A devout Mans Purposes.  
Being zealous and comfortable Meditations, to wean a man from this world, and the vanities thereof.  
LONDON Imprinted by I. W. for edmund Mars, and are to be sold at the sign of the hand and plough in Fleete-street. 1597.   

To the right worshipful master Iulius Caesar, Doctor of the civil laws, master of the requests, and of saint Katherines, as also chief judge of her majesties high Court of the admiralty, &c. And to the most virtuous Gentlewoman his wife: this worlds happiness,& the others eternal blessedness vnfainedly wished.  
SIr, I know not how you will take this presumption of mine, in venturing so far upon your manifold favours, as to defend my poor pains by your names prerogative: If well accepted, I haue all I desire, if otherwise, good will was the offender, and yourself being a judge, censure him with what penalty it shall please you to appoint him.  
Concerning this present work, let it either condemn or commend itself: for great words cannot better it, or disabling speeches impair t●e worth of it: Gold is tried by the touch, good books by their worth, and the wise are not so skilful in the one, but iudgement makes them as capable of the other.  
But these harsh times are become the greatest enemies to Schollers, for either envious detraction intrudes himself to disgrace them, or gripple niggardl●nesse bears the purse to regard them: So that the giuing of books, is now termed but beggary,& the requiting of serious studies feels no taste of liberality.  
Thus falls it out with a number of good wits, who finding their great pains to bee slenderly regarded, and their long lingered hopes in the end quiter frustrated: are compelled to harder extremities then fitteth their deserts, or stands with the credit of such thankless men to suffer them endure.  
Therefore most fortunate may I term myself, that never yet happened to meet with such an iron nature: but fearing least I should, I am the bolder to shelter myself still under your worshipful favour, a most liberal father and friend to the learned, and one that suffers not the poorest mans pains to pass vnrequited.  
To you I give this little labour of a far greater love, and to her( whom God hath blessed you with all) some portion: As God hath linked ye together not to bee divided, so jointly take between ye this true testimony of my affection, and God make it as pleasing to you both in the reading, as( though it cost me some pain) it was a solace to my soul in the writing.  
Your worships ever to bee commanded, E. M.   

To the Reader.  
I Can not commend this book to any favourite of this world, because it will prove too unsavoury for his taste, and to wish it to one that despiseth the world, being ignorant of his abode, I know not how to send it him▪ therefore in so hard a case this willbe most convenient for me, to let it pass along with what success shall please God to sand it, for he will give his blessing to every good endeavour.  
Concerning the title which is given to the book, it may bee carpt at by some, and misconstrued by others, as if this poor man did imagine himself onely to be devout, or that none but he were acquainted with the rules of devotion. But thus he answers for himself: He terms it not the devout mans Purposes, in any respect of his own singularity, or that he is, or easily can bee so mortified from this world, as these several Meditations do instruct a man to bee: but he that will attain to true devotion indeed, and frame his life as becometh a good christian, he must( in his opinion) lay hold upon these purposes, as also absolutely to practise them in his daily conversation, whereto God giuing the holy assistance of his spirit, and enabling him to proceed on in these religious determinations: that then they may justly be called a devout mans purposes,& no man can so purpose, but he will bee devout indeed.  
And thus ye haue this poor mans plain meaning, far from proud conceit of himself, or misdeeming of others. red first, and then judge, be as slow in condemning him, as ye would haue others to deal with you: If these purposes please ye, look the sooner for his Preparation, and but that they should both benefit, he could wish them buried in utter oblivion.   

The several Purposes contained in this book.  

OF mans pilgrimage while he is in this life. fol. 1.  
Of worldly riches. fol. 7.  
Of true riches. fol. 19.  
Of worldly wisdom. fol. 26.  
Of true wisdom. fol. 30.  
Of worldly strength, and of true strength both in one. fol. 36.  
Of worldly beauty. fol. 45  
Of true beauty. fol. 50.  
Of worldly honour. fol. 55.  
Of true honour, and howe to come by it, both in this world, and in the world to come. fol. 68.  
Of worldly nobility by birth, discent and great parentage. fol. 73.  
Of true nobility, birth and parentage. fol. 81  
Of worldly friends,& friendship. fol. 86.  
Of true friends and friendship. fol. 96.  
Of worldly favor among men. fol. 704.  
Of worldly prosperity, and benefiting ourselves by our neighbours harm. fol. 114  
Of worldly care for food, raiment and other maintenance in this life. fol. 132.  
How wee ought to despise the world, and all the vanities thereof, if wee purpose to live and reign with Christ eternally. fol. 142  
The Conclusion.    

THE devout Mans purposes.  

Meditation 1. Of mans pilgrimage while he is in this life.  
ALl the while we live in this world, 
2 Cor. 5, 6  wee are absent from the Lord, saith the Apostle Paul: Therefore thou art a pilgrim in this world, and trauellest toward heaven, in regard we haue here no city durable or continuing, 
Heb. 13.14.  but we seek one to come. Hence is it that all travail is laborious,& so not stable or delightsome to thee, because thou art but a passenger through this world: and hence comes it, that the pilgrim suffers hunger, thirst, heat, cold, losses, molestations, infirmities,& many other miseries whereto wee are all subject in this worlds pilgrimage. The traveler goes far from his country and family, yet is desirous to return thither again: even so wee as banished from this world, should long for our return to heaven, our true born country. And like as pilgrims are cheerfully welcomed into inns or lodgings, yet ere their departing some account of expenses is made unto them, so though wee haue a little show of pleasant entertainment in this world, yet at our deaths we must render a severe and strict account for the same. Then since thou art a pilgrim seek not( fonde wretch) to build houses or unfruitful habitations in this world: having so rich a father, and a country so fertile, abounding and stored with houses, that expect thy coming. The Apostle Peter saith, 
1 Pet. 2.  I beseech ye as pilgrims& strangers that ye abstain from carnal desires which fight against the soul: instructing us hereby to led our lives like pilgrims. What though they live in afflictions, disgraces, mere strangers in the world, and haue no friends to respect them: be thou in like manner as little mindful of friends, whom thou shalt find prejudicial and dangerous to thy soul, neither seek after things pleasing to thy appetite, in regard thou art a way fairing man& traveler, which if thou wilt but remember, thou shalt prevent many evils. Seest thou not what speed a Post makes on his journey? hye thee then as fast from this world, so full of miseries. He that comes to a poor cottage or country sheepcoat, to take shelter there under while a storm of rain bee blown over: for the small time he hath to abide there, never busies his brains to make it greater, or to build it in more beauty then it is: No other shelter, room or harbour haue we on this earth, because wee arrive here to day, and depart again hence to morrow. Then never care to get honours, riches,& worldly bubbles of vanity, in regard time swiftly paceth on, and thou in a moment passest hence: therfore thou shalt not do amiss by example of that traveler, who on his journey hath nothing else in his mind, but at what place or city he is to arrive, to remember continually the land of the living, where the saints do ioy in Christ: and when thou goest toward thy fathers house, think with what mind thou oughtest to come thither, howe thou art to be entertained, and forget all things that would confine thee to this present life. moreover, seeing for half an houres tarrying in a country, thou wilt seek neither house or inn, except thou wert certain to bide ther longer time: I cannot choose but marvel thē, why thou desirest to build high houses and make such provision for many matters, thy life while being so short and uncertain, the hour of death so doubtful, as thou knowest not if thou shalt live an houres space or no. How worthy then art thou of most sharp reprehension, for laying such fast hold on this false and slippery world, as if thou wert to remain here for ever? Thus many build houses, that never stay to dwell in them, and while the swift hour of death comes stealing on, they make but a jest of sound approved truth, thinking they run away with a rich robbery of worldly vanities. Why doth the traveler bear so patiently a bad nights lodging in his inn, but that he hopes to sleep at better quiet the next night in his own house? This one consideration( me thinks) might suffice to make thee patiently endure all the turmoils and troubles of this life, remembering how short a while they will last, and forthwith thou must return to thine own house in heaven, where thou shalt repose thyself quietly for ever.  
Blessed is that pilgrim, who at all times, and in all places of his abiding, forgets not in this life his heavenly habitation, seeking there his perpetual quietness, where the Saints rejoice with Christ in eternal glory. Blessed likewise is that pilgrim, who seeks not his dwelling here in this world, 
Phil. 1. 23  but desireth to bee loosed from this flesh, and be with Christ. And lastly, blessed is he, 
Apo. 19.9  that is called to to the lambs supper: and though he bee not placed at his table, yet sighs and mourns for it here in this world. Haue therefore ever before thine eyes these words of david, thus speaking to God, I am a stranger before thee, 
psa. 39, 12  and a pilgrim like all the rest of my fathers. Wherefore if thou well considerest how eternal& durable the life which wee seek for is( for it shall never haue end) and compare it with this present transitory shadow: albeit thou shouldst live a thousand yeares in this world, yet equals it not half an hour in respect of the life to come. Thē cast both forward& backward thine account,& thou shalt truly find, our whole life here is not a point in comparison of that should be desired.  
This moved the Apostle Paul, patiently to support the pain and travell of his peregrination, as he writ to the Corinthians, Wee are afflicted, 
2. Cor. 4  but not in distress, wee are in poverty, but want not: wee are cast down, but we perish not: I say wee want not, because our tribulation( for the present time) is but short& momentary, if wee live not contemplating those things which we see, but those wc we see not. Thus was the Apostle paul enforced hereto, remembering the brevity of present tribulation,& that he journeyed to arrive at the heavenly city. If he was such a pilgrim, let not like travell seem laborious to thee: If when thou iournyest it fall out irksome to thee, and that men think scorn to know thee, repute it not to bee vile or molestious, because thy travel will soon be ended.  
S. paul speaking of the saints of the old Testament, saith: That they confessed themselves to be strangers& pilgrims on the earth. 
Heb. 1.  Therefore they remained in caues& poor cottages, never having any rest at al in this life, traveling continually, because they would not live as determinate dwellers in this world. cain first began to build a city on the earth, and lost a better city, the city of heaven, 
Gene, 4  because he was the first that would live in this world, as a firm inhabitant, and not a stranger,& therefore he stood condemned by God. Peter the Apostle was reproved by many reasons, that being a pilgrim, 
Mat. 17.  he would build a house( like an earthly dweller) vpon Mount Tabor. They that wander through foreign provinces, returning home to their houses, buy not in their travell any weighty things to carry about them, except jewels, and other small portable matters of some value, thou then that art a stranger and pilgrim, consider hereby thou canst carry nothing at all with thee out of this life.  
Then here must needs be left all thy honour and riches, onely thy jewels& precious stones, which are thy faith and good works, them do thy endeavour to carry with thee. poor miserable wretch, why then dost thou so busy thyself to get and buy such things which thou must needs leave by the way? why covetest thou to bee so rich, to ouerlode thyself, and trudge about so seriously, to live poorly afterward, and die with famine in the self same house where thou thought'st to live for ever? Alter this fond& frivolous purpose, seek no abiding here, but in the place thou wast born, for let al other trash and trifles alone, ouerlode thyself with those jewels before name if thou canst, so shalt thou come rich●y home to thine own house in heaven, there to live honourably and blessed for ever.   

Meditation 2. Of worldly riches.  

Psal. 61.  IF thy riches increase, set not thy heart upon them, saith the prophet david: therefore the seruant of Iesus Christ ought to abhor all such things as would withdraw him from God. seem not these worldly riches vain unto thee, that haue their ending altogether vain? 
Psal, 72  The rich men haue slept their sleep, and nothing left to bee found in their hands: Then doubtless most vain are all those things, that would hinder thee from an end so much to bee desired, I mean the true passage to thy heavenly habitation.  
Those kingdoms& cities which the devil shewed to our saviour Christ vpon the mountain, 
Mat. 4  were not true riches, but fantastical& sightly in the eye: even so all the riches, honor, and glory of this world, are no perfect goods, but feigned, dissembled, and( as Saint james saith) a vapour that appears a while and in a moment is dispersed. 
Iam. 4,  Then set not thy affection on such transitory things, which bring nothing else but a desire of them, because few or none wrap themselves up among riches, but their hartes are soundly attainted with the corruption of them.  

Eccle, 31.8.9  Blessed is the rich man, that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold, nor hoped in money and treasure. Who is he,& we will commend him? If there bee not one, in what danger are they then that link and fasten themselves to such folly? The way to heaven, 
Mat. 7.  is narrow& troublesone, not to be found without the especial favour of God: then thou rich man whatsoever thou art, crave thou the mighty& wonderful assistance of Gods favour to bee thy guide,& all little enough, yet the poor in spirit find the way readily, by the very least help of their Lord& maisters grace.  
Then if the rich will be saved, the greatest and most excellent favour of God is needful for them, for their peril and danger of salvation being so great, the means to obtain the same must bee much greater: hence is it that rich men are called wicked,& the heires of evil, because they resemble the full gorged falcon, that will not know her master,& turn unto him.  

Luk. 15,  The prodigal son no sooner became rich, but he forsook both his father& his house● necessity& misery came& but pinched him, then he sorrowed and would needs return to his father: whereby we may gather that riches seperat● men from God,& pouert● bringeth them back again unto him. 
Num. 32.  The children o● Reuben and Gad desire● Moses that he would leau● thē there in the country o● jordan, where was goo● feeding for their cattle: never caring to go to the lan● of promise. In like mane● there are many that refus● the kingdom of heaue● promised them in perpet●al possession, for the love of riches and corruptible goods they enjoy in this false world. If therefore thou wilt truly give thyself to God, despoil thee of all love and affection to worldly things, because thou art busied and troubled about many matters, 
Luk. 10.  and yet but one thing is onely necessary, and if thou haue that, give present discharge to al other whatsoever.  
When our first parents were in the state of innocency,& busied onely with spiritual consideration of God, ●hey had so little mind of their bodies, 
Gen. 3.  as they never saw themselves to bee naked: they had no sooner sinned, but they discerned their nakedness& misery,& presently sought means to cover themselves withall. Paul the Apostle rapt up to the third heaven, said himself, he knew not whether he were in body, or divided from himself, therfore they make no reckoning at all of their bodies, that are lifted up to heavenly things, where they are so busied in spirit, that the body is quiter forgotten. This forgetfulness is reputed a weighty consideration, and thus not to know ourselves, is very great wisdom.  
The disciples of Christ being busied in the doctrine of their divine master, gave no regard to exterior occasions, and so forgot to wash their hands when they sate down to the table: 
Mat. 15  but the pharisees minding outward ceremonies, would needs know of Christ, the cause why his disciples washed not their hands. Wherefore the servants of this world, troubled about base and slender matters, give no attention to the great and higher: so that by trifling about bodily business, they want time to think on the affairs of the soul. Hence is it, that fruitless thoughts are the children of riches, and the works they bring with them, do nothing else but choke and confounded the spirit. Therefore thou shalt do well in making no account of these corruptible treasures, that thou mayest the more freely give thyself to God: for thou canst not fly up to him, except first thou cut the cord which hangs at thy heart, and still plucks thee back to the world and vain wealth, whereto thou art fastened with too much affection. Then not to separate thee from the love of Iesus Christ, seek after his sweetness, and despise this base worlds bitterness. Oftentimes in good and savoury meats is poison received, and they that haue eaten thereof are forthwith ready for the grave: sweet are the riches of this world to such as love them, yet under them is death hidden, because they make a man proud and vicious, and so he takes them with him to death eternal. We red in Ecclesiasticus: He that loveth riches, 
Eccle. 1.  shall receive the reward of his love:& what reward that is, the Apostle paul declareth, They that will bee rich, 
1, Tim. 1.  fall into the snares and temptations of the devill: for all creatures are alike unto man, as man is to himself. Therefore ●he good mind cannot be contaminated or abused with things so far different from it, nor can the wicked man any way help himself by them. Tell me, what help is abundance of riches to this frail flesh of ours, which is born to die, and putrifie in the earth? they cannot defend it from the corruption whereinto perforce it must fall, a constant and good mind is that, which is not subjecteth to riches. The Psalmist saith, The proud and rich lords haue slept their sleep, 
Psal. 76.  but he doth not call thē Lords of their riches, because they are seruants, slaves& drudges thereto, and not masters or controllers of their riches.  
gain got with evil famed is reckoned for loss, and he is to dread it, that is afraid of poverty. Seruants serve their masters but to ease them of labour, cares& troubles: bad seruants then are money and goods that not onely do not lessen their masters molestations, but increase and lay more heavy load upon them. What else is gold, but rust,& dross of the earth? What is silver and precious stones, but very froth of the self same earth? what are our finest velvets and silks, but excrements of vile worms? what are your purest cloth, but wool of beasts? what are your richest and most esteemed furs, but cases of dead beasts? what are painted palaces, and great populous cities, but mere earth? what is honor, but a wind? and in brief what thing soever else in the world, but dust? Canst thou then love all these earthly things, which the world falsely calls goods, when the very best of them is but a piece of vile earth? seek but to know the vanity of those things the world presentes thee withall, and thy hart will hate to be set vpon such base matters. ask but of the prophet Esay the worth of worldly things, and by this answer thou wilt somewhat be satisfied: All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field. 
Isa. 40.   
Why then, if the very best thing in the universal world be man, and all the glory of man( as the prophet saith) is but like the fields flower: whereto may wee compare all the rest beside, which thyself wilt confess ●uch inferior to man. Now here maiest thou learn thē some knowledge of thyself, that thou being so excellent a creature, created onely for the love and service of God, wilt so much embase thyself, and show such want of spirit, as to forsake thy Creator, and dedicate all thy endeavours to such vile and worthless things. Do but seem once to haue a holy pride in thee, think thyself to be made for reason, know the nobility& excellency of thy birth, which thou hast received from God, love noble things,( I mean spiritual riches) according to the noble inclination, with God himself endowed thy royal hart withall, when( after his own image and likeness) he created thee.  
Consider what the value of gold and precious stones is, when Salomon( according to the saying of our saviour) adorned with silks, jewels and precious stones, yea, 
Mat. 6  in all his glory and royalty, could not come forth clothed like one poor flower of the field. And yet wee account him a fool that termeth grass to be richer thē gold, which made the queen of Saba marvel at the wealth& wisdom of Salomon, 
3. Reg. 10  but never a whit to wonder at the lily of the field.  
Great is the fondness and error of men, that( like to things which onely seem but faire) they judge the beauty of them that are truly and really fair indeed: and this is the reason of our peevish appetite, when wee fancy a gaudy show, and make no account at all of the goodly substance. Thus it happens stil with us, who( like greedy and covetous desires of we know not what) would seem here more beautiful in our garments of gold, then the lily growing in the field: But if with the eye of truth we would well regard the case wee should find ourselves more whipped for our golden and silken garments, even at mens hands that make them for us, then the lily is at Gods hand, who made it: and yet all our bravery not equalling that one flowers beauty. What is said of the Spouse in the Canticles. Like the lily among the thorns, 
Cant. 2  so is my love among the daughters. love then true beauty, and the rich celestial treasures, and never set thy heart on the filth of the earth.  
Oh Christian brother, why dost thou heat thy blood, grow impatient and desperate about temporal treasures, when thou art promised heavenly& eternal? It is a matter too much inconvenient, that thou being ●o disciple of Iesus Christ, called and chosen for the i●y●s of heaven? shouldst esteem such things as were contemned, even by the Philosophers of the Genti●●● alas, alas, thou lovest money much,& it helps thee but little. Admit thou hadst in thy power all the treasures of the world, shalt thou thereby be made more young, more wise, more strong, or more fair then now thou art? Thou wilt tel me that by riches thou shalt attain to many pleasures: do then but consider how vain, swift and short they are, for true pleasure▪& delight indeed is the onely repose and tranquillity of the mind. Thou wilt tell me, that with riches thou canst purchase honours: remember then withall 〈◇〉 that men admire not at thee, or honour thy person, but the garments and riches thou wearest, so then that honour is none of thine, but thy clothings.  
But could men( at that very instant) behold the poor naked beggerlinesse of thy soul, they would hardly judge any creature in the world to bee more miserable, because the true honor of man, is to be beloved of God,& not for vain pomp, or to bee gazed on by men. Thou wilt say, that with riches thou canst get thee friends▪ think then they be no true friends, but false,& thou gaynest nothing thereby but manifest loss. Poor wretch, that thy riches which loues thee not, but deludes thee, that they who give thee fairest looks,& friendlike huggeth nearest thee, should desire thy speedy departing, for nothing else but to enjoy thy possessions.  
Thou wilt say, that having riches, thou canst give alms to the poor, and do many other good deeds: indeed these are rich mens words, that promise most, and perform least: but if Christ were now on the earth and should say to them, as he did to his Apostles, leave all and follow me, he were more like to walk without Apostles, then they in any hast to parte from their riches. Ah open thine eyes( dear brother)& look on the deceitful labyrinth wherein thou livest, is riches, dung& dirt of the world so precious to thee? why love selleth the lover for the thing beloved, so that he is no more his own, but quiter given over to that he loues: so thou thyself valuing much more then this trash which thou lovest, comest to give the better for the worse, and sellest away a precious jewel, for a matter of no estimation at all, even thy hart which is Gods and none of thine, for mud, dross and filth, then which nothing is more base.  
God commands, that we should love him onely, not because he hath any need of our love, but for our own profit: Now if thou wilt sel thyself to God, love him, thou shalt better thyself by the bargain, giuing a trifle for that which is inestimable,& a thing scant precious for the which no price can comprehend. For true riches increaseth more by diminishing covetous desires, then greedy gathering wealth together, which prove oftentimes most daungerous to them that possess them:& such as God hath chosen to live with him, he is wont to deprive of so main a hindrance, lest their own folly overcoming them with riches& vain prosperity, they should be blinded with the smoke of these frivolous honors, and so loose the inestimable dignities& treasures laid up for them in heaven. Consider withal in how small esteem God himself holds these earthly treasures, seeing on a sudden, and at the instance of satan hi● enemy, he quiter dispossessed his seruan● job, being one whom h●e loved and not a little esteemed.  
Lift up thine eyes( dear brother) and consider howe vile and contemptible worldly riches should bee to thee, fasten not thy affection on such vanities, but on thy saviour Christ Iesus, pray him to change thy former wretched purposes,& with him that entirely wisheth and desireth thy salvation, lay hold on that which never will deceive thee.   

Meditation 3. Of true riches.  
LAy up( for yourselves treasures) in heaven, 
Mat, 6.  saith our saviour. For it is but folly to seek preservation of those things which are lost by preserving, and found by losing, or may be compared to the grain cast into the ground, which multiplies by loss, and being saved perisheth. If our worldly goods be given to the poor, they fructify and bring profit: but being kept up, and no way employed, destroy both themselves& their covetous keepers. Loose thou thy money for thy brothers and neighbours sake, 
Ec●le. 29.  and let it not rust under a ston to thine own perdition. If the children of Israel had saved their Manna, it would haue corrupted and been filled with vermin. The like may wee say of this worlds vain riches, which are no way sooner lost, then by too much saving them. truly a most wounderful way is it, to enrich ourselves, by giuing and dispersing abroad, yet wee repute it rather to hoarding up, and gathering together: but if in this world we distribute to the poor, we lay up our riches in heaven, where it will increase,& we shall bee assured to find it.  
We see how men sand out money to cities and provinces far off, and their safest way to do so, is by letters of exchange: if then thou intend to send thy treasure securely before thee, and to the city of heavenly jerusalem: here are letters& exchaungers ready at hand for thee, even no other thē the poor, which banckers& reanswerers of money, are different from those used now a daies in this world, who when thou wouldst haue thy money in a far country, where thou hadst need of it, thou must perforce sustain some loss, for they will not pay thee so much there, as before thy journey thou didst disburse out here. But if thou traffic with the poor, they haue so certain a banque in heaven, as thou shalt not loose the smallest mite by the bargain, for not onely shalt thou truly receive what thou layest out here in earth, but an overplus: yea, much more then I am able to speak of. No man in this world will assure an others merchandise, except the owner will endure some loss thereby: so that he must pay a parte to him, who assures him but the remainder. In this custom house for the poor, thou shalt be sure of a most especial surety even Iesus Christ himself, who without receiving one penny for thy assurance, will warrant thee all, nay more, thou shalt find it double increased in his heavenly treasury. Make thy banque ●hen in this uncorruptible storehouse of riches, where not any thing whatsoever can wast or impair it hoard up in heaven, where thy treasure shall haue infinite multiplying: sand forth thy goods into thine own proper country, among thine own friends, and where thou art to abide for ever. Why shouldst thou put forth thy treasure here, the place being perilous, thy abiding uncertain, and no profit but pain returning to thee for it? A wise merchant sends his goods to that place, where he hopes to make quickest dispatch, ha●● best sale, and endure least loss.  
Too full of folly then are they, who not having to stay above two dayes in this world, but with the next post must away to the other: that they will lay up any riches here, where they are no otherwise then as pilgrims and strangers, and make no care at all to enrich themselves in heaven, their natural country and perpetual habitation. sand then thy treasure before thee by the hands of the poor,& there thou shal● find it ready for thee again in their treasury, all in currant ●oyne, and none false or counterfeit. As for brass money, base and vile things are usually bought therewith, but rich and great matters with gold and silver. Let then thine alms bee in mo●ey of good mettall, even in money of gold, when thou dost it on mere zeal ●nd for the pure love of God, then his divine love will double the value of it: ●ut if in a bravery thou gi●est thine alms, or for vain glory, it returns to base ●rasse mettall, and nothing ●is can be bought therewith but worldly praise, proud opinion, and no such great matters as are the eternal joys of heaven. Iesus Christ our redeemer hath promised to him, who gives but a cup of cold water in his name, it shal not pass unthought on: he would haue the alms done onely for his sake, and commands into be done in such secret manner, as thy left hand may not know what thy right hand doth. 
Mat. 6.  He that enricheth himself, doth it in secret, because he would not be robd, then rob not thou thyself of heauens inheritance, by Pharisaical pride and ostentation, but give thine alms for Gods sake onely, and if they happen to be more public then thou wouldst haue them, or they ought to bee, let yet thine intent be holy and secret: for those that give to God, in his secret store he lays it up for them, and augmentes it against the time of their necessity.  
If there were one, who had his hands of such virtue, that by touching things putrefied and corrupted in our hands, could make them sound, and return to their former good estate, as also to increase their perfection more and more: were it not great wisdom in us, to labour for the touch of such powerful hands? yea& vpon our knees hourly to entreat it. Such and no other are the hands of God, as of them in the scripture it is thus spoken, His hands are full of all goodness, 
Cant. 5  adorned with rings of gold and Chrisolites: Then for our least dead of alms, if wee put it into Gods hands, in a moment will he convert it into a great piece of fine gold, adorned with pure Chrisolites, like the colour of heaven, where likewise for us they shalbe made celestial.  
And as in a treasury, they use to mingle no false money which outwardly hath a little gold, and seems to bee good, yet inwardly is a mixture of most base metals: even so,& no otherwise are the works& alms deeds of hypocrites, who outwardly will appear just, as if they were no sinners, but inwardly haue seared and foul deformed consciences: no money of theirs comes into this high treasury, this is no banque for them, they traffic quiter contrary.  
And when our saviour said, 
Mat, 6.  Lay up treasure for yourselves in heaven: presently he name hypocrisy, advising us to fly from it, to the end we should sand no false money to heauens treasury, but be ware howe wee meddled with such counterfeit coin. hereupon God will haue our alms given in the estate of grace, that our inward hart be as good as our outward work. Therefore he that will give alms acceptable to God, must first make a free gift of himself. The Apostle paul writing to the Corinthians, but speaking of the Philippians saith, 
2, Cor. 10  They first gave themselves to God, and afterwards distributed to us▪ And wee red in Eccles. 
Eccles. 10.  Haue mercy on thine own soul, by pleasing god▪  
He that taketh compassion on his neighbour, hath it of himself first,& on his own soul, because the mercy that is extended to others, is to take original from a mans own self. Then how can he haue compassion on his neighbour, that hath none on himself? and he that is wicked to himself how can he be good to another? 
Eccle. 14.  Who giveth his alms not in due time, gives the alms to God, but to himself it is sin, saith job, who was clothed with iustice, adding afterward, 
job. 29,  I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame. Here it appeareth job had mercy first on himself, having put on iustice& sanctity, then came he to remember his neighbours necessity. Then seeing God regards more the hart then the gift, make clean thy heart from all corruption and hypocrisy, if thou wilt haue thy alms to bee acceptable in his sight, and thus shalt thou sand good money( and not counterfeit) into his treasury, if thou use mercy to thyself,& art the same within, whereof thou makest an outward show.  
Now that thou mayest the better know the true value of this money, poyze it with the weight of divine love: because then shall it be more ponderous, of better reckoning and account, when it counteruayles the just weight of love and charity. divine love is that weight of the Sanctuary, whereof God saith, every piece must bee poyzed by the weight of the sanctuary. And with those scales must wee weigh the money which we offer to God, thereby to try if it be light, or how many grains it wants. In this case then, if wee cloath the naked, wee must try the work by the Sanctuaries weight: if we feed the hungry, or do any of the other deeds of mercy, all must bee censured by the weight of the Sanctuary, for avoiding of ostentation, and worldly singularity. Therefore if our charity shall bee found too light by the weight of Gods love, it is no coin for his treasury, but reputed as base& counterfeit money: then my dear& Christian brother, whatsoever sinful escapes haue past thee heretofore, begin now at length this holy and christian purpose, to make no hoard here on earth, where it is subject to all casualties, but sand good money before thee to heaven, where thou shalt find it double and triple increased.   

Meditation. 4. Of worldly wisdom.  
THat which before God is foolishness, 
1. Cor. 2  in mens iudgement is reputed wisdom, saith the Apostle. The world accounts him wise, that( dissembling his vices) practiseth howe to come by honor and dignity: condemning him likewise for a fool, who despiseth& maketh no reckoning of such vanities. The wise man speaking in the person of worldly men, saith: We held his life to be foolish, 
Sap. 5.  and his end without honour. Contrariwise the world calls him wise, who cloaking his false faculties, labours with all his thoughts and study, to become wealthy and pompous, whereas they that hate to follow such courses, do find such worldly wisdom mere death unto them. And therfore the worldlings do make a scorn of them, as people( in their opinion) devoid of wit: whereas themselves,( not discerning the worlds foolishness, that the seruants of Iesus Christ are kindled lamps, 
job. 3.  this world but a wind( as job saith) both to kindle and extinguish) thus seemly soothe themselves, while heaven condemneth and laugheth them to scorn. Therefore they that are wise indeed, even for their own security, do hide themselves not caring to be regarded by any but God onely, whom they most desire to please, as having more mind of the inward parte, then the outward pleasing.  
From hence it proceedeth that the wisdom of God, and this other of the world are so contrary: for as the one is despised by him, so is the other condemned by men, and thus they that haue no iudgement at all, band their wits against the lord of all knowledge and ●udgement. When Samuel went to anoint( as king) one of Ishai his sons, 
1. Sam. 16  he left al them that the father most esteemed, and anointed david, who was in no reputation at all among men,& those other sons of Ishai, whom men so much regarded and made account of, were refused by God, as vnmeet for such dignity: thus they whom the world held to be wise, God reputed as fools, and him whom the world despised, God choose to be a king. Balaam, albeit he was a wicked man,( the holy Ghost making him the instrument) spake by his mouth, when he saw the tents,& fields of the people of Israel: 
Num. 24.  Oh how goodly are thy tents O jacob,& thy habitations O Israel? And when. Balaam spake this, forty yeares were overpast since the people of Israel went out of egypt, and then their tents must needs bee very old. Hereby it appeareth, that the world never praiseth but by outward beauty, and exterior paintinges: whereas God respecteth the inward onely, and what to the world seems poor or opprobrious, is by God commended and exalted to the clouds.  
He that hath a plaint before a learned man, that hath skill and knows the course of iustice, never greatly cares to bee condemned by an ignorant judge, because he can recall it before this man more learned, whose sentence is indeed worthy to be regarded. Iudges are many times worldly men, respecters of profit, and virtuous persons are sometime tried before them by men of slender estimation: where they are accounted but as fools, and so all their life time must they bear this sentence, till they come before him better learned, who will do them better iustice. even so princes of this world haue reckoned holy Martyrs to bee fools, seeing with what prompt will they gave themselves to death: And many wise worldlings haue held evangelical poverty for foolishness, terming them all fools and beggars that followed Christ Iesus.  
A wise man of the world said to the Apostle paul: Thou art a fool paul, 
Act. 26  much reading hath made thee loose thy sences: whereto paul answered, I am not mad but speak the words of truth& soberness. So Festus( not understanding the mysteries of the Apostles doctrine) took him for a fool or mad man, like as the world now a dayes doth the very same, to such as knows not, nor is acquainted with their cunning practices. And this is the censure which the world gives of good men, that they are ignorant and know nothing, but when this case shall bee tried before the great learned judge which is God himself, then it will fall out otherwise, he will condemn the worlds sentence as unjust, delivering an other, which shal be irrevocable, that worldly wise men, who flourished in this life, were vain fools, senseless idiots, and bragged of that they had not. Then let it not offend thee, if the world condemn thy life, seeing thou hast such a judge to appeal unto, and who will speedily give thee comfort. moreover, the day will not be long ere it come, when this high& supreme justicer will approve that which the world reprou'd,& the most curious contrived policy, will appear to be but bare& tottered folly, even they that by wit labour most to despoil others, shal like fools be shaken out of their rags,& sent away empty. When this flesh that swimmed in pleasures and delights, becomes food for worms: then will this worlds goodly wisdom bee evidently discovered, and he who by his wit lies most richly entombed, a poor wretch shall pass by& say: there lies the wise man, that prou'de himself a fool: was not Christ our redeemer accounted as a fool? did the world reckon otherwise of him, when in Herods house they clothed him in a white garment? when the great& profound wisdom of God shall bee reproved by the world: never let flesh and blood think to escape untouched: but thus resolve with thyself, howsoever thou seemest in the eyes of worldly men bee it wise or foolish, thy purpose aimeth at a world excelling all worlds, thereto thou framest al thy hope, directest all thy endeavours, thou art not of this world, the other thy soul thirsteth and longeth after: thus pray with perseverance,& God will bless thy purpose.   

Meditation 5. Of true wisdom.  
IF any among you seem to be wise in this world, 
1. Cor. 3  let him be a fool, that he may become truly wise, saith the Apostle: because the greatest, highest, and very profoundest wisdom that is, is to be a fool for Christ, because the world reputes as foolishness the true wisdom of God, which consisteth in true mortification& denying of a mans own self. I am( saith Salomon) the veriest fool of all other, 
Pro. 30  and haue not the understanding of a man in me. The children of this world pretend themselves to be more wise then the children of light, therefore the wise man saith, that the wisdom of men shall not dwell with him, but that only which is of our lord Iesu Christ, and by the world is termed folly. When a captain that hath learned such excellent knowledge, as thereby he takes upon him a marvelous and dangerous warlike enterprise: shall they that understand little or nothing in such affairs, esteem that Captain a vain man or a fool? Hereto answereth the wise man: Because the divine wisdom exceedeth all our capacity, 
Sap. 5.  it is called folly, thus is it replied unto in the person of the worldly man. Moyses being in egypt, was very wise and eloquent, but speaking afterward with God, he confessed himself to be a stammerer, for the greatest wisdom of the world is dumb and silent in the sight of God. 
Exod. 3.   
Salomon was most wise, nevertheless, in comparison of the high wisdom of God, he said of himself, that he was the veriest fool of all men. And he only knows sufficient that despiseth the world for Gods sake, and he knows enough, that knows how to humble himself: all other knowledge else in the world beside, is mere ignorance and folly. In true contemning thyself, consists the height of the knowledge of Christ, for no other knowledge may bee compared therwith. Admit thou didst perfectly know all the liberal artes, little or no profit canst thou get out of them, but such as appertains to this world onely, for if thou knowest no parte of thyself, thou goest like a vagabond, even by bare knowledge of outward things, and yet of thyself thou knowest just nothing.  
Blessed is the soul that is filled with the wisdom of God, and blessed is he, who learns by him to know, and stands at defiance with the world in that point, for more worth is one drop of divine knowledge, then high, full and deep seas of worldly wisdom.  
In this school then hast thou to study both night& day, there maiest thou learn to be truly mortified: and look how much thou didst know in this valley of misery, so much more shalt thou then be ignorant, and dead to this world.  
jacob, after he had wrestled with the Angel, remained lame of one leg, and was called Israel, 
Gen. 32.  to wit the man that saw and prevailed with God: signifying thereby, that he who will see and know God, must quickly become lame to this world, and that he may truly taste of God, let him empty himself of al worldly cares and cogitations, then will God come dwell in him,& fill his soul with abundance of all goodness, that he will be so strange to the world, as if he had never known it.  
here-hence it grows, that when thou beholdest worldly men so earnest and diligent in getting temporal riches together: thou wondrest that they bruise not their bones, break their legs or arms with diuers perilous hazards, which in their heat of greedy desire they will put themselves unto, wherein thou mayest bee very quickly answered, because they haue no knowledge of God, and stand so far out of his sight, as they never care whether they ever see him or no. But holy and virtuous men, whose eyes wait on God, as the handmaids on her mistress, in the Prophets comparison by Iacobs knowledge, that they haue him for their Lord and master: they halt down right to worldly occasions, and their names are changed as Iaacobs was, yet still the worldly wise call them nothing but fools, when themselves will never appear so wise in Gods sight.  
When the superior part of thy soul shalbe filled with the wisdom of God, as is the face of the moon turned toward the sun, that her other parte which respects the earth, remaineth void and without light: in self same estate shall the inferior part of the soul be, when it is directed against worldly affairs. 
Eccle. 27.  The fool( saith Ecclesi.) changeth as the moon, because leaving the divine light and brightness of the sun of iustice, he is turned toward inferior matters on the earth, so confused to heavenly wisdom seems that of the world. moses Serpent devoured all Pharaohs magicians Serpents: 
Exod. 7-  for the wisdom of God will devour, destroy& comsume al worldly wisdom.  
God in the old law promised riches,& other things whereof men are very desirous: yet for all that, there were but few converted to the jewish, and true worshipping of him. Afterward when the saviour of the world came, and promised to men nothing but persecution, trouble and travail, well near al the whole converted to him. The wisdom of God is so great, that he elects the weakest things, making them to confound& overcome the stronger, whereby the simplo shall vanquish and put down the great clerk, for all things are subject to the wisdom of God.  
It is a manifest thing, that the wisdom of God hath overcome the world, by poor, mean and vnlerned men. If thou shouldst see a fair& excellent portraiture, painted with lively& perfect colours, if afterward there should likewise come a rare and most skilful painter, who with a coal onely should draw vpon a wall another figure, that in beauty and excellence should go beyond the other: tel me, wouldst thou not wonder at it? Why, the world conquers a city by huge forces and armies of men, and thus do Princes get themselves the victory. But the wisdom of God even with a coal, that is by poor fishermen, silly souls, and those of meanest degree, hath made a conquest of all the world as it were.  
The wisdom of Iesus Christ, instruc●es us to despise the world,& all things therein contained, yet the world calls him blessed, 
Psal. 143  who is rich in possessions: but Christ in his high wisdom gives that felicity to poverty, calling them blessed, which are poor in spirit: 
Mat. 5.  what thing is further off from human wit, then to kill death by dying the death? or what case more strange, then to please and appease God by crucifying his onely begotten son?& who would think that the assurance of al mens lives could not be had, but by one mans death first vpon the cross? this in the worlds eye seemed impossible, and yet nothing more true and certain. learn then( dear brother) to haue this wisdom with thee, and say with the Apostle paul, I confess, I know not any thing if not Christ crucified. 
1, Cor. 2   
Why are mens eyes placed in their head, but onely that they should haue continual regard to their head, wc is Iesus Christ: if thou look on thy feet, which is the world, thou hast no mind of thy head,& then thine eyes avail thee not. Look up then to thy saviour and redeemer, fear no stumbling blocks that may lie in thy way: if thy purpose be on heaven and heavenly things, hating the world with all her vain allurements, he will lead thee by the hand, that thy feet shall not falter, he will put ioy in thy heart, that no dread shall dismay thee,& comfort in thy soul, that hel shal not prevail against thee.   

Meditation 6. Of worldly strength and true strength both in one.  

Esa. 13  I will bring down the arrogancy and pride of the strong, saith God by the Prophet Esay: which the holy woman Iudeth remembering, said in her prayer to God: Humble them( O Lord) that presume on themselves, 
judit 6.  vaunting and glorying in their own strength. What greater vanity is there, then a man being so frail and weak, to presume or think he hath any strength at all? Wherefore God is wont to abate this proud humour, by overthrowing the very strongest imagination, with some occasion which he least esteemeth.  
The Apostle Peter presumed on himself, 
Mat. ●6▪  though all men else should bee offended, and forsake their master, yet he would die for him,& never leave him: but what became of this great bravado? he was no sooner asked a question by a simplo seruant of the house, but then with oaths and protestations, he never knew the man, here was proud strength quickly overthrown. This caused God, 
Exod. 8.  that he would not plague proud Pharaoh with lions, tigers, and other such fierce beasts: but with Frogs, grasshoppers, locusts, flies, Lice and such like small vermin, to the end that he might know howe vain was all his strength and arrogancy. Benhadab king of Syria, knowing no end of his own strength and valour, 
1, Reg. 20  went against Samaria with two and thirty kings, as also with a most powerful army,& to the K. of Israel he sent this proud message. My gods do so& so to me, if the dust of Samaria be enough to all the people that follow me, for every man an handful. But God chastised the pride of this gentle, overthrowing his huge army, and by two hundred and thirty soldiers slew an infinite number of them. Then Benhadad gathered a new strength of men,& returned again with his former proud resolution: but in one day there perished of them an hundred thousand. Did not goliath in like manner vaunt of his pvissance& strength? yet God, by the hand of a poor young shepherd, that never bare arms, took down his proud stomach,& with his own sword made his head be smitten off. With no less pride& arrogancy did Holophernes, 
judit. 15.  Lieutenant general to the K. of Assiria, besiege Bethulia with a mighty army: yet by the will of God, a woman cut off his head, and confounded the host of k. Nabuchadnezzer, as she( giuing thanks to God for her victory) thus singeth. 
judit. 13.  The high and proud trusters in their strength were not overthrown by the young men, but by judith the daughter of Merari, whom God made able to do it. In like manner were Sisera. Senacherib,& the giants of the land of Canaan destroyed, and all those that vainly presumed on their strength, which made the prophet david say in his psalm: The king is not saved by the multitude of his forces, 
Psal, 33  nor the mighty man delivered by his great strength: for the strength of body faileth very much if it be not holpen by reason and understanding. samson was a man strong and valiant, 
judit. 16,  but being not governed by the counsel of reason, he brought himself into miserable slavery, by falling into the hands of his enemies. Let no man then glory in the strength of his body, but rather let him desire the strength of the soul: because the certainty of strength, and valour consisteth in carrying an equal courage, as well in adversity, as in prosperity,& he onely is valiant, that in prosperity is not puffed up, nor in aduetsitie pulled down.  
The divine wisdom saith: 
Sap. 6.  That knowledge is better then fortitude, and better is a wise man then a strong man: for bodily strength God hath given to beasts, but strength of the mind is given onely to man, and this virtue appeareth in a well settled soul, that with strong hand can resist all mishaps whatsoever. How art thou valiant, if for every little occasion thou suffer thyself to be overcome with anger? wilt thou extol thine own valour, and yet threaten them that injury thee? If one contrary thee, and say thou a●● not courageous: this presently is an especial wrong to thy reputation, and by no means it may be endured. Fonde fool, this ●●●●e declares indeed that thou hast no valour in thee, he  told thee but truth, and thou art not angry, for manhood consists not in smiting, but sufferance. I pray thee tell me, what gallant man of strength art thou, that will bee won with a word to bee angry, and wilt loose a whole senights sleep for a little conceived displeasure? Thou hast not one minutes assurance of thy life, thou mayest die even in this heat of thine anger: what helps thee then all thy fierceness and threatenings? What is become of the strength and valour whereof thou madest thy brags? Can all now defend and keep thee from a little poor worm?  
Oh vanity of vanities, that a piece of day, a miserable sinful man, frail, weak, subject to all infirmities, should presume and make such boast of his strength, that cannot resist a poor worm from feeding on him in his grave: while this lustre gallant liveth he is offended, nay conquered by many of these small creatures, as flies that sting his face, and he cannot reuenge it, pleas that molest him in bed, and he cannot help it, worms that devour his entrails, and he cannot redress it: now when he lies in his grave, worms must eat him, and he cannot withstand it, for it is written, When a man is dead, he is but food for worms and serpents. Where now is this boaster of his strength? pull down that lofty opinion of thy valour, and say, that sufferance is the best staff of thy strength.  
The lightning burneth and consumeth all things on the earth, except the laurel three, and that is no way hurt with the fires violence, no more then the just man is in the fire of tribulation: true virtue then is that godly laurel three, which is always green and never hurt or impaired by any affliction.  
now what is the chiefest pride of this strong mans strength? forsooth he must pocket no wrong, endure no thwarting words, and withall, he will reuenge his injuries himself. There are three things which God onely reserveth to himself, and will haue no man be so bold as to meddle with any of them. The first, judging the intention and thoughts of our neighbours, whereto his own saying is agreeable: judge not others, 
Mat. 7  and you shall not bee judged: the Father hath given to the son all power of iudgement. The second, 
Esay. 48.  is honor and glory conformable to his own saying. To no one will I give my glory. 
Deut. 32.  The third thing which he reserveth to himself, is vengeance, Vengeance is mine: let him then beware, that will take from him any of these three. Then more then mere foolishness is it to seek reuenge, which always bringeth with it the loss& hurt of our neighbour, beside, it is great vanity to heal his own wound, with drawing blood of another, for a revengeful man seeks his own help by anothers harm, and to assure his own health, by another mans infirmity: which( in brief) is nothing else, then seeking water in fire, sweet grapes on thorns, and figs on thistles, therefore think thyself a very vain man, and the matter altogether impossible for thee, by another mans grief to alloy thine own anguish.  
Great folly is it beside, that a man will reuenge himself to his own loss: for he cannot do the least harm to his neighbours body, but he doth much more to his own soul and conscience. It is written in the proverbs, Say not thou, I will render evil for evil, but trust in the Lord, 
Prov. 20.  and he will deliver thee, from peril of body and soul in hel fire, whereof thou art assured to taste, if thou take the Lords office out of his hand. Stand not on thine own defence, saith the Apostle, but give way to anger, not prohibiting lawful defence of a mans own self, but forbidding reuenge, understanding this place reuenge by the word defence, as in the book of judith it is written, that Nabuchadnezzar swore to defend himself against al nations, 
judit. 1.  where the holy scripture understandeth by defending himself, revenging himself. Therefore such as reuenge themselves on their enemies, fall into Gods reuenge,& shall be punished as mighty sinners. Hath another man offended thee, and art thou angry at it? How often hast thou offended God and never been sorry for it? if our pitiful God should reuenge one weeks offences of thine, long since hadst thou been where there is no redemption.  
Hearst thou not that what measure you meet to other, 
Luk. 6.  the very same shall be meet to you again? and as ye handle others, so will God handle you? Remember, that in the same place, 
2. Reg. 11  where the dogs licked the blood of innocent Naboth, they likewise licked the blood of guilty ahab. The sons of jacob, because they were cruel to their brother, were afterward afflicted in egypt, as themselves confessed, 
Gen. 42.  saying, Wee justly suffer this, because we sinned against our brothers blood, and when he entreated us, wee would not hear him. 
Exod, 1.  Pharaoh would needs drown the children of Israel in his waters: God paid him again with the self same coin drowning him afterward in the red sea: 
Exod, 14.  The serpent that brought man into the state of misery had his punishment to creep with his belly on the earth: 
Gen. 3 & because out of his mouth came the deceit, he had no other food but earth assigned him, which before was cursed for the sin of man. The woman likewise who had eaten of the forbidden fruit, had her punishment also appointed by fruit, That the fruit of her womb should be brought forth in pain& heaviness. 
Gen. 3.  And because the man sinned eating, God limited his penalty by eating, saying: Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy brows.  
Thus as the offence is made God will haue the chastisement answerable thereto,& he that will haue no compassion on his neighbour, God will deny compassion to him: then reuenge thou thyself on thy neighbour, God will reuenge himself on thee, but if thou be benign and merciful to him, God will be much more benign and merciful to thee, for he that cannot lye, said: 
Mat. 5  Blessed are the merciful, for they shal find mercy: leave al reuenge then to the hand of God, because he shall commit high treason against his king, that shall usurp the kingly authority& commande through his jurisdiction what is forbidden him. Then trust not to thy strength, take not thy Lord and masters office from him, humble thy purpose both in the one and other to him: so shal he make thy foes thy friends, thy hurt thy help, thy mindes former disquiet, thy souls eternal pacification, al shal go well with thee, every thing comfort thee,& God thy God dwell evermore with thee.   

Meditation 7. Of worldly beauty.  
beauty is vanity, 
Prou. 31:  saith the wise man in the proverbs: therefore if all vanity ought to haue no account made thereof, bodily beauty( as the very vainest thing of all) ought least to bee regarded. For among al the idle affections in men of this world, and which thou( as a faithful servant of Iesus Christ) shouldst fly from: is this bodily beauty, wherewith many men are besotted,& they that haue it are made proud, themselves know not of what. The fair beautiful locks of absalon, to what end did they serve him, but to bee the instrument of his own unhappy death? For whatsoever beauty God hath endowed us withall, is( by looking thereon) to consider him the better, that he is more faire then all fairness whatsoever: 
Rom. 1.  because the invisible things of God( according to the Apostle paul) are known by the visible, and knowledge of the creature, brings us to understand what the creator is. As when a man in traveling on the way finds a vain of water in the water: and by following his course, comes at length to the main head or spring: so when we meet with any beautiful body wee should follow the perfect regard thereof so far, till wee are arrived at the especial point and ground work which is God himself, for from him all beauty hath original. And as a silly child, beholding gilded letters and gau●y pictures in a book, by instinct of nature delights ●o gaze thereon, being not ●le to read what good doctrine is else contained therein:( so in all respects) ● would not haue thee follow ●●is example, because there ● great difference between goody and a child. Thou that art ● man capable, when thou ●okest on the book of ●orporall beauty, read, and consider well what is written therein, thou shalt find one or other sentence there, which plainly commands thee, to love and reverence the maker of that beauty,& in all Gods creatures beside thou shalt find the like sentence.  
For the creatures of God are as spectacles to man, not serving to see himself in them, but to behold other things of more weight: then set not a creature before thine eyes, to regard either it or thyself therein, but learn in that glass, to see, know and love the maker of thee, and all creatures whatsoever. Wo to you( saith the Prophet Esay) that wonder not at what God hath done, 
Esay. 5.  nor consider the works of his hands: for not doing this, the roundness of the earth hath fought against fools, because their understanding hath been but imagination. With iudgement we look upon a creature, by the knowledge of whose stature and beauty, we may come to the knowledge& excellency of the creator. For what can wee discern in one creature, that is not in another? perhaps some one is more faire, and therefore draws thy affection the more thereto: the more especially( if thou wert wise) wouldst thou bee enflamed with love to the creator therof. Because if thou delightest in beauty, without referring it to God, thou showest thyself a vain fool: for the beauty of all the creatures in the world, is not like one drop of water to the main Sea, in respect of his incomparable beauty that made them, and this were more vanity, then if thou shouldst fall in love with thine own fairness. Tell me one thing, doth not thy beauty proceed from thy soul? Take thy soul from the body, and all thy beauty hath soon lost his splendour, because the soul is that which gives life to the beauty of the body: then if thy body seem faire, so much the more oughtst thou to love thy soul, for being the cause of thy bodies beauty. If the presence of the soul, be the reason of thy fairnes, thou maiest firmly then beleeue, that the same soul hath in it more excellent beauty, then thou art able to conceive: for in the soul consists the absolute beauty, to which all other is but a shadow, and fadeth in a moment. Then never stand upon the shell or rind of beauty, nor wonder at the exterior appearance: but pass on a little further, fix thine eyes and thoughts vpon the pith or main matter, and love the beginner of so goodly a form, as the onely foundation, and most worthy to bee beloved. Trust not to that beauty, which is soon altered with every small infirmity, for our dayes run on, nay swiftly fly, youth quickly steals away, and death or old age lays present hold on us:& then who will regard our glittering looks, or the very purest beauty that can be seen in our faces?  
When our bodies shall look yellow, meager and leaden coloured, our eyes fearfully shronke into the head, and every parte hard favoured, that seemed before so fair: then our outward truth of beauty will appear to bee but counterfeytly covered, and false deceit hide that which was no deceit, so that it may very well bee termed a fair fraud discovered. fire burns none but them it toucheth, yet beauty inflames them that stand aloof from it, pride is her companion, and in very short time she learneth to tyramnize: blinding mens eyes with a veil, snaring their feet, and clipping their wings, that they should not know truth, follow after virtue, fly up with their mindes to regard chief occasions: whereby may be gathered, that corporal beauty is forgetful of reason, and very seldom do beauty and true virtue agree together. The Prophet Esay compares bodily beauty to grass, saying, 
Esay. 40.  All flesh is grass,& all the glory thereof like to the flower of the field. The grass being mown down, the flower falleth, to day beautiful and green, to morrow barren, dried up and withered. In the morning the flower is fragrant, at night robde of all sweetness: with like speediness passeth on youths freshnes, and his glory is as soon gon, as the great meadows beauty is changed.  
The Prophet david speaking of mans life, 
Psal, 90  saith, He groweth like the grass: it grows up and flourisheth in the morning, but in the evening it is cut down& withereth. Wonder not then at this false world, which at the first sight seems so fair and goodly: but proceed on further and consider more highly: when thou lookest on a goodly man or woman, think but what dust, ashes& filth is hidden under that painted prospective, in what estate it is now, and what it will be when b●eath is gone out of his nostrils. If thou purpose to haue any portion with him, that is true beauty indeed,& without whom there is no other: Cast off al conceit of this worlds beauty, adorn and decorate thy soul with that which is not vain, corruptible, false and transitory, altered by the air, chaungde with every ague fit, and in deed nothing to bee less esteemed: but cleave to this resolution, that heaven is thine inheritance, there is the beauty of the cherubins, there the bright face of glory, and there and no where else is any beauty: purpose this in thy soul, perform it to thy uttermost,& more will not God exact at thy hands, because he respects the will, not the work, the harts zeal& love, not the lips labour, thus is he to be pleased, and thy own soul profited.   

Meditation. 8. Of true beauty.  

Cant. 4.  THou art al fair, saith Christ to the soul redeemed by his blood: for the beauty of the soul is that which never faileth, but continueth the same in heaven, and this is true beauty, which by infirmity or death can never be impaired. The bodies beauty short, momentary and corruptible, but the souls everlasting,& such is this true beauty: that it exceedeth all beauty the world can afford, and by how much heaven is fairer then the earth, by so much is the souls beauty beyond all other things whatsoever.  
If we could behold this beauty with our bodily eyes, wee would despise all other beauty under heaven: for so exceeding great is this beauty of the soul, that it is in grace and favor with God. This was one of the reasons, why God would not permit us to see the beauty of our souls, least we should thereby grow full of pride and vain glory, when wee did behold such admirable beauty: and this was the self same sin, for which the angels were cast down from heaven, wherein wee offending, should likewise be dejected, when we should see our souls so fair, so surpassing all things else, wee would grow enamoured with ourselves,& wax so proud& haughty, as we would scantly afford our bodies necessary nutriment. Contrariwise when thou beholdest the ouglines of thy soul, being defiled and polluted with deadly sins: I think thou canst take small pride in it, being in such a pitiful& lamentable estate: for nothing makes a man so foul& deformed, as ugly sin doth, were the body never so fair, black sin doth disgrace it: if then thou lovest so much vain bodily beauty, then learn a little somewhat to respect thy soul, which being faire of itself, makes al the body beautiful, and gives it that glory in heaven, which thou canst never attain unto here in earth.  
If there were a water of such virtue to bee found, that if a man washed himself therein, for three daies onely would make him most loathsome, and afterward to be more young, fresh and fair then hart could desire: What woman is there but would gladly wash herself with such a water? willingly yielding to bee fowle for three dayes, that for ever after shee might bee so beautiful: Wouldst thou then be truly fair for ever? wash thy soul with the water of tears and vnfeyned repentance, humble thy proud body with abstinence, fasting& prayer: what though for three dayes space in this brittle life thou be infirm, sickly and weak? for ever after thou shalt bee a most glorious angel in heaven, thy three dayes deformity here shall make thee perpetually blessed there, that which darkened and obscured thy beauty in this life, shall make thee there like the Sun to shine with most true radiance, as no eye hath seen, nor no tongue can tell the perfect excellence therof. What though thou be now old, withered, lame& misshapen? if thou wilt here adorn thy soul with virtue, thou shalt arise young, fair, white, and coloured like an angel: Where on the contrary, how fair soever thou seemest in this life: if brutishly thou dost defile thy soul with sin, thou shalt arise to the general iudgement in such ugly& monstrous form, as there is no painter in the world can portrayte a thing more loathsome, then the sight-killing presence of thy wretched body.  
busy then thy wits to beautify thy soul with sanctified virtues, and get the beauty thou shouldst most of all long after, which is of more value then thou canst imagine: for such a glorious body is so perfectly clear and beautiful, that if God would permit our sinful eyes but to behold such a body, we should bee so abashed& amazed thereat, as wee should mind neither eating, drinking, sleeping, or any thing else belonging to this life, but altogether stand ravished with contemplating such a glorious spectacle.  
Art thou then such a lover of beauty? bestow that affection on virtue, which makes both the body and soul seem so excellent. Thou art ennamored on this outward beauty, which bears but the bare name, and hath none of the true nature: Wert thou yesterday young, delicate, fresh and fair? to day thou art old, gray hayred, grim and toothless, then whether is thy fresh youth gon? even nipped off like a flower, born away with the wind, aches& diseases lay handfast on thee, then death sweeps away altogether,& this becomes of the body which was erst so beautiful. Bodily beauty is vain, and a manifest deceit never known but by the foolish,& condemned by the wise. The beauty of the forbidden three made our first mother eve offend: 
Gen. 3.  The beauty of the daughters of ●●●ne caused the destruction of the world by the deluge: Bersabaes beauty made King david sin heinously: 
Gen. 6.  Thamars beauty likewise procured Ammon to bee slain after he 
2 Sam. 11  had sinned, whereon ensued great war and much harm. 
2 Sam. 13  How did Holofernes loose his head, and the powerful Army of the assyrians overthrown, but by the exceeding beauty of judith? For as the scripture speaketh of her; Holofernes was ensnared with her godly beauty. The luxurious old Iudges perished by the beauty of Susanna, and Dinaes faire face caused the ruin of Sichem. 
judit. 13.   
Sundry evils& mishaps, as we read in many places of the Bible, haue ensued through this regard of corporal beauty: nevertheless, this false shadow is stil so respected by men, as they care not to infect their souls with foul leprous stains, which takes his original onely from this painted infection. Then dear Christian brother, by so many forepast examples, learn thou to be more wary, covet thou for the eternal beauty of the soul, and let this wind of vanity pass on unregarded: if this divine purpose be entirely embraced, all other beauty will seem foul deformity in thine eyes, and this bee the onely object of thy virtuous desires.   

Meditation 9. Of worldly honour.  
seek no sovereignty over men, 
Eccles. 7.  neither procure to thyself honour, or the seat regal, counseleth Ecclesiasticus. They that seek to fly higher then their wings will bear them, endanger themselves very much, and they had need to haue their heads not giddy, but well settled, least they fall to the earth, and bruise themselves in pieces: therefore if thou be angry with worldly honors, it were requisite thou shouldst haue great understanding, and especially to make God thy friend in all thine affairs, least thou slip beside thine honor into hell fire, for such high places are perilous, therfore beware of them. 
Psal. 91.  A thousand( saith david) shall fall at thy left hand, and ten thousand at thy right hand: Wherefore more are they that perish at the right hand of vain honour and worldly felicity, then they that die in humility and low estate. The felicity of worldly men is a curse with out chastisement, and a stroke of God never understood: then lift not up thyself to sit in honors seat, because more perils attend thereon thē thou canst judge of.  
The mad man hath a world of imaginations in his head, and if they should not wear away of themselves, they would bring him into infinite dangers: leave then the idle thoughts of honour, which builds castles in thy brain, because if thou rid not thyself of them, the life of thy soul will be in danger of perishing: cast from forth thy mind( I say) those too high presuming opinions, which suck thy blood, and make thee too much hart sick, for thou canst never be thoroughly sound, till thou bee free from that ugly monster of imaginations. 
joh. 6.  Our saviour Christ fled away, when they would haue made him a King: yet who could better rule& govern men, then he that had created them? Notwithstanding, he took human flesh vpon him, not onely to redeem men, but beside to teach them, howe to fly from worldly honors, after his example and instruction, in refusing to be made a King, whereby he gave to understand, that many perils are hidden under worldly preferments.  
Saul first hide himself because he would not bee king; 
1, Sam. 10 2. Sam. 15  ●ut being installed, he ●orthwith waxed proud,& ●ould be honoured by the Prophet Samuel: so that it ● a dangerous thing to deal ●ith honor, as hath euident● been discerned by the ●ll of many. When King david was in the height of honor, reposing himself at pleasure in his palace, then did he offend most grievously: whereby wee may perceive, that when men mount to lofty honours, then present peril attendeth on them. There are many men lifted to honor, who to maintain the good conceit they haue thereof, will not fear to displease God,& defame their neighbour: yea rather then to repair their neighbors famed again, with any vailing of their own aspired promotion, they will adventure body& soul to the devil, such is their affection to this worlds vain honor. Among the chief Rulers( saith S. John) were many that believed in Christ: 
joh. 12.  but because of the Phariseis they durst not confess him, lest they should bee cast out of the synagogue. For they loved the glory of men more then the glory of God. Such an estate( in mine opinion) is most lamentable, when men are so overcome with regard of worldly honour, that they will rather loose their own souls, then one inch of their height in this world. desperate condemned the saviour of the whole world, 
Mat. 17.  although he knew him to bee most innocent, yet he must not loose a iotte of the honour wherein he was installed. Full well did Pilate know, that through malice and envy they delivered him up into his power, and though in outward show he pretended and sought his delivery, yet he heard them no sooner say: If thou let him go, thou art not Caesars friend, but Pilate would be friend both to honor& himself, for such an office he thought was well worth the holding. Thus the onely Lord of life must be sentenced to death, for fear of Caesars displeasure, all injustice must bee committed, yea, God himself highly wronged, rather then worldly pomp must be lost, or great mens favor diminished.  

1. Reg. 12  jeroboam king of Israel, to maintain himself in the honour he had gotten, made golden calves, and drew the people to idolatry: 
Mat. 12.  even as herod caused the innocent young infants to be murdered, thinking among them to kill Christ, so to bee assured of his own honour and kingdom. The like did Caiphas the high Priest, with those of his council, concluding on Christes death, for preservation of their own authorities: never fearing the coming of the romans, who despoiled them of all the worldly dignities they had. If thou didst truly know in what hell of life they live, who are preferred to worldly honours: most gladly wouldst thou hate such a vain& idle dream, which brings care and molestation, but nothing else that may be termed good.  
Hast thou not seen in some triumph or solemn show, a statue or image of a man or woman, representing( by memory of some former predecessor) the present action then to bee spoken of. How curious is the deviser in furnishing this antic? of this friend borrowing a velvet gown, of another a chain of gold,& so of diuers persons supplying his sundry necessities? No sooner is the show ended and the beholders gon, but the puppet is stripped out of all his bravery: and whereas he seemed goodly before, now stands he naked and of no account at all. No fitter comparison can bee made of this worlds honor, thē by this image or statue, for when a man is once possessed of that vaine-breathing word,& while the show or interlude of this life lasteth: of the excrements of the poor silk worm he borroweth his velvet gown and brave apparel, of the earth itself his chain of gold, and jewels, so when the show is ended, that is, when life is once past over, his wretched carcase lies like that despoiled statue, robde of all his gay attire, and no more remembered, then as if it had never been.  
When Adam was in so great honour in Paradise, 
Gen. 3.  then fell he to sin highly: Contrariwise, after that job had been buffeted with many tribulations, and afflictions, 
job. 1.  even to the mere loss of patience and offending of God, yet for all these mighty disturbances, he would not sin against his own soul. Adam in his great dignity was obeied of all: but job sate on a dunghill of filth, and forsaken of every one: yet the ones lofty estate shewed him but the way to sin, where the others humiliation preserved him in safety. he that stands on a high tower, if his foot but slip is in danger of a shrewd fall: so consequently in greater peril are they that stand on the bridges of lofty buildings, then they that sit in se●uritie upon the plain ground, for in the low estate is no cause of dread, which makes that sloth( the father of all wickedness) reigns more amongst the great& mighty men of this world, then in them that are poor and so dejected. Great men comsume their time idly, in sports and sensual delights, living as they list, and feeding delicately: which is more displeasing in the sight of God, thē the course of their life, who live by their labour& daily sweat, therefore they that desire to live eternally, abase them selves in this world, that they may be exalted in the world to come.  
The Merchant man that travels for his daily maintenance, buys his wears at the best hand, where he may haue most choice, and skulls deere afterward, to make his most benefit. If thou wouldst travail to heaven, which is thy best way for traffic, go the direct way that leadeth thee thither, and mind not such wears here, as will return thee little or no profit at all. In heaven is greatest abundance of honors, prosperity, riches and pleasure, then take mine advice, store thyself with such commodities as fitteth that country, there thou shalt be well paid, and sell at thine own pleasure, faith, hope, charity, persecution, tears, alms deeds, fasting, prayer and repentance, these are the merchandise thou must bring with thee thether, for there is no vent for other worldly vanities.  
If thou come well provided of these commodities, thou shalt bee a welcome man to that country, thy store will there increase,& thou wilt quickly be honourable. But if thou labour in vain, loading thyself with a farthel of follies, a huge heap of honors, and this worlds felicities: thou canst haue no landing there, there are none of thy mind to barter withall, not a penny profit canst thou make of all thy trumpery, truss up and bee gone, for there they will not know thee. Thus hast thou heard the peril of worldly honour, now a little of the shortness and brevity thereof, and then wee will proceed to our other purposes.  
The honour of the ungodly ( saith Salomon) shal be dried up like a river,& it shall make a sound like a great thunder in the rain: 
Eccles. 40.  When we behold lightning, hear a great thunder, and see the clouds so black, as threatening a wonderful flood of water: suddenly comes a furious storm of rain, but in half an hour after no memory is discerned of the tempest, the air being as calm and fair as at the first it was. Such is the vain and short honour of this world, it bears a show for a while, the noise thereof is heard some half hours space, but afterward, not a sign of it left to be discerned. How many Kings and Princes haue we seen, with infinite numbers of people, Knights and soldiers for guard of their persons, which haue even filled up the way as they went, every one wondering at their power& authority: but what memory now at this day remains of them? Death came, he cut them off in two daies, leaving al their pomp dignity and greatness, hide over head and ears in a little earth: Go but to their graues, ye shall see nothing but poor dust, and the worms that devoured their delicate bodies, crawling over them like monarchs, that in their life time monarchised over men.  
job saith, that the princes and great men of this world rose up in pride and mightiness: 
job. 33  but in the end they came to nothing. The evangelist Luke saith, that the devill shewed to our saviour Christ on the mountain, 
Luk. 4.  all the riches and glory of this world( in a moment) to show thereby, how momentary and transitory the honour and glory of this world is: For as the ivy winds about an old dry three to make it sapless, so doth honour circled thee to leave thee accountlesse: and as to day thou art a favourite to a prince or great lord, so to morrow( like an outcast) art thou quiter abandoned. Howe vain then is worldly honor? how vain the favor of great men? nothing more uncertain, nothing sooner gon.  
Paul the Apostle& Barnabas coming to Listra, 
Act. 14.  the people at the first sight did them such honour, that they received thē as Gods, and would haue sacrificed to them, calling Barnabas jupiter, and paul mercury: but see howe small a while this worldly honour lasted, in short time after ignominiously they thrust paul forth of the city:& throwing stones at him, they left him there for dead. The very like happened to our saviour Christ, 
Luk. 4.  in Nazareth they commended his doctrine, and honoured him very much: on a sudden they were altered, grew in hatred against him,& thrust him out. The Prophet Esay likeneth the honours of this world, to the shadow of egypt, saying: 
Esay 30.  Your confidence is in the shadow of egypt: For as there is nothing flies away more speedily then a shadow: so is there not any thing more unconstant then honour, which hath no firmness or perpetuity: Why should we then covet with such desire& earnestness, for a thing that is more vain then a shadow?  
If there were one, who being extreme thirsty, and having found a clear fountain, whose water ran thorough pipes of gold: if he( I say) should embrace the shadow or golden pipes of the fountain, as thinking to cool his thirst thereby, would not wee repute him to be a very fool? How unwise then ought wee to reckon him, who leaving the divine& durable fountain, which only can quench the thirst of our souls, every way furnishing them with what they may or can desire: will seek to alloy his heat with the shadow and no substance of waters? thinking to carrowse off whole cups of honors, dignities, and I know not what follies beside, when alas( poor soul) he is merely deceived, and drinks nothing but the dregs of sin and corruption.  
The figure of this world( saith Saint paul) passeth as way, terming it a figure, 
1. Cor. 7.  which is nothing else but an imagination: so the world may bee termed not a thing of substance, but an accident or figure of a substance, and even so are the honours and dignities thereof, imaginations only without any true being. Wee see sometimes painted in a card or map fixed on a wall, cities, castles, kingdoms, seas, Riuers and mountains: let us throw but one drop or more of very water as if into one of these imaginary seas or riuers, and we shal go near to deface the whole painting. The world is as this curious table or draft, which very quickly may be spoylde and defaced, The hart of man swollen big with pride and Iostie preferments, what is it else but a map of the world, wherein( as in a sheet of large compass) the whole frame is fashioned? Cast but one drop of affliction, misery, or any little disease whatsoever on this gay painting, he ●s forthwith deprived of life, yea, all his glory gon& utterly vanished.  
Seek not then( dear christian brother) such painted riches and false honors, but ●end thy purpose, and aim ●t them, which time cannot deface, age consume or any occasion dispossess thee of them. Miserable men, who( to uphold this dream& glimpse of honor) travail& take such pains both by day and night, leaving their houses and families, opposing their lives to imminent dangers, nay( which is worse) rather then to bee defeated of their purpose, their goods, limbs and ●ife shall not bee spared: What vanity is this in mortal men, and how disagreeing is this with our Christian profession? 
Galat. 6  The honour of a christian man or woman is onely Christ Iesus crucified, their especial glory to suffer for his sake travail, persecution, and what infamy soever: but we mad men are of contrary opinion, wee desire nothing but temporal goods, honours, pleasures, delights and such like vanities, never considering of ourselves as indeed we ought to do.  
True honour is virtue of the mind, a gift not to bee given by any earthly King, nor gotten by flattery, or bought with money: for that which may bee obtained by any of these, is far from the matter of true honor indeed. The viper( as is said) being burnt to ashes, is good to heal the biting of a viper: if then thou beest bitten with worldly honors and vanities, desiring likewise to be healed thereof: remember that thou must return to ashes, the very corruptible matter whereof thou wast made, no other medicine in the world can sooner help thee of this disease, if thou apply it daily to thy wound, and as thou oughtst to do.  
Naaman the assyrian requested of the prophet Elisha a quantity of earth to carry with him, 
2. Reg, 5  because he would not honor the Idols of the Gentiles, but giuing over all vain superstition, worship the only true God. deal thou in like case, least thou shouldst adore the idol of this worlds honour: Consider that thou must become earth again, let it never be out of thy memory, and say with the wise man: Oh earth and ashes, whereof shouldst thou be proud? 
Eccles. 10.   
look with the Peacock down to thy foul feet, and think all thy upward bravery to be no better: it must haue an end, and thou art not certain when, perhaps this day& not to morrow, then purpose with thyself to bee prepared for it, and think no honor comparable to thy lowly humiliation.   

Meditation. 10. Of true honour, and howe to come by it, both in this world and in the world to come.  
I seek not mine own glory, 
joh. 9  said Iesus christ our saviour, although ther want not enough that do. If there were two travelers that were to arrive at one appoynted place,& one of thē going about by a winding way, should come thether before the other that went the direct path, wee could not choose but marvel at it. So they who in this world do level at honour, think the direct way thither is by riches and public applause: whereas they that travail the contrary path, I mean, through hard trials of their faith, and perseverance therein, attain thereto much sooner then the other do. The ready way in this world to bee great in name and same, is either by learning, worthy deeds of arms, or compassing great possessions, wherein many of the noble romans prevailed, as also other nations of no less esteem: but who ever purchased to the world so great and exceeding honour, as did our lord and redeemer Iesus Christ?  
To no one howe honourable or famous soever, did the world at any time give so great honour, as to reverence him over the face of ●he whole earth for very God: which dignity( where●n none ever was or shall be his equal) onely Christ had ●et by a very contrary way ●nd means, for he got it not ●y riches, slaughtering his ●nemies, or by force of Armies: but by flying from ho●our, by poverty and humi●itie, by shedding of his most precious blood, and ●his is he which saith, I seek ●ot mine own glory: 
joh. 9  thus not ●eeking honour, but by fly●ng from it, he obtained more honour then all they can that travail to find it. Nor did he by his exhorta●ions, threatenings and miracles attain to this honor, ●●t onely by his passion& death upon the cross, according as the Apostle saith: Wee see Christ Iesus by his death and passion crwoned with honour and glory, 
Heb. 2,  yea the very ignomy of the cross was the cause of his exceeding honour. And in another place, 
phil. 2.  He humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and hath given him a name above every other name. There is no name then so famous as our Lord& saviours name is, which famed and honour he gained through his patience, by being beaten, whipped, scorned and crucified.  
When the famed and memory of all the great Princes of the world sha●l be ended,& never thought on at the day of iudgement: ●hen shall the glory and ho●our of Christ Iesus shine ●ost splendently, then shall and bee seen come in great ●ompe and majesty, ac●ompanied with angels ●n a cloud of brightest glo●y, 
Luk. 21. Act. 1.  there to sit in iudgement both of the quick and dead: therefore the memory and frail names of mor●all men shall cease, but for ever shall endure the glory of Christ, and those that ●e● his servants, being achieved( as ye haue heard by despising himself fly●ng from worldly honor, ●nd mild embracing of his cross.  
This is true Christian P●●losophie, and that which Christ teacheth in his own school: albeit there are many Christians in th● world, that more willingly follow the doctrine of the ancient romans& gentiles who to celebrate their names in earth, seek to be renowned by dignity and riches, then which there neither is or can bee any greater vanity. Christ was born in wonderful mean estate and poverty, 
Luk. 2.  and yet as he lay in the manger: the Angels sung his glory, the shepherds published his birth, 
Mat. 2  and the kings of the East came to worship him: nay more, like unto other men he was baptized by John Baptist, and yet being in this admirable humiliation, his fathers voice w●s heard to manifest him for his son, and the holy Ghost descended on him in ●he likeness of a dove, 
Mat. 3.  one●y to bear witness of his ●potlesse innocency. he was condemned to death as ● malefactor, 
Mat. 27.  and yet in the ●euerence, honour, love and compassion of his cause: the Sun and moon were darkened, all the whole globe of the earth trembled, and the Centurion confessed him to be the very son of God: See here, the more he fled from honor, the faster stil it followed him.  
The first man thought to haue honour by pursuing& following it, 
Gen. 3  and by that means utterly lost it: but the second Adam taught a●●erward, that honour cannot be found or come by, but in contemning it and flying from it, which lesson the holy saints learnde of their master, and therefore are now partakers with him in glory, having left behind them likewise most memorable famed on earth. 
Exod, 2.  moses despised king Pharaohs sumptuous palace, 
Exod, 3.  with all the riches& honors therof, rather choosing to keep sheep in the desert: in regard of which humbling himself, 
Heb. 11.  God mightily raised him, making him a great Prince, and conductor of his people of Israel. 
Exod. 7.  This honour got he over the world, which the world could not give him, being a greater dignity to command over Pharaoh, then to be the son to Pharaohs daughter. Did not the very same befall to david? 
1 Sam. 16  who keeping sheep in the wilderness, as one forgotten by his father, and not had in remembrance: yet God called him from the sheepfold, making him king over Israel, and the most famous prince on all the earth. In the desert John Baptist hide himself as one not known of the world, 
Luk. 3 Luk. 1.  or had in any regard: but when the will of God prevailed upon him, commanding him to come forth and bee a preacher, he obeied and manifested himself immediately. The blessed virgin Mary kept her self in Nazareth&( in humility of spirit) lived not known or esteemed of any: yet it pleased God to salute her by an angel his messenger and make her the mother of his onely begotten son.  
By these examples wee may learn, that honour attendeth on humble mindes, and flies from them that so greedily follow it: therfore such earnest seekers do but vainly loose their labour,& they soonest find it, that most do eschew it, for honor is the reward of virtue,& only by virtue it must be obtained.  
He declares most palpable& very gross folly, who hearing himself praised by one that is blind, to be a very comely and gallant parsonage, that thereupon he should be proud, and show himself vain glorious. If the world say thou art honourable, it is the voice but of a blind judge,& therfore beleeue it not: mary if thy virtues and humble life assure thy soul thereof, never fear to beleeue it, for it is most certain. Then as the Iron must first bee well heated in the fire, ere it can be wrought by the hammer,& driven out on the anvil: so cannot thy famed and name be honourably enlarged, till they haue first suffered the stroke of holy temptations,& past through the fire of piercing trials. Thus the saints and martyrs won their crownes of honour, and thus must thou purpose to attain honor if e●●r thou wilt haue it: The worlds way is a bye way, then never trust to it, this is the right way indeed, God enable thee to keep it.   

Meditation. 11. Of worldly nobility by birth, discent and great parentage.  
I Will say to corruption( saith job) thou art my father, 
job. 17  and to the worm, thou art my mother and sister: then whence( vain man) wilt thou derive thy discent and parentage, thy noble birth and lineage, but from the grave? Is it not a wonderful thing, that a silly worm, the son of Adam should boast& brag of his great discent& parentage? well said a wise father, what shall we do with lofty titles and nobility? to what end serve arms and royal pedigrees? What though all the doors and walls of thy house were adorned with the images of thy predecessors? all this makes thee never the more noble: it were better thy father had been Thersites, who was a man of base condition, and thou prove an Achilles, then thy father being Achilles, thou to prove a Thersites: for he that gives nobility to thy house and kindred, is a man extolled for his ve●tues, reputed wise and honest, and hence thou mayst derive nobility in dead.  
If thou be virtuous, nobility begins in thee, and from thy house( although thy state be not noble) shal nobleness take his original: but if thy ancestors haue been virtuous, and thou tainted with all leprous filthiness and lewd behaviour, the nobility of their blood takes ending in thee: therfore it is better to be the beginning of nobility, then the end therof, and to raise thy house by virtue, then overthrow it by wickedness. Wee see that brutish customs comfoundes any lineage whatsoever, as the sight of the eye is obscured by any thing that hinde●● it: what then can advantage thee the splendour of anothers nobility, if in thee be engrafted all unseemly demeanour? it is better for thee to be noble thyself, then issued and descended of a noble stock, as it is better to be virtuous, then born of virtuous parents. he that goes about begging others virtues apparently shows himself to be vicious,& resembles him, who because he would be esteemed noble, adorns himself with others titles, which by further examination appertain nothing at all to him. It is the worst poverty of all to enrich thyself by others: for the deeds of our forefathers do not a ●ot ennoble us, but the works which ourselves perform in our persons, and if they be good, there begins the nobility of our house, but if they be evil, there is the overthrow of all together. For they that vaunt of their noble kindred, and do themselves no noble deeds, are like him that covers others blemishes,& evidently shows his own defects.  
To those jews that bragged of their discent from Abraham, our saviour said, If ye be the sons of Abraham, 
joh. 6  do the works of Abraham, thine own deeds are they that make thee noble& illustrious: for faith is very rich, but without works, 
Iam. 2  quiter deade, so nobility is good, but if not accompanied with virtue, most base and infamous. He that is born of poor parentage, and becometh virtuous by his deeds, is not onely noble, but likewise doth highly exalt his discent. david was a mighty Prince, and gave beginning to his race, onely by his noble and virtuous deeds, making thereby all his successors famous, though Ishai his father was not noble born, and in scorn of Dauids lineage, Saule used to say: Where is the son of Ishai? 
1 Sam. 20  When the people despised Rehoboam, Salomons son, they said: 
1. Reg, 12  We haue no inheritance in the son of Ishai. And though they blamed david for being the son o● him he was, yet could they not thereby obscure the nobleness of his race, ennobling it onely by his laudable behaviour. Nor can the nobility of Christ and his blessed mother bee impaired, by being descended of Ruth the Moabite, 
Ruth. 2.  and Boaz of Canaan that came of Chams lineage, 
Mat. 1. Gen. 9.  the cursed son of Noah: because the manners are onely they that nobilitate the person.  
For as of one root springeth both the Rose and the briar: so of one mother may descend both a bad son& a good, for a man may bee born of noble birth, and yet himself become vile and dishonourable. cain, Cham and Esau came of noble, fathers, their brethren likewise were famous& noble: yet they three had foul offences, and blemished their parentage. What avails it a river or current to issue from a clear or fair spring, if it be afterward troubled with mud and loathsome filthiness? In fertile earth grows the Hemlock, which is a venomous and deadly herb, and in the barren grows the pure gold. To certain noble Ismaelites which were in captivity, said the Prophet Ezechiel: Your father was an Amorite, 
Ezech. 16  and your mother an Hittite: comparing them thereby to the Gentiles: not because they proceeded( according to the flesh) of the Gentiles, but in regard they followed ●●eir evil customs, for nobility dyes in him, that onely boasts of his discent. He should show himself a fool, who having no beauty at all in him, will nevertheless extol his own beauty and perfection: even so as foolish is he that believes himself to be noble, not having any part of nobility in him.  
paul the Apostle writing to timothy, saith, I besought thee to remain still in Ephesus, 
1, Tim. 1.  when I departed into Macedonia, to the end thou mightst advertise some, that they should give no heed to fables, nor busy themselves in Genealogies. And to titus likewise: 
Tit, 3.  fly vain questions and genealogies, for they are unprofitable. Are wee not all the sons of on f●ther? if he was base, so are wee, if noble, then are wee the like: what greater nobility can there bee, then to be the sons of God, and to hold this nobleness withall, to bee true Christians? Therefore our saviour said in his divine prayer: O our father, and not O my father, 
Mat. 7.  because one should not glory more then another of such a fathers nobility, who is the common father to all. If thou come of the worst branch of the three of thy parentage, the root being bad, thou art not bad alone: but proceeding of the best, and having no virtue, then all all the evil is properly thine own.  
moreover, it is not in us to m●●e election of our parentage, where either for their simpleness we shall be despised, or for their nobleness applauded and honoured: such power onely consists in 'vice and virtue, the one preserving us from all deadly infirmities, the other subjecting us to all miseries, which the sin of Adam hath made us heires of. The noble men and great estates of this world are under the yoke of griefs, diseases and death, even as well as the very poor& meanest person: How small account then is to be made of such nobility that frees not kings, princes and high estates from common mens infirmities, but makes al alike, both the noble and unnoble? Our saviour Christ saith 〈◇〉 his gospel: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a king. 
Mat. 18.  Wherefore it is an evident case, that whosoever is a king, is but a man also, and by this comparison of the kingdom of heaven, to a King a man, is given to understand, that all kings are men, and as subject to corruption as the poorest wretch they govern over: The Prophet Esay saith: Great men and mighty haue made a covenant with infirmity, death and hel, 
Esay 28.  not to be molested or troubled in their lofty titles. Haue they then seen death, and made a league with him? or haue they made some experiment of the infernal torments, and now would shift them off 〈◇〉 some subtle bargain? not to beguile thyself with such a sillie imagination, consider, if thou wert a king thou art but a man also, and that to morrow thou mayst bee food for the worms.  

Psal, 30  What profit is in my blood( saith the Prophet david) when I go down into the pit? Many because they are born of noble fathers, take occasion to bee the more vain, proud and arrogant. But Ephraim, Their glory( saith the prophet Osea) shalt fly away like a bide, 
Ose. 9.  from the birth, and from the womb,& from the conception, so that such a discent shall bee but vanity unto them,& those things which ought to provoke and bind them to bee most virtuous, shall t●e●, take occasion by of more looseness and negligence. For the right nobility of blood, is as a spur to noble mindes, to make them follow the virtues of their predecessors, and as an hereditary obligation; binding them still to the love of virtue, whereby they come to bee natural branches of the true three, and not base sprigs or boughs to be hewed off for the fire, then vaunt not of thy houses gentry, least thou appear a note of folly in their ears that hear thee.  
Wilt thou see what small account God makes of such birth& parentage? 
1 Sam. 9.  remember then howe he made Saule King of Israel, being of an ignoble family, and the least tribe of the people. God likewise made choice of Ieptah, to deliver his people from the Ammonites, 
judge. 11.  who because he was a bastard, and came of a base mother, was by his brethren cast forth of his fathers house: when Christ made his election in the world, he did it not of noble persons, but poor sinners& fisher men: And though himself was Lord and king of heaven and earth, yet to confounded them that stand vpon vain titles he said: I am a shepherd, and I will give my life for my sheep, 
Luk. 10.  reproving hereby the folly of them, that boast of surnames and bladder-blowen titles. Then dear brother set far from thy though●es this dream, shadow and vanity, remember thou art dust and ashes, as thy fo●efathers were, the worms haue not spared them in their graues, from whom thou deriuest thy descent, nor will they show thee ere a jot of more favour: the inheritance thou hast from thy father, is death and corruption, which arms thou shouldst onely give in thy scutcheon, and paint about thy house in every place: This purpose would far better beseem thee, then thy worldly affecttaion,& this glass will truly tell thee the glory of thy ancestors.   

Meditation 12. Of true nobility, birth and parentage.  
I Will honor thē( saith God) that honor me, 
1. Sam. 2  and they that despise me, shall be despised: If thou being a wretched sinner wilt despise thy Lord and maker, he shal quickly dispossess thee of honour and nobility. God( speaking to Heli the priest by one of his Prophetes) saith: 
1. Reg. 5.  True nobility is virtue which despiseth not God but loues him above all things: why then it appears thou shouldst make more especial account of thy mindes nobility, then that which vainly adorneth thy body, because thou art chiefly made noble by good behaviour. What honour were it for the son of a slave to repute himself a noble man, albeit his mother be a free woman and noble? If then thy soul( which is the best parte of thee) bee a slave to sin: what boast canst thou make of thy body to be noble which is so frail and insufficient? Therefore, to the mind that is not adorned with virtuous and laudable qualities, little or nothing at all availeth nobility by blood: because without ●he soul be beautified, the bodies estate is perilous, in regard that ignorance of thyself engendereth pride& many other evils. Why then( according to the opinion of the wise) the marks and witnesses of true nobility are liberality, thankfulness for benefits received, and clemency in pardoning: Next these in a true noble spirit are to bee discerned, a bold, yet patient sufferance of any tribulation, and a heart not despairing, but in all afflictions comforted.  
Knowest thou not, that bodily nobility is not thine but cometh from others? marry what nobleness thou hast won by virtue, that is absolutely thine own, and no man can deprive th●● of it. Tell me what merit hast thou by another mans deserving?& who in reason can praise thee, for that which thou hadst from thy father? nobility of lineage then doth come from generation, and that of virtue is derived of our own deeds, then what thou gaynest by virtue is the gift of God infused into the act,& properly may bee termed thy own nobility. Of a bitter roote many times comes sweet and pleasant fruit, so from a poor race may issue some to be famous and noble, by the virtuous behaviour which afterward shal renown them: for that is the best nobility, which make men the sons of God, and heires of the kingdom of heaven.  
he cannot bee called a vile man, who doth no dead of vileness, make then no vaunt of thy noble lineage, but rather reprove and blame thyself, if thy parentes were truly noble, that thou inheritest not their virtues: for as gross clouds cover the sun, moon and stars, and robs men of their celestial splendour, so the vices of them that are virtuously descended, obscure the worthy actions of their famous foregoers: for Christian religion respects not thy bodies honour, but thy souls dignity, and would rather haue thee pure in virtue, then polluted with vices.  
Were it not a most vnsightly thing, that a kings son should bee so basely minded, as to sit keeping swine, or in traveling by the way should defile his goodly garments with dirt and filth? How much more vnsightly thē is it, that thou being son to the king of heaven, shouldst affect the worlds loathsomeness, and abominations of the flesh? beastlike serving swine, which are thy corrupted sences, and feeding them with all grossness, thou being created onely for the joys of thy fathers kingdom, to be the son of God: What greater nobility, there is none in all the world can compare therewith: 
Psal. 82:  I haue said ye are Gods( saith the Prophet david) and sons of the most high yet shall ye die like men, yea princes shall fall like others: First david shows the dignity of man, in being the adopted son of God, and then how little this dignity doth avail him living like a man, for so he must die. Wherefore if thou livest as a man, as a man shalt thou die, and in that death perisheth all thy former reputation: then diest thou not like the son of the most high, whose hope is in a blessed and glorious life to come, but rather dost fall like the Prince, who with his mighty host( most sumptuously adorned with golden shining arms) perisheth in the field: in like manner shall the sons of God fall, if they live not like the children of so great and good a father.  
If it be a great matter to bee the adopted son of God, much more then( with out comparison) is it, to bee the natural son of God, as Iesus Christ our saviour was, who would not bee accounted the son of God, except he did the work of his father, saying: If I do not the work of my father, beleeue me not. If Christ then would not be reckoned the son of God, till he had done the deeds conformable to such a title and dignity: then ill will it beseem thee in the sight of God to stand as his adopted son, not living or doing any thing thereafter. And if to bee the adopted son of God( which is the highest nobility that ever man can haue) import so little, living wickedly: how much inferior is it to descend of mortal men, who are but the sons of death and corruption?  
Labour then to get the title of nobility by virtue, even the nobility that may make thee the adopted son of God, and an heir of his celestial kingdom, let this bee thy purpose both daily and hourly, then which thou canst haue no better determination. See howe the glory of the world passeth away like a smoke, or as a ships passage in the sea, whose way is not remembered: to make any assurance of vanity, were an apparent sign of folly, to build on an assured ground, declares the purpose of a perfect Christian, then contemn all nobility here that may corrupt thy soul, and pray for it onely there, where is the fullness of al felicity.   

Meditation 13. Of worldly friends and friendship.  
THe friend of thy table continueth not in the day of thine affliction: 
Eccles. 6.  saith Salomon: then very vain headed fools are they that dare adventure to displease God, to satisfy the humors of any man whatsoever, and the world requiteth such kind of men with the self same payment. Therefore God suffers it for thy great good, that thou shalt find no friends firm and loyal to thee in this world, to the end thou mightest make thy onely certain friend of thy blessed Lord and redeemer.  
Of strange nature and very rare is this worlds friendship, every one befriending himself especially, for if any one declare himself to bee thy friend, using ceremonies of kindness and affable protestations: he doth it but to serve his own turn with thee, expecting some favour or benefit from thee, because thou art rich, and in the worlds high reputation. But if thou fall into decay or want, he will be sure to bee the first that shall forsake thee: and they whom thou most of all didst repose thy trust in, like trencher flies will be gone, leaving thee like a blind man, without any staff to lean unto, even they who shewed themselves thy nearest and dearest friends, here their love and kindness makes their full period. poor deceived man, they bear no love to thee but to the goods and possessions thou hast, for all their outward diligence is but to profit themselves withall, not regarding thee for that thou art, but for that thou hast, and so long as thou shalt bee able to give them, so long will they bee friendly to thee.  

Gen. 8  The raven which Noah sent forth of the ark, because the waters were not fallen, returned to her former habitation: but when ●he flood was well shronke, ●nd she could find somewhat else where to feed on, ●he made no longer reckoning of Noah, who had saved her from death, and maintained her in the ark one hundred& fifty dayes, 
Gen. 7.  in all which time the flood continued, and so the raven returned no more to Noah, because shee had no more need of his friendship.  
In like manner, many now do esteem, delight, praise and often visit thee, because they would supply some of their present necessities by thee, which being compassed, they are no longer for thee: not unlike to the raven, friends of the world to day, but such as so seem are no true friends indeed, they are louers of themselves, servers of their own turns, and abide with thee no longer then thou canst benefit them. adversity, affliction, and tribulation are the tryalles( in Salomons opinion) to make true friends known: for in prosperity they cannot bee discerned, because the enemy is best manifested in the time of trouble.  
Hence ensues it, that while the three bears faire and pleasing fruit, it wants no visiting, nor needs more store of gatherers: but when it fails of fruit, and brings not the wonted increase, then every one de●piseth it, and no one cares ●or any more looking on it. So and no otherwise stands the case with thee, while thou hast riches, credite, and art in prosperity, thou shalt be sure to be beloved, honoured, and visited: but if thy state impair, need catch thee by the back,& the world no longer smiles vpon thee, farewell poor forsaken man, no more fruit no more friends.  
When the city of jerusalem was rich and prosperous, as in the times of david, Salomon, and other potent and mighty kings which reigned therein, then all ●er friends made her solemn bailies, and not a neighbouring king but offered her league& friendship: 
2. Reg, 10  but when the Chaldeans had destroyed and made her desolate, 
Iere. 52.  they all fled from her, as the Prophet jeremy, bemoning the calamity and great misery of the goodly city, and crying out in agony of spirit saith: 
Lamen. 1  Among all her louers, she hath none to comfort her, all her friends haue dealt vnfaithfully with her,& are become her enemies. Here may ye behold, that those favourers of jerusalem were not true friends, because they left her alone in her trouble and adversity, and not contented to forsake her, but withall became her utter enemies.  

Prou. 17:  A true friend( saith Salomon) loveth at all times, and a good brother is born for adversity. 
job. 2  When job perceived that his wife was so contrary to him, it fell out ●o bee one of the greatest crosses he had: Likewise his friends to vex and abuse him, afflicted him beyond compass of common sufferance. For they coming to visit him, and he expecting kind consolation from them: they fell to reproving, scorning and contemning him, whereupon he turning himself to God onely, said: My friends are parablers and talkers onely. Then we read in Ecclesiasticus: Take heed of those friends that haue but only the name of friends.  
Great conformity and union is between gold and quicksilver, yea such and so much, as when the gold is purified in the furnace, the quicksilver( being converted into smoke) is sought of the gold in what parte soever of the fire it bee, to unite itself therewith: yet notwithstanding all this affection and friendship, whensoever the gold is taken forth of the fire, it forsakes& leaves the quicksilver there behind, converted into smoke,& there ends the kindness. After this example, at what time thou shalt enter into the fire of tribulation, the friendship thou hadst with many will bee turned into smoke, and so shalt thou be left in the furnace of affliction: therefore put no confidence in the world, make no reckoning of fair words, nor the smooth proffeted friendship, which men will make show of.  
never think thou to bee better handled of the world then thy lord and redeemer was, 
Mat. 21.  who on the day he entred jerusalem, all the people came forth to meet him, entertaining him with palms and olive branches in their hands, honouring him with Hosanna the son of david, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna, thou which art in the highest heauens, yet afterward cried out to haue him crucified.  
The disciple; 
Mar. 11.  reioyced that they had such an honourable master, and none of them left him till his last supper, 
Luk. 19. joh. 13  but when the world( in a moment) turned his back on Christ, the same night when he was taken, the same disciples that in prosperity had born him company, shronk back& forsook him, nay more, one of them took an oath in denial of his master, 
Mat. 26. Luk. 22  and swore that he knew him not. Therfore the Prophet david said very well: Put not your trust in Princes, 
Psal. 146.  nor in the sons of men, for there is no help in them. Wretched are you( saith the prophet Esay) that repose your trust vpon a broken reede. 
Esay 35.   
Therefore if thou put any confidence in a mighty man, or one that terms himself thy friend, who are no other then weak& ●inde shaken reedes: they ●ill but deceive thy hope, ●nd while thou trustest to ●heir friendship, thy face fals to the ground& quiter disfigures thee: For the world is filled with a certain kind of men, that enrich themselves by their friends losses, and make best benefit of other mens ingratitude: then vain& foolish art thou, if thou reposest any fidelity in human friendship.  
The cause why Christ our saviour commanded us, 
Mat. 5.  To love our enemies, was to the end they might love us again. For as fire( in what place soever it be) ever worketh: so our will never stands idle, neither knows howe to live without loving. Now because the world affords us no true friends, it is Gods will, that we should love our enemies, thereby to draw like love from them again: for if thou wilt seek any thing else in the world, which merites to bee beloved, thou shalt but loose thy labour, because every one is a friend but for his own profit. It is the worlds nature, to respect his own benefit, yea, such is the greedy avarice and covetous desire thereof, that children hunt after profit, more then their fathers could do.  
There are some that love their enemies, yea, do good to diuers, whom they know to hate them and mortally malice them: wherein they fulfil the Gospels precept, which commands us to love our enemies, though contrar●wise, the others haue no care of such a charge. But wee go an other way to work, wee love them that ●ate, drink and converse ●ith us, esteeming them to and our friends: not looking ●o heedfully into the mat●er, that indeed wee then ●ove no other but our enemies: by which reason we ●ooner attain to the love of our enemies, then of our friends, because while wee live wee shall never ●ayle of the one, nor vn●ill this life be finished, ever find the other. False then and fraudulent is all worldly friendship, and a vanity above vanities, to make any account thereof: being nothing else but childrens gauds and playing toys, an idle labour, yielding no profit, which thou hast no assurance of, for to morrow thou must die.  
Tel me now in good sadness, what advantage hath all the yeares of thy life returned thee, which thou hast spent in soothing up mens affections? These houres, dayes, monthes and yeares, wherein thou hast so many ways wounded thine own soul with sins: where are they? of what worth are they? are they all able to deliver thee from death? If by them there redound no good at al unto thee, consider then thine own miserable estate. God ●h made the course of ● life here to bee short, ●ublesome and momenta● preparing another for and, long and perpetual, ● thou darest run into ●ods displeasure, by being ●ime-seruer and pleaser of ●en, never considering ●at strict account will be ●manded of that time, lost ●d thrown away in plea●g a creature, and no care ● all had of the Creator.  
Many are like to herod ●d Pilate, 
Mat. 27. Luk. 23  that will become ●endes in persecuting ●hrist, making leagues, and ●otting daily devises, to ●ucifie him anew, even in ●eir own selves( as the A●stle paul speaketh) with ●l filthiness& lewdness. Beware then thou offen● not God at any time, ● the love of thy suppos● friend, rather endure first ●ny travail whatsoever f● his sake, then run into t● danger of the offence an● punishment together. Y● many bend themselu● to the contrary, because they are companions wit● their friends in the fault● and so participate in the o●fence of God: yet loth ● taste the punishment, woul● free themselves quiter, an● leave to their friends th● whole burden of it. Fo● Adam who stood with Eu● as companion of the fault and offended God for the love of her, 
Gen. 3.  had no will afterward to be partaker of the punishment, but excusing himself, would haue ●de the blame wholly vp● eve, saying: The woman ●ich thou gavest to bee with ●, she gave me of the three, and did eat.  
But the Prophet david ●id otherwise, declaring himself a true friend to ●is followers, for he said ●o God: 
2 Sam. 24  It is I( O lord) that haue sinned, I haue done ●ickedly: but these sheep, what ●ave they done? Let thy ●ande I pray thee bee onely a●aynst me, and against my ●athers house. There are many in the world, who will sin dangerously for their friends and kindreds sake, who seeing them afterwards in necessity, will scant bestow a cup of cold water on them: This cannot bee called tr● friendship, or can it p●siblie haue long conti●ance, because friendship neither is or can be but b●tweene good men and good matters, for time d●solueth the friendship sinners.  

1. joh. 5.  Listen to the scripture which saith: The wh● world lieth in wickedness. B●leeue then but few, and fl● from many, seek to ha● friendship with Iesus Chr● onely, and his seruants: b● if thou find any world friends to hinder thee fro● spiritual profit, fly fro● them, as from a cruel an● manifest pestilence. purpose thus with thyself, th● seeing al the worldly friendship under heaven, is b● borrowed stuff, frail and momentary, whereof on a sudden thou shalt bee deprived: That therefore thou wilt not trust thereto any longer, but seek for friendship there, where thou shalt be very certain to find it,& which at no time will ever fail thee.   

Meditation. 14. Of true friendship.  
HOwe dear 〈◇〉 thy thought● unto me( O● God) how gre● is the summer them? 
Psal. 139.  saith the prophet david, as esteeming them his onely friends in this world, and the very smoothest words of sinners, to be so vain and frivolous, as there is no friendship but in God onely, and with them that love& live in his fear: for his friendship is true and faithful, making friends famous here in earth, and glorious in heaven. The world holds with him that is lifted a little above others, pretending great love to him in his prosperity, but let him fall never so little, or tribulation but touch him, the worlds colours are quiter wipte out, no moment or memory of them left to bee found. Therfore when a man is beloved in the height of his happiness,& doubts whether it be his person or prosperity that is so affencted, let him but feygne a sudden fall, and make some show of the worlds disgrace, and he shall find his friends flocked not so fast to him, as they will fly from him, and that this very colour of his will alter all their former countenance, then he which in necessity will despise and forsake his neighbour, apparently proves that he loved him not in prosperity, therfore times tell the troth, shows the true friend from the counterfeit, but God is the sure friend, that stands steadfast at all times.  

Gen. 41.  God did not forget joseph when he was in the dungeon, 
Dan. 13.  nor poor Susanna in the midst of her miseries, neither david in the heat of all his persecutions: 
1. Reg, 26.  God never forsakes his well willers in necessity or tribulation, but till death and afterward, his love endureth when all worldly friendship shall bee utterly dissolved. Such and so great hath the love of God evermore been to his seruants, that when he would haue chastised Salomon for his heinous sins, and taken his kingdom from him, he qualified his iustice, because Salomon was the son to his seruant david leaving him two tribes to preserve the memory of david, 
1. Reg. 11  both of his house and name: yea, such reckoning hath God made of his chosen seruants, that he would rather haue his own honor suffer, then theirs to be endamaged. Therefore he permitted the virgin Mary to be espoused, 
Mat. ●.  because she should not bring forth his son without a husband, 
Luk. 2.  and thereby haue her dignity impeached, whereby the saviour of the world was reputed as Iosephes son, 
Luk. 3.  being conceived by the holy Ghost, and so the true son of God, yet by her marriage to joseph he stopped the worlds mouth from defaming her, leaving them rather to doubt of his eternal divine birth, then of the sanctified purity of the blessed virgin, thus God with peril of his own praise, was willing to defend the chased virgines reputation. even so diuers ways else hath Gods especial care been discerned of those that were his faithful seruants, and their famed in this world.  
John Baptist sent his disciples to Christ, 
Mat. 11  to demand what he was, and this was done for the spiritual health of the said disciples: 
Luk. 7.  because the people held him but for a light person, and therefore demanded what he was, of whom he had given testimony: yet Christ( as his best friend) and to honour his seruant John Baptist the more, commended him to the people, saying: Among them that are begotten of women, there arose not a greater then John Baptist. The like did God for his servant Moyses, when Aaron his brother, 
Num. 12.  and miriae his sister had murmured against him. He defended likewise Mary Magdalen, 
Luk. 7.  and spake in favour of her, when the pharisees despised her, 
Mat. 26.  and his owns disciples grudged at her. The like to Martha also, 
Luk. 10.  when she was offended that shee had no help in the household business. God sought forth, and revenged the blood unjustly spilled of his seruants, 
Gen. 4. 2. Reg. 21 2. Chron. 24  as of Abell, of Naboth, of Zechariah the son of jehoiada, and of all his other Prophetes beside.  
The kindness and favor of God is not like unto the worlds friendship, whereof job speaketh thus: My friends haue deceived me as a brook, 
job. 6  and as the rising of the riuers, they pass away swiftly into the valleys. There are many current Riuers, which in winter time are full of water, when as there is no necessity of water, yet in summer following are dried up, when every one standeth most in need of water, which dried up Riuers help not the thirsty traveler, but when he comes to drink, and finds none, returneth thence deceived. Like to such riuers are faygned and counterfeit friends, who in time of prosperity, and when no need is, promise much: but when time of adversity cometh, and that there is manifest necessity to bee seen, performance cometh short, all friendship is dried up, not a drop to be found.  
Blessed was the Apostle who heard these words from his saviours own mouth: 
joh. 15  You are my friends: this happy& blessed friendship of God, thou shalt assu●edly haue if thou perform the rest of the aforenamed verse, namely: If ye do whatsoever I commande ye, this is firm and true friendship, perpetual and everlasting, but the world is wicked, and hath no date of continuance. For as the Marigold opens early in the morning, being fresh and fair, but at night shuts up again, as half dried and withered. even so the worlds friendship soon fails and withereth: the suins heat perisheth the flower, and afflictions trial putteth down all love and friendship, so that as wee may say, it was a flower, so likewise wee may say, he seemed a friend, whereupon the prophet david said: 
Psal. 88.  My louers and friends hast thou put away from me, and mine acquaintance hide themselves.  
Abraham the patriarch dealt lovingly with his friend Lot, 
Gen. 14.  succouring him so soon as he was in prison,& delivering him from all his pain and misery. seek thou then for friendship at Gods hands onely, to obtain pardon for thine offences, and the place prepared for thee in his heavenly habitation: for he is thy best friend, in honour or dishonour, life or death, thou shalt be most certain and assured of his love. When he was vpon the hard wood of his gross, his speech near failing him, the cruel nails smoten thorough him, yet prayed he for us to his heavenly father, desired pardon for us, and he obtained it.  
All other conversation and friendship in this world, is vain and of no account, 
Heb. 5.  except it haue foundation from God, saith the Apostle paul, not condemning society and conversation with good men, who by their holy examples shall kindle in our heartes, the fire of charity and love toward God: for such may truly be termed our friends, as love the health of our souls, and seek not to flatter and soothe us up with vain and pleasing persuasions. He is a true friend indeed, that lamenteth our evil doings, prays to God for us, exhorting us christianly, and admonishing us charitably: such a friend is undoubtedly sent us of God, in whom is perfect trust to bee reposed, because the love and favour of God makes him faithful to us, and as our joys or crosses are, even so he equally pertaketh with vs.  
In election and choice of a friend, to prove and know him well is held most requisite: because nothing is able to purchase a true faithful friend: And he that findeth such a one, 
Eccles. 6.  findeth a treasure: Talk with thy friend about thine affairs, 
Prov. 25.  but reveal not thy secrets to him thou knowest not well. Such things as thou wouldest not haue known, disclose not to a friend before thou hast tried him, least otherwise thou chance to find thyself deceived, especially if thy neighbour bee more familiar with thee, thē he is with himself.  
Perhaps thou mayest imagine, that he loues thee better then thou canst do thyself,& that thou mayest bury thy secrets in him in more effectual manner, then within thine own bosom, such an opinion is very rare, but to find such a friend, is a thousand times ●arer. If thou wilt follow mine advice, reveal such secrets, as thou carest not who knows them, but no one that may detect and shane thee: for whosoever knows not how to hold his peace, can never bee skilful in preserving his friend, therefore it is reckoned for a great gift of God, to know ●hen to be silent, and when ● speak.  
labour then to haue friend●ippe with good and ver●uous men, because they ●ave evermore the laws of God before their eyes, that ●eacheth them howe to re●ain and hid secrets, which ●n conscience they stand ●ounde no way to discover, for he that knows not thos●●awes, cares very little for ●ransgressing them. Wee read in Ecclesiasticus: He that is wicked to himself, 
Eccles. 14.  to whom can he be good? for he that hath no rule of himself, shall hardly obtain it over any other and he that foolishly reveals his own secrets, can never haue power to hid any others.  
A virtuous man then will be thy meetest friend, and in his hart thou mayest boldly bury thy secrets: for he loving God, will let thee lack nothing, he will be thy best neighbour, and Christianly instruct thee in al the true courses of friendship, whereof I haue briefly here laid thee down the substantial foundation, desiring thee to abandon all other of the world, which serves for no better use, thē to lead thee the high way to utter perdition. Follow then this blessed path, which guides thee to heaven, all purposes beside this are of no validity. God himself hath promised to bee thy friend, and will raise up good men for thee to converse withall, say thus ●en in thy soul, I haue ●t down my determinate purpose, and( by Gods assi●ance) weak flesh and blood shall never alter me from it.   

Meditation 15. Of worldly favour and regard among men.  
king Ahasuerus( saith the Scripture) promoted Has man, 
Hest. 3,  the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and exalted him,& set his seat above all the princes that were with him, &c. But what availed this great favour& familiarity which he had with the king? they became afterward the instruments of his perdition▪ casting him from the height of common regard, into as general infamy and public contempt: such is the end of worldly favours and promotions, which Kings, princes, and other potentates of the world bestow vpon men. If among the blessings and favours, which God gives to his servants, there happen some small show of peril and tribulation: yet they bring with them the benefit of thy souls health, which the other of this world do continually fight against: and hence proceeds it, that the weakness of our nature is such, as Gods bountiful favours are like bitter wormwood to us, but those that this vain life affordeth, sweeter then hony, or any thing else whatsoever.  
After that our saviour had commended Peter the Apostle, saying: Blessed art thou Simon the son of jonas, 
Mat. 16.  for flesh and blood hath not revealed that unto thee, but my father which is in heaven: presently he became so hot& forward vpon this favour, as quickly after he would needs seek to hinder our Redeemer from his passion, presuming to say, master pity thyself, this shall not be unto thee: But Christ reproved him immediately for this boldness, saying: Get thee behind me satan, thou art an offence unto me: here was a speedy change of so great favour before.  
When Moyses saw, that it pleased God to talk familiarly with him, 
Exod. 33.  he could not contain him self from further presumption but enters into these words: ● beseech thee show me thy glory: But God returned him ●his present answer: Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. The two sons of Zebedeus because they were highly favoured by our saviour, 
Mat. 20.  and( according to the flesh) were of his kindred: there was request very quickly made, that the one might sit on his right hand, and the other on the left in his kingdom: as deeming and thinking themselves more worthy of preferment then any of the other Apostles. So the spouse in the Canticles hearing her beloved praise her, as being the fairest among women: forthwith she saith: show me( O thou) whom my soul loveth, 
Cant. 1.  where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon, &c. But all these had answers to their overmuch presuming: My backeparts( said God to Moyses) thou shalt see, but my face shall not bee seen.  
To the Apostles james& joh. he said, ye know not what ye ask, are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? And to the Spouse: If thou know not, get thee forth by the stock, and feed thy kiddes by the tentes of the shepherds.  
If then we use the favour of God in such ill sort, that wee grow proud, and endanger the loss of ourselves thereby: what goodness can the worlds favour procure or raise in us? The regard and favour which joseph received of his mistress in Egypt, 
Gen. 39  was to displease God,& sin against his own soul: the kindness and favour of men and women in these dayes do seldom differ from so bad a president. The purest wine gets soonest into the head: which makes a wise Lord or ruler of servants, when he sees any of his followers seek to disorder themselves with drinking of the best wine, that they shall abate the strength thereof with water. even so is the will of God, when favour of men& worldly regard do trouble the s●nces, and ouermayster our wits, that they should be qualified with the water of more provident respect, namely those blames and defects which depend vpon them: and they would keep us from lofty humors, vainly presuming on the favours of Princes, lords and such like, or hunting after any worldly prefermentes. And because we should not bee swollen big, or puffed up with much praise and idle commendation, the divine providence doth permit us to be bitten by detractors: that when the extoling tongue liftes up our conceits proudly, the detractors murmuring might humble us again, and so both together might bring us to the true knowledge of ourselves.  
When Antiochus entred the Temple, 
2. Mac. 2.  he took away the lights and the candlesticks: even so worldly favour no sooner enters into our thoughts, but it extinguisheth all light of knowledge of ourselves. A man that is favoured and esteemed, knows not himself, but is known of many: whereas the disfauoured& abject person knows what himself is, though he bee regarded by no other. The knowledge of a mans own self is much more worth, then having knowledge in all other matters beside, to bee utterly void thereof: for more danger attendeth on favour then disfavour,& greater prejudice followeth affection, then hatred, because hatred may pursue thee as a persecuter, and persecution is good to humble& make thee know thyself: where contrariwise, affection doth but blind thee, and will neither let thee see or know thyself, therefore it is better to be persecuted, then favoured, because in the one we find God, and in the other we loose him: never imagine, that because thou art favoured of men, and prosperest well in this world, therefore thou art the better, or more acceptable in Gods fight, but call to memory what is written in the holy Gospel: Remember son, that thou in thy life time receivedst thy pleasures, 
Mar. 16.  and likewise Lazarus pains: now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.  
As if the holy Ghost( in this place) did now speak to one of our present worldly favoured men, saying, Thou that swimmest in all store and abundance of pleasure, thou that hast gay houses, fair lands and tenements, a beautiful wife and goodly children: thou that art become mighty by great mens favours, buying and purchasing thy neighbours houses over their heads, making waste ground where stood sometime pretty towns and villages: thou that wilt haue, and nothing parte with Seest thou thy naked poor brother going by thee, seest thou thy self in thy robes, and him in his rags, thou with thy belly belching and too full, his almost grown to his back with hunger and emptiness. I tell thee( proud favourite of the world) his soul cost his saviour as deere as thine did, there went not a penny, nay not a mite more to thy ransom, then did to his, he is thy brother, notwithstanding al thy bravery, he looks for as great a portion in our common fathers kingdom as thou, or he that is thy better can do, thou hast been pampered while he hath been starved, thou hast had thy choice of garments, while he hath gon stark naked, thou hast had all pleasure, while he hath tasted all kindes of anguish: therefore thou must haue the reward of thy worldly pomp and felicity, and he of the worlds disgrace, contempt and scorning: thou must to pleasures purchase, he to pains paradise, in plainer terms, thou like rich dives to hell, he like poor despised Lazarus to heaven: these are the just proportioned recompenses, both to the worlds smiling favours, and frowning despisinges, to the lordly mans superfluity, and the disdained mans dignity, although( never so poor or contemned) if he be truly contented in hi● necessity.  
If then in this life thou hast great favours and gay honours, the more perilous and dangerous are they to thy souls expectation, and a most perfect argument, that thou makest no account to bee an heir of heaven. The law allows not, 
Gal. 4.  that any bastard son shall possess his fathers inheritance. Abraham gave gifts to ishmael, and to the other sons of his Concubines, 
Gen. 25.  but he made isaac heir of all his goods, and he succeeded in his fathers house. even so dealeth God to such as by their sin& wickedness do degenerat from their true father, he permits the possession of goods, lands and great reuenews, because by displeasing him, they delight in this world, and are the onely favourites therof: but then he excludes them from the inheritance of his glory, which he onely reserveth in store for his right children, even they( that despising this worlds vain favours) expect( like legitimate sons) their patrimony in heaven.  
With gifts and favours men of this world are soonest contented, never making account of any other goods or inheritance: then never marvel when thou seest so many bad men live in such flourishing estate, for they care not how great they be here, so they be nothing at all else where, and a blaze of vain glory is better to them in this life, then perpetual remembrance in the life to come, for bad men haue no goods at all in heaven, and the humble spirited care for none here on earth.  
God sendeth trouble& afflictions to such as he loveth, because they should not busy their thoughts with worldly occasions, but still bee labouring on their journey toward heaven. It comes to pass many times that a traveler, who in the summer season hath a journey to some place or other, being over hot and sweatie, finding a shady place, where the grass is pleasant, and the air very cool, sits down there to rest himself, and delights so long in that idle recreation, that all the rest of his day-labour is utterly lost. According to this similitude dealeth God with his chosen children, making the travail of this life seem sweatie, painful and laborious to them, that they should make the more hast to finish their journey without loitering in the fresh air and shadows of this world, and so loose the day light to go stumbling in the dark: For the suins heat and toiling on the way discourageth not a wise traveler, or makes him slack his place, but to use the more hast, and rest himself in his inn, least being shut out by late coming thether, he lies in the street,& haue none to comfort him.  
It is our Lords will therefore that to such as love him, and seek after his glory, the passage of this life should bee full of anguish, trouble and molestation: least being deceived with the worlds vain allurings, their eternal hopes might be altered,& he loose them, whom he maketh dearest account of. To draw the children of Israel out of egypt, 
Exod. 15,  and make them long and desire the more to see their promised country: God permitted Pharaoh so many ways to afflict them. When jacob was kindly used in Labans house, he had no mind at all of his own country: but when he perceived Laban and his sons deal hardly with him, thē he called Rachel& Leah to him, saying: I will no longer tarry from the 
Gen. 13.  land of my fathers, because I see your fathers countenance is not toward me as it was wont to be.  
And as it is a thing most honourable for any Knight or soldier, to bear the arms of his king and captain: even as honourable is it to a true Christian man, to suffer travail& persecution, as his fore-guyde& leader Iesus Christ did. seek not then( dear brother) for mens favours and regard in this world because they serve for no other use, but to ly in thy way like stumbling blocks,& so to hinder thee from the kingdom of heaven. Then like the true seruant of Christ Iesus, entertain this holy purpose, wade through all calamities whatsoever they bee, and expect& look for with patience that most glorious& bright day, which shal enrich thee with eternal happiness.   

Meditation 16. Of worldly prosperity and benefiting ourselves by our neighbours prejudice.  
THe prosperity of fools( saith the wise man) is their own destruction: 
Prou. 1  therfore this gives us occasion to fear, when we find ourselves ouerlodē with worldly prosperity, howe the humility of our Lord& master Christ Iesus, may likewise be kept in our heartes, 
1. Sam. 9.  and not displaced, Saul was a holy man, and so humble, that he hide himself in his house, 
1. Sam. 24  because he would not be king: yet he saw himself no sooner exalted, and in the height of prosperity, but then he became a most proud king. When david was persecuted, he gave his life to his enemy Saule: but coming afterward to prosperity, 
2. Sam. 11  he caused his seruant uriah to be slain. They that in persecution yield their lives ready to death, afterward in prosperity are readiest to murder the living. The state of prosperity is very doubtful, for though it affordeth worldly felicity, yet is it cumbered with many cares and inconveniences: therefore the peril is the greater, where the spoil may bee made the richer. That part of our life which is past with most slothful security, and freest from trouble or mo●estation, is always the most daungerous, because in adversity there is no cross or affliction, for all are impri●oned in the sweetness of prosperity, it is therefore a great virtue to wrestle and contend against prosperity, and the felicity is not little not to suffer ourselves to and conquered thereby.  
When a man that is in ●rosperity is beloved, it is ●ot discerned, whether his ●erson is affencted, or his pro●perous estate: but let the ●raudulent glory of the world ●ippe away a little, then the ●uth is made manifest, because prosperity can not show a friend, nor adversity hid an enemy. The prosperity of this world doth not onely delude men, but slips away from them ere they are ware of it: therefore the Psalmist said well: It is the enemy to the proud& exalted, 
Psal. 56.  and vanisheth away as if it were a smoke: Smoke mounted on high, the sight thereof is quickly lost: even such is prosperity, it bears a show for a while, and at length comes to nothing: upon the mountain of Gilboa perished the noble and great men of Israel: 
2. Sam. 1.  so doth prosperity lead men up as it were to a mountain, and suddenly thence tumbles them headlong down, for it utterly forgets God, and therefore is worthily the destruction of itself.  
When joseph had interpnted King Pharaohs Butlers dream to him, that he should be restored to his office, and all should go well with him, he entreated him in this manner: 
Gen. 40.  But haue me in remembrance with thee, when thou art in good case,& show mercy unto me I pray thee, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring me out of this house. But the Butler being delivered from prison, and in as good estate as he was before: forgot poor joseph in the dungeon, prosperity had now made him proud again, such beggars as joseph were not then to bee thought on, whereby wee may well perceive, that prosperity is a state of no remembrance, Pharaoh king of Egypt, in the pride of his prosperity, said: I know not the lord, neither will I let Israel go: 
Exod, 5  But in his tribulation afterward then he knew God, and entreated Moyses and Aaron to pray unto the lord for him. The Apostle Peter, when he saw his lords glory on the Mount Tabor, presently said: master it is good for us to bee here, 
Math. 17.  therefore if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moyses, and one for Elias, Peter never remembering himself, nor his other companions. 
John 1.  Andrew the Apostle, and brother to Peter, when he had brought his said brother to the knowledge of Christ,& that Peter was so highly favoured by his master, as to bee present with him at his glorious transfiguration: he never thought on his brother andrew, who had brought him to this advancement and incomparable blessedness.  
But in vain is it to marvel hereat, because this worlds glory& gaudy prosperity, will not let men know themselves, much ●esse any one to whom they ●ave been beholding. The ●ke wee see oftentimes to ●appen in the palaces of ●ighty princes, that a mean ●erson hath been the occa●on of a mans preferment ● a place of great account: ●d who is the first that he hath soonest forgotten? even he that was the means of his lofty advancement, such is the wondrous defect waiting on worldly prosperity, that it will never let a man remember his especial benefactor. And because God knew that mens prosperity brought t●ē to such forgetfulness: When his people of Israel were in the desert, traveling toward the land of Promise: Beware( quoth he) that thou forget not the Lord thy God, not keeping his commandements, 
Deut. 8.  and his laws, and his ordinances which I command thee this day. Least when thou hast eaten and filled thyself, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelled therein. And thy beasts and thy sheep are increased, and thy silver and gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is increased: Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of egypt, from the house of bondage.  
Therefore wee may well perceive, that in prosperity we live in far greater peril, then when we are tossed with continual tribulations, and the danger is more to be feared, when we sail on a fresh and sweet water, then when we are at liberty on the bitter salt seas: all which sufficiently do approve, that our life i● beleagerde with mightier enemies, when we pass through the smooth streams of worldly prosperity, then when wee are enforced to hard and narrow shifts, among the rocks and quick sands of troubles and afflictions. Let us bee wise thē in time, for though prosperity seem to be our very best friend, and holds the highest place in our houses: yet trust it not too far, for it hath a greater favourite to countenance it, then wee easily consider of, and that is our frail flesh, which puffs up the soul with the wind of prosperities bellows, onely to make it proud and forgetful of God, never permitting us to remember, that this high flood of jollity may haue as low an obbe of adversity, and that this lofty title of prosperity, is onely but lent us: Whereas on the contrary side, if wee consider the benefit of tribulation, howe it hath no proud eye, no ambitious aspiring humour, but endures all crosses patiently, knowing that it can haue no long time of continuance, and therefore carries an even sail better contented with passage the through bitter stormy seas of affliction, then dancing at pleasure on the calm streams of vanity: wee would fly from prosperity as from the pestilence, and think ourselves in best case, when it is furthest of vs.  
here it shall not bee amiss, to ●nter a little in consideration of this worldly prosperity, and what means are often used for attaining thereto: some by the prejudice and hindrance of their neighbour, others by seeking to support themselves on the countenance of the wicked, so to get up on the ladder of foolish proud vanity.  

Eccles. 27.  Who so casteth a ston on high( saith the wiseman) casteth it vpon his own head. If then thou wilt needs be great& no way will serve thy turn in attaining it, except thou wade through the blood of thy neighbour, and that his vndooing must bee thy step to mount by, thou castest up this ston, and the fall thereof will bee vpon thine own head. He● addeth further in the same place: he that smiteth with guile, maketh a great wound. Who so diggeth a pit shall fall therein, and he that layeth a ston in his neighbours way, shal stumble thereon: And he that spreadeth a snare for another, shall be taken therein himself. just is the iudgement of God, and therefore he permitteth, that such as seek to sail and commande, by the hindrance and overthrow of their neighbour: that the same harm they wish them, shall return on themselves, and though the world reputes their beginning to be good, yet dangerous shall bee their end, and evil. An excellent president hereof, haue wee in proud Haman▪ who could find no way else to uphold his honour and prosperity, 
Hest. 7  then by seeking to shed the blood of Gods innocent people: but what ensued thereof, on the same gallows he made for Mardocheus, himself was hanged very soon after.  
The men of babylon imagined, that by procuring the death of daniel, they should bee the more highly favoured of King Darius whereupon they wrought s● with the King, 
Dan. 6  that Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. But the success thereof fell out quiter contrary to their expectatio● for God delivered his s●uaunt from death, and th● complotters of his destru●tion, were themselves d●uoured of the hungry Lyo● Achitophel, to compas● the good liking of Abs●lon, 
1. Sam. 17  whom he held as kin● & therfore gave evil counsel against his lawful Lord david: did nothing else ●ut procure his own death ●hereby, for when he saw that his counsel was not ac●epted, he went and hanged himself in his own house. ●alaam to get the gifts and ●uour of Balaac King of the Moabites, 
Numb. 24  gave wicked ●ounsell against the people ●f Israell, but God so per●itted, that things got●n by evil means, should and as bad an end, and Ba●am weening to make him●lfe great by the loss and ●mage of his neighbour, ●as afterward slain in a bat●ile.  
Then cover not to pros●r by bad and wicked ●eanes, because God will not suffer thee to enjoy the goods so gotten any long while, but will deprive thee of them by one way or other, yea such as shall redound to thine own pain and perplexity. Make no bargains, seek no possessions, nether reach at offices or dignities by sinister courses: for goods evil gotten haue no continuance, and their felicity is as little, as their purchasing was lewd. If thou haue right and true title to any thing, allege then thy lawful interest without prejudice to the contrary party, or offering the very least wrong to thy neighbour: This way shalt thou bee assured of Gods help& furtherance, yea every thing shal prosper& go well with thee. A hard conscience is never in quiet, and prefermente badly come by hath as brittle abiding: for there are many that labour and gape after offices, high seats, spiritual promotions, and such like, some bringing letters in favour, other rings as tokens, and diuers come backed with friends for their better countenance:& yet notwithstanding all these busy proceedings, God( not blessing their endeavours) they miss the marks they aimed at, and other less thought on,& not so inquisitive do many times enjoy thē. But some( to further thenselue●●●e more in these aspiring affairs) will stand much vpon their own worthiness, and defame any competitor that labours in the sam● suit, nay, rather then they will fail of their purpose, i● the impairing of the other good name will not seru● the price of his blood shall yield a more certain ass●rance:& yet God in iustic● doth so frustrate their endeavours, that if any perish, ● is the practiser himself, an● look what he prepared fo● an other, falls out in th● end to be his own paymen●  
God sent an evil spirit between the men of S●chem, 
Iud. 9  and Abimelech wh● they had elected for the● lord, and it was a spirit of division and hatred, which brought an evil end both on the one and other: for Abimelech slow his brethre● to make himself King, an● the Sichimites perished for ●iding him in this wicked ●ractise. For as the sea in his ●welling makes the adioy●ing riuers muddy, thereby ●o clear himself: so fares ● with them that would ●leanse their own infirmi●es, by polluting others ●ith foul spots of infamy.  
The mother of the sons ●o Zebedeus made a request ●or her children, 
Math. 20.  without of●ending or maligning o●hers, for in commending ●er own sons, she spake ●o evil of the other Apo●tles, nor did shee will our ●ord to show any jot less of ●avour to the rest: therefore ●er desire extended not to ●re●dice a neighbour, or to ●tand as an offence to any o●er, for though she laboured for the honour of her own children, yet shee injured not the rest, or any way defamed them. When one scale of the balance ascends up, the other sink down: Such is the condition of very many that know no way howe to lift themselves aloft, without the casting of others head-long down, If but the pinnion of an Eagle touch the feather of any other meaner bird, it disables it of any help, and utterly spoils it: even such is the power of Princes and great Potentates favours, they utterly overthrow them that want ability, that they may seem the more munificent where their own opinion leads them, for a promise made, is not a dead performde,& ● consent can quickly bee ●eckt, when it had no will ● supply the request.  
Others there are, that ●inke to prosper and come ● account in the world by ●attering, praising, and ●othing the sins and ini●uities of great persons, ●hich in the end lies very ●eauie on eythers consci●uce: Take heed then of ●eeking after such vain ●rosperitie, which brings ●ith it the hazard of thy ●eighbours soul and thine ●wne.  
God commanded in the ●ld law, saying, 
Exod. 23,  thou shalt not ●eeth a Kidde in his mothers milk ●he Goats( saith our saviour) in the day of iudgement ●hall he set on the left hand: 
Math. 25.  whereby is understood th● name of sinners, who in despite of all their worldl● preferment and prosperity shall bee delivered over t● the fire eternal: such th● are sudden in milk, as a● soothed and upheld wit● praises in their abominable vices. The wiseman calleth milk flattery, and th● praise of sinners, when he● saith: 
Prou. 1  My son if sinner● offer thee milk, lend no ea● unto them. Wretched man▪ why shouldst thou seek th● neighbours harm? Why shouldst thou encourage ● sinner in his wickedness, be a deadly enemy to his soul, and all to help thyself to worldly prosperity? Ca● there be any greater vanity then this? Away with this dream of prosperity, whatsoever thou seekest or desi●est, let it bee done by honest, good& lawful means, that thou maiest the longer enjoy it, and with a pure and with an unpolluted conscience.  
Now for such as hunt after prosperity by wicked occasions, as also for them that lean to such men, as deserve no regard at all: List what the prophet david saith: 
Psal. 37.  A small thing unto the just man is better, then great riches to the wicked& mighty. For wicked preferment must haue as wicked maintenance,& nothing violent can bee permanent: therefore great violence is it to nature, and a matter against all the course of reason, that dignity should bee abused by any base upstart, or he that intendeth an honourable race of life, to entertain or keep a wicked person about him. The ivy is but a vile thing& of no account, yet is it aspiring,& increaseth onely by the walls favour, that gives it leave to mount on: even so in this world, many men of vile and base condition, suddenly leaps up to promotion and great offices, because they clyme by the wall of great mens favour, and in time grow in wickedness up to such height, that they despise the means whereby they mounted, yea, and are the very foremost( ●f occasion so serve) to tear out their harts, that so highly promoted them. And( here●f) the ivy gives us a good president, for albeit the wall welcomes it as a kind neighbour, and cares not though ●t ouergo him in growth, yet ●ike a vile traitor and most ●ngrateful wretch, it rots& ●uinates him quiter in pieces. So happens it to them that give grace& acceptance to vndeseruing wretches: they grow up by little and little under their sufferance, till either they be tooo high to be taken down, or haue sucked such strength out of their kind toleration, that they shal be able to stand no longer. 
Eccles. 14  He that is wicked to himself( saith the Scripture) to wha●●n he be good? For whosoever loveth wickedness, hateth his own soul,& not his soul onely, but his body also, procuring death eternal both of body and soul.  
now if the wicked are not good to their equals, what can they bee to thee? so soon as they behold themselves to haue no more need of thee, they presently turn their backs, and become thy utter enemies. Our saviour saith: Men gather not grapes on thorns, nor figs on thistles: 
Math. 7 Deut. 33  Then never think, to suck honey out of the ston, and oil out of the hard rock, as God did for his people of Israel. Moses drew water forth of a rock, 
Num. 20,  but it was a miracle to draw virtue or gratitude out of a wicked man, who commonly leans to the winning side, not caring whether truth bee there or ●o, but so far is he a friend, ●s he may prosper thereby. But whosoever thriveth by ●uch wicked means,& hath no better foundation for his worldly famed and dignity: beleeue me, he doth nothing else but deceive himself, he may haue a fair morning, that is, a goodly beginning in show, but ere night, that is, before he partes hence, he will find it a rough, stormy and tempestuous evening.  
The divine wisdom( which is God himself) saith By me Kings reign,& Princes decree iustice: 
Prou. 8.  If then all power and authority come of God, and nothing whatsoever is done on the earth but by his providence and permission: howe thinkest thou that God will bless and prosper thee in thine estate, when thou art unthankful to him that holp thee to the same? And how canst thou think to profit or haue any success at al, when thou persecutest the good, dealest unmercifully with the poor, and oppressest every one, as much as lies in thee to do.  
Thou fauourest the wicked, and treadest down the godly, not knowing how the griefs which the good suffers, do pierce up to the ears of the Almighty:& he who is the lord of iustice, answers for his chosen, and will defend them, eu●● he that saith, 
Exod, 22  ye shall not trouble any widow or fatherless child. If thou vex or trouble ●ny such, and so he call and cry ●nto me, I will surely hear his ●ry: Then shall my wrath bee ●indled, and I will kill ye with ●he sword. Pharaoh king of Egypt, to keep himself in his throne and royal pomp, never fearing to loose his worldly kingdom, though the people of Israel were much more increased, pursued continually the people of God. But the Lord heard the prayer and quarrel of the just, destroying the persecuter& his kingdom. The very like dost thou( O miserable man) after the manner of Pharaoh, to uphold thine own worldly estate, thou givest ●●untenaunce to loud persons, and persecutest the virtuous, rather esteeming of dissolute wretches, then such as truly tell thee the way to perfect preferment, and thus thou wilfully seekest thine own destruction.  

Hest. 5  What overthrew proud Haman, but his persecution of Mardocheus, who was a just man? he made too much reckoning of light headed fellows and sinners, that would honor him as a God, and soothe him up in all his wicked purposes. And therefore imagine not thyself to be any jot honoured by him that hath no knowledge of honour in himself because no man can give the thing which he hath not▪ seek honour then of good men, who are never without it,& l●t none but the virtuous haue place about thee: for though the mouths of the wicked are full of goodly words, yet( like a wind) they blow away,& to morrow there will be no remembrance left of them. God saith by the Prophet Hosea: I will change their glory into shane, 
Hosea, 4,  meaning the glory of such as will support themselves by the favour of wicked persons. And by the prophet Ezechiel: 
Ezech. 17.  I will bring down the high three,& dry up the gr●ene plant: All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord haue done it. So thou and all they whom thou regardest against reason and iustice, shal quickly bee ●ewen down, for the house which is built on a bad foundation, cannot stand any long time, but must needs fall to the ground. 
Psal. 68.  As the smoke vanisheth( saith david) and as the wax melteth before the fire, so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God. And as the salt flood quickly swells up, and as quickly sinks down again and turns to nothing: even so and such is the prosperity of the wicked. Wee see that things carried aloft by the wind, the wind no sooner ceaseth, but they fall to the ground: So fares it with them,( who without desert, and by the favour of men) are highly promoted, when favour slacketh, down falls their dignity, in a miserabl● case is he that hath no better assurance, Thou takest me up( saith job) and causest me to ride vpon the wind, 
job. 30  & makest my strength to fail: Such men build their dwellings vpon the wind, as think to preserve their reputation by the endeavours of bad men, and their strength shal fail that is so weakly under propped. 
Prou. 26  As the snow in summer( saith Salomon) & as rain in harvest are not meet: so is honour unseemly for a fool. The Gentiles vainly adored the idol Mercury each of them carrying a ston in honour of their idol: even so they that honor worldly prosperity, steal the honor which is due to God, and bestow it on● a base idol, and the self same may be said of him, who honours a fool, and void of virtue, that he commits a certain kind of idolatry, in robbing the wise man of his honour, and giuing it to a fool, for they are like the idols which david speaks of: They haue a mouth, 
Psal. 115  and speak not, they haue eyes and see not: they haue ears and hear not. &c.  
So then to give honour to the ignorant, promotion to the wicked, and dignity to the vndeseruer: is like him that throws a ston with a sling he knows not whether, and huggeth a fool in his arms in stead of a wise man.  
A ston because it is heavy by nature descendeth downward, but being put into a sling, and holpen with the strength of the arm, it flies up into the air like a bird, and falls where the caster can hardly guess. So happens it with a wicked man and a fool, that cannot mount aloft, or soare of themselves, but by the help of others, and against the course of all reason: thus are such stones and worthless wretches sent up into the air of promotion, whereas rather they ought in equity to lye still on the earth, and to bee trodden under wise mens feet, yet happening( by chance) to a good arm, and favour in Court, or else where, they fly like birds of fairest wing, whereas never a feather is truel● their own, all which is contrary to iustice, or any argument of reason.  
Thus seest thou what this worlds prosperity is, and what benefit ariseth of unlawful attaining thereto: thou therefore being a true christian, canst direct thy course a quiter contrary way, thy Lord and master himself hath instructed thee how, when he saith, If any man will come after me, 
Luk. 23  let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Thy way then to heaven, is not by vain prosperitye, high looks, lofty aspiring, promotion to great offices and dignities, treading on thy neighbours neck, and contemning of the poor: but through persecutions, crosses, settlings, sc●ffing, and all ignominies of this world, which patiently thou must endure and suffer for his sake. If thou purpose to reign with him, seek not to reign here, if thou wilt bee an heir of his kingdom, disdain no embasing or dejection here in this world, so he that sees thy hearts true humility, and thy contented sufferance for his love and honor in thine afflictions will give thee comfort in thy heavy burdens, his own shoulders will support thee, and for thy death of body he will reward thee with life both of body and soul in joys everlasting such as no eye hath seen, no tongue can repeat, or any heart in this world is able to conceive.   

Meditation 17. Of worldly care for food, raiment, and other maintenance in this life.  

Mat, 6,  BE not careful for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your bodies, what ye shall put on( saith our saviour) for your heavenly father knoweth, that ye haue need of all these things. Consider dear Christian brother, that God is not the fath●● of the proud rich, but of the humble poor, and it must needs bee so, according as christ affirmeth, when he saith, rejoice then& be glad, when thou wantest any thing, or when things increase not to thine own desire. Here wee perceive he saith not, that the Father knoweth ye haue need of alabaster houses, jewels& precious stones, triumphal chariots, or such like vain things: but onely that ye haue need of meat, drink and clothing, all which himself taketh care to provide ye, and all which ye must receive in moderate manner, because good men extend their care to nothing else. When wee haue food and raiment( saith Saint ●aule) let us bee therewith contented: 
1 Tim, 6  therefore truly may it be said, that God is the father of them onely, who with necessary maintenance and clothing is truly contented.  
When the householder sent the labourers to work in his betide, 
Math. 20.  he made each of them promise but of a penny for his pains, meaning eternal blessedness, and not any reward of meate, or drink, therefore thus should his liberal offer be understood, nor will he fail therein to them that rightly seek after eternal felicity, not respecting the bellies feeding, or the backs clothing, but only such maintenance as seemeth best in his divine wisdom, whereby he expresseth himself the lord and King over all. Labour then for the inheritance of his blessed kingdom, and all things else beside shall bee given unto thee: for he that is able to give thee blessedness, can provide all other things needful for thee. Trust then in God onely, who will not fail to give thee that which beseemeth a son: and if it happen thee at any time to want for a while, yet slack not thy hope, he will restore that want with ioy and spiritual consolation, so that thou wilt take more pleasure in such a necessity, then if thou hadst all worldly things in greatest abundance.  
Bee not curious nor ouercaref●ll in providing for this life, either by means unlawful, or courses of extremity: because the care and seeking after these temporal occasions, is such a heavy burden and clog to the mind, as they hinder it from flying up to contemplate our eternal good. For God made man to the end he should respect the chiefest good onely, and by respecting it, to love it, and loving it, to seek for enjoying the fruit thereof: which ioy is able to withdraw his carnal conceit, and elevate his hope to the matter he was made for.  
Hereto must be added an other persuasion, that thy life is not tied to any ordinary maintenance, because it is written: Man liveth not by bread onely, 
Math. 4  but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. For if it pleased him, he can sustain thee with any other thing, as in the desert he drew water out of a rock, 
Numb. 20  and made the bitter waters of Marah to be sweet, 
Exod. 15,& 16,  that his people might drink thereof, and maintained them forty yeares with Manna from heaven. Then never be thou so careful, and afflicted for occasions belonging to this world: but principally seek the kingdom of heaven, which will enrich thee with all things thou canst need beside.  
If the people of Israel had thought on nothing else, 
Exod, 16  but eating and drinking,& clothing ●hemselues in the wilderness, they had never gone forth of Egypt, nor entred into the land of promise: If then thou wilt likewise enter into the promised land, disburden thyself of all worldly cares, and cast not so much as one look to any transitory trash. Many of the Hebrewes, 
Numb. 12  after( by Gods great favour) they were delivered out of egypt by being over careful, called for flesh, and cared not for Manna,& thorough this murmuring, they never attained the end of their journey, nor could come to see the fertile land of promise. Our lord compared his disciples to lambs, when he sent them forth to preach commanding them not to bear bag, 
Luk. 10  scrip shoes, or any provision with them: and the reason why he would haue them go in this naked manner, was because they should bee troubled with no affairs of the world, but being free from temporal cogitations, they should bee the apt for their maisters service. Wee know that the lamb takes no care at all, the shepherd onely hath regard of it. God is our careful shepherd, and faith to us as he did to his lambs: When I sent ye without bag, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? 
Luk, 22.  And they answered, Nothing: If God haue such care of thee, why shouldst thou torment thyself with this worlds afflictions? There is no master( how rich or indiscreet soever) but provides for his servants necessary nourishment: thē thou that hast God for thy master, what canst thou want? thou that hast the lord of all to respect thee, how canst thou complain of any need? What said the prophet david? The lord is my shepherd, 
Psal. 23.  I shall not want: follow thou his instruction, bee as confident in thy maker, and say in thy soul, he that made al things will let me lack nothing.  
They that hunt so greedily after these visible things, and make no account of thē that are invisible: seek pleasure in this life, and everlasting pain in that which is to come. To such speaketh God by the Prophet Haggai: Because ye haue forsaken my house, 
Hag: 1  and with great care and diligence run to your own houses: Therefore the heaven over you stayed itself from dew, and the earth stayed her fruit. And it is no more then iustice, that they should lack all things that leave their Lord and Creator, and haue no part in his inheritance, that desire no other but th● joys of this life. Our saviour likeneth the lives of the just to the fowls of the air, in regard of the little rest they haue on the earth, and because their lives are addicted upward, and thereupon, reproving our busy thoughts and worldly cares, he urgeth this example saying: 
Mat, 6,  Behold the fowls of the heaven, for they sow not, neither reap, nor carry into the barns, yet your heavenly father feedeth them.  
Well mayst thou bee ashamed then of thy greedy desires, seeking thine own death for the dyrte of the world, when the fair flowers of paradise offer themselves unto thee. truly it is a strange kind of cruelty, to hazard thy life, and break thy limbs, onely for the vain affection thou bearest to this world, yet thinking thou canst come to heaven with ease, whole, sound, and without any molestation. Indeed, by true honouring the father, that is the nearest way, wherefore in matters of this life, the overmuch care of the son, is a reprehension of the fathers little regard concerning provision of needful occasions: and hence ensues it that the worldly son blames the careless father for neglecting the course of common maintenance: yet he is not so busy in compassing the vain props of his pleasure, but he is as careless of offending his heavenly father, even he that would not haue him so vex and toil himself, because he hath provided all things needful for him.  
The bird neither abides or rests herself on the ground, but while the time of necessity compelles her: the remainder of her life is employed in mounting toward heaven.  
If then thou wilt escape from the perils of this life, thou must make no abiding on the earth, but elevate thy thoughts to heaven, mount upward with thy hourly cogitations, and fly from the worlds entysing allurements, because they do nothing else but seek to deceive thee. 
Gen. 1  When God created the fowls of the air, 
Math. 25.  and the fishes in the sea, he blessed them and called them good: but he gave no blessing to the brute beasts which live on the earth. whosoever therfore will haue part of his blessing, which he will bestow vpon none but the good, must( like the fish) swim speedily through this worlds afflictions, and( as a bide) fly from the vanities thereof with all celerity, that they may escape the perils whereinto a number fall, because they lived but even as brute beasts on the earth, affecting inordinately the trash of the earth, whereto God never gave blessing, but his heavy malediction.  
learn then( dear brother) to live like the bird, soaring aloft toward heaven in prayer and contemplation, committing all thy cares to God only, agreeing with that which the Apostle Peter saith, 
1 Pet, 5  Cast all your care on him, for he careth for you: The holy King was of this mind, when he said: Though I bee poor and needy, 
Psal. 40,  the lord is careful for me. If then the Lord himself be so careful for thee he would not haue thee troubled with worldly cogitations, because all thy busy seeking after these temporal affairs do serve to no other end, but to suffocate the word of God in thy heart, according as our saviour saith in the Gospel: The Gentiles and vnbeleeuers, which deceive themselves, 
Luk. 8,  believing life to bee but fortune, it is no marvel though they be so careful. But thou that belieuest in the divine providence, as becometh a Chrystian, oughtest to bee careful for spiritual goods onely, because thou very well knowest, that in doing but thy duty, God will never let thee lack whatsoever thou needest: for if he mayntains the birds, which he made for the love of man, will he suffer man to want whom he made for his own love?  
Make clean then thy heart, washing all vain solicitude and worldly care out of it, that thou mayest with the more ease lift it up to God: for distraction of the heart cooleth the heat of love, bringing a man into many temptations and snares of the enemy, because nature and sensuality are very mighty,& they go seeking one another in the vanities and delights of this world, whereby the understanding being darkened, the spirit waxeth insensible, and performs all spiritual and godly exercises with little taste or feeling of any pleasure therein.  
Those affairs which busy mens thoughts,( albeit in things lawful) do yet bring with them a distemper and distraction of the mind, which in prayer proveth to be much more hurtful: because they will not suffer the very inferior strength of the soul to endure any quiet supporting of itself. Then well may we say, that worldly cark and care for exterior occasions( how lawful soever) do but blind the sight of memory, and obscure the splendour of the true light indeed: Therefore, if thou wilt give thyself wholly to God, thou must bee disburdened of all worldly solicitude, and abasing thy mind to these servile vanities.  
It is a common rule among men, that when they are grown great in the world by extremity of cares, hoarding up their treasures, and all means else which themselves term provident: then they labour to make themselves famous by feasting great lords, and banqueting their betters, whereby stil their mindes follow this expectation, that those feasts and banquets in that order bestowed, shall win favor to increase a further store, and friends to tread down such as may contend with them. But what saith the wise man? 
Prou. 23  Eat not thou the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire his dainty meats: for such as covet honours or goods by feasts and banquetings, do rightly follow the school doctrine of the Epicures, reposing therein their onely felicity.  
When the angel spake to old Zacharias, concerning his son John Baptist, he said: He shall be great in the sight of God: 
Luke. 1  and presently added thereto: he shall neither drink wine, nor strong drink: Whereby he approveth the greatness of Gods forerunner, in speaking only of his abstinence, not saying he should be a feaster, a banquetter, a bibber or glutton, but( as ye haue heard) and thereby he should become great in the sight of God.  
At great feasts and meetings is God many ways offended, because in the heat of wine, and ouercharging the stomach, the tongue grows too liberal of speech, abusing the name of God with oaths and idle talk, as also defaming our neighbour, by over rash reports and frivolous suggestions. We red in the sacred scripture, that in the feasts of the old Lawe much human blood was  shed. 
Gen. 40,  For Pharaoh at a great feast he made to his servants, suddenlye sent his Baker to bee hanged. Ammon was bidden to a banquet, 
2. Sam. 13  and there slain by his brother Absalon. 
Iud. 13  So did judith beheade Holofernes at a feasting. queen Hester solemnly inuyted king Ahasu●rus to her Table, 
Hest. 7  and theene was Haman sent to the gallows.  
herod at a feasting which he made in galilee, 
mark 6,  commanded John Baptists head to be cut off. ptolemy slay Simon, a great Prince in Israel, 
1, Mac, 16  and his two sons at a banquet. And the children of Israel after they had eaten and drunk their fill, 
Exod, 32, 1 Cor. 10,  committed idolatry to the golden calf: These and such like accidents haue happened at worldly feasts and banquets.  
The children of job used continual banquetings,& their father offered sacrifice daily to God for them saying: It may be that my sons haue sinned, 
job. 1,  and blasphemed God in their harts. Full well he knew, that such celebrations could hardly be without sin, and therefore he laboured to appease Gods displeasure against them, by his hearty humility and daily offerings. Of the rich glutton which fed abundantly, the evangelist Luke writeth, that he was tormen●ed in hell, 
Luk. 16  and particularly ●n his tongue, the nice taster ●f his delicates, and onely ●riend to his belly, that be●ame his plague for despy●ing poor Lazarus. therefore they that live in such ●anner, are never respective ●f the poores miseries, but according as the prophet Amos saith: They drink ●ine in rich bowls, 
Amos. 6,  and an●●oint themselves with the chief ●intmentes, but no man is sorry ●or the aff●●ction of joseph.  
he that is promoted to ●ch an office, as to be Cook ●o a great& mighty prince, makes no little reckoning of his dignity: but if he would remember withall, that he himself must( soon after) be cook to the vile worms of the earth,& that he must prepare his own body for them to banquet on, I think the pride of his former office would quickly be abated.  
Worthily may he bee termed a fool, that will fatten a thief to day, which by the laws sentence must be executed to morrow: full well do wee know, that the sentence of death is laid vpon us all, and wee are ignorant when the writ of execution shall come, whether this day or to morrow, then may not wee as deservedly be termed fools, that by excess of feeding make our bodies gross, run from one feast to another, and hunt after delicates, when the coffin stands ready at the door to carry us away, and our full fed ●aunches must become food for worms and Ser●entes? 
judge. 10  When the Philistines were in their mirth and jollity at a feast, samson pulled down the house where they were, 
1. Sam. 30  and so they dyed altogether. When ●he Amalekites were at their eating, drinking and dancing, for ioy of the boo●ie they had gotten from judah, suddenly came david armed vpon them, ●nd making a great slaugh●er of them, took away their spoils: Such ending hath the feasts& banquets of this world, for when the body is refreshed with the savour of meat, the hart seems to taste some pleasure and contentment, but when hunger again approacheth, all that former felicity is changed to nothing.  
As a soldier overcharged with the weight of his armor, can no way bee apt& ready for war: even so that man whatsoever, whose belly is too much bombasted with variety of victuailes, can hardly endure the combat that sin will assault● him with: whereby we may easily gather, that in yielding to the bellies excess& superfluity, we live not like men, but as brutish beaste● do, Martha was much troubled with providing a feast for our saviour, but he therefore reprehended her, saying: Martha, Martha, 
Luk, 1●,  thou carest and art troubled about many things. As if he meant to haue further added: busy not thyself in preparing much meate, because every small thing to me is sufficient, I haue no need but of one dishonely, and that sufficeth for the necessity of this present life, what is over and above, that is vain& superfluous. Thou shouldst use thy body, as the physician doth his sick pa●ient, who though he wills him to eat, yet he forbids ●im those things that are ●urtfull and dangerous, and ●inisters such food as he ●hould haue, not those vain viands which his appetite would haue: use thou this physic in health, which the other doth in sickness, and thou shalt haue as sound a soul, as he can desire to haue his pacients body.  
Let me ask thee but this question, if a wise& skilful physician should say unto thee: Take heed my friend, drink not the juice of such an herb, because by drinking thereof thou shalt suddenly die, wouldest thou not be very careful of meddling with that herb? Now when the onely wise and true physician both of our bodies and souls forbids us this vain herb of the world, to wit feasting, banqueting, carrowsing and surfeyting, telling us it will bee the death both of body and soul, why are wee not more careful of dealing with such dangers?  
But in our common infirmities, when the body is sick and weakened, yet the soul continueth more strong and valiant, according to the Apostles saying: Although our outward man perish, 
2 Cor. 4  yet the inward man is renewed daily: But when gluttony and excess comes to infect the body and soul, the body is not onely weakened, but death likewise assaileth the soul, because they that are filled with too much meat& wine, haue no power at al of their souls direction. While Adam in paradise observed the rule of abstinence, he continued in an estate both good and holy: 
Gen, 3  but when he transgressed and had eaten of the fruit, he lost all his former joys, and fell into many miseries. Lot by drinking too much wine, 
Gen. 19,  committed incest: which made paul( writing to the Ephes.) to say: Be not drunk with wine, 
Ephes. 5  wherein is excess, but bee fulfilled with the spirit.  
For as much water is the cause of moorish grounds, fens, myres and muddy places, where nothing engendereth but Toads, Frogs, Snakes and such like fowle vermin: even so excess of wine procureth brutish, wicked and beastly desires, many sensual appetites, and other sinful qualities, far worse then these in unreasonable creatures and brute beasts, that neither eat or drink more t●en they need; for when a beast hath drunk so much as sufficeth nature, immediately he returneth, and for that time will meddle no more therewith, because he perceiveth his thirst to bee satisfied: But wretched men, not contented with natures easy satisfaction, will both eat and drink so superfluously, till Gods majesty is offended thereat, their own souls endangered, and themselves brought into worse estate their brutish beasts, that haue no reason to govern themselves. 
Eccles. 19,  Wine and women( saith Salomon) leadeth wise men out of the way,& separates them from God, and hereto the Apostle paul addeth: That drunkards, whooremongers, 
1. Cor. 6  and such like, shal not inherit the kingdom of God.  
Let us not marvel if the Gentiles and vnbeleeuers were infected with these vices, in regard they had no knowledge of the true living God: but wee that are Christians, brought by God himself out of darkness, and lead by the hand( as it were) to light and life, are not wee taught in the sacred Scriptures, to fly from gluttony and beastly excess, because we should not therein imitate the Gentiles?  
drunkenness is a sweet poison, and a pleasant deceiving devil, who having once taught hold on a man, he makes him to haue no feeling of himself,& whatsoever he doth, he is ignorant of, because he feels no action he performeth, so that in brief, he sets not a foot forward, but still it is to sin. Therefore if this greedy appetite bee not bridled at the very first motion, it will led thee to more evil then any of the other vices can do: for let desire of excess haue but his liberty, in vain shalt thou strive against all other sins. By surfeyte( saith the wise man) many haue perished, 
Eccles. 37,  but he that dyeteth himself prolongeth his life.  
Wee read, that a fasting mans spitting, is poison against a serpent: even so abstinence is the bane of all vices whatsoever. For temptation can not kindle an abstinent body,& therefore in the great fiery furnace of babylon, 
Dan, 3,  the three young men were not burned, because they feared God,& were abstinent. Here hence it appears, that fasting and the law of abstinence were commanded by God, and from the devill ensued the prevarication of the lawe: for sin receyues his original from excess, and health of the soul from perfect abstinence. God instituted fasting, when he commanded Adam that he should not eat, 
Gen, 3,  and the devill devised gluttony, when he persuaded him to the contrary: Thus greedy appetite blindeth man in terrestrial Paradise, but abstinence gives him sight, and guides him to heaven.  
Now concerning the great hunger that feasters& belly. Gods shall bee plagued withall, the prophet Esay maketh some mention therof saying: And he shall snatch at the right hand and be hungry, 
Esay, 9  and he shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied, every one shall eat the flesh of his own arm. And he shall suffer such thirst, that when he shall require but one drop of water( as the rich man did of whom saint Luke writeth) it shall not by any means be given unto him. 
Luke. 16,  If then in the fire eternal there shall bee such hunger, such thirst& excessive want of meate, where will the banquetters, feasters and gluttons find their diet satisfied? because they scorned in this life to suffer hunger, thirst, or any lack at all, they shal there( as the prophet david saith: Go to and fro, 
Psal. 59,  and bark like dogs, they shal run here& there for meat and not be satisfied.  
What greater folly or vanity can there be then for a reasonable creature, to oppose himself against so many perils, onely for such a vile and wicked delight? excess of feeding lays some plagues on him in this life, as gouts, dropsies, and infinite other infirmities, eternal hunger and thirst is likewise his inheritance, in the fiery lake from whence is no redemption. Do we red in the scriptures, that God at any time made feasts or banquettes to his seruants, but in poor, sparing and temperate manner? When Eliah fled from Iezabell, 
1. Reg. 10 & being very faint and weary, sate down and slept under a Ginniper three: he was wakened by an angel, and commanded to eat. But what found he there prepared for him? not variety of dishes, or choice of delicates, no dainty fowls or precious wines, but a poor cake bakte on the coals, and a pot of water to quench his thirst. When Elisha invited the prophets children to eat with him he had no other provision, 
2, ●eg. 4  but herbs of the field sodden in an earthen pot, for he was not accustomend to feed on delicats: Neither would God nourish his seruant Daniel, with meat from the kings royal Table, 
Dan. 14,  when he was in the den of lions, but sent his angel to Abbacuk, and so brought him thither with his pot of pottage, which was prepared for the reapers in the field, and Daniel imagined no meate more excellent.  
Trees which are planted or cut in the full of the moon, do but engender worms, loose their own virtue, and perish: the like doth excess of eating or drinking, for when the belly is full, it nothing but increaseth the worms of sine in the soul, consume the whole man, and cutting him off from God, makes him die& whither in wickedness. Our saviour in the gospel compareth such men to trees, that are fit for nothing but the fire: And david in the psalms saith, The just man is like a three planted by the Riuers side, a prospering three and full of fruitfulness. For as the walls of babylon were overthrown by Nabuchadnezzer, even so doth surfeyting by meat or drink destroy all the virtues abiding in the soul. Then well may we term him a fool, that being engirt with enemies, will nevertheless sleep securely, or enuiorned with a furious water, like a man on an untamed horse, and without a bridle, will needs adventure to plunge himself therein: even as vain& senseless let us account him, that will restrain his body within no compass, nor laying hold on the bridle of abstinence, will needs gird forward among a world of dangers. dear Christian brother, leave these worse then brutish courses, abhor these vile meats of egypt, 
Exod, 16 & with a religious purpose of absolute conversion, come and feed on the precious Manna of heaven, which shall replenish thy body with all sufficiency,& beauty thy soul with endless consolation.   

Meditation. 18. How wee ought to despise the world, and all the vanities thereof, if wee purpose to live and reign with Christ eternally.  
doubtless( saith the Apostle paul) I think all things but loss, 
Phil. ●.  for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my lord, for whom I haue accounted all things loss,& do judge them to be but dung, that I might win Christ. All the pleasures and delights in this world, are vile, of no estimation, and to bee received as nothing: seeing the blessed Apostle reputeth them to bee no better then dung, in regard of the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus crucified. Oh wonderful perverseness and blindness in the sons of Adam! Do ye not perceyne that ye forsake God, the fountain of all goodness, the center of your souls, the true rest of your mindes, and the onely blessedness that any hart can desire? What is this world, which ye so entirely love and affect, but a prison to the living, a sepulchre to the dead, a school of vices, a contempt of the virtuous, a torment to all reason which guideth to God, an enemy to good deeds, a belyer of true life, a betrayer of the best, and the onely confounder of all godly actions?  
love not the world then( saith Saint John) neither the things that are in the world. 
1. John 2,  If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world( as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) is not of the father, but of the world. Therefore the world passeth away& the lusts thereof, but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever. Then tell me wretched man, whether is it better for thee to affect these temporal occasions, and so pass away with their time, or to love thy lord Christ Iesus, and live with him for ever? A great error doubtless is it, not to leave al things to enjoy him that is truly all in all whatsoever, and much better do I think it, to forsake the vain allurements of the world, then for us to bee forsaken of them, because he is not worthy of God, that will not despise the world for God. despise then riches, and thou shalt be rich: despise honours, and thou shalt be honoured: despise injuries, and thou shalt haue victory against all thine enemies: despise rest here, and thou shalt haue eternal ioy and quietness: What fool then is he that so esteemeth of the world, which makes no reckoning at all of him? and is careless of God, who takes care for every one? No man( saith our saviour) can serve two maisters, 
Mat, 6,  which being most true, let us thē serve him, that made himself a seruant for our sakes, 
Phil. 2, & for the love of that Lord, let ●s account all things of this world but dung, 
Phil, 3,  in regard of him. They that in the wilderness did eat the bread of Christ Iesus, he appointed to sit down on the ground, 
John 6,  as having no such garments on their backs, which they should more esteem then the baseness of the earth: Now if among those poor people, there happened to be a rich man, that perhaps might think scorn to sit so low, or defile his costly clothing: yet Christ gave him there no better a seat then the poorest, rich or poor, all must sit down on the ground together, even all that will taste the sweet delicates served in at Christs table. There must bee no contending for rooms, 
Luk. 14  who shal sit highest, or who shall sit lowest: but if wee desire to feast with him, and haue continual abiding in his presence, wee must think ourselves worthy of no better place, then sitting down on the humble earth, yea, though he should call thee from the throne royal and seat of dignity, saying, sit down here vpon the base ground, thou must be obedient and do it willingly: For whosoever exalteth himself shal be brought low, 
Luk. 14,  and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  
But the dainty stomacks of the world, imagine his provision not delicate enough, 
Numb. 11.  the quails and cucumbers of Egypt fits their diet, Manna from heaven ●s too course for them: to such nice worldlings let me thus speak, if they come only for belly fare, they are no guests for him, they must leave their curious appetites behind them, and choose Maries place, setting themselves down at his feet to hear his doctrine, so shall both their souls and bodies be truly fed indeed.  
When a mans mind is earnestly busied about some one especial matter, it cannot at the same time perfectly intend to another: even so they that are troubled about worldly occasions, can give no ear or attention to heavenly matters, and hence grows forgetfulness of the life spiritual, as also the neglect and carefulness of our own souls. The proof hereof is daily discerned in too many, who live as if they should for ever abide in this world, and not pass hence to any other, but worthily doth the Prophet david reprehend them, saying, O ye sons of men, 
Psal. 4.  how long will ye turn my glory into shane; loving vanity, and seeking lies? Seeing we must pass hence like the flower of the field: seeing wee must to a place, whence is no returning, seeing our dayes and nights are numbered, our hours fly faster away then the speediest Post, that in four and twenty houres space dispatcheth many miles: why live wee so securely? why are wee not more fearful of falling into the terrible iudges hand, when we remember the Apostles words: 
Heb. 10  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: Why spend we this short and vnsubstantial life, in getting together a little dross, and a manifest deceit of this world, which wee haue no sooner gotten, but are presently taken from it? This world is but a dream, and al the treasures thereof, but bare imaginatitions: 
Psal. 76  The stoutest hearted haue slept their sleep,& all the men of strength haue not found their hands: As it happened to Sis●ra, 
judge. 4  who before he slept drunk of the sweet milk in Iaelles Bottle: but she awaked him after another manner, by nailing his head down fast to the ground. even so do men sup up the sweet milk of this worlds vanities, till they are suddenly overtaken with death eternal, because they cannot awake from the drowsy sleep wherein they are fast nailed down by their own negligent follies. How did Holofernes awake from his drunken sleep? 
Iud. 13  even headless in hell fire, where he found far worse the ruling of his souls head, plagued more with abundance of all his miseries, then the pain he felt by Iudithes stroke, or the peoples fear of Bethulia, when she shewed them his deade terrible countenance, a profitable example for al proud men, that make an idol of their pride and vanity.  
Tel me fond man, in what case wilt thou bee, when thou shalt hear these words said unto thee: fool this night must thou die, 
Luke. 1●,  and in despite of all thy worldly opinions, God shall sunder thee from this flesh, which thou didst love so dearly? What will the proud affecters of the world do, when God shall say unto them: Where are their Gods, 
Deut. 32  their mighty Gods in whom they trusted? Why do they not rise in this needful time, and befriende their worshippers? To ease thee in these extremities, thou shalt do well to consider, what narrow straites thou findest in this world,& what spacious largeness is hoped for in heaven: because al the earth with the universal roundness thereof, is judged but as a point onely, whereof if wee should thus imagine, that if in the starry heaven were contained the whole earth, which God should make to become as clear as any of the other beautified with stars: there could no man make any iudgement thereof, it would appear in his sight so little. If then to compare the earth with the firmament seemeth to bee but as a point onely, how much more less would it appear, comparing it with the imperial heaven? He therefore that delays the time, and makes no hast to despise the vanities of this world, which is nothing else but a den of miseries, a little narrow nook full of Toads and serpentes, in respect of the ample and magnificent palaces in heaven: shall find it to his cost( be he never so great a Lord here, and endowed with the mightiest possessions) that the majesty of the one will confounded the baseness of the other, and because he delighted to s●● imperiously here, he shalbe shut out altogether there.  
If thou didst well consider what is promisde thee in heaven, thou woldst hate& contemn all the worlds possessions. Moyses might haue been King Pharaohs successor, 
Exod, 2  reputed and esteemed the son of his daughter, yet would not, for he despised the titles of honour and dignity, and as the Apostle testifieth of him: 
Heb. 11,  choose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Thus did he abhor honours, the kings favour,& the mighty riches of Egypt, embracing the scorns and reprochinges which Gods people did endure, for which the lord said unto him: behold, 
Exod, 7  I haue made thee Pharaohs God: as Pharaohs standing in fear of him did manifestly witness. If then thou wouldst bee honoured of sinners, feared and reverenced of kings& princes: grow in hatred of this world, make no account at all thereof, choose rather the afflictions of Christ Iesus crucified, and all honours whatsoever shall bee given unto thee.  
God commanded Ezechiel, 
Ezech: ●.  to figure upon a brick the great City of jerusalem, with the strong walls and high towers therof, saying withall: Lay siege against it, build a fort against it, cast a mount against it, set the camp against it, lay engines of war against it round about, and all this but in portraiture vpon a piece of day. The strength and force of this world, with all the power and ability of the greatest and mightiest persons therein, do aptly resemble this figured example, and apparently proveth to their own faces, that the world with whatsoever remaineth in it, is nothing else but an earthen brick, a lump of day and dirte moulded up together: for the brick is made with earth, and defaced with water: even such are the glorious buildings of this world, they last while the earth is dry& solid, but when the water of destruction falleth on them, there is no memory at al of them to be found. Such houses made the children of Israel by Pharaohs commandment, during their time of servitude in Egypt,& such houses make the men of this world, while( l●ke slaves) they live in bondage to the pleasures of this life. 
Exod, 1& 5,   
If a man were apprehended for some great and grievous offence, even such as within an hour after should censure him with death, to bee first hanged, and then quartered alive in pieces: while yet he abideth in the prison, thinking on the peril imminent, and espying a rift or creuie, through which he may get away to save himself, would not every one repute him as a fool, it slowing such an occasion offered, he did not strip himself of doublet, hose, and all his other raiment, the easier to get away from the danger prepared? truly in mine opinion a wise man would make no spare of his flesh& blood, but wring himself through the hole, how straight or narrow so ever it were, if possibly he could get through and save his life. Then listen( O thou man of this world) what our saviour saith unto thee: Enter in at the straight gate, for very narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, 
Mat. 7.  and very few there be that find it. In the prison of this world we stand condemned to death, a worse death then hanging and dismembering in pieces, for it is to eternal death both of body and soul: the writ remaines in Gods hand, and the hour is at his appointment, when wee shall be delivered over to the quenchless fiery furnace: yet behold, there is one little hole in this prison for us to escape out at, the devill and the world would make it seem little, but it is very large, wide and spacious, namely, the bitter death and sufferings of christ Iesus. Off with thy doublet of worldly devices, off with thy hose stuffed with vain policies, yea, off with all thy raiment and hinderaunces whatsoever: let thy flesh and blood remain as a witness on the posts, that thou didst refuse no pain to shield thy soul from perishing, that the world had no power to hold thee from thy master, even he that past before thee, through the straite gate of his passion, and therefore( like a true servant) thou wilt follow through all perils whatsoever.  
But alas, howe many are there that rather desire to preserve their garments sound, then adventure thus for safety of their souls? They covet riches,& more gladly can endure the sentencè of eternal death, then parting with those vanities, to save themselves naked,& live for ever with Christ their redeemer. But holy joseph did not so, 
Gen, 39,  he rather left his garment in the hand of his enamoured mistress, then to offend God by winning her favour: garments, riches, honours, dignities, friends, wife, children, and al things whatsoever should be utterly forsaken and left, for the life eternal of the soul, and reygning with Christ. elevate thy looks thou man of this world, lift up thy eyes from the earth,& fix them vpon Christ Iesus crucified, there shalt thou behold, that he passed from this world to his eternal father, with his most blessed body rent and torn in pieces, his innocent blood streaming forth like the current of a river, and from the head to the foot, not one joint but was most cruelly tortured: yet through this hard and bitter passage, he conquered sin, hell, death and damnation, making his victory immortal and glorious. The Apostles likewise imitated their Lord and master, by opposing themselves to all the worlds tyrannies: so did infinite number of blessed Martyrs and holy confessors, some devoured of lions& other fierce beasts, others burnt, beheaded, and with variable kindes of torments put to death: all because they despised the world, kicked against the vain delights thereof, made no reckoning of vile transitory riches, and held all the pleasures of sin to be abominable: they had learned true abstinence, and were no friends to their bellies, they kept down the pride of the flesh, by leading a poor& austere life, in tears, sighs and sorrowing for the peoples sins, which afterward crwoned them with glory in heaven. Is it possible then for a man of this world, laden with offices, dignities& riches, his body swimming in pleasures, worldly pomps, gay garments& such like, to enter where these poor contemned saints did before them? Why, they were despoiled of all this worlds affectation, royalties, promotions,& al such like were hateful to them, onely their felicity was in Christ Iesus crucified, and with mildred taking up their crosses, learned the better howe to follow him. Is this the true way indeed,& all other but by-paths? Why then my christian brother, despise the vanities wherein thou livest, hate the best adventures this world can afford thee,& make thy passage by the narrow rifture of the rock, like as the serpent doth, although she leave her skin there behind her: even so, vnskinne thyself of all evil behaviour, cast off the heavy clog of riches,& this miserable worlds honours, which if thou dost not of thyself to day, to morrow they will leave thee in despite of thy hart.  
Thou mayest purpose many things, but one is onely necessary, and that is thy return home to thy native country, thou art but a sojourner here, thou stayest but till a stormy blast be ouerblowen: Now shines the sun clearly, now gird up thy loins cheerfully, and bid farewell to the world with al his vanities.   

The Conclusion.  
THus hast thou heard the several purposes of the poor sinful man, whose zeal and devotion may perhaps seem to extend further, then either the curious ears of these times will like and allow of, or their daynty stomachs digest. It is a very hard matter to wrestle with the world, when flesh and blood will presume on greater prerogatives, then the heavenly father hath bestowed vpon them: but if the world trip up his heels, and chance to overthrow him in this cause, in regard it shall find more friends then this poor wrestler may: it is all one to him, the foil endured heer shal reward him the better else where, and there to bee welcomed, he cares not though here he stand utterly despised.  
Vpon this small treatise there dependeth another, as being so necessary( in his conceit) that the one can hardly bee without the other. For after he had thus purposed with himself, and well weaned his soul from affecting this world: he then thought it most expedient to prepare himself in readiness, whensoever it should please his Lord and master to call him. And that other treatise he calleth, His Preparation, wherein he girdeth on all his furniture, and like a Soldier, not easy to be daunted, he stands at defiance with death, hel and destruction. If thou taste any sweetness in this his first labour, and he may perceive it but by the least occasion: Thou shalt enjoy the benefit of the other the sooner, that God may haue the glory of his own work, begun and ended in his fear, purposed for the ioy and comfort in general to all them that desire to bee loosed, and live with Christ Iesus for ever.   
Laus Deo.  
FINIS.