that they obtaine that glory which the Lord hath prepared onely for the humble and for the contemners of this world what should I speake of them as it is meete woe to you that hasten to the kingdome of heauen through the way of riches seeing that it is easier for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen These are not my words but the words of Christ if this sentence be reuocable Christ is no more God The heauen and the earth saith he shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Bewaile ô ye miserable Nobles and Potentates the titles of vnslable fortune because yee are blinded with the fumes of the honours and falfe dignities of this world when as the threed of your brittle life shall peraduenture be cut off this night and ye shall be tormented in hell more than others world without end liuing in continuall dying Yee are not amongst the labourers in the world yea ye do not onely not indure labour with men but ye doe not suffer the laborers to liue therfore ye shall be scourged not with men but with deuils For by how much your glory and ioy hath bin the greater in this world by so much the greater punishment is prepared for you in hell We confesse that Christ chose twelue Apostles amongst whom Bartholomew onely was of noble descent and Matthew only was rich before that he was receiued into the Apostleship the rest were poore fishermen Now heare wherfore I haue related this If Christ be true and all which I haue heard out of his mouth he true amongst such kinde of men scarse one of a thousand is to be sound fit for the kingdome of heauen But such of them as doe not beleeue mee shall after a short time feele it when they are placed in torments Yet some man blinded from the light of the truth will now maruaile to whom if hee would aske mee hereabout I would answer Do we not beleeue that a man is damned for one sinne and if it be so how can he be saued that liueth in an hundreth thousand sins But what other thing is the rich man fed with the ayre of fading honour but a rotten vessell full of all sins Where is couetousnesse where is pride Is it not in the rich in the noble in the great ones Are they not also theeues which doe violently prey vpon the hire of the poore and presse them downe and kill them who dowicked things out of the plenty of the Lords house which they haue receiued that they might giue to the poore Certainely they adde to superfluitie in dyet superfluitie in apparell hauing no regard to the poore that dye through cold nakednes They reare vp pallaces and great buildings that they may be seene when the poore dye in the streets They prouide feasts often for other rich men that they may fill their bellies with most delicate dishes when the poore perish through samine What other is their life but sinne if the belly be filled with such plenty of meate is not surfet at the doores And what should I say more when the tongue of euery man would faile in telling the thousands of sins which they do Neither do they acknowledg God vnlesse it be by dreame neither do they thinke that they shall dye as I suppose for he that thinketh that he shall dye and that God shall iudge him doth not easily fall into sinne He is verily ouer weake and miserable that hath not the remembrance of these things Therfore to speake truly if they did acknowledge God their iudge and beleeued that they heard they would at the least wise not sinne so securely Why doe these most milerable men goe to the Church to be present at diuine mysteries whether that they may behold the countenances of faire women this is their meditation preaching and knowledge of God If they looke into Gods law it is but that trauailing by sea or by land they may gather money to themselues and their children by often watches and distractions of minde that they may be the first in changing their suites through the wonderfull inuention of the workeman But miserable men what do yee doe yee not consider that you destroy your bodie before the time and slay your soule whence come weaknesses so vntimely deaths but of the much plenty of meats and of the often vse of women Doe ye thinke to mocke God yee doe certainely mocke your selues for the body yee forget the soule and ye destroy both bodie and soule before the time But delay not to do what ye do change your garments often lest your Nobilitie should decay if any man should exceede you that ye may receiue shame and confusion in hell Where shall your feasts where shall your delicare dishes then be where your costly wines mixt with honey and spices Banquet and be drunken for yee shall do no more so after death but being in hell torments yee shall with the rich man desire the least drop of water and shall not obtaine it Take your comfort in surfets fulfill your pleasures sowe in corruption that of corruption ye may reape that sentence which the iust iudge will giue in the great day of iudgement saying Goe yee cursed into heli sire prepared for the Deuill and his angels O stenle heart that dost not feare that such a doome hangeth ouer thy head for the slender comforts of this world If thou lookest for that day so terrible and cruell wherein thou shalt giue account not onely for thy surfets and vaine apparell and drunkennesse and of thy time lost but also of euery euill thought why art thou not amended Why dost thou wretch deferre from day to day to turne vnto the Lord why dost thou not now repent thee of thy sinnes Behold death maketh haste running night and day that it may teare thee in peeces behold the Deuill maketh haste to catch thee behold thy riches shall faile thee behold the wormes waite for that body which thou doest nourish so daintily that they may gnaw vpon it vntill such time as being receiued to the soule it may togither suffer endles punishments Why dost thou seeke comfort by vanities wandring in the by-waies of this world Thou canst not finde true riches and glory and pleasant things here because they are not but if thou seekest for true ioyes hasten to that heauenly glory for which thou wert made There doubtlesse are those true ioyes which the eye hath not seene nor the care heard nor the heart conceiued Let goe I pray thee fading momentanie things and seeke things euerlasting But why doe I speake of these men that will not cease from sinne through loue and feare of God or for the terror of death and torments following after but are grieued if they cannot doe the wicked things which they desire Woe woe vnto yo◠wretches that laugh here for yee shall mourne woe be to
as new born Bibes yea shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen A new borne Babe seeing a faire woman is not delighted beholding gorgeous apparell he doth not desire it Being hurt he dwelleth not in anger he doth not remember nor hate therefore he followeth his father and doth not forsake his mother And therefore let no man thinke that he shall attaine the kingdome of heauen vnlesse he be a follower of this innocencie viz of chastitie contempt of the world of loue and patience following Christ and resting in the bosome of the church his mother Put off most beloued the old man and put on the armour of God that yee may stand against the treacheries of the Deuill Let your weapons wherewith ye fight be chasâ—itie patience humilitie and charitie for these are weapons against the subtleties of the Deuill wherewith if yee be armed yee shall gird your loynes with fortitude and strengthen your arme and when yee shall be in the battaile yee shall laugh your house shall truly be founded vpon a sure rocke which is Christ Luxurie is the sword of the Deuill as how many doth he slay with that sword and there is no sin whereby the Deuill doth so often ouercome For as chastitie doth equall a man vnto the Angels so luxurie doth make a man like to the brute beasts yea to speake truly it makes him worse than a beast We doe not read of any other sin that God said that he repented that hee made man for it The workes of luxurie are these it weakneth the body and doth alwaies as it were destroy a man by death it brands the good name it emptieth the purse it sets a worke to steale it causeth murther it dulls the memory it takes away the heart it blindes the eyes of either man and prouokes the wrath of God aboue other sinnes It springeth from gluttonie as from a roote and for no other sin hath God exercised so manifest iudgement as for that without all mercy For this sinne God brought the flood vpon the world he burnt Sodom and Gomorrah and slew many other men This is the net of the Deuill if any man be taken herein he is not soone let loose againe In this so grieuous a battaile no men can ouercome vnlesse hee flies none can firmely indure vnlesse he times the flesh He that vseth wine carries fire in his bosome Be not drunken with wine saith the A postle where in is luxury This brunt is not borne but by abstinence and fasting Wine hurteth but the countenance of a woman an hundreth fold more A beautifull woman is the deuils dart whereby a man is soone drawne into luxurie Let no man liuing be confident in this if thou beest a Saint yet thou art not secure Can a man hide fire in his bosome and his garments not burne or walke vpon coales and his feete not burne A man a woman togither are fire and towe and the Deuil neuer ceaseth blowing to kindle it Many most holy men haue fallen by this vice for their securitie therefore feare ô my sonaes and if in other sinnes much more in this But to speake truly a new kind of fornication is committed by many of the spiritualty now a dayes Alas what shall I say men doe not now blush but glory in doing euill There is some kinde of bashfulnesse tho but a litle in women but in men this euill hath so increased that he is counted a foole that is not expert in these things What should I say more This is their holy day keeping this is their preaching for this come they to the Church that they may see faire women and that they may talke with them that the desire of filthinesse may the more increase thereby But ô wretched man why dost thou glory in this euill Thou sinnest an hundreth times more than the woman Shee is weake and thou thinkest thy self strong shee sitteth at home and thou wandring abroad seekesta thousand waics to intangle hir and sometime compellest hir by force and when thou dost these things because God holds his peace thou thinkest that hee is like vnto thee But the time will come wherein he will reproue thee and set thy sinnes before thy face Wherefore ô my sonnes be yee wise as serpents innocent as doues fight manfully against the old serpent O loue one another I haue receiued this not of man but of my Sauiour who saith This is my commandement that yee loue one another As out of one root many branches do spring so out of charitie spring all vertues If I speake with the tongues of men and angels and haue not loue I am nothing saith the Apostle He that hath loue is benigne and patient He hath true loue which doth not only loue the nearest vnto him by kindred and in the flesh as the heathen doe but which loueth his enemy euen as his friend By this one thing a man may know that he abideth in loue if he loueth him that is against him There are very many that loue but they loue amisse for in louing man they oftentimes loose the loue of God They which loue any thing more than God are not worthy of God In all vertues temperance is required vertue must alwaies keepe a meane To loue too much or too litle is euill All loue that hurteth is to be anoyded Through too much loue some haue fallen into fil thinesse through too litle some haue fallen into enuie Ouer-much loue would alwaies see the thing which it loueth This loue is ignorant of iustice and truth it wants reason it knowes no measure neither can it thinke any thing but that which it loueth It is impossible that a man which hath such loue should offer acceptable prayers vnto God or please God This loue is not charitie but folly We ought to loue all our brethren as our selues but yet so as that we loue not their vices It is loue to punish sinne it is iust to loue more the better man Men are so to be loued that goodnesse may be exalted and vice disgraced He that is without true loue is without God because God is loue and loue is God He that dwelleth in loue hath already begun to dwell in heauen Where there is true loue there is no enuie no ambition no backbiting no murmuring or mocking but one and the same will Therefore I beseech you whilsi yee haue time that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine In this short time of our life let vs sow and so we shall reape in due time The dayes of man are short our life is cut off as a weauers threed death commeth as a theefe and euery mans workes follow him Whilst ye haue light walke not in darknes he that walketh in darknesse knoweth not whither be goeth Your light is Christ which doth shine in darknesse come there fore vnto him the liuing stone reiected indeede or men but chosen of God that yee as liuing stones may be
shee was annoynted with wisdome as Abigail who is sayd to be of excellent vnderstanding Shee did not lose her time in hearing reading discourse and meditation but profited more then many more ancient to apply that of Dauid vnto her Psal 119.100 I am become wiser then the ancient because I keepe thy commandements Such was her vnderstanding as that she could readily recite sit texts of Scripture for any purpose and finde them out and for harder places by singular labour she attained good skill herein She was not like the dul Hebrues Heb. 5. that were like babes in vnderstanding when by reason of the time they might haue beene Doctors but her knowledge with the time increased so as that like a teacher she was capable of great mysteries Old nature was not so in her as that she should bee blinded from perceiuing the things of God but the new Spirit gaue her an vnderstanding of all things 1 Cor. 2.14 as it is sayd The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God but the spirituall man discerueth all things She had doubtles then a cleere sight of her saluation giuen by God seeing that they which are thus inlightned 1 Cor. 2.12 haue receiued the Spirit of God whereby they know the things giuen them of God Thirdly shee was annoynted with true loue causing in her plenty of good works as in Dorcas Acts 9.35 her loue was exceeding great both toward God and towards her neighbour Of God her loue was so great as that shee burnt with the fire of earnest zeale for his glory stoutly euen beyond the strength of her sex opposing sinne and maintaining vertue in those that were about her As Dauid Psal 101.7 in setting forth his zeale so it may truely be said of her A wicked person shall not stand in my sight If any were neere in alliance or great in worldly respects yet if they were not orious for finne she tooke no delight but rather a lothing of their company 2 For the loue of God she kept a continuall watch ouer her wayes lest she should offend against his holy will no childe is more afrayd of offending the father or master then she of offending God 3 Because that notwithstanding all watches sinne cannot altogether be kept out shee was not a little troubled for her frailties and falls being alwaies glad when the Lord took the matter into his owne hands by chastizing her with sicknesse for then and in health time also shee did much complaine of her sinnes and forgetfulnesse for which it was necessary to be corrected Her continuall bewailing and often mourning euen with teares when wicked cursed speakers were in presence did plainely shew such an heart as Lots so taken vp with the loue of God as that hearing and seeing any thing against God 2 Pet. 2 8. could not but vex the hart inwardly with sorrow Of her neighbour shee had also a true loue not in word but in deed She had loue of almes-deeds which she plentifully performed to the poore as Iob Iob 31.16 17. not eating her mosells alone but the fatherlesse did eat part with her from her youth vp the poore were nou rished vp with her Vers 20. their loines blessed her for that they were kept warme with her fleeces Whilest shee liued the hungry could not goe vnfed the naked vncloathed the sicke vnuisited plentifully the Lord had dealt vnto her plentifully she gaue to the Lord againe in his poore members appointing continuall releefe to bee giuen to the sick and needy in such places of great pouerty as wherein shee liued not 2 She shewed loue by admonishing the disorderly instructing the ignorant and exhorting the backward in religion by all meanes prouoking to loue and good workes O how great was her care that her whole houshold and all her neighbours might serue the Lord that it might goe well with them for euer 3 Her loue was exceeding great towards Gods Ministers and all Saints reioycing alwaies to entertaine such and to be in their company 4 Her loue was such towards all as that shee would not giue offence to any by speaking ill of them neither did she delight as many do to heare ill reports against others Wherefore her religion was not vaine 1 Cor. 13. as all is without loue but it was a true religion her purity was in heart and in truth and blessed are the pure in heart Mat. 5.1 for they shall see God Her life was a continuall laying vp of treasure in heauen and therefore she could not but see heauen to be her dwelling place She led a right Angelicall life as Icrom truly speaketh Ieron epist 14 part 3. cap 1. Sine hac monasteria sunt tartara homines sunt damones c. Without this famlies are hels and men are diuels But with this families are paradices and men are Angel and if Angels they see their saluation Fourthly shee was annoynted with humility as Mary the blessed mother of Christ who being so highly graced by God Luc. 2.48 yet acknowledgeth herse fe his humble handmayden Although shee had something whereof others are proud as birth riches and estimation yet shee was the same lowly hand-maid of the Lord. 1 Through humility she made herselfe equall to those that bee of low degree being euen a companion of the poore ones that feare the Lord. 2 She despised the ornaments of vanity which other women so much delight in her outward habit did shew the inward lowlines and modesty of her mind 3 Shee stroue against the sharpnesse of her naturall disposition and by striuing did attaine a great measure of meeknesse and gentlenesse learning of him that sayd Matth. 11. Learne of mee that I am meeke and gentle and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules 4 Like the poore Publican shee was alwayes humbled in the sight of her sinnes in health and sicknesse neuer flattering herselfe with any thing which shee had done but alwayes bewailing her vnworthinesse and sinnes with which she sayd that she alwayes found herselfe compassed about 5 Because shee thought herselfe worthy of greater punishments she did humbly in all her sufferings submit herselfe to whatsoeuer it should please the Lord to lay vpon her verily perswading herselfe that no sicknesse or griefe came by chance but by Gods prouidence Without murmuring or impatient complaining she buckled her shoulders to to the yoke often affirming that shee respected not any sufferings heere Iam. 4.6 so that shee might goe to heauen heereafter Now to the humble it is promised that the Lord is neere though he despiseth the proud a farre off Esa 66.2 The Lord that inhabiteth eternity saith the Prophet is neere and hath respect to the humble that tremble at his word and if the Lord be neere hee is seene by the humble to bee their saluation Aug Mat Ser 5. This is the step saith Augustine whereby we ascend vp vnto God begin at the step
nothing but an vncloathing a putting off of base rags that we may be cloathed with glorious apparrell 2 Cor. 5.3 We sigh desiring to be vnclothed not that wee may bee lest naked but that we may bee clothed upon that death may bee swallowed vp of life Our body wherewith wee are now cloathed is moitall the cloathing to come is immortall neuer wearing away it is heauen which is glorious and euerlasting 3. Death is nothing else but a sweet sleep after long and toylesome labour For blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest fro their labours saith the Spirit and their workes follow them After the hard brunt of the lewes malicious onset Steuen is said to haue falne asleepe And who is not glad when the time of rest commeth after long and painefull labour 4. Death is nothing else but a committing of the soule into the hands of holy Angels to be carried into the company of Patriarkes and Prophets to liue together in continuall feasting and ioy For when Lazarus dyed the Angels carried him into Abrahams bosome Luc. 16. and the faithfull are sayd to sit downe in the kingdome of Heauen with Abraham Luc. 13.29 Isaak and Iaacob And who would bee afrayd or grieued to go into such company to liue in so ioy full a place whatsoeuer he must forsake in this world seeing that heere many bitter morsels are mixed with our sweet bits but there is all sweet and pleasant meat without any dramme of bitternesse But it will against this bee obiected Ob. that if this be the case of the faithful then many that liue a good life and expresse greatest zeale doe shew littie signe of their faith towards their end seeing they are wonderfully vncomfortable and oftentimes loth to depart I answer that this may happen euen in the true faithfull seruants of God and yet their faith remain vnshaken First through the desire of bringing more glory to God and of heaping vp a greater treasure in Heauen Thus Hezekiah pleaded for life in his great sicknes because saith hee the liuing the liuing they shall praise thee hee hee did earnestly desire because that hee was yet young and able to liue to gloritie God more in this world Euen as the laboring man that serueth a good master if his wages be offered him before the end of the day that hee may bee dismissed hee is loth to receiue them yet because hee had rather hold out in the seruice of so bountifull a master and doe him a full dayes worke so the faithfull person though he be assured of Heauen when he dieth yet he had rather continue whilst ability serueth to doe God more seruice in this world before his dismisse that doing a full dayes worke he may partake the more of the Lords bounty Secondly this salleth out somtime through the violence or the disease the greatnesse of the pain beâ—umming the sense for a time so a that there is no feeling of comfort but great heauinesse Thus the Lord lesus himselfe in his extreaine passions was in a wonderfull agony and heauy till that the Angels came and comforted him and much more the weake members of Christ when their passions are extreame must needs bee heauy and vncomfortable and loth to come neere death for a season Euen as the Labourer in the extreame heat of the day being pained with toyle and the weather is without all comfort although he be sure of his wages at night so the faithfull soule being scorched with the heat of extreame pangs hath no feeling of comfort although hee bee assured of his reward at the last Thirdly this falleth out through Satans temptations who then assaulteth most busily when we are weakest and heerein hee often preuaileth so farre as that the patient can finde no comfort though he prayeth againe and againe Thus S. Paul when he was most highly fauored of God had the buffettings of Satan by which hee was exceedingly cast downe 2 Cor. 12. and prayed once twice thrice before that hee could receiue any comfort Euen as the manly Souldier who hauing fought valiantly and a breach being made now in the wall through which hee is entring the city is notwithstanding much daunted by the desperate Aduersary which maketh the passage very hard and painefull vnto him insomuch as for a time there is nothing but horrour before his eyes though hee seeth the resistance to bee so weake as that hee cannot possibly be kept from the spoyle So the Christian souldier sighting manfully all his life time and the breach being now made in his last sicknesse though hee seeth the riches of the new lerusalem from which he cannot be stopped yet by Satan now growing de perate hee is so resisted as that his brunt is very grieuous and hee is much dismayd It is not so euen with wie ked persons for they lie vpon their sicke beds oftentimes with more comfort and euen quietly depart out of this world but this is partly because their pangs are not so great they being spared here to bee the more tormented heereafter and partly because the Deuid hauing them in his suare is no way troublesome vnto them but rather as an Angell of light speaketh all peace and comfort till they be in the midst of his lawes As Elishahs seruant led the Syrians with hope 2 King 6. till they were taken in the midst of their enemies Wherefore let no faithfull person bee discouraged for the brunts which the godly suffer in their sicknesse neither let the wicked be incouraged for the easie passage of some of the common sort for it remaineth firme Such as see by faith their saluation shall depart in peace and none else Had wee not an instance of this in our faithfull sister Shee had brunts of temptations brunts of pangs and part of her day yet in the course of nature remaining young children amongst whom she might think profitably to spend her time to Gods glory yet howsoeuer these things might trouble her ioy yet they could not all take it from her For vpon the Saturday growing very weake and being much troubled for a time she yet professed her stedfast assurance willing one that was then about to go to a friend of hers a Gentle woman that had labored but could not finde assurance to commend her vnto her and certifie her what ioy she had saying that she vndoubtedly should rather haue the like Soone after this being through this ioy reuiued in her spirit she arose from her bed and sang most sweetly saying that it put her in minde of the singing in heauen The next day being the Lords day when she heard the family singing below in the house she sayd that she should be singing ere long in heauen That night being prayed for sundry times when mention was made of restitution to health in prayer shee seemed not to bee much mooued but when heauen was mentioned and being receiued thither shee sayd aloud
built vpon him and yee may carry your selues in all things as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in streights in scourges in prisons in labours in fastings in chastitie in long-suffering in the Holy Ghost and in loue vnfained in the word of truth and in the virtue of God Let there not be a lye told amongst you for euery lyer is abominable vnto God God is truth and lying is opposite to truth Flie euery idle word for of euery idle and vaine word wee must giue accompt vnto God Loue silence where there is much talking there cannot but be much lying The speech bewraieth what a man is Let no word come from your mouth which may not sauour of Christ alwaies meditate vpon Gods law Surely nothing hurts a man more then euill society for such is a man made as they are whose society hee vseth The Wolfe neuer dwells with the Lambe A chast man flies the society of the luxurious I thinke it impostible for a man to remaine long in good workes that vseth euill society euery day With the holy saith the Psalmist thou shalt be holy with the innocent thou shalt be innecent with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse For euen as euill company hurteth so good companie profiteth Nothing can be compared to this treasure hee that hath found good Companions hath found life flowes with riches And to speake truely very seldome is a man made either good or euill but by company The heart of a child is like vnto a table wherin nothing is at the first ingrauen therefore what hee receiueth from company he reteineth euen vnto old age whether it be good or bad Let youth keepe company with men of yeares and wisedome for if hee be linked to one like vnto himselfe by daily fellowshippe hee shall fall from folly to folly Aboue all things my sonnes sweare not neither by heauen not by earth nor by any other Oath Out of whose mouth Oathes are heard in him is little knowledge and loue of God If it be not true which I sweare I doe in effect denie God for God hath for bidden to take his name in vaine Be instant in continuall prayers Frequent and deuout prayer doth much auaile Prayer doth lift vp a man from earth to heauen and makes him to speake with God Hee obteineth grace of God if his Prayer be deuout and mixt with teares Hezechiah by his prayers and teares did presently obtaine grace of the Lord so that the sentence was changed which had bin denounced At the praiers of Elias the beauen gaue raine which had beene shut vp three yeares and six monethes If ye want any thing aske it of the Lord by prayer and weeping being no whit doubtfull for whosoeuer hath faith but so much as a graine of mustard seed whatsoeuer he shall aske shall be granted vnto him The same Lord that then was is now also rich in all things wherefore let God now be your hope your ioy your thinking and your desire For of him in him and through him are all things in whom we liue and moue and haue our being and without whom we are nothing And now ô my sonnes I shall not speake many things to you for the houre is come vnto which I was borne vpon this condition I came into the world that I might goe out againe The Lord spared not his owne son but made them to die vpon the Crosse for vs all by whose death our death is dead for none of vs liueth to himselfe but dieth whether wee liue we liue to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord therfore whether we liue or die we are the Lords and for this cause Christ is called the Lord of the liuing and of the dead For if Christ bee dead surely the seruant is not about his Master we must also die and if he be risen againe we haue also most sirme hope that we shall rise againe and if he bee risen to die no more neither shall we die any more after our resurrection but shall alway abide with him in glory When Christ died a man like vnto vs died that the body of sinne might be destroyed that we might be made one body together with him Wherefore my beloued sonnes although I now die I beleeue that my Redeemer liueth and that I shall rise vp out of the earth at the last day and shall bee couered againe with this skinne and in this my flesh I shall see him my Sauiour whom I my selfe shall see who now speake whom ye see now dying and not any other for me And these very eies whereby I now see you shall looke vpon him Wherefore reioice with me and sing cast away the garments of mourning and heauinesse praise the Lord sing a Psalme vnto his name giue glorie to his praise for hitherto I haue walked through fire water behold now he refresheth me I will enter into the house of the Lord that I may pay my vowes from day to day Oh how great a game it is to me to die Because Christ shall bee my life againe Behold the earthly house of this habitation is dissolued that another may succeede not made with hands eternall in the heauens Behold I put off this mortall cloathing that I may put on immortall Hitherto I haue bin in pilgrimage now I returne to my countrey Behold I now receiue the prize for which I ran in the race I touch the hauen which I haue desired with so great a desire Behold I am carried from darkenesse to light from dangers to safetie from pouertie to riches from battell to victorie from heauinesse to ioy from a temporall life to eternall and from a filthy stincke to a most sweete smell Here I am blinde there I am inlightened here I am wounded there I am healed here I am alwaies made heauie there I am made ioyfull liuing here I am dead there I am truely made aliue The life in this world is no life but death a deceitfull life a life loaden with sorrowes weake vmbraticall deceitfull Now thou flourishest by and by thou witherest it is a fraile a momentany a fading life Wherein looke how much thou growest so much thou decreasest when thou goest more forward thou drawest nearer to death O life full of snares how many men doest thou intangle in the world How many through thee doe indure the torments of hell How blessed is he that acknowledgeth thy deceits how much more blessed is he that careth not for thy flatteries and how most blessed is hee that is well rid of thee O sweete and pleasant death thou art truely no death that bestowest true life Thou puttest away feuers and wounds thou quenchest hunger and thirst O most just death good vnto the good and rough vnto the euill thou humblest the proud rich and mightie and exaltest the humble Thou openest the way to eternall punishment to the euill and to eternall reward to the iust
be beloued of the world The Lord doth often correct and chaslise those whom be loueth If ye must glory in the world glory willingly in your tribulatious and aduersities for Christ promised these vnto his Disciples whom he loued euen vnto the end and that in signe of his chiefe loue when in his last supper he said Verily I say vnto you yee shall waile and weepe but the world shall reioyce Reioice my most beloued sionnes when the world hateth you Desire to suffer contumelies and reproaches of men because ye shall be blessed when men shall curse you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you falsly for the sonne of mans sake Know that ye are not of the world for if yee were of the world the world would loue his owne Thinke it all ioy when ye haue many reproaches and oppositions in the world knowing that euen out of these doth arise valour and patience and patience hath its perfect worke Virtues are tried by patience euen as gold by the fire He that hath other virtues without patience carries gold in earthen vessells In your patience onely said our Sauiour ye shall possesse your soules Valour is ioyned vnto patience a patient man is of a valiant minde and he which is penitent and valiant may securely hope for the good things of the life to come Keep patience in your minde and whilst yee haue time exercise it in your workes For patience is a couering whereby our ship saileth securely in the stormes of this world what winde soeuer bloweth without any feare of danger Let reproachfull words moue none of you to reuenge or hatred of your neighbour Be ye mercifull euen as your Father is mercifull who doth raine vpon the iust and the vniust and makes his Sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad Hee shall haue iudgement without mercie that doth not exercise mercie and mercie reioiceth against iudgement If ye will not from your hearts forgiue such as offend you neither will your Father forgiue you He doth in vaine aske for mercie which denieth mercie to others Herein is our virtue established herein standeth our stipend and reward if wee lone our friends in God and our enemies for God That wicked seruant which receiued mercie and denied mercie to his Fellow-seruant did therefore deserue to haue the seueritie of iustice Iustice without mercie is crueltie and therefore mercie is to be mingled with iustice All our law is in mercie God could haue condemned all in iustice whom he saued in mercie Wherfore he that wanteth mercie is no Christian It is almost imposlible that a mercifull and godly man should not pacifie Gods anger Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obraine mercie A man without mercie is as a shippe in the midst of the sea in euery part full of holes The Preist which dissereth from the men of this world in apparell yet agreeth with them in life Cerainely there is no beast in the world so cruel asan euill Preist for hee deth not suffer himselfe to be am ended and can neuer heare the truth and that I may smish in a word he excceds all men in naeghtinesse Alas how much hath couetousnesse growne in some that are spirituall in habit and name yea that I may speake truely couetousnesse is the cause of this spiritualitie who truely are rauening Wolues in sheepes cloathing If thou seest a Priest couetous and without mercie flie more from him then from a Serpent There are some which thinke that all the fruite that they are to bring foorth is to build Churches and Monasteries in a wonderfull manner whose couetousnesse is so great that they think the world and all things too little for them Their minde and thoughts are altogether set vpon this that they may picke other mens purses Our Sauiour reprouing such saith Woe to you that build the tombes of the Prophets Behold they that build Monasteries and set vp Churches of rare workemanshippe seeme to doe a goodly worke but if they shew mercie to the poore that is a good worke indeede Wouldst thou haue thy worke to please God prouide that the poore may haue ioy of it what Church is more deare to God then man Yee are the Temple of God saith the Apostle when thou reachest out thy hand vnto the poore when thou succourest a man in his necessitie When thou bringest the wandring in to the right-way Oh what an admirable temple and acceptable vnto God hast thou built Breake thy bread vnto the hungry and bring the poore wandring into thy house Let not man excuse himselfe and say I haue nothing to giue to the poore if thou hast any garment or any other thing besides very neeessaries and dost not succout a poore-man in want thou art a theefe and a Robber Wee are beloned only Stewards and not Possessours of things temporall One man hath so much more then hee needeth as an hundreth might hue vpon which perish thorough famine Hee that hath a little and giuoth nor robbes one but such rob beth so many as he giueth not vnto being in want But perchance thou wilt say ô Wretch it is mine owne my Parents left it me How could they leaue that to thee which was not their owne if it were their owne whence had they it who gaue it vnto them what brought they with them when they came into the world what shall they carrie away when they go out Certainely such things of the poore as wee possesse will crie for vengeance in the day of iudgement before the eyes of Gods iustice The law of nature requires this that what we desire should be done vnto vs wee should doe vnto other What other thing doth the old law publish and if thou aske the doctrine of the Gospell what other thing doth it infinuate These truely shall bee Witnesses before GOD the iudge What therefore should I say to these that onely gather together stones and erect wals aloft that their worke may appeare to the eyes of man and that the building may be praised Who is so foolish as that he vnderstandeth not that such buildings are not to the praise of God but for worldly pompe But some man will say what is it not good to build Monasteries and Churches that God may bee honoured thereby I answere it is good so that the poore in the meane while crie not to God against such How can I build an house pleasing vnto God or to his Saints of those monies for which the poore crie out What iustice can it be to reward the dead and to spoile the liuing and out of the want of the poore to offer vnto God Certes if this iustice should please God he should be the companion of violence and if it displeaseth God it cannot please the Saints Wherefore most beloued sonnes as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby if ye haue tasted how sweet the Lord is For verily if ye be not