Selected quad for the lemma: life_n
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A15556
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A sermon no lesse frutefull then famous made in the yeare of oure lord god m.CCC.lxxxviii. In these our later dayes moost necessarye to be knowen. Neyther addynge to nor diminishynge fro. Saue the olde and rude englishe therof mended here [and] there.
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Wimbledon, Thomas.; Wimbeldon, R., attributed name.
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1550
(1550)
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STC 25824; ESTC S108052
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24,677
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96
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of the church froÌ„ the time of christ to the tyme of Antichristes appearyng and his foregoers the which is shewed in the openiÌ„g of the other seales The openynge of the fyrste seale telleth the state of the churche in the tyme of preachynge of Chryste and his apostles For then the fyrst beast that is a Lyon gaue his â—oyce that betokeneth the preachers of Christes resurrection and his ascension For then wente out a whyte horse and he that sate vpon hym had a bowe is his hande and he wente forthe ouercomynge to ouercome By this whyte hors we vnderstande the cleane lyfe and conuersation that those preachers had by the bowe theyr true preachyng pryckyng sorow or repentaunce in mens harteâ— for their synnes without flattering They went out of Iewrye that they came of wynniÌ„g and ouercoming some of the Iewes made theym to leaue the truste y t they hadde in tholde lawe to beleue in Iesâ— Christ folowe his teachinge and they went out to ouercome the paynems shewynge to them that theyr ymages were no goddes but mans werke vnmyghtie to saue theÌ„ self or any other drawyng theÌ„ to y e beleue of Iesu Christ God and maÌ„ In the openynge of the seconde seale there cried a calfe whiche was a beaste wonte to be slayne offred to god in the olde lawe This shewethe the state of the churche in the tyme of marters that for theyr stedfast preachiÌ„g and for the trouthe of goddes worde shede theyr bloode and that is betokened by the redde horse that went out at the openynge of this seale and this eâ—tate began at Nero the cursed Emperour and endured to the tyme of Constantyue the great that endowed the churche In this tyme many of Christes seâ—uauÌ„tes and namely the leaders of Christes flocke were slayne and of .xxii. Bysshops of rome that were before the tyme of Syluester the fyrst I rede but of foure but y t they were martyrs And also in y e time of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of Christen men was so greate that in .xxx. dayes were slaine .xxii. thousande meÌ„ and women in diuers couÌ„tâ—â—is for the lawe of God The openyng of the thyrde seale telleth the state of the churche in the tyme â—f heretâ—kes that is fygured by the blacke horse or false vnderstaÌ„dyng of scripture For then cried the thirde beast that is a man for at that tyme was it nedefull for to preach the mysterye of Christes incarnation and passion agaynste the heretykes that take amysse these poyntes How christ toke very mankynde of Mary he beynge god as he was before and his mother beynge mayde before after The opening of y e fourth seale telleth y e state of y e church in the tyme of hypocrites that be tokened by the â—aleâ— horse y t be signes of penauÌ„ce withoute forth to blinde the people And he that sat vpon the horse hys name was death For they flee goostly them that they lede and teache to God by other wayes theÌ„ by christ And hel foloweth them for hell receiueth those y t these men deceyue At that time shall it be nede that the fourth beaâ—te that in the Egle flyeth hyghest of all fowles make his crye to raise vp the gospel and to prayse goddes lawe aboue al other lest mennes wytte and their traditions treade downe and ouergrow the lawe of god by enfourmynge of these hypocrites And this is y e last estate that is or shalbe in the churche before the commyng and cleare appearynge of the great membre of Antichrist The openyng of the fyfte seale sheweth the state of the churche that then shal folow And the desyre that the folowers of goddes lawe shallâ— haue after the ende of this worlde to be delyuered of this woo The openynge of the syxte seale telleth the state of the churche in the tyme of Antichristes lymmes whiche estate ye may knowe to be wheÌ„ ye se fulfylledâ— that â—aynt Iohn prophesyed to fall in the openynge of this seale where he sayth After this I se foure angriles standyng vpoÌ„ foure corners of the earth holdynge the foure wyndes y t they blow not vpoÌ„ the earth vpoÌ„ the se nor vpon the trees The .iiii. angels be the nombre of all the deuyls ministers that in those dayes to do their maister pleasure shall stoppe the foure wyndes that be the foure Gospels to be preached shall let the brethe of the holye goost to falle vpon men that they myghte mourne for their synne to ameÌ„de theyr lyfe and also vpon theym that wolde encrease in vertue and vpon perfecte men what after this is to come but that the mysterye of the seuenth seale be shewed y t he come in his owne person whoÌ„ Iesu Christ shall sleâ—â— the breath of his mouthe wheÌ„ the fende shall â—hewe the vttermoost persecutioÌ„ that he his seruauÌ„tes can do to Christesâ— subiectes and that shalbe y e .iii. warnyng y t y e world shall haue to come to this last iudgemeÌ„t In all this mater I haue nought sayde of my selfe but of other doctours that be approued I sayde also in my seconde principall that it was to be knoweÌ„ before what iuge we must reken that is god him selfe he that seeth all our dedes all our thoughtes froÌ„ the begynninge of our lyfe to â—hend he shall shewe there the hydde thynges of our hertes openiÌ„ge to all the worlde the righteousnes of his iudgemeÌ„t so that by the power of God euery mans dedes shall be shewed to all the worlde And so it semeth by the wordes of saynte Iohn in the Apocalyps where he see deade men greate and lytle standyng in the figure of the throne And bookes were opened And another boke was opeÌ„ed that was of lyfe the deade men were iudged after the thinges that were wrytten in the bookes after theyr owne doynges These bookes be mennes conscience that nowe be closed but then shalbe opened to all the worlde to read therin both theyr dedes and thoughtes And the booke of lyfe is Christes lyuynge and doctryne that is hydde nowe to them that shal be dampned thorowe theyr owne malyce that councel men to folow the worlde rather then God In the firste booke shalbe wrytten all that we haue done In the other all that we shulde haue done And then shall deade men be iudged after those thinges that be wrytten in the bookes And yf the dedes that we haue done and be written in the bokes of our conscience be accordynge â—s the booke of Christes teachyng and lyuynge the whiche is the boke of lyfe we shall be saued or elles we shall be dampned for the iudgemente shal be gyueÌ„ after our workes Loke therefore nowe what is written in the booke of thy conscience whyle thou arte here and yf thou fynde any thynge contrarye to Christes lyfe and teachynge scrape it oute with the knyfe of repentaunce and wryte it better euermore
that be alyue profiteth not them that be deade Thus saith the holy doctour of suche extorcioners it is written other mens feldes they repe of the vine of hiÌ„ that hath bene oppressed they plucke awaye the grapes They leaue meÌ„ naked plucke awaye their clothes that they haue not wherewith to couer theÌ„ froÌ„ cold And they lyfte vp this pot yt I spake of before betwene heauen and earth for couetousenes of meÌ„ nether hathe charitie in earth to theyr brethren nor to god of heuen and they bare this potte into the laÌ„de of Synear that is to say into the lande of stenche that is hell For there is stenche in stede of swete smellynge Beware that thou go not with this pot nor with the woman theriÌ„ iÌ„ any case take hede that thou not mary with her For then ye must be both one This is that lecherous womaÌ„ ful of fleshly delytes with whom kinges marchauÌ„tes haue coÌ„mitted lechery here in earth with her vertues they haue ben made ryche whose daÌ„nation is written in the books of reuelations of saint Iohn by these wordes In one daye shall her plages come Death sorowe and hunger and fyer shall brenne her For stronge is God that wil aueÌ„ge him on her The kinges of the earth that haue done lecheâ—y with her haue lyued in her delytes when they shall se the smoke of her brenning shal stande a farre of weping way lynge yea cryenge alas alas that greate citie that was clothed with pisse purple brasel ouergilt with gold precious stones pearle for in one hour all these greate richesse shall be destroied TheÌ„ shal thei say that shalbe daÌ„ned with her we haue erred froÌ„ the way of truth in the lyght of ryghtwysenes hath not shyned vpoÌ„ vs the SuÌ„ne of vnderstanding hath not riseÌ„ to vs we haue bene made weary in the waye of wyckednes of lustes haue gone the harde wayes but the waye of truthe we know not what hath pride profited vs for the beste of our ryches what hath it broughte vnto vs All is gone as a shadowe of deathe we can now shewe no maner of holynes to our kynred In our wyckednes we be wasted awaye Thynke therfore I couÌ„sel the how thou shalte giue a rekenynge of thâ— bayly wyke when he shall say RedderationeÌ„ villicatioÌ„is tue ¶ The .ii. part of this sermon HEre shulde be asked how haste thou gouerned thy wyfe thy chyldreÌ„ seruauntes haste thou brought theÌ„ vp aftâ—r the lawes of god coÌ„tinued theÌ„ there in asmoch as lyeth in thy poweâ— but yf thou hast brough theÌ„ vp after an other waye or suffred them to go at theyr own wyll thiÌ„ke not but thou muste gyue accomptes therfore when shalbe sayd redderationeÌ„ villicationis tue But if thou wilt auoyde all the straite hard accoÌ„ptes I couÌ„cell the what soeuer thou be to fal cleaue vnto the mercye and goodnes of god throughe Christes demerites with a lyuely faith repenting herâ—e of thyne iniquities And nowe therefore beware of thy lyfe in tyme past ameÌ„de And yf thou do not that in tyme. who shall grauÌ„t the pardone release of this thy accomptes IN this second part with the helpe of god I wyll shewe fyrst who shal call vs to this rekenyng Secondarely before whoÌ„ we shal rekâ— Finally what punishmeÌ„t shalbe to the that be fouÌ„d false seruanÌ„tes wicked what reward shalbe giueÌ„ theÌ„ that be fouÌ„de faithfull true seruauÌ„tes For the fyrstlye shal know that ther be two iugemeÌ„tes the fyrste anone after the departing of the body the soule which is apâ—â—culer dome wherof speakeâ—h â—uke iÌ„ his gospel The second dome shalbe anone after the generall resurrection that shalbe vniuersal of this speaketh saiÌ„t mathew To the first shall euery man be called one after another as the worlde passeth To the .ii shall we come all togyther to the twynkling of an ey To the iâ— meÌ„ shalbe called by .iii. soÌ„ners or sergeantes The fyrste 〈◊〉 sicknes the .ii. age the .iii. deathe The firste warneth The secoÌ„d chreâ—teneâ—h the thirde taketh This is a kyndlye ordre but soÌ„ tyme it falleth vnkindlye For some dye that neuer wist what was sicktnes nor age as chyldreÌ„ that be sodeÌ„ly slain And so me yea the moost parte nowe adays that dy deyâ— before their pure naturall age of deathâ— Therfore I say that the â—yrst that calleth vs to this especial iudgement is sycknes this is double for some is sicknesth at foloweth all maÌ„kynde for that euery man hath it And some is sicknes that some men haue but not al yea the .i sycknes is double for some is wythin in the myddest of the soule som is without in the feblenesse of the bodye that nedes muste be destroyed in whom coÌ„tinuance of tyme himselfe is cause of corruptioÌ„ As the Philosopher saith that there be feblenesse in sicknes Now may a maÌ„ se here by that though a maÌ„ shut out of his house that is hys hert all maner of worldlye and fleshlye thoughts yet with al that euer he caÌ„ do shal he skaÌ„tly suffice to thiÌ„ke onelys on God the space of a prÌ„ nâ— whyle But some other thought of thinges that be passiÌ„g entreth into the soule and draweth her from the contemplation But Oh good god what a sickenes is this heuy burthen vppon the sonnes of AdaÌ„ That on the foule mucke and dounge of the worlde we can thinke longe ynoughe but on the Lorde whome the soule shulde haue most delectatioÌ„ by we can not thynke so lytle a space but that the cockle wyll entre amonge the wheate Of this syckenes spake S. Paule wheÌ„ he sayd I se an other law in my meÌ„bres rebelliÌ„ge against the law of my spirite takyng me to the law of sine So that it fareth by vs as it doth by a maÌ„ that wolde loke stedfastlye ageÌ„st the son can not endure loÌ„g for nothyng yet for no defaut that is in the soÌ„ne for it is most cleare in him selfe so by reasoÌ„ best shulde be sene but it for the feblenesse of mans eyes Ryghte so sythens Adam our fyrste father was putte oute of Paradyse all hys of springe haue bene thus sycke as the Prophet sayeth Oure fathers haue eaten a bytter grape and the teeth of theyr chyldren be waxen an edge The seconde sickenes that is coÌ„mynge to al maÌ„kynd coÌ„meth of feblenes of body as hunger thyrste colde heate sorow werynes and many other as Iob sayth man that is borne of a womaÌ„ lyuiÌ„g a lytle tyme is fylled with many miseries But there be other sycknesses that coÌ„e to som men but not to all as Leprye Palsye feuersâ— dropsyes blyndnes many other as it is said to the people of Israel in scripture But yf thou kepe coÌ„mauÌ„dementes that be writteÌ„ in the booke of lyfe I shall encrâ—ace thy sorowes the