trespasses leade vs not into temptation deliuer vs from euill are also for the spirit and soule Onely this giue vs this day our dayly breade is for the bodie and not for foode of bodie onely but for meate of the soule Ceres the goddesse of corne and bread is placed in the lowest roome of the heathen Gods and Goddesses and her daughter Proserpina was married to Pluto king of hel Let Ceres bread bellie and bellie cheere be last and least accounted of vs. As for her daughters they are not virgines to be married to the great kinges sonne but harlots to be married to Belzebub king of hell Tertullian saith that although God after the flood did permit the vse of flesh yet to his people hee inhibited the vse of certaine meates consilium exercendae continentiae a counsell practise to exercise their continencie vii sonnes with their mother were by that horselech bludsucker Antiochus most cruelly put to death because they would not eate swines fleshe agaynst the commaundement of the Lord. Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Daniel woulde not defile him selfe with the portion of the kinges meate nor with the wine that he dranke he would haue nothing but pulse to eate and water too drinke O yee adulterers and adulteresses sayth Iames knowe yee not that the frendship of this worlde is enmitie with God Iohn sayth if any man loue this worlde the loue of the father is not in him Lay not vp your treasures therfore on earth where the moth fretteth the rust kankereth the theefe breaketh thorowe and steale but lay vp your treasures in heaueÌ„ where there is no moth to fret no rust to kanker no theefe too breake thorow and steale For is it not a great folly to lay thy tresure in an Inne doubtfully wheÌ„ thou maist lay it in thine own house safely folly to lay it in an house which together with thy treasure thou shalt leaue behind thee certainly not in that house whither thou shalt go find thy treasure assuredly and abyde therin perpetually the fashion of this worlde passeth away the heauens and the earth waxe olde as doth a garment O let vs then get that which endureth vnto euerlasting life The heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shal melt with heate the earth and 〈◊〉 works therin shalbe burnt vp o let vs then labour for that which the fire cannot consume which wil saue oursoules froÌ„ euerlasting fire If we would thinke vpon our name that we are christians we would vnles we should prooue our selues to be reprobates not so much labour for this bellie meat First let vs remeÌ„ber that in our baptisme we forsake the world the flesh the â—iuel for baptisme signifieth not only the death and resurrection of Christ bâ—â— that we must dye to sin and liue in newnes of life How shal we saith Paul that are dead to sin liue yet therin Knowye not that al we which haue bin baptized into Iesus Christ haue bin baptized into his death we are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father so wee should walke in newnes of life SecoÌ„dly as thou art a christian remember the estate of thy lord maister here on erth Doest thou brag of thy blood thy progenitors thy house stock thy maister came as of a pure so of a poore virgine espoused to a poore carpenter who for lack of mony could haue no roome in the Inne who did offer to the Lorde a paire of Pigeons because he was not able to buy a lamb Ierome noteth that only poore sinfull women are named by S. Math. in the genelogie of Christ as Ruth a poore Moabitis pore Mary the carpenters wife to signifie howe Christ did vouchsafe to come of poore womeÌ„ came into the world to redeeÌ„e pore sinful persons doest thou brag of the countrye Adam was made out of Paradice and Euah in Paradice yet the Diuell hadde more power ouer her then ouer him they had both one name Adam reed earth for this name Adam was not giuen by God only to the man but also to the woman Thy maister was not borne in Ierusalem whither the wise men came but in little Bethlehem as it was prophesied Doest thou glory in thy houses buildings courtes pallaces Thy maister was borne in a manger the foxes haue holes and the birdes haue nestes but the sonne of man thy Lorde had no where to rest his heade on Doest thou boast of thy bagges thy coffers thy welth When thy maister woulde haue payed tribute Iudas bagge was emptie Peter must run and fetch a peece of monie in the mouth of a fishe Doest thou desire to be well spoken of to haue the good will of the world There were generally iii. diuerse opinions of Christ one which flesh and blood could not reueale that he was Christ the sonne of God an other of ignorance that he was Elias Ieremie Iohn Baptist or one of the prophets the third was of mallice that hee was a glutton a drunkard a bon companion a friend to Publicans and sinners a coniurer a woorker by Diuels But what sayth he Woe bee vnto you when all men speake well of you Why For so did their fathers to the false Prophets But reioyce when they speake euil of you for so did they to the true Prophets reioyce and great shalbe your rewarde in heauen Finally if you be a christian remember the resurrection of thy mayster Iesus Christ and what of that if you be risen with Christ sayth Peter seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God I would to God we were as prouident and carefull to prouide foode for our soules as brute beastes are vigilant and paynefull to lay vp foode for theyr bodies The Emmot doeth lay vp in sommer foode for winter Istuc est sapere sayth Syrus in Terence non quod ante pedes modo est videre sed etiam illa quae futura sunt This is wisedome not to see those things only which lye before our feete but to fore see thinges that are to come But as the fishe called Vrlica feedeth alwayes on a stone and being taken from the stone dyeth presently so we doe so cleaue vnto to stones vntoo earthly thinges that wee account life lost if they bee taken from vs or wee from them Nay I woulde to GOD wee did not thinke these corruptible thinges to bee meete meate and sufficient food for our soules and say with the rich mans soule thou hast much goodes layde vppe for many yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime
But hearken O foole this night perhaps thy soule shalbe taken frō thee O foole thou heapest vp riches and canst not tell who shalbe thine heire O foole Solomon made shields of gold but Rehoboam his sonne made thē of brasse O foole in one day the Arabians tooke away Iobs oxen and his Asses the fire of God burnt vp his sheepe his seruants the Caldeans tooke away his cammelles and slew his men O foole it is more easie for a cammell to goe thorowe the eye of a needle then for one that trusteth in his riches to come to heauen O foole what shall it profit thee to win the whole world loose thine owne soule O foole what recompence canst thou make to redresse thy soule o foole thou art not assured whether thou shall liue one houre O foole where thy treasure is there will thy heart be also Goe to nowe yee riche men sayth S. Iames weepe and houle for the miseries that shall come vppon you your riches are corrupt your garments are motheaten your gold and siluer is cancred and the rust of them shalbe a witnes against you shall eate your flesh as it were fire you haue heaped vpp treasures for the last dayes Take heede O yee rich and mighty you see your calling howe that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish of this world to ouerthrow the wise the weake too confounde the stronger Why that no flesh should reioyce in his presence What then that he that reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. Whom did the Lord choose for a captaine No expert souldiour but Gedeon a thresher whō made he ruler ouer Pharaos house none of the nobles but Ioseph a bonde seruāt whō made hee the first king of Iuda not any of a great house but Saule of the little tribe of Gemini and of the least familie in the tribe Whom made hee to rule his people after Saule no Prince but Dauid a shephearde whom had he to be his Prophet None of their Doctors but Amos an heardman Whō had Christ to his disciples No scribes but simple fishers Many widowes were in Israel in the dayes of Elias to none of them was he sent but to a poore widowe in Sarepta To whom was the newes of Christ his birth first brought not to Herode not to Pilate not Annas or Caiphas but to shepheardes yea and very poore shepheards for they kept their sheepe in the field all night God woulde not haue his Altar made in a kinges court but in poore Oruan his threshing flowre the Lorde would not haue his temple in Euphrata a plentiful soyle but in the wood a barren wildernesse This was done that God might haue al the glory Of Sara being barren came Isaack of Annah whose wombe was dead came Samuel of Elizabeth with whom it had ceased to be after the maner of women came Iohn Baptist And this was done that GOD might haue all the glory The Lorde gate victories for his people with an Oxe goade with pitchers with Rāmes hornes with a iawe bone of an asse with one sword with a stone out of a sling and this was done that GOD might haue all the glorie Diseases were healed by spittle by touching the hemme of a garment by a napkin by a shadow and this was doone that GOD might haue all the glorie For there was no vertue in Shamgars oxe goade nor in Ionathans sworde nor in Sampsons Iawe bone nor in Dauids stone wherewith they ouercame the Philistines no vertue in Gedeons pitchers wherewith he ouercame Oreb and Zeb no power in the Trumpets of Rammes hornes wherewith the walles of Iericho fell downe there was no vertue eyther in the hem of Christes garment or in his spittle or in Paules napkin or in Peters shadowe wherewith diseases were cured no vertue in Aarons rod wherewith the dust of Egypt was turned into lice no power in Moses hand wherewith the red sea was deuided no vertue in the Priests feete or Elias his mantle wherewith Iordane was deuided yet all these thinges were done by such bare base weake simple meanes that no man should trust in the arme of flesh that no man should seeke for any meate that perisheth and that God in all things might only haue the glory Let vs now call to mind those excellent names and titles wherwith the holy Ghost in the holy bible doth name vs the remembrance and consideration whereof will somwhat withdrawe vs from labouring for that meate which perisheth Wee are called Angelles and Saintes Priestes and a kingely priesthoode Kinges and a royall nation seruauntes of GOD friendes of God sonnes of God heyres of GOD and fellowe heyres with Iesus Christ are wee Angelles and Saintes let vs then seeke the thinges that are aboue Are we Priestes and a kingly Priesthoode let vs then offer vp our bodyes a liuely sacrifice and not labour for the meat thereof Are we kinges and a royall nation let vs then lift vp our eyes to heauen and not cast our faces down to the earth lyke abiectes and bondeslaues Are we seruantes of God wee cannot serue God and riches Are wee friendes of God the friendshippe of this worlde is enmitie with God Are we sonnes of God heires of God and fellowe heires with Iesus Christ let vs then with our brother the prodigal son come home from feeding of swine that we may haue the best robe on our back a ring on our finger shooes on our feet the fatte calfe killed for vs to eate and drinke to singe daunce and be merye with our elder brother Iesus Christe who sitteth in that house which hath many mansions preparing roome for vs. We were chaf but now we are wheat we were drosse but now we are golde we were rauens but now we are doues wee were goates but now we are sheep we were thornes now we are grapes we were thistels now we are lillies we were straungers nowe are we citizens wee were harlots now are we virgins hell was our inheritaunce nowe heauen is our possession we were the children of wrath we are the sons of mercie Finally we were bondslaues to Satan but nowe we are heires of God and coheires with Iesus Christ We were once fet home from going astray let vs not agayne returne to the wildernesse the candel was once lighted for vs let vs not againe fall into darke holes wine oyle were once powred into our woundes let vs not by wandring fal again into hands of theeues We were once founde let vs not agayne loose our selues Wee were once made aliue let vs not againe kil our selues Christ was once crucified for vs that we should onely reioyce in the crosse of Iesus Christ whereby the worlde is crucified to vs and we to the world let vs not crucifie to our selues again the sonne of God make a mock of him The bodies of those beasts whose blood was brought into the
in England but the vniuersities and other places are full of them yet must wee labour for this meate Although the Midwiues neede not feare the kinge of Aegypt to hide Moses three monethes and afterwarde to cast him out Rahab need not to feare the king of Ierico to hyde the spies vnder stalkes of flaxe and let them downe at her window Michael need not feare her father Saule to let her husband Dauid downe at a windowe and to lay an Image in his bead Obadiah need not feare Queene Iezabell to hide a hundred Prophets in a caue The Disciples need not feare the hye Priestes to let downe Paule thorowe the wall by a rope in a basket Moses need not feare Pharao and saye I haue a stutting tongue Ieremy need not feare the Iewes and saye I am a childe Ionas need not feare the King of Niniuie and so for to runne away both from him from the Lord but all the Ministers of the Lorde are mainteined and preserued may vtter the message of their master boldly with out feare and freely without daunger yet wee must labour for this meate although the Lorde hath broken the bowe and knapped the speare in sunder broken our swordes into mattocks and our speares into sithes blessed vs with the crowne of peace and crowned vs with mercie and louing kindnes yet must wee labour for this meate if it were a time of derth of scarcitie of penurie thē we might haue some pretence to labour for belly meate as Iacob did send into Aegypt for corne as Dauid did send to Naball for victuall then we might seeme to haue some coulour of cause to doubt and to be ouer carefull as Moses was when he sayde shall the sheepe thebeeues be slaine for them or shal al the fishe of the sea bee gathered for them and suffise them as King Iehorams seruaunte who mocked the Prophet prophecying the plentie of corne to bee the next day and sayde though the Lorde woulde make windowes in the heauen could this come to passe As Saint Andrew who sayde there is a little boy heere which hath fiue barly loaues and two fishes but what are they amongst so many If I say we were brought into such extremitie as they were fleshe and bloud woulde be ready to doubt But seeing God hath blessed the fruite of our cattell the increase of our kine the flockes of our sheepe our basket our dough seeing al his blessings are come vpon vs and ouertaken vs as hee promysed to them that feare him why should wee labour to fulfill the lustes of the fleshe and take no care to prouide victuall for our soules I pray God those things be not the fall of England which were the vtter ruine of Sodome They were iiii sinnes pride pride aboundeth in England fulnesse of bread gluttony triumpheth in England idlenesse idlenesse is succoured in Englande contempt of the poore beholde this sin hath as a Queene gottē the vpper hand in England Aboue all other vices The way to heauen is a narrow way the gate is a straight gate then wee must striue and labour to enter in The kingdome of heauē is a treasure hid in the ground it is a pearle of great price in a far country then must we take our spade dig then must we enter into ship and passe ouer the seas We are in the Lords Vinyarde not they that sleepe and are idle shall haue their penny at night but they that worke and labour Thou art promised to haue but thou must aske and haue thou shalt finde but thou must seeke and finde it shalbe opened vnto thee but thou must first knocke and then it shalbe opened Knocke like the womā of Canaan who continued knocking although shee was three times repelled and the gate of mercie was shut against her not that she should not enter in but that with more earnestnes desire and vehemencie shee myght knocke and euen prye thorowe the chinkes of the gate so must wee labour by prayer for our meate and though we haue not our petitions at the first second and third knocking yet we must knocke as Peter continued knocking at the dore before hee coulde come in Labour to see Christ as Zacheus who being a man of worship in the middes of a citie did climb vpon a wild Fig tree like a boy to see Christ because he was a man of lowe statute and coulde not see Christ for the prease Let vs labour by fayth as did the sick of the palsey to come to Christ who seeing hee could not goe in at the dore for the multitude was let down thorow the roof of the house which they vncouered Let vs labor by faith to touch the very hem of Christes garment as did the woman who had an issue of blood twelue yeares and had spente all her money on Phisitians If wee thus labour saluation wil come into Zacheus house the dropsie shall bee cured the issue of blood shalbe stopped Remember what a iorny the queen of Saba tooke to come to heare the wisedome of Solomon Remember the trauell of the Eunuche of Ethiopia Candaces the Queene of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour who had the rule of al her treasure and came to Hierusalem to worship Remember the long iourney of the wisemē who came from the farthest parte of the East to see Christ The Iewes went vp euery yeere to Hierusalem the Papistes trauaile farre and wide on Pilgrimage to see reliques dead mens bones monuments images monasteries and such like trumperie and they thinke theyr labour well bestowed All these shall ryse when the trumpet shall sound and shalbe able to condemne vs if we will take no paines suffer no labour moue scarse a foote to heare the word of God to receiue the euerlasting Nectar and the heauenly Ambrosia to refresh to nourish to cherish yea to preserue our soules vnto euerlasting life But what is meate in this place whatsoeuer pertaineth to the renuing and amendment of this life or to The chiefest part wherof is that which is hid from the wise and mightie of the worlde that which is receiued of the poore and simple that which is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ and because meat doth not nourish a dead carcasse we must labour for fayth the life of the soule and because this meate cannot bee digested in our soules without the effectuall operation of Gods spirit we must thirdly labour for the holy Ghost who is promised to be giuen to all them that in a right and true prayer shall aske for him of the Father in the name of the sonne although hee descend not like a doue as vpon our Sauiour nor in the forme of clouen and fierie tongues as vpon the Apostles He is now to be sent not to be seen of our bodily eies but into our