lawfull for vs to glorie in our selues nor to haue a vayn delight in our selues But as the Apostle sayeth He that gloryeth let him glorie in the Lord. Beholde the world passeth ouer and all the glorie therof And what is our life in this world but a smoke and vapour shewing it selfe a little and sâ—…raight way is vanished and gone we all slippe away lyke water into the earth Wée are earth ashes dust rottennesse and wormes meate So that when a man is deade hee shall inherite Snakes and Wormes To conclude what is this present lyfe but a continuall and â—…oste swifte course vnto deathe For some parte of our lyfe is continually and without ceasing wasted and cut off And therefore Dauid sayde Our dayes are lyke a shadowe vpon the earth and there is none abidyng And Ezechias sayde my lyfe is cut of as the webbe from the Weauer Yea euen whylest I yet began he cut mée off And Iob remember mée O Lord for my lyfe is lyke a puffe of wynde And in respecte of the eternitie the lastyng of thys lyfe is nothing as Job witnesseth in the same place saying Spare mée O Lorde for my dayes are as nothyng Héerevpon Chrisostom sayth Let vs passe saith he one hundreth yeres in delyghtes yea ad thervnto another hundereth or if you lyst ten tymes an hundereth and what shall all this bée compared to eternitie shall not all the whole tyme of this lyfe in the which we séeme to inioy so many delyghtes and to haue frée scope vnto vanities shall it not I saye bée as a dreame of one nyght compared to the eternitie Yes for as Hierome sayeth if thou haddest the wysedome of Salomon the beautie of Absalon the strength of Sampson the ryches of Crâ—…esus and the myghtie power of Octauianus what should all these profitte thée when as straight wayes thy bodie shall be delyuered vnto the wormes and thy soule vnto diuilles For as Augustyne affyrmeth If Adam yet lyued and shoulde dye thys day what coulde it then auayle hym to haue liued so long Now therefore my dearely beloued weygh these things déepely For such as neglecte to marke these things presently â—…arly or late they shall say vnfrutefully with the reprobate in the day of iudgement We haue erred from the way of truth and the lyght of rightuousnesse hath not shyned in vs and the bryght sonne of vnderstandyng hath not rysen vnto vs What hath our pryde profited vs Or what hath our pompe and boastyng preuayled vs All those thyngs haue passed ouer as a shadowe and as a swyfte running messenger For then shall the heauens reneale the vanitie of the louers of this world togither with their iniquities and the earth it selfe shall ryse agaynst them Then their sin and transgression shal be manifest with suche as haue sayde to God Departe from vs Wee will not haue the knowledge of thy wayes Then shall the rounde world fight agaynst them in Gods behalfe All thynges which haue bene shall then suffer punyshement and yet shall not be consumed Yea they shall suffer and sustayne accordyng to the multitude of theyr inuentions For the wicked is reserued vntyll the daye of perdition and shall bee ledde vnto the day of furie and shal drinke of the wrath of the almightie Let these things terâ—…rifie thy mynde and withdrawe it from the worlde Yea principally let them ioyne it vnto God. Furthermore the vanitie of this world doeth hereby most manifestly appeare that the prosperitie thereof is expected and gaped for with an excéedyng gréedinesse of mynde and when it commeth it can not be reteyned But all thinges passe ouer and all things flye away This day is paste and the beginnyng of the nexte is not yet knowne whither it shall be quyet or laboursome For so passeth ouer the glorie of this worlde And ther vpon Augustyne demaundeth saying What wilte thou loue temporall things sayeth he and passe away with them or wilt thou loue Christ and lyue eternally with hym For it is vnpossible that a man doe both inioy the present delights and the ioyes to come It is vnpossible both héere to fyll the paunche and there to satisâ—…e the mynde Men may not passe from one delyght to another and appeare gloryous bothe héere and in the worlde to come Yea and the contempte of worldely and temporall thynges is euydente by this that God doeth oftentymes bestowe them more aboundantlye vpon hys enimyes and them which are reprobate then vpon the electe For the electe doeth consider by the end that those thinges are of none accompte which doe transitorilye and seculerly delyght And therefore Hierome sayeth the spéedie consâ—…lation of the gooâ—… is the ende of the wycked well considered and foreséene For whilest the good perceyue by the distruction of the wicked what euils and perils they haue passed and eskaped they accompt all things light easie which they suffer endure in this life So y bâ—…hold my welbeloued how great the deceipt of this world is howe excéeding great is the blyndnesse of the loue which we beare to the same For whilest the wicked doth willingly with great delight remain continue in this worlde hopyng to lyue long and settyng many thinges in oâ—…der for the tyme to come sodaynely and vnawares hée is commaunded to dye and in a moment to leaue and forsake all those thinges which he so faltily hath loued and estemed Héerevpon our Sauiour Christ bringeth in the ryche man speakyng vnto hym selfe and saying My soule thou haste muche good and treasure layde vp for many yeares Take thine ease eate drinke be mery But God answeareth him saying O foole this nyght shal they take thy soule from thée whose then shall that be which thou haste so gréedily gathered Let vs therefore gather togither true and spiritual ryches which will not forsake vs at the tyme of death but will appeare with vs before God and make vs séeme comely and beautifull in all vertue and godlinesse In these kynde of riches we may dayly increase and profit yea and in suche sorte that suche profite may bée muche more auaylable vnto vs then if we possessed all the riches in the world Wherfore let vs not myspende the leaste space of tyme nor bee occupyed in good thynges onely but in the moste excelent thinges That wée may alwayes searche out those things which drawe nearest to our saluation And so growe nearer and nearer neyghbours vnto god And bee alwayes reuerently and honâ—…urably conuersaunte in the syghte of the heauenly Father Let vs thinke and thinke agayne vpon the quyet peace and tranquilitie of a pure hearte vpon the delectation of a soule beholdyng the maiestie of God and vpon the securitye and fyrme hope of the mynde which loueth god And hereby wee shall soone fynde that to gyue ouer our selues vnto such things is as much as to be conformed vnto God. And that suche as doe otherwyse are deformed and not reformed For it is not
dreade afflicteth him that is seuere and vyleâ—…sse setteth light by hym that is méeke and gentle for crueltie breadeth hatred and famyliaritie bréedeth contempte famyliar care wearyeth and domestycall carefulnesse molesteth For a man must alwayes be readye armed on all sydes that he may foresée the subâ—…ilties of the malicious propulse iniuries terrefye enemies and defend his subiectes Neither is the mallice of one day sufficient for the same but day vnto day vtterith payne and labour and one night sheweth and teacheth carefulnesse to another so that the dayes of man are called laboursome the nights are spent without sléepe or quiet If it be possible that fyer myght be kept from burning then may flesh also be kept from coÌ„cupisence for how much soeuer it be punished yet can that Iebuseus be neuer expelled NaturaÌ„ expellas furca licet vsque recurret I will not sayth he that all men vnderstand this woorde but he which can vnderstand it let him vnderstaÌ„d it Whervpon when God him selfe had commaunded that Moyses and Aron should cloath them selues with all the rest of the apparell perteyning to the high Priestes onely he gaue no commaundement of the womens garments but sayd that they them selues should vse the woomens garments when they went into the Tabernacle of witnesse The Apostle sayth also Deceue not one an other vnlesse it be by consent for a tyme that you haue leysure to pray and then againe returne vnto the same least Sathan tempt you for your incontinence For it is better to marry then to burne So that the Angels of Sathan doe fight againste continence which carnally prycketh and prouoketh kyndling the fyer of nature with the blastes of suggestion putt fewel therevnto geue leaue and minister opportunitie Yea the Angell of Sathan doth fight by helpe of bewty which sodeynly seâ—…e is easely desyred Wherevpon when Dauid walked in the Tarrase of the Kinges pallace after noone and beheld Bersabée washing hir ouer against him he sent for hir and had hir and lay with hir for she was an exceding faire woman Likewise he which hath a wyfe is carefull for worldly ryches and is troubled For he is vexed and tossed by many cares is deuyded and torne in péeces with sundry doubts that he may get and administer thinges necessary for his wyfe his children his seruantes and his handmaydes So that the tribulacious of the flesh haue such thoughtes The wyfe doth stryue to haue precious Iewells and change of apparrel so that hir ornameÌ„ts are often times more worth then hir husbands substance For otherwyse by night day she will morne sighe tattle and murmure There are thrée thinges that suffer not a man to abyde in his owne house Smooke Rayne and an euil wyfe She sayth she meaning by some of hir neighbors wyues goeth better apparreled and is better estemed of all men But I am most miserable in all places where I come and therefore am despised and contempned of all men She will onely be loued lawded Affirming the loue of an other to be the hatred of hir And the prayse of another she suspecteth to be hir disprayse You must loue all that she loueth and hate all that she hatethe She will haue the vpper hand and ouercome but she cannot abyde to be ouercomen She will not be maystred but she aspyreth to mayster She wold haue power to doe all thinges and would want nothing If she be fayre she will easily be loued If she be foule then is she not easily liked But it is hardly kept which of many is desyred And it is greuous to possesse that which no man will vouchsafe to haue One soliciteth the fayre with liberall gifts and rewards an other wooeth her by brauerie Another by witt and pollicie a nother with merry conceyts and one way or other she is caught which is so on all sides beseadged An Asse an Horse aÌ„ bedd a garment a cuppe a glasse are prouid first and then bought But the wyfe is scarcely séene so soone but that she doth some wayes offend before she be maryed And yet howsoeuer it happen they must be had Whether she be foule filthie sicke folish proude wilfull or what fault soeuer she haue but onely for fornication a wiefe maye not be put away from her husband Yea though he doe put hir away he can not marry another Neyther she being put away may be married to any other For whosoeuer doe put away his wief but onely for fornication he maketh hir become an adultresse and he whiche marrieth hir lyueth in adultry Wherefore if a wiefe depart from hir husband she ought to remayne vnmarried Or else to be reconsiled to hir husband In like manner the husband if he depart from his wiefe So that the burthen of marrying is ouer weightie for as Salomon sayth He is a foole and a wicked man which holdeth an adultresse And he is the patrone of vncleanenesse which couereth the coâ—…ereth of his wiefe But if he put away his wiefe without cause he is punyshed bycause he is compelled whiles she lyueth to liue sole contynent Wherevpon the dissiples of Christ did say If such be the cause betwéene man and wiefe it is not conuenyent to marry Who could euer abyde a companion in his cowch For onely suspicion doth 〈◊〉 afflict a gellious man For though it be written they shal be two in one flesh Yet the gellowsy of the husband suâ—…ereth not paciently any other in his fleshe Let not the wicked reioyce sayth the Lord for by what soeuer he sinneth by the same he is tormented For the worme of conscience shall neuer dye the fyer of reason shall neuer be put out I haue séene those which worke iniquities and sowe sorowes and mowe them againe by the breath of God haue peryshed and with the spirite of his wrath they haue bene consumed Pryde puffeth vp Enuy fretteth couetousnes prycketh wrath kyndleth the throte vexeth lecherie and ryott dissolueth lyinge shameth and murther defileth and defameth euen so the rest of the tokeÌ„s of vices and suche as are helpers and prompters of men vnto sinne are instrumentes of correccion and punishment vnto god Inuidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis Inuidia Siculi non inuenére Tiranni Tormentum maius Uice doth also corrupt nature as the appostle witnesseth Which sayth they vanished in their thoughts and their folishe hart was darkened Wherefore God gaue them ouer to the desiers of their hartes and vnto vncleannesse that they might defile their owne bodyes with reproches they thought scorne to haue god in their knowledge So god hath delyuered them into a reprobate sence to doe those thinges which are not conuenyent But they which would liue godly in Christ Iesus doe suffer persecution For the blessed did try by experience both strypes scornefull wordes yea fetters imprisonment Were stoned poursewed tâ—…mpted and dyed vpon the edge of the sword for
to buy such ornaments as the prouinciall women did were remained a virgin But as soone as she came out Syâ—…heÌ„ that soÌ„ne of the king of the Amorits did violeÌ„tly raâ—…ish hir Holofernus sitting in a canapy which was of purple â—…lk gold set with Emeraldes other precious stones was beheaded by Iudith Who when she was a lyttle before wrapped in gar ments of hearecloth dyd now take vpon hir garmnts of reioysing Geue eare vnto the councell of the wyse man herevpon which sayth doe neuer glory in garments and the Appostle byddeth vs Glory not sayth he in precyous ornaments neyther lay out fair locks of hayre Nor border and garde your garments with gold c. Marke what our Lorde god doth threaten against the superfluitie of apparell by the Prophet Esay saying For asmuch as the daughters of Syon are puffed vp with pryde walke with bare neckes layd out and bridling in their gate therfore the Lord will make bauld their bushy locks will take of the hayre from the daughters of Sion In those daies the Lord will take away the ornaments of their shoes and their hoope rynges chaynes carkenets braselets Iewels Their calles their frisled curled perwyckes their smal chaynes theyr pomanders their eare ringes the precious stones hanging vpon their forheads their short clokes shift of garments their fine lynen their néedle works their glasses their lawne partlets their fillets and their fine skarfes vayls And in stéed of swéet smels they shall haue stynch in stéed of their fayre pursses and gyrdles they shall haue a small corde to bynde theyr coffyne and in steade of frysled hayre they shall haue a bare and a balld skull Behoulde this payne and punishment is geuen for their faulte that they maye bée corrected and punished euen therein wherein they offended But furthermore harâ—…en vnto the Prophet Ezechiell herevpon saying O Tyre the â—…undry sortes of silke in Egipt are wouen for thée Trewly thy garments are made of sumpteous purple and curious workes They haue chaunged theyr Iuorye and Ebonye with thée for mony They haue brought into the market places purples and pearles silkes and tynsâ—…lls furres of Luzards and Genetts for the abundaunce of the welth which they founde in thée They haue geuen the rulers Tapestryes to treade vpon and to couer their tables And their glory is ouer greately replenished thereby But beholde nowe thou arte contryt and sorowfull in the middest of the sea and thy welth is in the depth of the waters Thou art brought to nothing shalt not remaine for euer When a certayne Philosopher went vpon a tyme vnto a Prynces Court homely cladde and knocking at the gate was not let in but as often as he pressed to go in so often was he repulsed and put backe he changed his hahyte and put on coomely garments The waye was made for him at the first worde He going on vnto the Prince began to kysse the cloke which he ware And the Prynce maruayling thereat demaunded what he did and wherefore he did so the Phylosopper aunswered I honour my Habyte ê™ hee O Prynce for that whiche my vertâ—…e ne coulde not gett my garment hath obteyned O vanytie of all vanyties more honour is geuen to the garment then to the goodnesse and more worship done for the outward aparaunce then for the inwarde perfection of a man. An artyaÌ„ciall shew is layed on and a naturall face and fauour is hyd and taken awaye As though the arte of man created were aboue the excellent workes of God the creator Not so not so O men Consider you sayth the Lorde the lillyes of the fyeld how they groÌ„we They doe neyther labor nor spynne But I saye vnto you that Salomon in all his glory was not clothed lyke vnto one of them God forbid that a couÌ„terfayt collour shoulde be to be coÌ„pared vnto a naturall collor For whylest the facâ—… is painted with a couÌ„terfait collour the skine is marred with 〈◊〉 filthynâ—…e All men lyuâ—…ng are altogeather vanitie What can be morâ—… vayne then to brayde the hayre to curle the lockes to die the chéekes to anoynt the forheade and to twytch awayâ—… the eye lyddes in asmuch as glory is deceyptfull and beautie is vayne And all flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof lyke vnto the flowers of the field For lyke vnto heye they shall quickly wyther and shall soone fall lyke vnto potherbs But to passe ouer the deckinge and apparell of the person least I should séeme to speake more of mallyce then of truth what is more vayne then to decke and tryme the table with dyaper clothes with dyaper napkins as white as â—…uoryo vessell of golde and siluer with small cuppes bowles and stately standing cuppes with plates and spones with dyshes and pottengers with lyuery pottes and iugges with spice boxes and chaâ—…ngdishes what preuayleth it to paint the roofes of the chambers to furnish the halls to hange the porches and lobbetts to paue the flowers to make the beddes well stuffed with downe fethers couered with silke quilts drawen about with curteynes and shadowed with ranopeies since it is wrytten Man shall take none of these with him when he dyeth neither shal his glory descend with him There is no man which may glory that his hart is clean Since we all doo offend in many thinges And if we saye that we sinne not we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs Who is able to saye as the Apostle sayde I am gyltie in nothing to my knowledge and yet thereby am I not iustified Shew me such an one and we will prayse him Behould euen amongst the saints no man is vnculpable the heauens are not cleane in his sight for in his angells he hath founde iniquitie How abhominable and vnprofitable is man which drincketh iniquitie as it were water and therefore GOD dyd repent hym that hée hadde made manne vppon the Earthe bicause the mallyce and wickednesse of manne on Earthe was excedinge greate and all his thoughtes bent alwayes vpon euill And therefore being touched with sorow of hart inwardly hée tooke away man whom hée had created Furthermore iniquitie aboundeth and the charitie of many is waxed colde All men haue declyned and are become vnprofitable altogither There is no man that doth good no not one All the whole lyfe in maner of mortall men is full of mortall and deadly sinnes so that it is skarcely possible to finde any one which doth not declyne on the left hand which doth not return vnto his vomit which doth not putrify in ordure and vncleannesse Nay rather they glory when they haue done euil and reioycâ—… in most wicked things béeing replenished with all iniquitie malice fornication couetise naughtines enuy murder contention crafte priuy grudge slander and murmuring Being hateful vnto God contumelious proud high mynded deuisers of mischiefe disobedient
fury to bring the earth into solitarines to chase the sinners therof out of the same For the stars of the heauens the brightnes therof wil not geue their light The SuÌ„ne wil be ouercast with darcknes at his rysing the Moone shall not shine in hir cource And I wil visit euill vpoÌ„ th earth wil set the iniquitie of the wicked men against theÌ„selues And I wil make the pride of the vnfaythful to be stil wil bring down the arrogaÌ„ce of the mighty Therfore all the handes shal be weakened and all hartes of men shal be tamed and astonied They shall haue panges and gripes and shall feele payne lyke vnto women with childe Euery man shall looke agast and a mased on his neighbour and the countenaunces of their faces shal be tanned and burnt That day shal be the day of wrath the day of trouble the daye of perplexitie the daye of calamitie and the daye of miserys The day of mist darknes the day of the clang of the TroÌ„pet bicause the Lord shall make an end with spéed of all thâ—… which dwel vpon the earth And that sodeyne day shal créepe lyke a snare vpon all theÌ„ which sit vpoÌ„ the face of the round world For as a lightning he coÌ„meth out of the East is séene into the west Such shal be the comming of the sonne of man For the daye of the Lorde is lyke a théefe and shall come stealinge in the night When they say peace and securitie then sodeyne distruction shall come vpon them lyke vnto the paines of a womaÌ„ in hir belly they shall not eskape theÌ„ And there shall happen great tribulation before this day such as neuer was from the beginning of the world to this present nor euer shal be And but the dayes were shortened no fleshe could be saued For nation shall ryse against nation and kingdome against kingdome and great earthquakes shal be in many places pestilences and famynes and terrors from heauen and many greate tokens shal be séene Then shal be tokenes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the starres Running togethers of people for the confusion of the Sea and the floudes Men wythering vp for feare and expectation which shall happen to the whole world Ther shall ryse false Christes and false Prophetes and they shall shewe great tokens and wonders So that many shalbée seduced into erroâ—…r yea if it many be euen the elect The appostle sayth Then shall man be reuealed for the Sonne of perdition Which is against all and is extolled aboue all that is called or worshipped as god So that he sitteth in the Temple of god as if he were god Whome our Lord Iesus shall kill with the spirite of his mouth And the Prophett Helie shal be sent before that the great day of the Lord shal come Great and horrible shall he be and shall conuert the hartes of the fatheres vnto their children and the hartes of the children towards their fathers with whome Enâ—…ch also shall come they shall prophesie a thousande two hundred and sixtie dayes clothed in sackcloth And when they haue finished their testymonie the beast which shall come vp out of the depth shall make warre against them And shall ouer come and kill them and their bodies shall lye in the strets of the great Citie which is called Sodom and Egipt wheras our Lord was crucified And after thrée dayes a half the spirit of lief shall enter into them Immediately after the tribulatioÌ„ of those dayes the suÌ„ne shal be darkened the Moone shal not giue hir light the starres shal fall froÌ„ heauen the powers of the heaueÌ„s shal be moued and theÌ„ shall appere the signe or tokeÌ„ of the soÌ„ne of maÌ„ in heaueÌ„ And then all the Trybes of the earth shall bewayle themselues as Iohn sayth in the reuelation The Kinges of the earth the Princes and the ritch men the mightie and all both bond and frée shall hyde themselues in Caues and Dennes in the mountaynes and shall saye to the hilles and to the rockes Fall vpon vs and hyde vs from the face of him which sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Bicause the great day of their anger is comeÌ„ And who can abyde it And he shall send his Angels with a troompe and a greate voyce and they shall gather to gether the chosen from the fower wyndes and from the height of the heauens vnto thendes thereof And the Appostle saith Then the Lord himselfe in the voyce and commaundemeÌ„t of an Archangell shall come downe from heauen And theÌ„ all they which are in their graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of god And shall come forth The good vnto the resurrection of lief but the wicked vnto the resurrectioÌ„ of iudgement Death and hell shall yeld forth their deade which are in them Behold he shall come in the clowdes and euery eye shall sée him Yea they which kicked against him and all the Trybes of the earth shal be waile mourne and then they shall sée the Sonne of man coÌ„ming in a cloud with great power maiestie And the Lord shall come to make reuenge not onely with the Appestles but also with the Elders of these people Where vpon Salomon doth saye A noble man is he in his gates when he shall sitt with the Senators of the land For they shall sitt also vpon the seates of the xii Trybes of Isarel I looked sayth Daniel vntill the Thrones were placed à nd the eldest did sit down Whose garmeÌ„t was as white as snowe And the hears of his head as cleane as wooll His Throne was the fire of the flame the wheles therof were bright kindled fyre A flowing a swyft ruÌ„ning fire did go forth froÌ„ his face ThowsaÌ„ds thowsands did administer vnto him And ten times huÌ„dreths of thousaÌ„ds did assist him Our god shall come opeÌ„ly manifestly our god shal coÌ„e shal not be sileÌ„t ther shal be bright burniÌ„g fire in his and round about him a mightie teÌ„pest He called the heauen froÌ„ on high the earth to iudge his people Then al nacions shal be gathered together before him He shal seperate them one from an other as the shepeheard doth seperate his shepe from the goates And he shall place them the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand O how great shall the dread and trembling then be and how great shal be the lameÌ„tacions and wepings For if the pillors doo tremble and dread his comming and the angels of peace shal wéepe bitterly what shal sinners doo if the iust shall skarcely be saued where shall the wicked sinners appeare Therefore cryeth the Prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no man liuing shal be iustifted in thy sight If thou O
Egypt without the helpe of thy diuine Maiestie euen so no man caÌ„ be pulled or withdrawen from this world vnlesse he be helped with the fynger and power of the heauenly hande Yet shall there neuer be founde any defect in God so that man will doe his best that he maye Agayne the world is compared to a deserte by the which the chyldren of Israell went from Egipt vnto the land of promisse And in this desert they met so many letts and impedyments that of thréeskore thowsand numbred onely two euen Caleph and Iosue were brought into the land of promyse O how the Diuils doth reioyse to sée them all now in the synke and filthynesse of their sinnes Men cleaue vnto worldly thinges and in worldly thinges they are wyse but they neyther care for God nor for his commaundementes neyther are they astonyed when they heare his moste terryble iudgementes But they accompt them as fables Oh all thinges that are be euill bestowed vpon vs For our hardnesse is neuer mollâ—…ed But thinke we that God will omyt his iudgement Or leaue these sinnes vnrewarded Or suffer the wordes which he hath spoken of the iudgement to come and of the euerlasting paynes to be falsified God forbyd that we should so thynke Furthermore whosoeuer is ouercome with the loue of earthly thinges he is not delyghted in god But no man can long abyde without some delectation And therefore such as are not delighted in spyrituall things doe powre themselues out vnto worldly solace And so consequently are ouerwhelmed in the multytude of sinnes and vyces Wherevpon Saint Augustine sayth Blessed is he O Lord which loueth thée For he which loueth not thee loueth the world is seruaunt and bounde vnto sinne he is neuer quyet neuer in safetie but is dystracte and dyspersed in the varyable cares vanityes and pompes of the world And whosoeuer doth contempne the volupteousnesse of this world and thereby eskaye the snares of the Diuill shal be most happy in that his soule is delighted in such thinges as cannot be blotted or defiled with any vncleannesse but is immediately clensed purged with the cleannesse of truth And synce y lawe of God doth so delight him y he shal be able ther by to avoyde eschew y delightes of y world But as longe as we delight in the deceyptfull tast of iniquity so long we shall thinke it most sower and bytter to faste of equitie And to whome the world séemeth swéete sauorye to him Christ séemeth bytter and sower Yet hauing tasted the spyrite of God all fleshe shall as it were dote and playe the foole Agayne whosoeuer doeth with his whole mynde serue and please this world is thereby enfected with a manyfold deformytie of vyces And he which tasteth nothing of the heauenly swéetenesse will not be afeared to be polluted with earthly desires But if such as for the loue of God despyse the world kéepyng themselues contyneually conuersant in spyrytuall thinges cannot yet he altogither pure and clensed from sinnes with how heauy burdens of vyces are theâ—… loden which are not afearde to walke in the myddest of the world wrapped in vanities without carefulnesse or feare of God What is theyr lyfe but sinne it selfe For the myrth and ioye of the world is wickedâ—…sse vnpunyshed But y which the reprobate doe accompt delight and comforte that the elect and verteous doe take and defâ—… to be most gréeuoâ—…s payne Thynking and concluding that the soule 〈◊〉 néedes peryshâ—… 〈◊〉 by that wherein the â—…she for a tyme did delight most pleasantly Wherefore you louers of this world howle and crye out which doo myserably kyll your body and soule before the tyme appoynted Whyles you attend wholly vpon the vyces of glottonye and lecherye immoderately and vylely And thereof euen in this world doe procéede sundrye infirmyties and sodayne deathes Reioyse and be merrie nowe in this most shorte space which you haue that hereafter you maye complayne and bewayle with the Diuill perpetually Banquet and drynke dronken that after a whyle you maye call for a droppe of water and yet not haue it when you shal be daÌ„pned in hell with the riche man which lyued in greate delightes and fared delycately euery daye Why are your hartes harder then yron stéele or stones when you doe not weye and consider nor â—…e not afeard in payne of these most vnhappy and frayle sollaces and vanyties of this world to heare that most dreadfull and horryble sentence of Chryst go ye accursed into euerlasting fyre But here peradnenture you will saye God is mercyfull and benigne he would not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and lyue And againe In what houre soeuer a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeÌ„t him I will no more remember all his iniquites So that if a sinner doe bewayle his sinnes eueÌ„ at the very time of death he shall be saued And I doe confesse that all these sayinges are true Nay rather the excieding greatenesse of the heaâ—…nly pietie doth beyond all comparyson excéede and surpasse the verye capacytie of our mynde For it is vnmeasurable As may playnely appeare in that he 〈◊〉 sinners so longe to the ende they maye bée conuerted yea expecteth and desireth theyr conuersyon he 〈◊〉 such as retorue moste mercyfully he quyckly for 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 and doth aboundantly powre asmuche grace vpon them as if they had neuer sinned nor offended And is not this an infynite pietie But his equytie and iâ—…styce is no lesse then his pitiye And though he doo beare with and longe suffer such as he attendeth to repent and conuerte yet if they doe not conuert he doth the more greuously punyshe and detest them And that which the Prophet sayeth of the contrytion and sorowe of a sinner must be vnderstood of true contrytion and harty repentaunce But the true contrycion doth procéede of the true faith and loue of God and of the lothing of sinne and an affection vnto righteousnesse Yea and as Hierome testyfieth Repentaunce and harty contrytion are necessarye Wherevnto that saying of Chrisostome agréeeth Compunction is the thing whiche maketh purple séeme vyle maketh men desire hearecloth loue teares and eschewe company Syuce then these thinges â—…ée certaynly thus what kynde of contrycion and bewayling can that be which commeth onely at the very houre of death and then repenteth bicause he thynkes he can lyue no longer Or peraduenture if he hoped of longer lyfe he would deferre it Surely it séemeth doubtfull that through seruyle feare and constrayned fayth his contrycion procéedeth by the onely beholdyng of his owne onely refuge And that it is not true contrycion but a terryfing of the spyrite But he which will soundly and perfectly repent must first be sorye for his faulte bicause it is filthy transgression and offensyue vnto god Yea and a dyshonour vnto the diuine sanctitye and Maiestie Wée reade in the Machabes That Antyochus dyd repent and yet obteyned not mercy The Apostle doth wryte the lyke of