be fed with delicates and dainties from heauen and are nourished with the grace fauor of God they holde vp their hands they turne vp their eies they lift vp their harts and mindes to God that is in heauen from whence their soules receiue comfort ioy saluation and euerlasting life Such men are not in loue with this worlde nor with the transitorie things of the same They know and consider that the earth and all that is in it was once nothing and that it shall returne to nothing againe All is vanitie and vanitie of vanities But all their felicitie ioye and comfort is in the worde and will of God to know it that whiles they liue héere below in the earth they may do it That the course of this life being ended they may haue and enioy euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lorde LEarned and famous writers do report that in the vniuersall world there is nothing harder then the adamant stone especially that which is had in the Indians which in firmenes hardnes and valure excéedeth the rest but I am of opinion that the hart of man is harder than it for the adamant though it will giue place to no other thing nor be softened by any other means yet is it said to be subdued and mollified with the warme bloud of a goate But the hart of a man being hardned through the continuance and custome of sinne wil not be mollified brideled nor tamed neither with the bloud of a goat nor yet with the bloud of that immaculate lambe Christ Iesus which gaue himselfe a sacrifice for vs vpon the altar of the crosse and there bestowed his bloud that he might mittigate and appease our wilde mindes and pricke to the quicke our harde and senselesse harts and to open vnto vs the waie to the attaining of eternal life and euerlasting saluation O harde saith Bernard and hardened sonnes of Adam that will not be mollified with so great a force and power of loue With whom the bitter pangs of Christ his death and passion cannot preuaile We are surely that people to whom the Lord speaketh by Esay the prophet sayeng I know that thou art hard harted and that thy necke is a synewe of iron and that thy face is of brasse And Ieremie out of doubt speaketh no lesse of vs than of the Iewes they haue made saith he their faces harder then flint and they will not be conuerted I would to God these sayings did onely touch the Iewes and did not also hit a number of vs that professe the name of Christ looke to be saued by him pat vpon the thumbes Wée are proud hawtie and high minded and we hate to be humbled we are couetous enuious leacherous and we will not be brideled Wée are very rich and religious in words but we are very beggerly and haue no religion in our works Our lips and tongues onely are gilded and tipt with good spéeches but our harts are far from the Lorde The almightie vouchsafe to open the eies of our mindes and to mollifie our harts that we may sée and receiue his grace offered vnto vs and that forsakeing our selues and our sinnes we may be conuerted vnto him Amen AS the sunne doth not leaue shining and sending foorth his bright beames although a cloude will sometimes darken his light Euen so we must not giue ouer to exercise godlines and to do well euen towards them that be our enimies and will hate and persecute vs and the better we do the woorse will deale with vs. Christ commandeth vs to loue our enimies and to do them good and to pray for them that hate vs and persecute vs. AS the nut and oliue trées although they be beaten with rods yet bring foorth most plentifull fruits So we must not be weary of well dooing nor caste the exercise and practise of godlines behinde vs but rather more willingly and feruentlie procéede go on in the same although the friends of this world shall braule and rate at vs shall curse reuile and most vnkindly intreate vs. The lot of vertue is to be enuied and to finde fewe friends and if at all to be but coldly intertained with the most parte and greatest number of the worlde The prophet of God complaineth that for his vertues sake the princes of the earth laid their heads togither against him and yet he shronke not EVen as a quiet calme and pleasant water will shew vnto vs if we looke into it the verie image and likenes of our selues as it were a glasse but mooued stirred and troubled it doth not so euen so our owne harts if they be quiet and not troubled with horrors nor distempered with feares will plainly shew vs what we be so that we may easilie know our selues and not be deceiued but being filled with feares tossed with terrors and ouerwhelmed with troubles they cannot do so It behooueth vs therefore that our harts be not troubled nor ouerladen with feares Christ willeth his disciples that they fears not nor that their harts be troubled and in another place hée saith Feare not my little flocke The prophet was in heauie plight when he cried O Lord my hart is sore troubled And in an other place I was troubled in my sléepe Therefore that we may haue our harts quiet our soules in peace and our consciences vntroubled Let vs beware of sinne flie from all iniquitie and walke vprightly before our God all the daies of our liues God grant we may Then may wée saie The Lorde is the protector of my life of whom shall I be afraid And againe I will feare no ill for thou Lord art with me And if God be with vs who can hurt vs A Scorpion is a venemous creature which hath a pleasant pace but woundeth deadly with hir taile shée stingeth not with hir face but with hir hinder part Such a one is euerie smooth toonged and flattering bodie Which speaketh faire to his neighbours face and killeth him in his hart Honest Cato to see too but cruell Nero in experience AS a Bée doth carie a floure in hir mouth but behinde doth pricke verie sharpely with hir stinge So verie manie in these daies do vse most sweet and pleasant spéeches wil euen stroke as it were thy humor and disposition with soft and sugred communication to the ende that by reason of some malice couched in their harts they may worke thy woe and vtter ouerthrow Of these Dauid speaketh They came about me like bees c. Wicked men therefore must be taken héede of For the Scriptures do painte them out in their colours that we may shun them Mathew and Iohn do call them woolues Luke foxes Mathew and Luke the generation of vipers The Lord deliuer vs from them Amen EVen as a candle that it may giue light vnto others it selfe is burned and consumed And as salt it selfe is brused and molten
Lord is hard at hande to them that are of a troubled hart and will saue the humble and lowly in spirit And the Lords words by Ose the prophet are these In their tribulation they will rise vp earely and call vpon me For the Lord his maner and custom is to helpe and succour the afflicted which call and crie for his heauenly comfort Héerehence is that of the Euangelist Iohn Your sorrow shall be turned into ioy And that of the apostle As you are companions of the passions and sufferings so shall yée be of the consolation and comfort And that also in the Actes We must enter into the kingdome of God through many tribulations And holy Iohn in the reuelation speaking of the saints which haue and shall haue the fruition of God in heauen saith Those are they that came from great tribulation Héereupon Augustine saith excéeding well That the Lord hath appointed thée to suffer it is a scourge of him that chastiseth thée and not a punishment of him that condemneth thée Who woulde not then be well contented with troubles and afflictions Who would not willingly vndergo the indignation malediction and persecution of wicked men Who would be afeard of the spite malice and whatsoeuer this wicked world can say or do Séeing the sequell vnto the sons and daughters of God is to be exalted and extolled into heauen and to be placed there at the right hand of the almighty through and with the Lord Iesu world without end The forenamed saints of God and other holy men from age to age in the midst of their calamities did still remember themselues to be men borne vnder that condition that their liues should euer be open and subiect to all the ineuitable darts of infinite troubles and that there was no refusing to liue and leade their liues in that condition whereunder they were borne And whiles they called to minde the euents of other men they knew right well that no new thing had happened vnto them And indéede the remembrance of mans condition and estate and of a common law and lot as it were incident to al doth mitigate the paine of troubles and doth make their burden the easier to bear And this is a thing euer obserued and noted in the children of God that they are so far from impatience and from repining at their afflictions that euen in the depth of their miseries they thinke themselues happy that they are counted woorthy to suffer any thing for Christs sake It were a great booke matter to remember all those that are mentioned in the holy scriptures which euen shrinking and falling away from God haue béene recouered reclaimed and healed by afflictions and tribulations as it were with physicke and medicine from heauen O how great is thy goodnes how incomparable is thy clemencie how infinite and endles is thy mercy O heauenly and most holie father Which dost therefore afflict vs that tho◠maist chéere vs vp againe Thou dost therefore hold vs downe that thou maist comfort vs and dost suffer vs to fall into diuers and sundry calamities that we may learn to know thy righteousnes and mercies All these things thou dost not of hatred to vs warde but of loue not to destroy vs but to bring vs to thy glorie AS the aire is cléered with the brightnes and shine of the sun and when the sun is downe and set the aire is couered with darknes Euen so the minde of man when it is purged cleared with heauenly wisedome sought and drawne out of the word of God doth shine most excellently and sendeth foorth a pure and perfect light of christianitie which may most easily be decerned to procéed and to come from God himselfe But being without that true light it is ouerwhelmed with an horrible and fearfull darknes and giueth out nothing but filthy mists and stinking vapors which do spring and rise out of the corruption and rotten nature of man and euen from hel and sathan himselfe How can it be that darknes and blindnes should remaine and rest in that hart of man which the holie Ghost the authour of all light and the onely light it selfe hath chosen to be his owne seat and holy habitation Can error flowe out of the most pure fountaine of wisedome It is not possible that from the onely centre of all goodnes a line of wickednes should be drawne And can the fruits of death grow out of the trée of life These are vnpossible things And on the otherside where the holie spirit of grace and might hath not place and possession there is nothing to be found but blindnes error sin iniquitie and all abhomination yea and all the fruits of eternall death it selfe EVen as a bitter potion is not saide to be vnprofitable nor without hope when health and soundnes doth follow although it be excéeding bitter to him that taketh it So sharp and pinching calamities wherewith the Lord doth exercise now and then his children are not to be counted idle and in vaine when some peace of conscience and comfort vnto our soules do follow that when the iustice of God is séene many may be amended and the faith and patience of many may be tried For nothing is more auaileable for the aduauncing of the praise and commendation of true vertue then calamitie it selfe taken and borne patiently for Christs sake AS yoong chickins are in safetie from the hauke and puttocke so long as they straie not from about the wings of their dams and when they do straie far from them they are easilie taken of euery vermine Euen so they that depart not from God but kéeping themselues neere vnto him do walke and lead their liues within the compasse and limits of his laws and ordinances are most safely kept by him from the force inchantments engins and all the subtle deuises of sathan and his instruments but if they forsake God and not regarding his word diuide themselues from him by their sins and iniquities they must néedes fall into the tallons and iawes of that tyrannicall hawke and hound of hell from whence there is no deliuerie Whose whole indeuor and labor is like a roaring lion to séeke whom he may deuoure EVen as it is a thing very commendable and worthy praise that a soldier do euer beare about him the signes and badges of his captaine that it may appéere to whom he belongeth So is it no little honor to a true christian man to passe through manie dangers and to be experienced in many troubles and to indure many affliction◠for his captaine Christs sake For sorrowes vexations and tribulations are the armor and badges of Christ And therefore the apostle which for Christs sake suffered many things saith I do beare about in my body the marks of the Lord Iesu EVen as the sun which vnto eies being sound and without disease was very pleasant and wholsome vnto the same eies when they are féeble
and repining is sadder than they that went downe into Trophonius his den and in enuie passeth Zoilus enuying those especially that in any gift or qualitie are before him Iust men and they that be wel garded with vertues on euery side and are of a noble and excellent courage can ouercome and subdue their enimies but their enuy they can neuer ouercome for it will not be tamed nor subdued It is a fire that consumeth the harts of them whom it possesseth with a continuall burning Salomon his counsell is that thou eate not with an enuious man nor desire his meate And the Apostle willeth the Galathians that they be not desirous of vaine glorie prouoking one another and enuying one another Hieronymus in an epistle to Demetriades saith What pleasure I pray thée doth enuie to that man whom fretting and wrath doth teare and rend in péeces in the secret corners of his conscience and maketh the felicitie of other men his owne torment A wicked man taketh pleasure in his owne wickednes but the enuious man is tortured with the good of others Quintus Curtius in his eight booke De gestis Alexandri reporteth that Alexander was woont to say that enuious men are nothing else but torments and tormentors of their owne selues Chrysostom calleth enuie an vnquenchable fire And Isidore saith that it doth deuoure all good things in man with a most pestilent burning heate And in my opinion it is a very image of hell that tormenteth without profite or pleasure A Father which giueth vnto his sonne whom he loueth déerly a breast plate or stomacher very costly and curiouslye wrought of silke siluer or gold to weare vnder some other garment doth suffer his vppermost garment as doublet or cote to be pinkt and cut in diuers places that the vnder costly worke may outwardly appéere and be séene of all Euen so our heauenly father a God of compassion and mercie yea the God of all comfort doth somtimes suffer that man whom he most déerely loueth to be wounded of the wicked and to be smitten with calamities and miseries to the end that the precious and golden brest plate of patience wherewith the Lord hath inwardly indued him should outwardly appéere and be séene of all Héerehence is that which the Apostle saith to the Hebrewes Whom the Lord loueth him he doth chasten and he scourgeth euerie sonne whom he receiueth And in the Reuelation the Lord in the person of Iohn saith Whom I loue those do I reprooue and chasten And in the mouth of Matthew he saith Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake True it is that patience is an heauenly gift and a very blessed thing for as the Apostle saith it worketh a triall in man and that triall worketh an hope and that hope doth neuer confound nor shame him that hath it And the same Apostle willeth the Colossians as the elect of God to put on patience as if he should say there is no vesture nor vertue whatsoeuer doth better beséeme the seruants of God than patience vnder crosses and in the midst of a thousand afflictions And therefore the holy Ghost doth aduertise vs to run with patience vnto the battell or fight that is set before vs and euer to looke vpon the author and finisher of our faith euen Iesus who hauing vnspeakable ioy set before him did vndergo and indure the crosse not regarding but euen despising the confusion and shame thereof It behooueth vs when we are beset on euerie side with afflictions and troubles to flie vnto God and to beséech him that with his aide and helpe as with the cléere shine of his most bright sunne he will scatter abroad the cloudes and darknes of our calamities and great miseries least that if they increase and multiplie we fall into despaire and so slumber in sin and sléepe in death that the enimie of our soules and saluation may say I haue preuailed against them For if we will imbrace the Lord with all our harts we shall no doubt be in most sure and certaine safegarde And although the wicked and vngodly sort which are more barbarous and sauage than brute beasts shall afflict the saints and seruants of God and beare and behaue themselues insolently and shall abuse their power and authoritie to the hurt and harme of such as feare the Lord in singlenes of hart and are readie with all patience to beare whatsoeuer crosse shall be laid vpon them yet at the length the Lords elect shall preuaile one way or other to their great comfort and shall be aduanced to eternall life and glorie that neuer shall haue end For as the prophet saith The patient abiding of the poore shall not alwaies be forgotten for although for a time God suffereth his seruants to be strangely afflicted that vertue in them may growe to some perfection yet not the lesse in his due time he doth deliuer them out of all the tempests and stormes of the world and doth make them partakers of his kingdome in glorie euerlasting We are woont to call those men martyrs which suffer death by fire or sword for Christs sake and indeede so they be but that man also in my opinion may rightly be called a martyr which kéepeth truly in his hart and minde an vnfained patience without grudging or repining at any troubles whatsoeuer thinking himselfe happie that he is thought woorthie to beare some crosse or other after his Lord and sauiour Christ such a man no doubt is a martyr euen liuing though he lose not his life by fire nor sword EVen as those shéepe which in the presence of their shepheards do vomit and cast out againe the grasse which they haue eaten do not profitably shew how much how well they haue fed but those rather which do inwardly digest and concoct their meate and do giue abundance of mylke and do beare the softiest weightiest and finest wooll and do shew themselues to be fat faire and well liking For by those things they shew plainly prooue that their pasture is excéeding good Euen so not those pastors ministers and preachers of the word which do deliuer words and stuffe their sermons with eloquence and braue phrases do fruitfully and throughly declare vnto the people that vertues pasture is excellent good and wholsome and to be desired of all but they rather which do inwardly concoct vertue and do obserue it and bending themselues to the actions and performance therof do flow with the swéet milke of mercy and do cloth themselues others with the fine fléeces of christian loue and charitie such I say do euidently declare how much they haue profited in the doctrine of Christ and how much also others ought to profite in the same and do stir vp the harts and minds of their hearers to vertue and godlines both with their doctrine and liuing Words of doctrine are very profitable but when they are séene to worke holines and
on high first kéepeth it lowe and holdeth it downe with the force of a van and the gathering togither of much winde Euen so our God presseth vs downe and kéepeth vs lowe that he may lift vs vp and exalt vs on high he throweth vs downe héere in earth that he may exalt vs in heauen and laieth many times disgrace vpon vs in this world among men that we may be gracious in the world to come with himselfe his angels and his saints On the other side AS a wrastler imbracing him with whom he striueth in the wrastling place for victorie lifteth him vp the higher that with the greater force he may hurle him against the ground So this world doth extoll vs that with throwing vs downe headlong it may hurt vs and that we may fall from the top of deceitfull and transitorie glorie downe to the bottome of most certaine and perpetuall ignominie Cyprian saith The world smileth vpon a man with a cruell purpose it flattereth to deceiue it calleth a man to it to kill him it extolleth him to vndo him AS men mad and frantike are woont to teare and rent themselues So wicked and vngodly men inflict vpon themselues most deadly and incurable wounds yea they be most wilfull murtherers of their owne soules and bodies For that is true in the booke of Wisedome Man through his owne naughtines killeth his owne soule And what greater madnes can there be than a man to run headlong vpon euerlasting destruction Iob hauing a desire to describe the ignorance of such men and to declare that euen in matters most euident and plaine they be vtterly void and destitute of wisedome he saith In the day light they run into darknes and as in the night so stumble they at noone daies And whereas the feare of God is the beginning of wisdome as Dauid and Salomon his sonne do both affirme and vngodly men loden with all maner of naughtines to the feare of God are méere strangers it is plainly and truly concluded that they be not onely without wisedome but also that they haue not so much as the beginning of the same AS the filthie swine regard not but thrust from them roses that are most beautifull and swéete and séeme to contemne most fragrant and pleasant flowers and do rather séeke after foule puddles and stinking mire and forsaking dainty dishes and costly iuncates do franke themselues most gréedily with wilde mast and vncleane things So vngodly men haue no taste of the word of God but hunting after vncertaine riches which are in continuall hazard and at the length will deceiue them they are as it were fettered in the inchanting pleasures and pestilent flickerings of the world From the which the Lord preserue and deliuer vs. Amen AS in a fruitfull and fertile ground among many wholsome and very medicinable herbes some that be dangerous and full of poyson do grow So the wits and wisedome of men togither with some profitable and wholsome counsels and admonitions do bring foorth perilous and pestilent errors and are therfore with wisedome and great discretion to be regarded euen as herbes are to be gathered and vsed But this wisedome and discretion is to be sought for and had onely in the word of God which is a lanterne to our féete and a most perfect light vnto our pathes It is onely acceptable to the soules of Gods saints and nothing but it doth féede them to eternall life It is swéeter vnto them than hony and the hony combe In mens iudgements words and works we may be deceiued in the Lords we cannot Thy iudgements O Lord saith Dauid are iust and more to be desired than fine golde or pretious stones and they are swéeter than hony and the hony combe It is the power of saluation to all that beléeue it it is able to saue our soules if it be throughly rooted in vs. The word of the Lord laid vp in our harts doth preserue vs from sinne it clenseth our harts and by the working of the holy Ghost with it it createth right spirits within vs. By the meanes of it the saints and seruants of God attaine to that puritie and cleannes of hart and minde that they wish for and desire nothing but that which is good godly and holy The author of the word is God himselfe who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued and therefore whatsoeuer is written in it is truth whatsoeuer is taught in it is vertue and holines whatsoeuer it promiseth after death is eternitie and endlesse ioy to the children of God when this life is ended Whereto the Lord bring vs all if it be his good pleasure AS that man that will giue an onset and encounter with an enimie or wil defend and kéepe himselfe vnwounded at his hands hath néede of a sword in his hand to smite the enimie withall and to repell his violence So whosoeuer will triumph and carry away the victorie ouer this world flesh and diuell must hold fast in his hand that is in his maners conuersation and the whole course of his life the worde of God which is called the sword of the spirit is sharper than any two edged sword This the Lord commandeth to be closed and safely laid vp in the cofer of our harts and to be worne as a signe vpon our hands and to be had for a remembrance alway before our eies Salomon doth counsell vs to binde it fast to our harts and to vse it as a chaine about our necks and to take it with vs when we walke abroad And Christ himselfe saith If any man loue me he will kéepe my saying Againe Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kéepe it The apostle also Not the hearers of the law are righteous before God but the doers of the lawe shall be iustified And Iames saith Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues The Lord giue grace and his holy spirit vnto vs that we may loue to heare his word and to do his will EVen as doues do loue and delight in houses that be faire whited and do willingly frequent swéete and pleasant places but contemne and flie from blacke foule and vnsauorie cottages So faithles and vntrustie friends do hunt and séeke after the friendship of those men by whose wealth and riches they may be holpen reléeued and enriched But men in pouertie and distressed persons vnable to fill their bellies to clothe their backs or otherwise to pleasure them with some worldly things they vtterly despise they care not for their companie their loue nor friendship feare they God neuer so much Yea if some blustering storme and terrible tempest of aduersitie shall blowe away thy wealth and shall separate thy riches and thy selfe thy greatest friends as thou thoughtest will hide them from thée and no where be found but a faithfull friend loueth at al times
and compasseth about with the shadow thereof all those that flie to him for succour yea all the poore birds of God shall safely builde their nests vnder the shadow of his boughes He that dwelleth saith the prophet in the helpe of the almightie shall rest in the protection of the God of heauen Indéede to be vnder the Lords protection and in his fauour is to be in all safetie against all power of men and diuels and to be from vnder the wings of his grace is to lie open to all dangers and to death and destruction it selfe of our soules and bodies The Lord therefore kéepe vs so néere vnto himselfe in due obedience to his will and word that he may vouchsafe to be our shield and buckler against all the assaults of sathan EVen as lightenings do smite whatsoeuer they finde in the earth except the lawrell trée as Plinie affirmeth in his second booke chapter 55 So great calamitie is able to take away and to ouerthrow whatsoeuer is in man or that he hath saue onely firme and constant vertue for constant vertue is a goodly lawrell trée euer florishing and gréene and will not be consumed burnt vp nor destroied with any fire that breaketh out of the cloudes be it neuer so fierce nor with any violence of torments and troubles whatsoeuer To this vertue doth the apostle exhort vs saying My déere brethren â—e ye constant and vnmooueable alwaies rich in the worke of the Lord and indéed they that are grounded in the loue of Christ and leaue nothing vndone to auoid the dishonoring of God and the offending of their brethren and do their best indeuour to honor and obey the almightie and to edifie his seruantâ— do not onely not feare the firebrands of any sorrow whatsoeuer but also do euen despise all the firie flashings and thunderclaps of the world and do remaine constant and vnchangeable in the seruice of God euen to the losse of their liues if néede be Infidels that knew not Christ but were méere strangers vnto him thought it better to lose their liues than to violate their promises and othes made to their enimies Much more then ought Christians in such cases to be constant The Lord himselfe in the mouth of Ezechiel the prophet affirmeth that he shall neuer thriue nor prosper that maketh no conscience of violating and breaking his oth wherewith he hath bound himselfe though it be to his deadly enimie And Iosua hauing promised vpon his oth that the Gabaonites should liue in the countrie vntouched afterward when their great deceit was discouered and they found most vnwoorthie to liue yet for his oth sake he spared their liues We haue sworne vnto them saith he in the name of the God of Israel and therefore we cannot touch them We learne by this to beware how we binde our selues by othes but if we haue once done it we must not regard to whom but by whom we haue sworne and bound our selues EVen as the lambes with the which the shéepe were conceiued as they beheld Iacobs rod were of the same colour that the rod was of So such as the religion and actions of princes péeres of realmes and countries ministers parents and gouerners be such for the most part is the religion and such be the actions of subiects and inferiour persons For as examples are very dangerous in euill things so be they of great force and vertue in good and holy things When princes will haue godlie vertuous loyall and obedient subiects they must deale with them as Iacob did with his shéepe they must lay before them the rod of true religion iustice holines righteousnes and integritie of life and maners and then no doubt they will conceiue in their harts thoughts that be pure righteous chaste sound and holy and bring foorth great plentie of fruits of the same colour that the rod is of to wit not words onely but works also of â—aith and obedience to God and man Parents with their natural children ministers of the word with their spiritual children and maisters with their seruants must do the like AS most pleasant perfumes do euen then when they be in the fire giue out a most excellent odor and their swéetest sauour Euen so a vertuous and godly man when he is thrust into the midst of the hote scorching fire of calamitie and miserie doth then shew most his vertue faith religion patience and constancie THere be some men which now and then do bestow great cost and much of their riches vpon those that néede them not not drawne therunto with either loue or mercie but caried with vaine glory with vanity it selfe so to do Such men are like fluds which send their waters into the sea and leaue the drie land which is very thirsty vnwatred But such men by the commandement and will of God should helpe the poore féede the hungrie cloth the naked harbor the harborlesse visite and redéeme captiues c. For that is the mercy whereto the Lords blessing and mercy belongeth according to that he saith Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy It is a worlde to sée and consider that man dare be so bold and so shamelesse to make but a tush or a thing of nothing of the Lords commandement when in the mouth of his prophets he saith Breake thy bread vnto the hungrie And Giue thy bread to the hungrie soule and couer the naked with thy garment if thou wilt liue and be saued How thinkest thou O man that God will heare thée séeing thou thinkest him not woorthie the hearing With what hart canst thou beg a kingdome of him to whom thou deniest a péece of bread when he sendeth thine and his owne brother for it dost thou thinke that he will bestow vpon thée an immortall garment of eternall glorie séeing thou refusest to giue to his poore naked seruant that is readie to perish and to die with cold one of thy superfluous and old moth eaten garments The vaine men of the world which do lauish out their riches and substance vpon néedlesse things and méere vanities without regarding the néedie saints of God will neuer be able to answer their dooings before the iudgement seate of Christ Will the Lord of heauen and earth take this in good part that haukes and dogs are kept and fed fat and faire and his séely soules that he died for haue neither coates nor flesh vpon their backs or doth this please him that wals and stones be most curiously and costly adorned and couered and men want to eate and wherewith to couer their nakednes How swéete a sacrifice were it to God and how highly would it please him if many rich and costly suits of apparell that men and women haue more then they néed and many golden chaines care rings and other costlie iewels which serue more for pride then for profit were willingly euen in loue to God translated by the owners of
flesh and blood the world and diuell haue their harts those go downward and take roote below Such men are like vnto trées which in the swéete and pleasant spring time will be well stored and full of goodly blossoms and wil make a franke offer and a large promise of much fruit but when the fruit is looked for and should be gathered there is none to be had they were but bare leaues and idle blossoms Such trées did Christ himselfe méete with when he was héere belowe vpon the earth in his bodie and at this day the whole world euen euerie citie and towne is very full of such trées yea it is hard to finde one house wherein there groweth not such a trée Well the Lord did curse them then and be we sure he will not blesse them now he that then did cause them to be cut downe and cast into the fire will in like maner cast into the fire and torments of hell all those that séeke him with their lips and are far from him with their harts Vngodly men which are delighted in forbidden things they come not néere the waies of the Lord whatsoeuer shew of holines they make with men they sit downe and rest themselues in the seate of wickednes for they haue onely their lips gilded with holines there is not one dram of godlines in their harts The prophet doth testifie so much when he saith that they which worke wickednes walke not in the Lords waies their harts are so far from séeking after God or any good thing that indéede they séeke after euill things as Salomon in his Prouerbs affirmeth Yet neuertheles there be some though the number of them be not great that euen as great and mighty vapors with the force and power of the sunne are taken and lifted vp from the earth and do séeke after the sunne by whose strength and vertue they are carried vp on high and growing into cloudes do euen follow the sunne So I say there is a remnant and a little flocke of Christs that in a true vnfained and sincere loue of God are lifted vp from the loue of this world and from all earthly and fleshly affections so far as is possible for man in this life to be and do séeke the Lord and his kingdome in the singlenes of their harts and thinking the time of their abode héere in this vale of all miseries to too long they daily sigh and grone for a dissolution and the comming of Christ to iudge the quick and the dead But this number is very small and we may admire them euen as the prophet Esay did and say Who are these that flie like scattered cloudes The Lord if it be his holy and blessed will turne the harts of all hypocrites and carnall worshippers of God to serue him in veritie and in truth and vouch he safe to increase the number of his single harted seruants Amen EVen as the blood in the bodie of a man being corrupted with a poisoned arrow doth by and by flie to the hart euen séeking and hoping as it were to finde some remedie and helpe there and yet doth euen so soone as it toucheth the hart finde death where it sought for life So men when they are sore pressed with calamities do make the world their first refuge and whiles they séeke for succour and comfort of the world they finde no better thing than death where they thought to haue found life Experience doth teach them that they sought for life in the house of death and for a medicine there where no good thing is to be had But it behooueth vs that do professe christianitie and do fight vnder that banner when we labour and are loden heauily with tribulations and afflictions foorthwith to repaire vnto God and with all spéede and possible haste to run vnto Christ who euen from the altar of the crosse where he offered himselfe for vs that by his death he might deliuer vs from euerlasting death calleth vs vnto him Our sauiour Christ is said to make a feast and to eate at the conuersion of a sinner when he forsaketh his wickednes and turneth vnto the Lord with a contrite and sorrowfull hart for his sinnes and offences committed against the word and will of God for so the Euangelist saith Bring hither the fat calfe kill it and let vs eate So that we can no way make the Lord a banket that will please and delight him but by forsaking the world our sinnes and our selues and in appealing to the throne of his grace and mercies seate We heare his voice euery day what meane we that we obey it not Why continue we in sinne which consumeth and rotteth our soules and bodies as rustines doth iron Why go we not home to our heauenly father We know his goodnes we haue great experience of his clemencie loue and mercie and yet still we linger Our patrimonie is gone we haue most lewdly spent wasted and consumed all so that we are no more woorthie to enter into the kingdome of God than are the very foule and dirtie swine and yet nothing wil driue vs to him It is euen as himselfe saith No man can come vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him the Lord then draw vs vnto himselfe What a madnes is it to séeke for helpe reléefe and comfort of the world which séeketh vs onely that it may deceiue and destroy vs The Lord calleth vs to giue vs comfort and vnspeakable ioy and we turne our backs to him the world doth but hold vp a finger and becken vs to it with a purpose to haue our companie to hell and damnation and we run and whine after it like a thirstie infant after the dug of his mother or nurse And thus we passe on séeking for life in the house of death and for ioy in the vale of miserie where none is to be found The Lord open the eies of our vnderstanding and make vs to know and to see that our helpe health comfort and life in this world and in the world to come standeth onely in him that made both heauen and earth Amen IDlenes as it bréedeth pouertie and beggerie in very many which might liue well and in good sort with diligent and faithfull labour So is it very dangerous in those that be rich and féele no smart nor want in this life for whiles they giue themselues to foule idlenes voluptuousnes doth ouercome reason and they are snared and taken in the deadly traps of the deceitfull flickerings of the world and are poysoned with carnall pleasures and fleshly delights which do beare them faire in hand for a little while but at the length do deceiue them and leaue them in shame and confusion For euen as the earth when it is not tilled nor trimmed doth bréede and bring foorth briers brambles and all noisome and vnprofitable things so idlenes in man doth bréede and broode in him vngodly thoughts and
wicked cogitations of all sorts and doth allure hale drawe and euen drag him to do those things which are so odious in the sight of God that he must either most earnestly repent that he hath done them or else he must die eternally for doing of them Idlenes therefore doth not become Christians for so doth our God and maker teach vs when he saith to Adam in the labour of thy hands shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life And iust Iob saith that man is borne to labour And the Apostle saith If any man will not labour let him not eate When Dauid continued at home in idlenes then did adulterie and murther créepe into his hart and ceased not vntill it broke out into effects and most dangerous actions Christ did shew a great hatred to idlenes when he said Why stand ye héere all the day idle SOmtimes it falleth out that a hen sitteth vpon ducks eggs and with hir diligent sitting the heat of hir bodie she doth hatch and bring them foorth and when they be able to follow hir she clucks them after hir maner as though they were hir naturall chickens she doth call them about hir but they being not of hir but the ducks kinde though by hir they haue beene hatched and of hir haue receiued life and though she hath a continuall care to bring them vp and to defend them from such enimies as séeke to deuoure them yet neuerthelesse they wil follow and séeke after that whereunto by nature they are inclined and giuen When she is scraping and scratching the earth to finde them foode they will be in the water mire or foule puddle after their kinde she may clucke and walke alone they will not kéepe hir companie vnlesse perhaps in some danger when the kite is readie to catch them for some succour they will â—lie to hir howbeit at the length when she perceiueth them to be vnnaturall and vnkinde to hir she doth forsake them and giue them ouer Euen so our swéete Sauiour Christ Iesus hauing taken great paines for vs and hauing humbled himselfe euen in the lowest degrée of all humilitie that can be named as in comming down out of his fathers bosome being most perfect most holy and omnipotent God being euery way equall and in nothing inferiour to his father to take our weake fraile and féeble nature vpon him and sinne excepted to haue a perfect féeling of all our infirmities as wearisomnes of bodie hunger and thirst and such others and besides the induring of these many yéeres togither hauing suffered a most cruell death and euen at his death vpon the crosse hauing tasted and taken a full cup of his fathers furie and indignation which was in déed filled and prepared for vs as a iust reward for our sinnes and should haue béen our owne cup and our owne portion for euer and euer had he not euen then taken and supt it vp to cléere and to frée vs from it Againe after all these things hauing still continued his humilitie in suffering death to kéepe his bodie thrée daies in the graue and euen as it were to tread and trample vpon him and then mauger death hell diuell and Iewes hauing risen againe and being ascended and gone vp to his father where now vntil his comming again to iudge the quicke and the dead he sitteth at the right hande of maiestie and power He now speaketh and calleth vnto vs by his prophets apostles and ministers and willeth vs to remember what case and estate we were in before he died and suffered all these things for vs and he would haue vs to know to be sure and neuer to forget that if he had not suffered death héere vpon the earth as he did we should neuer haue found any way or entrance into heauen the celestiall ioyes and pleasures of the Lords saints saluation and eternall life should neuer haue belonged vnto vs we should haue had no more to do with them then they that liue without faith and die infidels The horrors of hell and the stincking lakes of vnspeakable shame confusion torments endlesse death and damnation should haue béene our inheritance lot and perpetuall portion Christ therefore doth daily put vs in minde that we be not our owne but his and that we be the greatest and déerest purchase that euer was made in heauen or in earth and that the like price and cost was neuer bestowed vpon any creatures as vpon vs. When the angels which werâ— in heauen in the presence of their creator did once offende they were hurled out and cast into hell Christ woulde not bestow vpon them one peny of all that great price and rich ransome which he paid for vs he would not then become man to shed one drop of blood for them but for our sakes he spared not one drop but shed all The Hen that himselfe speaketh of was neuer so diligent and carefull to gather hir chickins vnder hir wings as he hath euer béene most ready to shroude and to protect vs against all the enimies of our soules and bodies Many mothers shall sooner forget the children of their own wombs and vtterly forsake them before Christ will forsake vs yea he will neuer forget nor forsake vs vnlesse we first forget and forsake him Now therefore we being his so déerely bought and so truely paide for he calleth vpon vs euery day he clucketh vs and looketh for vs that we should follow him and tread in such steps as he hath appointed and that we shuld not range at randon but kéepe our selues within the hearing of his voice and our liues within the limits of obedience vnto the same these things I saie he looketh for at our hands But how deale we with this most kinde most louing and most mercifull redéemer and if the fault be not in our selues the fauiour of our seules and bodies Verily euen so as the vnnaturall and vnkind ducks deale with the hen of whom they haue receiued life they regarde not hir clucking neither we Christs calling when she is séeking and prouiding for them on the faire drie and wholesome earth they will be in some foule water filthie mire or stinking puddle And when the Lord Iesus calleth vs to integritie of life to do the thing that is iust and right in his owne eie and to speake the truth according to the knowledge of our harts then will we with gréedines pollute our soules and bodies with all wickednes and things that be abominable then will we oppresse our brethren not caring who sincke if our selues swim then will we not sticke to speake lies euen to Gods owne face And when the Lord calleth and sendeth vs to seeke heauenly things we presently returne to the foule puddles of the world carnall delightes and vaine yea vile pleasures so that we euer take the contrary wâ—y to that which Christ commandeth Christ calleth for our harts to haue them in truth and sinceritie with all diligence
to attende vpon his pleasure and to waite on his will he would haue vs not in part but wholy to giue them vnto him and without the hart he will receiue and take in good part at our hands and lips nothing But we on the otherside giue nothing lesse to God then our harts What is it that cannot and may not command our harts and haue them at pleasure sooner then Christ Iesus that with the death of his owne hart gaue life to our bodies and soules If the worlde do but a little smile vpon vs and giue vs but an alluring looke and a faire though a false word we will by and by follow it and bestow vpon it all our attendance If the diuell himselfe can make vs beléeue that we shall either haue profite or pleasure by doing his wil our harts mindes wils and all are readier for him then for Iesus Christ O matchles yea monstrous madnes they that séeke our destruction can sooner with a pleasant looke then Christ with the giuing of his life for vs haue vs at commandement Christ would haue vs to mortifie our earthly members as fornication vncleannes inordinate affections euill concupiscence and couetousnes which is idolatrie But who doth not nourish pamper and cherish all these The Lord woulde haue our conuersation in heauen but we are altogither earthly and carnally minded The Lord would haue our féete to stand within the gates of Ierusalem but we loue rather to be trampling the stréetes of Egypt Babylon and Sodom The holie ghost would haue vs to fight a good fight to finish our course after the will of God and to kéepe the faith not onely in words but also in life and déedes Indéed we are apt and ready to fight for worldly promotion honor dignitie reuenues and riches but for heauen and heauenly things we will neuer striue take no paines nor once trouble our selues we will haue i◠with ease and all maner of pleasure or else not at all farewell it The courses we take héere in this life are very bad and the end vnlesse we repent is like to be woorst of all And whiles we haue no care to kéepe good consciences it is vnpossible for vs to kéepe faith Let stande before vs Christ and sathan the one pointing vs to heauen and eternall felicitie but the way to it ful of troubles gréefes and sorrowes the other pointing to hell but the way to it ful of delicates pleasures and daintie delights and let God call and the diuell call and I speake it with gréefe of hart the diuell is like to haue the greater number to follow him for those short pleasures and Christ but a fewe to follow him bicause they must go loden with crosses Daily experience doth teach vs no lesse when all our actions are carnall haue onely but a little outward shew and no taste at all of true godlines nor so much as any rellish of the spirit and loue of Christ Some will abstaine from the committing of many grosse sins now and then and yet not that I feare greatly in any true and sincere loue to God but either for feare of shame and punishment in this worlde or else feare of vengeance in the world to come which both are vnprofitable for the Lord hath no pleasure in forced seruice he will haue it voluntarie with the hart and procéeding of loue not of a seruile feare otherwise it shall be numbred with the rest of our sinnes This doth greatly condemne vs that though we do not such things our selues yet we can without trouble of conscience gréefe of hart or vexation of minde sée and heare the Lords name blasphemed his saboth vnhalowed idolatrie committed parents dishonored whooredome theft murder and couetousnes commonly vsed and all the lawes of God vtterly contemned and it shall neuer offend the greatest number so much as a thorne in a foote or a blaine vpon a finger What other thing is this but to forsake God in the plaine field and to be afeard to serue him in truth and sinceritie least we should thereby purchase mans displeasure Vnlesse therefore we learne to serue him better in more truth with greater zeale and singlenes of hart we haue nothing else to looke for but that he will forsake vs both in this worlde leauing vs destitute of his assistance that our enimies may pray vpon vs and also in the world to come in giuing out against vs his malediction curse wo and sentence of death The Lord make vs new creatures and giue an vnfained loue of himselfe déepe roote in our harts drawing after it a chéerefull obedience to his sacred word and the selfe same to our brethren wherwith we loue our selues so that all be in God that we may escape dangers in both the worlds that when death that inexorable executioner shall do his office we may arriue at the safe and happy hauen of Gods euerlasting kingdome purchased and paide for by Christ and kept in store for all those that beléeue aright and shall liue and die in him But alas the most part of vs as yet vntill it shall please the almightie to inrich vs be like proud beggers which not being woorth one farthing will boast of great wealth So many brag of great holines but haue none and of great faith as though they could remooue mountaines out of their places and yet know not what true faith is How fearful a saieng is that of Christ When the sonne of man shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead do you thinke that he shal finde any faith vpon the earth As if he should saie he shall finde very little howsoeuer now all perswade themselues that they be faithfull inough The Lorde amende vs for we haue receiued great and infinite good things from the Lords hand both for our bodies and soules but in giuing thanks we are like to the nine leapers mentioned in the Gospell which neuer turned backe to thanke God for their healing The Lord hath poured vpon vs infinite dewes of his swéet and blessed word and yet still we continue to be those drie trées to whom his curse cutting down and casting into the fire belongeth The Lord grant that with all spéede we may turne from our sinnes to righteousnes and holynes of life that God may turne his anger from vs and his fauor towards vs Amen MArcus Antoninus with an oration that he made vpon the death of Caesar is said to haue greatly delighted the people of Rome and that he mooued very many of them to shed great store of bitter teares when he put them in remembrance of the great benefits which they had frō time to time receiued of Caesar withal did shew them Caesars garment wherin his enimies Cassius Brutus had slaine him all full of blood whereat they were so mightily mooued that they expulsed the homicides out of the citie so that they durst not if they woulde liue any
when their pride pleasures and riches and themselues be parted and on the other side there be not a fewe which do liue heere in great troubles and manifold afflictions and are no whit regarded of the world fâ—â—re they God neuer so truely the end of whose liues doth bring the beginning of their ioyes S. 191. 105. Whatsoeuer this world doth or can afford vs is so light as a feather more subiect to a change then the moone more vnconstant then the winde The world therefore with all the trifles and trash it hath is to be contemned and the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof is diligently to be sought for for that indureth for euer S. 192. P. 106. 107. The vertue of godly princes do mightilie mooue the harts of subiects to true religion a right worshipping of God and due obedience S. 193. P. 117. Humble men when they stoupe lowest and prostrate themselues most before the Lords throne then rise they vp highest and draw neerest to the likenes of God on the otherside vaine and proud men when they exalt themselues most then are they likest vnto the deuill S. 194. P. 107. They that be in great prosperitie are commonly in great dangers a low and meane estate is safest S. 195. P. 107. 108. To be vnder the Lords protection and in his fauour is to be in all safetie against all power of men and diuels and to be from vnder the wings of his grace is to â—â—e open to all dangers euen to death and destruction of soules and bodies It is good for vs therefore in al obedience to keepe our selues neere vnto the Lord S. 196. P. 108. Calamities troubles and afflictions will ouerthrow any thing whatsoeuer is in man saue onely firme and constant vertue but that is so goodly so fresh and so florishing a lawrell tree that it will not be coÌ„sumed burnt vp nor destroied with any fire that breaketh out of the clouds be it neuer so fearce nor with any torments or troubles whatsoeuer S. 197. P. 109. When princes will haue godly vertuous loyall and obedient subiects they must vse them as Iacob did his sheepe they may laie before them the rod of true religion iustice holines righteousnes and integritie of life that by the sight of those things they may conceiue good things and bring foorth fruit of that colour And so must parents deale with their naturall children and ministers of the word with their spirituall children and masters with their seruants S. 198. P. 110. When a man is in most danger and greatest distresse then is his vertue and constancie best tried S. 199. P. 110. The last daie of all daies that is the generall iudgement daie wil be a verie glomy and a blacke sessions daie for those men that do keepe their gold siluer and riches and see their poore brethren distressed and in great want and will not releeue them S. 200. P. 110. 111. Riches as gold money and such like laide vp in chestes and lockt vp in cofers are in danger to be lost through theeues fire or other meanes but being dispersed and scattered among the poore they are in safetie and will bring foorth much fruit and will be very profitable both to the giuer and to the receiuer S. 201. P. 112. The Lord calleth him a blessed man that releeueth the poore and needie and doth promise that he will deliuer him in the day of trouble A little is great riches to him that hath nothing S. 202. P. 112. It is very vnreasonable and vngodly that one christian doth not comfort and releeue another in their tribulations and wants S. 203 P. 113. Christians are commanded to lend without looking for any gaine thereby Vâ—uâ—ers commit theft they must die and not liue They make marchandise of other mens myseries and their owne gaine of other mens losses The vsurer is like him that vnder the colour of loue wil take his neighbour which is alreadie downe by the hand to lift him vp that he may giue him a greater fall S. 204. P. 114. In the ministers of the word true doctrine and godly life must go togither He that teacheth good things to others and teacheth not himself to do them is like a sieue or boulter wherewith meale is sifted or boulted which sendeth foorth the finest floure and best of the wheat and keepeth the bran and woorst of the wheate to it selfe S. 105. P. 114. The tyrannie and crueltie of princes towards their loyall subiects doth threaten the ruine of their kingdomes but lenitie mercie doth make their kingdomes mightilie to florish and brings peace and safetie to themselues Mercy becommeth a christian prince verie well Mercy and truth haue kept do keepe Elizabeth our gratious Queene of England and elemencie doth strengthen hir throne Mercy doth lift man vp to Godward but crueltie doth cast man downe to hell warde S. 206. P. 114 115. Ingratitude is a greeuous sinne wherwith the Lord hath euer beene highly offended the Lords hand hath euer beene stretched out against it England hath receiued great infinite benefits both for their bodies and souls but England is far behind with thanks giuing vnto the Lord wherefore we must be either more thankfull or else looke assuredly for more punishment S. 207. P. 115. 116. Enuie is not bred in the harts of vertuous and godly men but in the harts and minds of the wicked and vngodly Enuie will not be tamed a man may ouercome and subdue his enimies but not their enuie Enuie doth teare and rende in peeces the man in whom it is The enuious man doth make the felicitie of another man his owne torment S. 208. P. 117. The Lord will haue his seruants tried in this world with many afflictions to the ende that the difference which is betweene them and the children of this world may appeere and be euident and that vertue may growe to perfection in them A christian man may be a martyr and euen liuing without losing his life by fire or sword S. 209. P. 117. 118. 119. Words of doctrine are verie profitable but when they are seene to worke holines and righteousnes in the teachers they then preuaile the more with them that are taught S. 210. P. 119. 120. The lighter ballance will euer be highest and the vainer and woorse man will euer extoll himselfe most the heauier ballance will euer be lowest and the better man will euer humble himselfe most It is in a christian man som perfection to know and to acknowledge his owne imperfection S. 211. P. 120. A theefe will speake thee faire and yet wil rob or kill thee The nature and conditions the bloodie tyrannie and more the beastlie crueltie of vsurers plainly and truly opened S. 212. P. 120. 121. 122. A verie true perfect and plaine description of hypocrites what is true vertue among Christians They that would seeme to be religious vertuous godlie and honest do differ so far from that they seeme to be as the
CERTAINE VERY PROPER AND MOST PROFITABLE SIMILIES wherein sundrie and very many most foule vices and dangerous sinnes of all sorts are so plainly laid open and displaied in their kindes and so pointed at with the finger of God in his sacred and holy Scriptures to signifie his wrath and indignation belonging vnto them that the Christian Reader being seasoned with the spirit of grace and hauing God before his eies will be very fearfull euen in loue that he beareth to God to pollute and to defile his hart his mind his mouth or hands with any such forbidden things And also manie very notable vertues with their due commendations so liuely and truly expressed according to the holy word that the godly Reader being of a Christian inclination will be mightily inflamed with a loue vnto them Collected by Anthonie Fletcher minister of the word of God in vnfained loue in the Lord Iesu to do the best and all that he can to pleasure and to profite all those that desire to know the Lords waies and to walke in the same This present yeere of our happines 1595. Psalme 128. Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies Printed at London by Iohn Iackson for Isaac Bing To the Right honorable Earle and vertuous Lord the Lord GILBERT TAVLBVT Earle of Shrewsburie and Knight of the noble order of the gartar Grace mercie and peace through Christ Iesus with increase of honor health and all happinesse c. BEing very desirous Right honorable in the feare of God to do good and to profit among all at the least some especially of the weakest sort whose neede of helpe in heauenly things that they may see both vertue and vice and learne to imbrace the one and to auoide the other is exceeding great I haue ventured to take a little paine to collect and to bestowe some labour to gather togither a little booke of Similies to testifie my loue in Christ Iesu to all the seruants of God and haue presumed to dedicate the same vnto your Honor not doubting but that as it may do good and profit very manie concerning the knowledge of God and of his iudgements due to sinne so your Honor will accordingly receiue the same in good part and be as glad to be a patrone to any true seruice to God as any man in the world is or can be able to offer and to performe it Your Honors continuall and faithfull care to do good to your natiue countrie your vnfained and most hartie zeale in fauouring true religion your very good liking and loue towards all that feare the Lorde your misliking of vice and loue to vertue your readinesse to do good to all both for their bodies and soules and to hurt none These things I say haue giuen me this boldnes vnder your Honors protection to publish and to send abroad this my little labour as a poore token of my good will and loue in Christ towards all the seruants and children of God nothing doubting but that for your Honors sake it will be the better welcome to all that feare God and with the greater diligence read imbraced and imitated of all And I my selfe the more incouraged to labour heerafter and to thinke no pains great whatsoeuer I am able to vndergoe and to indure to profite others to increase knowledge in the ignorant and to further the saluation of all men Againe the remembrance of that most vertuous and godlie Ladie Ladie Marie your Honors good and gracious sister wife to the very worshipful and good Knight sir George Sauill when I was preacher in Wakefield to me and to all that feare God a most Christian friende did euen seeme to warrant me though I am vnknowen to your Honour that you are readier to further than I am to perform any good worke Lastly the readinesse to knowe God and their obedience vnto the highest and almightie that I found in those gracious branches sweete virgins and most towarde Ladies your Honors owne daughters when I being preacher at Clerkenwell they were with that vertuous gracious and very religious gentlewoman somtimes mother to hir Maiesties Maides of honor and my very worshipful friend mistresse Winfield hath giuen me great comfort to thrust out this little booke of mine vnder your Honors protection to do good to them that you and I both do loue as I assure my selfe in Christ Iesu Thus without troubling your Honor any longer I beseech the Almightie to blesse your Honors selfe the honorable and godlie Ladie your wife your Ladie daughters and all that appertaine to your Honor if they appertain to God This 22. of May 1595. Your Honors most humble to command in Christ Iesu during this temporall life Anthonie Fletcher preacher of the word of God A paterne of a cursed tree and the fruite and end of the same WHen the sonne of God the redeemer of the world Christ Iesus was heere below vpon the earth so truelie in his bodie as we be now in our bodies sauing that he was cleere and free from all corruption of sinne and as he walked being pinched with hunger did espie a goodlie fig tree which with the faire greene and flourishing leaues did offer vnto him some hope of releefe and comming to it finding it fruitlesse and being disappointed of his hope he cursed it and commanded that it should be cut downe and cast into the fire If he dealt so with trees that did beare no fruite at all we may warrant and assure our selues that he will curse cut downe and cast into the fire that neuer shall be quenched euery tree that is euerie man that bringeth foorth such fruits as this tree beareth If the Lord his curse belongeth to a barren tree that beareth no fruit much more doth it belong to those trees which bring foorth bad fruites If trees that are vnprofitable bicause they beare nothing but leaues are fitter for the fire then to trouble the earth then much more those trees that are so heauie loden and so full of poyson that a man cannot touch one twig of them but it killeth his soule and bodie for euer Such a tree is euerie one that beareth such fruites in his life and manners as this tree doth No good Christian therefore will delight please himselfe with the shadow of such a tree neither build his nest in any part or branch of it but rather will do his greatest indeuor to pull it downe Do thou good Christian thy best and be sure the Lorde will take thy part And howsoeuer earthlie iusticers let slip their parts and forget to do their duties the Lord will neuer forget nor let slip his part Heere thou seest Iustice hath fastened his coard to the top of the tree and Veritie is hacking at the roote betweene them both to ouerthrowe it Now if thou louest righteousnes and art a friende to truth take their parts in this busines pull downe with Iustice and strike with Veritie lend
he neuer shrinketh aduersitie and prosperitie is all one to him Happy is he that findeth a true and trustie friend AS great and mighty fishes are not bred and fed in small riuers and swéet waters but in the salt and bitter waters of the seas So men that are excellent and very famous by reason of the notable and manifolde vertues wherewith they be indued are not delighted in the false and deceitfull pleasures of this world but are nourished and as it were swéetely cherished and brought vp in Christ with very sower sorrowes and bitter calamities which they endure and most patiently beare for Gods sake And as to a valiant soldier nothing is more noble and woorthie praise than to carry the armour and armes of his prince So a true Christian man estéemeth nothing of greater valure and more honorable than to beare the armes and badges of Christ his captaine that is to be throughly touched with great crosses and many afflictions and to be well armed with a godly patience Heare the Apostle that stout and valiant soldier of Christ I do beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesu Yea he saith further All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecutions Séeing Christ our head and onely sauiour suffered persecutions what maruell if we his members suffer them The holy scripture calleth calamities and persecutions yea and death it selfe indured in the quarrell of God and his truth a cup. Dauid prepared himselfe to receiue this cup I will receiue the cup of saluation and will call vpon the name of the Lord and expressing what this cup is he saith Right déere in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints Christ hath his cup and the world his the cup of Christ hath very bitter drink in it but very wholsome The cup of the world is gold to sée to and is ful of pleasures within but most pestilent and deadly it pleaseth the senses and killeth the soule AS a physition doth minister to his sicke patients sower and bitter potions to drinke that some hurtfull humor of their bodies may be expelled So God our heauenly physition willing to cure the maladies and to salue the sores of our soules doth reach vnto vs many times the cup of afflictions troubles and miseries that our sins and iniquities being taken away we may be restored to the former saluation of our soules The world doth offer vnto vs a very beautifull cup but it is full of deadly poison it delighteth our eies and taste but it worketh most surely our ouerthrow and vtter destruction This is that cup that Iohn in the Reuelation biddeth vs to beware of the Lord giue vs grace to shun it for he saith it is full of all abhomination and vncleannes Let vs chéerefully receiue the cup of Christ that is pouertie penurie obloquies euill reports backbitings slanders persecutions sicknes and death it selfe this is very sharpe and vnpleasant to our taste at the first but at the length most wholsome to our infected and sicke soules A Good bailife of husbandrie when he séeth plentifull fruits grow after his faithfull labours desireth that his lord or master may come that séeing his diligence and fidelitie in his calling he may reward him for his trauel and paines taken And a valiant soldier after dangerous fight and noble victorie gotten wisheth the presence of his prince that he vpon the view and sight of the sweate of his browes his grieuous wounds and courage may recompence the noble acts that he hath done So that man which hath faithfully handled the husbandrie and bailywike committed to him of the Lord and hath manfully fought against the world flesh and sathan and through the grace and mightie spirit of God hath gotten the vpper hand and victorie of them all he now most earnestly desireth that Christ his captaine vnder whose banner he hath fought would come that he might receiue his reward which is euerlasting ioy in heauen and eternall saluation through Christ with God his angels and saints for euer and euer Which though it be called a reward yet is it the frée gift of God vtterly vndeserued of man but onely deserued and purchased for vs by Christ Iesu in his death and passion vpon the crosse and to all that do beléeue in him it is frée But on the other side the wicked and vngodly whose delight is onely in the pleasures and pestilent flickerings of the world which do swallow vp vanities euen with gréedines and set at naught all vertue and godlines which are shut vp vnder iniquitie and become slaues vnto sinne which are pricked in their consciences and do feare the infernall woes and terrible torments of hell which are prepared for them against the day of their death they would not haue Christ to come to heare of his comming is troublesome and fearfull to them A guiltie man whose conscience doth disquiet him would neuer sée the Iudge a traitor would neuer willingly be séene of his prince nor a disloyall person of one that knoweth him AS brasse or copper doth make a greater sound and is heard farther off than gold whereas notwithstanding gold is far more excellent than it So eloquence ioined with knowledge soundeth lowder and farther than humilitie coupled with charitie and yet such humilitie is far better and more excellent than it Knowledge without humilitie puffeth vp saith the Apostle but charitie doth edifie Againe If I speake with the toongs of men and of angels and haue not charitie I am but as a sounding brasse or a tinkling cimball A great bragger and boaster of religion maketh much noise but an humble spirited Christian is far better than he AS trauellers not thinking of the sunne setting are ouertaken with darknes before they be aware So doth death suddenly come vpon many that neuer thought of it neither haue learned to die nor what shall become of them when they be dead But it behooueth all Christians that will be saued to watch to stand stedfast in the faith of Christ to quit themselues like men and to be strong and to do all that they do in loue AS earthen vessels are alike subiect to danger breaking whether they be new or old made So all men are open subiect to death alike whether they be yoong men and in their lustie and florishing age or they be old men and well strooken in yéeres If thou shalt come into a Poâ—ters ware-house where thou shalt sée a large table set full of pots some old and some new some little and some great and shalt demand of the Potter which of them all shall first be broken he may well say for answer That which shall fall first to the ground Euen so among men he dieth not first that is elder but he that first falleth to the ground that is that commeth fiâ—st to his graue What is this world else but a Potters ware-house and
that it may giue good season and a swéete sauour vnto meates So a true Christian especially one aduaunced to dignitie and placed in authoritie should spare no labor but euen breake himselfe with studie and care and vndergo any paines to do good to profite many and to win some soules to God Such men indeede hath Christ appointed to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth They ought to be full of loue to God and man They should liue as strangers vpon the earth They should haue no acquaintance with pride couetousnes ambition emulation and such other sinnes of the world EVen as the sailers gnomon or rule which is commonly called the marriners néedle doth alwaies looke towards the north pole and will euer turne towards the same howsoeuer thou shalt place it which is maruellous in that instrument and néedle whereby the marriners do know the course of the winds Euenso euery Christian man ought to direct the eies of his minde and the waies of his hart to Christ He is our north pole and that fixed and constant north star whereby we ought all to be gouerned he is our hope and our trust he is all our strength whereupon we must still relie And as the gnomon doth euer behold the north star whether it be closed and shut vp in a cofer of golde siluer or wood neuer losing his nature so a right Christian man whether he abound in wealth or be pinched with pouertie whether he be of high or lowe degrée in this world ought continually to haue his faith and hope surely built and grounded vpon Christ and to haue his hart and minde fast fixed and setled in him and to follow him through thick and thin through fire and water through wars and peace through hunger cold through friends and foes through a thousand perils and dangers through the surges and waues of enuie malice hatred euill spéeches railing sentences contempt of the world flesh and diuell and euen in death it selfe be it neuer so bitter cruell and tyrannical neuer to lose the sight and view of Christ neuer to giue ouer our faith hope and trust in him Let vs followe the counsell of the holy Ghost which saith Put me as a signe vpon thy hart as if he should say Set me in thy hart in stéede of a marke whereat all thy thoughts words and works may be leuelled Put out of thy hart the marke of the world and place me there as the end vnto the which all thy purposes may tend vpon whom all thy cares may be cast and in whom thou maist rest thy soule in all peace A woonderfull gnomon and most excellent sailing néedle was that noble king and famous prophet of God Dauid when he said I set the Lord alwaies before mine eies for he is at my right hand that I shall not be mooued Therefore saith he my hart reioiced my toong was glad and my flesh shall rest in hope And the Apostle saith Let vs run toward the fight that is set before vs looking still vpon Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who hauing ioy set before him indured the crosse God giue vs grace continually to lift vp our harts and mindes our hand and eies to Christ Iesus and as Augustine saith To behold stedfastly our head AS all riuers of waters go into the sea bicause they came out of it and as Salomon saith All riuers and flouds returne to the place whence they came So let vs go and towards our God with all our harts strength and powers bicause we came out from him and were created of him Let vs therefore looke vpon him with the eies of a stedfast and constant faith grounded vpon his word let vs behold his glorie and the blessednes of his saints and let vs conceiue in our harts and soules an vnfained loue to him and let vs not haue two loues one for our selues and another for our neighbors but let vs loue them and our selues both with one and the same loue which may kindle and inflame our harts and mindes throughout with an earnest desire of immortalitie and that heauenly Ierusalem That we may say with the prophet O my soule returne vnto thy rest for the Lord hath done well to thée or as it may be translated bicause the Lord hath restored thée to thy selfe As if he should say O my soule when thou didst serue thy bodie and wast in bondage to it it was no maruell that thou didst séeke the pleasures thereof but now séeing thou art thine owne bicause the Lord hath restored thée to thy selfe séeke not anothers pleasure but thine owne séeke thine owne rest and not the rest of thy bodie of the flesh of the world séeke God delight in him flie vnto him and rest thy selfe in him put all thy cares griefs sorrowes in his loue and swéete comfort thinke of eternall blessednes presse it and print it surely in thy selfe This is thy spirituall rest this is thine own and only delight restored vnto thée by the benefit and bountifulnes of God THere is nothing liker vnto the world than the sea For as it floweth and ebbeth and all the waues thereof at the length fall into the earth So this world is neuer quiet it extolleth some and casteth downe others but all the vanities of it are ended in the graue If the sea lie open to many dangers how perilous then is the world if the sea be troubled with strange stormes with what tempests then is the world tossed If they that serue by sea are neuer without great perils how much more then the seruants of the world They whose heads are vnder the girdle of the world are continually shot at with the darts of enuie hatred and malice and are euer couered as it were with cloudes and stormes of a thousand cares How many are slaues to pride how many are dirtie drudges to couetousnes how many are consumed in substance soules and bodies by foule and filthie lecherie How many are deuoured and swallowed vp quicke of sorrowes and gréefes of hart and minde And doth not too much ioy and reioicing in worldly trifles kill some Many die laughing but mo sorrowing some with eating and drinking too much and many through want of sufficient giue the world adew Some grudge and whine bicause they haue many children and some are malcontent bicause they haue none some grudge not bicause they haue many but bicause they haue bad ones some boast of their beauties and some mourne for their blacknes Many desire to liue long but few to liue well All would be rulers and few will be ruled What then shall we thinke of this world Truly I thinke of it as of a thing most dangerous and most vaine and the going out of it is to me as the shore is to a man that hath trauelled far and long by sea and hath béene dangerously tossed with the surges and waues of
his hand an angling rod and with a baited hooke fishing in an obscure and troubled riuer although he doth not sée the fish rush vpon the baite yet he perceiueth very well that the fish is taken and hanged vpon the hooke bicause the corke or barke of his fishing line is pulled downe and hid vnder the water So sathan that most subtle and wilte fisher although he séeth not our thoughts being in the secrets and bottomes of our harts yet notwithstanding by outward signes he many times doth know them as by our words For out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh by our actions and by the gestures of our bodies For Christ himselfe affirmeth That out of our harts do come euill and wicked thoughts And Salomon in his Prouerbes doth number among those things which God hateth An hart that is fraught with euill thoughts Héere hence may most easily be gathered that all our euill thoughts do not come vnto vs from without neither are wrought in vs nor stirred vp altogither by sathan but that they come and créepe out of our owne corruption And so by outward signes and tokens comming to the knowledge of our enimie the deuill he neuer ceaseth with infinite temptations of all sorts to do his greatest indeuour to drawe the same cogitations of our harts into most dangerous and damnable practise if the Lord of his mercie and goodnes shall not giue vs true repentance and the assistance of his spirit wherby we may auoide his snares and escape his traps Which thing the Lorde grant vs. Amen AS the smith doth not make himselfe the hote coles that be in his forge but doth blowe the fire with bellowes and so the coles are kindled and made hot and firie So the diuell doth blowe and inflame those dangerous and wicked cogitations which are conceiued in our harts and minds with the bellowes of great and manifold temptations and so laboring to kindle the fire of all iniquitie he ministreth nourishment to all our wicked and damnable purposes For the hart of man is like vnto a smithes forge his euill and bad cogitations are hote burning coles he that doth blowe the bellowes to make them to burne vp and to consume both our soules and bodies is the diuell that ancient enimie of our happines and saluation It is to be lamented verily and with bitter tearâ—s and blubbering eies to be bewailed that such pestilent cogitations and deadly thoughts should be nouzeled and nourished in our harts and soules which do kill both bodie soule for euer euen as the frie of vipers in comming to light do kill their dams most miserably EVen as a begger doth couer and hide those parts of his body which be whole sound and perfect and doth open and shew abroad those parts or members which be â—ore wounded maimed lame putrified and rotten to mooue the harts and mindes of passers by and of all that shall behold him the rather to pitie him and to minister vnto him some reléefe and comfort Euen so we that be poore and miserable sinners in this world must not bring before the Lord our God our owne merits good déeds or vertues as able and sufficient to win the fauour and loue of God and to cléere vs of our sinnes and transgressions but we must most willingly with harts that be rent and torne with gréefe and sorrow for our misdéedes and heinous offences done and committed against the maiestie of God open bring foorth and lay before him the botches of our soules the corruption of our natures and the putrifaction and rottennes of our sinnes and iniquities that we may obtaine at Gods hand ease and comfort to our soules and consciences his great mercie and frée remission for all our rebellions sinnes and wickednesses through Iesus Christ our Lord. AS they which do dig mettals out of the earth do not contemne nor despise the least gobbets and peeces that they espie but take all but especially if they finde by digging a veine of gold they leaue no way vnsought but with all care and diligence they looke about them and do dig the gold and earth togither and most diligently do saue and kéepe the same Euen so ought we to deale in the holy word of God we must passe ouer nothing therein lightly nor despise one word of all the sacred and diuine scriptures but eagerly and earnestly to do our best and greatest indeuors yea and to call and to crie most mightily to the Lord to aide assist and enable vs to dig out of the same word whatsoeuer is requisite and necessarie for the saluation of our soules and eternall life It is not earth and gold mixt togither it is all most pure and throughly tried yea it is purer by a thousand degrées than any golde that hath béene tried seauen times in the fire The prophet affirmeth that it is better than thousands of gold and siluer AS the sea doth cast to shore shell fishes of al sorts wéedes and many other things and not long after doth sup vp receiue deuoure and cast into the depth the same againe Euen so this world doth now thrust vs out of fauour and by and by receiueth vs againe and when we thinke our selues to be vpon a very safe shore and that we haue leisure and time to rest vs and to meditate vpon some woorthie and excellent things euen then we finde our selues deceiued and are tossed among the waues of infinite troubles and are swallowed vp of innumerable calamities bicause many things that we neuer thought of haue preuented vs and the flickerings and false promises of this cosoning world haue deceiued our hope and disappointed our expectation AS a weake and brittle wal is easily cast downe and ouerthrowen with euery engine but an huge fense a mightie strong wall and a tower that is firme and fensed on euery side doth stand surely and endureth the force that commeth against it without yéelding staggering or falling insomuch that the enimies that seeke to ouerthrow it are driuen and constrained to vse warlike engins and policies yea and to batter and shake it with engins torments and ordinances of wars which will send and throw out stones weapons bullets and pellets of iron and lead Euen so sathan doth most easily ouerthrow with euery light temptation fraile and weake men which are not well setled in vertue nor grounded in godlines nor armed with the holy word and spirit of God but to win and ouercome if he could men that are furnished with a strong and liuely faith and such as are staied and do relie vpon the Lords protection and loue he vseth sundrie subtilties and most dangerous and forcible temptations He that tempted our sauiour Christ will neither spare any man nor meanes to destroie vs if he can bring to passe and effect his purposes The Lord kéepe and defend vs from his craft subtiltie and force and so strengthen vs with the holy
Ghost that we may passe through and breake in péeces all his snares VVE must not thinke that those men are forsaken of God which are much and continually exercised with diuers temptations for euen as a man that hath two sonnes the one an earnest louer of vertue strong in bodie and of a mightie courage the other depraued and of crooked disposition inclined to effeminate pleasures and wanton delights weake in bodie and of little or no courage The first he sendeth out to wars and doth aduenture him in perils and dangers of all sorts that he may exercise and acquaint him with the labours troubles and toiles of the world the other he cockereth and maketh too much of him he suffereth him to haue all things at his wil he is kept at home and as it were dandled vpon his mothers lap But at the last he that in all his affaires and dangerous aduentures did in euerie point quit himselfe like a man of great valure and noble courage receiued togither with great praise and deserued honor a most high and noble reward but he that was pampered and cockered at home had neither praise reward nor honor Euen so our heauenly father doth leade men that are strong and constant in faith through diuers and sundrie perils and dangers and doth drawe them as it were with his owne hande through bitter anguishes great perplexities and very narow streightes of calamities miseries and temptations and doth continuallie exercise them with fearefull cumbats against the enimies of their soules and through many and great labours infinite sturdie storms and bitter blasts doth strengthen and confirm them in vertue and godlines But the frayle and wicked men of the worlde and such as be méere naturall without any delight or comfort in his word and are no whit seasoned nor chéered with the dewes of his grace and his most blessed spirit he permitteth them to be in great prosperitie and to haue all things at their will and pleasure without smarting sighing sobbing and groning for wante or lacke of any thing that their harts can deuise or desire but at the length in the end of the day they that haue striuen harde and fought manfully and haue in battell ouercomed the flesh the world and the deuill shall be receiued into endlesse saluation euerlasting life and eternall glory And they which haue laid downe their heads and slept in the bosoms of worldy pleasures and haue slumbred in foule and filthie idlenes neuer caring nor thinking what will follow nor remembring the dreadful day of iudgment when the wicked shal heare their damnation denounced by Christ they I say shall be vtterly condemned reprobated and cast into euerlasting and endlesse miseries Then shall most plainly be séene and felt the losse that fleshly pleasures bring and the profite of crosses caried and borne for Christs sake AS wheate or other graine laide vp and kept in a garner cellar or chamber if it be not stirred and dressed often with a shouell or van will be full of corruption lose the swéete sauour ware vnholesome for mans body and will be consumed of wéeuels And apparel or garments being laid vp in a presse or other place if they be not much shaken and tossed will be eaten spoyled with mothes Euen so men if they be not tried with temptations and throughly exercised with calamities and miseries will be very quickly monstrously corrupted and will grow to be so rotten in all maner of sin and iniquitie that they will shrinke and fall quite from the Lord. But being well prooued canuased and throughly tried with many crosses afflictions and troubles one following in the necke of an other they become the firmer stronger and more constant in the faith feare and loue of God and so manfully fighting and courageouslie ouercomming the aduersaries and enimies of their soules they shall at the length be crowned with an euerlasting crowne of eternall glory The which crowne they onely shall haue saith the apostle which do striue lawfully And in another place he saith God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you are able to beare c. But in this case it is requisite that we be well furnished with the armour of God bicause our enimies do diuers and sundry waies assaile vs and most mightily impugne and fight against vs tryeng vs somtimes with one thing and somtimes with another So that if we be not clothed with the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left we shall neuer be able to quit our selues against them I meane the world flesh and deuill our professed mortall and sworne enimies AS bées when they striue togither and are stirred vp through some vehement motion with throwing of dust are brought into order and appeased euen so men when they are tossed and tormented with troublesome broiles perturbations and passions if they would remember dust whereinto of necessitie they must be turned and neuer forget death which they shal neuer be able to escape they would easily be staied pacified and quieted and woulde represse and kéepe within compasse their stragling lusts and vnrulie appetites which cannot indure to be tamed nor ruled by reason AS a tree the more déepely it is rooted in the earth the taller it groweth and mounteth the higher So a man the more humble and lowly that he is the more and higher doth the Lord exalt him And as a trée set vpon the top of a mountaine is mightily shaken and easily rent vp by the rootes with euery blustering blast and storme of winde Euen so man in this world the more and higher he is exalted the more and greater dangers is he subiect vnto The holie virgine did perceiue and sée these things to be most true He hath saith she put downe the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble and méeke And the apostle saith God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble lowly Séeing therefore that we be compared to trées by Christ himselfe in his holy Gospell it behooueth vs to haue déepe and strong rootes of true and vnfained humilitie and in consideration of our frailtie and weaknes to set and place our selues in the bottom of the lowe valley of the knowledge of our owne misery That no tempests nor stormes may remooue and roote vs out That no vanitie may destroy vs No ambition trouble vs No gréedie couetousnes torment vs Nor any occasion whatsoeuer may possibly draw vs from the lowlines and humilitie of our harts and minds from the comtempt of the worlde and from a true and sincere loue of honesty and godlines A building is so much the firmer and stronger as the foundation groundworke of the same is laid lower and deeper The groundworke of Christian philosophie is vnfained humilitie and the déeper that the same is laid and setled in our harts the surer and more permanent will the building of our
with the riches goodes naturall gifts and talents which they haue receiued of the Lord do purchase and euen make sure vnto themselues euer lasting confusion death and damnation against the will and commandement of the Lord the owner and giuer of the same Ecclesiasticus saith truly that gold and siluer hath destroied many men If we would follow the counsell of the Apostle we should mortifie couetousnes which he calleth worshipping of idols The couetous man saith Augustine before he gaine monie he loseth himselfe and before he catch any thing himselfe is catched Couetousnes is a cruell tyrant and the riches of couetous men are those idols vnto the which that saying of the Lord by Ieremie the prophet may very well be applied Ye shall serue strange gods day and night which will giue you no rest The old philosophers purposing to describe auaâ—ice or couetousnes did faine that one Tantalus in hell was gréeuously tormented with thirstines and drought in the middest of riuers of waters signifying thereby that couetousnes is a very swallowing gulfe and an insaciable hel where couetous men euen burning with a loue of riches do most earnestly couet and gréedily run after those things wherof they haue great and vnspeakable abundance And the more they haue the more are they tormented with an vnquenchable thirst and an hote burning desire still to haue more and more In my opinion if a couetous man were so mightily and so heauily loden with gold and if it were possible fuller of riches than that ship that came to Salomon from Ophir yet he would neuer be satisfied RIuers and floods although they be most swéete and pleasant yet when they run and enter into the sea they are most bitter kéeping their right and due course they yéeld pure and wholsome water but once mingled with the sea they are as it were poysoned with bitternes Euen so the wealth and riches of this world although in the course of this life they do highly delight some men which haue them in possession not the lesse when they come to the sea of death whither all floods at the length shall come they séeme to be dolefull sower bitter intolerable and as it were poyson it selfe For rich and couetous men do then finde and féele that their riches wealth and prosperitie which the Lord gaue them to an excellent end haue béene vnto them many times occasions of euill That good man Augustine saith that pride is a sicknes or disease that commeth of riches Also gold is the matter or cause of cares labours toyles feares and of all vnquietnes it is perilous to the possessors of it and a great weakening of vertues in all them that set their harts vpon it And Chrysostom saith that riches are a schoole of malice enuie and hatred Christ Iesus therefore our heauenly schoolmaster saith Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And againe Lay not vp for your selues treasures in the earth Also You cannot serue God and mammon And yet this is euer to be vnderstood that riches of themselues are not euill but as they be to the wicked and vngodly hinderances of vertues so they are to the faithfull seruants of God helps and furtherances of many good things godly actions and very charitable works For godly men do possesse their riches be they neuer so ample and infinite and are not possessed of their wealth and goods their riches are drudges to them and not they to their riches EVen as gold is tried with a touch stone So is man tried with gold And as Chilo the Lacedemonian saith Gold doth most manifestly prooue and declare what they be that owe it And looke what the touch stone is to gold the same is gold to man The touch stone with rubbing the gold or siluer vpon it sheweth plainly what kind of gold or siluer it is and gold it selfe doth in like maner most easily bewray what maner of man one is There is no touch stone in all the world that doth more truly touch and trie al degrées of vertues and vices than gold wealth and abundance of riches The Israelites being very inclinable to the superstitions of the Egyptians were no sooner out of Egypt but they made a calfe of gold and iewels the which they worshipped in stead of God And in the land of promise they oftentimes consumed and wasted their gold and treasure in making of idols Whereupon did arise that great complaint which the Lord maketh by the prophet Oseas saying I haue multiplied their siluer and their gold which they haue made Baal as if he should say I haue giuen the Israelites great store of siluer and gold which they most wickedly haue wasted in making of the idoll Baal And by the same prophet the Lord saith Their siluer and their gold haue they made idols for themselues to serue But men that are godly and of sound and Christian religion do bestowe their goods their wealth and riches vpon building and repairing temples and churches dedicated to the holy seruice and true worshipping of God in féeding the poore saints of God in redéeming captiues in prouiding for poore widowes and orphanes and in doing such other vertuous and godly déedes of charitie The nobles of the Israelites returning from the captiuitie of Babylon did bring their substance and riches to build the temple of the Lord. And Tobias did féede the hungrie and gaue clothes to the naked The wise men of the east contrie opening their treasures offered vnto the Lord gold frankincense and mirrhe And now in our time that is truly offered vnto the Lord and is vnto him a sweete smelling sacrifice which is giuen to the poore distressed seruants of God I remember a report giuen out of one â—medeus when certaine orators talking with him demanded whether he kept any hounds or not he presently shewed vnto them a great multitude of poore beggers sitting all togither these saith he are my hounds with these do I hunt after the kingdome of God these do I kéepe and féede euery day the Lord send many such huntesmen HIeronymus saith that it is a part of sacrilege not to giue vnto the poore that which is their owne That is whatsoeuer thou art able to spare Money meate clothing harbour counsell comfort and whatsoeuer els thou art able to do That is not lost which thou dost distribute among thy poore brethren and sisters in the worlde For as Salomon saith He laieth in bancke vnto the Lord which hath pitie and sheweth mercy vnto the poore It can not be lamented and bewayled inough to sée how infinite thousands in the world do most vainly yea most vilely and wickedly spend and lauish out the goods and riches wherewith the Lord hath put them in trust to the end that they should vse them to his owne glory and the good of his church Some vnder the colour of religion and holines with their goods
hir age hath in it the shape likenes and prints of eies and that thin rynde also wherewith the eies of the snake are couered and yet indéed hath no séeing eies So the wicked vnbeléeuing Iewes did séeme to haue eies but indéede they were blinde and idle and emptie skins and ryndes without sight they were men but not of God they had eies of the flesh but none of the spirit they could sée creatures but they had not one eie to behold the creator And as for Christ they had no more sight noâ— knowledge of him that then â—ad of the sun and moone when they were yet in the wombes of their mothers The diuine miracles of Christ were most pure and cléere looking glasses without blemish spot or deceit wherein they might haue séene both the omnipotencie of him that wrought them and also their owne most miserable and wretched estate howbeit they were so stone blinde that they could not see the glasse much lesse themselues in the glasse So that when they sought after Christ and to sée his miracles this might well haue béen said to them Quid caeco cum speculo What should a blinde man do with a looking glasse The Euangelist saith that they came vnto the Lord that they might despise his mysteries and woonders And they said We know not whence this fellow is But bicause they came vnto him onely vpon their féete and departed far from him in their harts and mindes for they came vainly curiously and deceitfully therefore the Lord did most sharply reprooue them and that which they demanded they neuer obtained The papists no doubt notwithstanding their braue shewes and vauntings of religion holines and deuotion are in the same predicament with the incredulous Iewes Let vs therefore take the counsell of the holy Ghost which saith Thinke of the Lord in goodnes and séeke him in the singlenes of hart for he is â—ound of them that tempt him not and appéereth vnto them that put their trust in him Let vs come vnto Christ with a true hart and in the fulnes of faith Many do come to church to heare the word of God at the mouth of the preacher but all profit not bicause all do not come with humble mindes and lowly harts to that end AS of many men comming into a goldsmithes shop one buieth a chaine of gold another a costly ring some a rich iewell and some buie plate cunningly and curiously wrought and some one among the rest stoupeth downe and taketh vp a blacke cole which he turneth and tumbleth in his hands till it foule and make blacke his fingers Euen so very many do come to the church to heare the word preached and do learne and beare away excéeding good and heauenly lessons and do gather great strength to their faith and much comfort to their scules and peace to their consciences and some againe do come without any such good purpose intending to take some occasion to quarrell with the preacher and to marke if any thing fall from him vnwisely vndiscréetly or barbarously wherewith they may sport themselues and scorne him such as they came with wicked purposes and cauilling mindes so they depart with harts as hard as adamants sâ—ared consciences and brasen faces so bloodles that they cannot blush far woorse than when they came The preaching of the Gospell is in deede a very rich shop fully and throughly furnished and stored with iewels of great valure to wit with most wise holy and heauenly sentences procéeding from the almightie himselfe through the mouth of his seruants though séelie wormes and mortall men And whosoeuer will come woorthily to the preaching of the Lords lawes and ordinances of God and of the Gospell of Christ Iesus he must come with an holy and godly minde desirous to vnderstand and to know the will of God that he may do it They that come thus vnto the Lord do most certainly learne those things which appertaine to the saluation of their soules Such onely doth the holy Ghost instruct teach and comfort and doth inflame them with a woonderfull loue of the holy word and heauenly things But the Lord sendeth emptie away all such hearers as approch and come néere vnto him with their eares and lips and are diuided far from him in their harts and mindes being full of hypocrisie deceit and all abhomination To them speaketh the Lord himselfe by Ezechiel the prophet Shall I make answere vnto them when they aske me any thing as if the Lord should say I will not PLinie reporteth in his 14. booke that myrrhe doth kéepe mens bodies from corrupting and preserueth them from putrifaction and rottennes but howsoeuer that is true or otherwise this is most true in the children of God that calamities and afflictions taken and borne patiently do profit and preuaile much to kéepe out foules from the corruption and â—anker of grieuous euils and heinous sinnes and from being spotted of this wicked world For when we are afflicted then do we flie vnto God in oâ—r dangers and extremities as to our only refuge besides whome there is none can helpe or comfort vs. We craue and beg most earnestly his mercie and do make great haste and euen run as it were to meditate of his omnipotencie and readines to do vs good and to deliuer vs. And although we sée our selues to be as it were banished soules and crossed with a thousand troubles and to be euen abiects among men to be thrust out of the societies and companies of worldlings yet we neuer forget the goodnes and mercies of God nor cast out of our minds the remembrance of his louing kindnes toward his seruants The loue and fauor of God is euer before the eies of his saints and their calamitie doth euen stay and rest it selfe in the swéete remembrance of heauen and heauenly things though they be sore wroong in this life and gréeuously pinched yet they are neuer so oppressed that they be discomforted In the midst of mourning and sorrow they do woonderfully reioice in extreme pouertie they féele no want they séeme daily to be cut off and yet still they increase and florish they are still afflicted and yet continually refreshed Thus doth it come to passe that an admirable greatnes of loue and obedience towards the Lord doth grow very feruent and hote in them For they vnderstand that they be therefore afflicted that they should flie vnto God the heauenly and onely comfort as a most strongly fenced tower and inuincible castle that they may be turned from their sinnes and be saued Tobias knowing so much saide O Lorde when thou art angry thou shewest mercie and in the time of trouble thou forgiuest them their sins that call vpon thée And the Lord saith Iob woundeth and he healeth he smiteth and his hands shall heale againe And the kingly prophet Dauid saith Thou art my refuge in my trouble which compasseth me round about And againe The
midst of his disciples he saide vnto them Vnlesse ye become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Pride is a very pestilent sicknes and hath this operation in man if it raigne in him it diuideth him from God from himselfe and from his neighbour and doth disperse and distract him into infinite euils and innumerable vices The holy virgin could tell that when in hir most woonderfull canticle she said He hath dispersed the proud in the imagination of their owne harts Let vs therefore beware of pride eschew all insolencie of the minde and auoide cleane the vaine hautines of the hart least whiles we hunt and hauke after the idle praise of men and the vaine glorie of the world we vtterly lose the euerlasting glorie of the saints of God and eternall life for euer Then will repentance come too late when we haue lost all things for nothing and no recouerie doth remaine EVen as a fouler doth lay abroad and spread his net to take the birds where baite is and they may féede So the deuill when he would take Eue spread his net in gluttonie and tempted hir with a beautifull apple till at the length to the harme and wo of all their posteritie both shée and hir husbande were taken and trapt to our woes And with the same baite he went about to intangle Christ when he said If thou be the son of God commaund that these stones be made bread And indéed excesse of meat drinke is the mother of many most dangerous euils The Scripture speaking of them that worshipped the golden calfe saith The people sate down to eate and drink and rose vp to play And in Deuteronomie it is said That when the people had eaten and were full they turned to strange gods And Ose the prophet saith They were full and they did forget God And Christ saith Wo be to you that are full for yée shall be hungrie Rioting excesse and fulnes of meate and drink doth make mens bodies vnapt to all good and holy exercises and very prone and apt to all sinne and wickednes CHrist willeth vs not to lay vp treasure for our selues héere vpon the earth but in heauen c. and affirmeth that it is harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heauen then for a cable rope to go through the eie of a néedle In déede such a rope though it cannot be drawne through a néedles eie yet if it be diuided and singled into the seuerall thréedes whereof it was made it may be so drawne through one thréed after another Euen so a rich man whose hart is set vpon his riches more then vpon God so that couetousnes is as it were a most infringeable shell wherein his hart is closed and the same is manicles to his hands and fetters to his féete cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen But if he will deuide his riches into certaine thréeds or portions and bestow one part to further the preaching of the Gospell another vpon the poore man and one vpon the poore widdowe another vpon séely poore orphanes one vpon the stranger that is in want another vpon the poore prisoner one vpon him that is sicke and another vpon the impotent if he will succour them that be in sorrow and miserie and will helpe the néedie and will godly mercifully and discréetly distribute his riches to the comforting and reléeuing of the distressed children and saints of God and all this out of a liuelie and true faith for Christs sake he may notwithstanding his riches be they neuer so great enter into the kingdome of heauen and be saued his riches shall not hinder him But if he be caried away from dooing of any good with a gréedie and damnable couetousnes making his riches his God there is no entrance for him but he shall be taken and bound hande and foote and shall be sent into hell and shall be cast into vtter darknes where shall be houling wailing and gnashing of teeth He that is such a one is euen in this life already dead and is as it were his owne graue Chrysostme saith that the minde of a couetous man is a foule rotten and stinking sepulchre Iosua commanded that no man shuld take any thing from Iericho but couetous Achan tempted with the glittering gold did breake that commandement and was therefore most iustly put to death Yea for his couetousnes and gréedie desire of riches Iosua lost the victorie Iosua with his humble calling vpon the Lord could cause the sun to stand still that it went not forward but he could not staie the couetousnes of man but it would be créeping saie he what he would The sun was staide at his voice but Achan his couetousnes would not be staid All the while that the sun stoode still Iosua had the vpper hand of gods enimies but when Achan his couetousnes was in esse then Iosua lost the victorie It is lawfull for Christian men to possesse riches but it is not lawfull for them to be possessed themselues of vnsatiable couetousnes of the same Thou maist haue goods and riches to serue thée for necessaries but thou must not be a seruant and drudge vnto them For euen as a flie comming to a platter full of swéet and pleasant honie if she thrust not hir selfe altogither into it but onely touch and taste it with hir mouth and take no more than is necessarie and néedfull she may safely go away and flie to an other place but if she wallow and tumble in the hony then is she limed and taken in it and whiles she is not able to flie away she doth there lose hir life Euen so if a man of all his riches take onely so much as may sustaine him honestly maintaine his estate bestowing the rest as I haue said before his riches then cannot holde him backe nor bar him out of the kingdome of heauen But if couetousnes shall bewitch him and still pricke him forewarde to scrape togither more and more and shall make him euen vnsatiable then they take him and holde him and so belime the wings of his minde that he cannot once in all his life haue one flight towards the kingdome of heauen And thus being in thraldome and bondage to wicked Mammon the end of his pleasures in this world is the beginning of his sorrowes in the worlde to come Plutarch saith that the contempt of riches is an instrument of Philosophie And Seneca affirmeth that the néerest way to be truely rich is to despise worldly riches If heathen Philosophers did easilie espie the perils dangers and discommodities of the loue of worldlie and vncertaine riches and the benefit of a meane and poore estate how much more then ought we that be Christians to know these things whose captaine maister and Sauiour loued pouertie and taught the same hauing his birth in a stable with beasts among chaffe and his death
beginning doth growe to such an excéeding bignes And yet in this one thing man is more admirable that being moulded out of the earth and dust he will make his hart a nest for pride and all abhomination to build and to dwell in THe comminations of the Lord by the prophet Ezechiel are not onely against Pharao the king of Egypt but do reach also to all them which do imitate him and sticke to him in his tyrannie and cruell practises whom the prophet tearmeth by the name of fishes For euen as when some great and huge fish is drawen out of a riuer in a net many smal ones which are about him are taken and drawn out with him Right so it is the Lords maner not onely to tangle and to trap within the infringible net of his indignation heauy iudgements the first authors and chéefe bruers and brochers of idolatrie treason trecherie or any other kinde of euill whatsoeuer But all those also will he censure with the same weight and measure of punishment which haue anie pleasure in those forbidden euils and are so far from being offended and gréeued at the same that they wish in their harts good successe and continuance vnto them I will saith the Lord euen glue fasten vnto thy skales the fishes of thy floods or riuers and I wil draw thée out of the midst of thy riuers and all thy fishes shall sticke vnto thée c. Meaning that he would destroy not only himselfe but all his followers also togither with all those that by any means did fauor or further and did giue or lend vnto him their cōpany counsell goods strength voices or so much as one hartie wish or desire to set forward his malice and crueltie against the Lord and his seruants And so indéede it came to passe Therefore it behooueth all men to haue a good and sure ground for euery thing that they do and that neither companie drawe them nor authoritie constraine them nor feare to lose goods libertie nor life driue and compell them to do that thing which is directly against the worde and will of God and is by him absolutely forbidden And this is well woorth the marking that the prophet doth cal men fishes which are tossed and tumbled in the troublesome waters and waues of the world For what els is this world but a sea continually disquieted with fearce flouds of infinite temptations tossed with stormes of innumerable troubles and shaken with windes of al maner of vanities Is there any Euripus Syrtes or Charybdis that hath so many and so monstrous flouds and dangerous waues and that hath so sundrie and stormy motions as this world hath What vast gulph what strait and narrow sea is shaken with such whirlewindes and troubled with such blustering blasts such raging stormes and cruel tempests with such thicke blacke and vncomfortable clouds as this world is There be in the sea of this world two chéefe and principal fishers the one is Christ our most swéete and only sauiour the other is the diuel our most cruel and deadly enimy Christ doth fish for men that he may giue them life and saue them for euer but the diuel doth fish for men that he may bind them in the chaines of death and destroy them for euer The waters of the sea of this world are worldly riches dignities promotions fleshly lusts and filthy pleasures they are like bitter and salt water which will neuer quench a mans thirst but the more he drinketh the thirstier he is But the water of Christ doth indéed quench the thirst of him that drinketh it and doth laie the heate of the lustes and lawlesse desires of the flesh For he himselfe doth saie That if a man drink of the water of this world he shal thirst again But if he drinke of the water saith he that I wil giue him he shall not thirst for euer The rich man mentioned in the Gospell had his belly ful of the water of this world but now he is tortured in the heate and tormented in the flames of hell shal be a thirst there for euer But poore Lazarus that sought for the water of Christ did drinke of it is now in heauen in the bosome of euerlasting blessednes and shall neuer be a thirst any more Christ doth fish for men that he may draw them out of the bitter waters of this dangerous sea and that he may giue vnto them the water of grace But Christ doth fish with an angling rod and an hooke and he taketh few But the diuell that wicked and craftie fisher with his great large long and broade nets taketh and draweth vp great multitudes and infinite numbers of fishes which voluntarily giue themselues vnto him and do suffer him most easilie to take them Christ doth fish that he may bring grace and giue vnto them whom he taketh eternall life and the fishes flie from him they will not come néere him And the diuell doth fish that he may kill and destroy and bring men into endlesse easelesse and remedilesse condemnations and torments and the fishes run and flie to him Christ as he walked by the sea of Galilee with his angle tooke soure Symon and Andrew Iames and Iohn but the diuell walking by the sea of this world may in as little space and short time take foure thousand The diuel fisheth with a hooke and doth catch many mo then Christ doth take the reason is bicause his baite is swéeter and more pleasant to mans appetite and doth better agrée with the depraued will and gracelesse disposition of man then that baite which Christ vseth doth The diuels baite is voluptuousnes the foule pleasures and rotten delights of the flesh worldly wealth at will the vaine glory of the world innumerable riches of all sorts power authoritie vanitie an insatiable desire to beare rule and a thousand such others The séelie poore fishes being deceiued with these baites do neuer féele the hooke vntill it sticke so fast in their iawes that there is no scaping but the diuell maketh a full account of them as of his owne The Lord giue vs grace and so open the eies of our vnderstanding that we may sée and eschew all his baites and neuer be taken with any hooke of his But our sweet Sauiour Christ that heauenly fisher which séeketh to saue our soules and to bring them to euerlasting happines and celestiall immortalitie he fisheth with a sharpe and bitter baite verie vnpleasant to the corrupted nature and appetite of a naturall man to wit with much fasting praieng often with watchings honest labours in a mans calling contempt of the world spirituall pouertie bitter teares déepe sighes and gréeuous grones for sinnes committed against the Lord with humilitie and lowlines of hart with kindnes peace patience righteousnes and such other things all which although to those which are inflamed with a right and true loue of God they are pleasant and
may be vtterly abandoned And if thou for thy part wilt begin euen striue to be the first thou shalt do well Wed thou thy selfe as in déede we all ought to do the will of God whatsoeuer it cost thée somthing for my sake thy poore brother in Christ that most déerely doth loue thée in the Lord Iesu and somthing for thy soules sake to kéepe it out of hell and that it may come to heauen but especially for Gods sake to whom thou owest all obedience and so shall I thinke my paines well bestowed and be ready all the daies of my life to labour still to do thée good Loue to thée in Christ Iesu hath constrained me to send abroad this little booke of Similies to let thée know that I wish well to thée and that I daily desire and beséech the almightie that sinne may be destroied and that the feare of God may euer possesse thée dwell in thy hart and florish in thy hands True it is good reader that we ought to desire to liue no longer than we haue a care to liue well and that the whole course of our liues may be acceptable to God That is the Apostles meaning when he saith Wherefore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home we may be acceptable to the Lord. And a little after the same Apostle saith that Christ died for vs that hencefoorth we should not liue to our selues but vnto him that died for vs. Therefore it is a méere vanitie to say we be Christians vnlesse we cast from vs our old corruptions and custome of sinning and be changed in our mindes and become new creatures in Christ Iesu The which thing I do most humbly craue at the hands of God euen for his owne name and his onely sonne Christ Iesus his sake both for thée and me that when the daies of our miseries in this dangerous and troublesome world shall be expired thou and I may haue a ioifull méeting with the rest of the Lords saints and all his holy angels in the glorie of his endlesse blessed and eternall kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be all honour power praise glorie and dominion now and world without end A necessarie Table of the chiefe and principall things contained within this booke pointing the Reader to euery page and Similie wherein the same is to be found by these two letters S. P. the first signifieng the Similie the second the Page with figures of both their numbers as followeth WHo they be that are Christs sheepe and who be not Similie 1. Page 1. A veine of our head is cut that the whole bodie may be healed S. 2. P. 1. As the sunne light offendeth bleared eies so the truth offendeth both ignorant and obstinate papists S. 3. P. 2. As al the members of the bodie haue from the soule their moouing and life So euerie part of a commonwealth is gouerned by a godlie prince S. 4. P. 2. The sorcerie of the papists Brownists Familists and such others S. 5. P. 2. The worde of God signified by raine and sweete dewes and the operation of them both S. 6. P. 3. The church of Christ and true religion now established in England ought not to be condemned nor euil spoken of bicause some bad men are mingled with the good S. 7. P. 3. A candle that is put out cannot light another candle S. 8 P. 3. The spots of the world are dangerous and to be shunned of all but especially of them that teach others S 9. P 4. Those ministers of the word shepherds of the Lords flocks which smother their learning and do not impart their knowledge to the church of God do offend greatly S. 10. Pag. 4. Euill and wicked counsell is woont to fall vpon the heads of the first inuentors and giuers of the same S. 11. P. 4. 5. The minde of man without the word of God is barren and bringeth foorth no good thing S. 12. P. 5. People for the most part do imitate their princes whether they be good or euill S. 13. Pag. 5. The end of godly gouernment is peace S. 14. P. 6. Where true iustice hath no place there peace is not to be looked for S. 15. P. 6. The prosperitie of this world is like winters weather the calmnes of the sea and the stabilitie of the moone S. 16. P. 6. The superfluous cares of worldly things laid apart our mindes ought to be occupied in heauen and euer waiting vpon our God S. 17. P. 7. Men are very truly called the sonnes of them whose manners and liues they choose to imitate and follow S. 18. P. 7. As sweete waters are corrupted and spoiled when they run into waters which art salt bitter or vnwholsome So good men are greatly blemished in vsing the familiaritie of the wicked and vngodly S. 19. P. 8. Enuie is alwaies vertues companion miserie onely admitteth no enuie S. 20. P. 8. An enuious man is as vnprofitable to a citie as darnell is to wheate S. 21. P. 8. The enuious man can neither abide a superior an inferior nor an equall He is fitly compared to a viper and to the rustines of iron S. 22. P. 8 9. Enuie is a dangerous disease rife in al places it is a picture of hell S. 23. P. 9. To put any trust or confidence in this world or to depend vpon vaine man is to leane to a broken staffe the rod and the staffe of the Lord are onelie to be leaned vnto S. 24. P. 9. In all our words and actions a measure must be kept and consideration is to be had what agreeth with the time place and persons S. 25. P. 10. Humilitie ought to go before dignity S. 26. P. 10. Many hearers of sermons delight more in the rolling toong of the preacher and his retoricall phrases than in the matter it selfe which he deliuereth S. 27. P. 10. Though sound doctrine bicause it brideleth lusts reprooueth sinne and is a pore and cleere looking glasse for men to beholde themselues in is not welcome to manie yet ought the teachers of the word to continue and to be feruent therein S. 28. P. 10. 11. A common wealth is maintained and vpholden with two things to wit with due reward and due punishment S. 29 P. 11. Men are then woont to be ecclipsed and darkened concerning the loue of God and their neighbors when they growe rich in this world S. 30. P. 11. 12. The getting of great riches is the losse of great quietnes S. 31. P. 12. A iust man is a mightie man be he neuer so poore and a wicked man is vile and base be he neuer so rich S. 32. P. 12. 13. A fine exchange betweene a rich man that is naught and a begger that is honest and vertuous S. â—â— P. 13. As cloudes do couer the sunne so calamiâ—ie darkeneth the minde of man S. 34. P. 13. No sound iudgement can be giuen of a man vntill
he be throughly tried S. 35. P. 13. The best foode for the soule of man S. 36. P. 13. 14. Not proud but humble men do profite by reading and hearing of the worde of God S. 37. 38. P. 14. 15. The riches dignities and honors of this world and the life of man are fitly compared to clouds in the aire which are suddenly dispersed and scattered with the windes S. 39. P. 15. 16. The word of God is a looking glasse that wil deceiue no man If a man behold himselfe well in it he shall see plainly that before he was man he was earth and before he was earth he was nothing S 40 P 16. As a birde thrusteth hir bill through the loopes of hir cage in token of hir great desire to be at libertie So the soule of a true Christian groneth and sigheth in the bodie in desire to be dissolued and to go to dwell with the Lord Iesu S. 41. P. 16. 17. Papists compared to vipers S. 42. P. 17. Man for his inconstancie is compared to a ballance that is mooued with euerie little weight S. 43. P. 17 18. Man is so wauering that he is compared to a Chameleon which changeth his colour according to the thing that is next him and also bicause the Chameleon will be changed into any colour saue white S. 44. 45. P. 18. Not they that trust to a dead faith but they that haue a liuely and working faith shall be saued S. 46 P. 18. Many men of very good qualities and indewed with sundrie vertues and full of good parts haue been strongly altered and greatly disgraced through their familiaritie with the wicked S. 47. P. 18. 19. When Peter came into Cayphas his hall he denied Christ S. 48. P. 19. What it is not to eat the word of God and not to fill a mans bellie and bowels with it S. 49. P. 19. The harder that the tree of sinne and wickednes is to be cut downe the more earnestly and diligently ought the preachers of the word to strike at it with the sharpe edge of Gods most mightie and most holie worde S. 50. P. 20. The Lord doth humble vs in this world that he may exalt vs in the world to come this world doth smile vpon vs with a purpose to deceiue vs S. 51. 32. P. 20. Wicked men are wilfull murtherers of their owne bodies and soules S. 53. P. 21. Vngodly men finde no comfort nor sweetnes in the word of God S. 54. P. 21. In mens iudgements words and works we may be deceiued in Gods we cannot Whatsoeuer is writteÌ„ in Gods word is truth whatsoeuer is taught in it is vertue and holines and whatsoeuer it promiseth in the world to come is eternitie S. 55. P. 22. The onely weapon that we must vse to ouer come the world flesh and diuell is the word of God and the practise of the same S. 56. P. 22. Poore men feare they God neuer so much are little set by in this world S. 57. P. 23. Christ hath his cup and the world his the one is bitter but wholesome the other very pleasant but pestilent and deadly S. 58. P. 23. and 24 and also S 60. P. 24. As a guiltie man whose conscience doth accuse him would neuer see the iudge and a traitor would neuer willingly be espied of his prince nor a disloyall person of one that knoweth him and on the other side a true and faithfull subiect that hath done dutifull seruice desireth the presence of the prince in hope to be well rewarded So the wicked and vngodly ones of the world are greeued to heare of Christs comming to iudge the quicke and the dead but they that haue liued with good consciences do grone for his comming S. 61. P. 24. There be great braggers of religion which make a great noise as thogh none were right professors of the truth but themselues such be not the best men humble minded Christians are better than they S. 62. P. 25. Death commeth suddenly vpon many that neuer thought to die nor cannot tell what shall become of them when they bee dead S. 63. P. 25. 26. All men are alike subiect to death whether they beyoong or olde this world is like a potters warehouse and all men in it are earthen vessels S. 64. P. 26. As the moone decreasing hath hir open side hanging downward but increasing and gathering light hath hir opening vp towards heauen So men meere naturall haue their harts set only vpon earth and earthly things but men regenerate haue the open side of their harts euer towards God heauen and heauenly things S 65. P. 26. 27. A common wealth without good lawes and holy ordinances put in practise is like a bodie without a soule S 66 P 28. As the horse is ordained to run the oxe to plough and the dog to hunt So is man borne to loue God aboue all things S. 67. P. 28. Mans hart is so hard that it must be smitten with the Lords owne hand and bruised with one calamitie or other or else no godo thing will euer issue out of it S. 68. P. 28. and S. 69. P. 29. S. 70. P. 29. The earth is the Lords steward and doth dispose and detaine the increase of it selfe at the Lords appointment when God wil plentie when he will scarciâ—ie S. 71. P. 29. 30. If man cleaue to God God will sticke to him if he will run from God yet can he not escape his hands S. 72. P. 30. A man that is vertuous without hypocrisie is an excellent iewell he is greatly greeued to see any bewitched with the forceries of the world he doth what he can that none may Carnall men are meere strangers to true christianitie S. 73. P. 31. Vaine and carnall men compared to organs S. 74. P. 31. Naturall men will do no good thing vnles they be pricked forward with the praise and commendations of the world S. 75. P. 31. 32. Hypocrites most plainly and truly described by a wood or groue full of goodly trees and pleasant plants to delight men and also full of stinging serpents to poyson and to kill men S. 76. P. 32. Heauenly meditations doe molliâ—ie and warme the hart and do greatly inflame men with a feruent loue of God This world and the things thereof haue euer been false and haue deceiued euen their louers and deerest friends at the length S. 77. P. 32. 33. The Lorde suffereth his owne children whom he loueth most deerely to bee oftentimes in great wants when the wicked haue euen the world at will The afflictions of this are not the maledictions and curses of God but rather most certaine signes of his loue and tokens of his grace S. 78. P. 33. 34. God doth suâ—fer his saints heere vpon the earth to be smitten and sore beaten of the world and to be throughly tried with diuers tentations to the end that their inward graces may breake
man which the holy Ghost the author of all light and the onely light it selfe hath chosen to be his owne seate and holy habitation Error cannot flowe from the fountaine of wisdome neither is it possible that a line of wickednes should be drawne from the one a centre of all goodnes the fruits of death cannot growe out of the tree of life these are vnpossible things And on the other side where the holy spirit of grace and might hath not place and possession there is no good thing to be found bicause the author of goodnes is not there S. 170. P. 87. and 88. Calamitie patiently borne doth availe very much for the aduancing of the praise of true vertue and vnfained holines S. 171. P. 88 It is mans onely safetie to keepe himselfe neare vnto God for when he shaketh off the gouernment of Gods word and with his sins and iniquities diuideth himselfe from the Lord then commeth his danger he cannot but fall into the hands of sathan hell and destruction S. 172. P. 88. Sorrowes troubles afflictions and vexations are in the children of God the armour and badges of Christ S. 173. P. 89. Howsoeuer God dealeth with men yet he is all one there is no change nor any shadow of change in him the change is in our selues not in the Lord. When we liuing in his feare faith and loue do inioy the light of his countenance his blessing spirituall and temporal if at any time he turne his face from vs and shall take away the comforts of our soules bodies it is bicause we are changed not he S. 174. P. 89. Man must be verie carefull and haue in himselfe at the least a desire that something may be in him to mooue the Lord to grant that vnto him that he craueth or looketh for at his hand as if he will haue the Lord to be mercifull he must vse mercy towards others if he would haue him to be a good father to him he must shew himself an obedient child c. S. 175. P. 89. 90. 91. Diuers and sundry names giuen to Christ to expresse his nature and his disposition toward man S. 175. P. 91. Though a man be neuer so barren bad without any good thing in him yet if the word of the Lord once take hold of his hart and finde any rooting there it will draw him by degrees to the nature of it selfe and make him very fruitfull S. 176. P. 91. A man may boldly inueigh against the sinnes of others when he hath amended his owne amisses and very likely he shall be salt to others when himselfe is seasoned S. 177. P. 92. Although vertue and godlines seeme vnto the wicked very bitter and vnâ—auorie and all vice and naughtines sweeâ—e and well sauoring they are very vnwilling that the gardens of their harts should be weeded euill things drawne out of them or that any good should be planted in them yet the ministers of the word must still do their office and dutie S. 178. P. 93. 94. The holy ghost doth â—â—e to call men and women the sonnes and daughters of them whose maners and conditions they follow not of their naturall parents when they follow not their footesteps S 179. P. 94. Men very honorablie borne and comming of honorable parents being themselues naked that is without vertues and honorable actes do iustly deserue the losse of their titles honor and dignitie and whiles they degenerate from their noble parents of whose honor they brag they are fitly and rightlie compared to Aesops â—ay S. 180. P. 95. Euen as in a threshing place chaffe will be aboue wheat not bicause it is the better but bicause it is the lighter so amongst men they that be vaine and haue nothing in them but pride vainglory and a false opinion of themselues will thrust foorth themselues before those that haue a far greater weight of vertue and iust deserts then they haue but on the otherside the humble man will euer take the lowest place and be well contented with the least account in this world S. 181. P. 96. Whosoeuer will enter the gate to go into that most stately and princely house of the kingdome of heauen must bowe down humble himselfe and stoupe lowe otherwise he breake his head be driuen backward and neuer get in for pride is pestilent sicknes it deuideth a man from God from himselfe and from his neighbour and doth disperse and distract him into infinite euils and innumerable vices S. 182. P. 97. Rioting excesse and fulnes of meate and drinke doth make mens bodies vnapt to all good and holy exercises and very prone and apt to all sinne and wickednes S. 183. P. 98. A cable rope being singled into threads whereof it was made may be drawn through the eie of a needle and a rich man diuiding his riches as God hath appointed and commanded him may enter into the kingdom of heauen S. 184. 105. P 98. 99. A rustie iron key hanging at a whip coard or at a thong of leather which will open the doore and let a man go into an house where is gold and great riches is better then a kâ—iâ— of golde tied to a string or lace of silke and siluer which will not open the locke S. 186. P. 100. 101. Idlenes is a schoolemaster and a teacher of all mischiefes and doth extinguish all vertues in man but godlie and holy exercises are very profitable do much good increase vertue in all that vse them S. 187. P. 102. Vngodly rich men haue a vaile or couering before their eies birde lime in their wings and fetters about their feete that they cannot see the kingdome of God they cannot mooue one feather of a wing towardes heauen nor set one foote before another towards euerlasting life and yet they be merie now but their sorrow is not far off S. 188. P. 102. 103. 104. The higher that proud and vaine men do clymbe the fowler the more mischieuous is their fall Vanitie pompe and pride are very bad and naughtie feathers which christians ought not to suffer to growe in their wings but to pull them out and to cast them into the dust S. 189. P. 104. What difference soeuer is amoÌ„g men now whiles they liue in the world death at the length hauing don his office will make them all so equall and alike that the dust of princes and poore men of rich men beggers of the learned and vnlearned of those that are wise and of the foolish being all mingled togither they can no more be discerned and knowne one from another then the ashes of one tree can be deuided from the ashes of another being both burnt togither in one furnace S. 190. P. 104. 105. Very many in this world being without the feare of God do liue in great pompe al pleasures fulnes of great riches and wealth at will and are highly esteemed during their life whose woes and sorrowes do then begin