whole possession of thy selfe and all that thou hast thy body and thy soule yea thyne inward thoughts and outward actions vnto the diuyne Maiestie Least abusing gods gyftes thou consequently serue the Diuill For whosoeuer doth liue vytiously he is a seruaunt of the Diuill The Prophet Esay in his lxiii Chapiter hath these words I will remember the Lord for his mercy Yea I will praise the Lord for all that he hath geuen vs and for all that hée hath bestowed vpon vs according to his goodnesse If then we would perfectly knowe how carefully we ought to séeke the way of saluation and walke therein yea and how much we ought to dispyse the vayne delights of the world Let vs héedely consider what the onely begotten Sonne of god did suffered and toke vpon him for our helth and saluation If he then through the wysdome and prouydence of God the father yea through the eternall vncreated vnbegotteÌ„ vnmesurable foresight dyd not without great cause reason take vpon him doe suffer so many thinges for vs If the onely begotten Sonne of God being perfect and oâ—…ypotent dyd for our health and saluatioÌ„ take vpon him our substaunce and nature if he were for our sake conuersaunt here on earth so many yeares if he did susteyne and endure so many trauayles labors and paynes for our enstruction and redemption finally if he suffred therefore most bitter and cruell death let vs not set lyght by our selues nor make small accoumpt of our saluation Neither let vs thynke that we can be saued by sleighte and superficyall seruing of him by cleauing vnto worldly vanyties neyther yet by lyuing carelesly and without feare For neyther is the euerlasting payne of dampnation so avoyded nor yet the heuenly kingdome is not so obteyned For Christ suffered and was crucyfied for vs that we might thereby folowe his stepes and example Then is it necessary that we be conformed vnto his passion and that we crucyfie our selues as he did For whosoeuer sayth that he remayneth in God must walke euen as he walked Where vpon the Apostle sayed If we suffer with him we shall reigne with him also And againe he sayth Be you folowers and imytators of god as his best beloued children And what els is it to be conformed vnto Christes passion to dye with him to folow his steppes but euen to mortyfie all vanyties wickednesse to coÌ„stitute our bodyes wholy in y feare of god to restrayne bridle our owne natural lyberty vnder the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of his holy lawes to submyt our willes altogether vnto his godly will for wheÌ„ we know beleue that our Lord Sauiour Jesus Christ did most patieÌ„tly suffer innumerable derysions mockes slaunders blasphemies labours and paines with all méekenesse of pouerty with all lowlynesse of minde with all perfection of charytie so as finally he suffered the most vyle kynde of death for vs let vs thynke that it were moste vndecent for the seruaunt if he should liue in delightes reioyse in worldly rytches and wallowe in earthly vanyties whose master was so busily conuersaunt afflicted kylled for the seruants sake For that seruaunt is not aboue his master And Gregory saied well Nothing is so gréeuous but that it myght bée suffered with good will if we would often call to memorye the passion of christ Harken then vnto holy Bernarde speaking to thée in the person of christ Behold O man sayth he what I suffer â—…or thée There is no payne comparable to that wherwith I am tormented I call vnto thée bicause I am afflicted for thée Behold the paynes wherewith I am tormeÌ„ted Behold the nayles wherwith I am nayled Behold howe all my body is stretched out vpon the Cross for thée And looke how greate myne outward paynes are so much that greater is mine inward greifin y I finde thee so vnthankfull If thou weigh these things welbeloued with attâ—…tiue minde thou wylt soonâ—… contempne the world and ouercome the concupyscences thereof thou wilt desire to folowe Christ abhorre all things that are worldly refuse to be coÌ„uersaunt with such as walke in vanyties For god forbyd that thou shouldest be vngratefull for such and so many benefites And yet vngratefull shouldest thou be if thou geue him not thankes for the same with thy whole hart But thankes canst thou not geue vnlesse thou doe medytate marke and acknowledge them Synce the chiefe poynt of ingratitude as Seneca sayth is forgetfulnesse Therefore cast and reuolue in thy mynde euery day what God himselfe dyd suffered for thée Yea besides this the benefites are also innumerable which god doth daily bestowe on vs So that by the consideration of them we ought of good ryght to be kyndled in loue towardes God and in a zeale to honour him with all deuotion Pea and an affection also to be alwayes geuing of thankes and so consequently to laude and praise his name incessantly For haue we not receyued froÌ„ him whatsoeuer we haue or be y goods of fortune the gyftes of nature to be to liue to féele to haue vnderstanding yea haue not we receiued of him the gyftes gf graâ—… â—…ayth hope and charytie the gyftes of the holy Ghost the sacramentes How often hath god most mercyfully spared vs when we offended how pittyfully hath he preuented vs From how many snares and peryles hath he preserued vs what greate gyftes of glorye hath he promysed vs Yea how many haue bene condempned to hell fyre which offended and sinned lesse then we haue done Let vs then not bée forgetfull of suche and so greate benesites But let vs with the Psalmist humbly and thankefully say What shall I requyte vnto the Lorde for all that hée hath geuen me I will blesse and magnyfie the Lorde at all tymes his prayses shall alwayes be in my mouth For of all other faultes ingratitude is the worste Especyally that kynde of ingratytude whereby we become vnthankefull vnto God the most lyberall and abundaunt benefactor of all other If any man should cut of thy hand or thy foote how much wouldest thou thynke thy selfe bounde vnto him which would heale it agayne and restore thée thy member If thou wert blynde deafe or lame how much wouldest y loue him which would cure thy defect how then art thou not ashamed in that thou louest not god ferueÌ„tly which hath geueÌ„ thée all those gyftes before named and hath also promysed thée farre greater then they therefore let these great benyfites and lyberaltyes of god towards thée styrre in thée a contempt of this world and enduce thée to take in hand all such thinges as may most lyuely expresse his honour and glory For as it is moste certayne that he which is by nature best dysposed vnto vertue were moste faulty if he should be blynded by the world to lyue vycyously so thou hauing good gyftes of nature it were no small cause of gréefe if thou shouldest foreslowe
leade a voluptuous conuersation accordyng to his appetite let vs neither estéeme nor magnifie him Let vs not affect such kynde of lyfe nor greatly set by but rather dispyse suche a man I meane not that wée shoulde hate hym in nature nor dispyse his person absolutely but hys vyces and him selfe in so much that by them he is eloygned and estranged from God. Wherevpon the Psalmist sayeth of the iust man The wicked was brought to naught in his sight But suche as feare God hee glorifieth Aristotle in hys Ethyckes hath this sentence Magnanimytie is full of contempt for it setteth light by those which lyue vylely All this notwithstanding we ought to bestow the affects of charitie and godly compassion vpon those which are wycked and vniust accordyng to their necessitie Yea and muche the more bycause we sée them to be wrapped and enfolded yea blynded and muffled to reioyce florish and exalte themselues in this worlde And therevpon Hierome sayeth wée more weigh marke sinners to be most wretched when we perceyue their faultes to be lefte vnpunished Yea both hée and Ambrâ—…se say There is no certayner token or signe of a reprobate sence and damnation to ensue theÌ„ to prosper and to be without any crosse or punishment in this lyfe Especially since the Lord sayth I chaâ—…tise and rebuke those whom I loue Now therefore let vs well consider how it comes to passe that the contempt and hatred of this world is of necessitie to saluation For vnlesse it had bene by some maner of meanes necessarie to saluation the Apostle Iohn had not sayde if any man loue the world the charitie loue of God the father is not in him It is therefore to be sayd that there are two kyndes of hating and 〈◊〉 the world speaking generally thereof The first whereof is that the world and such things as are therein should be contempned and hated for as much as they doe directly hynder and withhold vs from god That is to say least they be loued more then God or contrarie to his will and commaundements And least any man should take felicitie in them and cleaue wholly vnto them contrarie to the lawes of God in holy scriptures contayned Least he preferre earthly goods before heauenly goods and least hée set the temporall prayses and honours of this lyfe before the celestial ioyes prepared And finally least he loue and estéeme this present lyfe more then the lyfe to come And for these reasons the hating and dispising of the world are necessarie vnto saluation So that euerie man is bound in that sort to hate dispise the world as wel single men as maryed folke The which lesson I iudge to be verie difficult vnto suche as dwel and remayne in this world Now the second kynde or maner of dispising and hating the world is executed by the ful and absolute abandâ—…ning denying of all worldly things As if any man dispising and throwing from him the ryches and delightes of this lyfe should choose to serue God in obscure and more priuate lyfe So that in this sence to hate and dispise the world is vtterly to refuse cast of all temporall things seculer pomps yea worldly maners and dignities and so to dispise all the vanities of this lyfe that we may walke in the righte way by the assistance of Gods grace and holy spirit And whosoeuer doeth thus he is sure to displease and offend worldly men For euen as lykenesse of things is a cause of loue and well pleasing so vnlikenesse is the originall cause and mother of hatred and withdrawing of myndes and affections Herevpon the Apostle asked this question Doe I sayth he séeke to please men If I should yet please men I should not be the seruant of christ And lykewyse the Psalmist sayeth God hath brokeÌ„ in sunder the bones of such as séeke to please men They were consumed bicause god dispised theÌ„ Is not this a most horrible and dreadfull worde For what can bée more fearefull then to bée dispised of God since Salomon sayeth Consider the workes of God since no man can ameÌ„d him which God dispiseth And in this sort to dispise y world is not onely to hate and dispise all frayle worldly vayne things in that they doe dyrectly but in that they doe also chanceably let or hinder Gods creatures from attaining vnto him As the wise man testifieth saying They are as temptation to a mans soule and as a Trappe or snare for the féete of the foolish â–ª And therefore we hate them not onely for that they withhold vs directly since Salomon sayeth God made his workes to be feared But also bicause euen chanceably they doe vaynely delight the reprobate with the comelinesse of his creatures and with the perticular profit which they séeme to carry with them So that they there doe stay and stand still â—…ternally and neuer attribute the honour and glorie vnto the creator who is in déede the onely end and scope wherevnto wée should tende and frame our doings Héerevpon Isodorus sayeth it is better to haue the hatred of the euill then theyr company For euen as the conuersation and lyfe of those which are godly doe render many commodities so the company of the wicked doeth bryng with it many euilles Now in this treatyse I intend to speake chiefly of the contempt of this worlde as it is set downe in the seconde note euen that which concerneth the state of perfection and the obseruing of Gods words And yet I shall sometymes bring in somewhat of the former kynde of contempt in as muche as it of necessitie towardes saluation and the fulfillyng of Gods commaundements My parte sayeth the Lorde is my soule And therefore I wil expect and looke for the Lorde For the Lorde is good to them which trust in him and to the soule that séeketh hym And as the scripture sayth A thréefolde corde is hardly broken Let vs therefore by a thréefold perswasion and by a tripartyte kynde of demonstration set downe howe holy howe diuyne and how acceptable how holesome howe noble and how expedient it is altogither to contempne the worlde and those things which are therein Now some perswading reasons or demonstrations of this blessed contempte are to bee â–ª vnderstoode on the behalfe of god Some other on our owne behalfe and some on the behalfe of the world it self Whervpon orderly decently to procéed on y behalfe of God these things ought to induce beget in vs a contempt of the world First the loue and goodnesse of the glorious blessed god Secondarily The zeale that we haue to honour him perfectly as much as in vs lyeth Thirdly the great benifits which we receiue at gods hands Fourthly the consideration of his promises Fiftly bicause god him self in proper persoÌ„ did so couÌ„sel vs. And lastly bicause he did so him selfe Of the rest I will treate hereafter Now touching the loue and goodnesse of God it is
well ordered mynde then this inwarde contentation and swéetenâ—…sse of peace sinceritie of a cleare conscyâ—…ce and holy consolation all which are dayly to bée founde in it selfe it were yet worthie and a right worthie thing to endeuour and studie continually howe to be decked with vertues wholly to gyue it sâ—…lfe ouer vnto orderly liuyng and fully to renounce and forsake all worldely delyghtes and vanities And accordyng therevnto sayeth Gregorie That is the true and highest ioye or consolation which is conceyued in the Crâ—…ator and not in the thynges created And when so euer thou receyue that saâ—…th hâ—…e no man shall bee able to take it from thée In comparyson whereof all other myrth is mournyng all other pleasure is payne all swéete soure all léefe lothsome and all delyghtes are dolloâ—…ous And agayne he sayeth Nothing in this lyfe is more laboursome or paynefull then to bee tossed with caâ—…thlye desires Neyther is there any thyng more quyet then to couette or desyre nothyng But the spirituall ryches saith hée are loathed when they are not yet had nor possessed and that is of suche as haue not yet tryed them Whych may peraduenture bee a cause my welbeloued that thou arte the lesse allured and entysed vnto the diuyne sacred and most sincere delyghtes of spirituall conuersation and that thou makest the lesse haste therevntoo bycause thou haste not as I gesse yet tryed them But giue eare vnto thys holy father Gregorie make haste yea post hast to attayne vnto a perfecte spyrytuall lyfe leauyng the worlde and all the concupiscences thereof And I hope that thou shalte taste howe swéete the Lorde is for greate is the multitude of his delectablenesse And thou shalte bée delyghted in the multytude of Christ hys peace the which passeth all sences and vnderstandings and whych the worldlynges can not taste Bycause as the Prophette witnesseth There is no peace vnto the wicked sayeth the Lord God. And to conclude accordyng to the olde Prouerbe who is so honoured that hée is not sometymes troubled who is in suche estymation that hee is not also sometymes in trybulation And who sitteth on hyghe that is not subiecte vnto vanytye And as Gregorie sayeth The more that anye man is extolled wyth honour and dygnytye the more is hée loaden with gréeuous burthens And all thynges that héere doe excell are more vexed with griefe then they are reioysed wyth honour and more dooth the fall of dampnation threaten and affrighte them then theyr hope to attayne euerlastyng blessednesse can recomforte them For mercy is graunted to those which séeme of least dignitie Whilest they y are mightie suffer therewith mightie torments For iudgemeÌ„t shal be most gréeuous vnto theÌ„ which bear greatest aucthoritie haue greatest prehemyneÌ„ce And thervpon Chrisostom sayd who desireth to entrude him self into spiritual promotioÌ„s or to take charge of soules but suche an one as feareth not Gods iudgement it is a great securitie of mynde and quyet of conscience to reteyne nothing that hath in it any seculer concupiscense Yea and it is a vyle and miserable bondage to be altogither troubled in worldly affayres and to leaue God forgotten Although vnto many worldly men it seemeth gréeuous to be occupyed or coÌ„uersant in any thing els then priuate profit which haue not the skill or vnderstandyng howe to occupie them selues in holy vertuous actions And the soule of man is suche that without loue and some what to be exercised on it can not coÌ„tinue So that the lesse it be occupyed and affected obout god so muche the more it is powred out and bestowed in vayne and earthly things Agayne Bernard sayeth the insatiable loue of riches doth much more torment men with desire theÌ„ the vse therof can recomfort them when they haue obteined it For there is labor and payne in gettyng of them feare and dread in possessing them and much sorow and griefe in forgoing them Yea golde doth most gréeue him which hath greatest aboundance thereof Therefore to the ende thou mayest with a quyet mynde serue God deuoâ—…tly flye from and eschue the troublesome affayres of this world the corâ—…orall delightes and the deceyuable treasures Cleaue fast vnto God onely that he may become thy ioye and comfort and thou shalt sing with the Psalmist In God is my hralth and my glorie he is the God of my helpe and my hope is in him And let such reioyse in temporall things as haue not the skil to desire heauenly and euerlasting treasures It is written in the holy word of God Watche you for you know not when the Lord commeth ouer night at mydnight or in the gray morning least wheÌ„ he commeth sodeynly he fynde you sléepyng Looke to your selues watche and pray Howe much so euer we loue God and the lyfe to come in the heauenly kyngdome euen so much we ought to eschue all such things as hinder and let vs from the getting of the euerlasting beatitude and vnyon vnto the diuyne majestie And what I pray you doth so much hynder vs from the obtayning thereof â—…or sooth ryches delyghtes honours vanities and worldly prosperities For a man being wholly bent vnto them doth not onely myserably and vnfruitefully léese such tyme as God lendeth him to repent and 〈◊〉 but furthermore he dooth dayely fall into many vyces commyt many faultes he remembreth not GOD omytteth all dewties and runneth into innumerable impedimentes to saluacion And therevpon Chryst sayed How hard it is for them that are ryche to enter into the kingedome of God For ryches being ones possessed are very hardly despysed And earthely thinges beinge ones gotten are more stryctly beloued then they are coueted before they be had So that they which altogither apply the multiplyinge of ryches doo neclect to séeke the ioyes of the worlde to come And whyles they doo not medytate and déepely consider the soundenesse of eternitie they loue and estéeme this banishâ—…ment as it were the heauenly habitacion To conclude how much more the louers of this world doo forgett GOD euen so much the more also are they of him abandoned and forsaken and so much the more theyr harts shal be hardened Wherevpon it oftentymes happeneth that they loue nothinge effectually which perteyâ—…eth vnto god They couet not heauenly thinges but for the most parte now a dayes the worse that men become the more carelesse yet they are And whiles they neuer looke vp to sée from whence they be fallen nor feare the punishmentes to come they waxe ignoraunt how much they are to be lamented For the more that they cleaue vnto vayne and euyll things the lesse they acknowledge the good things which they haue lost And a mighty thinge doo they accompt the glory of this worlde Yea and a tryumphant glory doo they estéeme it to floorish presently accordinge to theyr hartes desyre Neuer fearing nor foreséeinge the perpetuall punishmentes which they shal be forced hereafter to endure That man onely perceiueth that it is nothinge at all to
to their parentes disorderâ—…d without loue without truth and without mercy With such and much worse this world is replenished as with heritikes scismatikes periures Tyrans Symonsellers hypocrytes ambitious men robbers spoylers extorcioners and pollers vsurers and false witnesses wicked théeues and church robbers traytors lyers flatterers deceyuers tale tellers wauerers gluttons dronkards adulterers incesteous men tender treaders and vayn vauÌ„ters slouens sluggardes and loyterers prodigall spenders and vnthriftes rashe quarellers and hackers vnpatient and vnconstant men poysoners and witches presumpteous and â—…rogant wretches deuilish mynded and desperate men To conclude with such as are packt full of all paltry of the earth and farced with all kynde of vyle abhomination Yet euen as the smoke vanisheth away so shall they vanish and as waxe melteth before the fyre so shall sinners perysh before the face of God. The wicked men doe suffer foure princypall paynes at theyr death The fyrst is the perpiexitie of the body which is then greater and more gréeuous than euer it was or is in this present lyfe vntil that tyme of dissolution For some thinke that euen without motion suche is their gréeâ—…ous paines they teare themselues in péeces For the violence of death is strong and vncomparable Bicause the knyttinges and naturall combyninges of the body with the spirit arâ—… then broken insonder And therevpon the Prophet Dauid sayth in the Psalme the panges of death haue compassed mée There is no member nor no parte of the body but is touched and twitched with that vntollerable payne Thâ—… second payne is when the body being altogither wéeryed and ouercome the force and strength therof cleane vanquished the Soule doth much more playnely perceyue in one moment all the works which it hath done good and bad and all those things are set before the inward eyes This payne is so great and this torment and disquiet is so gréeuous that the soule being much vexed and troubled is constrayned to confesse and declare against it selfe As it is sayde in the Psalmes the floodes of iniquitie haue troubled mée For as the floodes come with great force and sway and séeme to beare downe all things before them so in the houre of death the wicked man shall sodeinly sée and behold all the workes that he hath done or committed good or bad The third paine is when the soule now beginneth iustly to iudge and séeth all the paynes and tormentes of hell to hang worthely ouer it for all the iniquities whereof it is giltie Wherevpon it is also sayd in the Psalme the paynes of hell came about mée The fourth payne is when the soule béeing yet in the bodye doeth sée the wicked spirites readye to receyue it wherein the dread is suche and so vnspeakeable payne that the myserable soule although it be now parted from the body doeth runne about as long as it may to redéeme the tyme of hir captiuitie before shée forsake the body Also euery man as well good as euill doeth sée before the soule departe from the bodye Christ crucified The wicked séeth it to his 〈◊〉 when hée maye blushe and bée ashamed that hée is not redéemed throughe the bloud of Christ and that his owne giltynesse is the cause thereof Wherevpon it is sayde vnto the wicked in the gospell They shall sée agaynst whom they pricked and stoonge The which is vnderstoode by the commyng of Christ vnto iudgement and of his comming at the instant tyme of any mans death But the good man shall sée him to his comforte and reioysing as we may perceyue by the wordes of the Apostle which sayeth vntill the comming of our Lord Iesu Christ that is to say at the day of death when Christ â—…rucifyed shall appeare as well vnto the good as vnto the wicked And Christ him selfe sayeth of Iohn the Euangelist So will I haue him to abyde vntill I come That is to say continuing in virginitie vntill I come vnto hys death For we read of foure maner of commings that Christ shall come Two of them are visible The first in humilitie to redéeme the world The second in maiestie vnto iudgement And the other two are vnuisible The first whereof is in the mynde of man by grace Whereof it is sayd in the gospell wee shall come vnto him and shall make our remayning place with him The second is in the death of euery faythfull man And therevpon Iohn in the reuelation sayeth come Lord Iesus HIs spirite shall departe and he shall return into his earth At y tyme all their thoughtes shall perishe O howe many things how greate thinges doe mortall men consider and thinke vpon about the vncerteyntie of theyr worldly prouisions But sodeynly by the comming of death all thinges which they thought on and forecasted doe immediatly vanish away Lyke vnto a shadow when the sunne declyneth they are taken away And lyke vnto a Locust they are smitten down So that the spirit of man shal go out of him not willingly but vn willingly Hee shall dismisse with doler that which he did professe with desire and whether he will or nyll there is a terme apoynted the which hée shal not passe ouer In the which earth shal return vnto earth For it is written Thou arte earth into earth thou shalt goe For it is naturall that the thing made of any substance should bée resolued into that substance agayne He shall take away their spirite therefore and they shall fayle and shall returne into their dust And when man dyeth hée shall enherite beastes cattell Serpents and wormes For all those shall rest in dust and wormes shall consume them The worme shall eate them lyke a garment and shall consume them as a moth consumeth the wollen cloth I am to bée consumed sayeth Iob lyke vnto rottennesse and lyke vnto a garment that is fretted with mothes I haue sayde vnto rottennesse My father my mother my sister are gone vnto wormes meate Man is rottennesse and putrifaction and so are the sonnes of man Filthy are our forefathers vile are our mothers and how vyle are our sisters For man is begotten and conceyued of bloud putrifyed by the feruent heate of lust and concupisence And yet the wormes do come about his carkasse as mourners Whilest he liued he bredde nittes and lyse and being dead hée bréedeth wormes and magottes Whilest he liued hee made filthy ordures and excrements And being dead he maketh putrefaction stinke One man defendeth another onely But being dead hée defendeth many wormes Oh what is more filthy than the carkasse of a man or what more horrible than a dead man he whose embrasing had bene most aâ—…able méeting him on lyue euen his looke will bée most terrible when hée is dead What preuayle ritches therefore whatpreuayle banquetings what delightes they can not deliuer man from death They can not defend him from the worme Neyther shall they preserue
garnyshing of the body and garmentes Not desiering to please men but to please thy creator Sauiour and most dreadfull Iudge who is as aboue all thinges the highest and most blessed God. Amen The Nedles Eye The Prologue of the Author OUr sauiour Christ by the mouth of his holy Euangelist Mathew in his sixt Chap. saith I will declare vnto thée O man saith he what is good what the Lord thy god doth require at thy hands Uerely eueÌ„ to doo iustice righteousnesse to walke carefully warely beefore thy Lord god For asmuch as god hath formed made thée a reasâ—…able creature he hath created thée to that end that thou mightest obteyne euerlasting felicitie he hath furnished thée with all thinges necessary to the atteyning thereof that thou mightest deserne betwene good bad betwene truth falshood betwene vertues vices choosing and folowing those things which are good true vertâ—…ous abhorring yea vtterly for saking all euill false vâ—…tious thinges Wherfore our owne reasoÌ„ vnderstanding being instructed by the doctrine of the holy scripturs well taught and grounded in the holy lawes of god ought to be the iudge of all our life déedes in such sort y euery man might euery day of his life wysely dyscusse truely discerne effectually correct his owne conuersation And although we are forbidden by gods word to iudge other men disordredly according to the 〈◊〉 saying Iudge not you shall not be iudged neuerthelesse let euery man iudge himselfe by consideration of his owne lyfe and let him abhorre whatsoeuer he sindeth repreheÌ„sible therin Yea let him bewayle it avoyd it and leauâ—… it not vnpunished But let him amend it by the fruites of repeÌ„taunce And this is ment by doeing of iustice and righteousnesse For whosoeuer doth so shall eskape the straight iudgement of God and the euerlasting paines of hell â–ª As Paule the apostle doth witnesse in his eleuenth Chapiter of his â—…irst Epistle to the Corynthianes saying If we iudged our selues we should not then be iudged Moreouer we ought to walke warely and circoÌ„spectly before the Lord our God continewally fearing least we offend the eyes of his holy Maiestie in any thyng and y we neyther loose the benefite of his greate grace in this present lyfe nor yet the fruityon of his gloâ—…y in the world to come Nor yet thereby encurre the daunger of euerlastyng paynes in hell And here upon the holy worde of GOD doth say The man is blessed which walketh alwayes 〈◊〉 And â—…ée which is with out feare or dreade to doe 〈◊〉 cannot â—…e iustified As also the appostle Paule doth exhorâ—… vs to this fearefâ—…ll and carefull walâ—…yng 〈◊〉 GOD saying 〈◊〉 for your saâ—…uation wyth feare and tremblyng As also Sainct Hierome sayth Cursed be the 〈◊〉 which â—…th 〈◊〉 god 〈◊〉 Wherfore we must diligâ—…tly 〈◊〉 all héedynesse and the true effectes of Godly charytie serue the hyghest GOD and Father in chyldyshe feare and obedyence As it is wryâ—…ten by the Psalmyst Serue God in feare reioyce before him with trâ—…bling Such an one was holy Iob saying rightly of hym selfe I haue alwayes feared GOD sayeth hée as the rage of waters that might ouerwhelme mée And agayne GOD is hée whose anger no man maye resyst Therefore haue I bene troubled to beehould him and haue bene gréeued with feare when I considered him So that whosoeuer is dyssolute in his harte light of mynde and doth neyther weighe nor consider the heauenly eyes which alwayes behold him nor yet doth reuerence and dread the presence of that fearefull and eternall iudge But doth procéede in such a carelesse order and so neglygently béehaue him selfe as though he had already passed all 〈◊〉 and were not of GOD to bée iudged doth not hée lamentably â—…ast him selfe awaye And shall hée not lyght in the handes of the lyuing god That he maye receyue euerlastinge punyshment wyth the reprobate in the depth of hell Wherefore my deare and welbéeloued in Chryst Iesu to whome I wryte thys worke doe not neglect thy selfe carelessely in a vayne kynde of securytye Nor doe not thou walke vnreuerently before the highest God which doth contynually behold thée Doe not iniurie vnto his Maiestie by lyuing wickedly But as Moyses doth exhorte thée kéepe thy selfe and thy soule warely And forget not the wordes of the Lorde thy God neither let them slippe out of thy remeÌ„braunce at any tyme For here vpon it is that Augustine saith Such as feare not gods iustice do hope for his mercy in vaine And Hiâ—…rome saith If we would beléeue and often thincke vpon the presence of god whose Maiestie séeth and iudgeth all thinges I beléeue that we should very seldom or neuer fall into any sinne And this it was that holy Iob ment wheÌ„ he sayd Doth not god know my wayes and number all my stepps and a gaine he saith Thou hast obserued al my pathes and considered the steppes of my féete Where vpon Basyle also doth admonishe vs saying Remember that you stand in y sight of God which beholdeth the thoughts of your hartes knoweth all secretes For this consideration of his diuyne Maiestie doth also induce an obseruation of his preceptes Wherevpon the Psalmist sayth I haue kept thy commaundementes thy testimonies bicause all my wayes are in thy sight Thus whosoeuer will feare God let him assuredly thincke that he doth behoulde all thinges Let him be ashamed to stand with any vncleane thought in the presence of his infinite Maiestie yea let him be abashed to haue any blott or imperfectioÌ„ in his soule before the face of y highest god For it is writteÌ„ RemeÌ„ber thy creator in the dayes of thy youth before the tyme of thyne affliction doe come It is writteÌ„ in y xi Chap. of Eccle Bée méeke paicient to heare y word of god For the more we doo loue any thing so much the more willing we are to heare of it or to talke of it WhervpoÌ„â—…ohn speaking of y louers of this world saith they are of the world they speake of the world the world heareth them By the same reasoÌ„ I say y whosoeuer doth loue god truly doth desire his blessing and doth spiritually estéeme him selfe in GOD euen hee doth heare his word willyngly dothe retaine it diligently and doth fulfill it feruently For these are signes of predestination to euerlasting saluation And herevpon our sauiour sayth He that is of God doth heare his worde and therefore you heare not bicause you are not of god For the word of God or the holy scripture is the foode of the soule And euen as we dispaire of his naturall lyfe which receyueth no corporall foode or vomiteth vp and holdeth not that which hath receyued Euen so the lyfe of grace is to be despayred in him which is not carefull diligently to heare mindfully to retaine and efectually to fulfiill the word of god And therefore
my welbeloued in Christ Iesu attâ—…d and marke the word of god with good affectioÌ„ heare it humbly and reuerently reade it and peruse it as an Epistle sent thée from the holy ghost Neyther yet is it sufficient to know the will of God or to haue it in reuerence but we must also fulfill the same As the Psalmist sayth I haue layed vp thy wordes in my harte to the end that I might not offend thée And the Euangelist sath The seruaunt which knoweth his Lords will doth it not shal be beateÌ„ with many stripes And the Apostle Iames in his Canonicall Epistle sayth He that doth knowe the good and doth it not offendeth gréeuously And here vpon Augustine doth conclud that the word of god is of no lesse worthynesse then the body of christ Neyther is he lesse gyltye which heareth the word of God neclygently then he which receyueth his body vnworthyly And therfore since I writ these things vnto thée for the health of thy soule by the helpe and grace of God without whâ—…se provydence and helpe no trée groweth nor leafe falleth I require that thou read these thinges with no lesse dillygence and earnest affection then they are feruently and zealously wrytten for thyne instruction For so the natureall goodnesse of thy quick capacytie doth requyre As it is written A good eare will harken vnto wisdome with earnest desire And how acceptable and well pleasing that were vnto god appeareth by the wyseman saying The earnest desire of wysdome shall guid a man to the perpetuall kyngedome But what wisdome Not the wysdome of this world Not the wysdome of Phylosophers Poets or Rethorycians For by the 〈◊〉 of â—…he Apostle God estéemeth the wisdome of this worlde for méere folly And Saint Hierome that holy father doth call Aristotle who was Prince of Philosophers a father of fooles or Prince of ignoraunce But the wordes before rehearced are ment by the wisdome and perfect knowledge which is conteyned in holy scriptures And are not they to be accoumpted vayne and foolishe who settinge a side such thinges as are requisite for the soules health And omitting â—…he obseruaunce of gods holy coÌ„maundementes and the holesome knowledge conteyned in his holy word are earnestly and contynewally occupyed in thinges altogether vayne and superfluous yea things which god doth not by any meanes requyre at their handes And therevpon we sée such men most comoÌ„ly blynded with infinite vanyties vnfearefully vnwarely conuersant and delighted in playes pastimes and ouermitting greater offences in méere tryfels and fantasies Is this thinkest thou the streyght waye leading to lyfe euerlasting the which as Christ himselfe doth witnesse few can fynde out No But doo thou as the holy word teacheth thée séeke not thinges aboue thy reach Nor search not thinges beyonde thy strength But looke what god cuÌ„maundeth and therevpon doo thou alwayes medytate And as for these superfluous toyes of prophaine mystries doo neuer troble thy braynes therewith Agayne what prosâ—…teth it to haue knowledge of thinges created without a dew reuerence and worship of the creator Nothing at all But rather it hyndereth much and maketh such smatterers as gesse thereby to fal into daunger of coÌ„dempnatioÌ„ Wherfore let not the study of naturall Phylosophy more delight thée then the study of true morallytie which is deuynity But let the cheife delight consist in the study vnderstanding of holy scriptures That thou mayest say O how swéete are thy wordes vnto my mouth more swéete then fine hony And agayne I haue delyghted in the wayes of thy testimonyes as in much rytches And lykewyse The lawe of thy mouth is profitable vnto me yea more then thowsandes of gold siluer By experience thereof one of the Fathers in holy churche did say Nothing in this lyfe is tasted more swéetely nor swallowed more gréedely nothinge doth so seperate mans mynd from the world nothing so strâ—…gthen it against temptation nor any thing more help and styrre him to all goodnesse then the study of the holy scriptures And agayne hée sayth Whatsouer is written in holy scriptures is veritie Whatsoeuer is therein commaunded is honesty and whatsoeuer is therin promised is true and perfect felicitye This is then the most holesome and profitable study which teacheth a man to know himselfe to correct his lyfe and to procéed in all goodnesse by the grace of the holy spirite And therevpon Augustine warneth vs saying Use reading of holy scriptures for thy glasse whereby thou mayest moue any blott or blemishe that thou findest in thy selfe Yea theu mayest therein learne to preserue whatsoeuer thou perceiuest to be fayre in thée by doing that which is fayerer then it séemeth to be For the worde of god is most plentyfull conteyning in it all delights And therin as in a myrrour when we doo looke and gaze with the eyes of our inward mynde we doo also sée and behold the secret shape of our soules Yea we may thereby perceiue how much we haue profited or how much we are gone a straye froÌ„ perfection Wherevpon Isodorus sayth The reading of holy scriptures doth yéeld prosit For it doth not onely teath instruct a mans mynde but it bringeth backe to the loue of god such as are by vanyties abstract and caryed into concupiscence Can any study then be compared to y study of this wysdome No surely For as Gregorie sayth Euen as the holy scriptures doo excell aboue all other knowledge learning without coÌ„parisoÌ„ teaching vs the perfect trueth calling vs to the heaueÌ„ly habitatioÌ„ inuyting and prouoking y readers hart froÌ„ worldly desirs to theÌ„braceing of high heaueÌ„ly treasurs being neither so darke that they are to be dred nor yet so plaine y they are to be dispised eueÌ„ so doth the vse and exercise thereof take away all wearinesse and the more they are red the more they delight surpassinge all other scyences euen in the maner of writing and handlynge Wherevpon Hyerome also sayth Loue the studie of the holy scryptures and thou shalt not passe vpon the vitious desires of the fleshe So that I doe greatly desire welbeloued to decke and bewtyâ—…e thy soule with this diuyne and supernaturall knowledge of the holy scripturs the which shyneth as a certayne blase or bryght bâ—…ame of the euerlastinge vncreated and highest wysdome And the very reading thereof by the testimony of Hyerome doth sharpen y sence encrease y vnderstanding warme the will shake of â—…owth quench lust prouoke swéet sighes distyll plesant teares and maketh vs as it were néeare neighbours vnto God himselfe Wherein when we bestowe our tyme and study the holy ghost doth talke and common with vs euen famylyarely as Isodr sayth And surely thou art singulerly endewed with capacity towardes thatteyning thereof synce thou art bewtified with a naturall sharpenesse of vnderstanding in such sort that thou mayest by Gods grace say being yet but a yong scoller I haue enclyned my soule vnto goodnesse And I besech thée most
the sight of theyr consistories that they were thought worthie to suffer that continually for the name of Iesus Consider then my welbeloued in which of these thrée kyndes or sortes of Trauaylers thou arte to bée accompted For he which doeth onely attayne vnto the first rehearsed degrée let him not thereby boast that he is in suretie of saluation And therefore it shall bée thyne industrye not to be contented with the first degrée but that thou haue desyre of passing by the seconde to clyme vnto the thyrde degrée of perfection That leadyng a heauenly and angelycall lyfe in the fleshe and dayly increasing in all fayth charitie knowledge and grace thou mayest bée accompted amongest the sonnes of the holye and glorious God and not bée foreslowed after thy departure from the glorie of his maiestie And out of a sermon of holy Bernard I haue taken certaine chosen sentences touching this matter Be not sayeth hée lyke vnto the fâ—…lishe Trauayler whome the fayre shewe of this worlde dóeth entyse the prosperitie thereof doeth lulle him on sléepe the fauor thereof doeth deceyue him and the ioyes therof entrappe him in such sort that being drawen and turned from God hee is helde backe from his iourney and hyndered in hys wayes Doe not then vse or estéeme this world as thy countrey as Beda forewarnesh bicause this is the difference betwéene the chosen and the reprobate That the electe béeyng now Alyens and straungers banyshedde doe expecte and hope for a perpetuall habitation in heauen do so much the lesse delight in the frayle ioyes of this preseâ—…t lyfe bycause they hope to receyue the ioyes â—…out end which are to come to raigne with Christ for 〈◊〉 But â—…he reprobate haue their countrey héere And vnto the desires of this life they onely doe cleaue and therfore after this life they are sent into euerlastyng banyshement whereas lacking all pleasures and delightes they doe onely suffer aduersitie in torments The 〈◊〉 Mathew in his seuenth Chapiter hath these wordes Enter or goe in by the narow gate for the way is broad and 〈◊〉 which leadeth vnto distruction and many there he which goe in the reat But the way is straight and the gate narow which leadeth to euerlasting life and fewe there be which fynde it out These wordes procéeded from our sauiour Christ and are reported by his Euangelist saint Mathew And what could haue bin spokeÌ„ more terrible then these wordes or what soundeth more thundringly in our eares It had bene sufficient to terrifie the stoutest hart if Christ had onely sayde The way of saluation is straight and broad or wide opeÌ„ is the way of dampnatioÌ„ â–ª Whereby it might haue bene sufficieÌ„tly apparaÌ„t how hard it is to be saued and how easâ—…e to be dampned But he procéedeth saying That verie fewe doe finde the straight way of saluation and that â—…erie many doe walke in the voyde open way to dampnation Whereby he doeth ensinuate also that right fewe shal be saued and verie many dampned The which he doth more euidently set downe in another place saying Many are called but fewe are chosen Therefore who would not feare yea and tremble to heare these wordes if he be of the faythful and haue obteyned a liuely beliefe in Christ Jesus For the faith and true dutie of a christian is such and so misticall so great and yet so difficult that although we certainly know by the testimonie of Gods spirite the certaintie of our saluation in Christ yet should euerie wayfaring man in this worlde doe verie well to feare and forecast least hée in respect of infirmitie of fleshe should fall and offende and so consequently should doe well to walke in dread and reuerence before the Lord god For as we are bound to beleue that after this transitorie lyfe we shall be brought before the Tribunall seate of Christ the euerlasting God and infallyble dreadfull and moste iuste iudge there to receyue from him eyther euerlasting paynes of hell fyre or the euerlasting ioyes of heauen euen so if we behold the same with a cleare and lyuely fayth it were wonderfull if euer wee should be frée from trembling and dread But the malice and necligence that is in vs doeth blynde our hartes For if we were to passe through a field or place full of théeues wherin fewe passengers or wayfaring men had escaped who were he that would not feare excéedingly to light in danger of corporall death But now we passe and walke dayly through a fielde of this wicked worlde replenished with all kynde of diuilish temptations Wherein as is abouesayde verie fewe in comparison doe escape dampnation Neyther yet doe we feare but laugh playe sporte and banquet Yea we are throughly replenished with a vayne and moste perillous securitie or carefulnesse But my welbeloued let it not bee so let it not for Gods sake beé so amongest vs Let vs not so superficially heare the wordes of Christ least we neglect yea and loose our selues in vnrecouerable vntollerable and eternall distruction Let vs rather profoundly and cunningly fulfill the wordes of our sauiour thinking alwayes vpon that which is written Sanctifie the Lorde of Hostes for he is your feare and your terrour And agayne Be thou all day in the feare of God thou shalt haue wheron to hope in the latter day Wher vpon Hieremie also considering these things sayd There is no man lyke vnto thée O Lorde thou arte greate and thy name is also greate in strength And who shall not be afeard of thée O King of kingdomes Where vpon it is also written Great wonderfull are thy workes O Lord God omnipotent iust and true are thy wayes O Lorde and King of all worldes Who wil not magnifie and feare thy holy name bicause thy iudgements are manifest But before I wade any further let me say a little of the wordes before rehearsed of our sauiâ—…ur christ For he sayth that the way is narow the gate straight which leadeth to saluation Or rather as I take it he sayth that the way is verie narow the gate very straight For in y he demaundeth interrogatiuèly how straight is the way c. It is to be vnderstood y he ment very straight and narow But he plainly affirmeth that the way is broad and spatious which leadeth to euerlasting dampnatioÌ„ And by the wordes before rehearced the vnderstanding hereof is made manifest For as I haue a little before alledged there are two kyndes of wayes which men walke in One bright vertuous the which is the way of the chosen which fearfully and carefully serue the Lord God that is the straight and narrow way For as much as knowledge and vertue are alwayes occupyed about hardest things As I will hereafter more playnly declare And there is another vitious darksome way which is the way or lyfe of the reprobate the which is accoumpted broad and spatious bicause it is an easie matter to declyne from the
thinges sweare not Agayne our Sauyour sayeth Resist you not the euill dooer But if any man stryke you on the left chéeke turne the other vnto him hlso And he which will contende with thée in Judgement and take thy cote from thée geue him also thy cloke Loue your enemyes doe well to them that hate you and praye for them which persecute you and quarrell with you What thing can bée haâ—…der then this worde For euen as it is most easie most naturall for a man to loue his freind euen so it is most hard and moste vnnaturall for a man to loue his enemye And yet as Hierome sayth it is necessarye towardes saluation Naye rather sayth he he which hateth any one man doth loue no man truely and spirytually No neyther can he loue himselfe nor God being in such gréeuous and heynous sinne Furthermore our Sauiour sayth If you doe not forgeue offences one to another neyther will your heauenly father forgeue you your sinnes And agayne hée sayth Laye not vp treasure in earth and bée not carefull for to morrowe And also Judge not and you shall not be iudged Furthermore thynke not sayth he that I came to set peace in the world I came not to set peace hut the sworde For I came to seperate the Sonne from the Father the daughter from the mother and the sonnes wyfe from her father by lawe And then He which loueth father or mother more then me he is not worthy of me Also he which taketh not vp his Crosse and foloweth me he is not worthy of me And in another place The kingdome of heauen doth suffer wrong or violence and yet the violente doo take euen 〈◊〉 force And agayne For euery idell worde that men speake they shall render accoumpt in the day of iudgement And like wise he that will come after me let him dâ—…nye himselfe and take vp his Crosse dayly and folowe me For he which wyll saue his soule let hym léese it For he whiche looseth hys lyfe for me he shall finde it agayne And then thus Wo be to hym by whome offences come And Whosoeuer offendeth one of these lyttle ones beléeuing in me it were better for him that a mylstone were tyed about his necke and he drowned in the depth of the Sea. And agayne Unlesse you conuerte and become as one of these lyâ—…tle ones you shall not enter into the kingedome of heauen Herewith not forgetting that It is easyer for a Camell to enter through a Néedles eye then for a rytch man to enter into the kingdome of god We must remember also where he sayth Whosoeuer amoungest you woulde be greatest let hym be your mynister or seruaunt And Wo be to â–ª you rytch men which haue your consolation here Wo be to you which are filled for you shall hunger Wo be to you which laugh now for you shall mourne and wéepe Wo be to you when men shall prayse and blesse you Or thus what séest thou a moth in thy brothers eye and canst not see a beame in thyne owne Well Iesus sayed vnto a certayne man folowe me And he answered Lord suffer me first to go and burye my father And Iesus sayd Suffer thou the deade to burye their deade And he sayth Feare not them which kyll the body but cannot kyll the soule But feare you him which hath power to throwe the body and soule into euerlasting fyre And in another place O foole This night shall they take thy soule from thee Then whose shall that be which thou hast gathered And therevpon Such is euery man which hoordeth vp treasure and is not rytch in god What should we ouerpasse these sentences Sell that you possesse and geue almes Unlesse you repent you shall all peryshe to gither Departe from me all you which haue done wickedly 〈◊〉 thou makest a dynner or supper doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy brethren thy kynsmen nor thy next rytch neighbours 〈◊〉 peraduenture they byd thee agayne And so thou be wel recompenced But when thou makest a feast call the 〈◊〉 the weake the halte and lame and the blynde and thou shalt be blessed If any man come vnto me and doe not hate his father mother wyfe chyldren bretheren and â—…isters yea and his owne soule hée cannot bée my discyple And he which doth not forsake all that he hath cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discyple And that which is hyghly esteemed with meâ—… is abhomynation in the sight of god Fynally When you haue done all that which was commaâ—…nded you then saye We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue 〈◊〉 but that which we ought and were bounde to doe Agayne Euery man which exalteth himselfe shal be 〈◊〉 lowe And he which doth humble himselfe shal be exalted â–ª Beware least you ouercharge your bodyes with gluttony dronkennesse or the cares of this worlde By these and infinite other places my déerely beloued â–ª thou 〈◊〉 perceiue how streyght in déede and how narrowe the waye and gate are which leade to saluation But of these before 〈◊〉 passages some perteyne vnto the commaundements And therevnto all men are bounden Some other are of conncell and aduyse which neuerthelesse are to be obserued of as many as professe Christ sincerely Yea futhermore the selfe same may apeare by dyuers other Scryptures For the Apostle sayth They which are of Christ haue crucifyed theyr fleshe with the vyces and concupysences thereof Whosoeuer therfore doe not extinguish vyce and concupisence nor chastyse theyr bodyes they then perteyne not vnto christ Agayne A wyddowe saith he which liueth in delightes is dead liuing For though she liue by lyfe of nature yetis she dead by the death of punishment and iudgement Then if delightful lyfe be a fault or sinne in wyddowes how much more blameful is it to be thought in such as ought by reason of their 〈◊〉 to be gydes and paternes of godlynesse to others Herevnto many thinges might be added but let these suffise And these welbeloued I haue here thus rehearced to the end I might thereby induce thée to the feare of God the watchful care of thy harte and to the diligent reading of scripturs least thou shouldest in vayne flatter thy selfe with gods mercye And so become one of their socyetie which walke in the broad and spatyous waye For as the Apostle sayeth If we suffer with Christ wée shall also reygne with Chryst. If wée bée pacyente wyth him wée shall also lyue wyth him Yea and must we not accordyng to the Apostles wordes entre into heauen by many trybulations But it is true which GOD forbyde should be verified in thée which Bernard sayth Lorde many would reigne with thée but they will not suffer with thée Many would be with thée but fewe will folowe thée Many would finde thee but fewe doe seeke thee Therefore let vs not be afeard to beare trybulations synce Hierome sayth No seruaunt of Christ is without trybulation And if thou
Leo did right Clerkely affyrme saying The whole vyctorie of our Sauiour whereby hee ouercame both the worlde and the diuill was begunne and finyshed in true humilitie Furthermore as Bernard witnesseth Christ did alwayes choose those things which were most greuous vnto â—…esh and bloud and which did most declare humâ—…tie For he chose a poore mother of whom he was contented to be borne in the middest of the colde winter in the middest of darke night in a strange place and in a homely Cribbe WheÌ„ he was borne he was wrapped in a fewe torne cloutes and layde in the Oxe Maunger Yea moreouer when of him selfe he was ryche and aboundant or rather the verie true highest and omnipotent God he became poore for our sakes And so poore that he sayd The birdes of the ayre haue their neasts the Fores their dennes but the sonne of man hath not where to hide his head And how many persecutions he suffred endured by the Jewes is sufficieÌ„tly testified by the Euangelists For some saide vnto him Hee hath a diuill and the man is madde Some called him glutton bibber of wine and friend to the Publicans Some sayd that by Bekebub chief prince of the diuils he cast out wicked spirites Other sayde How is this man from God and we know that hee is a sinner Will he kill him selfe Sometymes they would stone him some other whyles throwe him downe headlong and at last they betrayed hym and put him to a moste vyle kynde of death But in all these thinges what dyd the innocent Lambe of God the sonne of the euerlastyng Father Forsooth hee was patient hée restored good for euill he spake wordes of saluation and health euen to the vnthankefull people he prayed for them which crucifyed him like a shéepe hee was ledde to the Slaughter and he lay still and helde his peace lyke a Lambe in the Shéepshearers hands When he was most falâ—…y and wrongfully accused before Pylate and Herode hée answered not one word He was made by GOD the father obedyent euen vnto death Hée made him selfe a sacrifyce and oblation for vs Hee was wounded for our offences And therefore stretched out vpon the Crosse. Yea his hands and féete were pearced with hard nayles vntill all his bones might be numbred And thus it was expedient that Christ should suffer and enter into hys glorie Then if we desire to bee christians and of the number chosen to be saued what remayneth for vs to doe euen that we follow and imitate Christes pouertie humilitie and patience That we chastise our owne bodies by the true fruites of repentance That we crucifie our fleshe with all the vyces and concupiscenses thereof That we make haste to walke in the narrow path with all feare and carefulnesse That we be not ouercome with euyll but let vs vanquishe the euill with goodnesse Let vs not rendre euil for good vnto any man Let vs not pampre and cherish our fleshe in myserable delights Nor let vs geue place to any lightnesse vanytie or toyes Whosoeuer can obserue these poyntes he â—…yspyseth the world happyly he ouer commeth himselfe laudably and he learneth of Christ what it is to be méeke and humble of heart For aboue all thinges we must founde all our conuersacion in true humylitie Wherevpon Leo spake grauely sayinge All the dysciplyne of christyan lyfe doeth not consist in cunning wordes in sharpenesse of wytte in dysputacion nor in vayne desyrs of glory and prayse but in the true and voluntary humilitie which our Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christ dyd choose and teache as the stoutest kynde of defence euen from the wombe of his mother vnto the deathe of the crosse Whereby it appeareth also how trwe it is that Cypryan sayeth All the lyfe of man if hée lyue lyke a chrystian and according to the Gospell is a crosse and a martyrdome As also Chrysostome trwely sayeth No man may well be termed a chrystian vnlesse he be conformed vnto Chryst in maners and conuersacion Wherefore my beloued if wée knowe that Jesus Christ is our sauiour and Lorde let vs blushe and bée ashamed if wée bée not founde conformable vnto him Let vs be abashed to lyue carnally delycately suÌ„pteously To ioy tryumphe in mens prayse fauour To séeke cheifly our owne commodytie and preferment And to walke puffed vp with a vayne and a proude hart For our lyfe is in the myddest betwéene the Angels and Beastes If we liue according to the fleshe we are to be compared vnto Beastes But if we lyue according to the spyrite we are made fellowes with Angells And if we yéeld to spyrituall sinnes and offences as pryde ambition vayne glory and wicked vanytie we are now coopled vnto Diuills rather then vnto brute Beastes Especially since that spirytuall vyces speaking in Genere are much greater and more gréeuous theÌ„ carnall vyces are But wouldest thou knowe who were rightly to be termed a christian He is truely a christian sayth Augustine which sheweth mercy to all men which is not moued nor disquyeted with any iniurye which féeleth another maÌ„s payne or greife as if it were his owne Whose table is not shut from any poore or néedy Which is accoumpted of small glory or estimatian before men to the end he may be gloryfied before God and his Angells Which dispyseth earthly thinges to obteyne heauenly Which succoreth thée myserable and afflicted and is moued to compassioÌ„ by other mens teares Therefore let vs clense our selues from all blottes and blemyshes both of fleshe and spirite And let vs imytate Christ our King by a wary and a frutefull lyfe abhoring and despysing all wrath all indignation stoutenesse and fleshelynesse that being altogither conuerted we maye be made as little babes agayne Saint Paule in his third Chapiter of his Epystle to the Galathians hath these wordes Pray you therfore coÌ„tinewally that you may be thought worthy to eskape all the euills which are to come to stand before the Sonne of man Now since we haue spokeÌ„ of such thinges as enduce y conteÌ„pt of this world on the behalf of god himselfe let vs also treate of such thinges as ought to enduce vs therevnto on our owne behalfe For wée are set in the myddest of snares and are enuâ—…d on euery side with enemyes yea and enclosed contynewally with a famylyare énemy that is our owne flesh stryuing against the spirite and as the Apostle sayth Our wrastling is not agaynst fleshe and blood but euen agaynst spyrites or powers of the ayre and Diuills Not that he ment we had no maner of stryfe nor wrastling agaynst fleshe and bloode but bicause the stryfe contention and wrastlyng which we haue agaynst the temptations of Diuills is much greater and of more force In asmuch as they be infatygable craftye and â—…rewell pryckes prouoking most gréedily the ouerthrow and condemnation of our soules Whereby it appeareth that we are be set rounde about with innumerable and excéedinge greate
peryls What therefore can be better aduysed vnto vs yea what can be safer or more for our health and saluation then to séeke a place of refuge to go into some streng walled towne and therein to séeke some mancion of rest quyet In the which there maye be founde as many defendors protectors as there are inhabytors All armed with the right spyrituall armour and most redye to fight agaynst sinne And where is this place Or this stronge walled Towne and Cytie Forsooth euen in the congregation of the deuout and relygious Whose harte and soule are all one in the Lorde Of whome euery one doth by spéeche by prayer and by examples drawe some other to followe hym in perfection Which vsing vertue for an armour doe set opposytely synguler and competent vertues against euerye pertyâ—…uler and neglygent vyce For behold howe good and pleasant a thinge it is for brethren to dwell to gether in vnytie For as Salomon sayeth If one of them fall he shal be raysed vp agayne by a nother Yea they haue contynewall and most excelent salues and oyntements that is to saye remedyes agaynst the dayly temptatyons of the Deuylles and the woundes of vyces And those remedyes are Dayly troubles and confusyons rebukes of superyours enstructioÌ„ of the faythfull consolation of that mercifull obseruatioÌ„ of god his word coÌ„mauÌ„denâ—…ts watching fasâ—…ing prayer teaching and holy medytations And to conclude euen as in this world one doth drawe another vnto sinne vyce euen so in the congregatioÌ„ of the deuout and faithfull one doth drawe and entyse a nother vnto vertues And euen as worldly society doth much hynder so this doth very much further aduaunce the perfection of godly lyfe As SalomoÌ„ sayth The man which is helped by his brother is as a strong Citie well walled And the Psalmist sayth With the holy thou shalt be holy and with the wicked thou shalt be paruerted Where vpon the holy worde doth agayne exhorte vs saying Be of daily conuersation with the holy man And with whome soeuer thou knowest to kéepe the feare of God before his eyes and whose soule is according vnto thyne in holynesse For in this world a man falleth often but ryseth seldome Is soone hurte gréeuously and late healed perfectly He fayleth much and profiteth but lyttle But in the congregation and feloshype of the faythfull and true chrystians all these thinges by Bernardes opynyon and by certayne experyence are cleane contrarye For there men fall seldome and ryse often Are lyghtly hurt and more easyly cured Doo lesse decrease and much more encrease Consyder then euen déepely the quantitie qualytie multitude and magnitude of thy perills Truely if this perill whereof I forewarne thée were onely for the losse of temporall thinges for troubles or afflyctions yea were it for transitorie infirmities losse of lyues or abyding of most bytter and paynefull death yet were it tollerable and I would not be so carefull for thée But this perill whereof I meane is concerning the irecuperable losse of the highest vnmeasurable and vnchangeable goodnesse of god And â—…wyse it concerneth the purchasing of euerlastinge daâ—…ion and the paynes of hell So that if thou doo not estéeme and dreade this perill vehemently then hast thou not thyne eyes illumyned neyther yet a cleare and lyuely faythe but a deadly and a darke Spyryte For is this perill not to be feared with out all comparyson more then any domage lâ—…sse trouble 〈◊〉 griefe and languyshing aduersity or temporall death Yes surely And for that cause if thou wouldest in the daye of iudgemeÌ„t be voyd of feare and be saued then be not voyd of care vainely light and vnfearefull but carefull busie and fearefull For in so doâ—…ing thou shalt at the last be safe and frée Furthermore since by Salomons wordes it séemeth That we are ignoraunt whether we are yet worthy of the loue or hatred of God and that all thinges vncertayne are so reserued till the tyme to come therfore we ought to be héedy and carefull before God least we encurre the daunger of his infinyte wrath and euerlasting dampnation To the avoyding wherof it is to be considered that certeyne sinnes vyces namely of the fleshe are the better avoyded and ouercome if a man doth estraunge and withdrawe himselfe from the materyall cause of the same But how canst thou ouercome such vyces and their branches if thou doe not flye from the materyall causes thereof But dost dayly kéepe company with such as vnhappyly wallowe toumble in those enormyties yea if thou doest become a fellowe vnto them eating drinking and walking with them For Hugo sayth That it is vnpossible for any man tâ—… eschewe sinne vnlesse he refrayne the company of sinners Then they which are dayly coÌ„uerasant with such as walke the broad and large way of perdytion and are like and conformable vnto them in eating drinking clothing spéeche pastymes and such other lyght affectiones how shall they be able to auoyde theyr more gréeuous offâ—…nces or how can they contynewe in the streyght path and ryght way walking with theÌ„ which wander so at large and straying so in euery broade bâ—… way god forbyd that thou shouldest arrogaÌ„tly thynke thy selfe of such so great perfection Synce it is written by Salomon he that handleth pytche shal be defiled therewith And he that doth communycate with a proude man shal be endewed with pryde Dothe it not folowe by the same reason that hée which communycateth with a lecher shal be defiled with lecherye Augustine sayth I beheld the Ceders of Lybanus Whose fall I doubted euen asmuch as the rewyne of Hierusalem And yet they both fell To conclude I say in fewe wordes that the more thou neclect the perylles of thy soule the more thou prosperest in this world the more delycately thou cherysh and tender that frayle fleshe of thyne the more theu folowe the will of thy harte the lesse thou regarde the losse of thy tyme the more thou doe now glory laugh and wander in vanyties so much the more myserable art thou so much the more grééuously to be bewayled and pyttied Yea y lesse that thou thy selfe bewayle thy blyndenesse iniquity and neglygence so much the more thâ—…u art of others to be bewayled pyttied Wherefore my welbeloued rowse thy selfe from so many peryles and daungers Flée from this world which is the enemye to thy soule conuerte thy selfe wholy and perfectly to the Lord thy God leaue and forsake for his sake all the goods and delights of this lyfe and he will geue vnto thée all the treasures and abundaunces in the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour sayth in the seuenth Chapiter of Mathew He which heareth the word of God and doth it not is lyke vnto a foolyshe man which buylt his house vpon the sande The floodes came and the wyndes blewe and burst into that house the rewyne thereof was great The holy fathers doe compare this world to a great and ragyng
Sea which is tossed with tempestes And is passed with great daungers and many difficultyes Agayne behold the Lorde GOD with whome all thinges doe consist in an vnchangeable eternytie as the highest thinge to be séene or beheld vpwardes And the world it selfe as the lowest thynge downewardes Then consider saye they lykewyse the mynde of man placed as it were in the myddest béetwene them both The which by the crcellence of manes condition doth floate aboue the chaungeablenesse of this world and yet hath not attayned the vnchaungeablenesse of the diuyne nature Then if mans minde should chaunce through loue gréedy desire of these thinges which passe downwards to drown it selfe therin immediately it wil be ouerthrowen with sundry waues and beinge as it were deuided from it selfe wil quickly be dyssipate and destroyed But so much the easier it wil be to gather it altogether on a heape to preserue it if it rayse vp it selfe with an earnest thought and desire forsaking those base and earthly places vntill at last it become altogither vnchaungeable by atteyning vnto that highest most excelent immutabylity Againe when a mans minde doth declyne downewardes by the loue which it hath to earthly thinges it suffereth shipwracke in the floodes of this world And being myxed or myngled amongest the changeable thinges doth flowe away with the streame Yea it is by a kynde of twofould daunger tossed retossed For both it is in perill to be drowned by the déepe affection it beareth to the lower parts and againe by contyne wall working of the waue in multytude of affections it is meruelously dyssypate and dysseuered But if it rayse it selfe vpwardes from the loue of this present lyfe by the desire that it hath vnto eternytie and doe gather together all his thoughtes and cogitations then doth it as it were swym alofte in the floode and doth spurn and kycke awaye all traunsitory thinges as fylth or wéedes swymming lose in the water Therefore let the mynde of man as it were so repose it selfe in safety by raysing it selfe aboue and on it selfe towardes God and by retorning to it selfe in it selfe that by the considerations aforesayd it béeing raysed aboue the world maye behold the perylles a farre of and reioyse that it hath by any meanes eskaped them And this it is to go into the Arke of the hart and the spyrituall Shippe By helpe whereof we maye happyly eskape the waues of this worlde wherewith we are tossed alwayes Then spurne from thée and despyse these transitorye and frayle thinges and behold thou arte swoome and eskaped out of this great dyluge of roaring waters Consider déepely and medytate the heauenly Sacraments of thy redemption together with the benefytes of the diuine goodnesse bestowed vpon thée and thou art alredy entred into the Arke of thy hart and the Shippe aforesayde Againe this world is most conueniently compared vnto a large féelde full of crewell théeues and robbers In the which many are kylled and murdered and very few eskape at any tyme vnwounded or not sore hurt Yea that which is worst they which walke commonly in this field doe betray eche other into the hands of those théeues That is whilest one of them doth leade another into the fall of finne whereby he falleth into the diuells handes And thou my welbeloued if thou wouldest be afeard to walk in such a féelde replenished with théeues who might endaunger thée with temporall death how darest thou then walke through this wycked worlde wherein so many enemies are suborned by wycked spyryts and so many stumbling blockes are layed to make thée fall into euerlasting fyre Agayne this world is compared to a wood set on fyre wherof in maner all the trées are burnt and destroyed For we maye dayly behold howe the loue and charytie of God is waxed colde in mens hartes how the loue of the world hath preuayled howe the fyre of concupyscence the feruentnesse of pryde and the flame of couetousnes are kyndled In such sorte that almost euerye man séeketh to shyfte for himselfe And neuer séeketh Christe Jesus nor those thinges which pertayne vnto his glorye Men are carefull for worldly sustenaunce and not for the purenesse of the soule nor the cleanennesse of the hart Yea they doo rather séeke to avoyde the dyscoÌ„modities of this present lyfe then to eskape the bytter and eternall tormentes of hell fyre And howe then darest thou chuse but be carefull how to eskape out of this woode yea and that with spéede least thou be burned and consumed with the fyre of vyce lewdenesse Lastly it is compared vnto an olde Citie which for the morâ—… part is become ruinous battred destroyed In such sort that the enemyes may aproch and assault it on euery syde So that it is now no safe dwelling therein But we must flye vnto some stronger place of defence For if we doo rightly consider our owne frayltie how prone we are to euyll and how slow to goodnesse we shall fynde it requisite to séeke some safer resting place for our soules wherein we may the better eschew and auoyde all occasions of sinnes The princely Prophet in his foure and fortyth Psalme hath these wordes My daughter behold and geue eare and bend thyne eare to me and forget thy people and the house of thy father and the king will earnestly desyre thy coomlynesse Although these wordes be lytterally to be expounded by the Church which is the vniuersall Spouse of Christ yet may they also be vnderstoode by euery faythfull soule and mynde which is also the perticuler Spouse of christ For as Sainct Augustine sayth euery soule is eyther the spouse of Christ or the diuells concubyne And therefore the holy Prophet saying Forget thy people and thy fathers house meaneth despise these earthly thinges in respect of God and for his sake Set asyde kynsmen brethren neyghbors and all â—…arnall affections To th ende that all thyne affection may be towardes god Yea make thy selfe ryche of spirituall ryches and adorne and decke thy selfe with all grace and vertue For the more perfectly that thou contempne worldly thinges so much the more thou shalt be replenyshed with heauenly treasure As Gregory sayth He doth very well withdraw his loue from the creatures which doth onely with the eyes of his hart and vnderstanding beholde the excedinge bright bewtie and louelynesse of the Creatour So that my deare and chrystian brother if thou doo so the kyng of kynges the lorde of lordes the onely begotten sonne of GOD wyll earnestly desyre thy coomelynesse That is thyne inward coomelynesse thyne inward reformation the bryghtnesse of thy wysedome and the feruentnesse of thy loue And that shal be sayed vnto thée which is wrytten in the Cantycles O my beloued how fayre and amyable thou art yea he wyll louâ—… thée being so fayre and louely He will blesse thée with heauenly light and the true fruites of the holy Ghost He will assocyate thée vnto him for euer So that thou
forgeuenesse For euery good déede ought to be done for the zeale of iustice and righteousnesse and for Godly charytie but not for feare Thereof the Apostle saied If I speake with the tonges of Angels and of men and yet haue not charytie in mée it shall nothinge profit mée For theÌ„ doe wée chiefly performe our dutyes when wée reuerence GOD not onely for feare but also for the sure trust and confidence that we haue in his loue And when zealous affection not dreade doth rayse vs vpwards to doe that is good By this dread is vnderstoode and ment the seruyle feare which onely and principally dothe respect the punishment and correction Of the which sainct Iohn sayeth There is no feare in perfect charitie Then siâ—…ce we might be enduced as hath béen beforesayde to the contempt of this world by the consideracion of death iudgement the paines of hell yet ought we much more by much stronger reason to be enduced therevnto by the consideracion contemplacion and loue of the perpetuall blessednesse glory of the chosen The which is of a certayne infinit dignitie since it is an immedyate frewition of that vnmeasurable good holy and glorious god Wherefore as this frewition is altogether supernaturall we can neuer atteyne therevnto but by supernaturall meanes As thankeful thanksgeuing Fayth Hope Charitie the other gyftes of the holy Ghost And the more perfectly and plenteously that these meanes doo dwel abyde in vs so much the more vehemently we despise all worldly temporal things plainly perceue their vanitie vylenesse doo Yea we doo so much the faster more affectionately more abundaÌ„tly more swyftly vncessantly aspyre go forewards approch or rather runne outryght towards y blessednesse of the heauenly Paradyse habitacion Embrasing executing all the helpe fauour assystance of gods holy spirit more redyly and more chearefully Wherefore let vs be moued by the desire of the felicitie and glory of the â—…lect to performe stoutly and couragiously all thinges that may please god Let vs quickly out of hande forsake the worlde yea lette vs accompt all the fraylties thereof to be as dyrt and doonge For as Augustine dooth well testifie The bewtie of ryghteousnesse and the pleasantnesse of th eternall lyght are such and so greate that although a man myght therein remayne but one onely houre in a daye yet euen for that small space vnnumerable yeares of thys lyfe béeinge full of delyghtes and flowingâ—… with temporall pleasures were worthily to be forsaken and set at naught For in the citiâ—… of God and the kingdom of the elect the lawe is charitie the king is veritie the peace is felicitie and the whoâ—…e course of lyfe is eteruitie Wherefore my welbeloued prepare thy selfe and marke narowly what a great felicitie the blessed inioy and what exceedyng delight it is to see God playnely â–ª and distinctly For the fayrer that any thing is doe we not accompt it also the more delectable to behold it playnly and perfectly Since God then of him selfe is essentially totally and vndescribably fayre holy pure and bright 〈◊〉 or rather the true and infinite beautie the 〈◊〉 substantiall forme the separate eternall perfect simple and vnmyxed comelinesse the chief fountayne originall cause and exemplare shewe of any fayrenesse comelinesse purenesse and clearenesse in all creatures the most beautifull and comely of all other beyond comparison it is therefore moste euydent that to sée and behold him face to face and in his proper person is most delightfull most delectable and moste gloryous excéedyng too too much all other delight and glory more then can be with wordes expressed For the better swéeter and perfecter that any thing is in it selfe the more delightfull and pleasaunt the fruition therof must be But our Lord God being omnipotent onely to bée adored happie and of him selfe most excelent pure vndescribable and incomprehensible goodnesse that infinite swéetenesse that so perfecte Being that whatsoeuer pertayneth to the fulnesse worthinesse and prâ—…heminence of any Being present paste or to come 〈◊〉 néedes agrée and be lyke vnto it in all perfection and excelencie it must néeds follow that the immediate fruition of it should be altogither and in all respects most pleasaunt swéete and delectable For the obtayning whereof all the ioyes honors prayses and prosperities of this worlde are infinitely and with excéedyng lothsomenesse to be dispysed Then consider in such sorte as thou mayest what ioy it would be to sée and behelde the eternall being of his diuyne maiestie How it is and hath bene from the beginning of it selfe made â—…or created by any man nor dependyng of any thing but to it selfe of it selfe by it selfe and in it selfe alwayes sufficient Consider howe much good it would doe thée playnely and face to face to beholde the vndiscribable admyrable and incomprehensible God and in his euer springing wisedome and sapyence to sée and discerne the whole order comelinesse truth and perfection of all the vniuersal world with many other most secrete treasures of gladnesse yea to inioy this vnmeasured goodnesse and treasure and wholly to possesse it And therwith to haue all that may séeme faire amyable or to be desired Agayn to be so excéedingly illustrate with the godly wisdome so abundantly replenished with the diuine goodnesse that all thy capacitie vnderstading and all thy desire might therwith be throughly filled satisfied Yea furthermore consider what excéeding pleasure it would be to taste the swéetnesse of godly peace and tranquilitie to be euen swallowed vp in the loue of thy creator to be transformed into God to be made perfectly lyke vnto him to imbrace him louingly in him selfe in such sorte that thou coulâ—…est not at any tyme be withdrawen or plucked away froÌ„ his sight loue imbrasings to sée perceiue that most blessed vision and inward contemplation of the holy Trinitie the issuing out of the same how the sonne procéedeth from y father and howe the holy ghost procéedeth from them both howe theyr persons are to be worshipped as one in being thrée in subsisting and finally to behold perceyue perfectly their mutuall well pleasing ioye imbrasing loue and glorie For the diuyne and vncreated persons doe mutually loue eche other with an vnmeasurable kynde of loue they beholde eche other with an infinite kynde of delyght they inioye eche other with an vntermynable kynde of swéetenesse and they them selues onely doe fully and comprehensiuely knowe and beholde them selues So that the chosen shall reioyse in them selues at the sight and vision of God in themselues they shall reioyce in the beautye and comelinesse of their heauenly bodies and the bodyes of their corporal creatures and in them selues they shall reioce in the glorification of the bodie and the soule As also without and about them they shall reioyce in the societie of the Angelles and blessed people of god In them shall doubtlesse bee sâ—…ne the true bryghtnesse of the sommers lyght the true
but coÌ„tentedly to haue receaued it The loue they bare vnto God his will in their lyfe kept theÌ„ from disorderid loue of the world and froÌ„ the coÌ„mon sinnes vices which men for worldly thinges coÌ„mit being not troubled with conscience remorce therof sawe no cause to shunne to feare death And as this loue of god his wil encreased in the new testament where the holy ghost the spirit of loue was is more pleÌ„tiously powred in to y harts of the right beleuiÌ„g So the loue of lyfe decresed the desire of death increased in y best professors therof the appostles martirs infinite not only coÌ„tented to leue this life but also desir eddeath who receuig the faith gospel beig taught therby to coÌ„fornie theÌ„ selues to y life image of Christ did with perfect faith pleÌ„tious charitie full hope coÌ„meÌ„d theÌ„ selues to the will of God the expectation of the life to come which they knew was prouided for them y loueth God neither is there any other cause why we dye not like theÌ„ but bicause we liue not like them we feare death bicause we liue not wel some more some lesse according as the order of our liues hath ben and who so saith that the maner of death is a touchstone to way the life is not much deceiued I wil not say but many men may dye wel that liueth ill for mercie is aboue iudgement but none coÌ„tent to dye but he that by death loketh to be with Christ which is he that by his life showeth that he knoweth loueth Christ without which loue y more faith at that time the lesse comfort For faith teacheth Gods mercy his iustice and if iustice be all against vs either faith ingendreth in vs sorow of such a life and so repentance which is good an entry toward life or if it ingender not an earnest repentance it bringeth nothing to comfort ease releue vs but all contrary And therfore he that wil liue in coÌ„tinual meditation of death which is y way to make him a familier so no dreadful gest nor stranger must liue in loue I meane y loue of vprightnes honestie cleanesse iustice integritie doing good where hée can hauing inteÌ„t to hurt none getting vprightly to suâ—…in himself his of that remayneth departing liberally to the poore as he séeth cause is able to such a man y remeÌ„brance of death caÌ„ not be vnpleasant for it shal neither take him vnprouided nether beriue him of any thing wherwith he is disorderly in loue Such a man liuing coÌ„teÌ„tedly in y place wherin he is called traueling carefully to fil satisfie the same wheÌ„ death approcheth doth méekly say to God with Christ I haue done the worke thou sentest me to doe And albeit there hath bene much weaknesse many infirmities in his trauel and accomplishing that worke he was sent to doe yet with a great indifferencie he shal be able to vse the words of the vertuous learned Bishop neither haue I liued so among you that I should be ashamed to liue neither doe I feare to die bicause we haue a good Lord master The man so liuyng and so thinking is onely happie neither troubled with inordinate desire of highe estate which he taketh but for a place to trauayle for many neither affrayde to be in meaner then he is knowing that where so euer God placeth him he hath his worke to doe wherwith he may please him euer quyet content to dye and not vnwilling to liue But here some man may say although he be not disordridly desirous of life yet can he well be coÌ„teÌ„t to liue though not for him self or for his owne sake yet for others therin wisheth nothing vngodly but deceÌ„tly to kéepe the place whervnto he is called which he can fill if not better yet as wel as an other maÌ„ to help such as néed him to bring vp his childreÌ„ to see theÌ„ disposed finally to bestow the benifits y God hath lent vnto him he y maketh this obiectioÌ„ lieth not on him self is not of y worst sort nor much to be misliked vnto whoÌ„ neuertheles it must be answered if his desire be to liue for others who by him may be y better he must coÌ„sider y wel doing is not all his own wherof though maÌ„ be y minister God is the giuer who will dispose him self to doe many good and none hurt so coÌ„tinue God knoweth man knoweth not but this maÌ„ knoweth y without gods giuing he doth it not wel knoweth he also y happie had bene SalomoÌ„ if he had ben taken in his youth wel doing the like may ye read of many say by experience of some whither he would be one of them by long life he knoweth not if ther were no dauÌ„ger it shuld not haue ben writteÌ„ he y staÌ„deth let him take héed y he fal not if he think there were no dauÌ„ger in him self theÌ„ is he proud and lyke to be one of them that would fall if he doubt then is it wisdome to put him self to him that knoweth And sith he knoweth and is sure that after death no sinne is done better is the choyse to go with safetie as Gods seruant wheÌ„ God willeth then in continuaunce to put that in a hazarde which if it goe amisse at the ende can not be recouered nor the losse redubled Déepe in payne lye many who by long lyfe fell into sinne and therby into their damnation who had then dyed in their youth had lyued with Christ and howe much they bewaile their long life the oceasâ—…oÌ„ of their paiâ—… no tonge can tell nor harte thinke But to returne to the matter if he say he would doe many good in long tyme and lyue accordyng to his place and callyng let him shewe that in the tyme he hath giuen him and if in so doing he be takeÌ„ sith he may say to God I haue done the worke thou sentest me to doe and when God calleth hym away hee knoweth there is no more appointed for hym to doe he knoweth also there is no more cause for him to lyue bicause desire of doing good was the only cause why he would lyue His childre are Gods more then his who leaueth not the seede of the iust who calleth him selfe the father of Orphans and iudge of Widdows whose blessyng if they haue they shal prosper though they lacke a mortall father And if they lacke that much sorow and small comforte should the father haue to see that he could not amend for eche good father neither maketh nor leaueth a good chyld And yet doeth not such a man lacke wyfe and friendes to whom he may commit the care of children and if his friendes will doe much for them at his request and recommendation why should he mistrust Gods proÌ„uydence helpe and dyrection if hée commend them vnto hym By whom
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
the lord They went about in shéepes felles in goates skynnes néedy afflicted miserable For whome the worlde was not yet worthy Straying in solitarie places in mountaynes in dennes and in caues of the carth in daunger of floods in daunger of théeues in daunger of the Iewes in 〈◊〉 of the Gentylles and in daunger of faulse brethren In labour calamitie in much watching in hunger and thirst in many necessities and in cold and nakednesse For the 〈◊〉 doth deny himselfe and 〈◊〉 his members together with all vices and coâ—…pisences that the world may be 〈◊〉 vnto him And he to the worlde He hath héere no place of aboade but séeketh diligently for the heauenly habitation to come He susteyneth the world as an exile beinge 〈◊〉 vp in his bodie as in a pryson sayinge I am an inhabitour and a stranger in the earthe as all my forefathers haue bene Forgeue me that I may be cooled before I depart I will abyde no longer Alas that my dwelling place is prolonged I haue euer dwelled with the inhabitaÌ„ts of cedar my sowle hath remayned with them Who is weakened and I am not weake Who is weakened and I am not vexed For the sinnes of the neighbors are the refreshinges of the iust This is that watering place which Caleph gaue vnto his daughter Axa in dowry The lyfe of man vpon earth is a warfare Yea is it not 〈◊〉 right warfare when manyfold enemies doe on euery syde assayle it that they may take man and persecute him and kyll him the deuill and man the world and the flesh The deuill with vices and concupisences man with beastes the world with Elements and the flesh with the sences For the flesh doth couet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But we must not wrastle against flesh and bloud but against the lyuely breathinges of wickednesse in heauenly thinges and against the captaines of these darcknesses For your aduersary the deuill goeth about lyke a roaring Lion séeking whome he may deuowâ—…r The fyry dartes of the most wicked are kindled Death commeth in by the wyndowes the eye doth robbe the Sowle the whole world doth fight against the sences that is nacion against nacion kingedome against kingdome great Earthquakes in many places pestilences and hongers tempestes and terrors from heauen The Earth bringeth forth thornes and thissells the water flooddes and raging tempestes the Ayre thunder and great wyndes the Fyer lightninges and flashâ—…nges Saying cursed be the Earth in thy works it shall bring forth thornes and thissells vnto thée With the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread vntill thou retourne to the Earth For Earth thou art and to the Earth thou shalt goe The Bore out of the woode doth lye in waight and the best fruites are destroyed The Woulfe and the Beare the Leopard and the Lyon the Tyger and the wylde Asse the Crocodyle and the Gryffen the Serpent the Snake the Adder and the Bassâ—…liske the Dragon and the Ceracte the Scorpion the Uyper yea Nittes Lyse Fleas and Ants Flyes and Gnats Waspes and Hornets Fyshe and Fowles For whereas we are created to beare rule ouer the Fyshes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and all lyuing creatures which moue vpon the Earth Now we are geuen as a praye for them and are made foode for their mouthes For it is wrytten I will send the téeth of wylde beastes against them with the fury of Serpents and things which glyde vppon the Earth Unhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me out of the body of this death Surely man would be brought out of pryson and would depart out of his body For the body is the prison of the Sowle Wherevpon the Psalmist saith Bring my sowle out of pryson No rest nor quietnesse no peace nor securitie at any tyme On all sydes feare and trembling and on all sides labour and payne Flesh shall be sorowful euen whylest it lyueth and the sowle shal morne and lament ouer it selfe Who had euer yet a whole day pleasant in his delight who in some part thereof the guiltinesse of consience the feare of anger and feircenesse or the motion of concupisence hath not troubled whome the swelling of enuie the earnest desyer of couetousnesse or the puffing vp of pryde hath not vexed Whome some losse or offence or passion hath not disquieted and to conclude whom neither sight nor hearing or some thing that touched dyd not offend Rara auis in terris 〈◊〉 simillima Signo Herken herevpon vnto the saying of the wise man Betwene morning sayth he and night the tyme shal be changed Uayne thoughts and cogitacions doo one succede another the mynde is wrapped into sundry conceytes They houlde the Tymbrell and Lute in theyr handes and they reioyce at the sounde of the Organnes they leade theyr life in iollytie and at the twincke of an eye they goe downe into hell Alwayes some sodeyne sorrowes doo succede and fâ—…low after worldly ioye And he which beginneth in ioye endeth in griefe For the worldly felicitie is mingled with many sorrowes and sharpe mishappes as he well knewâ—… which sayd They laughter shall be mingled with sorrow lameÌ„tacioÌ„ comes in th end of reioycing This did the sonns children of Iobe wel trye who whiles they did eat draÌ„k wine in the house of their eldest brother sodeynly a vehement wynde brake in from the desart country strake the foure corners of the house which fell downe and oppressed theÌ„ all Whereby their father sayed not without iust cause My harp is tourned into lamentacion myne organe pypâ—… into the voyce of wéepers mourners But it is better to goe vnto the house of weping lamentacion then to the houses of banqueting Geue eare and marke a holsome admonicioÌ„ In the day of reioycing good fortune be not vnmidfull of mishaps Remâ—…ber the latter daies thou shalt neuer sin Alwayes the last day is the first and yet the first daye is neuer reputed for the last yet we should so liue as though we were euer ready to dye For it is written Be myndeful and remember that death will not long tarry from thée time passeth away death approcheth A thousand yeares before the eyes of him the dyeth are as yesterday which passed away For all thinges to come doo grow and renew and alwaies thinges present doo dye and fade And whatsoeuer is past is altogether dead Then we dye alwaies as long as we lyue then at length we leaue dying when we leaue to lyue any longer Therefore it is better to dye vnto lyfe then to lyue vnto death Wherevpon Salomon saide I haue more praysed the dead then the liuinge and haue accounted him more then bothe which was neuer borne Life flieth swiftly away and cannot be