A choice one is the Deuils prey he careth not for taking the wicked because they are his owne already That wise man Salomon fell and his Father Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Feare O brethren againe I pray you feare on euery side for blessed is the man that feareth the Lord if tents bee pitched against him his heart shall not be afraid if warre riseth vp against him herein he shall haue hope The perfect feare of the Lord casteth vaine feare out of doores Loue hath no vaine feare loue and the feare of God are one which the Prophet considering crieth out and saith Psal 26. Settle thy feare within mee Who is there amongst you Psal 98. that desireth to see good daies let him come hither and be inlightned and his face shall not be confounded He that feareth the Lord shall doe good things and his soule shall dwell in good and his seed shall inherit the Land For the Lord is a sure stay to those that feare him and he will declare his will vnto them If ye doe any good take heed that ye feare Many do good things whose fruite the desire of the praise of men doth steale away There were tenne Virgins and yet halfe of them were shut out of heauens doore Alasse how many are at this day regenerate by holy baptisme and haue the name of Christians for whom it had beene better that they had neuer beene For the paines of hell which the Pagans shall suffer are farre lesser then the paines of wicked Christians I would to God that the greater part were not such The ship that is cuery where sound is drowned by one little hole Men haue gone out of the way in this large wildernesse some submitting their neckes to the yoake of couetousnesse others like most filthy swine being held in the filth of luxury others occupied about the wresting away of things vnprofitable whence it commeth to passe that the vse of reason being cast away they doing like brute beasts are made like vnto them and haue not found the way to the new Citie Ierusalem Such a mans way is an hundreth fould streighter then it is thought to be and yet it is large to all such as truly feare Christ promiseth to come to the Ceuturion fearing but denieth to come to the pettie-King presuming All doe not truely obey the Gospell The time shall come saith the Apostle wherein men will not suffer wholesome doctrin Many preach but all doe not preach the truth They binde the hearts of simple men in sinnes They binde heauy burthens in the least sinnes and passe ouer greatest sinnes winking with the eie There is a false Doctour a doubtfull sword on the one side he cutteth with his example and worke on the other side he smiteth and killeth with deceitfull and wicked words How should the fire gine cold and the water heate how should the stone go vpward and how should the filthy man preach chastly And if he doth preach what profit commeth hereby to the Hearers What can hee that heareth say but why dost thou preach with thy voice that which thou deniest with thy worke He that speaketh well with his tongue and liueth ill damneth himselfe Behold the Psalmist sheweth how acceptable such preaching is vnto the Lord. To the Sinner saith God Psal 50. Why dost thou declare my righteousnesse and takest my word into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Many read great things and learne hard things dispute subtilly and speake finely that they may be honoured of the people that they may be counted masters of the common sort and yet doe nothing If ye beleeue experience beleeue me the holinesse of life doth more moue the hearts of men then fine speaches Be Doers and so preach doing without preaching preuaileth Math. 7. but not preaching without doing God hath not said hee that preacheth the will of my Father but he that doth it I dispraise not preaching but onely in those that doe not the things which they preach A Teacher of subtile wordes onely and not of workes is a certaine light breathing into the eares and a smoake soone passing away without fruite Vnderstand ô brethren vnderstand what I say he doth much better that preacheth and doeth then hee that doeth and preacheth not If I onely doe good I profit my selfe alone but if I both preach and doe I profit my selfe and others also According to which it is said They which instruct others in righteousnesse shall shine as the stars for euer and euer For Preachers are a light to inlighten with their doctrine hearts dimme and blinde by reason of the cloud of sinne and that with the light of Christ that shineth in darkenes They are also for the seasoning of the word which is the food of the soule when it is ioyned with good workes The dutie of preaching is inioyned euery one that knoweth if he be a Doer Yea that I may say more hee that knoweth and doeth onely and teacheth not others shall giue accompt to the Lord therefore For seeing according to the Apostle Iohn He that hateth his brother is a murtherer and he that hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother in neede and yet shutteth vp his bowels against him hath not the loue of God in him How much more is he a Murtherer and without the loue of God who seeing his brother out of the way and oppressed with deadly sinnes and yet knowing how to doe it doth not Minister vnto him the word of doctrine Feare O ye Rectours and Teachers to whom the Lord inioyneth the duty of preaching that we should minister vnto his people the word of the Lord. For looke how many die in their sinnes through your example or negligence so many will the Lord require at your hand For by how much the higher yee be in degree by so much yee shall be tortured with the greater torments Ye are not Lords but shepheards There is one Lord and one cheife Shepheard which knoweth his sheep and will require them at your hands Alas how many are this day in the Church not Shepheards but Hirelings to whom the sheepe of Christ doe nothing pertaine Moreouer that I may speake truelie and as themselues know they are rauening Wolues which teare and disperse the sheepe Certainely nothing is worse nothing more abominable then when they scatter the sheepe which ought to keepe them Alas what is done at this day by some not shepheards of the Church but Destroiers which are not the lesser part They doe vnsatiablie deuour euen like hell the goods and labours of men and doe not onely not reforme them from their sinnes but euen they themselues doe draw them to things vnlawfull either by their owne negligence or by their most wicked instruments or by their vngodlie workes in such sort as that I must needes say if God should leaue them being such vnpunished hee should be no longer God And therefore as I haue often said my
be beloued of the world The Lord doth often correct and chaslise those whom be loueth If ye must glory in the world glory willingly in your tribulatious and aduersities for Christ promised these vnto his Disciples whom he loued euen vnto the end and that in signe of his chiefe loue when in his last supper he said Verily I say vnto you yee shall waile and weepe but the world shall reioyce Reioice my most beloued sionnes when the world hateth you Desire to suffer contumelies and reproaches of men because ye shall be blessed when men shall curse you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you falsly for the sonne of mans sake Know that ye are not of the world for if yee were of the world the world would loue his owne Thinke it all ioy when ye haue many reproaches and oppositions in the world knowing that euen out of these doth arise valour and patience and patience hath its perfect worke Virtues are tried by patience euen as gold by the fire He that hath other virtues without patience carries gold in earthen vessells In your patience onely said our Sauiour ye shall possesse your soules Valour is ioyned vnto patience a patient man is of a valiant minde and he which is penitent and valiant may securely hope for the good things of the life to come Keep patience in your minde and whilst yee haue time exercise it in your workes For patience is a couering whereby our ship saileth securely in the stormes of this world what winde soeuer bloweth without any feare of danger Let reproachfull words moue none of you to reuenge or hatred of your neighbour Be ye mercifull euen as your Father is mercifull who doth raine vpon the iust and the vniust and makes his Sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad Hee shall haue iudgement without mercie that doth not exercise mercie and mercie reioiceth against iudgement If ye will not from your hearts forgiue such as offend you neither will your Father forgiue you He doth in vaine aske for mercie which denieth mercie to others Herein is our virtue established herein standeth our stipend and reward if wee lone our friends in God and our enemies for God That wicked seruant which receiued mercie and denied mercie to his Fellow-seruant did therefore deserue to haue the seueritie of iustice Iustice without mercie is crueltie and therefore mercie is to be mingled with iustice All our law is in mercie God could haue condemned all in iustice whom he saued in mercie Wherfore he that wanteth mercie is no Christian It is almost imposlible that a mercifull and godly man should not pacifie Gods anger Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obraine mercie A man without mercie is as a shippe in the midst of the sea in euery part full of holes The Preist which dissereth from the men of this world in apparell yet agreeth with them in life Cerainely there is no beast in the world so cruel asan euill Preist for hee deth not suffer himselfe to be am ended and can neuer heare the truth and that I may smish in a word he excceds all men in naeghtinesse Alas how much hath couetousnesse growne in some that are spirituall in habit and name yea that I may speake truely couetousnesse is the cause of this spiritualitie who truely are rauening Wolues in sheepes cloathing If thou seest a Priest couetous and without mercie flie more from him then from a Serpent There are some which thinke that all the fruite that they are to bring foorth is to build Churches and Monasteries in a wonderfull manner whose couetousnesse is so great that they think the world and all things too little for them Their minde and thoughts are altogether set vpon this that they may picke other mens purses Our Sauiour reprouing such saith Woe to you that build the tombes of the Prophets Behold they that build Monasteries and set vp Churches of rare workemanshippe seeme to doe a goodly worke but if they shew mercie to the poore that is a good worke indeede Wouldst thou haue thy worke to please God prouide that the poore may haue ioy of it what Church is more deare to God then man Yee are the Temple of God saith the Apostle when thou reachest out thy hand vnto the poore when thou succourest a man in his necessitie When thou bringest the wandring in to the right-way Oh what an admirable temple and acceptable vnto God hast thou built Breake thy bread vnto the hungry and bring the poore wandring into thy house Let not man excuse himselfe and say I haue nothing to giue to the poore if thou hast any garment or any other thing besides very neeessaries and dost not succout a poore-man in want thou art a theefe and a Robber Wee are beloned only Stewards and not Possessours of things temporall One man hath so much more then hee needeth as an hundreth might hue vpon which perish thorough famine Hee that hath a little and giuoth nor robbes one but such rob beth so many as he giueth not vnto being in want But perchance thou wilt say ô Wretch it is mine owne my Parents left it me How could they leaue that to thee which was not their owne if it were their owne whence had they it who gaue it vnto them what brought they with them when they came into the world what shall they carrie away when they go out Certainely such things of the poore as wee possesse will crie for vengeance in the day of iudgement before the eyes of Gods iustice The law of nature requires this that what we desire should be done vnto vs wee should doe vnto other What other thing doth the old law publish and if thou aske the doctrine of the Gospell what other thing doth it infinuate These truely shall bee Witnesses before GOD the iudge What therefore should I say to these that onely gather together stones and erect wals aloft that their worke may appeare to the eyes of man and that the building may be praised Who is so foolish as that he vnderstandeth not that such buildings are not to the praise of God but for worldly pompe But some man will say what is it not good to build Monasteries and Churches that God may bee honoured thereby I answere it is good so that the poore in the meane while crie not to God against such How can I build an house pleasing vnto God or to his Saints of those monies for which the poore crie out What iustice can it be to reward the dead and to spoile the liuing and out of the want of the poore to offer vnto God Certes if this iustice should please God he should be the companion of violence and if it displeaseth God it cannot please the Saints Wherefore most beloued sonnes as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby if ye haue tasted how sweet the Lord is For verily if ye be not
built vpon him and yee may carry your selues in all things as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in streights in scourges in prisons in labours in fastings in chastitie in long-suffering in the Holy Ghost and in loue vnfained in the word of truth and in the virtue of God Let there not be a lye told amongst you for euery lyer is abominable vnto God God is truth and lying is opposite to truth Flie euery idle word for of euery idle and vaine word wee must giue accompt vnto God Loue silence where there is much talking there cannot but be much lying The speech bewraieth what a man is Let no word come from your mouth which may not sauour of Christ alwaies meditate vpon Gods law Surely nothing hurts a man more then euill society for such is a man made as they are whose society hee vseth The Wolfe neuer dwells with the Lambe A chast man flies the society of the luxurious I thinke it impostible for a man to remaine long in good workes that vseth euill society euery day With the holy saith the Psalmist thou shalt be holy with the innocent thou shalt be innecent with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse For euen as euill company hurteth so good companie profiteth Nothing can be compared to this treasure hee that hath found good Companions hath found life flowes with riches And to speake truely very seldome is a man made either good or euill but by company The heart of a child is like vnto a table wherin nothing is at the first ingrauen therefore what hee receiueth from company he reteineth euen vnto old age whether it be good or bad Let youth keepe company with men of yeares and wisedome for if hee be linked to one like vnto himselfe by daily fellowshippe hee shall fall from folly to folly Aboue all things my sonnes sweare not neither by heauen not by earth nor by any other Oath Out of whose mouth Oathes are heard in him is little knowledge and loue of God If it be not true which I sweare I doe in effect denie God for God hath for bidden to take his name in vaine Be instant in continuall prayers Frequent and deuout prayer doth much auaile Prayer doth lift vp a man from earth to heauen and makes him to speake with God Hee obteineth grace of God if his Prayer be deuout and mixt with teares Hezechiah by his prayers and teares did presently obtaine grace of the Lord so that the sentence was changed which had bin denounced At the praiers of Elias the beauen gaue raine which had beene shut vp three yeares and six monethes If ye want any thing aske it of the Lord by prayer and weeping being no whit doubtfull for whosoeuer hath faith but so much as a graine of mustard seed whatsoeuer he shall aske shall be granted vnto him The same Lord that then was is now also rich in all things wherefore let God now be your hope your ioy your thinking and your desire For of him in him and through him are all things in whom we liue and moue and haue our being and without whom we are nothing And now ô my sonnes I shall not speake many things to you for the houre is come vnto which I was borne vpon this condition I came into the world that I might goe out againe The Lord spared not his owne son but made them to die vpon the Crosse for vs all by whose death our death is dead for none of vs liueth to himselfe but dieth whether wee liue we liue to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord therfore whether we liue or die we are the Lords and for this cause Christ is called the Lord of the liuing and of the dead For if Christ bee dead surely the seruant is not about his Master we must also die and if he be risen againe we haue also most sirme hope that we shall rise againe and if he bee risen to die no more neither shall we die any more after our resurrection but shall alway abide with him in glory When Christ died a man like vnto vs died that the body of sinne might be destroyed that we might be made one body together with him Wherefore my beloued sonnes although I now die I beleeue that my Redeemer liueth and that I shall rise vp out of the earth at the last day and shall bee couered againe with this skinne and in this my flesh I shall see him my Sauiour whom I my selfe shall see who now speake whom ye see now dying and not any other for me And these very eies whereby I now see you shall looke vpon him Wherefore reioice with me and sing cast away the garments of mourning and heauinesse praise the Lord sing a Psalme vnto his name giue glorie to his praise for hitherto I haue walked through fire water behold now he refresheth me I will enter into the house of the Lord that I may pay my vowes from day to day Oh how great a game it is to me to die Because Christ shall bee my life againe Behold the earthly house of this habitation is dissolued that another may succeede not made with hands eternall in the heauens Behold I put off this mortall cloathing that I may put on immortall Hitherto I haue bin in pilgrimage now I returne to my countrey Behold I now receiue the prize for which I ran in the race I touch the hauen which I haue desired with so great a desire Behold I am carried from darkenesse to light from dangers to safetie from pouertie to riches from battell to victorie from heauinesse to ioy from a temporall life to eternall and from a filthy stincke to a most sweete smell Here I am blinde there I am inlightened here I am wounded there I am healed here I am alwaies made heauie there I am made ioyfull liuing here I am dead there I am truely made aliue The life in this world is no life but death a deceitfull life a life loaden with sorrowes weake vmbraticall deceitfull Now thou flourishest by and by thou witherest it is a fraile a momentany a fading life Wherein looke how much thou growest so much thou decreasest when thou goest more forward thou drawest nearer to death O life full of snares how many men doest thou intangle in the world How many through thee doe indure the torments of hell How blessed is he that acknowledgeth thy deceits how much more blessed is he that careth not for thy flatteries and how most blessed is hee that is well rid of thee O sweete and pleasant death thou art truely no death that bestowest true life Thou puttest away feuers and wounds thou quenchest hunger and thirst O most just death good vnto the good and rough vnto the euill thou humblest the proud rich and mightie and exaltest the humble Thou openest the way to eternall punishment to the euill and to eternall reward to the iust
After these and other graue and comfortable speeches he vttered this heauenly praier following The Prayer of Ierome being now ready to die OHoly Iesus my virtue my resuge my taker vp my deliuerer and my praise in whom I haue hoped in whom I haue belecued and whom I haue loued my cheife sweetnesse my tower of strength and my hope euen from my youth Call me ô the Guide of my life and I will answer thee Stretch foorth the right hand of thy clemencie to the worke of thine owne hands which thou the creature of all things hast made of the mire of the earth and ioyned together with bones and nerues to whom thou dying hast giuen life and mercy Bid me come ô Lord doe not delay it is time that dust returne to the dust and that the Spirit returne to thee the Sauiour who hast sent it hither Open to me the gate of life for thou hast promised mee that thou wouldst receiue it when thou didst hang vpon the crosse for me Come my beloued let me lay hold vpon thee and not let thee go bring me into thy house Thou art my Taker vp my glorie and the lifter vp of mine head my saluation and my blessing Receiue me ô mercifull God according to the multitude of thy mercies Thou dying receiuedst the Theife vpon the Crosse running vnto thee O eternall blessednesse let me possesse thee Inlighte with the light of thine eternall sight mee blinde man crying by the way Iesus thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me O inuisible lights what ioy can I haue when I sit in darknesse and see not the light of heauen O light without which there is no truth there is no discretion no wisedome no goodnesse inlighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death that my enemie say not I haue preuailed against him My soule is weary of my life I speake in the bitternesse of my soule I am sicke my life is weakned through pouertie my bones are fried as it were in a frying pan And therfore I runne to thee Lord the Phisitian Heale mee O Lord and I shall bee healed saue me ô Lord and I shall be saued and I shall not be confounded because I put my trust in thee But who am I most holy God that I should speake so boldly vnto thee I am a sinner altogether begotten borne and brought vp in sinnes I am a rotten carcase a slinking vessell euen wormes meate Woe is me ô Lord spare mee what victorie is it if fighting with me thou shouldst ouercome mee who am lesse then the stubble before the fire Forgiue all my sinnes lift mee poore Wretch out of the mire O Lord if thou wilt giue me leaue I will say that thou oughtest not to put me away comming vnto thee because thou art my God Thy flesh is of my flesh and thy bones of my bones For for this cause not leauing the right hand of the Father thou hast cleaued to my nature and becamest God and man And why didst thou this so hard and vnthought of thing but that I might come confidently vnto thee as vnto a brother and that thou mightest mercifully communicate vnto me thy diety Wherfore arise helpe mee ô Lord arise and reiect me not finally Euen as the Hart braies after the riuer of water so my soule thirsteth after thee the liuing fountaine that it may drinke waters of ioy out of the fountaine of my Sauiour and neuer thirst againe O Lord when wilt thou haue regard and restore my soule from euill deeds and my daâ—â—ing from the Lyonsâ— If my sinnes were weighed whereby I haue deserued thine anger and my calamitie were put in the ballance it would be heauier then the sande of the sea and if thou stay a little longer I shall finde tribulation and sorrow Come the ioy of my Spirit that I may delight in thee reueale vnto mee thy mercie the ioy of mine heart Let me finde thee my desire Euen as a seruant longs for the end of his worke so I long for thee O LORD Let my request come into thy sight that thy hand may saue me I haue bin a great sinner in my life time and done much euill in thy sight I haue not knowne thee I haue bin vngratefull for thy benefits I haue not praised thee as I ought I haue often coÌ„cealed thy truth when thou didst knocke at the doore of my heart I was slow to let thee in reuerently I haue loued my rotten body which goeth away like a shadow with too much affection I haue defiled my mouth with vaine words my minde hath not bin alwaies in thy testimonie I haue not turned mine eyes from beholding vanitie I haue polluted mine eares with vnprofitable words I haue not stretched out my hands oftentimes to the necessities of my neighbours I haue made hast with my feet to iniquitie What should I say more from the sole of my foote to the crowne of my head there is no whole part in me Surely vnlesse dying vpon the crosse thou hadst holpen mee my soule had dwelt in hell O holy Iesus I am part of so great a price for mee hast thou shed thy pretious blood ô reiect mee not I am the ship that haue wandred ô good Shepheard looke me vp and bring me to thy fold that thou may est be iustified in thy sayings For thou hast promised mee that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth he shall be saued I am greeued I know my sins and mine iniquitie are alwaies before me Truly I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne for I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Speake ioy and comfort in mine eare turne away thy face from my sinnes blot out mine iniquities according to thy great mercy Cast mee not away from thy sight neither deale with me according to my sinnes but helpe mee ô God of my saluation and for the honour of thy name deliuer me Deale benignly with me according to thy good will that I may dwell in thy house all the dayes of my life that I may praise thee togither with those that dwell there for euer and euer Arise and make haste ô the most beloued husband of my soule do not consider that it is tawney black through sinne Shew hir thy face vtter thy voice in her eares for thy voice is pleasant and thy face is comely Turne not away from me shun not thy seruant at this houre I waite vpon thee O Lord I beleeue to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing Therefore come my beloued let vs goe out togither into the field and see if the vine hath flourished Turne my mourning into ioy incline thine eare vnto mee make haste to deliuer me out of this vale of teares miseries Trinitati in vnitate Gloria