitation of matters pertaining to him 12 These kind of men are those which the scripture noteth and detesteth for plowing with an ox and an asse togither for sowing their ground with mingled seed for wearing apparel of linsie woolsey that is made of flaxe and wool togither These are they of whom Christ saith in the Revelations I would thou were either cold or hot But for that thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot therfore wil I begin to vomit thee out of my mouth These are they which can accord al religions togither and take up al controversies by only saieng that either they are differences of smal importance or else that they appertain only to learned men to think upon and not unto them These are they which can apply themselves to any companie to any time to any princes pleasure for matters of life to come These men forbid al talk of spirit religion or devotion in their presence only they wil have men eat drink and be merry with them tel news of the court and affairs abroad sing dance laugh and play at cards and so passe over this life in lesse consideration of God than the very heathens did And hath not the scripture reason then in saieng that these men in their harts works are Atheists Yes surely And it may be prooved by many rules of Christ. As for example this is one rule set down by himself By their fruits ye shal know them For such as the tree is within such is the fruit which that tree sendeth footh Again The mouth speaketh from the abundance of the hart and consequently seeing their talk is nothing but of worldly vanities it is a sign there is nothing in their hart but that And then it followeth also by a third rule Where the treasure is there is the hart And so seing their harts are only set upon the world the world is their only treasure not God And consequently they prefer that before God as indeed Atheists do 13 This impediment reacheth far and wide at this day and infinite are the men which are intangled therwith and the cause therof esspecally is inordinate love of the world which bringeth men to hate God and to conceive enmitie against him as the apostle saith and therfore no marvel though indeed they neither beleeve nor delite in him And of al other men these are the hardest to be reclaimed and brought to any resolution of amendement for that they are insensible and beside that do also flie al means wherby they be cured For as there were smal hope to be conceived of that patient which being greeuously sik should neither feele his disease nor beleeve that he were distempered nor abide to hear of physik or physitions nor accept of any counsel that should be offered nor admit any talk or consultation about his curing so these men are in more dangerous estate than any other for that they know not their own danger but persuading themselves to be more wise than their neighbors do remoove from their cogitations al things wherby their health might be procured 14 The only way to do these men good if there be any way at al is to make them know that they are sik and in great danger which in our case may be done best as it seemeth to me by giving them to understand how far they are off from any one peece of tru Christianitie consequently from al hope of salvation that may be had therby God requireth at our hands that We should love him and serve him With al our hart with al our soul and with al our strength These are the prescript words of God set down both in the old and new law And how far I pray thee are these men off from this which imploy not the halfe of their hart nor the halfe of their soul nor the halfe of their strength in Gods service nay nor the least part therof God requireth at our hands that we should make his laws and precepts our studie and cogitations that we should think on them continually and meditate upon them both day and night at home and abroad early and late when we go to bed and when we rise in the morning this is his commandement and there is no dispensation therin But how far are those men from this which bestow not the third part of their thoughts upon this matter no not the hundred part nor scarce once in a yeer do talk therof Can these men say they are Christians or that they beleeve in God 15 Christ making the estimate of things in this life pronounced this sentence Vnum est necessarium one onely thing is necessarie Or of necessitie in this world meaning the diligent and careful service of God These men find many things necessarie beside this one thing and this nothing necessarie at al. How far do they differ then in judgement from Christ Christs apostle saith that a Christian Must neither love the world nor any thing in the world These men love nothing else but that which is of the world He saith that Whosoever is a frind to the world is an enimie to Christ. These men are enimies to whosoever is not a frind to the world How then can these men hold of Christ Christ saith We should pray stil. These men pray never Christs apostle saith that Covetousnes uncleannes or securitie should not be so much as once named among Christians These men have no other talk but such Finally the
is understood of his sinful acts he addeth a little after the maner of this purgation saieng His flesh being consumed by punishments let him return again to the dais of his youth That is al his fleshly humors and passions being now consumed by punishments and tribulations let him begin to live again in such puritie of soul as he did at the beginning of his youth before he had contracted these evil humors and diseases 11 Neither only is tribulation a strong medicin to heal sin and to purge away the reffuse metals in us of brasse tin iron lead and drosse as God by Ezechiel saith but also a most excellent preservative against sin for the time to come according as good king David said Thy discipline O Lord hath corrected me for evermore That is it hath made me warie and watchful not to commit sin again according as the scripture saith in another place Agreevous infirmitie or affliction maketh the fool sober For which cause the prophet Ieremie calleth tribulation Virgam vigilantem A watchful rod. That is as Saint Ierom expoundeth it a rod that maketh a man watchful The same signified God when he said by Ose the prophet I wil hedge in thy way with thorns That is I wil so close thy life on every side with the remembrance and fear of affliction that thou shalt not dare to tread awry lest thou tread upon a thorn Al which good David expresseth of himselfe in these words Before I was humbled and brought low by affliction I did sin and offend thee O Lord but after that time I have kept thy commandements 12 Of this also appeereth another cause why God afflicteth his elect in this life and that is to prevent his justice upon them in the world to come Touching which Saint Barnard saith thus Oh would to God some man would now beforehand provide for my head abundance of waters and to mine eies a fountain of teares for so happily the burning fire should take no hold where running teares had clensed before And the reason of this is as that holie man himselfe noteth after for that God hath said by Naum the prophet I have afflicted thee once I wil not afflict thee again there shal not come from me a double tribulation 13 Sixtlie God sendeth tribulation upon his servants to proove them therby whether they be faithful and constant or no That is to make themselves and other men see and confesse how faithful or unfaithful they are This after a sort was figured when Isaac would grope touch his son Iacob before he would blesse him And this the scripture expresseth plainly when talking of the tribulations laid upon Abraham It addeth Tentavit Deus Abraham God tempted Abraham By these means to proove him And Moises said to the people of Israel Thou shalt remember how thy God led thee fortie yeers about the desert to afflict thee and tempt thee to the end it might appeer what was in thy hart whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements or no. And again a few chapters after Your God and Lord doth tempt you to the end it may be manifest whether you love him or no with al your hart and with al your soul. In which sense also the scripture saith of Ezechias after many praises given unto him That God left him for a time to be tempted that the thoughts of his hart might therby be made manifest And that this is Gods fashion towards al good men king David sheweth in the person of al when he saith Thou hast prooved us O Lord thou hast examined us by fire thou hast laid tribulation upon our baks and hast brought men upon our heads And yet how wel he liked of this matter he signifieth when he calleth for more therof in another place saieng Try me O Lord and tempt me burn my reins and hart within me That is try me by the way of tribulation and persecution search out the secrets of my hart and reins let the world see whether I wil stick to thee in adversitie or no. Thus said that holie prophet wel knowing that which in another place the holie Ghost uttereth that As the fornace trieth the potters vessels so tribulation trieth men For as the sound vessels only do hold when they come to the fornace and those which are crased do break in peeces so in time of tribulation and persecution the vertuous only stand to it and the counterfet bewray themselves according to the saieng of Christ In tempore tentationis recedunt They depart from me in time of temptation 14 The seventh reason why God laieth tribulation upon the vertuous is therby to make them run unto him for aid and help even as the mother to make hir child more to love hir and to run unto hir procureth the same to be made afraid and terrified by others This God expresseth plainly by the prophet Ose saieng of those that he loved I wil draw them unto me in the ropes of Adam in the chains of love and wil seem unto them as though I raised a yoke upon their iaw bones By the ropes of Adam he meaneth affliction wherby he drew Adam to know himselfe as also appeereth by that he addeth of the heavie yoke of tribulation which he wil lay upon the heads and faces of his servants as chains of love therby to draw them unto him This chain had drawn David unto him when he said O Lord thou art my refuge from the tribulation of sinners As also those wherof Esay saith They sought thee out O Lord in their affliction Also those of whom David said Infirmities were multiplied upon them and after that they made haste to come And God saith generally of al good men They wil rise betimes in the morning and come to me in their tribulation Wherfore holy king David desiring to do certain men good and to win them to God saith in one of his psalms Fil their faces O Lord with shame and confusion and then wil they seek unto thy name And this is tru as I said in the elect and chosen servants of God but in the reprobate this rope draweth not this yoke holdeth not neither doth this chain of love win them unto God Wherof God himselfe complaineth saieng In vain have I stricken your children for they have not received my discipline And again the prophet Ieremie saith of them to God Thou hast crushed them and they have refused to receive thy discipline they have hardened their faces even as a rok and wil not return to thee Behold they have rent the yoke and broken the chains 15 Of this now ensueth an eight reason why God bringeth his servants into affliction to wit therby to shew his power and love in delivering them For as in this world a princely mind desireth nothing more than to have occasion
wherby to shew his abilitie and good wil unto his deer frind so God which hath al occasions in his own hands and passeth al his creatures togither in greatnes of love and nobilitie of mind worketh purposely divers occasions and opportunities wherby to shew and exercise the same So he brought the three children into the burning fornace therby to shew his power and love in delivering them So he brought Daniel into the lions den Susanna unto the point of death Iob into extreme miserie Ioseph into prison Toby unto blindnes therby to shew his power and love in their deliverance For this cause also did Christ suffer the ship to be almost drowned before he would awake and Saint Peter to be almost under water before he would take him by the hand 16 And of this one reason many other reasons and most comfortable causes do appeer of Gods dealing heerin As first that we being delivered from our afflictions might take more joy and delite therof than if we had never suffered the same For as water is more grateful to the waifaring man after a long drith and a calm more pleasant unto passengers after a troublesom tempest so is our deliverie more sweet after persecution or tribulation according as the scripture saith Speciosa misericordia Dei in tempore tribulationis The mercie of God is beautiful and pleasant in time of tribulation This signified also Christ when he said Your sorrow shal be turned into ioy that is you shal rejoice that ever you were sorrowful This had David prooved when he said Thy rod O Lord and thy staff have comforted me that is I take great comfort that ever I was chastised with them And again According to the multitude of my sorrows thy consolations have made ioiful my mind that is for every sorrow that I received in time of affliction I receive now a consolation after my deliverance And again in another place I wil exult and reioice in thy mercie O Lord. And wherfore good king wilt thou so rejoice It followeth immediately For that thou hast respected mine abasement and hast delivered my soul from the necessitie wherin she was and hast not left me in the hands of mine enimie This then is one most gracious meaning of our loving and merciful father in afflicting us for a time to the end our joy may be the greater after our deliverance as no dowt but it was in al those whom I have named before delivered by Gods mercy I mean Abraham Ioseph Daniel Sidrach Misach and Abdenago Susanna Iob Tobias Peter and the rest who took more joy after their deliverance than if they had never been in affliction at al. When Iudith had delivered Bethulia and returned thither with Holofernes head there was more hartie joy in that citie than ever there would have been if it had not been in distresse When S. Peter was delivered out of prison by the angel there was more joy for his deliverance in the church than could have been if he had never been in prison at al. 17 Out of this great joy resulteth another effect of our tribulation much pleasant to God and comfortable to our selves and that is a most hartie and earnest thanksgiving to God for our deliverance such as the prophet used when he said after his deliverance I for my part wil sing of thy strength and wil exalt thy mercy betimes in the morning for that thou hast been my aider and refuge in the day of my tribulation Such hartie thanks and praise did the children of Israel yeeld to God for their deliverance when they were passed over the red sea in that notable song of theirs which beginneth Cantemus Domino And is registred by Moises in Exodus From like hartie affect came also those songs of Anna Debora and Iudith mooved therunto by the remembrance of their affliction past And finally this is one of the cheefest things that God esteemeth and desireth at our hands as he testifieth by the prophet saieng Cal upon me in the day of tribulation I wil deliver thee and thou shalt honor me 18 Besides al these God hath yet further reasons of laieng persecution upon us as for example for that by suffering and perceiving indeed Gods assistance consolation therin we come to be so hardie bold and constant in his service as nothing afterward can dismay us even as Moises though he were first afeard of the serpent made of his rod and fled away from it yet after by Gods commandement he had once taken it by the tail he feared it no more This the prophet David expresseth notablie when he saith God hath been our refuge and strength and helper in our great tribulations and therfore we wil not fear if the whol earth should be trouble the mountains cast into the midst of the sea What greater confidence can be imagined than this 19 Again by persecution and affliction God bringeth his children to the exercise of many of those vertues that do belong to a Christian man and to enter into some reasonable possession of them As for example Faith is exercised in time of tribulation in considering the causes of Gods exercising of us and beleeving most assuredly the promises he hath made for our deliverance Hope is exercised in conceiving and assuring hirselfe of the reward promised to them that suffer patience Charitie is exercised in considering the love of Christ suffering for us and therby provoketh the afflicted to suffer again with him Obedience is exercised in conforming our wils to the wil of Christ. Patience in bearing quietly Humilitie in abasing our selves in the sight of God And so likewise al other vertues belonging to a good Christian are stirred up and established in man by tribulation according to the saieng of S. Peter God shal make perfect confirm and establish those which have suffered a little for his name 20 Finally Gods meaning is by laieng persecution and affliction upon us to make us perfect Christians that is like unto Christ our captain whom the prophet calleth Virum dolorum scientem infirmitatem A man of sorrows and one that had tasted of al maner of infirmities Therby to receive the more glorie at his return to heaven and to make more glorious al those that wil take his part therin To speak in one word God would make us by tribulation crucified Christians which is the most honorable title that can be given unto a creature crucified I say and mortified to the vanities of this world to the flesh to our own concupiscence and carnal desires but quik and ful of al lively spirit to vertu godlines devotion This is the heavenly meaning of our soveraign Lord God in sending us persecution tribulation affliction in respect wherof holy Iob dowteth not to say Blessed is the man that is