A Sermon preached before the right honourable Earl of Derby, and divers others assembled in his honours Chapel at Newparke in Lancashire, the second of januarie. Anno humana Salut, 1577. GALA. VI ¶ Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum. ¶ While we have time let us do good. Gala. vi. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East: the xiv. day of March. 1577. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and his very good Lord Henry Earl of Derby, Lord Stanley and Strange, Lord of Man and of the Isles adjoining, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter: continuance of health with prosperity, and increase of honour. ): ( YOU Know right well (right honourable & my very good Lord) that I according to my duty giving attendance upon your Lordship in the time of Christmas last passed, was appointed by your honour to preach before you in your Chapel, at neweparke, the second of jenuarie, at which time I entreated of this text of Saint Paul. Rome 13. [Idque perspecta oportunitate quod videlicet tempestiwm iam sit nos a somno expergisci,] & so forth unto the end of the chapter: according as it pleased God at that time to minister unto me matter, and to give unto me the spirit of utterance. Which Sermon finished, I was immediately called unto your honour, & by you earnestly requested without delay to set down in writing, such lessons and instructions as I had in your presence, & before certain gentlemen of worship, uttered with my mouth. And herewithal it pleased your honour, not only to require a copy of my Sermon, but also to give me to understand that you would sand it up to London to be Printed, to the end that the things which I had uttered before a few at home in your house, might be further published abroad to the use and behoof of many. Which when I perceived, I must needs confess, that I was very loath, & altogether unwilling to deliver to that end into your Lordships hands any copy of that which I had preached. First because my doings are so simple, and my skill so small, that they deserve not to come abroad into the sight of the world. Secondly, many are so fine and dainty, that nothing can please & content them, unless it flow and swim with store of eloquence. Thirdly, and last of all, because I fear that when many have read it▪ I shall by my plainness procure to myself more misliking for publishing of it, than I had liking of your honour for preaching of it. Howbeit your honours great goodness divers times showed towards me, & your benefits bestowed upon me, which are yet green & abiding fresh in my remembrance, to my great relief and comfort, & whereby I live at this present a great deal the better, have overcome all lets and impediments, & enforced me to satisfy your godly desire herein. Choosing rather to be misliked for my doings of a great many others, & to be reproved for my want of skill, then to show myself not dutiful towards your honour in this behalf, or to seem slack to do any thing that may content your noble mind, especially when it pleaseth your Lordship so earnestly to require it of me: who am so much bound to your honour, that I must needs acknowledge myself to be overmuch unthankful, if mi poor service were not always redi at your commandment Wherefore seeing that it pleased your ●. to accept so well of this Sermon, when it was preached, I am thereby emboldened to crave patronage of you now it is Printed and further published abroad, especially because it now hath more need thereof. Most humbly desiring your honour to take it in good part now as you did then, and to continued your good will to the faithful Ministers, & Preachers of the word, & to seek ever more and more to promote the honour and glory of our good God: so that it may appear unto all men that you have in utter hatred & detestation, the lying false doctrine of Antichrist, as well as it is known to me and others that daily have experience of your honourable disposition herein. The Lord of Lords evermore inflame & direct your noble heart with his holy and gracious Spirit, increase all heroical and godly virtues in you, with prosperity and increase of honour in this life, & grant that in the end you may so dye, that you may after wards live for ever. At Moberley the. viii. of February. ¶ Your honours most humble & bound servant john Caldwell Parson of Winwick ¶ Idque perspecta oportunitate quod videlicet tempestiwm Rom. 13. ca, ver. 11. tam sit nos a somno expergisci. etc. AND that considering the season, that Rom. 13. ca ver. 11. 12. 13. 14. it is now time that we should arise from sleep: for now is our salvation nearer, than when we believed it. The night is past, and the day is at hand, let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. So that we walk honestly, as in the day: not in gluttony, & drunkenness, neither in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: But put you on the Lord jesus Christ, and take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. RIght honourable, if we way and consider the holy Scriptures, we shall easily find and soon perceive, that our conversaiton is then worthy of great praise, & our life best framed to gods will, and the rule of his law, when it shallbe every way most profitable to our neighbours. For god requireth nothing more earnestly of us than love, & he would have such a band of friendship amongst men, that they might be knit together as members of one body. And for this cause hath he oftentimes in his word commanded us with no less cheerfulness to be as ready to pleasure, and to do good to our neighbours then to ourselves. So that it is not without good cause that S. Paul in this chapter even in the verse next going before this text▪ saith, that love is the fulfilling of the law. For Paul speaking here of the duties and debt that we own one to an other, doth give us to understand that whatsoevor is contained in the second table of god's law is comprehended in these few words, love thy neighbour as thyself. And true it is that such is the force of holy and godly love, that it worketh not evil, but it seeketh to overcome evil with goodness, neither will it permit and suffer a man to hurt his neighbour. He that loveth his father and mother will show himself obedient and lowly towards them, he will be ready to aid and assist them, and willing to do after their commandment, and be afraid to do any thing that may displease and offend them. He that loveth his neighbour will not inwardly in mind conceve malice and hatred agynst him, neither will he go about to offer violence and wrong too any man, but will seek to preserve his life, and to procure his welfare, yea though it be to his own hindrance. He that loveth his neighbour will not go about to defile his neighbours bed with fiilthy and execrable whoredom, neither will seek to company with any woman out of marriage, & being married will have & enjoy his own wife soberly, and do nothing unseeming the honourable estate of matrimony. He that loveth his neighbour will not go about to pluck away from him any part of his substance by violence, fraud, or any other unlawful means. He that loveth his neighbour, will not backbite him or make or forge lies of him to his disprofit any manner of way. To be brief, he will so deal with his neighbour as he would have other men to deal with him. Now after that the apostle hath set down certain godly rules touching the duties of love and holy life, lest peradventure they might soon slide out our minds, he thought it good and right needful here in the end of the chapter, to persuade us there unto by certain weighty and grave reasons. By which he goeth about to persuade all men, which believe in Christ, to express their faith by good works, and holiness of life: which thing in deed is not lightly to be regarded, but advisedly to be considered, especially seeing that god doth require it every where of us in his holy word. For seeing that god in the beginning, when as we were nothing but clay, and earth, did of his only grace and goodness breath into us the spirit of life, placed our first parents in Paradise, a place full of all pleasures and goodness, and afterward when as we by sin and transgression had lost that worthiness, that by creation we had, and were become subject to death and eternal damnation, he did restore us again to life and confirm us in the same by the promise of Chrst to come, who by the innocency of his manhood, hath recovered that for us which we before by sin, and disobedience had destroyed. These things I say considered, we shallbe not only very much unthankful, but also most wicked, unless we constantly defend this our dignity, bought and obtained with the price of Christ his blood, and above all, love that GOD again that loved us first so dearly, and forth with endeavour ourselves every day more and more, to live as it becometh us, walking all the days of our life in holy fear before the Lord And truly to the performance of these things, the consideration of this peril of scripture may very much profit us The which I will divide into three parets. 1 The first part containeth an exhortation to live uprightly with certain great & weighty reasons to persuade us thereunto. 2 The second part setteth down what we must shun & avoid if we will live uprightly and honestly. 3 The third & last part teacheth to put on a new garment, and to fight against our own wicked lusts and crooked affections. The apostle & choose vessel of Christ S. Paul did very well way and consider that such is naughtiness & corruption of man's nature, that he is not easily persuaded to do those things, which the Lord by his word hath commanded, and to leave those things ●ndone, which he hath by his word forbidden. And therefore after that he hath commended unto us charity & given us to understand how we should live, lest we should let these good lessons slip out our minds, he seeketh to persuade us thereunto by certain weighty and grave reasons. The first reason which the Apostle here in this text useth to persuade us to live uprighly & to forsake sin, and wickedness, is taken of the circumstance of the time, the words be these: And that considering the season, it is now time for us to awake out of sleep. In which verse he telleth us that it is now high time for us to amend our lives, and to serve God, especially because good opportunity serveth thereunto, and somuch the rather bycasue the clouds of ignorance, unbelief, and wicked lusts, are now driven away from us by the light of the gospel, and knowledge of god's truth, and therefore it behoveth us so to order our lives as they which have the light, and which are still conversant in the open sight & eyes of all men. For they which perceive that all men's eyes are bend upon them, have a diligent care lest they should do any thing that is not seemly and honest, because they know by experience, that if they step never s●● little aside out of the right way, than they shall be espied and have many witnesses ready to accuse them, of their sin and iniquity. So in like manner, it behoveth us (who live in the sight of God and his angels, having Christ the true son of righteousness, a viewer, and beholder of all our doings, commanding us to walk as before him) to take advised heed, that we do nothing that may offend his divine majesty, bicase if we so do, we shall have Christ himself a witness against us, who shall judge in the last day, & pronounce sentene upon all flesh, according to the tenor of justice and equity. But it appeareth that▪ the talk that is here used, is not plain, but Metaphorical. For the Apostle maketh mention of sleep, of waking, of night, of darkness, of light, of day. And therefore before I proceed any further in the text. I think it meet and convenient to declare unto you, what is meant, by every one of these words, to the end that, that which I am about to teach, may be more manifest and plain to you that be my hearers. Know you therefore that by sleep, he means sin, and a certain sluggishness and drowsiness to embrace the gospel, to hear gods word, and to frame and fashion our lives there after. By awaking out of sleep, he means a certain desire and readiness to do our duties, and such things as God requireth of us in his word. Aristole therefore doth very well and truly call waking a liberty or freedom of the senses, and he calleth sleep a band or imprysoninge of them. For when a man is a sleep, he hath all his senses, so tied up & imprisoned, that he hath neither eyes to see, ears to hear, nose to smell, hands to touch, feet to go, nor heart to conceive, but is like unto a dead corpse that lieth rotting in the grave: But when a man is a wake, then is he ready enough to see, to hear, to speak, to run, to go, or to do any thing belonging to a reasonable creature. Therefore the Apostle saith it is now time for us to awake out of sleep, as though he should have said before our regeneration, before god had given us eyes te see, and hearts to believe the truth, we were fast a sleep in sin, and did lie in the shadow of death, and there was nothing in us but horrible blindness, so that we could not see the majesty of god, we did not feel and fast the mercies of god offered to us in Christ his dear and well-beloved son, neither had we learned how sweet the Lord is. Our ears were so stopped that we could not hearken unto the sweet voice of God, and glad tidings of salvation, we perceived nothing at all of the goodness of God towards us, neither yet were we moved to any work of charity towards our neighbour but were utterly unapt & altogether unable to do any good work, yea not so much, so much as to think a good thought. But now seeing it hath pleased the lord to pity our misery, to awake us out of this deadly & dangerous sleep of sin, to sand his word amongst us, and by it through the working of his spirit to created faith in us, it is very meet and also right needful that we sleep no more in sine, but rise up with all speed unto newness of life. For seeing we have now the light of the Gospel amongst us, it is now no time for us, to ●lugge and sleep any more, and to follow the lusts & pleasures of the flesh, as though Christ had never been preached unto us, and we never called by the voice of God to repentance and amendment of life. Let us therefore not neclect this good occasion, considering that the apostle doth here fell us that it is now high time for us to awake out of sleep: but let every man be ready to do his duty, seeing that good opportunity serveth thereunto, & we aught in no wise to defer the reformation of things that be amiss, from day, to day, and year, to year, and to be idle at such a time as this is, because god perchance will not always grant us the like occasion to do good. And therefore it behoveth us to strain our selves the more whilst occasion ●●steth, & while god granteth us leave to do well. The Smith stricketh his iron 〈…〉 it is hot. The husband ma● 〈◊〉 his corn to be already ripe, provideth in d●● sea●on reaper's, and sickles, to cut it do●●●, and in the har●est time you shall hear him say to his servants when the weather is fair, ply it ●●irs, ply it, for we cannot tell whether it will rain or not, and how long this fair weather will last. Likewise the Marchantman if he have a voyage to make, he will take ship while tide an● w●●de serveth. For he knoweth that time and tide will ●arye for no man. The prophet Esay therefore giveth good counsel, and willeth all men to receive Christ, when as he offereth himself into them by the preaching of his word. saying, Qu●●●te dominum dum inue●●● potest, invocate Esay 55. eum dum prope est, seek the Lord whilst he may be found, call you upon him, whilst he is near. Christ in the gospel, doth show that many through their own slowness, and negligence, shall be that out of the kingdom of heaven, & he deprived of eternal Luck 13. life. Here upon he says, Contendite intrare per angu●●am portam, quia dico vobis multi quaerent intrare, et non poterunt. Statue to enter in at the straight gate, for many I say will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When the good man of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, & you begin to stand without and knock, at the door, saying, Lord Lord open unto us, & he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are. In the twenty-five. of Math. Mat 2●●. we read that the sieve wise virgins, which were ready went in with the Bridegroom unto the wedding: but the five foolish virgins, because they were not ready in time, had the gate of heaven shut against them. For whilst they went to buy oil for their la●ps, the bridegroom came & the ga●● was shut. Paul therefore, in the Gal. willeth us to do good Gal. 6 ● to all men while we have time. And here in this place he telleth us that it is now time for us to awake out of sleep Wherefore seeing the good occasion of well doing beings 〈◊〉 ●et ●lipe cannot be called back again, & f●r●●much as it hath pleased god of his infinite mercy to sand his word amongst us to give us understanding of his good will & pleasure, & to awaken us which were afore fast a sleep in Idolatry, and utterly unable to do any good work, let us I say, not neclect this good occasion, but with an earnest desire endeavour to do our duties whilst god granteth us leisure, and whilst good opportunity serveth thereunto. another reason which aught to persuade us to do our duty without delay, is because our life is short and passeth away swiftly, and good occasions of well doing slip away apace, and therefore great cause have we to do good whilst God giveth us respite, & whilst opportunity serveth. For we are taught by the prophet the we cannot be counted for good & fruitful trees, unless Psal. 1. we bring forth fruit in due season. A good tree doth not only bring forth good fruit: but also it bringeth it forth in due & convenient time. So if we will be counted good Christians we must do good whilst opportunity serveth. The good Samaritane mentioned of in the Luck. 10. Gospel, did good while opportunity did serve, and when occasion was offered. For so soon as he saw the man that was fallen into the hands of thieves, lying by the way side sore beaten and wounded, he was strait way moved with compassion on him, in somuch that he went unto him, bound up his wounds, powered wine & oil into them, laid him upon his beast, carried him to his Inn, and made prousion for him. But the Priest and the Levite had the same occasion offered them to do good and to exercise their charity towards their neighbour, but they passed by & would not do good when occasion served thereunto. So likewise when poor Lazarus lay at the gate of Dives, with a naked body & an Luc. 16. empty belly, craving to be refreshed with the small crumbs that fallen from his table, there was occasion offered unto him to do good, but he would not do good when he might, & bring forth fruit in due season, therefore he was cut down as an unfruitful tree, and cast into the fire, and his end was everlasting misery without all hope of mercy. Therefore let us learn to do good whilst we have time, and when we may. But alas although we are here told that it is time to awake out of sleep, to arise out of, the bed of carnal security, and to go about our business, yet for all this we lie still, we are none of the hastinges, yea, we defer our doing well from one day to another, yea from one year to another, that is to say, from henceforth for ever more. Such is our negligence and slowness in this behalf. For we are in such a dead sleep that we awake not, for all the noise and callings that is made and used every day. The preachers cry out & cease not, they exalt their voices like trumpetes, and call unto us every day for amendment of life: saying with S. Paul, arise thou that sleepest and 〈◊〉. 5. stand up from death, and the Lord▪ shall give thee light: and yet for all this we sleep still. And therefore I fear me that many of us shall dye in our sins without repentance, and have our souls buried in hell, to everlasting pain, which if we would awake and arise from sin, should devil in heaven to everlasting life. And truly we that be hear in this country, be of all others, I fear me, fruthest of from salvation. For although the trumpet of gods word do daily sound in our ears, and although we have the black clouds of darkness and ignorance driven away from us by the shining light of the gospel, yet for all this we walk not as the childree of light, but are to well acquainted, and over much occupied, in the unfruitful works of darkness: for how can we be said to be the childrne of light, when as no fruit of godly life appeareth in all our doings, and when our deeds be such towards our neighbours that they show and declare there is nothing but dung and poison in our hearts? And how can we be said to be awake, when as we lie still buried in sin, drowned in vice, & seeing that we daily commit such deeds, as stink both before she face of god and all good men? We say that a man is awake, when as he can do the office of a man, as talk, writ, go, run, & such like. So in like manner a man is said to be a waked out of the sleep of sin, when as he believeth truly in Christ, loveth his neighbour, and walketh in the ways and commandments of the ●. Sam 12 Lord God. King David awaked out of this sleep of sin (wherein he had lain above a year) when as Nathan the Prophet came unto him, & reproved him therefore. For after that Nathan had rebuked him for his whoredom, he began to mislike himself earnestly for his sin committed, humbled himself before God, and cried out I have sinned against the Lord saying, Miserere mei deus secundum Psalm 51. magnum miserecordiam tuam etc. Have mercy on me O God, according to thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of thy compassions, wipe away my offences. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin. The Prodigal son awaked out of the sleep of sin, when he forsook his filthy strumpets, and returned home to his father, from whom he had rashly departed, submitting himself unto him and saying, Father, I have sinned against heaven Luc. 15. and against thee, & am no more worthy to be called thy son. The wicked jews which had crucified Christ, hearkening to the sermon of Peter, began to awake out of this deadly sleep of sin, when as they began to be pricked in the heart, and to say unto Peter & the other apostles: Act. ●. Men and brethren what shall we do: which examples do teach us, that men are then said to be awake, and to arise out of the sleep of sin, when as they are heartily sorry, for the sin committed, and bring forth the fruit of repentance. Thus you see what is meant by sleep and arising from sleep. And truly it should seem that the apostle doth use this Metaphor, of sléepinge and waking, and of night and day, that we might have good occasions, to muse and think of these things, as often as we see the son ●o arise, and as often as we awake out of sleep, and rise out of our beds. For even as it is the part of a good husband not to slug and sleep in his bed, when as the day appearing offereth unto him good occasion to arise and to go about his business, but to get up with all convenient speed, and to go about such things as are needful to be done: So christian men, which have any care of their own salvation aught not to let slip the good opportunity to do good, offered to them of god: but they aught to show themselves ready and diligent to do those things that God hath commanded by his word. another reason which he useth to persuade us to arise now out of this deadly sleep, is because our salvation is nearer, than when we believed it. By which reason he showeth that it had have to small purpose, to tell us of these things and to have exhorted us to holiness of life, before we did believe in Christ, and had the knowledge of the truth. But seeing that our salvation is now nearer than it was in time past, we aught in no wise to neglect this occasion. By salvation he means that full and perfect salvation, and blessedness, which we shallbe parsakers after this life. So that the sense and meaning of Paul is that our fall and perfect salutation, is now nearer than it was long ag●e, and when we did first begin to believe. For as without saith, & belief in Christ there is no hope of salvation, no remission of sins, no eternal life to be looked for: so heaven and eternal life begin then to appear, when thirst God giveth a heart to believe, and eyes to see the way to most blessed immortality. And the more that our faith increaseth, and the more that we profit in the knowledge of God, the nearer, and nearer, do we draw towards heaven, and most blessed salvation. When as a man diggeth in a gold mine, the deeper he diggeth the nearer he cometh to gold. The further that the travailing man goeth on his way, the nearer he cometh to his journeys end. So the most happy & perfect salvation, that we shall enjoy after this mortal life, is nearer unto us than when we first believed. For when as we began first to believe, than did we begin to set forward in our rate & journey, & to go towards heaven, but now we have gone a great way in our journey, & every day draweth nearer & nearer the day of our death. At which time our souls shall be carried up into heaven. Again we are now nearer to the day of judgement, and the world is nearer an end than it was many a year ago. At which time christ shall raise up our bodies out of the dust, and make us partakers of that kingdom whereof his blessed body is partaker 1. Cor. 15. of all ready. For than shall mortalyty, put on immortality, & corruption, incorruption, & then may we be bold to say, O death where is thy sting? O hell where is thy victory? And truly the consideration of this full and perfect salvation, which is now nearer, than when we first believed, aught to move us to lead a holy and Godly life, lest that through our sloth and negligence, we loose it and give testimony to the world, that it doth not appertain unto us. For our negligence must needs be accounted horrible, and shameful, if we now leave of to serve GOD, when as we have but a short time to live, and be at the very point to take possession of heaven. The longer we live, and the nearer that we approach to death, the more earnest we aught to be to serve God, and the longer that we have hard the Gospel, and believed in Christ, so much the more earnest we aught to be to obey the Gospel. And therefore seeing that we have hard the Gospel many years in this Realm of England, the more deligent we aught to be to serve God, and to live uprightly, and to show forth by our life, & conversation, that we be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our ja. 1. own selves. A apprentice in seven years will learn his occupation, and be able to do his master good service, and he will be more shylful the second year than the first, and so every year better than another. The little chyldrne that go to the School go forward in learning, & in three or four years will not only be able to read, but also to writ and to speak latin. But alas we have gone to school not seven years, but eighttene years, we have had many notable Schoolmasters and teachers, and yet for all this we be little amended, but like very blockheades we tarry still in our old lessons, and will not take forth into good manners and new conditions. Yea we are more slow to hear God's word, and to frame our lives thereafter, than we were when it was first preached. And we go rather backward then forward. And what a reproach, and shame is it for us, to be more slow, to serve God then we were in the beginning, considering we have tasted of his mercy and grace, so long, and so many years together, and that in such sort, that we may justly say, Non taliter fecit omni nationi: He hath not dealt so with any nation, as he hath dealt Psal. 147. with us. You know that they which run for a wager, that the nearer they draw to the mark, the faster they run, and they make the more speed. So, the longer that we have hard the Gospel, and the longer that we have believed, so much the holier we aught to be in life and conversation. And truly if there were no other reason to persuade us, yet considering (as I have said already) that our life is short, and death knocketh at the doors, and the day of judgement cometh on so fast, that we may look for it every hour, we aught to be persuaded to live uprightly, and to walk as it be cometh us. But (alas) many at the first hearing of the Gospel, showed themselves zealous, and ready to follow it. But after a while they gave over even in the midst of their race, and waxed weary of well doing. And truly it appeareth that there hath been many of these slydebackes in all ages, but yet I think never more than at this day. King Asa in the beginning of his reign was zealous in 2. Chro 16. abolishing of Idolatry & in restoring of sound religion, but at the length he began to wax cold in the zeal of the Lord, imprisoned Hananie the Sear for telling him of his fault, therefore from that time forward he felt the smart and bitterness of war, was stricken by the hand of God with an extreme disease in the feet; and at length taken away by death. joas likewise 2. Chro 24 was a good King in the beginning of his reign, and he lived uprightly all the days of jehoida the Priest, who was unto him a faithful counsellor, & governed him by the word of God, but when jehoida was dead, he falls to Idolatry, and forgetting the kindness which jehoida had done unto him, slew and stoned to death his son Zacharia the Prophet of the Lord. For which it came to pass by the just judgement of God, that he was slyan by the hands of his own servants. The fi●e foolish virgins went forth with their lamps to meet the Bridgroume, aswell as the fi●e wise, but because they fainted in the midst of their race, therefore they were shut out from the marriage and everlasting life. Let these horrible examples move us to take heed, and to beware that we be not weary of well doing, lest we in the end perish as they did. But let us every day, morning, & evening, rising and going to bed, consider that our salutation, is now nearer than it was in times past, and that therefore we aught with a good courage to go forward to do our duties thoroughly, & to the end, quietly to suffer that little trouble, that is behind. And every day more and more to increase in faith, & to be more holy in life. It followeth in the text, the night is passed and the day is at hand. Here is an other reason to move us to live uprightly, and it differeth not much from that which he used before. For the night he calleth the ignorance of God and Christ, the time of blindness, & unbelief. By day he means the light of god's truth, by which truth jesus Christ the true son of righteousness doth appear unto us. And therefore in saying the night is passed, and the day is come on, he means that seeing we are not now overwhelmed with the thick mists & clouds of ignorance as the infidels, and unbelieving be, and as we ourselves were in times past, we aught to behave ourselves, as the childrne of the day and light, and not to sleep still in sin with the wicked and unbelieving. And here by the way we have diligently to note and consider, that Paul calleth the ignorance of Christ, and his gospel, night and darkness, and compareth the unbelievers to such as be fast a sleep. And very aptly and not without good cause, is the ignorance of Christ compared to night. For as in the night time, all things are covered with darkness, and as we cannot for want of light, know what is what, and discern black from blews, and red from russet, yea sometimes in the night season we think a bush to be a man, & a dead thing a living creature, for then as the Poet says, Est colour omnibus unus, all things seem to be of one hue and colour: so when we were altogether ignorant in gods word & knew not Christ, we did mistake things & through igoraunce, we did so err that we accounted superstision to be good devotion, & thought ourselves highly in god's favour, when as we were fast tied in the devils setters, and almost plunged into the pit of endless damnation. For without the knowledge of god's word, we are so blind, that we cannot discern between justice and injury, protection & oppression, religion and superstition, Christ and Antichrist, good & evil. Paul himself being ignorant of Christ, did with great rage & Act. 9 cruelty persecute his disciples & thirsted after innocent blood, & he himself confesseth that he was sometimes utterly parswaded, that he aught to do many things against the name of Christ being led thereunto, by a rash & blind zeal and as yet wanting the true knowledge of God. The Saducees being ignorant of the scriptures denied the resurrection of the Mar. 12. flesh, therefore said Christ unto them. You err because you know not the scriptures, neither the power of God. The wicked jews through ignorance put Christ to death, for Christ praying to his father for them says, Pater remit Luk. 23. eyes nesciunt enim quid faciunt. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And S Paul says if they had known, they would never have killed the king of glory. But I will let pass them, and come nearer to ourselves. When we were ignorant in god's word, and hard nothing but the sound of a ti●●klinge Cymbal, did we not think superstition, to be religion, deceivers true teachers, vanity to be verity, the gospel to be heresy, to gad abroad on pilgrimage, from this saint, to the saint, to be a part of god's service, men's traditions the commandments of god, antichrist Christ's vicar, the man of Rome who is a creature overwhelmed with all wickedness, and the beast that did rise out of the bottemles pit, Ap●. 1●. a most holy father? Yea, we thought that God was delighted with incense, perfume, waxcandles, golden copes, and vestments, and we worshipped those things which our own consciences gave us to understand were no gods, we made no difference almost betwixt Christ & his creatures, we confounded the sign with the thing signified, & worshipped a wafer cake which is a creature corruptible, in steed of the maker of heaven and earth, & believed it was the very body of Christ, that was born of the virgin mary, and slain for our sins upon the Cross. The cause of all which gross errors, was the ignorance of Christ and his word. For although some of the Papists say, that ignorance is the mother of devotion, yet it appeareth that it is the mother of all error & superstition. And therefore very aptly it is compared to the night and to sleep. For even as one when as he is in the night time fast a sleep in his bed, hath all his senses so tied up, and bond, that he cannot do any thing, and yet nevertheless he dreameth sometimes, and verily thinketh, that he is doing this & that, so they which are ignorant of Christ, and his word, have all the powers of their souls, so let and hindered, that they cannot move towards heaven, or do any thing that can please God: although oftentimes they think they do god most noble service, when as they commit most horriable and grievous crimes. But forasmuch as it is now not night with us, but day, let us do those things that are seemly for them that have the light, and follow the counsel of Paul, who willeth us to cast away the works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light. By the works of darkness is signified sins and naughty vices, and they are so called chiefly for two causes. The first cause is, because they proceed of the ignorance of god's word, and because we are moved to do them by the motion and instinct of Satan, who is the prince of darkness. Secondly because they that commit naughti●sse, flee the light, and covet rather for the night then for the day, according to the saying of our Saviour Christ, Qui malè agit odit john. ●. lucem, he that doth evil hateth the light. For whoremongers, thieves, murderers, and wicked people commonly do their feats in the dark, and in the night season, and therefore says Paul, Quae ab illis clam fiunt turpe est vel dicere, It is a shame even one's to name those things that are done of them in secret. The darkness of the night doth make them bold to commit sin, for they fear only the eyes of men, and consider not that the eyes of the Lord are upon every man's ways, & that with him there is no darkness at all, but that the night is with him as the noon day. And therefore although men commit sin never so closely, yet doth god see them, and at length will reavele and bring it to light, as he did the whoredom of David, and there is no brickwall so thick, that can hide them that work wickedness, from the sight of god. Let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. By the armour of light he understandeth good works, because they proceed of faith, and of the true knowledge of god, and shine before men to the honour & praise of our good god, who worketh them in us by his holy spirit. But here it may be demanded why Paul doth call vices and sins the works of darkness, & good works the armour of light. Truly, you know that our flesh is prove enough and inclined of itself to follow naughtiness, and in committing sin we take great pleasure, and think it no pain at all to do wickedly. But if we begin once to serve God, & to frame our lives according to the rule of his word, then must we strive and take great pains, and there is a battle set before us, full of great labour and peril: In which battle we must fight against Satan, the inticem●n●es of the world, and the sinful lusts of the flesh. For the devil is chief captain in this battle, and giveth us every day terrible assaults, and rangeth about like a rearing Lion, seeking whom he may deveure. Besides this great and mighty enemy, look how many wicked thoughts & ●u●l affections there be in us, so many enemies we have that fight against our salvation, and which seek to bring us to destruction. And therefore if we will live uprightly, we must continually maintain war against Satan, the world, & the flesh. Christ himself doth admonish us hereof in the Gospel, when as he telleth us that the way to heaven is straight and narrow, and the crown of life cannot be obtained without pains taking. And we see daily by experience, that they which give themselves to serve God, to be subject to slanders and reproaches, to be beset on every side with All which places do sufficiently prove that it is not enough for us to abstain from evil, but also we must do good. And therefore here we may see that they use unseemly speeches, which say, what should we give ourselves to holiness? Or why should not we follow our pleasures, if we be of the elect and choose of GOD, we shall be saved, howsoever we live? if we be reprobates & cast aways we shall be damned whatsoever we do? As though the election of god did give leave unto men to do wickedly, when as it is plain by the testimony of S. Paul that we are choose in Christ not to live loselye, but that we should Epl●● 1 be holy & without blame before him in love. For it is certain and out of doubt, that holiness of life cannot be separate from the grace of election. And therefore although good works be not the causes of our salvation, yet seeing that the end of our election is that we should live uprightly and lead a godly life, let us not only abstain from evil, but also do good works that they may serve as witnesses to confirm our election, and that we may in so doing show ourselves to be the sheep 〈◊〉 Christ who do not only hear his john 10. voice but also follow him. For S. Paul here in this place doth plainly tell us, that we cannot be reckoned for gods servants, unless we walk honestly as in that day. In which words I have to note unto you, & to say some thing of this word walking, because it is very life both in the old, & new testament: and the Lord doth use it often times to give us to understand, how we should order and frame our life. For then are we said to walk honestly as it becometh us, when as we live uprightly and withdraw ourselves from evil. Hereupon the Prophet often times in his book of Psalms going about to live uprightly doth use this word walk. In the first Psal. he says, Blessed is that man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. etc. And in the. 119. Psal. he saith, Blessed are they that are sound in the way, & walk in the law of the Lord, by which two places it appeareth that to live uprightly, & honestly, is nothing else but to walk in the law of the Lord. For if a man live after his own swinging he shall do nothing else but wander out of the right way, and do those things which are neither seemly nor honest. Paul setting down certain precepts concerning manners, and christian life, says I pray you walk worthy of the vocation Ephe. 4. Col. 1. whereunto you are called. And Collo. i he willeth us to walk worthy of the Lord, to please him in all things, and to be fruitful in all good works. So it appeareth that it is not enough for a man to walk unless he walk honestly as in the day. For though all men do walk, yet do not all men walk nonestly, and in the law of GOD, or day light as they should do. Some there be that walk not in the day, but in the night, and such walkers be thieves and robbers which commit wickedness in the night, and when true men are at rest and in their beds. Some other there be that walk in darkness for they have not the true knowledge of Christ, and of his word, but are utterly ignorant in matters pertaining to GOD, and to their salvation. Such walkers were the filthy and polluted Gentiles when as they lay drowned in all kind of filthiness and superstition, in which they continued until Christ, sent his servants to Mat. 22. call them to be partakers of the heavenly marriage. Such walkers be the Turks, which slatly deny Christ, & the gospel seeking for life and salvation by the Alcoran. Such be the jews which seek for salvation by the law and deny Christ which was born of the virgin Mary, to be the son of God, and the true Messiah. Such walkers also be the papists for they make the painful passion of jesus Christ the high ransom of our souls and the only means which god hath used to work our salvation by, to be void and of none effect, by bearing themselves in hand, that they are able to purchase the realm of Paradise, by their own merits. For they walk after their own fancies, & transgress the law of God for their own traditions. Some other there be that walk, but they walk not honestly as in the day, for they walk after the flesh, & not after the spirit. Such walkers as these, are they which delight in nothing but in sin, and wickedness, & which take leave to do naughtily, never striving against their own lusts and wicked affections, but suffering sathan (the enemy of our salvation and welfare) to hale them from one vice to another, even to their own destruction. Such a fleshly walker was Absalon, whose lust was so outrageous, that he defiled his father's wives in the sight of all Israel. And surely as long as men walk after the flesh, and after the manner of this world, which is altogether set upon mischief, they shall every day become worse & worse, & their desire will be nothing else but to draw others into the same sink of sin, whereinto they themselves are already fallen. And these that walk after this fashion, walk disorderly, and they walk in horrible confusion, and in that broad way that leadeth to hell and endless damnation. another kind of walkers there be, which walk honestly as in the day, and these be they which live not after their own swinge, and let loose the bridle to vices, but suffer themselves to be governed by the word of GOD, and walk according to his law. And these because they walk according to the pure word of God, they do those things that are comely & honest. They spend their lives wholly in god's service, and withdraw themselves as much as is possible from all evil. For they do not walk as the wordlinges do, which every day become worse and wofe, but they set GOD always before their eyes, and have a respect to his precepts because they know they cannot do any thing that can escape his sight. Of this walking speaketh god himself in Gene. Whereas he commandeth Gene. 17. Adraham to walk before him and to live uprightly, and truly we shall never walk hnoestlye as we should do unless we set the Lord before our eyes, and think that we live still in his sight. Many do glory of the multitude and boast themselves to be holy and religious men, because they live as the most do, and walk after the manners and customs if their forefathers, but yet the holy ghost doth here tell them, that they shall never walk honestly unless they separate themselves from men, and frame their lives according to the law of God. Here upon it is said that Enoch walked with GOD because he was not perverted by the evil example of others, and although the world, when as he lived, was as corrupt as might be, yet he continued uncorrupted, and considered that it behoved him to walk honestly as in the presence of God. Such a walker was job for he gave himself to the service of God, lived amongst his neighbours without hurting of any person, guile, deceit, and naughtiness was far from him, neither went he about as many d●y in these days, to increase his substance by undoing of poor men. And therefore the Scripture doth rep●●t him to be a sound and job. 1● upright man, and such a one as feared GOD, and withdrew himself from evil. joseph also walked honestly, for although he was alured by his mistress' to do wickedness with her, yet could not he be drawn to destle his masters bed. And although no creature was present when as his maisteres did entice him to folly, yet he walked honestly as in the day, and the fear of GOD preserved him, against her continual temptations. And therefore he said, how can I d●● Gene. 39 this great wickedness and so sin against god. Susanna walked also honestly when as the wicked judges would have deflowered her. For she would not by any Dani. 13. means consent unto them, but being in great distress she sighed & said, I am in trouble on every side, for if I do this thing it is death unto me, if I do it not I cannot escape your hands, Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus hominum, quam peccare in conspectu domini, it is better for me to fall into the hands of men, and not do it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord Zacharias the Priest, & Elizabeth his Luk. 1. wife walked honestly, for they were both just before god, and walked in all the commandments of the Lord All which examples teach us that if we will walk honestly, we must endeavour to keep the commandments of God, and although we see great store of corruptions reigning every where, yet must not we suffer ourselves to be defiled with them, neither must we say as men commonly are wont to do, tush we must needs do as other men do, but we must follow the advise that Paul giveth us in this place, that is, to walk honestly as in the day, and not suffer the world the flesh and the devil to have rule over us. The second part setteth down what 2. Parts. we must shun and avoid if we will live uprightly and walk honestly. The things that we must shun, be gluttony and drunkenness, chambering & wantonness, strife and envying. For whosoever they be that are infected with these vices, walk disorderly, and their life is odious and hateful in the sight of God. And although many men do think these to be no vices, or at leastwise small faults, yet the Apostle doth condemn them for horrible and grievous sins, and doth plainly tell us that there is no honesty nor any fear of God in them, that spend their lives in these vices. But let us examine these vices, and speak of them orderly as they lie in the text, and then shall we better judge whether they be sins or no. The first, is gluttony and drunkenness, the which two vices, are to common at this day in this realm, and for the most part, they are committed at prodigal fasts, and banquetes, and at such time as this is (I mean Christmas). For in Christmas time and at great feasts, gluttons and dronkerdes think they may eat and drink as much as they will, and that it is lawful for them to speak and do whatsoever they think good. Behold them therefore, and you shall see them to pass the bands of all measure, & to commit such disorders as though there were no judge in Heaven, nor hell to swallow up wicked men after this mortal life. Fr●t, they sit down to their meat like brute beasts, without any calling or thinking upon the name of God▪ never destring god to bless their meats. They eat and drink more than is meet and convenient for than, and oftentimes so much as they cannot digest: You shall see them to play the gluttons egregiously, and to gramme themselves like swine, and they never leave lifting of the pots, and carousing one to another till they be out of their wits like beasts. And when they have thus armed themselves, they regard neither friend nor foe, but dare speak and do what so ever cometh to mind. Again these dronkerdes drive GOD from their table, and company, they cannot abide to hear the name of God spoken of, unless it be to take it in vain, and to blaspheme it, with horrible and cursed swearing. Their talk and communication is nothing else, but of ribaldry, and wantonness, of backbiting their neighbours, and of practising mischeyfe against this man and that man. Lo, what evils drunkenness bringeth with it. But yet you shall here more abominations than these, strong drink they esteem of more price & value, than their own souls, their god is their belly, & Philip. 3. therefore they make not haste to come to the church to hear gods word, but as the prophet says, they rise up early Esay. 5. to go to the wine and tavern, whereas they spend the whole day, and many times, a great part of the night, in swallowing and devouring gods benefits without order or measure. If any man yet think that drunkenness is no sin, then give me leave, to tell you in few words what mischiefs and inconveniences proceed thereof. A tree is known by the fruit, so judge of drunkenness by the fruits that spring. thereof. First it hurteth the body it marreth the mind, and consumeth the substance, for by it many men fall into horrible disceases, and sundry times into grievous mischances, sometimes being slain with sudden death as it appeareth by the miserable▪ end of drunken Holiphernes, whose head was cut of in his drunkenness by the hand of Judith. The body with all the parts thereof are so distempered, that the earth them the which there is nothing more stable, and sure, is to drunken men unstable, in so much that they think it moveth and goeth round, and the plain way is unto them like a cave & ditch, the head is brought into that case, that it cannot rule and govern the feet, the eyes are made dim, and fiery, they mar their faces, and put out the true pi●tor that god hath made, they heat their livers and set them all on fire. What causeth the head to ache, the hands to trimble, the tongue to stammer and that no member of the body can discharge and do his duty? drunkenness. Therefore truly says Solomon, to Pro. 24. whom is woe, to whom is sorrow, to whom is strife, to whom is murmuring, to whom are wounds without cause, to whom is redness of the eyes? even to them that tarry long at the wine. It also bringeth men unto whoredom, and into great danger. For the eyes of dronkerdes shall look upon strange women, and their heart shall speak proud things, and they shall be as they that sleep in the top of a mast of a ship Though the Lord speak unto them and say, awake o you dronkerdes, weep and howl, all you that drink wine unmeasurably, yet are they nothing moved there with, for it were almost as good to speak to a dead man as to a drunkard. Secondly, the mind is marred, and sore hurt by it, for dronkerdes commonly are strike with the spirit of blockishenes, and they are like unto madbedlomes, and men that have lost their wits. It maketh them like unto bruit beasts taking away from them all their wit, reason and understanding. Verily it would be a piteous sight to see a man to take his knife to cut of his own fingers and to cast them from him. But a drunkard taketh away from himself his own wit, reason, yea, Eccle 19 and the very mind itself. hereupon saith the wise man that wine taketh away the heart of man, and leadeth wisemen out of the way. Thirdly and last of all, it consumeth the substance, and bring men oftentimes to pitiful calamity Pro. 24. Eccle 19 Hereupon says Solomon, a labouring man that is given to drink, shall never be rich, and for this cause he willeth us not to company with them, for if we do, we shall go with patched and ragged coats. And truly we see this confirmed daily by many examples. These men are no great purchacers of lands, nor men of great revenues, and many which have been left very wealthy by their father's wills, have consumed all that hath been left them, and died very beggars. For they spend much abroad with shame, upon their own bellies, which they might spare by varying at home, with honesty. Many there be that seek to spoil & rob their enemies, and some there be that will steal from their friends, but dronkerdes, rob their own wives and childrne, and are moved with little pity and compassion towards them. Here I know that these alehouse knights will reply and say, that they spend nothing but their own. But to them that use such speech, I make this answer, that their money is not their own, but as the Prophet says, it is the Lords. Thou art but Hag. 2. his steward, and he hath lent thee wealth and riches, not to misspend one farthing or mite unthriftily, and upon things not necessary. God hath made the earth to bring forth fruit, and hath made man lord and king of all his creatures, but yet to use them, not to abuse them. If God have given us riches, and sent us wealth he hath not given it us to spend all upon our own carcases, but to help our wives and childrne withal, to relieve the want of the poor, to bestow some part of it upon them which cry at our gates for relief and comfort, and therefore if thou play the drunkard, bestow all upon thyself, thou playest the part of a strong thief, and robbest thy wife, thy childrne, & the poor needy neighbours, of that which they aught to have to comfort them withal. We must consider also that GOD hath in his word set down how men should use their riches, to whom one day we must give account. For to every one of us it shall be Luk. 16. said give account of thy stewardship. If you sand your servant to the market you will have him to bestow your money, in such sort as you do command him, and not at his own pleasure. So GOD hath given to men money and wealth, but yet therewithal he hath given us a rule how to bestow it. The evil steward because he had Luk. 16. wasted his master's goods was thrust out of his stewardship. So all they which have spent their goods unthriftily, at the alehouse, except they repent, shallbe excluded out of the kingdom of heaven, and after this life▪ they shall suffer hunger and thirst for evermore. Thus you see our money is not our own, to do with it what our list, or to misspend it in riot and wantonness, neither is it lawful to eat and drink to much, but so much as is meet and convenient for us. True it is y● GOD is not offended, with eating and drinking, but he is offended with us, when as we abuse eating and drinking and when as we devours his benefits without measure. But, alas, if ever eating and drinking were abused it is abused at this day, and I think there was never such superfluity of meats, and that the cheer which they made in the days of Noah, was not once comparable to our feasting, that we use at this day. But perchance here some men will say, would you never have us to make good cheer, and to be merry one neighbour with an other, is God offended think you, that we should use any mirth and feasting? Truly I know right well that we may use feasting, one neighbour with another to maintain mutual love and friendship, and I know that GOD would not always have us to be sad, but that he would have us to be merry and giveth us wherewith to be merry. David says, he giveth us wine to Psalm 104. cheer our hearts, and oil to make us cheerful countenances, and sometime sendeth abundance and plenty of things to cheer us up withal. And when GOD sendeth plenty of riches and other good things, it is not evil to use these things to our comfort, and to be glad of them, so that I deny not but that we may rejoice and be merry if God sand us any good cheer or any good success, notwithstanding we aught so to be provided always that we rejoice and be merry as it were in the presence of God. But alas the mirth that we commonly use at such times as this is, is th●t mirth which GOD condemneth. For it is full of vanity, and we cannot keep good cheer, sport, play, and be merry, unless we offend God. In our mirth we use excess, in playing we regard not our ability, and we have in our pastimes no stay of ourselves, and we do all things with out order and measure, neither can we be merry in Christmas time, unless we shut God out of our houses and company, turn our backs upon him, and quite and clean forget him. Truly there be some that will stoutly enough say that they be christians, and they will bear men in hand that they love GOD and his word, they will not stick to come to the church to hear Sermons, and yet when they intent to be merry, they drive away all thought of GOD and of his judgements, and they are not content to do so only, but they will not stick to offend GOD of set purpose, and they cannot be merry, unless they disguise themselves and commit evil. This is the cause why the mirth Luk. ●. of this world, is cursed by the mouth of gods own son, who says in the Gospel, woe be unto you that laugh for you shall mourn, and he pr●ouncethe that the drunken joy, of the wicked, shallbe turned into mourning and grinting of teeth. Therefore take heed to yourselves, eat, and drink soberly, and give god thanks, & hereafter beware you use not any such mirth, as is accursed of God, and which at length will bring nothing but sorrow and heaviness that never shall have end. And in any wise in your feasts take heed of drunkenness, for if you on's fall into this vice, you shall not be able to rule yourselves, although you be never so wise, never so holy, never so mighty and valiant. Who was more holy than Noah? and yet he being drunk was so far beside himself that he forgot the destruction of the world for sin, which he saw with his own eyes, he regarded not his own honesty, but lay naked and Gene. 9 uncovered in his Tent, in somuch that he become a laughingstock to his wicked son Cham. Lot a holy man being drunk, lay with his own daughters, committed abominable incest, got them both with child, never calling to mind how almighty god, had a little before destroyed Sodom and Gomor, and the Gene. 19 Cities adjoining, for abominable and stinking whoredom. Now, if Noah, and Lot, being such excellent men, did fall into such wickedness, being drunk, what shall they do which have no fear of god before their eyes, and which are daily given to this vice. Doubtless they will not stick to commit all kind of villainy. King Herode as it should seem being Mat. 14. cupshoten, and drunk with wine, commanded the holy man john Baptist, to be slain. Who was more mighty and valiant than Alexander, yet he being drunk, commanded his faithful friend Citus to be put to death, which he repented sore when he was sober. Therefore, all that will live uprightly, must flee this vice of drunkenness. But what? though we eat and drink soberly, yet for all this, we cannot be counted, good christians, and to live uprightly if we commit fornication or whoredom. And therefore Paul willeth us to flee also chambering & wantonness: Heb 13. by which he means not the bed of matrimony, which S. Paul says is honourable amongst all men, & the bed undefiled. For marriage is god's ordinance, Gen. ●. it was instituted in Paradise, in the time of man's innocency, when as yet there was no sin: And god himself says, that it is not good for man to live Gene. ●. alone without a help. And Paul saith, he that doth marry doth not sin in so doing, and he 1. Cor. ●● commandeth all men, which have not the gift of contynencie, to marry, and to keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body. Abraham, job, David, were married, and yet their wives were no impediments unto them, to talk with God. Therefore no doubt the Apostle doth here command us to keep the seventh precept, and that we suffer not ourselves to be defiled, with any uncleanness, and lustful intemperance of the flesh, but that we chastened, and continently order all the parts of our life, that we run not forth into any unbridled lust, and company with any woman out of marriage. And seeing Paul doth here name chambering and wantonness, under these terms, no doubt he comprehendeth all things, whereby man or woman is moved, and enticed to fornication and whoredom: as filthy and unclean talk, whorish and garish attire, amorous songs and sonites, love letters, wanton dancing and kissing, & all such like, whereby the flesh of man is provoked to lust and concupiscence. If the● we will walk honestly, we must not let our minds burn inwardly with lust, nor look wanton upon women, to lust after them, nor suffer our bodies to be trimmed up in pride and bravery, our tongues must not talk filthily, neither we hearken unto such speech as is not seemly. It is a dangerous thing to stand gasinge after women, or to be alone with them in corners, to behold their beauty, when as they have on their garish attire, and begin to look with wanton eyes. Rubin the son of jacob, seeing his father's wife Billa bathing herself in a well, had his mind so set upon her, that he could not sleep & take rest till he had committed abomination, for he seeing her lying a sleep in her chamber uncovered, went in unto her and committed wickedness. But joseph his brother walked not in the ignorance of youthfulness and fornication, neither could he be brought by his mistress the Egyptian woman, to defile his masters bed although she used (as I said afore) many means to allure him thereunto. And therefore GOD so blessed him, that he found favour both in the sight of God and men. But, alas, few josephes' there be at this day, but we find many like unto Rubin, which burning with the flame of lust and concupiscence, do nothing else, but lie in wait and watch how they may defile other men's beds. And because this vice, is not restraned by sharpness of laws, many think that there is no office at all in whorehuntinge, supposing it to be a sport, to rob virgins and wives of their honessye, which aught to be esteemed of more price and value then any gold. But if we will judge uprightly of whoredom, we must not judge of it as many do, which with brazen faces and impudent mouths will say, tush, what is whoredom? it is but a trick of youth, a pastime, a dalliance, a venial sin, and a light fault. Alas, alas, these words will go for no payment, and these excuses will not excuse them, when as the law of god & their own guilty consciences shall accuse them in the day of judgement. At which time the Lord will reward them according to their deeds. Then shall they know that it is some thing to break the law and commandment of GOD, who says thou shalt not commit whoredom, then shall they know how vile a thing it is to defile their bodies, which aught to be houses and temples for the holy ghost to devil in. S. Paul says, that all other sins are without the body, but he that committeth whoredom sinneth against his own body, and yet men will have it to be no sin. If one man rob another of his goods, he is strait way punished, and meet it is he should so be. But whoredom is more than a simple robbery, for by it men are spoiled not only of their substance, but also of their honour, honesty, & sometimes of their lives. If a tenant keep not the covenants that are agreed upon betwixt himself and his Landlord, he shall be sure to smart for it. But marriage is a holy league & covenant, and the man doth promise to the woman and likewise the woman to the man that they willbe true and faithful each to other, and this promise is made before God and his Church, and yet the breaking of it is thought to be nothing. But if men would consider how they do by whoredom transgress the law of god, vnhalow the temple of god, & his holy spirit, break their promise made in the presens of god, and his angles, make shipwreck of their honesty, set fire to their own bodies, and bring destruction to their souls, they would shun whoredom more than they do. If these reasons will not persuade you that whoredom is a horrible sin in the sigh of God, than ●all to mind what hath been the end of all them in all ages which have spent their lives in this filthy vice. The people that lived in the first age which spent their time in whoredom, were suddenly caught with the vengeance of God, and drowened. For the whole universal world Gen. 7. was overflowede with water for whoredom. The Sodomites being given to this Gen. 19 vice were consumed with▪ heavenly fire. We read that four and twenty thousand perished for whoredom, the judges were hanged up against the sun. What happened for ravishing of Dina the daughter of jacob, and Gene. 34. how that fact was revenged the 34. chapter of Gen. doth plainly declare. Saint Paul says that whoremongers and adulterers the Lord Heb. 13. will judge. In the revelation of john we read Ap. 22. that they that keep the commandments of God, shall go to heaven, and there reign eternally with Christ, but whoremongers shallbe shut out, and be cast into the lake which flameth with fire and brimstone. Now if god spared not the whole world, if he showered down fire and brimstone from heaven, upon Sodom and Gomorra, if four and twenty thousand were destroyed and all for whoredom, let us not think that he will spare this realm of England, if we continued still from one year to another in whoredom, never finding any time to repent. Wherefore as many as will live uprightly and walk honestly, must detest & abhor this vice. And to the end that we be not defiled therewith, we must banish queans and harlots and not suffer them to eat our bread, and to lodge within our gates. A serpent is a dangerous thing to be kept in a man's bosom, and we cannot daily keep company with evil persens without great danger, he that toucheth piche shallbe defiled. Therefore he that will live uprightly must shun whoredom & all things that are provocations thereunto. The third thing that we must shun, is strife and envying, under which two names is comprehended all things that strive against brotherly love, and godly peace and quietness. For out of all doubt, good agreement and freindshippe amongst men, is as pleasant a thing unto God as can be. Therefore says the psalm. Ecce quam bonum et quam jucundum habitare Psal 13●. fratres in unum. Behold how good and joyful a thing it is, brethrne to devil together in unity, it is like the dew that fallen down from heaven upon the ground to give nourishment unto it, and like unto the oil that dropped down from Aaron's beard, so as the sent of it was shed over all his raiment. Whereby it plainly appeareth that god loveth peace and amity amongst men, and is well pleased when one embraceth an other with hearty love. S. Paul therefore here doth exhort us to love, and telleth us that we can not live uprightly if we be ready to snatch at one another like cats and dogs, and to cut one another's throat. And yet nevertheless there are some so given to dissension and quarreling, that they care not what mischief they commit, so that they may satisfy their cruel hearts and lusts of revenging. And whereas we are commanded to overcome evil with goodness, and if our enemy hunger to feed him, if he thirst to give him drink. Yet are we so far from performing of it, that at every little and small trifle we are ready to go to the law, to draw out our sword, and to fight it out one with an other. But if we would a little consider, the fruits that springe out of envy, contention, brawling, chiding, and such like, or if we could now open our eyes and look upon the wars, that are inflamed throughout all christendom, the bodies that have been slain, the blood that hath been spilled, and the Cities, Towns, and Kingdoms, that have been rend and torn in sunder, through envy and contention, it were enough to move us, to hate and detest this vice above all others. Let us then a little consider the fruits that spring out of this tree. First if a man be envious, or at debate with his neighbour he cannot eat and drink in rest, he is always ready to hurt and harm the party whom he envieth, he rejoiceth at his fall, and pineth away at his prosperity. Again, we see how devilish men become when they are once chased. For they are then ready in furious wise, to run headlong into destruction, than they suffer their naughty affections to have the bridle and to overmaster all wit and reason. Yea and though they be never so wise, yet in their anger they will behave themselves like very fools. For is not he a very fool which will go about to make the fire to burn better which is kindled to much already. If a man see his house on fire he will cry out strait way for water: but if he feel himself set all on fire with envy he seeketh not to quench it, but putteth more matter unto it to make it to burn the more. Wherefore Paul doth tell us that we cannot please GOD unless we shake of all ill will, and tread all strife and contention under foot. And here we have to note, that although he setteth down strife before envy, yet in order is envy first and the springe head as it were from whence strife and contention sloweth. What is the cause that one seeketh the overthrow of another? Mary the envy and spite that one beareth towards another. Satan envying that good and happy estayte of our first parents was Gone 3. never content until he had brought them out of felicity into great misery. Cain envying his innocent brother Abel sought means to take away his life, and because there was no body Gone 4. to stay him, he brought his wicked purpose to pass. The sons of jacob being moved with envy sold joseph, and went about to destroy him. Saul envied David, and would have killed him unless that GOD had delivered him out of his bloody hands. Herodias envied john baptist, and Mar. 6● therefore she sought his death. For they being the childrne of the devil could not abide the childrne of God. Therefore, let us take heed of envy and embrace one another with brotherly love, and let there be such a band of friendship amongst us that we may be knit & tied together as members of one body, let us detest drunkenness and wantonness with all other vices, and now at the length after so many admonytions, threatenings, and warnings, learn to walk honestly as in the day, and to do those things that beccommeth the true servants of GOD and disciples of Christ. Last of all, after that the Apostle hath exhorted 3. Parts us to cast away the works of darkness, and put of the old man, he setteth before us a new garment, and willeth us to take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. Wherein first we have to consider how that the apostle calleth Christ a garment. This similitude of clothing and allegory of garments is often used in the holy scriptures The garments given to our first parents, Gone 3. had these properties, to cover their shame and nakedness, to defend them from could and weather, and so forth. Even so jesus Christ is here compared to a garment, and we are willed Ma●. 22. to put him on, because he is the wedding garment spoken of in the gospel, ●. john 1 whose righteousness doth covey our unrighteousness, whose innocency doth hide our filthiness, whose blood doth wash away our sins, & by whom we are defended from death, hell and everlasting damnation. For Christ is the white raiment and apparel spoken of in the Apoca. which doth hide and clothe our filthy nakednsse, that it doth not appear. And he is the apparel which we are commanded to keep, lest we walk naked, and men see our filthiness. He that hath put on this garment, needeth not to seek for any other thing to cover and hide his sins: and whosoever he be that hath not put on Christ, is odious and hateful in the sight of God. And the kings which made a marriage for his son, at the last day when as he shall come to vi●e and see his guests, will says unto him, friend how camest thou hither not having on a wedding garment, and command him to be cast into utter darkness. This garment have all they put on which believe truly and sincerely in jesus Christ, which express their faith by well doing, endeavouring every day, more and more to restrain the lusts and pleasures of the flesh. And truly it is meet and convenient 〈…〉 t we which have▪ given ourselves to Christ in Baptism, should re〈…〉 ce the affections of the flesh; 〈◊〉 be content to be governed by his holy and gracious spirit, which hath shed his most precious blood for us. And very needful it is to consider th●se last words, wherein we are willed to take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. For Paul doth not say that Satan shall not tempt us, and that we shall not have store of provocations, because he knew right well that Satan and our own wicked lusts, would 〈◊〉 ready every day to persuade us, to that which is evil. Therefore we must always wrath 〈…〉 e against them; and take 〈◊〉 that we suffer them not to overcome us and get the victory of us. And although we be by nature so corrupt, and of ourselves are so inclined to all evil, that we cannot choose but sin daily: yet if we fulfil not the lusts of the flesh, but still seek to tame and keep them under, he will not impute our sins unto us. True it is that wicked lusts and sinful affections, will always devil in us, so long as we live in this world, and therefore it behooveth us, always to keep good watch and ward, and to be in a readiness to fight against them, and in any wise to take heed that we suffer them not to have the mastery over us. Whereas he willeth us to take no thought for the flesh, he teacheth us nothing else, but that we should not live after the flesh. Otherwise you know we are bond to clothe our bodies, to feed them, and to make provision not only for ourselves, but also for our families & ned● brethren and we must have some care of them. Therefore he doth not say take no thought to provid any thing for the flesh, labour not, sow not, reap not, etc. But he saitht, ache no thought for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Whereby it appeareth that he entreateth not here of the substance of the flesh, but only of the corruptions thereof, by which we are drawn to sin, and so from God. We must have a care, to provide raiment for our bodies, but we must not have a care to clothe them wantonly, and to prance up & down in pride and bravery, we must provide for ourselves meat and drink, and also for our families, but yet we must eat and drink soberly, and do it in such sort as we aught to do, otherwise we fulfil the lusts of the flesh. But how is this counsel of Paul followed at this day? truly nothing at all. There is no vice, no wickedness but it is daily committed amongst us. The great men of the world whom God hath blessed with lands, rents, & revenues, swallow up poor men in such sort, that it may worthily amaze both men and Angels, and all men of all ages and of all degrees, are so poisoned with the ve 〈…〉 e of covetousness, that they seek by hook and crook to come by living, and it is apparent, that they prefer frail and vain riches, before the treasure of eternal life. Besides this vice of covetousness, whoredom so much aboundeth that all men may easily see, that marriage love decayeth, and whoredoms love increaseth. We are so lofty, that we have forgotten ourselves to be mortal men. And it is to bad to see how we swell like toads, with the poison of pride. Again, eating and drinking was never so much abused, for we make our bellies our God, and our kitchens our religion, and so that we be crammed with dainty meats, we care not though our souls perish and starve for hunger. To be brief, men are not ashamed of sin, neither do they care for honesty. For we live and behave ourselves, as though Christ did not sit judge in heaven. Yea, such is the ungraciousness of this time, that unless, the Lord shorten these wicked days, iniquity will have the upper hand, and no flesh shallbe saved, and therefore unless we repent in time, for sake all naughty and filthy vices, and hereafter walk honestly as in the day, we shall feel and taste of judgement without mercy, and after this life be cast into the fire of damnation, from the which place of torment almighty GOD, for his son Christ sake defend us all, to whom with the holy ghost be all praise, honour, and glory, world with out end Amen. FINIS.