RIght honorable, if we way and consider the holy Scrip­tures, we shall easily finde and soone perceiue, that our conuersaiton is then worthy of great praise, & our life best framed to gods will, and the rule of his lawe, when it shalbe euery waye most profitable to our neighbours.

[Page]For god requireth nothing more ear­nestly of vs thē loue, & he would haue such a bande of friendshipe amongest men, y^• they might be knit together as members of one body. And for this cause hath he oftentimes in his word commaunded vs with no lesse chéere­fulnes to be as ready to pleasure, and to doe good to our neighboures then to our selues. So that it is not with­out good cause that S. Paule in this chapter euen in the verse next goinge before this text▪ saith, that loue is the fulfilling of the lawe. For Paule spea­king here of the dueties and debt that we owe one to an other, doth giue vs to vnderstand that whatsoeuor is con­tayned in y^• second table of gods lawe is comprehended in these fewe words, loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. And true it is that such is the force of holy and godly loue, that it worketh not e­uill, but it seeketh to ouercome euill with goodnes, neyther will it permit and suffer a man to hurt his neigh­bour. He that loueth his father and mother will shewe himselfe obedient [Page] and lowly towards them, he will bée ready to ayde and assist them, and wil­linge to do after their commaundement, and be affrayde to doe any thing that may displease and offend them. Hée that loueth his neighbour will not in­wardly in minde conceue malice and hatred agynst him, neither will he go about to offer violence and wrong too any man, but will seeke to preserue his life, and to procure his welfare, yea though it be to his owne hinderan̄ce. He that loueth his neighbour will not goe about to defile his neighbors bed with fiilthy and execrable whore­dome, neither will seeke to cōpany w^t any woman out of marriage, & beinge maried will haue & enioye his owne wife soberly, and doe nothinge vn­séeminge the honorable estate of ma­trimonie.

Hee that loueth his neighbour will not goe about to plucke awaye from him any part of his substance by vio­lence, fraude, or anye other vn­lawefull meanes. Hée that loueth [Page] his neighbour, will not backbite him or make or forge lyes of him to his disprofit any maner of waye. To be briefe, he wil so deale with his neigh­bour as he would haue other men to deale with him. Nowe after that the apostle hath set downe certaine godly rules touching the duties of loue and holy life, least peraduēture they might sone slyde out our mindes, he thought it good and right néedfull here in the ende of the chapter, to perswade vs there vnto by certaine waightye and graue reasons. By which he goeth a­bout to perswade all men, which be­lieue in Christ, to expresse their fayth by good workes, and holines of lyfe: which thing in déede is not lightly to be regarded, but aduisedly to be con­sidered, especially séeing that god doth require it euery where of vs in his ho­ly worde. For séeing that god in the beginning, when as we were nothing but claye, and earth, did of his onely grace and goodnes breath into vs the spirite of life, placed our first parentes in Paradice, a place full of all pleasurs [Page] and goodnes, and afterward when as we by sinne and transgression had lost that worthines, that by creacion wée had, and were become subiect to death and eternall damnacion, he did restore vs againe to lyfe and confirme vs in y^• same by the promise of Chrst to come, who by the innocencie of his manhood, hath recouered that for vs which wée before by sinne, and disobedience had destroyed. These thinges I saye consi­dered, we shalbe not only verye much vnthankefull, but also most wicked, vnlesse we constantly defend this our dignitye, bought and obtayned with y^• price of Christ his bloud, and aboue al, loue that GOD againe that loued vs first so derely, and forth with endeuor our selues euery day more and more, to liue as it becōmeth vs, walking all the dayes of our lyfe in holy feare be­fore the Lord. And truly to the per­formaunce of these thinges, the consi­deraciō of this perell of scripture may very much profyte vs

The which I will deuide into thrée parets.

• [Page]1 The first parte contayneth an ex­hortatiō to liue vprightly w^t certaine great & weighty reasons to perswade vs therevnto.
• 2 The second parte setteth downe what we must shunne & auoide if we will liue vprightly and honestly.
• 3 The third & last parte teacheth to put on a newe garment, and to fight against our owne wicked lustes and croked affections.

The apostle & chosen vessell of Christ S. Paule did very well way and consi­der that such is naughtines & corrup­cion of mans nature, y^t he is not easily perswaded to doe those thinges, which the Lord by his word hath cōmaūded, and to leaue those thinges [...]ndone, which he hath by his worde forbidden. And therfore after y^t he hath commen­ded vnto vs charity & giuen vs to vn­derstand howe we should liue, least we should let these good lessons slyppe out our mindes, he seketh to perswade vs thervnto by certaine weightye and graue reasons.

The first reason which the Apostle [Page] here in this text vseth to perswade vs to liue vprighly & to forsake sinne, and wickednes, is takē of y^e circumstaunce of the time, the wordes be these: And that cosidering the season, it is nowe time for vs to awake out of sléepe. In which verse he telleth vs that it is now high time for vs to amend our liues, and to serue God, especially because good oportunitie serueth therevnto, and somuch the rather bycasue the cloudes of ignoraūce, vnbeléefe, and wicked lustes, are now driuen a­way from vs by the light of the gos­pell, and knowledge of gods truth, and therefore it behoueth vs so to order our liues as they which haue y^• light, and which are still conuersaunt in the open sight & eies of all men. For they which perceue that all mens eies are bent vppon them, haue a diligent care least they should doe any thing that is not séemelye and honest, bycause they knowe by experience, that if they steppe neuer s [...] lyttle aside out of the ryght waye, then they [Page] shall bée espyed and haue many wit­nesses ready to accuse them, of theyr sinne and iniquitie. So in like maner, it behoueth vs (who liue in the sighte of God and his angels, hauing Christe the true sōne of rightuousnesse, a vew­er, and beholder of all our dooings, cōmaūding vs to walke as before him) to take aduised héede, y^• we doo nothing y^t may offēd his diuine maiesty, bicase if we so doo, we shall haue Christ himself a witnes against vs, who shall iudge in y^e last day, & pronounce sentene vpon all flesh, acording to y^e tenour of iustice and equitye. But it appereth that▪ the talke that is here vsed, is not plaine, but Metaphoricall. For the Apostle maketh mencion of sléepe, of waking, of night, of darkenes, of lyght, of day. And therefore before I procéede any further in the text. I thinke it méete and conuenient to declare vnto you, what is ment, by euery one of these wordes, to the ende that, that which I am about to teach, may bée more manifest and playne to you that be my hearers.

[Page]Know ye therefore that by sléepe, hée meaneth sinne, and a certen sluggish­nes and drowsines to imbrace the gos­pell, to heare gods word, and to frame and fashion our liues ther after. By awaking out of sléepe, hée meaneth a certen desire and readines to doe our duties, and such things as God requi­reth of vs in his worde.

Aristole therfore doth very well and truely cal waking a liberty or fréedom of the sences, and hée calleth sléepe a bande or imprysoninge of them. For when a man is a sléepe, he hath all his sences, so tyed vp & imprisoned, that he hath neither eyes to sée, eares to heare, nose to smell, handes to touche, féete to goe, nor hart to conceyue, but is like vnto a deade corps that lyeth rottinge in the graue: But when a man is a wake, then is hée ready y­nough to sée, to heare, to speake, to run, to goe, or to doe any thing belonging to a reasonable creature. Therefore the Apostle sayth it is now time for vs to awake out of sléepe, as though hée should haue sayd before our regenera­tion, [Page] before god had geuē vs eies te se, and harts to beleue y^e truth, we were fast a sleepe in sinne, and did lye in the shadowe of death, and there was no­thing in vs but horrible blindnes, so that we could not see y^e maiesty of god, we did not féele and fast y^e mercies of god offered to vs in Christ his deare and welbeloued sōne, neither had we learned how swéete y^e Lorde is. Our eares were so stopped y^• we could not harken vnto the swéete voyce of God, and glad tidinges of saluatiō, we per­ceaued nothing at all of the goodnes of God towards vs, neither yet were we moued to any worke of charitye to­wards our neighbour but were vtter­lye vnapt & altogether vnable to doo any good worke, yea not so much, so much as to thinke a good thought. But now seinge it hath pleased the lord to pittye our misery, to awake vs out of this deadlye & daungerous sleepe of sinne, to send his worde amongest vs, and by it through the working of his spirit to create fayth in vs, it is very méete and also right nedefull that we [Page] sléepe no more in sine, but rise vp with al spéed vnto newnes of life. For seing we haue nowe the light of the Gospell amōgst vs, it is now no time for vs, to [...]lugge and sléepe any more, and to fo­lowe y^e lustes & pleasures of the fleshe, as though Christ had neuer bene pre­ched vnto vs, and we neuer called by the voyce of God to repentance and a­mendment of lyfe. Let vs therefore not neclect this good occasion, conside­ring y^• the apostle doth héere fel vs that it is nowe high tyme for vs to awake out of sléepe: but let euery man be redy to do his duty, séeing that good opportu­nitye serueth therevnto, & we ought in no wise to deferre the reformation of things that be amisse, from daye, to daye, and yere, to yere, and to be idle at such a time as this is, bicause god per­chaunce will not alwaies graunt vs y^e like occasion to do good. And therfore it behoueth vs to strayne our selus the more whilest occasion [...]steth, & while god graūteth vs leaue to do wel. The Smith stricketh his yron [...] it is hot. The husband ma [...] [...] his [Page] corne to be already ripe, prouideth in d [...] sea [...]on reaper [...], and sicles, to cut it do [...], and in the har [...]est time you shall heare him say to his seruauntes whē the weather is faire, plie it [...]irs, plye it, for we cannot tell whether it will raine or no, and howe longe this faire weather will last. Likewise the Marchantman if he haue a voiage to make, he will take shippe while tide an [...] w [...]de serueth. For hée knoweth that time and tide will [...]arye for no man. The prophet Esay therfore gi­ueth good counsel, and willeth all men to receyue Christ, when as he offereth himselfe into them by the preaching of his worde. Sayinge, Qu [...]te do­minum dum inue [...] potest, inuocateEsay 55.eum dum prope est, sieke the Lorde whilest he may be found, cal you vpon him, whilest he is neare. Christ in the gospell, doth shewe that manye through their owne slownes, and neg­ligence, shall be that out of the king­dome of heauen, & he depriued of eter­nalLuck 13. life. Here vpō he saith, Contendite intrare per angu [...]am portā, quia dico [Page] vobis multi quaerent intrare, et non poterunt. St [...]ue to enter in at y^e strait gate, for many I say wil seeke to enter in and shall not be able. When y^e good man of y^e house is risen vp, and hath shut to y^• dore, & ye begin to stād w^tout and knock, at y^e dore, sayinge, Lorde Lord open vnto vs, & he shall answer and say vnto you, I knowe you not whence you are. In y^e xxv. of Math. Mat 2 [...] [...] ▪ we read y^• the siue wise virgins, which wer ready went in w^t the Bridegrom vnto the weddinge: but y^e fiue folishe virgins, bicause they were not ready in time, had y^e gate of heauen shut a­gainst them. For whilest they went to bye oyle for their la [...]ps, y^• bridegrome came & the ga [...] was shut. Paule ther­fore, in the Gal. willeth vs to do goodGal. 6 [...] to all men while we haue time. And here in this place he telleth vs y^• it is now time for vs to awake out of slepe Wherefore seeinge y^• good occasion of well doinge beings [...] [...]et [...]lipe can­not be called back agane, & f [...]r [...]much as it hath plesed god of his infinit mercy to sēd his word amōgst vs to giue vs [Page] vnderstādīg of his good will & plesure, & to awakē vs which were afore fast a sleepe in Idolatry, and vtterly vnable to do any good worke, let vs I say, not neclect this good occasion, but w^t an ear­nest desire endeuour to do our duties whilest god graunteth vs leasure, and whilest good opportunity serueth ther­vnto. An other reason which ought to perswade vs to doo our dutye without delay, is because our lyfe is short and passeth away swyftly, and good occasi­ons of well dooing slippe away apace, and therefore greate cause haue we to do good whilest God giueth vs respite, & whilest opportunity serueth. For we are taught by the prophet y^e we cannot be coūted for good & fruitful trées, vn­lessePsal. 1. we bringe footh fruite in dwe sea­son. A good trée doth not only bringe forth good fruit: but also it bringeth it foorth in due & cōueniēt time. So if we wil be counted good Christiās we must do good whilest opportunitye serueth. The good Samaritane mētioned of in y^e Luck. 10. Gospel, did good while opportunity did serue, and when occasion was offered. [Page] For so sone as he sawe the man that was fallē into y^e hands of theues, lying by the way side sore beaten and woun­ded, he was straight way moued w^t cō ­passion on him, in somuch y^t he went vnto him, boūde vp his wounds, pow­red wine & oyle into them, layde hym vpō his beast, caried him to his Inne, and made prousion for him. But the Preist and y^e Leuite had y^e same occasiō offered them to do good and to exercise theire charity towards theire neigh­bour, but they passed by & would not do good when occasiō serued thervnto. So likewise whē poore Lazarus laie at y^e gate of Diues, with a naked body & anLuc. 16. empty belly, crauinge to be refreshed with the smal crūmes that fell from his table, there was occasion offered vnto him to do good, but he would not do good when he might, & bringe forth fruite in dwe season, therefore he was cut downe as an vnfruitful trée, and cast into the fyre, and his ende was euerlastynge myserye withoute all hope of mercy. Therfore let vs learne to do good whilest we haue tyme, and [Page] when we may. But alas although we are here told that it is time to a­wake out of sléepe, to arise out of, the bedde of carnal securitie, and to goe a­bout our busines, yet for al this we lye still, wée are none of the hastinges, yea, wée deferre our doinge well from one day to another, yea from one yere to another, that is to say, from hence­forth for euer more. Such is our neg­ligence and slownes in this behalfe. For we are in such a deade sléepe that wee awake not, for all the noyse and callinges that is made and vsed euery daye. The preachers crye out & cease not, they exalt their voyces like trum­petes, and call vnto vs euery daye for amendment of lyfe: sayinge with S. Paule, aryse thou that sléepest and [...]. 5. stand vp from death, and the Lorde▪ shall giue thée light: and yet for all this we sléepe stil. And therfore I fear me that many of vs shall dye in our sinnes without repentaunce, and haue our soules buried in hell, to euer­lastinge paine, which if we woulde a­wake and aryse from sinne, shoulde [Page] dwell in heauen to euerlastinge lyfe. And truely we that be heare in thys country, be of all others, I feare me, fruthest of frō saluacion. For although the trumpet of gods word doe dayly sounde in our eares, and although we haue y^e blacke cloudes of darkenes and ignoraūce driuen away from vs by y^e shininge light of the gospell, yet for all this we walke not as the childr [...]e of light, but are to wel acquainted, and ouer much occupied, in the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes: for howe can we be saide to be the childrne of light, when as no fruit of godly life appea­reth in all our doinges, and when our déeds be such towards our neighbours that they shewe and declare there is nothinge but doung and poyson in our hartes? And howe can wée be saide to be awake, when as we lye still bu­ried in sin, drowned in vice, & séeinge that we daily commit such déedes, as sti [...]cke both before she face of god and all good men? We say that a man is a­wake, whē as he can do the office of a mā, as talke, write, go, run, & such like. [Page] So in like maner a man is said to bée a waked out of the sléepe of sinne, whē as he beleueth truely in Christ, loueth his neighbour, and walketh in the waies and commaundementes of the [...]. Sam 12 Lorde GOD. Kinge Dauid awaked out of this sléepe of sinne (wherein he had laine aboue a yeare) when as Na­than the Prophet came vnto him, & reproued him therfore. For after that Nathā had rebuked him for his whore­dome, hée began to mislike him selfe earnestly for his sinne cōmitted, hum­bled himselfe before God, and cryed out I haue sinned against the Lorde sayinge, Miserere mei deus secundumPsalm 51.magnum miserecordiam tuam &c.

Haue mercy on me O God, according to thy great mercy, and accordinge to y^• multitude of thy compassions, wype away my offēces. Wash me through­ly from my wickednes and clense me from my sinne. The Prodigall sonne awaked out of the sléepe of sinne, whē he forsooke his fylthy strompets, and retourned home to his father, from whom he had rashly departed, submit­tinge [Page] him selfe vnto him and sayinge, Father, I haue sinned against heauē Luc. 15. and against thée, & am no more wor­thy to bée called thy sonne.

The wicked Iewes which had cruci­fied Christ, harkeninge to the sermon of Peter, began to awake out of thys deadly sleépe of sinne, when as they began to be pricked in the harte, and to say vnto Peter & the other apostles:Act. [...]. Men and bretheren what shall we do: which examples doe teache vs, y^• men are then said to be awake, and to arise out of the sléepe of sinne, when as they are hartely sory, for the sinne cōmit­ted, and bringe forth the fruit of re­pentaunce. Thus you sée what is ment by sléepe and arising from sléepe. And truely it should séeme that the apostle doth vse this Metaphor, of slée­pinge and wakinge, and of night and day, that we might haue good oc­casions, to muse and thinke of these thinges, as oft as we sée the sonne [...]o arise, and as oft as we awake out of sléepe, and rise out of our beddes.

For euen as it is the parte of a good [Page] husband not to slugge and slepe in his bedde, when as the daye appearinge offereth vnto him good occasion to arise and to go about his busines, but to get vp with all conuenient spéede, and to goe about such thinges as are néede­ful to be done: So christian men, which haue any care of their owne saluation ought not to let slip the good opportu­nitie to do good, offered to them of god: but they ought to shewe them selues readye and diligent to doo those things y^t God hath cōmaunded by his worde. An other reason which he vseth to perswade vs to arise nowe out of this deadly sléepe, is bicause our saluation is nearer, then when we beleued it. By which reason he sheweth that it had haue to small purpose, to tel vs of these thinges and to haue exhorted vs to holinesse of life, before we did be­leue in Christ, and had the knowledge of the truth.

But séeing that our saluation is nowe nearer then it was in time past, we ought in no wise to neglect thys occasion.

[Page]By saluation he meaneth that full and perfect saluation, and blessednesse, which we shalbe parsakers after this lyfe.

So that the sence and meaninge of Paule is that our fall and perfect sal­utation, is nowe nearer then it was longe ag [...]e, and when we did syrst be­gyn to beléeue. For as without sayth, & beleefe in Christ there is no hope of saluation, no remission of sinnes, no eternall lyfe to be looked for: so heauen and eternall lyfe beginne then to ap­peare, when [...]yrst God giueth a hart to beléeue, and eyes to sée the waye to most blessed immortalytie. And the more that our fayth encreaseth, and the more that we profit in the know­ledge of God, the nearer, and nearer, doo we drawe towardes heauen, and moste blessed saluation. When as a man diggeth in a gold myne, the dée­per he diggeth the nearer he commeth to gold. The further that the trauay­ling man goeth on his way, the nea­rer he commeth to his iournies ende. [Page] So the most happy & perfect saluasion, that we shall enioy after thys mor­tal life, is nearer vnto vs thē whē we first beleued. For when as we began first to beleue, then did we begin to set forward in our rate & iourneye, & to goo towards heuē, but now we haue gon a great way in our iorney, & euery day draweth nearer & nearer y^e day of our deth. At which time our souls shal be caried vp into heauē. Again we are now nearer to y^e day of iudgemēt, and y^e world is nearer an end thē it was mani a yere agoe. At which time christ shall raise vp our bodyes out of y^e dust, and make vs partakers of that king­dom whereof his blessed body is per­taker1. Cor. 15. of all redy. For then shall mor­talyty, put on immortality, & corrupci­on, incorrupciō, & then may we be bould to say, O death wher is thy stynge? O hel where is thy victory? And true­ly the consideracion of this full and perfecte saluacion, whych is nowe nearer, then when we first beleued, ought to moue vs to leade a holy and Godly lyfe, least y^t through our slouthe [Page] and necligence, we lose it and giue te­stimony to the worlde, that it doth not appertaine vnto vs.

For our necligence must néedes be ac­counted horrible, and shamefull, if we now leaue of to serue GOD, when as we haue but a short tyme to liue, and be at the very poynt to take posses­sion of heauen.

The longer we liue, and the nearer that we approch to death, the more earnest we ought to be to serue God, and the longer that we haue hard the Gospel, and beleued in Christ, so much the more earnest wée ought to be to obey the Gospell. And therefore sée­inge that we haue harde the Gospell many yeares in this Realme of Eng­land, the more deligent we ought to be to serue God, and to liue vprightly, and to shewe foorth by our lyfe, & con­uersation, that we be dooers of y^e word and not hearers onely, deceauinge ourIa. 1. owne selues.

A prentice in seuen yeares wil learne his occupation, and be able to doo hys maister good seruice, and he will be [Page] more shylful the second yeare then the fyrst, and so euery yeare better than another.

The lyttle chyldrne that goe to the Schole goe forwarde in learninge, & in thrée or foure yeres will not one­lye be able to reade, but also to write and to speake lattine.

But alas we haue gonne to schole not seuen yeares, but eighttene yeares, we haue had many notable Schole­masters and teachers, and yet for all this wée be little amended, but like very blockheades we tary styll in our ould lessons, and will not take forth into good manners and newe conditi­ons. Yea we are more slowe to heare Gods worde, and to frame our liues thereafter, then we were whē it was first preached. And we go rather back­ward then forward.

And what a reproche, and shame is it for vs, to be more slowe, to serue God then we were in the beginning, considering we haue tasted of his mer­cye and grace, so longe, and so many yeres together, and that in such sorte, [Page] that we may iustly say, Non taliter fe­cit omni nationi: He hath not dealt so with any nation, as he hath dealtPsal. 147. with vs.

You knowe that they which runne for a wager, that the nearer they draw to the marke, the faster they runne, and they make the more spéede.

So, the longer that we haue harde the Gospel, and the longer that we haue beléeued, so much the holier we ought to be in life and conuersation.

And truely if ther were no other rea­son to perswade vs, yet consideringe (as I haue sayd already) that our lyfe is shorte, and death knocketh at the dores, and the daye of Iudgement commeth on so fast, that we may looke for it euery houre, we ought to be per­swaded to liue vprightly, and to walk as it be commeth vs.

But (alas) many at the first hearing of the Gospell, shewed them selues zelous, and ready to folow it. But after a while they gaue ouer euen in the middest of their race, and waxed weary of well dooing. [Page] And truely it appereth that ther hath bene many of these slydebackes in all ages, but yet I thinke neuer more than at this day. Kinge Asa in the be­ginning of his raigne was zelous in2. Chro 16. abolishing of Idolatrie & in restoring of sound religion, but at the length he began to waxe cold in the zeale of the Lorde, imprisoned Hananie the Sear for tellīg him of his fault, therfore frō that time forwarde he felt the smart and bitternes of warre, was striken by the hand of God with an extreme disease in the féete; and at length taken away by death. Ioas likewise2. Chro 24 was a good Kinge in the beginninge of his raigne, and hée liued vprightly all the dayes of Iehoida the Priest, who was vnto him a faithful counseller, & gouerned him by the worde of God, but when Iehoida was dead, he fal­leth to Idolatrie, and forgettinge the kindenes which Iehoida had done vn­to him, slewe and s [...]oned to death his sonne Zacharia y^e Prophet of y^e Lorde. For which it came to passe by the iust iudgement of God, that he was slyan [Page] by the handes of his owne seruaunts. The fi [...]e folyshe virgins went forth with their lampes to méete the Brid­groume, aswell as the fi [...]e wise, but bicause they faynted in the myddest of their race, therefore they were shut out from the mariage and euerlasting life. Let these horrible examples moue vs to take heede, and to beware that we be not weary of well doing, least we in the end perish as they dyd. But let vs euery day, morning, & euening, risinge and goinge to bed, consider that our salutation, is now nearer then it was in times past, and that therefore we ought with a good courage to goe forward to doo our duties throughly, & to the ende, quietly to suffer that little trouble, that is behind. And euery day more and more to increase in faith, & to be more holy in lyfe.

It followeth in the text, the night is passed and the daye is at hande. Here is an other reason to moue vs to lyue vprightly, and it differeth not much from that which he vsed before. For the night hée calleth the ignoraunce [Page] of God and Christ, y^e time of blindnes, & vnbelefe. By day he meaneth y^e light of gods truth, by which truth Iesus Christ the true sonne of rightuousnes doth appeare vnto vs. And therefore in sayinge the night is passed, and the day is come on, he meaneth that sée­inge we are not now ouerwhelmed with y^e thick mistes & cloudes of igno­raunce as the infidels, and vnbelée­uinge bée, and as we our selues were in times past, we ought to behaue our selues, as the childrne of the day and light, and not to sléepe still in sinne with the wicked and vnbeléeuinge. And here by the way wée haue dili­gently to note and consider, that Paule calleth the ignoraunce of Christ, and his gospel, night and darknes, and cō ­pareth the vnbeléeuers to such as bée fast a sléepe. And verie aptly and not without good cause, is the ignoraunce of Christ compared to night. For as in the night time, all thinges are co­uered with darknes, and as we can­not for want of light, knowe what is what, and discerne black from blew [...], [Page] and redde from russet, yea sometimes in y^e night season we thinke a bushe to be a man, & a dead thing a liuing cre­ature, for then as y^e Poet saith, Est co­lor omnibus vnus, all things seeme to be of one hue and coulor: so when wee were altogether ignoraunt in gods word & knewe not Christ, we did mis­take things & through igoraunce, we did so erre y^• we accoūted superstision to be good deuotiō, & thought our selues highly in gods fauour, when as wée were fast tied in y^e diuells setters, and almost plunged into the pit of endles damnaciō. For without y^e knowledge of gods word, we are so blind, that we cannot discerne betwene iustice and iniurie, protection & opression, religiō and superstition, Christ and Antichrist, good & euill. Paule himselfe beinge ig­noraunt of Christ, did w^t great rage &Act. 9. crueltie persecute his disciples & thir­sted after innocēt blood, & he himself cō ­fesseth y^• he was sometimes vtterly parswaded, that he ought to do many thinges against y^e name of Christ be­ing led thervnto, by a rash & blind zeal [Page] and as yet wantinge the true know­ledge of God.

The Saduces beinge ignorant of the scriptures denied the res [...]rrection of y^e Mar. 12. fleshe, therfore said Christ vnto them. You erre bicause you knowe not the scriptures, neither the power of God. The wicked Iewes through ignorāce put Christ to death, for Christ praying to his father for them saith, Pater re­mitteLuk. 23.eis nesciunt enim quid faciunt. Father forgiue them, for they knowe not what they doe. And S Paule saith if they had knowne, they woulde ne­uer haue killed the kinge of glorye. But I will let passe them, and come nearer to our selues. When we were ignorant in gods worde, and hard no­thinge but the sound of a ti [...]klinge Cimball, did we not thinke supersti­cion, to be religiō, deceauers true tea­chers, vanitie to be veritie, the gos­pell to be heresie, to gad abrode on pil­gramage, frō this saincte, to y^• saincte, to be a part of gods seruice, mens tra­ditions the commaundements of god, Antichriste Christes vicar, the man of [Page] Rome who is a creature ouerwhel­med with al wickednes, and the beast that did rise out of the bottemles pit,Ap [...]. 1 [...]. a most holy father? Yea, we thought that God was delited wyth incense, perfume, waxcandles, golden copes, and vestmentes, and we worshipped those thinges which our owne consci­ences gaue vs to vnderstande were no gods, we made no difference al­most betwixt Christ & his creatures, wée confounded the signe with the thinge signified, & worshipped a wafer cake which is a creture corruptible, in stéede of the maker of heauen and earth, & beleued it was the verie body of Christ, that was borne of the vir­gin Marye, and slaine for our sinnes v­pon the Crosse.

The cause of all which grosse errors, was the ignorance of Christ and hys worde. For although some of the Papistes say, that ignorance is the mother of deuotion, yet it appeareth that it is the mother of all errour & supersticion.

[Page]And therfore verie aptly it is compa­red to the night and to sléepe. For euen as one when as he is in y^e night time fast a sléepe in his bedde, hath all his senses so tyed vp, and bound, that hée cannot doe any thinge, and yet neuer­thelesse he dreameth sometimes, and verily thinketh, y^t he is dooing this & y^t, so they which are ignorant of Christ, and his worde, haue al the powers of theire soules, so let and hindered, y^t they cannot moue towardes heauen, or doe anie thinge y^t can please God: although oftentimes they thinke they do god most noble seruice, whē as they commit most horriable and greuous crimes.

But forasmuch as it is nowe not night with vs, but day, let vs doe those things that are séemely for them that haue the lyght, and followe the counsell of Paule, who wylleth vs to cast away the workes of darknes, and to put on the armoure of lyght.

By y^e workes of darknes is signified sinnes and naughtye vices, and they [Page] are so called chiefely for two causes. The first cause is, bicause they pro­céede of the ignoraunce of gods word, and bicause wée are moued to doo them by the motion and instinct of Sathan, who is the prince of darke­nesse. Secondly bicause they that com­mit naughti [...]sse, flée the light, and co­uet rather for the night then for the daye, according to the sayinge of our Sauiour Christe, Qui malè agit oditIohn. [...] ▪lucem, he that doeth euill hateth the light. For whoremongers, théeues, murtherers, and wicked persons com­monly doo their feates in the darke, and in the night season, and therefore saith Paul, Quae ab illis clam fiunt tur­pe est vell dicere, It is a shame euen ones to name those thinges that are done of them in secrete.

The darkenes of the night doth make them bold to commit sinne, for they feare onely the eyes of men, and con­sider not that the eyes of the Lord are vppon euery mans waies, & that with him ther is no darkenes at al, but y^t the night is with him as the noone daye. [Page] And therefore although men commit sinne neuer so closely, yet doth god sée them, and at length will reauele and bring it to lyght, as he dyd the whore­dome of Dauid, and there is no wall so thicke, that can hide them that worke wickednesse, from the sight of god. Let vs therefore cast away the workes of darkenes, and put on the armoure of light. By the armoure of light he vn­derstandeth good workes, bicause they procéede of faith, and of y^e true know­ledge of god, and shine before men to the honor & praise of our good god, who worketh them in vs by his holy spirit. But here it may be demaunded why Paule doth call vices and sinnes the workes of darkenesse, & good workes the armoure of light. Truely, you knowe that our flesh is prone ynough and inclined of it self to follow naugh­tinesse, and in committing sinne we take great pleasure, and thinke it no payne at all to doo wickedly.

But if we begin ones to serue God, & to frame our liues according to y^e rule of his word, then must we striue and [Page] take great paines, and there is a bat­tell set before vs, full of great labour and perill: In which battell we must fight against Sathan, the inticem [...]n [...]es of the world, and y^• sinfull lustes of the fleshe. For the diuell is chiefe captayn in this battel, and giueth vs euery day terrible assaultes, and rangeth about like a rearing Lion, seeking whom he may deueure. Besides this great and mighty enimye, looke howe many wicked thoughts & [...]u [...]l affectiōs there be in vs, so many enimies we haue y^t fight agaynst our saluation, and which séeke to bring vs to destructiō. And therfore if we wil liue vprightly, we must continually mayntayne war againste Sathan, the world, & the flesh. Christ himselfe doth admonishe vs hereof in the Gospell, whē as he telleth vs y^• the way to heauen is strayt and narrow, and the crowne of lyfe cannot be ob­tayned without paynes taking. And we sée dayely by experience, that they which giue themselues to serue God, to be subiect to sclaunders and repro­ches, to be beset on euery side with [Page] All which places do sufficiētly proue that it is not inough for vs to absteine from euill, but also we must doe good. And therefore here wée may sée that they vse vnséemely speaches, which say, what shoulde we giue our selues to holynes? Or why should not wée fo­lowe our pleasures, if wée be of the elect and chosen of GOD, we shall be saued, howsoeuer wée liue? if we be reprobates & cast awaies we shall be damned whatsoeuer we doe? As though y^e election of god did giue leaue vnto men to doe wickedlye, when as it is playne by the testimonye of S. Paule that wée are chosen in Christe not to liue loselye, but that we shouldEpl [...] 1. be holy & without blame before him in loue. For it is certayne and out of doubt, that holynes of lyfe cannot be seperate from the grace of elec­tion. And therefore although good workes be not the causes of our sal­uation, yet séeinge that the ende of our election is that wée shoulde liue vprightly and lead a godly lyfe, let vs not onely abstayne from euill, but [Page] also doe good workes that they may serue as witnesses to confirme our e­lection, and that we may in so dooinge shewe our selues to be the shéepe [...] Christ who doo not onely heare hisIohn 10. voice but also follow him. For S. Paule here in this place doth plainely tell vs, that we cannot bée reckened for gods seruauntes, vnlesse wée walke honestly as in y^t day. In which words I haue to note vnto you, & to say some thing of thys worde walkinge, bicause it is very life both in the olde, & newe testament: and the Lorde dooth vse it often times to giue vs to vnderstande, howe wée should order and frame our lyfe. For then are we saide to walke honestly as it becommeth vs, when as we liue vprightly and withdrawe our selues from euill.

Herevpon the Prophet often tymes in his boke of Psalmes goinge about to liue vprightly doth vse this worde walke. In y^e first Psal. he saith, Blessed is that man that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodly. &c.

And in the. 119. Psal. he sayth, Blessed [Page] are they that are sound in the way, & walke in the lawe of the Lorde, by which two places it appeareth that to liue vprightly, & honestly, is nothing els but to walke in the lawe of the Lorde. For if a man liue after hys owne swynge he shall do nothing els but wander out of the right way, and doe those thinges which are neyther séemely nor honest. Paule settinge downe certaine preceptes concerning maners, and christian life, saith I pray you walke worthye of the vocationEphe. 4. Col. 1. wherevnto you are called. And Col­lo. i. he willeth vs to walke worthie of the Lorde, to please him in al things, and to be fruitfull in all good workes. So it appeareth that it is not inough for a man to walke vnlesse hée walke honestly as in the day. For though all men doe walke, yet doe not all men walke nonestly, and in the lawe of GOD, or daye light as they should doe. Some there bée that walke not in the day, but in the nyght, and such walkers bée théeues and robbers [Page] which cōmit wickednes in the night, and when true men are at rest and in their beddes. Some other there bée that walke in darknes for they haue not the true knowledge of Christ, and of his worde, but are vtterly ignorāt in matters pertaininge to GOD, and to their saluation.

Such walkers were the filthye and polluted Gentils when as they lay drowned in all kinde of filthines and superstition, in which they continued vntill Christ, sent hys seruauntes toMat. 22. call them to bée partakers of the heuē ­ly marriage. Such walkers bée the Turkes, which slatly deny Christe, & the gospell séekinge for life and salua­tion by the Alcoran.

Such be the Iewes which séeke for saluation by the lawe and deny Christ which was borne of the virgin Mary, to bée the sonne of God, and the true Messias.

Such walkers also be the papistes for they make y^e paineful passion of Iesus Christ the high ransome of our soules [Page] and the onely meanes which god hath vsed to worke our saluation by, to be voyde and of none effect, by bearinge themselues in hand, that they are able to purchase the realme of Paradice, by their owne merites. For they walke after theyr owne fansies, & trangresse the lawe of God for their owne tra­ditions. Some other there be y^t walk, but they walke not honestly as in the day, for they walke after the fleshe, & not after the spirit. Such walkers as these, are they which delite in nothing but in sinne, and wickednesse, & which take leaue to dooe naughtily, neuer stryuing against theyr own lustes and wicked affections, but suffering sathan (the enimie of our saluation and wel­fare) to hale them from one vice to a­nother, euen to theyr own destruction. Such a fleshly walker was Absolon, whose lust was so outragious, that he defiled his fathers wyues in the sight of all Israel.

And surely as long as men walk after the fleshe, and after the maner of this world, which is altogether set [Page] vpō mischiefe, they shall euery day be­come worse & worse, & their desire wil be nothinge els but to drawe others into the same sinke of sinne, where­into they thēselues are alredy fallen. And these that walk after this fashiō, walke disorderly, and they walke in horrible confusion, and in that brode way that leadeth to hell and endlesse damnation.

An other kinde of walkers there bée, which walke honestly as in the day, and these be they which liue not after their owne swinge, and let lose y^• bri­dle to vices, but suffer them selues to bée gouerned by the word of GOD, and walke accordinge to his lawe. And these bycause they walke accor­dinge to the pure word of God, they doe those thinges that are comely & honest. They spende their liues whol­ly in gods seruice, and withdrawe thē ­selues as much as is possible from all euill. For they doe not walke as the wordlinges doe, which euery day be­come worse and wofe, but they sette GOD alwayes before their eies, and [Page] haue a respect to his preceptes bicause they know they cannot doe any thing that can escape his sight.

Of this walkinge speaketh god him­selfe in Gene. Wheras he commaun­dethGene. 17. Adraham to walke before him and to liue vprightly, and truely we shall neuer walke hnoestlye as wée should doe vnlesse we set the Lorde before our eies, and thincke that we liue still in his sight.

Many doe glory of the multitude and boast thmselues to be holy and reli­gious men, bicause they liue as the moste doe, and walke after the man­ners and coustomes if theyr forefa­thers, but yet the holye ghost dothe here tell them, that they shall neuer walke honestlye vnlesse they seperate them selues from men, and frame theyr liues accordinge to the lawe of GOD.

Here vpon it is sayde that Enoch walked with GOD bicause he was not peruerted by the euill example of others, and although the world, when as he liued, was as corrupt as myght [Page] be, yet hée continued vncorrupted, and considered that it behooued him to walke honestly as in the presence of GOD.

Suche a walker was Iob for hée gaue himselfe to the seruice of God, liued amongest his neighbours with­out hurtinge of anye person, guile, deceit, and naughtinesse was farre from him, neyther went he about as many d [...]y in these dayes, to encrease his substaunce by vndooinge of poore men. And therefore the Scripture doth rep [...]t him to bée a sounde andIob. 1 [...] vpright man, and suche a one as fea­red GOD, and withdrewe himselfe from euill.

Ioseph also walked honestly, for al­though hée was allured by his mai­s [...]res to doe wickednesse with hir, yet could not he be drawne to destle his Maisters bedde. And although no crea­ture was present when as his mai­steres did intice him to folly, yet he walked honestly as in the daye, and the feare of GOD preserued hym, against hir continuall temptations. [Page] And therefore he sayd, how can I d [...] Gene. 39. this great wickednesse and so sinne a­gaynst god.

Susanna walked also honestly whē as y^e wicked Iudges would haue de flow­red hir. For she would not by anyDani. 13. meanes cōsent vnto thē, but being in great distres she sighed & said, I am in trouble on euery side, for if I doe this thing it is deth vnto me, if I do it not I cannot escape your hands, Sed meli­us est mihi abs (que) opere incidere in manus hominum, quam peccare in cō ­spectu domini, it is better for me to fall into y^e handes of men, and not doe it, than to sinne in y^e sight of the Lord. Zacharias the Priest, & Elizabeth hisLuk. 1. wife walked honestly, for they were both iust before god, and walked in all the commaundementes of the Lord. All which examples teache vs that if we will walke honestly, we must endeuour to kéepe y^e cōmaundements of God, and althoughe we sée great store of corruptions raigninge euery where, yet must not we suffer our selues to be defy [...]ed with them, ney­ther [Page] must we saye as men commonly are wont to doe, tush we must néedes doe as other men doe, but we must folow y^e aduise that Paule giueth vs in this place, that is, to walke honestly as in the day, and not suffer the world the flesh and the diuell to haue rule ouer vs.

The second part setteth down what2. Partes. we must shunne and auoid if we will liue vprightly and walke honestly. The thinges that we must shun, be gluttony and dronkennesse, chambe­ring & wantonnes, strife and enuying. For whosoeuer they be that are infec­ted with these vices, walk disorderly, and their lyfe is odious and hatefull in the sight of God. And although many men doe thinke these to be no vices, or at leastwise smal faultes, yet the Apostle doth condemne them for horrible and gréeuous sinnes, and doth playnly tell vs that ther is no honesty nor any feare of God in them, that spend their liues in these vices. But let vs examine these vyces, and speake of them orderly as they lye in [Page] the texte, and then shall we bet­ter iudge whether they bée sinnes or no.

The first, is gluttony and dronken­nesse, the which two vices, are to com­mon at this daye in this realme, and for the most part, they are committed at prodigal fastes, and banquetes, and at suche tyme as this is (I meane Christmas). For in Christmas tyme and at great feasts, gluttons and dron­kerdes thincke they maye eate and drinke as much as they will, and that it is lawfull for them to speake and doo whatsoeuer they thinke good. Behold them therefore, and you shall sée them to passe the bandes of all measure, & to commit such disorders as though there were no iudge in Heauen, nor hell to swallowe vp wicked men after this mortall life.

Fr [...]t, they sit downe to their meate like brute beastes, without any cal­ling or thincking vpon the name of God▪ neuer destryng god to blesse their meates. They eate and drinke more [Page] then is méete and conuenient for thē, and oftentimes so much as they can­not disgest: You shal sée them to play y^e gluttons egregiously, and to [...]ramme themselues like swine, and they ne­uer leaue liftinge of the pottes, and caroussinge one to another till they bée out of theyr wittes like beastes.

And when they haue thus armed thēselues, they regard neither friend nor foe, but dare speake and doe what so euer commeth to minde.

Agayne these dronkerdes dryue GOD from theire table, and com­panie, they cannot abide to heare the name of God spoken of, vnlesse it bée to take it in vayne, and to blaspheme it, wyth horryble and cursed swea­ringe.

Their talke and communication is nothinge else, but of ribaldrye, and wantonnesse, of backbytynge theyre neighboures, and of practisinge mis­cheyfe agaynst this man and that man.

Loe, what euils dronkennes bryng­eth with it. [Page] But yet you shall here more abhomi­nations then these, strong drinke they esteme of more price & valew, thē their owne soules, their god is their belly, &Philip. 3. therfore they make not hast to come to the church to heare gods worde, but as the prophet saith, they rise vp earlyEsay. 5. to goe to the wine and tauerne, wher­as they spend the whole day, and ma­nye times, a great part of the night, in swallowinge and deuouring gods benefites without order or measure. If any man yet thinke that dronkēnes is no sinne, then giue me leaue, to tel you in fewe wordes what mischiefes and inconueniences procéede thereof. A trée is knowne by the fruite, soo iudge of dronkēnes by the fruites that spring. threof. First it hurteth the body it marreth the minde, and consumeth the substance, for by it many men fall into horrible disceases, and soundrye times into gréeuous mischaūces, some­times being slaine w^t suddayne death as it appeareth by the miserable▪ ende of dronken Holiphernes, whose heade [Page] was cut of in his dronkennes by the hand of Iudeth.

The bodye with all the partes therof are so distempered, that the earth thē the which ther is nothinge more sta­ble, and sure, is to dronken men vn­stable, in so much that they thinke it moueth and goeth round, and y^e plaine way is vnto them like a caue & diche, the heade is brought into that case, that it cannot rule and gouerne y^e féete, the eyes are made dimme, and firie, they marre their faces, and put out y^e true pi [...]tor y^• god hath made, they heat their lyuers and set them all on fire. What causeth the head to ake, the handes to trimble, the tongue to stam­mer and that no member of the body can discharge and do his duety? dronk­nes.

Therfore truely saith Salomon, toPro. 24. whom is woe, to whom is sorrowe, to whom is strife, to whom is murme­ring, to whom are woundes without cause, to whom is rednes of the eyes? euen to them that tarie longe at the wine.

[Page]It also bringeth mē vnto whordome, and into great daunger. For y^e eyes of dronkerdes shal looke vpon straūge women, and theyr hart shal speake proude thinges, and they shall bée as they that sleepe in the top of a mast of a shippe

Though the Lord speake vnto them and say, awake oh ye drōkerdes, wéepe and houle, all ye that drinke wine vnmeasurably, yet are they nothing moued there with, for it were almost as good to speake to a deade man as to a dronkerde.

Secondly, the mynde is marred, and sore hurt by it, for dronkerdes com­monly are stricken with the spirite of blockishenes, and they are like vnto madbedlomes, and men that haue lost their wittes. It maketh them like vn­to bruit beastes takinge away from them all theyr wit, reason and vn­derstandinge.

Verily it woulde be a pitious sight to sée a man to take hys knife to cut of his owne fingers and to cast them from him.

[Page]But a dronkerde taketh away from himselfe his owne witte, reason, yea,Eccle 19. and the very minde it selfe. Herevp­pon sayth the wise man that wine ta­keth away the harte of man, and lea­deth wisemen out of the way.

Thirdly and last of all, it consumeth the substance, and bringe men often­times to pitifull calamitiePro. 24. Eccle 19.

Herevpon saith Salomon, a laboring man that is geuen to drinke, shall ne­uer be riche, and for this cause hée wil­leth vs not to companye with them, for if we doe, wée shall goe with pat­ched and ragged coates.

And truely we sée this confirmed day­ly by many examples.

These men are no great purchacers of landes, nor men of great reuenewes, and many which haue bene lefte very welthye by theyr fathers wills, haue consumed all that hath bene left them, and died very beggars. For they spende much abrode with shame, vpō their owne bellies, which they might spare by varying at home, w^t honestie. [Page] Manye there be that séeke to spoyle & robbe their enimies, and some ther be that will steale from their friends, but dronkerdes, robbe their owne wiues and childrne, and are moued with li­tle pitie and compassion towardes them. Here I knowe that these ale­house knightes wil reply and say, that they spend nothinge but their owne. But to them that vse such speache, I make this answer, that their mony is not their owne, but as the Prophet saith, it is the Lordes. Thou art butHag. 2. his stewarde, and he hath lent thée welth and riches, not to mispende one farthing or mite vnthriftely, and v­pon thinges not necessarie.

God hath made the earth to bringe forth fruite, and hath made man lorde and kinge of all his creatures, but yet to vse them, not to abuse them. If God haue geuen vs riches, and sent vs wealth he hath not giuen it vs to spende all vpon our owne carkases, but to helpe our wiues and childrne withall, to releaue the want of the [Page] poore, to bestowe some part of it vp­pon them which crie at our gates for releefe and comforte, and therfore if thou play the dronkerd, bestowe all vpon thy selfe, thou playest the part of a stronge théefe, and robbest thy wife, thy childrne, & the poore needie neigh­boures, of y^t which they ought to haue to comfort them withall.

Wée must consider also that GOD hath in his worde set downe how men should vse their riches, to whom one day we must giue account.

For to euery one of vs it shall beLuk. 16. sayde gyue account of thy steward­shippe.

If you send your seruaunte to the market you wil haue him to bestowe your money, in such sorte as you doe commaunde him, and not at his owne pleasure.

So GOD hath giuen to men money and wealth, but yet therewithall he hath giuen vs a rule howe to be­stowe it.

The euill stewarde bycause he hadLuk. 16. [Page] wasted his masters goodes was thrust out of his stewardshippe. Soo all they which haue spent their goods vn­thri [...]tily, at the alehouse, except they repēt, shalbe excluded out of the king­dome of heauen, and after this lyfe▪ they shall suffer honger and thrist for euermore.

Thus you sée our money is not our owne, to doe with it what our list, or to mispend it in ryote and wantonnes, neither is it lawfull to eate and drink to muche, but so much as is méete and conuenient for vs. True it is y^• GOD is not offended, with eatinge and drinking, but he is offended with vs, when as we abuse eatinge and drinkinge and when as we deuour [...] his benefites without measure.

But, alas, if euer eatinge and drink­inge were abused it is abused at this daye, and I thinke there was neuer such super [...]uitie of meates, and that the chéere which they made in y^e daies of Noah, was not once comparable to our feastinge, that we vse at this daye.

[Page]But perchaunce here some men will say, would you neuer haue vs to make good chéere, and to be merie one neigh­bour with an other, is God offended thinke you, that we shoulde vse anye myrth and feastinge?

Truely I knowe right well that wée may vse feasting, one neighbour with another to maintaine mutual loue and friendshippe, and I know that GOD would not alwaies haue vs to be sad, but that he would haue vs to be merie and giueth vs wherwith to be merie.

Dauid saith, he giueth vs wine toPsalm 104. chéere our hartes, and oyle to make vs chéerful countenaunces, and some­time sendeth aboundance and plen­tye of thinges to chéere vs vp withall. And when GOD sendeth plentie of ritches and other good things, it is not euill to vse these thynges to our com­forte, and to be glad of them, so that I deny not but that we maye reioyce and be merye if God send vs any good chéere or anye good successe, not­wythstandinge we ought soo to bée prouyded alwayes that wée reioyce [Page] and bée merie as it were in y^• presence of GOD.

But alas the mirth that wée com­monly vse at such tymes as thys is, is th [...]t mirth which GOD condemneth. For it is full of vanitie, and we can­not kéepe good chéere, sport, play, and be mery, vnlesse we offend God.

In our myrth we vse excesse, in play­inge we regard not our abilitie, and we haue in our pastimes no stay of our selues, and we do all thinges with out order and measure, neyther can wée be merye in Christmas time, vn­lesse we shut God out of our houses and companie, turne our backes vpon him, and quite and cleane forget him. Truely ther be some that will stoutly inough saye that they bée christians, and they wyll beare men in hand that they loue GOD and his worde, they will not stick to come to the church to heare Sermons, and yet when they intend to be merie, they driue awaye al thought of GOD and of hys iudg­mentes, and they are not content to doe soo onely, but they will not sticke [Page] to offende GOD of set pourpose, and they cannot bée merye, vnlesse they disguise themselues and commit euill.

This is the cause why the myrtheLuk. [...] ▪ of this world, is cursed by the mouth of gods owne sonne, who saith in the Gospell, woe be vnto you that laughe for you shall mourne, and he pr [...]oun­cethe that the dronken ioye, of the wicked, shalbe turned into mourning and grinting of téeth. Therefore take héed to your selues, eate, and drinke soberly, and giue god thankes, & here­after beware ye vse not any suche mirth, as is accursed of God, and which at length will bringe nothing but sorrowe and heauines that neuer shall haue end.

And in any wise in your feastes take héede of dronkennesse, for if ye ons fall into this vice, you shall not be able to rule your selues, althoughe ye be neuer so wise, neuer so holy, neuer so mightie and valyant.

Who was more holy then Noah? and yet hée being dronke was so farre be­side [Page] himself that he forgot the distruc­tion of y^e worlde for sin, which he sawe with his own eies, he regarded not his owne honestye, but laye naked andGene. 9. vncouered in his Tent, in somuch y^t he became a laughingstock to his wicked sonne Cham.

Lot a holy man being dronke, laye with his owne daughters, committed abhominable incest, got them both with child, neuer calling to minde how almighty god, had a litle before de­stroyed Sodome and Gomor, and theGene. 19. Cities adioyning, for abhominable and stincking whoredome.

Nowe, if Noah, and Lot, beinge such excellent men, did fall into such wic­kednesse, being dronke, what shall they doe which haue no feare of god before their eies, and which are daily giuen to this vice. Doubtles they will not sticke to commit all kynde of villany.

Kinge Herode as it should séeme be­ingMat. 14. cupshoten, and dronke with wine, commaunded the holy man Iohn Bap­tist, to be slayne. Who was more [Page] myghty and valyant then Alexan­der, yet he being dronke, commaunded his faithfull friend Citus to be put to death, which he repented sore when he was sober.

Therfore, all that will liue vprightly, must flée this vice of dronkennes. But what? though we eate and drinke soberly, yet for all this, we cannot be counted, good christians, and to liue vp­rightly if we commit fornication or whordom. And therfore Paule willeth vs to flée also chambring & wā [...]onnes:Heb 13. by which he meaneth not y^e bed of ma­trimony, which S. Paule saith is hono­rable amongest all men, & the bed vn­defiled. For mariage is gods ordinaūce,Gen. [...] ▪ it was instituted in Paradice, in the time of mans innocensie, when as yet there was no sinne: And god himself saith, that it is not good for man to liueGene. [...] ▪ alone without a helpe.

And Paule sayth, he that doth marrie doth not sinne in so dooinge, and hee1. Cor. [...] commaundeth al men, which haue not the gyfte of contynencie, to marrie, and to kéepe themselues vndefyled [Page] members of Christes body. Abraham, Iob, Dauid, were married, and yet their wiues were no impedimentes vnto them, to talke with GOD.

Therefore no doubt the Apostle doth here cōmaunde vs to kepe the seuenth precept, and that we suffer not ourselues to be defiled, with anye vn­cleannes, and lustful intemperance of the flesh, but that we chastly, and cō ­tinently order all the partes of our life, that we runne not forth into any vnbridled lust, and companye with a­nye woman out of marriage.

And séeinge Paule doth here name chamberinge and wantonnes, vnder these termes, no doubt he comprehen­deth all thynges, whereby man or woman is moued, and inticed to forni­cation and whoredome: as filthye and vncleane talke, whorishe and garishe attire, amorous songes and sonites, loue letters, wanton daunsinge and kissing, & all such like, wherby the flesh of man is prouoked to lust and concu­piscence.

If the [...] we will walke honestly, we [Page] must not let our mindes burne in­wardly with lust, nor looke wantonly vpon women, to lust after them, nor suffer our bodies to be trymmed vp in pride and brauery, our tongues must not talke filthilye, neither we harken vnto such speache as is not séemely.

It is a daungerous thinge to stand gasinge after women, or to be alone with them in corners, to beholde their bewtie, when as they haue on theire garishe attier, and beginne to looke with wanton eies.

Rubin the sonne of Iacob, séeinge hys fathers wyfe Billa bathinge hir selfe in a wel, had his minde so set vpon hir, y^t he could not sléepe & take rest till he had cōmitted abhomination, for he sée­inge hir lyinge a sléepe in hir chamber vncouered, went in vnto hir and com­mitted wickednes.

But Ioseph his brother walked not in the ignoraunce of youthfulnes and fornicatiō, neither could he be brought by his maistris the Egiptian woman, to defile his maisters bed although she vsed (as I sayde afore) many meanes [Page] to allure him therevnto.

And therefore GOD so blessed him, that he found fauour both in the sight of God and men. But, alas, fewe Iosephes there bée at this daye, but wée finde many lyke vnto Rubin, which burning with the flame of lust and concupicence, doe nothinge else, but lye in wayte and watch how they may defile other mens beds.

And bicause this vice, is not restraned by sharpnes of lawes, manye thinke that there is no office at al in whore­huntinge, supposinge it to bée a sporte, to robbe virgins and wiues of their honessye, which ought to be estéemed of more pryce and valewe then anye golde.

But if we will iudge vprightly of whoredome, wée must not iudge of it as many doe, which with brasen faces and impudent mouthes wyl say, tush, what is whoredome? it is but a trick of youth, a pastime, a dalliaunce, a veniall sinne, and a light faulte.

Alas, alas, these wordes will goe for no payment, and these excuses will [Page] not excuse them, when as the lawe of god & their owne giltie consciēces shal accuse them in the day of iudgement. At which time the Lorde will re­warde them accordinge to theire déedes. Then shall they knowe that it is some thing to break the lawe and commaūdement of GOD, who saith thou shalt not commite whoredome, then shall they know how vile a thing it is to defile their bodies, which ought to be houses and temples for the holy ghost to dwell in.

S. Paule saith, that all other sinnes are without the bodie, but he that com­mitteth whordome sinneth against his owne bodye, and yet men will haue it to be no sinne.

If one man robbe another of his goods, he is straight way punished, and méete it is he should so bée.

But whoredome is more then a sim­ple robberie, for by it men are spoy­led not onely of their substance, but also of their honour, honestie, & some­times of their liues.

If a tenaunt kéepe not the coue­nauntes [Page] that are agréed vpon betwixt himselfe and his Landlord, he shall be sure to smart for it. But marriage is a holy leage & couenaunt, and the man doth promyse to the woman and lyke­wyse the woman to the man that they wilbe true and faythfull eche to other, and this promise is made before God and his Churche, and yet the breakinge of it is thought to be nothing.

But if men would consider howe they doe by whoredome transgresse the lawe of god, vnhalow y^e temple of god, & his holy spirit, breake their promise made in the presens of god, and his an­gles, make shipwrack of their honesty, set fire to their own bodyes, and bryng distruction to their soules, they would shunne whoredome more then they doe.

If these reasons will not perswade you that whoredome is a horrible sinne in the sigh of God, then [...]all to mynde what hath bene the ende of all them in all ages which haue spent their liues in this filthy vice.

[Page]The people that liued in the firste age which spente theyr tyme in whoredom, wer sodaynly caught with the vengeaunce of God, and drowe­ned.

For the whole vniuersall worldeGen. 7. was ouerflowede with water for whoredome.

The Sodomites beinge giuen to thisGen. 19. vice were consumed with▪ heauenlye fire. We reade that foure and twenty thousand perished for whordome, the Iudges were hanged vp agaynst the sunne. What happened for rauishing of Dina the daughter of Iacob, andGene. 34. howe that facte was reuenged the 34. chapter of Gen. dothe playnelye declare. Sainct Paule saith that whore­mongers and adulterers the LordeHeb. 13. will iudge.

In the reuelation of Iohn we readeAp. 22. that they that kéepe the commaun­dementes of God, shall goe to heauen, and ther raign eternally with Christ, but whoremongers shalbe shut out, and be cast into y^e lake which flameth with fire and brimstone.

[Page]Now if god spared not y^e whole world, if he showered downe fier and brim­stone from heauen, vpon Sodom and Gomorra, if foure and twentye thou­sand were destroyed and all for whor­dome, let vs not thinke that he will spare this realme of Englande, if we continue still from one yeare to another in whoredome, neuer finding anye time to repent. Wherefore as many as will liue vprightly and walke honestly, must detest & abhorre this vice.

And to the end that we be not defi­led therewith, we must bannishe queanes and harlottes and not suffer them to eate our breade, and to lodge within our gates.

A serpent is a daungerous thinge to be kept in a mans bosome, and we cannot dayly kéepe companye with euill persens without great daun­ger, he that toucheth piche shalbe defiled.

Therfore he that will liue vpright­ly must shunne whordom & all things that are prouocations therevnto.

[Page]The third thinge that we must shunne, is strife and enuyinge, vnder which two names is comprehended al thinges that striue against brotherly loue, and godly peace and quietnes.

For out of al doubt, good agréemēt and freindshippe amongest men, is as plea­saunt a thinge vnto God as can bée. Therefore saith the psalme. Ecce quā bonum et quam iucundum habitarePsal 13 [...].fratres in vnum. Beholde howe good and ioyfull a thinge it is, brethrne to dwell together in vnitie, it is like the dewe that fell downe from heauē vpon the grounde to giue norishment vnto it, and like vnto y^e oyle that drop­ped downe from Aarons bearde, so as the sent of it was shed ouer all his rai­ment.

Whereby it plainely appeareth that god loueth peace and amitie amongest men, and is well pleased when one embraceth an other with hartie loue. S. Paule therefore here doeth exhorte vs to loue, and telleth vs that we can not liue vprightly if wée be readye to [Page] snatch at one another like cattes and dogges, and to cut one anothers throte. And yet neuerthelesse ther are some so giuen to dissention and quarrelinge, that they care not what mischeife they commit, so that they may satisfie their cruell hartes and lustes of re­uenginge.

And whereas we are commaunded to ouercome euill with goodnes, and if our enimy honger to féede him, if hée thirst to giue him drinke.

Yet are we so farre from performing of it, that at euery litle and small trifle we are readye to goe to the lawe, to drawe out our swordes, and to fyght it out one with an other.

But if we woulde a litle consider, the fruites that springe out of enuie, con­tencion, brawlinge, chidinge, and such like, or if we could now open our eies and looke vpon the warres, that are inflamed throughout al christendome, the bodies that haue bene slaine, the bloud that hath bene spilt, and the Cities, Townes, and Kingdomes, that [Page] haue bene rent and torne in sunder, through enuie and contencion, it were ynough to moue vs, to hate and detest this vice aboue all others. Let vs thē a litle consider the fruites that spring out of this trée.

First if a man be enuious, or at de­bate with his neighboure he cannot eate and drinke in rest, he is alwayes readie to hurt and harme the partie whom he enuieth, he reioyceth at his fall, and pyneth away at his pro­speritie. Agayne, we sée howe diue­lishe men become when they are once chased.

For they are then readye in furious wise, to runne headlonge into destruc­tion, then they suffer theyr naugh­ty affections to haue the brydle and to ouermaister all wyt and reason.

Yea and though they bée neuer soo wyse, yet in theire anger they will beehaue them selues lyke verye fooles.

For is not hée a verye foole whiche wyll goe about to make the fyer to [Page] burne better which is kindled to much alreadie.

If a man sée hys house on fyer he will crye out straight way for water: but if he féele him selfe set all on fyer with enuie hée séeketh not to quench it, but putteth more matter vnto it to make it to burne the more.

Wherefore Paule doth tell vs that wée cannot please GOD vnlesse we shake of all ill wyll, and treade all strife and contencion vnder foote.

And here wée haue to note, that al­though he setteth downe strife before enuye, yet in order is enuie first and the springe heade as it were from whence stryfe and contencion slow­eth. What is the cause y^t one séek­eth the ouerthrowe of another?

Marry the enuie and spight that one beareth towardes a nother.

Sathan enuyinge that good and hap­pye estayte of our fyrst parentes wasGene 3. neuer contente vntyll he had brought them out of felicitie into greate my­serye.

[Page] Caine enuyinge his innocent brother Abell sought meanes to take awaye his life, and bicause there was no bo­dyeGene 4. to stay him, he brought his wicked purposse to passe.

The sonnes of Iacob beinge moued with enuye sold Ioseph, and went a­bout to destroye him. Saule enuied Da­uid, and would haue killed him vnles that GOD had delyuered him out of his bloudy handes.

Herodias enuied Iohn Baptiste, andMar. 6 [...] therfore she sought his death.

For they beinge the childrne of the diuell coulde not abide the childrne of GOD.

Therefore, let vs take héede of enuye and embrace one another with bro­therly loue, and let ther be such a band of friendshipe amongest vs that wée may be knit & tied together as mēbers of one bodie, let vs detest dronken­nesse and wantonnesse with all other vices, and nowe at the length after so many admonytions, threatninges, and warnynges, learne to walke [Page] honestly as in the day, and to do those things that beccommeth the true ser­uauntes of GOD and disciples of Christ.

Last of al, after y^• the Apostle hath ex­horted3. Partes vs to cast away the workes of darkenes, and put of the old man, hée setteth before vs a new garment, and wylleth vs to take no thought for the flesh, to fulfill the lustes of it.

Wherein fyrst we haue to consider howe that the apostle calleth Christ a garment.

This similitude of clothinge and alle­gorie of garmentes is often vsed in the holy scriptures

The garmentes giuen to our first pa­rentes,Gene 3. had these properties, to couer their shame and nakednes, to defende them from could and weather, and so sorth.

Euen so Iesus Christ is here compa­red to a garment, and we are wylledMa [...]. 22. to put him on, bicause he is the wed­dinge garment spoken of in the gos­pell, [...]. Iohn 1. whose rightuousnes doth couey our vnrightuousnes, whose innocensie [Page] doth hide our filthinesse, whose bloude doth wash away our sins, & by whom we are defended from death, hell and euerlasting damnation.

For Christ is the white rayment and apparell spokē of in the Apoca. which doth hide and cloth our filthy naked­nsse, that it doth not appeare. And he is y^• apparell which we are cōmaun­ded to kéepe, least we walke naked, and men sée our filthynes.

He that hath put on this garment, needeth not to séeke for any other thinge to couer and hyde his sinnes: and whosoeuer he be that hath not put on Christ, is odious and hatefull in the sight of God. And the kings which made a marriage for his sonne, at the last day when as he shall come to vi [...]e and sée his ghestes, will says vnto him, friende howe camest thou hither not hauing on a wedding gar­mēt, and cōmaunde him to be cast in­to vtter darkenesse.

This garment haue all they put on which béeleue truely and sincerely in Iesus Christ, which expresse theire [Page] faith by wel doing, endeuoringe eue­rye daye, more and more to re­straine the lustes and pleasures of the fleshe.

And truely it is méete and conuenient [...]t we which haue▪ giuen our selues to Christ in Baptisme, shoulde re­ [...]ce the affections of the fleshe; [...] bee content to be gouerned by his holy and gratious spirite, which hath shed his most pretious bloude for vs.

And very néedefull it is to consider th [...]se last wordes, wherein we are willed to take no thought for the flesh, to fulfill the lustes of it. For Paule doth not say that Sathan shall not tempt vs, and that we shall not haue store of prouocations, bicause he knewe right well that Sathan and our owne wicked lustes, woulde [...] ready euery daye to perswade vs, to that which is euill.

Therefore we must alwaies wra­ [...]h [...]e agaynst them; and take [...] that wee suffer them not to ouercome vs and get y^e victory of vs.

[Page]And although wée bee by nature so corrupt, and of our selues are so inclyned to all euill, that wée cannot chuse but sinne daily: yet if wée ful­fill not the lustes of the fleshe, but styll séeke to tame and kéepe them vn­der, hée will not impute our sinnes vnto vs.

True it is that wicked lustes and sinfull affections, will alwayes dwell in vs, so longe as wée lyue in this worlde, and therefore it béehooueth vs, alwayes to kéepe good watch and warde, and to bée in a readynesse to fyght agaynst them, and in any wise to take héede that we suffer them not to haue the maistery ouer vs.

Whereas hée willeth vs to take no thought for the fleshe, hée teacheth vs nothinge else, but that wée shoulde not lyue after the fleshe.

Otherwyse you knowe wée are bound to cloth our bodies, to féede thē, and to make prouisiō not onely for our selues, but also for our families & ned [...] brethrē [Page] and we must haue some care of them. Therefore he doth not say take no thought to prouid anye thinge for the flesh, laboure not, sowe not, reape not, &c. But he saitht, ake no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it.

Whereby it appereth that he intrea­teth not here of the substaunce of the flesh, but onely of the corruptions thereof, by which we are drawne to sinne, and so from God.

Wée must haue a care, to prouide rayemente for our bodies, but wée must not haue a care to cloth them wantonlie, and to praunce vp & downe in pride and brauery, we must prouide for our selues meate and drinke, and also for our families, but yet we must eate and drinke soberlie, and doe it in such sort as we ought to doe, other­wise we fulfill the lustes of the flesh. But how is this counsell of Paule folowed at this day? truely nothing at all.

There is no vice, no wickednesse but it is daily committed amongest vs. The great men of the worlde whom [Page] God hath blessed with landes, rentes, & reuenewes, swallow vp poore men in such sort, that it may worthilye a­mase both men and Angels, and all men of all ages and of all degrées, are so poysoned with the ve [...]e of coue­tousnesse, that they séeke by hooke and crooke to come by lyuing, and it is ap­parent, that they preferre frayle and vaine riches, before the treasure of e­ternall lyfe.

Besydes thys vyce of couetousnesse, whoredome so muche aboundeth that all men may easely sée, that marriage loue decayeth, and whoredoms loue encreaseth. We are so lofty, that we haue forgottē our selues to be mortall men.

And it is to bad to sée howe we swell lyke toades, with the poyson of pryde. Agayne, eatinge and drinkinge was neuer so much abused, for we make our bellyes our God, and our kitchens our religyon, and so that we bee crammed with daintie meates, wee care not though our soules perishe and starue for honger.

[Page]To bee briefe, men are not ashamed of sinne, neither doe they care for ho­nesty. For wée lyue and behaue our selues, as though Christ dyd not sit Iudge in heauen.

Yea, suche is the vngratiousnesse of this tyme, that vnlesse, the Lorde shorten these wicked dayes, iniquitie will haue the vpper hande, and no flesh shalbe saued, and therefore vnlesse we repent in tyme, for sake all naughtie and filthy vices, and hereafter walke honestly as in the day, wée shall féele and tast of iudgement without mercy, and after this lyfe be cast into the fyre of dampnation, from the which place of torment almighty GOD, for his sonne Christ sake defend vs all, to whom with the holy ghost be all prayse, honor, and glory, worlde with out ende Amen.