¶ A new years gift, wherein is taught the knowledge of ourself and the fear of God. Worthy to be given and thankfully received of all Christian men. Imprinted at London by Robert Crowley dwelling in The rents in Holb●rn. The year of our Lord. M. D. xlix. the last day of December ☞ Autore eodem Roberto Croleo ¶ Cum prunlegio ad imprimendum solum. ¶ To the Christian Reader. Have here (gentle reader) a thing very small In utter aparaunce (as thou mayest well see) And yet in effect it containeth all That Christ in his Gospel requireth of thee, Wherefore as a miroure or glass let it be, Wherein thou mayst see thine own Image plain, And have thereby cause thy lust to restrain. AS bread to the hungry is better than gold And Drink in out drought, a treasure most high: And as the fire pleaseth the man that is cold So doth honest knowledge such as be witty. Proverb. ix. For such men do feel themselves eased thereby. And as the man that doth a great treasure find So are they delighted therewith in their mind. ¶ Intending therefore to give to the wise. A present of pleasure at this newyets tide A more pleasant thing. I could not devise among all the treasure of this world so wide To such men as be not puffed (up with pride) Then for to teach them with words most plain By what means they might all their vices refrain ¶ First see that ye learn yourself for to know From whence ye are come, Rom. xiiii. and whither you shall And that God will judge as well high as low When he shallbe set on his tribunal. Not fearing the great, nor sparing the small But giving to all men of every degree accordingly as their doing shall be. two Cor. v. ☞ For who so that knoweth himself thoroughly Shall never be haute nor lofty of mind But shallbe in heart evermore low lie Confessing the faults that are in mankind. The love of himself shall him never blind. Esai. lxiiii He shall know himself to be but vile dust Which knowledge shall cause him to bridle his lust. ¶ If he be a king, a Lord or a knight And have of his country the chief governance He shall ever have himself in his sight When flattering fortune shall him advance. His rents and his fees he shall not oer. hance For he shall always have mind of his end And study the innocent for to defend. Eccle. seven. ☞ For why he ne knoweth how soon he shall go To dust whence he came as nature doth bind And certain he is to have endless woe If happily he frame not his heart and his mind With all his endeavour to search and to find The way that shall lead him into endless bliss Which all men have lost by that one did amiss ☞ He knoweth not the time, Rome. v. the manner nor place Of his going hence, it is so uncertain Wherefore he will call to God for his grace To govern the Fancies of his fleshly, brain That after this life he may live and reign With the king of all kings, who giveth the same To all that do ask it in Christ (his sons) name. john. xiiii. ☞ In fine, all estates what so ever they be That do know themself, Eccles. vil. & think on their end Will seek to walk right in their own degree And all their enormities for to emend. And that which they seek for, god will them send. For he of his promise is certain and sure And will be as long as this world shall endure. Math. seven. ☞ I areade you therefore this knowledge to get With all manner haste and expedite speed Removeing all things that may do you let lest haply ye lack it in time of your need And count yourself corn when you be but vile weed Or else to be branches of Christ the true vine When your fruit is apt to make no good wine. ☞ first know that the matter whereof ye do grow Is more vile in sight then the dirt of the street. Gene. ●● And when ye be grown up ye do not know how Then do ye begin away for to fleet Even as doth the flood after plenty of weet job. xiiii. And when ye be furnished best to enoure Then of your abiding you are most unsure Your nourishing up in your tender age Is very painful, and right daingerous And when ye be strong, then gin you to rage And to follow manners voluptuous Not one among twenty is found desirous To furnish himself with manners upright And to be found honest in every manes sight ¶ Yea where have we one that doth him apply To any good thing by his own accord? Psal. xiiii. without chastisment we do nothing pardie Till we be out of the reach of the rod Except special grace be given us of god To bridle our lust and our fleshly will Which can of it self do nothing but ill ☞ And when we be come to our own governance Then either we endeavour right shortli to clime Or else do we give up ourself to pastance And in Idleness consume all our time As though Idleness were not a foul cryine. Math xxiiii. Luke. xii. And for to misspend that god hath us sent Did not at gods hand, deserve punishment ☞ Now when we wax old and draw to our end. Then entereth Avarice into our heart And causeth that when we ought chiefli to emend We are given wholi to the contrary part No promise nor threatening can us convert Unless the lord god do draw us by his grace Forgeveinge our sins and our wicked tresp●se. ☞ Thus see ye how vile, how k●e●ke and how wild How wickedly bent, and how abominable How hard to emend, and eke how detyl●e. Ye are, and in all points how miserable, How in your desires unsatiable And how of yourself ye be worst in the end When reason would rather that ye should emend ¶ Consider therefore yourself in this glass And let not your Image go out of your sight And then I ne doubt it will come well to pass That you shall endeavour to walk still upright And in the lords law to set your delight Psal. xviii. So that by his grace ye shall never blinne To call for his mercy and repent your sin ¶ This done, you must learn that god is your judge Who judgeth all men withouten respect. job. xxxiiii. He is not afraid of your arms huge Nor of the strong forts that you do erect. He is ever able such things too deject. And will when he lusteth beat down to the ground All such mighty things, Gen. iiii. wherso they be found He feared not Cain that killed Abel No more did he spare poor Lamech the blind Stout Nembroth also that builded Babel, Gene. x. In part of his plagues was nothing behind: Gene. nineteen. The filthy Sodoms did small favour find Right so did in Egipte the king Pharaoh, Exo. xv. And Nabuchodonozer with other more. Dani. iiii. ☞ What should I rehearse how in wilderness Nun. xi. Exod. xxxii. He plagued his people that oft did repine And how afterward for unthankfulness They planted the vines & drank not the wine such is the power of the Godhead divine Wherefore I advise you for to repent. Before he do come to sit in judgement. ¶ For when he is set, he will judge you right It is them to late for mercy to crave And in no place can you be out of his sight For he seeth the corners of every cave To him lieth open both hell and the grave. Psal. xxxxix. Wherefore while you may do there upon think And let the lords fear into your hearts sink. ☞ Embrace the lords fear: for thereof doth springe The rote of all wisdom, Psalms, xxi. as David doth say And if ye lack that then know ye nothing Belonging unto the heavenly way. For upon gods fear all knowledge must stay Else must it needs be reproved as vain Because it proceedeth of manes Idle brain. ¶ But knowledge that doth spring out of the lords fear Is evermore constant, certain and sure And causeth each man his cross for to bear And in all his trouble for to endure It causeth a man to have little pleasure, In any thing that doth upon the earth lie And to seek his comfort in heaven on high. ☞ God's fear teacheth as to seek for his will And eke for to frame our life to the same Right so doth it teach us to do no man ill In hurting his person or staineing his fame It teacheth us to lead a life without blame. And to do our best to profit all men With all the gifts that God hath to us given. ☞ Thus knowing myself, and fearing the Lord I wish to all men a lucky new year, And grace for to seek after peace and concord That the love of Christ may in them appear And that banqueting in spiritual there They may all their faults espy d●●…em end Before the twelve months be come to an end. Finis.