things doth by a little and a little fall and â—…lyde away altogither So that my singulerly beloued if thou wilt continue in the state of health grace and charitie that is to say out of all gréeuous sin and cause of dampnation doe not onely be diligent to auoyd the greatest offences but the least also For otherwyse thy fruites are deade before the face of god Whose voice wheÌ„ the shéepe heareth not he strayeth and wandereth Now it is a gréeuous sinne and offence more to cleaue and stick vnto to be more delighted and affected in the create frayle and vayn things of this world then God him selfe Whervpon Hierome sayeth A mynd dedicated vnto God should as well beware of the least as of the greatest offences Knowing that accompt must bée rendered of euery idle word And therefore Gregorie sayth He that taketh not héede of the least falleth into the greatest offences Then such as doe dayly follow vanities laughyng bablyng sportyng dallying wandring here and there and accustomyng them selues to all lightnesse and in the meane whyle doe very seldome or neuer repent or amend how can they choose but become culpable also of greater enormities Therefore let no man â—…oye â—…latter neglect nor beguyle him selfe But the better to auoyd and eschue these â—…ares of the diuill these knottes of temptation as slouth and negligence yea and the better to procéede and increase in goodnesse and in all vâ—…tue and grace it is greatly auayleable to haue a faythfull godly wary expâ—…e iust wyse and entyre familier friend Unto whom a man may be bolde to lay opeÌ„ boldly all his secrets doubtes and scrupules And by whose godly aduyce he may be instructed kindled by his exhortations and helped by his assistant prayers For the frendship of such being founded on godlinesse and honestie is of great force and efficacye before god Wherevpon the auntient fathers sayde that the fraudes and temptations of the diuill are by no worldly meanes more repulsed nor defended then by the socyetie of a zealous friende vnto whom a man may laye open his harte and mynde Least the power of the diuil being secretly shutte therein doe infecte and vtterly distroy it And therevpon it is written A faythfull friend is a strong protection And he which hath founde such an one hath a great treasure There is no comparison to a faythful friend neyther can the weight of Gold nor siluer counterpeyse hys fayth A faythfull friend is a medicyne of lyfe and immortalitie and suche as feare the Lorde shall fynde suche friendes And in another place hee sayeth Blessed is hee which fyndeth a faythfull friende For since man is naturally a lyuing creature which defireth company it is naturall say the Philosophers that he should be helped And since man is not a good iudge ouer him selfe it is expedyent that hee open his griefe and conscyence to some other more méete to iudge thereof Therefore harken vnto counsell and bee not ruled by thyne owne sensuall appetyte But endeuour thy selfe to eschue all familyaritie societie of wanton worldlings for that is greatly hurtfull to thy soule God is a spirite as it is written in the fourth Chapiter of John and they which worship him must worshippâ—… hym in spiryte and truth And although wee ought deuoutly and carefully with all reuerence to performe and execute all the workes of God for hée is accursed which doth the worke of God negligently yet those actions of vertues which are immedyately and without any interim done and exercysed about God ought to be done and exercysed with a greater reuerence and singular zeale Now prayer singing of Psalmes and adminystring of sacramentes are actions of vertue pertayning vnto Gods honor And therefore they are to be executed with all diligence and perfection Wherevnto first is requyred the obseruation and kéeping of the diuyne precâ—…ptes For it is written Hee that declineth his eare least hee should heare Gods law hys prayer is execrable And agayn Cursed are they which declyne from thy commaundements Therfore first the conuersation must be made conformable vnto the prayer and nexte the harte must be vnyted vnto God by often proofe and continuall attentyuenesse For of suche as are backewarde and doe not attende the Lorde spake by Esaye saying This people honoreth me with their lippes but their harte is farre from mée And the wyse man sayde Before prayer prepare thyne harte and soule and be not lyke vnto a man which tempteth god Therefore attentiuenesse is chiefly necessarie and ought to be alwayes in the begynnyng of prayer and singyng of Psalmes For the vertue of eche good beginninâ—… doeth shyne in as muche as followeth and the latter ende followeth vertuously by guyde of a good beginning Furthermore for as much as there are thrée sundry effects in prayer that is acceptation with God obtayning of that we craue and a certayne swéete refection of mynde which be féeleth that prayeth the before named attentiuenesse shal be sufficient to the former two of these affectes But vnto the third there is requisite a continuall and mightie attentyuenesse For according to Basilles wordes Euen as the taste of the mouth doth discerne and taste euerie morsell or péece of the bodily sustenaunce whilest it cheweth and gnaweth it euen so the inwarde taste of the soule oughte in prayer and singyng of Psalmes to marke and taste the sence of euerye worde and sentence And that the forenamed actions and dueties may be perfectly discharged and executed there is required a great warynesse and watchfulnesse of â—…arte and an affectionate recollection or repiticion of 〈◊〉 towardes god And therefore some haue thought no 〈◊〉 nor payne comparable vnto hartie prayer But such prayer and singing of Psalmes is of great and excéedyng great efficatie towardes the obtayning at Gods handes of all things which we doe healthfully requyre And there vpon Christ sayd True worshippers and prayers shal worship and pray to the father in spirit and veritie And Basille sayeth the diuyne helpe is to be craued not â—…ackly nor with a mynde wandring here and there for suche an one shall not onely fayle to obtayne but further shall styrre and prouoke God to anger For it is requisite in tyme of prayer to behaue our selues purely and stoutly Stoutly that wée may reuerently and ioyfully attend the Lord our god Not sloughfally nor sléepily gaping and yawning neither whisperyng and muttering and cutting of our words in the middest but with a stout and couragious sounde as best becommeth let vs pronounce our desires before the holy Ghost Then purely also that we thinke vpon none other thing but the Psalme or prayer which wée sing or say For the holye ghost will not acceptably receyue that which is profered if we neglecte that which is due vnto him And pray not nor sing not ouer hastily In praying and singing of Psalms we haue two especiall things to marke and attend That is our owne myserie and Gods mercie To the ende
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
bicause he hath promised to giue vs greater rewards in the heauenly kingdome And to this feruentnesse of charitie let vs alwayes enforce our selues For by Augustynes opinion it is neyther the great number of workes nor the long continuance of tyme but the greater heate of charitie and the better readinesse of our wil which maketh God for his Christ to accept our merites For whosoeuer doeth obserue charitie in all his actions he fulfilleth as wel that which is apparant as also that which is mysticall in Gods booke For charitie doth as it were open the mynde and maketh the louer to be loued O Lord my God thou arte charitie sayth the Apostle thou art loue which can not be extinguished Doe thou therfore lighten my hart and make it dronken in thée Wherfore am I tossed about wherfore run I from one place to another why doe I wander after many things Is ther not in thée only most holy honorable mighty glorious God y perfect possessioÌ„ y incomprehensible pleÌ„tie and y infinit aboundance of all things y are good pleasant or to be desired TheÌ„ what is more exceleÌ„t or more louely y I shuld therfore withdraw my hart from thée turn it vnto frail things coueting or desiring any maner of thing without thée or besides thée And where was I when I was not with thée Whither ranne myne affections astray when they did not desire thée onely O God of my lyfe howe vaynely is it consumed And how vnfruitfully are my dayes stolen away whilest I liued idelly vnprofitably before thée But from henseforwardes let my soule bee vnmoueably fixed in thée For euen as the harte desireth the freshe fountaynes when he is chased euen so my hart desireth to be with thée O God. Whosoeuer doth glorifie mée I wil also glorifie him saith the Lord God in the second Chapiter of the first booke of the Kings And they which coÌ„tempne me shal be dishonored For of the loue of God the zeale of y diuine honor doth ryse and procéed As also an excéeding affection to adore worship him in all things Which zeale y prophet Helie had wheÌ„ he said I am become zealous in zeale for the Lord god And y more feruently that we loue him the more entâ—…tiuely also we desire to worship him in all things yea and to enduce others with vs to the worshipping of his name For euen as God by reason of his vnmeasurable bountie his infinite amyablenesse is such that no man can loue him so much as he is worthie to be beloued but doth infinitely fayle thereof So by the reason of his maiestie dignitie and vnmeasured asured holinesse he is infinitely to be honoured So that euery man is much defectyue in doing of suche reuerence vnto him as he in him self doth deserue And here vpon the holy fathers profoundlye pondering these considerations did estéeme all their déedes conuersatioÌ„ how perfect so euer it were to be of none effect And therfore the doctors say A man shuld rather suffer death theÌ„ commit the least fault or offence wilfully For as muche as sinne in that it derogateth any thing from the excéeding great maiestie of God is a huge and vnreasonable enormitie Then if we do honor the excelent maiestie of God so much the more bicause by the beholding consideratioÌ„ of his worthinesse we are able to dispise hartily to reiect all frail vain transitorie things to the end that being vnburthened and clean dispatched of them we may attentiuely giue our selues to that pure frée entire worshipping of the same it must néedes follow that they whiâ—…h through zeale doe altogither dispyse and forsake the world shall immediately honor God with all integrytie of harte And therefore by his grace and mercies are made worthie to be glorified honored extolled with him And lykewise the lesse that a man doe occupie him selfe in many businesses so much the more perfectly he is bent vnto the onely god And so much y loftier more sincere his mynde is in the praysing of his name Yea hée may so much the more be wholly at leysure to exercise him selfe in his seruice and walke vprightly in all godlynesse Moreouer Salomon saith Honor God with all thy substance and the first fruites of thine increase If then it pertayne vnto the honor of God to offer him any parte of our outward substance it must by stronger reason appertaine more vnto his honour to refuse all worldly things fréely for the worshiping and glorifying of him and to preseÌ„t our selues vnto him with full deuotion And so do they which coÌ„tempne the world in such maner as is beforesayd And therfore to the end thou mayest vncessantly as much as in thée lyeth giue thy selfe vnto the praise worship and honour of the diuyne maiestie yea that thou mayest quyetly repose thy self in the swéet contemplation of his mercyes reioyse in his blessednesse lyke a naturall louing chylde and spend all the dayes of thy lyfe vertuously I exhorte thée my welbeloued altogither to disspyse the world and to passe ouer all the transitorie vanities thereof with a noble courage yea to goe hartily to worke in the onely honoring of god For is not the vylenesse lothsomenesse of this world infinite being compared to the highest and vnchangeable goodnesse yea doest thou not thinke it an vnworthie thing by occasion of earthly and worldly coÌ„uersation to be hyndred letted from the duetie which thou owest vnto the honour and maiestie of God â–ª and to be withdrawen from the holy exercyses of vertue and godlinesse for the moste vayne liberties of worldly conuersation and vnlawfull actions To conclude if thou doe in this maner glorifie God and dispise the world then God doubtlesse wil cause thée to be honoured excéedingly as Esay witnesseth saying if thou glorifie God following not thyne owne wayes nor yelding to thyne owne will the Lord will giue thée rest and wil fill thy soule with comely brightnesse Yea then shalt thou be much delighted in the Lord and he shall set thée vp aboue the height of the earth Wherevpon Hyllarie sayeth This doe I chieflye owe vnto God that all my power all my sences all my spirits may sounde his praise For to that end we receyued bodie and bodily members yea lyfe and soule of God that we might worship him generally with them all And therefore the Apostle sayeth As you haue giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie so now sayth hée giue ouer your members to doe rightâ—…esse and holinesse And this it is to honour God worthyly to doe for his honour whatsoeuer we may possybly doe to please him yea and yet neuerthelesse humbly to confesse that we doe nothing worthy of thankes or meryte Therofore it is written To gloryfie God as much as lyeth in vs shall preuayle with his mercy and is beyonde all prayse Deferre not then my welbeloued to geue
thy selfe from executing the same The thinges which in this present lyfe are momeÌ„tarye and light although they be some tribulation may excéedingly worke in vs a greate maâ—…e or weight of glory in the world to come if we behold not those thinges which are séene with eye but those which cannot be séene For the thinges which are séene are temporall but the things which are not séene are eternall By these wordes of Paule it appeareth that the trybulations of the chosen although they be longe bytter and gréeuous yet by regarde of the celestyall glory and reward to come they are lyght and but of small continewaunce For the reward to come is vncomprehensible euerlasting But now is he a perfect and most pure louer of God which loueth him not by beholding this reward nor reuerenceth him not for desire of his owne profite nor worshipeth him for reward of mutuall consideration towardes himselfe But which purely for the very incomparable goodnesse loue and worthynesse of God doth all that he can to his honour with all dilygence For the better obteyning of which perfection and for the full purchasing of so great sinceritie in Gods loue let vs yet euen by the beholding of the infallible promyses of God goe stoutly forewarde to doe any thing that may be most pleasant most perfect and moste acceptable vnto him And let vs contempne the world and the gallantnesse delight pompe prosperities and vanities therof taking in hand to walke in the way of perfection in the fulfilling of Gods word and in a vertuous and right religious lyfe For since the eternall God is a most frée goodnesse a most feruent charitie and a most plentifull rewarder therfore a man of reasonable vnderstanding wil confesse that the more he refuseth and layeth aside for his sake the more sincerely that he renounce him selfe the more he dispose him selfe to the obtayning of Gods giftes and the more wholly perfectly and entyrely that he offer him self vnto him euen so much the more will God also she we him selfe the more aboundant in mercies to him the more soundly and swéetly he will breath his holy spirite into him the more familiarly he will be conuersant with him and the higher wil he exalte him in glorie multiplying his giftes of grace in this present lyfe and dooblyng his rewards of glorie in y world to come Whervpon it is written in holy scripture if a man doe direct his harte vnto God he shall drawe his breath and spirite towardes him selfe And here vpon the holy true and mercifull God hath promised not onely a blessed and excelent glorification in the heauenly kingdome but also a most plentuous and liberall reward in this present lyfe to suche as dispise the world for his sake Saying in his holy gospel Whosoeuer leaueth father mother his brethren or frends or his possessions for my names sake he shal receyue an hundreth folde shall possesse euerlasting lyfe And what meaneth he by these wordes He shall receyue an hundreth fold Marry that for the externall carnall and temporall goodes which he hath lefte he shall receyue the spirituall giftes of grace and the giftes of the holy ghost which are more then an hundreth folde better euen in this lyfe And after also shall receyue eternall lyfe and the consumation of glorie Wherefore my welbeloued if thou desyre to bee trulye and spiritually enriched and enabled contempne then for the louâ—… of God all transitorie fraile things yea and whatsoeuer worldly men which haue in déed the spirit of this world and not the spirite of Christ doe make greatest accompte off and thinke most desirable that doe thou dispyse as most vyle dyrte and myre or rather as the verie snares of the diuill If thou doe so thou shalt become the Temple of the holy Ghost the most blessed trinitie wil inhabit and replenish thy soule with all the aboundant delightes therof For this is promised by y sonne of God saying If any man loue mée he will kéepe my wordes and testimonyes and my father will loue him we will come vnto him make our abode with him O happie soule in whom those thrée so plentiously do abide Furthermore harken what Christ hath promised vnto the coÌ„temners of this world you saith he which haue forsaken all things and haue followed mée when thâ—… son of man shal sit in seat of his maiestie you shall sit also vppoÌ„ xij seats iudging y xij Tribes of Israel And this it is that Paule ment saying You know not y the saints shal iudge of this world Beholde what an vnspeakable dignitie this is how they are honored of God which for his honor do forsake all things And thervpon Gregorie sayth whosoeuer béeyng styrred with the prick or goade of godly zeale doeth forsake such things as he héere possesseth shall vndoubtedly obtayne there a height of iuditiall dignitie y he may come to iudge with y iudge bicause by consideration of the iudgement he did chasteÌ„ himself willingly with pouertie Do not therfore lose so many godly treasures which shall remayne for euer for these things which can be but smal time possessed For behold Christ saith I stand at the dore knock if therfore y opeÌ„ the dore of thy hart harkeÌ„ vnto my couÌ„sel I wil come in vnto thée enter into thy mynd thou shalt sup with me So that thou séest how God wil cherish thée with heaueÌ„ly comfort will fulfil thée with spiritual delightes thou shalt tast how swéet God is how manifold is the multitude of his delightfulnesse All which the louers of this world can not tast bicause they are not worthie to receiue y holy ghost As our sauior saide vnto his Apostles in the xiiij Chapter of Iohn I wil pray vnto my father for you he shal giue you another spirit euen y holy ghost whom the world can not receyue WhervppoÌ„ Bernard sayth The holy delectatioÌ„ doth decline him which is first occupied in seculer desires suffreth him not to mingle vanitie with veritie eternitie with frailtie spiritualtie with temporaltie nor high things with low things That thereby hée may learne what things mouÌ„t vpward toward heauen and what things draw downwards toward earth For if y mind haue wherwith to be outwardly delighted it remayneth inwardly without spiritual delight And y it is which Hierom doth so worthily say If we cut from y flesh such things as do most delight in we shaâ—…straight straight way finde in the spirit that which wil delight vs If the outward wandring be shut vp the inward accesse to God is opened for the lesse y the soule be dispersed in it self the straighter it is erected to things aboue by spiritual procéeding And therfore to the end y thou mayest by y brightnesse of y holy ghost holsomly behold that most noble worthinesse of those spiritual supernatural good things set light by these temporal vanities yeâ—… spurn from thée vtterly