BLessed bee God, who hath com­forted your hea­uie soules; and strengthned your wauering minds, for by this your care and readinesse of hearing, yee haue shewed y ^t you haue receiued agreeable consolation. For it is not [Page] commonlie graunted, that the soule beeing sorrowfull and pres­sed downe with the cloude of hea­uinesse, can heare with readinesse the thinges that are spoken. But I see you giuing heede vnto vs, with much fauour and earnest di­ligence, hauing shaken off all heauie cogitations, and that yee haue driuen awaye the instant an­guish with the desire of hearing. Therefore I thanke GOD, with you, that miserie hath not im­payred our Discipline, neither hath feare slacked our earnestnesse, nor tribulation quenched your fer­uentnesse, nor the greatnesse of daunger corrupted your zeale: neyther hath the feare of men o­uercome your desire to Godward, nor the iniquitie of the time ouer­throwne your studie. Not one­lye hath it not ouerthowne it, but [Page] stayed it vppe as with winges; not onelie hath it not diminished, but increased; not quenched, but more and more kindled your studie. The common place of dayly assem­blies, is emptie; but the Church is filled, the one is a matter of mour­ning and lamentation; the other is an occasion of ioy and spirituall gladnesse. Therefore (beloued) when thou goest into the common place of vsuall meetings, and mour­nest because thou seest no bodie there, flie vnto thy mother the Church, Gal. 4.26. and streight-way shee will comfort thee with the multi­tude of her owne children: and shee will shewe thee a perfect and diuine companie of brethren, and will driue away all heauinesse. Ve­rily, wee dwelling as it were in de­sart places, doo desire to see men in the Cittie; but fleeing vnto the [Page] Church, we are pressed with a mul­titude. And as when the Sea floweth fiercely, and rageth ex­treamelie with manie stormes, feare constraineth all men to flie vnto the hauen: so also at this instant, the stormes of Affliction in the Iu­diciall place, and the winter that is in the Cittie, doo compell all men on euerie side to flie vnto the Church: and doo binde the mem­bers togither among themselues, with the bonde of Charitie. Let vs therefore giue thankes to God also for these benefites, that wee haue reaped such commoditie by tribulation, and for that wee haue receyued so great profite by temptation. Except there bee temptation, there is no Crowne: except there bee conflicts, there be no rewards: without studie, there is no honour; without tribula­tion, [Page] no mitigation of griefe; with­out Winter, no Sommer. And this wee may see, not onely in men, but in the verie seedes. For these it behooueth that there bee much raine, much breaking out of clouds, and lastly much ice: if the sprow­ting eare shall kindlie spring vppe, and when seede tyme is, then also is the time of raine.

Seeing then that nowe in like manner the Winter of our soules and not of the Ayre, is imminent; Let vs also sowe in this VVinter, that wee may reape in Sommer; Let vs sowe teares, that wee may reape ioye. This is not my speech, Psal. 126.6 but the denunciation of the Prophette. They that sowe in Teares, shall reape in ioy. A shower of raine falling, dooth not make the Seedes so to braunch and growe vppe, as the shower of [Page] teares that falleth dooth stirre vppe thee seede of godlinesse, and ma­keth it to spreade foorth his braun­ches.

This shower cleanseth the soule, watereth the minde, and causeth the braunches of doctrine in short time to come forth. There­fore it is needfull to cut a deepe furrowe, for so also hath the Pro­phet admonished vs, Iere. 4. saying: Breake vppe your fallowe grounde, and sowe not among Thornes. Therefore, as hee that setteth in the Plough downewarde, openeth the earth, preparing a safe keeping for the seedes, least when they be throwne abroade, they shoulde remaine on the vppermost parte of the grounde: but that they should bee conueyed into the verie bosome of the earth, and safelie take roote: so also it is necessarie for vs to doo, [Page] and vsing tribulation as a Plough, to cutte vnto the bottome of the heart. For this dooth another Pro­phette admonish vs, saying; Ioel. 2. Rent your hearts, and not your Garments. Let vs therefore rent our heartes: so that if there bee any deceyua­ble weede, and wicked cogitation in vs, wee may pull it vppe by the roote, and make our grounde pure and cleane with the Seedes of godlinesse: For except wee nowe make readie our ground, ex­cept wee sow now, except we now powre foorth teares, when tribu­lation and fasting is present; when shall wee euer come to haue com­punction of heart? Shall we haue it in the time of ease and pleasure? But that can not bee. For ease and pleasure are woont to bring men into slouthfulnesse; as tribu­lation is the meane to drawe men [Page] vnto study, and to conuert the mind which wandereth, and is outward­ly occupied about many things. Therefore let vs not be greeued at this dolefull sadnesse, but let vs giue thanks vnto God, for of tribulation commeth much gaine. For when the husbandman also soweth the seedes that hee with much labour hath gathered together: one that is ignorant and without skill will wonder at it, and perhaps will say within himself, what doth this man now at the last? he scattereth abroad the seedes which he hath gathered together, neither doth hee scatter them onely, but doth mingle them in the earth with much care, that they cannot easily bee gathered to­gether. Neither doth hee onelie mixt them with the earth, but also hee wisheth that a great raine may come, that all the seeds that he hath [Page] cast abroad may putrifie & become as clay: and this man seeing the lightnings and glitterings appeare, wil be troubled and dismaid. But as for the husbandman it is not so with him, but he reioyceth and is glad, when he beholdeth the winter: for he respecteth not the things presēt, but he beholdeth the things that are to come: he hath no respect to the lightnings, but hee counteth his sheafes: he respecteth not the pu­trifying seedes, but the springing eares of corne: he regardeth not the great showers, but the pleasāt win­nowing of his corn vpon the floor. In like manner let vs behold not the present tribulation or sorrow, but the profitte that springeth of it, and the fruite that groweth of it: let vs expect the store chest and the hand­fulles. For if wee be vigilant, wee may gather of this time much fruit, [Page] and may fill the store-house of our mind. If wee watch, wee shall not onely suffer no grieuance, but also we shall receiue innumerable store of good things: but if wee be sloth­full, slacknesse and rest will spoyle vs. For both watchfulnesse and rest do hurt him that taketh no heede to his conuersation: but to him that with diligent care directeth his life aright, they are both profitable. And as gold although it remaine in the water, doth yet shew his appa­rant hue, or if it fal into the furnace, it appeareth again more bright: but clay and grasse if it happen them to be mixed in the water, the one rot­teth, and the other is dissolued: or if the one falleth into the fire, it is dry­ed, and the other is burnt: so also it is with the righteous man and the sinner: the righteous man whe­ther hee enioy rest, remayneth [Page] bright and cleare, as gold drenched in the water: or whether hee fall by temptation, hee becommeth more bright, euen as gold tryed in the fire. But the sinfull man, whe­ther he obtain ease, is dissolued and consumed as the grasse and clay a­biding in the water: or whether he suffer temptation hee is burnt vp and destroyed as the clay and grasse in the fire. Let vs not therefore bee consumed with the present af­flictions, for if thou hast commit­ted sinnes, they are destroyed and easily burnt vppe by tribulation: but if thou hast vertue, thou art lightened and made bright by the same. If thou watch con­tinually and bee sober, thou shalt ouercome all euill. For not the nature of temptations, but the sluggishnes of them that are temp­ted, is wont to cause the ruine. [Page] Therefore, if thou wilt bee glad, and enioy both ease and pleasure, neither seeke pleasure nor ease, but seeke to haue thy soule full of pati­tince, & able to indure and suffer af­flictions. If thou hast not this gift, temptation shall not only conuince thee, but also ease shall destroy thee, and cast thee downe the more. And that not the inuasion of gree­uous casualties, but the vntoward­nesse of our minds doth subuert our saluation: heare what Christ sayth: VVhosoeuer heareth of mee these words, and dooth them, Mat. 7.24.25.26.27 shall be likened vn­to a wise man, which hath builded his house vpon a Rocke, and the raine fell, and the flouds came, and the winds blew, and beate vppon that house, and it fell not, for it was grounded vpon a Rocke. But euerie one that heareth these my wordes, and doth them not, shall bee likened vnto a foolish man, which hath [Page] builded his house vppon the Sand, and the raine fell, and the flouds came, and the winds blew, and beate vppon that House, and it fell, and the fall thereof was great. Thou seest that not the assaults of temptations, but the foo­lishnesse of the Builders caused the ruine: for there was raine, and here raine: there were floudes, and heere were flouds, and there was inuasion of windes, and heere was the like: And that man buil­ded, and this man builded, and the building was all one, and the tryalles all one, but they had not all one ende, because they had not both one foundation. For the na­ture of the tryalles caused not the fall, but the follie of the builder: or else the House that was buil­ded vppon the Rocke must also haue fallen: but nowe that House suffered no such ouerthrow. But [Page] think not you that these things are spoken concerning a house, but the speech is meant concerning the soule, which by workes either sheweth or else reiecteth the hea­ring of the word of God. So in like maner did Iob build his soule. The raine discended, Iob 1. for the fire fell from heauen, and consumed all his heards of cattell. The flouds came, that is to say, often and continuall messengers without ceasing, shewing him of his calamities, one telling him that his flocks of Cattel were de­stroyed; another telling him of the death of his Children. The windes blewe, that is, the bitter wordes of his wife, Curse GOD (sayth shee) and die. And yet his house fell not, his soule was not vndermyned. This Righteous man did not blaspheme, but gaue thankes vnto God, saying: The [Page] Lorde gaue, and the Lorde hath taken away: euen as it pleased the Lord so al­so is it come to passe: blessed be the name of the Lord. Seest thou not that not the nature of temptations, but the slacknesse of the slothfull is wont to cause the ouerthrow. Therefore tribulation maketh a man stronger and stronger. But who speaketh this? the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, beeing nourished in tribulati­on: for thus hee sayth: Tribulation bringeth foorth patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And as the violence of windes happe­ning, and tossing the strong trees too and fro, doth not plucke them vp, but maketh them more strong and firme by those inuasions: so in like maner do the assaults of tēpta­tions & tribulatiōs, not ouerthrow the soule that is holy and liueth godly, but also do prepare the same [Page] vnto greater patience, as they made blessed Iob more famous & renow­med. And now verily a man is an­grie with vs; a man subiect to the same punishments, and hauing the like soule, and we are afraied; but then the malignant and cruell Di­uell was angrie: neither was he on­ly angrie, but he practised all ma­ner of craftes, and applied all his subtiltie; and yet did hee not ouer­come the valiaunt strength of this iust man. And the King indeed bee­ing but a man, is now angrie, and soone after appeased, and yet wee are dead with feare: but then when Iob was assaulted, the Diuell bestir­red him, who is neuer reconciled to the nature of men: but hath de­nounced warre against our lynage, without any league, and battell without any truce: and yet this iust man scorned his arrowes, and had [Page] them in contempt. What excuse then, or what pardon shal we haue, which cannot beare the temptation of man: whereas hee being before the time of grace, and vnder the old Testament, did so valiantly beare that so intollerable a battell? There­fore, beloued, let vs alwayes reason of these things among our selues, and let vs by these speeches exhort our selues; for yee your selues are witnesses, and our owne consciences also, what great profit we haue had by this temptation and triall. For, by meanes hereof, the loose liuer is be­come modest: the bolde and ventu­rous person is become more gentle: the slouthful person more stucious: they that neuer sawe the Church, but spent whole daies in beholding playes vpon the stages, doo nowe abide all day in the Church. Ther­fore bee not thou sorie, that God [Page] hath made thee studious through feare; and that by tribulation he hath brought thee to the feeling of thy saluation. But is thy conscience tor­mented? Is thy mind daily dismaid, expecting death and great threat­nings? But hereby also shal we haue great accesse vnto vertue, while Religion increaseth in vs by an­guish. For God is able this day to re­lease vs from all our heauie afflic­tions; but vntill hee see vs pur­ged, vntil he see our conuersion ac­complished, & our repentāce firme and stable, he will not dissolue our tribulation. For the Goldsmith vntil he see the gold well purified, dooth not draw it out of the forge; so like­wise God will not remooue this cloud, vntill he hath fully amended vs. For he that hath suffered vs to be tempted, knoweth also the time to take away this temptation. And [Page] as hee that playeth vpon a Harpe, neither stretcheth the string too much, least hee breake it, neither slacketh it out of measure, least hee hurt the consent of the harmonie: so likewise doth God, he appointeth our soules to be neither in continu­all rest, nor yet in long tribulation, doing both these thinges according to his heauenly wisedome: for hee suffereth vs not to enioy continu­all ease, least wee shoulde become more slouthfull: and againe, he suf­fereth vs not to bee in continuall trouble, least we should vtterlie fall or dispaire. Therefore let vs leaue the time of releasing our griefs vnto him, and let vs onely liue in holi­nesse. For the work that we haue to do, is to be changed vnto vertue: but it is the worke of God to dissolue aduersities: for he hath a more ready will to quench this burning flame, [Page] then thou thy selfe hast, but he ex­pecteth thy saluation. Therefore as tribulation commeth of ease, so also it is expedient, after trouble to look for ease, and mittigation of our griefes. For neither is it alway win­ter, nor alway sommer, nor alway stormes, nor alway calme weather; nor alway night, nor alway day; so neither shall wee alway haue tribu­lation, but there shall bee a mittiga­tion, if we alway giue thankes vnto God in trouble. Dan. 3 For the three chil­dren were cast into the burning O­uen: and yet for all that, they forgat not to stand in their Religion: nei­ther did the fire make them afrayed, but sitting in the Fornace as in a Chamber, and feeling no greefe, be­ing circumspectly compassed bout with fire, they powred out those holye prayers which they made. Therfore the fire became vnto them [Page] as a wall, the flame a garment, and the ouen a fountane; and the fire receiuing them bound, made them loose. It receiued their bodies which were mortall, and abstained from them as if they had beene immor­tall: the fire knewe not his owne nature, but shewed reuerence vnto godlinesse. The tyraunt bounde their feete, and their feete did ouer­come the force of the fire. O won­derfull thing! the flame loosed them that were bound; and againe the flame was ouercome of them that were bound. For the religion of the yong men did change the nature of things. Yea verilie, it chaunged not nature it selfe, but that which was more wonderfull, it restrained the force of nature, which is permanent and durable. It quēched not the fire, but made it to bee without force, while it burned. And that which is [Page] wonderfull, and may make vs asto­nied: this was not done only in their bodies which were holy: but also in their garments, Act 9.11 12 Act. 5.15.16 and shooes. And as in the Apostles, the raiment of Paul did expel sicknesses, and diuels: and the shadow of Peter did driue away death: so likewise here, the shooes of the childrē quenched the power of the fire. I know not in what ma­ner I should declare it. The miracle exceedeth all declaration that can be, by wordes. For the force of the fire was quenched, and it was not quenched: for when it was occu­pied about y ^e bodies of those saints, it was quenched, and when it shuld breake their bonds in sunder, it was not quenched: therefore it brake their fetters, and yet it touched not so much as their Ancles. Thou seest what a neare connection there was: neither was the fire [Page] chaunged and depriued of his power, neither durst it proceede to execute his power, beeing kept, as it were, within bondes. The ty­rant bound them, and the flame loosed them: that thou maist learne both what was the crueltie of that barbarous man, and also the obedi­ence of the Element. But for what cause did he bind them to cast them into the fire? That y ^e miracle might be the greater, that the signe might bee the more wonderful, that thou shouldest not thincke, that the thinges which were seene, were a deceyuing of the eyes: for except that that fire had beene fire, it had not taken awaye their bondes: and (that which is a farre greater thing) it had not deuoured those Souldiours which sate without: But nowe the fire shewed his vio­lence to those that were without: [Page] and obedience to those who were within. But consider thou with me in all respects, howe the diuell by what things he striueth against the seruants of God, by the same things hee destroyeth his owne power: not willingly indeede, but the wis­dome and prouidence of God vsing his owne weapons and crafts vpon his owne head. Which thing also here came to passe. For the diuell then insinuating himselfe into that Tyrant, did neither permit that the heades of those Saints should be cut off with the sworde, nor that they should be giuen vnto beastes: nor that they should be punished by a­ny other such meanes: but he coun­selled him, that they should bee cast into the fire; to the ende that not so much as the reliques of those Saints might remaine, their bodies being cōsumed, & the ashes of thē mixed [Page] with the ashes of sticks and fuell. But God vsed this meane to the de­struction of the diuels wickednesse. And after the same maner (as I shall presently declare) among the Persi­ans the fire is supposed to bee God, & the barbarous people also which do now inhabite that countrey, do worship the same with much ho­nor. God therfore willing vtterly to roote out this matter of vngodli­nesse, graunted a moderation to this torment, to the end that hee might giue victorie vnto his seruants, be­fore the eyes of all them that truely worshipped him: willing to per­swade them by those his works, that the Gods of the Gentiles doo not onely stand in feare of God, but al­so they feare the seruants of God. And consider the Crowne of victo­rie formed by contraries, and the e­nemies themselues which were [Page] made witnesses of the victorie. For (saith the Prophet) Nabuchodonosor the king sent foorth to gather togi­ther the nobles, the rulers & dukes, the iudges, the Princes, the coun­sellers, and officers, and all the go­uernours of the prouinces, that they should come to the dedicati­on of the new image: & they were all assembled together. The enemie compelleth the beholders, and ga­thereth thē together to the sight: he bestoweth diligence, & a Theater, not of common persons, not of cer­taine priuate men, but of all the ho­nourable, and of all the Magistrates, that there might also bee witnesse woorthie of credit among many. They that were called came to see one sight, and when they behelde other sights, they went all away. They came to worship the Image, and when they saw what had hap­pened, [Page] they scorned the Image, and departed wondering at the power of God, by the miracle shewed in these childrē. And behold where he had set this stage, not in the citie, nor in any seuerall coast, but the plaine and bare fields do receiue this The­ater of the world: for he set vp the Image in the field of Dura, without the Citie. And an Herald passed by, and cryed aloude, Be it knowne to you, O ye people, nations, and languages, that when ye heare the sound of the trum­pet, pipe, & harpe, the dulcimer, the psal­tery and simphonie, and al kind of instru­ments of musicke, ye fall downe and wor­shippe the golden Image (for to wor­ship the Image was to fall indeede) and whosoeuer falleth not downe and worshippeth, shall the same houre be cast into a burning furnace of fire. Thou seest what hard conflicts were pre­pared, and how many necessities of [Page] subtile practises they had, and what a deepe gulfe and downefall there was on both sides. But be not thou afraide: for by how much more the enemie increased his craftie engins, by so much the more hee sheweth the valiant courage of those chil­dren. For to this ende were there so many consents of instruments of musicke: and to this ende was the hot burning furnace, that both plesure and feare might take place in the hearts of the standers by. Is any man that standeth by dumpish and vnpleasant, sayth the Tyrant? let the delightfull melodie of all kind of musick mollifie him. Is any man of higher conceit then these subtile practises? let the sight of the flaming fire terrifie him, and strike him amazed. And inded there was both feare & pleasure: pleasure pri­uily entring into their eares, and [Page] feare secretly pearcing through their eyes into their soules: but none of these things did daunt the noble courage of those yong men: but as they were cast into the fire, and did ouercome the flame, so they laughed to scorne all concupi­scence and sorrowfull perplexitie. For the diuell had prepared al these things for them: hee doubted not of the Subiects, but rather hee had much confidence that there was no man that would set himselfe against the Kings law. And after that, they all fell downe and were ouercome: then these Children were brought forth alone into the middest of the throng, that so the victorie also might bee more famous: for that they among so great a multitude, should get the victorie, and be pub­likely extolled with commendati­on. Neither had it been so wonder­full [Page] a thing, if (when no man was o­uercome) these yong men had been the first that had valiantly behaued themselues: but this is the greatest thing, and to be maruailed at, that the multitude of those that fell downe, did not make them afraide nor discourage them. They sayde not within themselues any such thing, as many are accustomed to say. If wee indeede should bee the first that should worshippe the I­mage, that should be a sinne in vs: but if wee doo this with so many thousandes of people, who will not pardon vs? who will not iudge vs woorthie to bee excused? But they neyther spake nor thought a­ny such thing, when they beheld the ouerthrowes of so many Tyrants. But consider thou with me the malignant disposition of those that accused them, & how lewdly [Page] and howe bitterly they accused them. There bee (say they) certaine men which are Iewes, whom thou hast set ouer the charge of the pro­uince of Babell: for they did not on­ly make mention of the Countrey, but also they called to minde their honour and dignitie: and that they might kindle the kings displeasure against them, this they alleaged. Thou, O King, hast made our prin­ces as it were slanes, without any citie, and captiues: but these men do staine with dishonour, this so great honour, and do behaue themselues proudly against him who hath ad­uanced them vnto honor: therfore say they, these Iewes whom thou hast sette ouer the prouince of the countrey of Babell, haue not obey­ed thy decree, and they will not serue thy goddes. Their accusation was a great commendation, and the crimes obiected against them doo [Page] turne to their praiers, euen the ene­nemies thēselues bearing vndoub­ted record. But what doth the king? he commanded thē to bee brought forth into the middest of the assem­blie, to the intent hee might terrifie them on euerie side. But yet no­thing made them abashed: not the furie of the King: not because they were left alone in the middest of so great potentates: not the sight of the fire: not the noyse of the trum­pet soūding: nor al they that did cast thē into the fire: but they laughing al these things to scorne, entred into the furnace, as if they had beene to be cast into a cold spring of water: giuing out that blessed voyce; O King, wee will not serue thy Gods, nor worshippe the golden Image which thou hast set vp. I haue not vnaduisedly recited this Historie, but to the ende that yee may learne, that al­though [Page] the king be now displeased and angrie with vs: although the men of warre do lay waite for vs, al­though the enuie of the enimies do afflict vs; though there bee captiui­tie, and berefting of children, al­though there bee fire, although there be a furnace, and an innume­rable sort of euils: yet nothing can dismay or terrifie the righteous mā. For if when there was a wicked King, these yong men did not feare the rage of the Tyrant, much more doth it behooue vs to bee of good comfort, hauing a gentle & a meeke King, and to giue God thankes for this trouble, beeing taught by that which before hath beene spoken, that tribulations doo make vs more noble, both with God, and with our selues beeing men; knowing how to beare them valiantly. For if these yong men had not beene ser­uants, [Page] we had not knowne their li­bertie; if they had not bin captiues, we had not learned their noblenesse of minde. Except they had fallen from their countrey here beneath, we had not knowne their vertue to be from the heauenly Citie aboue: except the earthly king had beene angry with them, we had not heard of the good wil which the heauen­ly king did beare to them. Therfore if thou also haue him bountiful and kind vnto thee, although thou fall into a furnace, dispayre not. Like­wise if he be angrie, although thou be in Paradise, presume not. For A­dam was in Paradise: and after that he prouoked God to wrath, Para­dise did nothing at all profitte him. These young men were in the fur­nace, & for that they behaued thē ­selues wel, the fire did not hurt thē. Adam was in Paradise, and because [Page] he was slothfull, hee was vnder­mined and deceiued. Iob sate in the dung, and because hee was watchfull, hee obtained the victo­rie: although without comparison, Paradise was the better & more ex­cellent place. But the vertue of the place did nothing profit him that dwelt in it, after that hee had be­trayed himselfe: as also the vile­nesse of the place did not hurt him, that was fortified on euerie side with vertue. Lette vs also likewise arme our selues with vertue: For whether the penaltie of our money be inflicted vppon vs, or whether death be imminent, yet no man can take away godlinesse: and hauing that, we are more happie then all o­thers. For this hath Christ also commaunded vs, saying; Mat. 10.16. Be ye wise therefore as serpents. For as the serpent thrusteth foorth the other partes of [Page] his body, that hee may saue his head: so likewise do thou, whether thou be to loose thy money, or thy bodie, or this present life, or all things beside, to the ende that thou maist preserue godlinesse: bee not sorrowfull, for if thou depart hence hauing godlinesse, God will render again al things vnto thee with grea­ter excellencie: he wil both restore thy bodie againe with greater glo­rie, and in steede of thy money hee wil giue thee such goods, as do sur­mount all the power of reason to e­steeme of. For Iob sate naked vppon the dung-hill, leading a life more greeuous thē a number of deaths: but because hee reiected not godli­nesse, all his goods which he had at the first, were restored vnto him with greater aboūdance: the health and comely hue of his bodie, the whole companie of his children, [Page] and al his possessions; & that which is the greatest thing of all, the glori­ous crowne of patience was giuen vnto him. For as it happeneth in trees, if a man take away the fruit with the leaues, and cut off all the boughs, yet if the roote remaineth, the whole tree springeth vp againe with greater comlinesse. So is it also with vs, if the roote of godlinesse remaine in vs, though our riches be taken away, and our bodies corrup­ted or destroyed; yet all things shall returne againe vnto vs with greater glorie. Therefore casting away all sorrowfull anguish of the soule, and superfluous care, let vs returne again vnto our selues: let vs garnish our bodyes and soules with the or­namēt of vertue, making the mem­bers of our bodies weapons of righ­teousnesse, and not of sinne. And be­fore all things, lette vs teach our [Page] tongue to bee the minister of grace, putting away out of our mouths all poysoned and malitious speech, and the meditation of filthie words. For by the grace of God assisting vs, we may make euerie one of our mem­bers instruments of righteousnesse: as they whom grace do not preuēt, do make their members instruments of wickednes. Heare therfore how some haue made their tongues wea­pons of sinne, and how some haue made them weapons of righteous­nesse. The Prophet Dauid saith of some, Psal. 57.5. Psal. 45.2. Their tongue is a sharpe sword: but of himselfe he saith, My tongue is the pen of a readie writer. The tongue of the one wrote death: the other did write the law of God. Therfore the tongue of the one was a sword, and the tongue of the other a penne: not in respect of their owne nature, but in regarde of the disposition of [Page] those that vsed them. For the nature of the tongue both of the one party and of y ^e other, was all one, but they had not both one operation. And again, y ^e like we may see concerning the mouth, for some had their mouth full of filthie corruption and wickednes, therfore y ^e prophet ac­cusing them, said, Psal. 10.7. Their mouth is full of cursing & bitternes. But his mouth was otherwise inclined: Psal 49.3. therfore he saith, My mouth shal speake of wisedom, and my hart shal muse of vnderstanding. Again, some had hands full of wic­kednes, & blaming thē he said, Ini­quitie is in their hands, Psal. 26.10: and their right hād is ful of gifts: but he had his hāds cheifly accustomed to nothing else, but to be lifted vp toward heauen: and therfore he also speaking of thē saith, Psal. 141.2. Let the lifting vp of my hands be an euening sacrifice. And the like we may see in y ^e hart, for their hart was vain, [Page] but his heart was true and vpright. Therefore hee saith of them, Psal. 5.9. Psal. 45.1. Their heart is foule and vain: but of his own heart he saith, My heart is inditing of a good matter. And againe a man may see the like example concer­ning the hearing, for some had such a kinde of hearing as beastes haue: that is to say, a fierce and impatient hearing: and reproouing them hee saith. Psal. 58.4. They are like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eares. But his hearing was a receptacle of the words of God, and this he declared, saying: I will incline mine eare vnto the Parable, Psal. 19.4. and shew my darke speech vpon the harp. Therfore seeing that we know these things, let vs arme our selues on e­uerie side with vertue, & so we shal escape the wrath of God. And lette vs make our bodily members wea­pons of righteousnesse, and let vs teach our eyes, and our mouthes, [Page] and our hands, and our feete, & our heart, and our tongue, and all our body to bee conformable vnto ver­tue. And let vs remēber those three precepts, whereof I spake vnto you in the former Sermon, desiring you that yee beare enimitie to no man, neither speak ye euil of any of them that haue caused your sorrow; and that yee would putte away that vn­godly custome of swearing out of your mouths. And of these two first precepts, we shall intreate at an other time: but all this present weeke, wee will speake vnto you as touching swearing, beginning at the easier precept. For it is no labor to ouercome the custome of vaine oathes, if we would bestow but a little studie, one of vs to exhort ano­ther, and to aduertise and marke one another, requiring an account of our selues, and rehearsing the pu­nishments [Page] that we deserue, for the the things which wee haue forgot­ten to obserue. For I pray you what shall the abstinence from meates profit vs, except we expell the wic­ked customes of the minde? Be­holde, wee haue nowe passed this whole day in fasting, in the euening therefore let vs set foorth our table: not like as it was yesterday, but lette our diet be changed, and more mo­derate. Can any of vs now say, y ^t this day hee hath changed his life, as he hath changed his table? that he hath changed his wicked custome of sin­ning, as hee hath changed his diet? else what shall our fasting profit vs? Therefore I exhort you, and cease not to exhort you, that ye take eue­ry seuerall precept by it selfe, & dili­gently bestow two or three daies in performing the same: and so to pro­ceede and per seuere in obedience. [Page] And as there bee some that enuie o­thers in fasting, & doo wonderfully cōtend about abstaining frō meats: and some do passe two whole daies fasting, and other some excluding from their table, not only the vse of wine & oyle, but also euerie kind of dish, do passe y ^e whole time of Lent, vsing only bread and water: so let vs also cōtend, to chase away the hurt­full showers of swearing, and to ba­nish that vngodly custome from vs: for this is more profitable then al fa­sting: this is more cōmodious then al straightnesse of liuing. And y ^e care that we haue about abstaining from meates, lette vs employ it about re­fraining from swearing: for we shall incur the crime of extreme follie, if wee haue no regard to shunne the things that are forbiddē vs, & apply al our study about things indifferēt. For to eate our meate is a thing not forbidden: but to swear we are for­bidden. [Page] Dare we thē abstaining from things grāted, commit things that are for­bidden? Therefore of charitie I ex­hort you, to make some change of your euill life, & vpon this exhorta­tion, to shew a beginning hereof in yourselues. For if wee shall accom­plish this present fast with so great care, putting this in effect, namely that this weeke we wil not sweare, and y ^e weeke next insuing, to extin­guish wrath and enuie, & the next week after, vtterly to root out back­biting and euill speaking, and then after that, amending other faults & abuses: so going forward the right way, we shall by little & little come to the high degree of vertue, & shal escape this present danger, and shall pacifie the Lord our God: and the multitude shal come againe vnto vs into the Citie. And then wee shall teach them that are fallen away by [Page] flying, to committe the hope of our safetie, not to any strong muni­tion of places, nor to any vaine re­fuge or flying away, but vnto god­lines of mind, good disposition, and vertuous inclination. And thus di­recting our liues in y ^e feare of God, we shall both enioy these temporal good things, and also those eternall and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen. Of the which ioyes, God grant that wee all may be made woorthie, by the grace and bountifulnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ: by whom, and with whom, all glorie, honour, and power, be ascribed vnto the father, with the most holy quickning and coeternal spirit, now and for euermore, Amen.