A ●OOKING GLASS of Mortality.  
Not very pleasant at the first view to many men, but yet most necessary, profitable and commodious for all sorts of people of what estate, dignity, or calling soever they be.  
With an Exhortation to good life annexed: Wherein are treated all such things at appertain unto a Christian to do, from the beginning of his conversion, until the end of his perfection.  
Made by I. B.  
Printed at London by R. F. for john Oxenbridge, dwelling at the sign of the Parrot in Paul's churchyard.  
1599   

DEATH TO THE careless youth.  

YOu careless youth look well on me,  
For as I am, so shall you be:  
I am the wight, at length that must  
Lay all your glory in the dust:  
'tis I, 'tis I, that gives the fall  
To every one, though near so tall:  
No wealth, no strength, nor policy  
Can make resistance unto me.  
Wherefore let this be still your song,  
Dead shall I be, ere it be long.   

Death to the gallant dainty Dames.  

YE gallant Dames, behold your doom,  
To this at length you all must come:  
Though near so fine, you are but dust,  
Though near so loath, away you must:  
I daunt your pride, I pull your plumes,  
To stench I turn, your sweet perfumes:  
Your Rings, your Chains, your rich array,  
Yea life and all ● take away.  
Let this therefore ●●●cke your song,  
Dead shall I be, ere it be long.     

THE AUTHOR TO the Reader.  

Let every man, if he be wife,  
Though he be not expressed by name.  
With judgement deep, and good advise,  
Mark well this Glass: for in the same  
A perfect picture painted is,  
Of everlasting bale or bliss.  
Most sure we are, that we must die,  
But when, or how, God only knows:  
O ten times happy then, say I,  
Is he that well his time best owes:  
But woe to him ten thousand fold,  
Whom death as prisoner fast doth hold.    

A LOOKING GLASS OF MORTALITY.  

That of necessity all men must die.  
THat we must all once die, there is no Atheist so incredulous, nor no fool so senseless, 
Eccle. 9.5.  but doth know and confess the same; being compelled thereunto, not only by the authority of the holy Scriptures and learned Fathers, but also by daily and hourly experience. The sentence is given, which cannot be recalled: 
●●●n. 3.19.  dust we are & into dust we must needs return again, we all must die, and sink into the ground like waters, which returneth not again: 
Reg. 〈◊〉 145.  Man that is borne of a woman, faith job, hath, but a short time to line, and that little time also that he hath is replenished with manifold miseries, his days be short, 
●●el. 17.3.  & the hour of death is uncertain, the number of his months are set down which he cannot pass, but when they are complete, there is no remedy but die he must: Quis est homo qui vivit & non videbit mortem: What man is he that liveth and shall not die? surely not one, for all flesh is but Grass, 
Psa. 88.49. Esa. 40.  and all our glory but as the Flowers of the field, which to day flourish and to morrow whither and are cast into the furnace, 
Mat. ●. ●.  when Death cometh with his Siclein hand to have in his harvest, he looketh not on the green and flourishing years of young Ganymedes, he regardeth not the Purple robes of Senators, nor passeth not a straw for Croesus' yellow crowns, 
Eccl. 88  he feareth not the force of Mars, nor subtlety of Mercury: neither Caesar, nor Alexander, could resist him, neither Solomon nor V lisses beguile him. Neque salunb●● impium, neither shall the wickedness of the wicked help him, but down he must amongst the rest: Grass we are, 
Rom. 5. 2●.  and as Grass will he mow us, all have sinned, and for sin we all must die. It is decreed that all must once die, but woe to him that dieth twice, the first death parteth soul and body, 
job. 9 ●ors 2.  the second death separateth both body & soul from God, the first depriveth us of temporal pleasures, 
●poc. 2.  the second bereaveth us of everlasting joys.  
Well may we all stand in fear of death: for in what state he findeth us, 
●ug. in Epist 〈◊〉  in that estate shall we be presented before the tribunal seat of God: neither shall we when we depart carry any thing with us but our good deeds and our bad; naked came we into the world, 
〈◊〉.  & naked must we departed again, & when we are dead, there is no difference at all between one Carcase and another, 
Amb. inexuner●.  unless perchance the rich man's Corpse stink more vilely than the poor man's doth, neither doth it make much to the matter, whether we have lived ten or ten hundred years, for when our glass is run out, and inevitable death is come, all is one in effect, 
Hiero. ad Heliodor.  but that he that hath lived longest, shall have the greater burden of sin to bear and the more to account for: much better is it to liué a little while and virtuously, 
Sene. 79. Epist.  than a thousand years wickedly: better is one day to a wise and learned man, than a very long life to him that liveth lewdly and followeth his sensualities.  
But what make I so much a do, to prove so plain a matter by so many authorities of sacred Scriptures and holy Fathers? the very heathens themselves that knew not God, do in their writings confess the same; 
Plato.  ask Plato what he thinketh of this life, and he will answer you, Sapientum vita meditatio est mortis, that is, the life of wise men ought to be a perpetual meditation of death, which will come, nothing more sure, but when and how, no man cant tell, 
Seneca Ep. 72.  ask Seneca his judgement herein, and he will not only confirm that I have said, but prove it by experience. Certum est (faith he) vitam mortémque per vices ire & composite a dissolui, & dissolute a componi, omne humanum genus quodcunque est, quodcunque erit morte damnatum est, etc. 
Arist. Corruption 〈◊〉 est generatio alte●●●ius.  It is certain, that life and death come and go by turns: things made and compounded are to be dissolved, and being dissolved are to be made again. All generations of men whatsoever are or shall be condemned to die, and the Cities that now are builded shall one day decay, and men shall ask, where stood such a town? And again, 
Seneca. 25.  Morior nec primus nec ultimus, omnes me antecesserunt, omnes sequent hac conditione intravi, ut exirem. All those that lived before me, are dead & gone before me, and all that are to come shall follow me. I came into the world upon that condition, 
Seneca. 24. Ep.  that I should departed again: And as long as I live I daily die, for some part of my time doth daily shorten, and as my years increase, so doth my life decrease, our Infancy, our childhood, and all our youth, even unto yesterday is lost, all our time passed is perished, & even this very day we dined with death. And as old age cometh after youth, so death followeth old age. Yet would I not wish thee to live in hope of long life, 
Seneca. 1. Epi.  for thou knowest not in what corner death doth lie in wait for thee: and seeing thou knowest not where he lurketh, it were good for thee to expect him every hour, and suspect him every where. And if death be to be feared, 
Seneca Epi. ●0.  he is always to be feared: for what hour is secure from death? yet to the end thou mayst not fear death, be thou always mindful of him: Thus far Seneca. who though he were a heathen, may set us all to school. O keycold Catholic! o negligent Christian! how canst thou hear this without blushing? how art thou not confounded to think hereupon? Shall Infidels that know nor God, teach thee to live like a Christian? shall heath as that neither hoped for heaven or feared hell, teach us how to live & die well? what can we say to this? surely I fear me much, that as they are our schoolmasters now in this point, so shall they be our accusers and judges at the latter day: they expected no reward after this life, yet daily endeavoured to live and die well, and we that believe that there is a most just and upright judge, that shall reward the good with everlasting glory, and the bad with perpetual pains, never or very seldom think on death, but live as if there were no such smatter.  
Heu vi●●●t homines tanquans mors nullu sequatur,  
Et velut Infernum fabula vana for●●.  
Men live and yet believe not, that death shall over take them:  
The pains of hell they fear not, But fables they do make them.   

What great commodity cometh unto man by continual meditation and memory of death.  
MEmento homo quia pulvis es in pulverem reverteris. 
Gen. 3.  Remember o man that thou art but dust, and into dust shalt thou return again, nothing so much daunteth the pride of man, as the remembrance of his base beginning, and miserable ending. If we remember what we were in our mother's womb, we cannot but blush for shame, If we consider what we are now, we shall find many causes to weep & lament, and if we die, way well what we shall shortly be, we should both tremble and quake for fear: Our beginning was such as with honesty it cannot be named, our present state so full of miseries as no man can number them, and our passage out of this life so painful and perilous, as no tongue can tell or pen express the same: men would think hereupon, 
Deut. 3 ●●  O that and prudently foresee & provide for this dreadful hour. Ah God, how many thousand souls lie now broiling and burning in hell, cursing & banning, that ever they were borne, and all for want of these considerations, which had they remembered, they might perhaps have been happy ●oules and glorious Saints in heaven.  
The memory of death is a most precious preservative against all pestilent diseases of the soul, and a present remedy for all sickness of sin whatsoever. The memory of death is the mother of humility, the nurse of all virtues, the bane of pride, and step dame of all vices. The memory of death purgeth all misdemeanour, dissolute and light behaviour, and preserveth us from all heinous crimes and enormities whatsoever. Memor are novissima tua (faith Solomon) & in aeternum non peccabis. 
Eccle. 7.  Remember thy last things, and thou shalt never sin. As for example, who could take pride to behold himself in a Glass, or to look upon his strait and well set legs, or to hear himself commended for his comeliness of person, if he remembered that: 
Psalm.  Adhuc pusillum & non erit peccatum, sed in modica fossa computresoenti & ossa. After a little while sinful man must die, and then he shall be put into a little hole of the ground, where both flesh and bones shall rot and consume to nothing. Or who would be delighted to hear himself prattle, or glory in his ready and pregnant wit, if he did bethink him, that Post hominem vermes, post vermem foetor, sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo. Shortly, perhaps to morrow, perhaps to day his tongue shall falter, his voice decay, his memory fail him, his wits forsake him, and he of a man become worms meat, and that which the maggots shall refuse, shall rot & stink most horribly. Who could glory of his noble parentage, or brag of worshipful predecessors, if he did remember that, Post miserum funus & umbra sumus. Surely if we did with the eyes of our consideration, look well into their graves, we should find greater matter of confusion then of glory. And if we did enter some what deeper into the matter, & way in what estate their poor souls be in hell, we should, I doubt not, have greater cause to quake and tremble, then to brag and boast of such ancestors.  
Where are now Alexander the great, Antiochus, Herod and other such, whose prid● surpassed so far, as they we●● not ashamed to take on them the title of gods? yea where are those gods themselves, Saturn, jupiter, Mars, Mertury, Bacchus, Venus, luno, and the rest: where are they? their divine flesh and bones are turned into dirt and dust, 
Baruch. 3.  and their sacred souls broiling in everlasting fire. Where are now all those Caesars and Senators of Rome, who so many years together commanded all the world, and ruled all the roast? where are now all those heathen kings, that in ancient times commanded men and beasts, which recreated themselves with the birds and fowls of the air, which put their trust and confidence in gold & silver, and never were satisfied in hoarding up of riches? Exterminati sunt, & ad inferos descendunt, & alif loco eorum surrex e●unt. They are extermined perished and descended into hell, and others are risen i● their room. 
job.  They passed the●● days in all kind of dalliance & delights, & in a trice descende● into the gulf of everlasting grief, where perpetual torments and eternal horror doth inhabit and remain.  
And who would set by worldly muck and pelf, if h● remembered these words of ou● Saviour: 
Luke. 12.  Thou fool, this night shall they take thy soul fro●● thee, and the goods that tho●● hast gathered together, who●● shall they be? Or who would no●● fear to be clothed in Purple & 〈◊〉 Velvet, and far deliciously every day, if he remembered tha● poor Lazarus which died 〈◊〉 famine, 
Luke. 16.  was by the Angels ca●●ried to heaven, and the rich glutton died and was buried in ●ell; or thought upon these words of David: 
Psal. 49.  The rich men leave their goods to aliens and strangers, their grave must be their house for ever: Et usque in eternum non videbunt lumen.  
Lo here the last will & testament of worldly wise men, they give their goods to strangers, 
Psal. 48.  which spend them faster than they gathered them, & many times go together by the cares for the same, the devil hath their souls, and the worms their bodies: o miserable end! o detestable testament! what wise men living would not wish rather to live & die with Lazarus then with the rich glutton?  
What gaineth the Queen's moils by their great burdens of silver, plate, & other treasures wherewith they are loden● Surely nothing but a galle● back, for when they come ●● the Inn, their treasure is take from them, and they naked, t● red and galled, as they be, a● turned into the stable.  
So rich men gain nothing by their coffers, crammed wi● Crowns, and sacks full of s●●uer, but a conscience pitiful galled with many a grievous crime, & when life is at an en● they are by their friend's stripped to their skin, and nake● tired, and galled as they b● thrust into the stinking stab● of hell, where they shall be● said worse than Moils, ●● Moils in the stable shall ●● well dressed and curried, w● said with provender, and ha● as much water as they w● drink: but the worldly r●● ●en in hell shall find none to ettie them, but millions of di●ls to torment them: they ●all eat and gnaw their own flesh for hunger, and if they would give ten thousand ●orlds for one little drop of ●ld water, 
Luke. 16.  they shall not have 〈◊〉.  
Well, live a worlding he that will, Moriatur anima mea ●orte justorum. God grant ●e to die the death of Just men, and during life to think continually thereupon: The memory of death maketh us humble, meek, lowly, obedient, charitable, loving, courteous, and benign, obedient to our superiors, humble to our betters, lowly to our equals, meek and benign to our inferiors, subjects and servants, charitable to the poor, loving to our neighbours, ●● courteous to all sorts of people as well strangers as acquaintance, poor as rich, foes●● friends.  
The memory of death 〈◊〉keth us chaste and continent, ●●tient and peaceable, watch 〈◊〉 wise and wary, compunct a● contrite, it mitigateth all ●● moderate affections, and q●● lifieth all inordinate passions ● helpeth all diseases of the min●● and healeth all sickness of t●● soul, it turneth imperfection into perfections, and of grievous sinners maketh glorious Saints. And to conclude, th● that attire themselves by th● Glass, and spend their day● in meditating hereupon, 〈◊〉 generations shall call the● blessed: & in die malae liber ab●●um Dom●nus a sagitta volan● indy, à negotio perambulantè in tenebr●s: ab incursu, & daemonio meridiano, 
Luke. 1. Psal 40.  In the evil day God shall deliver them from the arrow that flveth by day, fronthe busy devil that walketh by night, from in cursion and from the devil that walketh even at noon day, he that continually expecteth death, cannot but live well, and he that liveth well must needs die well: he therefore that desireth to live and die well, let him bear well in mind that he is dust, and into dust he must return again. Although that which is already said concerning this matter, might suffice any wise man or woman in the world, and cause them to look to themselves & prepare for their dying day, yet for that I know many to be of such gross and dull capacity as they cannot perceive, or conceive any thing, unless it be i● such order set down, as they may in a manner grope & feel●● the fame, I will for their sakes set before their eyes, the lamentable complaint of one attached by death, long before he looked for him or imagined him to by so near: wishing all men that read the same, grace and wisdom, by his example to beware least the like also happen unto them, which God defend.  
This man in the flower o● his time fell so sick, as both Physicians and all other his friends thought him but a dead man, & willed him to prepare himself for God, the which when he heard, it did so ama●● him, as for a long time he could not utter one word, his grief was so great, and his fear so far surpassed all measure: at the last with great abundance of tears, which like to little streams trickled down his cheeks, he burst forth into these or the like words following.  
Ah cruel death, how hast thou entrapped me: how am I entangled in thy snares, that thought myself far out of thy reach? I imagined that I had yet many years to live & a long race to run: but alas my Glass is run out, and my days are vanished like a shadow. 
Psal. 5.4. Psal. 101.  Timor & tremor venerunt super me, & contexerunt me tenebrae. The fear of death hath oppressed me, in the gulf of endless grief am I drenched, and the sorrows of hell have compassed me about, and hemmed me in on every side, 
Psal. 17.  there is no hope of recovery, no help, no refuge, 
Psalms.  no way to escape, but needs must I end my days in deep despair, and most extreme misery: 
Psal. 101.  my youthful days are vanished like smoke, my bones are dry as sticks, my flesh withered like hay, & my heart parched up, for that I have forgotten to eat my meat; thus am I suddenly brought to nought, that thought myself no small man in the view of the world.  
Ah cursed world, woe be to me that ever I followed thy vanities; 
job. 3.  woe, woe, ten thousand times that ever I knew thee● Ah God, how happy had I bi●● if I had never been borne●● How happy if I had died i● my mother's womb, and ber● carried from her belly to my grave? 
〈◊〉. 41.  O death how grievous is the remembrance of thee unto a man, whose pleasure and only felicity is set on worldly vanities, as mine was? I could never abide to think on thee, but now I am enforced to feel thee to mine inexplicable pain and remediless grief: I would not hearken to those that gave me good counsel, but counted them fools, that lived continually looking for death, persuading myself that I should live methusalem's years. But now alas, though it be late, I find no fool in the world comparable to me: For Death at unawares is rushed upon me, he hath arrested me, ●ound me with insolluble ●ands, and draweth me to hell, even as a hangman drawenth a condemned man to the gallows; Help, help, help, Father, Mother, Brethren, Sisters, Wife, Children, Friends, Kinsfolks, help, help me, if ever you do lone me, now help me: Misereminimei, miserem●ni mes, salt●m vos amic● mes, Take pity upon me, take pity upon me, 
job. 19  at least you my especial good friends, take pity upon me, keep me from thi●●ruell murderer, defend m● from this terrible Tiger, preserve me from this ramping and roaring Lion, which bat● me in his paws: and is rea● die to tear me in pee●●● Alas, alas, will no man help what none? O death spare m● I pray thee take my lands an● let me live, for the love of th● Lord whom I serve, lot ●● alone for a year, for a m●●neth, for a day, for an h●● were, give me a little space●● repent I beseech thee.  
Tut, tut, thou art the child of Death, thou art condemned to die, thy hour is ended, and thou must die, no parents, no friends, no kindred, no treasure, no honour, no wit, no policy can prevail or help thee a whit. If thou wouldst give me this world full of gold for one hours space, I would not take it. And if all the Kings, Queens and Emperors that are now, or ever were in the world, should on their knees entreat for the lengthening of thy life one Miserere while, I would not hear them, but even as I now find thee, so will I present thee before the tribunal seat of God, wherefore dispatch away.  
O most cursed and cruel death! O most bloody and pitiless butcher. Ah God, whose mieserie is comparable to mine?  
Youth (quoth Death) no words will prevail, thy sobs and sighs, thy lamentable outcries and pitiful complaints, thy wring of hands, and tearing of thine hair do not move me a whit, but forth with will I bring thee to a place where thou shalt feel & prove such things, as neither thine eyes have seen, nor thy eared have hard, nor thy heart can conceive or imagine: thou hadst time enough to have seen this hour, hadst thou been wise, but had I witted cometh now too late.  
Ah cruelll death, whither must I go, alas, whither wil● thou lead me? to a land unknown, a land of utter darkness, a land of endless misery, 
I●. 67.  where I shall live deprived of all my worldly pleasures, neither shall any man living see me again?  
But to what end do I stand entreating of him that is past all pity? Better were it for me to spend the little space that yet remaineth, in bewailing my time, which I have most unprofitably spent. O that I had now a sea of brackish tears to run down my cheeks, for after this hour my tears will never be meritorious any more. Ah God how have I lost, how have I neglected, how have I misspent my golden time, in vain and wanton speeches, in banqueting and chambering, in dancing and dallying, in dicing and carding, in bibbing and bousing, in sleeping compass, and a thousand other such villains, in which seeing my solace I have utterly lost myself, and hunting after transitory pleasures, I have found eternal torments and pains. Alas why did I not while I might, endeavour so to live as I might not have feared to die, (for sure I am, that he that liveth well can not choose but die well:) why had I not all my life long made preparation for this journey, in which so many millions of men perish, as scarce one among ten thousand pass to the end in safety: Oh, oh most unhappy I, alas, alas, in what danger do I stand, if my footing fail me now, I perish perpetually: Ah miserable wretch that I am, all this as yet is but the preface or prologue to the play, all that as yet I feel is but a shadow or dumb show of that which presently must follow, and if the prologue be so doleful, alas how terrible will the Tragedy itself be? If the very shadow and fear of death be so horrible as it wholly amazeth me to think thereupon, oh God what will death itself be? In what sort shall I appear and stand before the face of that most just and severe judge, whom and in whose sight I have offended more than a hundred thousand thousand times, and that most heinously? I was sent into this world to serve my Lord God, my creator and redeemer, in fasting, praying and the like, but I alas have consumed my time in doing the quite contrary. In turning fasting into feasting, praying into prating, virtues into vices and all misdeeds whatsoever, & of all the days of my life God only knoweth whether I have spent either one day or hour in his service to his liking or not.  
Alas with what shame and confusion shall I stand before God and his Angels, when I shall be driven to give an account of every idle word that I have spoken in my days, what a reckoning am I like to make? Alas I am not able to number the thousandth part of the mortal crimes that I have committed, what then can I say for my idle words and thoughts, which in number surmount the sands of the Sea?  
Ah miserable fool that I am I should have thought of these things before, but now alas it is too late, woe, woe to me ten thousand times, that ever I deferred my time of amendment, putting off from day to day, crying with the Crow, Cras, Cras, so long as now I am like to be the Devils own black bird, and to be put up in the Cage of hell for evermore.  
O false fawning and flattering friends, o cozening and crafty Physicians, how just cause have I to wish, that I had never known nor seen you? you told me all was well, and that there was no danger of death at all: Fear nothing said you, this infirmity is nothing but a little distemperature of some humours, and therefore thou needest not send for the Preacher, or to trouble yourself with thinking on your sins at this time, but when you are well, confess your sins unto God at leisure, at this time sleep, take your rest and set all your cares apart you shall soon be whole o● this malady. O false and mos● unfaithful friends: friends fa● I? nay rather most cruel foe● enemies of my poor soul, and workers of my everlasting wo● and misery, for hearkening to your Siren songs, I have rushed on the rocks of everlasting death, & I perish whil● there is none to help: but a● 'las, I am well enough served for he that will not prevent death, is worthy to be preveted by him.  
All mortal wights of wh●● sex or degree soever thou b● remember that thou must die, and perhaps as soon as myself, for any warrant that thou hast to the contrary; do good to all while thou mayest, seek to appease the wrath of God: while you have time, in Hymns, Psalms and Thanksgiving seek to praise, and please him, and while thou livest in this wretched world, live in such sort as in the hour of death you die not in such confusion and as I do now. I wish now that I had spent my youth in the wilderness with john Baptist, lived by ●…rie bread and water with Mach●rius, prayed with ●…mes, until my knees had ●in as hard as horn, bewailed my sins with Mary Magda●●ne, whose continual tears had ●●et to furrows or gutters in her face, beaten myself wi●● an iron chain thrice a d●● until the blood ran dow● to the ground, as Kather●● of S●enna did, and done an● thing else whatsoever, and i●● might live any longer, I wou●● live even like an Angel vp●● earth, but alas I would n●● when I might, and now I ca● not though I would. Let eu●● rye one therefore if he be wi●● beware by my harms, a●● while years, strength, a●● time do serve to merit, e●● devour to prevent the miserable cares and most perillo●● perplexities that you see 〈◊〉 lapped in. Behold, I stand no●● in such extremity, as I ma●● greater account, and wou●● more rejoice of one Pater ●●ster, or other little prayer devoutly said for me, than 〈◊〉 innumerable, millions of gold and precious stones. I have with the prodigal child, spent my golden time, and wasted all lasciviously, not thinking what would follow, and now I go a begging from door to door, craving some spiritual ●●mes, and every one thru●●eth me from him, saying: 
Mat. 25.  Ne forte nobis, & tibi non fufficiat. 
Math. 15.  I would gladly catch some of the crumbs that fall from their table, but no man will give ●●e any, no man hath pity of ●●e; and rightly, for why should any man pity him that would not pity himself? I cared not for myself, why then should others care for me?  
O all you that stand here about me, and are eye-witnesses of my present miseries, beware, ●e ware by me, and while you are in health, hoard not ● your treasurers in earth, but heaven, let poor men's b● sums be your storehouse Redeem your sins w● Almsdeeds, and your i● quities with pity of the poo● endeavour by the means of wicked Mammon to make you m● friends, that in the hour of de● they may bring you richly ● den with merits and g● works into the eternal tab● nacle, and be not excluded shut out for want of g● without hope of mercy ● favour, as ye see me.  
Oh, oh, cruel death I● hath pierced my heart, the ho● of my dissolution is come, I● live no longer, my sight● xeth dim, my senses ●● my tongue beginneth to cl●● to the roof of my mouth, voice waxeth feeble, and in ●eed of speaking, I begin to ●attle in the throat. Ah toll, go toll my doleful passing ●ell. Ring out my mournful ●nell. Alas, alas, I must be gone, I must die, I must die, farewell my faithful friends, & all the things that in this world ● took delight in; I must now departed and leave you all behind. Adieu, Adieu for ever and ever, I shall never see you again. Behold, my legs wax cold as ice, my hands withered and dry, my nails black, my face wan, pale, earthly, my sight dim and ●arke, mine eyes wax hollow & begin to roll in my head, and more and more I wax loathsome to look on, my heart panteth and gaspeth for breath, but being oppressed by dea●● it can endure no longer, no● all my carnal friends begin ●● put me in mind of God, an● will me to call upon jesus, an● to run to him for mercy. A● 'las, how can I with confident now call upon him whom I n● for served? how can I hope ●● mercy at his hands, whom ● have so infinitely offended? ●● ring life I abused his mercy, a●● therefore must I now feel h● justice. O Arsenius, Ar●●nius, how happy and blesse● wert thou, that hadst th● hour of death always befor● thine eyes. But woe, and tenn● thousand times woe to me, th●● never thought on death's until I was wounded at th● heart.  
Alas, whither shall my poor● ghost go now? what harbour ●●all my sinful soul find? ●●ho will receive her? who ●●all be her companion? who ●●al be her guide in this strange ●●gion by the which she is to ●asse? who will or can help ●●r? or what is he that dareth 〈◊〉 speak for her, departing as ●●e doth? O lord God of ●ostes, thou art our guide, thou ●●t the way by which I should walk, thou art the door by which I must enter; be thou ●y refuge, my comfort, and defence in this most dreadful ●●oure: thou art the Father of mercy, and God of all consolation and comfort, it is more proper to thee to have mercy ●●en for me to sin; I cannot ●inne so much, but thou canst forgive much more: and this I also believe, that I sho● more offend thy Majestic despairing of thy mercy, ●● in all the other sins that ●● I committed, and there●● will I put my trust in thee●● though thou shouldest kill ●● Miserere mei Deus, mise●● met, quta in te confidit an● mea. Into thy hands, o Lo● do I commend my soul, t●● ha●●redeemed me, o Lord ●● of truth.  
Ah farewell, farewell ● friends, God grant my m●rable and unprovided de● may make you to live and ● better than I have done, I ● many legions of wicked rites which environ me ro●● about, triumphing the petition of my soul, hoping ●● have me their perpetual s●● 〈◊〉 hell. All good Christians pray or me, that God of his infinite goodness deliver me not over to the wills of those most horrible and ugly monsters.  
Amen.    

A SONG IN THE praise of heavenly jerusalem.  

HIerusalem my happy home,  
When shall I come to thee?  
When shall my sorrows have an end?  
Thy joys when shall I see?   

O happy harbour of the Saints,  
O sweet and pleasant soil:  
In thee no sorrow may be found,  
No grief, no care, no toil.   

In thee no sickness may be seen,  
No hurt, no ●ch, no sore:  
There is no death, not ugly devil,  
There's life for evermore.   

No dampish mist is seen in thee,  
No cold, nor darksome night:  
There every soul shines like the Sun,  
There God himself gives light.   

There lust and lucre cannot dwell,  
There envy bears no sway:  
There is no hunger, hear, nor cold,  
But pleasure every way.   

there's Nectar and Ambrosia made,  
there's musk and Civet sweet:  
There many a fine and dainty drug  
Are trodden under feet.   

There Cinnamon, there Sugar grows,  
There Nard and Balm abound:  
What tongue can tell, or heart conceive  
The joys that there are found?   

Quite through the streets with silver sound  
The flood of life doth flow,  
Upon whose banks on every side  
The wood of life doth grow.   

There trees do evermore bear fruit  
And evermore do spring:  
There evermore the Angels sit,  
And evermore do sing.   

There David stands with harp inhand,  
As master of the choir:  
Ten thousand times that man were blest  
That might his mufike hear.   

God's praises there are always song,  
With harmony most sweet:  
Old S●meon and Zacharie  
Have not their songs to seek.   

There Magdalene hath left her moan,  
And cheerfully doth sing  
With blessed Saints, whose harmony  
In every street doth ring.   

Jerusalem my happy home,  
Would God I were in thee,  
Would God my woes were at an end,  
Thy joys that I may see.   
I. B.   

AN EXHORTAtion to good life.  

Of the punishments which the Lord threateneth unto such as live a sinful life. Chap. I.  
ONe of the principal means which the Lord hath used often times to bridle the hearts of men, and to draw them unto the obedience of his commandments, hath been to set before their eyes the horrible plagues and punishments, that are prepared for such persons as be rebels, and transgressors of his law: for although the hope of the rewards that are promised to the good in the life to come, may move us very much hereunto, yet are we commonly more moved with things that be irksome unto us, than with things that be pleasant: even as we see by daily experience, that we are vexed more with an injury done unto us, than delighted with any honour: and we are more troubled with sickness, than comforted with health: and so by the discommodity of sickness we come to understand the commodity of health: as by a thing so much the better perceived, by how much more it is sensibly felt. Now for this cause did the Lord in times past use this, means more than any other, as it appeareth most clearly by the writings of the Prophets, which are every where full of dreadful saying and threatenings, 
●hy the ●ord ordiarily useth ●reatnings.  wherewith the Lord pretended to put a terror into the hearts of men, and so to bridle & subdue them under the obedience of his law: and for this end he commanded the Prophet leremie, 
jer. 36.2.  that he should take a white book, and write in the same all the threatenings and calamities which he had revealed unto him, even from the first day he began to talk with him, until that present hour: and that he should read the same in the presence of all the people, to see if peradventure they would be moved therewith to repentance & to change their former life, to the end that he might also change the determination of his wrath, which he had purposed to execute upon them: and the holy Scripture saith, That when the Prophet had done according as he was commanded by Almighty God, and had read all those threatenings in the presence of the people, and of the Rulers, there arose such a fear and terror among them, that they were all astonished, and as it were distraught of their wits, looking one in another's face, for the exceeding great fear which they had conceived of those words.  
This was one of the principal means that Almighty God used with men in the time of the law written, and so did he also in the time of the law of grace; in which the holy Apostle saith, 
●om 1.  that as there is revealed a justice whereby God maketh men just, so is there also revealed an indignation and wrath, wherewith he punisheth the unjust. For which cause Saint john Baptist, the glorious forerunner of our Saviour Christ, was sent with this commission & embassage, to preach unto the world, 
Matth. 3. verse 10. luke 3.9.  that the axe was now put to the root of the tree, and that every tree that brought not forth good fruit should be cut down, and cast into the fire. He said moreover, that there was another come into the world more mighty than he, that carried in his hand a fan, to winnow & cleanse therewith his flower, and that he would put up his corn into his garnard, but the chaff he would burn in a fire that should never be quenched. This was the preaching and embassage, which the holy forerunner of our Saviour Christ brought into the world, and so great was the thunder of these words, and the terror which entered into men's hearts so dreadful, that there ran unto him of all state and conditions of men, even o● the very Pharisees and Publicans, yea and soldiers also (which of all others are woo● to be most dissolute, & to hau● least care of their conscience and each of them for himself demanded particularly of the holy man, what he should d● to attain unto salvation, an● to escape those terrible threatenings which he had denounce unto them: so great was th● fear they had conceived ●● them.  
Now this is that (my dear Christian brother) which I do● at this present in the behalf 〈◊〉 Almighty God preach vnt● thee, although not with su● fervency of spirit, and like ho● lines of life, yet (that which importeth more to this case) wit●● the same truth, and certainty: for so much as the faith and Gospel that Saint john Baptist preached at that time, was no other, but this which we preach at this present.  
Now if thou be desirous to understand in few words, how great the punishment is, that Almighty God hath threatened in his holy Scriptures to the wicked, that which may most briefly and most to the purpose be said in this matter, is this: that like as the reward of the good is an universal good thing, even so the punishment of the wicked is an universal evil, which comprehendeth in it all the evils that are. For the better understanding whereof it is to be noted, that all the evils of this life are particular evils, and therefore do not torment all our senses generally, but only one or some of them. As taking an example of the diseases of our body, 
The miseries of this life are particular.  we see that one hath a disease in his eyes, another in his ears, one is sick in his heart, another in his stomach, some other in his head, and so diverse men are diseased in diverse parts: howbeit in such wise, that none of all these diseases be generally throughout all the members of the body, but particular to some one of them. And yet for all this we see what grief only one of these diseases may put us unto, and how painful a night the sick man hath in any one of these infirmities, yea although it be nothing else but a little ache in one tooth. Now let us put the case, that there were some one man sick of such an universal disease, that he had no part of his body, neither any one joint or sense free from his proper grief and torment, but that at one time and instant he suffered most exceeding sharp pains in his head, in his eyes and ears, in his teeth and stomach, in his liver and heart, and to be short, in all the rest of the members and joints of his body, and that he lay after this sort stretching himself in his bed, pained with these griefs and torments, every member of his body having his particular torment, he I say, that should lie thus pained, and afflicted, how great torment and grief of mind, think ye, should he sustain? O what thing could any man imagine more miserable, and more worthy of compassion? Surely if thou shouldest see but a dog so tormented the street, 
How the damned are tormented in ●ell.  his very pains wo● move thee to pity him. No● this is that (my dear Christi●● brother, if any comparison m●● be made between them) which is suffered in that cursed hom●ble place of hell, not only 〈◊〉 the space of one night, but ●● verlastingly, for ever and eue●. For like as the wicked have o● fended Almighty God with●● their members and senses, a●● have made armour of them ● to serve sin: even so will h●● ordain that they shall there ● all tormented each one of the with his proper torment: 
Eyes.  the shall the wanton and lechero● eyes be tormented with the terrible sight of devils: 
Ears.  the ear●● with the confusion of such horrible cries, and lamentations shall there be heard: 
Nose.  the no● with the intolerable stench of that filthy and loathsome place: the taste, 
Taste.  with a most ravenous hunger and thirst: the touching, 
Touching.  and all the members of the body, with extreme cold and fire: the imagination, 
Imagination.  shall be tormented by conceiving of griefs present: the memory, 
Memory.  by calling to mind the pleasures past: the understanding, 
Understanding.  by considering what benefits are left, and what miseries are to come. This multitude of punishments the holy Scripture signifieth unto us, when it faith, that in hell there shall be hunger, 
Mat. 5. Psal. 10.  thirst, weering, wailing, gnashing of teeth: sword double edged, spirits created for revengement, serpents, worms, scorpions, hammers, and wormwood, water of gall, the spirit of tempest, and other things of like sort. Whereby are signified unto us, as in a figure, the multitude and dreadful terror of the most horrible pains and torments, that be in that cursed place, there shall be like wise darkness, both inward and outward, both of body and soul: far more obscure than the darkness of Egypt, 
Exod. 10.  which might be felt even with hands. There shall be fire also, & not as this fire here that tormenteth a little, & shortly endeth, but such a fire as that place requireth, which tormenteth exceedingly, and shall never make an end of tormenting. Now if this be true, what greater wonder can there be, than that they which believe and confess this for truth, should live with such a strange negligence and carelessness as they do? What travails and pains would not a man willingly take to escape even one only day, yea one hour, the very lest of all these torments? And wherefore do they not then to escape the everlastingness of so great pains, & horrible torments, endure so little a travel, as to follow the exercise of virtue? Surely the consideration of this matter were able to make a man besides himself, in case he would deeply weigh it.  
And if among so great a number of pains, 
The damned have no kind of comfort, or hope of any case, or end of their most horrible torments.  there were any manner of hope of end or release, it would be some kind of comfort: but alas it is not so, for there the gates are fast shut up from all expectation of any manner of ease, or hope: in all kind of pains, and calamities that be in this world, there is always some gap lying open, whereby the patiented may receive some kind of comfort sometimes reason, sometime the weather, sometimes friends, sometimes the hea●● that others are troubled w● the very same disease, & sometimes at the least the hope of ● end, may cheer him somewho Only in these most horri●● pains and miseries that be hell, all the ways are shut up such sort, and all the hauen●● comfort so embarred, that miserable sinner cannot he●● for remedy on any side, neither of heaven, nor of earth, neither of the time past, or present, 〈◊〉 of the time to come, neither by any other means. The da●●●ned souls think that all m●● are shooting darts at them, 〈◊〉 that all creatures have con●●●red against them, and that 〈◊〉 ●●●y themselves are cruel against themselves. To this may ●●●e applied that saying of the ●●ly Prophet David: 
Psal. 17.6.  The sorrows of bill have compassed 〈◊〉 round about, and the snares 'sdeath have besieged me. For 〈◊〉 which side so ever they ●oke, or turn their eyes, they ●oe continually behold occasions of sorrow and grief, ●nd none at all of any ease, or comfort. 
Mat. 25.10.  The wise Virgins sayeth the Evangelist) that ●loode ready prepared at the ●ates of the bridegroom entered ●●, and the gate was forthwith locked. O locking everlasting! O enclosure immortal! O gate of all goodness, which shall ne●er any more be opened again, 〈◊〉 if he had said more plainly, ●●e gate of pardon, and mercy, of comfort, of intercession, of hope, of grace, and of all go●●nesse is shut up for ever and● ver. Six days & no more 〈◊〉 Manna to be gathered, but seventh day, 
Exod. 16.  which was the both day, there was none to found, and therefore shall fast for ever, that hath not due time made his provision forehand. The sluggard (sa●● the wise man) will not till ground for fear of cold, 
Pro. 20.  〈◊〉 therefore shall he beg 〈◊〉 bread in summer, and no 〈◊〉 shall give him to eat, an●● an other place he faith: He 〈◊〉 gathereth in summer is a 〈◊〉 son, and he that giveth 〈◊〉 self to sleeping at that season the son of confusion. For w●● confusion can there be great than that which that misera● covetous rich man suffer●● who with a few crumme●● bread that fell from his table, ●ight have purchased to him●●●fe abundance of everlasting felicity, and glory in the kingdom of heaven: but because ●…e would not give so small a●ning, he came to such an extreme necessity, that he beg●●d, yea and shall for ever ●…gge, but only the drop ●…colde water, and shall never ●…taine it: who is not moved ●…ith that request of this infor●…nate damned person, who ●…ryed: O father Abraham, have compassion upon me, & send La●arus unto me, that he may ●…ppe the tip of his finger in ●…ater, and touch my tongue, for ●hese horrible flames do tor●ent me exceedingly. What smal●r request could there be desi●… then this? he durst not request so much as one cup of water, ●●either that Laza●● should put this whole handing the water, not yet (which more to be wondre●d at) did request so much as th●e w●●● finger, but only the tippled that it might touch his to●● and yet this only would be granted unto him, wh●●● by thou mayest perceive, h●●● fast the ga●e of all consolation shut up, and how vniuer● that interdict and excommunication is, which is there laid 〈◊〉 on the damned, sith this m●● glutton could not obtain much as this small request ●● that where soever the damn●● persons do turn their eyes, & ●● which side soever they sire●● forth their hands, they shall 〈◊〉 find any manner of comfort, i●neuer so small, and as he th●● is in the sea choked, and almo●● drowned under the water, not ●inding any stay wherewith to ●●ttle his foot, stretcheth forth ●●is hands often times on every side in vain, (because all ●hat he graspeth after is thin and liquid water, which deceiveth him) even so shall it ●●re with the damned persons, ●●en they shall be drowned in ●hat deep sea of so many miseries, where they shall strive and struggle always with death, without finding any succour or place of stay, whereupon they may rest themselves. Now this is one of the greatest pains wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place. For if these torments should have their continuance limited but for a certain time, though it were for a thousand, yea, a hundred thousand millions of years, yet even this would be some little comfort unto them, for nothing perfectly great in case it hau● an end, but alas, they have no● so much as this poor and miserable comfort, but contra●● wise, their pains are equal continuance with the eterni●● of Almighty God, 
In hell shall be no end of torment.  and the sting of their misery, with t● eternity of God's glory: as lon● as Almighty God shall live, 〈◊〉 long shall they die: and whe● Almighty God shall cease t●● be God, then shall they all●● cease to be as they are. O deadly life! O immortal death! know not whether I may truly term thee either life, ●● death: for if thou be life, wh●● dost thou kill? and if thou be death, how dost thou endure wherefore I will call thee neither the one, nor the other: fo● so much as in both of them there is contained some that is good, as in life there is rest, and in death there is an end (which ●s a great comfort to the afflicted:) but thou hast neither rest nor end: what art thou then? Marry, thou art the worst of life, and the worst of death, for of death thou hast the torment without end, and of life thou ●ast the continuance without any rest. Almighty God hath spoilt both life and death of that good which they had, and hath put in thee, that which remained to be a punishment or the wicked. O bitter composition! o unsavoury purgation of the Lords cup, 
Psal. 74.  of the which all the sinners of the ●arth shall drink their part.  
Now in this continuance, in his eternity, I would wish that thou (my dear Christian brother) wouldst fix the eyes o● thy consideration a little while & that as the clean beast cheweth her cud, even so tho● wouldst chew and weigh th● point within thyself with greater deliberation: and to the intent thou mayst do it the better, consider a little the pain● that a sick man abideth in o●cuill night, especially if he 〈◊〉 vexed with any uchement grie●● or sharp disease: mark ho● often he tumbleth and tossy in his bed, what disquietness he hath, how long and tedious one night seemeth unto hi● how duly he counteth all th●● hours of the clock, and ho●● long he thinketh each of the to be, how he passeth the tim● in wishing for the dawning the day, which notwithstanding is like to help him very little towards the curing of his disease. If this than be accounted so great a torment, what a torment shall that be (trow ye) in that everlasting night in hell, which hath no morning, nor so much as any hope of dawning of the day? O darkness most obscure! o night everlasting! o night accursed even by the mouth of Almighty God, and of all his Saints: that one shall wish for light, and shall never see, neither shall the brightness of the morning arise ●ie more; consider then, what a kind of torment that ●hall be, to live everlastingly in such a night as this is, ●ing not in a soft bed, (as ●e sick man doth) but in a ●●te burning furnace foaming out such terrible raging flames what shoulders shall be able to abide these horrible heats? Oh how it maketh ma● even to tremble & quake, only to think of it! If it seem to us thing intolerable, to have only some part of our feet standing upon a pan of burning coals for the space of saying one Pater noster, what shall be (trow ye) to stand body and soul, burning in the mi● dost of those everlasting h●raging fires in hell, in comparison whereof the fires of th● world are but painted fires! there any wit or judgement this world? have men th●● right senses? do they understand what these words ●● import? or are they peradue●ture persuaded, that these ●● only fables of Poets? or 〈◊〉 they think that this appertaineth unto them, or else that it was meant only for others? none of all this can they say, for so much as our faith assureth us certainly herein: and our Saviour Christ himself, who is the everlasting truth, crieth out in his Gospel, 
Mat. 24.35 Mar. 13. 31.  saying: Heaven and earth shall fail, but my word shall never fail.  
Of this misery there followeth an other, as great as it, 
Section. 3. The pains of hell continue evermore in one degree.  which is, that the pains are always continuing in one like being, and in one same degree, without any manner of intermission, or decreasing. All manner of things that are under the cope of heaven, do move and turn round about with the same heaven, and do never stand still at one state or being: but are continually either ascending or descending. The sea and the rivers have their ebbing and flowing, the times, the ages, and the mutable fortune of men & of kingdoms, are evermore in continual motion, there is no seve so fervent, that doth not decline; neither grief so sharp but that after it is much augmented, it doth forthwith decrease. To be short, all the tribulations and miseries are by little and little worn away with time: and as the common saying is, nothing is sooner dry up then tears, only that pain in hell is always green: only that fever never decreaseth only that extremity of hea● knoweth not what is either evening or morning. In the time of noah's flood Almighty God reigned forty days and forty nights continually without ceasing upon the earth; and this sufficed to drown the whole world, but in that place of torment in hell there shall rain everlasting spears, and darts of fury upon that cursed land, without ever ceasing so much as one only moment; and this is so true, that as (faith a Schoolman) even the pains which shall be there given for the smallest sins, shall be likewise everlasting, aswell as those pains which be there prescribed for the greatest and most heinous sins, for infinite punishment is due unto all sins, because in the estate of damnanation there is no absolution or discharge of any debt, (for that the time of paying and satisfying is then past) therefore shall the pain due unto venial sin continue evermore in one same estate, and shall never cease. Now what torment can be greater and more to be abhorred, then con●tinually to suffer after one like manner without any kind of alteration or change, though ● meat be never so delicate yet in case we feed continually thereupon, it will in very short time be very loathsome unto us: for no meat can be more precious and delicate, than that Manna was, which almighty God sent to the children of Israel in the desert, and yet because they did eat continually thereof, it made them to loath it, yea, and provoked them to vomit it up again. The way that is all plain (they say) wearieth more than any other, because always the variety (yea even in punishments) is a kind of comfort. Tell me then of good fellowship, if things that be pleasant and savoury, when they be always after one manner, are an occasion of loathsomeness and pain, what kind of loathsomeness will that be, which shall be caused by those most horrible pains, & torments in hell, which do continue everlastingly after one like sort: what will the damned and cursed creatures think, when they shall there see themselves so utterly abhorred, and forsaken of Almighty God, that he will not so much as with the remission of one small sin, mitigate somewhat their torment? so great shall the fury and rage be which they shall there conceive against him, that they shall never cease continually to curse and blaspheme his holy name.  
Unto all these pains there is also added the pain of that everlasting consumer, 
Section. 4. The worm of conscience. Esay. 66. verse. 24.  which is the worm of conscience, whereof the holy Scripture makes oftentimes mention, saying: Their worm shall never die: and their fire shall never be quenched. This worm is a furious raging despite, & a bitter repentance without any fruit, which the wicked shall have always in hell, by calling to their remembrance the opportunity and time they had whiles they were in this world to escape: these most grievous and horrible torments, & how they would not use the benefit thereof, & therefore when the naiserable sinner seethe himself thus tormented and vexed on every side, and calleth to mind how many days and years he hath spent idly in vanities, in pastime, and pleasures, and how oftentimes he was advertised of this peril, and how little regard he took thereof. What shall he think? what anguish & sorrow shall there be in his he art? hast thou not read in the Gospel, 
Luke 13  that there shall be weeping, and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Now these & others the like shall be the causes of this so great & excessive grief. For the better understanding hereof, being a matter of so great importance, I will give thee a like example, let us call to mind the history of joseph & that great famine that continued for the space of seven years in Egypt, 
G●●. 41.  before which famine (as the holy Scripture faith) the abundance of corn in the other seven years before was so great, that it might be compared with the sands of the sea and exceeded all measure, but after that these seven years were ended, there followed other seven years of so great barrenness and dearth, that even in the first year of them all, the people of Egypt came before king Pharaoh, crying out and saying: Give us somewhat to eat. The king sent them to joseph, who required of them all the money they had, & gave them for the same corn sufficient for that year: when that was consumed and spent, they returned the year following unto joseph, saying, Give us to eat: what, wilt thou suffer us to die for hunger in thy preseuce, because we have no more money to give thee? to whom he answered: deliver unto me all your herds of cattle, and for the same I will give you corn in exchange, since you have no more money left. After that they had delivered unto him all their cattle, and that their provision was also spent, they came again to him the next year, saying; now thou knowest my Lord that we have no money, nor cattle to give thee, and there remaineth nothing else but only our bodies and lands, how canst thou suffer us to die here for hunger in thy sight, our persons, and lands, which are only left of all our substance are thine, buy us as slaves for the king, & give us (if it be thy pleasure) corn to sow the land that ● lie not untilled, & desolate, wh● they are all dead that should till & inhabit it. By this mean came joseph to buy all the land in Egypt, for every one sold his possessions by reason of the great famine which they suffered: thi● is the history. Now let us take that out of it that serveth to out purpose, tell me then I beseech thee, what a grief was it unto these miserable men when the● remembered themselves of those vi● plentiful years passed, & saw we with how little money they might have provided corn afore hand, yea, and have laid v● also whereby to enrich themselves during their lives, how justly might they lament & reprove themselves, saying, o how unfortunate are we ● might so easi● have provided for this dearth, and would not, if we had not ●in admonished of this before ●and, than perhaps our neg●gence might have had some excuse, but being thereof advertised so long time before, & seeing with all, what speed & diligence the king's purveyors made to gather together & lay up all the corn they could get, the which was sufficient to give us to understand what we ought to have done in that behalf, & yet for all this to be so slothful, & careless as we were, what excuse can we have? O how much worth would that be to us at this present which then we despised, & contemned! what riches might ●ee now get with the same ●orne, which we did then wilfully cast away? But (my good brothers) all this is but as a shadow dow compared with the truth That famine in Egypt endure only for seven years, but thi● in hell shall endure everlastingly that found a remedy, though with great difficulty & charge but for this, there shall never ●ny remedy be found; that might be redeemed with money an● cattle, but this can never be redeemed with any manner of exchange, this punishment cannot be pardoned, this pain cannot be exchanged, this senteno cannot be revoked: to conclude, those men of Egypt after that the seven years we●ended, began to lift up their heads, and to come out of their misery, but in hell whosoeur● once entereth to be punished shall never know again what rest and ease meaneth. Now if they then notwithstanding al● this were during that time so much afflicted and vexed, in how much worse case shall he be that shall see himself in hell fire so horribly tormented, and vexed, and that without all hope of remedy? O if thou knewest, and wouldst consider how every one of them shall there stand tormenting, & renting himself, weeping, and wailing, and saying, o miserable and unfortunate wretch that I am, what times, & what opportunities have I suffered to pass in vain; a time there was, when with one sup of cold water I might have purchased unto myself a Crown of glory, wherefore did I not look before me? how was I blinded with things present? how did I let pass those fruitful years of such abundance, and did not enrich myself? yea if I ha● been brought up among in sidels and pagans, and had be lecued that there had been nothing else, but only to be bom● and die, than might I have ha● some kind of excuse, and might have said that I knew not w●●● was forbidden me, but for s●● much as I have lived amo● Christians, and was my so● one of them, and held in for ● article of my belief, that t● hour should come, when should give upon account a●ter what order I had spent m● life: for so much also as it w●● daily cried out unto me, by t● continual preaching and teaching of religious people who● advertisements many following made preparation in tim● & laboured earnestly for the provision of their souls health, who● life also and example was a greater proof of that which they spoke: for so much I say as I made light of these examples, and preachings, & persuaded myself very fond, that heaven was prepared for me, though I took no pains for ●● at all, what deserve I that have thus led my life? O ye infernal suries come and rend me in beeces, and devour these my bowels, for so have I justly deserved: I have deserved to be hunger starved for ever, seeing I would not provide for myself, while I had time: 〈◊〉 deserve not to reap, because ●● have not sown, I am worthy to be destitute sith I have not laid up in store. ●● deserve that now my revivest should be dinied me, ●●th when the poor made request unto me, I refused to ●● lease them: I have deserved sigh and lament in vain, 〈◊〉 long as God shall be God; have deserved that this wor●● of conscience should gnaw my o●trals for ever & ever, by rep●senting unto me the little pleasure which I have enjoyed, 〈◊〉 the great felicity which I h●● lost, and how far greater th●● was which I might have gain●● by foregoing that little which would not forego. This is the immortal worm that shall 〈◊〉 for die, but shall lie there eue●lastinglie gnawing at the 〈◊〉 trails of the wicked, which one of the most tirrible pain● that can possibly be imagined. 
Section. 5.   
Thou wilt peradventure b●● a mazed (good Christian bro●ther) in reading so many kin● of pains in hell, as hath been ●ere described, and now thou ●rt persuaded that there can be added unto this no more than hath been said, but surely the mighty of God wanteth not force to chastise his enemies more and more, for all the pains that we have hitherto chearsed, as such as do appertain generally to all the damned, but besides these general pains there be other particular pains, which each one of the damned shall there suffer in diverse sort, according to the quality of his sin, and so according to this proportion, 
The proud.  the ●aughtie and proud shall there be a based and brought low to their confusion, the covetous shall be driven to miserable necessity, 
The covetous. The glutton.  the glutton shall rage's with continual hunger and thirst, 
The Lecherous.  the lecherous shall bur● in the very same flames which they themselves have enkindled, and those that have all the life time lived dissolutely an● hunted after their pleasure and pastimes, shall live the● in continual lamentation an● sorrow.  
Now than if all this shall 〈◊〉 suredly come to pass, what m● is he that seeing all this so certainly with the eyes of ●● faith, will not turn over th● lease, and begin to provide fo● himself against that time: who● is the judgement of men not become? where be their with where is at the least their sel●● love, which seeketh euermo● for his own profit, & is much afraid of any loss, what? may it be thought that men are be come beasts, that provide on●● for the time present & neglect time to come? or have ●●ey peradventure so dimmed ●●eir eyesight, that they cannot look before them? Hear●en (saith Esay) o yea deaf, ●nd ye blind, open your eyes, ●●at you may see: who is blind but my servant? and who is deaf but ye to whom I have ●nt my messengers? and who 〈◊〉 blind but he that suffereth ●●mselfe to be sold for a slave? ●●hou that seest so many ●hings wilt thou not see this? ●●ou that hast thine ears open, ●●ilt thou not give ear here●nto? if thou believe nor ●his, how art thou a Chri●●ian? and if thou believe it, ●nd dost not provide for it, ●ow canst thou be thought treasonable man? Ari●otle faith, that this is the difference between an opinion and imagination, that 〈◊〉 imagination alone is not sufficient to cause a fear, but an opinion is: for if I do imagi●● that a house may fall upon m●… it is not enough to make me ●fraid, unless I believe or ha●● an opinion that it will be so ●●deed: for than it is sufficient make me afraid: and here cometh the fear that mu●theres always have, by reaso● of the suspicion they concei●● that their enemies do lie 〈◊〉 wait for them. If then the opinion and only suspicion 〈◊〉 danger, is able to cause th● most valiant and courageous 〈◊〉 fear, how is it that the certainty and belief of so man● and so great terrible miseries which is far more sure than any opinion or knowledge, do●● make thee to fear, if thou perceivest that for this many years passed thou hast led a licentious and sinful life, and that at the last according to present justice thou art condemned to these terrible torments of hell: I may also probably conjecture, that there is no other likelihood of ●amēdmēt of thy life to come then thou hast showed hitherto after so many years past: how happeneth it, that running headlong forwards into so manifest a danger, thou art nothing at all afraid, especially considering the sinful state wherein thou livest, and the horrible ●aines and torments, which do attend for thee, and the time that thou hast lost, and the endless repentance which thou shalt have therefore in the most horrible torments of hell? assuredly it passeth all common sense, to consider that there should be such wilful gross blindness in men.   

Of the Glory of the Blessed Saints in Heaven. Chap. 2.  
TO the end there might want nothing to stir up our minds unto virtue, after the pains which almighty God threateneth unto the wicked, he doth also set before us the reward of the good, which is, that glory, and that everlasting life, which the blessed Saints do enjoy in the kingdom of heaven: whereby he doth very mightily allure us to the love of the same, but what manner of thing this reward, & what this life is, there is no tongue, neither of Angels nor yet of men, that is sufficient to express it, howbeit that we● may have some kind of savour and knowledge thereof, I intent to rehearse here every word, what Saint Augustine say th' in one of his medetations, speaking of this life. O life (saith he) prepared by almighty God for his friends, a blessed life, a secure life, a quiet life, a beautiful life, a clean life, a chaste life, a holy life, a life that knoweth no death, a life without sadness, without labour, without grief, without trouble, without corruption, without fear, without variety, without alteration, a life replenished with all beauty and dignity, where there is neither enemy that can offend, nor delight that can annoy, where love is perfect, and no fear a● all: where the day is everlasting, and the spirit of all is one where almighty God is seen face to face, who is the only meat whereupon they seed● without any loathsomeness: 〈◊〉 delighteth me to consider thy brightness, and thy treasure do delight my longing heart the more I consider thee, the more I am stricken in love with thee: the great desire I have o● thee, doth wonderfully delight me, & no less pleasure is it vn● to me to keep thee in remembrance. O life most happy! ● kingdom truly blessed wherein there is no death, no● end, neither yet succession e● time, where the day continuing evermore without night, knoweth not any mutation: where the victorious conqueror being joined with the everlasting companies of Angels, and having his head Crowned with a garland of glory, singing unto almighty God one of the songs of Sion: O happy, yea and most happy should my soul be, if when the race of this my pilgrimage is ended, I might be worthy to see thy glory, thy blessedness, thy beauty, the walls and gates of thy City, thy streets, thy lodgings, and thy noble Citizens, and thine omnipotent king in his most glorious Majesty: the stones of thy walls are precious, thy gates are adorned with bright pearls, thy streets are of very fine excellent gold, in which there never fail perpetual praises, thy houses are paved with rich stones, wrought throughout with sapphires, and covered above with massy gold: where none entereth in that is not clean, neither doth doth any abide there that is defiled: fair and beautiful in thy delights art thou o jerusalem: none of those things are suffered in thee, that are suffered here: there is great diversity between thy things, and the things we do continually see in this miserable life: in thee is never seen neither darkness nor night, neither yet any change of time, the light that shineth in thee cometh neither of lamps, nor of the moon, nor yet of the bright glistering stars, but God that proceedeth of God, and the light that cometh of light is he that giveth clearness unto thee, even the very king of kings himself keepeth continual residence in the midst of thee, compassed about with his officers, and servants: there do Angels in their order sing a most sweet, and melodious harmony, there is celebrated a perpetual solemnity and feast, with every one of them that cometh thither after his departure out of this pilgrimage, there be the orders of Prophets, there is the famous company of the Apostles, there is the invincible army of martyrs, 
The bless company heaven.  there are the true and perfect religious persons, there are the holy virgins which have overcome both the pleasure of the world, and the frailty of their own nature, there are the young men, and young women more ancient in virtue then in years: there are the sheep, and little lambs, that have escaped from the wolf, and from the deceitful snares of this life, and there do now keep a perpetual feast each one in his place all alike in joy, though different in degree; there charity reigneth in her full perfection, for unto them God is all in all, whom they behold without end, in whose love they will be all continually inflamed, whom they always love and in loving do praise, and in praising do love, and all their exercises consist in praises, without weariness, and without travel. O happy were I yea and very happy indeed, if what time I shall be loosed out of the prison of this wretched body, I might be thought worthy to hear those songs of that heavenly melody, song in the praise of the ever lasting king by all the Citizens of that so noble city: happy were I, and very happy, if I might obtain a room among the chaplains of that chapel, and wait for my turn to sing praises to my God: if I might be near to my King, my God, my Lord, and see him in his glory, even as he promised me, when he said: O father this is my last determinate will, that all those that thou hast given unto me, may be with me, and see the glory which I had with thee before the world was created: hitherto are the words of Saint Augustine.  
Now tell me (good Christian reader) what a day shall that be, that shall shine in thy house (if thou lead thy life in the fear of God) when after the course of this pilgrimage, thou shalt pass from death te● immortality, & in that passage when others shall begin to fear, thou shalt begin to rejoice, and lift up thy head, because the day of thy deliverance is at hand. Come forth a little (saith Saint Jerome) out of the prison of this body, and when thou art before the gate of the Tabernacle, set before thine eyes the reward thou hopest for: tell me, what a day sha● that be, when the Lord himself with all his Saints, shall come and meet thee in the way, saying unto thee, Arise, & make haste, o my beloved, my delight, and my turtle-dove, for now the winter is past, and the tempestuous waters are ceased, and flowers begin to appear in our land.  
How great joy shall thy soul then receive, when it shall be at that time presented before the throne of the most blessed Trinity, by the hands of the holy Angels? how clearly shalt thou understand the value and excellency of virtue; there the obedient man shall talk of victories, there virtue shall receive herreward, and the good shall be honoured according to their desert: moreover, what a pleasure will it be unto thee, when thou shalt see thyself to be in that sure haven, when thou shalt remember the tempests wherein thou hast been tossed, the straits through which thou hastpassed, and the dangers which thou hast passed, and the dangers of thieves, and pirates, from whom thou hast escaped this is the place, where they shall sing the song of the Prophet, which saith, Had it not been that the Lord had been my helper, it could not be but that my soul had gone to hell. And how it hath pleased almighty God, that among such a multitude of damned persons, thou shouldest be of the number of his elect, and one of those to whom he would grant such exceeding great felicity, and glory. Besides all this, what a goodly sight shall it be to behold the feasts, and triumphs, which they daily celebrate with their new brethren, who having conquered the world, and finished the course of their pilgrimage, do enter in there to be crowned with them. O what a joy will it be to see those seats filled up, and that City builded, and the walls of that noble jerusalem repaired again: with what cheerful embracings shall the whole Court of heaven entertain them, beholding them when they come laden with the spoils of the vanquished enemy? There shall those valiant men and women enter with triumph, which have together with the world, conquered the weakness of their own frail nature: there shall the innocent virgins enter, which have suffered martyrdom for Christ's sake, with double triumph over the flesh, and the world, adorned also with garlands o● lilies, and roses upon their heads: there shall also ente● daily many young men and children, which have vanquished the tenderness of their young years with discretion & virtue, and shall receive their reward: o how sweet and savoury shall the fruit o● virtue then be, although for ● time before, her roots seem very bitter: sweet is the cold● evening after the hot sunny day: sweet is the fountain to the weary traveler: sweet i● rest and sleep to the tired servant: but much more sweet i● it to the Saints in heaven to enjoy peace after war, security after perils, eternal rest after their pains and travels, for the● are the wars at an end, them need they no more to go all armed on the right & on the left side. The children of Israel went forth armed towards the land of promise, 
Exod. 13.  but after that the land was conquered, they laid down their spears, & castaway their armour, forgetting all fear and turmoil of war: each one under the shadow of his pavilion and harbour, enjoyed the fruit of their sweet peace. Now may the eyes sleep there, that have been wearied with continual watching, 
3. Reg. ●.  now may the watching Prophet come down from his standing that did watch and fix his feet upon the place of the sentinel. There is no more fear of invasion by the terrible armies of the bloody enemy, there is no place for the subtle crasts of the lurking viper, there cannot arrive the deadly sight of the venomous Basilisk, neither yet shall the hissing of the ancient serpent be heard there, but only the soft breathing air of the holy Ghost, wherein is beholden the glory of Almighty God: this is the region of pleasure & place of security, situated above all the elements, whither the clouds and stormy winds of the dark● air cannot come. O wha● glorious things have been spoken of thee, o City of God Blessed are they (saith holy Tobias) that love thee, and enjoy thy peace. O my soul praise the Lord, for he hath delivered jerusalem his City from all her tribulations. Happy shall I be, if the remnant o● my posterity might come to see the clearness of jerusalem. Her gates shallbe wrought with sapphires and Emeralds, and all the circuit of her walls shall be built with precious stones: her streets shall be pa●ued with white and polished ●marble, and in all parts of her territory shall be sung praises. O joyful country, ôsweet glory! O blessed company! who shall be so fortunate and so happy as those that are elected for thee? It seemeth a presumption to desire thee, and yet I will not live without the desire of thee: o ye sons of Adam, o race of men miserably blinded and deceived! o ye scattered sheep wandering out of the right way, if this be your sheepcote, whither go ye backward? what mean you? why suffer you such an excellent benefit to be wilfully lost, for not taking so little pain? If labour & travel be requisite hereu●● surely from henceforth I d● sire that all the labour & pain of the world were laid vpo● me: let all sorrows po●● down upon me as thick i● hail, let diseases vex me, l● tribulations afflict me, let o● persecute me, let another d● quiet me, let all creatures ● the world conspire against m● let me be made a laughing stock to all men, and a ref●● to the world: yea, and let m● life be wholly consumed wi●● griefs & my years with weeping, and lamentation, so th●● after this life, I may rest ●● self in the day of tribulation●● and be thought meet to hau● a place among the blessed people, which are adorned ao● beautified with such inestimable glory in the kingdom 〈◊〉 heaven.  
Now then, o thou foolish lover of this miserable world, go thy way, seek as long as thou wilt for honours and promotions, build sumptuous houses and palaces, purchase lands & possessions, enlarge thy territories and dominions, yea, & command, if thou wilt, whole empires and worlds, yet shalt ●hou never be so great as the ●east of all the servants of Almighty God: who shall receive that treasure which this world cannot give, and shall enjoy that felicity which shall endure for evermore; thou with thy pomp and riches shalt keep company with the rich Glutton, buried in the deep pit of hell: but the devout spiritual man shall be carried up by the holy Angels with poor Lazarus into Abr●hams bosom. 
Luke 13.    

Of the benefits which the L● promiseth to give in this 〈◊〉 to such as live ●●ust & g●●ly life. Chap. 3.  
Peradventure thou wilt no● say, that all these things b●fore rehearsed, be rewards, punishments that are promis● only for the life to come, a● that thou desirest to see something in this present life, because our minds are wont ●● be much moved with the sig●● of things present. Well, to satisfy thee herein, we will like wise give thee here thy han● full, even of that thou dost earnestly desire: for although the Lord do reserve the best wine, and the most delicate dishes until the end of the banquet, yet he suffereth not his friends to be utterly destitute of meat and drink in this tedious voyage: for he knoweth very well that they could not otherwise hold out in their journey: and therefore when he said unto Abraham: Fear not Abraham, for I am thy defender, and thy reward shall be exceeding great. By these words he promised two things: the one for the time present, that was, to be his safeguard and defence in all such things as might happen in this life: and the other for the time to come: and that is the reward of glory, which is reserved for the next life. But how great the first promise is, and ho● many kinds of benefits, and favours, are therein included, ● man is able to understand, b● only he that hath with gre●● diligence read the holy Scriptures, wherein no one things more often rehearsed and ● forth, than the greatness the favours, benefits, and p●uiledges which Almighty God promiseth to his friends in th● life. Hearken what Salom●● faith in his Troverbes as touching this matter: Blessed that man that findeth wisdom for it is better to have it, th●● all the treasures of silver an● gold, be they never so precious and excellent, and it is mon● worth than all the riches of th● world, and whatsoever man● heart is able to desire, is not comparable unto it. The length of days are at her right hand, ●nd riches, & glory at her left. ●er ways are pleasant, & her ●ssages are quiet. She is the ●e of life to all those that have ●●tained her: and he that shall have her in continual possessiō●all be blessed. Keep therefore, O my son, the laws of ●●mightie God, and his coun●●ls, for they shall be as life to ●●y soul, and sweetness to ●●y taste, then shalt thou walk ●●fely in thy ways, & thy feet ●all not find any stumbling ●ockes: if thou sleep, thou ●alt have no cause to fear, & thou take thy rest, thy sleep ●all be quiet.  
Now this is (good Christian ●other) the sweetness and quietness of the way of the Godly, but the ways of the ●icked are far different, as the holy Scriptures do ded● unto us: the paths and 〈◊〉 of the wicked (faith Ei●●stieus) are full of bramb●● and at the end of their iou●● are prepared for them, hell, 〈◊〉 nesie and pain. Dost 〈◊〉 think it then a good exth●● to forsake the ways of mighty God, for the w●● of the world, sith there 〈◊〉 great difference between ● one and the either, not 〈◊〉 in the end of the way, but ● in all the steps of the sam● what madness can be g●●●ter, then to choose rather ●● one torment to gain anotta them with one rest to gain 〈◊〉 their rest? And that thou●● more clearly perceive the 〈◊〉 cellencie of this jest, and wh●● a number of benefits are p●sently incident thereunto beseech thee hearken attentively, what even Almightic God himself hath promised by his Prophet Esay, to the observers of his Law, in a manner in these words, as diverse interpreters do expound them: when thou shalt do (faith he) such & such things, which I have commanded thee to do, then shall forthwith appear unto thee, the dawning of the clear day (that is the Sun of justice) which shall drive away all thine errors and miseries, & then shalt thou begin to enjoy true and perfect salvation, and all thy former sins shall be blotted out of God's remembrance, and the glory of the Lord shall compass thee round about: then shalt thou call upon the name of the Lord, and he will surely hear thee, thou shalt call, and he will say, behold I am here present and ready to grant thee whatsoever thou shalt have need of: the in the midst of the darkness, tribulations and vexations of th●● life, the light of God's favour shall shine upon thee, which shal● comfort thee, and thy darkness shall be as the noon day, (for the Lord will so ordain, that the very calamities, & withal, eue● the very falls of thy sins past shall be an occasion unto thee of thy greater felicity) & he w● give thee always true peace and quietness in thy soul, and in the time of famine & dearth he will send thee plenty and abundance: and thy boner shall be delivered from death, and from the everlasting fires and thou shalt be like a garden of pleasure, and like a fountain of water that never ceaseth running: of thee will he make a building, (which lay for many years before desolate) in such sort that it shall stand steadfastly, and endure with sure foundations from generation to generations. And if thou shalt take pains in sanctifying my Saboths, not in spending them in lewd exercises, nor yet in fulfilling thy own will against mine, but shalt observe withal diligence and care all such things as I have commanded thee this day, then shalt thou take delight in the Lord (whose delights excel all the delights in the world) and I will lift thee up above the heights of the earth, that is, unto a most happy state of life, whereunto all the treasures of fortune or of humane nature can not reach. Finally, I will give thee afterwards plenty and abundance of that precious inheritance, which I have promised unto jacob thy father which is the felicity of glory: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. All these in a manner, be the words of Almighty God by the Prophet Esay.  
Now these are the benefits, which Almighty God hath promised to his servants: and albeit some of them be for the time to come, yet are some of them to be presently received in this life, as that new light and shining from heaven, that satiety and abundance of all good things: and assured confidence & trust in Almighty God: that divine assistance in all our prayers and petition: made unto him: that peace and tranquillity of conscience, that protection and providence of Almighty God, that garden of delights (which is the verdure and beauty of grace) that fountain which never wanteth water, (which is the provision & sufficiency of things.) Thus heavenly delights do excel all the delights of the world, and that elevation of spirit, whereunto no strength or power of nature is able to aspire. All these are the gracious gifts and favours which Almighty God hath promised to his servant in this life. They all are his works of his mercy, effects of his grace, testimonies of his love, and blessings which he of his fatherly providence showeth towards them, upon every one of which there is so much to be said, that the brevity of this volume will not suffer me to treat particularly of every point: but to be short, all these benefits do the godly enjoy, both in this present life, and in the life to come, & of all these are the ungodly deprived, both in the one life, and in the other. Whereby thou mayst easily perceive, what difference there is between the one son and the other, seeing the one is so rich, and the other so poor, and needy: for if thou ponder well all these words before declared, and do likewise consider the state and conditious both of the good and the wicked, thou shalt find, that the one sort are in the favour of Almighty God, and the other in his displeasure; the one be his friends, 
The difference between the state of th● good & th● wi●ked.  and the other his enemies; the one be in light, and the other be in darkness; the one do enjoy the company of Angels, & the other the filthy pleasures and delights of fin; the one are truly free, and Lords over themselves, and the other are become bondslaves unto Satan, and unto their lusts and appetites; the one are joyful with the witness of a good conscience, and the other (except they be utterly blinded) are continually bitten with the worm of conscience evermore gnawing one them; the one in tribulations stand steadfastly in their proper place, and the other like light chaff are carried up & down with every blast of wind; the one stand secure & firm with the anchor of hope, and the other are unstable, and evermore yielding unto the assaults of fortune: the prayers of the one are acceptable and liking unto God, and the prayers of the other are abhorred and accursed: the death of the one is quiet, peaceable, & precious in the sight of God, the death of the other is unquiet, painful, and troubled with a thousand frights and terrors. To conclude, the one live like children under the protection and defence of Almighty God, and sleep sweetly under the shadow of his pastoral providence, and the other being excluded from this kind of providence, wander abroad like strayed sheep without their shepherd and master, lying wide open to all the perils, dangers and assaults of the world. Now then (my dear brother) if a virtuous life be accompanied with all these benefits, tell me I pray thee of good fellowship, what is the cause shall withdraw thee, and persuade thee not to embrace such a precious treasure? what art thou able to allege for excuse of thy great negligence? to say, that this is not true, it can not be admitted, for so much as thou seest, that all is grounded upon the word of God, and the testimonies of his holy Scriptures: and to say, 
Esa. 69.  that these are but small benefits, thou canst not, for so much as they do exceed (as we have before declared) all that man's heart can desire. To say, that thou art an enemy unto thyself, and that thou doest not desire these benefits, this cannot be said, considering that man is even naturally a friend to himself, and the will of man hath ever an eye to his own benefit, which is the very object, or mark that his desire shooteth at: to say that thou hast no understanding or taste of these benefits, it will not serve to discharge thine offence, for so much as thou hast the faith and belief, though thou hast not the taste, for the taste is lost through sin, but not the faith; 
Faith is a more certain wie●esse, then ●ll the wit●asses and experiences ●n the world.  and the faith is a witness more certain, more secure and better to be trusted, than all other experiences, and witnesses in the world: why dost thou not then discredit all other witnesses, with this one assured testimony? why dost thou not rather give credit unto faith, than to thine own opinion and judgement? O that thou wouldst make a resolute determination to submit thyself into the hands of Almighty God, and to put thy whole trust assuredly in him: how soon shouldest thou see all these prophecies fulfilled in thee? then shouldest thou see the excellency of these divine treasures, then shouldest thou see how stark blind the lovers of this world are, that seek not after this high treasure. To be short, then shouldest thou see upon what good ground our Saviour inviteth us to this kind of life: saying: Come unto me all ye that travel, 
Math. 11.  and are laden, and I will refresh you: take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest for your souls; for my ●oke is sweet, and my burden is light. Almighty God is no deceiver, not false promiser, neither yet is he a great boaster of such things as he promiseth, why dost thou then shrink back! why dost thou refuse peace and quietness? why dost thou despise the gentle offers and sweet callings of thy pastors? how darest thou despise and banish away virtue from thee, which hath such prerogatives and privileges as these be, and withal confirmed and signed even with the hand of Almighty God. The Queen of Saba heard far less things them these of Solomon, 
●an. 9  & yet she traveled from the uttermost parts of the earth to try the truth of those things wh●● she had heard, & why dost not thou then having such notable, yea and so certain news of virtue, adventure to take a little pains to try the truth and sequel thereof? O my dear Christian brother, put thy trust in Almighty God, and in his word, and commit thyself boldly without all fear into his arms, and unlace from thy hands triflings knots, that have hitherto deceived thee, and thou shalt find that the deeds of virtue, do far excel her fame, and that all which is spoken in praise of her is nothing, in comparison of that which she is in deed.   

That a man ought not to defer his repentance and conversion unto God from day to day, considering that he hath so many debts to discharge, by reason of the offences committed in his sinful life past. Chap. 4.  
NOw than if on the one side there be so many & so great respects that do bind us to change our sinful life, and on the other side, we have not any sufficient excuse why we should not make this exchange, I beseech thee tell me, how long time wilt thou tarry until thou fully resolve to do it; turn thine eyes (o my Christian brother) and look back a little upon thy life past, and consider that at this present of what age soever thou be, it is high time, or rather the time is well near past to begin to discharge some part of thine old debts; consider that thou who art a Christian, regenerated in the holy water of Baptism, who dost acknowledge Almighty God for thy father, consider I say, that all this notwithstanding thou hast lived even as loosely, and dissolutely, as thou hadst been a mere infidel, that had never any knowledge of Almighty God: and if thou deny this, then tell me what kind of sin is there that thou hast not committed, what tree is there forbidden, that thou hast not beholden with thine eyes? what green meadow is there in which thou hast not (at the least with desire) feasted thy lecherous lusts? what thing hath been set before thine eyes, that thou hast not wanton desired? what appetite hast thou left unexecuted, notwithstanding that thou didst believe in Almighty God, and that thou wert a Christian? what wouldst thou have done more, if thou hadst not had any faith at all, if thou hadst not looked for any other life, if thou hadst not feared the dreadful day of judgement? What hath all thy former life been, but a web of sins, a sink of vices, a way full of brambles and thorns, and a froward disobedience of Almighty God, with whom thou hast hitherto lived, but only with thine appetite, with thy flesh, with thy pride, and with thy goods, and riches of this transitory world? these have been thy gods, these have been thine Idols, whom thou hast served, whose laws thou hast diligently obeyed: make thine accounts with Almighty God, with his laws, with his obedience, and peradventure thou shalt find that thou hast esteemed him no more than if he had been a God of straw, for it is certain, that there be many Christians, which believing that there is a God, are induced to sin with such facility, as though they did believe that there were no God at all: & do offend no whit less, though they believe that there is a God, than they would do they believed that there w●● none at all. What greater in●ry, what greater despite c●● there be done, then thus to contemn his divine majesty. Finally, thou believing all such things, hast notwithstanding so led thy life, as if thou we●● persuaded that the belief 〈◊〉 the Christians were the gre●● rest fables or lies in the who● world.  
And if the multitude of thy sins past, and the facility thou hast used in committing of them, do not make thee afraid, why dost thou not fear at the least the Majesty & omnipotency of him, against whom thouhast sinned? Life up thine eyes, and consider the infinite greatness and omnipotency of the Lord, whom the powers of heaven do adore, before whose Majesty the whole compass of the wide world lieth prostrate, in whose presence all things created are no more than chaff, carried away with the wind: consider also with thyself, how unseemly it is, that such a vile worm as thou art, should have audacity so many times to offend & provoke the wrath of so great a Majesty.  
Consider the wonderful & most terrible severity of his justice, 
The terrible severe justice of almighty God against sinners.  and what horrible punishments he hath used from time to time in the world, against sin, and that not only against particular persons but also upon Cities, Nations, Kingdoms, and Provinces: yea upon the universal world, and not only in earth, but also in heaven, not only upon strangers and sinners, but even vpo● his own most innoceson, our sweet Saviour Ies●● Christ, when he took upon him to satisfy for the de●… that they owed. And if th● severity was used upon innocent & green wood, an● for the sins of others, wha● then will he do upon dry an● withered wood, and against those that are laden with the● own sins? Now what thin● can be thought more unreasonable, then that such a vil● wretched weak dwarf a thou, 
Luke. 13. verse. 43.  shouldest be so saucy and mallaparte, as to mock with so mighty a Lord, whose hand is so heavy, that in case he should strick, but even one stroke upon thee, he would at one blow drive thee down headlong into the deep and bottomless pit of hell; ●here to be tormented for ever by the devils and his Angles, without all hope of remedy.  
Consider likewise the great patience of this our merciful Lord, 
The great patience of Almighty God.  who hath expected thy repentance so long, even from the time that thou didst first offend him, and think that if after so great patience, and long tarrying for thee, thou shalt still continue thy lewd and sinful life, abusing thus his mercy, and not ceasing to provoke him to further indignation and wrath, he will then bend his bow, and shake his sword, and rain down upon thee, even very sharp● arrows of everlasting death.  
Consider also the profoundness of his judgements, 
The profoundness of the deep judgements of almighty God.  whe● of we read and see daily ● great wonders: we see ho●● king Solomon himself, after be so great wisdom, and after those three thousand parable and most profound mysteries uttered by him in his book called Cantica Canticoru● was sorsaken of almighty God and suffered to fall down, 
1. Reg. 11.  a●● adore Idols: we see day● many stars fall down from heaven to the earth, with miserable falls, 
Ato. 2.  and to wallo● themselves in the dirt, and to eat the meat of swine, which sat before at God's table, and were fed with the very brea● of Angels. If then the just and righteous for some secret pride, or negligence, or else for some ingratitude of theirs, be thus justly forsaken of almighty God, after they have bestowed so many years in his service, what mayst thou look for, that hast done nothing else all thy life time, but only heaped up sins upon sins, and hast thereby offended Almighty God, most grievously.  
Now if thou hast lived after ●his sort, were it not reason that thou shouldest now at the length give over, and cease hea●ing sin upon sin, and debt upon debt, and begin to pacify the wrath of almighty god, and ●o disburden thy sinful soul: were it meet that that time which thou hast hitherto given to the world, to the flesh, and to the devil, should suffice, and that thou shouldest bestow some little time of that which remaineth to serve him, 〈◊〉 hath given unto thee all 〈◊〉 thou hast? were it not a po●● of wisdom after so long time and so many great injuries, 〈◊〉 fear the most terrible iush● of Almighty God, who th● more patiently he suffere● sinners, the more doth he 〈◊〉terward punish them wi● greater severity and iustio● were it not meet for thee fear thy long continuance many years in sin, and in th● displeasure of almighty God procuring thereby against the such amighty adversary as●● is, and provoke him of a merciful loving father, to be com● a severe terrible judge and enemy? were it not meet to fear, lest that the force of●uill custom may in continuance of come be turned into nature, and that thy long vicious usual manner of committing of sin, may make of a vice a necessity, or little less? why art thou not afraid lest by little & ●litle thou mayst cast thyself down headlong into the deep pit of a reprobate sense, 
Rom. 1.  wherinto after that a man is once fall, he never maketh account of any sin, be it never so great.  
The Patriarch jacob said unto Laban his father in law: These fourteen years have I served thee, & looked to thine affairs, now it is time, that I should look to mine own, & begin to attend unto the affairs of mine own household. Wherefore if thou hast likewise bestowed so many years, in the service of this world, and of this frail transitory 〈◊〉 were it not good reason, th● thou shouldest now be● to make some provision 〈◊〉 the salvation of thy soul, 〈◊〉 son the everlasting life 〈◊〉 come? There is nothing mo● short, nor more transa●rie, than the life of a m●● and therefore providing carefully as thou dost for such things as be necess●● for this life, which is so sha●● why dost thou not likew●● provide somewhat for the● that is to come, which s●endure for ever and ever?   

The conclusion of all the premises. Chap. 5.  
IF now all this be so, beseech thee (o my de● Christian brother) even for the bitter passion of jesus Christ, to remember thyself, and to consider that thou art a Christian, and that thou believest assuredly for a most undoubted truth what thy faith instructeth: this faith telleth thee, thou hast a judge above, that seethe all the steps and motions of thy life; and that certainly there shall a day come, when he will require an account of thee, even of every idle word: this faith teacheth thee, that a man is not altogether at an end when he dieth, but that after this temporal life there remaineth another everlasting life, and that the souls die not with the body, but that while the body remaineth in the grave, until the general day of judgement, the soul shall enter into another new country, and into a new world, where it shall have such habitation, and company as the faith which it had in this life. This faith telleth thee also, that both the reward of virtue, and the punishment of vice, is a thing so wonderful, that although the world were full of books, and all creatures were writers, yet should they all be wearied, and the world come to an end, before they should end their description, and make a perfect declaration, what is comprehended in each one of these points. This faith informeth thee also, that the debts, and duties, which we own unto Almighty God, are so great, that albeit a man had so many lives, as there be sands in the sea, yet would they not suffice, if they were all employed in his service. And this faith like wise telleth thee, that virtue is such an excellent treasure, that all the treasures of the world, and all that man's heart can desire, 
Sap. 7.  are not to be compared unto it.  
Wherefore if there be so many and great respects that do invite us unto virtue, how cometh it to pass, that there be so few lovers and followers of the same? If men be moved with gain and commodity, what greater commodity can there be, than life everlasting? if with fear of punishment, what punishment can be greater, then everlasting horrible torments in hell fire, world without end? if with bonds of debts, and benefits, what debts are greater than thee, which we own unto Almighty God, aswell for that he is which he is, as also for that which we have received of him? If the fear of perils do move us, what greater peril can there be then death, the hour thereof being so uncertain, and the account so straight? If thou be moved with peace, liberty, quietness of mind, and with a pleasant life (which are things that all the world desireth) it is certain, that all these are found much better in the life that is governed by virtue and reason, then in that life, that is tuled by the affections and passions of the mind, for so much as man is a reasonable creature, and no beast. Howbeit in case thou accountest all this as not sufficient to move thee thereunto, yet shall it not suffice thee to consider, that Almighty God so abased himself for thy sake, that he descended from heaven unto the earth, and became man? and whereas he created the world in fix days, he bestowed thirty and three years about thy redemption, yea & was also content for the same to lose his life: Almighty God died, that sin should die, & yet for all this we do endeavour that fins might live in our hearts. Notwithstading that Almighty God purposed to take away the life of sin with his own death, What shall I say more? assuredly of reasons we have showed enough, and enough, if this matter were be to discussed by reason: for I say this, not only in beholding. Almighty God himself, but wheresoever we turn our eyes, we shall find that every thing crieth out unto us, and calleth upon us to receive this so excellent a benefit, for there is not a thing created in the world, (if we do well consider it) but doth invite to the love and service of our Lord and Saviour: in so much that look how many creatures there be in the world, so many preachers there are, so many books, so many voices, and so many reasons, which do all call us unto Almighty God.  
And how is it possible then, that so many callings as these are, so many promises, and threatenings, should not suffice to bring us unto him? What might Almighty God have done more than he hath done, or promised more than he hath promifed, or threatened more than he hath threatened, to draw us unto him, and pluck us from sin, and yet all this notwithstanding, how cometh it to pass, that there is so great (I will not say arrogancy, but) be witching of men, that do believe those things to be certainly true, and yet be not afraid to continue all the days of their life in sin? yea to go to bed in sin, and to rise up again in sin, and to imbrue themselves in every kind of sin: and this is done in such sort, so without feeling, so without fear, so without scruple of mind, and without breaking of one hours sleep as if all that they believed we● dreams, and old wives tales, and as if all that the holy evangelists have written, were mere untruths, & stark lies. Tell me now thou desperare traitor, tell me I say thou firebrand prepared to burn in those everlasting and revenging horrible fires of hell, what wouldst thou have done more than thou hast done, in case thou hadst been persuaded that all were mere lies, which thou hast believed: for although I see well, that for fear of external punishment imposed by the Prince's law, thou hast somewhat bridled thine appetites, yet can I not perceive that for any fear of Almighty God thou hast refrained thy will in any one thing: neither from carnal pleasures, nor from taking revenge of thine enemies, nor from backbiting and slandering thy neighbours, nor yet from fulfilling thine inordinate and filthy lusts and desires, in case thine ability served there unto, tell me thou blind gross buzzard, and worse than frantic fellow, what saith thy worm of conscience unto thee, whiles thou art in such a fond security, and confidence, continuing in such a careless and dissolve wicked life as thou dost, where is now become the understanding, judgement, and reason, which thou hast of a man? why art thou not afraid of so horrible, so certain, and so assured perils and dangers: if there were a dish of meat set before thee, and some man (albeit he were a liar) should say unto thee that there were poison in that dish, tell me, darest thou once adventure to stretch forth thy hand to take a taste thereof, though the meat were never so savoury and delicate, and he never so great a liar that should bear thee thus in hand? If the Prophets, if the Apostles, if the Evangelists, yea if Almighty God himself do 〈◊〉 one unto thee, and say. Take heed miserable man for deal is in that kind of meat, and death lieth lurking in that glintenous morsel, which the devil hath set before thee, how darest thou reach for euer●● sting death with thy own hands, & drink thine one damnation: to what use puttest thou in this mean while thy wits, thy judgements, and thy discourse, 
4. Reg. 4.  and reason, which thou hast of a man, where is their light, where is their force, sith that none of them: do bridle thee any whit from thy common use of vices? O thou wretched and mad careless calise, bewitched by the dinell, adjudged to everlasting darhenesse, both in ward and outward, and so goest on from one darkness to the other thou are blind to see thy 〈◊〉 misery, insensible ●● v●●●ersland thy perdition, and harder than any adamant to se●le the ●amer of God's word. ●a●housand times most miserable thou art, worthier to be 〈◊〉 with none other then with those where with thy damnation was lamented: when it was said: O that thou knewest this day the peace, quietness, and treasures, which Almighty God offereth unto thee, and do now lie hidden from thine eyes: O miseraable is the day of thy nativity, & much more miserable the day of thy death, for so much as that shall be the beginning of thy everlasting damnation: 
Mar. 14.  o how much better had it been for thee never to have been borne, 
The wicked Christians shall be punished in hell more grievously for their wicked lives more than the infidel's.  if thou shall be damned in the most horvible torment of he fire for ever & ever? How much better had it been for thee never to have been baptised, if throughthe abusing thereof by thy wicked life, thy damnation shall be thereby the greater: for if the light of reason only sufficeth to make the heathen Philosophers inexcusable, because they knowing God in some degree, did not glorify him, nor serve him (as the Apostle saith) how much less shall he be excused, that hath received the light of faith, and the water of Baptism, and doth often receive the representation of the Lords body, and every day heareth his word preached, 
Rom. ●1  if he do nothing more than these pagan Philosophers have done?  
Now what other thing may we infer of the premises, but briefly to conclude, that there is none other understanding, none other wisdom, none other counsel in the world, but that setting aside all the impediments & cumbersome dangerous ways of this life, we follow only that true and certain way, whereby true peace and everlasting life is obtained? hereunto we are called by reason, by wisdom, by law, by heaven, by earth, by hell, and by the life, death, justice, and mercy of Almighty God. Hereunto we are also invited very notably by the holy Ghost, 
Eccles. 6.  speaking by the mouth of Ecclesiasticus in this wise: My son hearken to instruction, even from the first years of thy youth, and in thy latter days thou shalt enjoy the sweet fruit of wisdom: approach unto it as one that ploweth and soweth, and with patience expect the fruitful increase which it shall yield unto thee. The pains that thou shall take, shall be but little, and the benefits that thou shalt quickly enjoy, shall be great. May son hearken to my words, and neglect not my counsel which I shall give, put thy feet willinglyinto her fetters, and thy neck into her chains, bow down thy shoulders and carry her upon thee, and be not displeased with her bonds, approach near unto her with all thy heart, and follow her ways with all thy strength, seek for her with all diligence, and she will discover herself unto thee, and after that thou hast found her never forsake her, for by her shalt thou findrest in thy latter days; and that which before seemed painful, will afterwards become pleasant unto thee, and her fetters shallbe a defence of thy strength, and foundation of virtue, and her chain shall be arobe of glory, for in her is the very beauty of life, & her both are the very bonds of health Hitherto are the words of E●clesiasticus, whereby thou mayst in some degree understand, how great the beauty, the delight, the liberty, and riches of true wisdom are, which is virtue itself, and the knowledge of Almighty God, whereof we do entreat. But is all this be not sufficient to mollify thy heart, lift up thine eyes, & fix thy mind not upon the water of the world, which vanish away, but upon the Lord who died for our sins: there standeth he with his feet nailed fast, looking for thee, with his arms spread abroad to receive thee, and with his head bowing down to give thee, as to another prodigal son, new kisses of peace, & atonement: from thence he calleth thee (if thou couldst hear him) with many callings and cries, hearken therefore (o my Christian brother) and consider this well with thyself, that if his prayer be not heard, that hearkeneth not unto the cries of the poor, how much less shall he be heard that maketh himself deaf to such cries as these are. Wherefore now determine with thyself to hearken unto these cries, & be fully resolved to change thy sinful life, & to live a new life, and so shalt thou at the last possess the joys which never shall end.  
FINIS.    

 printer's device of John Oxenbridge (depiction of bull standing on bridge) CONSTANTIA ET LABOUR