rather hauinge lesse perfectâ—…oÌ„ in many things then they haue for they goe as soone as they be borne but we can neither goe straight vpon our féete no nor crepe vpon our hands if nede were We are all borne crying that we may thereby expresse our misery for a male childe lately borne pronounceth A. and a woman childe pronounceth E So that they saye eyther E. or A as many as discend from Eua. And what is Eua but Heu Ha eche of these soundes is the voyce of a sorowful creature expressing the greatnesse of his grefe here vpon before Eua sinned she was called Virago and after she sinned she deserued to be called Eua when she hard sayed vnto hir Thou shalt bring forth in sorrow and payne for ther is no payne to be compared to that which a woman abydeth in hir labor Wherevpon Rachel with ouer great grefe of laboring dyed and at hir death shee called the name of hir sonne Benony which betokeneth the sonne of sorrow or payn The wife of Phinees faling sodeynly in labor brought forth a childe dyed withall euen at the instant of death she called hir sonne Icabod But a woman licke vnto one that hath escaped shipwrack is sorowfull sad whiles shee laboreth but when she hath brought forth a childe then remembereth she not hir paynes for ioye bicause a man child is borne into the world Then she conceiueth with filth and vncleannesse she bringeth forth is deliuered with paine and heauinesse bringeth it vp and nowresheth it with toyle and carefulnesse and kepeth and preserueth it with dread fearefulnesse Man commeth forth naked and shall retorne naked he commeth poore and he goeth poore Naked sayeth Iob I came out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thether we brought nothing into this world and doubtlessâ—… we can carry away nothing But if any man depart out of this world clothed let him marke well what kinde of clothing he bringeth filthy to be spokeÌ„ more filthy to be heard and most filthie to be sene O vile vnworthinesse of mans estate and condicion O vnworthy estate of mans vilenesse Search the trees the herbes of the Earth they bringe forthe boughes leaues flowers fruits A man bringeth forth nitts lyse worms They distill powre out Oyle Wyne and Balmes and a man maketh excrements of spettle pisse and ordure They smell breathe all swetenesse of smell and pleasauntnesse whereas man belcheth breaketh wynde and stincketh for such as the tree is such fruites it bringeth forth and an euil tree can not bring out good fruit Then what is man according to his shape and proporcion but a tree turned topsie turuey whose rootes are his heares the stub of the roote is his head and his neck the body of the tree is his breast belly and bulke the boughes are his armes legges and the little braunches and leaues are his fingers and toes This is the leafe which is tossed with the wynde and the stuble which is dryed vp with the Sunne In the first age of Man it is read that he lyued nyne hundreth yeares and more but when mans lyfe began by lyttle and lyttle to declyne then our Lorde GOD sayd to Noe My Spirit shall not remayne with man for euer because he is fleshe and his dayes shall be one hundreth and twenty yeares the which may be vnderstoode aswell by the tearme of mans lyfe as by the space to repeÌ„t him for from that tyme forthwardes fewe are read of which lyued any longer But when mans lyfe was dayly more and more shortned then was it sayde by the Psalmest The dayes of his tyme are seauentie yeares or if it be a stronge bodyâ—… foure skore yeares and then theyr payne and sorrow increaseth For shall not the small number of my dayes be finished in smal tyme Our dayes doe passe away more swiftly then the webbe is cut from the weyuers hand A man borne of a woman lyuinge short tyme replenished with many miseries commeth forth lyke a flower and is plucked vp and flyeth away lyke a shadowe and neuer contineweth in one estate For now a dayes men doe lyue forty yeares and very fewe doe reache sixtie yeares But if man doe attayne vnto age immediately his hart is afflicted his head is troubled his spirites languishe his breath stincketh his face is wrinckled his body is bowed his eyes are daseled his féelinge faylleth and his quickenesse quayleth his teeth become rotten and his eares are closed vp An olde man is soone prouoked but hardly reuoked beleauing quickly and mistrustinge laysurely coâ—…etous and greédy heauy and needy Swyft to speake and sâ—…owe to heare praysing thinges of antiquitie and dispysinge what is vsed presently blaminge the tyme present and allowing the tyme past he sigheth and is vexed he waxeth weake and is astonâ—…ed as Horace sayth Multa senem circum 〈◊〉 in comodâ—… To conclude neyther let olde men glory against yonge men nor yet let younge men waxe insolent and disdayne olde men for they haue béen as we are and we shall one daye be as they now are The Byrde is created to flye a lofte and Man is borne to be weryed with toyle and labour All his dayes are full of labours and paynes neyther can his mynde be quiet in the scilent night and what is this but vanitie there is no man without labour vnder the Sunne nor without defectes and imperfections vnder the Moone nor without vanitie vnder tyme Tyme is the delay of thinges subiect vnto change the vanitie of vanities as the Preacher sayth and all is vanitie O how variable are mens studies and how diuers be theyr exercises and yet they haue all oâ—…e ende and one selfe same effect euen labour payne and vexacion of the mynde There is much businesse created for all men and a great yoke is layd vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day that they come forth of their mothers wombe vntil the day of their Sepulture in the earth which is mother to all lyuing creatures Let wyse men search narrowly let them héedely consider the height of the heauens the breadth of the yearth and the depth of the Sea let them argue and dispute euery one of this let them haÌ„dle them all ouer and let them alwayes eyther learne or teach and in so doing what shall they fynde out of this busie toyle of our lyfe but traueyle and payne that knewe he by experience which sayed I inclyned my hart to know learâ—…nge prudâ—…ce error and folishnesse and I perceyued that all was labor affliction of the spyrite For asmuch as in great wisedome and knowledge there is great disdayne and be which increaseth knowledge increaseth also payne trauayle for although whilest that he sercheth it out he must sweat many tymes and watch many nightes with sweat and labor yet is there scarcely any thing so vyle or any thing so easy that
that ingratitude is much reproued bothe in mans opinion and Gods iudgement And the more or greater benifits y any one maÌ„ doth bestow vpoÌ„ an other so much the more wickednes it is not to requite the same to be 〈◊〉 or vnmindful But it is most wicked to prâ—…fer euil for good Moreouer the longer the benifits are continued the oftener that they are renued the more liberally that they are multiplied yea the higher more worthy that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lower or inferior that he be which receiueth suche 〈◊〉 so much the larger greater ought the takers to be And the greater sin is coÌ„mitted if the receiuer be founde vngrateful or vnobedient vnto the benefactor Therfore to the eâ—…d that the malice ouerthwartnes of our ingratitude disobedience sin may more plainly appear may be the more hartily bewailed the more carefully amended auoyded let vs peyze the benifits bouÌ„ties of God towards vs And first to begin with this how he made vs not we our selues whatsoeuer we haue or be it came froÌ„ him of him we receiued the same our bodie all the members therof also a reasonable soule al the powers therof If any one member of our bodie or any power of the mind or soul were lacking as a foote a hand an eye or our wil desire How sory shuld we he yea how much would we loue him by whose helpe goodnes that might be recouered restored that were waÌ„ting Why then do we not loue the most liberal the most 〈◊〉 God why do we not giue him thanks why feare wâ—… not to be froward disobedient ingrateful which did 〈◊〉 giue vnto vs all these things before rehearsed euen from the beginning of our gouernance without our motion or merits is not eueÌ„ the essâ—…tial being amiable vnto al meÌ„ naturally as Augustine doth well dispute in his booke de ciuitate dei Further our being our liefe our feeling our mouing our talk reasoning our freedoÌ„ are imparted vnto vs by God froÌ„ 〈◊〉 beginning of our 〈◊〉 vâ—…til this 〈◊〉 time he hath preserued vs froÌ„ innumerable perils he hath apoin ted vnto euerie maÌ„ his holy Angel to attâ—…d him coÌ„tinually He hatâ—… brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from all 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 vs with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vertues he hath spared vs sinners by his abundant mercy yea euen vntil this instant he hath vouchsafed to await for our conuersion And doubtlesse hath taken many out of thyâ—… world whoÌ„ he hath eternally damned although they sinned not so much as we do yet he doth earnestly expect through his incomprehensible clemencie to sée our ameÌ„dment Now my beloued are these 〈◊〉 smal or smally to be estemed doth not God incessantly heape benifits vpoÌ„ vs succor vs doth not he preserue vs in being with vs all that we haue doth not he cloth vs féed vs dayly quickely for getteth the penitent restoreth the grace and vertues which he had lost stirreth and leadeth vs dayly vnto some good things and instructeth vs at all times by his holy scripturs Furthermore he hath promised prepared for vs that eternal supernatural and most plentiful blessednesse Behold my best beloued how froward an ingratitude hugenesse of offence it is to offend or not to regard or coÌ„sider this highest most flowing neuer fayling most excelent benefactor Herewithall it behoueth thée diligently to ponder the singular benifits giuen theÌ„ by thy creator which hath beautified thée not meanly but with great gifts of nature aswel in thy body as in thy mynd soule For since it is according to Augustines saying in ciuitate dei A great happinesse to be borne wittie and ingenious by the same mans wittinesse beutie eloqueÌ„ce are the gifts of God although most men do abuse them then weigh wisely vnto how great a thankfulnesse obedience thou arte bound not by vayn glorying or preferring thy self before any man nor by dispising any man but by conceyuing great griefe in thy sinnes by more bitter bewayling of them and last of all by more careful foresight anoyding of them by vehement â—…eare of the diuyne iudgement Bicause as Christ doth protest vnto whom so euer much is giuen much shal be of him required Yea rather the more benifits thou coÌ„sideresâ—… to be giuen thée of God so much the more thou oughtest to be inflamed in loue towardes him so much the more perfectly oughtest thou to subdue thine appetites so much the more thankful 〈◊〉 humble shuldest thou be found Behold thou hast at gods hand the gifts of nature the goods of fortune the fruites of the church Are not then thy sins great and gréeuous especially since they procéed not of mans infirmitie or of ignorance but are such as thou knowest to be vnlawful And mark therfore what account thou must giue vnto God for these things Last of all the enormitie of our sins is vehemently agreuated by the benifits which we haue receyued by Christ I mean those which he for our saluation did take vpoÌ„ him suffered For it is not our peruersâ—…nesse ingratitude wickednes infinite whilest we dishonor dispise forsake the onely begotten sonne of God who for our deliuerance did so vnspeakably dispoile him self Did most mercifully incline his most high diuinitie vnto the basenes or our nature voutsafed to be conuersant emoÌ„gst men so many yeres Yea in so great humilitie pouertic patieÌ„ce tribulation persecutions temptations which tooke such 〈◊〉 paynes for our saluatioÌ„ in fasting traueiling preaching and praying Which did as Mathew telleth giue 〈◊〉 bodie and bloud with an vnspeakable charitie vnto his disciples and doth giue them dayly vnto vs most 〈◊〉 comfortably Which lastly did suffer for our sakes a most bitter and vyle kynde of death And hath for our conuersion vnto faith and grace done so many miracles by his holy Apostles and other elect And all this considered the more that any man doth honour any other then him so much the more iniquitie it is not to rehonor him agayne But it is most leude and wicked euen to dishonor him especially since he is most excelent both by vertue authoritie And therefore since by the before named benifits aswell naturall as supernatural especially by the incarnation of the word by the glorificatioÌ„ of his humanitie god hath so inexplicable honored maÌ„kind and hath vouchsafed to cal vs which of substaÌ„ce are no better theÌ„ pore litle wormes of the earth yea and hath made vs hys sonnes heires friendes furthermore hath promised againe to carry vs vp into the most worthie Courte of the highest heaueÌ„s into the equalitie of the angelical blessednesse are not our sins vnspeakably huge great by that which we doe dishonour offend dispise a God so wonderfully benigne which hath also adorned certayne of his preseÌ„t electe 〈◊〉 free choseÌ„ with such most excelent holinesse Now therfore beloued let vs
no man to geue eare vnto thée being appoynted of the kinge and he sayde more ouer who wyll make and constitute me Iudge ouer the lande that all they which haue busines to doo may come vnto me as vnto a iust Iudge Yea when any man came vnto him and saluted him he reached him his hand and imbracing him kissed his chéeke and thus he dyd vntyll all Israell which came vnto iudgement to be hard of the king And he dyd labour for the harts of the men of Israell And when Absolon was gon into Ebron he sent spyes into euery trybe of Israel saying as soone as you shal heare the sounde of the Trampet say you Absolon reigneth in Ebron and a great conspyracie was made thereby the people coÌ„ming togeather dyd increase greatly with AbsoloÌ„ But put the case that the ambicious man be raysed vp on high be caryed vp a loft immediatly cares doo grow priuily carefulnes is accumulate fasting are proloÌ„ged watchigs are lengthened whereby both nature is corrupted the spirits are weakened The sléepes are brokeÌ„ the appetite is lost the vertues are weakened the body wareth leane and so fayling in his owne defect he liueth not halfe his dayes But concludeth a miserable lyfe with a more miserable ende That saying of the Poet is true Great thinges are forbydden to stande longe They are raysed vp an high that they may fall the more greuously But that saying of the Prophet is more true I saw sayth he the wicked man exalted and raysed vp on high as the boughes of Lybanus I went by and be houlde there was none that knewe him I sought him and his place was not to be founde Before his dayes be fulfilled he perisheth let him reioyce as a vyne when it first florisheth And let his clusters be as the ollyfe when it buddeth Marke the saying of the wyse therevpon All men in aucthoritie sayth he are short lyued As soone as the ambitious man is promoted to honour he is puffed vp with pryde and becommeth vnbrydled in boasting neyther doth he care to profit but gloryeth to beare rule He presumeth himselfe to be the better bicause he is growne to be higher But the vertue and not the degrée the honestie and not the dignitie dothe make a good man Men thus aduaunced doo disdayne their former friendes ouer sée their knowne companions contempn their accustomed fellowes tourne their countenaunces hould vp theyr heads set vp their heare shew theyr pryde speake bigge muse vpon déepe matters They can not abyde to be commaunded they séeke to rule the roast Enuious at all other that be preferred And grenous vnto such as are vnder their subiection They beare no griefe defer no conceypt heady bolde glorious and ignorant heauy and importunate O pryde hateful vnable to be borâ—… of any man Emongst all vices thou alwayes arte both first and last For all kinde of sinne if thou come in the way is committed And all kynde of sinne if thou step a side out of the waye is omitted As it is wrytten the beginninge of all sinne is pryde The first begotten death For this in the beginning of all thinges dyd rayse vp the creature against his creator An â—…ngell against god But immediately and without delay it threw him downe againe Bicause he continewed not in the trueth it threw him down againe from innocencie into sinne from delights into miseries and from the bright heauen into a thick mystie ayre Harken vnto the Prophet saying How dyddest thou fall Luryfer which sprongest in the morning Thou fellâ—…st downe vpon the ground which diddest wounde the nations and saydest in thine hart I wil go vp into heauen and will exalt the soll of my foote aboue the Starres of god I wyll syt in the mount of the testameÌ„t in the sydes of the Northwynde and will clyme vppon the height of the Clowds I wyl be lyke vnto the highest Thou wert in the delights of Paradise of God an Image token of his likenesse full of wisedome and perfect in all comlines all kyndes of precious stones were in thy bestemeÌ„ts The Topase the Iaspis the Chrystolite the Onyxe the Berall the Carbuâ—…cle the Saphir and the Emerald Gold was the workemanship of thy comelynesse and thy holes priuities were prepared in the day that thou werte made Thou wert that mightie and great Cherub and I put thée in the holy hill of god Thou walkedst in the middest of the fyery stones as perfect in thy wayes from the daye of thy creation vntill iniquitie was found in thée Thou hast sinned and I cast thée out of the mount of god Myne heart was raysed vp in thy comelynesse and I haue cast thée out against the earth The Cedar trées were no higher theÌ„ he in Paradise The Firre trées were not equal vnto his toppes the Palm trées were not equal vnto his boughes No woode in Paradise was lyke vnto him nor vnto his bewtie bicause I made him bewtiful without many thick boughes He is king aboue all the sons of pryde he is that great red dragon hauing seuen heads tenne hornes seuen crowns vpon his heads Whose tayle drewe the thyrd parte of the Starres of heauen and threw them downe vpon the earth And that great dragon is throwne â—…oorth that old Sâ—…rpent which is called the diuell and Satanaâ—… Wâ—…h 〈◊〉 the whole worlde and was throwen forth vpon the earth and his angels were sent with him Of whome the truth sayth I sawe Satanas as a lyghtenyng fallynge from heauen For eueryone that exalteth himself shal be humiliate and he that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted O proude presumption and presumptious pride whiche wouldest not onely be equall vnto the angels of god but also diddest presume to make men Gods. But those whome he raysed vp he put downe whome he exalted he brought lowe Here vpon the Lorde saythe vnto the Prophet O sonne of man say vnto the Prince of Tyre thus sayth the Lord god Bicause thine hart is raised vp as the hart of god and thou hast sayd I am a god when thou arte but a man and no God therefore I will bring the strongest people vpon thée and will kyll thée And Thou shalt dye in the ouerthrowe of them that be slayne Nabuchodonozar bicause he did proudely bragge on his power and sâ—…yd is not this Babylon which I haue â—…ylded in the house of my kingdome and in the strength of my fortitude the glory of my coâ—…lynesse when the word was yet in the kings mouth a voice sel from heauen saying To thée king Nabâ—…chodonosar is it sayd thy kingedome is gone from thée and I will cast thée out from men and thy dwellinge shal be with cattell and wylde beastes Thou shalt eate haye lyke an Oxe and seuen tymes shal be chaunged vpon thée vntyll thou know that the highest hath dominion in the kingedomes of men And he geueth
thinges sweare not Agayne our Sauyour sayeth Resist you not the euill dooer But if any man stryke you on the left chéeke turne the other vnto him hlso And he which will contende with thée in Judgement and take thy cote from thée geue him also thy cloke Loue your enemyes doe well to them that hate you and praye for them which persecute you and quarrell with you What thing can bée haâ—…der then this worde For euen as it is most easie most naturall for a man to loue his freind euen so it is most hard and moste vnnaturall for a man to loue his enemye And yet as Hierome sayth it is necessarye towardes saluation Naye rather sayth he he which hateth any one man doth loue no man truely and spirytually No neyther can he loue himselfe nor God being in such gréeuous and heynous sinne Furthermore our Sauiour sayth If you doe not forgeue offences one to another neyther will your heauenly father forgeue you your sinnes And agayne hée sayth Laye not vp treasure in earth and bée not carefull for to morrowe And also Judge not and you shall not be iudged Furthermore thynke not sayth he that I came to set peace in the world I came not to set peace hut the sworde For I came to seperate the Sonne from the Father the daughter from the mother and the sonnes wyfe from her father by lawe And then He which loueth father or mother more then me he is not worthy of me Also he which taketh not vp his Crosse and foloweth me he is not worthy of me And in another place The kingdome of heauen doth suffer wrong or violence and yet the violente doo take euen 〈◊〉 force And agayne For euery idell worde that men speake they shall render accoumpt in the day of iudgement And like wise he that will come after me let him dâ—…nye himselfe and take vp his Crosse dayly and folowe me For he which wyll saue his soule let hym léese it For he whiche looseth hys lyfe for me he shall finde it agayne And then thus Wo be to hym by whome offences come And Whosoeuer offendeth one of these lyttle ones beléeuing in me it were better for him that a mylstone were tyed about his necke and he drowned in the depth of the Sea. And agayne Unlesse you conuerte and become as one of these lyâ—…tle ones you shall not enter into the kingedome of heauen Herewith not forgetting that It is easyer for a Camell to enter through a Néedles eye then for a rytch man to enter into the kingdome of god We must remember also where he sayth Whosoeuer amoungest you woulde be greatest let hym be your mynister or seruaunt And Wo be to â–ª you rytch men which haue your consolation here Wo be to you which are filled for you shall hunger Wo be to you which laugh now for you shall mourne and wéepe Wo be to you when men shall prayse and blesse you Or thus what séest thou a moth in thy brothers eye and canst not see a beame in thyne owne Well Iesus sayed vnto a certayne man folowe me And he answered Lord suffer me first to go and burye my father And Iesus sayd Suffer thou the deade to burye their deade And he sayth Feare not them which kyll the body but cannot kyll the soule But feare you him which hath power to throwe the body and soule into euerlasting fyre And in another place O foole This night shall they take thy soule from thee Then whose shall that be which thou hast gathered And therevpon Such is euery man which hoordeth vp treasure and is not rytch in god What should we ouerpasse these sentences Sell that you possesse and geue almes Unlesse you repent you shall all peryshe to gither Departe from me all you which haue done wickedly 〈◊〉 thou makest a dynner or supper doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy brethren thy kynsmen nor thy next rytch neighbours 〈◊〉 peraduenture they byd thee agayne And so thou be wel recompenced But when thou makest a feast call the 〈◊〉 the weake the halte and lame and the blynde and thou shalt be blessed If any man come vnto me and doe not hate his father mother wyfe chyldren bretheren and â—…isters yea and his owne soule hée cannot bée my discyple And he which doth not forsake all that he hath cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discyple And that which is hyghly esteemed with meâ—… is abhomynation in the sight of god Fynally When you haue done all that which was commaâ—…nded you then saye We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue 〈◊〉 but that which we ought and were bounde to doe Agayne Euery man which exalteth himselfe shal be 〈◊〉 lowe And he which doth humble himselfe shal be exalted â–ª Beware least you ouercharge your bodyes with gluttony dronkennesse or the cares of this worlde By these and infinite other places my déerely beloued â–ª thou 〈◊〉 perceiue how streyght in déede and how narrowe the waye and gate are which leade to saluation But of these before 〈◊〉 passages some perteyne vnto the commaundements And therevnto all men are bounden Some other are of conncell and aduyse which neuerthelesse are to be obserued of as many as professe Christ sincerely Yea futhermore the selfe same may apeare by dyuers other Scryptures For the Apostle sayth They which are of Christ haue crucifyed theyr fleshe with the vyces and concupysences thereof Whosoeuer therfore doe not extinguish vyce and concupisence nor chastyse theyr bodyes they then perteyne not vnto christ Agayne A wyddowe saith he which liueth in delightes is dead liuing For though she liue by lyfe of nature yetis she dead by the death of punishment and iudgement Then if delightful lyfe be a fault or sinne in wyddowes how much more blameful is it to be thought in such as ought by reason of their 〈◊〉 to be gydes and paternes of godlynesse to others Herevnto many thinges might be added but let these suffise And these welbeloued I haue here thus rehearced to the end I might thereby induce thée to the feare of God the watchful care of thy harte and to the diligent reading of scripturs least thou shouldest in vayne flatter thy selfe with gods mercye And so become one of their socyetie which walke in the broad and spatyous waye For as the Apostle sayeth If we suffer with Christ wée shall also reygne with Chryst. If wée bée pacyente wyth him wée shall also lyue wyth him Yea and must we not accordyng to the Apostles wordes entre into heauen by many trybulations But it is true which GOD forbyde should be verified in thée which Bernard sayth Lorde many would reigne with thée but they will not suffer with thée Many would be with thée but fewe will folowe thée Many would finde thee but fewe doe seeke thee Therefore let vs not be afeard to beare trybulations synce Hierome sayth No seruaunt of Christ is without trybulation And if thou
Furthermore Augustine in his booke entituled De miseria mundi doth plainly treat saying Take héed to thy self least being wrapped in the snares of the diuill thou become a pray to y huÌ„ter which raÌ„geth and séeketh whom he may deuour For this lyfe is fugityue and vntrustie since it doth not performe faithful dealing no not to the louers therof Yea euen from the beginning of the world it hath deceyued all such as put their trust therin And all such as haue wrapped theÌ„ selues therein it hath beguiled And so it hath shewed it self vncertain to all men y it might proue it selfe a lyer vnto all men For beholde the worlde which we so much loue estéeme doth passe ouer â—…ly away And yet we follow it â—…ing so froÌ„ vs through a blynd mynd of carnal ccÌ„upisâ—… cleaue fast vâ—…to it whilest it 〈◊〉 So that beyng vnable to hold it vp falling we fall with it percompany Yea is not this our lyfe lyke vnto death since therin doe abound so many dolors lamentations sighes and so great miseries one man being gréeued with loffe cryeth out Another coÌ„tinually bewayleth the barenesse of his ground One lamenteth the death of his friend another sitteth sadly being ouer whelmed in pouertie So y there is much tribulation from y time y man commeth into this world Yea his first voice or sound doth shew infirmitie He is borne an infant straight way cryeth out He can not yet speake neuerthelesse he is y Prophet of his own calamitie His teares are witnesse of his miserie paine dread y is to come WheÌ„ he is growen a little he beginneth to hunger thirst to bée weary To conclude man hath alwayes two sundry tormeÌ„ts which by turnes doe vexe him continually The which are feare sorow If A man be well he feareth if he be euil at ease he soroweth What is he whom the prosperitie of thys world hath not deceiued Or who is it y hath not ben gréeued with y aduersitie therof theÌ„ behold man what great afflictions thou doest suffer in this world which thou so much estemest Wherin in very déed there are nothing but false deceiptful voluptuousnes true yea vndoubted calamitie No safetie of myrth and ioye but a tormentyng feare a gréedie couetousnesse and a fruitlesse lamentation And who is he which can number or accoumpt all the euilles and discommodities of this lyfe For to ouerpasse with scilence those euilles which doe commonly oppresse all men that is to say secret sorowes and especiall griefes whereof all men may fynde them selues giltie let a man but call to mynde what euylles hee hath both sustayned and committed from hys youth vpwardes let him but set before hys eyes the tymes passed and diligently consider howe many vayne labours he hath vndertakeÌ„ how often he hath swet in vain for the loue of this wretched world How often he hath founde deceyptfull issues of hys most earneste trauayles and let hym then ponder that after long troubles he hath yet obteyned no rest and he shal quickly know what accoumpt is to be made of this world O myserable man then what doest thou or whether goest thou whiles thou art in this world thou doest but iust and roonne in a Tyltyearde Wherein thou findest an enemie which is to strong for thée whome thou neyther canst sée nor yet eskape from him He entyseth thée with tryflyng toyesthereby to robbe and despoyle thée of the ioyes of heauen Yea and thereby to put into thée the very tormentes of hell His lackye lyeth close hidden in the way couered with earth which is the diuells concubyne and lenunan The enimy of mankynde doth behold the manners and naturall enclynacions of euery man and vnto what vyce they be most prone those he setteth before theyr faces which may most aptly allure and betray theyr myndes And whiles he maketh them gaze at the gaynes of glystryng gold they neuer sée the perill of theyr perdicion but lyke fooles being deceiued with the delightes which they sée and carnally doe loue they neuer marke how they fall hedlong into damnacion And bicause all men are voyde of vnderstandinge they perishe perpetually Wherefore if the world doe please and delight thée beware the deceyptfulnesse thereof Remember that as Salomon sayeth Lamentacion and dolor doo come in the ende of ioyes and merymentes For all mans pleasantnesse is bytter and sowre in the ende When a man reioyseth in the world be reioyseth not in God. But yet alas how many ther be which reioyse in the world neuer reioyse in God To reioyse in the worlde is to boast tryumphe and glory in iniquitie vanitie ryches honor outwarde coomlynesse fylthy conuersacion vayne pastimes with vnfreutefull and leuds communicacion Which is in effecte to purchase sorowe and lamentacion For no man can embrace Christ and the world bothe attones Many men professing Christ doe prayse him loue him and rendre thanckes vnto him whiles they be in theyr worldly prosperitie But if aduersitie light vpon them they cursse â–ª blaspheme him Such men serue god for profit and not for loue Unto whom the Lord God may iustly saye For your owne benefit and commoditie you haue obserued my commaundementes and not bicause you loued me with a pure entent And wherefore doest thou extoll thy selfe in vanitie O man is not thy body as the Preacher sayth dust and asshes Art not thou thy selfe of earth and shalt soone be resolued againe into earth Looke into the Sepulchres of the greatest Prices and sée if any other thing doe there remayne but bones and dust And all this being thus doest thou by so many errors make hast vnto hell which hast bene enstructed in so many pathes to heauen by Christ him selfe Why is that beloued which must be forsaken and that neclected which may perpetually be enioyed These sentences and many such lyke Sainct Augustine dothe moste deuoutely propounde in his bookes before named And finally he wryteth in a certeyne Sermon saying Attende and marke O myserable Soule of sinfull Man that horryble houre in which thou shalt depart from the body Where as thou shalt prefently beholde the wycked ministers of Sathan the cursed diuills the horryble dampned spirites and the most crewell roaryng Lyones ranging and hunting about for theyr praye which is thy sorowfull selfe With the twynekling of an eye the horryble places of eternall paynes shall apeare the Chaos or confuâ—…ed heape of darkenesse the horrour of mysery the terrour and tremblyng dreade of sorrowe the quaking feare of horryble vysions and of that most horryble mansion where ther is continuall wéepinge and gnashing of téethe gnawing of wormes howling and crying the lamentacions of them that mourne perpetually and the voyce of such as crye wo wo wo be vnto vs chyldren of Eue. When the wretched and vnhappy soule departing out of the body shall heare these things and such lykâ—… or rather a thousand fold worse worse then can be expressed when
fury to bring the earth into solitarines to chase the sinners therof out of the same For the stars of the heauens the brightnes therof wil not geue their light The SuÌ„ne wil be ouercast with darcknes at his rysing the Moone shall not shine in hir cource And I wil visit euill vpoÌ„ th earth wil set the iniquitie of the wicked men against theÌ„selues And I wil make the pride of the vnfaythful to be stil wil bring down the arrogaÌ„ce of the mighty Therfore all the handes shal be weakened and all hartes of men shal be tamed and astonied They shall haue panges and gripes and shall feele payne lyke vnto women with childe Euery man shall looke agast and a mased on his neighbour and the countenaunces of their faces shal be tanned and burnt That day shal be the day of wrath the day of trouble the daye of perplexitie the daye of calamitie and the daye of miserys The day of mist darknes the day of the clang of the TroÌ„pet bicause the Lord shall make an end with spéed of all thâ—… which dwel vpon the earth And that sodeyne day shal créepe lyke a snare vpon all theÌ„ which sit vpoÌ„ the face of the round world For as a lightning he coÌ„meth out of the East is séene into the west Such shal be the comming of the sonne of man For the daye of the Lorde is lyke a théefe and shall come stealinge in the night When they say peace and securitie then sodeyne distruction shall come vpon them lyke vnto the paines of a womaÌ„ in hir belly they shall not eskape theÌ„ And there shall happen great tribulation before this day such as neuer was from the beginning of the world to this present nor euer shal be And but the dayes were shortened no fleshe could be saued For nation shall ryse against nation and kingdome against kingdome and great earthquakes shal be in many places pestilences and famynes and terrors from heauen and many greate tokens shal be séene Then shal be tokenes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the starres Running togethers of people for the confusion of the Sea and the floudes Men wythering vp for feare and expectation which shall happen to the whole world Ther shall ryse false Christes and false Prophetes and they shall shewe great tokens and wonders So that many shalbée seduced into erroâ—…r yea if it many be euen the elect The appostle sayth Then shall man be reuealed for the Sonne of perdition Which is against all and is extolled aboue all that is called or worshipped as god So that he sitteth in the Temple of god as if he were god Whome our Lord Iesus shall kill with the spirite of his mouth And the Prophett Helie shal be sent before that the great day of the Lord shal come Great and horrible shall he be and shall conuert the hartes of the fatheres vnto their children and the hartes of the children towards their fathers with whome Enâ—…ch also shall come they shall prophesie a thousande two hundred and sixtie dayes clothed in sackcloth And when they haue finished their testymonie the beast which shall come vp out of the depth shall make warre against them And shall ouer come and kill them and their bodies shall lye in the strets of the great Citie which is called Sodom and Egipt wheras our Lord was crucified And after thrée dayes a half the spirit of lief shall enter into them Immediately after the tribulatioÌ„ of those dayes the suÌ„ne shal be darkened the Moone shal not giue hir light the starres shal fall froÌ„ heauen the powers of the heaueÌ„s shal be moued and theÌ„ shall appere the signe or tokeÌ„ of the soÌ„ne of maÌ„ in heaueÌ„ And then all the Trybes of the earth shall bewayle themselues as Iohn sayth in the reuelation The Kinges of the earth the Princes and the ritch men the mightie and all both bond and frée shall hyde themselues in Caues and Dennes in the mountaynes and shall saye to the hilles and to the rockes Fall vpon vs and hyde vs from the face of him which sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Bicause the great day of their anger is comeÌ„ And who can abyde it And he shall send his Angels with a troompe and a greate voyce and they shall gather to gether the chosen from the fower wyndes and from the height of the heauens vnto thendes thereof And the Appostle saith Then the Lord himselfe in the voyce and commaundemeÌ„t of an Archangell shall come downe from heauen And theÌ„ all they which are in their graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of god And shall come forth The good vnto the resurrection of lief but the wicked vnto the resurrectioÌ„ of iudgement Death and hell shall yeld forth their deade which are in them Behold he shall come in the clowdes and euery eye shall sée him Yea they which kicked against him and all the Trybes of the earth shal be waile mourne and then they shall sée the Sonne of man coÌ„ming in a cloud with great power maiestie And the Lord shall come to make reuenge not onely with the Appestles but also with the Elders of these people Where vpon Salomon doth saye A noble man is he in his gates when he shall sitt with the Senators of the land For they shall sitt also vpon the seates of the xii Trybes of Isarel I looked sayth Daniel vntill the Thrones were placed à nd the eldest did sit down Whose garmeÌ„t was as white as snowe And the hears of his head as cleane as wooll His Throne was the fire of the flame the wheles therof were bright kindled fyre A flowing a swyft ruÌ„ning fire did go forth froÌ„ his face ThowsaÌ„ds thowsands did administer vnto him And ten times huÌ„dreths of thousaÌ„ds did assist him Our god shall come opeÌ„ly manifestly our god shal coÌ„e shal not be sileÌ„t ther shal be bright burniÌ„g fire in his and round about him a mightie teÌ„pest He called the heauen froÌ„ on high the earth to iudge his people Then al nacions shal be gathered together before him He shal seperate them one from an other as the shepeheard doth seperate his shepe from the goates And he shall place them the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand O how great shall the dread and trembling then be and how great shal be the lameÌ„tacions and wepings For if the pillors doo tremble and dread his comming and the angels of peace shal wéepe bitterly what shal sinners doo if the iust shall skarcely be saued where shall the wicked sinners appeare Therefore cryeth the Prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no man liuing shal be iustifted in thy sight If thou O
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
euerye thynge whych is created defectyue And euerye transitorye thing vnquiet Yea it is shorte and of small contynewaunce but mutable and subiecte vnto tyme. So that the louers of this world â—…aue nothing firm or stable but are themselues also light and vnconstant as it were set in a whyrlewynde synce they put not theyr delyâ—…ht in God onely but in all vayne and transytory tâ—…inges now affecting this thing and now that thing Now loatâ—…yng that they earst loued and streyght waye deuring and ceuâ—…ting some other vanity not yet possessed But the iust and such as loue God doe perseuer quyet vnyforme and sâ—…ble being founded vpon the eternall God as vpon an vnâ—…oueable foundation And therevpon Salomon sayed The wicked shall not be seene Lyke vnto a storme passing ouer But the iust shal be as an euerlasting foundation Augustine bewayling the louers of this world doth exclayme and say O louers of the world wherfore labor you Why doe yâ—…u afflyct your selues about nothing Whyles you might possesse the creator of all thynges What sâ—…eke you further What may suffyse and content mens mynde whome the creator of all thinges cannot suffise and content For if you may haue all goodnesse which is God why go you about to possesse things full of mysery Can your hope expectacioÌ„ in the world be any thing els then to be thereof beloued And therein what is not frayle What is not transitory What is not changeable What is not sinallye full of perylles by the whiche you passe on vnto greater yea and euerlasting perylles And of the vanytie of the worldly lyfe Hierome sayth O lyfe no lyfe but death A deceiptfull lyfe laden with sorowe weake and ouershadowed New it florysheth streyght waye it wythereth Depryuing him of lyfe in whome it séemeth lyfe O frayle momentayâ—… and bryttell lyfe the more thou growest the more also thou decreasest The more thou procéedest the more nearer thou aprochest vnto death O lyfe full of snares how many men doest thou entangle and howe many by thée now doe abyde infernall tâ—…rments Oh howe happy is he which knoweth and perceiueth thy deceyptes how much more happy is he which setteth lyght by and careth not for thy vayne delights And he is most happy which is wel dyspatched of thée In the first Epistle of Iohn and the fyft Chapiter it is written All the whole world is set on wyckednesse Yea is not the world subiect vnto the Diuill and replenished with all iniquitie Wherevpon the same Iohn in his seconde Chapiter of his second Epistle sayth All that is in this world is concupiscence of the fleshe concupiscence of thinges séene or pryde of lyfe and conuersacion And as Peter sayth The wycked are seruauntes of corruption and of sinne For of whome soeuer a man be maystred or ouercome vnto him he is a seruaunt and in bondage And hée which is the bondman of sinne is consequently the seruant of the Diuyll Wherevpon Paule speaketh of the wicked saying Let them turne backe from the snares of the Diuill by whome they are holden in captyuitie euen according to his pleasure And Christ in his gospell doth terme the diuill the Prynce of this world Meaning not the rounde globe of the sphere but the worldly creatures which being turned backe from God are ouerwhelmed and buryed in earthly thinges Of whome Hierome ment saying Going backe frome the Lord they are written and regystred in the earth But Christ sayth contrariwyse to the electe reioyce and be ioyefull For your names are writteÌ„ regestred in heauen Now Beda expoundeth these wordes thus By the worlde and those thinges which are therern he vnderstandeth men which inordynately and excessyuely doe loue and estéeme the world And such haue nothing but concupyscence of the flesh concupyscence of thinges sene with eye and pryde of lyfe For in these vocables and proper names of vyces Iohn doth comprehende and enclude all kynds of vyces For the concupyscence of the fleshe is all that pertayneth vnto the volupteousnesse and delyghtes of the bodye By the concupyscence of thynges séene with the eye are ment all curyosyties which are commytted in learninge of wycked artes and ornamentes all contemplacion of filthy and wycked sightes or spectacles all superfluous desyre to get temporall and tryflinge toyes and all curyous carpynge and marking of our neighbours imperfections By the pride of lyfe and conuersation is ment the pompe and beast which men conceiue in worldly promotions So that the world is replenyshed with Diuils For what els doe men that liue according to the world but stryue to wrappe and enfuolde themselues in sundrye sortes of sinnes Yea and to wound and wearye theyr soules with the maynes of myschiefes and the shaftes of sundrye shamefull concupyscences vntill at last they féele not theyr owne harmes We sée fulfilled in the Church that which is written by the Prophet There is no truth there is no mercy there is no knowledge of God on the earth The cursed vyces of murder thefte adulterye and lying are come flowing ouer vs From the greatest to the least all men applye themselues vnto couetousnesse The Pryestes haue not sayd where is y Lord and the pastors haue vsed collusion It is easie to be sene vnto what an excéeding great rewine the church is come in euery eâ—…at degrée order But if christyaÌ„s did lyue now as they lyued in the primityue church and first comminge of the Gospell there should be no suche greate necessytie to flye from the world Marye as men doe now a dayes for the most parte lyue it is a highe dyfficulltye to lyue well or to declyne from heynous sinnes in the world Especially for such as are not exercysed with verteous quallytie or paynefull labour but doe abounde in ryches and are conuersant in greatest pompes and highest places Deceiptes ambytion enuye volupteousnesse and all other euils are powred out vpon the earth Euery man beateth his brayne howe hée maye multyplye and encrease his substaunce but no man careth howe to saue hys soule Men are afeard least they should fall into pouertye but were it not muche more to bée feared to lyght into the bottomelesse pyt of hell The world is the fornace of vyces The which these worldlings doo heate and warme with the fuell of sinne And therein doe burne and consume themselues and theyr companyones For they are so much blynded that they neither sée nor feare the peryles which are notoryous and well knowen to all men But doe tryumph and reioise in theyr euils lyke phrentyke and made men Yea if there be any whome they sée not wrapped in lyke wooes they accoumpt them to be blockyshe and senseles creatures Well sayd that Phylosopher As often as I was amongst men I retorned sayth he the worse And another saith An euyll companyon draweth his fellowe to mesdéedes and so he which was before good becommeth euill and wycked To conclude euen as the people of Israell could not depart from
for rest in trouble for ioye in sorow for ease in payne for assuraunce where â—…thinge is but slyttinge for 〈◊〉 where nothinge please the longe But he that is a Citizen of Ierusalem a souldier vnder Christes banner armed with Fayth shylded with Hope strengthned with Charitie who knoweth in whome he hath put his truste and where he looketh for his méede Such 〈◊〉 one is content to vse this lyfe as his â—…lgrimage contented if it be short not offended if it be long desyringe neyther the one nor the other but still lookinge to his home â—…earing with the rest bicause he appoynteth his quiet ther. Unto him bicause Câ—…rist is lyfe death can not be but gayne bicause he â—…indeth that he séeketh and atteyneth that he loueth content to leaue the world which loued not him or which he louid not whose commodities if he sought he founde nothing but either occasion to enuie them he should loue or to stryue with them that would enioy them as well as him selfe 〈◊〉 be angry with them that kept him from the atteyning theâ—… whome being men he should embrace Yea though he hatâ—… nor misused no man which is harde in that cause to â—…oyd yet louing the world and the commodities thereof he found meanes whereby he was moued to forget his iourny and the ende thereof to make his Inne his home to syt downe before his wayes ende to turne his loue from the better to the worse from heauen to earthe from God to him selfe or rather from and agaynste him selfe to thinges vayne which first would make him worse then they sounde him and afterward leaue him whan he began to loue theÌ„ and leaue him in that euill estate they founde him not So if the world doe vndoubtedly hurt them that loue it and be but payâ—… and trauayle to them that loue it not bicause they hauâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor pleasure where they loue not then followeth it 〈◊〉 loue is onely to be bestowed on God and that â—…n must desyre to be wher his loue is for so natuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue be true And surely if ther be in vs the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ue of god we can not be asrayde of that â—…ich bringeth 〈◊〉 to him nor loathe to heare of that â—…ithout which we can not come to him And if thâ—… were no more benefit in Death but that he maketh an ende of sinne sithe sinne displeaseth God and â—…aritie willeth vs to loue that he loueth and 〈◊〉 that he hateth we can neither be afraydâ—… nor ill content with deathe which bringeth vs out of the occasion of sinnâ—… and daunger thereby to disâ—…lease God. And although this séeme vnto many hard and vnto some almost vnpossiible mâ—…suring all other by their owne footâ—… y any man who may enioy lyfe should be coÌ„tent or desirous â—…o lâ—…ue y same yet is it not only aprouâ—…â—…ost vndoubted true by y teching of scriptures which no man can deny but also by y exaÌ„ple of infinit martirs wherof each couÌ„try hath had great nuÌ„bers who hauing libertie to flye therby to liue inflamed only with the sire of charitie loue of god were not only coÌ„tâ—…t to be taken but offered theÌ„ selues for his sake whom they louid and that not onely men in whome naturally courage is but women and children whose weake sexe and tender age declared more playnely what true and hartie loue is able to worke which as it brought Christ downe from heauen into earth so being truely rooted in man it is able to draw him from earth into heauen without respect had to him selfe or any thing that is his And thus much spoken of the first parte doth now make the waye open to bring in the second for it may be sayde if there be any meanes to take away the feare of Death and diminish the desire of lyfe who should atteyne to the same so soone as christian men And sith we be all of that number howe commeth it then to passe that so fewe are contented to dye and many so affrayde thereof that neither them selues will thinke of it nor willingly heare other speake of it To the which question although I might in fewe woordes aunswere and say that there lacketh in vs that lyuely and perfect loue of God and the lyfe to come which should be in vs and was in them of whome I spake Yet to make this point more playne for it is lesse to saye all then to touche eache parte of all I finde thrée causes especiall that make men desirous to liue and lothe to dye 1 The one is our weakenesse which séemeth to haue some excuse bicause nature desireth the conceruacion of it selfe abhorreth dissolucion which both taketh away our being and also bringeth with it great gréefe and paynes which men séeing in other and flying in them selfe feare Deathe whose seruants and messengers they are 2 The second cause is either the lacke or the small quantitie of fayth in vs whereby we beleue not or fayntly beleue the meruailous promises of incomparable blysse promised by GOD vnto his faythfull after this transitory and present lyfe 3 But the greatest cause is the third which is a loue and swéetenesse conceaued of this lyfe the goods and commodyties of the same wherewith who so is possessed it can not be auoided but vnto him the very remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death which taketh froÌ„ him that he loueth must be sower bitter as the scripture saith To say somewhat to these thrée things which maketh lyfe swéet death sower is the third part of my matter which I promised to entreate of And for the first which is a naturall weaknes ingeÌ„dering of it selfe the feare of death we can not say it hath no power in vs mortal men sith Christ our patron being more thaÌ„ man confessed to haue some féeling of it in him selfe But if we coÌ„sider that he was weak to make vs strong who gaue the onset made the conquest of death weaknes that not for him selfe but for vs in our nature saying afterwarde to vs be bolde feare not I haue made a conquest of the world And y he hath by taking on him our nature meruelously ioyned incorporated vs vnto him so that by grace participacioÌ„ y is true in vs which by perfection of nature was true in him theÌ„ fynde we that this weaknes remayneth not as before in his force but is inforced couÌ„teruayled by a streÌ„gth geuen vs besides our selues which bicause we should firmely beleue not to be imagined or onely in words but true in déedes God hath shewed it by the example of thousandes of his martirs not flying as before is said but desiring death not fearing but conteÌ„ning it triumphing in tormeÌ„t coÌ„quering in weakenes not saying sad heauie is myne hart vntil death be past but I desire to be in the féeling to begin to lyue swéete is the torture colde is the fire dul is the axe for what is ther in death dreadful