the meane season remember that which our sauiour saith in the Gospell that there is ioy in heauen for one sinner that repenteth and turneth vnto God more then for ninetie and nine iust men which neede none amendment of life Yea let this thing greatly stirre thee vp to repent cōsidering with thy selfe howe desirous the Angels are of thy saluation and how they reioyce and be gladde at thy repentaunce But that doth singularly wel please thee which is in the booke of Psalmes The Lorde is good gracious and of great mercy But heare againe what is also in the same booke Thou hatest all that worke iniquitie and again The countenaunce of the Lord is against them that doe euill Iohn will some man alleage sayth in this wise He that beleueth in the Sonne hath eternall lyfe But what doth the same Iohn say moreouer He that committeth sinne is of the deuill and he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer Iohn Baptist beareth witnesse of Christ Behold saith he the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the worlde But what saith he in another place Repent and bringe forth fruites worthy amendment of life Peter as Luke mentioneth in the Acts saith in this sort We beleeue through the grace of y Lord Iesus Christ to be saued But what doth the same Peter say also in another place of the same boke Amend your liues therefore turn that your sinnes may be put away Christ himselfe saith in the Gospel of Iohn God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begottē sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life But what dooth he also saye in the Gospell of Matthew Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Thou beleeuest that which Paule saieth that Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners Beleeue then the same Paule also when he affirmeth that sorcerers adulterers whoremongers murderers theeues extorsioners couetous men proude persons drunkards slaunderers such as be enuious and malicious shall not inherite the kingdome of god For if thou be verelye perswaded that Paul doth speake truely here or rather the holy Ghoste by the mouth of Paule thou then plainely seest that thou canst cōceiue no trust of Gods mercy nether hope for saluation frō him as long as thou liuest wickedly and vngodlily For faith as it learneth out of the Gospel that God is gracious merciful to them that repent so doth it also learn that he is angry oftended with them that obstinately perseuer in sinne There is no cause thē that thou shouldest vpon hope truste of Gods fauour pardon prolong the amendment of thy life so deceiue thy selfe Repent first return into the right way thē be bold to promise to thy selfe largely of Gods elemency mercy Now as none can well repent but he that hopeth for pardon as Ambrose hath truely said so he can not hope for any pardon who doth not vnfeinedly repent I wil moreouer adde hereunto somewhat out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Sirach before I procede any further Say not saith he I haue sinned what euill hath come vnto me For the Almighty is a pacient rewarder but he wil not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne neither say the mercy of God is great he will forgiue my manifold sinnes For like as he is mercifull so goeth wrath from him also and his indignation commeth down vpon sinners Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not of from daye to day For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in time of vengeance he will destroy thee Thus much saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach Remedies against the third cause for which we prolonge the reforming of our life which vvas sayde to be the custome of sinninge BVt the custome of sinning doth hinder thee that thou causte not returne vnto goodnes and amend For most commonly it commeth to passe that thou shalt euen againste thy will doe those things whereunto thou hast accustomed thy selfe from thy tender yeeres For as Cyprian saith it is not suddenly and quicklye left which hauing bin long vsed hath in continuaunce of time much increased When doth he learne to spare and spende moderatlye who hath bin longe accustomed to sumptuous suppers and deintie delicates And when doth he frame himselfe to weare common and simple apparell who hath of a longe time bin clothed with gorgeous garmentes glittering with gold and other precious ornaments It muste needes be that according to the custome drunkennes do with forcible prouokements allure pryde puffe vp wrath inflame extorsion disquiet crueltie pricke forwarde ambition delight lust cary headlong c. So that it semeth very hard by any meanes to ouercome the custome of sinning which is nowe almost turned into nature Howbeit thou muste notwithstanding endedeuour to doe it if thou haste anye care of thy saluation But by what meanes thou wilt demaunde If by little and little good custome shaketh of that which euill custome hath brought in If that which euill custome hath as it were ingraffed by good custome thou doe endeuor to plucke vp Now nothing is so difficulte and hard as Seneca saith which the minde of man can not ouercome That therefore thou mayste ouer come the force of custome which is almost inuincible there is more neede of a certaine willingnes of mind then of striuing and labor although thou must add these also if thou wilt weaken plucke vp and as it were quite roote out that whiche hath taken deepe roote and is firmely fixed Goe to therefore with a good courage begin and doe thine endeuour with a good hope trusting especially to the assistance of God thou shalt haue prosperous successe At the first perhaps when thou doost begin that long continued custome of sinning will seeme vnto thee euen inuincible but when thou commest to the tryall thou shalt soone perceiue that that which was supposed coulde not bee done without great difficultie is not a matter so troublesome or hard as thou hadst thoughte So doth it fall out oftentimes that in doinge we finde that light and easye which in the beginning seemed heauie and harde Brieflye whereas that excellent Poet sayde of the companions of M◅estheus They prosper wel they able are because they so do seme Trust without all doubtinge that it shal be so with thee also Onely as I haue sayde go to with a good courage and an assured hope of prosperous successe and the endeuour and care to liue godlily will daylye more and more like and delight thee and vertue will meruelouslye allure thee to loue it then which as one truely saith there is nothing more fayre nothinge more beautiful nothing more amiable Finallye thou wilt neuer cease to
it were dreaming of long prosperitie what dooth God saye vnto him O foole this night will they fetche away thy soule from thee Dost thou not see that while the rich man dreameth that he shall enioy a secure and quiet life deintie dinners and sumptuous suppers costly and delicate bankets the ioyes and plesures of this world and thinketh now all things safe and sure doost thou not see I say that while he vainely looketh to enioye all these thinges sodaine destruction is ready to fall vpon him according as the Apostle Paul saith The holye Scripture therefore biddeth vs watch alwayes biddeth vs be prepared at all times for the comming of the Lorde an excellent admonition assuredly if we did not cōtemne it But as in the time of Noe when they were eating drinking marrying the flood sodenly destroyed them all as when Lot was departed out of Sodom they al perished sodenly by fire frō heauen so doth y last day of euery mans life come sodenly vnawares vpō him S. Iames going about to shake of this securitie y of rich welthy of the worlde what doth he say euen as foloweth Go to nowe yee rich men saith he weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you Your riches are corrupt your garments are moth eaten your gold and siluer is tankred Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth in wantonnes and haue merely kept continual feastes bankets Let here that rich man mentioned in the Gospell come into thy mind who was clothed with purple and fine silke and fared deliciously euery day but at the laste leauing this life he is continually tormented in hell Surely ouermuch welth and prosperitie suffered him not to thinke of amending his life Hereunto pertaineth that saying of our Sauiour in the Gospell of Matthew It is a hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of god This our Sauior as it were interpreting in the Gospell of Marke Howe hard is it sayth he for them that put their trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God Hereunto tendeth that whereas Christ calleth riches delightes of this life thornes which choke that leede of the worde of God that it can not springe vp and bring forth fruite This therefore is the cause why God sometime sendeth aduersitie chasteneth them whō he loueth as y apostle saith euen vnto this end that he may shake of our security stirre vs vp to feare him cal vpō him whō for the most part in prosperitie wee doe too much forget also that he may pricke vs forwarde to acknowledge our sinnes and hartely to repent for the same moreouer that he may moue vs to desire after heauenly thinges and to despise those that be humaine and earthly For in them who haue the world at will meruelously raigneth that carnall securitie which is counted amonge the moste heynous sinnes and sloth sluggishnes yea as it were a certain senslesnes drousines with a contempt of diuine thinges possesseth their mindes briefely in godly vertuous actions they are faint remisse slothfull and without all courage and spirite By all these wordes and many moe I can scarce sufficiently expresse that which I thinke such is the greatnes of this sinne Now the Scripture declareth that in prosperitie and abundance of welth men are made not only secure but also almost blind and oftentimes vngodly wicked Whereupon is that saying of Moses He was well fedde growne thicke and laden with fatnes so he forsooke God his maker and regarded not the rocke of his salnation They prouoke him to anger with strange Gods c. So Dauid when his enemies were on euery side subdued being secure thinking all things to be safe falleth into adultery and defileth himselfe with the slaughter of an innocent man He that before when Saule persecuted him had behaued himselfe very well in prosperitie became vtterly vnlike himselfe so much doth it concerne him that standeth again and again to take heede least he fall Nowe after he had committed these sinnes in howe great securitie did he liue a long time For as though there had bin no daunger because God is mercifull he went to the tabernacle he celebrated Sabbats and festiuall dayes he was present at sacrifices and offered them like as others did and not to vse many wordes he lyued with a secure mynd But when God by the Prophet Nathan denounceth vnto him punishment and vengeaunce and putteth him in feare and terror then at the last he returning to himselfe perceiueth what he had committed weyeth with himselfe the grieuousnes of his offence and conceiueth greate greefe by reknowledging his sinne openly confesseth the same humbly craueth the mercy of God desireth to be washed from his iniquitie to be clensed from his sinne and to haue the filthines of his offence wiped away neither doth he in the meane season refuse the punishment which god had threatned against him neyther seeketh to auoyde that scourge which he had deserued I would to God there were not like security in vs who for the most part liue with such a secure minde as thoughe all thinges were well neyther doe we acknowledge our offences nether feare the seuere iudgement and grieuous and heauy wrath of God againste sinne So arre is it of that howe great sinnes we cōmit so greatly we doe also lament the same as the most holy martyr of Christ S. Cyprian saith But that I may returne to our former matter and knit vp all in fewe wordes No man can be saued but he whose sinnes are forgiuen and none hath his sinnes forgeuen but hee that asketh pardon of God nowe none asketh pardō of God but he that desireth to returne into Gods fauour neither doth any desire this from his heart but he that is throughly grieued for his sinnes and none is grieued for his sinnes but he that acknowledgeth them and feeleth the wrathe of God againste sinnes This he doth not who is secure and touched with no care of his saluation but for the moste parte he is suche a one with whom all thinges goe prosperously forward and who is as it is said of one drunke with sweete and prosperous fortune It is therefore manifest hereby that prosperitie and fortunate affaires doe cause that men seldome thinke of amendinge theyr life Of the fift cause vvhy man prolonggeth the reforming of his life THe fift cause of differring the amendment of our maners from day to day is hope of long life For although there be none albeit he be but young who knoweth assuredly as he saith in Cicero that he shall liue til the euening notwithstanding there is almost none so old but he thinketh he may liue yet one yere more An old man crieth out in a certaine comicall Poet sayinge shall I beeing threescore
sclaundering theft extortion sacriledge surfetting riot dronkennes vsurie and such like sinnes neither onely all idle rayling vaine foule filthy light fond foolishe rash vnmodest presumptuous wordes and all other whereby godly eares are iustlye offended but also the secrete wills of mē vngodly wishes thoughtes wicked affections and such as disagree with the lawe of God as wrath hatred contentiō enmitie spite enuye euel will pride couetousnes desire of that which is an other mans and not our owne and other of like sort Who is there then that verelye beleueth that the last iudgement shall come whom the remēbraunce thereof doth not reclaime from sinning and retaine in his dutie being otherwise ready and prone to offende Well sayd one of the auncients Whether I eate sayth he or drinke or doe anye thinge els me thinkes I heare that voyce alwayes sound in mine eares Arise yee dead and come vnto iudgement As often as I thinke vpon the day of Iudgement I tremble for feare in my whole heart and body c. If therefore the fleshe stirreth vp anye man to lust and filthy pleasures if to gluttony and surfeiting if to other vices and naughtines lette him remember the day of the last iudgemente If prosperitie as it often commeth to passe doth puffe vp any if riches do make any proud and insolent if honour dignitie rule doe cause anye to bee ouer stoute and presumptuous let such straight call to mind the iudgement seate of god If wrath stirre vp anye to take reuenge if enuye and malice possesse anye mans minde if auarice moue thee to fraude or extortion if the world allure any to ambition pride riot if the deuill prouoke anye to blaspheme God and to other sinnes and wicked dedes let him thinke vpon the voyce of the Archangell let him beleeue that he shall plead his cause before the iudgement seat of God let him earnestly dread the sentence of the iudge that condemneth the wicked to eternall fire I would to God I would to God I say this day of iudgemente did neuer slippe out of the mindes of men then would we all endeuour to doe our duety Princes would procure the prosperitie and se to the safetie of the people which God hath committed vnto ihem they woulde defende and preserue their libertie they would establishe and maintaine good and wholesome lawes in their common wealth Againe the people would shewe themselues obedient and loyall to their princes they woulde not grudge at their rule and aucthoritie they would not refuse to pay tribute custome they woulde giue vnto them due feare and honour Euerye man would loue his wyfe as himselfe Wiues would reuerence their husbandes and be subiect vnto them as vnto their head Parents would bring vp their children in the discipline and nurture of the Lord as the Apostle Paule teacheth Children on the otherside would obey their parents in the Lorde and giue vnto them due reuerence and honour Seruaunts woulde obeye them that are their maisters according to the fleshe with feare and trembling and singlenes of their hearts as vnto Christe as the Apostle Paul admonisheth Masters would deale more gently curteously with their seruants knowing that they themselues also haue a maister in heauen Pastors would haue that care of the Lordes flocke which they oughte Rich men would relieue the penurie of the poore with their substaunce Widowes would giue themselues day and night vnto prayer Poore men woulde suffer their pouertie patientlye seeing it pleaseth the Lorde they shall liue in that state He that hath a wife would be as thoughe he hadde none He that is single woulde haue care of those thinges that pertaine to the Lorde What shoulde I make manye wordes Euerye one would doe his duety from his heart if that day of the last iudgemente did neuer departe out of our mindes when as God wil require of vs an account of our whole life and all our actions and will reward and punishe euerye one according to his desert We see in the time of a great plage or sicknes whē death is daily before our eyes how careful all are to reforme and amende their life at the least such as doe not falsely vsurpe the name of Christians What then Oughte we not at all times at all houres yea and almost euery moment to thinke of the amendment of our lyfe to be touched with vnfained and bitter greefe of mind for our sinnes and to pacifie gods wrathe with earnest and harty repentaunce seeing that by reason of the vncertaine chaunces which be incident vnto vs in this life death is dayly imminent wee ought to be verely perswaded that almost euery houre it is present and doth hang ouer our heads Let him that is wise therefore endeuour as I haue sayde so to leade his life as men for the most parte are wont in the time of some great plague or sicknesse at whiche time they being as it were wakened oute of sleepe beginne to haue some minde and care to amende their life to auoyde and detest sinne to loue and embrace vertue and godlines briefely are wont by true repētance to pacifie God beīg iustli offended at their sinnes Let euery one thē continue such a one being nowe deliuered from feare of the plague as he purposed with himselfe to be when the plague most reigned and raged There is none but he doth confesse that the houre of death is vncertaine albeit it be moste certaine that we shall at one time or other dye Now how foolish a thing is it to feare death hanging ouer our heads euery moment and in the meane season to thinke nothinge of amending of our life But thus it is In aduersitie as in the time of a great plague in the time of famine warre earthquakes in the time of some greeeueous and daungerous disease of the body we acknowledge Gods moste iust wrath indignation against sinne sinne But when we haue the worlde at will thinges are on euery side prosperous we sticke not to abuse his bountie and goodnes neither doe wee then remember death that hangeth ouer our heades euery houre neither the last iudgemente neither the voyce of the Archangell whereof Paule speaketh writing to the Thessalonians neither the sounde of the trumpe of God neither of hell or eternal punishment neither the fire that shal neuer goe out neither that darkenes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The memorie of which thinges ought neuer to depart out of our minde neyther when we rise in the morning nor when we goe to bed at night whether wee dyne or sup whether we are occupyed aboute any earnest matter or recreate our mind with some honest pastime But all these things seme fables to the wicked namely the last iudgement the tribunal seate of the lord that voice of that Archangel the trumpe of God the eternall paines of hell fire And as the heathen did in time past thinke those thinges false w the Poets were wont to speake
of concerning hel the riuer in hel that alwayes burneth the iudges Minos and Rhadamanthus the place abode punishmēt of the wicked wherupon came that saying of Seneca The poets deluded vs saith he and put vs in vaine feare so many count for trifles and fables vtterly contēne as vayne threats those thinges which at this day are read in the holy Scriptures of hel of eternal death of the fiery lake wher shal be weeping gnashing of teeth also of the resurrectiō of the soule bodye either to euerlasting paines or eternal glorye Whē as al these things without doubt strike horror into thē that be godly in deede do feare god aright as one saith they are almost afraid to heare thē once named or spoken of Thus hast thou the chiefe principall cause as I thinke why all of vs almost do so prolong the amendment of our life Of the second cause vvhy man differreth to amende his lyfe LEt vs nowe come to the second whiche is hope of Gods pardon and fauour a hope great in deede but surelye false and altogether vncertaine With this hope the continuall enemy of mankind the Deuil holdeth man in sinne and by dayly setting before him Gods lenitie and gentlenes keepeth him from fearing his iustice But as God doth easily pardon the penitent and fatherly forgeiueth such as returne vnto goodnes so he leaueth not vnpunished neither suffereth vnreuenged suche as with an obstinate mind perseuer in wickednes In vain therefore doe they hope for pardon who do not hartely repent for their sinnes committed The deuil notwithstanding by setting this hope before man bringeth to passe that he sinneth securely and neuer hath any earnest cogitation of amending his lyfe but despiseth the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth him to repentaunce that I maye vse the wordes of the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans Let man here call to minde that which our sauiour sayth in the gospell of Matthew Repent saith he your former life for the kingdome of heauen is at hand And that which the Lord saith in Esay Which of them shall I then regarde Euē him that is poore of a lowly troubled spirite and standeth in awe of my words Christ saith moreouer in the gospel of Luke Vnlesse ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Peter in the Acts sayth Repente ye therefore and conuert that your sinnes may be put away I omit sixe hundred other places in the Scriptures which tende to the same ende that is which teache that none can hope and trust for pardon of his sinnes but he that repenteth For in vaine as I haue sayde doth he hope to haue remission and forgiuenes whose hearte is not touched with true repentance Now albeit no repentaunce be to late before God which the example of the theese mentioned in the gospell doth declare for God desireth not the destruction of sinners but rather that they repent and liue Who notwithstanding seeth not how daungerous a thing it is to differre the amendment of our life Well was it sayd of one that none hath euer had God so fauourable vnto him that he coulde promise himselfe to liue till the morowe Death oftentimes cōmeth vpon men vnawares so that they haue no time so much as to thinke of repenting and amendinge their life I will not here rehearse those thinges whiche Plinie declareth in hys natural history of sodain deathes farasmuch as nothing almost is more common vsual euen at this time also It is not many yeeres since there were two olde men in this country both inhabitants of one and the same citie who the same night they dyd lye with the strumpets to whō they vsed to resort that one lost his life by an Apoplexie the other was stabbed in with a dagger so both of them died sodenly with how great peril of their soules let euerye one thinke with himselfe I confesse it in dede to be true that it is cōmon to the godly as wel as to the wicked to die sodenly that that is true also with the wiseman saith that the righteous man with what death so euer he be preuented shal be in rest How dreadful a thing is it notwithstanding that the impenitent person should sodenly be ouertaken with death after such a sort Of how many haue we heard oftētimes who euen when they were tipling and making god chere falling vnto strife brawling amōg themselues haue bin thrust through one of an other Of howe many who being taken in adultery haue by the sword lost their liues Of howe many who playing at the dice haue bin slayne of them that played with them That I may say nothing of them who falling frō their horse haue brokē theyr neckes who haue perished sodenly in the sea by shipwracke finally who either byfalling of houses or by some other chance haue died a sodain death Although then y God doth desire rather the repentaunce then death of a sinner as in deede he doth it is notwithstanding a very perilous thing by reason of the vncertaine chaunces which be incident vnto vs to differre the amendment of our life vppon hope of Gods mercy Thou must repent in time while thou doost yet liue and art in good health But thus standeth the case A younge man takethe hys pastime and pleasure geueth himselfe to banketting and riotous liuing promiseth himselfe to liue manye yeeres and therefore thinketh nothing of reforming his life but differreth this thing vntill olde age whereunto notwithstanding it is vncertaine whether he shall euer come For what one among manye thousandes liueth vntill olde age Nowe what doth he that is become verye olde and is as it were euen at deathes dore To morrowe saith he it shall be done and againe it shall be done to morrow so he willingly deceiueth vaynly flattereth himselfe seeing as I haue sayde no man can promise himselfe to liue till the morrow no no man knoweth whether he shall liue vntil the euening In the meane season mē so dayly differring prolonging the amendmēt of their life death oftentimes commeth vppon them vnawares as we may see almost euerye day and yet can not other mens harms make vs to beware so doth the deuill alwayes drawe vs on and allure vs with a vayne hope of Gods pardon and of a long life Now although it neither ought nor by any meanes may be denyed that the penitēt obtaine gods grace and fauour at all times neither may it be sayde that he who is nowe about to yeeld vp the ghost in that very agonye of death should despeire of pardon who notwithstanding is so vnwise that he doth not rather desire that which is safe and boyde of all danger then that which is ioyned with exceedinge greate perill Wherefore rather then there shoulde be any scruple or doubte let vs thinke in time of amending our life let vs not differre it from day
I saye runne to thy ruine and destruction for the pleasant companye of thy companions but to the vttermost of thy power sequester thy selfe from them and let eternall saluation be more deere and pretious vnto thee then a shorte delighte of worldly ioye and pleasure A right pithie and profitable exhortation to forsake vice and imbrace vertue AGaine and againe thinke thus with thy selfe that I may nowe come to the laste poynt that he doth not truely repent neyther is or may be counted a Christian who continueth in sinne and wickednes neither that there is anye true faith in him who sinneth against his conscience and committeth an heynous offence Let vs not therefore be Christians in name onely being farre of from the thing it selfe neither let vs boast of faith in wordes alone but let vs truly and vnfeynedly repente let vs turne to God with all our heart let vs not trusting to our owne strength but to the helpe and assistance of God endeuour to reforme vice by vertue alwayes to liue godlily iustly innocently vprightly holily chastly soberly temperately profitably to the Churche of God friendly to the life of man and as Paule saith as it becommeth the Gospell of Christe Let vs moreouer dayly desire of our heaueÌ„ly father by our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ that he will giue vnto vs his holy spirite who may gouern guide teach sanctisie rayse vp comfort and quicken vs for Christe in the gospell hath promised that his heauenlye father will giue the same spirite vnto vs if we by harty prayer aske it of him And let vs not resiste the holy Ghost by yeelding to our wicked desires against our conscience neither let vs expell or greeue him that I may vse the word of the Apostle Paul. Let vs walke in newenesse of life let vs not serue sinne let vs giue vp our bodyes a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God let vs mortefie the fleshe with the affections and lustes thereof let vs keepe our selues vnspotted of the world let vs be renued in the spirite of our minde and put on the newe man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holines let vs be followers of God as deere children let vs walke worthye of the Lord and as it becommeth saints forbearing one another through loue endeuoring to kepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace let vs be gentle louing one towards another let vs loue our enemies let vs blesse them that curse vs let vs doe well to them that hate vs let vs praye for them that hurt and trouble vs let vs giue meate to the hungrye drinke to the thirstie releefe to the needye let vs harbour straungers cloth the naked visite the sicke admonish him that is out of the way instructe the ignoraunte helpe the perplexed with our counsaill comfort the afflicted reconcile suche as be at discorde and variance despise worldly honours contemne vayne glorye brieflye let vs not seeke after welth and riches lett vs endeuour alwayes to subdue and represse our naturall corruption and wicked affections and let vs not onely take heede least our hearts be at anye time ouercome with surfettinge and drunkennes but let vs also by fasting and due abstinence prepare our selues to prayer and among so many deceites and inuasions of Satan the world and the flesh let vs with ardent prayer aske helpe of God Let vs not be proud in prosperitie or discouraged in aduersitie whatsoeuer we doe let vs doe all things to the glorye of God let vs not regarde onely our owne matters but rather those which are other mens Moreouer let vs so behaue our selues that none be offended by vs but that we may by our good example bring other to vertue and godlines finally let vs pray dayly and without intermission in all things let vs giue thanks let vâ—â—lwaies aspire to heaueÌ„ly things let vs contemne humane and earthly These things are hard thou wilt say I coÌ„fesse it yet are they agreable to a christian profession needeful to saluation Let vs then do our diligence that we may cast of al remissenes of mind let vs not ouermuch fauor our selues nor yeeld to our own infirmitie or euer willingly be cause that the grace of God bee in vaine in vs Let vs not only not fall into sinne wittingly but let vs also valiauntly resist the assaults of Satan neuer yeeldinge vnto him through cowardise or sluggishnes Nowe what is not to be iudged light whereby thou mayst come to that life which aboundeth with all good things to those eternal ioyes Not without cause saith the Apostle Paul I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthye of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs Hereunto maketh that which is sayde in another place The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into the hearte of man the thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him For how great a thing is it which can neither by force of words bee expressed nor by thought of man conceiued of what sorte it is to be a citizen and inhabitour of heauen to be an heyre of God an heyre annexed with Christe to possesse the kingdome prepared for the godly before the beginning of the worlde without end to beholde that soueraigne good to enioy the most comfortable coÌ„templation of the countenaunce of God to be conuersant in the company of Angels to haue societie with the blessed spirits to be in the assembly of the righteous together with the angels the Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the Martyrs finally with all the godly enioying blessed immortalitie and life euerlasting together I saye with all these to celebrate with hymnes and prayses the eternall God the fountaine of all glory What are not al the miseryes and molestations of this lyfe to be counted light if thou looke vnto the glory to come so that we oughte worthelye to be ashamed of our sluggishnesse and remissenes who when he remembreth these thinges namely the kingdom of heauen the life immortal euerlasting blessednes ioies exceeding great and infinite the companye of Angels finally the societie of all who after their life led godlily vpon the earth shall enioy a life moste blessed and eternall who I saye when he remembreth these thinges is willing to cary on the earth and doth not rather with Paule desire to be dissolued and deliuered out of the prison of this body Let vs not therefore count these things heard after which so greate commodities do ensue especially seeing on the other side they that keepe not the commandements of God that are needefull to saluation shall not onely be excluded from that felicitie whereof we haue spoken but also be cast headlong into hell fire and eternal death throwne into vtter darkenes where shal be weeping gnashing of teeth afflicted with most greuous paines and continual torments in the companie and societie of the deuils and the wicked without any hope