• ovv that vve can neither tast of God, nor enioye any spirituall delighte and diuine comforte, yf first vve despise not the vvorld, and the Pleasures therof. CHAP. 1.

NO man can serue twoe maisters saith Christ our Sauiour. Mat. 6. The comfort that is of God, is sweete and delectable, but this is not for all men, but for those onelie whiche de • ise the vanities of the worlde. It is im • ossible to tast of God, and to loue dis •• dinat • ie the thinges of this lyfe: All men •• ulde gladlie enioye the sweete conuer • ion of our Lorde, but few there be that • ll forgoe their owne commodities, and •• linglie despise the earthlye delightes. They desyre greatlie to haue the inward comforte of the soule, but with all they desyre to satisfie their owne appetites. But yf thou wilt folowe Christ, thou must denye thy selfe.

Thou must withdrawe thy selfe from the world, yf thou thinkest to enioye God, for God and the world be contrarie, they haue nothinge common betwixte them, neyther maye they inhabite together: ca •• of therfore the loue of the worlde, yf thou wilt that God shall haue accesse to thy soule: Neyther mayest thou fullie tast o • the sweetenes of God, vntill thou does • fynde that the pleasures of the world be waxen bitter vnto the, and vnpleasant▪ And when thou shalt accompte of thes • wordlie thinges to be harde and harshe of tast, then shalt thou fynde thy soule disposed to receyue the inward comfort • of Iesus Christ. For as it is vnpossible fo • the with one eie to looke vpward to he •• uen, and with the other to looke downewarde to the earth: so is it against reaso • to haue thyne affections here on thes • earthlie thinges, and enioye withall th • spirituall cōfortes of heauen. If thou wil • enioye God it is necessarie for the to de • pryue thy selfe of all kynde of wordlie 〈◊〉 sensuall comforte: That comforte which cometh from man, must needes be vile an • of no accōpte, since it hyndreth the com • forte whiche cometh from God.

Thou must not seeke for God in the ple •• sant fieldes, nor in delightsome gardeins, neyther in the pleasures of this worlde, Synce Moyses one so deare vnto hym, Exd. 3. founde hym out amongest the thorney busshes of harde pennance and sharpenes of lyfe. Therefore doe those worldlinges neuer deserue to fynde hym, that doe not seeke hym any where, but amongest pleasures and delightes. But flie from all worldlie comforte asmuch as thou mayest and then shalt thou be refresshed at gods owne hande. Dispatch all worldlie care frō thy soule, to the intent that their maye be place for the loue of God to rest therein where it maye be suerlie planted, and take fast rootinge.

God would not permitte that his holye Arke & the idole Dagon should haue both one Aulter.1. Reg. 5. And allthoughe the Philistines did earnestlie labour to haue it so, yet could they neuer bring it to passe that they might both abide together. God will not that the Idole of vice, whiche thou doest adore, should haue any place there, where as his diuine person remayneth: he cōsenteth not that the world and he shoulde be adored together.

And therefore yf thou wilt loue God, as thou oughtest to doe, thou must not sett by the glorie of this worlde. Exod. 2. God neuer appeared vnto Moyses whilest he remayned in Egipte, no more owghtest thou to haue any hope of seeing hym, whilest thou • iuest in darkenes of the world. Refuse the Pallace of Pharao, despising the honours & vanities in whiche thou liuest, that thou mayest finde in the desert of solitarie lyfe, (as Moyses did) the helpe of God and his spirituall comfortes. Exod. 16.

VVhilest the flesh pottes of Egipte doe sauour well in thy mouth, thou shalt neuer tast of the heauenlie manna. Thy stomack being full of nawghtie humours thou canst neuer receyue the precious foode of heauen. Despise from the bottome of thyne harte, all that is delightfull here vnder heauen, And thou shalt easelie make thy soule thereby, to mounte aboue the heauens, & to receyue the ioyes thereof. Many be desirous to haue respect vnto both, And geuing them selues vnto God, doe yet reserue their wordlie commodities still to them selues. Let it not be greuous vnto the, to seperate thy selfe from thy frendes and kynnesfolke when they doe gyue the any impediment toward the waye to heauen, For God reuealeth not his hidden secrettes vnto thy sowle, in the presence of other witnesses, neyther will he be conuersante with hym that is vnquyet, and is occupyed aboute wordlie busines.

There is none beloued of the worlde, but he that is dryuen away frō Christ: And there is none that is beloued of Christ, but he whome the worlde despiseth. Thou canst not perfectlie loue God but yf thou doe first despise thy selfe, and the worlde for God: And by this mayest thou knowe, whether thou louest God, yf thou cōferre the loue that thou bearest hym, with the loue thou bearest to the world: for so much the more as thou louest God, so much the lesse, shalt thou esteeme the worlde.

Our Lorde will not haue our hart deuided, nor parted in peeces, but will haue it whole to hym selfe.

And therfore that thou mayest not lose a thing of so great a price, esteme but lightly these trāsitorie things. And this is the readie way to get the perfect cōfort of spirit.

THAT PERFECT PEACE IS not fovvnd, but of the humble & meeke mynde, vvhiche is not gotten, but by mortification of our ovvne vvilles and by volūtarie suffering of vvordlie paine and tribulatiō for the loue of Christ. CHAP. 2.

I LEAVE vnto yow peace, Io. 14. I gyue you my peace saythe our Lord: as long as you shall serue the worlde, you shall allwayes lyue in debate and contention. The loue of carnall thinges is follie, which hindreth vs of thinges spirituall. The louers of the world doe lyue in continuall torment. The world still runnethe aboute like a wheele, and in the furie of his turninge, slayeth them that loue it most of all. The true peace of harte is neuer obteyned by the louers of this world. Loue God and thou shalt haue lyfe. Deny thy selfe and thou shalt haue the true peace. But who is he that getteth perfect peace in deede? He that is humble and lowlie of harte. Purge thyne harte from all malice, and thou shalte haue the true and happie peace. Learne to conquer thy selfe in euerie thinge, & thou shalt haue the inward peace of the mynde. Breake of thy disordinate appetites: take away thy vayne desires, and dryue from thee the vnsatiable loue of the world, & then shalte thou lyue at peace and quyetnes. No man shall then trouble the, nothinge shall molest the, but thou shalt enioye the sweetenes of spirite, & find euen Paradice here vpō the earth.

Pr. 12.Nothinge can happen vnto a iust man, that may gyue hym any perturbatiō. Thine owne proper passions be they that make warre agaynste thee, And when thine enemyes be within thee, why cōpleinest thou of those that are without thee? A greate Lorde is he that can cōmaunde hym selfe. The dominiō of our owne will is of wonderfull power & effect, & may doe more, thē all the kings & Emperours of the earth who can by no meanes make their enemyes their frendes as your will can doe being disposed therevnto, in subiectinge our vnrulie appetites vnto the sweete rule of reason. The vearie cause why iniuries, • duersities, and all kynde of other tribu • atiōs annoy thee so much, is because thou • oest seeke how to flie awaye from them▪ & to escape them. Thou proclaymest open • arre against them & accōptest theim for • hy enemyes, whiche causeth them to • orke the al thee displeasure they can. But • f thou faule in league with them, and • egynnest once to loue them, they that • efore did gyue thee muche trouble, will • fter gyue thee as much comforte.

Sainte Andrew reioyced in his Crosse, & that glorious father Sainte Frācis called • nfirmities his sisters, whereby we may see • ow these, and other holye men reioyced • n those tribulations which doe so muche • ffēd thee. They loued that which thou so • uch hatest: And doe thou loue that which • hey loued synce it lyeth in thy power, & • hou shalt thē find cōfort in thy tribulatiōs • s they did. If in suffering tribulatiōs thou • indest the payne greuous vnto the, compleine not of thē that persequute thee, but • ather of thy selfe, who hauing free libertie • n the to loue persequutiō, wilt not loue it.

Thou must conforme thy selfe to Iesus Christ, and loue his Crosse and Passion. Resigne thy selfe wholie to hym, and loue that wihche he loueth and then shalt thou finde cōforte & sweetenes in those thinges whiche now thou takest to be vnsauorie.

Enter into thy selfe, and destroy within thee all thy passions and worldlie desires, and thou shalt not haue cause to cōpleyne against any man. And yf any thinge seem • greeuous vnto the, make the reuenge vp •• thine enemyes within thee, that doe affli •• thee, and neuer compleyne of those enemies which are without thee, since they cā not hurt thee, but by thyne owne consent.

Like as the moth bred in the cloath, cō sumeth the selfe same cloth wherein h • bre • deth: And in like maner the woorm • eateth vp the wood which broughte hy • furth & ingendred hym: euen so these he •• uie cares whiche so much aggreeue thyn • harte, growe in thee of thyne owne concupiscence. They take their norishement i • thee, & at last doe cōsume thee, playeng th • vypers with thee, which eate their way ow • of their mothers belly which bread them▪

Oh in what peace shouldest thou rest, 〈◊〉 thou wert verelie mortefied? Trew is th • sentence whiche sayth: That no man is hu •• but by hym selfe.

The greatest enemy which thow hast i • thy selfe. All that is good in thee, consisteth in the vertue of thy mynde, to whiche n • man can doe harme, allthowghe he tak • away libertie honour, or riches.

And persequutions doe not onlie no • hurt thee, but also gyue matter of merite.

Gal. 6.Now yf the glorie of a christian, be the crosse of Iesus Christ, imbrace it, and the • shall none trouble thee, nor hurte thee, bu • thou shalt obteyne the true rest and quietnes of mynde, and lyue euer after contentedlie and peaceablie.

• Y THE LYFE AND DEATH of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, it is plainly perceyued, vvhether the honour and riches of this vvorld ovvght to be esteemed or no, VVho being hym selfe vearie true god, both by his example and doctrine, teacheth vs vvhich vvaye they haue to take vvhich desire to goe the streight and direct vvay. CHAP. 3.

BE ye folowers of Iesus Christ as his welbeloued children sayth the Apostle: Eph. 5. let all thy labour and studie be to conforme thy lyfe, to • he lyfe of our sauiour. If wee had no other reason for to cōdemne the vanities of the world with all, yet the lyfe of Iesus Christ and the example which he gaue vs here in earth were sufficient alone to confounde all Chistians with all.

It were shame for vs to lyue in pleasure and delight,2. Reg. 11. our great captayne Ioab li • ing in great daunger and ignominie. There is not any souldier which seeth his captayne die before his face, but that he will willinglie also put hym selfe to the daunger of death forgetting all his former pleasures and delightes. If thou seeke for honour when thou seest thy Captayne generall lyue alltogether without honour, i • is a greate token that thou arte not of his bande. And sithence thou reputest thy selfe for a Christian, thou maiest well be asshamed to seeke after the loue of suche vanities as the infidelles delight in. Many be they which call them selues Christians, but there be but few of those whiche folowe the lyfe of Christ in deede: in name they agree all together, but in conuersation and behauiour they be verie farr cō trarie.

If the lyues of many Christians were tried and compared together with the lyfe of our redeemer, as the woorkemā tryeth his woorke by a lyne to finde out the crokednes thereof▪ It would soone appeare veary manifest, how much our hartes were gone away frō the true leuell, in the which God did once rightlie settle vs, towardes the loue of those thinges whiche he would haue vs to despice and contemne.

VVhome thinkest thou to knowe more? God, or the world? Now if thou thinkest that God knoweth more, Behould how he chooseth pouertie, and a moste base kynde of lyfe. And this suffiseth for thee to know how much thy lyfe is out of square. Thou goest cleane wyde from the true pathe o • heauen yf thou doest disordinatlye seek • after the honours, & riches of this world.

Mat. 4.If the worlde had bene good, and th • • onours & riches thereof profitable, our holie redeemer woulde neuer haue commaunded his disciples to despise them. In • he litle esteemynge of hym selfe, whilest • e liued here, and in the greate austeritie • f his owne lyfe, our Lorde did teach vs, • ow litle wee ought to make accompte of • hese worldlie thinges.

The hard maunger in whiche he was • yed after his holie birth, Luc. 2. condemneth the • elicatenes of this life of ours. That stawle •• eweth, how vaine the honours and pro •• erities of this world are. And those sim • le cloathes, wherein his diuine maiestie • as wrapped, gyue-vs well to vnderstande • hat the riches of this worlde is.

Proceede thorowghe the whole course • f his lyfe, and consider also of his death, & •• ou shalt fynde, that the soonne of God ••• er that he became mā did allwayes teach 〈◊〉 to despise the world, aswell by the exā •• e of his lyfe, as by the whole course of •• s doctrine and teachinge.

VVhen he made that greate sermon of • is on the hill he beganne sayinge: Blessed • e the poore in spirite for theirs is the • ingdome of heauen.

Our Lorde came not into this worlde • o vndoe thee, or to ouerthrowe the, Mat. 5. but • o teache thee the waye to heauen, and to • ssure thee of thy saluation. If Christ erred • ot, then errest thou: If he chose well, then • hoosest thou ill: And yf he with disho • our, and by sufferring opened vnto thee the gates of glory, without all doubte thou beinge such a frend to honour and vanitie, doest take the straight waye to hell.

In great daunger doest thou lyue, and muche perill doth thy soule run into, y • thou turnest not back againe from the way that thou art now entred into, by hating o • that which thou doest now so muche loue▪ And by determyning to folowe the footesteppes of hym that coulde neuer erre. O • what an abuse is this, that a poore simpl • woorme made of earth will nedes be grea • when the God of all Maiestie was conten • hym selfe to be so li • tle.

Oh then thou Christian soule yf tho • espie thy spowse Isaack walkinge on th • ground, th • u oughtest to putt on thy cloke, & couer thee with the veale of shamefastnes as Rebecca did, Gen. 24. blusshing for vear • shame to see thy Lorde and Maister Iesu • Christ to walke on the earth in the cōtēp •• of the world, And thy selfe to sitt mownte • alofte vpon thy cammells backe in high • honour and power of the worlde.

Thou muste come downe as shee di • despisinge the honour and vanitie of thi • present worlde, by conforminge thy self • to the lyfe of thy redeemer, so as tho • mayest after enioye with hym the trewe riches and honour which induer for euer.

THE THINGES OF THIS vvorlde allthoughe in apparence they seeme good and delightfull, yet are they in deede full of falsehood and vanitie, and that for their instabilitie vvee ought not to putt any trust in them, lest that in the generall daye of iudgemēt vve doe in vaine repent vs, that vvee haue loued more those vanities, then God our Creatour. CHAP. 4.

ALL is vanitie in this world, Eccl. 1. & nothinge but vanitye is in it sayth the wyse man, I haue behoulden sayth he, all that is vnder the soonne, & nothinge doe I fynde but vanitie. This worlde is worthelie called in holie scripture an Ipocrite, because it hath an exterior apparance of goodnes, and within, it is full of corruption and vanitie. In deede there appeareth some shew of goodnes in these sensible thinges, but yet are they but cōuterfeyte & false. Neuer seeke to fasten the anker of the shipp of thyne harte, in the large Seas of worldlie loue.

The Reedes when they shoote out first • n the springe of the yeare, doe with their fresh greene colour, delight the eyes for a while, but yf thou doe breake them, and looke within them, thou shalt find nothing there but emptines and holownes.

Lett not the worlde deceyue thee, nor thyne eyes beguyle thee, by the meanes of this vayne and counterfett bewtie. For trulie yf thou consider it well, and looke narowlie what is within it, thou shalt finde there nothinge but vanitie. If the worlde were to be layed open to the eye, And euerie particuler parte thereof vewed and searched out, as the Anotomistes vse to doe the bodies of men, yt woulde soone make an open shew of all his vanitie. For what soeuer is in the worlde, eyther it is past, or present, or els to come. That which is past, is no • ve no longer in beinge: That whiche is to come, dependeth all vppon vncertenties: And that which is present, is but vnstable, and to indure but for a moment. It were greate vanitie to trust in it, and a much more vanitie to make accōpte of the fauours and loue thereof. It is a vanitie to desire or wishe for the honours thereof, And a greater vanitie to esteeme the riches and pleasures thereof. It is a vanitie to loue such transitorie thinges: And trulie great vanitie to delighte in the corruptible substance of this worlde. It is vanitie to seeke after the wynde of humaine prayses: vaine be those cares whiche cause the to serue so vnhappie a maister as the worlde is. Finallie all is but vanitie, sauing to loue and serue God onlie.

Happie is he which hath forgotten the worlde: suche an one maye lyue in vearie good comforte, when no care maye take • way frō him his good spirituall exercises • ut maye still enioye the sweetenes and • eace of the spirite.

It is better to be poore then rich: And • etter to be little then greate: And better 〈◊〉 is to be ignorant with humilitie, then to • e learned whith pride and vanitie. That • nowledge and those Good gyftes which • od bestoweth on thee, to make thee the • ore boundē to serue him withall feruour • f hart & humilitie: Thow takest occasion • y to be more licentious then other men •• e, and more vayne and prowde.

How much better it is to be little thē •• eate, the latter day of all shall declare in •• at rigorous and exact iudgement, when •• e bookes of our consciences shalbe •• yed all open to the shew of all the world: • ee woulde then wishe that wee had •• ued god more, and lesse to haue disputed • f subtile and curious questions. A pure • onscience shall then preuayle thee more, •• en thy profounde and most learned ser • ons that thow hast preached. It shall not •• en be asked of vs what wee haue saide, • ut what wee haue done.

It wilbe more worth at that tyme to haue • espised the vanitie of the world, then to • aue folowed the deceytfull delightes & • alse promyses thereof. Better it would be • t that daye, that thow haddest done pennance for thy synnes, then by fullfilling thyne appetites here for this shorte spac • of tyme, be after throwen downe to 〈◊〉 for euer.

Make well thy reckeninge hereof b • tyme: Enter whithin thy selfe, and cōside • how much of thy lyfe thou hast bestowe • vpon the world, And how little thereo • agayne thou hast geuē to God, which gau • it thee to serue hym wthall. VVhat is be • come of so many yeares which are passe • wthout any proffit at all? what commodit • hast thou taken of all the tyme wherei • thou hast serued the worlde? The tym • passed can not now be called backe againe▪

The dayes of thy lyfe doe passe away, 〈◊〉 thow thinkest not thereon, and death stil • wayteth on thee. VVhat hast thou of al • that thow hast done? In thy frendes tho • hast founde no fidelitie, In them that tho • hast done good vnto, thou hast founde in • gratitude. And in the moste parte of me • thou hast found falsehood & dissimulati •• Behould here now, how thou hast lost wha •• soeuer thou hast done heretofore. 〈◊〉 litle pleasure that thou haste reaped by th • worlde, And all that whereof nowe tho • doest lament thee, doe both cal & euen 〈◊〉 vnto thee that God is he whom thou onl • oughtest to haue serued and loued. Tho • loosest all thy trauailes and labours whi •• thou doest not bestowe in the onelie se •• uice of Iesus Christ. That time doth onel • profit the which thou hast spent in his 〈◊〉 , for all the residue is nowghte worth 〈◊〉 thee: It is nothinge but euen a meere •• nitie.

If thou consider, & doest well remem ••• thee how much tyme of thy lyfe thou 〈◊〉 lost in the pleasinge and contentinge 〈◊〉 these vngratefull persons whome thou 〈◊〉 so muche folowed, thou must needes •• epe and lament for that parte of thy life •• ich is passed, And procure all that thou •• yest to serue thy Creatour for the 〈◊〉 that is to come. And that whiche thou •• uldest haue wisshed to haue done in the 〈◊〉 passed (whiche is not to be recoue •• d,) Endeuour thy selfe nowe so to doe •• reafter, that by thy diligent seruinge of 〈◊〉 thou mayest wholie gayne the tyme 〈◊〉 is to come to be spent onelie in his ••• uice.

It is a greate vanitie to spend thy tyme •• pleasinge of men. Resigne vp thy appe ••• es, and doe awaye thyne affections, And then thou wilt esteme as nothinge that whiche nowe seemeth somethinge vnto the.

VVHOSOEVER VVILL KNOVV hovv vayne these vvorldlie thing • are, muste not onelie consider the b •• gynnyng of them, but vvaye vvith •• the end of them, vvhich is allvvay • accōpanied vvith bitternes & sorov • ▪ CHAP. 5.

Phi. 3. THere be many which wal • of whome I toulde you, now doe tell you it we •• ping, which are enemyes the Crosse of Christ, wh •• end is destruction saye • the Apostle: The end of those that loue 〈◊〉 world (as Sainte Paul saieth) is death & p ••• ditiō. Doe not ioine thy selfe in league vn •• those persons which the worlde doth 〈◊〉 vnto thee, for thou shalt be drawē to fol ••• the vanities of their deceiptes. The plea ••• res which it presēteth vnto the, be the v •• rie messengers of death. Flie from the •• teringe falsehood thereof, for feare 〈◊〉 thou be taken in his snares. Looke not 〈◊〉 that which is presēt, but cōsider withal 〈◊〉 which is to come. Be diligent in the obs ••• uinge that whiche alwayes foloweth 〈◊〉 sinne: And waying thē that which is pre ••• with that which is to come, thou wilt fa •• into a hatred of all the pleasures and 〈◊〉 which this worlde setteth before thee, • llure the with all.

Our lyues be as it were Ryuers which 〈◊〉 run into the Sea of death: The waters •• e ryuers are sweet & fresh but the end • hem is to enter into the brackishe & •• er waters of the Sea. Lyfe is a sweete •• ge to them that doe loue it, but when ••• h doth come then will it be bitter. The 〈◊〉 of those sweete waters of the Ryuer is 〈◊〉 made bitter by the Sea that it runneth 〈◊〉 Euen so is the end of mans lyfe vearie •• ernes in deede. The vanities whiche 〈◊〉 worldlie folkes doe delight in withall doubte will end in sorowe and in ••• f: They begynne in weale, but they 〈◊〉 end in woe, the entree is pleasant, but 〈◊〉 • oing out is verie vnpleasant▪

• f thou wilt but consider well, how ••• e the torment is more then the plea ••• , thou wilt willinglie renownce all 〈◊〉 vanities: And thē shalt thou not faule 〈◊〉 the fault whiche causeth thy sorow & •• enteth thy conscience. That whiche •• ghteth is but shorte, and that whiche •• enteth is euerlastinge. Let not these •• ties draw the which this faulse world •• eth the, But rather consider deepelie •• revnto they doe tende. God saith, Your •• ing shalbe torned into mourning, and 〈◊〉 pleasures into teares, your laughinge ••• e mingled with sorow, Amos. 9. Prou. 14. and the end of 〈◊〉 mirth shalbe ouertaken with lamen ••• n.

That great image which appeared 〈◊〉 Nabuchodonozer, Danie. 2 had an head of go •• but the feete were all of earth. This w ••• hath lykewyse his begynnynge riche •• bewtifull to the eye, whiche is that w ••• worldlie folke desire, But they will 〈◊〉 looke so low as the feet, which be of 〈◊〉 They consider not the end thereof wh •• is all ruefull and vnpleasant to beho •• But looke thou vnto that whiche hat •• end, and thou shalt allwayes lyue wit • 〈◊〉 end. Behould not so much what thou 〈◊〉 what thou shalt hereafter be. Consider 〈◊〉 so muche this present bewtie, as the 〈◊〉 end that this bewtie bringeth the vnt • 〈◊〉 not occupyed still in that which is 〈◊〉 but way well what is to folowe after 〈◊〉 leeue m • , all thyne euill groweth of 〈◊〉 that thou remembrest thee not of the 〈◊〉 of synne when thou arte entred int • 〈◊〉 begynnynge thereof: but thou haste 〈◊〉 ••• oner tasted of the sweete pleasures th •• but it begynneth straight wayes to lay 〈◊〉 abhominacions to thy chardge. Prophet Iheremy not without cause 〈◊〉 vpon Hierusalem sayinge: Thren. 1. Her filth 〈◊〉 her feete, and shee would not reme ••• her latter end. In the feete which is th • end of sinne, had she her vncleanne • filthines: The sottishe sowle cleane 〈◊〉 her latter end, and remembred onli • begynnynge, And hauing her eyes ••• ed vpō the vaine ornamētes of her 〈◊〉 would neuer enter into the cōsidera •• •• ete, which is the last end of all. The 〈◊〉 why our redeemer wept vpō Hieru ••••• as for that it knewe not the miseries 〈◊〉 •• ere to faule vpō it. Luc. 9. It is a thing much •• amēted, that this presēt tyme should •• ch be accompted on, that the greefe 〈◊〉 vnto this worldlie pleasure tēdeth 〈◊〉 so cleane be forgotten. And there ••• • id our Sauiour Iesus Christ weepe, 〈◊〉 much as Hierusalem being lulled a 〈◊〉 with the shorte pleasures that were ••• t, neuer so much as once thoughte 〈◊〉 sorowes which were to folow after. 〈◊〉 • uch to be lamented to see the so de •• d, as not to care at all for the euill 〈◊〉 • hich these present pleasures and de ••• s doe lead thee vnto at the last. Be 〈◊〉 • ou led with that whiche appeareth 〈◊〉 • hyne eye at the begynnynge, but 〈◊〉 to knowe & vnderstande that which 〈◊〉 • olowe after.

〈◊〉 not thyne appetite haue power and 〈◊〉 • nyon ouer the, whiche is but an ••• ance of reason, and no true reason in 〈◊〉 , and is receyued by thy will before 〈◊〉 • ell considered by thyne vnderstan •••• . And synce thou knowest now howe 〈◊〉 the end of this worlde is, make no 〈◊〉 accompte of the pleasures thereof. 〈◊〉 • ot thy desires exceede thyne vnder ••••• nge: cōmonlie men make more ac ••• te of that whiche is passed, then of 〈◊〉 • hiche is to come. After the good co ••• the euill, And after these worldlie 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 pleasures, succede bitter sorowes.

The common custome of the world is, to gyue a good dynner first, and an euil supper afterwarde. Euerie one vseth to se • the best wyne on the table first, And af • ter, that whiche is of the meaner sorte: s • sayde the Stewarde of the Mariage feast a • Cane in Galile. Ioh. 2. So is it lykewyse the common guyse of the world, to begynne wit • ioy, & end with sorow after. But at the fea • where Iesus Christ is present hym selfe, 〈◊〉 is all cōtrarie, for he gyueth trouble in th • begyninge, and after great comforte an • cōsolation. The pleasant begynninges do • couer the euill whiche is in the world • which the end doth afterwarde discoue • VVhen they shall talke and crie out peac • and securitie most of all,1. Thess. 5 then shall sodein • lie come ruyne & destruction vpō the • ▪

The perfectiō of any thinge is know • allwayes by the end: Suche as the ende i • suche are likewyse the thinges that tho • delightest in. The end of pleasures, is to •• ment, The end of much eatinge, is infirmi • tie, And the ende of this lyfe that tho • delightest so muche in, is nothinge but woormes and Ashes. The end and conclusion of euerie mortall sinne, shalbe great and euerlasting torment.

VVYSE MAN OVVGHTE allvvayes diligentlye to consider the end of his actions, to the intent that knovvinge the filthie ende that synne bringeth vvith it, he maye vvell take heede and bevvare thereof. CHAP. 6.

MAN being once in honour and knew it not was cōpared vnto the vnreasonable beastes, Psal. 48. and is become like vnto thē, sayth the Prophet Dauid: God gy •• ge vnto man reason and prudence to •• esee and consider what was after for to •• ne, and what end these vanities of the •• rld did tend vnto, he would not take 〈◊〉 oportunitie and benefite thereof, but •• ie beheld the presēt honour he stoode • and did forgett the bitter payne of the partinge therefrome: He remembred 〈◊〉 pleasure that he had before his eyes, 〈◊〉 thought nothing on the payne that was folow after: yea the payne was euen vpō • n before he remembred it, or aduysed • n of it. Ecclesiasticus sayth, I sayed of 〈◊〉 sonnes of men that God should make •• ofe of them, Eccle. 3. and trye whether they • re like vnto the beastes, or no. Genes. 3. God ma •• Adā apparell of the skynnes of beastes after his synne, to declare thereby vnt • hym, that he was by his faulte made lik • vnto them.

The synner offendeth God, and as soo • as he hath done, he wisheth that he had ne • uer offended hym, synce by experience 〈◊〉 findeth how full of malignitie the world is, and how sorow is still ioyned vnto plea • sure, But why cōsidered he not this befo •• he synned?

It is the propertie of a wyseman to con • sider thinges in the begynninge, And of foole to aduise him selfe when it is to la •• A wyse man bethinketh him first, but t •• foole sayth: I thought not thereon at all. 〈◊〉 thou woldest thinke beforehande of t •• vnpleasant ende whiche these world •• thinges doe bring with them, thou shou •• dest haue no cause of repētance after. T •• Prophet Dauid sayth. Psal. 118. I thought vpon 〈◊〉 wayes, and I retourned back from the w •• that I was walkinge in▪ Of the thinkin • of the end of synne, groweth the desire • forsake sinne, & to retorne againe to kee • the commaundementes of God.

If thou shouldest passe by a waye▪ the whiche it had bene toulde the befo •• that theues & murderers did haunt, wo •• dest thou not forsake thine intended w • and take some other? In the waye of th • pleasures which now thou art entred in there be theeues which seeke to dest •• the grace of God in thee, & to take awa • frō thee thy meanes of meriting: Take 〈◊〉 • ouncell with thee, and turne the backe • gayne yf thou wilt escape death. Assone • s temptatiō beginneth to assayle thee, cō • ider the way that it leadeth the vnto, And • f thou occupyest thyne vnderstandinge • ell in the remembringe therof, I doubte • ot, but that thou wilt soone turne backe • gayne.

The Apostle sayeth, Rom. 6. Gene. 25. That the reward of •• nne is death. Iacob & Esau, were in their •• others wombe together, and contended •• gether whiche of them shoulde come •• rth first, and when they were borne Ia •• b tooke Esau by the sole of the foote. • he head is the first and principall parte 〈◊〉 man, and the foote is the last and extre • est parte of all the whole man. And this 〈◊〉 the difference betwixt euill men and •• od: The good doe take vice by the foote • nd the wicked take it by the heade. The • icked imbrace all kynde of pleasures, •• nours & vanities, And looke not toward •• e end of these matters: But the good •• ke the world by the foote, and doe con ••• er the bitter end of all these pleasures.

The pleasures and prosperities of this • orlde, doe shyne brighte like a burninge •• ndle, whilest the flame thereof dothe 〈◊〉 , but whē the substāce therof is wasted, • endeth with a smoke and an euill sa •• ur. And euen so doe all these worldlie ••• asures end. And allthowgh the shynyng • his vanitie doth nowe for a tyme de ••• t thee, yet deceyue not thy selfe, for in the end it will breede thee great affliction and much remorse of mynde.

In the Psalme it is writen, As the smok • cōsumeth, Psal. 67. so doe all sinners vannysh away frō the face of God, And as wax cōsumeth at the fier so do sinners cōsume & perish in the presence of God. If thou be wyse tho • wilt prouide for that which is to come.

That which hath bene, is an instructio • of that which is to come. Remember sayt • the Apostle, Rom. 6. the thinges that are passed, 〈◊〉 consider thereby what is to folow after what proffit (sayth he,) hast thou reape • of all those thinges wheroof thou art no • ashamed? Reduce in to thy memorie ho • vnfruitfull the tyme which thou hast spe •• in the worlde hath bene vnto thee. An • looke thou retorne not agayne to thy fo •• mer follies. Allthoughe thou doe lyue i • the greatest glorie of the worlde, y •• thinke that it must soone haue an end. Th • vayne muste those worldlie pleasures 〈◊〉 which haue so vayne an end.

Psal 77.The Prophet Dauid sayth, They h •• yet in their mouthes, their meate, and th • anger of God fell downe vppon the • ▪ These worldlie men likewyse begynne • sooner to tast of the vayne pleasures 〈◊〉 this life, but the Iustice of God doth co •• vpon them, and chastise them for th •• sinnes. And since that afflictiō is thus io •• ned to all worldlie thinges, consider 〈◊〉 end in the begynnynge: and forsake the vanities thereof betymes.

HOVV MAN OVVHGT NOT to muche to be aggreeued vvhen men doe murmure against hym: Nor reioyce ouermuche of prayses that be gyuen vnto hym, for before the face of God, the iudgemēts of men doe neither hurt, nor good. CHAP. 7.

CAST thy care vpon God (sayth the prophet) and he will reeleue the. Psal. 54▪ Let all thy care be to please God, and thē thou shalt not be lifted vp with the vayne prayses • f men, nor beaten downe or troubled • hen they speake euill of the.

The occasion whie their euill speeches • oe offend the, is because thou pretendest • ith thy selfe to please and content them. • nd the cause for which their prayses doe 〈◊〉 much delight the, is for that thou desi • est to haue them maintayne a good opi • ion of the. Oh that thou wouldest desire • ought els but to please God, and to fulfill •• s holie will, and then should all thinges • oe well with the: Oh how litle accompte • ouldest thou then make of these wordes • hiche doe now so much woorke with in • ee. Labour to content none, but hym alone, and then shalt thou lyue quiet and contented. Nothinge shall then offend the, but that whiche shall offend hym, nor any thinge delighte the, but that whiche delighteth hym, And so shalt thou be cōforted contynuallie in puritie of conscience.

It is meere vanitie for the to make accompte of the fonde & rashe iudgementes of men, yf it stande well betweene God and the.

There haue bene many whiche the worlde hath made vearie muche of, who now doe lye full lowe in hell, And diuers other there are, whiche haue bene taken for fooles, that doe enioye the euerlasting glorie of heauē. And since it is thus, neuer take thou any glorie in the prayse of men, allthoughe they commende the neuer so muche, neither doe thou dispayre or mistrust thy selfe for any euill opinion the world hath of thee. If they commend thee worthelie for that good whiche is in thee be not thou prowde therof, for if they saw such secret defectes in thee, as thou findest in thy selfe, they would cōmend the • nothing at all. And yf they doe prayse the • for these vertues whiche thou haste not procure to haue thē, that the world be no • deceyued in the. And yf they haue caus • in truth to murmure against thee, seek • thou to amēde thy selfe. And if they iudg • amisse of the, thou must remember th •• they are but men, and that muche harm • they cānot doe the, but rather some goo • if thou haue patiēce withall. If Allmightie God would aske the opinion of men, and haue a consultacion with them, before he eyther call thee to heauen, or condemne the to hell, It were good pollicie then for thee to currie fauour with them, and seke to be esteemed for a vearie Saint amongest them: But synce he will haue • he alone face to face before him, And thy soule and he shall enter into accompte together of all matters, it is but vearie vani • ie, to make accompte of the iudgementes • f men, & to desire to haue their prayses, • or God meaneth not to take their opi • iō in the matter, neither shall any questiō • e asked them of the, for they haue no • oyce therein at all. And allthoughe they • ake their pleasures in talkinge of the, yet • s not God directed by their sayinges, but • y that vhich he shall fynd in thyne owne • onscience. VVhat woulde it auayle thee • efore God, yf all the worlde shoulde saye • hou wert a Saincte, and deseruedest glo • ie, And God hym selfe that is onelie to • udge thee, doth fynde the with a spotted • ōscience? And lykewyse yf all the world • hould cōdemne the, yf thou be founde to • e gods frende, what can their reproba •• ō doe the harme? Not he whome they re • roue is reproued before God, nor all that •• ey doe allow is accepted before God.

Their iudgementes be vaine, they know • ot the hartes nor the deserts of mē: They •• n not enter into the soule of man, and therefore they are most cōmenlie deceyued. They them selues gyue not grace, and therefore they can gyue no glorie, neither resteth it in their power eyther to condemne the, or to saue the. And yf all the men in the worlde were thy frendes, they shall neuer be able to prolonge thy lyfe for one hower, no more shall they be able to delyuer thee from the rigorous iudgemēts of God.

Oh how much better will it be for the in the hower of thy death to haue God for thy frende, then to spend thy whole lyfe in seekinge to please the kinges and Princes of the earth, who thoughe they doe loue the neuer so muche, shall not a • that tyme be able to doe any thinge for the.

This councell will I here gyue the. Doe not take any greefe, yf in doeing thy duetie the worlde doth murmure against the, neither take thou any payne to please the worlde, to wynne thereby their prayse agayne, for all this is but vanitie and losse of tyme. But rather lifte vp thyne harte to God, and with all thy force procure to please and to content hym alone, and shu • vp all thy senses from hearing and harkeninge after the vayne blastes of this vnhappie worlde.

SINCE EVERIE ONE OF VS must be iudged by God hym selfe, vvho is the onlie searcher of harts: vve ought not to make any reckenynge of mens vvordes, but labour to haue a cleare conscience before hym. CHAP. 8.

I MAKE but small accompte to be iudged of you,1▪ Cor. 4. sayth Saincte Paule, for he that must iudge me is God hym selfe. Iudge not before the tyme, vntill our Lorde doe come, who wil lightē the secrettes that are hidden in darkenes, & will make manifest • he inward parte of our harts, & then shall euerie one receiue his praise at gods hāde: This sayde Sainte Paule in the contemnynge of the sayinges and opiniōs of men. God knoweth the hartes, and seeth what euerie one is. At the hower of death it will appeare, who is good, and who is euill: we neede not care for the iudgementes of men, Let vs seeke how to please God one • y. Those which doe runne at Tilte to breake their staues, doe make no accōpte of the prayse or disprayse of the ignorante peoples iudgementes, which doe looke on: They respect onely the iudgement of those which are to geue the pryces to the beste runner: Euen so oughtest thou to neclecte the prayse or disprayse of men, and onely seeke to haue all thy care in pleasinge of God that must iudge thee. If thou doe trauayle and take payne here, i • is he which seeth all, and of his owne hande shalte thou receaue thy rewarde. Loue thou the veritie, and not the sayings of men, who are for the most part moued eyther with loue or with hatred, not cōsidering what is in mā worthie eyther to be loued or mislyked. Be not thou trowbled, nor take any greefe thereof at all, that some folke haue of thee an euill opinion.

Arte thou better then Iesus Christ▪ Reade in the Ghospell and thou shalt find that some called him a deceauer of the people, Math. 27. Iohn. 8. some a Samaritane, and one that was possessed with the deuill. Some sayde that he was not a man of God, since that he kept not the feast dayes: Other answered agayne, how coulde he doe so many miracles being a sinner? Iohn. 5. In so much that S. Iohn sayth. There was there-vppon a great scisme and diuision amongest them. Now yf of our Sauiour him selfe, who was all holines, and goodnes, there were so many opinions of men, why art thou so prowde, that heing so full of so many and sundrie kyndes of imperfectiōs, wouldest yet that euerie one shoulde allowe of thy doinges & cōmend thee. If of our most innocēt Lord there were so many thoughtes 〈◊〉 men, why wouldest thou, that all men •• ould sounde furth thy prayses with one •• outh? If thou beinge a vessell full of all •• etchednes & iniquitie art yet of many •• mmended, lett it not displease thee, or •• eeue thee, that there be some agayne • hich speake litle good of thee.

There is not any so good, or so holie 〈◊〉 this worlde, whose lyfe is of all men •• mmended, neyther is there any mans ••• orke so well iustified, but that the •• cked will mumure at it. It were a fowle •• our, not to vse vertue in respect of any ••• nge that the worlde can saye against it. • t thy lyfe be neuer so holie, there will •• t wante some, which will speake against 〈◊〉 ▪ And yf thou be so light as to be moued •• th all that men saye of thee, thou shalt •• uer doe any woorke that good is.

The poore blinde man that sat by the •• ye syde at Iherico calling vpon Iesus •• rist to helpe him, Luc 18. wanted not some that • unde faulte with hym: But he the more •• ey founde faulte with hym, the more he •• rseuered in cawlinge vpon hym. It is •• possible to refrayne the tonges of the •• cked and the malignante people.

Draw thou neare vnto God and folow •• e way of vertue, and cōtynue in it when •• ou hast begonne it, not making any ac •• mpte of the wordes of idle felowes, • hich haue no other busines, but to glose •• on other mens intentions, and to inter •• ete amisse of their neighbours doinges, It were a readie waye for thee to mak • thee to loose thy wittes yf thou shoulde •• gyue eare and make accompte of all tha • the people talketh: Endeuour thy selfe contynuallie to please God, and to fullfi •• his will, for all the rest is but vanitie an • affliction of mynde.

LET EVERIE ONE LABOV • to doe good onelie to please God vvit • all, and not for the desire of vvorldli • prayse, yf he looke to be revvarded fo • his vvell doinge. CHAP. 9.

Mat 6. BEVVARE that you doe no • your woorkes (sayeth ou • Lorde) to the intent to be seene of mē. And allthough • our Sauiour saieth likewyse in another place: Let you • light so shyne before men, Mat. 5. that they may • see your good woorkes, yet was it not hi • will for all that wee shoulde seeke ou • owne prayse, but the glorie and honou • of God, And therefore he added sayinge • to the intent that they maye glorifie you • father which is in heauen. He that doth 〈◊〉 good woorke because he would be pray • sed for the doinge of it, seeketh not go •• • lorie, but his owne.

God doth not prohibite vs to doe good • penlie, but he would that our intention • houlde be secret. He commaundeth thee • ot to seeke thyne owne prayse, but in the • ood whiche thou shalt doe, to seeke to • lease hym.

If thou commit the treasour of thy • oorkes to an other mans mouth, It is thē • o longer in thine owne power eyther to • eepe it, or to loose it. Keepe thyne owne • easour thy selfe, and hyde priuelie the •• ches of thy vertues, vnlesse thou wilt let •• atterers spoyle thee quyte of them.

Kynge Ezechias, because he shewed his •• easure to the Embassatours of the kinge • f Babilon,4. Reg. 20 he was greuouslie punished • herefore. Doe not publishe abrode thy • ood woorkes whiche thou doest, lest • hou be punnished by God for a vaine & 〈◊〉 arrogant person. Seeke not for the re • ard of thy well woorking in this world, • est thou loose thereby thy rewarde in • eauen, and that the Iudge doe saye vnto • hee at the iudgement daye. Thou hast re • eyued thy reward all readie. Mat. 6.

Be not thou desirours to be iustified • y men, for yf thine owne conscience doe • ccuse the, what auayleth thee then their • ayne prayses. Flie from beinge praysed, • est thou be deceyued, And so loose the • erite of thy good worke.

Let not the prayses of men, nor the fa • ours of those whiche are mightie, any thinge moue thee, or delight thee, for all such thinges as doe seperate thee from the cheefest felicitie of all, be bothe vearie vaine▪ and verie daungerous.

Of woordes make thou no accompte at all, for wysemen waye more thy workes them thy wordes. A good worke is praise worthie of it selfe, and they that seeke after wordes, shall nothinge finde at the last. The vertue that is wroughte in God shall receiue reward at the hand of God. If thou wilt cōmit thy life vnto the mouthes of mē, thou shalt neuer be quiet nor at rest amongest them, for sometyme thou shalt be of good accompte amongest them, and some tyme agayne thou shalt be no bodie, as their fansies serue them. The good and iust man is not moued with fayre woordes but seeketh all that he can to please God alone.

Retorne and looke into thyne owne consciēce, where thou shalte fynde recorded the vearie truth of that whiche thou art in deede. There shalt thou fynde, how thou arte a weake and a frayle sinner, And that thou hast not longe to lyue here. And when death in deede shall come, then shalt thou see howe vayne the glorie of this world is, how brittle is the ioye, And how litle worth the prayses of men are. Desire not to be in the mowthes of men, for that they doe easelie deceyue with their vaine prayses, the greedie and fonde folowers of this worldlie honour.

It is but a vayne delighte which is not founded vpon a pure and a cleane conscience. As goulde is tried in the fornace, so is man tried in the mowth of hym that prayseth hym. Prou. 27. The gould is pourged in the fornace, and that whiche is not gould turneth into smoke and sinders: So vertue being once passed throwghe the fornace of prayse, yf it be false it consumeth awaye to nothinge, but yf it be trew, it is by praise increased. If thou desire the praise of men, thou hast not trew vertue in thee. If thou doest exalt thy selfe by mans praises, thou art not surelie vertuous.

Those of Babilone when they hard once the musick sounde, Dan. 3. they adored the Idoll, and so doe vearie manie men, hearinge them selues once praysed, they falle after to the adoringe of the Idoll of vice.

The Manna which the Israelites did reserue for any of the weeke dayes, Exo. 16. they founde it allwayes the next daye folowing to be eaten vp with wormes, But that whiche was kept for the saboth daye, remayned sounde and incorrupte. By this is to be vnderstode, That by the weeke dayes is signified the tyme of this present lyfe, And all the workes that thou doest in this worlde to be praised therefore of men, are all marred and corrupted: But those which thou doest lay vp in store for the greate feast of the glorious Saboth in heauen, wil contynue good and sounde for thee there▪ for the which also thou shalt receyue rewarde. Laye therefore all thy woorkes vpp in store against that highe feast of glorie.

VVhen God commaunded that the stones of whiche the Aulters were made, Exo. 20. should not be pollished nor wrought, but should remayne rude & without woorkemanship, he ment thereby no other thing, but that the woorkes which wee shoulde doe, wee should not doe them to be esteemed for them by man, but onelie by the doing of them to please God.

The stone is not wroughte on the owte side but onelie to make it faire to the shew and view of men. Beware therefore of seekinge to please those that doe stand by to looke o • . Seeke thou onelie to please God, and to serue hym in the inward part of thyne harte, And defye all vaine Hypocrisie, or any other thinge that shoulde make thee to esteeeme of the vayne prayses of men.

HOVV GREATE A SYNNE vaynglorie is, and of hovv much mischeefe that is the cause: And hovv carefullie they oughte to auoyde it, that doe tend to the perfection of Chistian Religion. CHAP. 10.

GYVE vnto thy Lord God the glory (sayeth the scripture: Ios. 7.) The glorye of thy good workes God him selfe doth craue at thy hande, as the principall authour and cause of the good which thou doest. Beware that thou vsurpest not that glory vnto thy selfe, which God will not geue vnto any man. Vayne glory is a greate offence vnto God: And selfe loue is a verye hurtefull thinge vnto the spirituall man.

In euery thinge that thou doest, beware of vayne glory, and flye from it as from a Cockatrice, who if he chaunce for to espye thee, before thou espye him, and so be taken vnprouided, with his verye sight will cause thee to dye: But yf thou espye him firste, and doe consider well what vanitie is, and how litle reason thou hast to take glory of thine owne doinges, thou shalt get perfect victory thereof.

Let God be praysed in his workes and not man, whoe is but a poore instrument of his grace. Esa. 10. VVill happily the axe (sayeth God) vaunte it selfe agaynst him that cutteth therewithall: Or will the sawe ryse vpp agaynst him that worketh therewith. The prayse of the worke is not to be attributed to the instrumente, but vnto him that worketh with it. Now if thou doest any good worke, thou arte nothinge els but the instrumente which God worketh it by. Beware lest thou doe attribute vnto thy selfe▪ that honour and glory which is due vnto thy Lorde. Exo. 10.

The Apostle after he had made mention of many afflictions which he had suffered in doing his duetie to God, sayeth. It is not I which haue done it,1 Cor. 15. but the grace of God which is with me.

Apoc. 4.The fower and twentie elders mentioned in the Apocalips tooke of the crownes from their heddes, and layed them at the feete of the Lambe. So oughtest thou to doe also, laying the honour of thy good workes at the feete of Iesus Christ, remembringe what the Prophete sayeth: Psal. 113. Esa. 25. Not vnto vs Lord, not vnto vs, but vnto thy name geue glory. All our workes thou hast wrought in vs O Lorde, sayth Esay.

Dan. 4.Nabuchodonoser which in praysing of him selfe sayed. Is not this that mighty strong citie, which I built by myne owne •• rce and power: Straight wayes harde • is voyce from heauen, which sayd. Thy •• ngdome shall passe away to thyne eni • ies.

Samson glorying in a victory which • od gaue vnto him sayed: Iu. 15. with a iaw of 〈◊〉 asse did I slaye this greate number: he • as straightwayes so hūbled and brought • we, that he was nighe deade of thirst, •• rough the vayne glory of such workes, 〈◊〉 God him selfe wrought by his handes. 〈◊〉 Iob thought it a greate faulte, for a man 〈◊〉 delight in his owne hand. Iob. 31. VVhich thin • • ou doest, as often as thou doest glorie & • ast thy selfe of any woorke that thou • est.

Moyses thowght that his hand had bene •• ole and sounde, Exo. 4. but as soone as he put 〈◊〉 hande into his bosome, it came out •• ayne all full of leprosie. If thou doe •• inke that thy woorkes be good & soun •• ▪ doe but put thy hand into thy bosome, •• d lay it on thyne hart, consideringe with 〈◊〉 selfe what circunstances are required 〈◊〉 make euerie woorke to be good and •• rfect, And thou shalt happelie finde that •• ey be partelie taynted with some spice 〈◊〉 the leprosie of vayne glorie▪ what hast 〈◊〉 that thou hast not receyued of God? Thy perditiō is of thy selfe, Oze. 13. but thy sal ••• iō is from god. If thou doest looke what 〈◊〉 passed thee before tyme, thou wilt •• de that thou hast committed some thing •• t thou mayest worthelie be asshamed of. If thou haue cōsideration to that whic • is now present, Thou shalt finde thy sel • in this tyme of bannyshement enuiron •• with infinite daungers: And yf thou 〈◊〉 thyne eyes to that which is to come, th •• hast much to be affrayed of, considerin • the terrible Iudgementes of God whic • are toward thee.

Thou oughtest rather to walke in fe •• and dislykinge of thy selfe, heere in th • vale of miserie and teares, Then be ful • with vaine glorie and likinge of thy sel • synce those good woorkes whiche th •• doest, thou knowest not how acceptab •• to God they be, neyther yet how lon • thou shalte perseuer in them. He that sta •• deth,1. Cor. 10 lett hym beware that he faule n •• sayth th • Apostle.

If thou take vaine glorie of that gra •• whiche God gyueth thee, and be prow •• thereof, thou shalt soone loose that gr •• agayne: Psal. 29. the Prophet Dauid sayeth, I say •• in myne habundance that I will neuer 〈◊〉 mooued. And because he trusted vayn •• lie in hym selfe he fell, as the same Pr •• phet sayth further. Psal. 29. Thou hast turned 〈◊〉 face awaye from me, and strayght wayes • was troubled. If thou doest any good 〈◊〉 all, thou doest it by the power of God, 〈◊〉 what cause is there why thou should 〈◊〉 boast thee of the gooddes whiche be •• thyne? They be those foolishe virgins 〈◊〉 haue their lampes without oyle, Mat. 25 whic • seeke for the vanitie and exterior glo •• 〈◊〉 • his worlde. If thou doest gloriefie thy 〈◊〉 , thy glorie is nothinge. Iohn. 8.

If the Angells which haue so highe a •• gnitie in heauen, doe seeke nothinge 〈◊〉 the honour and glorie of God, how •• ch more owghtest thou beinge a seelie •• rtall man, seeke to dryue from thee all •• ne glorie, & to humble thy selfe? Learne •• ou (O miserable mā) to be hūble of hart, 〈◊〉 thou mayest find that grace which the •• ll Angells lost by their vanitie & pride.

• HE CONSIDERATION OF thyne ovvne vveakenes and defectes, and the greate labours vvhiche holie saints haue suffered here in the vvorld are vearie good remedies against vainglorie, the vvhich is vvont to marre all the good deedes▪ vvhich are vvrought by man. CHAP. 11.

LET hym that glorieth glorie in our lord (saythe the Apostle:1. Cor. • 1.) glory not in thine owne workes for all the glorie of the seruantes of Iesus Christ ought to redownde to God 〈◊〉 geuer thereof. Despise euerie vayne ••• rie of this present worlde, yf thou wilt receyue the greater grace of God. And 〈◊〉 more deuoute that thou shalt fynde 〈◊〉 selfe, so much more hast thou cause to f •• re vaynglorye and to lyue circumspect ••• Vayneglorie as it proceedeth from th • which is good, so is it not deminished wi •• that good, but rather thereby increase • For as our God of his infinitie good • gathereth good out of that which is eui • So contrariwyse the malice of our adue •• sarie the deuill, is so great, that of good 〈◊〉 gathereth euill. Out of good woorkes 〈◊〉 gathereth vaynglorie, to the end that 〈◊〉 may destroye the merite of our go •• woorke. This vanitie is the arrowe th • flyeth by daye, which proceedeth from 〈◊〉 light of our good workes, from the whi •• the Prophet desired to be delyuered. Psal. 90. 〈◊〉 heede thou be not hit with this arrow which carieth poyson with it to slaye th •• with all.

VVhen thou thinkest that thou ha •• done enowghe, and well acquited thy sel •• in thy woorkinge, it is because thou 〈◊〉 not cōpared thy woorkes, with the work •• of holie men. It thou compare thyne ow •• woorkes with theirs, thyne owne will a • peare to be but of litle value. A thin • which seemeth to be white when it is c ••• pared with snowe, seemeth in maner 〈◊〉 blacke. If thou call to thy remembran •• how much the holy Martirs suffered, 〈◊〉 the greate pennance they tooke, I know not what worke of thine, that were ther • 〈◊〉 compared, would seeme any other 〈◊〉 very vayne and vnprofitable: Knowe •• ne owne weakenes, and how litle thou ••• e, & be not proude of nothing: let not •• itie moue thee to doe any worke, ney •• er the hoping for any reward of man.

The wyndemill goeth not aboute, nor •• ndeth meale, but if it haue wynde to 〈◊〉 withall: so be their many men that ne ••• grynd any meale of good workes, but • he wynde of vanitie doe blowe them •• warde to yt: But the merite of thy •• d woorke is lost, yf thou be moued ••• reunto by vanitie. VVhat yf thou fulfill 〈◊〉 that the lawe cōmaundeth thee, where •••• hast thou yet to glorie? our Lord saying ••• o thee, Luc. 17. when ye haue done all that is ••• maunded you, yet say that you be still •• profitable seruantes.

All though that thou haddest allwayes •• ued God, yet owghtest thou to accompt 〈◊〉 selfe but vnprofitable still. How much •• re then oughtest thou so to doe, yf thou •• est cawle well to thy remembrance all ••• t thou hast done before, and how many ••• es thou hast fallen into synne. The way 〈◊〉 thee to doe all thinges in deede, is to •• ke accompte with thy selfe that thou ••• t yet done nothinge.

Destroye not the fruyte of thyne owne •• uailles, neither let al thy labours be lost 〈◊〉 nothing. God knoweth better then thy ••• e, what thou doest, & what thy merites 〈◊〉 : he will not leaue vnrewarded one cuppe of coulde water whiche thou h •• gyuen in his name.

VVhat neede is it for thee the • prayse thy selfe? Doest not thou kno • that if thou prayse thy selfe, thou shalt 〈◊〉 be praysed of God? Esteeme thy selfe 〈◊〉 vnprofitable, and God will accompt th • amongest those that he alloweth for go •• and profitable. If thou were neuer 〈◊〉 much worthy of prayse before, yet as •• thou hast entred into the praysing of 〈◊〉 selfe, thou hast loste all that thou didd ••• deserue before. And if thou were befo •• vnprofitable, yet in so humbling of 〈◊〉 selfe, and acknowledging thy selfe for •• profitable, thou shalte be accompted 〈◊〉 profitable. It is necessarie for thee to •• ther thy thoughtes together: It is con • • nient fo • • hee to forget thyne owne ve • tuous deedes, since thou hast forgo • thy sinnes whiche much better deseru • remembrance at thy handes. It is 〈◊〉 most necessary thinge for thee to 〈◊〉 thy good workes. The good holy 〈…〉 old time, laboured much to bring to 〈◊〉 memorie their offences past, and for 〈◊〉 purpose they humbled them selues ver • much.

The Pharisee throwghe vayne glo •• was ouer throwen, Luke. 18 allthowgh it seem •• tha • he gaue God thankes. If thou 〈◊〉 praise thy selfe, thou art abhominable •• fore god, and hatefull in the sighte of m •• ▪ If thou wilt haue thy deedes to be gre •• ••• eede yet take not thou them for such 〈◊〉 selfe, for otherwise will they neuer be ••• n for such as thou wouldest haue thē ••• e. Be thou in all thinges little before 〈◊〉 face of God, and thou shalt receiue the ••• ter grace at his handes.

•• VV LITLE A MAN OVVGHT • o esteeme hym selfe for greate in this vvorld, asvvell because that beinge in • hat state, he is in more daunger of favvlinge into synne: As also for that • he most parte of men, throvvghe the • piniō of their ovvne greatenes, forsake cleane the seruinge of God. CHAP. 12.

SEKE not to clyme to highe, Rom. 11. (sayth the Apostle:) but feare least by going to high, thou fawle downe agayne. If thou wilt greate in heauen, thou must be but litle • e vpon the earth.

Thou hast knowen many both greate 〈◊〉 mighty, of whome there is now no me • rie leste at all. How many haue attay ••• vnto greate dignities and statelie pro ••• tions, which when they haue enioyed •• m a whyle with greate pompe and glo •• , all that glorye turned quickely to a smoke, and within a shorte space after 〈◊〉 mention at all was made of them, nor 〈◊〉 taken for them. They are gone and o ••• succede in their roomes, who litle este •• of those that went before them.

VVhy doest thou labour to cōmau •• & to be great? VVhy wilt thou be a mig •• man in this world? In the state which 〈◊〉 desirest to be in, haue their not bene 〈◊〉 other before thee? Hath not the wo •• cleane forgotten them, and doe not 〈◊〉 see also what is become of them? And 〈◊〉 lyke that is to them befallen, must tho • so looke to befall vnto thy selfe, since 〈◊〉 worlde kepeth still his olde custome. 〈◊〉 houlde how they ascended vp, and ho • they fell downe agayne, and thou sh • finde, that the more glorious their asc ••• dinge was, the more shamefull was 〈◊〉 fall.

Those persons, whom some of th • greate men in former tymes disday • doe now walke ouer them, and tread th • vnder their feete.

Thou mayest thinke, that in the s •• state in which thou wishedst to be, o •• were before, whose names thou kno • not: and the worlde hath now forgo • that euer there were any such, they b •• turned into dust and ashes. Thinke no • much of that which is present, but lo •• to that which is to come. Make no • much accompte of that honour which 〈◊〉 world doth offer vnto thee here, but lo •• • hat is to folowe after. If thou wilte but •• nsider, and set before thyne eyes, that •• ich shall folowe after this shorte lyfe is •• ste, thou wilte be right well contented •• th the state in which God hath nowe •• aced thee here.

Let not the world beguyle thee, neither 〈◊〉 the deuill make thee to beleue that •• ou woldest haue serued God better 〈◊〉 some higher roome, then in that meane •• lling, wherein he hath now placed thee.

Many a symple sowle doth our enemy, •• e deuill deceyue, with making them 〈◊〉 beleeue such lyke lies & vanities, vnder •• e colour of vertue. They desire aduaun •• mentes & greate prefermētes supposing •• en that they wolde gyue large almes, and •• e many other good deedes. But all this 〈◊〉 false & full of disceyte: for honours and •• omotions doe blinde vs worldlie folke •• e greatest men, be lest lordes of them ••• ues, and in the greater dignitie that men •• ue, the more are they chardged with •• re bothe of them selues and of others •• so.

And now that thou art free from that • ardge, and thereby more Lorde and •• ster of thy selfe, and yet doest not satisfie •• at little which thou art bownde vnto, •• w wouldest thou satisfie that greate • ardge, being in lesse freedome & liber •• . If thou canst not welde well a small ca ••• ge, how woldest thou doe, with an hea •• burthen? If a few cares doe keepe thee from thy prayers and other spirituall exer • cises, how wilt thou doe, when thou art en • uironed with many cares.

He that cannot beare a little, how w ••• he goe throwghe with much? He that 〈◊〉 not a good Subiect, will neuer be good go • uernour. Be thou the seruante of God, an • loue hym, and see that thy conscience b • cleare, & referre all the rest to God, for y •• he haue ordayned thee to be greate, he ca • set thee vp when he liste, without any ca •• of thyne, for of thy diligence therein, h • hath no neede at all. Be thou humble be • fore the face of God and care not fo • these dreames of honours. The trees whic • growe in highest places, be soonest blow • downe with the wynde. Esteeme not th • highest degrees, for there is leaste safetie▪ In fishers nettes the greatest fish be take • when the small fishe scape through the 〈◊〉 at ease.4. Reg. 25. The greatest princes and cheef • persons of Hierusalem, were led capti •• into Babilon by Nabuchodonozer wh •• he tooke the towne, but the meanest sor • of people were suffered to continew sti •• in their country and dwelling place. D •• sire not to be greate, since thou shoulde •• thereby be so much the more likely to 〈◊〉 a pray vnto the deuill. Haue thou no lo •• ginge to be a mightie man in this world lest thou be brought to the eternall co •• fusion of Babilon.

Consider the end that great men ha •• comme vnto and thou wilte lyke well 〈◊〉 •• ugh to continew in the meane state thou •• e nowe in. Be contented with the state •• ich God hath putt thee in, that thou • aiest merite after this short lyfe, an high • owne of euerlasting glory.

• HE GREAT BONDE THAT greate men are in, and that it is much better for our sovvles, that vvee be subiectes, then gouernours, because they haue to render accompte of the sovvles •• mmyted to theyr chardge. CHAP. 13.

YE Knowe not what ye aske, sayed our Lorde to his two disciples that wolde be preferred before their felowes. Mat. 20. Mar. 10. The not knowing •• o thou arte, breedeth the appetite and •• sire of commaunding and beinge greate 〈◊〉 the worlde.

Honour is the reward of vertue: if thou •• e take thy selfe for worthy of that re •• rde, and thinkest thy selfe to be good, •• en for that cause onlie art thou vnwor •• e of any honour at all. The verie opi •• on of thinkinge thy selfe to be a good ••• n, is enoughe to make thee knowe that •• ou art none. If thou doest but beleue that thou deseruest it, euen for that alon • mayest thou knowe that thou deseruest • not: For ambition is the mother of all fa •• sehood and heresie.

It is hard to be in a highe degree, & n •• to haue a proude & a highe mynde. Ther •• fore doest thou put thy selfe into grea • daunger in seekng to be sett a lofte in th • world, and to commaunde other. And • thinke verelye that there is none of • small vnderstandinge, that wold be a rul • of other, yf he considered well with all, th • chardge & the burthē of those that bea •• rule and authoritye. They that wolde 〈◊〉 in auctoritie knowe not suerlie what b •• longeth to them that be in auctoritie.

The gouernour ought so much to 〈◊〉 cell all those whome he gouerneth, as th • shepeherd oughte to excell his sheepe.

The degree of a doctor is not bes ••• wed vpon hym that begynneth for to b ••• student, because he hath an intent to 〈◊〉 learned, but vpon hym that is allrea •• well studied. Neyther is he to be mad • gouernour, that beginneth to be vertuo •• but he that hath of longe tyme ruled w •• his appetites and is allreadie vertuous.

Gouernemēt belongeth to those wh •• are perfecte.

Num. 10.God commaunded that at the first bl ••• of the trumpet, the Captaynes sholde 〈◊〉 comme into the fielde: And after the bl ••• thereof sholde haue begonne to sow • agayne, the whole Number of the peop •• •• ould haue folowed after. But the princi •• ll leaders, must euer be readie at the first •• ll to doo God his seruice. The subiectes •• e not bounde so farre forth, as the rulers, • ecause they are not in equall degree of • erfection. But God will that the rulers be 〈◊〉 diligent in their chardge, that they •• old be readie to run at the vearie firste • allinge.

Hou much thou goest before others in • ignitie of callinge, so much must thou •• kewise goe before them in vertuous lyfe. • f thou hast receyued muche, thou must • unswere for much. If thou doe sinne, thy •• nne is more greeuous, & thy fawl • must •• e greater, in asmuch as thy callinge is greater.

All Christes disciples were a sleepe • ogether in the gardeyn, Mat. 26. but our Sauiour • eprehended none for his sleping but S. • eter alone, for thoughe they were all • ulpable of the same cryme, yet did the • heefe of them all, deserue the greatest • lame.

He that is to keepe others frō sleepinge, • s bounde to much watching hym selfe.

Thou wilt not be ambitious, if thou consider that thou arte bound to be more vertuous then others, and that yf thou • oest sinne, thou must haue also more pun • ishemēte then others haue. All mens eyes • e fixed vpon hym that is in auctoritie, & • f he doe not that which he ought to doe, • e doth gyue cause of scandall and offence vnto many.

The euill ruler is worthie of as ma •• deathes, as he hath geuē occasion of muc • synninge to the weake throwghe his eui •• examp • e. The children of Iob perishe • all in the howse of their eldest brother: Iob. 1. S • doe the subiectes perish by the example o • theyr gouernour, who is to them as it we • re their elder brother. For comonlie th • subiectes doe alwayes folowe the exampl • of their leaders.

According to the colored stickes whic • the shepeherd Iacob pitched in the wate • where his sheepe did drinke, Gene. 30. did they con • ceyue and bring forth their lambes. S • likewse accordinge to such exāples, as th • subiectes doe see in their superiours do • they conceyue & bring forth good o • euil • workes. It is a blot in the subiectes 〈◊〉 to behold an euill exāple in his ruler. Th • good or euill deedes, which art a directo •• of others be lyke vnto the colored wāde •• which Iacob set vp before his shepe: looke • how thou liuest, euen so wil they lyue also▪

VVhen the Piller which went before the children of Israell for to guyde the • and leade them the waye did goe, Exod. 13. the people folowed, and went after yt. And whe • it stoode still, the people stoode still also▪ So likewyse, when the gouernour leadeth his folowers by the way of vertue, they walke after hym the same trade, but yf he stande still, and doe lyue in Idlenes, th • subiectes stand still, and will not set on • •• ote forwarde toward any good vertue▪ •• oe thou before them thy selfe, that hast •• ardge of them yf thou wilt haue them 〈◊〉 proff •• by thee, for yf thou doest stand •• ll, and callest on them to goe forwarde •• ey will little regarde thy wordes.

There is much more force in perswa •• nge by workes and examples, then by •• ordes: yf thou wilt haue thy people to •• e well, begyn to doe well thy selfe befo •• them. The Phisition doth more moue •• s patient to drinke his bitter medecyne, 〈◊〉 drinkinge parte of yt before his face, •• en by his onelie worde, in willinge hym 〈◊〉 drinke of yt.

So shalt thou moue thy people more 〈◊〉 doe well, yf thou goest before them, •• d saie vnto them, let vs goe on together, •• en in willing them to goe on, and stand •• y selfe still.

Sainte Luke in the actes of the Apostles, •• yth of our Lorde: Act. 1. That he began first to •• e, and after to teach. Neuer trouble thy •• lfe with much speakinge, which doth no •• od when thou thy selfe liuest licētiouslie •• e while, for it is a monstrous thinge for a •• an to haue his tōgue larger thē his hāde.

Thy tonge is lesse then thy hande, and •• osed vp in thy mouth, because it is gods •• ill that thou shouldest vse but few wor •• es, and many deedes: speake little and •• oe much.

The greate rulers of these our dayes, & •• e greate preachers also make greate accompte of their well speakinge, and bu • vearie little reckening make they, of the •• vertuous lyuinge.

And when their lyuing is misliked their doctrine is but little esteemed. Be thou the first that shall vse diligent seruice toward God, And thou shalt soone perceyue how much thou shalt moue th • subiectes more by thy good examples, th •• by all thy fyne talkinge and faire wordes▪ It is a greate follie suerlie, to haue a desir • to be ouer other in auctoritie, when tho • art bound to gyue a reckening to God o • their sowles. It will be great trouble to th • to be asked a reckenynge of thy subiecte • synnes, which thy selfe neuer committed.

It is a madnes for one man to be bound to pay for that which an other man de • uoureth. VVhen the daye of iudgeme •• cometh, it wil be worke enough for eue •• man to answere for his owne soule withou • any further accōpte geuing for the soule • of other men. If thou shalt thē find enoug • to doe for to delyuer thyne owne soule▪ how much more shalt thou haue to doe 〈◊〉 answere for the consciēces of other men • & to deliuer their soules. It is suerlie gre •• vanitie for thee to put thyne owne saluation into so greate a daunger.

And much greater vanitie is it for th •• to desire to be greater here in this place 〈◊〉 bannishemēt, & exile, then other men 〈◊〉

If thou be vertuous, and doest 〈◊〉 whiche thou oughtest to doe, thou shal • 〈◊〉 better beloued, and more honoured of 〈◊〉 , allthoughe thou be but a subiect, then •• u shalt be if thou be taken & esteemed 〈◊〉 a proude and an highe mynded ruler.

Doe awaye thyne affections, and put 〈◊〉 thy minde all such vaine thoughtes. • he humilitie as becometh the faithfull •• ante of Iesus Christ, and dryue from •• ne harte the loue of worldlie honour • 〈◊〉 promotiōs, for at the hower of death, •• ich can not be vearie lōge to, since our 〈◊〉 is so shorte,) these things can nothing •• her thee, but rather putt thy saluation 〈◊〉 greater daunger.

•• NSIDERINGE HOVV • ITTLE • ime vvee haue to tarie in this vvorld, vvee oughte not to se • t our loue vpon any of these vvorldlie thinges, but haue • ur eye fi • ed still tovvard heauen, for • he vvhich vvee vvere created, and so • ughte vvee to vse these vvorldlie • hinges in this our Pilgrimage▪ as vvee • ay gaine by them the things celestiall. CHAP. 14.

VVHILEST wee doe here lyue in this worlde wee are in Pilgrimage and iourney toward our Lorde,2 Cor. 5. saith the Apostle: Remember that 〈◊〉 arte here in this lyfe a straunger, and goinge onwarde thy waye toward heau •• VVee haue here no certaine resting pla •• but wee looke for that whiche is to co •• ▪ Heb. 13. There is no iourney made without •• uayle. And synce thou art here a trauayle • and a wayfaring man, thou must not loo • to spend the tyme thou lyuest here in 〈◊〉 and pastyme.

Make not much adoe in building 〈◊〉 howses to make a long abode here in 〈◊〉 barrayne worlde, since thou hast so ry •• and so plentifull a country prepared 〈◊〉 thee by thy father in heauen, make the ••• fore what hast thither thou canst.

Heare what S. Peter sayeth vnto you • desire you all that lyue here lyke stra •• gers and pilgrims,1. Pet. 2. that you will abstay •• from all carnall and sensual delightes, a •• lyue ye as it becometh pilgrims to d • ▪ You know how that pilgrims and passe •• gers here in this world doe lead a lyfe 〈◊〉 of payne and trauayle: They are all 〈◊〉 were straungers, and lyue voyde of 〈◊〉 frendes here. Make thou therefore no ••• compte of worldly frenshippe, since th •• knowest that it is hurtfull to the soule▪ 〈◊〉 since thou arte but a trauayler here, th •• must not looke to haue all thinges acc ••• ding to thyne owne tast. If thou carry 〈◊〉 well this in minde, that thou arte 〈…〉 a pilgrime, thou shalte thereby esc ••• 〈◊〉 mischeefes.

Thou must passe away in haste 〈◊〉 poste through this worlde, and make 〈◊〉 taryeng here.

He that taketh vp his lodging at ad • enture in an Inne to staye there but an • owre or two, neuer goeth about to dresse • p the howse, nor to bestow any cost there, • eaning not to reste therein, but maketh • ccompt to get him quickely thence: And • f he sholde doe otherwyse, men wolde • ccompt him but a foole for his labour. • hou arte here but a pilgrime, to day thou • mest hether, to morow thou must make • ccompte to be gone agayne.

Neuer take thou any care to get ho • ours, ryches, or other lyke vanities, since •• ou arte lyke no longer to enioy them, • ut parte thou must from them agayne in •• eate hast: but rather play the good way • ring mans parte, who all the way that he • auayleth, hath still his mynd on his iour •• es ende, and the place vnto which he 〈◊〉 going. So let all thy thoughtes and cogi •• tions be altogether of heauen, which is • e very true lande of the liuing, where • hrist doth rest with his holy elect. Psal. 141.

Thou arte going towardes thy fathers • ountry, let thy mynd be occupied there •• re vpon the meanes of comming thy •• er, & of the good enterteynement thou •• te lyke to finde there, and forget altoge •• er this present banishment, for this lit •• e space of tyme that thou continewest •• ere, thou hast no certentie of thyne habi •• tion.

If thou wert sure to continew here any longe tyme, I wold nothinge maruayl • at thy buildinge of greate howses, nor 〈◊〉 thy greate prouision making, for so ma •• thinges. But thy lyfe being so shorte, an • the hower of thy death so vncertayne, th •• thou knowest not whether thou shalt ly •• vntill to morowe: Thou deseruest grea ••• to be reprehended, and sharply to be ••• buked, if thou sholdest make accomp •• of any thing in this world, as though th •• sholdest alwayes enioye it. There be ma •• which build fayre howses, and when th •• haue done, other men doe make th •• dwelling in them. Take not these sligh •• thinges of the world to be any better th •• they are in deede. And since thou art eu •• ry howre and momente, departing hen •• by death, esteeme no such vanities of th •• world, in which there is no stedfastnes n • assurance.

Euery man is well contented wi •• one euill nightes rest in his Inne, when 〈◊〉 remembreth that the nexte day folowi •• he is to rest at home in his owne howse •• his ease. This onely consideration migh •• suffice thee to suffer with patience, all th • troubles of this present lyfe, remembri •• with thy selfe that they are not long to ••• dure and continew here: but that thou 〈◊〉 ready still euery day to take thy iorn •• thine owne howse, which is heauen, 〈◊〉 thou mayest take thy rest for euer.

Haue alwayes in thy mind the 〈◊〉 of the holy prophete Dauid saying 〈◊〉 . I am a stranger here before thee, and •• lgrime, Psal. 38. as my parentes haue bene be •• me.

If thou doest consider how eternall 〈◊〉 durable that lyfe is, which we looke 〈◊〉 hereafter that neuer is to haue ende, 〈◊〉 compare it with this lyfe which we 〈◊〉 leade here now, (all were it a thou ••• d of yeares) yet in comparison of that •• er lyfe to come which is perpetuall, 〈◊〉 wilt thinke this to be scarse halfe an • wer.

Make well thine accompte, and thou ••• te finde (as the truth is in very deede) •• at this presente lyfe is in comparison 〈◊〉 that other to come, but euen a moment. 〈◊〉 This moued the Apostle to suffer with •• ience the great trauailles & turmoyles 〈◊〉 his Pilgrimage here, sayinge to the Co ••• thians.

VVe doe take paynes here and doe ••• uaile, but yet wee be not forsaken:2. Cor. 4. wee •• fer persequutiō, but yet wee shrinke not • t: wee are throwen downe, but yet wee •• rish not: we fainte not, because our tri •• lation is here in this present tyme but • ie and short: wee lyue now beholdinge 〈◊〉 that which wee see with our bodelie • es, but those thinges which wee see not: 〈◊〉 visible thinges be but for a tyme, but 〈◊〉 inuisible thinges be for euer. VVith • s contemplation, both of the breuitie 〈◊〉 this lyfe, and of being but as a Pilgrime 〈◊〉 it did the holye Apostle disgest the heauie stormes which he suffered here 〈◊〉 his Pilgrimage toward heauen.

And whylest thou takest thy selfe 〈◊〉 be but a wayfaring man here, thou ned • not greatly to care for that thou arte 〈◊〉 better regarded of men here in this lyf • ▪ If the trauaile of thy lyfe seeme ou •• burdenous vnto thee, remember it is 〈◊〉 endure but for a short space. Of the sai •• of the old Testament, Heb. 11. S. Paule sayeth: Th •• they confessed them selues to be but pi •• grims and strangers vpon the earth, liui •• in caues and vaultes vnder the earth, 〈◊〉 that in this lyfe they neuer had reste, 〈◊〉 continewed still in wandering on of the •• pilgrimage.

Lyue not here as though thou we •• an inhabiter in this world. Cain began 〈◊〉 buylde cities here vpon the earth, and a •• ter he lost the chefe citie of heauen. Th • first that sought to lyue on this earth ly •• an inhabiter thereof being in deede 〈◊〉 a pilgrime, was Cain, who was afterwar • damned.

S. Peter was worthely reprehend •• by our M. Christ, for as much as he bei •• but a pilgrime vpon the earth, wolde 〈◊〉 needes haue had a howse builded on th •• mounte Thabor, as though he had 〈◊〉 to haue made his mansion stil on the ear •• and haue continued an inhabiter there •• ▪

They which trauayle throughe stran •• countries towardes their owne dwelling • doe neuer vse to buy any thinge by 〈◊〉 • ay as they trauayle, but that which they • ay easalie carry with them, they neither •• y howses nor trees, nor such vnporta •• e ware, but onlie things of easie cariage, 〈◊〉 Pearles or Iewells whiche be of more •• ice & greater value then they be either •• mberous or heauie to carrie with them •• to their countrye. Remember that thou 〈◊〉 a trauailer and a pilgrime, and that of ••• y worldlie substance thou canst not car •• e ought hence with thee. Here must thou •• edes leaue all thyne honours, & riches • ehynde thee: Thy good workes be onelie •• e thinges that thou must looke to carrie • ith thee, and therefore labour thou to • ette good store of them: All other things • olde anoy thee, and comber thee, These •• ll comforte thee and releeue thee.

VVhat wisdome were it for thee to •• eke to be rich here, from whence thou 〈◊〉 dayly passing in haste, and after when •• ou arte gone hence to lyue a beggerly ••• d a bare lyfe at home in thyne owne • owse? Seeke to carry with thee in thy •• lgrimage the pretious iewels of good merites, that thou mayest come rich home and lyue in prosperitie and honorable welth for euer in heauen.

THAT THE BEVVTIE OF TH • soule is more to be set by, thē the bevv •• of thy bodie, vvhiche is but a ver •• small thinge to be made accompte 〈◊〉 and therefore is thy mynde to be fixe • vpon the contemplation of diuine an • celestiall thinges vvhich ought onelie 〈◊〉 be loued and esteemed. CHAP. 15.

Prou. 31. BEVVTIE is but a vayn • thing, sayeth the wyse ma • ▪ And if all vanitie be to 〈◊〉 esteemed as nothinge, the • with greate reason ought this bodily bewtye of ou • be accomted as nothing. Amongest all o • ther vanities which worldly men doe de • lyght in, (all which thou that arte a goo • seruante of Christ oughtest to despise there is none greater then that delyght which is taken in the bewtie of our body And truly they seeme to wante the vse 〈◊〉 reason, and are to be esteemed litle bette • then fooles, that take felicitie in any suc • vayne pleasure.

Let not thyne owne bewtie decey •• thee, nor be not delighted with the vay •• shadowe thereof, lest it happen to th •• as it did to that fond felow Narcissus, 〈◊〉 •• e delyghte that he tooke in his owne ••• e: fell into such a foolish fantasie 〈◊〉 often beholdinge the shadowe of •• ce in the water, that he after perished 〈◊〉 shamefullie thereby.

•• solons goodlie faire lockes of heare 〈◊〉 but the instrumentes of his owne 〈◊〉 .2. Reg. 18.

• hat bewtie which almightie God hath ••• wed vpon his creatures, is to the end 〈◊〉 the Creator might the more be glo •••• thereby, and hym selfe the better ••• vē by his creatures. Doth it not often ••• nce vnto thee as thou trauaylest by ••• aye to espie a small streame of water •••• inge, which when thou folowest, thou ••• st thereby the fountaine from whēce 〈◊〉 ••• e? So of euerie ••• porall bewtie that 〈◊〉 beholdest, thou •• st looke to finde 〈◊〉 by due examyning and diligent sear •••• ge of one thinge by an other,) vntill 〈◊〉 thou doest fynde out the principall 〈◊〉 and fountaine thereof, which is God ••• selfe, from whome all bewtie procee ••• .

It is the propertie of litle children 〈◊〉 they looke in their bookes, to marke 〈◊〉 be the goodliest gay letters in all 〈◊〉 bookes, and nothing to regard fur •• • he matter that is written in them.

• e not thou like vnto a little child, ••• e thou arte now come to mans estate. 〈◊〉 doe not rest thy selfe in the con ••• plation of the bewtie of that thinge which thou beholdest, but let it serue th •• as a booke to finde out the true caus • the geuer thereof, that thou mayst there be moued the more to loue hym, and gyue him the greater glorye theref ••• Thou shalte finde written in euerie of 〈◊〉 creatures, yf thou consider thē well, th •• is God which is the Creator of them a ••

The creatures be as it were spectac •• which serue vs, not to see our selues but to make vs to see other thinges 〈◊〉 better by them. So must thou vse th • creatures, not for to see thē, nor thy 〈◊〉 in thē, but to see & beholde God in the▪

If thou doest loue and esteeme thy se •• because thou art bewtifull and fayre, I 〈◊〉 then aske of thee, doth not this be •• proceed • from the soule?

Take from thy body thy soule, 〈◊〉 then what thinge is vyler, and more 〈◊〉 then thy bodie? If thy bodie then ser •• vnto thee bewtifull, how muche 〈◊〉 owghtest thou to thinke thy soule be •••• full, and to loue that, which is the cause thy bodies bewtie? If the onelie prese •• of thy soule, be cause of the bewtie of 〈◊〉 bodie, of what bewtie then mayest 〈◊〉 thinke thy soule to be of? In the soule •••• sisteth the trewe perfecte bewtie: fo • other bewty is but as a shadowe, that 〈◊〉 passeth awaye and vanisheth. Thou 〈◊〉 not consider the barke, nor the outwa •• apparence, but rather cast thyne 〈◊〉 toward the roote & loue and esteeme • ••• ynninge of all that which appeareth so ••• e on the outside, vpon that, as vpon a 〈◊〉 foundation, grounde both thy loue 〈◊〉 affection.

And of bodelie bewtie, make no ac ••• te, which is by a litle sickenes or other ••• alties soone taken awaye. Thy dayes 〈◊〉 awaye in hast: Thy yowth is soone ••• e: And toward thine olde age, (and so ••• sequentlye vnto death) thou passest ••• y as fast: which when it cometh, what 〈◊〉 then become of all thy bewtie, and 〈◊〉 fayre lookes? If eyther in thy selfe, or ••• y other bodie, thou findest any bew •••• l countenance, calle to thy remem •••• ce in how shorte space death will ••• re that fayre white skynne, and how ••• w will those eyes be, and fea •• full to • olde, that were before so brighte, and 〈◊〉 to looke vpon. And how filthie and ••• e will all that bodie be, that seemeth 〈◊〉 so bewtifull to thyne eye.

• his veritie is now for the tyme coue ••• with falsehood, and this deceyuable •• warde shew hydeth the certaynetie of 〈◊〉 • ruth. This outwarde shew of vayne ••• e, doth nothing els but secretlie de ••• e our eyes. It burneth worse then the 〈◊〉 of the fyre, for no man is burned 〈◊〉 the fyre, but he which toucheth it, ••• ewtie burneth a farre of. Vnder this ••• terfeyt signe, is their muche matter ••• e, let the eyes of thyne vnderstāding, ••• e out the secret misteries thereof.

I wolde not haue thee to abuse th • eyes with the verie fyrst shew, or 〈◊〉 ouerthrowen, at the first blow, but as so •• as thou seest any bewtifull sighte, whic • like to enflame thy mynde with any va ••• affection, calle straight to thy mynde 〈◊〉 thinge man is.

And yf thou woldest exercise thy 〈◊〉 often tymes in the consideration the •• Thou shouldest take such an habituall ••• ceyte thereof that thou mightest euer 〈◊〉 serue God with a pure & a cleane my 〈◊〉 and quite dischardge thine affection 〈◊〉 such fond vanities. Labour to bewtif ••• to adorne well thy soule, for al other 〈◊〉 is nowght els but vayne, corruptible, 〈◊〉 transitorie, whiche tyme consumeth▪ 〈◊〉 quicke •• e bringeth to nothinge.

THE VVEARINGE OF G ••• gious and braue apparell, is not co ••• nient for a true proffessor of Chri •• Religion, cheefelye because th •• tokens of a vaine glorious mynde. CHAP. 16.

NEVER boast thee of thy •••• mentes, Eccle. 11. sayth Ecclesias ••••• If the superfluitie of ••• rell had not bene rep •••• sible, Christ wolde 〈◊〉 haue commended S. 〈◊〉 Baptist for his moderation and 〈◊〉 •• at behalfe: Luke. 16. Nor S. Luke the Euange •••• n wryting of the rich man, wolde ne ••• haue touched him for that he vsed to ••• re pretious and sumptuous apparell. ••• nd our Sauiour him selfe sayeth: That 〈◊〉 which doe apparell them selues in 〈◊〉 and costly array, Mat. 11. doe dwell in kinges ••• ses, in the howses he sayeth of tem •••• ll kinges, not the howse of the eter •••• kinge of heauen.

Since the holy Ghost the author of •••• pture, condemneth the proude appa •••• ng of the rich man that was damned, 〈◊〉 commendeth the holy precursor S. 〈◊〉 for the sharpenes and austeritie of 〈◊〉 cloathinge: It is a greate argument to 〈◊〉 in how great daunger they doe lyue 〈◊〉 delyghte in rich aray, and how vayne ••• se persons be, that doe spende their ••• e and welth in such kinde of vanitie. 〈◊〉 If thou doest not apparell thee gorgi •••• y to any ill ende, yet at the leaste thou ••• st lose much tyme therein, which is 〈◊〉 most pretious thing that thou hast.

And although it be not alwayes di •••• lye a sinne to weare such curious and •••• ycate apparell, yet hath it alwayes some ••• itie annexed vnto it, for commonly 〈◊〉 which doe weare it, doe loue the ••• re to be seene and commēded of men: ••• cy little doe profit in vertue, and their •• rite doth wax colde in deuotion: And 〈◊〉 when thou hast bestowed all thy la ••• r to make thy selfe syne and trymme, yet shalt thou neuer be comparable 〈◊〉 the poore flower of the field: Mat. 6. For Salo •• with all his glory was neuer lyke vnto 〈◊〉 of the fresh flowers of the field.

The Apostle sayeth: That if we 〈◊〉 wherewith to cloth vs,1. Tim. 6. let vs be con ••• ted. It sufficeth for the simple folower 〈◊〉 Christ, to weare such comly apparell 〈◊〉 most conformable to his estate and ••• ling.

Flye from all curiositie, for it is a ••• ken, that who so setteth much by 〈◊〉 outwarde stuffe, is little occupied abo •• the adorning of the inward man. King ••• lomon by meanes of much adorning 〈◊〉 him selfe and his Courte, fell to be f ••• getfull of his duetie towarde God, 〈◊〉 tooke little care of his soule, so as he 〈◊〉 at last to the adoring of Idolls. Men 〈◊〉 vse to beholde the outside, but God l ••• keth into the harte, and they seeke 〈◊〉 how to content men, that are so much ••• cupied in these exterior thinges.

But harken what the Apostle S. Pa •• sayeth: Gal. 1. If I shold attend vnto the plea •••• of men, I sholde not then be the seru ••• of Iesus Christ. If thou wert mortific ••• thou oughtest to be, thou woldest 〈◊〉 all these superfluous cares. The outw ••• busines driueth away the good though •• from the hart, One man cannot suffice •• so many cares at once, he must needes 〈◊〉 in the one of them, and for the setti •• out of his bodie confounde his soule.

〈◊〉 Apostle saith that the holie fathers 〈◊〉 olde testament went appareled with 〈◊〉 made of camels & goates heare. Heb. 11 〈◊〉 were men as wee are: but conside •••• with them selues, that they came 〈◊〉 out of their mothers bellies, Iob. 1. & that 〈◊〉 sholde naked retorne to the earth 〈◊〉 from whence they first came: They 〈◊〉 still appareled like poore pylgrims 〈◊〉 this world.

• efore the falle of man, there was no ••• itie of any apparell at all, for then ••• an cloathed with the grace of God, 〈◊〉 sonne is appareled with lighte, and ••• ēcie was then his vesture, more pure ••• he whytest lylie: but when he had ••• oste that innocencye, he wexed then ••• ed any lōger to be naked. And ther •• • id God apparell our fyrst progeni ••• garments made of beastes skynnes. ••• or that man was wounded by synne, ••• ouered hym with cloathes, to bynde 〈◊〉 to hyde his woundes with all. He • oasteth hym of his apparell, is like •• im, that braggeth of his olde cloutes 〈◊〉 hath plastered his sores withall▪ 〈◊〉 glorye may well be accompted for 〈◊〉 vnto him. Greate follie were it for •• ities to boast him of his woundes and 〈◊〉 .

〈◊〉 was but in vyle apparell, when he 〈◊〉 haue appareled my selfe with 〈◊〉 ▪ Iob. 16. That noble king Dauid was both 〈◊〉 and verye sharpely appareled too when he sayed: My garment was sack •• made of heare. Psal. 34. To them that doe g • in such vayne apparell, God sayeth b • mouth of his prophete Esay: Esa. 14. VVo •• shall be thy coueringe: Thou prouo •• God with such lyke vanities, who ( 〈◊〉 prophete Dauid sayeth) hath them 〈◊〉 abhomination. Psal. 98.

Bring not into the worlde new i ••• tions and strange deuises of apparell 〈◊〉 stand in feare lest thou be punished t •••• fore at Godes hande, whoe sayeth 〈◊〉 mouth of the prophete Sophonias: 〈◊〉 bring my visitations vpon princes an • children of kinges, Sohp. 1. and all such as do 〈◊〉 in new and strange deuised apparell: 〈◊〉 rich and curious apparell is onely 〈◊〉 for vayne glory and lightnes of mind▪

Thou doest thereby manifest thy 〈◊〉 to the worlde, and publish thine own ••• fectes, and make numbers of men ••• compte thee for lighte, whereas ha ••• thou waste before esteemed for a 〈◊〉 grauitie and good discretion. Eccle ••• cus sayeth, that a mans appareling, 〈◊〉 maner of going, Eccl. 19. geue signes what th ••• is. The outwarde superfluitie is a to ••• the inwarde vanitie, and delicate app ••• declareth the tendernes and weaken the minde, for he that esteemeth so 〈◊〉 the tricking vp of his body, and hat • care therefore, hath not his minde ••• pied in manlye exercises, nor sette 〈◊〉 his vnderstandinge a worke, as 〈◊〉 ••• ite for a good christian to doe.

Thou doest take that from the poore •• ch thou bestowest on thy selfe in su ••• fluous vanities. VVeare not in any ••• e that which exceedeth thy calling & •• ree, but such moderate and honest ap •• ell, as is conuenient for thy profession 〈◊〉 dignitie, that thou doe geue no shewe •• ny vayne glory or lightnes in thee.

Beholde thy Sauiour Iesus Christ han ••• g naked on the Crosse for thy loue: and 〈◊〉 thinges thou goest aboute, haue in 〈◊〉 minde Christ that was crucified for 〈◊〉 , and thou shalt thereby cut of a num ••• of superfluous cares, that often mo •• eth and troubleth thy minde.

〈◊〉 AT TRVE NOBILITIE IS • ot that vvhich the men of the vvorld • o much glorie in, that is to saie. The discending of noble hovvses, and from • uch Auncestours as vvere of singuler • nd rare vertues: But that is true no • ilitie vvhich euerie one getteth by this • vvne vertue. CHAP. 17.

HOLIE Iob in his bitter sorowe and lamentation cryed out saying: Iob. 17. Vnto curruption and rottennes haue I sayed thou arte my father, and to the worme • sayed I lykewise, ye are my mother 〈◊〉 sisters. If thou vayne man wilte needes 〈◊〉 holde the originall of thy parentage, 〈◊〉 but open the graue, and loke into it. 〈◊〉 great vanitie that a very worme the so • of Adam, shold esteeme so much of hi • selfe for the nobilitie of his kinred.

A wyse man sayeth: To what end s •• these greate tytles, what good doe the •• royall armes and monumentes of no ••• litye. Although all the corners and pla •• of thyne howse were filled with the m •• numentes of thyne auncestors, yet is v ••• tue still the true nobilitie. It were be •• for thee to be Thersites sonne, (who 〈◊〉 a man of an obscure and base calling) 〈◊〉 condicion to be Achilles: then to be •• selfe lyke vnto Thersites, and to haue •• chilles to thy father. He lyke a ma •• greate value and courage, gaue the beg •• ninge of nobilitie to his kinred, and ••• uaunced and set vp the house from wh •• he descended: So did thyne aunces ••• likewise, at the first aduaunce thine ho •• but in beinge thy selfe vertuous 〈◊〉 mightest leaue nobilitie to thy child ••• and those that shold descende of th •• all were it so that there had none bene ••• vnto thee by those which were be •• thee, and from whom thou descende • ▪

If thou be borne noble, and after •••• growe to be of a vile, and a base 〈◊〉 and of lewde behauiour, the nobilit •• thy blood, wil take end in thee. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the begynner of nobilitie then to 〈◊〉 the ender thereof. To sett vp a state is •• re worth, then to make an end of yt. •• rtue begynneth the house, and vyce •• keth an end thereof. Thyne owne euill •• edes ouerthroweth cleane thyne house. • eeke not for the light of other mēs eyes 〈◊〉 see with all yf thou hast none in thyne •• ne. For the light of other mens nobili ••• will pleasure thee but little, yf thou 〈◊〉 none within thy selfe.

It is better to be noble, then to discend • hose which are noble. It is better to be ••• tuous, then to discend of those that be ••• tuous. And it is a greate token, that he ••• not vertuous that goeth to begg and ••• owe his vertue from other men. And ••• ause thou hast it not in thy selfe, thou •• kest how to bewtifie thy selfe, and sett 〈◊〉 selfe out with the gooddes of other 〈◊〉 . It is an argument of greate pouertie, 〈◊〉 thou art faine to enrich thy selfe with 〈◊〉 good deedes of thyne Anuncestors.

If thou be discended of those which • oble, so much art thou bounde more be vertuous, that thou mayest by thy •• des declare to others that thou art of 〈◊〉 generation. Out of one roote grow 〈◊〉 the pricles & the rose, And so of one ••• ther may there be borne a noble child, 〈◊〉 an other very vyle. So mayest thou 〈◊〉 out of a roote, from whence there 〈◊〉 come some noble and valiant men, 〈◊〉 thy selfe for all that be but a base bramble or thorne. Cain, Cham, and Es •• had all noble men to their fathers, & •• ble men to their brothers, but them sel ••• and their ofspringe, were both vyle 〈◊〉 miserable, and darkned much the 〈◊〉 stocke from whiche they were discend ••

If thou doe not the actes of Nobili ••• I cannot accompte thee for noble. It is 〈◊〉 parte of a noble mynde to forgyue i ••• ries: As it is likewise the propertie 〈◊〉 vyle mynde to be greedie of reuenge▪ 〈◊〉 the parte of a noble minde to suffer all 〈◊〉 tribulations of this world with a cōte ••• mynde, & to occupy thy mynde in fru ••• full cogitations, and matters of grau ••• and not in these vyle and flight transi ••• thinges of this world. That is to be ••• compted trew nobilitie, which ador •• the mynde with good maner and be ••• uiour. It is not the honour of thy sto ••• but the Nobilitie of thyne owne my ••• that shal make thee acceptable in the 〈◊〉 of God.

The nobilitie which perteyneth to 〈◊〉 bodie is not thyne, but theirs from 〈◊〉 thou receyuedst it, but the true nobil ••• in deede, whiche is thyne owne pro ••• vertue, can neyther be gyuen thee, 〈◊〉 taken from thee. VVhat merite ough ••• thou to haue for that which other do • 〈◊〉 for thee? VVhat prayse mayest thou ••• thelie looke for of that thinge which 〈◊〉 doest inherite by thine auncesters? 〈◊〉 nobilitie of thyne auncestors cometh 〈◊〉 •• neration, but the nobilitie of vertue •• meth of thyne owne proper worke and •• bour, holpen forwarde with the grace of • od, without which thou canst doe noth •• ge. This nobilitie is properlie thine.

From a bitter roote proceedeth often a •• uite pleasant and delectable to the tast, & 〈◊〉 likewyse of a base & meane stocke may • roceede an honorable & a noble of spring • elighting in vertue and the loue of God. • ut many because they be borne of noble • milies, take thereby the more licētious •• bertie to be them selues vaine and arro • ant. Ose. 9. His glorie (sayth Ose) is in his noble • irth and conception, and so of our birth •• roweth vanitie. And those thinges which •• ey sholde take to stirre them the rather • o be vertuous, they take occasiō by them 〈◊〉 be the more vaine and light. The nobi •• tie of their discent should inforce them 〈◊〉 folow the vertue of their Auncestours.

There nobilitie sholde be vnto them as 〈◊〉 oth of inheritance for to bynde them • ith all, perpetuallie to folow the vertue • f their predecessors. And those whiche • re not such in deede. be as it were mon •• ers, nothing at all resemblinge their pa • ētes. Neuer vaunte thy selfe to the world • f thyne auncestours, thy selfe being so • arre degenerated frō thē, for thou doest • yue to them that doe heare thee, greate • estimony of thyne owne follie.

It is good for thee to consider with • hy selfe, what accompte God maketh of the nobilitie of Parentages. He chose & to be king of Israell being discended 〈◊〉 the meanest familie and the least tribe • all that whole people,1. Reg. 9. he made more a •• compt of the value of the person then th • honour of the familye. Math. 4. VVhen he ca •• him selfe into the world, he chose no nob •• men to his disciples, but the poore se •• fisher men.

Our redeemer hym selfe, allthough he were both a kinge, and a greate Lord yet in confounding of them that made 〈◊〉 much reckenynge of such vayne tytle he wolde hym selfe be called a Pastor 〈◊〉 Shepherd. It is a thing to be reprehend •• in them, that curiouslie seeke out the me • honorable titles that any of all their a •• cestors had, to make of that a su • na •• to them selues. Dryue from thy mynde 〈◊〉 such fansies and dreames. Remember 〈◊〉 thou art as thy forefathers were, earth 〈◊〉 ashes, and the wormes will no more sp ••• to eate of thy flesh, then they haue done 〈◊〉 those that haue begotten thee. The nob •• litie that thou hast of inheritance fro • them is mortalitie and corruption.

These may well be the armes, that th •• mayest set vp in thy shield: not so much 〈◊〉 thyne howse, as in thyne harte, let it 〈◊〉 alwayes a glasse for thee to see thy selfe 〈◊〉 And yf this be well rooted in thy mynde, yt will expell all thy vayne and ydle thoughtes.

• HAT RICHES BE AS IT vvere certain snares to catch them vvithall, that are in loue vvith them, and are content to be made slaues vnto them: And therefore they ought of a christian man to be dispised and contemned, and in the steade of them, the stable and suer riches of heauen are to be esteemed vvhich be full of euerlasting comforte. CHAP. 18.

IF riches abound set not thyne harte vpon them (sayth the Prophet. Psal. 61.) The true seruante of Iesus Christ oughte greatlie to haue in hatred those thinges that myght seperate • ym from the loue of God. Vayne must • eedes those riches be, that haue so vayne 〈◊〉 end. The riche men haue slept their •• eepe, Psal. 75. and haue founde nothinge in their • andes, when they awaked agayne.

That thinge must needes be vayne • hich seperateth vs from God which is • ur most desired end. Happie is that riche •• an that is founde without spot, Eccl. 13. and hath • ot folowed after gold, nor put his trust in • is heapes of money. VVho is he that we may prayse hym? For it is thought almost a rare thinge amongest men, to seperate them selues cleane frō the loue of money and riches.

Euerie rich man is commonlie eyther nought hym selfe, or heyre vnto them that were nought. The falcon when shee is too full, will not once knowe her maister. Luc. 15. The prodigall sonne perceyuyng hym selfe to be growen riche & welthie wolde not abide in his fathers house, but afterward being nipt with neede, and brought into necessitie, he conuerted and turned backe agayne to his fathers house from whence he came. Riches did seperate him from God, & pouertie brought hym home agayne. If thou wilt geue thy selfe whollie vnto God, thou must put quite away from thee all wordlie busines and earthlie loue and affection. Luc. 10. Thou trowblest thy selfe aboute many thinges, But it is onelie one thing that is merelie necessarie for thee If thou fyndest out that one thing, thou shalt auoyde all sortes of vayne earthlie thoughts.

VVhen our first fathers liued in state of innocencie, all occupyed in the spirituall consideration of God, they so much forgat their bodelie estate, that they were neuer ware that they were naked. Genes. 3. But when they had once entred into sinne they straight waies attended vnto bodelie thinges, and knew them selues to be naked. The Apostle Saincte Paule being rapt vp into the thirde heauē, saied, that he knew not whether he were there in his bodie or without it:2. Cor. 12 for because they intēd not to any thing of the bodie, whiche are lifted vp into heauen to beholde heauenlye thinges. The care that they haue aboute spirituall thinges maketh thē to forget these worldlie thinges. Not to be troubled with the care of the world is trew care in deede And not to be wise in wordlie matters, is perfect and true wisdome.

The disciples of christ being occupied in the doctrine of their maister tooke no regarde of exterior thinges, Mat. 15 and therefore they sat downe at the table with vnwashed hādes, But the ydle Pharisies tooke greate care of those small matters: VVhich declareth well vnto vs, that the care which the seruantes of God haue is farre different frō the care of wordlie folkes: The seruantes of the world being still occupied in small matters, haue neuer any regarde vnto any greater.

They spende so much tyme in prouidinge and caringe for the body, that they haue no tyme lefte them to spend, in prouiding for the soule. VVorldly thoughtes and cares be the children of riches, and the occupations and busines which they bring with them doe suffocate and choke vp the spirite of God. Despise thou therefore the vanitye of these corruptible thinges, that thou mayest freely yelde thy selfe vnto God: and vnto God thou canst not flye, except thou doe breake the bonds wherewith the world holdeth thee bound. Let not the sweetenes of this worlde seperate thee from the loue of God.

Poyson is alwayes geuen in some sauory and well releshed meate, and when it is well tempered therewithall, it is easely taken, but he that receaueth it, is soone after caried to his graue: Euen so be riches verye pleasante vnto them that doe loue them, but death doth alwayes accompany them, and doth bring them to euerlasting death which are made proud and vicious by them. Eccle. 5. Ecclesiasticus sayeth: He that loueth riches shall get no profit by them: what profit cometh by them S. Paule telleth:1. Tim. 6. They that will be riche doe fall into the snares and grinnes of the deuill. All creatures be such vnto man, as man is vnto him selfe.

The good soule can take no offence of the thinges that are without, no more can the euill soule take any benifite by them: for what profiteth the multitude of riches to this flesh of ours the which must shortly perish: they can not defende it from the corruption which doeth belonge vnto it, and in which it must needes rest at the last. That is a good soule which is not subiecte vnto riches.

Psal. 75▪ The men of riches haue slepte their sleepe, sayeth the prophete. He sayed not the riches of men, but the men of riches, because they were seruantes vnto their riches, and not lordes ouer them. That gayne which is gotten by the losse of a good name, may well be accompted for losse and no gayne. He is to be feared that doth feare pouertie. Seruantes doe serue to ease their maisters of their cares, for one hauing care of one thing, and an other of another thing, they deuide so the care amonge them, that the maister is by that meanes at reste and ease: but it falleth out cleane contrary by our money and temporall riches, for they doe not take away their maisters cares, but doe rather double their cares and their troubles also.

Thou art very vayne thy selfe, if thou doe put any truste in the vanities of this worlde. It is an extreeme vanitie to subdue thy minde to the vanitie of this miserable world. Despise with all thyne harte the riches of the earth, and thyne harte shallbe replenished with the true riches of heauen.

THE RICHES OF THE VVORLD are declared to be but of vile substāce, And therefore vnvvorthye eyther to be loued or esteemed of a man vvho is adorned vvith so manye good gyftes by God, to the end, he sholde not abase hym selfe in the louing of so vile thinges, but sholde vvholie direct his loue tovvard his deuine maiestie, to be after partaker in heauē vvith hym for euer. CHAP. 19.

Philip. 3. I HAVE not esteemed the thinges of this world (sayeth S. Paul) any better then dong. He could inuente nothing to compare riches vnto that he could esteeme for lesse, or accompte more vyle, thē donge. But if these temporall thinges were in deede of very good price & value, yet in respect of heauēly things, they ought not to be accōpted of any value at all, much lesse ought they then to be esteemed, beinge of so vyle and base substance, as in deede they be.

Thou thinkest thou doest much in the despisinge of the goodes of this worlde: doe but consider a litle the vilenes of the matter, that all these riches and iewels of the worlde be made and formed of, and according to the matter thou findest them of, so doe thou esteeme them.

VVhat is golde but the verie dregges of the earth? VVhat other thinge is siluer and pretious stones, but the superfluitie of the earth, which droppeth downe into some holow place of the earth, and there is gathered together, norished & increased. VVhat be all these Sattins, damaskes, & all kinde of silkes, but the superfluitie of vile woormes? And what is your finest cloath, but of the wulle of a sillie beaste? VVhat be your fine delicate furres, as sables, marterns and other like, but onlie the skynnes of dead beastes.

VVhat be all your costlie buyldinges, your paynted Pallaces, highe towers, and other costlie edifices, your mightie and large Cities, are they of any other substāce then earth? And what other thinge is honour, but wynde? And what is there any thinge in this world, that is not of earth? So that in louing or esteemynge any thing that is in this world, which is of worldlie folke so much made of what other thinge doe you esteeme but a little earth?

Knowe and acknowledge that which the world doth offer vnto thee, and beware that thou put not thine harte in subiectiō to such base and vyle stuffe. Thou mayest with good reason be ashamed of thy selfe, that being a creature of that excellencie, borne to loue and to serue God, arte yet of so base a mynde and corage, that forsakinge thy creator, thou hast bestowed thy loue vpon such vile & abiecte thinges.

Let there be yet at the lest wise so much noble nature founde in thee, as to acknowledge thy selfe, for such as in deed thou arte, and for that excellencie of thy nature which thou hast receyued of God, to gyue hym thankes, and neuer subiecte thy selfe to any thinge meaner then thy selfe. Loue those thinges whiche are the most noble of all, which are thinges spirituall, and most agreeable to that noble nature whiche God indued thee with all, when he created thee to his owne similitude and likenes.

For as loue doth transforme the louer into the thinge that is beloued, so as that louer is brought thereby into the possessiō of an other thing, and is not maister of hym selfe: Euen so thou thy selfe being so worthy a creature, & louing these earthlie thinges so dearelie as thou doest, (beinge such and so vyle as they be,) thou doest gyue that which is of good value in deede for that which is but vile & nothing worth Thou exchaūgest most pretious things for thinges most beggerlie, and the thinge that of his owne nature is most excellent, (whiche is thy soule) thou gyuest for the vyle muck of the earth, which is a thinge verie vnworthie and vnfyt for thine estate and degree, whereby it not onelie appeareth, that thou knowest not thy selfe, but also that thou vnthankefullie renouncest those singuler priueleges which God hath gyuen the.

VVhy doth God commaunde thee to loue him, Luc. 10. not for that his diuine Maiestie hath any neede of thy loue, but for thyne owne good and singuler benifite. He will that thou shalte loue him, because he wold haue thee to be honored thereby, and by transforming thy seffe into him by thy entier louing of him, thou mayest receaue aduauntage by the exchange, when thou gyuest things that be good for things that be better, and thinges that be pretious for thinges that be inestimable without value.

Thou mayest see by this howe little God esteemeth these earthlie thinges. VVhen he depriued his greate frend Iob (one whome be loued so well) of them, Iob. 1. at the request of his greate enemy the deuill.

Open thine eyes and consider how much thou doest abase thy selfe, in the vnordinate louing of riches, & how much thou doest exalt thy selfe agayne, by the contemninge of them. Take awaye therefore thy loue from these vanities, & bestowe it onlie vpon Iesus Christ.

NO MAN OVGHTE TO BE proude, nor to glorie of his earthly possessions, vvhich doe further nothinge tovvard the attaynynge of vertue, but rather as hurtfull thinges they ovghte to be reiected and abhorred of vs. CHAP. 20.

Sap. 7. COMPARE not the wisdome of God vnto a pretious stone, for all the golde in the world being compared vnto that, is but as the small sande: And siluer in respect of that shalbe accompted but as a peece of clay, saith the wise man. That is great pouertie, whiche the wordl calleth riches.

Put not thy mynde vpon such vanities but lifte it vp to God alone. Abase not thy selfe in subiecting thy will to such vv • e thinges. God hath created thee to goe vpright and straight, because thou shouldest looke vpwarde to heauen, and loue heauēlie thinges. And set nought by these thinges of the earth.

And because God looketh and hath respect to helpe thee, & to doe thee good, therefore hath h • placed all thinges that thou haste need • 〈◊〉 vpon the vppermost face of the earth, as bread, wine, meate and all other thinges necessarie for thee, because thou mightest finde them redily and easely, at what tyme thou haddest neede of thē. But the superfluous things as golde and siluer, he hath hiddē vnder the earth, because thou shouldest not wish for them nor desire them.

Seeke not therefore after such false ware. The prophete sayeth: Psal. 4. Ye children of men why doe ye loue vanitie, and seeke after lying? Thou being the sonne of a reasonable man, which haste also the vse of reason, doe not thou lyue so without all reason, as to make these earthlie gooddes▪ the vttermost end of thy trauailles, synce thou wast created for to enioye the heauenlie gooddes.

All that thou louest is vanitie (sayth the Prophet) and whatsoeuer the world promiseth thee, is but lies. This golde is but earth, and this silke (which thou esteemest for so delicate a thinge,) cometh from the selie woormes, and what thinges be more vile then those? These be those pretious thinges whiche adorneth thee: with this dayntie stuffe, thou settest thy selfe out to shew, when all this was vpon thy backe, wast thou cloathed with any thinge but with pouertie and with vanitie?

Be not thou proude of any such like cloathinge, neyther doe thou vaunt thy selfe of thy riche hangings, or other costlie stuffe that thou doest adorne thy house with all, for thoughe to thy blynde eyes, they seeme to be great riches, yet in truth they be none, nor for such are they esteemed of men that be wise and of vnderstā ding. These thinges be not they whiche shall make a man riche.

If thou wilte be riche, thou must loue that which is verye true riches in deede. These riches can not make a man wyse, humble, patiente, chaste, or mercifull: they conuerte not anger into meekenes, nor make a cruell man piteous, nor the enuious man charitable. Now if towarde the vertue of the minde they doe further nothing at all, but rather (as by experience we daylye see) doe make men worse in maynteyning vyce and dryuing away vertue: what reason is it why thou sholdest so fondly esteeme them? for euen as when thou doest norish in thy bosome serpents and scorpions, who when they haue well warmed them there, will stinge thee and poyson thee for thy labor, and do as much as is in them to kil thee: So with the heate of thy disordinate desires, thou doest norish and augment these riches and delicacie wherein thou lyuest, which being fostered with in thy bowels, doe after gnaw thy conscience, and extinguysh the good spirite with in thee, and so put thy saluation in great daunger·

This is that which thou hast loued so well: O thou blinde man. This is that after which thou seekest so fast. And this is that which thou consumest thy selfe for. Praye vnto God to gyue thee thy right vnderstā ding, to the intent that thou mayest knowe the deceytfulnes of these gooddes which thou louest so well, and that thou mayest lyfte vp thy harte to the loue of those thinges in whiche true riches are to be founde.

MAN BEINGE CREATED TO the image and similitude of God, ought onlie to loue hym, and not these earthlie riches, vvith vvhich in deede he hath no maner of resemblance. CHAP. 21.

DOE not thou loue the world nor the thinges which be in it, sayth Sainte Iohn,1. Iohn. 2. By the light of naturall reason it is manifest, that thou oughtest not to loue any of these earthelie thinges, • or loue is a thinge of that nature & price, • hat it cannot be due vnto any thinge, but • hat which is able to render loue backe • gayne, and requite loue for loue, which • s the iust recompence and price thereof. • nd because no vnreasonable creature can • hus doe, therefore must not thou set • ayne harte and affection vpon any of thē. It is a greate peruerting of order, to vs • thinges to other endes then they are appoynted and created for.

Only god is to be loued for hym selfe▪ as that which is the cheefe good of all, and as it were the verie centre of thyne harte▪ And his creatures must thow vse in their kyndes to serue hym with all, as he hath ordeyned, but for that good which thou doest thy selfe take by thē, thou must thāke God threreof, And vpon hym must thou bestowe all the loue therefore that thou canst, vnto whom it only belongeth, & frō whome thou onlie receyuedst the fruyte and benefite of those his creatures. But yf thou doest loue the creatures them selues, not referring the loue thereof vnto God▪ Thou p • ruertest the order of nature, and art worthelie▪ to be punisshed therefore.

Gen. 13.God created man to his owne image and likenes, to the ende, that (as all other lyuinge creatures of their owne natures doe loue their lyke) so he sholde gyue all his loue and affection to God alone, and not set his lykinge in these earthlye and transitorie thinges. But with riches wh •• resemblance or likenes hast thou? VVh •• hath thy soule to doe with golde? Tho • hast to loue God onlie, after whose imag • thou arte made, And not these earth •• creatures.

Gene. 31.All that longe tyme that Iacob ha • children by Lya, and her handmayde, 〈◊〉 neuer remembred his returnynge to 〈◊〉 owne countrie agayne, for the louers of • hese temporall gooddes, being occupyed • boute externall thinges, doe forget heauē which is their true countrie in deede. But • s soone as he had children by Rachell he • esired to retorne to his natiue countrey • gayne: And so doe all those whiche doe good woorkes, desire to comme to glorie • nd rest in heauen.

VVhen the king of Egipt was dead, Exo. 1. the • sraelites cried vnto God, and they were heard. They had cryed lykewyse before his death, aswell as they did after, but he • arkened not vnto them. The good and the bad doe all crye vnto God, but God geueth not eare vnto the wordlie people, for that they haue not killed the kinge of Egypte, whiche is the loue of worldlie things. But yf thow doest kil once the loue of the world, by & by, god will heare thee.

This is the verie force and true effect of loue, to haue the to be such as is the thinge that thou louest. Thy soule is like vnto waxe, which taketh the forme of that whiche is impressed therein. That which the seale doth imprinte in it, that shalt thou fynde therein. If thou impresse therein the loue of worldlie thinges, thou must be worldlie, but yf thou place heauenlie thinges therein, thou shalt be heauenlie thy selfe. If thou puttest thy glasse towarde heauen, thou shalt fynde heauen fygured therei • , and yf thou turnest it toward the earth, thou shalt finde the earth figured therein. So shalt thou alwayes tak • that figure whiche thou wilt applie thy selfe vnto, and accordinge to that thing • which thou louest shall thy selfe be eithe • good or euill.

Dan. 4.Nabuchodonozer when he was in lou • with the world he went aboute the hilles and the wooddes feedinge on grasse like a beast. But retorning agayne vnto God by penance, he recouered his former image, which he had lost before.

Gene. 1.VVhen God created the sonne and the moone, and all his other creatures, God sayed that they were all good and approued them for such. But when he created man, he neyther saide that he was good or bad. Yet are not those creatures better then man, but lesse worthe thē man because that for his sake they were all created. And why did God say of other creatures that they were all good, and saide not so of man that was better then they all? God paraysed not man, neyther called he hym good or euill, because he looked that he sholde so worke with his free will, that according to that which he sholde chose hym selfe eyther good or euill, he shold haue his denomination & callinge. If thou doest loue that which i • good, thē art thou good, And yf thou doest loue that which is euill, then arte thou euill. So man only because he hath his fre • eleection to take eyther good or euill▪ God wolde firste see, both what he wolde •• oose, and what he wolde loue, before he •• olde gyue him any addition of dignitie, •• d then after gyue him his title accor •• ng to his choyse, and this power hath • ot God gyuen to any other of his earthly •• eatures, but only to man.

The Apostle S. Paule speaking of a • ertayne sorte of men, sayeth: Rom. 1. That they •• aunged the glorye of the incorruptible • od into the likenes of a corruptible man, 〈◊〉 birdes, fowrefooted beastes, and of ser • entes. You may hereby beholde, what •• pressiōs be made in mās soule, through •• e loue of these earthly thinges.

The proper habitacion of the soule 〈◊〉 heauen, Phil. 3. where they onelie that be per •• cte must inhabite. Our conuersation is 〈◊〉 heauen, sayth the Apostle. The waye to •• e riche, is to despise worldlie riches. It is • reate riches not to care for riches, VVho 〈◊〉 he that hath much, euen he that is con •• nted with a little.

God commaunded the Israelites, that •• ere sholde no man take away or enioye •• y part of the spoyles of Iherico. VVhe • ein was signified vnto vs, that wee shold • ot couet after the mutable treasures of • is world, which is implied in this word • herico, which signifieth mutabilitie or • hange. But as Iosue did burne and con • ume with fier both the towne, and all the • iches thereof, so sholde wee that be • aythfull, consume with the hot burnyng • oue of God all the riches and gooddes of this world, which a true faythfull ma •• should neuer esteeme or set by, And wh •• so doth otherwyse, shalbe put to death a • Acham was, and committed vnto euerla • stinge damnation therefore.

EARTHLY RICHES OVGHT TO be despised together vvith the desire o • them because they are heauie, and doe hynder a man that is clyminge vp •• tovvard heauen. CHAP. 22.

Luke. 14. HE that renounceth not all tha • he possesseth in this worlde can not be my disciple, sayet • our Lord. If thou wilt there • fore be the true disciple of Iesus Christ, thou must with thyne harte despyse all the transitorie thinges of thi • worlde. They which folowed Christ, d ••• forsake asmuch, as they could desire which folowed hym not. Our wil is so vnsatiabl • in desiringe, that he whiche hath mo •• thereof, is least satisfied, and he that ca • forsake his will, forsaketh all thinges. An • by that meanes did Saincte Peter forsa •• as much, as Alexander could desire.

By thy contemnynge of these thinges thou findest thy selfe: But in the louing o • • hem, thou loosest thy selfe. Happie is that • oule that laboureth in the renouncinge • f all those thinges that the world so much • mbraceth. Dispise thou corruptible thin • es, to gayne vncorruptible.

Golde and siluer are not a loade for • an, but a burthen for beastes. There is no • east that carieth a greater loade then he • ay well beare, but the louer of riches • arieth asmuch as may be layed by any • eane vpon him: Lighten thy burthen, & • ast of these false honours from thee, and • hou shalt afterwarde goe with the more • ase. VVhy wilt thou goe so heauelie ladē • hē thou mayest haue helpe of the poore • an to carrie parte of thy burthen for • hee? Thou mayest goe best when thou art • nladen, And wrestle best when thou art • aked: when thou doest wrestle, with the • iuell naked, thou wilt easelie ouercome • ym: but yf thou haue thy clothes vpon • hy backe for hym to take holde on, thou • ayest easelie be ouerthrowē. Iesus Christ • ought naked vpon the crosse for thee: • nd yf thou wilt folow hym, thou must • idde from thine hart all loue of temporal • hinges.

Ioseph being tempted in Egipt, Gene. 39. fled • waye, and left his clothes in the handes • f his persecutor, and after he had dis • hardged hym selfe, and cast his outward • ooddes away, he became a greate lorde • nd ruler in Egipt. Mat. 19. They that contemne • iches shald receyue therefore agayne an hundreth tymes as much saith our Lorde▪

There is nothing greate, in this worlde but that harte which contemneth great • thinges. VVho is poore? he that appeareth riche: and he that most hath, enioyeth leas • libertie, and with lesse ease doth lifte vp his harte to God.

Crates the Thebā Philosopher despised riches, because it hindred his studyinge in Philosophie, and doest not thou thinke that they will hynder thee more towarde the gettinge of heauen? It is hard for thee to carrie a greate burthen on thy backe, although thou walke on the euē grounde: How much more hard is it for thee then to clyme vp to heauen being laden? VVhat busines so euer thou doest goe aboute in this worlde thou wilt as much as thou canst put from thee all such cares that shold hynder thee therein, and yet in thy iourney toward heauen, thou seekest for all these worldly impedimētes that might hynder thee thitherwarde. VVhat good doth it a man for to gayne the whole world, and to loose his owne soule?

Mat 16. Leu. 11.God sayth hym selfe that euerie beast which creepeth vpon the earth with hi • breast shalbe abhominable. And verie abhominable is it, that man which is create • for heauen, shold trauayle & take payn • in the louing of the gooddes of the earth▪ These are verie vnworthie of heaue • these be they whome Gedeon the nobl • Capitaine dismissed out of his army, Iud. 7. an • bid to retorne home agayne, as men vnworthie to be partakers of any worthie entreprise, who falle downe flat to the earth, and lye on their breast, to drinke the running waters of these transitorie worldlie gooddes.

Get thou as greate riches as thou canst yet must thou geue credite vnto Iob that hath told thee longe agoe. Iob. 1. That naked thou camest out of thy mothers wombe, and naked thou must retourne to the earth thy mother agayne.

The mill wheele turneth al day aboute, and neuer resteth nor standeth still. But turne it neuer so much al day lōge, at night yet it standeth still, & resteth in the same place where it fyrst beganne to turne. VVell mayest thou trauayle and wander aboute the worlde to be riche, and honorable, but when death cometh than thou must needes stay from going any further. Then shalt thou be founde in the verie same state, that thou wast in, when thou first entredst into the worlde, poore and naked thou camest into it, & so shalt thou enter into thy graue, and in the state thou wert in at the begynninge, thou shalt make thy latter endinge, & whence thou camest thou shalt returne, and this must thou needes doe how much soeuer thou hast trauayled in the worlde before to make thy selfe riche and greate therein.

It is a vanitie therefore in this shorte lyfe to make thy foundation vpon the temporall riches of this worlde. If thou contemne them with all thyne harte, thou shalt lyue in welth for euer with Christ▪

VVITH MANY GOODLIE REAsons and examples of gods frendes, he proueth that in this vvorld mournyng is better thē laughinge, And trauayle and payne more profitable then pleasure and solace. CHAP. 23.

Luc. 6. VVOE be vnto you that laugh, for you shall weepe, saith Christ: woe be vnto you that haue your ioyes in this world, synce you shalbe so voyde of all ioye in an other worlde. VVoe be vnto all them that doe lyue in pleasure, for much sorow and trauayle is prepared for them.

Psal. 83.Happie is he that in this worlde being mortified (for Christ) doth carrie alwayes aboute with him the sorowe of his bitter passion before his eyes.

Happie is he, that in this tyme of teares & vale of miserie, Psal. 41. is daily fed with teares. Happie is he, who in this tyme of banishmente, doth make teares his foode both day and night. A man that hath in his remembrance the quiet peaceable countrye of heauenly Sion his owne proper habitation, may well with reason lamente, and be euen confounded, to see hym selfe confined into this place of bannishemente amongest the bitter waters of the Babilonicall state of this worlde. Psa. 136 Mat. 5. Happie be they that weepe, for they shalbe comforted, sayth our Sauiour, and God hym selfe shall wype of the teares from their eyes, those must needes be comfortable teares, which the blessed hand of our Maister doth wype awaye.

As the lande that is neuer watered, Apo. 7. Apo. 21. bringeth nothing furth but brābles & thistles & ingēdreth serpentes: so wil thy soule bring furth nothing but vanitie and vncleanes, except thou doe water it with the water of thy teares: And as necessarie are teares to the soule, as water for the earth. All flesh was corrupted, and for the remedie thereof, God sent the water of that greate flood vpon the earth to clense it agayne. And if thou wilt let the flood of teares fall vpon thy soule and ouerflowe it, It will kill all sensuall concupiscence in thee. Happie is that flood which mortifieth the bodie, quencheth all worldlie desires, and maketh fruytefull the barreyne field of thy soule.

They are but vayne which in this lyfe doe seeke their pleasures and delightes. It is a greate errour for thee to seeke after these temporall consolations. At the houre of thy death, it wilbe found better for thee that thou haddest lamented, and bewailed thy sinnes, then in this miserable lyfe to haue spent thy dayes in deceyuable light vanities. If thou wilt haue thy feast daye here, then must thou keepe thy vigil and fast there. If thou doe spend thy dayes in laughing here in this lyfe, in hell shalt thou mourne with death for euer. Holie Iob sayde, I sighe and am sorie, before I take my foode. Iob. 3.

In the feastes of the Sainctes, the vigil cometh euer before the feast day, because they did allwayes in this worlde fast and take paines, and therefore afterwarde they must eate and be merie for euer. The worldlie maner is all contrarie, they doe first eate and make merie, and then after they doe pay their scot. Death cometh and maketh the reckenyng for them, and then shall worldlie folke paye deare for their good cheare that they haue made heare. Then shall the laughing and mirth which thou vsedst here, be too well payed for, with perpetuall mournyng there. Those be bitter comforts that must be boughte with euerlastinge tormentes.

Allthough thou doest here eate a pace, & take thy pleasure, and takest thy selfe no care thereof, yet is their one appointed by the gouernour of the howse, to take the reckenynge and score vp all the shot, so that at the last there shalbe nothinge left vnpayed for.

If thou diddest but way well this with good consideration, thy charge sholde not growe so great, neither woldest thou with such full scope of libertie gyue thy selfe to the world: But now because thou remembrest not, that these thinges shall haue an end, (And that thou must gyue an accompte thereof, and paye for all the reckenynge) thou spendest here so freelie, for the which thou shalt after neuer cease thy payement in hell.

And as Iob sayde of good men, that they sighed and sorowed before they did eate, Iob. 21. so sayeth he of these worldly folke here: They passe furth their dayes in ioye and mirth, they reioyce and make merie when the musicke soundeth, and in the twinkling of an eye they disce • d downe into hell.

To the riche glotton which S. Luke mentioneth, Abraham sayd: Luc. 16. Thou must remember (sayed he) that in thy lyfe tyme thou receauedst ioy, and contrarywise Lazarus receaued sorow, and now is Lazarus comforted and thou tormented. This is the ende of worldly comfort, and this is the ende of the vayne glory of this world.

Thou shalt not finde in all the whole euangelistes, that euer our sauiour Christ laughed at any tyme, but of his weeping wee fynde ofte mention made. He wept at the tyme of his owne natiuitie. Iohn. 11. Luc. 19. He wept at his raising vp of Lazarus to lyfe. He wept vpon the Citie of Hierusalem, and vpon the crosse, And to be shorte all his whole lyfe was but a longe mournyng, Iohn. 11. Luc. 19. and a contynualle penitence.

Our Lord sayth that vnlesse you be as little children you shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen. Mat. 18. Ye knowe that children haue no other weapon to defend thē selues with all, but teares: And with those must thou likwyse defend thy selfe from the deuill.

Pharao was drowned in the water of the sea, and the deuill is destroyed in the water of teares. Exo. 14. It is a madnes to take pleasure in this lyfe, when thou must lyue in the middest of so many greate daungers. The wyse man sayeth: I haue taken ioy for my sorow, Eccl. 2. and vnto pleasure haue I saied, why doe •• thou so vaynely deceaue me?

Moyses had rather suffer affliction with the people of God, then to be made partaker of the earthly pleasures of the Egiptians, Exod. 2. and therefore denied he himselfe to be the sonne of Pharaos daughter. The teares of the iuste, shall be turned into ioy, (sayeth the prophete) And according to the multitude of my sorowes shall thy cōsolatiōs cōfort my soule. Psal. 93▪ It is better to be troubled with the iuste, then to eate the breade of gladnes vppon the table of sinners. It is better to weepe in wildernes, than to laugh in the pallace of princes.

Despise thou this soone passing pleasure, that thou mayest after receaue the vnspeakeable pleasures in glorie perpetuall.

GREAT VANITIE IT IS FOR A mā to gyue hym selfe vnto the pleasures & delightes of this vvorld, the vvhich doe runne so fast avvay, and vvhiche doe cause hym at last to loose the eternall ioyes of heauen, CHAP. 24.

VVHAT pleasure can I haue to sit here in the darkenes, Tob. 5. sayed Tobias to the Angell. It is vanitie liuing here in the darkenes of this miserable world to seeke after the • e vayne pleasures & fond delightes of the world. VVee wander in such darkenes here that • vee can not know those that wee daylie keepe company with all, yea of them that wee haue cōtinually before our eyes, wee can not tell which be good nor which be bad, the darkenes is so great that many tymes a man can not see hym selfe·

The wyseman sayth, That a man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue▪ or of hatred. That man that trauayleth by the way, and knoweth not whether he be out of his way or no, can take no greate comforte of his iourney. It is vanitie to take pleasure in the way of this peregrination, not knowing whether it be acceptable to God, or no? And greate vanitie is it for a man to take pleasure in that state, in the whiche he knoweth not whether he shalbe condemned to hell. And because this may happen in this lyfe at any tyme, thou must allwayes lyue in doubte & in feare. VVhen thou trauaylest by nighte, and art doubtefull of thy way, it were greate marueyle to see thee ioconde and merie.

He that seeth his neighbors howse on a fyer, will haue little lust to be merie. And verie vanitie is it for the to spend thy tyme in pleasure, that is geuen thee to doe pennance in, especiallie seeing thy frendes & thy neighbours daylie dying before thy face. Of death thou art full sure but of the state wh •• ein thou shalt dye, that knowest thou little of, & thē is it an extreeme vanitie for thee to forget the feare of God & to gyue thi selfe to laughīg & making merie.

That father doth much more sorow, then he doeth reioyce, that burieth his childe the same day that he is borne. The pleasure of this world, in which thou so much reioycest: doth passe away in post, & slydeth away more swifte then the wynde.

Prou. 15.The wyseman sayth, that the foole taketh pleasure at his owne follie. And follie it is to make accompte of that pleasure which tarieth no longer with vs. It is a vayne thing to gyue thine harte a tast of that pleasure, which thou no sooner tastest of, Esa. 24. but it is gone agayne. The Prophet Esay sayth: they gaue greate sighes, and did bitterlie bewayle that reioyced with their hartes before, for their ioye ceased euen sodenlie.

It is a vaine pleasure that the birdes doe take, when they tast of the corne, and are straight taken in the grynne, and like vnto that is the pleasure of the fishes, which delighte in the bayte vpō the hook, whiche they no sooner take into their mouthes, but death apprehendeth them. Thou art as vaine and simple as these vnreasonable creatures, if thou doest reioyce amiddest all those vayne prosperities of the worlde, hauinge death so neare vnto thee, and readie to take thee.

Remember that the tyme is short,1. Cor. 7. Sap. 10. and let them that take pleasure, be as thoughe they tooke it not. God brough • the iust man by the right waye. The waye is right, when the myddest doth answere and is conformable to the begynninge and the ending. The man that is strayed out of his waye goeth seeking aboute, to see yf he can fynde it agayne, to the ende he may get to the place that he intended his iourney to, in the begynning.

The scripture in many places doth liken vs vnto wayfaring folke, Heb. 11. 1. Pet. 2. and wanderers by the way. VVee begynne to enter into our pilgrimage when wee be first borne, and it neuer endeth agayne vntill death doe end it. You may aske of Salomō what our begynninge, and our ending is.

The first voyce, Sap. 7. sayeth Salomon that I vttered comming out of my mothers bely, was crying and lamenting, nether had euer king of this world any other beginning, and like vnto this shall be also thy later ending. Thou wast borne in weeping, and thou shalte dye lamenting, and wilte thou yet lyue laughing?

This is not the right way by the which the iust must walke. Goe thou the strayght way: be none of those that walke aboute quyte out of the way, Psal. 11. which is as Dauid sayeth, the right course of the wicked. Let the middest be agreeable to the beginning and the ending: thou begannest in weeping, and after the same sorte maiest thou well beleeue that thou shalte make thyne ending also.

Tak • thou no great paynes to be rich, seeing that Iob sayeth: Naked I came out of my mothers wombe, and naked must I retorne to my mother the earth agayne. Io • . 1. Neuer care thou to make proude pallaces since a poore litle cradle did holde thee, when thou camest firste into the worlde, and when thou dyest, a small pit in the earth must receaue thee agayne. Neuer seeke to be greate in this world since thou wast so little whē thou camest first into it, and at thy death when thou departest from it againe thou shalt be as lowe, as thou wast before litle. Thou wast both litle & poore, when thou camest into the world, and not greate and riche.

Thou camest not first into the worlde •• ke a cōquerour, or a reuenger of quar • els with thy sworde in thy hande, neither • ust thou be such a one when thou entrest •• to thy graue. Labour thou also to lyue • fter the same fashion while thou conty • uest here.

Iob sayde vnto God, Iob. 10. Gyue me tyme O Lord) that I may bemone my selfe and • ake sorow. The good holie man asked • ot lyfe of God to lawghe and be merie • or to take his pleasure here, but to bewayle and to lament, and such ought thy • yfe to be likewyse, and thou owghtest also hartelie to pray vnto God, that it maye be such, and that thou mayest not spend thy dayes in the vayne heapinge vp of riches together, nor in other ydle pleasures of this lyfe, which thou wilt finde a • the last to be but a vearie vaine follie. Bewayle thy sinne, and thy offences, doe pennāce in this lyfe that thou mayest after this lyfe obteyne the lyfe euerlastinge.

Our lord sayth, Io. 16. that our mourning shalbe turned into ioye. And happie is that sorow vnto which euerlasting ioye succedeth. Loue holie compunction, Sighe after the celestiall countrey, and make not this present banyshemēt a Paradise of pleasure.

Thou vndoeste thy selfe and art cleane gone out of the waye, if thou seeke to lyue in ioye and pleasure here in this world. Turne thee back agayne, and sett thy feete in a better way and imbrace the crosse of Christ, and thinke vpon his bitter passion, that thou mayest comme to the end th •• thou wishest for, which is the felicitie th •• thou wast created for.

ALL YOVR IOY OVGHT TO BE in God, for of euerie earthelie thing the ioye is vnperfect, But in hym it is so full that nothing can be desired more. CHAP. 25.

REIOYCE in our lord allwayes, Phil. 4. agayne I saye vnto you reioyce and be glad, sayth the Apostle: The pleasure of the seruante of God, ought altogether to be in his Lorde & maister. It is a vayne thinge to be ioyfull in any but in God alone.

God will not that thou sholdest lyue discontented, but he wold rather haue thee to be glad and ioyfull, Onlie this wold he haue thee to doe: Alter the cause of thy ioye, And conuert the false cause thereof, into the vearie true cause of ioye in deede.

The Apostles were vearie ioyfull, when they saide vnto their redeemer, that the diuells obeyed them. Luc. 10. And our lord aunswered them agayne, that they shold not reioyce for that, but reioyce, (sayth he • nto them) for that your names be written • n heauen. He forbid thē not to be merie • ut he wold haue them chaunge the cau • e of their mirth, & whereas their ioy be • ore depended but vpon a worldlie con • ideration, he wold haue it alltogether celestiall which is in deede, the verie true perfect ioye.

Euerie ioye that is not of God, is vaine: And euerie contentacion that cometh not from hym is false, and hath no good foundation. In hym therefore must all thy ioye be, and not in any earthlie thinge of this world. Thou mayest reioyce in the testimonye of a good consciēce, as the Apostle willeth thee which is to thee as a pleadge from God hym selfe, of the true ioye that thy name is recorded in heauen.1. Cor. 1.

King Dauid beinge of the wicked demaunded where his God was, Psal. • 1. (as he whom they supposed to haue forsakē him for his former falle,) founde hym selfe so fainte, and so vnprouided in making of his answere vnto them, that the vearie greefe thereof, made hym so burst forth into teares, that they were his continuall foode both daye and nighte vntill he had founde the comfort of his sweete Lord againe. For where God is not, there is it not possible to haue any true ioye remayning. Although the scripture doth speake sometyme of the ioye of wordlie folke, Esa 14. Prou. • . sayinge that they reioyce when they doe mischeyfe, yet is that no true nor perfecte ioye, because it is no • grounded vpon a true and incorrupte • conscience.

Of Sainte Iohn the precursour of ou • lord, his holie mother saide, that he reioy • sed in gladnes. This is the difference, th •• is betweene good men, and ill mens ioyes These doe ioye in their vanities, And th • other doe reioice in a good cōsciēce. This is the reioysing of Saincte Iohn in ioye.

Luc. 1.That ioy must needes be vayne which hath not the grace of God for his foundation. If thou doe stande in good state toward God, then shalte thou haue true ioy, and if thou canst get God, then shalt thou haue all ioy in him. VVilte thou haue riches? Psal. 3. Beholde it is written: Glory and riches be • n his house. VVilte thou haue bewtie? Can. 4. Our Lorde sayeth vnto his spouse. Beholde my frend how fayre she is. VVilt thou haue lyfe? Behold I am the lyfe, sayeth God. Ioh. 14. VVilt thou haue saluation? I am, sayeth our Lorde, the Sauiour of the people. VVilte thou haue peace? The Apostle sayeth: Eph. 2. That our Lord is our peace, which maketh agreemente betwixte God the father and vs. VVilte thou haue honor? Beholde what is written in the psalme. Thy frendes be very honorable, and their domination is comfortable.

If thou haue God with thee thou hast perfecte ioye, for with him thou ha • te as much as thou canst wishe: with good reason, and for iuste cause is he ioyfull that •• th with him the fountayne of all ioy.

Away with all this temporall ioy, for an •• che of one spirituall ioy is more worth •• en all the false ioyes and pleasures that •• e world can bestowe vpon thee. There 〈◊〉 no tast of true ioy but in God alone, for 〈◊〉 worldly ioy doth soone vanishe away • gayne.

Ismael Abrahams sonne according 〈◊〉 the fleshe, Gen. 21. had soone spent • and • onsumed the water which his mother •• gar and he caried for their comforte • nd releefe: But Isaacks lasted and conti • ued, who was the child of promyse. The • omfortes of the world shal soone haue an • nd in the wicked, but the spiritual con •• lations of the iust, shalbe like springing •• elles of water whiche neuer sh •• l fayle: • nly this ioye is certayne & sure whereof • ur lord speaketh: No man shall take your • oye from you. Iohn. 16.

Many worldlie men doe glorie in • heir garmētes, but that glorie is their gar • entes, it is none of their owne. Others • oast them of their riches, but that glorie • ongeth to the riches, and not to them • hat doe owe thē. This ioye is not theirs, it • esteth in tēporall things. They may soone • e without that ioye, if they be without • he thinges which brought the ioye.

But that ioy which Christ calleth our • oy, no man can take away from vs, which • s the ioy of a good conscience. This is our owne proper ioy, which no man can take away from vs, but if we be contente • to departe with it our selues. This is th • ioy which we haue, not of any creatu •• but from the creator him selfe. Among • the fruites of the holy Ghost, S. Paule r •• keneth gladnes to be one. Gal. 5.

In creatures their can be no perfec •• ioye, but onely the ioye is full an • perfecte of it selfe, which is in God o •• creator, because it is infinite and withou • end, according to the goodnes of him th •• it proceeded from. Ioy is in compariso • to desire, as reste is vnto motion: for the •• is our rest quyet and perfecte when the •• is not any thinge more to be moued: A •• euen so shall our ioy be full and perfec •• when there is not any thinge more for 〈◊〉 to desi •• or wish for.

And because that in the things of th •• lyfe, our desire neuer findeth perfect re •• hereof it groweth, that in the creatures 〈◊〉 this worlde it neuer findeth perfect ioy • ▪ Therefore doe thou loue God alone, wh •• filleth thy soule with good desires, and 〈◊〉 the onely cause of thy perfect ioy.

Psal. 102.The prophete Dauid sayeth: That 〈◊〉 only filleth our desires with good thing •

Anna the mother of the prophet Sa • muell sayde my hart reioysed in ou • Lord, and in my God was all my gladne •• So doe thou reioyce onlie in God, becaus • the ioye of this worlde is false and vain • the which shortelie passeth awaye & vani • sheth.

• OVV GREAT SO EVER ANY mans honours in this vvorld be, yet they all vanysh avvay at the last, and true honour doth only rest in the seruantes of God, both here in this vvorld, and in the vvorld to come. CHAP. 26.

THY frendes are verye honorable (O Lord, Psal. 138) and their gouernement full of comfort. Thus sayeth the prophete dauid. If thou be the frende of honor, th •• arte 〈◊〉 enemy of God, for he onely hath true •• nor, that is in the fauour of god. It is va •• ie to seeke the honor of this presente •• rlde, for with payne it is gotten, and •• th charge maynteyned, and quickely it •• gone agayne. Onely true honor belon •• th to the seruantes of God. All those •• om the worlde doth honor and extoll •• re not the frendes of God.

That honor which the sainctes of God 〈◊〉 both here on the earth, and also in •• auen, was not gotten by the seeking of 〈◊〉 but by the flying away from it. VVilte •• ou be honorable? Then must thou hum •• e thy selfe and be brought lowe. VVilte • ou that all men shall knowe thee? Labour thou then to be knowen of no body: 〈◊〉 lyke a shadow that flyeth from him whi •• foloweth it, and it is gotten by throwi •• thy selfe downe to the grounde, and al •• sing thy selfe. If thou shalte once know • thy selfe, but for earth and ashes as th •• arte, thou wilte not couet after the vay •• honors which these blind worldly fol ••• doe seeke so much for. VVhen thou wi •• haue none of them, then shall they be g •• uen thee: VVhen thou fliest from the •• then will they come vnto thee, and 〈◊〉 humbling of thy selfe, thou shalt get the • ▪

But yf thow wilt desire the hono •• perpetual, thou must despise this temp •• rall honour: doe but cast thyne eyes vp •• the end that all these temporall vanit •• doe c • me vnto, & thou wilt easelie despi •• the vayne honours of this world. Th •• be certayne countrie pastimes vsed, 〈◊〉 which amongest other, their is vsed t •• carying aboute of a certeyn paper Ima •• sett vp a lofte vpon a pole, which all 〈◊〉 people folowe frō place to place, to ma •• sporte at, which he that carieth sette •• furth with all the brauerie, gay garmen •• and Iewels that he can get or borowe, 〈◊〉 when the play is ended, and all that bor ••• wed ware retorned backe to the own •• agayne, then their remaynes nothing 〈◊〉 the bare naked Image as little esteeme • thē, as it was folowed & cōmended befo •• And euen so falleth it out by thee, wh •• thou arte alofte in the world, decked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honours & dignities thereof, be 〈◊〉 neuer so vyle a sinner, thou shalt not • t commendacions and vayne prayses • he people, but when thy playing tyme • nded, & all that thou haddest borowed • ore of the worlde, restored agayne, as • e will they set then by thee, as they 〈◊〉 set by the paper puppet before, that 〈◊〉 so much esteemed and folowed.

Thou must remember, that all thy •• ddes, honours, and dignities be all but 〈◊〉 vnto thee here for a tyme, and all •• ughe thou doest possesse them for a •• e, yet mayest thou well see, that they be • ne of thyne, since when thy lyfe for •• keth thee, thou canst not carrie them •• aye from hence with thee, since other •• lkes must then adorne them selfe with •• at, which thou diddest so much magnifie •• y selfe with all before.

VVhen the iourney of thy lyfe is ended, 〈◊〉 an end is also all thyne honour and • orldlie reputation, and in the earth must •• ou lye all poore and naked while others • ake merie with that which thou so much • steemedst.

The greate estates and kinges of the • arth that sat sometyme full high in their •• rones and seates of Maiestie, all clad in • urple and rich array, vnto whom folke • owed their knees▪ & made lowe curtisies, • s vnto some earthly God: The same folke • fter (when all the honor was gone, and • hey layed lowe in their graues) wēt walking ouer their heades, & shew • small reuerence to those whome they 〈◊〉 greatlie magnified before. This is 〈◊〉 worldlie guyse, to daye in honour, to 〈◊〉 row in dishonour. To day euery man sp ••• keth honorablie of thee, And to mo •• not one that will remember thee. A •• passeth the wynde of this vanitie, the fe •• lasteth not longe, and at last in short spa •• cometh all the honour to nought.

O I wold to God, that vnto the ea •• nest louers and folowers of this world •• false honours and vanities, there were 〈◊〉 worse to falle vnto them: Thē after th •• they should be once depriued of them 〈◊〉 death and cleane forgotten of word •• people, there mighte no more harme co •• vnto them. But this is (loo) a miserab •• thing, and vearie fearefull to thinke 〈◊〉 that after these short daies be ended 〈◊〉 which they haue serued the worlde, th •• which contynued in their vyces and eui •• lyfe vnto the end, shall burne in hell 〈◊〉 after for euer. This end haue the vanitie • which thou seekest after, and in this do •• the honours end, that thou so much de • lightest in.

The true seruante of Iesus Christ, doth not desire this temporall honour, which he acknowledgeth for vaine, and transi • torie: The seruante of Christ setteth mor • by the honour of his Maister, then he doeth by his owne honour and cōmoditie▪ Happie is he which in all that he doeth▪ ••• ireth nothing but the honour of God. 〈◊〉 Happie is he which imbraceth humi •••• e, & foloweth his maister Christ there •• • nd dispiseth all the vayne honour of 〈◊〉 world from the bottome of his harte, • he end, that he may reigne with Christ 〈◊〉 euer.

Care not for the false honour of this •• rld, that thou mayest get the true ho •• ur of heauen, leaue not the truth for 〈◊〉 shadowe.

The Apostle sayth,1. Cor. 14. be not ye in your •• ce & vnderstandinge like vnto childrē. •• ildrē doe more delight in horses made • reedes, and puppetts made of clowtes, •• en in true horses, & verie men and wo • en in deede. Thou must not be a childe, •• d set more by a shadow of truth, then 〈◊〉 the trewth it selfe.

The riches and honours of this worlde 〈◊〉 but shadowes of the true riches and •• nours that be in heauen. And since thou art a man of reason and iudgement, put not thyne affection vpon these slight soone sliding vanities.

ALL DESIRE OF VVORLD •• honour is to be fledde, for by them d • thou incurre infinite daungers 〈◊〉 losinge thy soule, and by them th •• are greate offences committed agai •• thy lord God. CHAP. 27.

BE NOT thou desirours 〈◊〉 take any worldlie domin ••• at mans hand, Eccl. 9. neyther d •• thou seeke for aduaunc •• ment of the king, sayth th •• wise man. Those that 〈◊〉 to clyme vp in the toppes of howses, are 〈◊〉 greate daunger of fallinge, wherfore it be • houeth them to haue a good stayed he •• lest they falle and doe breake their nec • kes. If thou doest folow after the hono •• of this world, yt wilbe needefull for the •• to haue a good brayne, and to stand wel i • gods fauour, for feare lest thou falle int • hell.

Prosperitie is more daungerous th •• aduersitie. The prophete sayeth: That 〈◊〉 thousande shall fall at thy lefte hand, Psal. 90. an • ten thousand vpon thy right hande. The •• were more in number which perished vp • on the right hande of the honor and feli • city of this world, then were those which • erished on the lefte hand of base degree • nd meane fortune. The felicity of world • y folke, is as it were an offence with out • orrection. In place of honor looke that • hou set not thy selfe, for there arte thou • ubiect vnto much daunger.

The frantike person hath many ima • inations, and if he driue them not away • rom him, they will put him into great ha • arde. Leaue the vayne desires of honour, which thou cariest aboute with thee in • hyne head, for yf thou put them not • way from thee, they will put the lyfe of • hy soule into vearie greate daunger of • estruction. Take away from thyne hart • he vanitie of proude thoughtes and high minded conceytes, if thou wilte obteyne • aluation. Thou wilte neuer be •• red, ex • ept thou doe driue from thee th • se imaginations.

VVorldly honor is dangerous, and in • t full many haue perished and bene loste. • ome haue their worldly honor so deare • nto them, that to mainteyne the same, and keepe the good opiniō that they suppose • he world hath of thē, they will not sticke • o offend God, & to defame their neigbour • o whome they will not seeke afterwarde • o restore his good name agayne, which is • y thē impayred for feare lest they shold • rgue them selues of their former wronges, And so thereby decay their owne credite. And rather then they will loose one • ote of their worldlie honour and reputation, they will remayne in hell for euer▪ And rather then they will pay that which they owe, (whyle they shall thereby abat •• some parte of their worldlie worship and estimatiō, for the paymēt of their debtes,) they will venter to goe to the diuell, and cast away their soules for euer.

They be like vnto those greate me • which Saincte Iohn speaketh of, which • beleued in Christ but they durst not confesse it, for feare of the phariseys, lest they shold haue bene driuen out of the Sinagoge, Io. 12. They loued more the glorie of men, then the glorie of god. This is a daungerous state, in which these louers of worldlie honours doe lyue, that they determyn • rather to loose their soules, then the honour of • his world.

Pil •• e condemned our sauiour, although he knew hym to be innocent, for to maynteyne his owne credite thereby amongest the people. He knew well enough our Sauiours innocencie, He saw • that he was delyuered into his hande • through enuye, and he was also verie desirous to haue delyuered hym. But when hi • accusers tolde hym, Io. 19. that yf the shold 〈◊〉 hym scape away, he was not to be accom •• ted Cesars frend, so greedie was he 〈◊〉 worldlie honour, (which he stode in fea •• to loose by their meanes yf they shol •• accuse hym to the Emperour of any •• uour bearing toward Christ,) that for th • sauing of his credite, and maynteynyng 〈◊〉 • is worldlie honour he gaue sentence of • eath against the author of lyfe, And wolde rather goe against all reason, & his • wne knowledge, then falle tnto the disgrace of his Prince. And was contented to • ffende God, rather then to diminishe any • arte of his woorshipfull estate, or lose • is credite with the Emperour. And yf • hou wilt preferre worldly honour before • he loue of God, thou must needes falle • nto a thousande of such mischiefes.

Many be they which goe to the diuell • or the maynteynyng of their credite in • his worlde. This is a dangerous estate, • nd yf thou diddest but well consider of • he dangers in which they doe lyue that • re put into high dignities and honours • f the worlde, thou woldest from • he bot • ome of thy harte, with all earnest affe • tion, determyne resolutelie with thy selfe 〈◊〉 renounce all these vayne dreames of • orldlie honours and promotions, which • owe thou settest so much by, and doest 〈◊〉 disordinatlie loue. How many haue pe •• shed through honours.

In what honor was Adam when he • as placed in the earthlie paradise, Gene. 3. Iob. 1. & yet • ow grieuouslie offended he? Contrarie • ise Iob was beaten downe with many tri •• lations, and had many occasions geuen • ym to offend God, and dyuers impedi • ents to serue hym, And yet all this suffi •• d not to make hym to sinne. Adam was 〈◊〉 greate dignitie obeyed of all, and Iob lay in a stall dispited of all. By this tho • mayst perceyue what daunger there is 〈◊〉 the dignitie and honours of the world, & what suertie is founde in the despising & contempt thereof agayne.

He which standeth on the toppe of a steepe slipperie tower, is in greate hasa •• of falling: And in much lesse suertie b • they which climbe vp to the toppes of ho •• ses, then they which walke belowe on th •• euen grounde: in a lowe estate thou ha •• not so much to feare, and liuest in bette • safetie.

In noble men, and men of greate est ••• wee see much idlenes reigne, which is th • mother of vyce, and stepdame to all vertue. They spend their lyfe, and consum • their d • yes in ydle pastimes, vayne delighte • and banckettes. God is more displeased by them then by those that ge • their liuing by the sweate of their brow •• ▪

But wilt thou get the lyfe euerlasting▪ Then must thou in this lyfe, make store▪ and set much by those thinges which an • much worth there. The marchāt that wil • thriue, buieth his ware good cheape whe • it is plentie, and selleth it deare agayne 〈◊〉 places where it is scant. Thou desirest 〈◊〉 goe to heauen, and thitherward thou an • now trauailing: take not that with thy thither which is good cheape there. The • be all maner of honours riches, and p ••• sperities verie abundant, folow 〈◊〉 counsell, and carie with thee thither, th • kinde of ware, whiche is not there to be gotten, thou shalt be sure to sell it well, & to haue good payment there for it.

All maner of tribulation, persecutions teares, fastinges, and all workes of penance, be thinges which are not there to be had, nor none such founde there. If thou doe therfore prouide thy selfe good store of this ware, when thou comest thether thou shalt be suerlie well payed for the same, and so thou shalt be riche therewith and lyue thereby in honour for euer. And yf thou goe laden hence with vayne honours and pleasures of this worlde, they will yeld thee litle, in the next worlde.

Therefore leaue of that trade betyme and meddle with none of that kynde of stuffe, let these false honours goe set not by these short sliding pleasures of the world: They will but worke thee dishonour and shame, flye from them here, & thou shalt wynne thereby true honour in heauen.

THIS VVORLDLY PROSPERITY▪ ought much to be feared, for asmuch as many greate men of this vvorld, vvhich haue bene good and iust in aduersitie, haue yet in prosperitie bene founde to be full of vvretchednes and iniquitie, commytting dyuers offences, vvhich haue bene both against gods high honour, & their ovvne saluation. CHAP. 28.

Prou. 1. THE prosperitye of fooles will be their owne confusion, sayth the wise man: thou oughtest to stande much in dreade of prosperitie here in this world, if thou seeke to conserue the humilitie of harte, and to serue Iesus Christ.

Saul was as good, and as holy a man as any was in all the lande of Israell,1. Re. 9. when he lyued in meane estate, but after he came vnto honor, and was aduaunced to the dignitie of a king, his worldly prosperitie made him proude and high mynded.

Dauid when he was persecuted, coulde gyue lyfe vnto Saule his enemy and persecutor,2. Reg. 11. which he had in his power to • aue taken from him, but after in his great • rosperitie, he wolde not spare the lyfe of • is faythfull frende Vrias. He that in per • ecution gaue lyfe vnto them that had • eserued death, in prosperitie slewe those • hat best deserued lyfe. It is a rare gifte to • se prosperitie well.

Thou must not in worldly prosperi • ie lyue all at aduenture, for so greate is • hy danger, as thy negligence is greate in • hy gouernement. That parte of thy lyfe must needes be greatly in danger, which is neglected through too much assurance of thy selfe. VVe haue seene many men very vertuous and much fearinge God, who when they were aduaunced to high roomes and dignities, fell into pryde and dissolute lyuinge. Beware th •• efore of worldly prosperitie, as of a most manifeste pestilence

Vpon the high hilles of Gelboe,2. Reg. 1. the noble men of Israell loste their lyues. And in the prosperitie of this worlde, doth many a man dayly perish: vnto prosperitie is ioyned the forgetfulnes of God.

Ioseph prayed Pharaos cup bearer to haue him in remembrance, Gene. 40. when he sholde be restored agayne to his former estate of honor. And the holy scripture sayeth of him: That as soone as he had gotten out of prison where Ioseph and he had hene long together, and that he was restored vnto his office agayne, he quyte forgot his frende and interpreter Ioseph, he put hym in mynde that he shold not forget hym, when he was restored to his roume agayne, because he knew that prosperitie was the tyme of forgetfulnes.

Pharao king of Egipte, in his prosperitie saide that he knew not God, neither wold he lett the people of Israel depart away from hym: but in his tribulation he began to knowe hym, & besought Moyses and Aaron, to pray vnto God for hym.

Mat. 17.Saincte Peter being a lofte in glorie vpon the top of the mount Thabor, wished for three Tabernacles there, One for Christ, One for Moyses, and a nother for Elias, and neuer remembred hym selfe, nor any other of his felow disciples.

Doe not thou marueyle at this, for prosperitie, and worldlie glorie, maketh a man to forget both hym selfe, and all the frendes that he hath.

It is more dangerous saylinge vpon the sweete pleasant waters of the running • ryuers, them vpon the salt and bitter waters of the sea. And so is thy saluation in more perill when thou liuest amongest the prosperities of this miserable world, then whē thou liuest in the bitter stormes of tribulation.

Prosperitie sheweth alway a frendlie countenance, and contynueth still at hand with vs, which maketh vs the lesse to suspect it, and take no regard therevnto, whereby shee taketh better occasion to linke her selfe in league with our flesh • gainst vs, so as they both ioyne together, • nd assault our poore soule.

But it is the best way for thee, when • hou art in prosperitie, to thinke allwaies • hat there is a storme commynge at hand. And then shalt thou take it, but as a thing • ent vnto thee.

And agayne in tribulation thou maiest • omfort thee with the remembrance that • hy troubles shall not long last, and so shalt • hou carrie one indifferente face towarde • hem both.

And if thou wilt lyue with Iesus Christ for euer in an other world, thou must flye from the prosperitie and vayne honors of this present world: and better it is for thee to be afflicted and troubled with Christ, then to lyue in all the prosperitie of this worlde. Take it for great good to thee, to be persecuted and tormented with Christ thy redeemer, Mat 5. for vnto those that are persecuted for him belongeth the kingdome of heauen. Despise the felicitie of this world, that thou mayest get the true honor which endureth for euer.

THE PROSPERITIE OF THIS vvorlde gyueth shevve of the paynes and infelicitie of the next, And the persecutions and afflictions suffered for Christ, are sure testimonies, of his diuine loue, And of his chosing of th •• to be of the number of his elect. CHAP. 29.

2. Tim. 3. ALL those which seeke to liue religiouslie in Christ Iesu doe suffer persecution, sayth the Apostle. The barreyne trees which yelde no fruyte, are neuer shaken nor beaten, but are at last cut downe, and caste into the fier: as our Sauiour Christ sayd by the withered figge tree. But contrarywise happeneth it vnto the good trees, which though they be well shaken and beaten for to gather the fruite, yet are they neither cut downe nor destroyed. Luc. 13. Math. 7. Our Lord likened men vnto trees, which when they be good, are persecuted, and when they be nought shall be bur • ned in hell fier.

If thou be persecuted be not dismayed, but yeld thankes to God, that hath admitted thee to be one of that number that he hath chosen for him selfe. Christ • ym selfe was persecuted, so were all his • oly Apostles, and all his frendes. If thou • uffer no persecution in this lyfe, thou • ughtest much therefore to be afrayed •• ste thy punishment be reserued for thee • ltogether vnto the later end, when death • hall cut thee downe by the roote: and doe • ot thou thinke that thou arte the better • eloued of God, for that he suffereth no persecution to fall on thee.

Christ gaue with his owne hande vnto • udas his breade dipped in the liquor of • he tender Lambe, Io. 15. whereas his other disciples did eate their bread drye, without eyther liquor or leuayne: yet was not Iudas therefore eyther the more fauored, • he more holy, or the more perfecte. And when thou likewise doest eate thy meate dressed delicately after the finest fashion, doe not thou thinke thy selfe therefore to be better then the poore soules which doe eate their bread drye.

God dealeth his temporall benefites most liberally to the sinfull wretches of the worlde, and sheweth them outwardly the best fauor. Io. 12. Vnto Iudas he gaue the bag of money, and to his other disciples he gaue the trauayle of preaching.

Vnto Iudas he gaue the most sauorye and the most easie parte: but vnto his welbeloued Apostles, he gaue his vnsauorye and hard persecutions.

It is better to be poore with the Apostles, then to be rich with Iudas. Mar. 55 It is better to eate the bread of pennance, amongest the disciples of Christ with sorow and feare, Mar. Vlt. then to lyue in the pleasure of vayne ioyes amongest the seruantes of the deuill.

Take courage vnto thee in thy persecution, and harken what our Lorde saith vnto thee. Io. 15. If they haue persecuted me, they shall persecute you also. Thou must not thinke thy selfe to be better then Iesus Christ, neither let it come at any tyme into thy thought that the same glorie which his holie mother bought with so many afflictions and persecutions shalbe gyuen vnto thee, lyuing after thyne owne will without any suffering thereof at all.

That rest which the frendes of God haue gotten by sufferinge of much vexation, & many tribulatiōs, shall not be giuē vnto thee, liuing at thy pleasure, and reuenging of thyne iniuries. Be not proude that thou hast no persecution, but take it rather as a most grieuous persecution vnto thee, that thou wert neuer persecuted.

The phisition suffereth the sick man to doe what he will and to haue his owne lust in euerie thinge, of whose recouerie he is in vtter dispaire: which he will not doe vnto hym, of whome he hath good hope of amendement.

It is a great shew of thy damnation, if euerie thing come to passe as thou woldest haue it, and that thou hast thyne owne • il in euerie thing as thou woldest wish it. • appie is he to whome God is hym selfe •• isition, by taking of his worldlie com •• rts away. Happie is he that with patience •• ceyueth at the hand of God aduersitie • nd tribulation to clense his sowle with 〈◊〉 . Mat. 5. Happy be they that for righteousnes • oe suffer persecution, for theirs is the •• ngdome of heauen.

Euen as thou suffrest thy selfe with • atience to be let blood, and to be • urged for thy bodelie health sake: so • ughtest thou most ioyfullie to take per •• cution for the sauing of thy soule: And • oke not so much to the present payne • hich thou suffrest, as vnto the saluation • hich thou seekest. Remember not so • uch the present payne which thou fee • st, as the reward which thou •• okest • fter.

He that passeth ouer the Sea, and wold • ot be troubled with vomiting nor haue • is head to turne aboute with giddines, • et hym cast his eyes toward the land▪ So must thou cast the eyes of thy mynde • oward heauen, the vearie true land of • he lyuinge, and neuer looke vpon the tro • lesome waters of worldlie persecution, • eyther cast so much in thy mynde the • resent daungers of this tempesteous worlde, in which thou art now sayling, as • he pleasant countrey of heauen, toward which tbou art going.

Sainte Stephen in the persecution of those stones which were throwen at hy • lifted vp his eyes toward heauen. Act. 7. And y • thou wilt not be troubled, thou must thinke vpon the reward which thou art to receyue hereafter. Thou must suffer i • this lyfe many persecutions, yf thou wil • get the eternall lyfe. This is the money which God maketh payment withall vnto his seruantes here. VVith persecutions they be healed, & therewith be the spottes of their sinnes wyped cleane awaye.

Some be so like vnto little children, that they had rather be sicke still, then take any paine to get their helth againe. Thinke it not better for thee to lie sicke for euer in hell, then suffer in this lyfe a shorte persecution for a tyme. The greatest glorie of a Christian man is to suffer persecution for Iesus Christ.2. Cor. 12. S. Paul after he had bene taken vp into the third heauen by God hym selfe, and there receyued many great graces and gyftes at his handes, with sundrie spirituall consolations, yet wolde he neuer glorie in any thing but in his infirmities and persecutions.

A gentleman will sooner boast hym selfe of those hurtes whiche he hath receyued in the warres, and in the things which he hath done in his maisters seruice, then he will in the fauours and gyftes which he hath bestowed on hym. So sholde a good seruante of Iesus Christ glorie more in his persecutions suffred for his maister Christ, Mat. 5. then in any other • races and gyftes which he receyueth at • is hande:.

Let thy glorie be in the crosse of thy •• rde, and in thy suffering for hym, for yf • ou wilte take parte with hym in suffe • ing of persecution, thou shalte after en • ye with hym the fruytes of thy tra • ayles.

VVORLDLIE FAVOVRS DOE keepe a man from knovvynge of hym selfe, and doe so dryue hym into pride, that he loseth thereby the grace of God, and his celestiall gyftes, except they be tēpered vvith humilitie & knovvledge of hym selfe. CHAP. 30.

A MAN was a greate man (sayth the scripture) and highly fauoured of his maister Assuerus, Hester. 3. But what profit tooke he by all the fauours and benefites that Assuerus • estowed on hym. They serued hym to • o other end, but to be the instruments of • is owne fall and perdition.

Thy soule must needes runne into great • asard amongest these worldlie fauours, when as the fauours which God bestowe •• vpon his owne especiall seruantes be 〈◊〉 without daunger. Our nature beinge 〈◊〉 weake through the euill inclinatio • ▪ that is in it, doth often take harme euen by those fauours, which God hym selfe giueth vs.

Mat. 16.Christ praysed Sainct Peter, calling • hym happie, for that the father of heaue • had reuealed vnto hym that which 〈◊〉 most cōfidētly pronounced of hym. Yet 〈◊〉 much was he blinded with that fauour receaued at Gods hands, that within a whil • after he sought to haue hindred the blessed passion of our redeemer, for the which he was worthely rebuked at our Lorde • hand. Now if through our owne euill handling, w • doe take harme of these fauour • which we haue at Godes owne handes: what effect is the fauour of the world like to worke in vs?

The fauours that Ioseph receaued of his maistres in Egipt, were but as occasions and meanes to make him offend God, and to caste away his soule: and thinke thou not that humaine fauours can serue thee to any other ende.

They are of the nature of wyne which stil • fumeth vp to the head, therefore it is necessarye for vs, that these worldly fauour • be tempered with water (which they doe power vpon vs, and (as it were) delay withall the heate of our tēporall fauours) that by murmuring and grudging agaynst 〈◊〉 doe cause that these fauors of princes 〈◊〉 worldly honors, doe not fume into 〈◊〉 heades to make vs drunke therewith. 〈◊〉 because we sholde not be puffed vp 〈◊〉 much with superfluous prayses and fa •• rs of the world, the prouidence of God •• th so ordeyned, that we shold sometime 〈◊〉 bittē by sclaunderous detractors, to the •• d that when the tongue of the flatterer •• th made vs ouermuch to rise vp in the •• king of our selues, the tongue of the •• ckebiter and murmurer might as much •• ayne depresse vs and humble vs.

Reprehensions and mislykinges of men •• e bringe vs to the knowledge of our •• lfe. The fauor of the people entringe •• nce into our soule taketh away from vs •• e light of reason, whereby we mighte •• owe our selues.

He that is ouermuch fauoured, is know •• of all other men, but yet he knoweth • ot him selfe: but he that is disfauoured • nd lyueth in disgrace, knoweth him selfe • nd is not knowen of other men. It is • uch better that a man knowe well him •• lfe, then to be knowen of all other men, • nd not knowen to him selfe: and more • arme doth a man take by fauour, then by • isfauour: and more hurtefull is loue then • ate vnto him. Hate is one kinde of per • ecution to a man, and persecutions be • rofitable because they doe humble a mā, • nd make him to knowe him selfe: but • oue doth make a man blinde, and taketh from him the knowledge of him self • , 〈◊〉 for that cause is it better to be persecu •• then fauored. In persecution thou shal • finde God: and in fauors thou shalt lo •• him: and doe not thinke, that because th •• arte fauored and doest lyue in the prosp •• ritie of this world, that thou art therefo •• any thing the better beloued of God.

Remember what the Ghospell saye •• ▪ Forget not that in thy lyfe thou rec ••• uedst thy ioy, Luke. 16. and Lazarus his woe, 〈◊〉 now must Lazarus be comforted and th •• tormented. If in this lyfe thou hast fa •• and honor, thy saluation is thereby th • more in hasard, and it is a token that th •• arte not appoynted to be an heyre of th • ioyes of heauen. The lawes doe not all •• that a bastard sonne sholde enter as hey •• into 〈◊〉 fathers possessions.

Abraham gaue gifts vnto Ismael and 〈◊〉 the rest of his children, the inheritanc • of his patrimonie remayninge whole 〈◊〉 Isaacke his true heyre and successor. 〈◊〉 those which doe degenerate from G •• (their true Father) by vicious and lew •• liuing, he bestoweth onely vpon them 〈◊〉 gyftes of this worlde, which be honor an • riches.

They which most of all doe enioy th •• world with the offending of God, and th • are set alofte therein by hauing of ma • honors and dignities, are after exclud •• from the inheritance of glory which 〈◊〉 reserued for the good, who despising 〈◊〉 •••• ors of this worlde, doe hope as lawfull •• res to be admitted to the inheritance heauen. And the worldly folke must •• tente them selues with their worldly •• tes, without further hopinge for any ••• er prefermente in the inheritance of ••• uen. Doe not thou marueyle if the ••• ked doe florish in this worlde, for our •• ristian Religion doth promise here no ••• or, but contempte and dispising. The ••• ked men haue nothing in heauen: nei ••• r haue the good men any thing in this •• rld. Esteeme not thou the fauor there •• but as the good seruant of Iesus Christ, ••• ecte with patience that glorious day, which thou mayest enioy the euerlas ••• g treasure of heauen.

• HE BEST AND THE REAdiest vvay for the vvynninge of Paradise, is to suffer persecutiōs and tribulations in this vvorld, & for that purpose be they sent vs by God, that vvee may be purged by them, as golde is purged by the fier. CHAP. 31.

THROVGH manye tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of God (sayth the scripture. Act. 14. Psal. 60· Prou 13.) Suffer with patience tri ••• ations and afflictions: for our Lorde sayeth: I am with thee in thy tribulati •• ▪

Tribulation is the faythfull mess ••• ger of God, which carieth health and •••• uation with it. And as he that doth i ••• rie vnto an embassator of a king or a 〈◊〉 man, doth also iniurie to him that se •• him: So doth he offēde God, that is gr •• ued at his tribulations. And God will p •• nish them,2. Re. 20. as Dauid punished Amon, 〈◊〉 dishonoring the messengers that he se •• vnto him.

Tribulation is to man as the fyle is 〈◊〉 iron, the fanne to the corne, and as 〈◊〉 fier is vnto golde. Deale mercifully wi •• Sion (O Lorde) that the walles of Hie ••• salem may be builded vp, Psal. 50. sayeth the pr •• phete vnto God.

1. Pet. 2.S. Peter calleth vs the stones of 〈◊〉 And thou canst not serue for a stone 〈◊〉 that glorious building in heauen abo •• excepte thou be firste well squared he •• and made iust to lye in the foundation 〈◊〉 the workeman, who vseth these tribul •• tions, as hammers and edge tooles to bri •• thee to a right leuell and a perfect squ ••• and the persecutors be they which 〈◊〉 make the wall, and are appoynted of G •• to be the masters of that worke. He the ••• fore that will not be persecuted, will 〈◊〉 dwell in the heauenly Hierusalem in 〈◊〉 glory euerlasting.

King Dauid was a better king then ••• lomon his sonne was, for the father 〈◊〉 know to be saued, but of the sonne, 〈◊〉 opinion remayneth doubtefull, and yet ••• ids life was al full of affliction, teares, 〈◊〉 tribulations: but Salomons was all ••• trary, who lyued alwayes in peace and ••• speritie. Tribulation put Dauids lyfe •• ssurance, and prosperity put Salomons ••• ation in doubte.

Tribulation lighteneth the vnder •••• ding. Gene. 42.45. Ioseph was not knowen to his •• thers when he honored thē and made •• em good cheare, but when he wept and ••• ented vpon them, then was he by and made knowen vnto them. And there •• re doth God gyue to thee tribulation, •• cause thou sholdest knowe hym, synce •• en he maketh much of thee, thou wilt •• t know hym at all. And because thou ••• epest so soundelie and forgettest God, 〈◊〉 taketh from thee, the pleasure and de •• ght wherein thou layest so much at thyne •• se before, and sendeth thee some trou •• es to make thee starte out of thy sleepe • ithall, to the end that thou mayest the • etter remember thy selfe, & acknowlege • ym. So did Dauid deale with Saul,1. Re. 26. when • e tooke from hym his speare, and his • essell of water, & so made hym to awake, • nd afterward he acknowleged his faulte. Be not thou ouermuch greeued, whē God • aketh thy worldlie comfortes from thee, • or he doth it but for thy greater benefite.

Thou shalt recouer by tribulations • hy sight agayne, Tob. 11. as Tobias did by the galle of the fish. VVhen the wilde bull is coursed with in the listes, if happelie 〈◊〉 one doe walke by without any care hym selfe, yet yf he see the bull co •• running toward hym, he will straight by hym out of his waye, although that thought hym selfe neuer so safe and 〈◊〉 before: So doth God send thee tribulati •• in this lyfe, to the intent that thou may •• haue good regard vnto thy selfe, & may •• put thy selfe in safetie, by turnynge 〈◊〉 selfe vnto hym, and takinge hym for t •• safegarde. Psal. 15. The psalme sayth thou didd ••• multiplie their miseries and infirmities▪ after they made hast vnto thee. I • as fauours and felicities, doe make th • goe away from God, so doe tribulatio • make thee draw neare vnto hym. In tribu • lation (sayth the Prophet) he called vpo • God. Psal. 119. The more that the waters of th • flood did increase, Gene. 1. so much more was th • Arke of Noe lifted vp, and the more th •• the children of Israell were afflicted 〈◊〉 Egypt, Exod. 1. so much more did they increase 〈◊〉 multiplie. So the waters of tribulation do • lifte vs vpward toward God, and by the • is our merite increased, and grace aug • mented.

Take therefore a delight in tribula • tions, for it is a vearie readie way for the • vnto heauen. Act. 9. The first thing that God wrought in the conuersion of S. Paule was to make hym blynd, and throw hym downe to the grounde, to geue vs thereby to vnderstand, that the first begynnyng of 〈◊〉 true seruyng of God, cometh by tri •••• tion. The corne and the chaffe re •• ne both in the floore together: Euen 〈◊〉 this worlde are good men, and euill •• ed together in company. But when •• ynde of tribulation bloweth vp, the •• ked are blowen away, and scattered •• ugh anger and impatience, and the ••• d are thereby vnited and ioyned to •• er. That which doth hurt vnto euill 〈◊〉 , doth good vnto the iust.

By much beating, at last, the blacke • he is turned to be whyte. If good men •• gather anye spotte of sinne through to ••• h fauor and prosperitie of the world, ••• n aduersity cometh, it taketh it cleane ••• y from them. The chastisemente of 〈◊〉 in this lyfe, is like vnto the correcti ••• of a pitifull father, who euer i • his ••• ishmente remembreth mercie withall. 〈◊〉 the punishment of the nexte worlde is ••• hout all participation of mercie, ac ••• ding to that which the Prophet sayde • o God. Psal. 2. Thou shalt rule them with thy 〈◊〉 of yron, and thou shalt breake them in •• ces like vnto the vessels of clay.y. Choose then rather to be afflicted and persecuted in this worlde, seeinge thou mayest by so shorte a suffering, gayne thy selfe thereby perpetuall rest in heauen.

OVR BEINGE OVER CAREFV •• for matters of this vvorld, (beside it shevveth diffidēce in gods prom ••• made vnto vs,) it letteth and hynd •• vs, frō our spirituall exercyses vvi •• vvee ought most to attend vnto. CHAP. 33.

Mat. 6. BE not ye carefull for which yow shall eate drinke, nor take yow thought for that w •••• yow shall were on 〈◊〉 backs, sayth our redee •• Much vayne carefulnes aboute temp ••• thinges doth ouerchardge our spirit • winges, by the which our soule 〈◊〉 flie vp to the contemplation of thi • eternall.

God made man such as he shold be 〈◊〉 to vnderstande and knowe his chi •• good and finall felicitie, that by the ••• derstandinge thereof, he might loue and by louing of it, at the last enioye which he loued, frō the enioying w ••• of wee be kept by the ouermuch 〈◊〉 and loue of these worldlie thinges. Exo. 12. If childrē of Israell had bene carefull abo •• that which they shold haue eaten, dro •• or worne, when they shold haue 〈◊〉 •• o the desert they wold neuer haue gone •• t of Egipt, nor neuer haue entred into •• e lande of promyse. If thou wilt enter •• to the lande of promise, thou must cut 〈◊〉 the superfluous cares of these transito •• e thinges.

And the greatest parte of those He •• ewes, Num. 11. which were by gods mercie deli •• red from the bondage of Egipt, because •• ey were to carefull, (after they were 〈◊〉 men into the desert) for their foode and •• e prouision for their bellie, longing still •• ter flesh meate, and their olde good fare 〈◊〉 Egipt: they died in the wildernes, and • euer obteyned their desire in the entring •• to the riche frutefull lande which was • romysed them.

Labor thou not for temporall thinges, • nd thou shalt wynne erernal thinges. And • oe not seeke too greedelie after these •• sible thinges, lest that thou doe loose the •• inges inuisible.

Vnto certeyn men, (that had so much •• re of their owne matters, that they for •• t gods causes,) God hym selfe saide: • ecause ye haue attended with to much •• re to your owne howses, Ag. 1▪ and haue let •• y howse stand desert & forsaken, there • ore shall not the heauens yeld you any • ater, nor the earth any fruyte. It is but •• eete & iust they should want all thinges, • hich forsake the maker of them, for their • wne worldlie busines.

God compareth the lyfe of the iust, vnto the birdes of the ayre, aswell for th • little rest they haue, and the small suert •• they finde in the earth: As also becaus • their ordinarie abiding is alofte in high places. Hereof it is, that Christ reprehe •• dinge the carefull lyfe of worldlie fo ••• reproueth them by the example of th • birde sayinge. Beholde the birdes of th • ayer, Mat. 6. they neyther sowe, nor reape, no • gather into their barne, and yet our Lord • feedeth them, A fowle shame it were 〈◊〉 thee, to consume thy selfe with the care 〈◊〉 trauayling after this fowle earthly muc •• when thou mayest with the same care g •• the sweete flowers of Paradis. VVh •• wronge doest thou vnto thy selfe, to wea •• out & to tier thy selfe in seeking after thi • world, when thou mightest with as little trauayle finde out heauen it selfe? Euen fo • the verie honour of thine heauēlie father thou owghtest not so to doe. For this ou •• greate diligence and carefulnes of th • sonne, doth as it were priuilie reprehe •• the necgligēce & carelesnes of the father aboute the prouision of thinges necessari • for his child. For whē the child doth ta •• so much care, yt argueth little care in th • father.

Thou canst not therefore without so •• reproofe to thy heauenlie father, set thy care, & thy mynd altogether about the •• temporall thinges, as thoughe he had 〈◊〉 care at all to prouyde necessaries for hi • children. The birdes of the ayre tarrie n • •• nger vpon the earth, thē their necessitie •• forceth them, the most of their lyfe they •• e spend ordinarelie in the ayre aboue: • nd yf thou wilt escape the daungers of • is lyfe; thou must flie from the earth as •• rre as thou canst. Thou must seeke by •• templation to get vp to heauen, yf thou • ilt keepe thee safe from taking harme on •• e earth.

VVhen God created the birdes and •• e fishes, Gene. 1. he gaue vnto them his benedi •• ion, but vnto the brute beastes of the •• rth he gaue not his blessing at all: and he •• at will get that blessing, which god doth •• ue vnto good men, must doe his best to •• e from all those daungers whiche he •• ethe others to perish in. For vnto those • hich lyue disordynatlie on the earth, de •• ghting in all earthlie pleasures like vnto •• ute beastes, God will not gyue his bles ••• g at all, but rather his maledictiō say •• ge, Mat. 25. Goe ye cursed of my father into •• erlasting fier, which is prepared for •• e diuell and his aungells.

Seeke to lyue like a birde on highe prayer and contemplation, putting all •• y care vpon God, according to the say •• g, of the Apostle saint Peter.1. Pet. 5. Put all your ••• e vpon God for he it is, that taketh care 〈◊〉 yow all. So sayde the prophet. Psal. 93. I am po •• e and needie, but our lord hath care of 〈◊〉 .

And yf our lord haue care of thee, • ake 〈◊〉 thou too much thought & carefulnes for these temporall thinges, which se •• for nothing, but to extinguysh in thy • harte the loue of God. Luc. 8. The carefulnes 〈◊〉 riches doth suffocate the word of God 〈◊〉 thee. It is no marueyle thoughe the ge •• tiles & infidels liued still in care, beleui •• and trusting in fortune as they did: 〈◊〉 thou, which art a christian, & beleeuest 〈◊〉 prouidence of God, oughtest not to be 〈◊〉 refull aboute temporall thinges: for th •• knowest that yf thou doest that which longeth for thee to doe, God will promi •• all that which is necessarie for thy lyfe.

And yf he maynteyne the birdes whic • he created for mans vse, will he not may •• teyne man also, which he made for hy • selfe.

Make thyne harte cleane, and dis • charge it of all carefulnes and exterio •• busines that thou mayest the easelier li •• it vp to heauen. Io. 19. The distraction of th • hart cooleth the affectiō of loue, & putte •• man into many temptations and daunge • of the deuill. Our sensual part is ve •• stronge, and must well be looked vnto for yt desireth by all meanes to satisfie • selfe in the vanities▪ and pleasures of 〈◊〉 worlde, whereby the vnderstandinge 〈◊〉 darkened, and the spiritie become • insensible, and euerie spirituall excerci •• vnsauorie and without tast.

Much busines and occupations (al • though it be in thinges lawfull) doe bri •• a greate distraction to the mynde, whi •• • ill hynder much, thy praying and deuo •• on. For they will not suffer the most in •• arde partes of thy sowle to gather them •• lues together into any quyet, vnitie, • nd accorde.

Exterior occupations doe blynde •• e sighte of our vnderstanding, and doe • epriue vs of our true light: he that will •• yue hym selfe wholie vnto God, must se • erate hym selfe frō euerie worldlie care, • nd exterior occupation.

HOVV DECEIVABLE AND false the vvisdome of the vvorld is, vvhich iudgeth onelie by those thinges vvhich appeare good to the vvould, not considering hovv acceptable to God they be, and vvhat revvard they doe deserue, vvhiche for the loue of God dispise all those thinges, vvhich the vvorld holdeth most deare. CHAP. 33.

THAT which is foolishnes before God,1 Cor. 3. the men of the worlde esteeme for high wisdome, sayeth the Apostle. The world accompteth him for a wyse man, which beste can cloke his owne vyces here amongest men, and so behaue himselfe 〈◊〉 he can get the dignities and honors of th •• world, and those it holdeth no better th •• for very fooles which despise all such va • nities.

Srp. 5.The wyse man sayed in the person 〈◊〉 worldly folke. VVe haue taken the 〈◊〉 of iust men to be dishonorable and full 〈◊〉 folly. The worlde calleth them wyse 〈◊〉 which desire these false honors, and be • stowe all their trauayle and labor in 〈◊〉 getting of them. And those that lyue 〈◊〉 to this worlde, the fonde wisdome of 〈◊〉 worlde reputeth as dead folke: they are laughed to scorne of worldly men, a •• though they had no wit in their heade • ▪ The foolish wisdome of the world, knoweth not that the seruants of Christ be like vnto •• ndles that be lighted, the which this world lyke a boysterous winde bloweth and putteth out: and therefore they that be good in it, doe seeke to hyde them selues out of the way to be in the more safetie: they care not for to shew their holines, but vnto him whom they seeke to please who is God him selfe, who beholdeth not the out side but looketh what is within.

The wisdome of God is cleane contrary to the wisdome of the worlde: Good men are litle esteemed of worldly folke, & are much esteemed of God. The iudgementes of God be verye farre differinge from the iudgementes of men. The world • ooking onely to that which appeareth on •• e out side, taketh him onely for happye • hich is mightie and riche.

VVhen Samuel went about to anoint • ne of the sonnes of Isay to be king of Is • aell,1. Re 3. he refused him whom the father es • eemed most likely, and anoynted Dauid • ing who was thought most vnlikelie • mongest them all: and the other children of Isay that most were esteemed of men, were reiected in the sighte of God. They • hat were accompted wisest amongst men, were taken for moste ignorante before God, and he whom the worlde esteemed • east, him did God choose to be king.

He that hath a cause to pleade before learned Iudges that can skill of iustice, careth not much though he be first condemned by some ignorante Iudge befo • e, because he knoweth that he shall after appeale before a learned Iudge, whose sentence he knoweth to be of force and auayleable. VVorldly men be such iudges • here of the good, and doe condemne them for very fooles and people of no value: and this sentence holdeth for good while this lyfe lasteth, by which they be all condemned, and so doe lyue here in this world lyke persons condemned and despised. The Princes of the worlde had neuer any better opinion of our holy Martyrs, seeing them dye so willingly for their fayth: and many wyse men of the worlde esteemed for very madnes, the wilfull pouertie and beggerie which they sawe ••• ny good men susteyne for the seruice 〈◊〉 Christ their maister, who had suffred 〈◊〉 them so greate and extreme pouertie b •• fore.

Act. 26.A worldlie wyse man saide vnto S. Paule the Apostle. Thy much lerning • hath made thee madde. S. Paule made an • swere, I am not madde, I speake the word • of truth. And because that Festus did not vnderstande the misteries of the Apostl • doctrine, he reputed him for a foole, as th • worlde doth now esteeme all that for foolishenes, which it neyther cōprehendeth▪ nor vnderstādeth, for want of knowledg • and practize therein. This is that iudgemēt which the world gyueth like a blind • and an ignorant iudge, vpon those which • be good and iust in the world. But when death cometh, the seruant • s of Christ shal appeale to God, that great learned and skilfull iudge, who knoweth well all their whole cause, And then shall he condemne that former false sentence of the worlde for vniust, & shall gyue hym selfe a cleane contrarie sentence, which shalbe irreuocable, and neuer called backe agayne▪ wherein he wil pronoūce, that the worldlie men which florished in this lyfe, were vayne and foolish: And those good 〈◊〉 which the world condemned, were 〈◊〉 wyse and discrete.

Therefore let it neuer greeue thee, that the world condemneth thy lyfe, for thou •• st thy remedie of appellation where •• ou shalt haue full restitution agayne. • he day is at hand, in which the chiefe • dge of all, will approue that, whiche the • orld hath reproued.

Doe not thou therefore care for the •• rldes condemnation. The redemer of •• e worlde was esteemed of worldly folke 〈◊〉 a foole, and for such a one they appa • ed him in Herodes howse. The deepe •• d high wisdome of God, Luc. 23. is reproued by •• e world, as that which their blinde eyes •• ll not serue them to looke vpon. They •• ndemne at their pleasure the good and •• rtuous men of the worlde, but of their •• inions take thou no regarde, for soone all their vayne iudgements be confoun •• d, and the true vertue made manifest.

• HE VVISDOME OF GOD exceedeth all the depth of mans vvisdome, the vvisdome of the vvorld being foolishenes before God, and by the contemnynge of the vvorld is that other vvisdome gotten. CHAP. 34.

IF any be wyse amongest you,1. Cor. 3. let him be as a foole, to the intente he may be wyse, this sayeth the Apostle. There is not a higher poynte of wisdome then to become a foole 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 for Christ. The wisdome of God which consisteth in true mortification and denying of our selues, the worlde taketh for foolishnes.

The wyse man sayeth, I am the most foole of all, Pro. 10. Luc. 16 and the wisdome of men is not with me. The children of this worlde be wyser then the children of light. And therefore sayed the wyse man, that the wisdome of men was not with him, but the wisdome of Christ which the worlde esteemeth follie.

The wisdome of Christ exceedeth all our vnderstandinge, and therefore the worlde calleth it follie, as we call commonly all that follie which exceedeth our capacitie.

The Captayne in the fielde sometyme so o • dreth his armye, and setteth so his battayle in array, contrary to the common custome, that the souldiers vnderstanding nothing thereof, doe take the enterprise for vayne, and the Captayne for a foole. And because the wisdome of God exceedeth all our capacities, it is called follie.

As the wyse man saide in the person of worldlie folke. The sonne of Iustice hath not shined vpon vs. Sapi. 5. He speaketh not here of this materiall sonne, whiche shineth both alike, aswell vpon the iustice vniust: But they were not lightened from aboue, with the light of his highe celestiall wisdome, because the weake eyes of mans vnderstandinge, can not endure to beholde the great light of gods wisdome. All the while that Moyses was in Egypte, Exo. 4. he was both wyse and eloquent with all, but when he was to speake vnto God him selfe, he confessed his insufficiencie of speach, for before God, the wisedome of man becometh starke dumme.

Salomon was a vearie wise man, Prou. 3▪ but comparinge his wisdome with the wisedome of God, he called him selfe the most foole of all others.

This is greate wisdome in vs, to despise the world for god. He knoweth much that knoweth how to saue his owne soule: and he his onlie wise, for all other are but foolish and ignorant. In the true despising of our selues consisteth the altitude of Christian wisedome, And before this high wisedome, is euerie great knowledge verie perfect ignorance.

All though thou wert neuer so perfect in al the liberall sciences, what profiteth it thee, yf thou be ignorant in thyne owne estate? That exterior knowledge, is to be accompted no knowledge in deede.

Happie is that soule that is replenished with the wisedome of God, and perfect happie is he that seeketh to be wise before God, and maketh no accompte of the wisdome of this world. One droppe of this wisdome of God is more worth, then all the huge Seas of worldlie wisdome. In this schoole must thou studie day and night, seeking for true mortification. The more that thou hast of true perfect knowledge the more ignorant thou shalt be toward • the world, and as it were one deade in it.

Gen. 32.Iacob after he had wrestled with the Aungell, remayned lame of one of his legges, and was after called Israell, whiche is as much to saye as man that seeth God, and so he that seeth & knoweth God, must be lame outwarde to the world.

If thou doe see therefore worldlie mē goinge carefullie, and diligentlie to get honour and worldlie riches, doe not thou marueyle thereat, yf they goe not lamelie, nor haltinglie aboute that busynes, for they haue but a small knowledge of God. The iust men that doe see God, as Iacob did, throughe the knowledge that they haue of our Lorde, are as it were lame in the knowledge of earthelie thinges, And those doth the worlde thinke fooles, because they be wyse before God.

VVhen the superiour and cheefe parte of thy soule, is ful of the wisdome of God, by thy firme fixing of thy mynde therevpō, it fareth by it, as by the moone, which in the coniunction thereof with the sonne, is so fullie possessed with the beames and light thereof, that it casteth no parte of her owne lighte towarde the earth. No more the soule of man, being fixed vpon the loue of God, and fast ioyned therevnto can haue any light lefte in it, to cast or to bestowe vpō the earth, or earthly thinges, but hath that parte cleane emptie, that sholde looke that waye. The foole (sayth Ecclesiasticus) chaungeth like the moone, for leuing the diuine light, Eccl. 27. and the cleare shynynge of the sonne of iustice, doth wholly conuerte hym selfe, to the inferior thinges of the earth.

This worldlie wisdome is comfounded by the wisdome of Christ. Exod. 7. The serpent of Moyses deuowred all the serpentes of Pharaos magitioners: So doth the wisdome of God swallow vp and consume all the wisdome of the world.

In the olde law God promysed riches and such thinges as men naturallie doe desire in the world, but there were at that tyme very fewe that wolde turne to the Iewysh religion, & the verie true worship of god.1. Cor. 1. But when our sauiour of the world came, & promysed vnto men persecu • iō & afflictiō (which men doe naturallie hate) all the world was conuerted vnto God.

The wisdome of God is of that force that it tooke the vearie weakelinges of the worlde to conuince the stronge, and the ignorant to confute the greatest learned: Rom. 1. vnto the wisdome of God all thinges are subiect. And they that called them selues wyse, were the most fooles of all, sayth the Apostle.

This wisdome wold the diuell take from thyne vnderstanding,1▪ Reg. 11. as Amon wold pulck out the right eyes of the Israelites which is the knowledge of heauēlie thinges. The eyes of a wyseman be in his head, which is Christ hym selfe, for the wysemā seeketh to knowe God, and in that knowledge doth exercyse hym selfe and take delight, according to the sayinge of Sainct Paule:1. Cor. 2. I confesse that I knowe nothing but Iesus Christ, and hym crucified. Behold and reade in that booke, and let all thy exercise be in the reading of the Passion of Iesus Christ, to the intent that by thy knowing of hym here in earth, thou maiest afterward perfectlie knowe hym in heauē.

OVR LYFE IS SHORTE, AND passeth avvay like a vvynde, And it is lesse also then yt seemeth to be, for yt is no perfect lyfe, but a shadovv of the lyfe to come. CHAP. 35.

Iob. 14. THE dayes of our lyfe be shorte, (sayth Iob) they passe away like flowers, and our yeares consume away like dewe vpon the face of the earth. Iam. 4. And S. Iames sayth. That our lyfe is but a vapor, which soone appeareth, and in a moment is gone agayne, And like a clowde in the ayer, which as soone as the sunne shyneth, is dispersed. This life so much esteemed amongest men seemeth for a tyme to make a statelie shew, and to carrie greate countenance in the world abroade, but what it is in truth, may easlie appeare by the casualties which it is subiect vnto. By how many infinite wayes, is our lyfe taken away from vs: by any light distemperature casting vs in some feuer, or other infirmity, it is gone in an instant, and into Ashes soone is tha • conuerted, which was so highlie esteemed of men before.

VVhat is the tyme of our lyfe, Iob. 7. but euen a pufte of wynde? It passeth like a post, and as a geast that neuer retorneth agayne.

Euen as a lightenynge in the ayre, that in the twinckeling of an eye is vanyshed away, so passeth away both the lyfe & the glorie of this world: Eccl. 3. Vnto vanitie is euerie creature subiect.

Reckē vp all the dayes, the monethes, and the yeares, of your lyfe, and tell me where they be now? They are all passed away like a shadowe, and like a spiders webbe, that is blowen away with the wynd so is all thy woorke perisshed. There is nothing stable here vpon the earth, of which Adā, & all his progenie are formed.

There is nothing shorter then lyfe, which carieth death aboute with yt, It is both short and miserable, which goodmen doe susteyne with patience, and wicked men doe loue with delight. But for all their much louing of yt, they cannot enioye yt, any longe tyme. VVe doe all die,2 Re. 14. and as water that runneth and neuer retorneth agayne, so runne our dayes away, sayth the scripture.

There is no streame that runneth so fast away as the lyfe of man doth: the water streames neuer turne backe agayne, and the dayes which are passed are not to be called agayne, the tyme that thou hast lost is vnrecouerable.

Thou mayest sit like another Tobie vpon the ryuer banke of Tygris, Tob. 6. and by the fearce running of that swifte streame thou mayest well consider the swifte running of thyne owne lyfe away. That ryuer hath his name of his swifte running, and yet is not the course thereof so swifte as is the course of thy lyfe, which hasteneth thee on so fast to thy graue.

In the consideration of this fast running st •• ame mayest thou well washe the feete of thy soules affections. In this contemplation mayest thou wype away the filth of this earthly loue, that so cleaueth vnto thee by meanes of thy worldly busines.

The lyfe of man is but a deceyuable dreame. Psal. 115 The prophete sayeth▪ I sayed in my spirite that euery man is a lyer. And according to the translation of the seuentie interpretors, Psal. 38. Dauid sayed not: That euery man is a lyer, but that euery man is a lye: the very lyfe of man is a lye: It is not that in deede which it seemeth to be, it seemeth long, and is very shorte. Because I beleeued, I had knowledge of my selfe, and was humbled.

In an image doth man passe away. An image is but a figure of the truth, and this lyfe is not a true lyfe, it is but a figure of lyfe, and a shadow of death: it is not that which it seemeth, it is but onely a shadow of the truth: It is an apparance of lyfe▪ which runneth in such hast, that it is vnpossible to be restrayned or helde backe. And as our lyfe runneth daylie away from vs toward our end, so with our lyfe runneth also away all our honours, riches, and pleasures, which wayted on our lyfe, like an vnseparable shadowe. The synfull delight which was taken in them, is then at an end, but then begyn the tormentes due for the sinnes committed by them, which neuer shall haue end. The oddes whereof is verie greate: the delight but short▪ and the torment euerlasting.

VVhat thinge is their in this worlde stable and permanent? Riches, honours, and pleasures, how soone be they gone? Heare what holie Iob sayth. My lyfe is short, Io • . 9. and my dayes passe like a post away. For as a post is no sooner comen, but that he is straight gone againe, so is our lyfe soone come, and soone gone agayne. VVith our youth, doth all our bewtie passe away, and shortlie after passeth away and perisheth all that euer wee delighted in beside.

SO GREAT IS THE LOVE OF God tovvard vs, that this lyfe here being full of sorovves and afflictions, He of his goodnes hath shortened yt, that vvee may sone be ridd of these infelicities and miseries. CHAP. 36.

MAN is borne to trauayle, (sayth Iob. Iob. 5.) In weeping wee beginne our lyfe: in trauayll doe wee contynue it: and in payne doe wee part with it. That sentence was gyuen by God vpon our father Adam, Gene. 3. Iob. 7. that in the sweate of our browes, wee should eate our breade. And synce the whole lyfe of a man is nothing but a contynuall trauayle and labor vpon the earth, God of his greate loue towarde man hath so appointed it, that the tyme thereof is much shortened and abridged, to the end that wee may labour but for a shorte tyme.

The mercy of God is such, as he will not haue our labors and trauayles to endure for any longe tyme, neyther cōsēteth he to any greate cōtinuance of them. And where as wee lyue like bannyshed men in this lyfe, he condiscended of his greate goodnes towardes vs, to make shorte the tyme of our bannyshement. And whereas he hath made vs, to be partakers of his ioy with hym, And that our glorie and propre countrie is in heauen aboue, he wold not haue vs to be longe from hym, but is as desirous to haue vs with hym, as some one man that is so farre in loue with another, that he can not lyue one hower without the sight of hym. In the shortenynge of our lyfe, he hath shewed how much he hath loued vs.

Also he wold that for our benefite, our lyfe shold be shortened, because that men shold despise this shorte lyfe, & loue the lyfe eternall: Iob saied vnto God: Iob. 7. Pardon me (O lorde) for my dayes be nothing. Because Iob saw that his daies were nothing in deede, he began to aske pardō of God, and to doe pennance.

Many lyue so, as they shold neuer lye, being so occupied in the vanities of this lyfe, as thoughe it were gyuen them to doe nothing els in. VVhereas it is gyuen in deede by God, to be well imployed, and to be spent aboute his busines, and in prouiding for the lyfe to come. He is worthie suerlie of iust reproofe, that thinketh here of any other thing, then the getting of that lyfe which endureth for euer.

If thou but considerest the shortenes of this lyfe, and wayest withall the eternitie of the other, thou wilte easely be led to despise this present lyfe. God seeinge how the malice and noughtines of men increased, and that many tooke courage to offend him, vpon the confidence of long lyfe and tyme of repentance: he determined to cut it shorter, because they sholde not grow to bolde in sinning vpon trust of their longe lyfe. And because the longe tyme which he had graunted man to lyue, and to doe pennance in was abused, he abridged i • , for he saw well, that it serued to no other end (as it was vsed by man) but for the multipliyng and increase of sinne.

VVhen men lyued more simplie in the begynninge of the worlde, God graunted them longe lyfe, but when he saw them vse it euill, and that iniquitie increased thereby, he made there tyme shorter. The Prophet saith talking with God. Psal. 89. Thou hast set our iniquities in thy presence, and our age before the light of thy countenance. All our dayes were shortened, and in thine angre were wee brought lowe. After seuentie yeares be past, our dayes shalbe but euen like vnto a spiders webbe.

The Prophet sayth, that for our sinnes God shortened our lyfe. The miserie and breuitie of our lyfe, doth the Prophet here expresse, by the comparaison of the spider, which with greate trauayle and payne, weaueth a fyne & a delicate webbe, which afterward a small blast of wynde breaketh, and taketh quyte away. And so our lyfe which is with so much labour susteyned, as soone as any blast of sickenes or infirmitie cometh, is straight taken away from vs, and therefore so short and so transitorie a thinge as that is, is not inordinatlie to be loued or esteemed.

This lyfe is not heauenlie, but earthlie, it is not our countrey, but our bannyshement, God will not suffer it to be perpetuall, but vearie shorte. This lyfe hath an end, but that lyfe where God inhabiteth with his elect, hath no end.

A fonde felow were he, that wolde not haue his iourney soone at an ende, to be at rest in his owne countrey: and he that taketh payne, and laboreth harde here in this present lyfe, is very vaine and foolish if he desire not to be at quyet reste for euer with Christ, in the most ioyfull dwelling place of heauen.

VVhat slaue is there any where so much made of, but that he wolde yet gladly be at his owne home? And who is he that lyueth in a darke dongeon, but wolde willingly be where he might see light? This worlde is not our countrey, but a Babilonicall prison, and who so desireth longe lyfe, desireth a long imprisonment. And he that desireth olde age, desireth a long infirmitie, and where no true lyfe is, there oughtest thou to long for death. Death serueth vs as a medicine for the trauayles susteyned in this lyfe, which neuer haue end, but when our lyfe endeth: and he that must needes departe hence, better it is that he goe betyme then tarie to long.

Happie is he that beareth this lyfe with patience, and desireth, by death 〈◊〉 come vnto a better. And happie is that soule, vnto which God graunteth rest in the lyfe perdurable. God is good in all his workes, who hath here shortened this lyfe, for thyne owne good and commoditie, that thou mayest the sooner come to the lyfe eternall.

INNVMERABLE BE THE daungers, vnto vvhich this lyfe of man is subiect, and in hovv much higher state he liueth here, into so many more trovvbles and daungers is he brought by meanes of them. CHAP. 37.

Psa. 102. HIS daies florished lyke the flower in the fielde: sayeth the prophete Dauid, speaking of the lyfe of man. To how many daungers is the flower in the fielde subiect vnto? The sonne burneth it: the wynde dryeth it vp: man treadeth it downe: the beast eateth it vp: the water ouerfloweth it: the heate withereth it away.

VVhat tonge can declare the daungers that man is subiect vnto and the perills that his lyfe daylie runneth in. A little •• row consumeth hym, Sickenes maketh 〈◊〉 end of hym, The Sea drowneth hym: •• finite be the inconueniences, and innu • erable be the meanes, by which his lyfe • ay be taken away from hym when he •• ast thinketh thereon.

Iob sayed: My dayes doe passe away as shippe laden with apples, Iob. 9. & more lightly • oe they goe away, then the poste that tra • ayleth by the way: they fled apace away, • nd saw not any good at all. He sayed tru • y that his dayes paste faster away then the • ost, for runne the post neuer so fast, yet • ust he stay sometyme by the way to take • is repaste in eatinge and drinkinge, and • ome tyme must he bestowe also in slee • ing. But the dayes of man are alwayes • n their course, and neuer stay one whit, • ut alwaies runne on a pace toward d •• th: • hen thou sleepest, when thou wakest: all • he tymes, houres, and momentes of thy •• fe, thou runnest with all speede towarde • eath.

Iob likeneth also his lyfe to a shippe. The shippe was not made to lye still at an •• cker, but to sayle, and to trauayle from port, to port: no more wast thou made to contynue still in pleasures and delight, • ut to the end that by thy trauayle and payne taking, thou maiest at last come vnto the quyet port of saluatiō. And as the shippe sayleth with greate swiftenes, and • ea • eth no printe of the place which shee passeth by: so passeth our lyfe away without any stay at all and leaueth no memo •• of vs after wee be gone.

VVhat is become of all the kinges 〈◊〉 princes that haue liued in the world. 〈◊〉 paste lightly away, and lefte no token behynd them of their being here at all.

The daungers also of a shippe sayli •• in the sea be not few nor small: she stry • keth against the rocke & spliteth asond •• The tempest cometh and ouerwhelme •• her, The Rouers come and spoyle 〈◊〉 And lastlie set her on fier. But yf thou co •• sider now the daungers in which tho • liuest, thou shalt fynde thy selfe enuiron •• with many more sortes of infirmities an • daungers, thē the ship is. The ship parte •• from the hauen with a prosperous wynde setting vp her sayles, and all her streame •• with greate iolitie & mirth. But after 〈◊〉 hath sayled a while, shee striketh vpon 〈◊〉 rocke, and then is all the mirth turned in •• mournynge. So when man is borne, an • entreth first into the world, the frendes 〈◊〉 parentes make a great feast & solempniti • thereat, but all is in vayne: For when by some chaunce or infirmitie he dyeth th •• doth all the mirth and ioye determyne 〈◊〉 take end agayne, by sorow & lamentatio • ▪ In the mornying (sayth Dauid) he flor •• shed, Psal. 89. and withereth agayne at night.

The shipp sayeth Iob is laden wi •• apples, and not with yron or leade, 〈◊〉 any other ware of waight. The dayes 〈◊〉 man be fraight likewise with much 〈◊〉 vayne stuffe, which is of no value, neyther leaueth any good memory behynde, but a smalle smell of fame, like vnto rotten Apples, whose sent is soone gone, and quickelie forgotten.

From the daungers and mishappes of this miserable short lyfe, can no man scape, be he neuer so greate. But rather they which carrie the greatest portes, and be of highest degrees in this world, doe suffer most daungers, and endure most sorowes in it. The hartes of Princes & greate men, haue many a thorne in them, which are couered vpon with verie riche array and costlie apparell.

Their lyfe is full of heauines and care. And the mightie men of the world, lye they neuer so softe in their delicate dayntie beddes, yet carrie they ofte to bedde with them, an heauie hart, and a suspicious mynde: Neyther much delight or fauour can they take in their ordinarie pleasures, they be so cloyed with the common vse of them: But when troub • es and misfortunes doe come, their parte is greater in them then other mens is, because they haue bene allwayes now seled in pleasures and delightes, and throwgh the longe lordlie libertie which they haue liued in, they thinke that they were not borne for those aduersities.

The meane sort of people, may better abide tribulation when it cometh & take more comfort therein, because they are more inured with affliction. And greate men doe as little escape daungers, as the other, but rather of the twoe doe tast of them more often then they. But vnto all sortes of men in generall, God wolde that this lyfe shoulde be troublesome & daungerous, because they shoulde seeke after the lyfe that he hath created them for, which is the eternall lyfe of heauen.