thyn hous Now what be the goodes that sayntes shalle be fulfylled with but oonly the grace of the Incomprehensyble glorye Saynt Bernard sayth in a sermon of the Dedycacyon The resonable soule made after the ymage of God may well be occupyed with al other thyngis but it may not be all fulfylled Certeynly she coÌ„prehendyng god may not be fulfylled with lesse thynge than god we shal not oonly be fulfylled with this vnrecytable glory but also we shall be dronken assotted theron It is redde in Iheremye the .xxxi. chapitre I shall make dronke the soules of the preestes of grace that shal be at the grete soupper whiche is ordeyned for good folkes He shall sette and admynystre them mete of glorye and gyue them drynk of merueyloê° Ioye swetenes Then it shal be sayd to those that shal ete there As is wryten in the Cantycles the .v. chapitre My right dere frendes Ete and drynke and make you dronken In Isaye the .xxix. chapitre also it wryten Make you dronken but not with wyne wher with thenÌ„e shall they make them dronken with Ioye and with gladnesse and with felycyte and with many maners of the celestyall glorye O good lord god eternall how swetly shal thy good and newe seruauntes be dronken with the plenteuousnes of thyne house with the voluptuousnesse of the. For in the is the fontayne of lyfe the fontayne of beatytude and of glorye permanent and neuer fayllyng Certeynly all swetenesse belongeth to thyne house It is the house of our lord the cyte of god whiche is full of all rychesses resplendysshed with all goodes Therfore seyth Isay in his xxiii chapitre Thyn eyn shal see Iherusalem full habundant of alle goodes The grete multytude of the copyous habundance of the thynges before sayde of this cyte sholde not holy satysfye to calle vs thyder but also right specyally the restfull multytude of this peas wherin those that be happy shall delyte them enherytyng the contree aboue specifyed The same Isaye sayth in his lv chapitre ye shal passe out in Ioye shall be brought in to peas O how grete shall the habuÌ„dance of this peas be in Iherusalem wherin it shall remayne perpetuelly without ony waire Isay yet sayth in the .ix. .xxxii. chapitres My peple shall be in the beaute of peas in the tabernacles of confydence in the riche habundance of reste Also Thobye sayth in the .xiii. chapitre O Iherusalem cyte of god happely blyssed be thoso that loue the and reioyse them in thy peas It is in Ezechyell the .xiii. chapitre The sayntes see in the vysyon of peas there is Ioye peas with peas whiche is soo precyous that it surmouÌ„teth and is by yonde all humayne vnderstandyng Now thenÌ„e he that wyl be particypable of soo grete a Ioye peas with the sayntes eternally an hyghe in heuen he must lerne now to suffre humbly and haue pacyence here a lowe in erthe For as it is wryten in a book called Aurora drawen oute of the Byble By suffrance is wonnen that moost noble rest ther is none so wyse that can reioyse that peas but oonly it is hadde by trauayll and suffryng of trybulacoÌ„ns and paynes pacyently in this mortall worlde c. ¶ How the Royalme of heuen is praysed and landed for the Ioye blysse that is therin euerlastyngly ¶ The thyrde chapitre of the fourthe parte and the last pryncypall THyrdely the Royalme and kyngdome of god is to be recoÌ„mended for grete Ioye gladnesse that is therin eternally enduryng there vpon sayth Saynt Gregory in an Omelye who hath that tonge that can suffysantely declare and expresse the Ioyes of that souerayne Cyte Or who hath conuenably the vnderstondyng to comprehende how grete those Ioyes be to the companyes of Angellys and to the happy soules And how Inestymable is that moost blysfull eternall Ioye and glorye in beholdynge the vysage of oure lorde god hauynge noo maner of trouble nefere of dethe but lyue in reioysyng them of that moost precyous gyfte of grace whiche shall euer be permanent and without corrupcyon Certayn that Royalme the cyte of our lorde must be vnderstonde Iherusalem whiche Iherusalem is moost bonteuousely plenteuously and blyssedly edyfyed O cyte of cytees whiche is soo habundantely full of blysfull Ioyes to the happy soules loued be yu. It is wryten in Isaye the last chapitre Reioyse you with Iherusalem disporte you in her to the ende that ye may know and be fulfylled fedde with the pappe of consolacyon and that ye may be habundant in all maners with the delectacoÌ„ns of that glorye Of the whiche inmesurable felycyte and glory of that noble Cyte speketh Saynt Austyn in his boke of the cyte of our lorde sayeng O how grete shall the felicite be there where shal be nother payne nor harme nor we le nor good thyng hydde but entendynge hooly vnto the louynges and praysynges of our lord It is wryten in Isaye in the lxiiii chapitre There was neuer eye that sawe withoute the that Ioye whiche that haste ordeyned to them that abyde the nor more grete gladnesse can be than that thou wylt gyue those that thou louest whiche they shall possesse perpetuelly It is red in the same Isaye the .xxx. Chapitre They shal come in to syon and all louynges and sempyternall Ioyes vpon theyr hedes The Psalter saythe Our lord hath knowen the dayes of those that be pure not smouged and theyr herytage shall be perpetuell It is wryten in Thobye the .xiii. chapytre Lorde thou arte right gretely eternall thy Royalme is in alle worldes Saynt Austyne sayth in his book of the Cyte of our lord we shal be vnderstandyng shal see preyse loue on t lorde This shall be in then de whiche is withouten ende Now what sholde we desyre to be our ende but to serche seke the wayes to atteyne the comyng in to that royame wherin Ioyes haue none ende whiche royame is the royame of all the worldes and certaynely thy power and lordshyppe is vppon all generacyons Thoby sayth in his xiii Chapitre Blessyd be oure Lorde whiche hathe soo hyghe reysed Iherusalem to the entente that his royame be aboue in the worlde of worldes O how gloryous is the Royame where in the blyssed sayntes reioy se them with Ihesu Cryste and they cladde as in whyte aulbes folowe alwayes the lambe Now of this worlde to come speketh saynt Austyn in his boke of the debate by twix vertues vyces sayeng The loue of this prelence worlde is departed from me for there is no creature but he must nedys fynysshe dye here Hit all other wyse of the loue of the worlde that is to come In the whiche all be soo vyuyfyed that they can neuer dye after therin And therin is none aduersyte noo trouble none anguysshe no payne no dysease ennoyng nor werynesse but therin reygnen sempyter nall Ioyes The Psalter sayth The Iuste folkes eten and drynken
And yf thou axed me whiche creatures they be I answere the all and eueryche oon of them by them selfe For and the creatoure of alle thynges be offended all the good creatures shall haue hym in hate thath hath dyspleased hym For as Iob saythe in his twentyest Chapytre The heuens shall shew and lyfte vppe the euyll werkes of the synners and the erthe shall adresse hym agaynst them For oure lord shall call vnto hym the heuen aboue and the erthe be nethe to dyscerne his people And therfore sayth Crysostome vppon the Gospell of Saynte Mathewe There is noo thynge that we shall mowe remedye by answere that daye whenne the heuen and the erthe the sonne and the mone the nyghte and the daye and all the worlde shall bere wytenesse agaynste vs for oure synnes The refore saythe Saynte Gregory If thou axe me who shall accuse the I say to the all the worlde And that the creatures shall not oonly accuse the synners But also shal requyre the creatour of alle thynges to take vengeance on them for theyr synÌ„es To this purpose it is wryten in the book of Sapyence in the fyfthe chapitre He shall arme all creatures to take vengeance on his ennemyes And with hym shall fyght all the worlde agaynste those that haue ben Insensate that is to wyte ayenst synners All creatures seeng him that is maker of all thynges shall chase them to cause tourmentes to be gyuen vppon thoos that haue not be Iuste The fyfthe thynge that shall accuse the synners they shall be myserable persones that haue suffred soo many wronges For thenne they shall accuse thoos that haue done them wrong peyn and tourment At that tyme shall the worde of the ê“phete be verifyed whiche sayth I haue knowen well that our lorde wyll gyue Iugemente for the poore folkes that haue suffered wrong shal auenge the quarell of thoos that be Impotent for he that beholdeth the depe botoms of the sees sytteth aboue all the Cherubyns Seraphyns gooth aboue all the wyndes He is more terryble to be drad in his counselles and wylles than is the sones of men He shall Iuge thenÌ„e poore mennys cause that haue ben coÌ„stant And shall holde ayenst those that haue done them many anguysshes ThenÌ„e shall the fader of Orphans the Iuge of wydewes venge all wronges the pacyence of poore folkes shal not thenne perysshe The subgettes shall also accuse the felones neclygente prelates curates And therfore sayth saynt Bernarde vpon the Cantycles O how cruell oure lord shall be vpon the sones of men Certeyn the wretched synner shal say thenne all for nought to the monteyns Fall ye vpon vs and to the Rockes couer ye vs. They shall come thenÌ„e before the trybunall sete of Ihesu Cryste where shall be herde full greuous accusacions by thoos that haue payd theyr wages and boren theyr dispenses wrongfully theyr synnes shall not be defaced nor hydde of those that fraudelently haue blynded their doctours and confessours The vithyng that shall accuse synners shal be malyce and synne we rede in Iheremye the seconde chapitre Thy malyce shall accuse the thy refusyng shall blame the For the synnes shall thenne be bonden vnto the necke of synners To this purpose seyth Ozee in his xiii chapitre the iniquyte of Effraym is bounde togydre his synnes be not hyd we rede myn iniquytees be trussed leyde in myne necke and as the stolen good taken on the necke of a thef accuseth him semblably synÌ„e shal then accuse the wretched synner It is wryten also in the Prouerbys the fyfthe Chapytre Iniquytees shall take the felone synners there eueryche of them shall be taked and strayned with coordys of theyr synÌ„es And the Prophete seyth The coordys of my synnes haue enuyrouÌ„de goon rounde about me By the whiche coordys I saye also the wycked folkes by deuellys shall be drawen in to helle Certeynly they fall in to theyr nettes be taken by theyr baytes we red of the properte of an Archyn whiche that when he entreth in to a gardey ne he lodeth hym with apples stykynge on his pryckes And when the gardener comes he wold flee but he is thenne so laden that he can not away so he is there taken with all his apples Semblably falleth hit to the synner that is all laden with synnes and at the grete daye of Iugemente he is with them taken and accused wherfore sayth the Psalter Our lorde shall be knowen in makynge his Iugementes handwerkes and the synner shall be taken Vpon the whiche sayth Crysostom Our owne thoughtes specially our werkes shal be afore our eyen shall accuse vs afore god And therfore sayth saynt Bernarde Our werkes and we shall speke togyder saye O myserable synner thou haste made vs we ben thy werkes we wyll not leue the but go with the to thy Iugemente It is red in Ezechiell the .xviii. chapitre Lyke as the Iustice of the right wys man shal be on and for hym Righte soo the felony of the felon shall rest vpon hym The Psalter sayth Here ye all people here and reteyne wel in your ere 's alle ye that dwellen in this worlde wherfore shall I not be dredefull in that euyll day That is to wyce the day of dome whiche shal not oonly be euyll to me But it shall be right euyll to euery synner where vnto he answereth hyÌ„selfe sayeng I shall drede thenne For the Iniquyte of my fete shall enuyron me The seuenth the last thyng that shall accuse synners shall be the tourmentes and Instrumentes of the passyon of Ihesu Cryste And also Ihesu Cryst hymself wherfore sayth saynt Iherom The crosse of Ihesu shall fyght ageynst the. Ihesu Cryst shall shew allegge his wouÌ„des ageyne the. And the trace of the sayd wouÌ„des shall speke ayenst the. The nayles shall complayne on the. As Saynt Austyn sayth in his treate of symboll â–ª ê‘auenture our lord hath kept in his body the trace of tokenes of his wouÌ„des to th entent that atte the day of dome he wyll she we them ageynst synners to theyr reproche And in vaynquyssyng them saye Lo here beholde the man that ye haue crucyfyed See here god and man in whom ye wolde haue noo byleue Loke vppon the wouÌ„des that ye haue made him knowlege the syde that ye haue wounded hurt whiche hath ben opened for you But ye haue not well entred therin Ihesu Cryste also then accusyng the synners shall say as Naum sayd in his thyrde chapitre I shall shewe thy de fautes afore thy face shall shewe to the people thy nakednesse to the reames thy shame Ozee in his seconde Chapitre sayth I shall manyfeste shew thy foly afore the eyen of thy louers that is noo man may drawe the out of my hondes O how desolute howe sorrowfull that the myserable synners shal be in the daye of the grete Iugement For thenne as
But as to me I saye that there be other tourmentes moche more greuoê° that is to saye to be estrauÌ„ged and cast away from the grace of the soueraygne glory I deme that the banysshyng ther from is the moost egre greuoê° torment wherupon saith saynt Gregory He is gretely tormented that is constrayned to be put a part from the presens of oure lord And I deme that it is the moost greuous thyng that may be passeth all the geheÌ„nes of helle The same saynt Gregory saith of this worde of the Gospell of Saynt Mathew the xvi chapitre He shall be cutte sent in to the eternall fyre Certeynly the geheÌ„ne of helle is a thynge intollerable and none can coÌ„prehende how intollerable it is Neuerthelesse yf there were a M. gehennes in helle ther is none so lameÌ„table payn as to be exempt from the honour of the blessyd glory of heuen to be hated of our redemer Ihesu cryste maker of all thynges For as saint Austyn seith The wycked reproued shall leuer sustene all the tormentes of helle then to beholde the rightfull Iuges face angred with them Iohell sayth in his seconde chapitre The erthe hath trembled for his face moeuynge of his eyen the sonne the mone haue derked the sterres haue withdrawen theyr shynyng the people haue ben tormeÌ„ted beholdyng his vysage Certeynly syÌ„ners shall thenÌ„e perysshe before his face thorugh the grete sorow they shal haue of them selfe And when they shall see hym comyng his vysage from them â–ª it shall meue them to myserably And thenÌ„e the Iuge egrely shall say as is wryten in Iheremie the .xviii. chapitre In the day of theyr perdycyon I shall shewe them my backe and not my face O what shal be the separacoÌ„n O how bytter sorowfull shall it be to the synner to departe fro the face of our lorde whenÌ„e he shall horrybly say I tell you I knowe you not therfor seyth a wyse man The departyng of frendis is right sorowful but the separacoÌ„n of the body the soule from the presens of the deyte is the moost sorowfull thynge For all this thynges a fore sayd and many other whiche infynytly myght be rehersed for breefnesse of tyme I passe them ouer But yet awake ye awake ye my dere frendis lyfte vp your hedes abhortyng feryng the tymerous dredfull day of Iugement For as Sophonyas in his fyrst chapitre sayth The daye of oure lord approcheth nyghe shall not tary It is wryten in Isaye in the .xiii. chapitre Sorowe ye and crye for the daye of our lord is nyghe Slepe not thenÌ„e For ye knowe not the day ne the hour as it is wryten in the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe the xxv chapitre It is also wryten vnto the Tessalonyes in the last chapitre of the fyrst Pystle My brethern ye knew well that the day of our lord shall come by nyght as a thef and whenne men shall thynke themselfe assuredly in peas He shall come sodeynly and take them in a mortall defaulte wherfor my brethern Reste not in the synÌ„e of wretchednesse Leest that day suppryse you not sodeynly as a thef Surely we be al the children of day and the sones of lyghte Thenne let vs not slepe as other doo But let vs awake and be sobre as it is wryten in the same chapitre It is wryten in the Gospell of Saynt Luke in the .xxi. chapitre Gyue attendaunce in youre selfe Leest perauenture youre hertes be fulfylled with gloteny and dronkenship in other vayne werkes of this present lyfe And lest that the forsayd daungerous day fall not sodenly vnto you whiche shall fall vnyuersally to all thoos that shall be vpon the erthe Be ye thenÌ„e in your prayers so that at al tymes ye may be the more dygue and able to flee al the daungers that be to come whenne that shall be afore the sone of man As it is wryten in the same chapitre for a trouth There shall be thenne tremblyng fere and sorowe intollerable And therfore sayde Iohell in his seconde chapitre Our lordes daye shall be grete right terryble And who shall be he that shall mow sustene or suffre it Isaye sayth also in his seconde chapitre They shall entre in to the cauernes amonges stones hydplaces of the erthe for drede of our lordes face and of the glory of his mageste whenne he shall aryse to smyte punysshe the erthe And as it is redde in Abacuk in the .iii. chapitre In his â—â—â—snes he shal trede downe the erthe the people shall be abasshed of his furour Isaye in his .x. chapitre sayth what shall ye do in that daye of vysytacyon of calamyte comynge from terre partyes to whome shall ye renne to haue so â—our helpe Certeynly the synÌ„er shall haue then noo refuge solace nor socours And therfore sayd Ancelme in his book of MedytacoÌ„ns On the right honde shall synÌ„es be accusyng the wretched synner On the lyfte honde infynyte noÌ„bre of deuels vndernethe the coÌ„fusyon of helle whiche is gretly to be doubted ouer this the presens of the wrothfull Iuge withoute all the worlde breÌ„nyng within this the conscience glowyng This ought to be remeÌ„bred Alas the myserable synners taken in the trappe whether shal they flee It shall be thenÌ„e Impossyble to hyde them It shall be an Intollerable oredefull thyng to appere in that daye The sayde sentence is mure ferefull and daungerous be cause it Iuged not oonly the body but also it condempneth the soule To that purpose is there red an example how that there was somtyme .ii. bretheren wherof the one was a fole ignorant the other was wyse whiche went togydres in a way as they walked they come at laste to a forked way whiche ledde to sondry places wherof the one was fayre and pleasaunt and the other sharpe no thyng inhabyted And whenÌ„e the fole saw the fayr delectable way he sayd Brother goo we this waye Thenne the wyse brother answered I knowe well that this waye whiche thou wylte lede vs is fayer delectable but netheles in the ende it wyll beyng vs to an right euyl lodgyng And therfore I couÌ„seyll that we take the other waye For all be hit that it be sherpe not inhabited fynally it wyll bryng vs to right a good honest harberoughe full of reste where vnto the fole answered I wyll rather trust myneye in that I see than thyn in that thou seest not And so sette hym forthe in the softe and delectable way whiche thynge the wyse brother seeng that he coude not make hym relynquysshe his purpose folowed hym And whenne they hadde gone togyder a lytyll space they fortuned anone to be taken with soldeyours whiche dysceuered them and put them in to dyuerse prysones Now hit happened that the kyng of the countree commaunded on a daye that all prysoners sholde be broughte afore hym that he myghte Iuge them
alle humane creatures be they neuer so ryche or puyssauÌ„t For deth is a comyne thynge spared noo body And alle be it she is cruwell and peruerse yet she kepeth egally one lawe in takyng as wel kynges prynces as poure folkes Thus geueth she grete cause to wepe yf it be welred taken that is wryten of her And therfore seyth Iob in the xx chapytre of his book of the riche fyers and orgulous man All though his pryde be inhauÌ„sed vnto the skye that his hede shold touche the clowdes yet in then de he shal torne to nough te be lyke a dong hyll And they that haue seen hym shall axe where is he now and noo thynge shal be fouÌ„de of hym nomoie thaÌ„ of a fleyng dreme passed in the nyghte Baruch in his .iii. chapytre demauÌ„deth where be nowe the prynces of the people the where woute to haue domynacion ouer the bestes and take recreacyon with houndes with hawkes of the ayer And assembled grete tresours of golde syluer where in men yeue theyr affiauÌ„ce and truste what is the ende of theym that were besy and dylygence here to forge golde and syluer to gadre and kepe it Certaynly theyr tyme is extermyned and they be descended in to hell now ben there other enhaunsed and lyue in theyr places And therfore saythe Prosper in his sentence where be the oratours not surmountable where be they that haue couenably disposed theyr fesâ—â— where beÌ„ also the palfreymen that kept the shynynge palfreys in theyr stables where ben the captayns of men of armes And where ben the lordes and tyrauntes Ben not they all consumed brought to powdre yes of theyr dayes And so shall be of oures Is not theffecte of lyfe altered in to wormes Beholde and loke in to theyr graues whether thou canste knowe there whiche is the lorde whiche is the seruauÌ„t whiche was the poure whiche was the riche Dysceuere yf thou can by knowleche the prysoner from the kyng the stronge from the weke the fayre from the fowle Crysostome seyth what hathe hit auayled them that haue lyued in lechery and in the voluptuousnesse of this presente lyfe tyll theyr laste dayes Auyse you now and beholde in theyr sepulcres and see yf thou canste aspye therin ony sygne of pryde yf thou canste haue ony knowleche of theyr rychesse or of theyr lecherye Axe where is become theyr ryche araye and theyr straunge dysguysed garmentes with theyr voluptuous and theyr nyce lookes And where be also now theyr grette companyes and grete nombre of seruauntes that folowen them where be now theyr laughynges theyr playnges And theyr outrageous gladnesses out of mesurable temperauÌ„ce where is all this become â–ª and whether is it passed Beholde dylygently fyrste the ende of one thynge then of that other and drawe the nere theyr sepultures And thou shalt fynde nothynge therin but oonly asshes and the remanauÌ„te stynkyng and fulle of wormes A remembre thy selfe what is th ende of all mortall men be it so that they haue passed the cours of theyr lyues in deÌ„lectable pleasures or elles in labour or in contynence of theyr flesshe yet all must dye Saynt Bernarde seyth in his meditacyons Tell me nowe where be the Amerouse people of this worlde that late were among vs. In trouthe there is nothyng lefte of them but asshes wormes Thynke thenne and remembre often tymes what thyng they be and what they haue ben here tofore Parde they haue be men as thou arte they haue eten and dronken lawhed made grete chere in theyr tymes And after in a momente they descended in to helle And theyr flesshe delyuered for wormes mete and theyr soule geuen in to helle There to be tormented by fyre vnto that the body shall come Ioyne ageyn there vnto And to be plonged togyder in thebrachementes or paynfull Iehennes sempyternall with them that haue ben there felawes in doyng synnes commyttyng vyces withoute repentaunce penaunce satysfaccyon O what hath it prouffyted theyr vayne glorye theyr short Ioye and the puyssauÌ„ce of this worlde the voluptuousnes of the flesshe the dysceyuable rychesse the grete nombre of theyr seruauÌ„tes the vnhappy coÌ„cupyscens where be theyr playes dysportes where is theyr bostynge and theyr worldly pryde The more they had theyr delectacyon and Ioyed ther in here the more shall be theyr payne and sorowe there And so after a grete voluptuous pleasyre they shall haue a myserable and a perpetuell paynfull sorowe And theyr beyng shall tourne them to ruyne and harde tourmentes Loo all that is comyn vnto them may happen vnto you Thou arte but a man and homo de humo That is to saye a man made of erthe thâ—â— arte of therthe thou lyuest of the erthe and to erthe shalte tourne agayne Of these forsayd amerouse people of this worlde lyuynge flesshely and not dâ—â—dyâ—â—ge deth whiche is theyr neyghbour speketh Saynte Bernard vnto the bretheren of the mounte of our lorde O ye myserable synners that suffyre the wretchednesse of this presente lyfe to retorne lede you from the ryghte waye And the meane tyme ye passe your dayes in makynge good chere ye are descendyng to hell beyng on lyue And thenne eueryche of you maye saye the anguysshes of sorowfull dethe haue enuyronned me And I haue founde my selfe in the peryll of hell These ben the myserable â—â—â—tures that this presente lyf dysceyueth Of whome is wryten in Iob the .xxi. chapytre These felowes whoo 's lyfe is inhaunsed in pompe and pryde be coÌ„forted by theyr rychesse They thynke that theyr seed shall abyde alwaye by the multytue of theyr frendes of theyr neyghbours theyr houses to be alwaye assured and in peas The rodde of god not to come vpon them theyr kyen to conceyue not to be bareyn thenâ—â—ece of them to grow not to be take from them they reioyce themselfe in Iapes dysportes they leue the harpe the tamboryn the organs all vanytees they contynue a whyle in the myrthe sodenly they descende in to hell O how gretly is he defrauded begyled O how folysshely is he mocked that for the flourynge vayn beaute of this worlde shall descende downe in to helle lose the dyade me of theternall glorye Sothly the riche man that by synÌ„e hath deserued the paynes of helle had ben better to haue lyued vertuously in grete nede pouerte all his lyfe than to haue gret haboÌ„dauÌ„ce of riches and atte laste for his synfull lyfe to be dampned Alas what proufyteth it thenne the grete tresours and hepes of golde syluer whan synners shall be sente in to lowe tenebres of helle there to be payned tormented euer lastyngly without seasynge My ryght dere broder frende what sayst that of the riche myghty people of this worlde Dye they not as well as other In good fayth me semeth they be noe thynge priuyleged for as it is wryten in the book of sapience the .vii. chapytre the
entre of this lyfe is one and comune to all semblably soo is the Issue Iob sayth in his xx chapytre This man dyeth stronge lusty and riche his bowelles be full of greece and his bones full of mery And this other dyeth lene and feble full of sorowe and withoute ony riches that notwithstondyng they shall slepe both in powdre and wormes shall ete them Loo how the riche and puyssaunt men of this world haue theyr deth comune and egall with the poore people And therfore it is wryten in Ecclesiaste in the x chapytre The lyfe of al puyssant lordship is righte breyf For this day this man is a kyng tomorow he is dede of suche a kyng is red in the seconde chapytre of the fyrst boke of Machabees how his glory is a foule douÌ„ghyll and as vyle as a worme he is to day enhaunsed and to morowe ther is nothyng to be fouÌ„de of hym we haue an exaÌ„ple accordyng of one of the hyghest and moost excellence prynce of this worlde That is to wete Alexandre the grete kynge of Macedone that subdewed vnto his obeysance the vnyuersal worlde in suche maner that he was demed to be only lord of the erthe And it is redde that this Alexandre the grete somtyme kynge of Grece obteyned many vyctoryes in many straunge londes And in his goynge by diuerse regyons subdewed vnto his Iurisdiccyon all the worlde And in a nother place is red of hym that he was kynge of kynges and that he saw all Realmes subget vnto hym wherby the voys of his renomme and fortune made an hole monarche That is to say an hole Empyre of al the worlde For it was ones alle bonde subget vnto him without dysobeyssaunce And soo he was grettest of alle the large worlde But what thyng therof ensued After he hadde tryumphantly goten the only Empyre of the vnyuersall worlde was not that the stablenesse of regne the ê‘petuyte of myghte the helthe of his body and the longe enduryng of his lyf naturall Certeynly noo But he was subdewed by the same thynge that is comune vnto all that is to wete Dethe whiche is the last recourse after alle fortune and destenyes Than myghte Alexander well say atte houre of his dethe as Iob sayde in the xvi chapytre of his boke I am he that somtyme was riche and mygh ty sodeynly am beten downe for he obteyned onnly his Empyre But oonly by the space of .xii yeres And therfore it is wryten of hym in a nother place That he regned and was obeyed xii yeres And after that he was subget vnto dethe of whome lyueth yet the renomme can not dye Semblably compleynynge hym selfe of the deth he myght saye as is wrytey in Iob the xix chapytre My glory hath dyspoyled me and hath taken away the crowne fro my hede she hath also vtterly destroyed me where thrugh I am lost Lo how it appereth manyfestely herby the deth is th ende of all men And also that how be it Iulius cesar had all the worlde vnder his Empyre yet his glorye fayled hym rested lorde but of a tombe of viii fote longe Wherby it semeth that the mageste Royall all worldly puyssance all prosperous thynges the ordynaunce of dayes passe brefly from man withoute taryenge when the hour of deth is comen therfore seyth an other poete yf that be wyse thy wysdom departeth with thy deth yf that be habondauÌ„t in rychesse it leueth the atte thy deth yf thou be a prudent man thy prudence fynyssheth with thy deth yf that be honest by dethe is it taken from the yf that be stronge thy myght fayleth the by deth Certeynly thenne I now knowe that the yeres that passe taketh from vs all thynges wherfore then yf that be ryche stronge or fayre what vayleth it yf thou be a bysshop a priour or an abbot what vayleth it yf thou be a grete excellente myghty lord yf thou be a kynge or a pope what vayleth it all passeth right hastly without longe taryeng And here resteth but oonly the merytes wherof the good shall cause vs to be gloryfyed And therfore sayd Isydore in an omely My right welbeloued bretheren we oughte to thynke how breef short is the worldely felycyte how lytyll is the glorye of this worlde and how frayle faylynge is the temporall myght therof And therfore euery man maye saye where be the kynges where be the pryÌ„ces where be the emperours where be the riche and myghty men of this worlde they be all past lyke a shadow vanysshed lyke a dreme of the nyght for though one wolde seke them they wyll not be fouÌ„de here what shall I more say the kynges be passed the prynces be dede neuerthelesse there be many that wenen to lyue long neuer to dye But alwayes to rest in this present lyfe Certeynly they be foles For it shall not be so But they shall dye as other prynces men haue done For as Seneca seyth in his epistles to Lucyll The yssue of this present lyfe is deth It is writen by a poete named Ieta The deth vndothe all lyuyng thyng and euery lyfe fynysseth by dethe Certayn the worldly deth coÌ„cludeth all the vayn felycytees of men For yf thou dyde preche the fayth of Abraham the pyte of Ioseph The charyte of Moyses The strengthe of Samson The swetnesse of Dauyd The myracles of Elyzeus The richesse and prudence of kyng Salomon the beaute of Absolon And in we pynf occupyed the extremytees of all these in declaryng theyr endes the hystoryes wolde shewe that there is but one conclusyon That is to say deth Here it appereth righte manyfestly by the thyng a fore sayd that heaute lynage condycions wytte richesse nor worshyp can not kepe a man but that he must stumble fall rotourne to asshes for all thyng that is engendred renneth alway towarde his deth Ouyde sayth that all thyng that is engendied asketh requyreh to come agayne to theyr vnyuersall modre That is to saye the erthe For all that hath ben and paste-afore maye be resembled to a rennyng ryuer Semblably I fele it by myselfe wretche that am brought all moost to nothynge and haue not knowen hit for my dayes be paste fro me lytyll and lytyll as a shadowe and I am dryed as the wydered hey Certeynly we be no thyng but powder Mennes dayes be lyke the floures in a medowe And them selfe may be lykeneth to the heye Now auyse the thenne for man is a thyng that endureth but short space and is of resemblauÌ„ce to the floure that groweth in the medowe It is wryten in Isaye the .xl. chapitre All humane flesshe is hey and his glory lyke the flours of the felde Verely all people be heye and all heye dryeth and wydereth as the floure that is fallen But the worde of oure Lorde remayneth and is perdurable wherfore then dothe a man set hym selfe in pompe and pryde beynge lyke the wydred hey of the
wayes perseuered in me and alle that euer myne eyen haue desyred I haue not denyed them not defended but that they haue vsed all voluptuousnesse and they haue had noo delectacyon but in suche thynges that I had ordeyned them when that I tourned me behelde well all these thynges and the werkes that my handes had wrought loked vpon the labour that I had many tymes swette in all for noughte I perceyued then and knewe well that all my werkes were but vanyte and affeccyon of spyryte And that vnder the sonne in this worlde was noo thyng permanent nor sure Now in trouth all thyÌ„ges passe here lyke a shadowe Therfore seyth Iohan de garlandia That al thyng of this world that was is shal be perysseth in the moment of an houre what proufyteth than to haue ben to be nowe or to be herafter Certeyne thyse be thre thynges blowyng without flours For all thyngis that were be or shal be haue a finyssynge The worlde passeth the concupyscens therof also And therfore it is sayd wherfore taketh a wyseman thought for to gete tresoure whiche is sone loste And saynt Bernarde sayth in his book of medytacoÌ„ns wherfore maketh ony man tresour here of ryches sythen with out delay bothe that that is assembled he that gadereth hit passen be loste togyder O thou man what anayll entendes that to haue in this worlde whenne the fruyte is but ruynouse the ende deth My cordyall good frende now wolde god that thou woldest vnderstonde well these thynges suerly ordeyne for thy laste thyÌ„ges Petre de bloys sayth in a pystle that the dysceyuable vayn glorye of this worlde begyleth all thoos that loueth hit For all that euer it promytteth in tyme to come or pretendeth in tyme present fayleth and cometh to nought as water cast vpon the erthe Beholde then how frayle how disceyuable and how vayn is the worlde the Ioye therof that we desyre so mekell O the fole wherfore dispysest thou not lightely thooâ—â—â—â—nges that thou seest 〈◊〉 shortly fayle passe Lrnowest thou not howe the worlde is right noughte and furyous And that in languyssyng it perysseth by the gleyue of the right cruell deth hit is a trouth that none argument can serue to the contrarye wherfore and by thise thynges afore rehersed it appereth manyfestely how Remembraunce of deth sholde cause dispisyng of all worldly thynges and withdrawynge a man from fallyng to synne ¶ How RemeÌ„brauÌ„ce of deth maketh a man to take vpon hym penauÌ„ce ¶ The thryd chapytre of the fyrste pryncypall parte FOlowyng thorder before let It is now to enquere diligeÌ„tly how remeÌ„braunce of deth causeth a man to do penauÌ„ce gladly to accepte it This appereth clerely by Ionas the ê“phete in the iiâ— chapitre spekyng of them of Nynyue whiche dyde penauÌ„ce for fere of deth wherfore saynt Iohan Baptyste enduceth men also to do penauÌ„ce As Saynt Luke wryteth in his .iii. chapitre sayenge Do ye the dygne fruytes of penaunce And he sayth afterwarde The axe is sette to the rote of the tree Whiche sygnyfyeth the thretenynges of deth And therfore sayth Saynte Ambrose vpon Luke Alas lorde yf I haue not bewayled my synnes Alas lorde yf I haue not rysen atte myd nyght to confesse me to the. Alas yf I haue begyled my neyghbour Alas yf I haue alwaye sayde trouthe The axe is redy sette to the rote Euery man therfore thenne do penaunce deserue the fruyte of grace For here cometh the lord to aske the fruyte of our lyf For this cause Iob consyderynge the shortnesse of this presente lyfe had leuer and chase to haue repentauÌ„ce presently than afterwarde wherby sholde growe no fruyte The same Iob sayde in his .x. chapytre shall not my short dayes breefly fynysshe yes in trouthe The lyfe present is right shorte Alas then a lytyll whyle lete me coÌ„playne and bewayle my sorowe a fore my departyng in to the tenebrous derkenesse of dethe with out retornyng And it is also sayd in Iob the xiiii chapytre That mannes dayes be breef It is wryten in the fyrst pystle ad Corintheos in the evii chapytre the tyme is breef were it not better then now breefly to susteyne a lytyll payne then afterward when it cannot profyt to repent without profyt bewayle it infynytely Saynt Austyn seyth the better is a lityl bytternesse in the mouthe then eternally to suffre payn in al the hole body of man Also he seyth in a sermon that the lyfe of euery man froÌ„ his youthe to his age is but short though AdaÌ„ lyued yet sholde this day dye what sholde it auaÌ„taged him to haue lyued so longe sothly lytyll or noughte but he myght sey the tyme of my lyf is past And also sayth a wyse man what sholde it profyte a man to lyue CC. yeres when at his deth he shal thynke all his lyfe is passed as wynde And saynt Austyn sayth vpon the Psalter If thou haddest lyued sens Aoam was chased oute of paradyse terrestre tyll nowe and that thou sholdeste dye this daye thou sholdest thynke thy lyfe not longe whiche so soone sholde passe Now how longe soo euer a mannes lyfe be take that it maye be lengthed asmoche more to cause many yeres yet it shall fayle and vanysshe as the shynynge of the morowe sonne And the same Saynte Austyn seyth in an Omely that we be more frayle brotyll then though we were made of glasse For al be it that glasse is brotyll yet yf it be well kept it may endure right longe But mannes lyfe be it neuer so well and dilygently kept it may not longe endure Therfore it is wryten to the Hebrues in the .ix. chapitre It is establysshed and ordeyned euery creature ones to dye And Senek sayth in his book of remedyes ayenst fortune That our lyfe is but a pylgremage when one hath longe walked he must fynally retorne This necessite to dye shortnesse of the lyfe of man was wel consydered by the paynym Xerses Of whom saynt Iherom wrote in a pystle to Elyodorê° sayng that this puyssaÌ„t kyng xerses whiche subuerted the monteyns couored the sees beynge ones in right hye place loked vpon the Infynyte multytude of his hoost tendrely wepte by cause he knew that none of thoos whom he behelde sholde lyue ouer an C. yeres It is a thyng right necessary in the worlde that mannes lyfe be not longe lastynge And as Balam sayth It is lykened to a tree hauyng .ii. wormes fretynge in the rote the one blak the other white in the symylytude of the day the nyght whiche Incessantely gnawe the rote of the tree of lyfe Saynt Austyn vpon the sayng of Saynte Iohan in his .iii. chapitre treatyng vpon this questyon Quid est vita nostra c This lyfe is a doubtfull lyfe a blynde lyfe a nedy lyfe humours make hit to bolne sorowes make hit feble hete dryeth hit eyer dysposeth hit to sekenesse
we myght haue heuen yf we wolde And Saynte Effran sayth My right dere brotheren and frendes yf we be neclygent in the lytyll space of tyme that we haue nowe we shall haue noo maner of excusacion to allegge for remedye of our synnes Therfore dysprayse not the shortnesse of this tyme But doo penaunce whyle ye haue space here For after it wyll be to late without fruyte And better is to doo penaunce here than Infynytely and worlde without ende to repente hit Nowe haste ye therfore and tary not Lest that ye fynally be shet out with the fyne fatuat and fonned virgyns Saynt Mathewe seyth in his .xxv. chapitre Loo here is the spouse come and thoos that were redy ben entred with hyÌ„ to the weddyng wherup on Saynt Gregory saythe That the palays of the herte myghte well asauoured howe wonderfull was that worde Here is the spouse whiche is come How swete was that worde to them that entred with hym to the weddyng And how bytter was the other worde the yates be shytte closed My dere frende yf thou dyde sauour vnderstonde well all this thynges beheldest them well in thyne hert Certeynly thou woldest renne with all dilygence for to do penauÌ„ce wolde not lese so vnproufytably without fruyte the acceptable tyme dayes of thy helthe for no maner of voluptuoê° playsers or other ydlenesse And as it is wryten in the Apocalips in the .ii. chapitre RemeÌ„bre the fro whens thou arte falle or departed and do penaunce It is red howe in dayes passed it happened in the Abbey of Cleruaulx that an holy man beyng in his prayers herde a voys makyng a pyteous lamentacyon And as he asked who it was a soule answered sayeng I am the soule of a daÌ„pned man complaynyng myne vnhappy cause of condemnacoÌ„n And then he demauÌ„ded hym of his payn whiche answered that of all thynges that causeth moost payn to a daÌ„pned soule was losse of tyme that god hadde ordeyned man by his grace that he in a lytyll tyme myghte haue done penauÌ„ce whiche sholde delyuere hym from the euerlastyng peynes of the gehenne of helle To this purpose sayd Hugo of saynt Dyctour The lackyng of the sighte of our lorde and faylyng of all the goodes of grace that we myght haue hadde sholde surmouÌ„te and be more greuous vnto the thanne all the Infernall tourmentes Lete vs do good werkes whyle we haue tyme lest we saye in repentaunce As is sayd in Iheremyas in the .viii. chapitre That is to wete Heruest is past Somer is fynysshed we be not saued wherfore my frendes I requyre humbly praye you that ye wyll amende your selfe in shorte tyme make you redy in this .x. hour for the euenyng hasteth hym And the rewarder shall come to yelde euery man after his werkes Hit may appere by these examples how RemeÌ„braunce of dethe sholde induce a man to do penauÌ„ce It is red of a felonous a cruell knyght whiche wolde neuer accept nor do ony penauÌ„ce enioyned hym by pope Alexander And at last the pope gaue hyÌ„ his rynge that he sholde here it on his fynger by way of penauÌ„ce And as often as he behelde him to thynke on his dethe And whan he had boren hit a space of tyme with the RemembrauÌ„ce on a day he come ageyn to the pope sayng he was redy to shryue hyÌ„ to fulfyll euery other maner of penaunce that he wolde enioyne hym It is red of an other synner that in lyke wyse wolde do noo penauÌ„ce at last his confessoure enioyned hym that he sholde commaunde his seruaunt to presente hym euery daye atte his table with the fyrste messe a staffe the rynde scorched of sayenge Syr Remembre that necessaryly ye must dye not knowynge where whenne in what maner nor howe And as this was a good whyle contynued because of that RemembrauÌ„ce all that he ete torned hym to grefe and trouble And thenne he called agayne for his confessour sayeng he was redy to do and obey ony penauÌ„ce that he wolde ordeyne For his herte was merueylously broughte in grete trouble by the fere of dethe whiche he was in Loo by these thynges a fore rehersed appereth thenne clerely Inough how RemembrauÌ„ce of deth causeth a man to humble hym selfe to dyspyse all worldly thynges and acceptably take vpon hym to doo penauÌ„ce and consequently to eschewe synnes And therfore my righte dere brethern frendes Remembre you often ye right often that ye shall dye And ye here in your myndes the dethe ye shalte well come by that remeÌ„bryng to moost happy resorte of lyfe That is to wyte the herytage of our lorde Ihesu Cryste ¶ And thus endeth the fyrst parte of this treatyse deuyded in foure ¶ Here begynneth the ê“logue of the seconde partye of the four last thynges THe seconde parte of the foure laste thynges wherof frequentynge the RemembrauÌ„ce reuoketh calleth vs from synÌ„e Is the last and fynall day of Iugement of whiche the RemeÌ„brauÌ„ce draweth vs not onely from the dedely gret synnes but also from the smale venyall And therfore it is redde in Vitis PatruÌ„ in the lyfe of faders That an auncyent man seeng a yong man laugh dyssolutely layd sone we must gyue accoÌ„pte of all our lyfe before heuen erthe why laughest thou so fast As who sayth yf thou knewest how strayte a Rekenyng shal be at the day of dome of all synÌ„es aswel gret as smale Certeynly thou woldest not laughe but rather sorowe complayne Now is here the place to wepe and to put awaye synnes And thoos that now wepe for theyr synnes shall laugh herafter Saynt Gregory sayth in his Omelye That the gladnesse of this tyme present ought to be but suche as therby the bytternesse of the day of Iugemente be not put out of Remembraunce Therfore it is wryten in Ecclesiastes the .xxxviii. chapitre Here my Iugement in RemembrauÌ„ce And also our lord by his ê“phete in the psalter seyth when I shall see or take the tyme. I wyll deme do Iustyce to euery one Iohell sayth in his last chapitre Alle men aryse come togydres in to the vale of Iosephat For there I shall sytte Iuge all maner of peple aboute me Iheremyas in his seconde chapitre sayth that our Lorde sayth I shall amownte with you in Iugement Of this Iugement is wryten in Ozee the fourthe chapitre Ye childern of Israhell here ye the worde of our lord of the fynall Iugemente that perteyneth to oure Lorde vpon thenhabytantes of the erth Sothely this Iugement is gretely to be doubted Therfore sayth the prophete I dred for thy Iugementes It is wryten in the book of Sapyence in the .v. chapytre They that see the grete Iuge shall be horrybly troubled playnynge and waylyng the drede of theyr soules Certeynly in this daye shall all people be troubled they that dwell in the vtterest partye of the worlde shall fere those tokens and sygnes they shall doubte them
not with oute cause For they shall be merueylously horryble Saynt Luke seyth in his xxi chapitre whenne the sone of man shall shewe hymselfe That is to sey The childe of the virgyne marye comynge in a clowde in mageste with a gret puyssauÌ„ce thenne shall the sygnes shewe in the sonne in the mone and in the sâ—erres And on the erthe shall be pressure of people dredynge to be cunfused with the sounde of the wawes of the see Men vnyuersally of all the world shall fall downe for the drede and fere that they shall haue thenne O thou wretched man Remembre of the terryble comynge of this Iuge that is bothe god and man whiche a fore hym hath a brennyng fyre And a stronge tempeste I saye there shall a fyre go afore hym whiche shall flamme holy aboute his enemyes It is wryten to the Hebrues in the tenthe chapytre Ryght terryble is the abydynge of this Iugement And the fere therof whiche shall destroye hys aduersaryes And Malachyas sayth in his iii. chapitre See here the day that shall come flaÌ„mynge lyke a chemenye And thenne it shall brenne all proude men and thoos that haue commytted felonye It is redde in Isaye in the .xlvi. chapitre Here is our lorde that shall come Iuge by fyre And Iohell in his .ii. chapitre sayth He shall haue a fyre before his face deuourynge and behynde hym a brennyng flamme For this cause sayth Malachyas in his thrydde chapitre who shall he be thenne that shall nowe see oure Lorde For he shall be as a fyre glowynge sette to make clene and purge syluer who is thenne he of deuoute corage that shall not drede with alle his herte this Iuge and his comyng And therfor sayth saynt Gregory vpon Ezechyell who may haue the corage but that shal fere and dred the presence of the eternall Iuge when all thyÌ„ges shal come thenne to the syght of euery man all thynges done afore by delectacyon shall be with righte grete drede called to RemembrauÌ„ce Certayn as it is wryten in the Prouerbys in the .xxxviii. chapitre The euyll men thynken not of the Iugement But they that desyren dreden god haue in theyr hertis all good thynges saynt Bernard sayth in a prose truly I drede sore the vysage of the Iuge that shall come to whom noo thyng can be hyd shal noo thyng rest vnpunysshed who shall he be of vs that shall not dred when that Iuge shall come whiche shall haue fyre brennyng before hym to the destruccyon of all synners Certeynly this last Iugemente ought gretly to be dred and for .iii. causes The fyrste the accusementes shal be in many maners whiche all synneis ought greuously to wayle The seconde is the right strayte sentence vpon our gouernaunce that syngulerly shall be made to euery thyng The thyrde is the horryble feerfull abydynge of the Iugement whiche thenne by the Iust Iuge shal be terrybly gyuen These thynges all synners ought tymerously drede whiche by consequens the Remembraunce therof sholde withdrawe man from doynge synne ¶ Here endeth the prologue of the seconde parte ¶ How the Accusacyon that shall be at the daye of dome is to be drad ¶ The fyrst chapitre of the seconde parte THe fyrste thing theÌ„ne where by the fynal Iugement oughte specyally to be drad is the many and dyuerse accusacyons whiche shall be there agaynst all synners wherfore it is to be knowen that we fynde in holy scryptures seuen thynges that accuse synners atte the grete daye of Iugement The fyrste is oure propre conscyence whiche shall argue ageynst the synner not secretely but manyfestely thenne afore all It is wryten in Danyele in the seuenthe chapitre Thy Iugemente is sette and thy bookes be open That is to wete the conscyences whiche thenne be openly vttered In those bokes be conteyned the sciences of lyf or of deth of glory and of confusyon of saluacyon perpetuell or daÌ„pnacyon eternall It is red also in the .xx. chapitre of the Apocalyps That dede men shall be Iuged of the thynges wryten in theyr owne bokes That is to saye in theyr consciences Therfore it is wryten in the Pystle to the Romayns in the seconde chapitre That theyr conscyences shall bere them wyttenesse For as wyttenesse of the euyll conscyence is thaccusacyon the payne and the tourment of synners Right so shal the good coÌ„scyence be helpe and saluacyon to the good creatures The seconde thyng that shal accuse the synners shall be the fendes and the euyll spyrytes whiche falsly trayterously haue procured sturred men to synne And of alle that the synner hathe done they wyll accuse hym as one thef accuseth an other of one felony done by them both It is wryten in the Apocalyps the .xii. chapitre The fende is called the accuser of bretheren And Saynt Austyn say the. They be all before the Iudycyall sete of Ihesu Cryste And there the deuellys shall be redy â–ª whiche shall reherse the wordes of our professyon and shall appose to oure face that we haue done and wherin we haue synned and in what place and what we oughte to haue done and lefte it vndone Truly our aduersary that same fende shall say thenne O righte wyse and Iuste Iuge Deme this man to be myn for his synnes For he wyll not be thyne by grace He is thyne by nature He is myne by his mysery He is thyn by thy passion He is myn by persuasyons He hathe bendysobeysaunte vnto the. He hath ben concentyng vnto me He hath receyued of the that stole of Immortalyte of me this blacke garmente that he wereth of perpetuell deth he that lefte thy lyuere hath taken myn he hath lefte thy Ioye and blysse hath taken my sorowe and payne O thou Iuste Iuge Iuge hym therfore to be myn and that he be condampned with me perpetually Thyse wordes sayd our lorde vnto Saynte Austyne The thyrde thynge that accuseth synners shall be angeles the happy goode spyrytes Certayne it is to be beleued that he that hath gyuen them oure soules to kepe shall requyre to haue Reason of that kepyng And as those that neuer lye nor wyll take vpon them the synne or faute of other muste nedys saye they be not to blame But the gylte is in vs synners whiche wolde not obey nor byleue them Semblably it is not the defaâ—te of the physycyen whiche doth his cure as it ap perteyneth yf he hele not his pacyent whiche is disobeysauÌ„t vnto hym And therfore hit is wryten in Iheremye the one and fyfty chapitre we haue hadde Babylon in cure and yet she is not heled These be the wordes of the Angeles as they wyll saye we haue doone all that was necessary to be done to Babylon to the ende that sholde be cured heled But it is in her defaut that she is not he led This Babylon is to be lykened to maÌ„nes soule The .iiii. thyng that shall accuse synners shall be creatures
in the place of equyte Iustyce For whenÌ„e the Iuge whiche oughte soo gretely to be doubted hathe pronouÌ„ced his Iugement sentence sayeng Go fro me ye wycked Come to me ye blessyd theyr Remedye is paste To this purpose rede we in â—itis patruÌ„ How ther was some tyme an holy man whiche was tempted with the spiryt of for nycacyon he besought our lord that his enemye the fende whiche teÌ„pted him myght appere visibly vnto him so he dyd Thene the sayd holyman seyde vnto the fende what auayleth the thus for to tempte the people parde it is a grete foly for wheÌ„ne the hast brought ony to synne thy trespas is the gretter consequently the augmentest thyne owne payne To whom the fende answered Certeynly all that is trewe but I knowe well the mo folkes that cause to synne the more I deferre the commynge of the day of dome I drede that daye aboue alle thynges and the heryng thenne of that harde sentence Goo ye wycked and cursed in to eternall fyre whiche is made redy to the deuyll and his angellys And therfore I doo my power to prolonge the tyme of comynge of the sentence O good lorde what cause of drede haue these fendes and these vnhappy synners thenne If thou wylt be assured in this horryble and dredefull Iourney Sowe nowe in thy lyfe the werkes of Mercy Pyte and Iustyce O howe blessyd and howe happy shall he be that now entendeth to the poore languysshyng nedy people For in that harde Iourney oure lorde wyll delyuere them therfore from alle dauÌ„gere It is wryten in the Prouerbys of Salomon in the .xi. chapitre The mercyfull man dothe grete good vnto his soule and dooth also the digne fruytes of penauÌ„ce For they that now sowe teres lamentacoÌ„ns the rewarde therof shall come brynge them in to the lodgyng of Ioye and of gladnesse But there be many that sowen now presentely thornes cokyll wenynge to repe Inne good whete but ywys foles it wyll not be soo For as Thappostle sayth ad Galathas in the .vi. chapytre Suche as a man hath sowen here suche shal he repe thenÌ„e for hyÌ„selfe And therfore sayth our lord by his prophete Ozee in his .x. chapitre ye haue sowen felony haue reped iniquyte he that hath sowen synne euyll werkes he shall be repen Ioyned in to the paynes of helle But he that hath sowen vertues the good werkes of penauÌ„ce He shall repe gadre the euerlastynge glory And alle that haue done well shall rest in the Ioyes of heuen And those that haue done synne and wyckednesse shall go and reste in the paynes of helle Certaynly theyr werkes folowen them As it is wryten in the Apocalyps the .xx. Chapytre After theyr werkes men shall be both saued and dampned It is redde in the Gospell of Saynt Iohan the fyfth Chapytre An houre shall come to the whiche all that be in Monumentes or Tombes shall here the voys of our lorde And they that haue done well shall go in the Resurreccion of lyfe And they that haue done wyckedly shall go vnto the Iugement of dethe It is wryten in the seconde Chapitre of the Apocalyps how the Iuge shall saye I am he that ensercheth the hertes of persones and shall gyue to euery of you his Rewarde after his werkes And as sayth Abdeas It shall be done vnto the as thou hast done To the same purpose is wryten in Iheremye the .l. chapitre And these be the wordes of the eternal Iuge vnto the euyll angell spekyng of the daÌ„pned synners yelde and doo hym after his dedys and werkes And therfore yf thou wylt haue a good heruest and habun daunce of fruyte sowe good werkes largely in the tyme of this presente lyfe For he that soweth them now largely shall gadre them then habundantly And he that now soweth them sparyngly shall then gad them scarsely he that soweth them with blyssynges â–ª shall gadre them with grete Ioye gladnesse As it is wryten in the seconde Epystle ad Coryntheos in the ix chapitre For he that soweth his sedys in synÌ„e maledyccoÌ„ns semblably shall Inne gadre them And as it is wryten in a Prouerbe The sede that man sowes in this present lyfe shal be his hous whenÌ„e the Iuge shal say Come ye go ye The thirde thyng why the dome of the Iuge shall be terryble It is to be remeÌ„bre how dampned soules shall be by the mornyng sentence full of all sorow eternally separated and departed from god his sayntes of paradyse and putte on the lyfte honde vnto the tendes of helle Certeynly Incontynente without caryeng that this horryble senteÌ„ce shal be pronouÌ„ced by the mouth of Ihesu cryste The perpetuell deuylles shall be there arredyed redy for to take and rauayne the soules of the wretched syÌ„ners whiche they shall lyghtely brynge vnto euerlastynge tourmentes and paynes This maye appere vnto vs by a fygure in the book of Hester the .vii. Chapitre of the mynystres of kynge Assuer whiche were desyrous and redy to take Amon as it is conteyned in the same Chapitre How the worde was not all out of the mouthe of the sayd kyng But that the mynystres hadde couered the vysage of the same Amon. In lyke wyse the deuylles in this hydeous Iourney shall be more then redy to resceyue the soules of these wretched synners And this is wryten in the Lamentacions of Iheremye in the fyrste Chapitre Alle his persecutees haue taken hym Iohan Crysostom sayth in the book of Repayryng of forfaytours Remembre these cruell and terryble tourmentoures that neuer may shew mercy on ony body ledeth downe the vnhappy synners vnto euerlastynge tourmentes And Hugho of Saynte Vyctour sayth That the horryble mynystres of helle shall be apparayled and arredyed incontynent as the sentence is gyuen to take the condempned vnto tourmentes And thenne the wretched vnhappy caytyffes lamentably shall say they haue caught me lyke as a deuoryng lyon lurkyÌ„gly hath taken his pray O what sorow and payne wherof maye not be estemed in maÌ„nes myÌ„de nor by tellyng pronouÌ„ced wherfore saynt Bernarde sayth in his Medytacyons what thynkest thou what wepynge what waylynge and what sorowe shall be whenne the synners shall be expulsed oute of the companye of Iuste men and putte from the syght of God and delyuered and caste vnto the hondes of the deuylles to go with them in to euerlastyng fyre and vtterly banysshed from alle the Ioyes of heuen to abyde in the derknesse there suffryng payns for theyr demerytes after the quantyte of theyr synnes And thenÌ„e the myserable synners beynge in despeyre of the Redempcion shall entre into the lowest partyes of the erthe in the hoÌ„des of our lordes glayue there to remayn with out seeng of ony lyghte Of this payne of separacyon or departyng sayth also Crysostome Some foles wene and thynke to haue theyr wysshynge yf they maye escape the gehenne of helle
lorde Ihesu Cryste that naturally is now amyable meke as a lambe shall appere thâ—nne as a lyon right cruell gretely moued And therfore sayde Ozee in his .xiii. chapitre It may well be the wordes of our lord by the couetous glotons proude people at the day of Iugemente sayeng thus they haue fulfylled them selfe in theyr pastures arreysed vp theyr hertes forgeten me I wyll be to them as a lyonesse as a leoparde in the way of assyâ—yence I shall come ageynst them as a she bere which hath lost her whelpes and shall breke theyr Iugementis within shall destroy them lyke a lyon How myght one remembre a more cruell thyng then by thoos beestes Our lord shall say to the felons that shall be condaÌ„pned as is wryten in Ezechiell in the .vii. chapitre The conclusyon is come now cometh the ende vpon the I shall sende my furour in to that Certeynly syr as the fyre brennes the forestes the mystes breke vppon the molyteynes Semblably in that tempeste thou shalte then persecute thy synÌ„ers trouble them in thyne Ire And then thy wrath shall be chased lyke fyre and shall abasshe the people in thyn anger It is wryten in Isaye in the xxx chapitre The name of oure lorde shall come from right ferre his fersenesse shall be brennyng and greuous to bere his lyppes shall be fulfylled with Iudygnacyon and his tonge shall be lyke a deuouryng fyre and his spyryte shal be lyke a broke rennyng ouer the bryÌ„kes for to destroye people and to bryng them to no thyng Iob toke somtyme this furour in a vysyon whenne he sayd who shal be that lyuyng man that shall do so mykell with the that thou wylt defende me from helle hyde me tyll thy furour be paste Certeynly the furour of the Iuge shall be soo grete thenne that it can not be expressed by ony wordes nor thought by ony corages Derely all the Iugementes and sentences that haue ben ayenst vpon the humayne lynage sith the begynnyng of the worlde be but lyke a lityll flaÌ„me or a sparke in regarde to the furour of Ihesu Cryste whiche he shall excercyse in the laste daye of Iugement And how straytely shall he that is rysen debonayr past vp in to heuen retourne to doo Iugement and therfore sayth saynt Gregory in an Omely vpon the worde of saynt Iohan euangelyst that saynte Thomas one of the xii apostles called Dydymê° whiche is to saye longe doubtyng sayd thus My brethern and frendes ordre your lyf your werkis and your condycyons puruey for he that is rysen meke and amyable shall come harde strayâ—e at the day of Iugemet Certeynly at that day of examynacyon whiche is so gretely to be doubted he shall shewe hymselfe clerely among angeles archangeles and among the trones and domynacions among the pryncypals and potestates and all the skyes shall be moued and the erthe the other elementis in the fere and drede of his seruyce Set then afore your eyen this Iuge that is cause of so grete abasshemeÌ„t and fere drede him both now and herafter To th entent that wheuÌ„e he shall come ye shall not see hyÌ„ in fere but be wel assured he ought to be dred now to the ende that he shold not be doubted thenne Certeynly yf one of you hadde to saye or allege a cause ageyn your enmye and sholde to morow present you to my IugemeÌ„t perauenture ye wyll passe all the nyght without grete slepe remembryng your selfe in grete payne thought what thynges myght be alleged ayenst you what ye wolde answere to thobieccyons sholde drede gretely leest I sholde be sharpe vnto you and wolde fere lest it sholde â–ª be thought that ye were culpable wolde serche what I where and whether I sholde become Certeynly not longe after I haue be man I shal become wormes and after wormes powdre Now then yf the Iugement of hym that is but pouder is to be drad hadde in soo grete fere By what entencyon is it to be thoughte that fere muste be moost dredefull whiche is of the IugemeÌ„t of the moost grettest and hyghest mageste Alle these thynges sayd saynt Gregory in the chapitre aforsayd Yet is there somme thyng more concernyng the sayd sentence that is to wyte that there is no puyssaunce can resyste it And as it is wryten in the boke of Sapyence in the .xi. chapitre who shal be he that shal resyste the vertu of thyne arme Isaye also said in his xlvii chapitre I shall take vengeauÌ„ce on theym and no man shall resyste me Veryly none shall mowe resyste hit but edely alle muste appere there generally yf they wyll or not they shall abyde before the angelles the sentence of the souerayne Iuge whiche spake by Isaye hym selfe in the sayd chapitre to the synners that are to be condampned thus thy shame shall be knowen and the vylen reproche shall be seen wheruppon I wyll take vengeauÌ„ce and shall noo man mowe resyste hit Iob sayd in his .ix. chapitre God is he that in his wrathe no man may resyste And as it is wryten in the book of Hester the .xiii. chapitre Fayre lord god kyng omnypotent alle thynges be sette vnder thy Iurysdyccyon and is none that may resyste thy wyll Certeyn that haste made the skye the erthe and all that is conteyned in the circuyte of the worlde thou art lord of all thynges is none that may resyste thy wyl This is the grete myghty and puyssaunt lord of whose gretnesse myght there is noo nombre nor ende he shall drede none be they neuer so myghty It is wryten in the boke of Sapience in the vi chapitre Oure lord shall drede no body what so euer he be for he hath made both grete smale It is red in the Apocalyps in the .vi. chapitre Our lorde shall not drede the gretenesse of man what so euer he be The kynges of the erthe the prynces of the worlde the trybunes the riche the stronge all men aswell bonde as fre shall hyde them in the caues emong stones of the roches sayeng to the mounteynes falle vpon vs hyde vs from the face of hym that sytteth in the trone and the wrathe of the lambe for the grete day of Ire is come It is redde in the same Apocalyps in the xviii chapitre The kynges of the erthe shall wepe and they shall specyally complayne that haue made fornycacyon with Babylon and haue lyued in delectacyons whenÌ„e they shall see the smoke of his embrasynges and shall wyll them to be ferre for fere of the tourmentes Certayne as saynt Mathewe sayth in his .xxii. chapitre There shall be then grete trybulacoÌ„n so grete that sythens the begynnyng of the world tyll now was there neuer none lyke Secondly there is another thyng that agrogeth the sayd sentence That is to saye that there is no place there for
but lete hyÌ„ do that that he purposed to do sens he was gyuen vnto hym the forsayd Theodorê° sayd why suffre ye me soo longe to be in this case Thenne sayde his brethern vnto him what is it that thou seest make the fygure of the crosse vpon the. To who me the sayd Theodorus answered with a lamen table crye I wolde feyne blesse me but I can not for I am to hardely prycked and oppressed with the vyolence of this dragon And whenne his brethern herde hym saye soo they fyll flatte to the erthe with wepynge teeres and began agayne theyr prayers and orysons deuoutly for the helpe and Redempcyon of this Theodorus whiche soone after sodeynly began to crye with a lowde voyce sayeng I yelde louyng thankes and grace to god my creatour for now that Dragon whiche sholde haue deuoured me is dryuen and chased away fro me by your gode and deuout prayers and orysons Also Saynte Gregory telleth an example in the fourthe boke of his Dyalogis that how in the partes of Anchone in a monastery called Congolathon be fell somtyme that there was therin a monke whiche was taken for a very holy man meruelously well dysposed towarde god But whenne his bretheren went that he had fasted he was accustomed secretely to ete And whenÌ„e he was at the batayll of deth he called generally for all his bretheren sayeng vnto them I am delyuered nowe vnto a dragon to be deuoured whiche with his tayll hath knytte togydre my fete also my knees putteth his hede in to my mouth draweth my soule oute of my body and after he had sayd those wordes he dyed forth withall It maye seme these wordes be for the condeÌ„pned synners whiche be wryten in Iheremy in the .li. chapitre He hath eten me lyke a dragon This dragon is hydeous grete hath vii hedes .x. hornes in the same as it is wryten in the Apocalyps in the xii chapitre There hath ben a grete batayle in the shye so that saynt Mychyell his angell hath fought with the dragon his angell whiche myght not resyst syth theyr rowmes in heuen coude not be fouÌ„de but were cast downe so that dragon auÌ„cyent serpeÌ„t whiche is called the deuyll sathan enforceth hyÌ„self to make warre vpon the vnyuersall worlde here And for the cause it is red in the same chapitre That harme come to that erthe to the see for the deuyll is descended among you with all his grete furyous anger This deuyl hath a merueylous grete hate vnto all good peple whiche disposeth them to take possessioÌ„ in the towme of heuen from whens he was put out chased in to theterrnall paynes the more that the day of dome approcheth the more teÌ„pteth he more cursedly more forseth hymselfe to do euyll in destroynge of soules O how grete is the wyckednesse the malyce of this deuyll of helle wherof Saynt Bernard talketh in a prose sayeng O howe felonous shall then this tormentours be whiche shall payne tormente synners how terryble shall theyr vengeauÌ„ce be in vengyng vyces wret chednes synnes CerteyÌ„ly theyr cruell malyce is yet augmeÌ„ted in dyuerse maners Fyrste because they be so innumerable of so dyuerse sortes The Psalter seyth why be those so multyplyed that tormenteth me there be many that dresse them a yenst me and as it is wryten in Iob in the .xix. chapitre They haue asseged my tabernacle about me It is wryten in â—itis patruÌ„ That there was a good auncyent man that sawe the duyll enuyronynge the people were as thyke as beys that make hony wherfore it is sayd also in the Psalter They haue coÌ„passed me as beys be cause they be many of grete myght â–ª as Thapostle wytnesseth in his pistle ad the Epheseos in the .vi. chapitre where he calleth them prynces potestates gouernours of the world be cause they be subtyll and myghty to noy soules the Psalter seyth The stronge haue fought my soule This strengthe is vnder stonde by the deuylles It is red also of that streng the in Iob the .xli. chapitre There is noo myght vpon the erthe to be compared with that thou hath done soo that it dredeth noo man saue him that seeth all thynge from aboue is kyng ouer all the childeren of pryde the deuylles shall ernstfully exercyse theyr myght in pryde to the punission of synners them shall cruelly tourmente It is wryten in Ecclesiastico the xxxix chapitre There be spyrytes that be ordeyned to take vengeaunce hath confermed the tormentes in theyr furour enduryngly tyll the consummacoÌ„n of the worlde Iob sayth in his .xvi. chapitre He hath compassed me with his speris hath not spared me but hath hurt my reynes he hath caste my bowell to the erthe gyuen me woundes vppon wouÌ„de this come sholderyng ayenst me lyke agaynd Thirdely the malyce cruelte of the deuyl is coÌ„forted is more greuous be cause they are neuer wery of tormentyng As it is wryten in the boke of Danyell in the .iii. chapitre The mynystres shall not sease in sturynge the fyres of the fourneys to the causynge of paynes Therfore sayd a wyse man that there be tourmentours whiche be more to be lothed then serpentes they be blacke defourmed wyll not be beten downe And they be neuer wery to do harme but newly encreasen theyr malyce al way redy boylyng desyrously to put soules to payne and Incessantly they excersyse theyr cruelte more and more And it is sayde to all synners in Deutronomye in the .xxviii. chapitre Thou shalt serue for thyne enemy whenne oure lorde shall sende the naked vnto hym in honger and thyrste and in alpouerte And thenne shal thysore woundes enereace perpetuelly O howe grete shall the paynes be there to dampned folkes whiche shall laste contynuelly in anguysshe and myserye withoute Intermyssyon lackynge peas or reste It is redde of the synners in Ezechyell in the seuenth Chapitre That whenne they shall fele this Anguysshyous payne they shall desyre and requyre to haue peas but thenne they gete none for they sall haue conturbacyon and sorowe vppon sorowe It is wryten in Thapocalyps the .xiiii. Chapitre That thoos that haue ben beestly shall therfore haue noo rest by day nor nyght ThenÌ„e mowe the synners well saye as it is wryten in Isaye in the xxxviii chapitre I shall not see oure lorde god in the lyuyng londe nor I shall noo more beholde ony man that is inhaby tour of reste Semblable as it is wryten in Ihere mye the .xlv. Chapitre Alas I am vnhappy for oure lorde hath added in me sorowe to sorowe for I can fynde noo Reste Sorowe shall be thenne caste atte his hede and alle Inyquyte shall descende vppon hym Nowe by these thynges aboue sayd it manyfestly appereth how suche as descendet in to helle be punysshed with many dyuerse paynes and therfore me thynketh dere bretheren how