THE MISERIE OF THF WORLD.

IF any one long after life, and desires to see good dayes, let him refraine his tongue from euill, remooue his feete out of the paths of Impietie, hold his hands from all actes of Seuerity, wash his heart from all thoughts of impuritie, and then willingly cast aside the coate of Iniquity; and hauing put it off, put it on no more; let euery one striue to obtaine a re­formation, and then to conti­nue perfect: It is most apparant euery one desires to see many dayes, but, it is very doubtfull [Page]that few desires to see good dayes; and it is true (for ipse dixit) all those that doe not de­sire to see good dayes, are cer­taine to bee partakers of many euill nights; for the decree is out that none can disanull; those that doe not loue the light, are deomed to bee shut vp in darke­nesse: for the vnfortunate vn­furnished (vnfortunate to bee vnfurnished) wicked man, heard this sentence denounced against him, when in speachlesse silence his eares were forced to enter­taine the iudgement of damna­tion, that in the dayes of peace would not receiue the glad-ti­dings of Saluation, Matth. 22. Binde him hand and foote, and take him away, and cast him into vtter daskenesse, there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth, sorced howling, and continuall [Page]torments, the horrible clamours of the damned soules; there is nothing to bee seene but darke­nesse, nothing to bee heard but horror, nothing to bee vnder­stood but confusion, nothing to be knowne but dolours, nothing to be felt but torments, and last of all, which is worst of all, there is no ende of these, they are eternall.

And these remaines for those that will not put off the workes of darkenesse, and put on the ar­mour of light, that wil not cease to doe euill, and learne to doe well, that will not cast away the ragges of wickednesse pol­luted with their owne miseries, and seeke the white robes of righteousnesse prepared by our Sauiours mercies. There is none (no not the meanest) shut from the benefit of saluation; [Page]God hath bestowed vpon vs the word Incarnate, wherein God was made man, Ioh. 1. The Word was made flesh, and dwell amongst vs, and wee saw the glory of it as the glory of the onely be­gotten sonne of God, full of grace and trueth: so that no greater dignity could bee bestowed vp­on vs, then to be personally and bodily ioyned vnto the nature of God in the onely begotten Sonne of God: In few words, man could haue been set no nee­rer the God-head, vnles he had been altogether changed into it. Wee are the children of a gracious Father, which hath prouided for euery towardly child an euerlasting inheritance; therefore since the booke is vn­sealed, let vs bee carefull to search that sacred Euidence, wherein wee may finde directi­ons [Page]to land vs in that fayre Countrey, which euery blessed soule doth seeke; and now that it may bee knowne you are bound for Ierusalem, you must forsake those wayes that leads to Babylon, you must content your selues first to endure the crosse; and the promise is, you shall after enioy the crowne: and to mooue you to remooue your affections to the world to come, and to refuse the infe­ctions of the world present; If you contemne the voyce of meaner men, heare a King speake, and He is Rex magnus, a great King; Regnans super om­nia Regna terrae, Reigning ouer all the Kingdoms of the world, hee aduiseth vs, Matth. 6.33. Seeke first the Kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof, and all things necessary shall bee giuen vnto you.

Now you that are contra­cted to the world, and the vani­ties of it, spare a little time to examine what benefites it can afford, that may moue you to put your confidence in it, or set­tle your loue vpon it, and for your owne speedy satisfaction that you may be resolued in as little time as may bee conueni­ent. You that aime to winne the world, consider but these two things: first, the quantitie of the purchase; secondly, the qualitie of the price: and first for the first.

The quality of the purchase is great, there is honour praise, clothing, worldly wisedome, riches, and carnall pleasures, and more, and yet the best of these are to those that trust in them worse then nothing, be­cause, had they beene nothing, [Page]they had not been tru [...]ed in, therefore they are something nothing worth; for the time wil come (I am afraid) that as Christ once said of Iudas par­ticularly, in Matth. 26. It had been good for that man if hee had not been borne; so a number will say of themselues plurally, It had been good for vs if we had neuer been; for better to haue no being, then to want a being well.

But let vs be further satisfied. Shall wee account our selues happy to enioy earthly ho­nour? not as it is earthly; for first, it is gotten with much la­bour, kept with great costs, and lost with great griefe. I remem­ber the great men in Iury ra­ther chose to deliuer Christ to death, then to rob Caesar, or themselues, of their dignitie and [Page]honour, Ioh. 11. If wee let him a­lone, he doth so many miracles, hee will take away both our place and nation, our honour and authority. O! I feare policie preuailes a­gainst piety, there are too many (two is many, but there is too too many) that prefers tempo­rall honour before eternall hap­pinesse. It is sayd, and it is a true report, that Homo vanitati similis factus est, Man is made like vnto vanity, for hee looseth his breath with pursuing sha­dowes, or it had not been said, In vanitate sua appenditur pecca­tor, The sinner is weighed in his owne vanitie.

Where is now the dignities of all our antique Worthies? Caesars, was murthered in the Senate; Alexanders, died of poyson; Salomons, is in a dead sleepe on an adulterous bed; [Page] Absaloms was hanged in the cords of disobedience, Nim­rods tumbled with Babylon, Nebuchadnezzars is turned to grasse, Siseraes is nayled to the ground, Holofernes honour is be­headed by a silly woman, Sena­cheribs is slaine in the Temple, Herods is consumed with ver­mine, this earthly honour is so attended with death and infa­mie, that hee that desires it shall in the ende bee found guilty of his owne endlesse ouerthrow. Honour flies from those that followes it, and followes those that flies it. Who desired it more then the Monarchs? and who had lesse? who esteemed it lesse then the Apostles? and who had more? those that li­ued in honour died with dis­grace to liue in endlesse tor­ments; and those that liued in [Page]disgrace, died with honour to liue in endlesse glory. Then we must not bee thus satisfied, but seeke some better benefice, Matth. 21.9. for it will profit vs nothing to win worldly honour.

2 Shal we account our selues happie to enioy the praise of men? Luk. 23.21. no; who desires the fruits of stinking breath that is rotten before it bee fully ripe? The heathen saith; Non refert quam multi laudent te, &c. It forceth not how many praise thee, but how good, for to bee praised of the wicked is to bee dispraised, it is Pauls resoluti­on, 1. Cor. 4. I passe very little to be iudged of men. There are a number like the Babylonians spoken of in the third of Daniel, a little sweete musicke made them to fall downe and honour Nebuchadnezzars new God, [Page]and a little flattering & praise of men will make a number to dis­honour Iaacobs true God. The bright Angels in heauen seekes not their owne but their makers worship, Reu. 22. The glorious Elders takes off their Crownes and casts them at the feet of the Lamb, and sing not their owne, but their Princes praise: yet man being but a poore worme, would bee extolled, and makes Syco­phants and flatterers the best welcome. I can heare none crie with good King Dauid, Psa. 141. Away with this oyle and oynt­ment of sinners, it shal not come vp­on my head. A man may haue the praise of a multitude, & yet be neere his fall. Note the pro­fite that came to the great Pro­phet by mens praise, Matth. 22. at Iesus comming to Iernsalem, the gates were opened, bone­fires [Page]kindled, branches cut, gar­ments spread, trumpets soun­ded, and the sacrifice of euery one was, Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid, Matth. 21.9. blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord. This praise was great, but it both be­gun and ended together, they forgot Hosanna in a few houres, and the very same lips cried cru­cifige eum, Luk. 23.21. crucifie him, crucifie him. Who couets the praise of the people that commends Ba­rabbas the murderer, and con­demnes Iesus the Sauiour? Let vs maintaine the Apostles mo­tion; Nolite esse pueri sensibus, bee not you children in vnder­standing: run not after bables, but seeke the true treasures; we are set at libertie to gather gold in Canaan, shall not wee then disdain to toyle for straw in E­gypt; let vs stretch our best in­deuours [Page]to finde some better benefice, for it will auaile vs nothing to win worldy praise.

3 Is any true felicitie to bee found in rich apparell? No, I haue read the King of Cypresse hauing put on princely and sumptuous attire, and being set on his Royall throne, deman­ded of Solon if hee euer saw a more glorious obiect. Solon told him, hee had seene cockes, pheasants, and peacockes, and that hee thought those birds were more beautifull, for be­cause their colours were both faire and naturall. It is most true, that we are most wretched of all creatures, and miseros fa­cit populos peccatum, sinne is the thing that makes men misera­ble, and wee plucke from eue­ry thing something to be coue­rings to our miseries; one lends [Page]vs skinne, another wooll, an­other furre, another feathers, another pearle, another gold, another silke, another precious stones and iewels, yea, euery creature, and euery element af­fords some things to furnish vs, and yet wee are as proud of this as if it were ours by nature, when indeede ours is the least part, for if euery creature should come and challenge his owne, all our costly couerings would dissolue to nakednesse. Therefore that of Dauid cannot bee told too often, Psalm. 39. Doubilesse man walketh in a sha­dow, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine. Howsoeuer wee drawe curtaines and couerings about vs, to make vs appeare more seemely then wee are; yet our ilnesse will be manifest. Clouds that are ouercharged with wa­ter [Page]must needes droppe. God is omniuident, and the power of policie cannot preuaile so much as to conceale any thing from the Prince of piety: It is not Art, but grace, must helpe the defects of nature, we main taine our clothing against the Rule of God. Our noblest fa­thers wore coates of skinnes, Gen. 3. The Saints recorded in the booke of God, Hebr. 11. were but clothed in camels haire and goats skinnes. Christ said in Luk. 7. they that weare delicate and soft apparell, are in Kings houses (vnderstand this, lest you take it for a prefermēt) not fighting in the great Kings campe, but flattering in pettie Princes Courts: to checke vs for our carelesse wantonnesse, (in this kinde) there is an exam­ple in Luke 16. The rich Glut­ton [Page]wa [...] clothed in fine linnen, and curious silkes very sumptuously, and fared very deliciously, died very damnably, and shall liue in torments eternally. Now you that would auoid his portion, damnation, you must detest his proportion, ambition; for the command is, in vestitu ne glori­eris vnquam, see thou now ne­uer take glory in thine habite.

To preuent the destruction which was threatned to Niniueh we find in Ionah 3. the king com­manded to keepe a solemn feast & to frame thēselues for mour­ning, as the outward signe of in­ward repentance, & he himselfe forsooke his Throne, put on sackecloth, and sate in ashes. but was it wisely done to put on so poore attire, to stand in before the greatest king, being to begge his owne and Nine­uehs [Page]pardon? Yes surely hee did wonderous well, hee con­sidered, that although hee was a king, since his power was pe­risht, and that he could no lon­ger continue, except hee could begge his libertie at God, (be­cause ambition and sawcinesse becomes not beggars) hee laid aside his rich clothing, and poorely went and purchased his owne and Niniuehs pardon. O remember Lazarus was found in ragges when hee was taken and preferred into Abra­hams bosome. And we find, Lu. 2. CHRIST was but poorely lapt in clouts when hee came to conquer sinne, death, and hell, and yet left the earth with glory and victory. Be aduised then, it is not garish apparell that will preferre you; obserue the holy direction, Eccles. 9. at all times [Page]let thy garments bee white. Clothe your selues with innocencie, and contemne this am­bitious furniture; all the gaine comes by it is this, It makes Christians that should die like lambes, to die like dogges, their skinnes prooue better then their bodies O keepe your selues free from this pride and vaine­glory, that you may (without blushing) disdaine such compa­risons, and shewe your selues guiltlesse, and then seeke some other preferment, for it wil pro­fit vs nothing to practise proud attire.

4 Next, for worldly wise­dome it is little worth, there comes no lasting aduancement by it, because 4. Cor. 3. The wisedome of the world is folly with God. The wise men of the world Christ did seldome or neuer [Page]chuse to doe him any seruice, for, non multi sapientes secundum carnem. When the Messias was promised to come to bee the king of the Iewes, they expe­cted a great earthly Prince, a Royall Caesar, and refused Christ, because hee came in po­uerty, so hee was vnto them a stumbling blocke, and the Gen­tiles sauouring of nought but earthly wisedome, thought it was a thing vnlike, and meere folly for the Sonne of God, to leaue his Throne in heauen (be­ing so glorious) to descend to earth to taste of mans miseries, so hee was to them foolishnesse, 1. Cor. 1. This is worldly wise­dome, and who can be happy in it? this shall one day be the world­ly-wise mans confession, Nos insensati vitam i'lorum aes imaba­mus insaniam, Wis. 5. Wee foo­lish [Page]men esteemed the liues of Saints to be but madnesse: this shall be many of our wise mens confession, when their confessi­on comes too late to haue a par­don; the wisedom of the world is no more profitable, and ther­fore none can be happie in it. In times past the Apostles preached Christ crucified (with the manner of his offering, and the merite of his suffering) and the Philosophers and wise men of the world accounted them fooles for their paines.

Indeed the time present doth not much alter from the time past, when the ministers of God tooke, or takes paines for the fooles, they shall be accounted fooles for their paines, for that [...]itle is the best that the wise­dome of the world allowes them, but the Saints of God [Page]haue all his messengers in great regard, for the good turnes done by the master, and it be­commeth well the iust to bee thankefull: therefore be better aduised and seeke better trea­sure, since there is no true profit in worldly wisedome.

5 For riches, I say to you as Aristippus said to his man that carried his treasure after him. That which is too waighty cast out. and that which thou canst well, carrie. So cast away such triflles as are needlesse, & keepe such treasures as you may with ease and without danger vnder­goe, as necessary. These riches are but thornes, they are but miseries and afflictions. And we see, quomodo suffocant, how they do choake vs, by swallow­ing them too greedy. Paul e­steemed all riches but as dung. [Page]Phil. 3. They are indeed but va­nity it selfe. We find that Solomon was the most absolute pa­terne of worldly prosperitie. 1. Kings 4. Gold and siluer was as plentifull with him as stones, So much, that the abundance of both, made both little estee­med; his iewels and plate were not to be valued, his pretious apparell and armour was infi­nite, his Throne of Maiestie was borne vp with twelue Lyons of gold, farre exceeding all other kingly seats in the world: all the vessels of his house were of pure gold, for siluer was not estee­med in the dayes of Solomon: He had all the Kings from the riuer of the Philistians to Egypt to serue him. Hee had fortie thousand horses in his stables to ride. He had 12. thousand Cha­riots and horses, with furniture [Page]to them for his vse. Hee had two hundred speares, and three hundred shieldes of beaten gold borne before him, and it is said that he spent in bread euery day in his house one thousand nine hundred thirtie and seuen quarters of meale and floure, he spent in flesh thirtie fat oxen, an hundred sheepe, besides Harts, Buckes, and fat Foule; He had seuen hundred Queenes, and three hundred Concubines; were not these things verified in the sacred Historie, I should blush to report them; because they almost seeme impossible: and therfore incredible, yet not these, but more things the holy Scripture testifies of Salomons worldly riches and prosperitie: but now since he inioyed all these things in his dayes, let vs know how he was satisfied in [Page]the euening, and whether he went content and pleased to his bed or no? no that he did not: for hauing fully and largely ta­sted all the best content that those riches could afford; he de­liuers these words from his vn­satisfied mind, with a disliking voyce. Fccles. 1 Vanitas vani­tatum, & omnia vanitas, Vani­tie of vanities, and all is vanitie; those that now will not, here­after shall repent when this remedilesse complaint, (shall come too late.) Diuitiarum Iactantia quid nobis contulit. What hath the brauery of our riches profited vs? none at all. They can doe the possessors of them no good, when they haue most neede of helpe, Prou. 11. They cannot profit a man in the day of wrath.

I haue read that Byas Priennaeus [Page]a Sage of Greece, beholding his Countrey ouerthrowne by his enemies, forsook it, & fled with his neighbours, & they carried away so much of their riches, as by all means they could, & see­ing him goe so singly and beare nothing but himself, demanded of him why he left his treasure behind him; he answered, my treasure is in my brest, I take it, yours is but vpon you backes: you mistake it; it is in the power of the enemie to make you poore; and no change, no mis­hap, no enemy can take my treasure, for whilst I haue a be­ing I am rich, and when I am not, I am not poore: his resolu­tion deserues eternall memory; it is look't for in a Christian, but it is strange to heare a Hea­then esteeme all things vanity: Man is like vnto a rouling [Page]wheele that runs about from day to day, and yet it is but in the same place at the yeers end, where it was in the beginning. So man toyles and labours all his time vpon earth to gather wealth and riches, and yet is as poore vpon that day he dies, as he was vpon that day he was borne. Therefore I say to you as Saint Paul did to Timothy, 1. Tim. 6. We brought nothing in­to the world, and it is certaine we can carry nothing out. Therfore, if we haue food and raiment let vs therewith be content: con­tent sits reioycing and singing in a supposed chaire of state (& indeed 'its rather a truth then a supposition; for it is a chaire of contented estate,) and smiles to see the couetous worldling take such paines to make other men pleasure; and although the [Page]contented man be but tenant to a poore Cottage, coucred but with straw or clods of earth, sheltered from the violence of the winds, with the curled tops of the shadie trees: such a one as he may stand in the middle and touch the roofe with his head, and both wals with both his hands. Yet he heares not of the mutation in the Court, he feares not their disimulation in the Citie; but liues richly cōtent in a poore home: you see the Cottage is as much worth as the Court, but for the show. Weake walles of clay, giues as much assurance of safety, as walles of stone lined with Wainscot or cloth of Arras; all the oddes is in the show. The poore man sleepes as soundly vpon his bed of straw, as the rich man vpon his bed of [Page]downe; and the difference is but in the show: and the mean man is kept as warme in countrey russet and homely gray, as the mightiest man in his cloth of gold, and curious silkes; yet all the oddes is in the show: the poore mans woollen cap, keepes his head as drie, as the rich mans beauer; they only but dif­fer in the show: a browne crust, and fountaine water, preserues the poore man in health, as well as the rich man is kept with his daintest cates, & purest wine; stil the difference is in the show: a wooden dish is as wholesome to drinke in, as a cup of gold; but for the show: the rich man exceeds the poore for the quan­titie, the colour and the show; but the poore man exceeds the rich for the quality, the conditi­on, and the substance: the rich [Page]mans part is greater, but the poore mans part is better: and I know not how it happens, they were both set to run one course, and the rich hath all the honour and glory of it from the poore in the middle of it; but sure I am, they were both alike in the beginning, and shall be a­like in the end. Aut in vtero, aut in vrna, Senec. Epist. 91. Either in the wombe, or in the tombe. Interuallis distinguimur, exitu e­quamur, It is the interim of this short life, that we are somewhat in some things vnlike: some are Lords of more, and of lesse; some are Princes, and some are beggars, and some winne the world, and some lose it; and some haue much, and are not pleased, and some haue little, & are well content: but Ex. 16. He that gathers much hath nothing [Page]ouer, and he that gathers little, hath not the lesse.

Qui dilligit auram non iustifi­cabitur, Hee that loueth gold, shall neuer be iustified, and the words of Christ are, Matth. 19. Verily I say vnto you, a rich man can hardly enter into the king­dome of God: because some take so much care and toyle to lay vp treasure together vpon earth, which theeues, and moths, and canker consume, and are both negligent, and vnwilling, to lay vp treasure in heauen; such set­ting their minds onely vpon earth, with earthly riches shall perish: and prouiding no trea­sure heauenly, in heauen shall neuer come. Iames 5. Go to now you rich men, weepe and howle for the miserie that shall come vpon you: your riches are corrupt, your garmentsare moth-eaten, [Page]your gold and siluer are can­kred, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you, and shall eat your flesh vp, as it were fire: you haue heaped vp wrath for the last dayes. A man ac­counts his riches his best friend to accompany, relieue, & com­fort a man in aduersitie: and ri­ches can neuer doe it. They are like flatterers, which when a man is in most need, will do him least good; for they shall not profit him in the day of indig­nation: neuerthelesse, the rich man is confident in the contra­ry. I conceiue so much in his carriage, for hee hath erected faire and sumptuous building, deckt his habitation with richest furniture, furnisht his lodgings with beds of down, fil'd his pos­sessions with store of cattle, stuff'd his barnes with purest [Page]corne; prouided for his diet the daintiest meat chosen, for his backe the richest clothing, pre­pared for his eares the sweetest musicke, flatters himselfe with with a supposed content, with­drawes himselfe into the roome of his plenty, scats himselfe in the chaire of ingratitude, and shuts vpon him the doore of co­uetousnesse, numbers the angels in his chests; and forgets the Articles of his Creed, throwes himselfe vpon his bed of vani­ty, and there fals into a golden dreame, and wakening, vtters this resolute speech, Luke 12. Soule, thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres, liue at ease, eate, sleepe, and take thy pleasure. But this would not last, his di­solute resolution had a resolute disolution. Foole this night they will take away thy soule, [Page]and whose shall all these things be which thou hast prouided. Thus it happens to those that trust in their riches. The Pro­phet demaunds, Baruch 3. Where are they now which hoarded vp siluer & gold, wherin they trusted, and made no end of scraping toge­ther. Hee answeres himselfe: Exterminati sunt & ad Inferos descenderunt, They are now roo­ted out and gone downe into hell. Therefore, woe be vnto the rich, for they haue receiued their consolation, Luk. 6. Like vnto vnthrifty heires, sold all, and spent all; to whom, and for whom, nothing remaines but misery. Then since the wealth of the world is worthlesse, and yeelds no perfit happinesse, but for a time flatters fooles, and leaues them vnsatisfied. It shall be our care to finde out some [Page]better benefit, for it will profit vs nothing to winne worldly riches.

6 Shall wee account our selues happie to practise carnall pleasure? no, no; yet God hath allowed a certaine measure of carnall recreations for the god­ly; for the maintenance of their healths: these I doe not intend to prooue, but to reproue that excesse & abundance, in which worldly men vse them: banque­ting, speaking, laughing, play­ing, &c. These are the chiefe parts of carnall pleasures. There is danger in banquetings: Alex­ander the Great feasting in Ba­bylon, after he had conquered the whole world, sitting there to reioyce, and cast lots, vp­on the kingdoms, the end of his banquet, was the end of his life; amongst all his dainties, he died [Page]of poyson. Holofernes, after his banquet, being full of wine, fell into a heauy sleepe, and paid his head for his pleasures, Iu­dith 13. and so he found a heauy reckoning. Yet this excesse in banqueting takes not away the blessing of feasting: neuerthe­lesse, make the banquet without excesse, and see it vsed in a mo­derate kind, and it is a good, but the discontinuance of it, makes it imperfect: hunger so sudden­ly ensues the best feeding, so that our best title I can giue this carnall pleasure, is a trouble­some custome that yeelds more profit then delight.

There is danger in speaking, since, Matth. 12. For euery idle word that men shall speake, they shall giue an account thereof at the day of iudgement; There is dan­ger in laughing, for Eccles. 2. I [Page]haue said of laughter, thou art mad, and of ioy, what is this that thou doest. There is danger in playing and wantonnesse, and so Sampson lost his strength, Iudges 16. So did Dauid staine his honour, 2. Sam. 11. There is danger in sleeping, Two shalbe lying in one bed, the one shalbe taken, the other refused, Luk. 17. Danger lies lurking vnder the fairest roofe, the most sumptu­ous buildings are but shadowes, for the time shall come, that one stone shall not be left vpon ano­ther, Marke 13. Therefore, hee that hath eares to heare may heare, he that hath eyes to see, may see, he that hath sence to leare, may learne, the world is worthlesse, the purchace need­lesse, the plenties of it helplesse, the louers of it haplesse, the pleasures in it fruitlesse, and [Page]the torments after it endlesse. Nothing to bee found in the world but troubles, miseries, night, need, and plenty of dis­content; and no better treasure then is herein discouered vnto you, is to be found in the quan­tity of the purchace.

Nowe the qualitie of the price is the soule, and what shall it profit a man to win the whole world, and to loose his owne soule? The soule is an immor­sall substance, and the proper seat of the image of God, and 't is the noblest part of man: as the poore cottage of clay may lodge the mightiest Prince, so our poore clods of soyle were but made to lodge the soule, the body being the baser, is made a chamber for the soule, which is the better; and vpon the soule God hath bestowed eternity, it [Page]had a beginning, but hath no ending; which shall either vp­on the forsaking of his earthly mansion, find perpetuall ioy, or lasting torments; and who to win the world, which is but a winters day, feares not to send the soule to endlesse punish­ment into euerlasting night? If there be any faith, there is some feare, but I feare, a [...]grotat fides [...]am proxima morti. Faith is so sicke that it is ready to die; and if it be so, we haue lost our An­chour and are but in a broken Barke vpon the great seas of miserie, all things to nothing sodainly to perish.

But to come to an end (and I beseech God my now ending may be a numbers good begin­ning.) Since the quality of the price, the immortall soule farre exceedes the quantitie of the [Page]purchace, the worthles world, my aduise is to forsake these Netherlands, and lift your eyes vnto the heauens, for from thence must come your helpe. Colos [...]. If you be then risen with Christ, seeke those things that are aboue. And as the spies did that fled from Iericho, so saue your selues and escape by hils. It is the diuels councell, mit­te deorsum, throwe thy selfe downe, set thy affections vp­on earthly things, delight in the world: but doe not re­gard it, aime at better ends, nay aime at that which hath no ende, and as you see God hath ordained the end, so hee hath done the meanes, then vse the world as the means to obtaine heauen, vnto the hauen, the heauen of glad­nesse and glory he that is Lord [Page]of all, bring vs all for his mercies and merits sake: to him be all praise and glory now and for euer. Amen.