FOr that, as S. Augustine saith, it is not possible for any man to begin a newe and laudable life, but if he first forsake and vtterly detest his former loose and lewde life; who so therefore mindeth to amende his former manners, and to endeuour himselfe sincerelie to serue God: the first thing he ought to doo, is, to call vpon God for grace, that his soul may be purged, that so it may please the ho­ly ghost to dwell therein, and remaine [Page] as in his holy Temple: whoe will not (as holy Scripture telleth) enter into the soule of the wicked, nor be harbo­red 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6. 2. Cor. 6. Sap. 1. in the body, thral and captiuate vn­to sinne. It behooueth therefore to fol­lowe the prophets councell, to seque­ster thy selfe from sin, and so shalt thou become a fit instrument to doo good.

The which sequestration from sin, Psa. 33. Psa. 33. Isai. 1. 1. Pet. 3. and purging of the soule, is procured by true and hartie repentance for thy sinnes past. In asmuch as it is certaine, that there is no man, nor no man can be without sin, and sin is the very poy­son and bane of mans soule, and that which the Prophet saith is true, your wickednesse hath made a diuision be­tweene you and your God, and your Esai. 59. 2. sinnes haue hidden his face from you, that he should not heare you. Moreo­uer, sinne dooth not onelie make diui­sion betweene God and man, which in deed is the most lamentable diuision that man can thinke on, for it is writ­ten in the prophet. Thy malice shall rebuke thee, and thy turning away shal Ier. 2. 19. [Page 2] blame thee: see and knowe howe mise­rable and brittle a thing it is, for thee to haue forsaken the Lord thy God, and that thou hast no feare of me, saith the Lorde of hoasts? But it also maketh a great dissention in thine owne selfe: for the Prophet crieth out, Peccatum me­um Psa. 51. 5. contrame est semper: My sinne is al­wayes against me. A lamentable thing it is, to see a kingdome diuided in it self, for it shall be desolate, and the house or Mat. 12. 25 Citie that is not at vnitie in it selfe, shal not stand. Disquietnesse of conscience, strife betweene the flesh and the spirit, and the dissention in the verie will of man, described by the Apostle is occa­sioned, nay rather caused by sinne. And I referre my selfe vnto them that are Rom. 7, 19 19. &c. vexed with the disquietnesse of consci­ence, whether there bee a greater tor­ment then it in the worlde, for euerie battell that a man hath without, may be preuented by some policie, or illu­ded by some stratagem, and therefore not so dangerous, but when a man fee­leth and carieth his owne enemie in [Page] his owne bosome, the matter is more daungerous, and the destruction of a man more eminent. And so (I saie) it is also a lamentable case to see a man diuided in himselfe. But if that bee so lamentable that the Prophet cryeth out, who wil giue water vnto my head, I [...]r. 9. 1, 2. 3. &c. and a fountaine of teares vnto myne eies? &c. no doubt that diuision is to be deplored, and bewailed with a sea of tears, which is between God & mā, for as God is vnity it selfe, & the cause of al vnion, that is amongst his creatures: e­uen so the debate and concision that is betweene God and man, is the cause of all other debats that are in the vniform multiformitie of the world. Therefore we reade, and sometimes do see things go against their nature, for the punish­ment of sinnes, as the earth couered with water in the time of Noah was Gen. 7. the punishment of the old world, like­wise Gen. 19. fier descended from heauen, for the punishment of the Sodomits: and such like punishments in the olde testament. In the newe Testament though [Page 3] Gods mercie bee more reuealed, and though there bee not so greate signes of his iustice shewed, yet did the crea­tures detest sinne, and declared it by darknesse in the daie time against na­ture, the obscuration of the sunne, the Mat. 27. renting of stones in sunder, and of the vaile of the temple, the opening of the graues, &c. generallie let this con­clusion stand, there is nothing so much against nature, as is sinne, which ma­keth all things (in a manner) to goe a­gainste their natures, for the punish­ment of it. Seeing then that sinne is so daungerous, that it doth not onely set diuision between man in himselfe, but also betweene God and man: let a man therefore auoide it, in asmuch as hee can, otherwise hee runneth day­lie further and further to his owne vt­ter ruine and destruction. Two things therefore doth the Prophet propound vnto a man that intendeth to leade a newe life, and to turne vnto the Lorde, the firste is Declina à malo, es­chewe euill. The which thing howe [Page] naturall it is for a man to follow it, is declared in y^e scriptures. And God see­ing that the malice of mā on the earth, was verie great, and that the thoughts of his heart was alwayes bent to mis­chiefe: hee repented that he had made man vpon the earth. Besides that, the Gen. 6, 5. multitude of the wicked in this world, dooth sufficiently manifest the same, for you shall hardly finde a man that hath taken a smacke in sinne, to be wil­ling to forsake the same, without God of his speciall grace doe reueale to him the danger that he is in. And a man be­ing in so miserable a case, goeth on still neuer looking into the lewd life which he hath led. It is requisite therfore that a man doe call vnto God for grace, to­wards the purifying of his soule, for of our selues wee are neither able to es­chew euill, nor to doe good, but both the one and the other is the gifte of al­mightie God, who dooth woorke in vs, & velle, & perficere, both to will Phil. 2. 13. and to perfourme, and that also of his good will and pleasure. Considering [Page 4] then first, the frailtie of man in falling so often, his impotencie in not ry­sing, his negligence in seeking of help, his ingratitude in refusing the helpe that is offered vnto him, his slouthful­nesse in vsing Gods grace bestowed vpon him: who would not thinke that of all the creatures that God hath crea­ted, man is the most negligent in ben­ding his whole life, and all his actions vnto the ende, vnto the which hee is created? But true it is that Moises say­eth in his Song, in expostulation with the children of Israel for their in­gratitude, Deum quite genuit, de re­liquisti, & oblatus es Domini creato­ris tui. Thou hast forsaken God who Deut. 32, 18. hath begotten thee, and hast forsaken the Lord thy creator. But to the prin­cipall euent, which is, to direct him whose minde is bent to serue God, and to forsake his euill life past, I will take this for a generall principle, hee that committeth sinne, is of the Diuell, be­cause 1. Io. 3. 8 the Diuell sinneth from the be­ginning, if all that commit sin be of the [Page] Diuell, and all of vs offende in manie things, how many men shall we find to be free from sinne? Wee may say with the Prophet in the 14. Psalm, There is not one that doth good, no not one, yet euerie man ought to take heede of sinne, and to eschew it, without pre­tence of anie excuse whatsoeuer it be: for God is pure, and must bee looked vpon with a pure eye: for it is written: Math. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Now the sight of God is nothing els but the knowledge of god: and the knowledge of God is life euer­lasting, according to the saying of our Sauiour, which saith, This is life eter­nall, that they knowe thee to bee the onelie verie God, and whom thou hast Ioh, 17, 3. sent Iesus Christ: and life euerlasting is the onlie end, vnto the which man was created, and there is no stop or hinde­rance to this life but sinne. What man then is so vnnaturall vnto himselfe, but would eschue this impediment, & hate it, cane peius & angue, worse then a dog and a snake. But men inueigled with the [Page 5] lewdnes of this world, pretend excuses of this their daliance. Som say the knife is dull, and the bread is harde, but the worde of God is more sharpe then any sword, of 2. edges whatsoeuer, to pierce the flinty hearts of such obstinate wret­ches, whose ende is destruction. To those therefore which are in a maner alreadie disposed to repentaunce (of the which as before, I sayd this, Decli­na à malo, auoyd euill, is the first part) I would propound these few points for their consideration.

First the enormity of sin, in the which there is nothing but all kinde of things that should terrefie a man: for before that man by suggestion of the Serpent transgressed the commaundement of God, what death, nay what dreame of death had man, being created immor­tall? 1. Cor. 15. Nowe death the last enemie that shall bee destroyed, is most irrigular and enormous, and most aduersant vn­to Rom. 5. the life of man. Death commeth by sinne, for by a man came sinne, and by [Page] sin came death into the worlde. There is no worldling that is not afrayed of death. But it is a wōder that the world­lings are not afraid of that thing which causeth death? Perswaded I am, that if a mans eye were so spirituall to see things corporall, a man would abhorre the sight of any sinne, were it neuer so small. A man that hath a care of neat­nesse and cleanlinesse in apparaile, can not abide the least moat in the world, or the least spot that may be imagined in any part of his apparell, and all this is because he would not offend the eyes of men. But a man that is little lesse in degree then the Angels, and made for Psal. 8. y^e praise of his creator, who regardeth not the bodie, but maketh an account of the soule: hath no regard of the dec­king of his soule, but onely followeth the lustfull delights of the flesh. If then men bee so diligent in brushing, and cleansing of their garments, that they should not offende the eyes of carnall men, doth it not behooue thee to take heed that the garments of thy soule be [Page 6] not defiled, with the most filthie spots of sin in the sight of Almightie God?

Secondly, let him that loueth his own saluation, alwayes diligently con­sider the frail estate of this world. And let him weigh how short all carnal de­lights are. That man will quickly abhor the way of sinne, which considereth that the pleasure of the flesh is verie short, but the paine that is due vn­to it to bee eternall. The worlde pas­seth awaie, and the desire there­of, 1. Ioh. 2. and all men passe awaie by death, and no man is permitted to staie long in this worlde, for what is the worlde but a great deepe and a troublesome Sea, in the which there are so manie monsters of sinne, as there bee euill desires in men? O false, deceiptfull and impure worlde, which so fowlly doost deceyue those that trust in thee, and doost drowne those that doe followe thee in the depth of hell. How hap­pie are those that contemne thee for Christ his sake? And making a com­fortable diuision, doe speedilie depart [Page] from thy vanities: whatsoeuer wee see in the worlde is vanitie, and euerie lo­uer of the worlde is vaine, and shall quickly be corrupted. Thinke that you shall quicklie die, for nothing doth so much withdraw a man from sinne, as the often and diligent meditation of Ies. Syra. death, for it is sayd, Remember thy lat­ter end, and thou shalt neuer sinne: the necessitie of death beeing thought vp­on diligently, dooth terrifie the minde, and keepeth it from sinne.

Thirdly, the meditation or thinking vpon the last iudgemēt, in the which al men must be presented before y^e iudge­ment seate of Christ, helpeth much to y^e flight of sin. No man can escape this terrible iudgement, but we must all ap­peare in it: of the which day of iudge­ment doth the Prophet say, very great Ioel. 2. and terrible is the day of the Lord, and who can abide it? And Salomon saith, All things that are done vnder the Sun Prea. 21. wil y^e lord bring to iudgmēt, &c. And in Esai, we reade, The Lord will come to Esai. 3. iudgment with the elders & princes of [Page 7] his people. And Amos, wo be to them which desire y^e day of the Lord, for why Amos. 5. doe yee wish the day of the Lorde, for that day is darkenesse and not light? And Sophonie pronouncing the bit­ternesse of that day: saieth, the voyce Soph. 1. of the day of the Lorde is bitter: there shall the strong man bee troubled. That day is a day of anger, of trouble and anguish, a day of calamitie and mi­serie, a day of darknesse and blindnes, a day of mist and whirlewinde, in the fire of the zeale of the Lord, shal all the earth bee deuoured, because hee shall quickely dispatch with all the dwellers on the earth. Saint Ambrose saieth, that nothing is more profitable for an honest life, than to thinke that he shall bee our iudge, which knoweth the se­cretes of our heartes, and is not de­lighted with dishonest thinges. For all we, as Saint Paul saith, must be pre­sented before the tribunall seate of Christ, for euerie man shall receyue as hee hath doone in his bodie ey­ther good or euill. At that terrible [Page] houre, the puritie of the heart will bee more worth, then the subtill perswasi­ons of Rhetoricians: a cleere consci­ence shall auaile more than all the mo­ney in the worlde. For hee that shall iudge all things cannot bee deceyued, nor by entreatie changed.

Fourthly, the consideration of the bitternesse of the eternall paines, is a­uaileable to the eschuing of sinne, for there is not so vehement a tentation of carnall pleasure, but it may bee repres­sed, if a man thinke of the punishment that the wicked suffer in hell. And here least a man should thinke that there is no hell: I will make but this discourse. There is no nation (as Tullie saith) so barbarous, but it hath this sentence naturallie written in their harts. Deos es­se. That there are Gods. Nowe that there is a God, by the scriptures it is manifest. For saint Paule saith, for the inuisible thinges of him, that is, his e­ternall Rom, 1. power and Godhead, are seene by the Creation of the worlde, beeing considered in his workes, to the intent [Page 8] that they should not be excused. And for the singularitie of one God, what dooth not Nature tell vs? seeing that we see all thinges concurre to the con­seruation of one whole vniuersity. And Aristotle himselfe, the greatest eni­mie of one prouidence of all thinges in the worlde, dooth not onely confesse but also proue, that there is one onelie Primus motor, the first moouer, which being granted, we must say, that there is a God, a Creator, a Conseruer, a go­uernor of all things, and consequently a prouider for all thinges. For if there be a God, it is requisite, that in him should be all kind of perfection. So if we count it a perfection in an vnreaso­ble Creature, to haue a care of the young that is procreated of it: howe much more is it a perfection in almightie God, not onely willingly, and not of necessitie, to create all things: but also to haue a perpetual care of things, cre­ated aswel visible as inuisible, reasona­ble as vnreasonable? And as y^e scrip­ture Psal. 145. saith, doth prouide for all thinges [Page] in due season and time, yet if we giue al perfections vnto God, which are due Psal. 145. vnto him, wee must needes giue vnto him that attribute which is most pro­per vnto him, we shall see y^t he is most iust, and therfore in the rigor of iustice he giueth that to euerie man which is due vnto him, according as hee hath don in his bodie, either good or euill. Hell therefore is prepared for the diuel and his angels, and the reprobates: and this depēdeth on the consideration go­ing before. For S. Paul saith, that God wil reward euery man according to his Rom, 2. works: y^t is, to thē which by patience in weldoing, seek glory & honor, immortality, and euerlasting life, but vnto thē that be cōtentious & disobey the truth, and obey vnrighteousnes, shalbe indignation & wrath, tribulation & anguish shalbe vpō the soule of euery man that doth euill, of the Iewe first, and also of the Gentile, but to euerie man that dooth good, shalbe honor, glorie, and peace, to the Iewe first, and also to the grecian, it is therefore as harde a thing [Page 9] for a man to deny hel, as it is for him to denie God, but the torments of hell are extreame and intollerable, yet not so great as y^e qualitie of sin deserueth: For the very (iust in y^e sight of God) are de­filed. Psal. 143. And if God would deale with thē in rigour, they are worthy of condem­nation. Where then shal y^e sinner haue place? Then as we see, that in the scrip­tures there is no penitent sinner reiec­ted of God, at what time soeuer hee re­penteth, so are there in the same scrip­ture manifest examples of the punish­ments of such as obstinately persist in their sinnes. Let therefore this suffice for the terrifying of a man from sinne, and consequently to the amendment of his life.

HAuing thus therefore with my self considered, the great discord that sinne setteth be­tweene God and man, and [Page] the causes that may make a man re­fraine sinne, and so by consequence (if at the least Gods grace haue taken any place in thee) thou detesting sinne, and with a penitent heart returning vnto God, with determination neuer to re­turne vnto the same againe, but rather calling vpon God, that hee would giue thee grace, rather to suffer any kind of affliction, contempt, yea death it selfe, if need require, then to offend. For if a chast wife ought to carry this mind, ra­ther to loose her life, then betray the truth she hath once plight to her hus­band: how much more oughtest thou to be of the same mind, rather to loose a thousand liues (if thou hads so many) then to play the traitor towardes God, 2. Cor. 1. 12 who is thy husband, thy father, thy Lorde and maker? When thou hast once thus fullie determined, then take a zealous and feruent desire, to liue a newe hereafter, and striue to get other new behauiours, and to liue far other­wise then thou hast done before, repu­ting thy self now to be a new man, farre [Page 10] changed from that thou earst was. Si­thence all the time thou hast hitherto liued, hath beene lost, and as it were a death: for the better doing hereof, this shall helpe thee greatly, in any wise to eschew all occasions of sinne, especial­ly the companie of wicked men, but much more of women, such as may prouoke thee to naughtines, and giue thee loose & lewd example. For albeit thou art bound to loue euery one, & to pray for euery one as charitie commā ­deth, yet art thou not bound to com­panie and conuerse with euery one, but only such as may help to do thee good, and with their good wordes and vertu­ous example serue to edifie thee.

Secondly, thou must flie such places where God is customably offended, as dicing-houses, tauerns, dauncing scholes, and such like, not only foresee­ing thou do no euil thy self, but also not to be present there where it is done: for looke how much more thou standst a­loof from the fire, & so much more se­cure art thou not to be burnt therwith.

Thirdlie thou must take great heed, to be at no tyme Idle, for that (as the Eccle. 33. holy scripture telleth) many men haue receaued much harme through Idle­nes. See therefore thou follow S. Ie­roms counsaile, saying, It behoueth we S. Ierome. bee alwaies doing of some good, that when the feend shall come to tempt vs he shall find vs well and vertuouslie oc­cupied.

Fourthly, thou must take heede of all excesse in eating, drinking, sleeping and clothing, and indeuour thy selfe to obserue a mediocritie and temperance in ech of them, yea rather to decline to some rigor and austeritie, then to anie superfluitie and delicate pampering of thy flesh: for looke by how much the more thou tamest and bridelest it, and by so much the lesse shalt thou be tro­bled with the temptations and disor­dinate desires that proceed of it, yea so much the more apter shalt thou finde thy self to serue God, and to performe all spirituall exercises.

As touching corporal mortification, [Page 11] it is good to follow the example of the apostle, which saith, but I beat downe 1. Cor. 9. my bodie, and bring it into subiection, which must not be doone as some hy­pocrites do, (which by Imoderate kind of punishing their bodie, do seek to get vnto themselues the names of Saintes and holy men. But with all kind of mo­deration and alacritie, so that it be don not for ostentation & vaine glorie, but for that which the Apostle saith in the Ibid. same place, least by any meanes after it I haue Preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.

Fiftly it shall greatlie profit thee, to sette before thine eies the good exam­ples, workes and life, that the Saintes which both the old and new testament haue sette before vs to imitate, haue led and continued in, and also of them which in this time thou seest to excell in any kinde of vertue, but cheiflie, of 2. Cor. 4. such as bee like to thy selfe, animating thee by their good examples, and pro­curing asmuch as thou maiest to imi­tate them in euerie thinge, yea forget­ting [Page] the good thou haste already don, thou oughtest to striue euerie daie to become better then other, and alwaies to aduaunce thy selfe forwarde in the seruice and feare of God.

Sixtlie, make none accompt of the tediousnes & temptatiōs, which those commonly feele that beginne first to lead a godly and a spirituall life; be not 1. Cor. 9. thou, I say, dismaid there with at all, but march on forward, & fight manfully a­gainst all such temptations, cōforting and confirming thy selfe with this vn­doubted truth, which thou must haue firmelie fixed in thy mind, to wit, that now thou hast taken in hād the highest and most happiest enterprise, that may be thought of in this world, and how this is an affaire of more weight and importance then any other, & where­by more certaine gaine, greater aboun dance of treasure, more honour & dig­nitie, and finally the most blessed haps of all the happy and good things that may be found or desired in this world, shal redound vnto thee: yea there is no [Page 12] good thing y^t is good indeed, but onely this, neither any other importāt affair, but this alone, this being y^e only thing our Sauiour himselfe said was necessa­ry. Luk. 10. 8. And therfore ought no toils, temp­tations Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 4. or disquietnes, no backbitings, slaunders & persecutions, which may and must befall thee in this life, seeme any whit greuous for the gaining of so pretious a pearle and rare iewel as thou lookst for: herewith must thou eftsoons animate, and encorage thy self, calling oft to mind that saying of the Apostle. Rom. 8. How all the afflictions and crosses, of this world, are not to bee compared to the future glory that shalbe giuen vnto vs. Perswade thy selfe likewise, leaste thou mightst happely faint in resisting the toiles and temptations which may befall thee, in this straight waie y^t brin­geth to heauē; perswade thy selfe, I saie assuredly that as herein be worldly toils and temptarions, so be there heauenly comforts and consolations: and that to ouercome these crosses & ouerthwarts of nature, there are helps and succours of grace giuen, which surpasse nature. [Page] And with this consideration maiest thou remaine a vanquisher, and doe all things (as did Saint Paul) in him that shal comfort thee, which is Iesus christ our Lord and Captaine.

DEscending now to more par­ticularitie, for that such things as bee well and orderly dispo­sed, bee both more durable and profitable too: I haue therefore thought good to aduertise thee, what course and order thou oughtest euerie day to keepe, which let be this: first, to rise in the morning so earely as thou maiest, hauing before taken conueni­ent rest & sleepe, which is had betwixt sixe and seuen houres, little more or lesse according to the diuersitie of complexions. So soone as thou art a­wake, it is a good and godly deuotion before y^u settle thy minde to any other [Page 13] thing, to offer vp to God the first fruits of thine affections, and powers of thy whole bodie: as for example, thy heart thinking of thy Creator, & sigh­ing after him. Thine eies casting them vp to heauen, and saying with the Pro­phet: Turne away mine eyes least they Psal. 119. behold vanitie, and quicken mee in thy way: thy legges, saying with the same Prophet, direct my wayes in thy word, Psal. 119. and let no vanitie rule ouer mee: thy hands also with the same saying: let my prayer be incense before thee, and the lifting vppe of my handes an euening sacrifice. Briefly, giue him thankes for hauing preserued thee the night past, desiring him likewise to defende thee the day present following from all sin, and to giue thee grace to spende it bet­ter in his diuine seruice.

After this, some read part of the ho­lie Scripture meditating thereon, de­siring God to direct thee, to doe those things, which by his woorde thou art taught to doe, or make a little medi­tation, whereof I shall entreate here­after, [Page] doing this, thou doest as our Sa­uiour himselfe aduised thee, saying: Seeke first the kingdome of God and his iustice, and all other thinges shalbe Mat. 6. giuen vnto you. Hauing nowe recom­mended thy selfe to God, in maner a­foresayde, thou maiest with his holie blessing attend to thine occupation or temporal businesse, referring all things yea temporall also to his diuine plea­sure, choosing rather to doo them for his loue, then for thine own lucre. And therfore oughtest thou to thinke eft­soones of him, whilst thou laborest or art busied in any kind of thy temporall affaires, and to recommend thy selfe to his diuine mercy, offering vp thy heart with all thy doings to him.

And in anie wise, beware of one thing, that neither in thine occupati­on, or anie other temporall dooings, thou vse any guile, or exercise any vn­lawfull trade, and againste conscience: for so should thy building laide vppon Iam, 5. 1. Cor. 15. such a foundation be verie faulty. Thou must likewise take heede of swearing, [Page 14] lying, vsing of idle woordes, and im­pertinent speaches, so much as may be; yea not to heare any such if it were possible for thee.

Thus hauing spent the day till din­ner time, see when thou goest thereto, that (being now at y^e table), either thou or some say grace before thou eate, or at least wise say some thanksgiuing, for all such inestimable benefites, and be­ware thou feede not too greedily, nor of too daintie and delicate meate: take heed also of all such excesse and super­fluitie, as may make thee vnlustie and lesse apt to reade, pray, or do any other worke. Take therfore so much as thou maiest well thinke necessarie for thee, and no more, remembring that meate is rather to be receyued as a medicine, or refection to sustaine the body, and intertain the temporal life of ours, then to satisfie y^e sensuall delights & desires of our flesh. And therefore must thou force thy self, not to feed with y^e whole man, but to eleuat thy mind vp to god, and to listen to some holy and spirituall [Page] lessons, if there were any reade. And if thow find thy selfe disposed to glutto­ny, thou must seek to represse the same with some good thought, as for exam­ple, remembring that through thy sins thou deseruest not that, which God of his meere liberalitie bestoweth vppon thee: And how others that are worthy of more, lacke what thou leauest. Cal­ling also to mind, the toiles, tormentes and sorrowes of our Sauiour, and how for thy sake he tasted gaul and vineger: with these and such like good cogitati­ons maist thou, as with a wholesome Mat. 27. Luk. 23. 40. 9, Psal 88. sawce, delay the too sweete and plea­sant sauour of thy meate.

After dinner, see thou rise not from table, before thou hast thāked thy ma­ker, who in such wise hath vouchsafed to sustaine and refresh thee, with his most bountifull hand, thou deseruing rather through thy sinnes, to suffer e­ternall torments. And so mayst thou at thy pleasure returne againe to thy bu­sinesse, demeaning thy selfe therein, as is aforesaid in the morning.

At euening it should be verie good, to reade some parte of scripture, with meditation before supper, or to reade a little, as I shall hereafter instruct thee, that by this meanes thy soule may re­ceaue some refreshing before thy bo­die: howbeit if thy trade and businesse will not giue thee leaue to do so, then maist thou get thee to supper on Gods name, behauing thy selfe therein as is said at dinner time.

The residue of time from supper till thou goest to bed, thou maist bestowe in some honest talke, or other good ex­ercise and recreation, taking heede yet of occupying thy self in any such thing as may hinder and disturbe the quiet­nesse of thy mind.

Afterwardes, hauing made some small pause or resting while, see thou prepare thy selfe to bedward, conside­ring that a good Christian oughte to dispouse himselfe in such wise thereto, as if hee were that night to depart this life.

The manner how to prepare thy self [Page] is this: 1 first kneeling downe deuoutly, Foure principall points to be consi­dered. giue god most humble thanks for ha­uing preserued thee that day: 2 2. and re­quire the light of his grace, to vnder­stand and knowe thy faults: but chiefly those that thou hast committed that present day: 3 3. examine afterwards thy conscience at leysure, and with good deliberation, discussing howe and in what things thou hast bestowed the same, and where thou findest thee guiltie of any offence, 4 4. be sorrowfull for it, and ask God hartily mercy. Pur­pose also to amende thy life hereafter: but finding not thy conscience guiltie of any such offence, yeeld him humble thanks who hath preserued thee. And finally beseech him to defende thee the night following, from all the de­ceipts and illusions of the Diuell, gran­ting thee conucnient rest for thy soules health, and health of thy bodie. And thus maiest thou go to bed, commen­ding thy selfe to the defence of almigh­tie god, disposing thy self in honest and decent wise, considering that God and [Page 16] his angels do behold thee, to the which God thou must not fail to recommend thy selfe. It shall be likewise verie good to remember otherwhiles, that euen as thou now laiest thy selfe downe in bed, so shall others one day couch thee downe in thy graue: and ponder well that this must needes be the ende of all the riches, pompes and honours, and of the whole pride and glorie of this worlde: say therefore (as thou lyest) some short prayer, namely the Lordes prayer, crauing Gods good helpe and assistaunce, for that last houre of so great dreade and importaunce.

And beware in anie wise of lying on too daintie and soft a bedde, calling to minde that narrowe and hard Couch of the Crosse, which for thy sake our Sauiour laie vppon, and thus mayest thou fall a sleepe, eyther with this, or such like godly thoughtes. And looke that when thou chauncest at any time to wake, thou haue God by and by in thy minde.

and let thy mouth bee filled with his prayses, saying some verse to thanke and blesse him, or to recommende thy selfe to his diuine mercie: and when thou risest againe in the morning, be­haue thy selfe as is aforesaid.

HAuing declared alredy, what order thou oughtest to keep, in thine exercises, each wor­king day through the week, it resteth now to teach thee, how thou art to behaue thy selfe on the Sabboth day, the which wee are precisely com­maunded to sanctifie and keepe holy. It behoueth therfore that we toile not onelie, and take no seruile paines on those dayes, but that we dedicate our selues more diligently to gods seruice, and to the exercise of spirituall, good and godly works, that by those meanes wee may sanctifie the same dayes, by [Page] [Page] [Page 17] indeuoring our selues, to haue more holinesse on them. On sundaies there­fore thou shalte dispose thy life, and exercise in this order.

After thou art got vppe in the mor­ning, offer and commend thy selfe to thy Lorde and maker, as on other daies, and make thy praiers, read some parte of Scripture with mediration, preparing thy selfe to go to Church to praie, and to heare the worde of God, and to receaue the holie Sacrament, if thou be minded so to do that day.

When thou hast thus don, and left such order for thy temporall matters at home, as shalbe meet, get thee then to Church to prayer, and to some ser­mon, especiallie at such times as thou purposest to receaue if conuenientlie thou canst. And take heede in the waie to Churchward, thou rolle not thine eyes vppe and downe gasing here and there, especially at thine entry into the Church, but retire then home in mo­dest and deuoute wise, and calling to mind thine owne vnworthynesse, and [Page] manifolde sins, be sorrow full for them, asking God mercie and forgiuenesse. And then maist thou say that sentence of the Psalme: Putting my trust and confidence in thy mercie, O Lorde, I Psalm. 5. will enter into thy holie Temple, in thy fear. Place thy selfe afterwards in hum­ble and contrite wise like to the publi­can, in some conuenient roome, there to heare atteutiuely both praier & ser­mon; which are by the Preacher de­clared in that place: and alwaies to re­maine in the vnitie of the holy Church and al the faithfull and liuely members of Christ, that thou maiest afterwarde enioy euerlasting happines with them in the triumphant church aboue. Now at such time as publike praier begin­neth, lift thou vp thy minde and heart with thanksgiuing, praising God when shee praiseth him, praying when shee praieth, and for the same things shee praieth, giuing thanks when she doth, and so in all things imitating her and conforming thy selfe to hir.

If there be a sermon that Sunday or [Page 18] holy day, giue eare thereto with good and great zeale and attention, prepa­ring thy selfe before it beginne, by e­straunging thy minde from forraigne thoughts, and making thy praier to God, that it may please him to mini­ster such speeche and spirit vnto the Preacher, wherwith he may both pro­fite thee and others, and then maiest thou say with Samuell, Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth. 1. Kin. 3.

Of such thinges as the Preacher shal deliuer in his Sermon, thou ough­test to committe some such lessons to memorie, as shal most concerne thee, and that chiefly hath mooued thee, supposing our Lord himselfe had de­liuered the same vnto thee.

These be the chiefest exercises, wherein thou art to spend the fore­noon till dinner time, and then behaue thy selfe as on other dayes. Hauing then paused a little while after dinner, it were a verie fruitefull exercise (if thou couldest conueniently vse it) to instruct and teach thy familie in the [Page] Christian fayth, or learne thy selfe if thou vnderstand it not well, whereby euerie way doth ensue great gaine: for if thou teach others that bee ignorant, thou exercisest one of the seuen spiri­tuall woorkes of mercie: and if thou Iam. 5. learne thy selfe of others, thou winnest that which it behooued thee to know: and that is more precious, then moun­taines of worldly wealth.

After this exercise thou maist goe and heare Euening prayer, and some good lesson if there be anie, gouerning thy selfe in all things, as is abouesayde in the morning.

This being done, imploy the spare time till night in doing some deede of mercy, as in visiting some hospitall or prison, comforting & performing som Iames 1. charitable office to those weake and comfortlesse Creatures, or otherwise thou mayest associate thy selfe with some vertuous companions to report or heare some spirituall discourses, or reade some godlie booke, or finde thee occupied in some such like honest [Page 19] exercise: and if so bee thou thinkest it otherwhile expedient to walke abroad for recreation, let it bee in some secrete and solitarie place, where other secu­lar persons come not to disturbe thee, and with their prophane conuersation withdraw thy mind from God.

Finally, thou oughtest euer after dinner on those dayes, to occupie thy selfe in some such exercise, as thy soule may thereby reape some spirituall pro­fite, and growe more zealous and fer­uent in the loue of God, with newe purposes and inflamed desires to goe continually forward, and to waxe stronger in his diuine seruice, with greater charitie towardes thy neigh­bour, better knowledge of thy selfe, and more humilitie in all thy actions.

Thus is the Sabboth sanctified con­formablie to Gods will, and the intent of the holie Catholique Church. Af­terwardes, both in thy Meditation be­fore Supper (hauing the meanes to make it) and in the examination of thy conscience before thou go to bed, thou [Page] shalt both in these and each other thing of night, doe as is aboue sayde in the former Chapter. Noting this by the way, that on these dayes all is to bee done with so much more leysure, feruour, and diligence, as the high­nesse and holinesse of the day dooth require it.

And here let euerie man that hath children or a familie, learne, that hee is a guide and gouernour to such as bee vnder him, and therefore he is bounde so much as in him lyeth, to draw them to the seruice of God, causing them to heare diuine seruice, and to spende the holidayes in diuine exercises, godly and holie. And in no wise are they to allow, that any one in their house haue any publique crime, or other notori­ous imperfection: as to be a swearer, a 1. Cor. 5 blasphemer, a gamster, or an offender in such like trespasses against our Lord and Sauiour.

NOwe that I haue alreadie entreated of the order, that such as desire to liue like good christiās, ought to keepe both on woor­king and holy daies, it resteth that I en­treate of another kinde of dayly exer­cise, very necessarie for each one to ob­taine this their desired ende withall: chiefly yet for such as mind to dedicat themselues more sincerely to diuine seruice. And this is the exercise of holy prayer, not onlie verball which is com­mon to each one, and more frequen­ted of all; but also heartie prayer, which verie fewe wot of, and so consequent­lie verie fewe doe practise, beeing ne­uerthelesse the more excellent kinde a great deale. And therefore is it to bee noted, that albeit publike praier, to wit, that which is made with the mouth [Page] and voyce, as Common prayer, is a verie profitable thing, instituted, ap­prooued and practised in the Church, yet is not this, but that which wee call praier of the heart, the more worthie and excellent kinde a great deale, and whereof the holy Doctors doe chief­lie meane, when they speake of the ex­cellencie of prayer, and the singular fruites which proceede thereof. The which spirituall kinde of prayer, doth so farre passe and goe beyonde the out­warde prayer of the lippes, as doth the soule or spirite in dignitie passe and ex­cell the bodie, yet both necessarie to be vsed. Wherefore such as minde to ex­ercise themselues throughlie in Gods seruice, and to batten and grow strong in spirit, ought not to content them­selues onelie with verball prayer, but (as Saint Paule sayeth) to pray with 1. Cor. 14. mouth and minde togither, hauing receyued at Gods hands both the one and the other. How be it let vs chiefly pray with spirit: for (as our sauiour said Iohn 4. to the Samaritan) God is spirit, & those [Page 21] which worship him, must in spirit and 2. Cor. 3. trueth, worship him. Wherevppon we knowe right well, that the holy Saints of olde time, did exercise themselues most chieflie, and commonly in this kinde of prayer, as hauing by experi­ence prooued, howe much more pro­fite and spirituall comfort, the soule re­ceyueth by this spirituall prayer, then by that of the mouth. This thing also alone declareth sufficiently of what importaunce they deemed this exer­cise, and howe necessarie for all good Christians, in that they are not afray­ed to call the same omnipotent: for so much as beeing made as it ought to bee, wee thereby obtaine euerye thing, like as Christ our Redeemer hath promised, saying: Verylie I saie vnto you, that whatsoeuer that you Mat. 21. Mar. 11. Iohn 15. shall aske by prayer, beleeue it shall be giuen you.

This prayer wherof we now speake, is a lifting vp of our minde to GOD, which is rather doone with inflamed desires of the heart, then with varietie [Page] of outward wordes, and so are we lesse pained therein then in the other: yea, looke howe much the longer we con­tinue in this kinde of exercise, and so much doe wee finde it the more sa­uourie and fruitfull for our soule, for that each time a man frequenteth this holie exercise, hee still sucketh out newe sappe of graces and spirituall treasure: yea, such as at some tymes the soule dooth (as it were) handle and feele it moste apparantlie. For like as Moyses had his face lightened and made glittering, through his often conuersion with GOD, in such wise as the Children of Israell (according Exo 34. 2. Cor. 3. as holie Scripture telleth) coulde not abide to looke vppon him; euen so the soule through perseueraunce in prayer, becommeth more lightened, and illuminated with the new graces it receyueth. We know moreouer, how Christ our Redeemer (as the holie E­uangelist Saint Luke reporteth) bee­ing in prayer, was transfigured, and his Luke 9. Math. 17. Marke 9. 2. Pet. 1. face visiblie changed into as beautifull [Page 22] a brightnesse as the Sunne, his Gar­ments also became as white as snowe; euen so is the soule of man in prayer transfigured, and chaunged into God, and the darknesse thereof turned in­to light; frailetie into force; feare into hope; sadnesse into solace, with other innumerable commodities that hard­lie can bee rehearsed, which tryall te­stifieth to proceede out of this holie prayer.

Sithence then this is for all so profi­table and necessarie an exercise, I shall stretch my selfe oute a little the fur­ther, to tell thee in what maner thou oughtest to make it. And first shall I declare, what such maie doe as bee more spirituall, and haue better ley­sure, beeing minded to make this ex­ercise.

Afterwards will I set downe another method, for the simple and more busi­ed sort, such as want capacitie & ley­sure to exercise them wholly in this of­fice, that by doing but what they are [Page] able to doo, they may become parta­kers of this so fruitfull and necessary an excercise.

THIS praier which wee call spiritual, being (as I haue al­readie saide) an eleuation, and lifting vppe of the mind to GOD; Like as the soule may di­uerse wayes eleuate it selfe to the knowledge of God: euen so bee there diuerse meditations or considerations, which are called by this name of prai­er. Neuerthelesse, I shall here en­treate of these onely, that bee moste deuoute, easie, and profitable, and that with such breuitie, as I may conueni­ently.

First (notwithstanding) am I to ad­uertise thee of certaine pointes, which [Page 23] must needs be thought of before thou enter into this kind of exercise.

Whereof take this for the first, that thou force thy selfe (being one that hast leasure enough) to haue an houre in the morning, and another in the eue­ning, which thou art to allot and desti­nate to this so profitable an exercise.

Who so could not for all that haue so much time as he woulde, ought not to giue ouer and neglect this exercise: yea, he rather were to take such houres and time for it, as his businesse mighte best aforde him.

Now when thou commest to these determinate houres, (being so thou maiest haue them in maner aforesayd) it behoueth thee to prepare thy selfe (as the wise man saith) before praier, to the end thou maist haue more attenti­on, deuotion and reuerence, with o­ther partes requisite, for the better per­forming of this exercise.

Thy prepartion therefore let it be in this manner, when thou commest to the time and place perfixed: indeuour [Page] thy selfe to lay aside all other cares and cogitations, which in any wise may im peach thee, weighing well the weight and seriousnesse of this affaire thou art in hande withall. And to the ende thou maiest haue the more attention and reuerence, consider howe when thou art in praier, thou speakest not to the wind, nor to the walles: but standest most assuredly before the face of the li­uing God, and that God is there pre­sent at thy praiers, listning thy wordes, vewing thy teares, and taking delight in thy deuotion and holy exercise. For albeit he vniuersally assist all his crea­tures, yet assisteth hee chiefely such as praie to him, according as the sacred scripture witnesseth, saying: There is no Deut. 4, other Nation in the worlde so great, to whome their god is so nigh to, as is our Lorde God, who assisteth vs in all our praiers. Thinke nowe how great atten­tion and reuerence is requisite, to speak and stand before the presence of so di­uine a maiestie: before that most Soue­raigne and omnipotent King, before [Page 24] that infinit beautie, and incomprehen­sible greatnesse, if so great respect bee had in speaking but to a temporall Lorde or King. This consideration shall make thee humble thy selfe, and bowe downe to the verie dust of the earth, and stand with feare and trem­bling before that sacred soueraigntie and dreadfull maiestie.

With this thought maiest thou kneele downe in reuerent wise, saying the Lordes prayer, crauing of GOD briefly forgiuenesse of thy sinnes, but those especially wherein thou hast of­fended that day; as also grace to per­forme this affaire better then hereto­fore, and to spend that smal time to his glorie & the profit of thine own soule, sithence wee are not able without his grace to doe anie good thing. With this affect and minde, maiest thou saie the wordes of the Patriarke Abraham, Loquar ad Dominum meū cum sim puluis & cinis, I wil speak to my Lord though I be but dust & ashes: or other especiall praiers or sentences, wherein y^u happily [Page] hast moste deuotion, which shall all of them serue for a preparatiue, to make thee haue better attention, and to shut out & exclude al forraigne cogitatiōs. Hauing now in this or like manner got attention, deuotion, and reuerence, fall then in hand with meditation the best wayes thou canst: the which ought in mine opinion to be most necessarily of the passion of Christ, as being a thing verie acceptable to him, and of great deuotion and profit for our souls, sith this our sauiour his passion is no other thing then an epilogue and recapitula­tion of his whole life and doctrine, and an abreuiate and short word wherein it pleased him to teach vs the summe of all wisedome, and the perfection of the Gospell: wherefore for thy better and more orderlie proceeding in this, thou maeist deuide the points of the passion by the dayes of the weeke in manner following.

THE meditations which I thinke moste profitable for thee to exercise thy self most in, especiallie on mornings, are to bee of the passion of Christe, which thou maiest dispose in this or­der.

TO the end thou maiest with more fruit and spirituall ad­uauncement, make the me­ditations mentioned in the former Chapter: it behoueth thee to obserue therein these fewe aduises fol­lowing.

First, concerning these points of the passion, whereon thou art to meditate, thou must vnderstand, that they are in such wise to be meditated; as though they happened euen in that instant be­fore thine eyes, in the selfe same place where thou art, or within thy soule, or (otherwise) imagining thou wert in the very places, where such thinges happened, happely this waies thou feelest better deuotion.

Secondly, thou must force thy selfe, to drawe some doctrine and spirituall [Page 38] fruit out of the things thou meditatest as for example, to note in euery pas­sage, ouer and aboue that is alreadie Foure no­table pointes to bee cōsidered. sayd, these foure points: first what he is that suffered: secondly what hee suffe­red: thirdly in what maner hee suffered: and lastly for whom he suffered.

Out of the first, thou maist gather 1. Who it is that suf­fered. what immeasurable loue y^u owest to so louing a Lord, who being god almigh­ty, and of infinite maiesty, hath vouch­safed to suffer such great torments and iniuries for thee so vile and abhomi­nable a bondslaue: sithens if another man, were he neuer so abiect, had suffe­red the like or much lesse for thee: thou wouldst loue him with all thy heart, & paine thy selfe to be gratefull to him.

Out of the secōd point, thou maist gather 2. What thing he suffered. matter of great compassiō, weigh­ing thy sauior, thus fraught with exces­siue griefes alone, persecuted, blasphe­med on euery side, & from top to toe al wholy wounded: so that if thou saw­est a brute beast suffer the like thy hart would melt again with pitty and com­passion.

Out of the third point, thou maiest gather maruelous examples to imitate 3. In what maner he suffered. him in: learne first to bee humble and lowly, pondering that his botomlesse humilitie, wherewith hee humbled himselfe, euen vnto the death: learne to bee patient, considering that inui­sible patience, wherewith hee endu­red such torments and villanous spites without making any resistaunce or la­mentation: learne to loue pouerty, see­ing him so extreame poore, hanging naked vppon the crosse, and buried af­terwards in another mans sepulchre, as also (al his life time) hauing nothing of his owne, nor where to rest his head. Learn to loue thine enimies, seing with Mat. 8. how great charitie he praied for those that crucified him: learn to be constant and perseuerant in such good workes as thou takest in hand, and not to giue them ouer for any toiles or crosse en­counters, considering the firme con­stancie of Christ, wherewith amongst so many toils, contradictions, and tor­ments, he perseuerd vntill death, and [Page 39] therewith finished the worke of our redemption. Finally out of this point if thou canst consider it at leasure, thou maist learne innumerable vertues, and most worthy examples, which shine forth in euery passage of his passion.

Out of the fourth, thou maist gather 4. For whom he suffered. a great and generall charity towardes all men, and to despise none, seeme he neuer so vile and contemptible: consi­dering, that our Lorde hath spilte his most pretious bloud for him, and for al men in the world, neither is there any so wicked & lewd a wretch, for whom alone, (if neede had bene) he woulde not haue suffered all the torments hee suffred: learne thou therfore, seeing his infinit charitie towards all men, to loue all men, and to make accompt of all men: learne besides to detest sinne a­boue all things, remembring how that was the occasion of our Lordes moste cruell death and passion.

Thirdly, thou must vnderstand, con­cerning the foresaid meditations, that if at any time it so happened, that in [Page] such points as be set down to meditate vpon, thou happely foundst in the first or second of them good deuotion: therein maiest thou stay so long as thy deuotion shall laste: not coueting to passe ouer to the other points remai­ning behinde in that meditation, for if thou chaunce to leaue some vntou­ched for that time, thou maist another daye supplie that want. In like manner mean I, if through any vrgent affaires thou shouldst sometime omit thine exercise, or appointed hower, that then thou force thy selfe to supply that want with a new houre, & if not on the same yet on some other daie.

Fourthly, thou must procure by all Deuotiou to be che­rished. meanes, to cherish and intertaine thy deuotion and godly purposes, with o­ther good guiftes (whatsoeuer) thou mightest happely haue receaued in time of praier: and this shalt thou doo by indeuoring thee to goe, as retyred and gathered in the daye time as thou maist, calling to mind eftsoones what thou erst did meditate and receaue, es­pecially [Page 40] when thou hearest the clocke strike or otherwise as thou maist.

Now if on the otherside it so chaun­ced, A docu­ment worthy great ob­seruation. thou wert disquieted with diuerse forraine thoughts (as it eftsoones hap­peneth) and thereby shoulde remaine without any deuotion or taste in thy praier: yet oughtest thou not for al this to giue ouer thine exercise, vntill thy time bee fully finished, sithens many times, yea most commonly it falleth so out, that one findeth himselfe colde, and without taste or tallage in the be­ginning, & afterwards (through perse­uerance in his praier) gathereth heate, and findeth good deuotion, yea when it so chaunced, that thou shouldst not finde any taste or sauour at all, in the whole time of all thy prayer: neither yet ought this to dismay or make thee quaile, but rather beleeue assuredly, that such is the Lord his good pleasure at that time thereby to try, and exer­cise thy patience, thy loyalty and per­seueraunce, like as hee dealt with the woman of Canaan, whome albeit hee Mat. 19▪ [Page] seemed at the first to make none ac­compt of, yet did he afterwardes most abundantly comfort her, honour her, and grant her her desire; well, therfore maist thou assure thy selfe, that looke how much more patiētly thou bearest this drouth and barrennes of thy soule, so much fruits hath thy soule accumu­lated, and heaped vp. Thinke moreo­uer, that albeit thou haste not founde that deuotion, and attention thou wi­shest for, yet hath our Lorde shewed himself fauorable & friendly to thee, in suffering thee to remaine so long time in his presence: and so no doubt, but the time in this manner is much more fruitfully imployed, then in such other works, as may seeme far better to thee, if thou find no better deuotion at one time, well maiest thou hope (in Gods mercie) that it shall please him at ano­ther time to comfort thee so plenteously, that thy former wants shall thereby bee more then sufficiently rewarded. And beleeue this assuredly, that how much the more thou shalt perseuer in this [Page 41] exercise: so much the more profit and pleasure shalt thou finde thereby, be­sides other maruellous gifts which are not knowne, nor perceiued at the first.

Neuerthelesse, for that by reason of this desire, (being common and natu­rall to each one, to couet and tast some deuotion in their prayers:) diuers are wont in seeking by force and violence to wrest it out, and do therein greatly amisse, as by that meanes oppressing their vnderstanding, and dulling their affect and will.

Fiftlly, it is meete to aduertise thee heerein, that in the passages of the pas­sion, or any such other holy examples, thou shalt meditate vpon; thou con­tent thee with a simple and quiet spe­culation, of such points as thou thin­kest on, and with that affection & tast God shall vouchsafe to bestowe vpon thee, without forcing thine vnderstan­ding Violence in medita­tion greatly hurtful. or imagination, to speculate and imagine things more plainely, ne yet thy will to feele and tast the same: by wringing out affections and tears with [Page] violence: for these immoderate ex­cesses both on the one side, and like­wise on the other, are woont rather to hinder then helpe deuotion: hur­ting the hed with that inordinat toile: And when the violence of this part af­fectiue is once past; the will dooth re­maine then more colde and without taste. Make thy Meditation therefore with quietnesse and peace, waiting with patient silence, what our Lorde shall worke in thee: and holding thy selfe contented therewith as is afore­saide.

Finallye (to aduertise thee in euerie thing) knowe this by the way: that if thou finde paine and disquientnesse in kneeling (for so must thou needes dis­pose thy selfe in the beginning) then mayest thou rise vp and stande, sitte, or walke: as thou thinkest most meet, for obtaining that quietnesse and rest thou desirest in thy soule.

TO the ende that such as bee better instructed, and haue more oportunity and leisure to giue thēselues to prayer, may haue more large scope & ample matter to exercise themselues in; I haue thought good to set downe other meditations here, which may bee vsed on euenings; meaning to refreshe and feed the soule, each day morning and euening, as thy bodie each daie dooth not want those two repasts. As for o­thers which are busied, and cannot in­tend to take this refection and exercise each day so oft, they may one week vse one part of these meditations, and an­other week the other. Neuerthelesse, such as I now intreat of, be most fit for yong beginners, wherein they ought certein weeks to exercise themselues, before they proceed further to y^e me­ditation of the passion of our Lord and [Page] Sauiour, for that true contrition of our sinnes, knowledge of our selues, & the feare and reuerence-towardes GOD (which are gathered out of these me­ditations) helpe greatly for proceeding afterwardes with more profite and a­uaile, to the meditations of the passi­on.

Hauing therefore certaine howers allotted to these present meditations, whether it be at morning or euening, and obseruing the aforesaid aduertise­ments, such as shall serue most fitly for this purpose: then mayest thou medi­tate according to the method follow­ing.

FOrasmuch as this exercise of praier, is of so great profite, and that wherewith the spiri­tuall life is, as it were, nou­rished and sustained, I haue thought good as amplie to entreat therof. And wil adde somewhat more in this chap­ter, to that which hath beene saide al­ready, desiring to satisfie both the lear­ned and the ignorant, that is to say, [Page 55] both those that bee more capable of this exercise, and such as haue not so great capacitie. For the first sort, wher­of the former meditations bee most fit and fruitfull, neuerthelesse to the ende they may haue more ample matter to meditate vpon, some weeks they may The life of Christ di­uided in­to three parts. 1 intermeddle the Meditations of the life of Christ, which is diuided into three parts or periods.

The first is of the incarnation of the son of God: vntill his baptisme, wher­in are contained, his incarnation, na­tiuitie, circumcision, adoration in the Temple, flight into Egypt, returning to Nazareth, and the doctors in the Temple, where the blessed virgin had lost him, of all the which mysteries S. Luke, and S. Mathew write in their first chapters of their Gospels. A man may meditate likewise, what he did from 12 yeeres vpward, vntill his baptisme, ac­cording to euery one their godly de­uotion, for that wee find nothing writ­ten thereof in the holy Gospel.

The second part of Christ his life, [Page] beginneth at his baptisme, and conti­nueth vntill his sacred passion, wherein are comprehended his baptisme, fa­sting, temptation in the wildernesse, his preachings, and manie miracles hee wrought, vntill his last supper, whereof the historie of each one may bee ga­thered out of the holie Gospels.

The third part comprehendeth his last supper, his passion, his resurrection and ascention, whereof I haue alreadie intreated in the seuenth Chapter.

These Meditations of the life, and myracles of our Lord and Sauiour Ie­sus Christ, may be fitly distributed and meditated in one or two weekes, by such as haue ley sure and learning to gather the storie out of the holie Gos­pell: obseruing (pardie) in all their me­ditations, the aduices and instructions aboue said, especially of picking fruit­full notes and doctrine for their soules, out of these holie instructions, and of gouerning themselues in the begin­ning and ending of each one as is a­foresaid.

WOtting wel (as I haue alrea­die sayde) what great good this exercise of prayer doth purchase to our soules, I haue in this respect beene more wil­ling to extende my selfe a little the fur­ther in entreating thereof. And for the same cause haue thought good like­wise in this Chapter, to annex certaine remedies to relieue thee with at such times as thou findest thy selfe barren of deuotion, and without anie relish, or taste in the foresaid Meditations.

First therefore it is requisite, thou The first remedie against distractiō haue this in mind, how one of the prin­cipall meanes and helps for thee, both in this life to liue vertuously, and in the other to enioy God euerlastinglie, is the exercise of prayer, and therefore what pains and care soeuer it behoued [Page] thee to take, for the gaining of so great a Iewel, ought in no wise to seeme greeuous and irkesome to thee, yea propounding this so richlye before thine eies, thou oughtest with al might and maine to remoue such obstacles and lets, as might any waies impeach the due and orderly performing of this exercise. Thou oughtest therefore to take heede of distracting thy minde in diuers vaine thoughts, of spending thy time in prophane and vnprofitable conuersations, of disordinate affecti­ons, of excessiue passions of thy soule, as ange [...], heauinesse, too much laugh­ing and reioycing in worldly matters, and of too great a carke and care in thy temporal affaires and businesse. These and such other like imperfections, whereby the peace and sercuitie of thy soule may bee shadowed and taken a­way, are in any wise (so much as may be) to be auoided. Neyther behoueth it onely to haue this watch and warde ouer thy hart and inward powers, but also to vse the like touching thy out­warde [Page 57] sences, which are the doores, whereby these distractions enter and penetrate into thy heart: as might be a curious eye in viewing and listning after nouelties, and impertinent mat­ters; too much speach and talke, and each other thing whatsoeuer, that ex­perience teacheth vs to breed distrac­tion. No doubt therefore but solitari­nesse Solitari­nesse a great help to deuo­tion. would in this case be a soueraigne helpe to such as might conuenientlie vse it, for by it are all the occasions of distracting quite cut off, and thereby a man may with more facilitie eleuate his minde vp to God, and stande well garded within himselfe. Wherevpon this saying hath beene woorthilie of long time vsed, that a contemplatiue man ought to bee deafe, blind and dumbe, that by this meanes (wanting occasions to distract his minde in out­ward things) he might alwayes bee ga­thered and attentiue inwardly in god­ly cogitations.

It shall profite likewise to procure deuotion and eleuation of minde vp to [Page] God, to vse abstinence, fasting & other afflictions and corporall chastisements Abstinēce and disci­pline. moderately applied. For like as these proceed of deuotion, so do they main­taine and increase deuotion.

A puritie and cleanes of conscience Puritie of consciēce. is also verie necessarie for gaining this deuotion, the which ought to be kept vnstained with any sin: for that doth a­bate and asswage the feruor of charitie which is the nurse and mother of de­uotion. It behoueth therefore, if thou couet to finde a sweetenesse, and sa­uour in thy prayers, to shunne all kinde of sinne, and such imperfections, as may gaule and fret thy conscience, as also to shake off scruples and all super­fluous remorse, the which like priuie thornes, lye pricking and paining the soule, and wil not suffer it to enioy any quiet rest, or fruitfull sauor of deuotion.

The second remedy which (concer­ning The secōd remedy a­gainst di­straction. this matter of meditation) is by diuerse good and vertuous men proo­ued to be verie profitable, is for one to straine himselfe continually to walke in [Page 58] the presence and sight of Gods diuine A conti­nuall ei [...] vpon go maiestie, supposing (as most true it is) that we alwayes stand before his eyes, he beholding euery houre & moment what we do, speak or thinke, & keeping with each one a particular account of euerie thing: seeing therefore God e­uermore hath vs in his heauenly eye and presence, right meet and requisite Psal. 118. 16. 8. is it we alwayes haue him in ours. And in verie deed the taking vp of this cu­stome, shall helpe in this respect verie much, to make vs afraid of committing anie filthie or dishonest act, when we bethinke vs that the eies of God are e­uerie houre vpon vs.

The third remedy that helpeth great­ly The third remedie against di­straction. to gather attention and deuotion, is an often frequentation of certaine prai­ers euerie day, which the holie fathers call darting prayers, for that they be in Darting prayers. manner of amorous and louing darts throwne vp at Gods heart. The ma­ner of doing this, is, by saying with a zeale and inflamed desire, certaine verses of Dauid, or some other such [Page] sentences of holie saints which thou must euer haue in memory, and at such time as thy deuotion shall serue, to say those that be fittest for that present af­fection thou then feelest: as for exam­ple, finding at some time a disposition of repentance and compunction for thy sinnes, then to rehearse certaine verses of the Miserere Psalme, or some Psal. 51. other such like briefe sayings, seruing to signifie this affect of repentance. At another time, feeling a desire to bee more and more enflamed in the loue of God, say that verse, Diligam [...]te Do­mine Psal. 18. fortitudo mea. Another time, de­siring to bee with God, say, Quemad­modum Psa. 42. desiderat Ceruus ad fontes a­quarum, &c. Otherwhiles, longing to approch and draw nigh to those hea­uenly bowers, say, Quam dilecta taber­nacula Psa. 84. tua domine, &c. Beati qui habi­tant in domo tua domine. Another time with an affect to giue thankes to God, for his diuine benefites, thou maist say certaine verses of the Psalme Benedic anima mea domino, & omnia quae intra Psal. 103. [Page 59] me sunt, &c. or, Benedicam dominū in Psal. 34. omni tempore. And so in like maner (ac­cording to the diuersitie of each other affect thou happily findest thy self tou­ched with in thy soule) for each kinde whereof, either in the Prophets, or in some other of the Saints and fathers, thou maist find verie fit words and sen­tences, to signifie thy meaning with. But if so bee thou want skill and know­ledge thy selfe, to cull and gather them out, then maiest thou frame wordes of thine owne, (according as the holie Ghost shall vouchsafe to instruct and teach thee) such as may serue most fit­ly for thy purpose, and cause thy zeale to encrease to God-ward, and to good desires. And albeit, at the first it maie seeme, thou dartest not those amorous arrowes with any great feruor or fierie heate of soule, yet faile not to spend and breath them foorth, for no doubt but they shal afterwards kindle, and gather heart, and helpe thee greatly to warme thy soule withall. But if happily thou couldest not light on such wordes as [Page] thou wishest for, send then vp certaine sighes and grones, drawne out from the bottom of thy heart, and these shal supplie and serue in stead of wordes to God-ward, who wel wotteth what thy spirit doth craue and long for.

These darting praiers, with the sen­tences, sighes, and speeches abouesaid, shall likewise helpe such greatly as lack conuenient leysure to perfourme this exercise, in such maner as I haue here­tofore declared.

The fourth remedie which may be vsed, The 4. re­medie is, y^e reading of some god­ly bookes. at such time as thy distraction were greater then that the former ad­uises could suffize to call thy minde home, and to cause attencion: then mayest thou haue recourse to reading, whereto shall be verie expedient thou be prouided of some godly booke, full of good deuotion and sound doctrine, and theron to read with leisure, fair and softly; not lightly running ouer manie leaues, but pawsing at euery period & sentence, to chaw the same, & to picke thence som profit & fruitful deuotion, [Page 60] staying therin so long as attention ser­ueth thee, which once wāting, proceed then on forward to another sentence, doing likewise in that: and thus migh­test thou by meanes of such wordes as thou readest, vse those speaches, sighs, and inflamed desires, whereof I last­ly spake in the thirde remedie, sith no doubt but they are very vailable, and of great force to retire thy minde home, and to kindle in it a deuotion and fer­uent loue to Godward. The fitst books for this purpose, are such as stirre vp a man to pietie and deuotion, and that withall giue good instructions for life and maners, the books of Iob, Psalms, the Prouerbes, Preacher, the Epistles of Saint Paule, &c. In these and such like bookes maist thou occupy thy self, now reading, now meditating on thē, and alwaies committing some spiritual point to memorie, which thy soul may (amongst other thy busines) nourish and comfort it selfe withall.

The last remedie thou art to take concerning this matter, is to force [Page] thy selfe to perseuer in praier, howe distract and frozen soeuer thou shalt The fift remedie against distraction is perse­uerance. finde thee, for that who so shall thus force and straine himself to endure the tedious toile, and pain of praier: whiles thus he feeleth himself frozen, and ca­ried away with diuers forrein thoughts and fancies, well may he beleeue, that at the end of his praier he shall (for the most part) receiue comfort & conten­tation, and that as it happened to our Sauiour, whom the angell came and comforted in the garden, after his long perseuerance in praier, which he made three seuerall times, euen so shal it like­wise in the end befall to him. And as in other workes experience teacheth vs, that custome taketh away the toyle which we feele at the beginning there­of, euen so shall custome and continu­ance in this exercise (not slacking or neglecting it at any time) cut off the toile and trauaile thereof, and cause a conquest of all such difficulties, as in the beginning seemeth right painfull to vs.

TO conclude this first duty of him that intendeth to leade a spirituall life, let this suf­fice: that there is nothing more pernitious vnto a spirituall man, than euil companie: for that hath dra­wen many a man from the way of our Lord and Sauiour Christ. For the A­postle 1. Cor. 15. citeth to that intent, the verse of Menander an Ethnicke Comedy wri­ter, Mores bonos colloquia corrumpunt mala. Euill talke corrupteth good ma­ners, he cannot be good which delighteth in euil companie: for no man spe­keth euill, vnlesse he be before corrup­ted and depraued in his heart, against the puritie of Euangelicall doctrine, as euery man is and thinketh, so doth he speake. For the speech of a man, is the truest witnesse of his heart; for as our Sauiour sayth, The mouth speaketh Luk. 6. of the aboundance of the hart: There­fore, if he which speaketh euill bee not [Page] good, wee must take heed of all them which delight in euill talke and scurili­ty, and wicked speeches, whose mouth doth alwaies sound out filthy thinges, & neuer talk of godlines. Filthy speech is a signe of an vnchast heart, although no outward work do follow. Therfore a christian man, which in his baptisme hath promised to forsake the Deuill and al his workes, and consequentlie those that bee his members, must es­chew the company of wicked men, and euermore auoid them that speak wickednesse, and vncleannesse. We must euer remember the saying of the Wise man: Hee that toucheth pitch defileth his fingers, and he that kepeth company with the proud, shal put on pride. Gregory sayeth, Those that bee weak must eschew euil company, least the faults which they daily see, and bee not able to amend, become pleasaunt vnto them. And S. Chrysostome, If a good man company with a wicked man, either they become equal, or else the one is quickly separated from the [Page 62] other. For friendship either dooth re­quire or make men to be equal, that is to say, of one minde. For so is y^e nature of things, that as often as a good man is ioyned with a bad man, the good mā is not made the better for it, but is ra­ther defiled ther by: for contrary things can neuer haue concorde: and wicked company hath allured many. As one diseased sheep infecteth y^e whole flock, so one peruerse and wicked christian, is cause of a great number of transgressi­ons in the church. For S. Paule sayth, 1. Cor. 5 That a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe of dough, so weake Christians that conuerse with obstinate sinners which doo professe perfection, are quickly infected with their euill con­ditions.

It is Written, Blessed is the man which hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked, nor hath stoode in the way of sinners, nor satte in the seate of the skornefull. That is, of all them, who are not pleased or contented with other mens dooing, but skorne euery [Page] man but themselues, they alwaies o­pen their mouthes against the humble man, they loue brawling and tatling in other mens matters, their Counsell shal not prosper, and if they bee aloft, they shall fall suddenlie; their pride is hated of God, because beeing fooles, they boast themselues to bee wise and learned, their foolishnesse shall be dis­closed, and a greeuous destruction shal fall vpon their heads, their harts think on foolishnesse, and there is no peace in their circuit. They shal be hated of their kinsfolke and neighbours, and no faithfull friend shall know them: they leade their life in hypocritical dissimu­lation, and by their foolishnesse they draw many out of the way; They hate peace, they loue discord, they shall bee taken in the sluggishnes of their mind, and none shall haue compassion vpon them.

They shall bee brused with double affliction, the Deuill hath made his neast vnder their toong, & sathan hath pitched his tentes in their mind, ther­fore [Page 63] there is no Christian loue in their heart, because they seeke to set discord betweene christian and christian: They boast that they are the friends of God, & yet vnderstand not what is the waie of humilitie. They open not their mouthes to spirituall edification, and nothing but vanitie proceed out of their harts. They runne dissolutely and like vagabonds vp and downe all daie long. Their talke is idle and vnprofi­table, neuer thinking of their soules health, whose belly is their God.

Keepe thy mind from this talke, and set not thy foot in the way of his com­munication, whosoeuer desireth to be a Christian and seruaunt of God, must be wary and watchful in al his workes, and alwaies flie from their companie in whose life there is no edification, he must be a companion with lowly peo­ple, and Christians that loue perfecti­on, and imitate them that bee groun­ded in the feare of God, let him walke willingly with them, which loue disci­pline and puritie of minde, and not [Page] bee like a man that is tossed vppe and downe with euery wind, but confirme his soule in a good purpose, least he be deceiued with the councell of y^e wic­ked. Fly from a disobedient and rebel­lious Christian, as from the face of a snake▪ because hee swelleth with the poison of malice, and destroyeth his owne soule, in the haughtinesse of his mind. Let not a detractor bee in thy companie, because he is far worse than a theefe. Him that is light-minded & dissolute in maners, account as a man that teareth hedges in the fielde. A­uoide a drunken man as the nourish­ment of letchery, and the sinke of all sin. He that trusteth to the deuise of his owne head, is neere vnto destructi­on, and aspireth speedily vnto the dan­ger of his owne soule. Company not with a stubborne man, nor haue any friendship with him, which by his rash nesse, backbites the dooings of his El­ders. Be euermore in the midst of well nurtured men, and let thy soule walke gladly with men that are humble min­ded: [Page 64] for hee that walketh with good men, partaketh of their vertues, but he that walketh with the wicked, falleth into the ditch.

The friendship of a good man hel­peth the soule, but the company of the wicked, corrupteth the innocencie of simple men. There is nothing more precious then a friend that feareth God, and nothing more pernitious then a froward minded companion. If sinners begin to hate thee for the fear of God, be not sorie therefore: for vn­lesse thou displease the wicked, thou canst haue no societie with the iust. For it is a laudable thing to displease y^t wicked, for righteousnesse sake, and it is a manifest signe of the loue of God. If thou loue thy soule, fly from y^e com­pany of wicked men, and communicat not with skorners, walke with the iust, and let him be thy councellor that fea­reth the Lord.

THe Prophet Dauid thought it not a sufficient answere to his question propounded, Who is that man which de­sireth life, & wisheth to see good daies: to say, Declina à malo, Eschew euil:l but he addeth, Doe good. For as saint Ie­rome sayth, Declina à malo & fac bona. Saint Ie­rom vpon the 34. Psalme. Eschewe euill and doe good: that is, pull downe vices and build vppe ver­tues. It is not profitable to pul downe except a man build: as if a man would say. What man would haue life with­out these things? none at all. For there is no goodnesse in him that destroyeth no euill; Eschew euill, and doe good. All euill dooth proceed of the instinct of the deuil, and goodnesse commeth of God. Forsake those thinges which [Page 65] the deuill causeth thee to doo, and do those things which Christ commaun­deth thee to doe.

Now Saint Augustine teacheth how Saint Au­gustine in his booke of conti­nency, c. 7. Tom. 4 this ought to be don; saying, Vniuer­saliter ergo continētia nobis opus est, &c. Therefore generally saith he is conti­nency necessary for vs, that we may es­chew euill: but to do good, belongeth to another vertue, and that is iustice. The holy psalmist doth warn vs of this, where we read, Eschew euill, and doe good: and he addeth to what ende wee ought to doo it, saying enquire out peace and follow it. For then shall we haue perfect peace, when our nature inseparably cleauing to her Creator, nothing within vs shal bee against vs. To the same ende it seemeth that our sauiour speaketh in the Gospel, saying, Let your loines bee girt and burning lamps in your hands, what should it be to gird vp our loines, but to tame the lust of the fleshe, which belongeth to cōtinencie? but to haue burning lamps in our handes, is to shine with good [Page] works, and to be earnest therin, which is the part of iustice, hitherto S. Au­gustine. Let euery man consider, to what end he was created, and he shall find that it is to see God, which as yet being clad with mortal flesh, wee can­not; but we walke here in this world as pilgrims from the Lorde, still aspiring to obtaine that felicitie, which is pre­pared for al the elect children of God. Now the way which we ought to walk in, for the attainement thereof, is the path of Gods commandements, and euangelicall perfection, which exclu­deth al contamination, and spotting of sin. For blessed are the cleane in hart, Mart. 5. for they shal see God. Now, because a man grounding himselfe vppon the wordes of our Sauiour Christ, wil say that the way to saluation is hard & dif­ficult. For our Sauiour saith, Enter in Mat. 7. at the straight gate, for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to de­struction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because the gate is straight and the way narrow, which leadeth vn [Page 66] to life, and fewe there be that find it: it wold not be disconuenient to set forth the temptations, which ordinarily do offer themselues, to such as intend to lead a Christian life, that a man may plainely see and feele, the saying of our Mat. 11 Sauiour to be true, my yoake is easie, and my burthen is light.

HAuing hitherto entreated The Au­thors most excellent method. of the most necessary exer­cises, that euery Christian man (minding sincerely to dedicate himselfe to diuine seruice, & to liue spiritually) ought to vse & spend his time in; it remaineth that I nowe speak of the incumbrances & tempta­tions which ordinarily offer themselus in this spiritual life, & of the remedies [Page] wee are to vse to ouercome and van­quish thē withall. For this must needs Iob. 7 Our life is a continu­al warfare. be presupposed, That Our life (as Iob saieth) is a continuall warfare vppon earth. The which dooth growe so much the greater, as a man groweth neerer to Gods seruice, and meaneth to abandon this worldly life, especial­ly in the beginning, till such time, as he The diuel afflicteth vs most in the begin­ning of our con­uersion. haue somewhat dompted the passions of the flesh: according to that the wise man doth forewarn vs, saying: My son drawing neere to the seruice of God, stād in righteousnes and feare, and dispose thy selfe to Temptation. For look how much a man groweth stronger, and gaineth more spirituall treasure, by leaning to god, and leauing the world: & so much Eccles. 2 more doth our ghostly enimies the di­uels malicious rage increase, and with more violence doo they force them­selues, by sundry temptations to afflict vs; yet are not we to trouble our selues thereat, nor grow faint harted, or giue ouer the race wee haue so happily be­gun: yea, rather ought we to fight va­liantlie, [Page 67] and to bee ioyfull, considering that al the temptations and persecuti­ons, wherwith our aduersaries may a­ny way afflict vs, if we force our selues to fight, and manfully withstand them, shal occasionate our greater gain. For Tentatiōs profitable. Iob. 13 by means of these tentations our souls is proued and purified, and the pride of man repressed from growing inso­lent (through Gods giftes or his owne 2. Cor. 12 good works, wrought through Gods grace) whiles by these tentations, hee seeth his owne weaknesse and misera­ble frailetie. Now therfore good bro­ther, if hauing once begun to followe A sweet exhortati­on and encourage­ment. thy Captaine his steps, thou feele thy selfe afflicted with diuers temptations and crosse ouerthwarts, be not dismaid therewith: but plucke me vpp a good hart, not beleeuing for al this, but that thou walkest rightly, and in our Lords way. Thinke how in like manner it happened to him: he vouchsafing to be tempted for our example and con­solation, whom if thou imitate right­ly, in resisting and fighting manfullie [Page] against them, thou shalt afterwars by triall, finde that true which is written. Happy is the man that sustaineth tenta­tion: Iames 1. 2. Tim. 2 4 Apoc. 2, 8 Iob. 3 who being by this meanes proo­ued, shall receiue the Crowne of life, which is not giuen, but to those that couragiouslie doo fight the combate. Thus beeing both counselled and en­couraged by this good consideration, take vppe such weapons, and brandish them before hande, wherewith thou must fight, and resist thine enimies at all times, when any need shall require and vrge thee.

SIthence it is so weightie a matter, & of so great impor­tance, to fight and to resist tentations, for feare of bee­ing ouercome, and falling into sinne: it behooueth vs to haue alwaies a vi­gilant [Page 68] eie, and to be furnished of al such weapons, as be most requisite for this future combat. Such therfore as may serue generally to defend thee from all kind of sinne, be these considerations In time of true we ought to prepare for battel. following: which thou must exercise, not onely in time of fight, but in time of peace too: that when neede requi­reth, thou mayst thē haue thē in more readinesse.

Firste, consider the dignity of thy The dignity of mans soule. Gen. 1 Colos. 3 Iohn. 12 soule, created to the very likenesse and similitude of God, and how whiles it persisteth in grace, it is so beautifull & bright, that the maker himselfe deligh­teth to dwell in it; and all the holy an­gelles and quyers of heauen doo reue­rence and reioyce in it. But anon, after it hath consented to sinne, GOD straight waies departeth out, and the Diuel entereth in, polluting and chan­ging it into so foule, ouglie, and ab­hominable a state, as if the Sinner coulde then beholde and see himselfe: hee woulde bee therewith vtterlye confounded, and haue himselfe in [Page] extreame horrour, if therefore thou An apt comparisō wouldest so loathly soile any fresh and gay garment thou hadst lately bought; howe much more then oughtest thou to detest that consent to sinne, which so filthily polluteth thy soule? a much more precious thing, without all com­parison, then any most gorgeous and glittering attire of bodie.

Secondly, consider how besides this One mor­tal sinne cause of in numera­ble for rowes. euill, euen one sinne doth cause thee to incurre innumerable other miseries: sith by committing but one mortal sin, thou loosest the grace of God, and his amitie anexed to his grace. Thou loo­sest Chry. hom. [...]7. in Gen. the infused vertues, and the gifts of the holie Ghost, which adorned thee and made thee beautifull in the sight Chry. hom. 8. ad pop. Antioch. of God. Thou loosest thy repose and serenitie of a good conscience. Thou loosest the rewarde of all such good deeds as thou hast done before, and the participatiō of the merits of christ Eze. 18, 33 our head, sith thou art not now vnited to him by grace and charitie, and so re­mainest Mat. 7, 23. Luke. 13 an enemie to the Creator, de­priued [Page 69] of the inheritance, which christ by his precious bloud had purchased for thee, condemned to euerlasting torments, a thral and bond-slaue to the diuell, who by all meanes possible see­keth Iohn. 8. thy vtter ouerthrow, briefly thou incurrest so many other dangers, as no mans tongue can sufficiently declare them. What man is he then that will be so madde, as for a short and beastlie delight that sinne affoordeth him, to incurre such huge heapes of extreame miseries, and incurable calamities?

Thirdly, consider how by striuing to resist temptations, they tarrie not long but vanish & fleet away, & how by ha­uing vanquished them, thou shalt re­main enriched with greater meed, ho­nour and consolation. The blessed an­gels Matt. 4. of heauen, shall also come and serue thee, like as they did our Sauiour, hauing ouercome his temptations: but if on the other side thou let thy self belewdly ouercome, the delight of sin shall foorthwith fleete away, and the gripes, confusion, and discontentment [Page] that remaine behinde, and gnawe the guiltie conscience, and afflict thee The grips of a guilty consciēce. much more then any resistance-ma­king might possibly haue done.

Fourthly, consider that if thou easi­ly consent to sin, thou must afterwards consider, and painfully redresse the euil thou hast committed, sith thou must needs suffer much sorrow in bewailing it, besides a million of many mo diffi­culties, all which thou maiest auoid, by fighting manfully, and not consenting vnto sinne.

Fiftly consider, that looke how much more thou vsest to consent to sinne, An euill custome hardly to bee cured. and so much more shall thy tempta­tions encrease, and thy strength de­cay, and thus at length shalt thou cause a wicked custome, which after­wards wil be impossible for thee to for­sake and leaue.

The last generall and right soue­reigne remedie, not onely to vanquish temptations, but not to bee troubled with them, is, to shunne and careful­lie eschew the occasions, whence they [Page 70] commonly doe proceede, as bee su­perfluous riches, prophane conuer­sations, lewde companie, the tumult of people, places and times where and when sinnes are committed, and finally, all such dangers and occasions, whereby thou remembrest to haue earst falne into sinne, or at least into temptation.

ALbeit the particular sinnes, as also the temptatiōs, which induce vs therto be very ma­nie, yet are they all reduced Seuen ca­pitall or deadlie sinnes. into seuen, which are commonlie cal­led capitall, as being the heads, rootes & fountains whence the others are de­riued: with these 7 sinnes be these three 1. Iohn 2 The flesh, the world and the diuell. enemies, that assault vs, the flesh, the world, and the diuell, according as is gathered out of that saying of S. Iohn [Page] the Euangelist: Euery thing that is in the worlde is concupiscence of the flesh, concupiscence of the eyes, and prid of life. The flesh doth repute and induce vs to three sins, lasciuiousnesse, gluttonie, and slouth. The world to couetousnes, and carke of temporall things that are in it. The diuell doth suggest and alure vs principally to pride, wrath and en­uie, I shall therefore according to this order entreate of the weapons, which wee are to weelde against these three sworne enemies of ours, and of the re­medies, wee muste vse to preserue vs, from such sinnes as they induce vs to.

Of all the temptations, those of The temptations of the flesh most dan­gerous. the flesh be most difficult and daunge­rous, as rising of a domesticall and ve­rie importunate aduersarie, and there­fore dooth it herein behoue vs, to vse greatest diligence and circumspec­tion.

THe first remedie a man is to The first remedie against lust. take against lasciuiousnesse, is with all diligence to flie occasions, such as cōmon­ly vse to inflame our flesh with inordi­nate Occasions to be es­chued. concupiscence, as is the conuer­sing with such persons, as either are woont, or at leastwise might prouoke and kindle such fire, as a fixed view, and curious regarde of others comeli­nesse, sith (as Saint Isidore sayth) The S. Isid. li. 2. summo bono Ca. 39. Iob 31. Eccle. 9. first darts of lust are the eyes. Which Ie­rome saide, had giuen his soule in prey. And to make vs vnderstand this daun­ger the better, Saint Gregorie sayeth, S. Ierom. Thre. 3. how it is not lawfull for vs to fixe our eye on that which is not lawfull for vs to desire, seing that death is common­ly woont to enter into vs, by the win­dowes of our eyes, and other senses. Iere. 9. And therefore must thou take heed in like maner, of vttering any dishonest, [Page] and ribald words, which corrupt good maners, as the Apostle saith, as also of Col. 3. Ephe. 5. listening to them, or of reading books wherein such lasciuious and filthie 1. Cor. 15. wordes are written. But much more oughtest thou to shunne the touching of such persons, as occasionate a car­nall 1. Cor. 7. alteration in thee, and neuer to bee in their companie alone, si­thence this fire is woont with solita­rinesse and oportunitie soonest to bee kindled.

Take heede also of receyuing anie Ier. vbi supra. ber. se. 1. de modo. bin. viu. letters or tokens being absent, as also of sending anie to them, sith these are but stickes to kindle and keepe in this wicked fire. Finally, this vice, (as S. Austen sayeth) is much better flying Flight more safe then fight then by fighting, and therfore behoo­ueth it, thou alwayes flie the perill, not to perish in it. Eccle. 3.

In this respect, to beware of beeing idle at anie time, of too much pam­pering Eze. 10. ber. ser. 51. de modo ben. veu. vppe thy flesh with disordinate diet, in eating and drinking, with too sumptuous and effeminate attiring, [Page 72] with sleeping in too soft and easie bed­ding. Briefly beware of all such like de­licacies, which are all of thē incensiues, and prouokers of this brutish appetite: For otherwise, no doubt, but experi­ence shall testifie that a most true say­ing Pro. 29. of holie writte, That, who so nou­risheth his seruant too daintilie, shall finde him obstinate and rebellious. It shall therefore bee greatly profitable for such as be yong, to vse now & then some honest kind of labor or exercise, in subduing the bodie by corporall en­deuors, as also reading profitable trea­tises, wherwith the brodes of our flesh are easilye bridled, and it made obedi­ent and subiect to the spirite. For if S. Paule did in this wise chastice & bring downe his body (as he witnesseth him selfe he did) much more ought he to do 1. Cor. 9. the like, who standeth in greater neede of this medicine. Besides that, each of these chasticements shall make thy re­ward increase, sith they are all of them the workes of repentance.

Secondly, thou must be maruailous [Page] heedie and circumspect, to expel these wicked thoughts presently after they The secōd remedie, wicked suggesti­ons are to be eschu­ed at the first. begin once to solicite and trouble thy minde, and to tickle thy flesh, forcing thy self all thou maist, not to giue them any entrance, but in lieu thereof to oc­cupie thy minde in some other good and godly cogitations. And thus must we likewise behaue our selues in each our temptation and suggestion, but especially in this our flesh. For looke by howe much the more thou lookest for such thoughts to enter in, and per­seuerest in them, and by so much the more will they fortifie themselues, and by great difficultie bee driuen out a­gain, which would neuer hap, if at the verie beginning thou didst shake them off, and oppose thy selfe manfully to beare off these first brunts. Wherevp­on a holie father saide right well, that the thought of fornication, if we resist it in the beginning, when the Diuell dooth first put it in our hearts, is as brittle as a Bulrush, and may right ea­silie A prettie similitude bee broken: but if wee receyue it [Page 73] with delight and pleasure, and linger anie time therein, then doth it become as hard as iron, and verie hardlie can bee broken: whereto maie that say­ing of the Psalmist bee fitlie applyed, Blessed is hee shall breake his little ones, Psal. 137. To witte, the beginning of his temp­tations, with the stone which is Iesus 1. Cor. 10. Christ. But if in case through thy retchlesnesse, and small regarde, these temptations had made a breach and were alreadie fortified in the flesh, and thou therby in danger to consent, and yeeld vnto them, let this be then.

The third remedie, to cry amain vp­on God, with great zeale and affection (like as they doe which in the maine Seas, are sodainly endaungered with some horrible tempest) crauing his di­uine helpe with certaine short and pi­thie sentences like to these, Deus in Psal. 69. Esay 38. Psal. 37. Psal. 73. Mar. 1. Mat. 15. adiutorium meum intende, &c. Domine vim, patior, responde pro me. Domine ne descedas à me, ne tradas bestiis ani­mam confitentem tibi▪ Iesu fili Dauid miserere mei: With these and such [Page] like wordes maiest thou call for his di­uine fauour, it shal likewise auaile thee to seeke some vertuous man, if hap­pely in that instant thou couldest hitte of any, who with his godly exortati­ons and good prayers, mighte not a little procure thyne auaile and bene­fite.

The fourth remedie in this case The 4 re­medy. Sensible affliction very ne­cessary in extremity shalbe to giue some affliction to thy flesh by fasting, watching, disciplyne, yea and in the time of danger, to cause some sensible and present griefe, that thereby the stinges thou feelest, may be choaked vp, and thou made forget those vnlawfull delights, thou art pro­uoked too.

The fift remedy is eftsoones to think The fift remedy. of death, forasmuch as no one thing saith S Gregory is of so great force to domp the desire and concupisence of the flesh, as to think of the vglines ther of being once dead, now therfore these particular remedies, together with the generall spoken of, in the former chapter: may greatly helpe to defende [Page 74] against sin. And yet besids those com­mon considerations there assigned, thou maist take for another remedy o­thers that serue particularly againste this sinne, as might be the aduises fol­lowing.

First consider how God doth looke vpon thee and his Angells beholdeth all thine actions, that by this meanes thou be ashamed to parpetrate so dis­honest an act, in their celestiall sight, and presence, sith before any neuer so simple a man, thou wouldst not bee so impudent, and shamelesse as to com­mit the same.

Secondly consider howe this vice, most notoriously polluteth, thy flesh it selfe, and all thy members (which whiles thou perseuerest in grace, are the temple of the holy ghost) become now throgh his sin the members of an harlot, as S. Paul saith, & from a com­panion and fellow of Angells (which thou art, lying in chastity) and makest thy selfe a pheere and fellow to brute beastes by liuing dishonestly.

Thirdlie consider the particular dis­commodites, that rise of this dete­stable, and stinking sinne, first it short­neth life, impaireth strength, changeth complexion and comly hew of body: consumeth a mans substance, and spoi­leth him of his good name, sith there is no sinne so infamous amongst all men, as this is. Brieflie, this vice occasio­neth an infinite number of manie e­uils which dayly experience doth de­clare and teach vs.

Fourthly consider, that albeit thou wouldest neuer so faine wallow still in this pestiferous puddle of sin, and de­sire neuer so greatlie to saciate this corrupt desire of thine, yet shall it bee impossible so to doe, this being one of the things that is neuer saciated. And therefore looke how much more thou wadest in this vice, and so much more shall the thirst of concupiscence bee enflamed, euen like to fire, the which looke howe much more wood there is heaped on it, and so much more dooth it kindle, and the flame growe [Page 75] greater. All these things if thou weigh them wel, and often, shal suffice. I hope to make thee abhorre this brutall sin, and cause thee couragiously to resist all such temptations as shall induce thee to it.

THe second sinne of the flesh, Gluttony a great friend of lasciuious­nes. is Gluttonie a great friend and Fosterer of lasciuious­nes, sith when the paunch is puft vp, & the flesh too delicately fed: this fire is quickly kindled, and a man falleth easily into the filth of lecherie, according as the scriptures doe in sun­drie places admonish vs. It behooueth Prou. 20. Eccles. 23. Ephe. 5 Iam, 5. 2. Pet. 2. thee therfore, to be armed at all assaies, against this vice, which is the doore or entrance of many others, and of the victorie and conquest, wheron depen­deth the victorie and conquest of the rest. Whereupon those holie ancient [Page] fathers, that liued erst in the wildernes endeuored themselues all the night, to dompt & suppres this vice: woting wel that but if this were first fully vāquish­ed, the other could very hardly be sub­dued, yea, experience teacheth this for truth, how the diuell most commonly beginneth to giue his first onset with this. Witnesses whereof, are our firste parents Adam and Eue: the very firste Gen. 3. temptation hee propounded to our Lord & Sauior Iesus christ, was of this Mat. 4. Luk, 4. Mark, 1. sort, wherefore, to defend thee from this so venomous a vice, being one y^t doth hatch and breede so many other: apply these remedies and aduises fol­lowing.

The first is that in thy eating thou The fiue kinds of gluttony. Gre. lib 13. moral. ca. 13. 1. Eating out of due time. Cassian. li [...]. cap, 10. seeke to obserue fiue things, that pre­serue thee from fiue sundry sortes of gluttony, whereof Saint Gregory doth in one of his bookes make mention. The first is concerning the time, when a man cateth before his ordinarie houre, which thou muste beware of: forbearing and forcing thy selfe, not [Page 76] to take aboue two repasts a day, to wit, thy dinner and supper, and that at such conuenient and accostomed houres, as they keep that gouerne themselues most orderly: more then at such times thou oughtst not to eat, without some notable necessity, vse these moderati­ons therefore in your dyet, least soden temptations ouercome your weake re­sistance.

The second kinde of gluttony con­sisteth The 2. kind of gluttone. in the quallity, I meane in ea­ting of too dainty and pleasant meates, whereof thou must take great heede; contenting thy selfe with such meates, Dainry meates. as may suffice to sustayne and norish thy fleshe, and not to delighte and pamper it, according to that Sainte Barnard doth exhorte thee, and but if they seeme course and vnsauorie, then Ber. epist. 1. ad Rob. nep [...]t [...]m. Iob, 6. Pro. 27. Ber. vbi. supra. apply that sauce which hee prescri­beth, to witte, hunger, and that shall cause them to be sauory enough.

Remember thee also of that singu­lar abstinence of the auncient Fathers [Page] of Egypt, who deemed it superfluous to eat any wanton meats, as S. Ierome S. Ierome. telleth vs. Let therfore this their rigor, shame and confounde thy riot, and make thee refraine eating of delicate and sweete meates, for feare thou bee like to those amongest the people of Num. 11 Psal. 77. Israell, that desired flesh in the desert, and thereby prouoked the wrath and indignation of God against them.

The thirde kinde of Gluttonie, con­cerneth The third kinde of gluttonie. Exces. the quantitie, that is, of ea­ting more then sufficeth to sustaine nature, whereof followeth, as Saint Ierome sayeth: That looke by howe S. Ierome. much the more the bellie is filled, and by so much the more is the soule made feeble.

Thou must therefore shunne such excesse, sith meate is (according to S. Austins counsaile) to bee taken in ma­ner Aug. ca. 31. li. 1. Con. of a medicin, wherof we vse not to receiue any great quantitie. Take heed thē of ouer charging thy heart with too much meat & drink, as our sauior doth Luk. 21. Rom. 13. admonish vs, that by this meanes thou [Page 77] mayest escape his future indignation, and a myllion of mischiefes that pro­ceed out of this vice. Eccle. 37

The fourth kinde of gluttonie, re­specteth The 4. kind of gluttonie. the manner, when a man ea­teth his meate too greedily and with too great a feruour: which appeareth Greedi­nesse. well by his hasty & disorderly feeding, and when hee is too much bent & af­fectionate to his meat. Eccles. 37

This vice dooth the wise man in these wordes reprehend, saying: Long not after euery kind of meate, nor eat not greedily vpon euery dish. Whose coun­sell, see thou endeuor thy selfe to fol­low, minding not so seriously thy cor­porall food and nutriture whilest thou eatest: but eyther listen to good con­ference, if there bee any vsed, or lift vp thy minde to God, with some good thought, or enterlace some praier or psalme amongest; that by thus doing, both thy soule and body may be foste­red and fed togither.

The fift and last kind of gluttony, is The fift kind of gluttony. an excessiue care and thought, to seeke [Page] out diuersitie of cates, and new fangled tastes; which thou oughtst (as a blame A curious desire of strange tastes. worthy thing) greatly to eschewe and beware of, for feare of beeing like to those the Apostle speaketh of, that Phi. 3. Rom. 10. Make their bellies their God, seeking with as great care to serue and satisfie it, as were requisite for discharge of their duties to God warde. For reme­ie both of these and all other kindes of gluttonie, these considerations fol­lowing shall greatly helpe, which thou mayst take for a second remedy.

First consider, how much the ouer­charging The 1. Re­medie. & heauines of thy stomach, or that remaineth therein (hauing af­ter surfetted) doth more hurt and tro­ble thee; then the diuersity of delicate and sweet meats can delight and doo thee good: the tast and pleasure wher­of lasteth no longer, then whiles the meate is passing from the mouth to Tast, how smally it tarrieth. the throte, neither after it is once gone is there any memoryial or signe of this delight remaining.

This mayest thou much better vn­derstand, [Page 78] if thou examine what nowe resteth, of al that euer thou hast swallo­wed and swilled al thy whole life time. Note wel. What hast thou now left of all thy re­pasts, and all thy sweet tastes, of all the dainty morsels that euer thou deuou­redst? what hast thou now extant forth comming of al this? thou seest, how al is quite vanished away, as though ther had neuer bin any such: make account therefore, when thou feelest thy selfe tempted with this vice, that the plea­sure is already gone, which so speedi­ly dooth passe away. And care not for condiscending to thy flesh, in y^t it thus disordinately may couet an desire.

Secondly, consider the inconueni The 2. Re­medy. Amb. lib. de Helia [...] ieiunio ca. 12. &, 16. Eccle. 17. ences that arise of this sin. First, the cost and trouble thou must be at, to satiate this thy gluttony. Secondly, the num­ber of bodily infirmities, that growe by meanes of surfetting. Thidly, it dulleth and doth obfuscate the mind, and ma­keth a man afterwardes vnfit for spiri­tual exercise. Fourthly, call to minde that euerlasting hunger, and thirst that Oseae. 7. [Page] shall bee in the next worlde; where no one drop of water shalbe graunted, as we gather plainely by that example of the rich glutton. Remember also, what Luk. 6. a filthy substance, thy tenderly pam­pered flesh (once being dead) shall be Luke. 16 dissolued too.

The third remedie, is to thinke on The third remedy. Mat. 12. Mar. 2. Luk, 6. Christ and his disciples abstinence, beeing forced (through hunger) to plucke off the eares of corne, and eate them; how our Sauiour likewise fasted forty daies and forty nights, in the de­sert; Our saui­ors absti­nence. Mat. 4. Marke 1 Luke. 4. Mat. 27. and the gall that was giuen him in his extreame thirst to drinke, being vpon the crosse, whereof thou ough­test (euery time thou art at meat) well to bethinke thee.

The fourth remedie, is eftsoones to The 4. remedy. Mat. 22. Luke. 14. Apoc. 19. The plen­tifull sup­per in heauen, shuld cause a spare din­ner on earth. remember that eternall supper of hea­uen, whereto we are all inuited, as our Sauiour (by one of his parables) doth signifie. Consider, how minding to en­ioy this so happy and royal a supper, it behooueth to absteine in the dinner of this life, that by so dooing, thou mayst [Page 79] so fill and saciate thee better; like as we see in the world: he that is inuited to a sumptuous supper, vseth commonlie to be moderate, and spare at noone, not to loose the commodity and plea­sure of his appetite at night.

The last remedie, and that a verie The fift remedy. secure one, is, so much as thou maiest possiblie, to fly all occasions of glutto­nie; Occasions to be es­chewed. as the feastes and iunkettinges of worldly men, where there is so great abundance and variety of viandes, so many meates, drinks, delicate & plea­sant fruites, amidst the which may ve­ry hardly any manne keepe sobrietie, there being so many thinges to allure him to gluttonie. Remember what ho­ly Writ sayth of our mother Eue: How She saw the tree, that it was good to eat, Genes. 3 and faire and pleasant to the eye, she took of the fruite, and did eat, and gaue ther­of vnto her husband. And thereby was cause of so great a losse, both to her selfe, and to the whole race of misera­ble mankind. In like manner mayest thou fall into many miseries, if thou Rom. 5 [Page] fly not the hazarding thy selfe in such like dangers.

THere is yet another vice of Idlenes engen­dred of lasciuious­nes and gluttony. Ber. ser. 3. at 6. de As­cens. Gre. 3, par. curae pas­tor. admo­ni. 16. the flesh, engendred of the two former, spoken of in the former chapter, & is cal­led sloth and idlenesse, which is a loth­somnes, & disliking of spiritual things, and a negligence or fainting to begin any good thing, or to finish that which is entred and begun already.

Against which vice (not a little hurt fulit is conuenient likewise to bee ar­med, sith thou shalt not bee without this wearinesse and lothsome tempta­tions, whiles thou art harbored in this fleshlie body, which as the scripture saith: doth aggrauate & molest the soule. Sap. 9. Seeing that many times through at­tending to our bodily necessities, and the importunities of our fleshe, we be­come [Page 80] slothful, distract and dul, to doe any good. Wherfore, to the ende thou be not ouercome with this domestical enimy: helpe thy self with these consi­derations & remedies, that I shal now prescribe thee.

First, consider the strict account thou The first Remedy. must yeeld, of the time that God doth grant thee in this life, to work well in, for that as S. Bernard saith: There is no Ber. de trip cust manus linguae & cordis. time giuen thee in this mortal life, wher­of thou must not render a reckoning, how thou hast employed it. For if we bee to yeeld an account of euery idle word, as truth himself doth tel vs in the gospel) Mat. 12. how much the rather are we to do the same, of time spent idlie, an without Euery moment to be made accompt of. any fruit or goodnes? The which a de­uout and spiritual man marking well, euery time hee heard the clocke strike, said thus in his hart. Ah my Lord God, P. Ignat, in horas sin­gulas col ligebatsese cap. 1. lib. 5 vitae ipsus. loe nowe another houre of my life spent, whereof I am to yeeld thee a reckoning. And so forst himself withal, to spend y^e next houre better then the former.

Secondly cōsider, how if thou once [Page] let slip the time vnfruitfullie, that is gi­uen thee to fructifie and doo good in; Galath. 6 Time past, is past re­couery. it can neuer bee possiblie recouered a­gaine, and so must thou needes after­wardes lament the losse of so pretious a thing, through thy negligence; and yet want meanes to win it any more, for albeit thou haue a meaning to doo well hereafter, yet is it vncertein whe­ther thou shalt haue time and leysure Mat. 24. 25 Apoc. 3. granted thee to doo so. And if thou haue it, yet is the good thou shalt then doe; due to that present time, and so thou both mightest & oughtest haue done before.

Thirdly consider, how long & pain­full The toile of world­lings, confoundeth the sloth of Chri­stians. the toiles and sweates of worldelie men bee, to scrape a few riches toge­ther, and to purchase some temporall promotion, and howe they refuse no paines to satisfie others humors, and to gaine their gratious lookes and fa­uours. And thus be thou vtterly con­founded, that they to get vaine and transitory thinges, should be more di­ligent; then thou to purchase a most [Page] [Page] [Page 81] precious and euerlasting riches. Bee ashamed likewise, that they are more Luk. 16. diligent and carefull to please men, (but bondslaues of the worlde) then thou to please God, that celestiall and omnipotent monarch.

The second remedie to make thee The se­cond re­medy. The hope of gaine in heauen ought to make vs take pain [...] in earth. take paines, and to worke well in this life, is, to thinke eftsoones of the glo­rious fruit, that these thy good trauels and labours will one day affoord and yeeld thee. For if the husband doe dig and delue, and till his ground in frost, snow, and the coldest winter windes, that blow, and withall this hardnesse goeth so lustilie away, in hope of som­mers yeeld, that sometimes dooth de­ceaue him; how much more reason is Iam. 5. it, that thou shouldst trauaile and take paines to serue God in this life: ho­ping, as thou dooest for so plentifull a haruest in the life to come, which ne­uer did, nor can possiblie deceiue vs? as both our faith, and all the holy scrip­tures doo assure vs. And if the hyred seruant weigh not the toile of his whol [Page] daies trauaile, for ioy of the wages he Math. 10. Luke 6. 1. Cor. 3. looketh to receiue at night; why dost not thou in like manner animate thy selfe, to worke in this life, remembring the abundant and incomparable hire, that shal be paide thee at night, to wit, after death? Neither can any man at­taine to so great a reward, but by great paines and trauaile (as Saint Gregorie testifieth.) Cal to mind also, the angui­shes, griefes, and infinit torments, that S. Gregory such suffer, and shall doe euerlasting­lie, as in this life (through sloth and negligence) refused to take any paines to serue God, and to fulfill his diuine Mat, 3, 7 ca. 21 Luke, 13 Iohn. 15. commaundementes, and so be dead, like barren braunches, without bea­ring fruit; which if thou seriouslie doe thinke of, will put life into thee, and make thee beare right patiently any paines whatsoeuer.

The third remedie to redresse this vice, and to animat vs, not to shrink at The third remedy a­gainste sloth. the toiles which wee must, take in this life, to serue and please God with, is, that which the apostle prescribeth to [Page 82] the Hebrues, to wit, the oft thinking, Heb. 12 and rethinking of the life and passion of our Sauiour Iesu Christ, sithence, if Ber. ser. 43 in Can. Our saui­ors passiō ought to make vs paineful. we eftsoones did consider, howe this good Lorde of ours, was (from his in­fancy) brought vp in trauell, and how he passed his whole and most holy life, euen from the crib to his crosse, in continual turmoiles and troubles; these his afflictions of this world, suffice to eaze and lighten ours, seemed they neuer so intollerable, his drops of sweats would asswage our heates & encourage vs to bear him company; wotting wel, how Matth. 10 Luke. 6 Iohn. 13 and 15. vnseemly a thing it is, for the seruant to be in better estate then the maister. If he therfore take such pains in this life, for loue of vs, it is not much that wee (on the other side) take some paines for his loue, and our own profit. This con­sideration caused the holy faints afore time, with such feruour and diligence to walke in our Lords waies: herewith did they cheerfully passe their trobles, fastings, watchings, & other lothsome labours, of this temporall life, and so [Page] mayst thou doo in like manner, if thou set the same mirror continually before thine eies.

The last remedy, that shall in this matter helpe thee greatly, is, to make The Fourth. remedie. Euery day to be ac­coumpted our dying day. Luke 12. Math. 24. 25. Marke 13 accompt, that each day is the last daie of thy life: which with good cause thou mayst doo, and thinke on, seeing thou art not assured, whether the next day shalbe giuen thee or no. Thinke therfore, how thy whole state for euer, dependeth onely on this one daies be­hauiour, & so animate and cheere vp thy selfe, saying, My dolors shal indure but for this day, it is not much, that I behaue me diligently therein, especial­ly, knowing the profit that is to ensue thereof.

THe second enimie that wee The ten­tations of the secōd enemy. Ber. Ser. 59. ad soro rem. haue in this life, is the world, which is meant and vnder­stood by the concupiscence [Page 83] of our eies, conformably to the autho­ritie of S. Iohn aforesaid; sithence the great variety of things, that are in this world (as riches, and other temporall commodities) do engender in vs a cer­teine curious desire, to see them; of seeing, groweth a longing, and seeking to haue them, weening they should be both profitable and pleasant to vs: and then hauing once obtained and got­ten them, followeth a couetousnesse, which is a disordinat desire, wherwith Couetise defined. wee loue, possesse, and enioy them, as also an insatiable appetite, to haue al­waies more then that we haue already.

The which vice, (for that it is a very dangerous one, yea, as the apostle saith the roote of al wickednes is couetousnes:) 1. Tim. 6 It behoueth therefore we be prouided of good weapons, and sufficient reme­dies to resist the same, for feare of bee­ing ouercome withal. Wherefore the best and most conuenient for this pur­pose, are these aduises following. Remedies for the poore man co­uetous

First if thou bee poore, and haue a disordinate loue to riches (which loue [Page] maketh thee more couetous, then if thou hadst riches, & didst not loue thē) refraine this hurtfull desire, and con­tent thy selfe with thine estate, considering that by thus dooing, thou shalt haue more security, more rest, & more speedy meanes (a great deale) to gaine vertue withal, then if indeed thou wert rioh, This did the Philosophers of old The olde philoso­phers despised worldly wealth. Lact. initio ca. 1. lib. 1 diuin. Inst. Hier. lib. 3. in cap. 19 Mat. time, by natural discourse onely vnder­stand right wel; and for that cause, for­sooke such riches as they had, know­ing them to be a let and hinderaunce to the obtayning of wisedome, and all other vertues. Now if these men, gui­ded onely by the light of nature, made choice of pouertie, hauing meanes to be rich; why shouldst not thou (being illuminated with a higher light) and more glittering brightnesse of heauen lie grace, welwot the same truth, and make a vertue of necessitie, contenting thee with that pouerty, that god of his To make of necessity vertue. great good prouidence hath giuen thee, as a verie substantiall and secure meane of saluation? Why doe not [Page 84] the examples of other mens fals, con­uince thy folly; and their great and Examples of others harmes happened through their couetise. 4. Reg. 5 greeuous harmes, make thee more heedeful? Remember howe Gehezi, the Prophet Elizeus seruaunt, beeing not contented with his calling, but de­sirous to bee rich, deserued (with his riches) to haue a perpetual leaprosie laide vpon him. We read likwise, how Ananias and Zaphira, through a co­uetousnesse they had to retaine some Actes. 5 Ananias & zaphira part of the goodes, which they hadde earst begunne to renounce; were de­priued of their corporal liues. Thou canst not be ignorant, into what a mi­serable blindenesse, this couetousnesse brought that accursed Iudas, as the Iudas. scripture doth testifie.

Both of these, and many more such Matth. 26 Luke. 22 Mark. 18 examples, if thou consider well: thou shalt thereby discerne, howe much more secure the poore mans estate is, being contented with his pouerty: thē that of the rich man, beeing neuer sa­tisfied with al his plenty.

Thou oughtest not therfore, thus [Page] greedily to long for wealth & worldlie substance, which may cause thee fall into so many daungerous and perilous temptations.

Secondly, consider the perils and difficulties, aswell of the bodies, as Couetous men fall into the Deuils snares. soules of the rich men, & such as with so great anxiety do seeke after worldlie wealth; sith by this their longing de­sire after riches, they fal into the deuils snares, (as Paule saith) Thou s [...]est be­sides, 1. Tim. 6 Ber sub fin. Cap. 11. lib. de con­uers. ad Cler, with how great care and paine they be gotten, and with howe great feare they be kept, and with how great griefe and sorrowe they be lost: And when al is don, these men can haue but meat and cloth, and this shalt not thou want with halfe that care, if thou wilt principally seeke for the kingdome of God, and the heauenly riches of thy Math. 6. Luke 12. 1. Pet. 5. Phil, 4. soule, like as Christ himselfe hath pro­mised thee.

Thirdly consider, how by louing of pouerty, and willingly embracing it: thou art by that means more rich and noble, then all the rich Gentlemenne [Page 85] of this worlde be; for thus art thou an The con­tented poore mā, more rich then the richest. Ber. ser. 1. de vigil. Nat ser 4. nat. Amb. ca. 13, de instit. virg. imitator of Christe, and like to him, who so highly set by pouerty, and with so great rigour (from his infancie, to the houre of his death) obserued and practised it, as by discoursing ouer all his life, thou maist right euidently see. What greater honour, or degree de­sirest thou, then to be of the same state and condition, as so high a Lorde was of? yea, thou art (withall) most rich, for thus is the kingdome of heauen, and the king and Lorde thereof, thine: and so by possessing of him, thou possessest all riches, and much more precious treasures, then may bee in this life ei­ther attained, imagined or desired.

Fourthly, another good remedie, Couetous mens company to be auoided. not to fall into the temptation of aua­rice, is to shunne (as much as may be) the haunting of rich mens companie, especially if they be couetous, least (by their consideration) thou beest smit­ten with their infection. Take heed in like maner, not to see or deale with much money, riches, or any beautifull [Page] or pretious thinges of this world, the sight whereof doth commonly kindle our hearts, to desire and long for them where otherwise, by not seeing them, thou shouldst want this greedy desire of hauing them. Fly therfore (as much as thou maiest) to touch or to deale with mony, which is like to pitch (as is testified in the Scripture) defileth such Eccle. 13. as touch it; it shall help thee also not a little in this matter, to goe sometimes Mony de­sileth like pitch. and visit hospitalls, and to conuerse with poore folkes; weighing also, how others that be poorer then thou arte, beare patiently their wants & penury.

All these remedies may (in like ma­ner) serue to helpe the rich, albeit in very deed, there be others, that might (by the considerations following) be more fitte for their purpose, to make them withdraw their mindes from so greatly sancying of worldely wealth. The third remedy against couetous­nes. First consider if thou be rich, this will helpe thee much, for this is the last re­medy; be not ouerwhelmed with aua­rice, for that is, to force thee (seeme it [Page 86] neuer so painefull and greeuous) al­waies to be giuing good Almes to the Almes gi­uing. poore; assuring thy selfe, as moste cer­taine it is, that thou hast not any so as­sured riches, as that which in this wise thou distributest to the needie: sith this can neither be robd by theeues, Mat. 6. Luke. 12. 1. Tim. 6. nor corrupted by time, as the other which is left in deed behind, yea, that which is more, this onelie will accom­panie thee, when death doth rob thee of the rest. See therfore thou take this secure way, to lay vp treasure in hea­uen, and encorage thy selfe to doo thus euery day, with more cheerefull and franke heart then other, conside­ring that what thou bestowest vppon the poore and needy, Christ himselfe Mat. 10. 25 Mark. 9. Amb. ho. 6. et 7. varior. arg. et cap 5 lib de Na­buth. D. Thom. 22. 9. 32. art, 5. receaueth it as he affirmeth, who (with this condition) hath giuen thee what thou hast, that thou shouldest liberally dispence the same to the poore, and taking for thy selfe that is meete and requisite, to dispose the surplusage a­mongst thy needy and distressed bre­thren.

THe third and last enemy, a­gainst whome wee haue to fight in this world, is, the Di­uell: (who in the authoritie of Saint Iohn, aboue alleadged) is vn­derstood by the pride of life, sith this Iohn 2. was that, made him at the very first, to be hurled headlong out of heauen, in­to Isai. 14. the bottomlesse pitte of hell. And therefore albeit hee induce vs to all o­ther sinnes, and tempteth vs, with each one; yet is this inducement to pryde, (the most hainous sinne of all) princi­pally attributed vnto him, as also the suggestions to wrath and enuy, which issue and proceed therout; wherefore, like as I haue giuen thee weapons and remedies, to resist the rest withall; so shall Inowe (God willing) prescribe [Page 87] thee some preseruations against these; beginning first with pride, which is a disordinate desire, and appetite of a Pryd what it is. man his owne excellencie, whereby hee seeketh to be singular aboue all o­ther.

The first remedy therefore thou art to vse against this diabolicall sin, shal­be 1. Remedy against pride. Eccl. 10. Isa. 14. Apoc. 12. Dan. 4. 1. Mac. 1. 2. Mac. 9. Mat. 18 20. 23. Lu 14. 18, Mat. 12. 21 Phil, 2. Heb. 2. Luke. 1. Ber. ser. 1. in die [...]s. Andreae. e [...] ▪ ser. 6. in Psa. 90 Qui habi­tat. to cōsider, how greatly God detest­eth pride, and howe grieuously (from the beginning of the world) he hath punished it, aswell in angells as also in men; in angells we see by Lucifer, and the rest of his adherents; in men, by Nabucadnezzar, Antiochus, with ma­ny mo, (as holy Scripture dooth wit­nesse) that came to ruyne through this vice, and were most seuerely cha­styced. The same doth eftsoones like­wise testifie, how singularly hee hath alwaies loued and exalted the humble, whereof both our Sauiour, and the blessed virgin his mother, do beare suf­ficient testimony.

The second remedy, is the conside­ration [Page] of thine owne selfe, sith (as S. Barnard testifieth) thine estate being well examined, shall teach thee what thou wantest, and prayer shall obtaine thee that thou want it not. For God loueth the soule, that diligently dis­cusseth with it selfe, and that after dewe discussion, dooth without flat­tery and partiality iudge it selfe. The [...] re­medie against pride.

Consider therefore what thou art, both in body and soule, and so shalte thou finde more causes of confusion and shame, then of hawtinesse and of arrogancie: touching thy bodie, bethinke thee what a filthy substance it was ingendered of, durt and doung: The misery of mās estate. and shall ere long bee made a prey for wormes. And as for thy soule, it is fraughte with heapes of follies, er­rors, ignoraunce, feares, fancyes, anxieties, (and that which is worste of all) of so many monstrous crimes, it hath committed, againste that di­uine and dreadfull maiestie. Finally looke howe much better thou shalte [Page 86] knowe thy selfe, and so much more plainely shalte thou parceaue, thee to bee such as Iob describeth, saying. A man borne of a woman, liuing but a smale tyme, is full of many miseries, whoe springeth vppe like a flower, and Iob. 14. withereth quickly, and vanisheth as a shadowe, and neuer continueth longe in one estate. For presently thou shalt see him merry, and by and by sad, now whole then sicke, nowe riche, nowe poore, nowe quiet, nowe troubled: The mu­tability of mans nature. in fine, not in the maine seas, bee there so many waues and diuerse mu­tations to bee seene, as man (by day­ly proofe) findeth contrary chaunges and alterations in himselfe. Who so therefore, considereth these things and throughly weigheth them, as they bee; shall finde much more cause to bee confounded, and to accuse himselfe: then to bee a bosting brag­ger, or any waies proude and insolent and when hee thinketh thus base­ly of himselfe, then is hee best of all at [Page] ease, and most of all contented.

Thirdly, if thou find thy selfe puft vp The third remedy a­gainste pride. with any winde of vaine glory, which thy companion hath not, shunne them with all speede and meanes possible: for if happelie thou canst faste more then thy friend, yet hath he more hu­mility, more patience, more charitie, and more seuerall graces then thou hast. See therefore thou consider the vertues of others, sooner then their vi­ces; se not more motes in their eies thē there remaineth beames in thine own: but weighing each case to thy owne good, thinke (without dissimulation) thee to be most infamous of all other: thus humbling thy selfe before thy Lord and God he shall exalt thee euer­lastingly.

Fourthly, if good deedes be in thy The 4 re­medy a­gainst prid 1. Cor. 4 Ephe. 2. We ought not to be proud of that is not our owne. remembrance which thou haste don, or any such commendable part in thee consider al is but receaued from God: and therfore oughtest thou not to glo­ry in any such thing, but rather thinke that by the Lorde (for any such vaine [Page 89] thought or worke of pride) all shall be taken away from thee, and thou after bee contemned of them, that before commended thee.

Fiftly, to beate downe all vaine glo­ry The 5. Re­medy against pride. and boasting, which men are com­monly wont to haue (through the cre­dite and worldly wealth they enioy in this life,) it is very good to weigh wel; how vaine and transitory al things are, like as mans life it selfe is very shorte, and most vncertaine. Therefore con­sider, S. August. if thou vaunt of any thing, thou art but mortall, dust and earth, & shortlie shalt come to earth. Wher be those generals, and chiefe Captaines of Ar­mies, and other proude minded mo­narches, of much more moment? all Note wel. turned to earth, dust and ashes. Now is the memoriall of their liues conteined in few lines, they are past, thou to com, to be food (to day or to morrow, yea, in a moment) for the worms of the earth. Then humble thy selfe downe proude deuill, to fire eternally; or crouch to him before thy time, and attaine ioyes [Page] euerlastinglie. Thou canst not (if thou ponder these and sundry other things) bee proud and vaine-glorious of any earthy thing whatsoeuer.

Sixtly, it shal greatly helpe to make The 6. Re­medy against pride. thee detest all pride, to consider, howe highly God hateth such as be infected with it, whoe (as the scripture witnes­seth) dooth resist the proud, and giueth grace vnto the lowly. This kind of peo­ple is likewise abhorred of other men, who can by no means away with their loathsome and disdainefull conuersa­tion; yea, to themselues are they also verie noysome and tedious, in seeing themselues enuironed with so manie daungers, dreades and suspicions; ha­uing euerie one to malice and lie in waite for them, to gaine-say and crosse them in all their enterprises.

Wherevpon, it is reported of a cer­teine holy king, whoe hauing a mar­uellous rich and precious crowne gi­uen vnto him, to be crowned withall; helde it (musing a pretty while in his handes) before he would put it on his [Page 90] head: at length he said openly on this wise. O more noble then happie Crowne, which if any man knew well how full of cares, perils, and manifold miseries thou art fraught; albeit hee meete thee with his feet, yet would he not vouchsafe to lift thee vppe. What this king saide of his crowne, mayest thou well applie to each dignitie and pretious thing: see therfore thou take not so great trauaile and toyle, for a thing, that is so hard to holde, and no­thing so soone fleeteth awaie, as doth the winde of pride and vaine-glory.

The last remedie to shake off pride The 7 remedy a­gainst pride withall, and to purchace that so neces­sary a vertue of humilitie, is to force and accustome thy selfe, (seeme it ne­uer so paineful and loathsome to thee) to exercise diuers actions of humili­tie, as to doo the basest offices in the house, to conuerse with the meaner sorte, to sitte in the lowest place, to cladde thy selfe in Homlye at­tyre, not so homely though, as to bee taken or accoumpted singular sith that [Page] shall be esteemed a pride likewise: not to doe or say any thinge, whereby to make shewe of excellency and prehe­minence, or to cause admiration in o­ther mens eies. And finally to call eft­soones to mind, our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christes humility, and also that of his holy saints.

DIuers of the remedies, that haue beene prescribed thee against pride, may in like ma­ner helpe thee against this sin of wrath and anger, seeing that most commonly such as be proud and hau­tie, are wont also to be angry and yre­full; yet neuerthelesse bee there other The proud mā ireful. peculiar remedies to bee vsed against this vice.

The first is, to ponder, how farre it is The first remedy against anger. out of all good frame and reason, that any man should be angry, and desire to [Page 91] hurt another: sith if brute beastes, bee they neuer so fell, fight not one with a­nother, The vnity of brute beasts cō ­uinceth y^e malice of mākind but liue in peace and vnitie with those of their owne kinde; howe much more reason is it, that men shuld doe the like, who are not borne armed as brutish and sauage beastes bee, nor prouided of weapons to defend them­selues, or to offend others?

Secondly, behold the vglinesse and The 2. Re­medie against anger. deformity of an angry man, both in his countenance, gesture, words and acti­ons: in all the which thou shalt at that time see him wonderfully disordered, and besides himselfe: see thou beware therefore of beeing angry, if thou wilt An angry man be side him selfe. not fall into those defectes, which in others doo so greatly dislike thee.

Thirdlie consider, that whosoeuer, he bee that hath proffered thee any The third remedie against anger. wrong or iniury, hath doone himselfe much more harme then thee: and if thou growe angrie thereat, and seeke reuenge, in so dooing thou shalt hurt thy selfe, much more then thine ad­uersarie, for that as Chrysostom saith, [Page] No man is hurt but by himselfe. Which should be no lesse a folly, then for a mā Mark wel. to kill himselfe, to teare his enemyes cote; sithence thine enimies body is as his coate, which thou meaning to teare, in seeking to kill him, doost first kill and slaie thine owne soule. For as saint Augustine sayeth: The knife S. August. pierceth the heart of the persecutor, be­fore the body of the persecuted. Striue therefore to maister thy selfe, and to vanquish thine yre, and so shalt thou gaine greater honour and victorie; then if thou hadest subdued a mightie Citty, and by this meanes, in not see­king thy selfe to take reuenge, God shall take it for thee, as he himself hath promised thee.

Fourthly, if the deuill (to stir thee vp Deut. 32 Eccles. 28 Rom. 12 Heb 9. The 4. remedie against anger. to wrath) doo agrauate thine iniury re­ceiued, and make it greater: doe thou (contrariwise) what thou canst to les­sen it, and to make it smaller: thinking thus, how he that in this manner hath iniured thee, is at that time ouercome with some passion, or indiscretion, or [Page 92] else call to mind some good turnes he hath earst done thee, or how thou hast otherwise doone him the like iniurie, or some other, which he then did tol­lerate at thy hands, and therefore is it meet, thou beare likewise with him. If thou canst not withhold, call to mind, howe God hath forgiuen thee manye thousandes, and borne them all at thy handes: for his sake forget such kinde of suddain iniury, and let him be a iust recompence for al.

Fiftly consider, that such like cros­ses The fift remedy a­gainst anger. are sent from aboue, as scourges for thy sins. Take nowe his chasticement on earth, least the last comming paie for al. Beleeue then, that by the bearing patiently of all villanies and iniuries that shall bee said and doone agaynste thee, it wil (by the Almighty) bee dis­posed and turned to thy exceeding be­nefit, and comfort of thy soule.

Sixtly, if thou feele thy self ouercome The 6 re­medy against anger. with anger, take heed then thou speak nor do any thing, whereby this sudden [Page] indignation bring further sinne vppon thee, then thou wouldest after wish it had nere beene done. For the Diuell, who eggeth thee thereto, standes rea­die to betray thee to vtter darkenesse, and bring thy soule to confusion: then pacifie thy selfe, and meditate on him that will bee auenged, referring all to his will; then thinke Sathan banished, by mightie and inuincible conquest of patience and praier.

And beware the sunne neuer goe downe vppon thine anger, according as saint Paule admonisheth: that is to Ephe, 4 saie, that thou expell it quicklie, and Aug. epist. 149. ad profutur. suffer it not long to soiourne in thy soule: for so might it turne to hatred, and become more dangerous and har­der to be healed.

These remedies mayest thou at such time put in vre, when thou per­ceiuest Amb cap. 21. lib. 1. of ex. Rom. 12. Gen. 27 Iacob fra [...]ri indignā [...]i consil. thy selfe offended towardes o­thers. But if thou contrariwise, see an­other offended and angrie with thee: then frame thy selfe to do one of these [Page 93] two thinges, eyther couertly (in the best manner thou canst) to winde thy selfe out of his company that is angry, vntill the Wrath hee hath conceiued be worne ouer; or else (wanting opor­tunitie Basil. hom. de ira var. arg. 10. to doo thus) force thee to o­uercome euill with good, according to the Apostles counsaile, seeking to Rom. 2 appease him with some faire and hum­ble speeches, sith (as the wise manne sayeth) A milde aunswere aswageth Pro. 15. and 25. anger, and hard speeches kindle fury and rage.

But if thou shouldest want meanes to doo either of these: take such order (at leastwise) as to be silent, whilst thou seest him in those fretting fumes, and in thy heart to pray to God for him, for that as saint Gregory saith: It is a d. Gre. 3 pa [...].r past. cur. ad 17 great deale more glorious to shun wrath by silence, then to subdue it by aunswe­ring.

Lastly, that if the anger or impati­ence, The last remedy against anger: which thou feelest in thee, pro­ceed not of any iniury or wrong don to thee by any person, but through the [Page] aduersities and tribulations that befall thee, in this life: then shall it bee a ve­ry good remedy to remember the ex­amples of such perfect and holy men, as haue endured with greate patience Ber. ser. 16. ad soro. de mo. be. viu. farre greater tribulations and calami­ties, then thine bee. Remember that inuincible patience of Iob, who Exam­ples of patience. with so stoute courage sustained so many losses, so many soores, suche in­finite number of griefes, corsies and harte-breakes, as happened to him in one instante; neyther did hee a­mongst Iob. 2. all these millions of miseries, once droope, or shewe by worde or deede, any signe of blame worthy impatience, as the holy Scripture testifieth: Thinke also of that holy man Tobyas, his rare patience, who Tob. 2. in his blindnesse, pouertye and all his other annoies, had continually a con­stant minde, and comformable to the will of God. Consider also that mildenesse and marueilous patience, of the holy Prophet Moyses, whome Exo. 15, 16 Num. 14. not all the continuall troubles, and [Page 94] murmurings of that ingratefull peo­ple, which hee had brought out of E­gypte, coulde suffice to disquiet or moue to anger. The like patience and mildenesse, maiest thou note in that 2, Reg. 16. holy Kinge Dauid, amongest all the manifolde persecutions and afflicti­ons hee suffered, through the whole course and period of his life, the which may enforce thee to endure all things very patiently.

Thou maiest also (in this case) ap­ply A good consideration against an­ger. another remedy, by considering the greate commoditie thou shalte reape, by these tentations and tribu­lations which thou sufferest. This consideration S. Gregory. (as Sainte Gregory affir­meth) doth mitigate the force of the whip and skourge.

Thinke therefore, God sendes to thee (like a Father) that loueth thee 1. Pet. 1 Sap. 3. Prou. 17 Heb. 12 Apoc. 3 Prou. 3 as his deare childe, and by chastising thee, dooth purge and puryfie thee: whereas if thou lackest this disci­plyne, and his holy rodde of cor­rection; [Page] thou wouldest not deserue to be called by the title of his sonne.

All these thinges if thou consider very well, as these and sundry others haue donne: thou wilt not onely abide patiently all such paineful tribulations nowe present, but yealde thy selfe to God, with thanksgiuing to him, who hath so singularly loued thee, as to sēd them for thy benefit, and to the enri­ching Iam. 1. Tim. 2. 4, Apoc. 2. Tob. 3. of thy crowne; knowing that it was not possible to come by so great a reward as we looke for, without great paines and trauaile. And truly greate reason is it, that Christians (like good souldiors should) followe their Cap­taine Christ; tracing his steps, and wal­king the same way hee went before, and so entred into his glory.

IT nowe remaineth to sette thee downe some remedies against the tentations of en­uy and malice, wherewith the feende (in like manner) is wont to assault and tempt vs; for as the holy Sap. 2. Gen. 3. Scripture doth witnesse: Through the malice of the Diuell death first entered into the world. This made the Iewes Mat. 27. to seek our Lord and Sauior his death, 1. Gen, 4. Sap. 14. Ioh. 5. and by this vice haue many murthers and innumerable wicked acts beene committed in the world.

This is also that most cruell beaste, Iacob. 3. Gen. 37. 44. which Iacob sayde had deuoured his sonne Ioseph; and therfore must thou carefully foresee, that this venomous viper begin not at any time, to norish her selfe in thy soule; but forthwith (at the very first brunt) to kill and cast her out, vsing these iuste rudements or in­structions [Page] (for that purpose) following. First consider, howe this sin of malice Aug. lib. 11 de Genes. ad lit. 14 or enuy (which is according to S. Au­sten, a griefe and sorrow at others felici­tie) is more hurtfull and vnprofitable, then any of the other, for albeit other sinnes doo hurt the soule; yet affoord The first remedy against enuy. they (I knowe not in what kinde of myserable estate) some taste and plea­sure to the fleshe; but this vilde vice dooeth both hurt the soule, and afflict the flesh: sith it scaldeth the heart, pi­neth the body, withereth the face, appaleth the countenance and com­lie sanguine hue. Briefelie it tormen­teth and ouerthroweth, the whole manne, beeing like vnto the Worme that consumeth the Wood whereof she commeth. And hence is it, that the enuious manne findeth himselfe in the worst case, and most wretched, when the other whom he maliceth, The 2. Re­medie against [...]nuie. is best at ease and happiest.

Secondly consider, how by shaking off this so fettering and fruitles a vice, [Page 96] & by being in the state of Gods grace, thou art a partaker of all such thinges as others do possesse: sith charity doth Gregor. past. curae [...] 3. ad. 11. make them thine, and therefore oughtest thou to bee ioyfull, that other enioy such goods and liue so happely, rather then to bee sorrowfull, or any whit grieued thereat.

For by reioycing in charity, thou art Charity. maketh each one partakers of others happines. made happy in their happynesse, and by maliciously repyning thereat, thou losest thy parte, and they remaine still with their prosperity, which albeit they lost, yet shouldest not thou re­couer it.

Thirdlye, whatsoeuer helpethe againste pryde, dooth likewise helpe against enuy, as proceeding (for the The 3. re­medie a­gainst enuy. Pride the mother of enuy. moste parte) out of the other: sithens the proude man bearing impatientlie, that any other shoulde bee his better or pheere, and fellowe with him, hee maliceth those, whome (in any res­pecte) hee deemeth to bee his bet­ters, or more happy then hee is. See [Page] therefore do thou endeuour thy selfe, to plucke this poisoned roote out of thee, and not to set thy loue vpon the temporall things of this world, which are so miserable, spare, and skant; and if thy neighbor haue them, thou must goe without them, and many times must looke that which another might conueniently leaue. But if on the other side thou set thy mind on spirituall or heauenly things, no man can bereaue or barre thee from them, yea looke how much the number of such is greater, that enioye and possese the same Gre. lib. 5. moral. cap. 34. goods thou doest, and so much shall thy happynesse increase, and grow the greater: and by this meanes shalt thou bee so farre of from malicyng of any man, as thou shalt hartely desier, that each one mighte gaine the goodes which thou possessest, woting well, that so should thy riches and blisse be not a little multiplyed.

Fourthly, if the desire of thine own The 4 remedy a­gainst enuy. excellency, make thee malice thy neighbour, for being thyne equall, or [Page] [Page] [Page 97] more high in dignity then thou art: consider, that in dooing thus, thou losest that thou so greatly seekest for; sith herein thou disbasest thy selfe, and giuest others occasion to contemne thee, perceauing this thy cancared, and vile nature, which thus dishonest­ly thou thy selfe discouerest. But if (contrariwise) thou striuest to master thy selfe, and to reioyce at thy neigh­boures welfare, as at thine owne; then shoulde thine estimation and credyt growe much greater, sith euery good man would esteeme thee better, and highlye commende this charity and noble mind of thine, whereof (by thus dooing) thou giuest the world, an ap­parant and plaine testimony. Thy spi­rituall profit shoulde herewith bee in like manner greatly increased, for ei­ther woulde God giue thee the same goods and graces which thou reioy­sest at, in thy neighbor: or at leastwise reward thee plētifully for thy charity.

And therfore doth S. Chrisostome say, that the vertue of charity is very [Page] greate and maruellous, which (with­out spoiling any man) dooth rob and Chri. ho. 51 ad pop. An­tioch. Tom. 5. The vertue of charitie rob­beth all. The 5 re medy a­gainst enuy. take all: sithens by reioycing at other mens welfare and goods, wee make them ours, winne possession of all that which others do possesse.

Fiftly, all such meanes as help to ex­cite and stirre vp charity towards all, shall likewise helpe greatly to subdue and vanquish this vice; as for exam­ple, to thinke how we are all brethren as touching our fleshe, descending Gen. 2. from the same parents Adam and Eue, and as for the Spirite, all crea­ted Causes to procure Charity. of one Lorde, regenerated by one vertue, redeemed by one pryce, and by the selfe same redeemer. Wee haue all of vs one mother, the holye Catholike Churche, the same faith, the same Sacraments, and all of vs hope for the same blisse, where eache ones good shall bee common to all, and that of all to each one. Whereas therefore so many and so great cau­ses, of vnitie and charitye bee; enuy oughte to beare no swaye, no griefe [Page 98] at others good, no mirth at others mi­serie; yea rather oughte wee to re­ioice at others weldoings, and lament their harmes and euils, as if they were our owne, perfourming thereby what Rom. 12. Saint Paule prescribeth, to reioyce with such as reioyce, and to weepe with them that weepe.

But if happilie all these causes of vnion sufficed not, to make thee rec­kon thy neighbours goods as thine owne, hee seeming still a straun­ger and a forriner, neuer did thee a­nie good, but rather harme and in­iurie. Remember howe thou beeing Psa. 49. 15. Mat. 14. a greater straunger, and farre more vnwoorrhie, Christ hath bestowed so manye and so greate benefits vp­one thee, whereof hee will haue thee to make a recompence, with other benefites not donne to himselfe (sith hee standeth in no neede of thy good Mat. 10. 15 Mark. 9 turnes) but bestowed vpon thy neigh­bor, seeme he neuer so vnknowne and vnworthie to thee: for loke what good thou dost to such a one, and this Lord [Page] will accept it, as donne vnto himselfe.

Sixtly, consider howe to vanquish this vice of enuy, the lawe of nature The fixt remedy a­gainst enuy. (common to all) oughte at least to moue thee, which teacheth vs, to doe to others as we would be don to our selues. As therfore thou wouldest not that others should bee greeued at thy Tob. 4. Mat. 7. Luk. 6. good: so oughtest not thou to bee of­fended at others welfare, for other­wise shouldst thou shewe thy selfe a senselesse creature, and without al rea­son, yea, well may we say by the mali­cious man, that he hath lost his reason and naturall iudgement sith he would not sticke to make choise of his owne losse, if by that meanes he might pro­cure harme to those he hateth. Like as A prety example declaring y^e cancar of a malici­ous mind. wee reade of a certeine King whoe meaning to make a proofe of y^e can­card nature, of an enuious person, & a couetous wretch; caused two such to be called vnto him, to whom he made this proffer; to craue of him whatso­euer they would, for willingly it shuld bee giuen them: prouided that the se­cond [Page 99] should haue double that the first did aske, these twaine being nowe at greate contention, which of them should firste beginne, leaste the other might gaine the double; the King be­ing constrained to take vp the matter, commaunded the malicious man to speake firste, who requested this, that one of his eies might be put out, that y^e other might haue both his put out, chosing rather his owne harme then good, that the other (whome hee ha­ted) might by receauing the double, according to the offer, bee the more harmed. The which story, if it were true, declareth plainely, to what blind­nesse this vice bringeth him, that let­teth himselfe bee lewdly ouercome with it.

The last remedy which (feeling thy The 7 re medy a­gainst enuy. Mat. 5, 8. Luk. 6, 23 Act. 7 selfe tempted with this vice) I haue to prescribe thee, is, to force thy selfe continually to praye for him whome thou malycest, and bearest enuy too, as also to speake well of him to others, yea, (occasion so seruing) to doe him [Page] some seruice, albeit thou seeme to do it fainedly, and against thy stomacke fith for this force and violence, which thou shalt vse in mastring thy selfe, and breaking of thy wil; no doubt but God will giue thee the gift of charity, wher­by thou shalt bee perfectly healed of this detestable vice, and maiest after­wards loue all thine enemies, one and other whatsoeuer.

BEsides these tentations, spo­ken Tētations of infi­delity, blasphemy and desperati­on. of in the former Chap. wherewith the Diuell doth most commonly tempt vs; there be diuers other meanes, where­by hee vseth to molest and trouble vs by propounding otherwhiles, tempta­tions of infidelity, doubts againste our beleefe and faith, or suggestions of blasphemy, yea sometimes he bringeth vs [Page 100] into such a mase and perplexity, as whither soeuer we turne vs, or what­soeuer we say or do: yet seeme we still to be caught and intangled. An other time he indeuoreth to bring vs to des­peration; and thus doth he with these and diuerse other vexations, dis­quiet and greeuously assault vs.

Againste all the which his craftes A singular doctrine against the afore­said tentations. and subtilties, take this for a generall rule, neuer to stay to dispute, or talke with the Diuell of sette purpose: for if thou doe, thou art like to bee ouer­come as Eue was, for hauing donne the same. It is therefore muche Gen. 3. more secure, not to stande reasoning or listening to that the Diuell shall tell thee, but forthwith to flye the ten­tations in the verie beginning, by thinking on some other matter, quite The diuel is not to be dispu­ted with. contrary, to that which hee woulde haue thee. As for example, if hee propound thoughts of infidelity, say­ing: howe is it possible that this mi­stery shoulde be thus and thus: make none accoumpt to answere him, by [Page] shewing any reasō of that truth which thou beleuest, but say; I beleeue as god A remedy against infidilty. hath taught me in his worde, neither descend to any other particularities. thus likewise must thou do, if in case he molest thee with temptations of blas­phemy, saying. Thy blasphemy be to thy perdition, for I adore and loue my Lord Against blasphemy. God. With this, or some such like short speech, maist thou set thy mind at rest, intending to some other busi­nesse, & different cogitations, neither let these his suggestions dismay or tro­ble thee any whit, for all of them shall not make thee lose any iot of grace and Gods fauour, yea, by dooing as I tell thee, thou shalte greatly increase thy rewarde. If likewise hee goe at a­ny time about to bringe thee in any perplexities, scruples, or other ob­scuryties, whereby thou wotest not A refuge in time of perplexity. well on which side to turne thee, accoumpte not of them, but conuert thy selfe wholely to God saying: I will my Lorde my God, both in this and eache other thinge whatsoeuer [Page 101] thou wilt, neither doo I will or yeelde cōsent, in any thing that may displease thee. And thus maiest thou (with this saying) be in quiet and in great securi­tie.

In like manner if he induce thee to Against despara­tion. desperation, laying before thee, the multitude and enormity of thy sinnes; behold Christ thy iudge nailed vppon the crosse, in whome thou hast more goodnesse (without all comparison) then in thy selfe thou canst haue euils. And thus, putting all thy confidence Christ crucified, ought to be our cō ­mon re­fuge. in him, maiest thou despise and defie all the deuils: and not onely in this, but in al other thy temptations, woulde I haue thee make Iesus Christ crucified, a familiar defence & buckler for thee, sith that, like as Moses gaue to the children of Israel, being stung in the desart, or bit of venemous serpents, that ser­pent of brasse raised vppe on an high peece of wood, whereon who so loo­ked Num. 22. fixedlie and with faith, were cured of their greefes: in like manner, and much better, al such as with faith con­sider [Page] and behold, our Lord and Sauior Christ crucified, and heaued vppe on The brasē serpent a figure of Christ crucified. the wood of the crosse (whom the ser­pent of brasse did in figure represent) shall be healed of all their bitinges and stinges, of trespasses and temptations. At such time therefore, as thou fee­lest the serpent assault and bite thee with the sinne of pride, behold Christ Against pride. Phil, 2. humbled on the Crosse, and obedient euen till death.

If with couetousnesse; behold that Couetousnes. pouertie and nakednesse, wherewith he hangeth thereon, in such extreame Mat. 8. distresse, as he hath not where to rest his head. If thou finde thy selfe assai­led with the delights of lust: beholde Carnall lusts. his brused and beaten fleshe, fraught full of extreame anguish, and how for thy sake hee hangeth on the Crosse, all wounded from toppe to toe, and afflicted with moste greeuous tor­ments.

If thou feele thy selfe prouoked to Gluttony. gluttony: looke vppon him fastened to the Crosse, who being extreamely [Page 102] pained with drought, hadde gall and Math. 27 vineger giuen him to drinke. If thou perceiue thy selfe stirred vppe to An­ger, Anger. beholde that inuincible patience of our Sauiour, in abiding all those his most villainous blasphemies, and in­comprehensible tormentes. If thou beest vexed with the venemous vice of malice: consider that most feruent Malice. charitie, wherewith our sauiour shed his bloud on the crosse for all, and prayed for his persecutors that cruci­fied him. Luk. 13. Sloth.

If sloth or idlenesse, cause thee to waxe cold in good workes: fixe thine eie vppon those feete, so cruellie nay­led to the Crosse, which were neuer wearied with wandering, and seeking for thy welfare.

Finally, in this thy Lorde and saui­our thus crucified, if thou seeke in time to him, thou shalt find sufficient remedies against all manner of temp­tations, wherewith in this myserable life thou mayest bee any wayes assay­led.

It resteth now to admonish thee, of one onely thing touching this matter; A necessa­ry aduer­tisement. that when at any time thou shouldest, either with this, or any other of the a­foresaid remedies, repulse thine Ene­mye, and resist his suggestions: yet must thou not thinke thy selfe to bee secure, as though the battell were en­ded, and the field fully fought & won, The malice of the feend. sith this is the propertie of the deuill, when he is ouercome in one tentati­on, to arme himselfe forthwith, and to make preparation for another. Like as he did to our Sauiour in the wildernes, whom when hee could not one waie Matth. 4 Mark. 1 Luke. 4 ouercome, he assailed, and set vppon another. And therefore, albeit thou weene thy selfe to be at some rest, and findest the feend to haue taken truce with thee, for a while after hee is van­quished; yet beware thou trust not too The Deuils truce not to bee trusted. much to him, for when thou suspec­test least, then will he returne to make a fresh assault, and to molest thee with new tentations. And if he then hap to find thee vnarmed, and vnprouided of [Page 103] meanes to encounter and withstande him; easilie wil he subdue and conquer thee, and the aduantage which thou hadst woon before honorably, he will then make thee lose dishonestly. Take heed therfore, thou neuer lay thy wea­pons aside, but alwaies bee prouided and in readinesse for the combat: nei­ther bee thou tired with his importu­nate infestations, whereby he (for the most part) ouercommeth those that waxe wearie to withstand him, but like wise, as he is importunate in tempting thee, bee thou as constant and impor­tunate in withstanding and resisting him. And by this meanes shall thy crown be the more rich and precious, A per ser. 61. de mo. ben. ven. de Tent. as the temptations, which (by Gods helpe) thou ouercommest, bee more irkesome and importunate.

ALl such thinges as I haue hy­therto intreated of, will helpe thee, during the time it plea­seth God to grant thee health and strength of bodie: but because this temporall life of ours, is subiect to ma­nie infirmities, and in the end (no re­medie) but all of vs must needes once die, according to God his good ordi­nance Heb. 9, 27 and appointment: I haue for this cause thought good in this chap­ter, to adde certeine aduises and in­structions, to teache thee the better how to gouerne thy selfe, both in time of sicknesse, and in the houre of death: neither oughtest thou with worse will to read these, nor with lesse diligence Note wel. to execute them in their time, then the former. Neuertheles, these aduises shal [Page 104] principally profite those, that in their health did employ their time in such exercises, as haue bin heretofore spo­ken of in this little Treatise, preparing themselues continually to death, as all good and faithfull Christian people ought to doe. For such as prolong their preparation and conuersion, vn­till the houre of death, hauing lyued loosely, and without the feare of God al their time of health: albeit they bee not to despaire, but to make the best shift they can for their poore soules, in the small time that is left behinde: yet are they in great daunger no doubt and in a very perillous estate. These The wic­ked liuer [...] dying to be doub­ted. being they whose saluation saint Au­gustine doubteth of. Let vs therefore as saint Paule warneth vs, (Doe well whiles we haue time) continually wat­ching Galath 6 and preparing our selues to death, according to out Sauiors coun­cell: Mat. 24 Sith we neither wot the daie nor houre thereof: therefore watch, and with care prepare thy selfe.

First, see thou cleanse and purge thy [Page] soule with wholesome praier and ex­hortation The first aduise in time of sicknes. either before or in thy sicke­nesse, especially before the purging of thy bodie. For God many times sends sicknesse to the body for the sinnes of The soule to be pur­ged before the body. the soule, And therefore it may bee, the cause once ceasing, to wit, sinnes, thy sicknesse also, being the effect, shal also cease. The body afflicted for the sins of the soule.

Now, if hauing vsed this remedie, thy sicknesse continue, then take this second aduise: accept it with a willing mind, as a gift which thy heauenly fa­ther, for thy soules health, to forward thee, looke to the safeguard of y^e same, with consideration of the singular loue he beareth thee, so vnworthy a mem­ber, thinke therefore to conforme thy selfe to his will, that thy painefull pil­grimage, may be past ouer, to his glo­ry, and the vsuall health of thy soule and body.

These and such like aduises, for thy troubled body, thou mayest vse, during such time as God shall put thee in such remembrance by visitation, to escape [Page 105] and be cured of. But if thy mallady be mortall and no remedie, but this tem­porall life must be determined, and en­ded by it, then ouer and aboue take these aduises following.

The first is, perceiuing sicknes increase that thou most vigilantly awake and rouse vp thy self, to dispose both of thy temporall and spirituall affaires, as if then these wordes were spoken vnto thee, deliuered by the prophet Esay, to king Ezechias: Dispose of thy house, for thou shalt die and not liue. Dispatche therefore and make perfect thy Will, which euery good Christian ought to doo in the time of health, when hee may with better ease, sounder iudge­ment, and more mature aduise, per­forme and doo the same, and not to driue it till the last hour, when all these commodities doe faile him, sith daily experience dooth informe vs, howe through the lets and incumbrances of sicknesse, the Wils that are made in that time, be very rawly perfourmed, and many times vnperfectlie drawne [Page] and penned. Hauing therefore, I saie, thy Will in a readinesse by thee, with thy satisfaction therein conteyned, thou mayest then as shall seeme best vnto thee, alter or adde therevnto, a­ny thinge by waie of councell: but if thou hast beene heretofore negligent in this matter, then mayest thou a­mende with wisedome such wilfull o­uersighte, eyther by aduisement of thy friend, or how thou wilt dispose it, to thy contentment.

The second is, when that is fully fi­nished The secōd aduise in time of death. (touching temporal causes I mean) then to occupie thy minde with heauenly matters, forgetting the World, as if it were not, but as if thou A forget­ting of worldly affaires. hopedst to enioy a glorious kingdome aboue: and giue thy selfe ouer to thy Lorde and Sauiour moste willinglie, least thou be in thy conscience other­wise afflicted.

The third is to giue warning, that thou beest not troubled with any hous­holde matters whatsoeuer. And see this chieflye doone, when death is at [Page 106] thy doore, and thy life draweth fast to an end; let this aduise bee most care­fully executed, least the sight or hea­ring of such matters, might then with drawe thy affection to them, quite from Diuine and heauenlye thinges, which at such time thou must & oughtest to bee in loue withall.

The fourth is, that some deuout The 4. aduise. manne being called, if thou chance to fall in those tearmes, and confer with him, vpon other matters, belonging to thy soules health, considering thy bodie is not but earth: and passing the time in godly conference and prayer, thy soule may lifte and eleuate it selfe The deth of Christ a help in death, & our swee­test com­fort. to heauenly and spiritual ioyes, celesti­all and most glorious, thinking especi­ally on the passion of Christ Iesus, for thy better resolution of thy fixed faith. And thus pray with them, in the best manner that thou canst.

THere bee many anguishes, and anxieties, which y^e soule dooth commonly feele, in the perillous traunce and houre of death, this beeing the moste terrible thinge, that can happen vnto vs in this life, sith at that time the soule dooth suffer on euerie side, and which way soeuer it turneth, doth finde great cause of corsie and extreame an­noy.

First, it suffereth in respect of the The extreame anguishes of y^e soule, in y^e time of death. body, from which it parteth with no small paine. It suffereth likewise in par­ting from temporall thinges, which it leaueth heere behinde: and look how much they were in life time loued of it, and so much more doo they in that [Page 107] houre of death torment it. It suffereth through the great dread it hath of the strict accoumpt, which it knoweth wel must forthwith be passed to the dread­full iudge, of euery thing it hath doon in all hir life time. It suffereth through the horrible visions of Deuils, which in that houre appeere; the sight wher­of is an intollerable torment. And much more doth it suffer, through the greeuous and bitter assaults, wherwith in that houre, they farre more siercelie set vpon it, then euer they did before. For like as towardes the ende of the world, and time of general iudgement, the prince of darkenesse, shal most ter­riblie, and with greater rage and fury, assault mankinde, as he knoweth bet­ter, how smal a time is then remaining for him to doo the same, and to infest it any longer. In like manner doo the deuils behaue themselues, towardes such, as be at y^e point of death, againste whom they bend all their might and maine, all their sleightes and subtile­ties [Page] whatsoeuer; sith they know well, that if the soule, in that last houre, doe escape their dreadfull clookes, they loose what they pretended to gaine all her life time, in this world. For so doe the Doctors commonly saie, vpon the sentence of the Apocalypse. That Apoc. 2 the diuell descendeth with great rage, wotting well that hee hath but a small time lefte. So that the anxietie and bitternesse of that houre, shalbe great, and no man by wordes shall exagge­rate.

Therefore, it is good to remember that houre before, and arme our selues to prepare vs to a ioiful meeting of our redeemer, at this so perillous a season. And although we perswad our selues, so louing a God will not permit vs to bee tempted at such time, aboue our strength; yet must we busie our selues in the defending of such batteryes as the enemye will otherwise prefixe a­gainst vs: that being auoyded, then the more happy and blessed shall wee bee, in the eies of the omnipotent, for that [Page 108] Sathan is busie to ouerthrow vs. Mark then the manner of his temptations, and the sure defenses for the same, that so thou mayest the more securely es­cape so great a perill, and gaine the Crowne prepared for the valiant con­querour.

The first, as S. Ambrose testifieth, is The first tentation. Ambrose. the deuils very drift, to take vs in some error of our beleefe, to which tempta­tion, thou canst not resist better, than as I told thee before in the 26. chapt. The deuil is to bee despised. to wit, by despising and scorning, both the answer to him, & it. But if of force thou must answer somthing; let it bee this. I beleeue firmly, what God in his word hath taught me to beleeue, and that which the holye Apostles haue beleeued and taught, whose faith and doctrine almightye GOD, (whome none can deceaue) hath confirmed with innumerable myracles, and for the confession whereof hath so much bloud of Martyrs beene spilt. Sticke faste vnto this aunswere, and care [Page] not to his other obiections, or to aun­swere them. Thus then behauing thy selfe, no doubt but thou shalt be con­querour.

The second suggestion, is blasphe­mie: Blasphe­my the 2. tentation. perswading at that houre, some indecent thing of our blessed Sauiour. Heereto mayest thou resist, by retur­ning this aunswere to the deuill him­selfe, that propoundeth it, in this ma­ner.

I am more than assured, that my Lord God is infinitely good, and wor­thy of all souereigne praise, and loue, A retor­ting of the feends suggestion and that all his holy saints are most perfect, and replenished with al vertue, & therefore thou art most abhominable, and for these blasphemies to bee vt­terly despised and abhorred. Then turning to thy maker, giuing all praise and glory, with humble blessinges of his holy name. So shalt thou cast and shake off the deuill.

The third temptation, is despaire of The third tentation. forgiuenesse of thy sinnes, which is most greeuous at that time to vs, by [Page 109] considering diuine iustice, whereto it belongeth, not to suffer any one sinne vnpunished: and then his perswasions is, to make thee thinke, that all in vain is repentance at that houre.

The remedie for this, is to humble thy selfe in the sight of God, and to in­uocate The remedies a­gainst despaire. his diuine Clemencie, calling to mind his passion, whose most gree­uous and bitter woundes, thou must offer vppe to his father, for all thy sins and transgressions whatsoeuer: saying as followeth.

The fourth temptation is quite op­posite and contrary to the former: this [Page 110] being a rashe and fonde securitie, the Diuell buzzeth in our eares of our too rash resolution, how we are beholding to the Lord for such a constant perse­uerance and driuing vs to such a vaine glory that hee will take vs tardy after desperation is ouercome by our selues to bringe vs by fauning with vs to his subtill entisements, by the greate con­tent we find to please our minds with­all. But the remedy for this is, to haue such authorities of holy Scriptures in A remedy against vaine security and pleasing of our selues. Eccle. 9. Esay. 64. 1. Luk. 17. Psal. 55. Rom. 11. readinesse, as serue to beate down this vaine pleasing and disordinate confi­dence in our selues, as is that saying of the wise▪man. That no man liuing knoweth whether hee bee worthy of loue, or hatred. And that of Esay, All our righteousnesse is a defiled cloath. And that which our Sauiour sayth, and when yee haue donne all that is commanded you, say ye, wee are but improfitable seruants. That also of the psalmist, Thy iudgments are great & an inscrutable depth. And y^t sentence [Page] of the apostle, how incomprehensible are the iudgements of God. By these and diuerse other authorities thou seest howe smally thou oughtest to please thy selfe, or grow secure by rea­son of good works; thinke thus there­fore and neuer resolue securely for feare of a fall. In doing this thou shalt The best way to heauen lieth be­tweene feare and hope. remaine betweene feare and hope, the most assured path to passe to heauen, and looke when the Diuell doth puffe vp thy minde to presume of thy selfe, throw thy selfe down with the memo­ry of such causes, with a sure hope and confidence in the Lord, our most mercifull Sauiour.

The fift tentation if it bee in longe The 5 tentation is impati­ence. continuance of sicknes is impatience, this must thou vanquish, by thinking God of his omnipotency visiteth thee with his loue, to chastise thee so fauo­rably on earth, giuing him eternall praise therefore least hee encrease thy torments, and giue thee more punish­ment for thy obstinacy, which if with patience thou withstande, the Diuell [Page 111] shall haue no power ouer thee; but thy rewarde shall encrease the greater in heauen.

Besides these already mentioned, the wicked spirits do with diuers other molest the soules of mē in this houre; but continuing in this hope and wrap­ping thy selfe in the woundes of our Sauiour; thou shalte ouercome them all, and so most happely gaine a con­quest, of these and all other tentations that may assaile thee, and at length a­riue at that most happy port of eternal rest and quietnesse.

IN this little treatise (gentle The some of the hole book. reader) hath beene hither­to as briefely as might bee shewed thee, the rules and aduises, whereby thou oughtest to guide thy selfe aswell on working as holidaies; and howe thou maist exer­cise thy selfe in prayer, and because this mortal life cannot be passed ouer, without the tentations and assaults of such our aduersaries, as here in this worlde doe enuiron vs, there are wea­pons, and remedies giuen thee to van­quish them with, and to preserue thee from sinne, by meanes whereof thou maiest also atchiue suche vertues, as bee needefull for thee. Againe for­asmuche [Page 112] as this our temporall life is thrall to many infirmities, and in fine to dint of death, (the port perforce, we must all of vs passe by) for this cause haue I herto annexed two Chapters, wherein is shewed thee, in what sorte thou must gouerne thy selfe, in tyme of sicknesse, when it shall please God therewith to visit thee, as also howe thou ought to behaue thee in a transe and houre of death, when our Lorde through his good prouidence, shall thinke meete to bring thee thither. This haue I thought and deemed suf­ficient for thee, that, if of the giuer of all goodnesse, thou hast receaued a good will and desire to amende thy life, and to liue like a true Chri­stian, thou maiest by perusing this pamplet, learne how to attaine thine Intente, and to haue a firme truste and confidence to attaine eternall life the onely end whereto thou wast cre­ated:

It remayneth nowe that for the [Page] conclusion, and knitting vp of this lit­tle worke, I admonish thee, beseech thee, and exhort thee, asmuch as I can and may possibly, that if thou haste once laid hand to the plough, & to exercise thy selfe in diuine seruice, taking Luke. 9. the rules and aduices which in this treatise are prescribed thee, for thy guide and gouerment; that in no wise thou looke backe againe, nor let not thy selfe by any trouble and toiles, which may crosse thee in this life, bee ouercome and vanquished. And if at any time it so chanced, aswell it may do eftsoones by reason of lets and hin­derances, thou shouldest be for some time forced to intermitte thine ordi­nary and wonted exercises, be not any deale dismaide therewith, but when this time of trouble is once ouer shot, renewe againe thy course and followe Mark. 13. Mat. 24. Luk. 22. Apoc. 16. it, as if thou hadest neuer failed per­seuering till the ende, as is needefull if thou mind to attaine the crowne, and to winne euerlasting happinesse. For in doing thus I dare on the behalfe of [Page] our Lord Iesus christ, assure thee, that this perseuerance shall ease thy paine, that pincheth at first; and looke howe much the more thou doost perseuere; and so much more comfort, help, con­solation and heauenly light shalt thou receaue of his most bountifull liberal­lity. See therefore thou content not thy selfe with once reading ouer of this treatise, but read it eftsoones ouer, for so it is most expedient.

Forsomuch as the thinges that are here in treated of, sith they be the ru­lers and remembrances, which thou oughtest in spirituall life, to leuell and guide thy works by, it behooueth at all times to reade them, when thou pur­posest to practise them. For besides that, the bare reading, shal be a lauda­ble and good exercise for thee, and serue as a parte of prayer, the reitera­ting and frequentation of reading, shal helpe thee to learne by heart, what in action thou art bound to execute, and so maist thou afterwards exercise thee in each point with much more facilli­ty, [Page] and lesse a doe a great deale. And therefore albeit this little labour may profit each one that with a good, and godly intent wil vouchsafe to reade it, yet was it principally intended for the simple, and more ignorant sort, and for that cause haue I thought good to annex here, in the end such things, as many of them wotte not, and yet are bound to knowe. Seeing that euery artisan thinks it meete to knowe such things as belonge vnto his art, howe much more is a true Christian bound for to know, what appertaineth to his profession? (an art boue all arts) and to be prepared as the apostle Saint Peter saith, to yeald accompt of y^t he belee­ueth, and hopeth, and what it behoo­ueth him to doo: to liue according to Gods wil and pleasure, and to obtaine euerlasting life withall. Wherfore for such as bee in this behalfe blame wor­thy negligent, I haue here set downe such thinges, as without daunger of their owne weldooing, they neither ought nor can be ignorant of, that by [Page] reason of those notes and shorte re­membrances, they may both vnder­stand what they want, and learn it here commodiously. And as for the texts, I haue here set thē forth, both in Latin and vulgar tongue, for euery one to learne them, as beste shall like them, not respecting so much the wordes as the substance and sap conteined in the same.