you haue reiceiued by him yet grieue for him for my plentious griefe sake who haue lost all my ioye for your generall comfort Beholde these lippes are closed which were wont to vtter oracles of comfort those eyes are shut which neuer behelde your infirmities without flouds of compassion the handes are maymed which were liberallye opened to all good workes the feete are wounded that brought you tidinges of peace eache parte of him is thus mangled to amende you hurt to heale you galled to doo you good pearced to worke your profite And haue you no one teare to tender for his kindness Ah ingratefull that yee are and more insensible than beastes more cruell than tygers more harde than stones the Sunne put on mourning garmentes when my sonne suffered and shall not the swoorde of afflictions pearce your entrayles to beholde this tragedie The vaile of the Temple rent from the top to the bottome and will you not rent your heartes with ruth to regard his rent bodie The earth trembled for feare and wil you not weep for pittie Stones breake in sunder and shal not your stonie harts wax tender The dead for sooke their graues to grieue for him and shal not the liuing despise their delights to lament him Ah iust Abel thy bloud cryeth for reuenge and hath pearced heauen but it is dispersed and despised on earth Ah holy Ioseph thy bloudie coate hath broached a spring of remorse in Iacobs eies though thy brethren lament thee not The chosen Israelites mourn for their Sampson though the Philistians afflicte thee Oh men the Saints in heauen blesse this bodie you sinners on earth will not bewaile it the heauens shew his greatnes yet men on earth acknowledge not his goodnes the starres declare his diuinitie men decline not to see his dead humanitie the flowers of the fields testifie his beautie but the wormes of the earth sorrowe not his obscuritie O you race of Adam he that created all things without trauell gouerned them without care sustained them without thought and possessed them without necessity now lieth heere dead trauelled by sorrow and death blinde to make you see senselesse to make you feel subiect to make you soueraignes and shall he haue so much care of you you so little compassion of him Oh you hardned in heart blinded in vnderstanding surfeted in sensualitie wil not then your stony harts otherwise suffer ye to weepe come gather teares from the wel-head of his benefits that you may assist me to bewail him he hath drawen you from your bannishment to your blessing from obscuritie to life frō death to eternitie What he punished in the angells he pittied in you what he persecuted in himselfe he hath pacifid for you In the old law whosoeuer had falne into the vncleannes of leprosie was thus cured and thus cleansed the priest taking two sparrows when he had slain the one dismissed the other anointing the sick of the leprosie with the bloud of the dead one hee thereby recured the sicke purged the vncleannes And what figure is this ô ye sonnes of vanitie but the tipe of your owne imperfections you are spiritually falne into the leprosie of sin this noble sacrifice this sacred priest hath taken two sparrows his bodie and soule to cleanse you of your leprosie his bodie hath hee suffered to die to bee rent to bee torne to bee whipte for you his soule hee hath dismissed and by the bloud issuing from his wounds he hath clensd your leprosy ratified his couenāt shut you in the arms of mercye shuted you with your wedding garmēts Oh then though his sufferance touch not your harts let his benefites turne them weep weepe on him that praieth for you as your priest praieth in you as your head and must bee intreated by you as your God Behold your phisition whom desire of gold hath not drawen to you but intirenes of mercye hath prouoked to assuage your miserie Beholde that Christ that hath vnited you to God reconciled you with his bloud vrged compassion for you with his tears your sins haue separated you from him his death hath alied you to him O hard hearted men cannot this moue you thē harkē to further motiues and let them amend you God in the first lawe appointed a free citie of refuge for the afflicted and priuiledge for the offenders whereto whosoeuer had grace to approch before he were apprehended hee was assured of safetie and defended from iustice In this new law this Christ oh true tipe of charitie hath made these cities in himselfe established this priuiledge in his body and walled the same with his wounds Hether ô you sinners repaire heere shall you haue mercy for teares life for repentance remission of sinnes for confession of sinne Oh contrite sinner dwell in these cities let your memorie inhabite them thy meditation imbrace them thy pittie bewaile them Thinke on these woundes they wil heale thee forsake them death will follow thee forget them mercie will denie thee Abuse not the priuiledge of wounds death and passion least thou bewaile too late the horror of hell death and damnation Will none weep with me Will no reasons wound you Are teares so scant for mercies so plentifull Come come and learne what tears be that you may know their benefites The sinners teares are Gods mirrours their penitent sighs his incense God heareth praiers but beholdeth tears praiers moue God to heare tears compell him to haue mercie Silent teares are speaking aduocats It was not Maries anointing with sweet balme Maries drying with faire haire Maries attention with humble heart but Maries teares they wrought my compassion Oh come weepe then if not weepe yet consider Proude man see here the patterne of humilitie humble learne heere whereof to releeue thee irefull learne here the benefite of sufferance patient receiue here the crown of durance couetous learne heere to affect pouertie poor receue here how thou hast Christ thy companion the only sonne of God hath made many sons of God hee hath bought him brothers with his bloud approued them and beeing approued redeemed them beeing solde honoured them by suffering dishonours and giuen thē life by suffring death Let him therefore be wholy infixed in your hearts who wholy was crucified for you on the crosse O men loose not these blessings forget not these bounties This Christ subiected himselfe to the power of death that he might deliuer you from the yoake and power of the deuill hee tooke seruitude vpon him that hee might giue you the libertie of eternal life hear what he crieth in your soules and respect his summons O man see what I suffer for thee there is no griefe like to mine I cry vnto thee who died for thee Behold the paines wherwith I am afflicted see the nailes wherwith I am pearced and although the exterior griefe be so great yet the inward sorowes are more vehement when I behold
though nature cannot mâ—â—e you to sighs which is affecteâ—â—y her obiects let mee winne you by reasons to ratifie your remorse If your friends come from far countries to visite you you imbrace them if they giue you giftes you thanke them if they counsell you you consent vnto them What then will you returne your sauiour my sonne for his curtesies Hee comming into the worlde hath shewed you three principall signes of loue mercie and pietie First hee condescended to your mortalitie Secondly hee prouided messengers of your saluation Thirdly he gaue you precepts and admonishmentes of your welfare He came from heauen to comfort you on earth hee suffered on earth to carrie you to heauen he became the lowlyest amongst men to make you the highest among creatures hee hath visited you with his graces giuing ease to your labour comfort to your afflictions salue to your infirmities he hath presented you with gifts not golde and siluer which are corruptible not pomp honor which seduce the senses not securitie and vanitie which corrupt the heart but he hath broken his bodie on the crosse for you hee hath broken his bodie in the Sacrament for you he hath giuen you the cup of attonement his ' precious bloud hee hath made you one with God by being generally condemned by the world he hath counselled you to rise from sins to make your bodies vessels of the holy Ghost to sanctifie your soules in the bloud of his testament being made approued iust therefore you ought to loue him wholy to whoÌ„ you owe al what you are wholy If you see an earthly king before you you fal before his throne you humble your selfe before his iudgment you subscribe to his law and obey his ordinances why despise you then the king of heauens to whom princes stoope and whom the wind and sea obeyeth to whom all knees both in heauen earth and hel are bowed If you respect works hee made heauen and earth if the manner of nothing if the purpose for vngratefull man who being lord of all by him will not acknowledge his due homage to him if you dispose your affections by the wisdom of your gouernors who more wiser than Iesus Where the Psalmist sayth Great is the Lord our God mightie his vertue and his wisdom is beyond number And again God is the God of sciences our thoughts are prepared vnto him Who therefore is so wise mightie as her that by wisdom discouereth al things and by power punisheth all offences How much wisedome and seuetitie is in this Iudge Who discouereth the thoughts of the hart knoweth whereunto our imaginations are intended measureth the waight of our sinnes and how iniquities are chained together Fnally all are of him by him and in him If wonders drawe your affections who were wonderfull looke on his birth it is wonderfull aboue nature without man of a sole virgine looke on his name it is wonderfull Iesus by interpretation a sauior Yet more woÌ„ders a fraile man and a strong God a poore mans sonne and the prince of peace borne in time and the perpetuall father of succeeding ages Yet three more wonders First in those things which were spoken of him SecoÌ„dly in those things which were spoken by him Thirdly in those which were forespoken of him by the Patriarks and Prophets Iacob prophesied his comming long before The scepter shall not bee taken from Iudah Balaam called him the starre out of Iacob they called him the flower and the branch on which flower the holy Ghost should haue his resting place And is not this admirable Wil you more wonder Hear Elizabeth prophesie hear Zacharie prophesie the shephearde prophesie the Sages prophesie Yet more wonders In his infansy his answeres were admirable all testifie of him maruell at his answere applaud his prudence Will you more wonders The people maruelled at him saying He hath done all things wel hee hath made the deafe heare and the dombe speake Loue him therefore as your Lorde honour him as your king who is admirable in his conception admirable in his birth admirable in his preachings admirable in his passion admirable in his death admirable in his charitie And to this loue O remorselesse lookers on adde teares for no man can truelye loue that is not affected to see his beloued afflicted Come come and weepe bitterly with mee for you haue much cause of lamentation If loue can diuorce you from ingratitude come and weep of pure loue for my son hath therefore suffered because he loued if in iustice come mollifie your hearts behold an innocent reprochfully crucified if consanguinitie can affect you behold your father which hath begotten and chosen you before all eternities reckned amongst theeues rent by bloudthirstie men scourged by the guiltie if you be abashed to see God so mightily brused bewail your deadly sins the causes of his detriment if you wonder at his humilitie blame your pride if you admire his patience condemn your wrath As the member that feeleth no griefe is sayde to bee dead and the disease which is insensible is alwayes vncurable so vnlesse you partake in passion with Christ lament to see him crucified sorrowe to beholde his woundes you are no liuing members but dead ones no true sonnes of his but bastardes if you suffer wyth him you shall raigne with him if you associate him in his passions you shall partake wyth him in his consolations The Philosophers write that the Harpie is a birde hauing a mans 〈◊〉 so fell cruell and furious that beeing pressed and assaulted with hunger she inuadeth killeth a man whome when shee hath deuoured and whose bodie when she hath torne beeing assailed wyth thirst she flyeth to the water to drinke where beholdin◠〈◊〉 owne face and remembring the similitude of him whome shee slew shee is confounded with so much griefe that shee dieth for dolour Oh carelesse worldlings except ther be lesse remorse in you than in this creature looke into the spring of your consciences lodge in your memorie howe much you haue crucified this Christ with your sinnes slain him by your offeÌ„ces though you die not through extremitie of grief yet let fall some teares to bewayle him tenderly Oh let not sinne take hold of you idlenesse preuent you or pride consound you for trees that haue broadest leaues doo soonest loose them men that haue proudest thoughts are soonest deceiued by them Foolish that thou art canst thou bewaile thy dead father that begot thee thy sick sonne that delights thee thy lost riches that maintained thee wilt not thou weepe for Iesus that redeemed thee Canst thou grieue to see thy flockes perish thy houses burnned thy wise slaine thy daughters defloured and wilt thou not weepe to see thy God who gaue these confounded with tormeÌ„ts thy comforter that created these suffer on the crosse thy Iesus that lightneth thee cloathed with death Oh let not your gronings be hidden from him praie
shew the horrour of thy offence power was made desolate Oh stony heart be not so obstinate let teares drop from thine eyes to recompence the bloud pouring from his wounds sigh bitterly with him that praied earnestlye for thee What is this sinne sayest thou that inforceth such a sacrifice That which maketh all men in the world flie from their saluation and runne after theyr owne concupiscences without anie feare that which leadeth men downe to hell that which blindeth the vnderstanding that which maketh men like vnto foolish beastes for as beastes incline themselues to earthly pleasures so sinners betroth themselues to worldly desires that which maketh men seeke onely those things which are of the flesh that which maketh men esteem their belly for their God Sinners are compared to hogs by their detracting for as the hogge deuoureth doung so detracting sinfull men other mens sinnes and filthines For lecherie they are compared vnto a horse for folly and slownesse to an asse for their solicitude worldlie care to an oxe for their curious cōuersations to an ape for their inconsiderate boldnes to a lyon for their crueltie to a beare for their vanitie to libards for their crafte to a foxe Sinne is the trangression of the laws of God and the disobedience of his commandements Sinne is the contrarie to nature sinne draweth vs from the soueraigne good to make vs subiect to brittle fraile and mutable pleasures Sinne diuideth vs from God To conclude as the Ethnike witnesseth the sinner is onely miserable Sinne depriueth man of eternall beatitude banisheth him from heauen confineth him with hell despoileth him of graces exileth him from paradice Briefely it maketh him the most miserable amongest miserable Sinne peruerteth the order of nature impugneth our reason vigeth our sensualitie sin blindeth the spirite darkneth the vnderstanding ordained to contemplate spirituall things Sinne soileth and infecteth the solue depriueth it of her nuptiall garment and maketh it filthie and loathsome according to that of the Prophet Denigrata est super carbones facies eius Sinne after it hath blinded the vnderstanding hardeneth the heart and maketh obstinate in iniquitie whence commeth the habitude of sinne which is the extremitie of sinne and as Philosophers conclude another nature Hee that sinneth whatsoeuer he be either king in his diadem prince in his purple poore in his miserie he is the slaue of sinne who therefore by sinne is giuen ouer as a praie to vices looseth his libertie and cannot resist his vnhappines See sinner see what horror what confusion Look with what foes you are inuironed that you may knowe the greatnes of your deliuerance you are vncurable by sinne Christ healeth you you are separated from God from the Angels from the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and Martyrs by sin and Iesus restoreth you you are impouerished by sinne and hee inricheth you you are made abhominable and hee blesseth you O if you knewe howe abiecte wretched a sinfull soule is you woulde resist it saieth a father euen vnto the death Waries plagues famine the whips of God sicknesse dishonours and aduersity the tooles of his correction howe light trifles are these in comparison of loathsome sinne Tyrannies iniuries oppressions the fury of the fire the danger of water the contagion of aire the trembling of the earth finally all the complements of euils which persecute man proceed from sinne so that rightlye it maye bee sayde all that which the wretched suffer their sinnes haue deserued it Oh the horrour of sinne oh the terrible issues thereof wretched men take heede and looke about you let your haires stand vpright for verie fright and let your bloud flie to your heart to comfort it in the extremity of your thoughts no punishment can satisfie for it no death can recompence for it but the flames of hell eternall in theyr extremitie extreame in their eternitie Oh harde hearted soules solde and quite giuen ouer to your owne sensualities beholde the issues of your euill liues beholde your martirdomes for crucifying Christ if you reconcile not weep with him you shall haue perpetuall darknesse without light you shall be depriued of Gods presence a greater tormēt to the damned than may be expressed fire shall burne you vnquenchably darknes shall blind you vnseparably conscience shal accuse you incessantly deuills shall persecute you eternally cries cursinges and blasphemies shall hant you continually desolation and discomfort shall detaine you perpetually Finally without remorse in life there is no redemption after death O Iesus my son how rich art thou in compassiō thou onely healest these wounds recouerest these harmes It is thou onely that canst dull the sting of this death thy bloud onely satisfieth for these defaults Ah deare Lord thou art worthie of teares thou deseruest remorse thou hast purchased compassion Oh woful spectacle for men to weepe at for angels to sigh at Oh sacrifice for sinne O attonement for offences oh seale of redemption O contemplation to extort teares to behold innocencie martired with so many and grieuous wounds Oh libertie taken prisoner oh truth accused oh innocencie whipped oh iustice condemned oh glorie discruciate oh life dead and crucified oh highnesse of charitie oh basenesse of humilitie oh greatnes of mercie oh excesse of bountie Thou hast wept for all art bewailed of none thou hast borne many hurts to cure a few hearts thou hast bene a corrosiue to thy mother to be a cordiall to men but men weepe thee not they passe by wagging their heads at my woe hiding their faces least they shuld be inforced to bewaile thee Theyr hearts are become adamants loathing to spende teares themselues they grieue to grace my teares by hearkning to them Ah heauenly father let me consume with sorrow till I see him let my life passe like a tale that is told let my soul that mourneth within me giue a libel of diuorce to this flesh that I in spirit may seeke him out who in the flesh did glorifie me Thou that rainedst vppon the earth fortie daies to reuenge thee on the rebellious open the cloudes of thy compassion ouer mee that they weeping on mee and I with them I may be drowned in them innocencie may be quickned by me All Iudah Israel mourned for Iosiaz shall teares want to bewaile Iesus See my sonne I will beare thy crosse on my shoulders imprint thy passisions in my heart I will beat so long vpon my breast that the eccho therof shall pearce all eares I will sigh so long till the furnace of my charitie steame out my hart and the winged chast affections of my soul soare heauens search earth finde my sonne or forsake my soule Ah my son no Absolon a sinner but Iesus a sauiour The root of my hope is waxed olde and the stocke thereof is dead in the ground When shal these closed eies open to warme him as his sonne When shall thy breath quicken and cheere my
holye Ghost the flower sprong A branch shall springe out of the roote of lesse and a flower shall ascende from the roote as faith Esaie And what other is this braunch O thou blessedst amongest women but thy selfe the virgine of God what this flower but thy sonne O crimson rose Iesus how in all thy bodie shine the perfect signes of thy loue Ahlasse there is no little space lefte without impression of loue or griefe Hearke what Ambrose faith further of this virgin She fixed not her happines in vncertaine substaunce but fastned her hope to her son Christ intentiue in her workes modest in her sayinges whose purpose was not to satisfie man but to seeke after God to hurt none but to succour all to salute euerie one to reuerence her elders not to hate her equalls to slie boasting to followe reason to loue vertue When dyd this virgin hurt her parents with disobedient lookes When dissented she from hir friends When despised she the humble When decided she the weake When shunned she the needie Accustoming her selfe to conuerse onely with that companie of men whose conuersation shee might not be ashamed of Whome past shee by without modestie hauing nothing crabbed in her looks nothing crooked in her sayiugs nothing immodest in her actions not wanton in gesture not insolent in gate not foolish in voice but such she was that the verie beautie portraiture and forme of her body was the image of her mind and figure of her honestie The beautie of this tēple of the Deity was expressed in the Canticles where it is sayd O howe faire art thou my loue Howe faire art thou Thine eies are like doues eies yet is there farre more hidden within This is the paradyce which God prepared to put the second Adam in This is that virgin of whom Hierome speaketh which passed the night in contemplation watching the thiefe in loue of God the most learned in humilitie the most humble in the psalms of Dauid the most elegant in charitie most feruent in puritie the most pure and in all vertue the most perfect All her words were alwaies full of grace because she had God alwaies in her mouth shee continually praide and as the Prophet sayd meditated in the lawe of God daie and night This is the virgin of virgins the humble of hūblest in whome humilitie greatned virginitie virginitie adorned humilitie This is shee whose humilitie adorned her fecunditie and whose fecunditie consecrated her virginitie This is that Marie into whose armes the faire vnicorne Iesus retyred himselfe after a long pursuit by the praiers teares and sighs of the fathers This is the exalted according to the Hebrew or the starre of the sea as Hierome translateth it or the mistres of mankinde according to the Siriake This is she of whom the Sibils prophesied This is she whom Euodius Peters successour calleth immaculate without spot glorious in humilitie This is shee appointed before all ages to beare the great fruit This is the animated arke of the liuing God which brought many blessinges to Zacharie and Elizabeth as the Arke of the couenant did to Obed Edom. This is shee of whom Albumazar prophesied who speaking of the signe of the Virgine sayde that there shoulde an immaculate virgine be borne sayre elegant and modest that should norish an infant in Iudea who shoulde be called Christ. Of this virgin there was found a testimony on the tomb of a pagan where in a plot of ground these wordes were written found in Constantine and his mother Irenes time An infant named Christ shall bee borne of a virgine and I beleeue in him O sonne thou shalt see mee againe in the time of Constantine and his mother Irene The like Zonoras reporteth of a certaine Iew who in a certaine ancient book written in three languages vsed these wordes This is shee in whome Nestorius denying the vniting of the humanitie with the diuinitie our Lorde in iustice caused wormes to deuour and eate out his tongue This is she in whom all vertues did concurre all learning abound all deuotions flowe all comforts depend This is she as Gregorie testifieth which foretolde the Iewes of their destruction and the desolation of their citie This is the true celestiall Pandora decked and inriched with the whole gifts of God the father the sonne and the holie Ghost This is shee whome the Moores reported to surpasse in excellence this is the perfectest of all perfections as the Turkes and Arabians testifie This is shee whome all the fathers in deuotion the Mahumetists in theyr Alcoran set foorth with praises and inrich with titles Oh sweete mother of God who so speaketh of thee as Hierome sayth speaketh insufficiently humane abilitie cannot attain it humane industrie is too weake for it Whether art thou transported my soule O my heart bee no more rauished with ioye intentiue to praise looke back to the foot of the crosse there is more cause of meditation more cause of moane Ahlasse what seest thou Nay what seest thou not to bewaile If thou seest the virgines lappe it is bloudied with the streames that fall from her Sonnes wounded head If thou seest her modest eies they are almost swolne and sunke into hir head with teares If thou looke for her pure colour it is decaied with extreame sorrowe her breasts are defaced with often beating of her handes her handes are wearyed by often beating of her breasts If shee looke on the one side shee sees Marie the sinner washing her sons feet with her tears if on the other she beholdeth Ioseph wofully preparing his funeralls if on the other she seeth virgins mourning if on the other she beholdeth soldiers mocking if anie waies she sees sorrowes plentifull knowing therfore in her selfe that true griefe correcteth the minde salueth the offence and maintaineth innocence shee gan renue her teares and thus tenderly bewailed her If it bee a custome in nature that fountains return from whence they first issued bodies bee resolued to that wherof they were first created ahlasse why should not the same law be in my tears which first springing from loue must be buried in loue no sooner buried but renued nothing before his fulnesse hath his fairenesse his ripenesse his strength his perfection his praise Why then delaie I my teares which can neuer receiue their excellence till they bee wepte to their vtteraunce Ahlasse ahlas teares are sweet weapons to wound and to winne harts I will vse them I will inuite them I will maintaine them I will triumph in them Come my son what now shall I weep in thee Not thy death for it is thy triumph not thy contēpts for they were thy cōtents but thy martyrdom which wrought my miserie O sinfull soules behold two altars raised by one massacre one in the bodie of Christ the other in the heart of the virgin on the one is sacrificed the flesh of the sonne on the other the soule of the mother such a death
no creature hath suffered such a sorrowe no heart hath contained Philosophie concents to my sorow for mine eies increase in griefe my passions are intollerable beeing afflicted in al my senses my loue quickens my passions my deuotion nourisheth my loue my teares beautifie my affection Woe is me nowe'am I rightly compared to the Moone for my sunne is eclipsed and I am confounded now iustly am I counted a peele being sed no waies better than by the deaw of teares now am I'improperly taken for a cedar for the sweet sent of my blossome is vanished my fruit is decaid the leaues of my delight are fallen onelye in this I retaine thy nature by reseruing my griefe in force my compassion to eternities Oh what a wo is mine What a sorrow is mine If the Angels behold this face they bewail him if the heauens look on this crueltie they weepe for him if the aire discouer it it loureth if the earth eie it it renteth What shall the mother then doo that hath behelde her sonne martyred and could not succour him naked could not cloath him thirsty and could not comfort him iniuried and could not defend him defamed and coulde not aunswere for him spit vpon and could not wipe him finally weeping and could not comfort him Out alasse for teares I will paie teares teares for former tragedies teares for after passion teares for present miserie tears in abundance teares with vsurie Oh thou so excellent in holynesse so mightie in power and so merciful in pietie how shal I more righfully bewaile thee than in considering the wants I haue beeing diuided from thee I want thy presence to repayre my delights I want thy counsell to inrich my soule I want my ioye by wanting thee Nay what wanteth not the worlde by thine absence The humble are turned to proude the faithfull falne to Apostasie the poore are despised the iust reuiled the patient spit at the faithfull afflicted deuotion nowe is clothed with dissimulation sanctimonie with simonie conscience with couetousnesse hypocrites wil be humble without contempt poore with out defect flatterers vnseene enuious vnsuspected slanderers without cause craftie as foxes within humble as lambes without Ahlasse what confusion What error Thy scholers in humilitie haue forgotten their lesson they will not learn of the bird which before hee soareth towards heauen humbleth his bodie to the earth they will enter by thee as the gate and wil not learne of thee because thou art humble Thou hūblest thy selfe to thy equals they despise their superiours The tree the more it aboundeth in fruit the more it abaseth his bowes towardes the earth but man the more he is raised by thy graces the more hee resisteth against thy humilitie Thy glorie is to submit serue and obey mans desire is to gouerne rule command Thou sayest that all thing perisheth if it be not kept with humilitie they saie that nothing more breedeth cōtempt than obseruance Thou biddest them flie honours they affect them Thou biddest them possesse their soules in feare they deeme nothing assured but in honour Oh sweet Iesus thou sayest that the gate of heauen is so straight that no man laden with riches no man fatned with delights no man decked in purple can be possest thereof before he be dispossessed of these vanities but the worldling saith that welth breedeth happinesse delightes lengthen life rich clothing bringeth credit so that they that possesse these they vtterly despise heauen What shall I saie the worlde is so fraught with pleasure and auarice is so ful of profite that it is helde good pollicie to heare thee preach but no wisedome to followe thy pouertie Oh deare Lord thou giuest thy self wholy vnto them and they wholie flie thee if they are hungrie thou art bread to them if they are thirstie thou art water to thē if they are in darknes thou are light vnto them if they be naked thou cloathest them yet are they 〈◊〉 grounded in vngratitude that they forget thee They knowe that what so euer the world is is eyther the desire of the flesh or the desire of the eyes or the pride of lyfe yet pretēding to flie the world they fansie nothing more earnestly They knowe that a fatned thicke and dilated body leaueth God and forgetteth his creator yet follow they sensualitie and forget thee eāmque mortuam sayth the Psalme neither cordially recorde they thy benefites They knowe with Hermes that thy acceptable best incense is thanksgiuing yet haue they learned with Iudas to crucifie thee vngratefully They knowe that they are blessed that haue not seene and beleeue yet hauing beheld thy passion they despise it They know the booke of life is opened but they will not reade They know that those which folow thee shall not walke in darknes se yet take they pleasure to stumble in the daie time Finally they knowe that thou hast spred the light of thy coūtenance on them yet preferre they darknes before light to their owne damnation The Naturalistes write that Bats haue weake sight because the humor Christaline which is necessarie for the eie to see with is translated into the substance of the wings to flie with whereupon they haue leatherne winges and so for their flight sake haue lost their sight because that is substracted from the eies which is imploied in the wings These bats betoken these proud neglecters who by how much the more they striue to flie by so much more are they depriued of the grace of the diuine light because all their intention which ought to bee in consideration of heauenly things is translated into the feathers of ambition so that all their thought is howe they may ascend by degrees the steps of dignitie not descende in imitation of thee to the bosome of humilitie O man the cause of the Angells fall was negligence the cause of Adams fall was negligence why then art thou summoned so sweetly neglectest so carelesly If men angels created by God had vsed his giftes orderly the angels had neuer striued to surpasse God in excellence neither had man listned to the serpents perswasion but because they were careles of his graces he suffred thē to fall into errour by the sinne of negligence and from the error of neglygence into the sinne of pride disobedience Beware man by mans first falling flie man the Angels negligence least by both thou winne apostasie and with apostasie perdition Wilt thou be frind of this world thou art enemie to God Wilt thou follow Beliall thou art not for Iesus Oh cast downe thy selfe proud soule whatsoeuer thou hopest trust not the weaknes of thy power since strength it selfe hath beene oppressed Knowe that chastitie is hardned in delightes truth in riches and humilitie in honours iust feare to fall mercifull feare obduration continence feare lust deuout feare negligence with feare and trembling waxe you rich in Iesus who wyth griefe and agonie hath indured for you Oh sinners