WHat art thou (O Man) and from whence hadst thou thy beginning? What matter art thou made of, that thou promisest to thy selfe length of daies: or to thy posterity continuance. I haue read the truest computer of Times, and the best Arithmetician that euer breathed, and he reduceth thy dayes into a short num­ber: The daies of Man are threescore and ten. That reuerend Patriarch Iacob, (though he had liued a long and prospe­rous time) yet he confesseth his daies to be few and euill: the life of Man (saith the Prophet) is as the grasse that soone [Page 2] withereth: it is as swift as a Dromeda­rie, continuing not, but passing from this pilgrimage of earth, aimeth at the centre, to which all flesh is limitted, this earthly mansion from whence we had our Beginning; Homo abhumo na­tus. Man is borne of the earth, from whence he had his birth, and shall con­clude the date and period of his daies. What is it to enioy honour vpon earth, or to be graced by the royall aspect of Potentates, their maiestie cannot au­thorise thy sinnes, nor exempt thee from the iudgement of the Almighty. It is not the King, but the King of Kings shall iudge, who holdeth his iron rod in his hand, to be auenged of him that worketh wickednesse before him. He cannot endure the waies of the vnrigh­teous, but will either looke vpon thee, with the eyes of his mercie, or giue thee the wages of sinne, to liue with repro­bates and sinners in the neuer quenched fire of his wrath, there to be punished eternally. But remember thy mortality, be not puffed vp with a selfe conceipt of thine owne excellence: The Swanne may not be more ashamed of her blacke [Page 3] feete, then thou of the vlcers and blemi­shes of thy soule distained with all im­purities. It was the Phylosophers say­ing: It were better not to be, then to be miserable, thy being is most miserable, thy state lamentable, and thy case irre­parable: if thou meditate not of thy cre­ator, acknowledge thy redeemer, and haue recourse vnto thy mercifull pro­tector: who preserueth thee daily with his grace, reuewing in thee his Image, quite defaced and abolished by reason of thy transgressions. Wherefore as there is noe moment nor article of time, wherein thou stands not in need of his prouidence, so ought there to be no time omitted wherein thou should not ascribe all praise, and gloie to his excellence. He created thee being no­thing, he recreated thee being worse then nothing, and he preuents thee with his grace, that art like to fal againe to nothing. O consider wherein thou hast offended, and how many and sun­dry times thou hast beene pardoned for the selfe same sinne: let thine eyes therefore be dissolued into an ocean of teares, crauing remission with entire [Page 4] contrition. It is recorded that the teares of the vine will cure the leprosie: teares of hearty and vnfained repen­tance will cure the leprosie of sinne, restore thee to the Throne of grace, and in the end conduct thee to the King­dome of glory. Thou art farre trans­planted from thy natiue Country: in a desolate and remote place: farre from comfort or hope of rest, till this Taber­nacle of sinne shall be dissolued, this roabe of flesh shall be diuided from that spirituall stole of purity, whereby thou may ascend the pallaces of eternall glorie. There is none that liueth in ex­ile, but would haue the censure of Ba­nishment reuoked: thou art in a place of exile an inhabitant with Wolues and Tigers: for better were it (saith Dio­genes) to liue with Wolues, Tigers, and all sauage Beasts of the Mountaines, then with Sycophants, flatterers and such tame beasts in the Citie. Thou art inuironed with many sharpe encoun­ters inuaded with many turbulent passi­ons, thought▪ feare, desire, and the like: all which as so many waspes doe conti­nually infest and annoy thee. Thou art [Page 5] trauelling a dangerous way, where ma­ny obiects seeme to seduce thee from the high-roadeway, to the flourishing by-paths of vanity, being neuer lesse se­cure, then when thou seemest most se­cure. Thou art sailing betwixt two pe­rilous rockes, two calamitous shelfs, Scilla and Charybdis, Presumption and Despaire. Thou hadst need of an expert and vigilant Pilote to direct thee, a faithfull friend to comfort thee, and a prepared minde within thee: thou fishest in a troubled streame, and many things I could caution thee of, which not fore­seene may endanger shipwracke to thy crasie and surcharged Barke. Oppose not thy selfe to all extremes, but fix the Anchor: it would hold against all tem­pests, and prouide a repose in time for thy poore vessell, least vanquished and oppressed with violence of Billowes, and extremity of aduerse waues, shee be enforced to split, loosing both thy selfe and thy fraight: spread not thy sailes too broad for the windes (thy vi­olent affections) are most forced, when thy sayles, (thy ambitious thoughts) are most extended. Ballace it light, least it [Page 6] sinke with her Burden: It is better to loose the fraight then the Merchant: and the Phylosopher Mymus chused rather to lose his gold then himselfe. Enter not thy Barke with any prophane man: if his company doe not ruinate thee, it may well depraue thee: and when Bias came into any shippe or ves­sell with a wicked man, where he was in danger of shipwrack, he would neuer suffer the prophane man to pray, say­ing, take heede least the Gods heare thee, for then wee can expect for no mercie. But aboue all let the sterne (the principall Organs and faculties of the soule) bee euer with all vi­gilancie attended, wisely gouerne­ned, and industriouslie employed. Thou art to saile by Syrens (those three daughters of Achelous and Callyope) a naturall euitation of that which is good, a naturall inclination to that which is euill, and a naturall deprauati­on of the will: reiect the pernicious em­braces of sinne and impietie, stop thine eares to the Syrens melodie, and reduce thy thoughts to that retired harbour of tranquilitie, a sincere and secure con­science: [Page] it is a Christians brasen wall, it makes vs secure of things past, it ad­uertiseth vs of things present, and pre­pareth it selfe for things to come: No Monument so glorious, no statue so spe­cious: for what will curious Sepulchers auaile vs, when infamie perpetuates the memorie of vs. Vita mortuorum in Me­moria viuentium posita est. And vertue liueth after death; The Ancient Patri­archs returned to the sepulchers of their Auncestours, but that had beene but lit­tle, if their vertues had not equalled their auncestors. Desirest thou to haue the excellencie of this painted world, the beautie of this earthlie Theatre cha­ractred and displaied to thee in her co­lors? Thou shalt see in her many see­ming flourishes of happinesse, many faire promises of a continuated emi­nence: but shee failes in her perfor­mance: her fruits are but flowers, and her haruest soone tipe, and soone rotten. Sodoms apples were faire to the eye, touch them, & they turne to dust. Pain­ted Sepulchers shew much beautie, and seeme as if they would outliue time, yet continuance defaceth them, remaining [Page 8] memorable in nothing, saue that they were once memorable. Starres fixed shine the brightest: fix thy thoughts vp­on the morning Sun of righteousnesse, and like the Sun, thou shalt shine more bright at thy setting, then at thy rising, at thy death then thy birth, let thy mind be established on that which can suffice it: no terrestriall respect of earths vani­tie, but an expectance of heauens eterni­tie, to receaue that Crowne for which it was created, and not the wages of sinne, for which shee was not ordained. Thou hast many difficulties to passe in this wildernesse, ere thou can see the Land of promise; Thou must thirst, hunger, and wander; thirst, but for the well of life; hunger, but for the staffe of spirituall Bread; wander but at last (with the good Shunamite,) to returne from the moun­taines of Gilboa, to the vale of Bethlem, the poole of Bethesda: to the vale of Bethlem, where thou may repose, to the poole of Bethesda, where thou may take repast: yet must thou not murmure in this long peregrination: Thou art but as thy forefathers haue beene: if affli­cted, so was thy master Christ: if temp­ted, [Page 9] so was he: if persecuted, behold the whole Colledge of those blessed Apo­stles, making their whole life a persecu­tion, a very martyrdome to propagate their masters glorie, and to performe that worke for which they were sent. Thou must not make profit of thy pro­fession with Magus, nor make sale of thy conscience with Demas, nor sell thy Sauiour with Iudas. Thou art inuested with Christs owne Garment, endewed with more especiall priuiledges, and prerogatiues then many of thy bre­thren, boast not of that thou hast recea­ued, he that did giue them thee, can take them from thee, and make thee naked, that was once garnished with such sin­gular ornaments, bestowing them on o­thers that shall better vse them, since whilst thou hadst them, thou didst abuse them. Enuie not anothers gifts, but ra­ther thanke God for his ample benefits extended vpon thy brother: that perni­cious vice of enuie is the corrupter of many singular vertues: and to describe her more perspicuously, heare the ancient fathers how they decypher this vniuersall contagion of the world. En­uie [Page 10] consumes all vertues: by enuie was Christ crucified, the historie whereof is mentioned vnto thee, enuie and malice aboue all other vices inebriate the soule. Where there is enuie, there can be no Brotherly loue. Who enuieth lo­ueth not: the law of the Diuell is in him, because the diuell by enuie fell. There­fore enuie is knowne by this, that shee is neuer in charitie. For by enuie was Christ crucified, and consequently who enuieth his brother, crucifieth Christ. Aug: Enuie alwaies followeth vertue: he is a valiant man that can conquer enuie with humility. Hier: Hee is sure an enuious man that taketh pleasure in seeing another mans dammage or pu­nishment: Ambros: the error of enuie doth not onely inuade the Synagogues of the impious, but the cels of the religi­ous. Euseb. Enuie manifesteth that we haue not the loue of God in vs. Ef­frem.

It is a rare thing to want enuie in prosperitie. Iosephus: where the good man profiteth, there the enuious repi­neth: as the Poet saith: Inuidus alterius, &c. Isidorus.

[Page 11]Here thou feest enuie dismasked: who euer with Ctesyphon kicketh a­gainst the Moles heeles: there is no ver­tue can passe vncensured: no exquisite worke vnreproued: necesse est quôd Mo­mum aut Mimum habet, qui vertutem amat. But run thou a religious course inclining neither on the right hand, nor on the left: on the right hand thou may be too precise in being too regular, on the left hand, insuccessiue, being too si­nister. The Goulden mediocritie, is as good a way, and as secure as the Phylo­sophers Galaxia, their milke way: here is true consolation in spirit: for the righteous bee glad and reioyce in it: walke in this way, and the suggestions of Satan shall not seduce thee, for thou art in the way that leadeth vnto life, not intangled in the Brakes of this world, but expecting the glorious possession of those Ioyes aboue. Continue in per­fect charity with thy brother, it is [...], the fulfilling and perfecting of the Law: it reconciles vs vnto God, appea­seth his indignation conceiued against vs, and assures vs of the performance of his promise, made vnto vs in his sonne. [Page 12] By the loue of God is the loue to our Neighbour ingendred, by the loue to our Neighbour, is the loue of God nou­rished: here is a mutuall and reciprocall loue: a threefold Cord is hardly broken. But thou obiectest thou hast felt the heauy hand of God, thou hast tasted of the bitter cup, and drunke deepe of the Cup of affliction: what then? where is thy conclusion? doest thou reason hence that thou art depriued of the fa­uour of God, and excluded from his sheepfold? God forbid: these afflicti­ons doe rather approue and testifie his exceeding loue towards thee: whom I loue saith the Lord, those I chastice and correct: he is not a father, where thou art not a sonne, nor is he a sonne that is incorrigible: he must bow his necke vnto the yoke, and presse his shoulders with the Burden, he must not argue that the burden is heauie, or the yoke not easie: but with all patience sustaine all, and support all, that God may be glori­fied in all. This resolution will arme thee with a serious preparation against all difficulties, calling to minde, how the Apostler (after the death and passi­on [Page 13] of Christ Iesus) were as a puissant armie constant amidst all tribulations. Their afflictions, their stripes, their im­prisonments, were experiments to trie them not affrightments to dismay them: By them they were proued and in their resolution approued, because they fought valiantly the Lords Battell, to increase the number of the faithfull, to breake the bread of life, to such as were appointed vnto saluatiō: weakning the power of Antichrist, and discomfiting sinne. Fight thus (deere Christian) and thou shalt raign where those victorious champions raigne already: the vale of this earthly habitation shall be dissol­ued, and thy spirituall Temple renewed, to supplant the whole body of sinne, and to receiue a glorious diadem of e­ternitie, by subiecting thy selfe to the materiall sword, to be nourished with that spirituall foode of Gods word vn­to eternall life: for whosoeuer will raigne with Christ, must likewise suffer with Christ. He was crucified that we might be saued, and shall we be exemp­ted from that which he suffered? No, rather let vs put on the complete Ar­mour [Page 14] of righteousnesse, with slings in our hands to wound that malicious Goliah, that terrible Philistine in the head: that is, vtterly to discomfit him: that we who haue receiued so glorious an inuestiture, the speciall indowments of his Grace, may by the operation of his spirit effectually working in vs ar­riue at the Kingdome of glorie. That what is here inchoate, may be there consummate; of Christ we are called Christians: if we be Christians of Christ, we should follow Christ: that ascending with him to the Crosse on Mount Cal­uarie, we may likewise ascend with him to his Throne exalted with maiestie.

IN thy affliction haue I heard thee and in the bitternesse of thy sor­rowes haue I attended thee: for thou descen­dedst down as it were into the graue, & buried thy honour in the dust. But who euer hath cried vpon me, that I haue not heard, or craued my helpe, whom I haue not aided? Art thou poore, and sicke, and hungry, and naked, crying for almes yet art not rewarded, for one crum yet art not satisfied? why, what of this? if thou bee poore, so was Lazarus: if sicke, hungry, and naked, so was he: if despised, so was hee: character what miseries soeuer thy miserable state is afflicted with, and thou shalt see [Page 16] them personated (in more ample sort) in disconsolate Lazarus; yet was not he comforted? were not his rags turned to robes, his hunger to festiuall honour, his pensiue affliction, to extensiue con­solation? he was abandoned of Diues, contemned of Diues, nay reproued and shamefully iniured by the seruants of Diues; yet behold the exchange: Laza­rus is exalted, Diues tormented, Laza­rus comforted, Diues afflicted: Laza­rus in Abrahams bosome, in ioy for e­uer, Diues in the fire of hell, to be deli­uered neuer▪ O what subiect of ioy and comfort, what argument of diuine con­solation is this vnto a poore distressed soule, that trauels vpon the pilgrimage of earth, hungry, naked, and despised? But there is a greater occasion then this for him to pull vp his courage, to solace his depressed minde; and that is the very promise of God himselfe past (and that by a constitution irreuocable) to the poore and afflicted spirit. I looke to him saith the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Esay, that is poore, that is bro­ken in spirit, and that trembleth at my words. Here the Lord professeth him­selfe [Page 17] a patron to the poore, their stength and mighty defence in the time of their necessity. He is none of our time-ob­seruing friends, our state affectors, that rather patronise our errors (to insinuate themselues in to the vnstedy affections not of vs, but of our patrimonies) so long professing amitie till our estate (the adulterate oyle of their pretended friendshippe) be extinguished. These are good Mammonists augmenting their meanes by indirect courses: running e­uer on the Byas of Adulation, till that clawing humour worke to their vnhap­pie friend remedilesse desolation. But God is faithfull: and whom he once loueth, he loueth vnto the end. How happie art thou (poore pilgrim) of such a louer, that erects thy drowping head, directs thy erring feet, supports thy de­clining faith, and placeth thee in the re­tired harbor of all spirituall comforts, ministring these and the like solaces vn­to thee. Wipe thy eyes (poore harbor­lesse soule) complaine not of times ini­quitie, descant not of thy penury, re­late no more of thy miserie: I haue heard thy voice, and am come to com­fort [Page 18] thee, I haue put all thy teares vp in a Bottell, and they shall remaine as te­stimonies against those obdurate and impenitent, those remorcelesse and vn­charitable Nabals that haue stopped their eares to thy cries, their eyes to thy teares: solace thy selfe in me, for I will receaue thee into my protection: I will shelter thee vnder the wings of my mer­cie, so as no violence shall oppresse thee, no ensewing miserie afflict thee, no pouerty dismay thee: for why? I am rich in mercy, and will enrich thee with the comforts of my diuine spirit. Who euer called vpon me, and I heard him not, or powred his prayers vnto me and I relieued him not? Thy pouerty is no barre in my Court to hinder thy expe­dition: Thou beggest and surest informa pauperis, yet thou shalt finde a Solici­tour that will not neglect thy affaires: He it is that created thee (as well as the mighty ones of this world) and he will not suffer his Image, his similitude, his Impression to be rased, defaced or con­temned. It is I that haue seene thee ex­posed to all the miseries of earth, and I considered thy patience: for which haue [Page 19] I accepted thy prayers which (like sweet and redolent persumes) ascended vp vnto my nostrels. Be comforted, be comforted: the extent of thy afflictions is almost expired, the date of thy sor­rowes extended, and the period of thy miseries consummate. I will cloth thee with the Garments of eternity: Thou shalt dwell in the mansions of my glo­rious City, and for thy pouerty, receaue the rich ornaments of a celestiall inheri­tour: and herein shall thy ioyes be re­doubled, for thou that liued desperable in the eyes of men, shalt Triumph a­mongst the quires of Angels, being in­corporated in the glorious society of all those heaunly Cittizens which raigne with me eternally. There shalt thou haue for these poore rags, Gar­ments that shall neuer be worne. There thou shalt feede on spirituall Manna, and Mella, there shall be no hunger, but eternall feasting, no sorrow, but perpe­tuall reioycing, no discord, but mindes generally vniting: where fulnesse shall not breede lothing, nor others glorie in thee repining, nor lights perpetuitie obscuring, nor times eternitie ending: [Page 20] for there will I be all vnto all, to shew my glory more euidently towards all. Thus will that father of all comfort, comfort thee with his diuine consolati­ons: thus will he in the very middest of thy anguishes, miraculously, infuse & in­still into thy distressed soule, these & the like spirituall refections: he will annoint thee with the oyle of Gilead, & put vpon thee a new raiment, and on thy finger will he put a ring of pure Gold, with the seale of Armes on it: with the seale of thy election, predestined to eternall life. O meditate of this, and the like di­uine comforts, and the perturbations, billowes and afflictions of this life, will be lightly esteemed in comparison of that exceeding measure, and quantity aboue all measure, of spirituall Trea­sures, reserued for thee in heauen. A­lasse thou liuest here (that I may vse the Greeke phrase) [...], In the very penetrals and cauernes of the earth: farre remoued from thy cen­tre, farre transplanted from thy natiue Countrie. O then be not so enthralled with this masse of corruption, so capti­uated by sinne and Sathan, so deluded [Page 21] by the vaine flourishes of earths vani­ties: eleuate thy spirit, erect thy minde, liue not so long in this dangerous Cly­mate, as thou forget to returne into thy Countrie. Thou hast an excellent mo­tiue (poore hunger-starued soule) not to desire thy abode or residence vpon earth: sith thou feelest within thee nought but biting hunger, and without thee, nought but hard hearts, that con­sume their daies in chambering and wantonnesse, in securitie and careles­nesse, respectlesse (heauen knowes) of their chiefest good, the aduancement of Gods glorie, the feare of his name, reuerence to his ministers, or any worke which might tend to the edification of faith or manners. Hinc illae lachrimae; hence comes our cause of lamenting, hence the true and efficient motiues of sorrowing: But thou (pore man) that art sequestred as it were out of the world, not as much as obserued with the eie of popular respect, seeing thy owne con­tempt of one side, and the impiety of this enormious Age of the other side, hast reason with Paul not onely to de­sire thy dissolution, but euen in the me­ditation [Page 22] of it to conceaue especiall comfort, and delight. For the world what is it, But a cage of vncleane Birds, a masse of indigestion, an indisposed frame of pollution, a sink of corruption? True was it, that that Dominican Frier obserued: There was in the world at the first (saith he) conscientia, but that was altered presently and turned to scientia, and that too (by the foolish stupidity of these times) is changed into mere Entia, a poore Being indeed, when we know not the essentiall cause of our Being: but ledde away with either singular conceipt of our ignorant knowledge or besotted with the present obiects presented and represented to vs: which so auert and distract the intellectuall eye of our vnderstanding, or so enthral­led and engaged as it were to priuate profit, like the worldly statist, or with the itch of honour like the Ambitious Artist, or with the dispersing of our vi­ctories in forraine prouinces with the insulting Martialist: that we forget (for a little worldly gaine) the Gayne and treasure of Eternitie: for a puffe or blast of vaine glory or ambitious honour, [Page 23] the Honour of God, and sacred mini­sters: for a soone perishing fame, the fame and reputation which wee ought to purchase of our heauenly father. Deere pilgrim, thou seest these transito­rie and temporarie delights, how soone they fade: how short their continuance is: for thou canst see further then one in higher place can see. We make the Argument infallible: for demonstrati­on proues it: a man may see more pier­cingly into the beauty of the firmament within some hollow place or pit, then he can vpon the euen superficies of the earth. Thou art placed in this pit; reti­red from the world: inferiour in order, bereft of the cloude of honour, nay ex­empted of all inconueniences which might any way seeme to darken the eye of thy vnderstanding, here thou seest the piecolored flagges of vanity dis­plaied, the poore Ostrich robbed of her taile, to fanne a Ladies face. The sillie wormes disbowelled to cloath a case of corruption with a silken couer. Nec atriora sane vidimus peccata, quam ea quae sunt sericea; Silken sins goe with a priui­ledge: they haue a good couer for de­formiti, [Page 24] this I know (simple soule) thou seest and admirest. Then thou goes further, and thou sees seeming san­ctitie put on the roabes of holinesse: furnisht with a little lippe labour to mumble a few key cold deuotion-lesse prayers, making his lippes goe as if pos­sessed with some spirit, as indeed he is, for no spirit more execrable then hypo­crisie: there thou seest halting instice; a Magistrate that goes on stilts to saue his footecloth, hee ouerperes a whole multitude, but taking so great paines vpon his artificiall legges, he must be annointed; theres no remedy, hee will grow stiffe else: it is a golden potion must restore him his sence of hearing which was welnigh perished: applie but this receipt to his pulse; and the vertue is admirable, its better then Eare-salue it will restore him the faculty of hearing instantlie. There thou seest a great pa­tron of iniuries, that has erected two Sanctuaries, dedicated to two contrary Soueraignesses: Vertue, and Vice; Vertue for her name, Vice for her Nature: many such professors of vertue (poore beg­gar) I know thou findest, that can make [Page 25] externall show or appearance of vertue, but hath vice to be vertues riuall: ver­tues building is easie to be discerned: theres no superficiall cost to beautifie her Temple: shee hath a good inside and a bare outside: vice her opponent boasts (and truely so shee may) of curi­ous edifices, rare deuises, monuments of more honour and celebritie then poore vertue and all her posterity euer attained to, in the one the worlds map is rightly charactred: in the other, there is representation of a more glorious pallace. But I will proceed further: they haue beene characterised too of­ten to bee now vnknowne. Now thou hast seene all this (poore pilgrim) rag­ged vertue, and roabed vice: thou canst not be deceaued in their Colors. The purple whore is easie to be discerned, me thinkes thou should glorie much in thy ragges: seeing vertue no better clad: one better habilimented with rents then rints. God hath done well for thee to giue thee so faire a patterne to imitate: nor is it disparagement to be her attendant with thine owne Gar­ment: without adorning thy outside to [Page 26] grace so faire an inside, for vertue is de­pictured the best when hee is garnished the least. Thus, thus consider what thou art, and whom thou resemblest: not one vndeseruing because of thy wants: for the exquisitest deseruings are for most part the vnworthiliest recompenced: But the verie Idea of imparaleld good­nesse, Vertue her selfe, shee is naked, so art thou: harborlesse so art thou: in her selfe deseruing, yet desertlesly estee­med, and so art thou: your fortunes seeme equall: doe but match her in the mindes proprieties, and thy reward shal be by so much more eminent, in regard thy estate was here depressed. I will yet draw nerer thee, thou art here pla­ced in a desolate forrest, farre remoued from any either internall or externall comfort, saue that continuall feast (a sincere conscience:) Thou art without friends, and no desert more solitarie no forrest greater, then to be depriued of friends: and in this vncouth promon­torie there bee many sauage Beasts which seeke to pray vpon thee, or at least to triumph ouer thee: and wouldst thou not willingly retire thy selfe, and [Page 27] purchase thy owne safety by a seque­stred life? or if not, Semel mori melius est, quam semper moriendo viuere. Alasse (deere christian pilgrim) thou art in this state: this desert is the world repleni­shed with sauage beasts, with which thou art enuironed: some lyon like con­temne thee for thy pouerty, others de­ride thee without remorse had to thy deiected fortunes: But all triumph ouer thee (being made as Heluius pertinax was entitled) Pila fortunae, fortunes ball: tossed into euery hazard, subiected to euery calumnie, being indeed made the very stale of disgrace: yet in all these occurrents (if thou make right vse of thy pouertie) thou remaines free from any perturbation whatsoeuer: their pride makes the more humble: their ambition worketh in thee mortificati­on: their contemning thee breedeth in thee a contempt of the world, relinqui­shing the garish obiects of vanitie to reape the haruest of heauens glorie. I will now descend and that briefly to the discourse of such as conceiued more entire ioy and rest in their soules, by abandoning the world, giuing their [Page 28] goods vnto the poore, nay such as vo­luntarilie became poore, that they might follow Christ, then if they had possessed the inestimable treasures of the whole Earth. The reason that indu­ced me hereunto was: forasmuch as I know examples be of more force then precepts, the exact and as it were liuely description thereof imprints in our mindes an ardent desire of imitating such whose wel disposed liues made their ends glorious Reade but the sacred ordinances and lawes of God; Thou shalt see the Apostles contemning all priuate respects whatsoeuer to tast the sweetenesse of the inestable loue of Christ: here thou shalt see one called from the receipt of custome, a place of profit, to follow him, who had as little appearance of externall happinesse as might be: streight thou shalt behold a­nother (conuerted from an Arch-perse­cutour of Christians) one that flouri­shed in the height of honour and was chosen for a patron of infidelitie, de­spise honour and her superficiall flou­rishes, and consecrate himselfe to the supportance of truth: here another (e­uen [Page 29] now a Rabbi a great Doctor of the Law, and one in especiall esteeme with the multitude for Christs sake) become contemptible to tast the sweetenesse of Christs loue in it selfe inexplicable. Za­cheus for this loue willingly became poore, duiding his goods to the poore, and making restitution for what he had iniuriously taken: for this loue, and for this incomparable sweetenesse did the stones wherewith blessed Stephen was stoned seeme sweete vnto him: for this did Saint Laurence tast the Tor­ments of the Gridiron with especiall sweetnesse: this moued Andrew to goe pleasantly vnto the Crosse, that hee might hasten vnto the diuine sweetnes: for this Bartholomew willingly sustai­ned death, Iohn drunke poison, & Peter (as one made drunk, with the apprehen­sion of that supernal sweetenesse,) cried out, let vs build here three Tabernacles, let vs soiorne here, let vs remaine here, since we need nothing that is necessa­ry for our comfort so long as we abide here. O then deere christian if the sur­ueigh of these glorious professors pre­uaile any thing with thee to distast the [Page 30] bitter and vnsauory affections of this transitory life: make vse of thine owne pouerty: thou hast no reason to stand all the day idle, but to haue recourse to the spirituall vineyard. It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen, for why? he must take leaue of his friends and fauorites, of his reue­newes and possessions, there be many things oppose themselues to his inten­ded resolution. But thou that carriest all thy prefserments about with thee, hauing nothing at home but bare wals, appendices of ruine, thou that canst not yeeld nature her necessaries, being made a very spectacle to triumphing fortune: one as exposed to the inconue­niences of times occurrents, so de­priued of those externall Blessings, by which we onely seeme to be and haue our wellbeing: art rid of these maine impediments which vse to hinder the worldling from the prosecution of such affaires as might yeeld more perfect and accomplished content, then all the semblances of fortune, and prosperous successe. O how hard hath the abando­ning of the world seemed to such as [Page 31] haue planted their affections already vpon this terrestriall foundation. They could willingly serue Christ, if they might reserue (likewise) some retired howers of seruice & deuotion to Mam­mon: but wholly to giue vp their inte­rest in earth and earthly possessions, ne­uer more to call themselues masters of their ample and commodious inheri­tances: O it is an hard lesson, such a bit­ter potion had neede of some sweete pill to season it. Thou now seest the high roade-way that leades thee to a port of secure rest: hold on (deere pil­grim) and faint not in thy Iourney: thou art now towards a rich inheri­tance, and shalt possesse those true essen­tiall and reall ioyes which with such feruencie thou hast desired. But yet ere I leaue thee in this Harbour, let me expostulate the cause with thee, & aske thee, why thou art deiected? why so sorrowfull? thou sustainest disgrace and art called impudent Beggar; Beggar? alasse what is that? who is not? doe we not (euen the best of vs) beg from day to day for our diurnall sustenance? in­cluded in that particle: Giue vs this [Page 32] day our daily bread: but thou art impu­dent; with farre more impudence are we branded, that are euer begging, yet neuer satisfied: nay more, presuming to haue what we neede without asking: and for thee (poore soule) necessitie pleades thy cause excusable. Egenti vi­ro pudor nequaquam est vitilis. A shame­fast Beggar neuer gained by his profes­sion. Grieue not thy selfe then at the strange language of the hard harted mi­ser: his owne words shall condemne him when he appeares (as of necessitie he must) before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement: its not then the awfull re­gard of his authoritie (for he is then de­graded) nor the aboundance of his wealth (for of that hee is depriued) nor the generall respect had to his person (for then he is disualewed) that shall answere for his neglect: Thy hunger shall witnesse against him, thy afflicti­ons shall condemne him, and those ma­ny Iniuries (which with such patience thou in this life sustained) shall be re­corded in those monumentall leaues of eternitie, and proclaime him Guiltie: for doubt it not (poore wretch) though [Page 33] there bee none now to comfort thee, but such as laugh at thy miseries, when thou shalt be let out of this poore pri­son of flesh, and transported to thy na­tiue countrey, there will be an Aduo­cate that will pleade thy cause freely, and doe thee right speedily. The euill Iudge in the Gospell was rather moued by the widdowes importunity, then her causes equity to doe her right. But this Iudge will discusse thy cause, neither drawne by importunacie, nor awed by authority, nor subiected to partialitie: he it is that is Iudge of heauen & earth, extending the Heauens lke a Curtaine, and in mercie expressing his affections to the Children of Men. Before this Iudge shalt thou appeare, and hee that oppressed thee: he to tast the rigour and seuerity of iustice, thou to remain in the comfortable embrace of his mercie: he to reape the fruits of his own works, to condemnation, thou to conceiue the sweete and amiable tast of eternall con­solation. O what difference then be­twixt thy miserie, and his earthly hap­pinesse? where is then that great atten­dance? those many superficiall ceremo­nies [Page 34] of obsequiousnesse? vanisht, va­nisht: his afflictions more violent, in as­much his comforts in this life were more eminent. O if the Great ones of this world would consider this: how little would they esteeme the insubstan­tiall flourishes of this world? how at­tentiuely would they obserue the di­mensions of their life, least the labyrinth of sinne should ensnare them, the affe­ctions of earths vanitie surprise them: or the gay colors of mundane allure­ments captiuate them. But sinne is now mounted, her throne is erected, and who dare censure so generall a profes­sion? as rare is it to finde vice without a champion, as to finde hospitality in an ancient house, sanctitie in a Monaste­rie, religion in a house of prostitution. A man may see feasts solemnised, but the halt, lame▪ and blind, seldome or ne­uer inuited; resembling those sensuall meetings of Penelopes wooers, which Emneus in Homer so exactly describes, opifices Vates, Medicus seu etiam poeta qui cantando oblectet, hi sane vocati sunt in orbe: Egentem vero et Medicum qui si­bimet est in commodo nullus vocat. None [Page 35] cals the beggar: his rags are not fit for festiuall solemnities: alasse poore man, then must hee feede (like Democritus) vpon the smell of dainties, full seruices are not for a weake stomacke, and yet me thinkes (poore Soule) thou deseruest better entertainement. Thy Image should not be so lightned. Thy naturall Garment is of as pure stuffe, and as cu­rious as the perfumedst Gallant of them all: and should the couer of our shame so much transport our affections, that without respect vnto the image of our Sauiour, we should disualue the instru­ment, and so ouerprise the couer▪ O no, let vs not so obscure our iudgements: let vs rather haue recourse to our be­ginning, and then conceiue the especi­allest motiues wherein we haue cause to glorie. Sure Nature seemes as if in the beginning shee hated all other or­naments then such as were natiue: be­ing at the first a raiment to her selfe, and sufficient in her selfe against the incle­mencie of heate, the violence of cold, & all distemperatures whatsoeuer: But when man lost himselfe, he desired to shroude himselfe against the violent as­saults [Page 36] of a troubled conscience. Hence then wee glorie in our shame: for by these externall habits are we put in minde of those primitiue graces of which wee are depriued. In this then (sillie Beggar) may thou likewise be comforted: Thou seest thine owne na­kednesse, and acknowledgest thy sinne: But the fine creatures of this world imitate the Pagan Idolators, they hang vales ouer their deformities; making their worst part the most precious. Pore vessell of corruption what needes all this brauery? what makes thee set out thy enemy so gorgeouslie? she seeks thy ruine, laies continual battery at the for­tresse at the fortresse of thy soule, enui­rons thee with hostile and fatall affe­ctions, and yet thou pamperest her vp still, strengthning thy owne forces a­gainst thee. O madnesse! O exceeding phrensie, doest thou not (or is it wilfull blindnesse) perceiue with what violence this morsell of flesh which thou bringst vp and nourishest so carefully, sugge­steth into thy minde poison? making the labour of an incurable contagion, euen the lethargie of thy soule; and wilt [Page 37] thou cherish yet this Snake in thine owne Bosome? wilt thou raise so glori­ous an Image for so corrupt a Trunke? Surcease, surcease: Thou hast plaid too long with this inchantresse: it is now high time to purchase thy liberty. Af­ter Calypso had so long time detained Vlisses in miserable seruitude, at last sought meanes for his deliuerie. These bosome enemies are most dangerous, they know our constitution, and can transforme themselues vnto the distinct habit of euery affection, to shadow their designes more couertly; they assume that forme which best concords with our Nature. This thou seest (poore man) and in this art thou eased: for this ene­mie of thine, thy flesh, receiues more hard entertainement at thy hands. Thou keepst her from rebelling, and streng­thens thy spirit by her weakning. In this then hast thou aduantage of the flesh-pampering Epicure, & therein showes pregnant testimonie of thy expert iudgement; for who would preferre the rinde before the pith, the Barke before the medull, or core before the sap? But these doe so, disesteeming the internall [Page 38] ornaments of the minde, the best graces that a Christian soule can appropri­ate to her selfe, exalt the outward (which God wot) like a painted Sepul­cher, or Sodoms apples be no sooner touched then to ashes conuerted▪ Beau­tie, a flourishing vanity that soone fa­deth: externall pompe, honour and magnificence lesse then bare Beings, for soone they decline and haue no being. Time-obseruing worse then either, ma­king of times an oilie Tongue the ruine of the owner. These are the scopes are aimed at: and yet what greater vanitie, than the possession of such extrinsecall shadowes? I haue oftimes seene it, and the frequencie of it hath welnigh made it a position, those which suddenly stept to honour, by their vnexpected risings, made their fall shortly to be expected: Nor did their memorie die with their fall: the merit of their honour was cald in question after their death, howsoe­uer ill in them that cald it in question, taking the Cynicks precept for an espe­ciall caueat in all my Actions: in Sepul­chra Mortuorum leuius calcare. But of this digression too much: I haue retired [Page 39] my selfe too long from thee (poore bro­ther) yet I perceiue my former motiues of consolation haue preuailed a little with thee, which I will succinctlie conclude with this finall comfort, that this might minister no lesse solace in the end thē the precedent comforts in the beginning.

I haue prepared this harbour for thee (poore pilgrim,) and would haue thee as one carefull of thy weale, to retire thy selfe here, against the turbulent stormes of all afflictions: that though the pompe of this world seeme to per­swade thee to a kind of despaire in thine owne estate: yet flying to this harbour, the holes of the rocke (Christ Iesus) thou maist finde eternall com­fort: intuere rupem et erige ratem. This rocke shall defend thee from all aduerse oppositions either of world the flesh or the Diuell: hauing thy habitation so firmely planted vpon those future ioies, that the miseries of this world may seeme small in comparison, in regard of that exceeding measure of consolations prepared for thee in that Sanctuary of Eternitie: where no disturbance can surprise thee, no pouerty afflict thee, [Page 40] no care depresse thee: Tranquillam se­dem tenes et in ea sola glorieris. Hence maist thou conceiue perfect ioy: and ruminate of those internall and etter­nall comforts which are promised thee if thou beare vp thy selfe in thy aduersi­ties: the bosome of Abraham is open vnto thee, and all patient men that de­stitute of mundan succour, retire to the sacred bowels of Christs compassi­ons: no affliction so great which Time will not allay: no discomfort so excee­ding which the exceeding comforts of Christs passions cannot mitigate. Time is a perfecter of all things, saith the worldling: but if this time be not employed in the exercise of Christs pas­sions, the distast of times continuance affoords no lesse bitternesse, then the in­crement of afflictions. The tempests are well calmed: thou maist sayle with­out an aduerse encounter of turbulent affections. Thy Pilote is skilfull, for the windes and seas obey him: he is merci­full, for hee neuer forsooke the poore mariner nor distressed seafaring man, till he be arriued at his port and expe­cted Harbour.

WHerein art thou proude O Man? or whereto doest thou exalt thy selfe? art thou composed of more then humane substance, that thou shouldst glory in thy feature? Thou admirest thine owne wisdome, and reposest more confidence in thy smooth wit and acute conceipt, then Mammons statist. Why (foole) art thou wise in thine own Imagination, & yet directest not thy waies to the square of wisdome? Thou art wise because thou canst deceiue: O spirituall follie! how vnhappie was Achitophel in this wisdome? how improuident & impru­dent [Page 42] was Haman to erect a Scaffold for himselfe? Thou desirest some atten­dants (not so much to serue thee, as to looke vpon thee) for thou esteemes not so much a seruiceable fashion as thine owne admiration. How foolish art thou to thinke the world should terme thee wise that art so phranticke? purge, purge, thou hast a maladie within thee will consume thee: Thou breakest the Lepers Law: they were enioined to cry I am vncleane, I am vncleane. But thou that laborest of a more lothsome lepro­sie, will not confesse thy shame: not one figge leafe to couer thy nakednesse. Sin now goes with a protection, who dare reprēd her? Nemo hercule, Nemo. None, none. Sinnes grow habillements of Na­ture in which we most glory: that which shames vs most, in that we shine most, boasting of our vices, as if motiues of respect. All sinnes passe with impunitie: for who will throw the first stone? what place from the highest to the lowest ex­empted? Sinne flies for Sanctuarie into Sancturaies: what Time dispenst with, wherein the Creature can say, I haue de­sisted from sinne, & done that for which [Page 43] I was created? in what place doth not vanity represent her selfe? Not onely in the faire Structures (wherein we glo­rie) to leaue so beautifull mansions, monuments of our care and prouidence to our posteritie; but euen in our Beds of earth, our Graues, and Sepulchers. Shebna was carefull of this, and yet his intentions were frustrate: for he built his sepulcher in one country, and was buried in another. Alasse, why glorie we so much in the couer of corruption? Tombes are not made so much for the dead as for the liuing: and the life of the dead consists in the memorie of the li­uing. All that was writ ouer that great Pompey was this: Hic situs est magnus. Alasse poore Greatnesse, when an am­bicious and incircumscribed spirit can be confined within so straite a circum­ference! It was Innocontius question to describe humane frailtie.

Dic mihi vas cinerum, quid prodest flos facierum.

Thou hast beene present I know it, sometime at the buriall of thy friend, or neighbour, where thou sawest the character or embleame, of all the sonns [Page 44] of Adam: and yet thou art returned from his graue, this good commemo­ration of thy mortallity, (as from the Centaures banket) more obdurate in heart, remorceles of sinne, senceles of shame, then before thou saw thy dead friend interred, O conceaue remorce and liue: let not the publicanes and sinners condemne thee, let not pa­gans outstripp thee. Thou liuest in the light of the Gospell: many preach­ers are sent thee, (take the opportunate time,) now is the haruest, labor to bring thy sheaues with thee. Qui arat, arat vt metet, qui pugnat, pugnat vt vineat. So sow, that that thou may reape plente­ously; so fight that thou may bee crow­ned after victorie atchieued. Cast but thine eie (deare Christian) vpon all the waies & bypaths, which seem to lead vs to mundane felicitie: thou shalt finde nothing but intricate waies, vnfre­quented labyrinths, which menace ru­ine to the passenger. Aditus prospicitur, reditum non patitur; easie is it for thee to enter, but to come forth difficult. The world is like Polyphemus caue: en­tring once into the pleasures of earths [Page 45] vanitie, thou art so enchained, so en­snared to the delights and inordinate affections, which like merrie Sirens, doe so solicit thee, as thou canst hard­ly exempt thy selfe from their serpen­tine embraces. Holy Athanasius saw in his sleepe (for so the vision appeared) the whole world encompassed about with snares and nets: its true; what profession but exceedingly tempted, if not seduced? auarice, as sure an atten­dant vppon age, as sensuality vpon youth. Church vsurie, Simoniacall pa­trons, making sale of the precious things of Gods temple, and who re­maines there to whipp them out? Vsu­rie (as in it selfe a legall sinne, because suffred), growes tyrannicall: shee cries not with the false mother, neither thine nor mine, but diuide it: but shee erects a Monopolie for her selfe, and will engrosse a grocerie of soules, to en­rich the pallace of her father Mammon▪ O poore decrepit sowle, thou that art stepping into the wombe of thy mother, and carriest deaths head a­bout thee, consider thy creation, ac­knowledge thy composition, weake by [Page 46] creation but weaker by times reuoluti­on, Seusim sine sensu seuescimus. O gather spirituall riches, prouide thee a skripp that shall neuer bee worne, but con­tinue euer. The rich man in the Gos­pell gathered much, possessed much, enlarged his Granars, and promist to himselfe securitie with a retired adue from the world, now soule take thy ease; but his Epiphonema was answe­red with a Threnodia; Thou foole this night shall thy soule bee taken away. Alas so soone? this was the first night (it seemes) of his rest, aud must it be his last too? yes: Esay answereth him, There is no rest to the vngodly: hee is euer in discontent, seeking to quench his hydropticke thirst with getting, but is neuer satisfied. They which should bee Gods Amners to distri­bute to the necessity of the Saints, are oppressors, beeing as sponges which sucke vp the laborious gaines of the poore. Let there not bee a beg­ger in Israell (saith God to Moses) but these regraters, which exhaust and con­sume the meanes of the poore, make many beggars in Israell. But the Lord [Page 47] shall come in thunder, and roote them from the face of the earth, hee shall raze doune their buildings▪ and make their dwelling with Ostriches. For the Lords delight is in the poore that humbles himselfe beefore him: his horne shall bee exalted with honour: but for the mighty oppressors that grinde the face of the poore, the Lord will chastice them in his fury, and be auenged of them in his mightie dis­pleasure. O if the rich man knew (being Gods dispensour) how soone the sythe of humane frailety will cut him short, hee would not promise to himselfe length of daies, but with all integrity of heart, feruencie of spirit, and humi­lity of minde fall downe before the Throne of Gods merie: Sicut Apes flores quaesitant, ita Sancti misericordiam Dei. The Saints of God and such as are consecrate to him, will seeke the mercie of God, and with teares of en­tire compassion turne to the Lord, that it would please him to turne from their sinnes. They will not protract the time, nor take day with their sinnes, but with hearty contrition, speedy conuer­sion [Page 48] and firme resolution not to com­mit the like sinnes again, they purchase their atonement with God, leauing off sinne before sinne leaue them. For what is it when the Organs and naturall fa­culties of the bodie through their debi­litie haue lost all power of sinning, then to surcease from sinne? No, reserue the heate of the day for the Lords vine­yard, let not him haue the afterlings. The first fruits were in ancient time gi­uen to the Priests, and wilt thou detaine thy first fruits from him which is the head Priest? O dedicate thy labors vn­to him, and be conuerted euen in the maturitie of thy time. Thou art now a­ble to cope with Antichrist: to mor­row it may be thou shalt be lesse able. A valiant captaine (in the siege of any Citty or fortresse) will apprehend euery aduantage and occasion of attaining his purpose: he will not intermit any time, but with all alacritie prosecute the charge he hath in hand, that his de­portments may purchase him glory: Sub vexillo meret, & moeret si non mereat. Thou art in the same case: in a straite siege, beleagred with impetuous and [Page 49] violent enemies. The world besiegeth thee on euerie side, & by those 5. Gates or breaches, viz. thy fiue corporall sen­ces, eye, eare, tast, smell, and touch, he woundeth thy soule as with most vene­mous Arrowes: so as death entreth in at the verie window of thy soule. Is­maell plaies with thee, and deludes thee: the flesh whom thou pamperedst rebels against thee: thy verie housholds sinnes begin to wrastle with thee: and Grauis lucta Graue est periculum contra domesti­cum hostem pugnare, saith Barnard. Thou must wrastle with sinne conspiring within thee, with the flesh which enui­rons thee, and the voluptuous affecti­ons of worlds vanitie that seeke to surprise thee. Show thy selfe resolute in this encounter, fight a good fight, and with the complete Armour of a spirituall warriour raze downe the ty­rannicall kingdome of Antichrist. Thou must passe many difficulties ere thou canst obtain the victorie. Those Cyanea saxa: those rockes of perill temptations of euery kinde: but perseuerance will make thy victorie most eminent. The yong man must needes take leaue of his [Page 50] friends, before he can follow Christ. But thou must abandon friends, estate, possessions, and all encombrances, that thou may be thought a worthy follow­er of Christ. Qui Christum sequi petit, equum est vt omnia relinquat, quo Chri­stum arctius teneat. Riches were best demonstrated by the Romane word Im­pedimenta: hinderances indeed for our heauenly expedition: we should vse them in necessarie respects, not to a­dore them: if the price of gold had not beene knowne, Baals golden calfe had not beene erected. It is a cause of much false Adoration: and many I am per­swaded (yet timerous in perswasion) worship the idoll in their chest, more then their Messias in his Temple. O pro­phanation of Times! when an externall appearance of tempting vanitie, can se­duce an Intellectuall soule from her Creator, with the desire of a bare met­tall ordained for the vse of his crea­ture. We are wise and vnderstanding in chymicke labours, and are profound­lie read in minerals: But that onely and principall good, the select treasure of the minde is as farre estranged from [Page 51] our reading, as Demas heart was from a­ny thing, saue what tasted of the world. We can talke of eccentricke lines, bo­dies, motions, temperatures, & affecti­ons: but which amongst vs seekes to season the ill disposed temper of our minde? O pittie and great pitty it is to neglect so diuine a substance: let the Philosophers idle axiome alone: the body should take her temperature from the soule, and not the soule from the body. Corpus Ancilla est vt pareat, non domina vt imperet. Confusion of Go­uernors spoile euerie well gouerned state: and those kingdomes be most happy where there be not the most but the best Kings. Thou hast a monarchy (and thats the best kinde of Gouerne­ment) within thy selfe: O dispose then of thy affections like a Prince: be inue­sted with a roabe worthy an Emperor, the pure stole of integrity, thy thoughts must be eleuate, not depressed downe to this earthly centre. It is reported that the Emperour Augustus could see as well by night as day; thy eyes should be so; not obscured or darkned with the night of error, but euer tralucent, [Page 52] that if there were windowes in thy heart, the splendor of thy internall man might show her owne dignity. But e­specially let me caution thee in this: that thou be open handed, and bounti­fully hearted to thy neeedfull brother: it will make thee see more cleerely into the prouidence of God, and excite thee to an acknowledgement of his mercies; euer meditating of his bounty in be­stowing, and thy immerrited seruice in deseruing: It will inflame in thee a per­fect and exact measure of charity, to giue freely, because thou hast receiued more amply. An affectionate charitie is approued by God and man: making our selues in distributiue iustice Christi­ans, and imitating the inimitable pat­terne of Christ, who sustained the weak, supported the needy, relieued the hun­gry, being all to all, that he might show his glory towards all: his humility may asswage our pride, and caution vs to be humble here, that wee may be exalted elsewhere. His penurie may taxe vs of excesse, that liue in Epicureal riot, con­suming our daies in security and care­lesse prophanation of God and his sa­cred [Page 53] ministers; neither vsing reuerence to them nor him: for in contemning them, wee contemne him (as he the fa­ther of verity hath spoken.) O deere christian! we haue too long dallied with sinne, too long delaied the time of our conuersion: Turne, turne from thy euill waies: least thou be cut downe in his fury: the vials of his wrath haue beene long in diffusing, but so much longer the stroke is delaied, so much it returnes more violent. O let vs relinquish earths vanitie, and plant our affections vpon heauens beauty; why should we loue such things as breede lothing: hauing bitternesse in their tast, and producing no fruits, but the distastfull weedes of repentance? Who so is bewitched or captiuated with the pie-coloured vani­ties of this world, deserues a pie colord coate to describe the foole in his fol­lies. Learne to be wise in spirituall af­faires, that the commerce which thou hast had with the factors of vanity, may be now disualued, hauing reference to the maine price of thy redemption working out thy saluation with feare and trembling. Thou seest the race [Page 54] thou must of necessity run, not the race of lasciuious prodigals, whose exorbi­tance makes their house die in infamy, nor the race of the Auaricious Miser, that treasures vp vengeance for him­selfe and his posterity, making the issue of his loines the heires of shame, nor the race of adulterers that wast their estate in the brothels of licentious delights: but the christian race, making thy be­ginning a hopefull proeme of a succes­siue end: thy end a happy concluder of so faire beginnings. Runne thus and thou shalt obtaine, not a temporall re­ward, but the crowne of eternitie: that God (who reclaimed thee from thy sinne, may be glorified in thy members, consecrated to holinesse and integrity▪ Meditate of this, contemplate this, ex­ercise the faculties of thy soule in these, and the like spirituall meditations: so shall the deceipts of Sathan be diuer­ted, the gracious operations of Gods spirit renewed: and the promises of God to thee performed in supernall Syon.

LEt vs celebrate (deere christians) with diuine ho­nours, Iesus of Nazareth, by the Iewes innocently condemned, by the Gen­tiles crucified. Let vs that are Christi­ans worshippe with all reuerence, em­brace with all feruentnesse, and imitate with all faithfulnesse (as it is meet, com­fortable and glorious) the infirmities of our Sauiour: for these sufferings be those instruments, by which the omni­potent power and inscrutable wisdome of God hath wrought wonderfully and powerfully the restauration of the whole world. For Christ our Lord hath so wrought for vs, that he became lesse [Page 56] then Angels, to make vs equall vnto Angels; And who will not humble him­selfe for Christs sake? Christ our Lord was crucified for our sinnes, and hath sweetened the bitternesse of the Crosse, to such as loue his Crosse. He died, and destroied death, that through him we might liue: and who will not loue Christ our Lord? who will thinke much to suffer for Christ? Christ by the igno­nimie of his Crosse, passed to the glorie of heauenly excellence, and all power in heauen and in earth is giuen vnto him (by God his father) for his reue­rence: All the Angels of God doe wor­shippe him, and in the Name of Iesus let euery knee bow of things heauenly, earthly, or whatsoeuer is vnder the earth; wherein (O Christian) canst thou glory, saue in the Name of our Lord God crucified, and in the name of Christ, which is aboue all names, in which whosoeuer is blessed, shall be blessed vpon earth? Glorie in the Name of the Sonne your redeemer, and ascribe honour to your Sauiour, who hath done great things for vs, and magnifie his name with me, saying: we worship thee [Page 57] O Christ thou king of Israell, and of all Nations, King of Kings, Lord of the whole earth, God of Sabboath, the most sure strength of the omnipotent God. We worshippe thee that art the preci­ous price of our redemption, the peace offring, who (alone) by the inestimable sweetenesse of thy perfumes, hast mo­ued thy father whose dwelling is on high, to behold the things which are on earth, appeasing his indignation con­ceiued against vs. We declare thy mer­cies O Christ, and we vtter the remem­brance of thy sweetenesse in aboun­dance. We offer vnto thee (O Christ) the sacrifice of praise, for the multitude of thy goodnesse, showen vnto vs, of a depraued seede, wicked and rebellious children. For when wee were thy ene­mies (O Lord) and death had entred vpon all flesh, to which all the seede of Adam became subiect, by the conditi­on of our originall sinne, thou remem­bredst thy mercie, and lookedst downe from thy high habitation vpon this vale of teares and miserie. Thou sawest the affliction of thy people, and being inwardly touched with the sweetenesse [Page 58] of charitie, thou conferredst the thoughts of peace and redemption vpon vs, and when thou was the sonne of God, very God, coeternall and consubstantiall with God the father, & God the holy Ghost, inhabiting an in­accessible light, and supporting all things with the word of thy strength; thou disdainedst not to bow downe thy maiesty to this fraile prison of our mortality, whereby thou mightest both tast, swallow down our miserie, and ad­uance vs to thy glory. It had beene but little to thy charity, to finish the worke of our saluation, by deputing the con­summation thereof to some Cherubin or Seraphin, or one of thy Angels: but thou vouchsafedst thy self to come vnto vs, being commanded by thy father, whose exceeding charity we haue tried in thee. Thou camest (I say) not by chan­ging thy place, but by exhibiting thy presence vnto vs, by taking vpon thee our flesh. Thou camest from the royall throne of supreme glory, into the wombe of a Virgin, humble and abiect in her owne eyes, sealed with the religi­ous vow of virgins continence, in [Page 59] whose sacred wombe the ineffable power alone of the holy spirit, made thee to be conceiued, and to be borne in the Nature of true humanity, so as the occasion of thy birth did neither impaire in thee the power of thy maie­stie, nor in thy mother the purenesse of her virginitie. O amiable and admira­ble humility, that being God of infinite glorie, became as a contemptible worme of miserie! Thou being God of all, became a seruant vnto all. It see­med too little in thy sight to be our Lord and father, but thou vouchsafest likewise to be our brother, and thou Lord of the whole earth, standing in neede of nothing, from the begin­ning of thy Natiuitie, refusedst not to tast the inconueniences of pouer­tie. For as the Scripture saith, thou hadst not when thou wast borne anie place in an Inne, nor cradle, which might receaue thee in thy tender in­fancie: but in the base crib of a filthy stable. Thou which containest the whole earth in thy selfe, art wrapped vp in swathling clouts, and placed in a desperable repose. Hence is it, that thy [Page 60] mother tooke thee from amongst the brute beasts. Take comfort, take comfort ye that liue in pouertie, be­cause God liues with you in your pouertie, hee lies not in delicious beds, nor is hee found in the waies of such as liue in their delights. To what end dost thou reioice, (O rich man) being but clay, wallowing in thy gorgeous and trim bed, since the King of Kings chused rather to honour the straw beds of the poore with his hum­ble repose? Why dost thou disdaine hard straw, when a tender infant in whose hand are all things, preferred the hard litter of beasts before thy silkes and fethers? But this thy tender and weake infancie (O Christ) was not secure from the sword of the per­secutors: for whilest thou yet suckt hanging at thy mothers brest, an An­gell appeared vnto Ioseph in his sleepe, saying: Arise▪ and take the child, and flie into Aegipt, and abide there till I shall tell thee; for it will come to passe that Herod will seeke the child to kill it &c. Now from this time (O good Ie­sus) thou beginnest to suffer sharpe [Page 61] things: for thou sufferedst not only this vexation in thine owne infancie, but) the death of those little ones, many thousands whereof by the cruelty of Herod were put to death, being rest from their mothers brests. Hauing past thine infancie, thou gauest vnto vs an example of professing the truth with all humility: for thou satest not with the counsell of vanitie, but in the midst of Doctors, questioning, and hearing them: although thou wast the Lord of knowledge, and the wisedome of God thy Father. But thou wast like­wise an example of obedience vnto vs, when as thou being Gouernour of the whole world subiected thy selfe humblely vnto the will of thy parents. When the grouth of a stronger age came, so as thou wast to apply thy selfe to more weightie affaires, thou wentest forth to finish the saluation of thy people: as a mighty Giant to run the race of all our misery. And that thou mightest (in humane resemblance) frame thy selfe like vnto thy brethren, thou the innocent lambe of God, (neuer defiled with the lest staine of sinne) [Page 62] camest vnto thy seruant baptizing pe­nitent sinners, as if thou hadst beene a sinner, desiring that thou mightest bee baptized: but hee baptized not thee in the water, but the water in thee, sanctifying them, that they might sanctifie vs, by thy sanctifying spirit working in vs. From Baptisme by the strength of thy spirit, thou wentest in­to the desert, giuing vs an example of solitary life in thee. Thou sufferedst patiently solitarines and fasting, for the space of 40. daies, bitternesse of hunger, temptations and illusions, to the end thou mightest make all these things more tollerable vnto vs. At last thou camest to the lost sheepe of Isra­ell, shewing openly the lampe of thy diuine word to illuminate all the world, declaring thy kingdome to all such as obeyed thy word, and followed thy precepts; confirming with signes, and shewing the power of thy diuinity to all that were sicke, doing all things to all men freely, which might conduce to the saluation of sinners, to the end thou mightst profit all. But the fooles heart is darkened (O Lord) and he hath [Page 63] throwne thy commandements behind him, neuer harkening vnto all those wonderfull workes which thou hast wrought amongst them: except a few very noble and stout champions, which thou hast elected out of the weake and abiect things of the world, that by them thou mightst wonderfully discomfit the strong and mighty. Nei­ther haue they alone bin vnthankefull vnto thee for thy benefits: but (O Lord of Lords) they haue reproched thee, and done vnto thee whatsoeuer it liked them: for what said they when thou didst those workes of God which none else could doe? This man is not of God: in the Prince of diuels he throwes out diuels, he hath a diuell, he seduceth the people, hee is a glutton and a bib­ber of wine, a friend of Publicanes and sinners. Why weepest thou? why sighest thou (O man) when thou art iniuriously reproched? dost thou not heare how many rebukes fell vpon thy Lord and Sauiour for thy sake? If they call the master of the household Belzebub, how much more his house­hold seruants? But (O good Iesus) [Page 64] whilest they spake these and the like blasphemies, stoning thee sometimes with stones, thou sufferedst all things patiently, and thou becamest as if thou hadst not heard, hauing no rebukes in thy mouth. Lastly they set thy iust and vndefiled blood) betraied by thy disciple a sonne of perdition) at the price of thir­tie pieces of filuer, that they might take away thy life without a cause. Albeit the trechery of that wicked be­traier was not hid from thee, when in the supper where thou washedst thy Disciples feete, kneeling downe on thy knees before him, thou vouchsafedst to handle, wash▪ and wipe his cursed feete (swift to sheede blood) with thy most holy hands.

Wherefore then (O thou dust & ashes) art thou yet so proud? doth pride yet lift thee vp? doth impatience yet vox thee▪ Behold thy Iesus, the creator of all things, the fearefull Iudge of the quick and the dead, the very parerne of hu­mility and mercie, kneeling before the feete of a man, and that man a traitour. Learne, because hee is meeke and humble in heart, and bee ashamed [Page 65] of thy pride, and blush at thy patience. This was also (O Lord) an especiall token of thy mildnesse, when thou wouldest not discouer that disloyall wretch in the middest of his brethren, nor publiquely confound him; onely bidding him doe that hee would doe quickely. In all these his malice ceased not towards thee, but going forth hee perfects his mischeeuous pur­pose.

O Lucifer, how fellest thou from heauen, that shined before so brightly in heauen, thou that once appearedst glorious in the delicious borders of Paradise, fellow Cittizen with the An­gels in Heauen, and a guest at the ta­ble of the diuine word: how art thou now reckoned among the chil­dren of darkenesse? thou that wast nourished with spices, wherefore doest thou embrace filthines? Now is thy familie (O Christ) purified, when hee went into the world, leauing the An­gelicall society which in heauen remai­ned. Now is that happy companie made drunke with the plentifull in­undation of thy diuine oracles, hauing [Page 66] casten him out whom thou knewest to bee vnworthy of the infusion of so pure a liquor. When thou hadst gi­uen a commandement of charity and wholsome patience, and hadst dispo­sed of thy Fathers Kingdome vnto thy brethren: thou wentest aside with them, towards the place knowne to thy Betrayer: knowing all things that would come vpon thee. There thou wast not ashamed to confesse in the hearing of thy Apostles, the sadnes of thy soule by the imminencie of thy passion which voluntarily thou assu­medst, as also other things which then thou sufferedst, saying: Now is my soule heauie euen vnto death. Al­so kneeling vpon the ground thou fel­lest flat vpon thy face, praying in thine agony, and saying: O Father (if it be possible) let this cuppe passe from me. And that bloody sweat did most eui­dently expresse the sorrowes of thy hart, which al the time of thy prayer trickled downe droppe by droppe vppon the ground. O my Lord Iesus, whence comes this thy sorrowfull supplication? didst thou not voluntarily offer thy [Page 67] selfe a sacrifice vnto thy father? euen so Lord. But we suppose that thou tooke this vpon thee, for the comfort of thy weake and disconsolate members, least peraduenture some should despaire if at any time the fraile flesh seeme to mur­mure, when the spirit is ready to repell any tentation. Surely thou didst it to this end, that we might haue continuall motiues of loue & thankfulnes towards thee, hauing expressed the naturall infir­mity of our flesh by these tokens in thee. By which we are taught, that thou hast truely borne our infirmities, & hast pas­sed the pricking thornes of thy passions not without a sensible feeling of them. For that voice seemed not to be the voice of the spirit but of the flesh, in that thou addest, the spirit is truely rea­dy, but the flesh is weake. That the spi­rit was ready to thy passion thou eui­dently demonstrated, when thou ran of thine owne accord to meet thy betraier & such men as were giuen to shed blood attending him, seeking to take away thy life with lanternes and Torches and weapons vpon the Night: and least they should receiue any notice by the Cap­taine [Page 68] of this impiety, thou manifested thy selfe: for thou turnedst not away from that cruell Beast comming to kisse thy most holy mouth, but affably gaue thy mouth (wherein was neuer deceipt found) vnto his mouth which aboun­ded with all malice. O Innocent lambe of God, what hast thou to doe with that wolfe? what concord betwixt thee and Belial? but this was O Lord thy great mercy, to exhibit all such things as might any way mollifie the pertinacie of a depraued heart: for (as one not al to­gether vnmindfull of ancient friend­shippe) thou admonished him saying; my friend to what end camest thou? and willing (as it seemes) to wound the heart of this impious Traitour, with the horror of his sinne, thou said: Iudas do­est thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse? and behold the Philistins are vpon thee Sampson. Neither didst thou driue them from thee intending to smite them at the houre of thy apprehension, with thy right hand, no not in defence of thy selfe, that the foolish presumption of man may know that they can doe no­thing against thee, but so much onely [Page 69] as is permitted by thee. But who can heare without weeping how they laid their murdering hands vpon thee, tying thy innocent hands with cords, sweet Iesus, who like a most meek lambe spea­king nothing, was carried after the man­ner of a theefe, contumeliously to the slaughter. Neither ceasedst thou then (O Christ) to shew thy mercy vpon thy Enemies, & to diffuse the honiecombe of thy sweetnesse vpon them, reprouing the zeale of thy defendor, and with­holding him from hurting such as ha­led thee. Their furie was cursed because wilfull, being neither moued by the maiesty of thy miracles, nor the great­nes of thy benefits. Thou wast brought before a counsell of wicked head-priests consulting against thee; and con­fessing the truth (as was seemelie) thou wast adiudged to death for thy blasphe­mie. O louing Lord, how many vnwor­thy things hast thou suffered of thine owne Nation? men of polluted lips be­slubbring with their spittle▪ thy amiable countenance, on which the Angels haue desired to looke, replenishing the whole Courts of heauen with ioy; and [Page 70] vnto which all the rich men in the world shall make intercession: beating it with their sacrilegious hands, and blindfolding thee in derision: and be­ing Lord of all creatures buffetted thee as a seruant most contemptuous of all others. But let vs now come to their deliuering vp of thy soule, to be swal­lowed vp by vncircumcised flesh. They lead thee bound before Pilate, re­quiring that thou maist be crucified which knewest no sinne, & that a mur­derer might bee let loose vnto them, lesse esteeming of a lambe then a wolfe; of gold, then clay. O vnworthy and vnhappy merchandise! neither was that wicked Pilate ignorant, how all these things were done through enuie against thee; yet for all that, he procee­ded rashly in iudgement against thee, filling thy soule with much bitternesse without a cause; He suffered thee to be mocked, commanding thee to stand in the sight of thy mockers; nor spared he to teare thy pure virgin-skinne with most sharpe scourgings, cruelly infli­cting stripes vpon stripes, and wounds vpon wounds. O thou deere child of [Page 71] God, what hast thou committed, that should deserue so great bitternesse, so great reproch? Surely nothing. It is I, it is I, wicked man that I am, that was the cause of thy death. I (O Lord) haue eaten the sower grape, and thy teeth are on edge, paying for that which thou neuer tooke. And yet the impiety of the trecherous Iewes is not satisfied with all these indignities done against thee: but thou art now at last deliuered ouer into the hands of vncircumcised souldiers to be put to a most shamefull death. It seemed but a little matter for those sacrilegious miscreants to cruci­fie thee, but they must also vex thy soule with reproches. For what saith the Scripture of them. Then all the people gathered together, and taking his owne garments from him, they put vpon him a purple coate, and they cloathed him with a skarlet robe, and winding a crowne of thornes they put it vpon his head, and a reede in his right hand, and bowing vnto him they mocked him saying, Haile, King of the Iewes: and they buffetted him and spit vpon him, and taking the reede in their hands they smote him on the Head, and af­ter [Page 72] they had mocked him, they put his owne garments vpon him, to crucifie him bearing his owne crosse; and they led him to Golgotha, giuing him wine to drinke mixed with mirrhe and gall: and when he had tasted of it, he would not drinke: then they crucified him, and two theeues with him, the one of the right hand, and the o­ther of the left, and Iesus in the middest. And Iesus said: Father forgiue them, for they know not what they doe. Afterwards Iesus knowing that all things might be done, that the Scripture might be fulfil­led, said, I thirst: and one amongst them running tooke a spunge and filled it with vinegar, and put it vpon a reede and gaue him it to drinke: assoone as he had receiued the vinegar he said, It is finished: and cry­ing with a loud voice he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, and bow­ing downe his head he gaue vp the ghost. Then one of the Souldiers opened his side with a speare: and presently their issued out water and blood for the redemption of man. Awake O my soule, shake of the dust of sinne, and fixe thy contem­plation vpon this memorable pat­terne of Humanitie, whom thou seest [Page 73] presented vnto thee in this glasse of Gods word. Behold O my soule, who it is that cometh in vnto thee, hauing the image of a King, and yet reproched by his most despicable seruants▪ treading vpon Crownes, and yet his Crowne is a vexation vnto him, wounding his beautifull head with a thousand pricks: hee is clothed with roiall purple, but in it hee is rather despised then honoured: hee caries a Scepter in his hand, but with it his reuerend head is wounded: they worshippe him with bended knees, and call him King, but present­ly they besmere his amiable face with spitting, dishonouring his cheekes and venerable aspect with their fists. See O my soule, how this man is afflic­ted and contemned of all sides. Hee bowes himselfe vnder the burthen of his Crosse, & bearing that ignominie which was proper vnto thee, where be­ing brought vnto the place of execu­tion, his thirst is quenched with mirrhe and vineger vpon the Crosse, saying: Father pardon &c. What kinde of man is this, who in all his sufferings doth not once open his mouth, or vtter one word [Page 74] of complaint, or excuse, or of threat, or of curse against those reuiling doggs: but concludes with such mild wordes of blessing, as haue not bin heard before. O my soule, when hast thou seene any one more mercifull? what can be more curteous then this man? Behold him with more attention, how worthy he is of admiration, and most tender compas­sion. Looke at him naked, and torne with whips, betwixt two theeues igno­miniously nailed vpon the Crosse, quenching his thirst with vinegar, and after his death wounded in the side with a speare, sending out plentifull riuers of blood from those woundes in his handes, & feete, and side. O my eies a­bound with teares, and O my soule bee thou dissolued with the fire of compas­sion, in condoling so mercifull a man, whom thou seest amidst so great biter­nesse to bee afflicted with sorrowes. And now (O my soule) thou hast seene his infirmicies, and thou dost pitty him: now thou hast looked vpon his maiesty, and thou dost admire him: for what saith the Scripture; From the sixth hower vnto the ninth hower there was darkenesse [Page 75] vpon the whole earth: and the Sunne was darkened, and the vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe euen to the bot­tom, and there was an Earth-quake, and the rockes cloue, and the graues opened, and many bodies of the Saints which were dead arose. Who is this, with whom both Heauen and Earth doe suffer, and whose death doth raise men from death? Know O my soule, know that this is the Lord God, Iesus Christ thy Sauiour, the onely begotten sonne of God, very God, & very man: who of all men vnder the Sunne, was onely found to be with­out sinne, and behold how hee is ac­compted amongst the wicked, and e­steemed as one of the Lepars, or as an abortiue birth throwne from his mo­thers wombe. So is hee throwne from the wombe of his Mother, the vnhappy Synagogue. Hee that was the fairest a­mongst the children of men, how de­formed is hee made? hee was woun­ded for our iniquities, and broken for our sinnes: he was made a burnt Sa­crifice of sweete incense vnto thee O Father of eternall glorie, to pacifie thy wrath conceaued against vs, and to [Page 76] place vs in the celestiall mansions of glorie. Behold (O holy Father) from thy Sanctuarie, and from thy high ha­bitation, behold this our holy sacrifice, which our Head-priest offereth vnto thee, thy holy Sonne, and our Lord Ie­sus offering himselfe vp for our sinnes: and mercifully doe away the multitude of our transgressions. Behold the voice of the blood of our Iesus crieth vnto thee from the Crosse. For what (O Lord) what is it that hangeth thereon? hee hangeth euen now, because things past are as things present before thee. Take knowledge (O Father) vnto the coat of thy true sonne Ioseph: Behold a sa­uage beast hath deuoured him, and trampled vppon his garment in his fu­rie, staining his bewtie with the effusion of his blood: behold he hath made pit­tifull rents in it This O Lord is the gar­ment which thy inocent son left in the hands of that Aegiptian harlot, think­ing it better to lose his coate, then his honour, and chusing rather to be spoi­led of the garment of his flesh, and to descend into the prison of death, then for the glorie of the world to har­ken [Page 77] vnto the voice of the Adultresse: to that voice I say, where it was said vnto him: All this will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe before me and worship me, which was as if he shold haue slept with the Adultresse. And now, O my Lord, we know that this thy sonne liueth, and is Gouernour ouer all Aegypt, and in eue­rie place of thy dominion: for hee is aduanced from the prison of death and of Hell, to thy Empire, and attaining a Crowne of immortallity, hath chan­ged the garment of his flesh, to reflou­rish within the immortality of the spi­rit, where thou hast receiued him with much honour. For hee hath subiected the empire of Pharoh vnto him, and hath triumphantly ascended Heauen by his owne proper maiesty: & behold, he is crowned with glorie and honour, when hee sitteth at the right hand of thy maiesty, mediating for vs; for hee is our flesh, and our brother. Behold (O Lord) the face of thy Christ, who be­came obedient vnto thee euen vnto death: nor let the scars of his woundes euer depart from thy sight, that thou maiest remember the satisfaction thou [Page 78] hast receiued for our sinnes. I would O Lord thou wouldst but weigh our sins in a balance, by which we haue deser­ued thy wrath, and the calamity which thy sonne suffred to appease thy wrath. Surely more forcible and more worthy would the cause appeare to show thy mercie vpon vs, then by reason of our sinnes to powre downe the viols of thy Ire vpon vs. Let euery tongue (O fa­ther) giue thankes vnto thee for the ex­ceeding aboundance of thy loue, in not sparing thy onely begotten Sonne: but giuing him ouer vnto death for vs; that we might haue him as a faithfull Aduo­cate before thee in Heauen for vs. And thou O Lord Iesus, most mighty & most zealous of mans saluation, what thanks shall I giue vnto thee, that I may giue thankes worthie, being but dust and the workemanship of thy hands? for what couldest thou doe for my saluation, and hast not done it? from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy head, thou hast plunged thy selfe wholly into the waters of thy passion, that thou migh­test draw me wholly from them: and these passions haue entred euen vnto [Page 79] thy soule. For thou subiectedst thy soule to death and desolation, to preserue my soule from death and perdition: and behold thou hast bound me in a double bond vnto thee. First in that thou hast giuen thy life for mee; and secondlie because my soule was giuen by thee, twice vnto me, once in my creation, and once in my recreation; wherefore I haue nothing that is fitter to giue thee then my soule, which I had of thee, for if I should in recompence of thy mercy giue vnto thee the Heauen, the earth, and all the excellency thereof, yet sure­ly could not I attaine to the measure of that I owe thee: sith that which I owe, and that which is possible for mee to giue is thy gift, without which I haue nothing to giue. Thou art to be loued (O my Lord) with all my heart, with all my soule; with all my strength: and thy imitable footsteps are to be follow­ed by me, because thou vouchsafedst to die for me: and how can this be done in me, but by thee? let my soule cleaue vnto thee, because all my power depen­deth on thee. And now O Lord my redeemer, I worship thee as the true [Page 80] God: I put my trust in thee, I hope in thee, and with my vtmost desires doe I sigh after thee: helpe my many imperfe­ctions. I incline my selfe wholly vnto the glorious signals of thy passion, wherein thou hast perfected my salua­tion. In thy name O Christ, doe I reue­rence the royall Banner of thy victori­ous Crosse. O Christ with all humility doe I adore and glorifie the remem­brance of thy thornie crowne, thy red-skarlet nailes besmeared with blood, thy lance drenched in thy sacred side, thy wounds, thy blood, thy death, thy buriall, thy glorious and victorious re­surrection and glorification. For the breath of life breatheth to mee in all these: by these liuely and redolent o­dors raise my spirit O Lord, from the death of sinne: By the power of these preserue me from the subtilties of Sa­than, that the yoke of thy commande­ments may be vnto me easie, and the burden of thy Crosse (which thou com­mandest me to beare after thee) may be light: for what is my strength, that (ac­cording to thy commandement) I might be able with an inuincible spirit [Page 81] to sustaine so manifold afflictions in the world. Are my feete like Hindes feete, that like a swift courser I may be able to runne ouer the thornes and difficulties of thy passions? but heare my voice, and lay thy corsse softly vpon thy feruant, that crosse, which is the wood of life to them that lay hold vpon it: my hope is, I shall runne swiftlie, and shall carrie as constantlie the crosse which is giuen me of my enemies, to follow thee. Lay (I say) that most diuine crosse vpon my shoulders, the breadth whereof is chari­tie, the length eternitie, the height om­nipotencie, and the depth inscrutable wisdome, replenished with maiestie. Naile my feete and my hands vnto it, and conforme thy seruant, O Lord, whollie vnto thy passion. Grant vnto me O Lord, that I may abstaine from all the workes of the flesh, which thou ha­test, and doe those workes of righte­ousnesse which thou louest, and in both to seeke thy glorie. I suppose it verie expedient that my left hand bee nailed vnto the crosse with the nayle of tem­perance, my right hand with the naile of vprightnesse. Grant that my soule [Page 82] may continually meditate vpon thy law, fixing all her cogitations vpon thee: and fasten thou my right foote to the same wood of life, with the naile of wisdome. Grant that the seeming fe­licity of this transitory life may not en­feeble the operation of my spirit with a sinister sensualitie, nor that it be trou­bled with this present liues infelicity, but that both my right hand and left may be fixed vnto the crosse with the naile of fortitude; and that some appea­rance of the thornes which were plat­ted vpon thy head, may be resembled in me, giue vnto my heart I beseech thee the wholsome compunction of repen­tance, & compassion of anothers mise­rie, & the pricke of feruent zeale which may be founde vpright before thee and to turne vnto thee in my affliction, whilest my head is crowned with this threefold wreath of thornes. I desire thee also to reach a spunge vnto my mouth by a reede, and to minister the bitternesse of gall vnto my tast. I desire also that by thy Scriptures thou woul­dest illuminate my reason, that I may tast and see how this flourishing world [Page 83] is as an empty spunge, and all the con­cupiscenses there of more bitter then vinegar. So (my father) may that Babi­lonian Cuppe diffused vpon the whole earth seeme bitter vnto me: not able with her fruitlesse flourish to seduce me nor with her false sweetenesse to in­ebriate me, as shee doth those who call darknesse light, and light darkenesse, that which is bitter sweete, and what is sweete bitter. Thy wine mixed with mirrh and gall is suspicious vnto me: forasmuch as thou wouldest not drinke of it, because it imploied the bitternesse of enuie and impiety of such as crucifi­ed thee. Fashion thy seruant, O Lord, after thy liuely death, so working in me that I may die in the flesh, but liue in the righteousnesse of the spirit But that I may reioice in the carrying of the whole image of Christ crucified, expresse in me a similitude of that which▪ the insatiate malice of the wicked Iewes exercised against thee after thy death: let thy quicke and effectuall word more piercing then the sharpest lance, reaching euen vnto the diuision of my soule wound my heart: and pro­duce [Page 84] out of it as from my right side in stead of blood and water, a loue (O Lord) vnto thee and to thy brethren: fi­nally wrappe my spirit in the pure syn­don of my originall stole of inno­cencie, that I may rest there, going out and going in into the place of thy ad­mirable Tabernacle, hiding me till thy furie be ouerpast: but in the third day after the day of my labour, the day of punishment, early in the first sabbath raise me (thy vnworthy seruant) and place mee perpetually among thy chil­dren, that in my flesh I may see thy glo­rie and be satisfied with the light of thy countenance. O my Sauiour and my God, let the time come, let it come I beseech thee, that what I now beleeue, I may behold with reuealed eyes; what I now hope for, I may at last obtaine; that what I now desire vehemently. I may embrace really, may kisse lo­uingly, being plunged in the bot­tomlesse sea of mercie, O my Saui­our and my God. But blesse thou my Sauiour O my soule, and magnifie his name. O how good & sweet art thou O Lord Iesus vnto the soule that seeketh [Page 85] thee. O Iesus the redeemer of the lost, the sauiour of the redeemed, the hope of the banished, the strength of the wearied, refreshing to the distressed, & comfort to the desolate, a sweete repose and a comfortable to the sorrowfull soule, running O Lord speedily after thee, till shee oreget thee the crowne of triumph, the chiefest marchandise, and the ioy of all the heauenly Citi­zens; an euer-flowing fountaine of all spirituall graces, the onely child of God, and the great God: Let all things which are in Heauen aboue or in earth below praise thee. Great art thou, and great is thy name O thou im­mortall glorie of the high God, and the pure maiestie of the light eternall, O life that quicknest all things; O light that enlightenest all things, O light that il­luminatest euerie light, and conseruest by thy eternall splendor: Thousands and ten thousands of lights haue shi­ned before the Throne of thy maiestie from the beginning. O eternall, sub­stantiall and inaccessible, cleere and de­lectable streame of that fountaine, hid from the eies of all mortall men, whose [Page 86] beginning is without beginning, whose bottome is without bottome, whose periodde is without period, whose circuit is incircumscrutable, whose puritie is imperturbable. The heart of the Almightie hath sent thee (O my soule) out of his im­penetrable Abysse. O life, from thee haue wee in all fullnesse receiued life, from thy light haue wee re­ceiued light: thou that art eter­nall, hast made vs eternall, thou that art boundlesse, hast made vs boundlesse, making vs in all things equall to thy selfe. For thou that art the most plentifull fountaine of euery perfect gift, hast vouchsafed to conuay the precious Riuer of thy seauen fould graces into our hearts, to enrich vs with thy se­cret treasures, and with the sweete­nesse thereof to allay the saltnesse of this sea, (that is) of our infir­mities. O thou Spring of the oile of gladnesse, thou riuer of pure wine, thou torrent of entire zeale, the holie Spirit our comforter, bee­ing sent vnto the world by the [Page 87] Father and thee, to both he is equall in dignity of essence, filleth all things, contayneth al things, being spirit of the spirit of thy Father, one of both, as the indiuiduall communion vniting both: a soulder vniting, a coniunction indissoluing, and that peace which pas­seth all vnderstanding. This is the well of thy comforts, O Lord, by which thou daily supportest, and with pleasant obiects most abundantly refreshest that delicate and glorious City Hierusalem is aboue: where those glorious and flamie Organs doe incessantly sing Hymnes in the voice of exultation and feasting, with the desired tunes where­of the hungry iawes of thy people in the daies of this their pilgrimation craue dayly to bee refreshed. Suffer (O Father) the little dogges to feede on the crums which fall from their masters table. Send out your dewe O Heauens from aboue, and let the cloudes raine vpon the righteous, him O Lord whom thou hast made zelous of thy lawes. Purge we beseech thee O Lord with the sallatorie of thy word, the religious first fruits of thy people, being a testimonie [Page 88] of our solemne celebration of this time: renew, illuminate, inflame, in­spire, confirme, and vnite the hearts of all beleeuers vnto thee, that they may bee one, tast one, and with all vnanimi­tie require, apprehend, see, and glorifie thee our only God in Sion. Let glorie, thankes, honour, and power be at­tributed to the indiuiduall Tri­nity for euermore.

Amen.

CHristus qui pro nobis passionem sustu­lit, in fructus passionis nos promouebit: vt sicut spinarum coronâ tempora eius fi­gebantur, gaudiorum mercede mentes no­strae illustrentur. Hic viximus in dolore, illic afficiemur Honore: Honore dei, qui mun­dano Honori maxime aduersatur, ille enim a christianis (qui sub vexillo suo merue­runt) possidetur, Hic autem ab Ethnicis (qui eorum famam auxerunt) petitur. O quam incundum est in domo tua (domine) habitare? vbi nullo metu, nulla cupiditate, nullo motu distrahimur! videntes vero faciem tuam meridiana luce multo clari­orem laeitia vultus tuisatiamur. Hic di­lectus est meus, quem quaerit mens mea: quaeret nec desistet donec cum quaerendo in­ueniet.

TOuching the outward man, I descend from those parents, who (ere I was borne) made me forlorne. Sinners beget sinners in their sinne, nourishing them from sinne vnto sinne: miserable man hath brought his miserable issue to light: from my parents I haue nothing but miserie, and sinne, and this corruptible body which I carrie about with me. And to them I hasten who are departed hence by the death of their Bodies: whose Sepul­chers [Page 91] when I behold, I finde nothing in them but dust and wormes, filthines, and horror; what I am, haue they been: and what they are, I shall be. What am I (miserable man?) engendred of liquid humour, at the time of my conception I was conceiued of humane seed: which seede afterwards growing thicke by encreasing little by little, became flesh: whence weeping and shriking, I was exposed to the exile of this world: and behold now I die, being full of iniqui­ties and abhominations. Euen now shall I bee presented before a fearefull Iudge, that will take an exact accompt of all my workes. Woe is me wretch that I am; when that day shall come, and those bookes shall be opened wherein all my actions and cogitations shal be reiected in the presence of God; O then shall I stand fearefull before the Lord in iudgement, hanging downe my head and confessing my shame, remem­bring the offences I haue committed, and the sinceritie of a pure conscience which I haue defiled: and when it shall be said of me, behold the man and his workes: then shall I set before mine [Page 92] eyes all my sinnes, and transgressions: for it will come to passe (by a certaine diuine instinct) that all our workes both good and euill, shall come vnto our re­membrance, and by the piercing sight of the minde shall be apprehended by a wonderfull quickenesse: to the end knowledge might accuse or excuse conscience, and so all vniuersally and euery one distinctly might together be iudged, each man shall giue accompt, what he hath done of all, to all, how en­ded, how begunne: for what we are now ashamed to confesse priuately, shal be then manifested publikely: and what we now seeke to shadow by dissem­bling, shall be discussed by the fire of reuenge euer burning. Swift flaming fire shall scorch with boundlesse rage: and by how much longer God hath ex­pected our amendment, by so much more seuerely will he punish vs, because we were negligent. Why therefore doe we so greatly desire this life, wherein the longer we liue, the more we offend: for by how much our life is longer, by so much bee our offences more. For daily are euils encreased, but goodnes diminished: daily is man changed, by [Page 93] prosperitie and aduersitie, yet knoweth not he when he shall die: for as a glitte­ring starre coasting swiftly in heauen, suddenly vanisheth: or as a sparke of fire is quickely extinguished, and turnes to ashes: so soone the dissolutiō of mans life: for whilest man soiorneth willingly and ioifully in this world, & promiseth himselfe to liue long, disposing many of his affairs for succeeding times, sudden­ly is he surprised by death; & vnawares is his soule taken frō his body: yet with great feare and vnmeasurable griefe is his soule separated frō his body. For the Angels come to take it, and bring it be­fore the Tribunall seat of that fearefull Iudge: where remembring his euill works, (nay his most impious workes) which he hath committed night or day, he trembleth, seeking to flie from them, and to take truce with them, saying: Giue me one houres respite. Then his workes (as if speaking together) shall answer him and say: Thou madest vs, we are thy workes, we will not leaue thee, but abide euer with thee, and attend on thee to thy iudgement: his vices also with diuers and manifold crimina­cions [Page 94] shall accuse him, and shall finde many false testimonies against him, al­beit one were sufficient to condemne him. Nay, the diuels with a terrible countenance, a dreadfull aspect, shall terrifie his soule, persecuting her with implacable furie, seazing on her so ter­riblie, and so horriblie, as they seeme willing to detaine and take possession of her, if there were none to deliuer her. Then the soule finding her eyes shut, her mouth & all other sences cor­poral by which she vsed to be delighted, in these outward things stopped, shall returne to her, selfe; where seeing her selfe desolate & naked, shee shall be ex­ceedingly amazed languishing through despaire in her self, & falling below her selfe. And because shee relinquished the loue of God, for the loue of this world, and the satisfying the pleasures of the flesh, shal be miserably forsakē of God, in that hower of necessitie, and shall be deliuered ouer to the diuels to bee tor­mented in hell. So shall the sinfull soule in the day which shee knoweth not, and in the hower of which shee is igno­ant, bee taken away by death, separa­ted [Page 95] from her body, whence shee goeth on (full of miserie, anguish, and feare) where hauing no excuse which shee can iustly shew for her sinne: shee pineth, languisheth, and growes afraid to ap­peare before God; shee is surprised with great horror, and tossed with the sundry billowes of discomforting pas­sions: the dissolution of the flesh enfor­cing her, and all meanes of assistant comforts leauing her, shee considers her end appproching, and after a little reuoluing, shee findes that in this per­petuall state to which shee hastens, there is no changing, shee plainely considers with what seuerity the eternall Iudge will come, and before the seuerity of such iustice what reasons can shee pro­duce to quallifie his iustice? for if all the workes (which shee may consider in her selfe) either committed or omit­ted had bin by her auoided: yet shee is in feare, there will such workes come before the terrible Iudge which she ne­uer apprehended: her feare encreaseth when shee conceaueth how shee could in no wise passe the waies of this life without sinne: nor that parte of her [Page 96] life which seemed most praise worthie could be exempted of guilt, without recourse had to Gods mercie. For who can duely consider or exactly num­ber the euils wee haue committed in euery moment, or what workes wee haue neglected? for as sinne is the com­mitting of euill, so is sinne the forsa­king of what is good. A great depri­uall of sanctitie (sure) when wee nei­ther doe good, nor thinke that is good, but permit our hearts to wander by vaine and vnprofitable things. It is to difficult a thing to restraine thy heart and preserue it from euery vnlawfull thought. It is also a matter of too great difficultie to imploy our selues in terrene affaires without sin. Where­fore I conclude that none can perfect­ly comprehend and iudge himselfe, but being occupied with many cogitations, hee must of necessity remaine in some­thing ignorant to himselfe, as not knowing what hee doth altogether tolerate in himselfe: wherefore neare his end, hee is terrified with a more se­rious and retired feare, because that al­beit hee neuer remembers himselfe to [Page 97] haue omitted anything which hee knew, yet hee fears himselfe to haue neglected many things which he knew not.