bicause he hath promised to giue vs greater rewards in the heauenly kingdome And to this feruentnesse of charitie let vs alwayes enforce our selues For by Augustynes opinion it is neyther the great number of workes nor the long continuance of tyme but the greater heate of charitie and the better readinesse of our wil which maketh God for his Christ to accept our merites For whosoeuer doeth obserue charitie in all his actions he fulfilleth as wel that which is apparant as also that which is mysticall in Gods booke For charitie doth as it were open the mynde and maketh the louer to be loued O Lord my God thou arte charitie sayth the Apostle thou art loue which can not be extinguished Doe thou therfore lighten my hart and make it dronken in thée Wherfore am I tossed about wherfore run I from one place to another why doe I wander after many things Is ther not in thée only most holy honorable mighty glorious God y perfect possessioÌ„ y incomprehensible pleÌ„tie and y infinit aboundance of all things y are good pleasant or to be desired TheÌ„ what is more exceleÌ„t or more louely y I shuld therfore withdraw my hart from thée turn it vnto frail things coueting or desiring any maner of thing without thée or besides thée And where was I when I was not with thée Whither ranne myne affections astray when they did not desire thée onely O God of my lyfe howe vaynely is it consumed And how vnfruitfully are my dayes stolen away whilest I liued idelly vnprofitably before thée But from henseforwardes let my soule bee vnmoueably fixed in thée For euen as the harte desireth the freshe fountaynes when he is chased euen so my hart desireth to be with thée O God. Whosoeuer doth glorifie mée I wil also glorifie him saith the Lord God in the second Chapiter of the first booke of the Kings And they which coÌ„tempne me shal be dishonored For of the loue of God the zeale of y diuine honor doth ryse and procéed As also an excéeding affection to adore worship him in all things Which zeale y prophet Helie had wheÌ„ he said I am become zealous in zeale for the Lord god And y more feruently that we loue him the more entâ—…tiuely also we desire to worship him in all things yea and to enduce others with vs to the worshipping of his name For euen as God by reason of his vnmeasurable bountie his infinite amyablenesse is such that no man can loue him so much as he is worthie to be beloued but doth infinitely fayle thereof So by the reason of his maiestie dignitie and vnmeasured asured holinesse he is infinitely to be honoured So that euery man is much defectyue in doing of suche reuerence vnto him as he in him self doth deserue And here vpon the holy fathers profoundlye pondering these considerations did estéeme all their déedes conuersatioÌ„ how perfect so euer it were to be of none effect And therfore the doctors say A man shuld rather suffer death theÌ„ commit the least fault or offence wilfully For as muche as sinne in that it derogateth any thing from the excéeding great maiestie of God is a huge and vnreasonable enormitie Then if we do honor the excelent maiestie of God so much the more bicause by the beholding consideratioÌ„ of his worthinesse we are able to dispise hartily to reiect all frail vain transitorie things to the end that being vnburthened and clean dispatched of them we may attentiuely giue our selues to that pure frée entire worshipping of the same it must néedes follow that they whiâ—…h through zeale doe altogither dispyse and forsake the world shall immediately honor God with all integrytie of harte And therefore by his grace and mercies are made worthie to be glorified honored extolled with him And lykewise the lesse that a man doe occupie him selfe in many businesses so much the more perfectly he is bent vnto the onely god And so much y loftier more sincere his mynde is in the praysing of his name Yea hée may so much the more be wholly at leysure to exercise him selfe in his seruice and walke vprightly in all godlynesse Moreouer Salomon saith Honor God with all thy substance and the first fruites of thine increase If then it pertayne vnto the honor of God to offer him any parte of our outward substance it must by stronger reason appertaine more vnto his honour to refuse all worldly things fréely for the worshiping and glorifying of him and to preseÌ„t our selues vnto him with full deuotion And so do they which coÌ„tempne the world in such maner as is beforesayd And therfore to the end thou mayest vncessantly as much as in thée lyeth giue thy selfe vnto the praise worship and honour of the diuyne maiestie yea that thou mayest quyetly repose thy self in the swéet contemplation of his mercyes reioyse in his blessednesse lyke a naturall louing chylde and spend all the dayes of thy lyfe vertuously I exhorte thée my welbeloued altogither to disspyse the world and to passe ouer all the transitorie vanities thereof with a noble courage yea to goe hartily to worke in the onely honoring of god For is not the vylenesse lothsomenesse of this world infinite being compared to the highest and vnchangeable goodnesse yea doest thou not thinke it an vnworthie thing by occasion of earthly and worldly coÌ„uersation to be hyndred letted from the duetie which thou owest vnto the honour and maiestie of God â–ª and to be withdrawen from the holy exercyses of vertue and godlinesse for the moste vayne liberties of worldly conuersation and vnlawfull actions To conclude if thou doe in this maner glorifie God and dispise the world then God doubtlesse wil cause thée to be honoured excéedingly as Esay witnesseth saying if thou glorifie God following not thyne owne wayes nor yelding to thyne owne will the Lord will giue thée rest and wil fill thy soule with comely brightnesse Yea then shalt thou be much delighted in the Lord and he shall set thée vp aboue the height of the earth Wherevpon Hyllarie sayeth This doe I chieflye owe vnto God that all my power all my sences all my spirits may sounde his praise For to that end we receyued bodie and bodily members yea lyfe and soule of God that we might worship him generally with them all And therefore the Apostle sayeth As you haue giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie so now sayth hée giue ouer your members to doe rightâ—…esse and holinesse And this it is to honour God worthyly to doe for his honour whatsoeuer we may possybly doe to please him yea and yet neuerthelesse humbly to confesse that we doe nothing worthy of thankes or meryte Therofore it is written To gloryfie God as much as lyeth in vs shall preuayle with his mercy and is beyonde all prayse Deferre not then my welbeloued to geue
and so much the more fearefully héedefully we shal walke before the maiestie of the highest god For behold we are set in the middest of the whole world That is to say on this earth betwéene the heauenly kingdome and the confused hellish Chaos Certeynly knowe that at the length we shall be led eyther to the eternall felicitie of heauen or els to the perpetuall tormentes of hell Oh that the tongue of our hartes would tast this selfe same morsell as it deserueth to be tasted For then I thinke we should neuer loosely be giuen ouer vnto vayne pleasure and delights we should not spend our tyme laughing sporting or playing but in wéeping and repentance So as we might truly confesse with Iob That we haue alwayes feared God as the swelling waues which would ouer whelme vs Being induced there vnto by the déepe contemplation of the Psalmist saying Come and behold the works of God which is terrible in his degrées vpon the sonnes of men And Paule sayth O profound depth of the treasure of Gods knowledge and wisedome howe incomprehensible are his iudgementes and how vnsearchable are his wayes he is the Lord that almightie King in whose power and dominion all thinges are constituted Who only is péerelesse So that his being doeth infinitely excell the being of any thing that is created as that in respect thereof all other things séeme as it were to haue no being at all Furthermore since we are beset in so greate daunger what remayneth for vs to doe or what remedye is profered vnto vs but euen that we eschue and auoyde with a most vigilant mynde those thinges whereby God so dreadfull is offended and whereby such paynes of infinite damnation are procured which are sinnes euen as the scripture doeth admonishe vs saying Flye from sinne as from the sight of a Serpent For none aduersitie shall bée hurtfull vnto thée if none iniquitie get the ouer hande of thée Wherefore a yong man of singular capacitie and my dearest of all deare brother to the ende that we may more warely hereafter eschue and auoyde sinne I intende fyrst by Gods helpe to wright for the stirring vp and inflaming of our soule Of the enormities great mischiefes and hurtes that come by sin That the vylenesse and filthinesse of sinne beyng perfectly vnderstoode and perceyued you may at the length flye from vyce with so great dilligence that you may as well deserue to be preuented and adorned by your creator with giftes of grace as you are already by him adorned and preuented with giftes of nature That only sinne causeth a reasonable creature to be displeasaunt dispisable and odious vnto God. The first acte EEuen as there is nothing more to be desired than to please God and to be of him beloued estéemed or honoured So is there nothing worse more detestable or more terrible than to displease him and to be of him dispised and hated In lyke maner as vertues and the actions of the same doe make vs pleasing honorable and welbeloued vnto the true God So vicious qualities and sinnes do make vs vnto God displeasing contemptuous and hatefull For he the almightie creator of the vniuersall world although he loue all things as touching that they haue of him that is to say as touching their being which he doth vncefsantly conserue in his kynd according to the saying of the wise man Thou louest O Lord all things that are and thou hatest nothing of those which thou haste made yet neuerthelesse he hateth sundry reasonable creatures as touching that which they reteyne and are of their owne frée will. That is to say as touching iniquitie their transgressions as the scripture sayth The wicked and his wickednesse are hatefull vnto god And agayne thou haste hated all them that worke iniquitie and thou shalt distroy all them which speake leasings and that dispiseth them hée witnesseth saying Thou hast dispised all them that went a stray from thy righteousnesse since their thoughtes were wicked And agayne he that dwelleth in the heauens shall laugh at them and the Lorde shall laugh them to skorne Then shall he speake vnto them in his wrath and in hys furie shall he vexe and trouble them yea euen this thyng happeneth by the most iust iudgement of god That they which contempne and dishonour God which is aboue all things to be exalted and to be thought worthiest of all worthies preferring their owne will before his diuyne pleasure should be dispised and ouerthrowne by him as he him selfe protesteth saying whosoeuer glorifieth mée I will glorifie him But they which dispise me shall be vnable Such are all the wicked and peruerse which haue no care to heare the word of God or doe omit the fulfilling therof when they haue heard it Of whom the euerlasting vncreated wisedome sayeth bicause I haue called aâ—…d you haâ—…e held backe dispising all my councelles and neglâ—…cting my rebukes I also will laugh at your distruction and will skorne you when that is happened vnto you which you most feared Beholde my welbeloued by these wordes the madnesse of them is reproued which linger their conuersion and in the ende of their life the very instant of death créeping now vpon them doe determine to make confession of their life and to amend themselues And yet neuer marking how horrible the eternall God and most high Iudge doeth threaten and affirme that he will skorne and laugh at suche men at the tyme of their death Fynally as Iob sayeth The wicked are preserued vntil the day of distruction and they shall be ledde vnto the day of reuenge and shall drinke of the furie of the almightie Wherefore if thou desire to please God if thou feare to be of him dispised and hated decline from euil â—…ye sinne deteâ—… vice and vncessantly feare to displease the high Iudge Who hath power to cast both body and soule into hell fyre Consider howe and howe much the children of this world and the seruants of Princes goe about to please their maisters How they dread to be dispised What great paynes they take to obtayne a voluble and worldly prayse Wherefore if thou desire to be accounted amongest the sonnes of God blushe then and bée ashamed that thou shouldest lesse indeuor to please God and to be honored and beloued of him then they study to attein mans fauour And finally lyke as of the humanitie pleasantnesse wherewith thou art naturally indued thou doest decently and mannerly behaue thy self before men So much the more behaue thy self reuerently and orderly before god inwardly or rather both inwardly and outwardly For if when thou hast to speake with any worthie personage thou commest reuerently vnto him puttest of thy Cap and doest kéedely beware what thou speakest and when thou shouldest talke with God by prayer or by saying Psalmes then come with reuerence and begin pronounsing without any regard doest thou not then ouer lightly estéeme the maiestie of the
that maye bée compared and of whom it is read The Lorde is our Iudge the Lorde is our lawmaker and the Lorde is our King It is most certeyne that as he is of an incomparable height and of a maiestie vndiscâ—…ibable so not to obey his precepts to set light by theÌ„ to dissemble them or to neglect them it is an incomparablâ—… and in a manuer huge frowardnesse and wickednesse For if it bée greuous and thought to be wicked not to obay reuerence and geue honour vnto a carnall mortall and sinful father is it not most wicked not to â—…bey to bowgh to â—…rouch and to geue honour vnto the spirituall father the eternall creator the holy the almightie and immmortall god For he is that great Lord aboue all thinges to be praised Whose greatnesse that is to say in perfection dignitie and glory hath none end Whome euen Porpherye that great scoller of Plato doth call the King and father of gods Whome euen the heauenly powers doe dread feare and obey The which saying of Porpherye Augustyne in his booke de ciuitate dei doth often rehearse To conclude since the lawe of the Gospell is forthwith geuen vs propounded and commaunded by the onely begotten sonne of God himself beinge in all respectes true god It is most certayne that the same is most diligently to be obserued So that it is much more gréeueous to alter or dissemble the same then it had bene in times past to transgresse the lawes of Moyses Which were propounded vnto the people of God by the mediation of Moyses and the Angell Here vpon the Appostle vnto the Hebrues sayeth whosoeuer transgressed Moyses lawe being found giltie by two or thrée wytnesses dyed without any pardon And how much greater punishment sayth he doe you thinke that they deserue which spurue against the Sonne of God and holdeth the bloode of his testement to be defiled and coÌ„mitteth dispightfulnesse against the spirite of grace Furthermore after his holy supper Christ beinge nowe néere vnto his Passion euen in the same night that he was betrayed sayed emongest other things vnto his Appostles If I had not come nor spoken vnto them they had not siuned Since then Christ our Lord King and Messias is come and in his owne proper person did speake vnto our Fathers and vnto vs by them let vs endeuour in all thinges to obey him for otherwyfe our sinnes will bée wonderfull great and huge Out and alas wherefore doo we neglect them wherefore are we oppressed in our sluggishe bodyes or wherefore doe wée langwishe pyne away in the dead sléepe of sinnes These thinges my welbeloâ—…ed consider déepely Wey them dilligently Behold theÌ„ narrowly And to be astonyed at the displeasure of that most highly exalted ruler of all thinges Eschewe and avoyde this dishonor and kepe his commaundementes For â—…e it is vnto whome as the scriptures witnesse the holy army of â—…eauen is assistant with reuerent feare Whose anger no man is able to indure By whome they bowe which beare vp the world And at whose becke the pillers of heauen doe tremble and are affrayde For behold the heauen and the firmamentes of heauens the déepes and all the earth with all that in them is shal be moued at the sight of god And yet the madd sencelesse hart of man dothe not feare nor dreadeth not his displeasure Who leaueth not sinne vnpunished And for the same doth appoynt payne and torment Of the enormitie of sinne as touching the 〈◊〉 and rightcousnesse of the diuine myndâ—… and thought Art. 7. IT is certeine that the iuster holyer that any well disposed mynde is the more the foule blot of sinne doth gréeue and displease the same And therfore since the diuine minde highest to be adored is altogether of an infinite purenesse cquitie and holinesse yea rather the vnmeasured and superessentiall purenesse the contemplatorie holinesse subsisting of it selfe the vndiscrybable equitie and exemplare 〈◊〉 it is certeyne that the same dothe detest and hate with an infinite abhominacion and hatred the deformitie blotte and vnpurenessâ—… of sinne Euen as Moysâ—…s speaketh sayinge God is against all wickednesse Then here vpon â—…nne hath gotten his most gréeuous and crooked enormytie bicause it is against the most cleane and pure holynesse of the dieuine mynde And against the vntermynable righteousnesse of the same And the sinner himself which loueth chuseth embraseth and houldeth that which god so much hateth reproueth and putteth from him by a certein kinde of meane doth incurre a wonderfull displeasure and purchase an infinite deformitie in the sight of god To conclude the holyrâ—… and more iuster god is so much the filthynesse and deformytie of sinne is the more vnlyke him And God is as hath bene sayd before of a holynesse and righteoâ—…snesse perfectly vnlimytable And therefore sinne is infinitly vnlyke the purenesse of the holynesse and the righteousnesse of the equitie of the highest god Herevpon also sinne is infinitly eloyned se 〈◊〉 far froÌ„ god for as Auguistn saith in his ix booke de ciuitate dei Ther is none other eloyinge or distance and seperation from god then his vnlyknesse or dissimilytude And since dissimilitude is the cause of displeasure hatred and turning away sinne dothe deserue the eternall and infinite displeasure which is a turnige awaye and a hatred to God whiche deserueth eternall dampnation Wherevpon it is sayd to be infinitly gréeuous and horrible Furthermore the more natural plesant conuenyeÌ„t that any one thinge is to another so muche the more contrary disconuenyent and displeasing the opposite and contrarietie thereof wil be vnto it Now the holynesse is so naturall to the glorious and highest God that he is substaincially holy not by any addicion or puttinge to So that it is altogether one thinge vnto him to be and to bée holy Insomuche as his holynesse is his essentyall béeinge And his essentiall béeinge is holynesse moste pure moste cleane and symply perfect The mosté honourable prymordyall and fynall cause and reason of all vertue and purenesse Holynesse is also moste conuâ—…nyent and bâ—…ste pleasinge vnto god For hée loueth and requireth holynesse in conuersation and dothe make those most deare entyre and famyliare vnto him which are worthily and stedfastly bent vnto holynesse Thus it is moste apparant howe infinitely contrary displeasinge and discâ—…uenyent the vnpurenesse of sinne is vnto god Therefore the Psalmist singeth saying Early in the morninge I will preseÌ„t my self before thée I will behold thée For thou art no god that would haue iniquitie Neither shall the malycious dwell néere vnto thée Nor the vniust shall not endure before thy face The lyke argument is of the enormytie of sinne by consideration of the diuine righteousnesse Which is altogether vnmeasureable â—…nd inflexible measure and the vnfallyble rule of all verteuous streightnesse For god is iust and hath loued righteousnesse and his countenaunce hath beheld equitie Of whome it is red in an other place Great and wonderfull are
worship reuerence God in all things with the whole zeale of our hartes And let vs do as much as we are able to the honor of his name yea let vs not think that we do any thing that is worthie but let vs hartily bée sory that we are able to do no more bicause euen as he is of excéeding maiestie so is he worthie of infinite reuerence Of the enormitie of sinne by reason of the diuine presence which beholdeth all things Art. 10. THis one thing furthermore doeth increase the gréeuousnesse of our sinnes and doeth accumulate the contempt of our mynd against God that we dare be so bold as to sinne in the sight and presence of our creator sauior iudge And he our eternall most mightie God doth most plainly eternally and vnspeakably behold peize discerne all things that are past present or to come As holy Iob doth professe saying doeth not God know my way doth he not count all my steppes And again so speaking to God thou hast put sauth he my féete in fetters and hast watched marked all my pathes hast considered the 〈◊〉 of my féete Whervpon in Hieremie it is red thou most 〈◊〉 great and mightie thy name is Lord of hostes great in thy councels incomprehensible in thy thoughts whose eyes are open ouer all the sons of Adam that thou 〈◊〉 giue to euery man according to his wayes wherein he walketh 〈◊〉 not an earthly iudge or a mortal man think a great 〈◊〉 or dispight don vnto him if any of his subiects shuld in his 〈◊〉 presence transgresse his preceptes But how much greater iniurie dishonor do we coÌ„mit against the highest heauenly eternal iudge whilest we fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his 〈◊〉 which is truely present euerie where yea mostpresent and fulfilleth iudgeth pondereth all thinges that are done Here vpon beloued thinke alwayes vpon the diuyne presence honour the lookes of the heauenly countenaunce worship euerie where the purenesse of the diuine mynde And blushe for shame to doe that before the highest God which thou wouldest be abashed to doe before a good or honest man Nay rather tremble and quake and presume not to thinke or to desire that before the presence of his 〈◊〉 which thou wouldest be any thing at all a fearde to speake before a good or honest man For God beholdeth the 〈◊〉 of the hart that which vnto men is the speach of their mouth that which is with God is the thought of the harte And againe that which the earthly iudge before whom thou art 〈◊〉 doth gather of thine outward déedes the same the dreadfull and most iust God can iudge and determyne of thine inward desires which receiueth the intent or affection of the 〈◊〉 or déed That man is base 〈◊〉 vniust which honoureth the presence and 〈◊〉 the iudgement of men more than of god Wherfore my dearly beloued let that offence neuer be attributed 〈◊〉 thée but 〈◊〉 heare alwayes and in all places that saying of 〈◊〉 in thy 〈◊〉 The Lorde liueth in 〈◊〉 sight I stand this day And therfore as Boetius saith there is a great necessitie of wel doing commaunded vs bicause we do all things before the eyes of the iudge which séeth decerneth al things Of the enormitie of sinne by respect of him that sinneth Art. 11. HEtherto we haue treated of the enormitie of sin hauing regarde to God against whom all sinne is committed eyther directly or by meanes For although certayn sins are termed to be against god certain other agaynst the neighbour certain against our selues I mean against the sinner himself bicause that God is the nerest obiect matter most at hand vnto some sins as vnto those that are directly coÌ„trarie to the diuine vertues vnto some other the neighbor is the nerest matter and vnto some he him selfe which sinneth Neuerthelesse all sin is against God which detesteth punisheth forbiddeth all sins For by the diuine lawes al sin is forbidden or diswaded Now then it is requisite to speake somewhat of the enormitie of sin on the behalf of the sinner and that as touching men First then the enormitie of sin may be marked by our inferioritie For the lesse that any man is by comparisoÌ„ with a master or lawgiuer so much the more humble so much the more in subiection he ought to be Wherevpon the contempt séemeth to be somewhat the more gréeuous if he become rebellious to the law giuer or superior â—…im self theÌ„ if he himself were greater or if a greater theÌ„ himself did commit it For man himself doth possesse the lowest place in rank of matters or substances belonging to vnderstanding may not theÌ„ that lawgiuer the most highly exalted God holy vnmeasured to bée adored disdayne much when he séeth vs vyle litle wormes of the earth bearing clayish vessell vpon vs being compared to vanitie and ashes replenished in our bodies with infinite sinnes agaynst the soule that we doe not obey his coÌ„mauÌ„dements but dishonor his maiestie and forget his benifits yea euery houre offending him incessaÌ„tly not harkening to his exhortations which he maketh vnto vs by his ministers not regarding his own preseÌ„ce furthermore by this coÌ„sideration of our leudnesse vilenesse we ought vehemently to heape vp aggreuate detest bewaile yea to dispise reproue to correct both our selues and all our excesses against God since that we most poore most miserable most vyle creatures which shal soone die yea rather dayly dying haue so often so gréeuously dishonoured offended dispised dayly do not cease to offend our lord our most highly exalted infinite almightie most glorious and superessential god Behold we dust ashes we worms and rottennesse which lyke a flour do come forth are wâ—…thred which fly away like a shadow neuer do coÌ„tiuue in one â—…state haue so often so vnmeasurably halted dissembled so incessantly do sin against the king of kings against the Prince of all men against the creator of the world most laudable inuariable most highly exalted who is the simplest purest most bright shinyng most holy ghost Wherfore then dâ—…e we moste vaynely glorie whereof are wée most foolishe proude wherefore doe we â—…ot humble dispise bewayle and correct our selues with fastings with stripes with watching praying other fruits of repentance Therfore let vs earnestly be displeasant vnto our selues let vs moste déepely without delay hâ—…mble our selues before the most pure God dispising no bodie but our selues Secondarily the enormitie of sinne on the bâ—…halfe of the sinner is noted by the superioritie of him that sinneth as by préeâ—…inence preferment in authoritie For the more that he which sinneth be preferred in principallitie or iuditiall authoritie the more he is bound to the more ample iustice rightuousnesse charitie exeÌ„plare life Especially since the iudge or president according tâ—… the Philosopher oâ—…ght to be the liuely
Gregorie sayeth wée went from our countrey meanyng the terrestryall Paradyse for our pryde disobedyence followynge of the visible goodnesse and tasting of the fruite prohibited but wee muste returne therevnto agayne by humilitie obedience contempnyng of the visible goodnesse and by brideling our carnall appetytes And therefore in this lyfe we are called Trauaylers or wafaring men bicause as the Apostle sayth We haue not here any certayne residence but we must séeke for it in the world to come And agayne in another place he sayth whilest we are in this corporall bodie we dwell as strangers from the lord For we walke by fayth and not accordyng to our outward forme And in lyke maner the Psalmist singing speaketh vnto God and sayeth Hold not thy peace though I be a straÌ„ger an alien in thy sight as all my forefathers were Now it is expedyent for a prouydent and circumspecte trauayler that hauing necessarie thyngs for his iourney hée loade not nor ouer charge not him selfe with other things nor that hée staye in hys waye without some reasonable and vrgent cause Neyther yet that hée busie hym selfe to entermedle with thinges done by other men whome hée passeth by in his iourney but that holding the kings highe way and neyther declining on the righte haude nor on the lefte hande and being contented with necessarie foode apparell he make hast incessantly trauayle with all possible spéede to drawe néere vnto his iourneys end So ought euerie Christian to consider that he is but a trauayler or a wayfaring man in this present lyfe and therefore let him so order his whole conuersation that hee obtayne the felicitie which is to come and to attayne to the heauenly and euerlasting kingdome of god Yea let him direct all his steps vnto the glorie of God fulfilling his holy commaundementes and by such vertuous degrees let him aspyre vnto the heauenly habitation For héere vnto the Apostle Paule doeth exhorte vs saying it remayneth that they which vse the benifites of this world should bee as though they vsed it not And that they which be maryed should bee as if they were vnmaryed For the outward shewe of this world shall passe ouer And agayne in another place he sayth Pauing meat drinke and clothing let vs be contented For they which couet to be rich doe light in the snares and temptations of the diuil But happie is he which so knoweth his habitation that he may say with the Prophet woe is mée that my resting place is prolonged He that so sayth and so coueteth to come vnto the euerlasting habitation he is worthily to be called a true trauayler and one that goeth in the right readie way But bicause it happeneth oftentymes that a trauayler séeing sundrie straunge things in his way is delighted therewith and stayeth to behold such things or to seeke and inquire of nouelties whereby he foresloweth his â—…ourney and remembreth not the countrey which hée hath to trauayle vntoo but rather is so drowned in the delights of strange countreys that hée taryeth there for altogither and neuer commeth to his iourneyes end Therefore there is a playner and more perfect way whereby we may goe to the countrey of the chosen Which is that a man doe goe not onely by the wayes and meanes alreadie declared towardes the heauenly habitation but furthermore that hée doe not regarde care for or séeme to sée anye impediment stoppe or let in his way But rather passe by them and dispise them as things which appertayne not vnto him And such trauaylers or wayfaring men are they which care no more for the prayses and commendation of this world theÌ„ they doe for their disprayses no more for prosperitie theÌ„ for aduersitie for ryches then for pouertie Finally which doe not worldly set their myndes on any of the thinges which delight men in this lyfe but doe mortifyedly set lighte by them all as by most vayne trifles and toyes Unto the which perfection the Apostle doeth exhort vs saying wée must alwayes beare aboute vs in our bodies the 〈◊〉 of Christ Iesus that his lyfe may be made manifest in this our mortall fleshe And such were they to whom the same Apostle did wryte you are dead and your lyfe is hidden in God with Christ Iesus And suche also was Ieremie speaking vnto God who sayeth Thou knowest that I haue not desired the dayes of man And suche are all they which doe not glorie but in God the Lord which made them selues strangers and alliens from this worlde And suche an one may properly bée called deade vnto the worlde And yet there is another way higher and more perfect then these Which is To extinguishe all selfeloue and to bée rauished in diuyne charitie and thereby to loue our sâ—…lues in Christ Iesu perfectly and spiritually Not onely that trauaylerlike we can eschue the impediments stops in our way to God neyther yet onely that deadmanlyke wee can set light by the prosperities and pleasures of the worlde but also that we abhorre with all our harte all thinges wherevnto the worlde cleaueth as ryches delightes lustes of the fleshe promotions vayne prayses of men and frée skope to doe what we list Yea let vs with all our harte abhorre detest and flye from all these thinges â–ª as griefes and deadly tormentes of the harte bicause suche things doe rather hynder and â—…oppe then further our helpe forthwardes our course to God and our iourney to the heauenly habitation To conclude let vs with all our hartes iâ—…brace cleaue to and desyre all suche thinges as the worlde accoumpteth a Crosse. Which are aduerâ—…tyes or harde conditions as abstynence watching disciplyne desyre to bée vnknowne to the worlde loue to bée contempned thereof and ioyfullye to beare all barde punyshementes for the loue of god Knowing that these thynges wil be profitable vnto vs as well for atteyning vnto our iourneys ende as also to make the goodnesse of God satisfyed and pleased with our forewardnesse whereby we may escape the punyshementes due for our heynous offences and procâ—…de in grace to our heauenly habitation Yea héereby wée are made lyke vnto Christ which susfered for vs and therefore shall lyke vnto hym receyue a ioyfull rewarde in the lyfe to come And héerevpon we may reioyce héerein as in great treasures and as the wicked and reprobate doe reioyce and glorie in the prosperities of thys world For suche as attayne vnto this perfection may say with Paule God sorbid that I should glorie but onely in the Crosse of Christ by whome the world is crucified vnto mée and I vnto the worlde In lyke maner may wée bâ—… thought crucified and not onely alyens as the first nor dead as the second sort For in this third degrée of perigrination the very height of all christian puritie doth consist And such were the most blessed Apostles who being scourged and reproued by the high priestes did goe away reioysing oute of
rules of reason or to faynte from the right lyne of vertue and to omit the diuine lawes of Gods commaundements And yet about this poynte the Philosophers had some question not altogither vnprofitable héere to be rehearsed For whereas by their opinion reason coueteth alwayes to the best things vertue by Damascenes opinyon is accordyng to nature consenting vnto reason yea and by Tullyes or rather by Augustines and Basiles opinion there are certayne sparkes or séedes of vertues borne and bredde in vs it might séeme thereby that vertue were verie easie and light to be followed Whervnto I would answere that God surely hath put in vs by regeneration wil to follow vertues wherby by grace they might séeme light and easâ—…e to be obtayned But the difficultie ryseth vpon our owne imperfections corruptions and infections whereby we are alwayes more prone to the euil then to the good Much the rather through the oryginall sin which we brought with vs the which doth coÌ„tinually make foure great deadly woundes in our soules to wete ignorance in vnderstaÌ„ding malice in willing infirmitie in passion concupisceÌ„ce in appetite or desire Moreouer by y Philosophers â—…pinioÌ„ also it falleth out y the further of or distant y our intellectuall substaâ—…ce is from the first being which is the diuyne vnderstaÌ„ding y very perfect end skope wherunto all things ar to haue relatioÌ„ so much the more difficult it is by so much the harder means it may attein vnto the same TheÌ„ since that the reasonable soule of man is so much inferior in the rancke order of intellectual natures as y therin y intellectual light is so féeble y in it self it is at the first like a smooth playned Table to be 〈◊〉 vpon but not yet paynted it is playn and euident y of it self it should verie hardly attayne vnto the vttermost scope and end therefore appointed which is the maiestie of the eternal god As also the proposicioÌ„ wil be true if we speake of the natural felicitie of the soule the naturall vertues in vs Wherfore by stronger reasoÌ„ it is much more to be verified if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the supernatural beatitude thereof which is the sight beholding of God face to face since the vertues of y vttermost end or scope are by all comparison more excellent more loftie then the naturall beatitude or naturall vertues of our soule Whereby our soule hath great néede of the incessaunt helpe motion inspyration and grace of god For there are almoste vnnumerable impedimentes of vertues which doe dayly happen vnto vs as well by the meanes of our owne fleshe as also by the world and the diuell By the which wee are not smally hindered drawen backe and foreâ—…owed from all vertuous conuersation Whervpon Bernard sayth The first impedyment and gréeuous occupation that we finde in our way is the very necessitie of our life The which whilest it requireth now meat then sléepe such other things necessarie it doth without doubt oftentimes hinder withdraw vs from spiritual exercises And as y Apostle saith The diuel goeth about lyke a roaring Lyon séekyng whom he may deuour Yea and the world also doeth present many nay to many offences and lets from doing well vertuously So that it is verie harde alwayes to kéepe in the meane and middle of vertue and neuer to decline to any of the vitious extreames But yet as Dyonisius teacheth vertue it selfe or the action therof procéedeth of an entire and vniuersal cause wherin all the circumstances of vertue it self doe concurre But vyce doth consist of the defect or imperfection of any circumstance and is commonly séene to erre fayle and perish by infinyte meanes Wherevpon Salomon sayde The number of fooles is infinite So that we sée suffitiently howe the way of vertue is straight and narow But the way of vyces is spatious and large Especially to the vnwyse and vnperfecte but not so much to them which are of good zealâ—… to perfection as shall be hereafter declared A certayne man sayd vnto Iesus Lord tell me how shall I doe since there are but fewe which are saued And Christ made answere in the first of Luke saying stryue ye to enter or goe in by the narow gate Notifying thereby the wordes before rehearsed to prous the small number of them which shal be saued And furthermore for the better vnderstanding howe straight and narow the way is which leadeth to saluation marke we the words of Gregorius saying The straight and narow way wherin euerie man is constrained to walk which doth carefully regard the fulfilling of Gods commauÌ„dements is to liue in this worlde and yet to haue no maner concupiscence thereof To couet none other mens goods neither yet gréedily to retaine our owne to dispise the prayses of y world to loue for god to be reuiled to flie froÌ„ glory to folow y which is dispised to hate flattery to honor such as set light by the world to forgiue theÌ„ which offeÌ„d vs froÌ„ our harts and to coÌ„serue the grace of charitie vnmoueably in all things As also the fruits of repeÌ„tance as abstinence watching praying togither w the renouncing of our wils coÌ„cupiscenses are straight narow passages which wil bring him y trauaileth therein to much rest quiet For there is 〈◊〉 vnto such an vncoÌ„parable reward which neyther eye hath séene eare hath hard nor the hart thought of man is able to coÌ„prehende which is eueÌ„ the pure and euerlasting Beatitude most full most perfect which is euen god himselfe y blessed superexalted vnmesureable goonesse And herein our intollerable neclygence ouerthwart paruersenâ—…sse 〈◊〉 maye apeare Synce for such an vnspeakable treasure we cannot take payne to treade and trauayle in that narrowe way no not for a small time or iorny Whervpon Chrisostome sayth Thou art coÌ„maunded O man to walke in the narowe way Why then doest thou questioÌ„ curyously search for ease aboundaunce they which serue worldly Princes doe aske no such maner of demaunds Onely they enquyre if they shall haue gaynes rewarde The which being ones knoweÌ„ answered they refuse no labor nor paine they eschew no daunger they deny not to doe any the most vyle or paynefull dewty y they are set vnto They suffer abyd trauayle longe perilous iorneyes despights punyshments and alterations of tymes And all this for the hope of gayne and the gréedinesse of mony But we coÌ„trarily which should séeke heaueÌ„ the infinite treasures therof doe streyne much curtesie for the ease of our bodies dysdayne to suffer any aduersity Behold how much we are more teÌ„der more miserable theÌ„ they what sayest thou O man or what do est thou thou preparest thy self to clyme into heaueÌ„ demaundest yet if any dyfficulty or stoppe be in thy waye If any rough or paineful thing is like to encountre thée Yea thou art not hereof ashamed neither
suffer no tribulation it seemeth thereby that thou hast not begonne to be the seruaunt of God. Our sweete Sauiour for thâ—… recomforte of mankynde did saye as Mathew rehearseth in the eleuenth Chapiter of his Gospell these wordes Come vnto me all ye that trauayle and are heauye loden and I will refreshe you Take my yoke vpon you and learne by me for I am meeke and humble in harte For my yoke is sweete and my burden lyght These wordes our sauiour Christ spake of himselfe Wherwith we must vnderstand that the yoke of Christ is none other thing then the lawe of the Gospell or the performaunce and wary heede of Gods commaundementes By the which we are bounde vnder the obedyence of his holy will and are restreyned or seperate from this worldely lyfe And the burden of our Sauiour may be vnderstoode by the obseruation of his holy wordes And of such a yoke it is wrytten It is good for the man which hath borne the yoke euen from his youth which the reprobate doe put from them According to that sayinge of Hieremye from the begynnyng thou hast broken and cast of the yoke and sayed I will not serue So that wée maye perceyue that in effect all is one the narrowe waye and streight gate leading to saluation and the yoke and burden of our Sauiour Chryst. But then some will saye If the waye bée streyght and the gate narrowe howe can the yoke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swéete and hys burden lyght Wherevnto I 〈◊〉 were that the selfe same yoke yea and 〈◊〉 selfe same wayâ—… are streight narrowe paynefull and 〈◊〉 to suche as are foolyshe vnperfect and â—…ot yet exercysed in fpirytuall lyfe nor haue yet tasted the swéetenessâ—… of the same The which neuerthelesse to the perfecte the verteous pure and Godly zeales which serue God feruently and loue him is broade easye and most pleasaunt So that that they rather runne spéedely theâ—… walke leasurely therin Wherevpon the holy and 〈◊〉 Prophete confessed sayinge I haue runne all the wayes of thy comaundementes whiles thou hast dylated and enlarged my harte And agayne I haue walked at large sayth he bicause I sought out thy commaundementes To conclude 〈◊〉 lykelyhoode nor no forme doth more delectably or readily worke in mannes myâ—…de then loue For loue of his owne proper nature and reason enclyneth and draweth the louer to actuall louing Wherevpon it is compared vnto a weight Now therefore since charytie is the cause gouernesse and Empresse of all merytoryous déedes the which charytie is called the lyfe of the soule and without it nothing is meritorious yt is therby euideÌ„t that y more we doo profit procéede in the loue of god somuch the more we doe deâ—…bly excercise all thinges that procéede from god Yea somuch the more we doe hartely abhorre those thinges which perteine vnto the worlde Sythens y vnto him which loueth ferueÌ„tly nothing can be more pleasant then to doo any thing that may seme acceptable vnto his beloued For true loue estéemeth nothing to be hard gréeuous rough or deadly Yea let vs consider if any payne any strypes or any woundes or death it selfe can ouercoÌ„e or daunte true harty loue surely no. For if it be perfect loue in dede it ouercoÌ„meth al things yet féeleth no paynes The loue of God is an infallyble treasure He that hath it is rytch And whosoeuer lacketh that is poore and néedy though he haue all the world at will. And therefore well doeing doth somuch the more delight the myndes of men and sinnes doâ—… somuch the more yrke and dyscontent them as they fynde in theyr hartes a perfect and sincere loue towardes God that highest and vnchaungeable goodnesse Arristotle the heathen Phylosopher confessed that it was a perfect signe or token of vertue to bée delyghted in the actyon thereof And surely true it is that the more vertuous wée béecome the more we are delighled to excercyse and doe â—…e true fruites of repentaunce Agayne As nature is the very begenning of all naturall actiones operatioÌ„s so gods greate grace workyng in vs is the verye first formall immedyate and intrusecall beginning of all good and acceptable déedes And euen as they which are naturally wel disposed doo exercise with case great delight such works operations as perteyne vnto nature so wheÌ„ a man beginneth ones to abounde in the grace of god theÌ„ he doth also daily more ioyefully with the better will exercise himself in gods coÌ„maundements good déedes And this happeneth most ofteÌ„ vnto such as are méeke humble of hart Whervpon Bernard saith Nothing is hard to the humble nor nothing vnpleasant to such as are méeke of hart And right easily are y coÌ„maundements effectually kept when that grace of God doth giue and gyde forwardnes of will obedyence with true humylitie doe appease the Iudgâ—…s indyngnation Neither can a man say that he serueth for méere necessytie when the thing which he is commaunded to dâ—… is of him right hartely loued and desired Then if we déeyely and effectually consider that it is for Gods loue that we doe such thinges as we take in hand we shall then thinke nothing to be hard or difficulte Nay rather if we should all dye for him or execute and fulfill all verteous exercyses for his sake we shall it be able to doe nothing worthy of the benifites which we haue receaued at his handes And therevpon Gregorius sayth if the mynde be ones fixed in God with a stedfast entent then we estéeme all thinges to be swéete and pleasaunt howe bytter or sower so euer they chaunce to be Yea we shall fynde greate rest and quyet in all those thinges which doe afflict vs. Futhermore it is certayne that the more a mans mynde be bent vnto any one thing earnestly somuch the more his entontions towards any other thinge be slackened and laide asyde Then euen as the louers of this world which doo altogether wrappe and enfold themselues in the desyres therof are altogether occupyed in vayne and transitory things doe as it were lothe and are weary of spirituall and godly thinges yea as they dâ—…e pray vnto God hastely and without an inwarde affection euen so those which loue GOD and doe wholly dedycate themselues vnto his seruice desyringe to cleaue most feruently vnto him and to be wholly occupied and conioyned with him doe hatefully abhorre lothe and flye from those thinges which apperteyne vnto the worlde Yea they desyre and reioyse to be vncessantly occupyed and conuersant in the prayses of God and walke in the streight narrowe way with great delight and pleasure Herevpon it is that Gregorius wytnesseth saying loue is as strong as death For sayth he euen as death doth kyll the corporall body so the loue of God dothe through the hope of eternall lyfe kyll in vs the loue of temporall delightes For he whome the charitie of GOD dothe swallow vp hym dothe it also make vnsensyble too the féelynge of anye
written Thy name and thy memoriall O Lord are in the desires of my soule My soule hath desired thée by night yea thy spyrite is in the secretes of my harte and early in the gray mornyng will I wayte for thée Herein as goodnesse is the obiecte of our appetyte and desire so since god is the highest purest vnmeasurable perfectest goodnesse so is he insinitely to be desired to be loued In such sorte that we ought beyond all comparison to loue him aboue all things And so consequently it is méete and requisite to dispyse to refuse and to caste away whatsoeuer may let foreslow or turne vs from his loue and the feruentnesse therof But the world and that which 〈◊〉 thervnto doe withdrawe vs specially let and 〈◊〉 vs from the loue and goodnesse of God as Gregorie sayeth wée are euen so much disioyned and seperated from the loue of y high God as wée are wrapped in worldly thinges delighted in base things and occupyed in earthly things For vertue is both greater and of more force when it is vnited thē when it is dispersed therfore the more that the 〈◊〉 of our mynd are dispersed and deuyded into the inordinate loue of worldly creatures the weaker also colder blynder and more vnapte they be to loue God. Wherevpon Chrysostome sayeth looke howe muche thy mynd is set vpon any thing and euen so much the lesse it is set vpon god For what are these earthly carnall things but onely heauy wayghtes and burthens which draw down the affections of mans mynd from desire of heauenly things Let vs therefore extend our whole harte vnto god Let vs be borne vnto him with our whole mynde Let him be such a cause of loue vnto vs in al other things that we estéeme no worldly creature more thē for that it may as a meane serue vs towardes the attayning of his loue That is to say so far forth as it may bee vnto vs necessarie and profitable to further vs in our way towardes the heauenly kingdome But let vs become so feruent in the loue of God yea let vs so much estéeme his most swéete and delectable loue that we may dispise all and singular other vayne and transitorie things as vyle durte So that the omnipotent and eternall God may be more precious more to be desired more gloryous swéeter fayrer and in euerie kynde of comparison better of more perfection and worthinesse thē any other thing And let any liuyng worldly creature be lothsome vnto our soules being thus occupyed in contemplation of the diuyne maiestie Let vs sée and perceyue hereby that the whole 〈◊〉 world in respect or comparison of the vndiscrybable God is but as a small title of no reputation or louelynesse Yea in such sorte that we thinke these transistorie thinges vnworthie to be looked on But that we be wholly transformed 〈◊〉 established dissolued and swallowed vp in Christ Iesus So that we may say with his holy Prophet The God of my harte and God is my portion for euer And agayne I will loue thée O Lorde my strength And as the Apostle said I know that neither death nor life nor any creature can seperate me from Gods loue Let vs but marks and behold how vyle it were for the delightes of the mortal and miserable fleshe for the prayse and glorie of men and for temporall honour and preferment to be withdrawen or foreslowed from this highest supressentiall vnchangeable and incomprehensible goodnesse of god Let vs be made heauenly conformable vnto God and deyfyed yea familiar and entyrely beloued vnto the liuing god For what haue we to doe with these earthly things we being made and created to the shape and lykenesse of the most holy Trinitie béeyng redéemed and made frée by the bloud of Christ and called to the blessed fellowship of Angels Let vs therefore dispyse all these things and let our whole occupation conuersation entention and affection be fixed and altogither reposed in him onely which is onely necessarie to bee imbrased accordyng to the admonition of Augustine Let man sayth hée if he turne any way conuert him selfe vnto him which created him for by going backe from him he waxeth cold but by turning vnto him he shall waxe warme By going backe he shall waxe dimme and darke but by turning to him hée shall become bright and shyning For euen where he receyued his creation and being there must he also fetche his being good or godly For he the Lord our God is the verie swéetnesse swéete aboue all kynde of swéetenesse Brighter then any light déeper then any secret and higher then any honour or degrée Moreouer he is that purest kynde of lyfe to turne 〈◊〉 om him were a gréeuous fall but to returne vnto him is a highe rysing or clyming To abyde in him is a certaine dwelling and to dwell in him is happie lyfe And euen as corne in the wet furrow doeth rotte and 〈◊〉 but in the rydge or higher part of the land it is preserued florisheth so our hartes if they be raysed vp to God shalt neuer putrifie nor decay But if they be ouerthrowne or sunken in earthly things they rotte and consume immediately And myne earnest desire is my welbeloued that thou doe spurne from thée and dispise all transitorie things detest abhorre all the pompe of this world for the loue of the diuyne bountie and through the affection that thou haste to procéede in the imbrasing thereof Yea and that by the desire of so contemplatyue and holy meditations thou mayest with all thy hart and mynde be giuen ouer vnto him All which can not come to passe vnlesse thou dispise all corporal delightes all worldly vanities and all thine owne desires As Cassianus affyrmeth saying our affectiōs saith he are neuer perfectly kindled to the desire of eternal things neither is our vnderstandyng euer sharpened vnto the perfect contemplation of heauenly thinges vntill the cares and desires of the fleshe bee perfectly bridled in vs My welbeloued if thou wilt be rich and a possessor of infinite goods and treasures giue eare then vnto the counsell of Ambrose He that wil sayth he possesse God let him first renounce the world that God may be vnto him a blessed possession and heritage For looke how much thou dye vnto y world so much lyfe thou gaynest with god And the more that thou lyue as to this worlde so muche the more thou dyest vnto God. To conclude whosoeuer loueth the world doeth loue an enimie imbraseth a Traytor and dandleth in his lappe an vnspeakeable daunger Wherevpon Augustyne sayde if this world delight thée thou shalt alwayes be vncleane And if thou louingly kysse the worlde he will hungrily and gréedily swallowe and deuour thée And to make an end of thys deuision wee ought aboue all things to loue God. First for his vnmeasurable goodnesse Secondarily bicause he first loued vs. Thirdly bicause he powreth so many benifits vpon vs. Fourthly
thy selfe from executing the same The thinges which in this present lyfe are momeÌ„tarye and light although they be some tribulation may excéedingly worke in vs a greate maâ—…e or weight of glory in the world to come if we behold not those thinges which are séene with eye but those which cannot be séene For the thinges which are séene are temporall but the things which are not séene are eternall By these wordes of Paule it appeareth that the trybulations of the chosen although they be longe bytter and gréeuous yet by regarde of the celestyall glory and reward to come they are lyght and but of small continewaunce For the reward to come is vncomprehensible euerlasting But now is he a perfect and most pure louer of God which loueth him not by beholding this reward nor reuerenceth him not for desire of his owne profite nor worshipeth him for reward of mutuall consideration towardes himselfe But which purely for the very incomparable goodnesse loue and worthynesse of God doth all that he can to his honour with all dilygence For the better obteyning of which perfection and for the full purchasing of so great sinceritie in Gods loue let vs yet euen by the beholding of the infallible promyses of God goe stoutly forewarde to doe any thing that may be most pleasant most perfect and moste acceptable vnto him And let vs contempne the world and the gallantnesse delight pompe prosperities and vanities therof taking in hand to walke in the way of perfection in the fulfilling of Gods word and in a vertuous and right religious lyfe For since the eternall God is a most frée goodnesse a most feruent charitie and a most plentifull rewarder therfore a man of reasonable vnderstanding wil confesse that the more he refuseth and layeth aside for his sake the more sincerely that he renounce him selfe the more he dispose him selfe to the obtayning of Gods giftes and the more wholly perfectly and entyrely that he offer him self vnto him euen so much the more will God also she we him selfe the more aboundant in mercies to him the more soundly and swéetly he will breath his holy spirite into him the more familiarly he will be conuersant with him and the higher wil he exalte him in glorie multiplying his giftes of grace in this present lyfe and dooblyng his rewards of glorie in y world to come Whervpon it is written in holy scripture if a man doe direct his harte vnto God he shall drawe his breath and spirite towardes him selfe And here vpon the holy true and mercifull God hath promised not onely a blessed and excelent glorification in the heauenly kingdome but also a most plentuous and liberall reward in this present lyfe to suche as dispise the world for his sake Saying in his holy gospel Whosoeuer leaueth father mother his brethren or frends or his possessions for my names sake he shal receyue an hundreth folde shall possesse euerlasting lyfe And what meaneth he by these wordes He shall receyue an hundreth fold Marry that for the externall carnall and temporall goodes which he hath lefte he shall receyue the spirituall giftes of grace and the giftes of the holy ghost which are more then an hundreth folde better euen in this lyfe And after also shall receyue eternall lyfe and the consumation of glorie Wherefore my welbeloued if thou desyre to bee trulye and spiritually enriched and enabled contempne then for the louâ—… of God all transitorie fraile things yea and whatsoeuer worldly men which haue in déed the spirit of this world and not the spirite of Christ doe make greatest accompte off and thinke most desirable that doe thou dispyse as most vyle dyrte and myre or rather as the verie snares of the diuill If thou doe so thou shalt become the Temple of the holy Ghost the most blessed trinitie wil inhabit and replenish thy soule with all the aboundant delightes therof For this is promised by y sonne of God saying If any man loue mée he will kéepe my wordes and testimonyes and my father will loue him we will come vnto him make our abode with him O happie soule in whom those thrée so plentiously do abide Furthermore harken what Christ hath promised vnto the coÌ„temners of this world you saith he which haue forsaken all things and haue followed mée when thâ—… son of man shal sit in seat of his maiestie you shall sit also vppoÌ„ xij seats iudging y xij Tribes of Israel And this it is that Paule ment saying You know not y the saints shal iudge of this world Beholde what an vnspeakable dignitie this is how they are honored of God which for his honor do forsake all things And thervpon Gregorie sayth whosoeuer béeyng styrred with the prick or goade of godly zeale doeth forsake such things as he héere possesseth shall vndoubtedly obtayne there a height of iuditiall dignitie y he may come to iudge with y iudge bicause by consideration of the iudgement he did chasteÌ„ himself willingly with pouertie Do not therfore lose so many godly treasures which shall remayne for euer for these things which can be but smal time possessed For behold Christ saith I stand at the dore knock if therfore y opeÌ„ the dore of thy hart harkeÌ„ vnto my couÌ„sel I wil come in vnto thée enter into thy mynd thou shalt sup with me So that thou séest how God wil cherish thée with heaueÌ„ly comfort will fulfil thée with spiritual delightes thou shalt tast how swéet God is how manifold is the multitude of his delightfulnesse All which the louers of this world can not tast bicause they are not worthie to receiue y holy ghost As our sauior saide vnto his Apostles in the xiiij Chapter of Iohn I wil pray vnto my father for you he shal giue you another spirit euen y holy ghost whom the world can not receyue WhervppoÌ„ Bernard sayth The holy delectatioÌ„ doth decline him which is first occupied in seculer desires suffreth him not to mingle vanitie with veritie eternitie with frailtie spiritualtie with temporaltie nor high things with low things That thereby hée may learne what things mouÌ„t vpward toward heauen and what things draw downwards toward earth For if y mind haue wherwith to be outwardly delighted it remayneth inwardly without spiritual delight And y it is which Hierom doth so worthily say If we cut from y flesh such things as do most delight in we shaâ—…straight straight way finde in the spirit that which wil delight vs If the outward wandring be shut vp the inward accesse to God is opened for the lesse y the soule be dispersed in it self the straighter it is erected to things aboue by spiritual procéeding And therfore to the end y thou mayest by y brightnesse of y holy ghost holsomly behold that most noble worthinesse of those spiritual supernatural good things set light by these temporal vanities yeâ—… spurn from thée vtterly
Leo did right Clerkely affyrme saying The whole vyctorie of our Sauiour whereby hee ouercame both the worlde and the diuill was begunne and finyshed in true humilitie Furthermore as Bernard witnesseth Christ did alwayes choose those things which were most greuous vnto â—…esh and bloud and which did most declare humâ—…tie For he chose a poore mother of whom he was contented to be borne in the middest of the colde winter in the middest of darke night in a strange place and in a homely Cribbe WheÌ„ he was borne he was wrapped in a fewe torne cloutes and layde in the Oxe Maunger Yea moreouer when of him selfe he was ryche and aboundant or rather the verie true highest and omnipotent God he became poore for our sakes And so poore that he sayd The birdes of the ayre haue their neasts the Fores their dennes but the sonne of man hath not where to hide his head And how many persecutions he suffred endured by the Jewes is sufficieÌ„tly testified by the Euangelists For some saide vnto him Hee hath a diuill and the man is madde Some called him glutton bibber of wine and friend to the Publicans Some sayd that by Bekebub chief prince of the diuils he cast out wicked spirites Other sayde How is this man from God and we know that hee is a sinner Will he kill him selfe Sometymes they would stone him some other whyles throwe him downe headlong and at last they betrayed hym and put him to a moste vyle kynde of death But in all these thinges what dyd the innocent Lambe of God the sonne of the euerlastyng Father Forsooth hee was patient hée restored good for euill he spake wordes of saluation and health euen to the vnthankefull people he prayed for them which crucifyed him like a shéepe hee was ledde to the Slaughter and he lay still and helde his peace lyke a Lambe in the Shéepshearers hands When he was most falâ—…y and wrongfully accused before Pylate and Herode hée answered not one word He was made by GOD the father obedyent euen vnto death Hée made him selfe a sacrifyce and oblation for vs Hee was wounded for our offences And therefore stretched out vpon the Crosse. Yea his hands and féete were pearced with hard nayles vntill all his bones might be numbred And thus it was expedient that Christ should suffer and enter into hys glorie Then if we desire to bee christians and of the number chosen to be saued what remayneth for vs to doe euen that we follow and imitate Christes pouertie humilitie and patience That we chastise our owne bodies by the true fruites of repentance That we crucifie our fleshe with all the vyces and concupiscenses thereof That we make haste to walke in the narrow path with all feare and carefulnesse That we be not ouercome with euyll but let vs vanquishe the euill with goodnesse Let vs not rendre euil for good vnto any man Let vs not pampre and cherish our fleshe in myserable delights Nor let vs geue place to any lightnesse vanytie or toyes Whosoeuer can obserue these poyntes he â—…yspyseth the world happyly he ouer commeth himselfe laudably and he learneth of Christ what it is to be méeke and humble of heart For aboue all thinges we must founde all our conuersacion in true humylitie Wherevpon Leo spake grauely sayinge All the dysciplyne of christyan lyfe doeth not consist in cunning wordes in sharpenesse of wytte in dysputacion nor in vayne desyrs of glory and prayse but in the true and voluntary humilitie which our Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christ dyd choose and teache as the stoutest kynde of defence euen from the wombe of his mother vnto the deathe of the crosse Whereby it appeareth also how trwe it is that Cypryan sayeth All the lyfe of man if hée lyue lyke a chrystian and according to the Gospell is a crosse and a martyrdome As also Chrysostome trwely sayeth No man may well be termed a chrystian vnlesse he be conformed vnto Chryst in maners and conuersacion Wherefore my beloued if wée knowe that Jesus Christ is our sauiour and Lorde let vs blushe and bée ashamed if wée bée not founde conformable vnto him Let vs be abashed to lyue carnally delycately suÌ„pteously To ioy tryumphe in mens prayse fauour To séeke cheifly our owne commodytie and preferment And to walke puffed vp with a vayne and a proude hart For our lyfe is in the myddest betwéene the Angels and Beastes If we liue according to the fleshe we are to be compared vnto Beastes But if we lyue according to the spyrite we are made fellowes with Angells And if we yéeld to spyrituall sinnes and offences as pryde ambition vayne glory and wicked vanytie we are now coopled vnto Diuills rather then vnto brute Beastes Especially since that spirytuall vyces speaking in Genere are much greater and more gréeuous theÌ„ carnall vyces are But wouldest thou knowe who were rightly to be termed a christian He is truely a christian sayth Augustine which sheweth mercy to all men which is not moued nor disquyeted with any iniurye which féeleth another maÌ„s payne or greife as if it were his owne Whose table is not shut from any poore or néedy Which is accoumpted of small glory or estimatian before men to the end he may be gloryfied before God and his Angells Which dispyseth earthly thinges to obteyne heauenly Which succoreth thée myserable and afflicted and is moued to compassioÌ„ by other mens teares Therefore let vs clense our selues from all blottes and blemyshes both of fleshe and spirite And let vs imytate Christ our King by a wary and a frutefull lyfe abhoring and despysing all wrath all indignation stoutenesse and fleshelynesse that being altogither conuerted we maye be made as little babes agayne Saint Paule in his third Chapiter of his Epystle to the Galathians hath these wordes Pray you therfore coÌ„tinewally that you may be thought worthy to eskape all the euills which are to come to stand before the Sonne of man Now since we haue spokeÌ„ of such thinges as enduce y conteÌ„pt of this world on the behalf of god himselfe let vs also treate of such thinges as ought to enduce vs therevnto on our owne behalfe For wée are set in the myddest of snares and are enuâ—…d on euery side with enemyes yea and enclosed contynewally with a famylyare énemy that is our owne flesh stryuing against the spirite and as the Apostle sayth Our wrastling is not agaynst fleshe and blood but euen agaynst spyrites or powers of the ayre and Diuills Not that he ment we had no maner of stryfe nor wrastling agaynst fleshe and bloode but bicause the stryfe contention and wrastlyng which we haue agaynst the temptations of Diuills is much greater and of more force In asmuch as they be infatygable craftye and â—…rewell pryckes prouoking most gréedily the ouerthrow and condemnation of our soules Whereby it appeareth that we are be set rounde about with innumerable and excéedinge greate
peryls What therefore can be better aduysed vnto vs yea what can be safer or more for our health and saluation then to séeke a place of refuge to go into some streng walled towne and therein to séeke some mancion of rest quyet In the which there maye be founde as many defendors protectors as there are inhabytors All armed with the right spyrituall armour and most redye to fight agaynst sinne And where is this place Or this stronge walled Towne and Cytie Forsooth euen in the congregation of the deuout and relygious Whose harte and soule are all one in the Lorde Of whome euery one doth by spéeche by prayer and by examples drawe some other to followe hym in perfection Which vsing vertue for an armour doe set opposytely synguler and competent vertues against euerye pertyâ—…uler and neglygent vyce For behold howe good and pleasant a thinge it is for brethren to dwell to gether in vnytie For as Salomon sayeth If one of them fall he shal be raysed vp agayne by a nother Yea they haue contynewall and most excelent salues and oyntements that is to saye remedyes agaynst the dayly temptatyons of the Deuylles and the woundes of vyces And those remedyes are Dayly troubles and confusyons rebukes of superyours enstructioÌ„ of the faythfull consolation of that mercifull obseruatioÌ„ of god his word coÌ„mauÌ„denâ—…ts watching fasâ—…ing prayer teaching and holy medytations And to conclude euen as in this world one doth drawe another vnto sinne vyce euen so in the congregatioÌ„ of the deuout and faithfull one doth drawe and entyse a nother vnto vertues And euen as worldly society doth much hynder so this doth very much further aduaunce the perfection of godly lyfe As SalomoÌ„ sayth The man which is helped by his brother is as a strong Citie well walled And the Psalmist sayth With the holy thou shalt be holy and with the wicked thou shalt be paruerted Where vpon the holy worde doth agayne exhorte vs saying Be of daily conuersation with the holy man And with whome soeuer thou knowest to kéepe the feare of God before his eyes and whose soule is according vnto thyne in holynesse For in this world a man falleth often but ryseth seldome Is soone hurte gréeuously and late healed perfectly He fayleth much and profiteth but lyttle But in the congregation and feloshype of the faythfull and true chrystians all these thinges by Bernardes opynyon and by certayne experyence are cleane contrarye For there men fall seldome and ryse often Are lyghtly hurt and more easyly cured Doo lesse decrease and much more encrease Consyder then euen déepely the quantitie qualytie multitude and magnitude of thy perills Truely if this perill whereof I forewarne thée were onely for the losse of temporall thinges for troubles or afflyctions yea were it for transitorie infirmities losse of lyues or abyding of most bytter and paynefull death yet were it tollerable and I would not be so carefull for thée But this perill whereof I meane is concerning the irecuperable losse of the highest vnmeasurable and vnchangeable goodnesse of god And â—…wyse it concerneth the purchasing of euerlastinge daâ—…ion and the paynes of hell So that if thou doo not estéeme and dreade this perill vehemently then hast thou not thyne eyes illumyned neyther yet a cleare and lyuely faythe but a deadly and a darke Spyryte For is this perill not to be feared with out all comparyson more then any domage lâ—…sse trouble 〈◊〉 griefe and languyshing aduersity or temporall death Yes surely And for that cause if thou wouldest in the daye of iudgemeÌ„t be voyd of feare and be saued then be not voyd of care vainely light and vnfearefull but carefull busie and fearefull For in so doâ—…ing thou shalt at the last be safe and frée Furthermore since by Salomons wordes it séemeth That we are ignoraunt whether we are yet worthy of the loue or hatred of God and that all thinges vncertayne are so reserued till the tyme to come therfore we ought to be héedy and carefull before God least we encurre the daunger of his infinyte wrath and euerlasting dampnation To the avoyding wherof it is to be considered that certeyne sinnes vyces namely of the fleshe are the better avoyded and ouercome if a man doth estraunge and withdrawe himselfe from the materyall cause of the same But how canst thou ouercome such vyces and their branches if thou doe not flye from the materyall causes thereof But dost dayly kéepe company with such as vnhappyly wallowe toumble in those enormyties yea if thou doest become a fellowe vnto them eating drinking and walking with them For Hugo sayth That it is vnpossible for any man tâ—… eschewe sinne vnlesse he refrayne the company of sinners Then they which are dayly coÌ„uerasant with such as walke the broad and large way of perdytion and are like and conformable vnto them in eating drinking clothing spéeche pastymes and such other lyght affectiones how shall they be able to auoyde theyr more gréeuous offâ—…nces or how can they contynewe in the streyght path and ryght way walking with theÌ„ which wander so at large and straying so in euery broade bâ—… way god forbyd that thou shouldest arrogaÌ„tly thynke thy selfe of such so great perfection Synce it is written by Salomon he that handleth pytche shal be defiled therewith And he that doth communycate with a proude man shal be endewed with pryde Dothe it not folowe by the same reason that hée which communycateth with a lecher shal be defiled with lecherye Augustine sayth I beheld the Ceders of Lybanus Whose fall I doubted euen asmuch as the rewyne of Hierusalem And yet they both fell To conclude I say in fewe wordes that the more thou neclect the perylles of thy soule the more thou prosperest in this world the more delycately thou cherysh and tender that frayle fleshe of thyne the more theu folowe the will of thy harte the lesse thou regarde the losse of thy tyme the more thou doe now glory laugh and wander in vanyties so much the more myserable art thou so much the more grééuously to be bewayled and pyttied Yea y lesse that thou thy selfe bewayle thy blyndenesse iniquity and neglygence so much the more thâ—…u art of others to be bewayled pyttied Wherefore my welbeloued rowse thy selfe from so many peryles and daungers Flée from this world which is the enemye to thy soule conuerte thy selfe wholy and perfectly to the Lord thy God leaue and forsake for his sake all the goods and delights of this lyfe and he will geue vnto thée all the treasures and abundaunces in the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour sayth in the seuenth Chapiter of Mathew He which heareth the word of God and doth it not is lyke vnto a foolyshe man which buylt his house vpon the sande The floodes came and the wyndes blewe and burst into that house the rewyne thereof was great The holy fathers doe compare this world to a great and ragyng
Sea which is tossed with tempestes And is passed with great daungers and many difficultyes Agayne behold the Lorde GOD with whome all thinges doe consist in an vnchangeable eternytie as the highest thinge to be séene or beheld vpwardes And the world it selfe as the lowest thynge downewardes Then consider saye they lykewyse the mynde of man placed as it were in the myddest béetwene them both The which by the crcellence of manes condition doth floate aboue the chaungeablenesse of this world and yet hath not attayned the vnchaungeablenesse of the diuyne nature Then if mans minde should chaunce through loue gréedy desire of these thinges which passe downwards to drown it selfe therin immediately it wil be ouerthrowen with sundry waues and beinge as it were deuided from it selfe wil quickly be dyssipate and destroyed But so much the easier it wil be to gather it altogether on a heape to preserue it if it rayse vp it selfe with an earnest thought and desire forsaking those base and earthly places vntill at last it become altogither vnchaungeable by atteyning vnto that highest most excelent immutabylity Againe when a mans minde doth declyne downewardes by the loue which it hath to earthly thinges it suffereth shipwracke in the floodes of this world And being myxed or myngled amongest the changeable thinges doth flowe away with the streame Yea it is by a kynde of twofould daunger tossed retossed For both it is in perill to be drowned by the déepe affection it beareth to the lower parts and againe by contyne wall working of the waue in multytude of affections it is meruelously dyssypate and dysseuered But if it rayse it selfe vpwardes from the loue of this present lyfe by the desire that it hath vnto eternytie and doe gather together all his thoughtes and cogitations then doth it as it were swym alofte in the floode and doth spurn and kycke awaye all traunsitory thinges as fylth or wéedes swymming lose in the water Therefore let the mynde of man as it were so repose it selfe in safety by raysing it selfe aboue and on it selfe towardes God and by retorning to it selfe in it selfe that by the considerations aforesayd it béeing raysed aboue the world maye behold the perylles a farre of and reioyse that it hath by any meanes eskaped them And this it is to go into the Arke of the hart and the spyrituall Shippe By helpe whereof we maye happyly eskape the waues of this worlde wherewith we are tossed alwayes Then spurne from thée and despyse these transitorye and frayle thinges and behold thou arte swoome and eskaped out of this great dyluge of roaring waters Consider déepely and medytate the heauenly Sacraments of thy redemption together with the benefytes of the diuine goodnesse bestowed vpon thée and thou art alredy entred into the Arke of thy hart and the Shippe aforesayde Againe this world is most conueniently compared vnto a large féelde full of crewell théeues and robbers In the which many are kylled and murdered and very few eskape at any tyme vnwounded or not sore hurt Yea that which is worst they which walke commonly in this field doe betray eche other into the hands of those théeues That is whilest one of them doth leade another into the fall of finne whereby he falleth into the diuells handes And thou my welbeloued if thou wouldest be afeard to walk in such a féelde replenished with théeues who might endaunger thée with temporall death how darest thou then walke through this wycked worlde wherein so many enemies are suborned by wycked spyryts and so many stumbling blockes are layed to make thée fall into euerlasting fyre Agayne this world is compared to a wood set on fyre wherof in maner all the trées are burnt and destroyed For we maye dayly behold howe the loue and charytie of God is waxed colde in mens hartes how the loue of the world hath preuayled howe the fyre of concupyscence the feruentnesse of pryde and the flame of couetousnes are kyndled In such sorte that almost euerye man séeketh to shyfte for himselfe And neuer séeketh Christe Jesus nor those thinges which pertayne vnto his glorye Men are carefull for worldly sustenaunce and not for the purenesse of the soule nor the cleanennesse of the hart Yea they doo rather séeke to avoyde the dyscoÌ„modities of this present lyfe then to eskape the bytter and eternall tormentes of hell fyre And howe then darest thou chuse but be carefull how to eskape out of this woode yea and that with spéede least thou be burned and consumed with the fyre of vyce lewdenesse Lastly it is compared vnto an olde Citie which for the morâ—… part is become ruinous battred destroyed In such sort that the enemyes may aproch and assault it on euery syde So that it is now no safe dwelling therein But we must flye vnto some stronger place of defence For if we doo rightly consider our owne frayltie how prone we are to euyll and how slow to goodnesse we shall fynde it requisite to séeke some safer resting place for our soules wherein we may the better eschew and auoyde all occasions of sinnes The princely Prophet in his foure and fortyth Psalme hath these wordes My daughter behold and geue eare and bend thyne eare to me and forget thy people and the house of thy father and the king will earnestly desyre thy coomlynesse Although these wordes be lytterally to be expounded by the Church which is the vniuersall Spouse of Christ yet may they also be vnderstoode by euery faythfull soule and mynde which is also the perticuler Spouse of christ For as Sainct Augustine sayth euery soule is eyther the spouse of Christ or the diuells concubyne And therefore the holy Prophet saying Forget thy people and thy fathers house meaneth despise these earthly thinges in respect of God and for his sake Set asyde kynsmen brethren neyghbors and all â—…arnall affections To th ende that all thyne affection may be towardes god Yea make thy selfe ryche of spirituall ryches and adorne and decke thy selfe with all grace and vertue For the more perfectly that thou contempne worldly thinges so much the more thou shalt be replenyshed with heauenly treasure As Gregory sayth He doth very well withdraw his loue from the creatures which doth onely with the eyes of his hart and vnderstanding beholde the excedinge bright bewtie and louelynesse of the Creatour So that my deare and chrystian brother if thou doo so the kyng of kynges the lorde of lordes the onely begotten sonne of GOD wyll earnestly desyre thy coomelynesse That is thyne inward coomelynesse thyne inward reformation the bryghtnesse of thy wysedome and the feruentnesse of thy loue And that shal be sayed vnto thée which is wrytten in the Cantycles O my beloued how fayre and amyable thou art yea he wyll louâ—… thée being so fayre and louely He will blesse thée with heauenly light and the true fruites of the holy Ghost He will assocyate thée vnto him for euer So that thou
mayest enioye him thy fill most swéâ—…tely and aboundauntly For in him the whole fulnesse of blessednesse doth consist Yea the delight of God is to be with such a soule and to dâ—…cke and adorne it daily with great plenteousnesse and to vysit and comfort it with most godly reioysinges Then let vs for gods sake by the beholding of so great profit and by the desyre and affection whiche we ought to haue vnto so greate nobylitie learne to contempne euen from our hartes this moste vayne varyable néedye frayle intysing world which with draweth vs from god Synce it cannot satysfie nor contâ—…t our affecte nor our desire As Augustine 〈◊〉 saying A reasonable soule created to the lykenesse of God maye be occupyed in all thinges but it cannot be replenyshed satysfied nor fulfilled For he which is capable of GOD cannot be filled and satisfied with any thing that is lesse theÌ„ god And agayne he sayth O Lorde thou hast made â—…ur hart for thée and it is therefore troubled out of quyet vntyll it maye come vnto thée Nowe we haue shewed before sufficiently that the more our soule is stretched out or dâ—…spersed in earthly thinges yea the more it be occupied in temporall thinges and affected vnto worldly thinges so much the lesse can it be occupyed gathered together or affected towardes god And therefore if we would haue it incessauntly occupyed and exercysed in him by syncere contemplation feruent loue déepe medytation contyne wall praier harty prayse and thankesgeuing let vs withdrawe and turne it away from the world and all that is therein and let vs wholy applye it yea and as it were laye it flat and prostrate before the diuine maiestye For so shall it wounderfully growe and increase in grace And let vs so entirely loue and conserue this true godly and moste noble perfection which is beyond all comparyson better more excelent and more to bée desyred then all the goods of this world that we may altogither and in euery respect contempne the world for the loue and desire which we haue to the said perfectioÌ„ as a thing of nothing and altogither vayne Neyther yet let vs thynke that we haue done anye greate thing to leaue and forsake earthly and base things for so supernaturall and excellent treasures but let vs singe prayses vnto God with an humble and louely spirite bicause he hath so taught illumynate erected and styrred vp our hartes to the true discerning and full forsaking of all vanytie and vylenesse in this world For they are truely blessed whome the Lord â—…oth so vouchsafe to teach so to enduce vnto the contempt of the world and so to rayse and styre vp vnto the full perfectioÌ„ of a spyrituall lyfe Now my welbeloued should not he séeme to haue a mynde sore darkened a hard hart which hauing red hard and vnderstood these thinges is neyther prouoked to contempne the world nor enflamed to attayne the Godly perfection before rehearsed Doe not thou then for the loue of the lesse hazard to lose the more Be not more delighted in creatures then in the creator Doe not cleaue more earnestly vnto the world then vnto god For behold the world with all the concupyscence and vanytie thereof passeth away and vanysheth lyke smoke But he which doth the will of God shall abyde for euer It is written in the seuenth Chapiter of Ecclesiastes remember thy latter ende and thou shalt neuer sinnne And surely such as neyther the horrour of death the trembling feare of Gods iudgemente the bytter and euerlasting paynes of the infernall tormentes nor the infinyte felicitye of the heauenly habitacion can prouoke or styre to walke warely to amend theyr lyfe penitently to feare GOD and to contempne the world Are to be thought of a stony or rather a stéely hart and mynde Especyally since we must beleue nay rather we know perfectly that we must once dye and yet we are altogither ignoraunt when we shal be called hence Therewithall we must vnderstand y after this lyfe ther is no tyme of conuersion nor repêtaunce And why doe we then ouerskype any 〈◊〉 or occasion wherein we might doe well Why doe we suffer anâ—… houre to passe without some fruite or profit Or why â—…are we presume to perseuer in such estate as yet we â—…ave not dye therein But let vs doe as Salomon sayth Whatsoeuer thy hand can worke that doe thou worke earnestly For there are neyther working skyl connyng nor knowledge beneath where thou goest Yea let it not be fulfilled in vs which Salomâ—…n sayth in the same place meaning by the neglygent and vnaâ—… uysed euen as fyshes are taken with the hooke and byrdes with snares so are mâ—…n caught and ouer taken in the 〈◊〉 ill houre which shall sodeynely come vpon them Wherefore let vs neuer suffer the horrour of death the stryctnesse of Gods dreadefull iudgement nor the feare of hell fyre to be estranged or eloyned from the eyes of our vnderstanding For as â—…ierome sayth Nâ—…thing can more withdrawe a man from sin then the ofteÌ„ remembraâ—…ce of death And as Chrysostome sayth This world is deâ—…full the ende thereof doubtfull the issue horryble the Iudge terryble and yet the payne vntermynable To conclude euen as Ambrose sayth Plato the Phylosopher was also of the same opymon the whâ—… lyfe of theÌ„ which are wyse is exereysed in the 〈◊〉 of death And therefore let vs forecast what we must be in tyme to come For whosoeuer doth stoutly consider in himselfe that he must dye he shall doubtlesse despyse thinges prâ—…sent and make hast towards thinges to come Wherevpon it restâ—…th that god would haue our end vnknoweÌ„ vnto vs And y day of our death vncertayne That whiles it is alwayes vnknoweÌ„ and yet alwayes thought to be redy at hand euery man might be so much the more ferueÌ„t in operatioÌ„ as he is the more vnâ—…rteyne of his voratioÌ„ Therfore let vs not ouerpasse such 〈◊〉 dreadfull causes with skipping dauncing Neyther let â—…s sollycit the affayres of our death iestingly or vnaduisedly But wheÌ„ we ryse betime let vs not thinke to liue vntill the euening when we lye downe to rest let vs not presume of our vprysing And by these meanes we shall easily brydle our selues from all vyce and worldly affection Let vs well ponder that the houre approcheth wherein we shall remoue out of this lyfe into an vnknowen region There immedytately to abyde before the trybunall seate of the most mighty and dreadfull indge Then our tyme myspent and vnfruitfully lost will playnely appeare to be irrecuperable Neither shall any thinge that we haue vnordynately loued or vniustly done here be anye waye able to helpe or to comforte vs Then shall we be sory that we haue lyued so carelesly that we haue omytted so many good things and coÌ„mitted so many euils But let vs now whiles we haue tyme shewe forth the true fruites of repentaunce Let vs nowe so reuerence and honour Christ our iudge that we
may then be reuerently by him receyued Let vs now be so sory and contryte for our sinnes that we may then by Christ be eternally comforted Agayne if wée doe well consider the stryctnesse of Gods iudgement wée shall euen thereby learne vtterly to despyse all the vanyties of the world and gréedily to runne to true repentaunce For in the day of iudgement the world shall stand in flamyng fyre which shall burne and consume the wicked and reprobate Christ shal be resident in the ayre All the holy companyes of Angels and of the heauenly Citizens shal be assysâ—…aunt and shall vysibly appeare The reprobate shal lye vpoÌ„ the grounde or earth which they haue so loued with their horryble blacke and lothsome bodyes which then shal be most deformed horryble to behold Some being halfe eaten and torne with the wormes in theyr sepulchre Al the rable of hell and all mankynde shal be present Then euery mannes lyfe shall appeare vnto himselfe that they maye all at ones acknowledge the iudgement of God to bée moste iuste Oh what care what payne what intollerable myserye and dreade wyll it then be for the wicked to sée that they must by and by be throwen into the tormeÌ„ts For immediately this sentence must be pronounced Oo yâ—… accurssed into euerlasting fyre The earth shal opeÌ„ hir mouth swallowe theÌ„ â–ª And they shall fall hedlong into the most déepe pytt of hell wherein they shal be shutt and enclosed perpetually Let euery true Christian be teryfied by the remembraunce of this iudgement as Hierome was 〈◊〉 saying As often as I doe consider that daye I doe shake and tremble on all partes For whether sayth he I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe the sounde of that most terryble troumpet doth alwayes thunder in myne eares saying Ryse you that are deade and come vnto iudgement And agayne he sayeth When God the Lord shall come to iudge the world shall pytiously roare and crye One Tribe shall shocke and iustle agaynst another The most mighty Prynces shall go bare and naked groping rounde about Plato the foole shal be brought in with his fonde Desciples Aristotels fyne arguing shall not then preuayle When the Sonne of that poore handycraftesman shall come to iudge the endes of the worlde Then our sinnes shal be on the ryghte hand redye to accuse vs On the lefte hande an infynit number of wycked spyrites ready to take hold on vs Underneth vs the horrible masse or Chaos and confused heape of hell Aboue vs the heauens opened and rent in sunder In the ayre the angrey Iudge Without the world burning Within the conscyence skalding ond skorching Yea the iust man shall hardly be saued Wo be vnto the wretched sinner so ouertaken Whether shall hée flye It shal be impossible for him to lurke here and there and it shal be as vntollerable to appeare The reprobate which are to be dampned séeing these thinges shal be troubled with a horryble feare they shall mourne and languish for vexacion of spyrite and say We haue erred from the waye of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shyned in vs We haue ouerweryed our selues in the waye of iniquytie Wherefore my welbeloued let vs learne and chuse with the chosen of God to abhorre the delightes of the world to bringe forth the true fruites of repentaunce to serue God with dew reuerence feare and purenesse of hart rather theÌ„ to encurre wylfully so great callamyties For whosoeuer doth dyligently and profoundly reuolue ponder these paynes and tormentes of hell fyre he shall vndoubtedly abhorre all sinne all vanitie and prayse of this wicked world For what a thinge is it to be for euer enclosed in the pryson of hell in the myddest of vnquencheable fyre in a moste fylthie stinckinge and lothesome lake there to be vnspeake ably tormented and with innumerable paynes to bée afflycted without any least hope of deliuerie For Gregorie sayth there shal be in hell vntollerable colde vnquencheable fyre a worme alwayes gnawing a stynche alwayes smellynge palpable darkenesse the skourge euer stryking the ougly spyrites alwayes gréeuing the confusion of sinnes the desperacion of all goodnesse the hate and detestinge of all that is good and ryghteous an vnremedyable turning backe from the highe heauenly maiestie and an irecuperable turning towardes all euill and frayltie For although in hell there be the prycke of payne and punyshement yet there is no corection nor amendement of will and consent Synce the reprobate shal be so accused with their owne iniquinye that righteousnesse neuerthelesse shall not by any meanes be of them embraced loued or desired But what néede we to heape to gether somanye wordes of proofe of this matter Doe thou thy selfe imagnne to behold with the eyes of fayth and vnderstanding a lake full of all myserie yea most brymfull of all desperation trouble crying and howlyng boyling with a most skalding fyre and abundantly replenyshed with most sorowfull soules and then consider what a thinge it were to be for euer gréeued and tormented therein to walke contynually in the blase of such flamyng fyres to be racked and tormented vncessantly and to be perpetually afflycted with the most horryble socyetie of the dampned and the moste ougly faces and shapes of the Diuills For this is it which in the booke of Job is called the Tenebrous land ouerwhelmed with the thycke cloudes of death The land of myseryes darkenesse where the shadow of death and no order but perpetuall horrur doth enhabyt For ouer and besides other infinit paynes of hell there is also troublesome paynefull and vnestymable dysorder coÌ„tineually Then doe not they séeme vnto the most vnhappy yea more then thryse and foure times most vnhappy who for these most short and transitory lyberties vnlawfull delyghtes worldly vanyties frayle affections rytches or prosperytie doe fall into such an vnspeakeable myserie which shall endure for euer Wherefore let vs come forth forsake this broade opeÌ„ way of these worldlynges leading vnto destruction and vnhappinesse and let vs embrace and followe the streyght waye lyuing fruitefully fearefully reuerently before y Maiesty of the highest God. Yt is written in the lxxxiii Psalm How louely delightfull are thy Tabernacles O Lord god of vertues my soule doth eagerly desire and faynte in the Court of god And as the doctors and Fathers of the Church haue agréed the loue and charytie of God is the lyfe of the soule So that without loue and charytie nothing is pleasing nor acceptable before god Neither can it profite any thing at all towards the obteyning of the heauenly felycitie Then all our actions our thoughts affections speaking doing or suffering cannot be acceptable in the sight of God vnlesse it procéede from charytie eyther by way of allurement by way of commaundement or by way of direction Wherevpon it foloweth that such as doe bewayle confesse and repent their misdéedes onely for feare of payne for seruyle dreade they doe not therefore obtayne
well ordered mynde then this inwarde contentation and swéetenâ—…sse of peace sinceritie of a cleare conscyâ—…ce and holy consolation all which are dayly to bée founde in it selfe it were yet worthie and a right worthie thing to endeuour and studie continually howe to be decked with vertues wholly to gyue it sâ—…lfe ouer vnto orderly liuyng and fully to renounce and forsake all worldely delyghtes and vanities And accordyng therevnto sayeth Gregorie That is the true and highest ioye or consolation which is conceyued in the Crâ—…ator and not in the thynges created And when so euer thou receyue that saâ—…th hâ—…e no man shall bee able to take it from thée In comparyson whereof all other myrth is mournyng all other pleasure is payne all swéete soure all léefe lothsome and all delyghtes are dolloâ—…ous And agayne he sayeth Nothing in this lyfe is more laboursome or paynefull then to bee tossed with caâ—…thlye desires Neyther is there any thyng more quyet then to couette or desyre nothyng But the spirituall ryches saith hée are loathed when they are not yet had nor possessed and that is of suche as haue not yet tryed them Whych may peraduenture bee a cause my welbeloued that thou arte the lesse allured and entysed vnto the diuyne sacred and most sincere delyghtes of spirituall conuersation and that thou makest the lesse haste therevntoo bycause thou haste not as I gesse yet tryed them But giue eare vnto thys holy father Gregorie make haste yea post hast to attayne vnto a perfecte spyrytuall lyfe leauyng the worlde and all the concupiscences thereof And I hope that thou shalte taste howe swéete the Lorde is for greate is the multitude of his delectablenesse And thou shalte bée delyghted in the multytude of Christ hys peace the which passeth all sences and vnderstandings and whych the worldlynges can not taste Bycause as the Prophette witnesseth There is no peace vnto the wicked sayeth the Lord God. And to conclude accordyng to the olde Prouerbe who is so honoured that hée is not sometymes troubled who is in suche estymation that hee is not also sometymes in trybulation And who sitteth on hyghe that is not subiecte vnto vanytye And as Gregorie sayeth The more that anye man is extolled wyth honour and dygnytye the more is hée loaden with gréeuous burthens And all thynges that héere doe excell are more vexed with griefe then they are reioysed wyth honour and more dooth the fall of dampnation threaten and affrighte them then theyr hope to attayne euerlastyng blessednesse can recomforte them For mercy is graunted to those which séeme of least dignitie Whilest they y are mightie suffer therewith mightie torments For iudgemeÌ„t shal be most gréeuous vnto theÌ„ which bear greatest aucthoritie haue greatest prehemyneÌ„ce And thervpon Chrisostom sayd who desireth to entrude him self into spiritual promotioÌ„s or to take charge of soules but suche an one as feareth not Gods iudgement it is a great securitie of mynde and quyet of conscience to reteyne nothing that hath in it any seculer concupiscense Yea and it is a vyle and miserable bondage to be altogither troubled in worldly affayres and to leaue God forgotten Although vnto many worldly men it seemeth gréeuous to be occupyed or coÌ„uersant in any thing els then priuate profit which haue not the skill or vnderstandyng howe to occupie them selues in holy vertuous actions And the soule of man is suche that without loue and some what to be exercised on it can not coÌ„tinue So that the lesse it be occupyed and affected obout god so muche the more it is powred out and bestowed in vayne and earthly things Agayne Bernard sayeth the insatiable loue of riches doth much more torment men with desire theÌ„ the vse therof can recomfort them when they haue obteined it For there is labor and payne in gettyng of them feare and dread in possessing them and much sorow and griefe in forgoing them Yea golde doth most gréeue him which hath greatest aboundance thereof Therefore to the ende thou mayest with a quyet mynde serue God deuoâ—…tly flye from and eschue the troublesome affayres of this world the corâ—…orall delightes and the deceyuable treasures Cleaue fast vnto God onely that he may become thy ioye and comfort and thou shalt sing with the Psalmist In God is my hralth and my glorie he is the God of my helpe and my hope is in him And let such reioyse in temporall things as haue not the skil to desire heauenly and euerlasting treasures It is written in the holy word of God Watche you for you know not when the Lord commeth ouer night at mydnight or in the gray morning least wheÌ„ he commeth sodeynly he fynde you sléepyng Looke to your selues watche and pray Howe much so euer we loue God and the lyfe to come in the heauenly kyngdome euen so much we ought to eschue all such things as hinder and let vs from the getting of the euerlasting beatitude and vnyon vnto the diuyne majestie And what I pray you doth so much hynder vs from the obtayning thereof â—…or sooth ryches delyghtes honours vanities and worldly prosperities For a man being wholly bent vnto them doth not onely myserably and vnfruitefully léese such tyme as God lendeth him to repent and 〈◊〉 but furthermore he dooth dayely fall into many vyces commyt many faultes he remembreth not GOD omytteth all dewties and runneth into innumerable impedimentes to saluacion And therevpon Chryst sayed How hard it is for them that are ryche to enter into the kingedome of God For ryches being ones possessed are very hardly despysed And earthely thinges beinge ones gotten are more stryctly beloued then they are coueted before they be had So that they which altogither apply the multiplyinge of ryches doo neclect to séeke the ioyes of the worlde to come And whyles they doo not medytate and déepely consider the soundenesse of eternitie they loue and estéeme this banishâ—…ment as it were the heauenly habitacion To conclude how much more the louers of this world doo forgett GOD euen so much the more also are they of him abandoned and forsaken and so much the more theyr harts shal be hardened Wherevpon it oftentymes happeneth that they loue nothinge effectually which perteyâ—…eth vnto god They couet not heauenly thinges but for the most parte now a dayes the worse that men become the more carelesse yet they are And whiles they neuer looke vp to sée from whence they be fallen nor feare the punishmentes to come they waxe ignoraunt how much they are to be lamented For the more that they cleaue vnto vayne and euyll things the lesse they acknowledge the good things which they haue lost And a mighty thinge doo they accompt the glory of this worlde Yea and a tryumphant glory doo they estéeme it to floorish presently accordinge to theyr hartes desyre Neuer fearing nor foreséeinge the perpetuall punishmentes which they shal be forced hereafter to endure That man onely perceiueth that it is nothinge at all to
floorysh in iniquitie which hath alredy withdrawen the footesteppâ—…s of his affâ—…ction from the loue of this world For if we would thinke vpon the eternall rewardes wee should soone espâ—…e that the present glorie is nothing at all But he which fyxeth his harte in things present neuer weying nor consideryng the punyshmentes to come for the wicked but is puffed vp with false ryches and reioyseth when he hath more cause to be lamented he is subiecte vnto many mischiefes Synce there can be no truer nor ryghter myserie then false and vayne tryumphyng Yea and euerye man doeth so much the more outwardly reioyce as hée doth inwardly the lesse remember him selfe These sentences before alleaged I haue gathered out of Gregorie wherby thou mayest playnely perceyue how perillous a thyng it is especially for suche as professe reformation to apply our affections vnto these earthly things But peraduenture thou doest purpose to vse ryches without abuse and to bee conuersaunt amongest worldlyngs but not worldly and wantonly and to eate and drynke amongest them without ryotte or banquettyng And fynally to vse the fauour and honour of men without tryumphyng or glorying therein Surely if thou couldest performe this it were a great perfection But hardly can the best and most perfect continue therein And howe seldome it is séene marke thy selfe by these wordes of Gregorius It is commonly séeâ—…e sayth he and doeth seldome fayle that voluptuousnesse and sensuall appetytes doe followe banqueting For the bodie of the riche glutton is melted and dissolued into delightes and hys hearte is opened vnto vayne ioye The ryche man is ouercome with excesse of delight and becommeth vnbrydeled in boastyng wordes Hée runneth where hee lusteth and falleth into all vnlawfull things Yea those thinges which were the occasions and allurementes of hys vyces doe become the instruments of hys payne and punyshment But examyne thy selfe whither thou doe onely féede and sustayne thy bodye accordyng to thy necessitie and vtillity or if thou doe not delicately and tenderly pamper and cherishe thy volâ—…ptuousnesse Or els harken agaâ—…e vnto tâ—… wordes of Gregorie As it is vnpossible sayth he that fyre should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in water so is it vnpossible that a compâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contryte mynde should lyue in 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 méere contraryes and eche of them distroyâ—… and 〈◊〉 the other Furthermore weigh and consider the excelâ—…cie of tyâ—… and bee abashed to spende it in vanities 〈◊〉 pâ—…sse it oâ—…r vâ—…fruitefully and to leade thy lyfe therein wickâ—…dly Yâ—… harken vnto the doctryne of the auntient fathâ—…rs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of vs â—…et lyght by tyme which is consumed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The worde flyeth from vs irrâ—…uocably The tyâ—…e â—…th from vs vnredéemably and the foole knoweth not nor marketh not what he looseth Let vs talke and common togâ—…ther say some vâ—…till an â—…oure be paste 〈◊〉 thou doâ—… let passe an houre the which the merâ—…y of thy Creator hath 〈◊〉 thée to repent to obtayne gracâ—… and to winne and attayne vnto euerlasâ—…yng â—…lorie Untill the tyme doe passe ouer wherein thou oughtest 〈◊〉 make intercession vnto the diâ—…yne maiâ—…stie approâ—… and make haste vnto the companye of the Angelles sighe and lamente for the losse of thy 〈◊〉 herytage aspyre vnto the felicitie proâ—…ysed and prâ—…pared styrre vp thy â—…acke and â—…uggish will and bewaile 〈◊〉 the iniquityes which thou hast committed For thoâ—…gh wee set so lyght by tyme yet by Bernardes opynion nothing is more precious The dayes of health and saluacion passe ouer our heades and no man marketh them Wherefore my best beloued on earth euery eueninge or tyme that thou goest about to take rest or quiet reuolue and cast in thy mynde how thou hast spent the daye What euill thou hast commytted and what good thinges thou hast omytted How many good thinges thou mightest haue done and dyddest neclâ—…ct them How thou hast dishonored God and pleased the diuill by sinning and doing amisse How thou hast wounded and hurt thy soule and displeased God. Fynally howe neare thou haste approched vnto hell This beyng done yelde thankes and glorie vnto God for all that thou hast well done and for all that thouhast done amisse be sorie from the bottome of thy harte Determyne an amendment and accomplysh it in déed Consider herewith that sinners which doe now spende theyr tyme in worldly vanitye doe at the houre of theyr death séeke one houre or the least momente of tyme to repent The which they had then rather obtayne then a massye heape of Golde as greate as the whole worlde Remember that at the daye of iudgement all tyme that was lent thée shall bée requyred at thy handâ—…s howe thou haste spent it Yea euerye leaste moment or twynckling of an eye Therefore let thy hearte be replenyshed with good thoughts thy mouth with holy words and readyng of scriptures and thy handes with doyng of vertuous déedes That as often as the enimy doe come he may fynde thée armed For suche as hee doeth fynde idle hee ceaseth not to tempte them Then if it bee so euill to bee idle howe muche worse is it to bée euyll occupyed Wée fynde written The prayse of the wycked is shorte and the ioye of the Hypocryte lyke vnto a moment If hys pryde goe vp into heauen and hys heade touch the cloudes yet in the ende hee shall bee as a dunghyll Hee shall bee lyke vnto a dreame flyinge awaye which is not seene when wee awake and hee shall passe ouer as a nightly vysion If wee doâ—… well and throughly consider the eternytie of the felycitie and lyfe to come yea the soundenesse trueth and vncorruptiblenesse thereof I doe verily beleue that this world present life togither with all temporal glory shal euen from the harte séeme vile vnto vs Neither shall we disperse our affections in worldely thynges but rather we shal most gredily séeke out y euerlasting ioyes vnchaÌ„geable good things prepared for vs in the heaueÌ„ly kingdom For in asmuch as our soule is immortal for the brightnes of vnderstaÌ„ding much hygher and worthier then any materiall substance or nature it ought not to take ioye or felicitie in corruptible material or tranâ—…torie things but it ought to goe forwards with a pure harte towardes the immortall vnuariable and â—…st perfecte god So that we ought not to loue this present lyfe but the lyfe to come principallye and aboue all things Yea we ought to dispise and contempne all transitorie delectation all temporall honor and all prayse of men for the hartie loue of the diuyne and celestiall beatitude For looke howe much we cease from the affection of worldly vanitie and temporall glorie so much the more doe we please God and so muche the néerer we approche vnto the blessednesse which is to come For vnto God onely all honour aâ—…d glorie are due From whom all good thinges doe procéede But to vs be confusion shame which doe so often offend dishonour and neclecte god Wherfore it shall not be
and watch of thy tongue and speache Salomon sayeth He which kéepeth his mouth close his tongue stil he kéepeth his soule from perplexitie trouble of mynde And againe Thou séest sayeth he the man which was so swyft to talke folly it selfe is no more to be despysed then his correction And herevpon Gregorious sayeth Flye from and eschew rashe and vnwary woordes For vayne talke dooth soone pollute the mynde Let such thinges onely procéede out of thy mouth as doo not pollute or offend the eares of them that herken therevnto Uayne spéech is a token of a vayne mynde and conscience For the talke of the tongue is the Image of the hart By the talke that we heare we iudge the mynde that spake it Whosoeuer dothe not brydle and represse ydle spéech he shall quickly fall in offence Such as the man is such is his communicacion Then if ydle talke be se much reprehended what shall we thinke of skurulous deceyptfull byting slanderous malicious and enuious wordes In the tenth chapiter of Ecclesiast it is wrytten Nothing is more wycked then a couetous man nor any thing more mischeuous then to loue moony For the man which dooth so setteth his soule to sale Now it is certeyne that temporall thinges are directed and ordered vnto and by the spirituall thinges as vnto theyr ende and onely skope But th end and terminable skope is loued and desyred one waye and the meanes and degrées whereby we atteyne to the ende are loue desyred another way For the ende is of it selfe by it selfe to be desyred loued As for example health in the facultie of Phisicke But the meanes and degrées to attayne vnto thinges are to be desyred and loued in that they are profitable or auaileable to the attayning of the ende or skope which we séeke to gett That is to saye that by them the ende may the more conueuiently be obteyned Then let the case be this that ryches are finally ordeyned for the spirituall proceding profit of our soules And therewithall ioyne that the profit and perfection of our soules doth concist in the action of vertue That is to saye essencially in the actes of faythe charitie and wysedome meaning the contemplacion and loue of diuine thinges and dystributiuely in the actions of the morall vertues Then shall we fynde that ryches are so much to be thought lawefull so much to be desyred and so much to be loued as they are profitable and necessary for the sustentacion and sobre nourishment of our bodies and for the néedefull and decent clothing of our membres By the which vse the soule is made apt for the actes of contemplacion and diuine loue But if they be further desyred then fall we truely into couetousnesse which is an vnordinate appetyte and desyre to temporal thinges and vanities And is of it selfe and in it selfe a greuous and deadly sinne and contrary vnto righteousnesse Although sometymes god for his mercie doth beare with it and forgeueth it Now what might herevpon be coÌ„cluded were hard for me to pronounce But geue eare to the holy fathers and wryters Augustine and Basille It is no lesse offence say they to take awaye from him that hath ought then to deny the néedy such thinges as thou hast and mayest emparte vnto them The breade which thâ—…u deteynest appertayneth to the hungrye The garmentes which thou lockest vp ought to cloath the naked Yea the mony and treasure which thou hydest in the earth might be the safegard and redeâ—…ption of such as are in mysery And be assured that thou doest inuade assault and spoyle as many as thou mightest succor and doest not Here vnto the words of Hierome doe also agrée Whatsoeuer sayth hée we haue receiued of god more then doth serue our necessary vse that ought we to distribute vnto the pore And if we bestowe vpoÌ„ our owne vanyties affections that which we receiued to employ vpoÌ„ their néede How many soeuer doe dye of hunger or naked néede in y places where we remayne we shall render accompt for theyr bloode in the daye of iudgement HerevpoÌ„ Ambrose sayeth He which is the bondman seruaunt of worldly rytches let him kéepe and watche them as a bondman But he which therwith doth loosen and shake of the yoke from such as are in bondage and captiuitye he doth distrybute them lyke a lord These wordes doe generally concerne euery Christiane but especially such as professe the Gospell For they are bounde vnto an especyall cleannesse of hart and conuersacioÌ„ that they may be example to all other people It is therefore most vndecent worthy of all condempnation that they serue and are bondmen vnto the 〈◊〉 and infirmyties of y fleshe wherin there aboundeth most â—…lthy leacherye and gluttony For whiles they lyue tenderly and delicately filling theyr belly with meates theyr eyes with â—…éepe and theyr myndes with â—…yne delyghtes tumbling and wallowinge in softe downe beddes and wholly giâ—…ing themselues ouer vnto dallyaunce pastyme and vnfruitefull communication doe they nowe walke in the straight and narrow way of saluation No surely for as the Apostle sayeth woe be vnto you which are filled for you shalbée hungry Woe bee vnto you riche men which haue your consolation héere on earth Therefore let vs be ashamed since many Heathon Philosophers dyd leaue vs examples of great sobrietie much abstinence and excéeding great contempt of excesse and pompe in clothing and substaunce and we which professe y true knowledge of Christ doe wallow and tomble in suche and so many ryottes curiosities and vayne pompes Yea and that not onely such as are secular but euen many of the Clergie which should lende example of perfection to the laye people It is written Cast not away my sonne the discyplyne of the Lord nor faynt not when thou arte of him corrected For whom the Lord God loueth him doeth he chastise and is pleased in hym euen as the father is delighted in y chyld The equitie and iustice of God doeth requyre that as no good déede remayne vnrewarded so none offence nor transgression be vnpunished But euen the very electe doe not lyue in this world without offences and misdéeds for we offend all of vs in many things and if we say that there is no sinne in vs we deceyue our selues for the iust man falleth seueÌ„ times in a daye and therefore it pertayneth vnto the diuine bountie and prouidence to chastise vs in this lyfe least we should be contemned in the world to come And so of his 〈◊〉 to pardon vs euerlastingly As also this correction and chastisement of God wherewith he doeth fatherly exercyse and visit vs is not onely profitable to the wyping away of our sinnes alreadie committed but doeth also chieâ—… withdraw vs from those wherevnto we presently inclyne our selues and disposeth vs readie to eschue and auoyde sinne in tyme to come whilest it taketh away the occasion of 〈◊〉 terrisieth vs and teacheth vs to beware For
Philosophers intention is not about the body but furthest from it and is wholly occupyed about consideration of the soule The mynde and soule of the Phylosopher doth dispise and disdayne the bodye and flyeth from it that it selfe may bee wholly occupyed in and about it seâ—…fe For out of our bodyes procéede thousandes of impediments vnto contemplation whilest we are busied for the necessarie sustentation therof A Philosophers meditation is the loosyng and separation of the mynd from the bodie It is a rediculous thyng for a man that all his lyfe tyme dyd prepare hym selfe vnto death if then when it commeth hée bée troubled or molested therewith If thou perceyue any man to shrynke at death when it commeth say boldlye hée was no Phylosopher As often as the mynde or soule is allured by the bodye vnto these worldely and chaungeable thynges it is seduced and sore troubled But as often as the mynde or soule is exercysed by it selfe in speculation it is straight wayes transferred into sinceritie and immortalitie The bodie and the mynde beyng both in one nature 〈◊〉 yet commaund the bodie to be gouerned to serue and to bée subiecte But it commaundeth the mynde or soule to rule and beare dominion True Philosophers doe abstayne from all things that are corporal are not gréedy louers of mony and riches These sentences Plato affirmed Now Socrates by Saint Hieromes testimony dyd vtterly contempne ryches Dyogenes forsaking all these worldly pompes dyd chuse to lyue in hys Tunne Tullye and Seneca haue â—…ritten moste sharpely and bitterly agaynste the loue of ryches and voluptuousnesse Then if these men being onely enduced by naturall reason and onely for the attayning of naturall felicitie and scyence did thus contempne all vyces and ledde such a strickt and hard lyfe of how great condempnation are Christians culpable which being instructed with the doctryne of the gospell and very lawe of God to whom the onely begotten sonne of God him self did personally come and made him selfe an example for them are not yet ashamed to lead a wanton vayne and delycate lyfe are blotted and blemished with carnall markes â—…leaue fast vnto the worlde forget heauenly things and are not dilygent and carefull to honour God with all their hartes But my beloued be not thou lykened nor conformed vnto suche vnworthie men Rather follow the footesteppes of the holy fathers that thou mayest be able to please thy Creator and to offer vnto him the floure of thy youth whilest it doth yet floryshe and sproute The which wil be vnto hym most pleasaunt and acceptable As Gregorie witnesseth saying in that age that mans heare is yellow his eyes glistering lyke christall his face freshe as the Rose his sound health encreaseth his strength and force his yong and lustie yeares promise long continuance vpon earth whilest reason and the sences are quicke whilest the hearing is more readie y sight quicker the gate vpright the countenance louely and the body lustie they which in this age sayeth he doe rule and master them selues and doe assocyate acquaynte them selues with God they may expect and hope for the reward of the blessed Apostle and Euangelist Iohn Where vpon Hierome sayeth it is good for a man when he hath borne the yoke from his youth vpwardes Therefore welbeloued doe not foreflow thy conuersion vnto the Lord neyther defer from day to day least his wrath come sodaiâ—…ly vpon thée Offer thy selfe wholly to God and he will wholly bestow him selfe vpon thée Be thou of a right 〈◊〉 and put thy hand vnto the strongest sâ—…outest trauayles Fight lyke a good Soldier agaynst the enimyes of the soule For he shall not bee crowned with glorie which hath not maistred the proudest The creator of all thinges which is aboue all things the highest and most blessed God vouchsafe to giue thée all these thinges for his vnmeasured goodnesse and for the aduauncement of his honor gloriâ—… Amen Salomon in the xxix of his Prouerbes sayeth Our dayes are as woundes vpon the earth and yet there is no death And Augustine in his thirtenth booke and tenth Chapiter De ciuitate dei sayeth From the tyme that any man begynneth to be in this mortall bodye hee doeth incessauntly trauayle to dye For therevnto tendeth all his mutabilitie in all hys lyfe if it may bee called lyfe that hee lyueth to that ende that death may come For all men are néerer vnto death after a yeare finished then they were before it begonne to morrowe then to day to daye then yesterday and euen anon then now For all the while we lyue some little space of our lyfe is taken away And that which remayneth doth dayly become lesse and lesse So that the whole course of this our lyfe is nothyng els but a recourse vnto death And in this course no man is suffred to stay nor to linger and goe softelyer then his fellowes But all men are drouen on with equal steps and paces and are all conceyued alyke to their ende Neyther doeth he which dyeth soonest passe ouer the day faster then an other whose lyfe lasted longer But hauyng eche of them equall momentes and tymes to passe ouer equallye that one had hys ende and determinate tyme set nearer and that other further of For it is one thing to haue lyued longer and another thyng to haue gone or procéeded slower or quicker And therfore whosoeuer doth the longer linger his dayes before he dye he went notwithstanding neuer the more slowly but he had the longer iourney to performe Yea and if it should be accompted that a man doth begin to dye I meane to bee dead in déede from the fyrst moment that death claymed hys ryghte in thys our exyle whych is euen from our swadlyng clontes then all this lingryng and detracting of tyme should in accoumpt be no tyme at all For what other thyng doe we accomplysh in our dayes houres momentes and tymes then that thys lyfe beyng consumate death which all that whyle was in hande may bée fulfilled Of these things Augustyne speaketh largely in the Chapiter before rehearsed and the Chapiter next following But of the infinyte euilles and myseries of thys present lyfe he treateth more playnely in hys xx booke and xx Chapiter of the same worke saying As touching our first originall beginnyng all mankynde was in damnable estate as well witnesseth thys our lyfe if it bée a lyfe so full of such and so excéedyng great euilles For what els betokeneth the horrible depth of our ignorance from whence all errour spryngeth the which dyd receyue all Adams chyldren into a darkesome corner so that a man can not from it bée delyuered without payne sorowe and dread yea the inordynate loue which we beare to so many thynges giltye of vanitie whereon so many cares doe ryst so many perturbations so many languyshings â—…cares madnesse ioyes dyscords contentions warres treasons wrathes enimities fraudes theftes spoyles ryottes and prides do sufficiently bewray our miserie damnable estate