Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	let_v	sinner_n	1,997	5	7.5506	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00888	The Christian manuell, or of the life and maners of true Christians. A treatise, wherein is plentifully declared, how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world: their faith by their deedes, their words by their works, and their profession by their conuersation. VVritten by Ihon VVoolton minister of the Gospel, in the Cathedral church of Excetor.	Woolton, John, 1535?-1594.	1576 (1576)	STC 25976; Interim Tract Supplement Guide G.1999[2]	81,916	210

and ioyfullye looke for death which can neuer bée farre absent by the example of Saint Paule who desyred to bée loosed and to be with Christ Whiche thing can not come to passe in vs vnlesse wee leade our lyfe according to Gods wyl and repose all trust of saluation in the mercie of God through the merytes of Christ And if at any tyme wée slyppe and slyde into synne and iniquitie as by nature wée are prone to doo euyll yet let vs not suffer that to rule in our mortall bodye but endeuour to salue suche sores with good déedes and with repentaunce and newnes of lyfe But most part of mortall men nowe a dayes haue no regarde at all of temperance and sobrietie but geue themselues to ryotting and surfetting and runne headlong into all kinde of mischiefe hauing no feare of God before theyr eyes they followe theyr fylthie lustes they snatche they steale they sweare and forsweare they lye they deceaue and to bée short doo all thinges sauing that which is lawfull And yet in the meane tyme they wyll néedes be accoumpted Chrystians gospellers earnest fauourers of true relygion But Chrystians ought not to bée moued with these worldlye and wicked examples but bende all theyr power to lyue godly and holyly to followe the wyll of theyr heauenly Father and with a certaine lyberal and commendable feare of God to be deteined from doing of euyl least they eyther should geue an occasion to the aduersarie to sclaunder their profession or lest the name of God should for them that be euyll spoken of amongst the Gentyles And if at any tyme vnwares or through humane imbecyllitie they fall and goe astray they wyl immediatly acknowledge their error and pacify their mercyfull father through true repentaunce and with theyr hartie prayers procure his mercie towarde them For he is gentle and ready to forgeue if he sée vs sorye and penitent and as if we haue offended gréeuouslie so if we lament our faultes bytterly according as S. Cyprian wryteth Wherevnto wée maye adde this as a special consolation and comfort that wee haue a medyatour in heauen euen the Lorde Iesus Christe who is our aduocate and patrone to purchase peace for vs and to make an attonement betwéene his father and vs. In which consolation and comfort notwithstanding all faythfull Chrystians ought to haue this caution not so to trust in Gods mercie that they eyther fall into presumption or to lyue neglygently and carnally or not gospell lyke For there are many nowe a dayes that flatter and deceyue them selues whyles they gréedily embrace all such sentences in the Byble which set out Gods great mercy but in the meane season neglect and passe ouer lyghtly such places as exhort them to newnesse and holynesse of lyfe The Lorde is mercyfull in déede but to those that repent The Lorde woulde not the death of a sinner but he woulde also that he should conuert and lyue Hée that witnesseth Christ to be the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world doth also wyll vs to repent our former lyues and to bring foorth fruites worthy Repentaunce He that affyrmeth vs to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ exhorteth vs also to repent conuert that our synnes may bée done away He that sayth that Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners doeth also say that fornicators and adulterers and other haynous offenders cannot inheryt the kingdome of Chryst He that writeth that Christ did beare our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse doth adde also that we shoulde dye to synne and lyue to righteousnesse Hee that wytnesseth that Christ gaue him selfe for vs annexeth that he might redéeme vs from all iniquytye and purifye a people peculier to him selfe following good workes Hée that sayeth that Christe dyed for vs addeth also that those that lyue shoulde not lyue vnto them selues but to him that dyed and roose agayne for them Herevnto serueth that of Ezechiell the Prophet If the wicked man repent him of all his sinnes and keepe all my preceptes and do Iustice and iudgement he shall lyue and not dye By the which words we may easely gather that he cannot trust in Gods mercye that doeth not repent him of his wyckednesse neyther can hee bée rightlye called a penytente personne or a Chrystian that perseuereth in vngodlynesse neyther can sound and perfecte fayth bée in him who wyttinglye and wyllinglye worketh agaynst the testimonye of his owne Conscience Let vs not bee Christians therefore in name and tyttle onely neyther bragge and boaste of fayth with bare wordes But let vs repent truelye and from the bottome of our harte let vs turne to GOD in d●ede and correcte vyces wyth vertues and wyth holye lyfe and conuersation abolyshe the remembraunce of our synnes iniquitye Let those wordes of Christ be alwayes in our myndes Not euerie one that sayeth Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father who is in heauen And if we beleeue that which Saint Paule sayeth to be true That Iesus Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners Let vs also beléeue that other spéeche of his That witches adulterers fornicators murderers theeues extorcioners couetous persons proude men dronkardes backbiters contentious men shall not inherytte the kingdome of God and Christ And surely if we perswade our selfe that Saint Paule sayth true aswell in the one place as in the other wée shall easily perceyue that wicked lyuers cannot conceyue any hope of Gods mercye and of eternall lyfe For as fayth beléeueth that God is merciful to the penitent so doth it tell vs that he is a punysher of the impenitent There is no cause then for sinfull men to presume on Gods mercye they must repent and amende theyr lyues before they take comfort of that matter Ambrose hath included them both in one sentence whyles that hee sayeth Noman can rightlye repent vnlesse hee trust in Gods mercy so no man can trust in Gods mercye vnlesse he repent That saying of the Hebrewe is memorable and neuer to be forgotten Say not Tush the mercy of the Lord is great he shal forgiue me my synnes be they neuer so manye for lyke as he is mercyfull so goeth wrath from him also and his indignation commeth downe vppon synners Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodenly shall his wrath come and in the tyme of vengance he shall dystroye thee Let euery man therefore haue good regard for him selfe that his Christian professiō be confirmed with Chrystian conuersation that his work aunswere to his word his deede to his tytle Let euery man beware of presumption in Gods mercy Let them take héede that through carnall securitye and contempte of the gospell they fall not away from the spirit to the flesh ▪ from heauen to the world and from God to Bellyall Let them take heede that they

the Iewes and by the Apostles against the Gentyles So that we may easely thereby gather that the professours of God and true religion haue bene alwayes of two sortes Christians in tytle and name only and Christians in wordes and workes betwene whom there is no small or obscure difference For the former sort bend all their study and endeuors to chéerishe their carnall carkase and desire to excell others in honour wealth ryches power aucthority and dignitie neyther are they led with any feare of God to bridle and restraine theyr fylthie desyres and concupiscenses but in their whole lyfe doo runne headlong into all mischife and as the Apostle sayth Being yet aliue are dead in their sinnes and trespasses The second sort led with the holy spirite séeke God with all their harte and lyfting vp their soules to him couet heauenly thinges and contempne earthly thinges theyr chiefe care is not for ryches honour and worldly glorie but they put of the olde man and cloathe them selues with the newe man they dye to sinne and liue to righteousnes or at the least doo not suffer original sinne and corruption to rule in their mortall bodies Of this difference betwéene the carnall man and the spirituall or betwéen the false and faithfull Chrystian that auncient father Ireneus wryteth excellently whose wordes being somewhat prolixe and long I haue in some and effect gathered Those sayeth he that beare the earnest pledge of Gods spirite renouncing the fleshe and submytting themselues vnto the spirite are aptlie called by the Apostle spirituall But those that professe them selues beleeuers in God yet neuer meditate his worde nor cloath them selues with the workes of righteousnesse but lyke swyne and dogges geue ouer them selues to all sensuality and wickednesse are called of the Apostle carnall of the Prophetes beasts and in the lawe vncleane thinges and Christ himselfe pronounceth such men dead alreadie Let the dead sayth he burie the dead for they haue not Gods spirite quickening them We see then that false Christians and carnall gospellers haue bene alwayes from the begynning of Christes church And now a dayes all men bragge and boast of faith but fewe declare it in godly lyfe and conuersatiō All of vs would be named accoumpted Christians which very name shoulde stay vs from violating Gods holy lawe But fewe of vs frame our lyues after Christes example We confesse God in worde as the Apostle sayeth but in dèedes we denie him cause his name to be euyll spoken of amongst the Nations For howe can the Turkes be perswaded to thinke well of Christen religion when they beholde vs by commytting manifest Idolatry or how can they fauour our profession which we deface with our wicked and abhominable behauiour There is nothing that hath so greatly insenced and kindled the immortall mallyce and deadly fiende of the Saracens and Turkes against Christians as the presumptuous and manifest breaking of the seconde commaundement in making and worshypping of Idolles and dembe Images and in teaching the impanation of God and that Capernaticall opinion in deuowring of him Aristotle being verye godlesse in many thinges yet coulde he not abide that God shoulde be represented with any corporall lykenesse The Turkes and Saracens can not beare any Image in theyr Synagogs and as some wryte haue appoynted great punishment for the Caruers and makers of the same And euen so they haue detested that opinion of carnall and reall presence of Christe in the Sacrament and haue abhorred from peace and societie in relygion with the Christians for that also amongst other causes For as Cicero wryteth vvho is so wytlesse to beleeue that to be God which hee eateth And Auerrois because the Christians eate that God whome they worshippe my soule shall be with the Philosophers He conceyued by meanes of that grosse doctrine of Rome that the Lordes Supper was lyke Polyphemus banquette fooming with redde blood about mennes mouthes For so Nycolas the Bishoppe of Rome compelled Beringarius with blooddy vvordes to recant and confesse That rhe boddie of Christe is handeled and broken sensuallye and brused with the teeth Which wordes the glosse mysliketh and admonysheth the Reader to vnderstande the same warely least he fall into a greater error then Beringarius helde And as the Heathen haue myslyked our religion by reason of such grosse and absurde opinions so haue they bene more more alyenated from the same by reason of the dyssolute fylthy life of suche as desyred to bée accoumpted the principall chiefe amongst Christians And heere it is worthy to be noted what befell to Innocentius the fourth Byshop of Rome who by Embassadours moued the greate prince of Tartary named Batus to cease from the cruell persecution of Christians to acknowledge God the creatour of all things and to receyue Chrystian religion The Tartarian as as they saye when he had demissed the Byssops Embassadours sent his owne to Rome and other Citties of Italy to search the forme of their beléefe the maners conuersatiō of Christians Who at theyr returne brought him worde that they were an idle people wicked in lyfe and worshipped they knewe not what Images so much disagréeing from the doctrine they dyd professe that they appeared rather to be a flocking togeather of beasts then an assemble of men At which reporte the Tartarian straight waye receyued the Saracens who easely perswaded him to neclect Christ and to receyue in to his domynions the abhominable religion of Mahomite as a mystres of manners O great wickednesse and ingreatytude worthy destruction That which our sauiour Christ manaced vnto the Citties which contemned his dyuyne myracles wholsome doctrine and wold not repent shal fall vppon such prophaners of Gods name at the last daye It shal be more terrerable for Sodom and Gomorra at the day of Iudgement then for you O deare brethren let vs not with like thanks quite almightye God for his greate benefyts bestowed vppon vs in these our dayes as for the gladde tydings of our saluation so playnly and plentifull vttered by the restytution of his holy word Let vs remember that when wée laye drowned in our synnes and were not able to lift vp our selues God of his méere mercy saued vs in his sonne Iesus Christ And to bring the same to passe he gaue his only and most dearlye beloued sonne to the vyle and shamefull deathe of the crosse His goodnesse and fauour was so greate toward vs that he choose vs and predestinated vs to be inheritors of his eternall lyfe before the beginning of the world Let vs be moued wyth these his incomprehensible benefyts to lyue in this world honestly and godly For he hath not done these great thinges for vs that we shoulde styll wallowe and toumble in wickednesse When Aulus Fuluius had taken his owne sonne as he was running to the camp of rebellious Catilinae and commaunded him to be executed with

so mutch to make men learned as to make them vertuous how mutch more ought christian philosophie to proceed further not only to put into mens minds the knowledge of pietie and god lines but also sanctimonie holines it selfe Euery one therfore indued with a true faith ought to feele Christe so woorking in him by his holy spirit that he may say with the Apostle Nowe liue not I but Christ liueth in me And as the body endued with a liuing and reasonable soule receiueth feeleth and practiseth the actions therof so he that is ingraffed in Christe and is his member cannot chuse but be pertaker of his spirit vertue and holinesse VVhereupon t●e apostolike and cathoik faith nameth the bodie or societie of the church the Communion of Sainctes plainly importing therby that those men onely appertaine to t●at societie who meditate and study how they may liue well and labour with all their might that they may be that wherevnto the Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians altogether sanctified Perfect in spirite and such as may bee blameles against the comming of our Lode Iesus Christ And al those that are otherwise affected and frame not their life to that ende and yet desire to be named Christians they dissente from them selues and with their life argue their tongue of vntrueth and falsehoodde Moreouer a mans profession is not so much to be weighed by his tongue and talke as by his deedes and life The Apostle speaketh of such Impastours saying That they professe them selfe to know God but vvith their deedes they denie him And that holie Martyr Saint Ciprian hath a fine saying ▪ That the testimony of a mans life is more effectuall then that of his tongue and that vvorkes haue after a sort their liuely speeche and eloquence albeit the tongue be silent and moue neuer a deale And hee that professeth with his mouth and walketh contrarie in his life maie right well be compared to an vnwise builder who layeth on morter with the one hād and pulleth down stones vvith the other of such kind of builders our Lord and Master Christ speaketh after this manner Therefore whosoeuer heareth my sayings and doth them I wyll lyken him vnto a vvise man who buylt his house vpon a rocke and the raine descended and the flooddes came and the vvindes blewe and beete vpon that house and it fell not because it vvas grounded vppon a rocke And euerie one that heareth of mee these sayinges and doeth them not shal be likened vnto a foolishe man vvhich built his house vppon the sande And the raine descended and the floods came and the vvinds blew and beate vpon that house and it fell and great vvas the fall of it c. Saint Augustine speaking against carnal and lypgospellers sayth thus In vaine doth he assume the name of Christ that follovveth not Christ To vvhat purpose is it if thou bee called that vvhich thou art not and to vsurpe a strange name But if thou delight in that name then do those thinges vvhich appertaine to Christianitie and then thou maist vvith good cause chalenge the name of a Christian Novve if vve viewe Christians after this rule if vve examine mens daily life and conuersation and trie the same vvith the touch stone of Gods commaundementes that number vvyll appeare smal and a true Christian vvil almoste be as rare as a blacke Swanne vpon the earth For neither the negligent and voluptuous Magistrate nor the idle Byshop nor the cruel husband nor the bytter vvyfe nor the careles Father nor the rebellious chylde nor the merciles master nor the vnfaithful seruant vvith many other of that sort can not by any meanes be rightly named Christians But those rather euen by the testimony of Christ him selfe are so to be called that heare his vvord and keepe it And although our saluation issueth frō Gods grace and goodnesse yet hee requireth at our handes trust and confidence in him a prompte and readie vvyl to obey his vvord dilligence industrie in our vocation praier and inuocatiō of his holie name accepting our imperfect disobedience and forgeuing our infirmities for his sonne Christes sake Al those that then desire to be true Christians ought to bee sorie for their sinnes to flie vnto Christe and to repose sure trust and confidence of saluation in the mercie of God through him to bring foorth vvorthy fruites of repentance and to leade a life agreeable to the Gospell For those that be true Christiās do alwaies vvrestle vvith vices and fight vvith concupiscence and lust they endeuour to bridle vvicked affections and cōtemning earthly thinges doo bende and fixe their mindes vpon heauenly thinges VVhereof Chrisostom vvriteth thus O Christian thou art too delicate a souldior if thou thinke to vanquish without battell and to triumphe vvithout fight vvherefore cal to minde thy condicion and that vvarrefare vvherein thou hast professed thy selfe a souldiour vvhich if thou do then shalt thou vvell perceaue that al those vvorthy vvightes vvhome thou doest so much esteeme and reuerence haue by fight and battell vanquished and triumphed c. And because true Christians cannot worthelte requite almighty God for his innumerable benefits neyther satisfie them selues in pietie tovvarde him yet they are carefull and endeuour to their vttermost neuer to aliuate Gods grace and fauour from them neyther to do that vvhich vvylbe displeasaunt vnto his maiestie But contrarivvise through the ayde of Gods spirit they labour to do those thinges vvhich are acceptable vnto him workinge their saluation with trembling and feare and frame all their actiods not so muche after the liking of humane reasons as after the prescript of Gods holy wyll and commaundement And because in actions no man can determine what is good vnles he first knovv vvhat is true and for that the same cannot be othervvise had then from the mouth of God in his vvord they turne ouer the holy Byble they studye the mo ▪ niments of the prophets and Apostles and meditate Gods lavve both daye and nighte VVherby Christians only come vnto the knowledge of the truth and vnderstanding of Gods vvyll vvhich to knovve is perfit vvisdome vvhich to do is true vertue and vvherein to cont●nue is the onely and eternall felicitie Those then that knovv not the vvill of God as the Ethnicks in times paste and Turkes and Ievves novve a dayes cannot haue any sure and comfortable vvarrantise of their lyfe and learning For the Christians onely taught in Gods schoole knowe his wyll and in all their life rather respect the same then their owne wyll and reason and repute it to be the greatest vertue to please and obeie him and to followe his preceptes and commaundementes And if at any time through humane infirmitie and weaknesse they offende and slide awry by and by they desire pardon and forgeuenesse of God through Christe and apprehende by faith mercie promised in him and comforte them selues with a quiet

and iustice by his word surely the holye Patriarches were suche men and therefore to be accoumpted amongst the number of Christians Hytherto Eusebius But touching the word Christians it maye be gathered by that which hath bene spoken before that the faithfull were so named first at Antioche because they professed Iesus Christe to be the sonne of the lyuing god And although that maye séeme to haue cōmen to passe by an imytation of the Philosophers who were deuided into diuers sects and receyued names after theyr Maisters yet no doubte this name was geuen to the faithfull by the inspiration of Gods spirit the doctour guider of his church For after the gospell was caryed out of the borders of Iewrie and spred it selfe farre abroade the faithfull reioysed in this name as it maye appeare by the saying of king Agrippa mooued with S. Paules oration Thou doest almost perwade me to be a Christian and S. Peter See that none of you bee punished as a murderer or as a theefe or as an euyll doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters If any man suffer as a Christian man let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe The wicked men were caryed with a wonderful mallice and hatred against this name Tertullus that prating Sicophant tearmed odiously the profession of the gospell The heresie of the Nazarites And it appeareth by Iustine the Martyr Tertullyan Eusebius and such lyke the very profession of this name was accoumpted a thing worthy of condempnation and the denyal of the same obtained absolution as though the name caried with it an offēce to be continued or deposed with the same Which was nothing else but a blinde furor in those whose eyes Satā the God of this world had put out so that they could not see the cleare lyght Neyther consider as Athenagoras wittely answered That names are not worthy hatred but the fact and faulte Or as Iustinus the martyr writ That the bare name ought neyther to procure credite nor discredite Suche was the opinion of prophane men of the name Christian euen the greene herb and first spring of the gospell But the sense iudgement of the godly was far other wise who accompted no name or tytle more reuerend and honorable They were perswaded that this name was inuented and geuen by God himself partly for a difference between them of the olde new Testament and partly to kindle inflame their faith in Christ being by the remembrance and recytall of the very name moued to bee thankfull for his vnspeakable benefits For euery man ought to consider with himself the he hath the name of a christiā because he is ingraffed in Christ as the branche in the stocke or as the member in the head so to receyue of his moystnesse and lyfe and to be partaker of his benefites For there is no other word that doeth more significantlye expresse the entyre cōiunction which is between Christ his Church which is liuely set out in the parable of the mariage wherby we are said to be flesh of his flesh bone of his bones as doth the word Christian As soone as we heare that swéete sound we call to memory that we are made a liuely Priesthode to offer spirituall sacrifices So that this word is as it were a sacrament assuring al professors of the gospell of the accomplishment of that holy Vnction whereof Dauid maketh mention for God is good and true and doeth not deceyue them that put theyr trust in him And he gaue the name of Christ to his onely begotten sonne and answered the same in déede He annointed him with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes He therefore hath also annoynted vs his fellowes heyres brethren with the same oyle albeit not so plentifully as their elder brother The tytle therefore is honourable and comfortable as all those right well perceyue that haue any taste féeling of Gods mysteries What a swéete speache of God is this Touch not my Christes doth he not plainly declare that he déerely loueth those whom he adorneth with that name Surely S. Hierom thinketh this to be that name which the lyuing God by the mouth of his Prophete promised to geue his seruaunt that in place of the manifold names of Israel Ephraim Ioseph Iacob they should be called Christians Howsoeuer therefore this name hath bene contemned and hated of prophane men yet amongst the seruaunts of God it hath alwayes bene accoumpted most honorable and preferred to all other tytles Saint Hierome wryting to Furia happening to make mention of her father addeth expresly that he bonored him more for the name of a Christian then because he had eyther bene a Senator or a Consull But wée ought alwayes to vse this concorde that we be in déede such men as we would be accoumpted and called For the very name doth admonish men not onely of their honor and dignity but also of their office and duetie And as by Sacraments which S. Augustine calleth visible wordes men are put in minde of their calling euen so are Christians by that name admonished of their partes and functions And as the vnworthy partakers of Sacraments receyue the same to their owne damnation euen so those that vsurpe this noble name and performe it not in theyr lyuing and maners shall feele the heauy hande of God for their presumption and wickednesse Whereof Saint Paule rendreth a reason saying For the name of God is euyl spokē of amongst the Gentiles through you And the Prophete My name is alwayes blasphemed And in another place They came vnto the Gentyles and prophaned my name amongste them And againe My name is great amongst the Gētiles but you haue prophaned it In which place the people are charged with two great offences first that they made God as a reproche secondly that they abused his name and lawe wherewith in his mercy be vouchsafed to honour them Whereby we may easily perceyue what an heynous offence it is to bragge and boast of the name of Christians and of the worde of God and yet in daylye violating and transgressing the same to prophane Gods name amongst the people which is no other thing but to playe and dallye with his reuerende name and maiestie This is nothing else but the subtyle practise of our enemie the Deuyll who by his sleyghtes and temptations bryngeth it to passe that those thinges which shoulde serue to Gods glorie and our owne saluation wée by prophanation and abuse cōuert to our owne destruction Whiche thing we see to often veryfyed in these our synfull tymes whyles many lyppe gospellers and protestantes haue commonlye in theyr mouthes Iesus Christ his gospell and fayth and yet so lyue that the name of Christe and his gospell is euyll spoken of But this gréeuous accusation of carnall gospellers is auncient and generall vsed as we see by the Prophetes against

thing vnhonest Of this duetie Cicero had a consideration in that he wrytte to his sonne Marke There is no parte of mans lyfe neyther in publique nor priuate matters neyther in conference with others neyther in meditating with your selfe that can wante Duetie and in obserung thereof doeth the honestie of mannes lyfe consist and dishonestie in neglecting the same For although the feare and reuerence of Gods Maiestie present in all places and searchinge mennes reynes and hartes and therewithall the holye Angell our kéeper and watchman ought to staye and feare vs from synne and wyckednesse yet besydes those thinges that duetye and reuerence whiche wée owe vnto our selues ought to brydle and let the same And to the ende that wée maye imytate and followe Sextius his vse and custome and shewe that shamefastnes and reuerence which is conuenient for our selues when we are solytarie and sequestred from company Let the shortnesse of our lyfe and the innumerable perylles and daungers which compasse vs in on euerye syde be set alwayes before our eyes The Ethnikes haue set out the same with many fyne simylytudes but because they may haue lesse wayght with Christians I praye them to consyder the holy Scriptures who compare our lyfe to gréene grasse wythering to the flowers of the fielde fading awaye to a dylluding dreame But the wyse man séemed of purpose to haue gathered them all into one roome which we ought to reade and ponder deepely that in consideration of the extréeme vanitie of our lyfe we maye be more cyrcumspect in our conuersation and be enflamed with an ardent desyre to come to our perpetuall and heauenly habitation The lyfe of all men sayth he euen of those that are most wealthye and myghtie but especiallye of the vngodlye vanishe awaye lyke a shaddowe then the whiche there can scarcelye any thing be found more transitory and yet Pindarus extenuating mans lyfe signifycantly tearmeth Man But a shadowes dreame 2. Mans lyfe flyeth away as a noyse or crye which soddainly vanisheth away 3. Or lyke a shyppe which cutteth the waues of the Sea and leaueth no signe of passage behinde it 4. And as a byrde which flyeth through the ayre leaueth no token of her passage 5. Or as the arrowe shotte at a marke leaueth not any trace 6. As the duste is scattred with the winde 7. As the frost is dyssolued with the heate of the Sunne 8. As the smoake is blowne away with the wind 9. Or as a guest is forgotten of his hoast where he lodged but one night 10. As the belles which bubble vp in the water whereof some are greater and some lesser but all breake and fall in a moment Euen so amongst men some are great mighty some learned rytch and other some are poore abiect and myserable But in what state so euer they bée they dye without any exception one after another so that as the Prophete sayth although we come to thrée score and ten or fowre score yeares yet the passage of our lyfe is swyft an we flye away But those that are loth to restrayne the delytes of the fleshe wyll aunswere that they wyll repent when they faule sycke and lye on theyr death bed I grant they maye doo so and Gods mercye is neuer shutte vppe but I woulde haue them also consyder howe many impediments and stumbling blockes lye in the waye hindering them from true repentaunce For that I maye omyt the care about a mans wyll and testament for his wife and chyldren and the gréefe and payne of the dissease many other such thinges which may seeme to be matters of smaller importaunce what assaultes doth Sathan vse to geue in that case and what pollyces dooeth hee not practise to bring the seely sycke man into dreadfull dyspayre of his saluation For then euen in a moment he calleth to mans remembrance and setteth before his eyes what soeuer be hath thought purposed sayd or done throughout all his lyfe and suche offences as he hath committed being yll enough in them selues he amplifyeth and augmenteth that he may shake their fayth pluck from them the ancor of saluation and eternall lyfe Herevnto may be added the agony of a guylty Cōscience the greeuous feare of death at hande the heauy bytter cogitation of the Iudgement seate of God and the horror of hell fyre all which things are wonderfull obstacles to true repentance so that it were nothing else but méere presūption to defer it to the last hower And surely repentance in such sort extorted is not volūtary but compulsyue and most commonly lame vnperfyt If we be wyse let vs amend repent when we can offend other wyse y common saying wil be verified of vs Synne hath forsaken man and not mā sinne And it is to be feared least if we amend not when we may we cannot whē we would The iudgements of almighty are profounde and vnsearchable in punishyng mennes faultes For as in his goodnesse and mercy geueth tyme space to men that are wylling to repent and indureth offendors with great patience and longaminyty to bring them to righteousnesse of lyfe so when hée seeth a man wylfull obstynate and contempning his mercye hee withdraweth his grace and fauour and gyueth him ouer into a reprobate sence and looketh not any more for his conuersion And God hath appointed vnto euery man his time and measure beyond which they cannot procéede in theyr myschéefes and beyond the which he wyll not conteyne and stay his plages and punyshments The remembraunce whereof ought to moue vs to walke in Innocency and holynesse of lyfe to vse that dutiful reuerence toward our selues which is requisyt when wee are solytary and alone and to contayne and staye our selues from sinne and wickednesse But there is nothing more effectuall to brydle and restrayne men from deuising and dooing fylthynesse and synne when they are solytarye and alone or when they haue ouerlashed them selues and done amys Wyth Sextius before they take theyr rest to examine and call an accoumpt howe they passed the daye then the often consideration and remembraunce of suddaine deathes wherewith all many mortall men haue pittifullye and dreadfully perished in all tymes and ages Plynie in his naturall story hath a whole chapter intituled Of sudden deathes And so hath Valerius Maximus Where they wrytte that many vppon moste lyght causes haue sodenly dyed One at Rome as he went foorth at hys chamber doore dyd but stryke his finger a lyttle on the doore cheeke and immediately fell downe dead An other dyd but stumble as he went foorth and dyed by and by An Embassedour of the Rhodians after he had declared his message to the Senate departing forth of the counsayle chamber fel downe by the way and sodenly dyed Aeschilus the Poet lying on sleepe bare headded neare the Sea a great Seafoule thinking his bauld head to bee a stone whereon he might breake the shelfyshe which