the lord They went about in shéepes felles in goates skynnes néedy afflicted miserable For whome the worlde was not yet worthy Straying in solitarie places in mountaynes in dennes and in caues of the carth in daunger of floods in daunger of théeues in daunger of the Iewes in 〈◊〉 of the Gentylles and in daunger of faulse brethren In labour calamitie in much watching in hunger and thirst in many necessities and in cold and nakednesse For the 〈◊〉 doth deny himselfe and 〈◊〉 his members together with all vices and coâ—…pisences that the world may be 〈◊〉 vnto him And he to the worlde He hath héere no place of aboade but séeketh diligently for the heauenly habitation to come He susteyneth the world as an exile beinge 〈◊〉 vp in his bodie as in a pryson sayinge I am an inhabitour and a stranger in the earthe as all my forefathers haue bene Forgeue me that I may be cooled before I depart I will abyde no longer Alas that my dwelling place is prolonged I haue euer dwelled with the inhabitaÌ„ts of cedar my sowle hath remayned with them Who is weakened and I am not weake Who is weakened and I am not vexed For the sinnes of the neighbors are the refreshinges of the iust This is that watering place which Caleph gaue vnto his daughter Axa in dowry The lyfe of man vpon earth is a warfare Yea is it not 〈◊〉 right warfare when manyfold enemies doe on euery syde assayle it that they may take man and persecute him and kyll him the deuill and man the world and the flesh The deuill with vices and concupisences man with beastes the world with Elements and the flesh with the sences For the flesh doth couet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But we must not wrastle against flesh and bloud but against the lyuely breathinges of wickednesse in heauenly thinges and against the captaines of these darcknesses For your aduersary the deuill goeth about lyke a roaring Lion séeking whome he may deuowâ—…r The fyry dartes of the most wicked are kindled Death commeth in by the wyndowes the eye doth robbe the Sowle the whole world doth fight against the sences that is nacion against nacion kingedome against kingdome great Earthquakes in many places pestilences and hongers tempestes and terrors from heauen The Earth bringeth forth thornes and thissells the water flooddes and raging tempestes the Ayre thunder and great wyndes the Fyer lightninges and flashâ—…nges Saying cursed be the Earth in thy works it shall bring forth thornes and thissells vnto thée With the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread vntill thou retourne to the Earth For Earth thou art and to the Earth thou shalt goe The Bore out of the woode doth lye in waight and the best fruites are destroyed The Woulfe and the Beare the Leopard and the Lyon the Tyger and the wylde Asse the Crocodyle and the Gryffen the Serpent the Snake the Adder and the Bassâ—…liske the Dragon and the Ceracte the Scorpion the Uyper yea Nittes Lyse Fleas and Ants Flyes and Gnats Waspes and Hornets Fyshe and Fowles For whereas we are created to beare rule ouer the Fyshes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and all lyuing creatures which moue vpon the Earth Now we are geuen as a praye for them and are made foode for their mouthes For it is wrytten I will send the téeth of wylde beastes against them with the fury of Serpents and things which glyde vppon the Earth Unhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me out of the body of this death Surely man would be brought out of pryson and would depart out of his body For the body is the prison of the Sowle Wherevpon the Psalmist saith Bring my sowle out of pryson No rest nor quietnesse no peace nor securitie at any tyme On all sydes feare and trembling and on all sides labour and payne Flesh shall be sorowful euen whylest it lyueth and the sowle shal morne and lament ouer it selfe Who had euer yet a whole day pleasant in his delight who in some part thereof the guiltinesse of consience the feare of anger and feircenesse or the motion of concupisence hath not troubled whome the swelling of enuie the earnest desyer of couetousnesse or the puffing vp of pryde hath not vexed Whome some losse or offence or passion hath not disquieted and to conclude whom neither sight nor hearing or some thing that touched dyd not offend Rara auis in terris 〈◊〉 simillima Signo Herken herevpon vnto the saying of the wise man Betwene morning sayth he and night the tyme shal be changed Uayne thoughts and cogitacions doo one succede another the mynde is wrapped into sundry conceytes They houlde the Tymbrell and Lute in theyr handes and they reioyce at the sounde of the Organnes they leade theyr life in iollytie and at the twincke of an eye they goe downe into hell Alwayes some sodeyne sorrowes doo succede and fâ—…low after worldly ioye And he which beginneth in ioye endeth in griefe For the worldly felicitie is mingled with many sorrowes and sharpe mishappes as he well knewâ—… which sayd They laughter shall be mingled with sorrow lameÌ„tacioÌ„ comes in th end of reioycing This did the sonns children of Iobe wel trye who whiles they did eat draÌ„k wine in the house of their eldest brother sodeynly a vehement wynde brake in from the desart country strake the foure corners of the house which fell downe and oppressed theÌ„ all Whereby their father sayed not without iust cause My harp is tourned into lamentacion myne organe pypâ—… into the voyce of wéepers mourners But it is better to goe vnto the house of weping lamentacion then to the houses of banqueting Geue eare and marke a holsome admonicioÌ„ In the day of reioycing good fortune be not vnmidfull of mishaps Remâ—…ber the latter daies thou shalt neuer sin Alwayes the last day is the first and yet the first daye is neuer reputed for the last yet we should so liue as though we were euer ready to dye For it is written Be myndeful and remember that death will not long tarry from thée time passeth away death approcheth A thousand yeares before the eyes of him the dyeth are as yesterday which passed away For all thinges to come doo grow and renew and alwaies thinges present doo dye and fade And whatsoeuer is past is altogether dead Then we dye alwaies as long as we lyue then at length we leaue dying when we leaue to lyue any longer Therefore it is better to dye vnto lyfe then to lyue vnto death Wherevpon Salomon saide I haue more praysed the dead then the liuinge and haue accounted him more then bothe which was neuer borne Life flieth swiftly away and cannot be
is formed and made of Dust Clay Asshes and a matter much vyler which for modestie I doe not name coÌ„â—…eiued in concupisence of the fleshe in the feruent heate oâ—… lust in the loathsome stinck of desyre and that worse is in the blot and blemish of sinne borne vnto payne sorow and fearâ—… yea and that which is most miserable vnto death He doth lewd thinges wherby he offendeth God his neighbor and him selfe He doeth filthy facts whereby he defileth his good name his conscience and his person and he doth vayne thinges wherby he neglecteth serious profitable necessary things He shal become the fewel for fier which alwayes burneth and can not be quenched the foode of worms which euer gnaw and féede vpon him the continewall masse of corruption which alwayes stincketh is filthie odious and horrible Then our Lord God hath formed man of the â—…ime of the Earth which is more vile then the rest of the Elements as it appeareth in the second of Genesis He made the Planets and Starres of the Fyer the blastes and wyndes of the Ayre the Fisshes and Fowles of the Water and Man and beast he made of Earth Then if he consider of the creatures created in the water he shall perceiue him selfe to be vile Considering the creatures made of Ayre he shall finde himself more vile coÌ„sidering the creatures of fyer he shal fynd himself most vyle Neither shal he make him self equal with the heaueÌ„ly creatures nor dareth prefer himselfe before the creatures of the Earth for he shal finde him selfe equal vnto beastes and shall acknowledge himselfe lyke vnto cattell sithence th end of man and cattel of the feild is all one and their condicion and estate are equall neither can man doe any more then a beast From the Earth they sprang and rose and to the Earth they shal retorne together These are not the wordes of any worldly man but of the wysest euen Salomon What is man then but slyme and dust and thervpon he sayth vnto God Remember I besech thée that thou hast made me lyke vnto Earth and shalt bring me into dust againe and thervpon also God sayth vnto man Thou art dust and shalt retorne into dust I am compared sayth Iob vnto Clay and am lykened vnto Imbers and Asshes Clay is made of Water and dust and both the substaunces doe remaine therein and Asshes are made of Fyer woode and bothe the substances doe fayle An expresse mistery but to be expounded in an other place Then what is Clay to be prowde on or whereof doest thou extoll thy selfe O dust O Asshes whereof doest thou glory Peraduenture thou wylt answere that Adam him selfe was fashioned and formed of clay and that thou art procreate of the séede of man But he was formed out of virgin clay and thou art procreate of séede which is vncleaue for who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede What is man that he may seme vndefiled or that which is borne of man may seme iust For behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother conceiued me in sin Not onely in one iniquitie nor in one onely transgression but in many iniquities and in many transgressions yea euen in strange iniquities and transgressions for there are two kinde of conceptions one of séede an other of nature The first is made in such factes as are committed The second in such thinges as are purchased and gotten for the parents commit in the first and their issue doe purchase in the second For who is ignorant that the act of generation yea euen betwene maried folkes is neuer committed without prouocation of the fleshe without heate of lâ—…st or of concupisence wherevpon the séedes which are conceiued be vncleane be blotted and made corrupt and the sowle beinge therewith ouer flowed dothe purchase the spot of sinne the blot of gilt and transgression and the blemish of iniquitie euen as liquor is corrupted beinge thrust into an vâ—…cleane vessell and beinge once poluted is defiled euen by the first touch therof For the sowle hath thrée natural powers or three natural forces that is to say a reasonable power to deserne betwene good and euill a passionate power to reiect the euill and a power of appetite to desier that which is good These three powers are originally corrupted with three opposite and contrary vices the reasonable power â—…y ignoraunce that it may not deserne betwene good and euill the passionat power by wrath and anger that it may reiect the good the power of appetite by the concupisence that it may desier that which is euill The first of these vices begetteth transgression the last bringeth forth sinne the midlemost ingeÌ„dereth both sinne traÌ„sgression for it is traÌ„sgression to doe that which is not to be done it is sinne to indeuor that which is not to be indeuored These thrée vi â—…es are purchased and gotten out of corrupted flesh by thrée allurements for in carnall copulation the vnderstanding is lulled on slepe to th ende that ignorance may be sowed the prouocation of lust is styrred vp to th ende that anger and motion of mynde may be spred a broade and the affection of voluptuousnesse is satisfied to thend that concupicence may be obtayned This is that Tyran fleshe the lawe and ruler of the members of man the norishment of sinne the languishment of nature and the fodder of death without the which no man is borne and without the which no man dyeth the which although it passe ouer at any tyme in state of accusation yet it remayneth alwayes in acte For if we say that we haue no sinne we beguyle our selues the trueth is not in vs Oh greuous misery and vnhappy estate condition before we sinne we are bound and wrapped in sinne and before we transgresse we are caught in transgression By one man sinne entered into the worlde by sinne death tooke hold of all men for dyd not the forefathers eate a sower Grape and their childrens téeth are set on edge Wherfore theÌ„ was light geuen to him that is in wretched nesse lyfe lent to such as are in bitternes of the sowle Oh happie they are which dye before they are borne which tast of death before they know what lyfe is for soure are borne so deformed and prodigious that they seme not men but rather abhominations vnto whom nature perhappes should much better haue foresene if she had neuer suffered them to be sene for they are demonstrate and set to shew as monsters and shewes and some againe lacking some of theyr members sences are borne vnperfect to the grefe of their freindes the infamy of their parents and the abashinge of their neighbors But what nede I speake perticularly of these imperfections sithence all men generally are borne without knowledge without speach without vertue without power wéeping wayling weake féeble and but little deâ—…eringe from brute beastes or
go to the darkesome land which is couered with the cloudes of death the land of misery darkenesse where the shadow of death and no order but perpetuall horror doe inhabitt Yet there shal be order in the quantitie of paynes For with what measâ—…re you meat it shal be measured to you agayne That theâ—… which â—…inned most gréeueously may be moste gréeuously punnished For they which are mightie shall suffer tormentes mightilye But ther shal be no order in the quality of thinges For froÌ„ the snowe and water they shal be put into hoâ—…e skalding fier That the sodeyne change of the contraries may make their gréefes the greater I haue séene by experience that if one which is burned doo straight waies put his hurt into the water he shall féele afterwards the greater skalding Men are put into hell like shéepe death shall féede vpon them This is spoken by the similytude of beastes and cattell which doo not pluck vp grasse herbes by the rootes but crope of the toppes that the grasse may growe againe for their foode So also the wicked as if they were fedd vpoÌ„ by death shall reuiue vnto death that we may dye euerlaâ—…ingly as Ouid saith Sic inconsumptum Titij semperque 〈◊〉 sic perit vt possit sapè perire Iecur TheÌ„ shall death be immortall then shall the dead lyue which be dead vnto life They shall séeke death shall not finde it bicause they had lief lost it Harken vnto Iohn in the reuelation which sayth In those dayes men shall séeke death shall not finde it They shall desâ—…or to dye death shall flye from them O death how swéet shouldest thou nowe séeme vnto them which heretofore thought thée so bitter they shall desire thée wish for thée only which did vehemeÌ„tly abhorre thée onely TheÌ„ let no maÌ„ flatter himself say that god will not be alwayes angry nor be offended for euer but his mercyes are ouer all his workes Since when he is angrye he will not forget to be mercifull Neither doth he hate any of the thinges which he hath made Taking as an argument of error that which the Lorde sayth by the Prophet They shal be gathered together into one buÌ„del into the lake ther they shal be shut vp in prisoÌ„n And after many dayes they shal be visited For man sinned but for a tyme and then god will not punishe for euer O vayne hope O false presumption Let not man beleue being vaynely deceyued by error that he is to be redéemed for any price For in hell ther is no redeÌ„ption Therfore sinners shal be gathered together into the lake shal be shut into prison But in hell In the which they shal be tormeÌ„ted without bodyes vntill the daye of iudgement And then after many dayes that is after they are rysen againe with their bodies at the latter day they shal be vysited Not vnto saluatioÌ„ but for reuenge Bicause after the day of iudgement they shal be the more gréeuously puÌ„ished But it is said in an other text I wil visit their iniquities with a rodd their sinnes with stripes Therfore God is offended with the predestinate tempoally bicause god doth scourge euery soÌ„ne whoÌ„ he loueth By which words that is gathered he will not be angry vntill the end But with the reprobate god is offended eternally By cause it is méet right that as the wicked hath vsed fraud and dissimulatioÌ„ in his euerlasting so god may vse reuenge and punishment in his euerlasting also For although the facultie and power to sinne doe leaue him yet doth hée not leaue wil desire to sinne For it is written the pride of them the were hatefull doth alwayes assende The reprobate which are alreadie in dispaire of forgeuenesse shall not be humbled but their mallice and hatred shal be growne and increase as though they would haue him not to be at all by whome they knowe that they be so vnhappily They will curse the highest and blaspheme the almighty Complaning that he is wicked bicause he hath created them vnto punishâ—…nt and is neuer inclined to forgeuenesse Geue â—…are vnto John in the reuelation saying A great hayle came downe from heauen vpon men and men blasphemed God For the plague of hayle bicause it was excedinge great So that the will of the damned although he haue lost theffect of his power hath alwayes an intent and affection of mallice mischefe and that of it selfe shal be a punishment in hel which was sinne and offence in the world Although peraduenture it is there also a sinne but not to the deseruing of punishment â–ª Therefore the wicked bicause he shall alwaies haâ—…e in him selfe the gyltinesse of his sinne he shal likewise féele in himselfe the torment of his payne for that which he himselfe did not take away by repentance God dyd not forgeue by pardâ—…ne And so it serueth as a great point of righteousnesse to them which are to be iudged that they neuer lack punishment in hell which neuer wanted will to sinne and offend in theyr life tâ—…me They would if they could haue lyued without end that they might also without ende haue sinned For they which neuer cease to sinne whiles they lyue doo shew that they desyer alwaies to lyue in sinne Which of you sayth Esay can dwel with the euerlasting Preists These men shal be a smoke in my fury a burninge fyer all the day by night it shal not be quenched But the smoke thereof shall ascend for euer And Hieremy sayth I wil geue you ouer vnto euerlasting shame and reproch and vnto perpetuall ignomynie which shall neuer be taken away with obliuion Then Daniell they which haue slept sayth he in the dust of the earth shal awake sâ—…me vnto eternall lyfe and some vnto reproch which they shall alwaies abide Salomon the wicked man beinge once dead there shall be no hope of him his destruction shall come vppon him for an example And sodeynly hée shal be striken and shall haue no medecyne to cure it Iohn the Appostle sayeth also If anye man worshippe the beaste and hys Image He shal drinck of the wyne of gods wrath shal be tormented with fyer brimstone the smoke of his torments shall ascend for euer euer Neither shal he haue rest day nor night which hath worshipped the beast his image The very truth it self doth coÌ„â—…rme all these which shal reproue the damned sentencially in iudgement When he shal say Go you cursed into euerlasting fyer which is prepared for the deâ—…ill his angells Now if according to the diuine opinion all tryall of truth doth stande in the mouthes of two or thrée witnesses how much more shall it stand by these testimonies of so many and so notable men Behold therefore the day of the Lord shall come cruell ful of indignation wrath
man can fully and thorowly vnderstand it nor that he can clerely comprehende it vnlesse perchaunce that is perfectly knowne that nothinge is perfectly knowne Although euen thereby also doth rise an indissoluble argument But surely the body that is corrupted dothe aggreuate and ouercharge the Sowle and mynde and this earthly habitacion doth oppresse a thought that pondereth many thinges Harken what Salomons opinion was vpon that point All things sayth he are â—…ard and difficult No man can expresse them by wordes Some man doth neyther geue rest vnto his eyes by daye nor by night and yet can he neither fynde the causâ—… nor the reason of Gods workes yea the more he laboreth to seeke it so much the lesse shall he fynde it therefore they faile in the searching how narrowly so euer they search because man may waxe proude but God shal be exalted For be which searcheth the Maiestie of God shall be oppressed with his glory the more he vnderstaÌ„deth that more he doubteth yea and he séemeth to know most which in déede know eth least Therefore it is one part of knowledge and wysedome to know that he is ignorant sithence God first made man and he hath wrapped him selfe in sundry and infinite questions Men roue and roame about by high waies and by pathes they clyme the hilles and passe ouer the mountaynes they flye ouer the rockes and cowrce ouer the Alpes go thorough caues and enter into dreadfull dennes They rifle vp the bowels of the earth and the bottome of the sea They mark the tydes of the floodes and wander in the woodes and wildernesse They put their bodies to the wyndes tempestes thunders lightenings raynes waters waues seas fluds whirlpooles They melt staÌ„pe mettalls they graue and pol lish stones cut and carue woodes weaue and warpe webbs make and weare garments buyld houses plant orchardes till feildes dresse viniards heat fornaces and set milles on worke They hunt they fyshe and they fowle They thinck and mâ—…se they councell and ordaine they stryue and complayne they take away and steale they buy and beguyle they frowne smyle With innumerable other such things to heape vp riches and multiply gaynes To gett estimacion to extoll theyr dignitie and to inlarge theyr aucthoritie beholde all these are but labour vexacion of the mynde If you beleue not me yet beleue Salomon I haue sayde he magnified my workes I haue buylded houses planted viniardes made gardeyns and orchardes replenished them with all manner of fruites and trées I made sumptuous fishepondes from whence I might water the beds of my swete blossomes I kept seruants and handmaydes and had a great household with great heardes of cattell and flockes of shepe aboue all others that had bene before me in Hierusalem I heaped vp golde and siluer and the substaunces of kingdomes and prouinces I had singing men and musitioÌ„nes the delightes of the sonnes of men I had great pottes and pichers to powre oute wine abundantly at the table I excéeded all man in welth which had bene before in Hierusalem And when I turned vnto all that my handes had made and vnto the labors and paynes where in I had toyled sweat in vayne I sawe in all things vanitie vexsation of the mynde and the nothing was permaneÌ„t vnder the Sunne What and how many are the cares which torment men the thoughts which afflict theÌ„ the gréefes which molest them the dreads which afflight them the tremblinge which tosseth them the horrour which amaseth them the sorowe which consumeth them the heauinesse which ouerchargeth theÌ„ and the troubles which vex them poore and rich maister and seruaunt wedded man and bachelor to conclude good badd all of them are disquieted with worldly tribulations and troubled with worldly disquietnesse Beleue him that hath had experyence For if I be sayth he wicked then of right maye I say woe be vnto mée yea thoughe I be iust yet will I not hold vp my head being continually toyled with affliction and misery The poore are pressed with penury tormented with trouble thyrst honger colde and nakednesse They séeme vile they are dispised they crowch and are ouerthrowne O miserable estate of the begger If they craue they are confounded with shame but if the craue not they are consumed with néede And are compelled by necessitie to begge The worst sorte of them accuse God as vnequall because he hath not rightly deuyded the welth of the world they blame their neighbor as vnequall also because he doth not minister vnto them lardgly they disdayn murmur and curse Compare and marke the sentence of the wyse man vpon this It were better sayth he to die then to néede Yea the poore shal be also odious vnto his neighbour All the dayes of the poore are euell for his owne brethren hate him Furthermore his frends went farre from him As is said Cum fueris felix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris Fye for shame the person is estemed accordinge to his fortune whereas fortune shold rather be estemed according to the person A man is reputed as good as he is riche and as euell as he is poore Whereas he rather ought to be reputed as riche as he is good and as poore as he is wicked But the ritch man becommeth dissolute by superfluitie and is vnbrydeled through boast vayne glorie He runneth vnto all that is delightfull and falleth into all that is vnlawful yea those thinges that were the attonements of faults are become instrumentes of more punishment and correction Since labour in getting feare in possessing and gréefe in losing therof doe alwayes afflict and werie the mynde of man For where thy treasure is there is thy hart also but hereof we will intreat and speake more at lardge hereafter The seruaunt wayteth is wearied with charge and office is afflicted with stripes and despoyled of his riches For if he haue nothing he is compelled to haue and if he haue any thinge he is then constrained not to haue The masters fault is the seruaunts paye but the seruauntes fault is the masters paye Quicquid deliraâ—…t Regeâ—… plectuntur Achiui The wild Asse is fayne to be the Lyons chase in the dâ—…rt So the poore are the pastures of the ritch men O extreme bondage nature made vs frée but fortune appoynteth serâ—…tude the seruaunt is coâ—…strayned to suffer and no man is suffered to haue compassion he is compelled vnto lamentation and no man is suffered to take any 〈◊〉 on him So that neyther is he his owne neyther hath any other pertayninge vnto him They are in a 〈◊〉 case which folow cowrts for it is miserable to liue vpon an other mans pray and spoyle If the Lord or master be crewill he must he feared For the wickednesse of his subiects and vassalls If he be méeke it happeneth ofte that he is contempned through the insolence and pryde of his 〈◊〉 So that
held back and death followeth instantly and will not be stopped This is then that wonderfull thing that the more it groweth the more it decreaseth and the further that life procedeth so much the néerer it draweth vnto an ende The time which is graunted and lent for quiet rest is not suffered to be quiet For dreames 〈◊〉 vs and visions doo vex trouble vs And though they be not in déede sorowful or terrible or laboursome which dreamers doo dream yet are they in déed made sorowful affrighted wâ—…ried thereby In so much that some times men wéepe in their sléepe dreams yea being awaked are yet excéediÌ„gly vexed Mark what Elephas Thematices saith vpon this poynt In the horrible dread of a vision by night saith he feare treÌ„bling came vpon me al my bones quaked for dread wheÌ„ the spyrit passed ouer in my preseÌ„ce the here of my flesh stoode right vp for fear CoÌ„sider vpon the words of Iobe which saith If I say that my bed shal yeld me quiet comfort that I shal be releued whilest I talke with my selfe in my couch theÌ„ wilt thou terrifie me in dreams wilt strik me with horrour in visions Nabuchodonosor saw a dream or visioÌ„ which troubled terrefied him maruelously And the visioÌ„ of his head did amaze vex him Many cares do follow dreams wher many dreames be there are also many vanities Dreames haue caused many men to doo amisse they haue béen ouerthrowen whilest they trusted in theÌ„ For often times filthie Images doo appere in dreams by the which not onely the flesh is polluted by nightly illusioÌ„s but also the sowl is ther with blotted and defyled Wherevpon our Lorde God speaketh in the Leuiticall lawes saying If there be emongest you any man which is polluted in his nightly sléepe let him goe foorth of the tents let him not return vntil he be washed with water in the euening And after the Sunne set let him retorne into the tents With how great sorrow are we troubled with how great trembling are we striken when we féele or vnderstaÌ„d the losses or damages of any our frends or dread the perils of our kinsfolke parâ—…ts many times a whole maÌ„ is more troubled with feare then a sicke man is with his infirmitie Some one man is of a voluntary wil more afflicted with the afflictioÌ„ of sorrow theÌ„ some â—…ther vnwilling is through the force effect of the laÌ„gnishing paine that saying of the poet is true Res est soliciti plena timoris Amor. Whose breast is so brasen or whose hart so stony hard bat he will sigh and grone and shed trickling teares when he beholdeth the deathe or greuous hurt or sicknesse of his neighbour or frende who can refrayne from hauing compassion on the passionate or from lamentinge with him that lamenteh Iesus him selfe when he sawe Mary and the Iewes that came with hir vnto the Sepulchre weping became vexed in his spirit troubled with in his mynde wept Percase not bycause he was dead but rather bycause beinge dead they reuoked him to behold the miseries of liefe But let him acknowledge himselfe blamefully hard harted and hardhartedly to be blamed which bewayleth the corporall death of his freind and neuer lamenteth for the spirituall death of his sowle Mishapes fall sodeynly when they are least suspected or loked for Sodeynly calamytie rusheth in at dores sicknesse inuadeth a man and death steppes in whome no man can eskape Therefore boast not of to morowe synce thou knowest not to what th end of the present day may bring thée to A man knoweth not his ende but euen as fishes are caught with the hooke and byrdes with snares and gynnes so are men caught and snatched vp in the euell tyme Wheâ—… they are come to that whereof they might long before haue bewared The Industry of the Phisicons coold neuer yet since the begynninge of the world search out so manie kyndes of diseases nor so many sundry sortes of passions as the frailtie of man could sustaine indure Shal I tearm it a tollerable intollerablenesse or an vntollerable tolleracion or shal better put them both togethers For I must call it vntollerable hauing regarde to the bitternesse of diseas And tollerable I must terme it since it is of necessitie to be suffered So froÌ„ day to day more more the nature of man is corrupted and made weaker In such sorte as many medecyens which in tymes paste were holesome are nowe throwe the desceyt of mans nature deadly and daungerous to bâ—… receyued For both these kyndes of worldes doe nowe wax â—…ld That is to say Macrocosmus and Microcosmus which is to say the greater world the lesser world And the longer that lyfe doth linger in eyther of them so much the worse is nature in each of them troubled and vexed What should I say of the wretched offendors which are punished with innumerable kindes of tormentes They are beaten to death with malles they are thrust throughe with swordes burned with flames of fyer ouerwhelmed with stones they are twytched in péeces with tonges and hanged vpon gibbettes wrung with mannacles and scourged with whyppes bounde in cheynes fastened in snares thrust down into darke dungeons Starued with fastinges throwne downe hedlonges drowned flayed and pulled in péeces quartered and some tymes smothered Those which are condemned to death dye those that are put to the sword must suffer there with those which are iudged to famishe must sterue and those which are put into captiuitie must indure it Crewel iudgement outragious punishment and sorowfull sight to be holde They are made a pray for the Byrdes of the Ayre the beastes of the feild and fishes of the sea Alas alas alas O miserable mothers which brought forth such miserable and vnhappy children Therefore I haue thought good to repete that horrible fact which Iosephus doth discribe in the seige of Hierusalem A certayne woman being both for bloud and wealth honourable dyd paciently beare and abyde the misery of the seige with the rest that were fled into the citie of Hierusalem and the tyrantes dyd straightwayes inuade the remnaunt of hir substaunce which she brought with hir from hir house into the Citie Yea if any thing yet remayned of hir aboundauâ—…t riches whereby she might poorely sâ—…staine hir with dayly foode the Captaynes of the sedicious rushing in at tymes dyd take it from hir by force Wherevpon the wooman by this outragious dealing was dryuen into a certayne disdayne euen as it were into a fury So that many times she prouoked the sedicious spoylers with reprochfull wordes and curses to haue killed hir But when as no man either of pittie or of furious fiercenesse would dispatch hir and yet as fast as she sought for any thinge to comfort hir there came others which sought as fast to take it from hir and hir plentie began now
to buy such ornaments as the prouinciall women did were remained a virgin But as soone as she came out Syâ—…heÌ„ that soÌ„ne of the king of the Amorits did violeÌ„tly raâ—…ish hir Holofernus sitting in a canapy which was of purple â—…lk gold set with Emeraldes other precious stones was beheaded by Iudith Who when she was a lyttle before wrapped in gar ments of hearecloth dyd now take vpon hir garmnts of reioysing Geue eare vnto the councell of the wyse man herevpon which sayth doe neuer glory in garments and the Appostle byddeth vs Glory not sayth he in precyous ornaments neyther lay out fair locks of hayre Nor border and garde your garments with gold c. Marke what our Lorde god doth threaten against the superfluitie of apparell by the Prophet Esay saying For asmuch as the daughters of Syon are puffed vp with pryde walke with bare neckes layd out and bridling in their gate therfore the Lord will make bauld their bushy locks will take of the hayre from the daughters of Sion In those daies the Lord will take away the ornaments of their shoes and their hoope rynges chaynes carkenets braselets Iewels Their calles their frisled curled perwyckes their smal chaynes theyr pomanders their eare ringes the precious stones hanging vpon their forheads their short clokes shift of garments their fine lynen their néedle works their glasses their lawne partlets their fillets and their fine skarfes vayls And in stéed of swéet smels they shall haue stynch in stéed of their fayre pursses and gyrdles they shall haue a small corde to bynde theyr coffyne and in steade of frysled hayre they shall haue a bare and a balld skull Behoulde this payne and punishment is geuen for their faulte that they maye bée corrected and punished euen therein wherein they offended But furthermore harâ—…en vnto the Prophet Ezechiell herevpon saying O Tyre the â—…undry sortes of silke in Egipt are wouen for thée Trewly thy garments are made of sumpteous purple and curious workes They haue chaunged theyr Iuorye and Ebonye with thée for mony They haue brought into the market places purples and pearles silkes and tynsâ—…lls furres of Luzards and Genetts for the abundaunce of the welth which they founde in thée They haue geuen the rulers Tapestryes to treade vpon and to couer their tables And their glory is ouer greately replenished thereby But beholde nowe thou arte contryt and sorowfull in the middest of the sea and thy welth is in the depth of the waters Thou art brought to nothing shalt not remaine for euer When a certayne Philosopher went vpon a tyme vnto a Prynces Court homely cladde and knocking at the gate was not let in but as often as he pressed to go in so often was he repulsed and put backe he changed his hahyte and put on coomely garments The waye was made for him at the first worde He going on vnto the Prince began to kysse the cloke which he ware And the Prynce maruayling thereat demaunded what he did and wherefore he did so the Phylosopper aunswered I honour my Habyte ê™ hee O Prynce for that whiche my vertâ—…e ne coulde not gett my garment hath obteyned O vanytie of all vanyties more honour is geuen to the garment then to the goodnesse and more worship done for the outward aparaunce then for the inwarde perfection of a man. An artyaÌ„ciall shew is layed on and a naturall face and fauour is hyd and taken awaye As though the arte of man created were aboue the excellent workes of God the creator Not so not so O men Consider you sayth the Lorde the lillyes of the fyeld how they groÌ„we They doe neyther labor nor spynne But I saye vnto you that Salomon in all his glory was not clothed lyke vnto one of them God forbid that a couÌ„terfayt collour shoulde be to be coÌ„pared vnto a naturall collor For whylest the facâ—… is painted with a couÌ„terfait collour the skine is marred with 〈◊〉 filthynâ—…e All men lyuâ—…ng are altogeather vanitie What can be morâ—… vayne then to brayde the hayre to curle the lockes to die the chéekes to anoynt the forheade and to twytch awayâ—… the eye lyddes in asmuch as glory is deceyptfull and beautie is vayne And all flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof lyke vnto the flowers of the field For lyke vnto heye they shall quickly wyther and shall soone fall lyke vnto potherbs But to passe ouer the deckinge and apparell of the person least I should séeme to speake more of mallyce then of truth what is more vayne then to decke and tryme the table with dyaper clothes with dyaper napkins as white as â—…uoryo vessell of golde and siluer with small cuppes bowles and stately standing cuppes with plates and spones with dyshes and pottengers with lyuery pottes and iugges with spice boxes and chaâ—…ngdishes what preuayleth it to paint the roofes of the chambers to furnish the halls to hange the porches and lobbetts to paue the flowers to make the beddes well stuffed with downe fethers couered with silke quilts drawen about with curteynes and shadowed with ranopeies since it is wrytten Man shall take none of these with him when he dyeth neither shal his glory descend with him There is no man which may glory that his hart is clean Since we all doo offend in many thinges And if we saye that we sinne not we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs Who is able to saye as the Apostle sayde I am gyltie in nothing to my knowledge and yet thereby am I not iustified Shew me such an one and we will prayse him Behould euen amongst the saints no man is vnculpable the heauens are not cleane in his sight for in his angells he hath founde iniquitie How abhominable and vnprofitable is man which drincketh iniquitie as it were water and therefore GOD dyd repent hym that hée hadde made manne vppon the Earthe bicause the mallyce and wickednesse of manne on Earthe was excedinge greate and all his thoughtes bent alwayes vpon euill And therefore being touched with sorow of hart inwardly hée tooke away man whom hée had created Furthermore iniquitie aboundeth and the charitie of many is waxed colde All men haue declyned and are become vnprofitable altogither There is no man that doth good no not one All the whole lyfe in maner of mortall men is full of mortall and deadly sinnes so that it is skarcely possible to finde any one which doth not declyne on the left hand which doth not return vnto his vomit which doth not putrify in ordure and vncleannesse Nay rather they glory when they haue done euil and reioycâ—… in most wicked things béeing replenished with all iniquitie malice fornication couetise naughtines enuy murder contention crafte priuy grudge slander and murmuring Being hateful vnto God contumelious proud high mynded deuisers of mischiefe disobedient
other sprytes worse then himselfe And going in he dwelleth there And the ende of that man is worse then the begynning Also sinnne is fortiâ—…ed to preuayle before the iudgement of reason As Augustine speaking of him selfe doth say More preuayled the encreasing euill then the vncustomed goodnesse Lastly euen the sinner himselfe becoÌ„meth more impotent to ryse And thus behold my welbeloued how many and how vnspeable euill thinges a man doth incurre by sinning And suerly if thou doe not amend thy liefe by reading and knowing these hurts and daungers whiche come by sinne If thou doe not detest and abhorre sinne if thou doe not walke in purenesse of lyfe before God then shalt thou bée vnexcusablely reproued of great faultes by thyne owne vertues And shalt not doe that whiche béecoÌ„meth the naturall goodnesse of thyne excelent wytt For it is apparant by these things how truly Augustine spake in his twelfe booke De ciuitate del saying Synne hurteth nature And by that meanes it is contrary to nature And yet by that vice nature is apparant to be great and lawdable For by what meanes so euer vyce be blamed by the same vndowtedly nature is praysed For the right blaming of vyce is bicause thereby a lawdable nature is dishonested Of the infinite mercy of God. Art. 19. WE haue already spoken many thinges of the enormytie filthynesse and impietie of sinne And it is now thereby made manyfest how vehemently the holy and most highest God is dishonored by sinne and how he hateth and abhorreth the same Therefore least any man should by consideration thereof fall into weakenesse of courage or be broken with disperation or faynt with ouer much sorrow or pyne and wyther away with vndiscrete curyositie We will say somewhat agayne of the incomprehensible and vnmeasurable mercyes of god And therefore as the goodnesse of God is pure infinite and most plentifull so the swéetenesse of his liberalitye and his clemency is altogither vnspeakeable vnlimytable and vnexcogitable Exceding and infinitely passinge all our mallice néede and miserie Yea more then all the waues in the Sea passe a lyttle droppe of water or the great heape of the whole world doth passe incomparabily the least séede that is Let no man therefore dispare by the enormytie of vyces For thereby hée should offer an extreme iniurye to the diuyne mercy And should moste vehemently dishonor the vncreated verytie of the higest god As though Gods goodnesse and clemency which hath promysed forgeuenesse and grace vnto all men how full of iniquitie so euer they be if they doe truely repeÌ„t were lesse then his wickednesse To conclude is not the mercy of the glorious God and he which is onely to be worshipped most infinite who in euery moment doth perceue so many sinnes to be done in this worlde and séeth himselfe to be dishonored dispised and blasphemed so vnspeakeably of so many sinnes and yet doth preserue them in beinge doth vncessantly communicate vnto them the goodes of nature of fortune doth nowrishe them cloth them prouide for theÌ„ yea since according to y which hath bene said before the enormity of sinne is so incoÌ„prehensible euen therin y wonderfull greate and infinite pytie of God doth appere that he euer will vowchesafe to be reconciled or to behold or to receaue into his grace fauour the man with whome hée were but once offended or displeased by sinne And beholde euen those of whome he hath béen so often times offended by such greuous sinnes by whome he hath béen so often contempned set behynde earthly thinges in comparison he doth not onely vouchsafe to receue them vnto forgeuenes grace fauour but often tymes he doth preuent them in vncomprehensible pyetie and doeth happely change their hartes by inward compunaion vnto saluacion taking from them all hardnes of hart And filling them with so much grace and goodnesse that the same doth now most abounde where before iniquitie was most abundant And so of most hatefull enemies they are made most deare acceptable vnto God therfore we must not â—…ispayre for any thing For asmuch as God by his mercy doeth paciently abyde sinners dothe gently revoke them doth dissemble and dyffer reueÌ„ge and punishment doth deliuer them from many and manyfold daungers doth liberally and 〈◊〉 geue them grace doth multiply that which he hath geuen dothe kepe and preserue that which he hath multiplyed and dothe rewarde with heauenly thinges that which he hath kept and preserued To conclude God doeâ—…h ioyfully receue vnto 〈◊〉 the synner which 〈◊〉 vnto him doth mollyfie his hart doth quyckly forgeue the offence which he coÌ„mytted And after forgeuenesse doth neuer remember the iniurie Agayne God of his mercy doth send vs aduersities to proue our patyence withall he geueth vs prosperytie that he may prouoke vs to loue him And by his mercy doth bring agayne vnto himselfe those that goe astraie doth guyde vnto him such as returne doth rayse vp them that fall doth staye and hold vp them that stand and dothe leade vnto glorie all such as doe perseuer in godlynesse Behold how greate and how verye vnspeakeable incomprehensible and vnmesurable the clemencie of our God is especyally vpon his elect And yet let no man sin the bolder by this consideration of the diuyne mercyes presuming most foolishly vpon Gods benignitie For he is accursed which sinneth through hope For the better more méeke and clement that we know God to be so much the more intentyuely we ought to loue him not to dishoner or dispyse him Wherefore betwene desperation and presumption let vs obserue a sapientall meane hoping with feare and fearing with hope And so let vs contynewally be carefully and fearefully conuersant before God. Of those thinges by consideration whereof sinnes be the more effectually auoyded Art. 20. THere are many and almost innumerable thinges whiâ—…h ought to enduce vs vnto the auoyding and esthewing of sinnes Fyrst the consideration of the shortnâ—…sse vanytie vnstablenesse and dysceitfulnesse of this present liefe For what is our lyfe but a smoke most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a moysture fading by little and littell 〈◊〉 our dayes are lyke a shadowe vpon the earth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all How long soeuer our lyfe séemâ—… 〈◊〉 in this world yet in comparyson of the neuer ending lyef which holy Iob sayth Spare me O Lord for my dayes are nothing We sée also with our eyes how many and how innumerable this present liefe doth deceaue Which being delighted ouer darkened and bedect with the rytches delightes and honors of this world doe neglect those things which pertayne to their health and saluation doe neuer couet or desier spirituall good thinges nor doe alwayes and enerie day perpare themselues vnto death And therefore euen as they lyue so doe they make an end And they doe most vnhappely dishonor God whiles they are yet sound and in health so at the tyme of their death they are most iustly of him forsaken dispised and condempned Is it not
Egypt without the helpe of thy diuine Maiestie euen so no man caÌ„ be pulled or withdrawen from this world vnlesse he be helped with the fynger and power of the heauenly hande Yet shall there neuer be founde any defect in God so that man will doe his best that he maye Agayne the world is compared to a deserte by the which the chyldren of Israell went from Egipt vnto the land of promisse And in this desert they met so many letts and impedyments that of thréeskore thowsand numbred onely two euen Caleph and Iosue were brought into the land of promyse O how the Diuils doth reioyse to sée them all now in the synke and filthynesse of their sinnes Men cleaue vnto worldly thinges and in worldly thinges they are wyse but they neyther care for God nor for his commaundementes neyther are they astonyed when they heare his moste terryble iudgementes But they accompt them as fables Oh all thinges that are be euill bestowed vpon vs For our hardnesse is neuer mollâ—…ed But thinke we that God will omyt his iudgement Or leaue these sinnes vnrewarded Or suffer the wordes which he hath spoken of the iudgement to come and of the euerlasting paynes to be falsified God forbyd that we should so thynke Furthermore whosoeuer is ouercome with the loue of earthly thinges he is not delyghted in god But no man can long abyde without some delectation And therefore such as are not delighted in spyrituall things doe powre themselues out vnto worldly solace And so consequently are ouerwhelmed in the multytude of sinnes and vyces Wherevpon Saint Augustine sayth Blessed is he O Lord which loueth thée For he which loueth not thee loueth the world is seruaunt and bounde vnto sinne he is neuer quyet neuer in safetie but is dystracte and dyspersed in the varyable cares vanityes and pompes of the world And whosoeuer doth contempne the volupteousnesse of this world and thereby eskaye the snares of the Diuill shal be most happy in that his soule is delighted in such thinges as cannot be blotted or defiled with any vncleannesse but is immediately clensed purged with the cleannesse of truth And synce y lawe of God doth so delight him y he shal be able ther by to avoyde eschew y delightes of y world But as longe as we delight in the deceyptfull tast of iniquity so long we shall thinke it most sower and bytter to faste of equitie And to whome the world séemeth swéete sauorye to him Christ séemeth bytter and sower Yet hauing tasted the spyrite of God all fleshe shall as it were dote and playe the foole Agayne whosoeuer doeth with his whole mynde serue and please this world is thereby enfected with a manyfold deformytie of vyces And he which tasteth nothing of the heauenly swéetenesse will not be afeared to be polluted with earthly desires But if such as for the loue of God despyse the world kéepyng themselues contyneually conuersant in spyrytuall thinges cannot yet he altogither pure and clensed from sinnes with how heauy burdens of vyces are theâ—… loden which are not afearde to walke in the myddest of the world wrapped in vanities without carefulnesse or feare of God What is theyr lyfe but sinne it selfe For the myrth and ioye of the world is wickedâ—…sse vnpunyshed But y which the reprobate doe accompt delight and comforte that the elect and verteous doe take and defâ—… to be most gréeuoâ—…s payne Thynking and concluding that the soule 〈◊〉 néedes peryshâ—… 〈◊〉 by that wherein the â—…she for a tyme did delight most pleasantly Wherefore you louers of this world howle and crye out which doo myserably kyll your body and soule before the tyme appoynted Whyles you attend wholly vpon the vyces of glottonye and lecherye immoderately and vylely And thereof euen in this world doe procéede sundrye infirmyties and sodayne deathes Reioyse and be merrie nowe in this most shorte space which you haue that hereafter you maye complayne and bewayle with the Diuill perpetually Banquet and drynke dronken that after a whyle you maye call for a droppe of water and yet not haue it when you shal be daÌ„pned in hell with the riche man which lyued in greate delightes and fared delycately euery daye Why are your hartes harder then yron stéele or stones when you doe not weye and consider nor â—…e not afeard in payne of these most vnhappy and frayle sollaces and vanyties of this world to heare that most dreadfull and horryble sentence of Chryst go ye accursed into euerlasting fyre But here peradnenture you will saye God is mercyfull and benigne he would not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and lyue And againe In what houre soeuer a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeÌ„t him I will no more remember all his iniquites So that if a sinner doe bewayle his sinnes eueÌ„ at the very time of death he shall be saued And I doe confesse that all these sayinges are true Nay rather the excieding greatenesse of the heaâ—…nly pietie doth beyond all comparyson excéede and surpasse the verye capacytie of our mynde For it is vnmeasurable As may playnely appeare in that he 〈◊〉 sinners so longe to the ende they maye bée conuerted yea expecteth and desireth theyr conuersyon he 〈◊〉 such as retorue moste mercyfully he quyckly for 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 and doth aboundantly powre asmuche grace vpon them as if they had neuer sinned nor offended And is not this an infynite pietie But his equytie and iâ—…styce is no lesse then his pitiye And though he doo beare with and longe suffer such as he attendeth to repent and conuerte yet if they doe not conuert he doth the more greuously punyshe and detest them And that which the Prophet sayeth of the contrytion and sorowe of a sinner must be vnderstood of true contrytion and harty repentaunce But the true contrycion doth procéede of the true faith and loue of God and of the lothing of sinne and an affection vnto righteousnesse Yea and as Hierome testyfieth Repentaunce and harty contrytion are necessarye Wherevnto that saying of Chrisostome agréeeth Compunction is the thing whiche maketh purple séeme vyle maketh men desire hearecloth loue teares and eschewe company Syuce then these thinges â—…ée certaynly thus what kynde of contrycion and bewayling can that be which commeth onely at the very houre of death and then repenteth bicause he thynkes he can lyue no longer Or peraduenture if he hoped of longer lyfe he would deferre it Surely it séemeth doubtfull that through seruyle feare and constrayned fayth his contrycion procéedeth by the onely beholdyng of his owne onely refuge And that it is not true contrycion but a terryfing of the spyrite But he which will soundly and perfectly repent must first be sorye for his faulte bicause it is filthy transgression and offensyue vnto god Yea and a dyshonour vnto the diuine sanctitye and Maiestie Wée reade in the Machabes That Antyochus dyd repent and yet obteyned not mercy The Apostle doth wryte the lyke of