built vpon him and yee may carry your selues in all things as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in streights in scourges in prisons in labours in fastings in chastitie in long-suffering in the Holy Ghost and in loue vnfained in the word of truth and in the virtue of God Let there not be a lye told amongst you for euery lyer is abominable vnto God God is truth and lying is opposite to truth Flie euery idle word for of euery idle and vaine word wee must giue accompt vnto God Loue silence where there is much talking there cannot but be much lying The speech bewraieth what a man is Let no word come from your mouth which may not sauour of Christ alwaies meditate vpon Gods law Surely nothing hurts a man more then euill society for such is a man made as they are whose society hee vseth The Wolfe neuer dwells with the Lambe A chast man flies the society of the luxurious I thinke it impostible for a man to remaine long in good workes that vseth euill society euery day With the holy saith the Psalmist thou shalt be holy with the innocent thou shalt be innecent with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse For euen as euill company hurteth so good companie profiteth Nothing can be compared to this treasure hee that hath found good Companions hath found life flowes with riches And to speake truely very seldome is a man made either good or euill but by company The heart of a child is like vnto a table wherin nothing is at the first ingrauen therefore what hee receiueth from company he reteineth euen vnto old age whether it be good or bad Let youth keepe company with men of yeares and wisedome for if hee be linked to one like vnto himselfe by daily fellowshippe hee shall fall from folly to folly Aboue all things my sonnes sweare not neither by heauen not by earth nor by any other Oath Out of whose mouth Oathes are heard in him is little knowledge and loue of God If it be not true which I sweare I doe in effect denie God for God hath for bidden to take his name in vaine Be instant in continuall prayers Frequent and deuout prayer doth much auaile Prayer doth lift vp a man from earth to heauen and makes him to speake with God Hee obteineth grace of God if his Prayer be deuout and mixt with teares Hezechiah by his prayers and teares did presently obtaine grace of the Lord so that the sentence was changed which had bin denounced At the praiers of Elias the beauen gaue raine which had beene shut vp three yeares and six monethes If ye want any thing aske it of the Lord by prayer and weeping being no whit doubtfull for whosoeuer hath faith but so much as a graine of mustard seed whatsoeuer he shall aske shall be granted vnto him The same Lord that then was is now also rich in all things wherefore let God now be your hope your ioy your thinking and your desire For of him in him and through him are all things in whom we liue and moue and haue our being and without whom we are nothing And now ô my sonnes I shall not speake many things to you for the houre is come vnto which I was borne vpon this condition I came into the world that I might goe out againe The Lord spared not his owne son but made them to die vpon the Crosse for vs all by whose death our death is dead for none of vs liueth to himselfe but dieth whether wee liue we liue to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord therfore whether we liue or die we are the Lords and for this cause Christ is called the Lord of the liuing and of the dead For if Christ bee dead surely the seruant is not about his Master we must also die and if he be risen againe we haue also most sirme hope that we shall rise againe and if he bee risen to die no more neither shall we die any more after our resurrection but shall alway abide with him in glory When Christ died a man like vnto vs died that the body of sinne might be destroyed that we might be made one body together with him Wherefore my beloued sonnes although I now die I beleeue that my Redeemer liueth and that I shall rise vp out of the earth at the last day and shall bee couered againe with this skinne and in this my flesh I shall see him my Sauiour whom I my selfe shall see who now speake whom ye see now dying and not any other for me And these very eies whereby I now see you shall looke vpon him Wherefore reioice with me and sing cast away the garments of mourning and heauinesse praise the Lord sing a Psalme vnto his name giue glorie to his praise for hitherto I haue walked through fire water behold now he refresheth me I will enter into the house of the Lord that I may pay my vowes from day to day Oh how great a game it is to me to die Because Christ shall bee my life againe Behold the earthly house of this habitation is dissolued that another may succeede not made with hands eternall in the heauens Behold I put off this mortall cloathing that I may put on immortall Hitherto I haue bin in pilgrimage now I returne to my countrey Behold I now receiue the prize for which I ran in the race I touch the hauen which I haue desired with so great a desire Behold I am carried from darkenesse to light from dangers to safetie from pouertie to riches from battell to victorie from heauinesse to ioy from a temporall life to eternall and from a filthy stincke to a most sweete smell Here I am blinde there I am inlightened here I am wounded there I am healed here I am alwaies made heauie there I am made ioyfull liuing here I am dead there I am truely made aliue The life in this world is no life but death a deceitfull life a life loaden with sorrowes weake vmbraticall deceitfull Now thou flourishest by and by thou witherest it is a fraile a momentany a fading life Wherein looke how much thou growest so much thou decreasest when thou goest more forward thou drawest nearer to death O life full of snares how many men doest thou intangle in the world How many through thee doe indure the torments of hell How blessed is he that acknowledgeth thy deceits how much more blessed is he that careth not for thy flatteries and how most blessed is hee that is well rid of thee O sweete and pleasant death thou art truely no death that bestowest true life Thou puttest away feuers and wounds thou quenchest hunger and thirst O most just death good vnto the good and rough vnto the euill thou humblest the proud rich and mightie and exaltest the humble Thou openest the way to eternall punishment to the euill and to eternall reward to the iust
nothing but an vncloathing a putting off of base rags that we may be cloathed with glorious apparrell 2 Cor. 5.3 We sigh desiring to be vnclothed not that wee may bee lest naked but that we may bee clothed upon that death may bee swallowed vp of life Our body wherewith wee are now cloathed is moitall the cloathing to come is immortall neuer wearing away it is heauen which is glorious and euerlasting 3. Death is nothing else but a sweet sleep after long and toylesome labour For blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest fro their labours saith the Spirit and their workes follow them After the hard brunt of the lewes malicious onset Steuen is said to haue falne asleepe And who is not glad when the time of rest commeth after long and painefull labour 4. Death is nothing else but a committing of the soule into the hands of holy Angels to be carried into the company of Patriarkes and Prophets to liue together in continuall feasting and ioy For when Lazarus dyed the Angels carried him into Abrahams bosome Luc. 16. and the faithfull are sayd to sit downe in the kingdome of Heauen with Abraham Luc. 13.29 Isaak and Iaacob And who would bee afrayd or grieued to go into such company to liue in so ioy full a place whatsoeuer he must forsake in this world seeing that heere many bitter morsels are mixed with our sweet bits but there is all sweet and pleasant meat without any dramme of bitternesse But it will against this bee obiected Ob. that if this be the case of the faithful then many that liue a good life and expresse greatest zeale doe shew littie signe of their faith towards their end seeing they are wonderfully vncomfortable and oftentimes loth to depart I answer that this may happen euen in the true faithfull seruants of God and yet their faith remain vnshaken First through the desire of bringing more glory to God and of heaping vp a greater treasure in Heauen Thus Hezekiah pleaded for life in his great sicknes because saith hee the liuing the liuing they shall praise thee hee hee did earnestly desire because that hee was yet young and able to liue to gloritie God more in this world Euen as the laboring man that serueth a good master if his wages be offered him before the end of the day that hee may bee dismissed hee is loth to receiue them yet because hee had rather hold out in the seruice of so bountifull a master and doe him a full dayes worke so the faithfull person though he be assured of Heauen when he dieth yet he had rather continue whilst ability serueth to doe God more seruice in this world before his dismisse that doing a full dayes worke he may partake the more of the Lords bounty Secondly this salleth out somtime through the violence or the disease the greatnesse of the pain beâ—umming the sense for a time so a that there is no feeling of comfort but great heauinesse Thus the Lord lesus himselfe in his extreaine passions was in a wonderfull agony and heauy till that the Angels came and comforted him and much more the weake members of Christ when their passions are extreame must needs bee heauy and vncomfortable and loth to come neere death for a season Euen as the Labourer in the extreame heat of the day being pained with toyle and the weather is without all comfort although he be sure of his wages at night so the faithfull soule being scorched with the heat of extreame pangs hath no feeling of comfort although hee bee assured of his reward at the last Thirdly this falleth out through Satans temptations who then assaulteth most busily when we are weakest and heerein hee often preuaileth so farre as that the patient can finde no comfort though he prayeth againe and againe Thus S. Paul when he was most highly fauored of God had the buffettings of Satan by which hee was exceedingly cast downe 2 Cor. 12. and prayed once twice thrice before that hee could receiue any comfort Euen as the manly Souldier who hauing fought valiantly and a breach being made now in the wall through which hee is entring the city is notwithstanding much daunted by the desperate Aduersary which maketh the passage very hard and painefull vnto him insomuch as for a time there is nothing but horrour before his eyes though hee seeth the resistance to bee so weake as that hee cannot possibly be kept from the spoyle So the Christian souldier sighting manfully all his life time and the breach being now made in his last sicknesse though hee seeth the riches of the new lerusalem from which he cannot be stopped yet by Satan now growing de perate hee is so resisted as that his brunt is very grieuous and hee is much dismayd It is not so euen with wie ked persons for they lie vpon their sicke beds oftentimes with more comfort and euen quietly depart out of this world but this is partly because their pangs are not so great they being spared here to bee the more tormented heereafter and partly because the Deuid hauing them in his suare is no way troublesome vnto them but rather as an Angell of light speaketh all peace and comfort till they be in the midst of his lawes As Elishahs seruant led the Syrians with hope 2 King 6. till they were taken in the midst of their enemies Wherefore let no faithfull person bee discouraged for the brunts which the godly suffer in their sicknesse neither let the wicked be incouraged for the easie passage of some of the common sort for it remaineth firme Such as see by faith their saluation shall depart in peace and none else Had wee not an instance of this in our faithfull sister Shee had brunts of temptations brunts of pangs and part of her day yet in the course of nature remaining young children amongst whom she might think profitably to spend her time to Gods glory yet howsoeuer these things might trouble her ioy yet they could not all take it from her For vpon the Saturday growing very weake and being much troubled for a time she yet professed her stedfast assurance willing one that was then about to go to a friend of hers a Gentle woman that had labored but could not finde assurance to commend her vnto her and certifie her what ioy she had saying that she vndoubtedly should rather haue the like Soone after this being through this ioy reuiued in her spirit she arose from her bed and sang most sweetly saying that it put her in minde of the singing in heauen The next day being the Lords day when she heard the family singing below in the house she sayd that she should be singing ere long in heauen That night being prayed for sundry times when mention was made of restitution to health in prayer shee seemed not to bee much mooued but when heauen was mentioned and being receiued thither shee sayd aloud
comforting in reforming and in praying was all in effect spoken by her if a register heer of had beene made And I haue made this addition the rather that all the world may know that in what faith and hope and affections and iudgements good Christians amongst vs dye now a dayes in the same faith and affections the most learned and holy seruants of God died twelue hundred yeeres agoe For let who so will look with a single eye into this Treatise and he shall plainly see that Ierom held a particular faith prayed only to God professing great boldnesse for that Christ was his brother renounced all merit of his owne workes and beleeued to passe immediately to be auen being shaken with no feare of purgatory fire with many poynts more which may easily bee gathered But I forget my self I write too long an Epistle before so briefe a worke I conclude therefore and pray the God of comfort to fill you with true heauenly comfort to the end Amen Your Worships in all duty to be commanded in the Lord. I. M. Luk. 2.29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation THese are the words of Simeon an old man that feared God who in all likely-hood by reading the Prophesie of Daniel Chap. 1.9 finding out that about this was the time of the Messiah prayed to the Lord that he might bee so happy as to see him before his death wherunto the Lord condescending promiseth that he should not die before he had seen his Sauiour And accordingly moouing him by the Spirit to goe to the Temple when his Sauiour being now a childe of fourty dayes olde was brought thither with an offering according to the Law he granted him his hearts desire and gaue him a sight of him whom for ioy he taketh into his armes and yeelds himselfe to dye in singing Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart c. In these words are two things Simeons sight and Simeons ioy His sight Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation His ioy Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to to thy Word For the first Mine eyes that is not onely the eye of my minde with which I saw him long agoe but also the eies of my body Thy saluation that is thy Sonne by whom the saluation of the Elect is wrought who for this excellency aboue other sauiours is called Saluation Doct. Hence we may obserue that some obtain so great fauour at the hands of the Lord as to see with their eies whilst they liue in this vale of miserie the Sonne of God and their eternal saluation wrought by him This fauour had Simeon and Anna and many faithfull both men and women in those daies who not onely with the eies of their minde but euen with their bodily eies also saw their saluation And all the faithfull in all ages both before and since the birth of Iesus haue beene made partakers of this fauour with their eies to see their saluation Of Abraham the the Lord saith Ioh. 8.56 Abraham desired to see my day and saw it and reioyced And of the rest S. Paul to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 11.13 They all diea in faith and obtained not the promises but saw them a farre off And since the death of Iesus all the beleeuers haue seene and haue heerein beene more blessed then they which seeing with their bodily eies beleeued According to which the Lord Iesus himselfe teacheth when Thomas would not beleeue till he had seen with his bodily eies Iesus risen againe and felt him with his hands saying O Thomas thou hast seene Ioh. 20.29 and beleeued blessed are they that haue not seene and yet beleeue So that it is a greater fauour not to see with the eyes of the bodie and yet to beleeue then to see with these eies and so to beleeue And of this fauour did this our deere sister partake whilst she liued in this world her eies did see her saluation shee did constantly heleeue in Iesus Christ and only relied vpon him for the obtaining of euerlasting life And whereas some things doe trouble the sight of the eies and some things againe do help and cleere it shee that obtained a more cleere sight by remouing the hinderances and vsing the helps most carefully The things that trouble the sight are sins and the thing that helpeth is the eye-salue of the Spirit that is the annoynting of the Holy Ghost For the Church of Laodicea liuing in sin is reproued as miserable Reu. 3.17 18. poore and blinde and for remedie is counselled to buy eye-salue of the Spirit Euen as the bodily eye saith S. Augustine which is made to behold the light Aug. Mat. Hom. 18. if dust or any offensiue thing rusheth into it it is so troubled as that it is not only not able to behold the light but must be hidden from it as not able to indure the light for that it now becommeth hurtfull to the eye so the eye of the minde by sinne is made vnable to behold the Lords Saluation yea it is rather troubled at it This excellent Saint of God knowing this did alwaies most carefully shunne all sinne keeping a most diligent watch ouer her waies and by the daily humble acknowledgement of her infirmities had her eyes cleered from the dust of sinne And as touching the annoynting this was plentifully diffused vpon her soule there being in her a most fragrant smell of all Christian graces First she was annoynted with a heauenly zeale as Mary the sister of Lazarus Luc. 10.42 who thought that one thing necessary her delight was to sit at the feet of Christ with all diligence to heare him preaching in the ministry of his holy word Neither the length of the way the cold and wet of the winter neither the businesses of the world could hinder her feet from comming to the house of God Vpon the Lords daies vpon lecture-Lecture-daies and vpon euerie occasion of preaching she was seene with the forwardest about the Lords Seruice In her priuate familie praiers morning and euening reading of the Scriptures and singing of Psalmes were neuer wanting in manie yeeres Besides that the Sermons were most carefully rehearsed seruants and children duely enstructed and manie heauenly speeches by her continually ministred to the breeding of grace in the hearers By this heauenly exercizing of her selfe then shee had her conuersation in heauen Phil. 3.20 and so could not but see her saluation there laid vp Sicut corpus quod aëris puritate perfruitur c. Euen as the bodie faith Chrysostome which liueth in pure and cleare aire Chrysost Matth. Hom. 2. enioyeth health and a more cleere sight but if in a thicke or smoakie aire it is much annoied hereby So the soule which is exercised in heauenly seeth the things of God more cleerely wheras the smokines of manifold worldly businesses much troubleth the sight Secondly
Amen Soone after midnight shee sayd that shee had agreat conflict neither could wee conceiue what shee felt but soone after most comsortably He is come said she hee is come the Diuell is ouercome the world is ouercom and the slesh is ouercome Into thy hands ô father I cemmend my spirit and so fell asleep her eyes being shut and teeth set But breath being perceiued to be in her they stroue to reuiue her which was a great trouble vnto her Yet through the mercy of God shee obtained her olde comfort againe by many signes testifying her assurance to the end and departed vpon the Mun day-night quietly falling at it were into a sleepe And so shee is departed in peace and resteth in ioy with her beloued Sauior So then happy is she but woe is vs from whom she is departed we may iustly weepe and lament Her husband may lament from whom is departed a heauenly wise humble louing and obedient wife Her children may lament from whom is departed a mother by nature a mother by grace who as the Apostle laboured till Christ was formed in them The poore may lament from whom is departed a faithfull Patronesse full of good workes towards them Wee Ministers may lament from whom is departed a carefull hearer yea an helper in our labours Women may lament from whom is departed the ornament of women And al the neighbours round about may lament both men and women from whom is departed a great light a starre shining in a darke place following which wee may bee sure to see light Shee is departed but her memory diueth and shall liue for the memoriall of the iust shall be blessed Pro. 10.10 And let her memory liue in vs as long as we liue we treading in the same steps and being transformed into the same image of heauenlinesse wisdome loue and humility that when wee shall be infeebled and death shall approach we may also ioyfully dispose our selues heereunto and say Lord now lettest thou thy sevuint depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saltiation Which the Lord grant vnto vs for his mercies take in lesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all honour and glory now and for cuermore Awen The last words of that holy and learned father Ierom who died the 96 yeere of his age Anno Dommi 422. translated out of Latin and transferred hither as most a uaileable to stir vp true Piety and to mortifi worldly Vanity and to prepare to a comfortable departure WHen the time of his death was now come through a hot burning-Feuer he willed his sonnes to come together about him whom like young-plants hee had established from their youth vp-ward Whose mourning when his graue countenaÌ„ce beheld through piety and mercy being moued a little while hereat hee sighed in his Spirit and weeping lifting vp his eies he spake thus O my sonne Euse bius why dost thou shed those vnprofitable teares is it not a vaine thing to shed teares ouer the dead What man liuing is there that shall not see the dissolution of this mortall body Darest thou speake against that which the Lord hath once spoken and thou hast heard seeing thou knowest that no man can resist his will Now I beseech thee O sonne walke not according to the flesh cease to weepe surely the weapons of our warfare are not carnall Then with a merry countenance and chearefull voice hee said vnto the rest Let sadnes cease let mourning bee put away let there be one voice of ioy amongst you all for behold the acceptable time behold the day of iubilation and of gladnesse aboue all the daies of my life in which the faithfull Lord according to his word doth open his hand that he may call backe to the supernall Countrey recouered by the pretious death of his owne sonne my soule hitherto in banishment in the prison of this deth for the guilt of my forefather Alam O most dearely beloued sonnes doe not hinder my ioy doe not seeke to keepe from the earth that which helongeth vnto it For ye ought as the Ministers and houshold Seruants and friends of God to aspire after spirituall things that yee may be an example vnto others Why doe yee that are spirituall poure out those so many vnfruitrull teares Let the remembrance of sinne make you alwaies to weepe bee as ready to weepe as you haue beene to offend Weepe if any man dieth in sinne for if when a wicked man ari seth from death by repentance the Angels reioyc in heauen surely if any man that hath bin good dyeth in sin the Angels sorrow But bewaise not me as one dying but reioyce with mee as one touching the hauen of saluation What is weaker than the miseries of this life which is compassed bout with so many troupes of sorrowes and passions as that there is almost no houre wherein any liuing man whatsoeuer may passe free from sorrow If the rich man bee pressed on euery side with feare lest hee should loose that which he doth possess if the poore man be neuer it rest that hee may get â—iches if a good man doth on this side feare the daager of the Deaill and on that side lest the ship of this mortall body should suffer shipwracke in the sea of this world and no age or sex or condition doth passe free from sorrow as long as it remaineth in the misery of this life If ye know any thing in mee an hinderance to my iourney sorrow Alas how many of those that saile through this great spacious sea in which are so many diuers kindes of enemies wrestling togither according to the quantitie of ech ones strength after much happinesse in sayling after many victories thinking euen now to obtaine their wished for end haue come in this very houre into the snare of perditict by some diabelicall suggestion Alas how many doth both life and same here recommend ouer whom by the onely consenting vnto sinne cruell death and ruine hangeth Therefore whilst yee liue feare ô brethren the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom our life is a warfare vpon earth he that ouercommeth here shall be crowned else-where Whilst wee are coucred with this skin v. e haue no complete victorie If our forefather had feared he had neuer fallen Presumption of a mans selfe is the beginning of all euils and he that feareth not doth presume vpon himselfe How can any man laden with gold goe securely amongst theeues What other thing doth our Sautour teach vs but to feare when he saith Watch for yee know not at what houre the theefe will come S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 5. Be yee sober brethren and watch bicause your aduersarie the deuill goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom hee may deuoure No man dwelleth securely amongst serpents He which is more holy and more wise let him alwaies feare more for he which is higher if he falleth receiueth the greater fall
A choice one is the Deuils prey he careth not for taking the wicked because they are his owne already That wise man Salomon fell and his Father Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Feare O brethren againe I pray you feare on euery side for blessed is the man that feareth the Lord if tents bee pitched against him his heart shall not be afraid if warre riseth vp against him herein he shall haue hope The perfect feare of the Lord casteth vaine feare out of doores Loue hath no vaine feare loue and the feare of God are one which the Prophet considering crieth out and saith Psal 26. Settle thy feare within mee Who is there amongst you Psal 98. that desireth to see good daies let him come hither and be inlightned and his face shall not be confounded He that feareth the Lord shall doe good things and his soule shall dwell in good and his seed shall inherit the Land For the Lord is a sure stay to those that feare him and he will declare his will vnto them If ye doe any good take heed that ye feare Many do good things whose fruite the desire of the praise of men doth steale away There were tenne Virgins and yet halfe of them were shut out of heauens doore Alasse how many are at this day regenerate by holy baptisme and haue the name of Christians for whom it had beene better that they had neuer beene For the paines of hell which the Pagans shall suffer are farre lesser then the paines of wicked Christians I would to God that the greater part were not such The ship that is cuery where sound is drowned by one little hole Men haue gone out of the way in this large wildernesse some submitting their neckes to the yoake of couetousnesse others like most filthy swine being held in the filth of luxury others occupied about the wresting away of things vnprofitable whence it commeth to passe that the vse of reason being cast away they doing like brute beasts are made like vnto them and haue not found the way to the new Citie Ierusalem Such a mans way is an hundreth fould streighter then it is thought to be and yet it is large to all such as truly feare Christ promiseth to come to the Ceuturion fearing but denieth to come to the pettie-King presuming All doe not truely obey the Gospell The time shall come saith the Apostle wherein men will not suffer wholesome doctrin Many preach but all doe not preach the truth They binde the hearts of simple men in sinnes They binde heauy burthens in the least sinnes and passe ouer greatest sinnes winking with the eie There is a false Doctour a doubtfull sword on the one side he cutteth with his example and worke on the other side he smiteth and killeth with deceitfull and wicked words How should the fire gine cold and the water heate how should the stone go vpward and how should the filthy man preach chastly And if he doth preach what profit commeth hereby to the Hearers What can hee that heareth say but why dost thou preach with thy voice that which thou deniest with thy worke He that speaketh well with his tongue and liueth ill damneth himselfe Behold the Psalmist sheweth how acceptable such preaching is vnto the Lord. To the Sinner saith God Psal 50. Why dost thou declare my righteousnesse and takest my word into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Many read great things and learne hard things dispute subtilly and speake finely that they may be honoured of the people that they may be counted masters of the common sort and yet doe nothing If ye beleeue experience beleeue me the holinesse of life doth more moue the hearts of men then fine speaches Be Doers and so preach doing without preaching preuaileth Math. 7. but not preaching without doing God hath not said hee that preacheth the will of my Father but he that doth it I dispraise not preaching but onely in those that doe not the things which they preach A Teacher of subtile wordes onely and not of workes is a certaine light breathing into the eares and a smoake soone passing away without fruite Vnderstand ô brethren vnderstand what I say he doth much better that preacheth and doeth then hee that doeth and preacheth not If I onely doe good I profit my selfe alone but if I both preach and doe I profit my selfe and others also According to which it is said They which instruct others in righteousnesse shall shine as the stars for euer and euer For Preachers are a light to inlighten with their doctrine hearts dimme and blinde by reason of the cloud of sinne and that with the light of Christ that shineth in darkenes They are also for the seasoning of the word which is the food of the soule when it is ioyned with good workes The dutie of preaching is inioyned euery one that knoweth if he be a Doer Yea that I may say more hee that knoweth and doeth onely and teacheth not others shall giue accompt to the Lord therefore For seeing according to the Apostle Iohn He that hateth his brother is a murtherer and he that hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother in neede and yet shutteth vp his bowels against him hath not the loue of God in him How much more is he a Murtherer and without the loue of God who seeing his brother out of the way and oppressed with deadly sinnes and yet knowing how to doe it doth not Minister vnto him the word of doctrine Feare O ye Rectours and Teachers to whom the Lord inioyneth the duty of preaching that we should minister vnto his people the word of the Lord. For looke how many die in their sinnes through your example or negligence so many will the Lord require at your hand For by how much the higher yee be in degree by so much yee shall be tortured with the greater torments Ye are not Lords but shepheards There is one Lord and one cheife Shepheard which knoweth his sheep and will require them at your hands Alas how many are this day in the Church not Shepheards but Hirelings to whom the sheepe of Christ doe nothing pertaine Moreouer that I may speake truelie and as themselues know they are rauening Wolues which teare and disperse the sheepe Certainely nothing is worse nothing more abominable then when they scatter the sheepe which ought to keepe them Alas what is done at this day by some not shepheards of the Church but Destroiers which are not the lesser part They doe vnsatiablie deuour euen like hell the goods and labours of men and doe not onely not reforme them from their sinnes but euen they themselues doe draw them to things vnlawfull either by their owne negligence or by their most wicked instruments or by their vngodlie workes in such sort as that I must needes say if God should leaue them being such vnpunished hee should be no longer God And therefore as I haue often said my
that they obtaine that glory which the Lord hath prepared onely for the humble and for the contemners of this world what should I speake of them as it is meete woe to you that hasten to the kingdome of heauen through the way of riches seeing that it is easier for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen These are not my words but the words of Christ if this sentence be reuocable Christ is no more God The heauen and the earth saith he shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Bewaile ô ye miserable Nobles and Potentates the titles of vnslable fortune because yee are blinded with the fumes of the honours and falfe dignities of this world when as the threed of your brittle life shall peraduenture be cut off this night and ye shall be tormented in hell more than others world without end liuing in continuall dying Yee are not amongst the labourers in the world yea ye do not onely not indure labour with men but ye doe not suffer the laborers to liue therfore ye shall be scourged not with men but with deuils For by how much your glory and ioy hath bin the greater in this world by so much the greater punishment is prepared for you in hell We confesse that Christ chose twelue Apostles amongst whom Bartholomew onely was of noble descent and Matthew only was rich before that he was receiued into the Apostleship the rest were poore fishermen Now heare wherfore I haue related this If Christ be true and all which I haue heard out of his mouth he true amongst such kinde of men scarse one of a thousand is to be sound fit for the kingdome of heauen But such of them as doe not beleeue mee shall after a short time feele it when they are placed in torments Yet some man blinded from the light of the truth will now maruaile to whom if hee would aske mee hereabout I would answer Do we not beleeue that a man is damned for one sinne and if it be so how can he be saued that liueth in an hundreth thousand sins But what other thing is the rich man fed with the ayre of fading honour but a rotten vessell full of all sins Where is couetousnesse where is pride Is it not in the rich in the noble in the great ones Are they not also theeues which doe violently prey vpon the hire of the poore and presse them downe and kill them who dowicked things out of the plenty of the Lords house which they haue receiued that they might giue to the poore Certainely they adde to superfluitie in dyet superfluitie in apparell hauing no regard to the poore that dye through cold nakednes They reare vp pallaces and great buildings that they may be seene when the poore dye in the streets They prouide feasts often for other rich men that they may fill their bellies with most delicate dishes when the poore perish through samine What other is their life but sinne if the belly be filled with such plenty of meate is not surfet at the doores And what should I say more when the tongue of euery man would faile in telling the thousands of sins which they do Neither do they acknowledg God vnlesse it be by dreame neither do they thinke that they shall dye as I suppose for he that thinketh that he shall dye and that God shall iudge him doth not easily fall into sinne He is verily ouer weake and miserable that hath not the remembrance of these things Therfore to speake truly if they did acknowledge God their iudge and beleeued that they heard they would at the least wise not sinne so securely Why doe these most milerable men goe to the Church to be present at diuine mysteries whether that they may behold the countenances of faire women this is their meditation preaching and knowledge of God If they looke into Gods law it is but that trauailing by sea or by land they may gather money to themselues and their children by often watches and distractions of minde that they may be the first in changing their suites through the wonderfull inuention of the workeman But miserable men what do yee doe yee not consider that you destroy your bodie before the time and slay your soule whence come weaknesses so vntimely deaths but of the much plenty of meats and of the often vse of women Doe ye thinke to mocke God yee doe certainely mocke your selues for the body yee forget the soule and ye destroy both bodie and soule before the time But delay not to do what ye do change your garments often lest your Nobilitie should decay if any man should exceede you that ye may receiue shame and confusion in hell Where shall your feasts where shall your delicare dishes then be where your costly wines mixt with honey and spices Banquet and be drunken for yee shall do no more so after death but being in hell torments yee shall with the rich man desire the least drop of water and shall not obtaine it Take your comfort in surfets fulfill your pleasures sowe in corruption that of corruption ye may reape that sentence which the iust iudge will giue in the great day of iudgement saying Goe yee cursed into heli sire prepared for the Deuill and his angels O stenle heart that dost not feare that such a doome hangeth ouer thy head for the slender comforts of this world If thou lookest for that day so terrible and cruell wherein thou shalt giue account not onely for thy surfets and vaine apparell and drunkennesse and of thy time lost but also of euery euill thought why art thou not amended Why dost thou wretch deferre from day to day to turne vnto the Lord why dost thou not now repent thee of thy sinnes Behold death maketh haste running night and day that it may teare thee in peeces behold the Deuill maketh haste to catch thee behold thy riches shall faile thee behold the wormes waite for that body which thou doest nourish so daintily that they may gnaw vpon it vntill such time as being receiued to the soule it may togither suffer endles punishments Why dost thou seeke comfort by vanities wandring in the by-waies of this world Thou canst not finde true riches and glory and pleasant things here because they are not but if thou seekest for true ioyes hasten to that heauenly glory for which thou wert made There doubtlesse are those true ioyes which the eye hath not seene nor the care heard nor the heart conceiued Let goe I pray thee fading momentanie things and seeke things euerlasting But why doe I speake of these men that will not cease from sinne through loue and feare of God or for the terror of death and torments following after but are grieued if they cannot doe the wicked things which they desire Woe woe vnto yo◠wretches that laugh here for yee shall mourne woe be to
you because yee desire these temporall ioyes yee shall suffer though most nilling the paines of hell Behold ye haue but a litle time remaining fill vp the measure of your wickednesse that all the wrath of God may come vpon you Enioy this short time in sports drunkennesse and dancings and wantonnesse let not your time bee spent without these Why delay you whilst yee liue gather for your children riches honors preferments increase your nobilitie and name that your children also may fulfill that which ye haue done that yee may altogither suffer the greater tortures in hell But some man will say the Lord is good and mercifull and receiueth in mercy euery sinner that commeth vnto him This is true indeede I confesse the Lord is better than he is thought to be he spareth as is meet euery one that commeth vnto him Is he not a most kinde God that tolerateth so great iniuries done vnto him by sinners giuing them space to amend But thou must know this that as he is kinde in forbearing so he is iust in punishing But some man perchance will say again he which hath done euill all his life becomming penitent at the very point of death obteineth pardon of the Lord. O how false an opinion and how false a meditation is this Scarce one of a hundreth thousand whose life hath bin alwaies ill hath found this fauour at the Lords hands A man begotten and altogither nourished vp in sinne which hath neither seene nor knowne God neither hath bin willing to heare of him neither taketh notice of his sins nor what repentance is being altogither bound vp in secular businesses whom the strait of forsaking his sonnes presseth whom weaknes paineth whom the sorrow of riches and temporall goods now about to be lost shaketh when he seeth that he cannot enioy them any longer can such a man make repentance acceptable vnto God who would not repent if he did thinke that he could be healed I may verily conclude truly that he which doth not feare to offend God whilst he is young and sound shall not be found worthy in death of the Lords pardon What repentance is that which a man receiueth only because he seeth that he can liue no longer who if he should recouer from his sicknesse againe would become worse than he was before I know no meane monyed men who hauing repented them in their extremide haue waxed well againe in bodie and worse in life I hold this I thinke this to be true and haue learned it by manifold experience that he atteineth no good end that hath alway led an ill life which hath not seared to sin but hath alwaies liued in the vanities of the world Pretious saith he in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and most accursed the death of the wicked And therefore my beloued sonnes gird your selues with power be ye mighty sonnes and feare not the slender power of the rich mighty here in the doing of righteousnesse For he that suffereth for righteousnesse is blessed and if he suffereth death he is more blessed If thou desirest to haue life through Christ feare not death for Christ for thou canst not indure those things for Christ which are worthy of the glory to come which shall bee reuealed when our glory which is from aboue shall appeare Let him not looke for a reward that doth not labour the name of a Christian alone doth not suffice but if thou beest a Christian imitate Christ Hee hath in vaine the name of a Christian who followeth the Deuill He is no Christian but an Antichrist according to that of Iohn Ye haue heard that Antichrist commeth now there be many Antichrists Wilt thou therefore reigne with Christ then suffer with Christ If Christ the Lord and King who hath a name aboue all names ought to suffer that he might enter into his glory what hope hast thou to enter without paines O how foolish are we and slow of heart to beleeue We will here passe our time in pleasure with the world and afterwards reigne with Christ Seeing the master entred naked shall the seruant expect to enter being laden with the superfluitie of apparell of gold and pearles He was full of fastings this man of surfets and ryotings he died vpon the crosse for him this man sleepeth vpon a delicate bed Shall seruants do that which the Lord doth not The Lord promiseth his kingdome to the sonnes of Zebedee if they could drinke the cup that he should drinke Be yee wise come hither and heare me and I will tell you the things which I haue heard and knowne It is good to cleaue to the Lord and to walke as he hath walked Euen as Christ hath laid downe his life for vs so we if need be ought to lay downe our life for the truth which is God himselfe He that loueth his life in this world shall loose it Christ hath suffered for vs leauing vnto vs an example that we should follow his steps Let him not thinke himself a Christian which doth not finde himselfe ready to die for Christ Let the minister of Christ follow Christ Answer me ô thou man which art a Christian onely in name and in word dost thou hold and preach the faith of Christ this is a good thing but where be thy workes faith without workes is dead Let mee tell thee truly thou which praisest Christ with thy word and not with thy worke doest indeed denie who if thou didst beleeue his sayings thou wouldst at the least be afraid and blush to commit sinne And if thou dost beleeue and dost euill thou art to be punished an hundreth fold more Is not the sin which is done out of malice infinitely worse than that which is done out of ignorance The Angell sinned and the man sinned the one could finde pardon the other not For what cause the Angell sinned out of malice man sinned out of the Deuils suggestion Where vpon say I thou doubtlesse canst haue none excuse if thou saist that thou sinnest by the Deuils suggestion euen as he did because thy suggestion is not like vnto his He knew not yet what the Deuils suggestion meant neither how greatly sinne would displease but thou knowest well and beleeuest as thou saist and yet cōmittest so many thousand fins And what shall I conclude they that are such Christians beleeue him in word and lye vnto him with their tongue but their heart is not right with him neither haue they faith in his testament If any man loueth Christ if any man be a true Christian specially a Priest in whom as it were in a glasse perfection doth shine he must deny himselfe that he may be altogither dead vnto the world because that vnlesse a graine of corne falling vpon the earth dieth it remaineth alone He wandreth in the way that hastens to goe by riches and delights It is a signe of manifest damnation to follow the pleasures of this world and to