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
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
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
and slaie all good works and all godly purposes yea he laboureth by all his meanes and instruments to strangle and to smother the very first motions of them in the harts and minds of men least they should increase and multiply he is that dragon with seauen heads which as Iohn saith in the Reuelation stoode before the woman when shée was to be deliuered of hir sonne that euen in the birth he might deuoure hir childe We may very fitly vnderstand by the woman the soule of man which when it thinketh and purposeth to do good works is said to conceiue and when it bringeth foorth and perfourmeth the same in deed is said to be deliuered as a woman of a childe but then sathan is foorthwith most eager and busie to stop the kindlie birth of vertue and godlines and to smother it so that it neuer come to light The Lord strengthen vs against his force and make vs wise against subtiltie that in all his sleights and craftie conueyances he may bée disappointed and we deliuered from him and that we may do the will and walke in the waies of our God mauger sathan and all his meanes EVen as the Ostrige being a great and mightie foule hath wings but doth not flie neither is lifted vp frō the ground with them so very many men in the world do séeme to bée caried vp to heauen vpon the wings of their ceremonies but are in déede in hart mind and desire fast nailed to the earth As the Ostrige hath wings and flieth not so they haue calling but they answere it not they haue knowledge but they practise it not they haue words but they worke not THe Kite being a most gréedie and rauening foule mounteth exceeding high so that you would thinke shee toucheth the gliding clouds and as shee flieth doth spred her wings and yet when shee is at the highest shee hath hir eies fast set and fixed below in the earth pryeng and spieng to catch if shée can some poore chicken or other praie within hir talons indéed shée flieth high but neuer looketh vp towards heauen but altogither downe towards the earth euen so thou shalt sée a number of men faining a certaine sanctymonie and counterfeiting much holines who although they are thought with the contemplation of heauenly things to be rauished and taken vp into the clouds yet they minde nothing lesse then true godlines neither any thing more then earth and earthly things Their studie is for worldly honor their greatest carking and care is for rich and large reuenues for dignities princes fauours and worldlie wealth Such men turne their backs to heauen and flie from God and so being disappointed of that light which they séemed to séeke for they are wrapped in palpable and most dangerous darknes but they that truely séeke after God do by the helpe and assistance of his holie spirite translate and conuey their minds from earth to heauen and so are illuminated with the brightnes of God his grace and loue for so saith Christ himselfe He that foloweth me walketh not in darknes but shall haue the light of life But we shall neuer follow Christ as we ought vnlesse we shall first vtterly denie our selues for he saith If anie man will folow me let him denie himself and take vp his crosse and folow me and then and so often do we denie our selues as treading vnder féete our old and former sins we leaue to be that we haue béene and begin to be that we haue not béene and follow the counsell of the apostle saying Layeng aside our old conuersation and putting off the old man which is corrupted after the lusts of the flesh let vs be renued in the spirit of our minds But alas I speake it with gréefe of hart the most part of the world despising and forsaking God do take for their guide and do folow as their captaine the violent lusts and foule appetites of their owne corrupted and cankered harts But if we woulde consider what that is that driueth vs whither we are going in such great haste what we do whom we folow what woe wée worke our selues and what will be the end we would surelie forsake those waies of our owne and turne our féete into the waies that is into the statutes and lawes of our God Dauid tooke this course and so the Lord graunt we may Amen EVen as a Bird doth not flie with one wing alone but with twaine So it is not enough that we know much of the Lords worde and will but we must do it also It will not suffice vs at the latter daie that we haue béene great professors of the Gospell and are deepely learned if also we haue not béene inflamed with a loue to God aboue all things and haue not loued our brethren as our selues if our knowledge our faith and profession do not mooue vs to praie to God for to visite and to comfort our poore brethren being sicke in prison or otherwise distressed if I say our faith and knowledge yéeld not fruits that we féede the hungrie cloath the naked call into our houses the harborlesse and shall not do to all men as we would be done vnto we shall be beaten with many stripes bicause we knowe the will of God and do it not Blessed onely are they that feare the Lord and walk in his waies And blessed are they that heare the word of God and kéepe it The greatest the highest the best and onely seruice that man can do and bring vnto the Lorde is his obedience to Gods word and the dooing of his will AS hée that maketh tooles and instruments of iron or other mettle maketh not rustines and canker neither is to be blamed if those things which he hath made by reason of too much moisture dust or other corruption shal afterward gather canker or rustines euen so that heauenly workeman our God did not bring in sinne and iniquitie neither can he iustly be blamed if his creatures do staine and blemish themselues with the foulenes of sinne and wickednes for he made them good God saw all things that he had made saith the holie Scripture and they were excéeding good Augustine in his 14. Booke of the Citie of God saith Good things may he without euill things but euill things cannot be without good things bicause the natures in which euill things are in as much as they be natures they are good For they be of God and in some measure they lead vs to the knowledge of him Dauid vnderstāding so much saith Howe excellent are thy works O Lorde thy thoughts are excéeding déepe An vnwise man doth not knowe these things and the foole doth not vnderstande them That man perisheth is damned and goeth to hell is not the Lords fault but mans owne EVen as plants and trées do spread abroad their rootes in the earth from whence they haue their nourishment So christian men bicause they
and golde do maintaine superstition and false worshipping in stead of the true seruice of God som do spend them vpon pride and voluytuousnes some purchase houses landes many garments much apparell and very many with their wealth and riches do pinch nip and oppresse their neighbours but all this while the poore are hungrie naked colde in prison contemned despised and fewe yea very fewe do regard or comfort them It behooueth vs which do beléeue in one almightie euerliuing inuisible and incomprehensible God and liuing in a most christian common-wealth do professe true and sincere religion so surely grounded and built vpon the holie infallible and inuincible word of God that neither wicked man hell nor deuill can preuaile against it continually to be dooing good and still caring most how we may please God best and to answer our faith and profession with holines and righteousnes of life and conuersation And so to contemne this deceitfull and momentanie world that most willingly we may follow the steps of our swéete Iesus who saith The foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire haue nests but the sonne of man hath not where to lay his head True godlines is great riches if thou wilt be contented with that thou hast Théefes cannot steale it mothes cannot eate it neither can it be consumed with canker or rustines THe carbuncle is a very precious stone to sée to like an hot burning cole of fire shining excéeding brightly the which as Plinie affirmeth féeleth no fire neither is it molten changed or mollified therewith If thou shalt take it and close it fast in a ring of leade and cast it into the fire thou shalt sée the leade molten and consumed before thy face but the carbuncle remaining sound and perfect without blemish as before for the fire worketh vpon the leade but vpon the carbuncle it cannot worke Euen so Christ our sauiour being in the hot scorching fire of his torments suffered and died as he was man but as he was God he neither suffered nor died The fire of his afflictions wrought then vpon his manhood but his diuinity and godhead continued perfect and vtterly vntouched That he might put away our sinnes he imbased himselfe taking vpon him as the apostle saith the shape of a man and was made like vnto man and was found in his apparell as a man He humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse But the most excellent brightnes of his diuinitie suffered no ecclipse neither could by any waies or meanes be darkened He euer was is and euer shall be Christ and equall to his father touching his godhead So in like maner all they that be surely grounded and throughly graffed in Christ Iesu although in the Lords quarrell for the triall of their faith and religion they shall beare many weightie crosses suffer infinite and most sharpe afflictions vndergo innumerable and bitter persecutions and shall be acquainted with all maner troubles calamities and sorrowes so that they shall séeme euen to be molten with the firie and hot burning heate thereof yet notwithstanding their carbuncle that is their faith in Christ their hope their loue of God and comfort in the Lorde Iesu will neuer shrinke neuer quaile neuer be shaken neuer giue ouer but will euer remaine stedfast perfect immutable strong and so bold as a lyon The children of God will say still with the Apostle We are cursed we blesse We suffer persecutions and we beare them We are blasphemed and we pray Againe who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation anguish or famine c. As if the true christian man should saie No none of all these nor whatsoeuer els can happen or shall be inflicted vpon vs. AS the sea although it receiueth an vnspeakable multitude of flouds riuers which do run into it yet neuer runneth ouer neither is so full that it will receiue no more So euil and wicked men are neuer satisfied with malice enuie and hatred neither make they any ende of their trecheries sins and iniquities but with the goades of some they are stirred vp and prickt forward to commit others woorse and more detestable then the first So that one déepe calleth on another bicause being deluded with the lyeng shadowes of false good things they make no account of but contemne and despise those things that be true sound and good indeede And do euen féede and as it were franke themselues with euil and all abhominable things and yet such is their gréedines they are neuer satisfied they haue neuer ynough AS fire brands and wood being kindled and set on fire do giue light and warmth vnto others which are cold and in darkenes but are wasted and consumed themselues so that others receiue the benefite and they the losse and spoile of themselues So an vnlearned and vngodly minister whiles without repentance or remorse of conscience he deliuereth the word and ministreth the sacraments vnto others which are prepared knowe what they do and do reuerently heare the word and woorthilie receiue the sacraments doth onely hurt himselfe the rest receiue comfort by the worde and are edified by the sacraments They are saued though he perish OVr soules in our bodies may well be compared to that gréene precious iewell called Smaragdus in the hand of a rude childe or of a slouenly and vnmannerly carter Our soules are most excellent and precious iewels in the regiō and countrie of mortall men no whit or very little estéemed but in themselues very precious and immortall Which our God that highest and most heauenly ieweller by his excellent and incomparable wisedome hath woonderfully polished and hath coupled and ioyned them vnto the leaden rings of our bodies And euen as it gréeueth and maketh sorrowfull a skilfull and expert ieweller when he beholdeth and séeth those iewels and precious stones which he with all his wit industry and arte hath trimmed and polished to be tumbled and tossed in the foule and filthy fingers of children and fooles who neither knowing them nor estéeming them do soyle blemish despise them Euen so our heauenly father when he séeth our soules the which he hath created after his owne similitude and likenes to be in the midst and depth of the corrupted cogitations wicked and beastly thoughts and hellish imaginations of our harts he taketh it heauily and in euill part insomuch that he crieth out sayeng Why thinke yée euill in your harts And by his holie prophet Ezechiel I know the thoughts of your harts That historie of old Hely in the holy booke of God is euer to be remembred When he heard tolde vnto him they heynous déedes and most intollerable euils which his sonnes had committed he did but sleightly and slenderly reprooue them when he ought sharply to haue chastised and corrected them Therefore the Lorde spake vnto him and saide Thou hast honored thy children more then me therefore will I
shoote néerer and sooner hit a faire great marke than a little one So the diuell doth easily hit with his arrowes and strike with his darts the vaine glorious and proud men of the world but the humble and lowly he misseth with all the sleights and cunning he hath Euerie proud man that seeketh after vaine glorie is but vnwise and foolish for the diuell hath puffed him vp and made him a great marke whereat himselfe may shoote and the which he may the more easily hit and strike with his poisoned darts of death Such a man doth Salomon meane when he saith The foole doth not know that he hailed to bands vntill he be wounded vnto death True praise doth consist in vertue which hath déepe rootes and spreadeth far abroad all vaine things do quickly fall away neither can any vaine thing be perpetual The Ammonites and Moabites were highly praised and extolled in the mouthes of all men but they fell so far from that praise that the remembrance of them was cleane put out I sawe the vngodly man saith the prophet exalted and lifted vp like the Cedars of Libanus and I passed by and lo he was gone I sought him and his place was no where to be found And Salomon saith The name of the vngodly shall consume and waste away Wicked men which do féede and franke themselues with mischéefe and malice although for a time they séeme to prosper greatly and to be highly esteemed among men yet notwithstanding their florishing estate doth not continue long The day we sée doth often come that they which this day do praise to morrow will either dispraise or say nothing but especially this we knowe by daily experience that they which through hypocrisie without any vertue or iust desert haue stolen their praise and commendations by deceiuing of mens harts they either lose the same in this life before they die or euen presently after when they are cast headlong into all maner of miseries Christians therefore must not trust to the false and deceitfull glorie of the world bicause as Esaias saith All flesh is grasse and all the glorie of it is as the flower of the field And Ecclesiasticus saith All flesh doth wither away like grasse The prophet Dauid being disposed to speake of a wicked and vngodly man that is mightie and famous in the world he saith When he dieth he taketh not all neither doth his glorie or pompe go with him When he saith he taketh not all it is an Hebrew phrase and is all one as if he should say he taketh nothing with him And therefore saith the Lord by Esay the glorie of Moab and the glorie of the Cedar shall be taken away And Oseas the prophet saith that the glorie of the wicked Iewes shal be turned into ignominie It doth therefore behooue all Christians to séeke the glorie of God and as the Apostle doth admonish vs to do all things to the glorie and praise of him that when we shall go hence we may haue eternall glorie with God through Christ Iesu our Lord and sauiour For the glorie of this world is very transitorie and vncertaine it is buried with mens bodies when they be dead and posterities do forget it and blot it out of all remembrance The counsell of Chrysostom is excéeding good despising the glorie of the world saith he thou shalt he more glorious than they that séeke it CHristian men do profit more for the good of their soules and towards eternall life in the narrow and hot burning fornace of aduersitie and troubles than in the large and broad fields of wealth and prosperitie For as golde by fire is seuered and parted from drosse So singlenes of hart and true Christian simplicitie is best séene and made most euident in troubles and afflictions in prosperitie euery man will séeme godly but afflictions do drawe out of the hart whatsoeuer is there whether it be good or bad This made Dauid say Prooue me O Lord and trie me search my reines and my hart It is not amisse to vnderstand by the reines the inward delights and pleasures bicause the seate of lusts and desires is said to be in the reines and by the hart the secret cogitations bicause it is the shop and receptacle of the thoughts EVen as filthy matter or rottennes of a boyle blaine or push being hid within the flesh doth greatly gréeue and vexe sore the bodie that is sicke But if it breake and run out the paine is mitigated So sorrow being closed and shut vp in the hart of man doth mightily torment him but being thrust out with teares and grones the hart is somewhat eased and the minde a little pacified They therfore must néeds be out of measure gréeued from whom all teares sighings sobs are taken Ezechiel the prophet his wife whom he loued most déerely died whose death no doubt was gréeuous and bitter vnto him but that he might not wéepe nor bewaile hir death with teares and mourning did excéedingly augment and increase his sorrowe The fountaine of sorrow is in the hart of man whose waters if they flow not ouer through the eies they will ouerwhelme drowne the hart it selfe and will not once suffer the thought to turne from languish and intollerable gréefe For as a great and thicke smoke vaporing out of a foule blacke fyre vnlesse it haue frée passage and some vente or waie where through it may go out will all to darken bestinch and make blacke the house Euen so sorrowe and gréefe procéeding out of the hot fire of calamities being shut vp in the house of mans hart doth make it excéeding blacke and doth corrupt it with blacke and bitter choler vnlesse through the mouth or eies there be a breathing out of sighes set from the bottome of the hart and streames of teares trickling downe the chéekes Yet an effeminate and desperate wailing either for the dead or for any other cause as of men without hope is vtterly to be misliked and that Stoicall opinion also that a wise man should neuer be mooued neither with mercy sorrow nor anger is to be auoided For the motions and stirs of mans mind must be tempered with reason good counsell wisedome and discretion and are not to be vtterly pulled vp by the rootes Ecclesiasticus thinketh it good that a man moderately bewaile the death of others And when our Sauiour Christ himselfe behelde Marie Magdalene and others also wéeping with hir when hir brother Lazarus was dead he wept insomuch that the Iewes meruayled and said behold how he loued him AS a smoke which at the first is great and thicke ascending vpward is quickly scattered and out of sight Euen so the glory of the proud men of this world by little and little is obscured and vanisheth cleane away The damned ones which are tormented in hell with endlesse and euerlasting paines do know and acknowledge so much
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
out that men seeing their constancie in the loue of God may glorifie their father which as in heauen S. 79. P. 34. The good agreement and well hanging togither of the in 〈…〉 creatures of God in this world though differing in natures and the apt placing of the whole may very well teach vs that there is a mightie creator a great gouernor and a wise preseruer of all these things S. 80. P. 34. 35. The cause of the sinnes and iniquities which man committeth is in himselfe euen as the tree is in the kernell and the herbe in the seede Self loue is a perilous and common theefe ranging and robbing in euerie place it maketh men fooles and doth put out their eies and yet is welcome to all S. 81. Pag. 35. They that be godly are most easily moued to do good vpon any occasion offered the troubles and afflictions of their brethren are to them as if they were their owne if they do but heare of anie distressed they by and by cast with themselues how to do them good such be good though few S. 82. P. 36. A good christian though he be heere vpon the earth in bodie in affect and desire he is in heauen S. 83. P. 36. Gods children despise those things which vnto the worldlings seeme very precious not earth but heauen hath their harts S. 84. P. 36. As he that walketh vpon coards fastened on high had need to looke to his footing so it behooueth vs to be very carefull where we place our affections For there be two that daily striue for them God calleth and sathan allureth Sathan doth keepe a continual siege against all vertue to kill it if he can euen when it is a hatching in the hart of man S. 85. P. 36. 37. Many men haue calling but they answere it not knowledge but they practise it not words but they worke not such are compared to the ostridge that hath wings and flyeth not S. 86 P. 38. All that be aduanced into places of high dignitie are not the best men though some be very good yet some seeke more their own praise and profit than gods glory but that is not to follow Christ S. 87. P. 38. 39. The greatest highest and best seruice that man can do vnto God for the comfort of his ownesoule and his happines in the world to come is his due obedience vnto the word of God S. 88. P. 39. 40. That man perisheth for euer and goeth to hell is mans owne fault not the Lords the Lord is no more to be blamed for mans destruction then the smith that made for thee som instrument of iron or steele is to be blamed if thou wilt suffer it to growe rustie and cankered the smith made not rustines neither God thee to sinne S. 89. P. 40. The children of God vnderstaÌ„ding by the word that this world and all that is in it is meere vanitie they haue their felicitie ioie and comfort in knowing of the word and doing of the will of God S. 90. P. 40. The Indian adamant which in hardnes doth excell all other stones is said to be mollified with the warme bloud of a goate But the hart of man hardned with continuance and custome of sinne will not be mollified with the bloude of the immaculate lambe Christ Iesus S. 91. P. 41. Though the world intreat vs vnkindly and be daily harming vs yet we must no more giue ouer doing good then the sunne giueth ouer shining though many clouds do continually couer it S. 92. P. 42. Vertues lot is to be enuied to finde very colde intertainment if any at all with the men of this world and yet for all that the seruants of God will neuer be wearie of well doing S 93 P. 42. Mans hart being quiet and not troubled with horrors nor distempered with feares wil plainly shew a man what he is so that he may easily know himselfe but being tossed with terrors and ouerwhelmed with feares it cannot do so S. 94. P. 42. A flatterer to see to is honest Cato but in experience cruell Nero and therefore verie fitly compared to a scorpion S 95. P. 43. There be many dissemblers and smooth tongued flatterers in the world that will euen stroke as it were mens humors and dispositions with words as soft as oyle and so sweet as honie and al to creepe within them that at the length they may worke their wo and destruction S. 96. P. 43. As a candle that it may giue light to others is consumed it selfe and salt that it may draw corruptioÌ„ out of flesh keepe it sweet and wholesome for mans body is all to brused broken and wasted it selfe So euerie christian man and especially teachers of others ought to spare no labour to do good to others and to win some soules to God if it please him to blesse their labours S. 97. P. 43. The saylers gâ—oâ—on called the marâ—iners needle lockt shut vp or kept in a â—offer of gold siluer wood or whatsoeuer will euer stil looke towards the north pole So right christians which are throughly resolued concerning their saluation and euerlasting life will neuer turne from Christ but haue their harts and minds still fixed in him come wealth or want sicknes or health libertie or imprisonment life or death S. 98. P. 43. 44. A christian will not haue two loues one for himselfe and an other for his neighbour but will loue his neighbour with one the same loue wherewith he loueth himselfe S. 99. P. 44. 45. The soule of man so long as it is in bondage vnto the bodie it seeketh onelie the bodies pleasures and delights but hauing once recouered that seruitude and brought the bodie to be subiect vnto it then it seeketh no longer the peace pleasure ease and rest of the bodie but now being freed from that bondage and restored to it selfe it seeketh it owne peace rest health and happines for euer S. 99. P. 44. 45. That man is in a wofull case that hath his head vnder the girdle of this world he shal neuer find any rest peace or quietnes Put no trust in the world if thou dost it will deceaue thee and giue thee quid pro quo that is a mischiefe in stead of a pleasure promised The going out of this world to a christian is like a safe sure haueÌ„ to a man that hath bin very long and dangerously tossed in a most troublesome and perilous sea S. 100. P. 45. 46. A corrupted iusticer or iudge by the vertue of a precious stone or some other rich iewell bestowed vpon him freely will make a bad matter go for good and a very iust cause go for nought Yea for a good round sum of money though it be in an old leather purse he will now and then sell iudgement break the necke of iustice Where this corruption and abuse is it breedeth this slaunderous report of the law which is good Parâ—is cornis
vexat censura columbas that is It doth fauour rauening kites and pinch nip in the head innocent doues and yet no fault in the law but in the corrupted lawyer S. 101. P. 46. 47. When a man is in prosperitie in all welth and no want infinite numbers of all degrees will make great and large shewes of much loue and friendship towards him but if the winde turne and take away his wealth renoume authoritie câ—edite health and libertie and he be fallen into any disgrace the same winde that did blow away these things will blow away all his friends such friends are at large painted out S. 102. P. â—7 Nothing doth more trie a friend then the bearing of a friends burden When a man is in prosperitie it is hard for him to discerne whether those that pretend friendship to him loue him or his riches most But old experience hath euer prooued that a man hath many friends for his wealths sake but verie few for his owne sake S. 103. P. 47. 48. Man hath no such enimie as his sinnes be they bring and pull vpon him all maner calamities in this life and will bring damnation vpon his soule and bodie in the world to come if he earnestly repent not speedily forsake them S. 104. P. 48. Wheâ— the Lord punisheth and scourgeth his children as though he had vtterly forsaken them then is he most mindfull of his mercy yea he chasteneth to that ende that he may shew mercy S. 105. P 48. 49. The Lords iustice will haue punishment and his promise will haue mercie S. 105. P. 49. Extreame troubles bitter afflictions and manifold pinching and nipping calamities do make a sound and perfect triall of true christianitie vnfained holines and voluntary patiente S. 106 P. 49. To preserue the health of the soule the bodie must be pinched and kept in subiection vnto the spirit the lusts of the flesh and the vnruly affections must be tamed and kept within the compasse of reason and obedience vnto the spirit that they exceede not the limits of modestie S. 107. P. 50. In times past good christians were geatly greeued and would shed many bitter teares to heare and see iniurie and wrong done vnto God his name dishonored but wrongs done to themselues they would take beare very patiently but now in these daies of ours we will with all rage and furie reuenge the least wrong done to our selues but whatsoeuer is done against the Lord doth neuer once trouble or greeue vs S. 108. P. 50. There be many very mischieuous men in these dangerous times which haue in them great pride and very much subtlety mingled togither And these men wil faine a lowlines and crouch greatly to deceiue others and to aduance themselues they work wo to many how humble soeuer they seem to be there is no good thing in them Mortified men that are truelie humbled are more greeued to heare vaine idle and blasphemous speeches then with any violent tortures that can be offered and done to their liues and bodies S. 109. P. 50. 51. That common wealth is in great danger and the people in much miserie where wicked and vngodly men are put in authoritie there vicious men are supported and incouraged but such as are vertuous and feare the Lord they go to wracke hauocke is made of them S. 110. P. 51. 52. When vngodly men oppresse their neighbours and do harme them in their bodies goods or names then do they hurt themselues most for they touch others but in things of the bodie but they kill their owne soules S. 111. P. 52. The seruants of God do profit very much by cruell persecutions and tyrannicall dealings of their enimies and thinke themselues happie that they are thought woorthie to suffer any thing for Christs sake S. 112. P. 52. The more that an humble and faithfull christian shall read or heare the worde of God and the neerer in vnderstanding and knowledge that he shal com vnto the mysteries secrets of God conteined in his word and with the greater purity of mind strength of faith and light of the grace of God he shal looke into them the more profound the deeper the more diuine and heauenly and the more comfortable to his soule shall he finde them S. 113. P. 53. A man is neuer farther short of the true knowledge of the will and meaning of God in his word then when he thinketh with his own wits and cunning to vnderstand it best S. 114. P. 54. The cleere and bright light of the word of God is very comfortable to such as feare him and loue his name but vnto the vngodly it is very offensiue S. 115. P. 54. The hart of man being inflamed with a true and sincere loue of God will giue no place to those daÌ„gerous temptations which are continually houering and flieng about it but being without that loue and being slothfull and idle in holy things and godlie exercises it wil be obuious and wide open to all maner of mischiefes and will be a receptacle of all wickednes and abhominations S. 116. P. 54. 55. The peace and vnitie of the church of Christ is by all possible meanes to be preserued and by the example of Christ we must do euen that we need not to do rather then disturbe the vnitie of the church the breakers of that peace are most wicked men S. 117. P. 55. There be many in these daies which are not ashamed to saie that the church of England is not the church of Christ bicause they can finde no comfort in it The reason why they finde no comfort in it is declared S. 118. P. 56. Man without the light of grace and the assistance of Gods most holie spirit can neuer attaine to the arriuing at the hauen of eternall glory S. 119. P. 56. They that be in authoritie and are to laie their hands vpon men to call them into the ministerie are to take heede that they be men very fit for that function and high calling If they do not they are condemned by Christ his owne example yea the foules of the aire do condemne them S. 120. P. 56. Though Christ Iesus our sauiour touching his manhood be in heauen at the right hand of maiestie power yet the eies of his mercy are stil euen to the end of the world vpon his seruants to defend and preserue them from their enimies and on the otherside they with the eies of their faith do still behold him and call to him for helpe in the perilous times of troubles and dangers S. 121. P. 57. To retaine and holde a fashion or likenes of vertue without the substance of it is nothing else but meere hypocrisie S. 122. P. 58. They that do counterfeit holines haue none are compared to swans whose feathers are white and flesh blacke S. 123. P. 58. Godly men that are truely regenerated and well seasoned with the spirit of grace though they be bred 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
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
what are all we that be in it but earthen vessels The Apostle saith We haue this treasure in earthen vessels And saint Iohn saith As an earthen vessell shall they be broken Séeing then that all flesh is grasse and all must sée death but how when and where we cannot tell it standeth vs vpon to haue our mindes fixed in heauen and to be seeking those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in maiestie and power that liuing in his feare and dying in his faith we may haue a glorious resurrection and méeting him ioyfully in the cloudes we may heare him most cheerefully say to vs Come ye blessed children receiue a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the earth were laid The which kingdom God for his sonne and our sauiour his sake grant vs Amen THe moone when she decreaseth doth turne the opening of hir bowe downe towards the earth and hir backe vp towards heauen and so procéedeth to hir defect and the end of hir course by little and little losing hir light vntill at the length she be darke and vtterly void of all hir light And on the other side when she increaseth she turneth hir open side vp towards heauen and hir backe towards the earth and so goeth on growing and increasing by degrees vntill she come to hir â—ul and perfect light Euen so man when he fainteth and faileth in truâ— christianitie anst spirituall graces and so falleth away more and more he turneth the doore of his hart and the opening of his desires altogither to this world and being carried away with the loue of transitorie things he seeketh nothing but the earth and the things of the same turning him from immutable goodnes to things very vncertaine and changing euery day And whiles he thus falleth away and starteth aside like a broken bowe he loseth the light and excellent brightnes of Christian dignitie vntill he remaine not onely depriued of the light of grace but also blinde in his vnderstanding vtterly obscured and cleane couered with a most palpable darknes The Psalmist speaketh of such men saying They are without knowledge they haue no vnderstanding they walke in darknes And the holy Apostle saith Their foolish hart is full of darknes And againe Walke not ye as the gentils walke in the vanitie of their mindes hauing their vnderstanding darkened But when man groweth in diuine exercises and increaseth in a heauenly life and goeth on still in spirituall graces then he turneth his backe to the world and vtterly renounceth the vanities the flickerings the allurements and all the deceits of the same and turneth the opening of his hart and all his desires to God onely and so goeth on continually profiting and euerie day receiuing some brightnes vntill he be filled not onely with the light of grace but of glorie also Therefore by how much the more thou shalt see a man occupied in the vnsaciable desires of this world and busied with the troublesome affaires of vaine and transitorie things and such as be vnprofitable for his soule by so much the more vnderstand thou that he goeth backward and decaieth in Christian perfection And on the other side the more feruently and earnestly thou shalt see him to aspire to heauenly things knowe thou that so much the more he profiteth in the true knowledge loue feare and worshipping of God That we therefore may profite in heauenly things and be illuminated with the bright beames of grace let vs lift vpwarde our harts to God let vs send to him our desires our sighes and grones let vs neuer cease begging but continually craue at his hands that euerlasting life which is onely excellent onely best and kept in store for all that do truly feare God and walke in his waies EVen as a bodie without a soule is dead bicause it vseth not the sinewes ioints nor members So that common welth or that citie may well and truly be said to be dead where good lawes godly statutes and holy ordinances are not vsed and put in practise which are the sure binding bands of mans societie and the principall parts of a common wealth These missing iustice is contemned vertue banished honestie expulsed and all euill vice vilenes and all sinne iniquitie and abhomination cherished vpholden and maintained IF birds of all sorts do desire the aire fishes séeke for water and the fire of the earth mounteth and flameth vp towards the elementall fire and all things séeke their place and centre and do tend towards the same why then will we not seeke our God as we ought our onely rest our centre and onely good If floods and riuers with great force run into the sea bicause as Salomon saith they came out of the sea why will not we loue our God why will we not aspire towards him why will we not in all feruencie of loue drawe néere vnto him which is that immeasurable sea of all goodnes from whence we came for he hath made vs after his owne similitude and likenes As we are bound to kéepe the precepts and commandements of God so are we most straitly bound to loue honor and obey himselfe Euen as the horse is ordained to run the oxe to plough and the dog to hunt so is man borne aboue all things to loue God AS a stone preaseth to his centre So an hard harted man is preasing towards hel It is said of the obstinate Egyptians They went downe into the depth like a stone Their bodies went downe into the bottome of the sea and their soules into the bottome of hell And Ecclesiasticus saith An hard hart shall fare euill at the last God grant therefore that euery one of vs may iustly say as Iob saith of himselfe The Lord hath mollified my hart It is written in the bookes of Exodus Numbers that Moses did smite the rocke with his rod and that abundance of water flowed out Vnto which words the prophet Dauid alludeth saying He smote the rocke and the waters gushed out so that riuers did run thereat The Lord so smite our stonie harts with the rod of the crosse of Christ and of the remembrance of his bitter passion and so breake in péeces the hard rocks of the same that floods of most bitter teares may run from our eies and many déepe sighes and gréeuous grones may fal from our harts to mooue the Lord to wash away all our sinnes and rebellions against the Almightie in and with the blood of Iesus Christ our only sauiour and redéemer Amen AS wilde and fierce horses are woont to be broken with the hardnes of the bridle and sharpnes of the bit So our vntamed lusts and vnbrideled appetites are hampered and brought within the compasse of reason with the bridle of aduersitie troubles sorrowes and afflictions EVen as the grape that it may yéeld wine is brought to the presse that it may be throughly
pressed So man is brought to calamity that being pressed with sorrowes and exercised with afflictions he may bring foorth the swéete and pleasant liquor of obedience and vertue and so be aduanced to true Christianitie which is the greatest and highest dignitie in the world Miseries penuries and tribulations do for the most part kéepe vnder and stay our vnruly lusts and dangerous desires and are meanes that we lift vp our harts and mindes vnto God and that we be strengthened and confirmed in true pietie and vnfained godlines And on the other side prosperitie worldly wealth dignitie and honors are oftentimes meanes to hinder vs in holy exercises and to puffe vs vp with pride and vaine glorie and to drawe vs to disloyaltie and rebellion against our God The Israelites being stoong and torne of firie serpents they learned to knowe God and cried for his mercie And wicked Manasses being cast into the bands of the Babylonians and compassed round about with great calamities he fled vnto the Lord he acknowledged his sinnes sending vnto the Lord most feruent praiers and the Lord heard him And the prophet Nehemias saith They called vpon thée in the time of trouble and thou heardest them from heauen AS a master when his seruants obey him and do his will commandeth his steward or gouernor of his house to minister vnto them all things necessarie and that nothing be wanting but if they offend him and deale vnfaithfully with him he giueth a contrarie charge Euen so God the true and right owner of all things of whom the kingly prophet Dauid saith The earth is the Lords and all the fulnes thereof the round world and they that dwell therein if we do obey him and serue him faithfully and giue vnto him his due honor he commandeth the earth his ancient steward to minister vnto vs great store of necessaries and to giue vnto vs all good rich and pleasant things in due time but on the other side if we disobey him rebel against him and be not afraid to do those things which he forbiddeth vs and will commit we care not what sin euen with gréedines ioy and delight then he commandeth his steward the earth to denie foode vnto vs and to afflict vs with penurie and extreme want of all those things whereof it was woont to yéeld vs great abundance and not to be so bold as to reléeue or comfort vs vntill we be conuerted and flie vnto him confessing and acknowledging our sinnes from the bottome of our harts and most bitterly bewailing them shall prostrate our selues before the throne of grace crauing and crying for remission of our sinnes in the death and bloodshedding of our sauiour Christ crucified EVen as a colume or piller is somtime on thy right hand and sometime on thy left hand bicause thou dost change thy standing sitting or walking for it is vnmooueable and kéepeth one place So God is somtime fauorable and bountifull vnto thée and somtime séemeth to be wrath and angrie with thée bicause thou dost fall from vertue to vice from obedience and humilitie to pride and presumption for in the Lord there is no change no not so much as any shadow of change He is immutable alway one and euerlasting If thou wilt bend thy selfe to obedience and to a vertuous and godly life thou shalt euer haue him a strong rocke whereupon thou maist boldly build a castell and tower of defence he will be vnto thée a mighty pillor bearing vp heauen and earth whereto thou maist leane and not be deceiued wherein thou maiest trust and not be disappointed he will euer be at thy right hand that thou shalt not fall he will take thy part and will mightily defend thee against all thine enimies of thy bodie and of thy soule But if thou wilt shake hands with vertue and bid it adew and farewell and forsaking the waies of God wilt liue as thou list and follow thine owne corruption and make no conscience of ought thou doest defiling and blemishing thy selfe with all maner sinne and iniquitie then be sure the Lord will appeere vnto thee in his furie and indignation from whose iustice and iudgements none shall euer be able to deliuer thée the Lord therefore giue vs harts to feare him to loue him and to obey him EVen as the adamant stone placed néere vnto the load stone doth not suffer the load stone to drawe iron from it or if it seeme a little to mooue and to drawe it away it presently pulleth it backe and draweth it to it selfe Euen so a man indued with godly wisedome and righteousnes from God is firme and constant and doth so ouercome al the blustering blasts and burning brunts of calamities and miseries that he is not so scorched with the force of their flames that he prooueth vnconstant and loseth his dignitie And such is the iar and discord betwéene this world and him that being placed in the world he suffereth it not so much as in him lieth to bewitch men and to drawe them after it But if the world like a load stone shall at any time allure them to follow it he by and by bendeth himselfe with all his force by counsell by admonitions by his life and example to drawe them backe againe from it and to restore them to their former dignitie that is to the estimation and honor of true christianitie wherto the world and worldlings are méere strangers AS organ plaiers vnlesse some body blowe vnto them the windie bellowes do make no sound at all Euen so vaine men vnlesse they be pricked forward with commendations and praises of others haue neuer any minde or purpose to bend themselues to any good action EVen as marriners which are carried with the course and force of winds being in an hauen will not disanchor nor depart out of the hauen without a prosperous winde blowing to their very good liking So hypocrites do looke that the people should shout and clap their hands in token of their great praises and commendations they séeke for and hunt after vaine brutes and reports without which they are disposed to do nothing wel These men care not to do well and yet they séeke for and desire the rewards of well doing They haue no eie nor regard to God in any of their actions They are not to be imitated at any hand Christ himselfe doth giue vs warning of such Be ye not like vnto hypocrites c. But let vs do as the holy prophet of God doth teach vs I saith he haue set the Lord alwaies before mine eies he is at my right hand that I shall not be mooued Whatsoeuer he thought spoke or did he still behaued himselfe as one in the presence and sight of God and sought the glorie and praise of his name in all his actions So ought we to do the Lord grant we may This also is the Apostles counsell Whether ye eate or drinke or
in the defence of his truth The Lorde roote out all hypocrisie and conuert or subuert all hypocrites AS great flouds and swelling riuers when they ouerflowe their chanels and do breake through their bankes by reason of their raging and violent streames and so spread and run abroad can not fill and couer the fieldes with water but they hurt corne or grasse or what so else is in their waie So great riches mightie powers and high dignities when they growe and increase in wicked and vngodly men do not spread abroade and run ouer the fieldes and limites of common wealthes but they do much harme to wit they polle and pill away the riches and substance of the séely weake and poore men they fill their diches I meane their purses with the blood of innocents they build their honors and establish their dignities vpon the disgrace and the oppression of the saints and seruants of God And whatsoeuer is in their waie and to their liking they carrie it with them by hooke or crooke by right or wronge they care not who wéepe so they laugh who be emptie so they be full who be vndone so they be aduanced Héere hence come slaughters and murthers Thus are many brought into great calamities and miseries But they that do these things to others do hurt themselues most For whiles they hurt others in their bodies goods or names they kill their owne soules AS a man much mooued with anger and far out of frame through indignation and wrath intending to kill his brother should throw at him precious stones goodly pearles and rich iewels should not damnifie nor hurt his brother bicause he woulde gather them vp kéepe them and inrich himselfe with them Euen so tyrants disposed to kill and with fire and sword to put to death the saints and true seruants of God which do excell in true piety and vnfained loue to God and man do torment them with diuers sorts and sundrie kinds of most cruell martyrdome of which things the children of God are glad and do reioice and grow stronger and richer in Christ being throughly armed with a godly patience they do take and beare them most quietly for God his sake without murmuring or grudging euen as their crosse wherewith most willingly they follow their Lord and sauiour Christ and do account such tortures inestimable riches and themselues happie that they be thought woorthie to suffer such things for the truth sake and in the Lords quarell Such euer haue béene all the martyrs of Christ that when they haue béene haled and dragged to most cruell torments and tyrannicall executions they haue taken and imbraced them most cheerefully as though they were rich and delicate banquets AS precious iewels made of most pure gold wrought cunningly curiouslie with great workmanship the néerer thou shalt come vnto them and the more stedfastly and cléerely thou shalt behold them the finer the brauer and more excellent thou wilt iudge them Euen so as thou shalt come néerer in vnderstanding and knowledge vnto the secrets and mysteries of God conteined in his written word and with the greater puritie of minde the more strength of faith and the brighter light of the grace of God thou shalt looke into them the profounder the déeper the more diuine and heauenly yea and the more comfortable to thy soule will they séeme and appéere vnto thée euery day Insomuch that thou wilt iudge thy selfe to haue béen little better then blinde and to haue séene nothing as thou ought in the mysteries of the diuine word And thou wilt make haste to crie vnto the Lorde with the prophet Open mine eies O Lord and I shall sée and consider the woonderfull things of thy lawe But that man that trusting to his owne gifts wit and learning and hath his hart and minde bewitched with this worlde and poysoned with sinne taking pleasure in those things which the Lord hath forbidden will go about to pearce into the most holie worde and to search out the secrets of the great and most highe God he shall lose his labour open his vanitie misse the marke he shot at and die in the blindnes wherein he liued and so passe hence to his owne destruction the iust reward of his presumption be he neuer so wittie skilfull and learned Through thy commandements saith the Lords prophet I am wiser then all my enimies learneder then my teachers and better experienced then the ancient men of the worlde Therefore true wisedome the best learning and heauenly experience is gotten and had out of the lawe of God by the inward working of the holie Ghost in our harts and minds The Almightie vouchsafe to write his lawes and statutes in all our harts that therby we may be wise against flesh this inchaunting world sin and sathan AS the hauke is then lost when trusting to hir wings shée riseth and mounteth too high So then do vaine men fall far from God when with their owne wit reason and wisedome onely and alone they will vnderstande the déepe misteries of God as though the counsels and wisedome of Gods eternal maiestie might and could be comprehended with the reason wit of man The Apostle his counsell is holie and good be not too high minded but feare AS they that haue cléere and sound eies do easilie indure the bright light of the sunne wherewith eies that be sore and diseased are greatly offended So vertuous and godly men are illuminated and woonderfully cléered in their vnderstanding and the eies of their minds with the diuine and heauenly light of the word of him that saith I am the light of the world wherwith the wicked and vngodly are highly offended in so much that they hate the light and loue darknes more then it And so growing blinder and blinder euery day at the length they fall and tumble downe headlong into the insaciable pit of eternall destruction AS a pot full of swéete liquor if it be made hote and boyled vpon the fire will driue away flies that they will not come néere it but if it be cold the flies will by and by go into it and it will receiue them and they will corrupt and consume it Euen so the hart of man if it be inflamed with a true and sincere loue of God will not receiue into it those dangerous temptations which are continually flying about it but wil remooue and driue them far off and giue no place vnto them but if by reason of slothfull idlenes in heauenly things and for want of a godly courage it grow cold in the loue of the Lord then is it obuious and wide open to all temptations it barreth out none it receiueth all none are reiected be they neuer so wicked all are imbraced intertained and welcome Then is it a receptacle of all abominations as idolatrie blasphemie murther adulterie and whatsoeuer is wicked mischeeuous and damnable The Lord therefore vouchsafe to take from vs
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
of the Pharisies wherin is hypocrisie God giue vs grace to take héede and to beware of hypocrites which would séeme to be that they are not and hate to be that they séeme AS sticks and wood do nourish and maintaine the fire but the fire doth waste and consume them So a man that is flattered by smooth dissemblers and hypocrites doth maintaine his flatterers for the most part but in the end they wil deuour and vtterly vndoo him When men in old time did feine that one Acteon was torne in péeces and deuoured of his owne dogs which he kept and daily fed They ment verily that whosoeuer will please and delight themselues with parasites flatterers hypocrites and dissemblers and be at cost to féede maintaine them at the length shall be deuoured and swallowed vp of them And yet it is a world to see that neither the flatterers nor the flattered the deceiuers nor the deceiued will see and consider their wretched and miserable ends which are as cleere as the sun light at noone day The flattered shal be deuoured of his own dog the flatterer And the flatterer himselfe shal be a pray to sathan that cruell cur and hound of hell Thus that vngodly crue and rabble of scribes pharisies and hypocrites do for temporall and momentanie trifles lose great and most excellent things They exchange and forsake heauen for earth their soules for their bodies or rather that their bodies may be pampered héere for a short time for at the length soules and bodies must fare alike They gréeue the spirit to please the flesh they abandon vertue and imbrace vice and to be short they giue their backs vnto God and their faces vnto the world they vtterly forsake him to be in league and loue with it The holy Ghost by Salomon doth foretell their ende The end of their ioy is sorrow saith he And that of Ecclesiastes must euer be true Vanitie of vanities and all things are vanitie EVen as the birdes and foules of the aire that they may escape the nets and snares of the foulers are woont to flie vp on high so we to auoid the infinite snares of innumerable temptations must flie to God and lift vp our selues from the corruptions lyeng vanities and deceitfull sleights of the world And euen as those biâ—ds and foules which fall to the ground to take the foulers baits are taken themselues Euen so those men which do relie vpon the suggestions and inchantments of the deuill world and flesh and are taken in their traps do die a most miserable and as it may wel be called an immortal death For though they do escape such an end and death in this worlde as their desarts do craue yet besides the death of nature they shall taste of the death of hell which is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse Let vs therefore whiles it is to day lift and stir vp our selues and flie vnto God with our harts and mindes that we fall not into the nets and traps of our enimies I know it is an excéeding hard thing to giue ouer thine acquaintance with this world wherein thou art bred and brought vp euen as it is hard to bring an infant to forsake the brests that haue giuen him sucke The childe will loue his nurse for hir dugs sake though hir selfe be whoorish So we are readie to loue the world for the vaine pleasures and delights thereof though the world indéed be a very strumpet I wish that all would and I pray God that all may if it be his will euen steale and as it were priuily conuey themselues from their vanities euill cogitations naughtie deuises and whatsoeuer sinne they vse and take pleasure in if it be but one hower of a daie and I doubt not but by little and little they would learne to hate sinne renounce the diuell and despise the world And where as now men and women old and yoong do bestow all the houres of daies and nights about the vanities and deceiueable pleasures of the world and flesh yea yea and to serue sathan to they would not bestow one twinckling of an eie in so bad and dangerous a seruice EVen as fire when it breaketh out of compasse and order is more perilous in old buildings than in new houses So misdeamenor couetousnes lecherie pride dronkennes and blasphemie is more offensiue and doth more harme in old age then in gréene youth For an old man as in yéeres and experience he is beyond them that are yoong and gréene headed so he ought in life and example aswell as in counsel to instruct others For when an old man falleth into folly he hurteth himselfe greatly with his sin and other more with his example That he is corrupted bréedeth his owne woe and great trouble of minde and conscience to the church of God AS a marchant that is expert and skilfull in his profession and facultie will not open nor shew his rich wares and costly marchandise vnto those whom he well knoweth will not buie them which do come vnto his shop or warehouse either as curious persons or as crafty spies and subtle searchers not with any purpose to buie but to do some euill and calleth vnto him onely those whom he knoweth to be very willing and desirous to buie Euen so the Lord his maner is not to open his heauenly mysteries and the déep secrets of his sacred and most holy word vnto them whom he perceiueth and séeth plainly to séeke after them vainly and curiously or with a wicked minde and corrupted purpose to search them out to the end they may tread and trample them vnder their féete and doth call them onely to the true knowledge of his lawes and ordinances and doth instruct and teach them whom he is sure will both profit themselues and others thereby Giue not that which is holy saith Christ vnto dogs neither cast ye pearles before swine When Herod was very desirous that Christ standing before him would shew some miracle Christ would not onely not do any miracle or woonder but also not vouchsafe him one word for answere And when the Iewes said we would sée a sign of thée he answered A wicked adulterous generation séeketh a signe but no signe shal be giuen vnto it but the signe of Ionas the prophet But before his disciples and others that were with them he did shew many and great woonders when they did not aske for any But the Iewes did aske and went without bicause they had no minde to be conuerted either by his words or works but onely to sée his miracles and to heare his words to the end if they could to trap him and to quarrell with him If thou wouldst profit therefore by the word of God when thou doest read or heare it bring with thée faith and humilitie for God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble and lowly AS that drie skin which a snake doth cast to renew
naked vpon the crosse Before Christ did appéere in the flesh pouertie might haue séemed verie bitter and full of ignominie vnto men but after that the Emperour of heauen and earth had taken pouertie vpon himselfe and also touching himselfe said The foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not where to laie his head Who doth not now sée that Christian pouertie in the seruants of God doth well become them and is honorable and that it is a true badge of Christian nobilitie IF a king should haue a certaine house fast lockte and close shut vp full of gold precious stones and costly iewels and would promise all those treasures to one that should open the same and would offer vnto thée two keies one of pure gold hanging at a costly string made of silke and golden threads but that would not open the same locke that thou mightest go into the house and the other of iron rustie and ill fauoured to sée to hanging at a thong of leather or whipcorde the which notwithstanding would open the doore and let thée in that thou mightest choose which of these keies thou wouldest were it not better and more profitable for thée to choose the old rustie iron keie then the keie of gold Yes no doubt The golden one indéed is more precious but what auaileth that when it will not open the doore and bring thee to the treasures The iron one is the viler but yet it is the better Such a king is our God and such an house is that heauenly habitation of his saints wherein are inestimable treasures endlesse ioies and vnspeakable good things which are woorthier and more excellent then man is able to expresse For so saith the holie Ghost No eie hath séene nor eare heard nor hart of man conceiued those thinge which the Lorde hath prepared for them that loue him All which heauenlie treasures God hath promised to all them that shal enter into his holie hill or house of saints The golden keie which the most part of this world do choose and trust to that they may enter into heauen is worldly wealth and aboundance of riches ioyned with couetousnes which will neuer open the Lords house where are kept his celestiall and inestimable treasures But that key doth rather open a foule and vile house of this world which is full of all filthines and abominations The iron keie is spirituall pouertie against the which the kingdome of heauen is neuer shut but standeth euer wide open to all them that bring with them that key so saith Christ himselfe Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Let vs therefore make no account of the golden key but let vs for Christ and his kingdom forsake and despise the deceitfull riches of this world which are desired and sought for far and neare by sea and land with dangers and losse of the bodies and soules of many thousands as though men could bribe God for their sinnes and purchase heauen with their worldly trifles and let vs without murmuring and grudging with all patience of hart and minde beare and imbrace pouertie and all those crosses and afflictions which vnto the world séeme bitter and intolerable of which kind very many do happen in the life of man Let vs earnestly séeke after the riches of the Lords kingdome and euerlasting life for they be stable and permanent let vs not set our harts and affections on this world for it waxeth olde rotten it staggereth is ruinous and readie to fall Iob speaking of rich men which do deliâ—iously pamper themselues euery day saith They leade their daies in pleasures and in the twinckling of an eie they go down into hel And Dauid saith They shall leaue their riches for others c. And Salomon saith Thy riches shal do thée no good in the day of vengeance And in the booke of Wisedome What hath pride profited thée and what good hath thy bragging of riches brought vnto thée all these things are gone away like a shadow and as a messenger running before EVen as a firebrand drawen from the fire and lying still waxeth cold and by little and little dieth and is extinct but being mooued and put to the fire burneth and flameth Euen so an idle life doth by little and little extinguish vertue but being well exercised it doth kindle and increase the same Therfore is it said in the booke of Iob Man is borne to labour And Ecclesiasticus saith that idlenes hath taught much mischiefe This mooued the Apostle to will Timothie to watch and to labour in all things And the same Apostle saith that euerie one shall receiue his owne hire or reward according to his labour Lawyers do say that inheritance is had with the burden thereof Séeing then that we be Gods heires and the fellow heires of Christ as the Apostle affirmeth it must néedes be that we come not â—â— our inheritance not with idlenes but loden with great and â—â—auie burdens of aduersities and tribulations and with sore â—â—â—our and gréeuous grones vnder the weight of the same If wâ— shall giue our selues to ease and shall séeke after rest in this lâ—â—â— and so slumber in securitie and idlenes our enimie the diuell â—ill surely deceiue vs. For whiles men slept saith the Eâ—…ist the enimie came and did sowe darnell vpon the wheate Christ himselfe doth highly condemne idlenes when he saith Why stand ye héere all the day long idle And a little after Call the workmen saith he to take their hire Idle persons are not called to take hire but they which haue laboured And they are called from their labours to rest from pouertie to heauenly riches and from their calamities to euerlasting pleasures Yea euen when they be dead then are they blessed and rest from their labours the spirit saith so and therefore it is most certaine and true When Tobias slept there fell out of a swallowes nest doong vpon his eies which made him blinde and wâ—iles we do sléepe and slumber in slothfulnes and idle securitie without being vertuously and godly exercised there creepe out of the nests of our harts most wicked and pestilent cogitations which do blinde and numbe our vnderstanding and carrie vs into most dangerous disobedience and rebellion against the Lord. MEn in these our dangerous daies are very close harted merciles towards the poore afflicted members of Christ And though they hear their cries sée their poore bodies readie to die at their doores in stréetes and in prison yet vntill they perceiue that there is no way but present death with themselues they will impart no part of their goodes and wealth vnto them Such men are like vnto beasts which are not eaten vntill they be dead and boiled or rosted For vntill death hath them in his pot and there boile them after his maner the
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
it then hath it woonderful effects and indéede that is the knowledge that all Christians ought to séeke for and to desire For to desire to haue knowledge onely that thou maiest knowe is nothing else but curiositie and to desire to knowe that thou maiest be knowen to know much is méere vanitie and to desire to know that therby thou maiest attaine to worldly wealth promotion and dignifie what is it else but filthy lucre but to desire knowledge that therby thou maiest be touched mightily inflamed with an vnfained loue of God and thy neighbor and that thou maiest mooue and stir vp others to the same is an excellent vertue THe bodie of man that it may not rebell against the spirit must be restrained and kept short of many things that it will craue otherwise it will be very vnruly if with measure kéeping and abstinence it be not tamed and kept vnder therefore as the Apostle saith it must be crucified with the lusts and concupiscences of the same For euen as from a fierce and firie horse which will in no wise be ruled nor obey his rider men are woont to withdrawe such strong féede and fine prouender as will make him ouer hote and to too fierce and in stéede thereof to giue him chaffe and bare straw Euen so from the bodie of man when it is an enimy to the spirit and by reason of too much daintie fare and varietie of delicate chéere groweth to be wanton and rebellious against reason must plentie of fine féede and nourishing meates be taken and harder and leaner chéere must be very sparingly ministred vnto it that when by such meanes it is subdued and chastened it may willingly yéeld obedience vnto the soule and spirit The holy Apostle of Christ himselfe did so I do chasten my bodie saith he and kéepe it vnder least whiles I preach to others I my selfe should be a castaway And indéede when the body of man is tamed and kept in subiection then doth the spirit stir vp it selfe more fréely to the obedience of God and séeketh after the diuine and holy mysteries of his word with greater zeale and feruencie For as the same Apostle saith Although our outward man be corrupted yet that which is within is renewed day by day For as enimies in a siege will yéelde themselues to their aduersaries when for want of foode they are like to be famished so the flesh and sensualitie of man being bitter enimies vnto the soule if pampering and daintie and full féeding be taken away will submit themselues and will stoupe vnto the soule and spirit When the disciples of Christ demanded of him why they could not cast out a certaine euill and wicked spirit he answered them that that kinde of spirit was not to be cast out but onely by praier and fasting Meaning that the Lord had reserued vnto himselfe the casting out of that spirit who must besought vnto by faithfull feruent and most earnest praier and bicause he would haue the whole man in that holy exercise of praier to serue him and bicause the bodie should be no impediment or hinderance vnto the power and force of praier but in all humilitie should most willingly ioine with the soule and spirit in that seruice of God and so iointly togither should crie mightily vnto the Lorde to obtaine their suite Christ woulde haue the bodie tamed and humbled with fasting And in the mouth of his holy prophet Ioel he willeth the people to turne vnto him in fasting wéeping and mourning and that with their whole harts without all hypocrisie And therefore Christ saith When ye fast be not sad as hypocrites are c. But the king of Niniue did easily sée and perceiue that neither fasting praying nor any other exercise would preuaile with God vnlesse men would forsake their sinnes and giue ouer their iniquities And therefore he straightly charged that euery man should turne from the euill they had vsed And so the Lord grant we may do and then our other exercises of praying and fasting and such like wil be acceptable to God otherwise they be friuolous vaine and hypocriticall PLinie in his eighteth booke doth report that Bucephalus the horse of Alexander the great when he had not on the braue and princely furniture which was prouided for Alexander himselfe he would suffer any other man as well as Alexander to ride him but being furnished and made readie with the kings furniture he would suffer no man but Alexander himselfe to take his backe So very many men all the while they are poore obscure and in base estate they will indure euery man and will faine a good will and great diligence towards all men and to euery one they will shew a singular mildnes and kinde courtesie being to sée to most mild and courteous Catoes but inwardly very tyrannicall and cruell Neroes They couer and kéepe close within the secret folds and priuie corners of their manifold dissimulations wrath hatred malice enuie and all impietie but once being inriched full of worldly wealth and aduanced to honor and dignitie in the world and lifted vp into the place and set in the seate of authoritie then they despise and scorne all men saue onely those to whom by the lawe of soueraigntie they are bound to be subiect and to obey Then they vnhood themselues and do bewray their secret will and do discouer their cankered and manifold nature which lay hid so close in the wrinkles of their hypocrisie and deceit that it could not be séene then do they most openly shew their pride and crueltie which they had long couered with a goodly mantle and faire cloke of humilitie and lowlines It is the Lords manner and vse to cast downe and to bring lowe all such proude vaine forgetfull and vnthankfull persons to aduance and to exalt all those which in true humilitie and lowlines of hart and minde in pietie patience and in the practising of all vertues do serue honor loue and obey him The Lord neither regardeth the riches of the vngodly nor the poore and beggerly estate of his faithfull children and chosen seruants Of the wicked Dauid saith Thon hast cast them downe Lord c. and of his owne he saith The iust man shall florish like a palme trée and as a Cedar of Libanus shall he be multiplied And againe The righteous shall be in an euerlasting remembrance Men that were godly learned in old time when they perceiued that man forgetting his originall and the foule matter of his beginning would waxe insolent and growe proud they would expresse and signifie him by a crocodile and an egge For the crocodile is a creature of an incredible bignes and yet hath his beginning of a very small and little egge and is knowen onely to Egypt and to those countries which are watered with the riuer Nilus and in this thing is very admirable that no liuing creature that hath so small a
longer come néere it And yet in these daies of ours let come neuer so good and heauenly an orator with the oracles of God himselfe in his mouth and shew most plainly what Christ the redéemer of the world hath done for man and prooue that man hath receiued vnspeakable and innumerable benefits by and through Christ and declare what bitter teares of water and blood did trickle downe his chéekes and what déepe and deadly sighes with many fearfull and gréeuous grones did rise from his hart before he came to the crosse and let him rip vp his passion stitch by stitch as the holy booke and diuine word shall direct and leade him and let him particularly shew how and where he was wounded that he was beaten spit vpon crowned with thornes nailed hand and foote to the crosse scorned and mocked of the Iewes and let him shew most liuely the wicked and cruell Iewes imbrewing their hands in his blood giuing him vineger and gall to drinke and who for all this will shed one teare giue one grone or sigh once from the bottome of his hart yea let the preacher declare and prooue that besides the death and passion of his bodie he suffered in his soule the heauie wrath and indignation of his father and the extreme tortures and torments of hell for a time no lesse than the reprobates that be there alreadie and no lesse then all we by iust desert should haue suffered for euer if Christ had not done it for vs And who for al this will driue out of the citie not Cassius and Brutus that killed Caesar but those horrible abhominable and most damnable sins for the which Christ was slaine For so saith the scripture He saith the prophet meaning Christ was wounded for our iniquities And a little after the prophet bringeth in God himselfe speaking thus of Christ For the sinnes of my people haue I smitten him And the Apostle telleth the Romanes the same thing Christ was giuen saith he for our offences And to the Corinthians Christ died for our sinnes according to the scriptures The matter then being so plaine that no man high nor lowe whosoeuer can cléere himselfe of the death of Christ but must néedes will he nill he confesse that there is in him the matter of Christs arraignment bitter passion and cursed death and that he is no lesse giltie of the same his death and bloodshedding than those that cried Away with him away with him it is no reason that he should liue any longer nor than those that did spit in his face and nailed his hands and féete to the crosse It must needes followe that Caesar was more beholding to his friends than the sonne of God is to many thousands of those that do professe his name and Marcus Antoninus was more beholding to the Romanes which were so readie at one oration to purge and cléere the citie of homicides and murthers than a great number of faithfull preachers of Christ be now to infinite thousands of their auditors which are so far from abandoning and thrusting out of cities and towns euen grosse vile and most lothsome sinnes that in their owne priuate houses yea euen in their owne bosoms and bodies they harbour nourish and maintaine them although they heare euery day the heauie iudgements and destroying wrath of God denounced against them not with a generall houering ouer their heads at al aduentures as though no body were spoken to but euen with a particular toutching and as it were an vnlacing of euery sinne in it kind to lay open the stinch and abhomination of the same that men might if they had grace be ashamed and afeard to staine and to blemish themselues with such things as the Lord vpon paine of condemnation hath inhibited and forbidden and yet all will not serue No man that will beleeue the holy scripture can be ignorant of this that the almightie did with the heauie hand of his wrath cast angels out of heauen when they were poisoned with pride and would not be contented with their owne estate and that therefore they became diuels this I say cannot but bée knowen of all and yet who is afeard of pride yea who will not be as proud as euer the angels were and though he prooue a diuell and purchase hell for his pleasure Pride gluttonie abundance of worldly wealth vainly and wickedly vsed idlenes from all good works and no stretching foorth of hands vnto the poore and nâ—edie were the very capitall and head sinnes which did euen wrest and wring from the Lord his heauie and most fearfull iudgements and did as it were with violence inforce him to destroy the Sodomites and Gomorrheans with fire and brimstone from heauen for that other most foule sinne the which I am afeard euen to name did spring and growe out of the sinnes that I haue named before And yet all these sinnes with infinite others do in as bad maner and no lesse measure swarme raigne and reuell in England than when they were at the woorst they did in Sodom What sequele then is to be feared and daily to be looked for with silence I passe ouer There is neuer a man that beareth the name of a Christian but he will confesse that his great grandfather Adam was expulsed and thrust out of paradise for eating one apple forbidden him by the Lord vpon paine of death and yet that man that with open mouth will make that confession will euery day eate seuen apples as bitter and as straightly forbidden as that and will he then for eating seuen thinke to scape better cheape than his grandfather that did eate but one No no the eater of seuen shall finde the way into euerlasting life as hard to enter as the way into paradise was to his grandfather being once thrust out vnlesse he spéedily earnestly and truly repent him and giue ouer the eating of such fruits as the Lord hath forbidden him It is very strange that the iudgements of God shewed vpon Caine for killing his brother vpon Saule for his disobedience vpon Iudas for his treason will not make all men to detest and to hate murther to loue obedience and to beware of trecherie and treason but that men will still liue as they list as though they were persuaded that either God doth not sée them or else not regarde them and that he will neuer call them to any account do what they will all is one God is not angrie nothing displeaseth him or at the least as though they had couenanted and agréed with hell and condemnation without controlment or feare of paine to take their pleasures in all vanities and abhominations whatsoeuer Is it not a woonder that we séeing before our eies if we will beléeue God a whole world drowned with an vniuersal deluge or generall flood of water and yet the same sinnes that were the cause of that generall destruction to be so pleasant sweete vnto
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