will no man helpe what none O death spare mâ— I pray thee take my lands anâ— let me liue for the loue of thâ— Lord whome I serue lot â—â— alone for a yeare for a mâ—â— neth for a day for an hâ—â— wer giue me a little spaceâ—â— repent I beseech thee Tut tut thou art the child of Death thou art condemned to die thy hower is ended and thou must die no parents no friends no kindred no treasure no honour no wit no pollicie can preuaile or helpe thee a whit If thou wouldest giue me this world full of gold for one howers space I would not take it And if all the Kings Queenes and Emperors that are now or euer were in the world should on their knees intreate for the lengthening of thy life one Miserere while I would not heare them but euen as I now find thee so wil I present thee before the tribunall seate of God wherefore dispatch away O most cursed and cruell death O most bloudy and pitilesse butcher Ah God whose mieserie is comparable to mine Youth quoth Death no words will preuaile thy sobs and sighes thy lamentable outcries and pittifull complaints thy wringing of hands and tearing of thine haire doe not moue me a whit but forth with will I bring thee to a place where thou shalt feele proue such things as neither thine eyes haue seene nor thy eareâ— haue hard nor thy hart can coÌ„ceiue or imagine thou haddest time enough to haue seene this hower haddest thou bin wise but had I wist commeth now too late Ah cruelll death whitheâ— must I go alas whither wilâ— thou leade me to a land vnknowne a laÌ„d of vtter darknes a land of endlesse miserie Iâ— 67. where I shall liue depriued of all my worldly pleasures neither shall any man liuing see me againe But to what ende doe I stand intreating of him that is past all pity Better were it for me to spend the litle space that yet remaineth in bewayling my time which I haue most vnprofitably spent O that I had now a sea of brackish tears to runne downe my cheekes for after this hower my teares will neuer be meritorious any more Ah God how haue I lost how haue I neglected how haue I mispent my golden time in vaine and wanton speeches in banqueting and chambering in dauncing and dallying in dicing and carding in bibbing and bousing in sleeping compasse and a thousand other such villaines in which seeing my solace I haue vtterly lost my selfe and hunting after transitorie pleasures I haue found eternall torments and paines Alas why did I not while I might endeuour so to liue as I might not haue feared to die for sure I am that he that liueth well can not chuse but die well why had I not all my life long made preperation for this iournie in which so many millions of men perish as scarce one among ten thousand passe to the end in safety Oh oh most vnhappie I alas alas in what danger do I stand if my footing faile me now I perish perpetually Ah miserable wretch that I am all this as yet is but the preface or prologue to the play all that as yet I feele is but a shadow or dum shew of that which presently must follow and if the prologue be so dolefull alas how terrible will the Tragedie it selfe be If the very shadow and feare of death be so horrible as it wholly amazeth me to thinke thereupon oh God what will death it selfe be In what sort shall I appeare and stand before the face of that most iust and seuere iudge whom and in whose sight I haue offended more then a hundred thousand thousand times and that most hainously I was sent into this world to serue my Lord God my creatour and redeemer in fasting praying and the like but I alas haue consumed my time in doing the quite contrarie In turning fasting into feasting praying into prating vertues into vices and all misdeedes whatsoeuer of all the dayes of my life God onely knoweth whether I haue speÌ„t either one day or hower in his seruice to his liking or not Alas with what shame and confusion shall I stand before God and his Angels when I shall be driueu to giue an account of euery idle word that I haue spoken in my dayes what a reckening am I like to make Alas I am not able to number the thousandth part of the mortall crimes that I haue committed what then can I say for my idle words and thoughts which in number surmounte the sandes of the Sea Ah miserable foole that I am I should haue thought of these things before but now alas it is too late wo wo to me tenne thousand times that euer I deferred my time of amendment putting off from day to day crying with the Crow Cras Cras so long as now I am like to bee the Diuels owne blacke bird and to be put vp in the Cage of hell for euermore O false fawning and flattering friends ô cousening and craftie Physitions how iust cause haue I to wish that I had neuer knowne nor seene you you told me all was well and that there was no daunger of death at all Feare nothing said you this infirmity is nothing but a litle distemperature of some humors and therefore thou needest not send for the Preacher or to trouble your selfe with thinking on your sinnes at this time but when you are well confesse your sinnes vnto God at leasure at this time sleepe take your rest and set all your cares apart you shall soone be whole oâ— this maladie O false and mosâ— vnfaithfull friends friends faâ— I nay rather most cruell foeâ— enemies of my poore soule and workers of my euerlasting woâ— and miserie for hearkening to your Syren songs I haue rushed on the rockes of euerlasting death I perish whilâ— there is none to helpe but aâ— las I am well enough serued for he that will not preuenâ— death is worthie to be preueted by him All mortall wights of whâ—â— sexe or degree soeuer thou bâ— remember that thou must die and perhaps as soone as my selfe for anie warrant that thou hast to the contrarie do good to all while thou mayest seeke to appease the wrath of God while you haue time in Hymnes Psalmes and Thanksgiuing seeke to praise and please him and while thou liuest in this wretched world liue in such sort as in the houre of death you die not in such confusion and as I do now I wish now that I had spent my youth in the wildernesse with Iohn Baptist liued by â—…rie bread and water with Machâ—rius prayed with â—…mes vntill my knees had â—in as hard as horne bewayled my sins with Mary Magdaâ—â—ne whose coÌ„tinual teares had â—â—et to furrowes or gutters in her face beaten my selfe wiâ—â— an yron chaine thrise a dâ—â— vntill the bloud ranne dowâ— to the ground as Katherâ—â— of Sâ—enna did and done anâ— thing else whatsouer and iâ—â— might liue any longer
A â—OOKING GLASSE of Mortalitie Not verie pleasant at the first view to many men but yet most necessarie profitable and commodious for all sorts of people of what estate dignity or calling soeuer they be With an Exhortation to good life annexed Wherein are treated all such things at appertaine vnto a Christian to do from the beginning of his conuersion vntill the end of his perfection Made by I. B. Printed at London by R. F. for Iohn Oxenbridge dwelling at the signe of the Parrat in Paules churchyard 1599. DEATH TO THE carelesse youth YOu carelesse youth looke well on me For as I am so shall you be I am the wight at length that must Lay all your glorie in the dust T is I t is I that giues the fall To eueâ—ie one though neere so tall No wealth no strength nor pollicie Can make resistance vnto me Wherefore let this be still your song Dead shall I be ere it be long Death to the gallant daintie Dames YE gallant Dames behold your doome To this at length you all must come Though neere so fine you are but dust Though neere so loath away you must I daunt your pride I pull your plumes To stench I turne your sweet perfumes Your Rings your Chaines your rich aray Yea life and all â— take away Let this therefore â—â—â—cke your song Dead shall I be ere it be long THE AVTHOR TO the Reader Let euerie man if he be wife Though he be not exprest by name With indgement deep and good aduise Mark wel this Glasse for in the same A perfect picture painted is Of euerlasting bale or blis Most sure we are that we must die But when or how God only knowes O ten times happie then say I Is he that well his time best owes But wo to him ten thousand fold WhoÌ„ death as prisoner fast doth hold A LOOKING GLASSE OF MORTALITIE That of necessitie all men must die THat we must all once die there is no Athiest so incredulous nor no foole so seÌ„celesse Eccle. 9.5 but doth know and confesse the same being compelled thereunto not only by the authority of the holy Scriptures and learned Fathers but also by dayly and howerly experience The sentence is giuen which cannot be recalled â—â—â—n 3.19 dust we are into dust we must needs returne againe we all must die and sinke into the ground like waters which returneth not againe Reg. 〈◊〉 145. Man that is borne of a woman faith Iob hath but a short time to line and that litle time also that he hath is replenished with manifold miseries his daies be short â—â—el 17.3 the hower of death is vncertaine the nuÌ„ber of his moneths are set downe which hee cannot passe but when they are complete there is no remedy but die he must Quis est homo qui viuit non videbit mortem What man is he that liueth and shall not die surely not one for al flesh is but Grasse Psa 88.49 Esa 40. and all our glory but as the Flowers of the field which to day flourish and to morrow wither and are cast into the furnace Mat. â— â— when Death commeth with his Siclein hand to haue in his haruest he looketh not on the greene and flourishing yeares of young Ganimedes he regardeth not the Purple robes of Senatours nor passeth not a straw for Cresus yellow crownes Eccl. 88. he feareth not the force of Mars nor subtility of Mercurie neither Caesar nor Alexander could resist him neither Salomon nor V lisses beguile him Neque salunbâ—â— impium neither shall the wickednesse of the wicked helpe him but downe he must amongst the rest Grasse we are Rom. 5 2â— and as Grasse will he mow vs all haue sinned and for sin we all must die It is decreed that all must once die but woe to him that dieth twise the first death parteth soule and body Iob. 9. â—ors 2. the second death seperateth both body soule from God the first depriueth vs of temporall pleasures â—poc 2. the secoÌ„d bereaueth vs of euerlasting ioyes Well may we all stand in feare of death for in what state he findeth vs â—ug in Epist 〈◊〉 in that estate shall we be presented before the tribunall seate of God neither shall we when we depart cary any thing with vs but our good deeds and our bad naked came we into the world 〈◊〉 naked must we depart again when we are dead there is no difference at all betweene one Carkasse and another Amb. inexunerâ— vnlesse perchaunce the rich mans Corse stinke more vilely then the poore mans doth neither doth it make much to the matter whether we haue liued teÌ„ or ten hundred yeares for when our glasse is run out and ineuitable death is come all is one in effect Hiero. ad Heliodor but that he that hath liued longest shall haue the greater burthen of sin to beare and the more to account for much better is it to liué a little while and vertuously Sene. 79. Epist then a thousand yeres wickedly better is one day to a wise and learned man then a very long life to him that liueth lewdly and followeth his sensualities But what make I so much a do to proue so plaine a matter by so many authorities of sacred Scriptures and holy Fathers the very heathens themselues that knew not God do in their writings confesse the same Plato aske Plato what he thinketh of this life and he will answere you Sapientum vita meditatio est mortis that is the life of wise men ought to be a perpetuall meditation of death which will come nothing more sure but when and how no man cant tell Seneca Ep. 72. aske Seneca his iudgement herein and he will not only confirme that I haue sayd but proue it by experience Certum est faith he vitam mortémque per vices ire composit a dissolui dissolut a componi omne humanum genus quodcunque est quodcunque erit morte damnatum est c. Arist Corruption 〈◊〉 est generatio alteâ—â—â—ius It is certaine that life and death come and go by turnes things made and compounded are to be dissolued and being dissolued are to be made againe All generations of men whatsoeuer are or shall be condemned to die and the Cities that now are builded shall one day decay and men shall aske where stood such a towne And againe Seneca 25. Morior nec primus nec vltimus omnes me antecesserunt omnes sequente hac conditione intraui vt exirem All those that liued before me are dead gone before me and all that are to come shall follow me I came into the world vpon that condition Seneca 24. Ep. that I should depart againe And as long as I liue I dayly die for some part of my time doth daly shorten and as my yeares increase so doth my life decrease our Infancie our
lumen Lo here the last wil testameÌ„t of worldly wise men they giue their goods to strangers Psal 48. which spend them faster then they gathered them many times go together by the cares for the same the diuel hath their soules and the wormes their bodies ô miserable end ô detestable testament what wise men liuing would not wish rather to liue die with Lazarus then with the rich glutton What gaineth the Queenes moyles by their great burdeÌ„s of siluer plate other treasures wherewith they are lodenâ— Surely nothing but a galleâ— backe for when they come â—â— the Inne their treasure is take from them and they naked tâ— red and galled as they be aâ— turned into the stable So rich men gaine nothinâ— by their coffers crammed wiâ— Crownes and sackes full of sâ—â—uer but a conscience pittifuâ— galled with many a grieuoâ— crime when life is at an enâ— they are by their friends stripâ— ped to their skinne and nakeâ— tyred and galled as they bâ— thrust into the stinking stabâ— of hell where they shall beâ— sed worse then Moyles â—â— Moyles in the stable shall â—â— well dressed and curried wâ— sed with prouender and haâ— as much water as they wâ— drinke but the worldly râ—â— â—en in hell shall find none to â—ttie them but millions of diâ—ls to torment them they â—all eate and gnaw their owne â—esh for hunger and if they would giue tenne thousand â—orlds for one little drop of â—ld water Luke 16. they shall not haue 〈◊〉 Wel liue a worlding he that will Moriatur anima mea â—orte Iustorum God graunt â—e to die the death of Iust men and during life to thinke continually thereupon The memory of death maketh vs humble meeke lowly obedient charitable louing courteous and benigne obedient to our superiours humble to our betters lowly to our equals meeke and benigne to our inferiours subiects and seruants charitable to the poore louing to our neighbours â—â— courteous to all sorts of peopâ—â— as well straungers as acquaâ—â—tance poore as rich foesâ—â— friends The memory of death 〈◊〉 keth vs chast and continent â—â—tient and peaceable watch 〈◊〉 wise and warie compunct aâ— contrite it mitigateth all â—â— moderate affections and qâ—â— lifieth all inordinate passions â— helpeth all diseases of the minâ—â— and healeth all sicknesse of tâ—â— soule it turneth imperfectioâ— into perfections and of grâ—uous sinners maketh glorious Saints And to conclude thâ— that attire themselues by thâ— Glasse and spend their dayâ— in meditating hereupon 〈◊〉 generations shall call theâ— blessed in die malae liber abâ—â—um Domâ—nus a sagitta volanâ— indie à negotio perambulantè in tenebrâ—s ab incursu daemonio meridiano Luke 1. Psal 40. In the euill day God shall deliuer them from the arrow that flveth by day froÌ„the busie diuell that walketh by night from in cursion and from the diuell that walketh euen at noone day he that continually expecteth death cannot but liue well and hee that liueth well must needs die well hee therefore that desireth to liue and die well let him beare well in mind that he is dust and into dust he must returne again Although that which is already sayd concerning this matter might suffice any wise man or woman in the world and cause them to looke to themselues prepare for their dying day yet for that I know many to be of such grosse and dull capacity as they cannot perceiue or coÌ„ceiue any thing vnlesse it be iâ— such order set downe as they may in a maner grope feelâ—â— the fame I wil for their sakes set before their eyes the lameÌ„table complaint of one attached by death long before hee looked for him or imagined him to by so neere wishing all men that reade the same grace and wisdom by his exaÌ„ple to beware least the like also happen vnto them which God defend This man in the flower oâ— his time fell so sicke as both Phisitions and all other his friends thought him but a dead man willed him to prepare himselfe for God the which when he heard it did so amaâ—â— him as for a long time hee could not vtter one word his griefe was so great and his feare so farre surpassed al measure at the last with great abundance of teares which like to litle streames trickled down his cheekes he burst foorth into these or the like words following Ah cruell death how hast thou intrapped me how am I entangled in thy snares that thought my selfe farre out of thy reach I imagined that I had yet many yeares to liue a long race to runne but alas my Glasse is runne out and my dayes are vanished like a shadow Psal 5.4 Psal 101. Timor tremor venerunt super me contexerunt me tenebrae The feare of death hath oppressed me in the gulfe of endlesse griefe am I dreÌ„ched and the sorrowes of hell haue coÌ„passed me about and hemd me in on euery side Psal 17. there is no hope of recouery no helpe no refuge Psalmâ— no way to escape but needs must I end my dayes in deepe dispaire and most extreame miserie Psal 101. my youthfull dayes are vanished like smoke my bones are drie as stickes my flesh withered like haye my hart parched vp for that I haue forgotten to cate my meate thus am I suddenly brought to naught that thought my selfe no small man in the view of the world Ah cursed world wo be to me that euer I followed thy vanities Iob. 3. wo wo ten thousand times that euer I knew theeâ— Ah God how happie had I biâ—â— if I had neuer bene borneâ—â— How happy if I had dyed iâ— my mothers wombe and berâ— carried from her bellie to my graue 〈◊〉 41. O death how grieuoâ—â— is the remembrance of thee vnto a man whose pleasure and onely felicity is set on worldly vanities as mine was I could neuer abide to thinke on thee but now I am inforced to feele thee to mine inexplicable paine and remedilesse griefe I would not hearken to those that gaue me good counsell but counted them fooles that liued continually looking for death perswading my selfe that I should liue Methusalems yeares But now alas though it be late I find no foole in the world comparable to me For Death at vnawares is rushed vppon me he hath arested me â—ound me with insolluble â—ands and draweth me to hell euen as a hang-man draweÌ„th a condemned man to the gallowes Helpe helpe helpe Father Mother Brethren Sisters Wife Children Friends Kinsfolkes helpe helpe me if euer you doe lone me now helpe me Misereminimei miseremâ—ni mes saltâ—m vos amicâ— mes Take pitty vpon me take pittie vpon me Iob. 19. at least you my especial good friends take pitty vppon me keepe me from thiâ—â—ruell murderer defend mâ— from this terrible Tyger preserue me from this ramping and roaring Lyon which batâ— me in his pawes and is reaâ— die to teare me in peeâ—â—â— Alas alas
vice is a thing so wonderfull that although the world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet should they all be wearied and the world come to an end before they should end their description and make a perfect declaration what is comprehended in each one of these points This faith informeth thee also that the debts and duties which we owe vnto Almightie God are so great that albeit a man had so many liues as there be sands in the sea yet would they not suffice if they were all emploied in his seruice And this faith like wise telleth thee that vertue is such an excellent treasure that all the treasures of the world and all that mans hart can desire Sap. 7. are not to be compared vnto it Wherefore if there be so many and great respectes that do inuite vs vnto vertue how commeth it to passe that there be so few louers and followers of the same If men be moued with gaine and commoditie what greater commoditie can there be then life euerlasting if with feare of punishment what punishment can be greater then euerlasting horrible tormentes in hell fire world without end if with bondes of debtes and benefites what debtes are greater then thee which we owe vnto Almightie God aswell for that hee is which hee is as also for that which we haue receiued of him If the feare of perils doe moue vs what greater perill can there bee then death the houre thereof being so vncertaine and the account so strait If thou bee moued with peace libertie quietnesse of minde and with a pleasant life which are things that all the world desireth it is certaine that all these are founde much better in the life that is gouerned by vertue and reason then in that life that is tuled by the affections and passions of the minde for so much as man is a reasonable creature and no beast Howbeit in case thou accountest all this as not sufficient to moue thee thereunto yet shall it not suffice thee to consider that Almightie God so abased him selfe for thy sake that he descended from heauen vnto the earth and became man and whereas hee created the world in fix daies he bestowed thirtie and three yeares about thy redemption yea was also content for the same to loose his life Almightie God dyed that sinne should dye yet for all this we doe endeuour that finnes might liue in our harts Notwithstading that Almightie God purposed to take away the life of sinne with his owne death What shall I say more assuredly of reasons we haue shewed enough and enough if this matter were be to discussed by reason for I say this not onely in beholding Almightie God him self but wheresoeuer we turne our eyes we shall finde that euery thing crieth out vnto vs and calleth vpon vs to receiue this so excellent a benefite for there is not a thing created in the world if we doe well consider it but doth inuite to the loue and seruice of our Lord and Sauiour in so much that looke how many creatures there be in the world so many preachers there are so many books so many voyces and so many reasons which doe all call vs vnto Almightie God And how is it possible then that so many callings as these are so many promises and threatnings should not suffice to bring vs vnto him What might Almightie God haue done more then he hath done or promised more then hee hath promifed or threatned more then hee hath threatned to draw vs vnto him and plucke vs from sinne and yet all this notwithstanding how commeth it to passe that there is so great I will not say arrogancie but be witching of men that doe beleeue those things to be certainly true and yet bee not afrayd to continue all the dayes of their life in sinne yea to go to bed in sinne and to rise vp againe in sinne and to embrew them selues in euery kinde of sinne and this is done in such sorte so without feeling so without feare so without scruple of minde and without breaking of one houres sleepe as if al that they belieued weâ— dreames and old wiues tales and as if all that the holy euangelistes haue written were meere vntruthes starke lies Tell me now thou desperare traitor tell me I say thou firebrand prepared to burne in those euerlasting and reuenging horrible fires of hell what wouldst thou haue done more then thou hast done in case thou haddest bene perswaded that all were meere lyes which thou hast belieued for although I see well that for feare of externall punishment imposed by the Princes law thou hast somewhat bridled thine appetites yet can I not perceiue that for any feare of Almighty God thou hast refâ—ained thy will in any one thing neither from carnall pleasures nor from takinge reuenge of thine enemies nor from backbiting and slaundering thy neighbours nor yet from fulfilling thine inordinate and filthie lustes and desires in case thine ability serued ther unto tell me thou blind grosse buzzard and worse then franticke fellow what sayth thy worme of conscience vnto thee whiles thou art in such a fond security and confidence continuing in such a carelesse and dissolue wicked life as thou doest where is now become the vnderstanding iudgement and reason which thou hast of a man why art thou not afraid of so horrible so certaine and so assured perils and dangers if there were a dish of meate set before thee and some man albeit he were a lier should say vnto thee that there were poyson in that dish tell me darest thou once aduenture to stretch foorth thy hand to take a tast thereof though the meate were neuer so sauery and delicate and hee neuer so great a lier that shold beare thee thus in hand If the Prophets if the Apostles if the Euangelistes yea if Almighty God himselfe doe 〈◊〉 one vnto thee and say Take heede miserable man for deal is in that kind of meate and death lyeth lurking in that glintenous morsell which the diuell hath set before thee how darest thou reach for euerâ—â— sting death with thy owne hands drinke thine one damnatioÌ„ to what vse puttest thou in this meane while thy wits thy iudgements and thy discourse 4. Reg. 4. and reason which thou hast of a man where is their light where is their force sith that none of them doe bridle thee any whit from thy common vse of vices O thou wretched and madde carelesse caâ—ise bewitched by the dinell adiudged to euerlasting darhenesse both in ward and outward and so goest on from one darkenesse to the other thou are blind to see thy 〈◊〉 misery insensible â—â— vâ—â—â—ersland thy perdition and harder then any adamant to seâ—le the â—amer of Gods word â—aâ—housand times most miserable thou art worthier to bee 〈◊〉 with none other then with those where with thy daÌ„nation was lamented wheÌ„ it was said O that thou knewest this day the peace quietnesse and
protection and defence of Almightie God and sleepe sweetly vnder the shadow of his pastorall prouidence and the other being excluded from this kinde of prouidence wander abroade like straied sheep without their shepeheard and maister lying wide open to all the perils dangers and assaults of the world Now then my deare brother if a vertuous life be accompanied with all these benefites tell me I pray thee of good fellowship what is the cause shall withdraw thee and perswade thee not to embrace such a precious treasure what art thou able to alleage for excuse of thy great negligence to say that this is not true it can not bee admitted for so much as thou seest that all is grounded vppon the word of God and the testimonies of his holie Scriptures and to say Esa 69. that these are but small benefites thou canst not for so much as they doe exceede as we haue before declared all that mans heart can desire To say that thou art an enemie vnto thy selfe and that thou dooest not defire these benefites this cannot be sayd considering that man is euen naturally a friend to himselfe and the will of man hath euer an eye to his owne benefit which is the very obiect or marke that his desire shooteth at to say that thou hast no vnderstanding or tast of these benefits it will not serue to discharge thine offence for so much as thou hast the faith and beliefe though thou hast not the tast for the tast is lost through sin but not the faith Faith is a more cerâ—aine wieâ—esse then â—ll the witâ—asses and experiences â—n the world and the faith is a witnesse more certaine more secure and better to bee trusted then all other experiences and witnesses in the world why dost thou not then discredit all other witnesses with this one assured testimony why dost thou not rather giue credit vnto faith than to thine owne opinion and iudgement O that thou wouldest make a resolute determination to submit thy selfe into the hands of Almighty God and to put thy whole trust assuredly in him how soone shouldest thou see all these prophecies fulfilled in thee then shouldest thou see the excellency of these deuine treasures then shouldest thou see how starke blind the louers of this world are that seeke not after this high treasure To be short then shouldest thou see vpon what good ground our Sauiour inuiteth vs to this kind of life saying Come vnto me all ye that trauell Math. 11. and are loden and I will refresh you take my yoke vpon you and you shall finde rest for your soules for my â—oke is sweete and my burthen is light Almightie God is no deceiuer not false promiser neither yet is hee a great boaster of such things as he promiseth why doest thou then shrinke backe why doest thou refuse peace and quietnesse why doest thou despise the gentle offers and sweete callings of thy pastors how darest thou despise and banish away vertue from thee which hath such prerogatiues and priuiledges as these be and withall confirmed and signed euen with the hand of Almightie God The Queene of Saba heard far lesse things theeÌ„ these of Salomon â—an 9. yet she trauelled froÌ„ the vttermost partes of the earth to trie the truth of those things whâ—â— she had heard why doest not thou then hauing such notable yea and so certaine newes of vertue aduenture to take a little paines to trie the truth and sequele thereof O my deere Christian brother put thy trust in Almighty God and in his word and commit thy selfe boldly without all feare into his armes and vnlace from thy handes triflings knots that haue hitherto deceiued thee and thou shalt finde that the deedes of vertue doe farre excell her fame and that all which is spoken in praise of her is nothing in comparison of that which she is in deed That a man ought not to deferre his repentance and conuersion vnto God from day to day considering that hee hath so many debts to discharge by reason of the offences committed in his sinfull life past Chap. 4. NOw then if on the one side there be so many so great respects that do bind vs to change our sinfull life and on the other side wee haue not any sufficient excuse why we should not make this exchange I beseech thee tell me how long time wilt thou tarrie vntill thou fullie resolue to do it turne thine eyes ô my Christian brother and looke backe a little vppon thy life past and consider that at this present of what age soeuer thou be it is high time or rather the time is well neere past to begin to discharge some part of thine old debts consider that thou who art a Christian regenerated in the holy water of Baptisme who doest acknowledge Almighty God for thy father consider I say that all this notwithstanding thou hast liued euen as loosely and dissolutely as thou hadst bene a meere infidell that had neuer any knowledge of Almighty God and if thou deny this then tell me what kind of sinne is there that thou hast not committed what tree is there forbidden that thou hast not beholden with thine eyes what greene meddow is there in which thou hast not at the least with desire feasted thy lecherous lustes what thing hath bene set before thine eyes that thou hast not wantonly desired what appetite hast thou left vnexecuted notwithstanding that thou didst beleeue in Almighty God and that thou wert a Christian what wouldest thou haue done more if thou haddest not had any faith at all if thou haddest not looked for any other life if thou haddest not feared the dreadfull day of iudgement What hath all thy former life bene but a webbe of sinnes a sinke of vices a way full of brambles and thornes and a frowarde disobedience of Almighty God with whom thou hast hitherto liued but onely with thine appetite with thy flesh with thy pride and with thy goodes and riches of this transitory world these haue beene thy gods these haue bene thine Idols whom thou hast serued whose lawes thou hast diligently obeyed make thine accounts with Almighty God with his lawes with his odedience and peraduenture thou shalt find that thou hast esteemed him no more then if hee had bene a God of straw for it is certaine that there be many Christians which beleeuing that there is a God are induced to sinne with such facility as though they did beleeue that there were no God at al do offend no whit lesse though they beleeue that there is a God then they would doe they beleeued that there wâ—â— none at all What greater inâ—ry what greater despite câ—â— there bee done then thus to contemne his deuine maiesty Finally thou beleeuing all such things hast notwithstanding so led thy life as if thou weâ—â— perswaded that the beliefe 〈◊〉 the Christians were the greâ—â— rest fables or lies in the whoâ— world And if the multitude of thy
sinnes past and the facility thou hast vsed in committing of them do not make thee afraid why dost thou not feare at the least the Maiesty omnipotency of him against whom thouhast sinned Life vp thine eyes and consider the infinite greatnesse and omnipotency of the Lord whom the powers of heauen doe adore before whose Maiestie the whole compasse of the wide world lyeth prostrate in whose presence all things created are no more then chasse carried away with the wind consider also with thy selfe how vnseemely it is that such a vile worme as thou art should haue audacitie so many times to offend prouoke the wrath of so great a Maiestie Consider the wonderfull most terrible seueritie of his iustice The terrible seuere iustice of almightie God against sinners and what horrible punishments hee hath vsed from time to time in the world against sinne and that not onely against particular persons but also vppon Cities Nations Kingdomes and Prouinces yea vpon the vniuersall world and not only in earth but also in heauen not only vpon sâ—…gers and sinners but euen vpoâ— his owne most innoceson our sweete Sauiour Iesâ—â— Christ when he tooke vppoâ— him to satisfie for the deâ—… that they owed And if thâ— seuerity was vsed vppoâ— innocent greene wood anâ— for the sinnes of others whaâ— then will he do vpon drie anâ— withered wood and againsâ— those that are loden with theâ— owne sinnes Now what thinâ— can be thought more vnreasonable then that such a vilâ— wretched weake dwarfe a thou Luke 13. verse 43. shouldest be so sawcie and mallaparte as to mocke with so mighty a Lord whose hand is so heauie that in case hee should stricke but euen one stroke vppon thee hee would at one blow driue thee downe head-long into the deepe and bottomlesse pitte of hell â—here to be tormented for euer by the diuels and his Angles without all hope of remedie Consider likewise the great patience of this our mercifull Lord The great pacience of Almighty God who hath expected thy repentaunce so long euen from the time that thou didst first offend him and thinke that if after so great patience and long tarrying for thee thou shalt still continue thy lewde and sinfull life abusing thus his mercie and not ceassing to prouoke him to further indignation and wrath he will then bend his bow and shake his sworde and raine downe vpon thee euen very sharpâ— arrowes of euerlasting death Consider also the profounâ—nesse of his iudgements The profoundnesse of the deepe iudgements of almightie God wheâ— of we reade and see dayly â— great wonders we see hoâ—â— king Salomon himselfe after be so great wisedome and afteâ— those three thousand parable and most profound misterieâ— vttered by him in his book called Cantica Canticoruâ— was sorsaken of almighty God and fuffered to fall downe 1. Reg. 11. aâ—â— adore Idols wee see dayâ— many starres fall downe from heauen to the earth with â—â— serable falles Ato 2. and to walloâ— themselues in the durt and to cate the meate of swine which sate before at Gods table and were fed with the very breaâ— of Angels If then the iust and righteous for some secrete pride or negligence or else for some ingratitude of theirs be thus iustly forsaken of almighty God after they haue bestowed so many yeares in his seruice what mayst thou looke for that hast done nothing else all thy life time but onely heaped vp sinnes vpon sinnes and hast thereby offended Almighty God most grieuously Now if thou hast liued after â—his sort were it not reason that thou shouldest now at the â—ength giue ouer and cease heaâ—ing sinne vpon sinne and debt vpon debt and begin to pacifie the wrath of almighty god and â—o disburthen thy sinfull soule were it meete that that time which thou hast hitherto giuen to the world to the flesh and to the diuell should suffice and that thou shouldest bestow some litle time of that which remaineth to serue him 〈◊〉 hath giuen vnto thee all 〈◊〉 thou hast were it not a poâ—â— of wisedome after so long time and so many great iniuries 〈◊〉 feare the most terrible iushâ— of Almighty God who thâ— more patiently hee suffereâ— sinners the more doth hee 〈◊〉 terward punish them wiâ— greater seuerity and iustioâ— were it not meete for thee feare thy long continuance many yeares in sinne and in thâ— displeasure of almighty God procuring thereby against the such amighty aduersary asâ—â— is and prouoke him of a mercifull louing father to be comâ— a seuere terrible judge and â— nemy were it not meete to feare least that the force ofâ—uill custome may in continuance of come be turned into nature and that thy long vicious vsuall maner of committing of sinne may make of a vice a necessitie or litle lesse why art thou not afrayd lest by litle â—litle thou maist cast thy felse downe headlong into the deep pit of a reprobate sence Rom. 1. wherinto after that a man is once falle he neuer maketh account of any sinne be it neuer so great The Patriarke Iacob sayd vnto Laban his father in law These fourteene yeares haue I serued thee looked to thine affaires now it is time that I should looke to mine owne begin to attend vnto the affaires of mine owne houshold Wherfore if thou hast likewise bestowed so many yeares in the seruice of this world and of this frayle transitorie 〈◊〉 were it not good reason thâ— thou shouldest now beâ— to make some prouision 〈◊〉 the saluation of thy soule 〈◊〉 son the euerlasting life 〈◊〉 come There is nothing moâ— short nor more transaâ—rie then the life of a mâ—â— and therefore prouiding carefully as thou doest for such things as bee necessâ—â— for this life which is so shaâ—â— why doest thou not likewâ—â— prouide somewhat for theâ— that is to come which sâ—endure for euer and euer The conclusion of all the premises Chap. 5. IF now all this bee so beseech thee ô my deâ— Christian brother euen for the bitter passion of Iesus Christ to remember thy selfe and to consider that thou art a Christian and that thou beleeuest assuredly for a most vndoubted truth what thy faith instructeth this faith telleth thee thou hast a iudge aboue that seeth all the steps and motions of thy life and that certainly there shall a day come when hee will require an account of thee euen of euery idle word this faith teacheth thee that a man is not altogether at an end when hee dieth but that after this temporall life there remaineth another euerlasting life and that the soules dye not with the bodie but that while the bodie remaineth in the graue vntill the generall day of iudgement the soule shall enter into another new countrey and into a new world where it shall haue such habitation and companie as the faith which it had in this life This faith telleth thee also that both the reward of vertue and the punishment of