The Amendment of Life

The sixth cause of amendment, derived of these two names, Jesus, Christ. Chap. 6.

THe angel of God being sent unto Joseph when the virgins was conceived, declared unto him that she should bring forth a son, and commanded him to name him Jesus, and for a reason of this name, added, That he should save his people from their sins, according whereto, as also to show that he is our Savior, the angel that declared his nativity to the Shepherds, said unto them: This day is borne the Savior, which is Christ. As therefore it is this Christ that commandeth us to amend, so the consideration of these two names may stand us in great stead to move us to yield unto him all obedience, and so to amend our lives. First, this name Jesus, signifying a Savior, admonisheth us, that by nature we are lost, and that there is no other salvation for us, but in him only, as it is written, that There is no other name under heaven given unto man, whereby we must be saved. This only title therefore of Savior, doth already bind us to acknowledge that we are not our own, but his that hath saved us from everlasting destruction: and that in that consideration we are bound to deny our selves that we may live, not to our selves, neither after our discretion and will, but according to the good pleasure of our Savior, so that not living to our selves, but he living in us, we may amend our lives.

2 But let us moreover consider what manner of destruction this is wherefro he hath saved us: it is from the fire of hell, from the curse and wrath of God, from darkness, from the worm that will ever be gnawing, and from the sorrows that engender eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth: this is a marvelous enforcement of our duty to amend. And indeed, if thou fallest into a deep river, in apparent danger of drowning, if any man should cast thee a rope, or himself leap into the water to save thy life, thou canst not sufficiently confess and acknowledge thyself his debtor, to do him pleasure and service all the days of thy life. But we were not only in danger of falling into hell, but were already fallen, even from our infancy, and daily through our sins fell deeper and deeper: yet Christ cast us not in a rope to pull us up and save us, but threw himself into our sea of woe, into our hell, to be short, into horrible death, wherein we were drowned, to pluck us forth: with what affection then ought we to say unto him: Lord we are more then bound to love, honor, serve, please and obey thee in all that we may with our whole hearts, all the days of our life? Jonah being in the bottom of the sea in the Whales belly, protested that being delivered, he would sacrifice to the Lord a Song of thanksgiving, that he would pay unto him his vows, namely besides his praises, that he would no more disobey God, but readyly and willingly would obey him, as in effect he well shown, when being again commanded to go to Nineveh, he went boldly, and spake freelye in the name of God. Now if we could feel according as we ought, that our sins do daily cast us, into the bottom not of the sea, but of hell: and that by them not a fish, but the devil doth swallow us up: what protestations would we make to Jesus Christ, to hold our lives and salvations of him in case he would vouchsafe to pluck us out of this pit and gulf of death? how fervently would we vow to praise him, and to renounce all rebellion and disobedience, and to amend our lives? Being therefore by such a Savior drawn out of such a gulf of death, are we not bound to perform such vows and by amendment of life to correct our passed disobedience with Jonah, and to become ready and willing to do whatsoever he shall command us? If thou beest upon a scaffold ready to be beheaded for thy drunkenness or adulterye, and thereupon hast a pardon and thy life saved, upon condition, thou fallest no more thereinto: how heartily wilt thou promise, with thy hand subscribe, and with thy tung swear, that thou wilt never more commit adultery or drunkenness: that thou wilt abhor all tauerns, and drunkards, all whores and bauds, and to be short, amend thy life? Now Jesus Christ hath saved thee, not from an apparent danger of death, but even from death itself: and not from the death of body, but from everlasting death. And what doth he require of thee? he commandeth thee to amend thy life: art thou not bound so to do? shuldst thou not feel thy heart even open to promise and swear to amend, and to shun all occasions that might procure thee to displease and offend him?

3. How often doth the Lord represent to his people of Israel their delivery out of Egypt, thereby to make them to understand how much they are bound to love him and to keep his commandments? as a preface at the publishing of his law he maketh this protestation: I am the Lord thy God, that hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And in another place, I am the Lord thy God, that hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, keep my statutes and my laws, and do them. Again, Profane not the name of my holiness, for I will be sanstified among the children of Israel, I am the Lord that do sanctify you, and that have brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. Moreover, he commandeth all parents to show their children of this bond wherein they stand bound to obey his commandments, saying: When thy son shall hereafter ask thee, saying: What mean these testimonies, and ordinances and laws, which the Lord our God hath commanded you, thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: And the Lord shown signs and wonders, great and evil upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household before our eyes: And brought us out from thence, to bring us in, and to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. Therefore the Lord hath commanded us to do all these ordinances, and to fear the Lord our God, that it may go ever well with us, and that he may preserve us alive, as at this present. And whereas their children in the days of Micah did not walk according to this bond to obey God's commandments he sharply reproveth their ingratitude saying: My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I grieved thee? Answer me: for I have caused thee to return out of the lande of Egypt, &c.

And this doth he allege, to show that he had just cause as the prophet declareth, to take the mountains and the foundations of the earth to witness and judge of his just complaint and accusation against the ingratitude and disobedience of his people.

4 If the delivery from the bondage of Egypt were justly objected to the people of Israel to remember them of their duty, to love God and to walk in his holy ordinances: how much rather ought this name Jesus, by aduertizing us of our deliuerye from the bondage and cursed tyranny of the devil, and out of the furnace of everlasting fire, make us bond and affectionate to the love of Jesus, and loving him with our whole harts, to amend our lives according to his commandment? Zacharias the Father of S. John the Baptist, saith in his song, that this was the oath that he sware to their father Abraham, that he would give to his people: That being delivered out of the hands of their enemies, they should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of their lives. Here doth he speak of the delivery which Jesus hath purchased for us, in saving us from the power of the devil, of hell, and of all our other enemies. What an ingratitude were it then in us, that the remembrance of this name Savior, putting us in mind of this happy deliverance from the power of the devil, and other our enemies, should not so kindle our harts, as wholly to dedicate them to his service, and to think our selves blessed, if we could please and obey him in amending our lives.

5 But this obligation will the more plainly appear, if we consider the reason of this name added by the Angel, saying: For he shall save his people from their sins. Firste, he showeth that sin is the way to destruction and death everlasting, as the Apostle Saint Paul saith: The reward of sin is death: Now in as much as God is righteous, it was expedient for our salvation, that this Savior, the righteous, should by dying for us satisfy for our sins: and as there is in us besides the sins that daily we have and do commit, the old man, that is to say, the vice and corruption, the fountain of the same: so this Jesus crucified with him this old man and corruption, which Saint Paul so often termeth sin, and the body of sin, to the ende to mortify him in us, and so to deliver us from him, that through our transgressions we should no more fall into the pit of hell. S. Paul writing to the Romans, doth at large represent unto us these two benefits of Jesus: the first tending to justify us in the sight of God: the other to testify our justification to the glory of Jesus. And therefore the same Apostle maketh, as it were, an inseparable conjunction of those two benefits, saying, Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

6 The consideration of the first benefit, That he hath satisfied for our sins, should most lively kindle our hearts to love him fervently, and so in following his commandment, to amend our lives. If I should owe a man some notable sum of monie, and not having wherewith to pay, he in compassion should acquit me: the greater the debt were, the greater cause should I have, & the more should I be bound to love and please him, as Jesus Christ himself said unto Simon. But who is able to comprehend the greatness of the debt of our sins, which this Savior hath paid for us, that they might not be imputed unto us, but be quite discharged and blotted out? How great therefore should our love be towards him. as also our care and fervent affection to obey him, when he commandeth us to amend? or how much ought we to abhor the displeasing of him, whereby we again bind our selves to everlasting death?

7 As concerning the other benefit: Inasmuch as he hath with himself crucified our old man, and so put to death our vice and corruption. What a madness were it in us to revive, nourish, and maintain these our Saviors enemies, and mortal poisons of our souls, even the soldiers of that infernal Pharaoh, which labor again to plunge us in the furnace of eternal fire. If we see a mad dog, every man laboreth to kill him, and therefore what should we think of him that should seek to preserve him, or after he were dead, to revive him again, if he might? Woulde not men think him to be an enemy to mankind? yea, even worthy to be rooted out? and is not this sin and corruption in man, even as bad as a mad dog? Are not the bitings thereof deadly? This mad dog hath Jesus Christ slain, in crucifying him with himself, that so he might die in us. Are not we therefore very miserable wretches, that will hearken to the world and the flesh, and so revive, nourish, and maintain sin in us, as delighting in the damnable bitings thereof, which breed unto us everlasting death? Our old man (saith Saint Paul) was crucified with Jesus Christ, to the end the body of sin might be extinguished, that we might no more serve unto sin. Again, Being delivered from sin, ye are made the servants of righteousness. What else have we therefore to do, but still to have this name Jesus, whereby we be advertised that he hath saved us from our sins, and consequently, from eternal death, before the eyes of our understanding, that we remembering that he hath withdrawn us out of hell, from eternal fire, darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth, may in heart be fervently inflamed in his love? And that the remembrance that he hath paid so many deadly debts, to discharge us, may more and more enforce his love? Finally, let the representation of the death of our old man, crucified with this Savior, make us so to abhor sin and corruption, that we suffer it not to live in us to our own death. Thus shall the name Jesus beget in us a fervent desire to love him, to please him, and to obey his commandment, wherein he willeth us to amend our lives.

8 Now let us come to the title Christ. This name in Greek, as also the name Messias in Hebrew, doeth signify as much as if we should say Anointed. And by this annointing is meant, the fullness of the holy Ghost which he hath received, as Saint Luke noteth, and himself doth acknowledge, where he applieth to himself this saying of Isaiah, The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for he hath anointed me. He was fulfilled, to the end we might be partakers of his fullness, as Saint John saith, who also speaketh of the holy Ghost, saying: The annointing that you have received from him, abideth in you, and you need not to be taught, but as the same annointing teacheth you all things, and it is true, and is not lying, and as it taught you, ye shall abide in him. Saint Paul calling us the temples of God, addeth this reason, that the holy Ghost dwelleth in us. This name Christian, derived from Christ, and proper to his disciples, confirmeth the same: For likewise, as the same Apostle saith, They that have not the spirit of Christ are not his. But as there is no true or natural fire but yieldeth heat or light, so the holy Ghost cannot be in us without the feeling and showing forth of effects beseeming his holiness. And therefore this: name Christ advertising us that we are partakers of the annointing of his holy spirit, should be unto us a mighty and lively argument to amend our lives. And this shall we the better understand, by considering the names attributed to this spirit, to represent unto us the effects of the same. First, he is called Holy, because that of himself and in him self being holy, even in all perfection, it is he that sanctifieth us by separating us from the common degree of other the children of Adam, to the end we may be dedicated and consecrated to God? Whereupon Saint Peter saith, that we are elect through the providence of God in the sanctification of the spirit, to obey and be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. And that as being made the children of God through faith, we must be wholly renewed, Saint Paul teacheth us, that this cometh of the holy Ghost. He, saith he, that hath raised Jesus Christ from the dead, shall quicken your mortal bodies with his spirit dwelling in you. In this sense is he named the second Adam, that proceeded from heaven in a quickening spirit. For the Apostle compareth the spiritual life that Christ by his spirit imparteth to the believers, with the sensual life that men receive from the first Adam. And therefore we do in vain boast of Christianity and the spirit of Christ, so long as we are not so renewed, as to have nothing in common with the unbelievers that dwell under the tyranny of the unclean spirit, which infecteth with all corruptions & defilings, all those that have not the spirit of Christ.

9 Particularly he is named the earnest penny of our inheritance. As when a man doth purchase an inheritance, he first giveth earnest, that is, some part of the monie promised, that serveth as a beginning to the payment of the total sum: so God having redeemed us by the blood of Jesus Christ, giveth the earnest penny of his holy spirit, that is to say, a beginning of knowledge of the true God, of sanctification, of love to God, of righteousness, and of peace & joy in the holy spirit, attending until he finish in us the communication of that light, joy, holiness, and glory, that we shall have perfectly in heaven. Whereby it appeareth, that we wrongfully boast our selves to be Christians, anointed with the spirit of Christ, so long as we be not endued at the least with some beginning of this heavenly light, sanctification, love of God, spiritual peace and joy, which are the earnest of the spirit: & do not indeuor daily to increse in these spiritual gifts and graces. He is also called Water: for of the holy Ghost doth Isaiah speak, saying: Come unto the waters all ye that thirst. Again, I will pour my spirit upon the thirsty, and my rivers upon the dry. Then to expound the same, he saith, I will pour forth my spirit upon thy seed. Heereby doth he show us, that as rain with the moisture thereof fatteth the earth to make it fruitful, so doth the holy spirit with his invisible grace make us fruitful, to produce the fruits of righteousness, as Jesus Christ also declareth, saying: He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flowe rivers of the water of life. This, saith S. John, he spake of the spirit that all they should receive that believed in him. As therefore if herbs watered do still continue dry, we justly say they are dead, so can we not aduow our selves to be Christians, watered with the spirit of Christ so long as in stead of bearing fruit, by amendment of life, and giving our selves to good works, we continue dry and withered.

10 Sometimes he is also called Water, to signify his power to purge and cleanse our filth and corruption, as Ezekiel saith: I will pour upon you clean waters and ye shall be cleansed, I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from your God's of dung. And will give unto you a new heart, and will put into you a new spirit, and I will take your stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit into you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my ordinances, and you shall do them. But if we in lieu of amending our lives, do abide in our filthiness and corruption, with stony hearts, and keep not the ordinances of the Lord, it is in vain for us to entitle our selves Christians, watered with the holy waters of his spirit. And because that by watering us with the liquors of his graces, he maketh us strong and cheerful in the service of God, of the effect hereof is the name of oil and ointment given unto him. How then can we say, that we are anointed with the spirit of Christ, so long as we do not amend our slackness in the service of God, growing forward in strength and disposition to employ our selves cheerfully therein.

11 To conclude, he is called Fire, for two considerations: First because it is he that refineth, burneth, and consumeth our vicious lusts, which are as the superfluities and excrementes of our souls: and on the other side, it is he that kindleth our hearts in the love of God, and fervent desire to serve and honor him. But if we perceive no effects of this fire of the holy Ghost in us • ourning & consuming our vice and corruption, that by amending our lives, we may grow in pureness and holiness: With what conscience can we say, that the spirit of Christ is in us? As this spirit cannot be dead, neither can it bring forth vicious or corrupt fruit. Likewise if we increase not in zeal and love to God, this want of the operation of the holy Ghost, is an assured testimony of that he is not in us, because we feel not his fire heating us in the love of God. Finally, the holy Ghost is called the finger and hand of God, because that by him he exerciseth his virtue, and that by his inspiration we are regenerate into heavenly life, that we may no more be driven or lead by our selves, but be governed by his motion and operation. If therefore we deny not our own wisdom, and the affections of our flesh, and so suffer our selves to be guided and lead by the hand of the holy spirit, we do wrongfully challenge the name of Christians, and boast of the spirit of Christ dwelling in us. Thus this name Christ, advertising us that he hath received the holy spirit, to make us partakers thereof, according to the measure to everyone ordained, ought to be unto us a mighty inducement and sharp spurr, to move us to amendment of life.

12 This unction of the holy spirit did our Lord Jesus Christ receive, to the end to exercise three offices requisite to our salvation: namely, to be our king, our Priest, and our Prophet. And this also to represent unto us, how deeply this name Christ bindeth us to amend our lives. First for the office of king: If his kingdom be not of this world, as himself confessed before Pilate, but spiritual, we are to correct our false imaginations that lead us to seek the world in his kingdom, as looking that he should give to his servants great riches, honorable offices, and other carnal commodities. For it is the part of the princes of this world, to present earthly kingdoms to those that reverence them: but as for our king Jesus Christ, he willeth us to seek all the felicity that he promiseth in heaven. And therefore when we are persecuted, or otherwise afflicted, we must correct this false opinion, of thinking our selves miserable, or that our king hath no care of us: For contrariwise, afflictions should make us to lift up our hearts to heaven, the dwelling of our king, where he hath laid up the treasures, joys, and glory of his kingdom. Secondly, since he is our king, that he may reign in us, we are warned to forsake the world, sin, and the devil his enemies, so that he only reigning in us, mortifying sin, may make us to deny the world, and strengthen us against Satan. Let not sin, saith Saint Paul, reign in you, to obey the lusts thereof. And Jesus Christ saith; Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. And the Apostle promiseth us that God will tread down Satan under our feet. Thus this king having delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, bindeth us, as Zechariah saith, Without fear to serve him in righteousness and holiness all the days of our life: and so to amend. Let us also remember that the scepter of a good pastor is delivered unto him blessedly to guide his sheep that shall hear his voice, and by amendment follow him. As also he hath an iron rod to bruise as a potters vessel, all such as shall rebel against him. Let us therefore amend, and renounce everything whereat this king may be displeased, that we may be happily governed by the sheepehooke of our good shepherd, and not bruised with the iron rod of this just king, that breaketh those that without amendment of life do continue in unbelief, and obstinate in their sin. The kingdom of Satan, from which Christ hath redeemed us, doth consist in darkness, infidelity, and bad conscience, and all vice, silthynesse, and corruption. Contrariwise, the kingdom of Jesus Christ consisteth in light, in knowledge of the true God and his son Jesus Christ, in faith, love, holiness, patience, and other like virtues. These are the true effects of the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ. We must therefore effectually show that we are transported from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. But how? By amending our lives, and growing more and more in faith, love, patience, and holiness: to be short, in all good works and virtues required in the subjects of this spiritual king, Jesus Christ.

13 The second office of Christ, is to be our high Priest, who offered himself a sacrifice unto God, that by his death he might satisfy his justice, and so reconcile us to him. Who is there then among us, that representing to himself, that it is the well-beloved son of God, and the prince of glory, that giveth himself, not to a common death, but even to the shameful and cursed death of the cross, together with the apprehension and feeling of the wrath and terrible indignation of God, ingendering in his body horrible terror and mortal anguish in his soul: And all this for his enemies, by nature the children of wrath, poor sinners, and the bond men of Satan: What man is there, I say, that meditating upon these things, shall not be even ravished in admiration of his incomprehensible love towards us? which love Saint Paul doeth at large and very often make mention of. Is it possible that this name Christ, representing unto us this priest, thus offering himself in such a sacrifice for us poor and abhominable sinners, and consequently the apprehension of his incomprehensible love towards us, should not ravish and force our very souls to love him with all our hearts, our minds, and our strength, and through fervent love to obey his commandment of amendment, and to abhor to think, say, or do anything that may displease this Christ, our high Priest? If any man (saith the Apostle Saint Paul) love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be had in execration, yea, maranatha, or excommunicate to death. That is to say, let him be cut off from the Church, as the reprobate shall be at the coming of Christ, whereof they are warned in this word Maran-atha, which signifieth, The Lord cometh. Yet is there more. This Priest dying for us, hath killed sin and corruption in his own body, as is before declared: And to the end that sin might die in us, and that we might practice this saying of the holy Apostle Saint Peter, Inasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, that is to say, in his humanity, let us arm our selves with the same mind, which is, that we having suffered and being dead with him, as concerning the corruption of the flesh, should desist from sin, to the ende, that hence forward we should live (as much time as remaineth in the flesh) not after the lusts of men, but after the will of God. And this is the amendment that Jesus doeth command. Saint John saith, that Christ hath made us kings and Priests unto God: This is another reason to move us the more seruently to amende, in respect as well of the one office as of the other. First, seeing we are raised to this honor to be kings, shall we be so miserable and senseless, as to make our selves the vile and wretched bond men of Satan, and the servants of sin and the world. If a king redeeming a poor bond man, whom his master diversely tormented, should besides so far favor and honor him, as to adopt him for his child, Were it not a frantic or senseless parte in him to forsake such honor and preferment, and to return to live under the tyranny and thralldom of his old master? Yet this do they, who being delivered from the tyranny and cruelty of Satan, and made kings in Jesus Christ, do give themselves to the lusts and pleasures of the flesh, and the allurementes of the world, thereby returning themselves into the wretched bondage of the devil, to abide eternally under his tyrannous dominion. Let therefore this title King, advertise and admonish us so to amende our lives, that forsaking and utterly renouncing the dominion and tyranny of Satan, and the corruptions of the flesh, we may effectually show our selves to be spiritual Kings, and that the kingdom of Jesus Christ is in us. Moreover, in as much as we are also made Priests, let us remember, that if we will amende our lives, we must with the kingly Prophet David offer contrite and broken hearts, pulled down and humbled with the feeling of our sins, with condition that we will hereafter beware and take heed of the same. Let us also call to mind, that we must offer our bodies a lively, holy, and acceptable sacrifice unto God, which is our reasonable service, and not to form our selves after this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, to the ende we may prove what is the good, perfect, and acceptable will of God. Neither let us forget always to offer unto God thorough Jesus Christ the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, which is the fruit of our lips, confessing and acknowledging his name. To conclude, let us remember his benefits and communication with us, for God is delighted with such sacrifices.

Behold therefore howe this honor which we receive of Jesus Christ, even to be kings and priests to our God, may be a mighty inducement unto us to amend our lives.

14 There doth yet remain the office of a Prophet, which also doth admonish us to amend, because he hath revealed unto us all that he hath known of his father, and declared as well what we must do in obeying him, as what we are to believe to our salvation. And this is an incomprehensible benefit, as we may euydently consider by the miserable and wretched estate of those to whom the word of God comprised in the Law and the Gospel, is not preached. And this doth Saint Paul in few words represent unto us, saying: They are not in Christ, neither have any portion in the commonwealth of Israel, but are strangers to the covenant of the promise, without hope, and are without God in the world. And in deed, if God's word be, as David calleth it, a light to our steps, those men to whom the word is not directed, are poor and blind, & cannot choose in all their words and deeds but stumble and fall. All that they do is sin, because they do it without faith, whereof the word is the foundation. Much less also have they any knowledge of the remission and satisfaction of their sins in the blood of Christ: and therefore all their sins do remain and shall be imputed unto them to be in the day of judgment most horribly and eternally punished. If they then that never heard this prophet shall be justly punished in eternal fire, what judgment and vengeance are they to expect for their ingratitude and rebellion, that hear this Prophet, and by him, either by reading or hearing his word, do understand the will of God, and yet do make no care of amendment of life by obeying the will of God unto them revealed, and by them known? The servant, saith Jesus Christ, that hath known his masters will, and hath not done it, shall be punished much more grievously than he that never knew it. And surely the sins committed by those that know the will of God, are not only transgression against the law, but also contempt & misprision against the majesty of God. And in that regard doth Jesus Christ denounce against many towns wherein the Gospel was preached, a more horrible and terrible judgment, than against Sodom, Gomorrhah and other towns that heard the word of the Lord. Seeing therefore that this word, to us addressed by this prophet Jesus Christ, doeth tend to illuminate and to exhort us to amendment of life. Let this office and name of Prophet, attributed to Jesus Christ, make us to remember our bond and duty, whereby we are bound to amend, and to yield obedience unto all that our Prophet Christ doth teach, ordain, and command, as being assured that as they that will not hear this Prophet to obey him, shall be rooted out: so contrariwise, they that shall hear and obey him, shall by the path of good works, proceeding of faith, apprehending the justice of Christ, attain to the fruition of life everlasting. In this sort must these two names and titles, Jesus and Christ, serve to make us to feel our bond and duty, and to inflame our affections to amend all the days of our life.

The seventh cause of Amendement gathered of the signification of this word Amend. Chap. 7.

IN the first Chapter of the first book, we have declared that the holy Ghost commanding us to amend, doeth ordinarily use two words, whereof the one doth signify, Be ye better advised, or learn to know your ignorance or fault, and the other as much as if we should say, Return and convert. By the first the holy Ghost teacheth, that it is a great folly to offend God, considering that God exhorting us to amend, commandeth us to be wise and advised. And the other confirmeth it to be in truth a great folly: For when God saith, Conuert & return to me, namely, by amendment: he giveth us to understand, that by transgressing his law, we go to the devil, & by amending we turn back and go from the devil to the living God. And in deed, if any man list to demand what way the idolaters, fornicators, whoremongers, dronkardes, covetous persons, dreamers, blasphemers: and to be short, all they that give themselves to the world, and to the lusts of the flesh, do take: the answer is certain and ready, even they that take the way that leadeth to hell, that forsaking life they go to death, and running from God, they draw near to the devil. Saint Paul making a catalogue of these people, doth resolutely pronounce, that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God: also, that the reward of sin is death: and cursed is he that keepeth not the commandments of the law. And because there are few that take care to obey God, & to amend their lives, our Lord Jesus Christ pronounceth, that broad is the gate and path that leadeth to destruction. As therefore if a man departing from Paris, taketh his way into Spain, and yet giveth out that he will take his way through Flanders or Holand, every man will scorn him as a fool, or take pity of him as if he were a senseless person, that goeth far amiss: even so is it with him, who taking no course to amend, but continuing in offending of God, doth nevertheless say & uphold that he will go to heaven: for every man may judge him to be senseless and greatly out of the way, because he taketh the contrary course which leadeth to hell.

2 Now if there be no greater madness or pernicious folly, than by offending God, to take the way to hell and everlasting fire, Jesus Christ in commanding us to amend, doth justly say: Be ye wise & better advised, and convert & return to me. And in deed if God should ask the sinner, Wilt thou amend? Wilt thou go to hell fire, into weeping and gnashing of teeth with the devils? There is no man so desperate but that he will answer, No Lord, God forbid: yet hath not God good cause to reply? Why? thou takest the way thither, thy works do lead to hell and everlasting destruction, and therefore amend: But how Lord? be better advised: As now thou turnest thy back to me, and thy face to the devil: so turn & convert thou to me. Where thou goest from heaven, and drawest near unto hell, turn back, leave the world, the flesh, and all the corruptions of the same, & walking in my commandments amend thy life. Thus turning thy back to the devil, & thy face unto me, going from hell, thou shalt come to me the fountain of life everlasting. And in deed saith S. Augustine, we draw near unto God, who is everywhere, not by removing from place to place, but by alteration of manners. For as dissimilitude separateth us frō him, so doth resemblance and imitation conjoin us with him. And what a woe is this, saith he, by displeasing God to abandon this sovereign felicity which is in all places? Let this commandment therefore Amend, that is to say, Be ye better advised, and convert unto me, waken and inflame our hearts to amend our lives, and to be wise and advised to convert unto God. If a marchaunt seemeth willing to trust another that is ready to be banquerout with all his goods, one warning will be enough to reclaim him, ye shall not need to pray him to beware, or to allege many reasons to withhold him. The only fear & apprehension of the loss of all his goods will be reason and exhortation sufficient. What shall we then do, when Jesus Christ saith, Be ye better advised, that is, Amend: and note that by offending God, & so taking the way to hell, we endanger our selves, yea, we do even assure our selves to loose both bodies and souls forever? Is it not mere madness and vngrateful rage, to continue and not to be wiser and better advised, that we may convert to God, and by amendment preserve our bodies and souls unto life everlasting?

The eight cause of Amendement, taken of the reason added by Jesus Christ, where he saith, For the kingdom of heaven or of God is at hand. Chap. 8.

NOw let us especially consider the reason added by Jesus Christ, For the kingdom of heaven, or of God, is at hand. And for the better understanding thereof, let us note three significations of the kingdom of heaven. First, by this kingdom is signified the blessed estate and incomprehensible felicity that we shall inioye after the resurrection, is when Jesus Christ saith, Many shall come from the East and from the West, and shall sit at the table in the kingdom of heaven, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Agayne; Not everyone that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Again, Suffer little children to come unto me, for unto such belongeth the kingdom of heaven. And so in many other passages. Secondly, by the kingdom of heaven is signified the estate of the regenerate man, which consisteth in the true knowledge of God, in faith, in mortification of the old man, and in newness of life. As when Jesus Christ saith, The kingdom of God is in you. Also in this saying of Saint Paul, The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. Thirdly, the kingdom of heaven many times signifieth the ministry and preaching of the Gospel: As when Saint Paul speaking of certain faithful servants of Jesus Christ, said: These only are my companions in the work of the kingdom of God. Again, as where Jesus Christ saith, He that is best in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. Whereto we also refeere this saying of Jesus Christ, The kingdom of heaven is like unto seed that fell in diverse grounds. Thereby signifying, that the holy ministry bringeth not fruit in all men. Likewise, where he compareth the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in the earth, and to a merchant that sought for good pearls, thereby to show how highly we are to esteem of the holy ministry.

2 All these significations of the kingdom of heaven, ought mightily to move us to amendment. First, when by the kingdom of heaven is signified the blessed estate and incomprehensible felycitie that we shall enjoy in heaven: therein are we taught that our estate is far different from the estate of brute beasts, who by their death are reduced to naught: For as for men, when they die, all is not death with them, but they that believing in Jesus Christ have amended, their lives shall depart into a life replenished with all glory, joy, and incomprehensible & eternal felicity, here signified by the kingdom of heaven: as contrariwise, they that remain hardened in their evil doings, shall forever be tormented with the fire of God's wrath. Many, saith Daniel, that sleep in the dust, shall awake, some to life eternal, and others to eternal reproach and infamy. This sentence doth Jesus Christ confirm, saying. The hour shall come that all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the son of man, and shall come forth, even they that have done good, to the resurrection of life, & they that have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. And to this end shall Jesus Christ come to judge the world, that the childrē of God that have amended their lives, may be exalted into the fruition of the kingdom of heaven, & contrariwise, the disobedient swallowed up with the devil & his Angels in hell. That we may the better feel the efficacy of this reason, For the kingdom of heaven is at hand, we are undoubtedly to believe, (& it is in deed an article of our faith) that Jesus Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in this respect S. Paul writing to Timothy, saith: I summon thee before God, & before the Lord Jesus Christ, who in his appearance and kingdom shall judge the quick & the dead. As also the same Apostle in another place saith, God hath ordained a day when he shall judge all the world in righteousness. This was an old resolute point of the Jews religion, as it appeareth by these sentences of Jesus Christ. The men of Nineveh shall rise in the day of judgment to condemn this generation, Again, If it shall be more easy for Sodom in the day of judgment than for those towns that would not receive the Gospel. These threatenings would have been of small weight with the Jews, had they not been persuaded that there was a day of judgment, wherein the children of God should be received in to the kingdom of heaven, and the unbelievers and obdurate in wickedness cast into everlasting death.

3 To the end the rather to confirm us in the expectation of this day of judgment so much to be desired, and so blessed for those that do amend their lives, but so terrible to the rebellious & obstinate. S. Matthew representeth unto us the form thereof, saying: Whē the son of man shall come in his glory, & all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and he shall separate the sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand & the goats on his left, & to thē on his right hand he shall say, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. And to them on the left hand he shall say, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his Angels, and they shall go into everlasting pains, and the righteous into everlasting life. Let us therefore be fully resolved, that the day will come that such as have amended their lives, increasing in faith, working in love, and fructifying in good works, shall be gathered into the fruition of the kingdom of heaven, and the others into everlasting fire. And in deed, since it is so, saith Saint Augustine, that all things before prophesied in the holy Scriptures, have come to pass and been fulfilled in their season, as the flood, the bondage of the seed of Abraham in Egypt, and their delivery, the captivity of Babylon, and the return from the same, the coming of Christ in the flesh, and all that concerned his passion, his resurrection, and ascension into heaven, his promise to send the holy Ghost to the Apostles, the calling of the Gentiles, & other like matters: what reason have we to doubt of this day of judgment, which hath been foreshowed in so many passages of the holy Scripture?

4 Neither can we any way doubt thereof, if we have any reason or understanding. For if we believe that there is a God (which all nations in the world do confess) we must also believe that he is righteous: if he be righteous, he will reward the righteous that amend their lives, & punish the disobedient that are given to wickedness. But this reward or punishment is not performed in this life but in part, and that very seldom, as both the Prophet manifestly declareth in the 71. psalm, and experience doth daily teach. It followeth therefore that after this life there is another, wherein the righteous have their reward, even the fruition of the kingdom of heaven, and the disobedient shall be punished with everlasting torments. This discourse doth S. Paul confirm in express words: for he seeing the persecutions of the faithful, and their grievous afflictions, least they should be shaken with some opinion that there were no providence or justice in God, he upholdeth, & to the contrary doth show, that the persecutions & afflictions that they suffered, were a manifest demonstration of the just judgment of God, To the end, saith he, that ye may be accounted worthy the kingdom of God, for the which ye do also suffer. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you that are troubled, rest with us. But when shall that be? Even when the Lord Jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels, In flaming fire, rendering vengeance to thē that do not know God, & which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, which shall be punished with everlasting perdition, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, & to be made marvelous in all them that believe. If then it be a righteous thing with him to recompense tribulation, as is aforesaid, to those that trouble us, even us I say, that are pore upon earth, how much more righteous will it be with him, most horribly & eternally to punish those that have persecuted even the person of Jesus Christ, the well-beloved son of God? In this sense is this day called the day of the restoration of all things, because the disorder and confusion that seemeth now to be in the government of the world, shall be then reformed, and the goodness, wisdom, and wonderful justice of God be revealed.

5 True it is, as Saint Peter saith, that in the later times there shall come scorners, that shall walk after their own lusts, & say, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation. And in deed, we now see but too many that are not touched with the apprehension either of the kingdom of heaven, or of the torments of hell, but are possessed with profane and devilish spirits, that take all to be but fables that is spoken as well of the kingdom of heaven, promised to the faithful, as of the torments of hell prepared for the wicked. And this is a pernicious policy of Satan, wherewith he discourageth the faithful from walking in the fear of God, from amending their lives, from cleansing their harts, and as the Prophet saith, from washing their hands in innocence. But to the contrary hereof, let us stand steadfast, and be well assured, that there is a kingdom of heaven prepared for the children of God, and a hell for the disobedient, and therefore let us labor to grow in faith, to fructisie in good works, and so to amend our lives, as knowing that as S. Paul saith, our labor shall not be in vain in the sight of the Lord.

6 This is the foundation whereupon the Apostle layeth hold to persuade men to repentance and amendment of life. God, saith he, nothing regarding this time of ignorance, now admonisheth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness. But how in righteousness? Every man shall, as else where it is said, receive the things that are done in his body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil, and God will render to every man according to his works. That is, to them which by continuance in well doing seek glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and disobey the truth, and obey unrighteousness, shall be indignation and wrath.

7 Albet we see not this kingdom of heaven, yet let us remember that the goods & salvation of God's children consisteth in faith and hope, and that as well the one as the other doth appertain to things to come, which we see not, so that not to believe or hope for more than we see, is to be short, the abolishment of faith and hope, and so consequently, the subuerting of the assured foundation of our salvation. Let therefore this faith the mother of hope, and hope her mothers nurse, cause us patiently to attend the fruition of this kingdom of heaven, and our assured attendance for the same make us to amend our lives, that we may clothe our selves in garments beseeming those that purpose to come unto the marriage, and to have a seat at the banquet of the lamb Jesus Christ. The grace of God, saith S. Paul, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared, & teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of God, which is our savior Jesus Christ. The same Apostle gave thanks to God for the Colossians, when he heard of their faith and love, for the hopes sake which was laid up for them in heaven. And in this sense saith Saint John. Welbeloued, we are now the children of God, but yet it doth not appear what we shall be, and we know that when Jesus Christ shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purgeth himself even as he is pure.

8 But to the end the more earnestly to encourage us to amend our lives, in hope of the kingdom of heaven, we are moreover to apprehend the incomprehensible excellency of the glory and joy that we shall enjoy in this kingdom, when our bodies being risen again incorruptible and immortal, like unto the image of the glorious body of Christ, reunited to their sanctified souls, shall be lifted up into the house of God our father above all heavens, where we shall see the face of God, as the Sun in his brightness. & shall enjoy the fruit of the prayers of Jesus Christ, when he said, Father I will that they which thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may see my glory which thou hast given me. When Jesus Christ hath rendered the kingdom to God his father, then shall God the father, the son & the holy Ghost, be unto us all in all: yea, even such a fullness of good and felicity, that as sundry vessels cast into the sea are so filled with water that they can desire or hold no more, so this sea of divinity being in us all in all, we shall be replenished and satisfied with life, glory, and joy, so as we shall not be able to desire or have anymore. Even when we shall be truly burgeses of the heavenly and holy City that shall be of fine gold, like unto pure Crystal, the foundations of the walls set with precious stones, the twelve gates made of twelve pearls, which shall need neither Sun nor Moon to shine therein, for the light of God shall illuminate it, and the lamb himself shall be the candle. To be short, when we shall be in the fellowship of the Angels, shining as the Sun in his pride, and ravished with joy that shall never be taken from us. A joy, I say, not only for our own felicity, but also for the felicity of all the elect, for we shall love them all as our selves, and so shall rejoice as much for their felicity as for our own. And this joy shall be infinitely corroborated by the contemplation as well of the glory of Jesus Christ, whom justly we shall love better than our selves, as also of the glorious majesty of God, whom we shall love with our hearts, our strength, and our minds.

9 If the representation & remembrance of this kingdom of heaven, doth not kindle our hearts with a fervent desire to attain thereto, and by desiring the same, to amend our lives, that we may take the path that leadeth to such felicity, the same is an assured testimony that we account of our selves as of beasts, that look for no goodness after death. And on the other side, if the apprehension of the fire that never shall be quenched, of the worms that shall be always gnawing, of the terrible darkness, of the weeping and gnashing of teeth through the feeling of the heavy wrath of the living God, doth not move our harts to fear to offend him, and in offending him, to cast our selves into the gulf and bottomless pit of this eternal woe: The same is an evident token that we are either Atheists or Sadducees, that believe neither the resurrection of the body, nor the immortality of the soul. To be short; neither heaven nor hell.

10 When therefore we hear that Christ, to the end to induce us to amendment, allegeth this reason, For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Let us steadfastly believe that there is a kingdom of heaven replenished with glory & immortal joy, & let the apprehension of such a felicity inflame our harts with a fervent & resolute desire to deny our selves, the world, and the flesh, & so to amend our lives, that loving God and our neighbors, and endeavoring to yield unto him all obedience, we may conform our actions to his holy and good will, as in heart to seek nothing so much as to please him, and to abhor nothing more than the offending of him. Let us always think with our selves that we are no beasts, who after death have no feeling of good or evil: but contrariwise, let us consider that at the separation, either of the body or of the soul, the soul must go either to heaven or to hell, also that the body must follow after: yea night and day let us think and meditate upon the difference that shall be between those that shall go into the kingdom of heaven, and the others that shall depart into hell.

11 Let us remember that not for a thousand years, but even forever and infinitely we shall be either in sovereign bliss, or in extreme misery. Can we then possibly apprehend the glory and felicity of this kingdom of heaven, without unspeakable joy and fervent desire to attain thereto: either consider of the cursed estate of the reprobate, without trembling and fear? let us therefore think upon the saying of Christ, Labor to enter in at the narrow gate, least when you shall say Lord open unto us the gate of the kingdom of heaven, that we may come in, he answereth: I know ye not: depart from me ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when he shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves shut out at doors. Let us behold the difference between the two thieves that were hanged on either side of Jesus Christ, of whom the one departed into hell, and the other ascended into the kingdom of heaven, as Jesus Christ said unto him: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Let us look upon the soul of Lazarus, by the Angels carried into Abraham's bosom, where it rested in joy, as he testified, and the soul of the cursed rich man cast into torments, as S. Luke witnesseth, and himself confesseth, saying: I am tormeneted in this flame. When he prayeth to be refreshed with a little water, but was denied: To be short, let us behold the great multitude of the blessed that stood before the throne and in the presence of the Lamb, clothed in long white garments, with branches of palms of victory in their hands, serving God day and night, governed by the Lamb, and by him leadde to the lively springes of water: and withal let us look upon the others speaking to the rocks and mountains, saying: Fall upon us and hyde us from before the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Let us I say behold them cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night forever. For who is it that will not be earnestly touched in heart, hastily to depart and retire out of the way into hell, and diligently and constantly to walk by amendment of life into the kingdom of heaven? Can it be possible, if we should not think upon them? or can God think upon them and not amend? either can we amend and not feel our selves blessed by being gotten into the way of such a felicity, that we may constantly persevere, until that God fulfilling his work in us, do receive us into the fruition of this kingdom of heaven, to enjoy the same forever and ever.

The ninth cause of amendment, taken hereof, that the kingdom of God which we look for in heaven, doth admonish us that we are strangers pilgrims, and trauelers in this life. Chap. 9.

THe holy scripture doth many times term us strangers, pilgrims and travelers: neither is it only as it was with Abraham, when he spake to the Canaanites, saying: I am a stranger and a forrener amongst you, and as it is daily with those who flying from persecution, and forsaking the land of their nativity, do go to dwell in another province and kingdom wherein they are strangers: but we are so termed in respect of the kingdom of heaven, our true and eternal country, And indeed if we be Burgesses of heaven, as S. Paul teacheth, we are strangers to the earth, according to the saying of S. Augustine also: All they that belong to the heavenly City, are pilgrims and strangers in this world, & so long as this their tēporary life doth continue, they do live in an others country. And that we may the better understand this, we call that land our country wherein we were borne and brought up, wherein our parents and ancestors successively have made their abode, and wherein we have our principal goods, possessions and inheritances. Now whence do we take our spiritual birth, but frō our father which is in heaven? where do we receive the soul of our spiritual birth, but in the Church, which is the kingdom of God? or where is the house of our father, but in heaven, and there dwelleth our eldest brother Jesus Christ and all other our brothers and sisters in him. Moreover, our treasure & immortal inheritance, undefiled and incorruptible, are reserved in heaven, as saith S. Peter, for us that believe in Jesus Christ, heaven is then our true country, and in respect thereof are we here called strangers, pilgrims, and travelers on the earth.

2 This doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrews evidently declare, where speaking of the ancient fathers, he saith: All these died in the faith, and received not the promises; but saw them a far of and believed them, and received them thankefullye, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth: For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country. And if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they had leisure to have returned. But now they desire a better, that is an heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a City. Here the Apostle showeth, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were strangers in the land of Canaan, in respect of Vr in Chaldea, from whence they came, when Abraham at God's commandment, left his country, his kindred, and the house of his father. But in that they were called foreigners and strangers, it was not in that respect, but in respect of heaven, where God had prepared a City for them: and therefore albeit they had time to return to Vr, their native country, yet sought they a better, namely the heavenly and in that regard, conversing upon earth, they are called strangers.

3 Now the remembrance that we are strangers, pilgrims & travelers, ought to induce us to lift up & settle our thoughts, minds & cogitations upon our heavenly country: that in the cōtemplation of God, of the glory of Christ, and of the excellency of our inheritance, we might rejoice with the angels & souls of the saints that are already gathered thither, and incessātly sing praises unto God with them. And indeed as the Apostle saith: We that believe in Christ, are come to the hill of Zion, and to the cittye of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to millions of angels, to the church of the first born, that are written in the heavens, to God who is the judge of all, to the souls of the righteous that are sanctified, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. Being ascended so high, & having our conversation in heaven, as Burgesses thereof, if frō thence we look upon the earth, and cast our view upon the kingdoms, riches, dignities, men, and the most excellent things in the world, all will seem in our eyes so small, that we will be even ashamed to esteem of them, yea even so much as to think upon them: so far will we be from setting our affections thereupon: and truly go up unto a high steeple, and look from the top thereof, look upon men that go in the streets, and they will seem to you not to be men, but children, & their houses even cabbins: for if it were possible to climb five or six leagues higher, ye should see no men: yea, the greatest towns would seem but as one house, and the Sea a pool. Moreover, if possibly ye could ascend to the heaven of the moon, which is the lowest, the greatness of the whole world would seem nothing it would not show so much as a good pins head hanging in the midst of a great Church. What would it be, in case he were in the highest heaven among the stars? or above the heavens in the house of our father, and in the heavenly city whereof we are burgesses? Much rather, in those days will the universal world be unto us nothing at all.

4 To this purpose do we read of a great Romain personage, who in a dream or conceit being ascended into the region of heaven among the Stars, and beholding their greatness and brightness, thence casting down his eyes upon the earth, it seemed that the whole world was so little, that he was ashamed of the Romain empire, which nevertheless extended into so many realms. Now as this Ethnic could in his discourse clymbe no higher: so if we that are burgesses of heaven do ascend above all heavens, & there conversing in spirit, do behold the glory of God, and his palace of light, of an incomprehensible extent, and afterward shall look down to the earth: we will be ashamed of the smallness thereof, and of all the kingdoms therein, which thence will not show so great as a grain of sand, but even nothing at all. The three Apostles when they had seen some parte of the glory of Christ in his transfiguration upon mount Thabor, were so moved, that they said: Lord, it is good for us to be here, let us build three tabernacles. What then would we do if we should converse in heaven, and there behold the majesty of God, and the glory of Jesus Christ? would not even the apprehension thereof allure us to wish to dwell there, and to forget and despise the earth? or then remembering and looking towards the same, would we not reprove our selves, as that Romain was reproved by his father, who said unto him, why dost thou yet cast down thine eyes upon the earth?

5 Among other the vanities that men do seek and so fervently desire, is glory, and the reputation of virtue, valor, riches, power, wisdom, and such other like: but this Romain Ethnic being in a dream, wrapped above the stars, is by his father admonished in the smalenesse of all the world, to contemplate the vanity of this ambition, men will talk saith he, of thee and thy virtues, but where? be it throughout the Romain Empire: yet shall not thy fame pass such and such mountains: there will no man once speak of thee. What a folly is it therefore so to delight in the reputation of great wealth, ornaments of body, excess in banquets, goodly houses, honorable functions, even wisdom and human discretion, since all this fame and glory shall be shut up in so small a corner of the world, that when thou art ascended into the City whereof thyself art a Burgess, thou shalt not be able to see it: most men labor to have fair houses, gardens of pleasure, lordshippes, and to heap up possession upon possession, as if themselves should dwell alone upon the earth, as Isaiah saith: and yet when they have purchased whole towns and kingdoms, if they should from heaven, look upon them, they would disdain and contemn the smalnes and baseness of them. And indeed, let a man look upon a town platted in four leaves of paper, he shall somewhat discern the order of the streets and houses thereof, but afterward lay down in the like quantity of paper the whole province wherein that city standeth, and the same will not show so great as a man's nail: And lastly, let him represent the whole world in as much paper, and he shall see neither house nor town, yea scarcely the whole province, perhaps he may find the names of the realms, and see their extent in the breadth of two or three nails: and looking from heaven the whole world will not seem so much. What a folly then, or rather a madness is it for those that are strangers upon earth, and burgesses of heaven, diversely and by sundry means to offend God, for the getting of so small a portion of earth, which is as nothing, wherein they resemble Esau, who for a piece of bread and a mess of pottage, sold his birth-right?

6 Again, such as are strangers in a foreign country, and have parents and great wealth in their native soil, being hardly entreated where they sojourn, and upon the pointe to return home into their country, are undoubtedly very glad thereof: even already they seem to see their houses, lands and possessions, and in their concei • s, do talk with their parents, and feel a fervent desire to be soon there: even so we, if we remember that in heaven we have treasures of eternal riches, an undefiled inheritance, immortal and incorruptible, which is reserved for us: a heavenly father that loveth us in his well-beloved son, our elder brother Jesus Christ in glory, the angels & holy spirits in joy, and that we their fellow burgesses, have our portion in all these goods, and are even upon the point to be really in heaven with them: why should we not be ravished with a fervent desire to be lifted up thither? and with S. Paul to say: I covet to be dissolved and to be with Christ: what letteth us when we feel how hardly we are entreated, and what mortal wounds our souls do daily receive, by offending God through their corruptions, to say with S. Paul: O wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from this body of death? Shall not the very feeling of so grievous and so many bodily afflictions, whereto we are subject in this strange land, cause us seruently to pray to be delivered from the same: especially, considering that we know (as S. Paul saith) that when the earthly habitation of this lodge is destroyed, we have a building in God, even an everlasting house in the heavens, which is not made with man's hand. And in this respect, we that abide in these earthly dwellinges, do groan under our burdens, for we desire to be clothed with our habitation which is in heaven, as knowing that remaining upon earth, we are absent from the Lord (for we do walk in saith and not by sight) albeit we trust & love rather to be estranged from this body, and to dwell with the Lord.

7 Howbeit attending until we may be really there both in body and soul, let us be there in spirit, let us be conversant in heaven, and begin to feel the felicity, whereof we shall hereafter have full and perfect fruition: in this conversation with God, with the angels, and with the holy spirits, let us more and more learn the language and manners of heaven, to the end we may resemble the angels & saints there dwelling. When Moses had conversed with God forty days upon the mountain, at his coming down his face shined and glistered with the heavenly glory: so will it be with us, by then we have for twenty or thirty years been conversant in heaven, we shall become heavenly and spiritual both in word and deed: even as by experience we see that when a countryman hath dwelled some twenty or thirty years in the Court, he forgetteth his country speech and course of life, and groweth to be as good a courtier as if he were borne in the Court. Our earthly talk and communication, our worldly course of life, and the corruptions of the flesh, that bear but too much swaye in us, do but over manifestly show, how little we are conversant in heaven, and consequently do testify, that we account our selves Burgesses of earth and not of heaven. That we may therefore amend, let us continually think that heaven is our true country, that we are Burgesses thereof, that there we have our parents and blessed brethren, the treasures of joy and glory, an immortal and incorruptible enheritance: and that we are at the very point of going thither, to take possession, as in truth we do every hour look for the time of our departure: let this holy meditation make us to converse in heaven, and to live as heavenly people, setting our harts upon our treasure: let it even make us to forsake the speech, habit, fashions and manners of those among whom we are for a short time strangers, that we may enure our selves to the language and holy life of the burgesses of heaven, and angels with whom we shall live forever. Let it withdraw our affections from all that we must leave at our departure out of this foreign country, least otherwise we lose the incomprehensible goods that are prepared for us in our heavenly and eternal country: let it cause us to renounce all that might detain us in this country, replenished with misery and calamity, that cheerfully we may aspire to our country which aboundeth in joy, glory and all felicity. Let it enforce us to say with David: Woe is me that I remain in Mesech, and dwell in the tents of Keder. That is to say, among barbarous nations, that love not the Burgesses of heaven: let the hard usage of the prince of this world in this strange country, make us to covet to live among the blessed Citizens of the kingdom of heaven: let all our thoughts, words & communication testify, that in spirit we are already there, yea let all our works be preparatives and paths to lead us therinto: and to these ends, let us overcome all that might break of or hinder our so happy journey from earth to heaven.

8 We must moreover remember, that we are pilgrims and travelers, and therefore for the attaining to the place whereto we are traveling, we must beware of three points. First, of turning back again: Secondly, of turning either to the right hand, or to the left: Thirdly, of standing still. The offending of God and transgressing his commandments, is a going back again, for as in walking after his word and in his fear, we go to God, to heaven, and to everlasting life: so by sinning, in liewe of going forward, we slip back and draw toward death, as we have before more at large declared. We cannot therefore turn back, that is to say, offend God, but with this condition, that we shall fall into ruin and everlasting perdition: much like unto him, who flying from his enemies that pursue him, in liewe of saving himself in some town, turneth back towards them, and so putteth himself into their hands: neither are we without many and mighty enemies that pursue us, and labor to make us to turn back by offending God, and these must we fight against: Deerely beloved, saith the Apostle Saint Peter, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul. Let us diligently note that he here saith, not against our goods, to rob us of them, neither against our bodies, to murder us: but against our souls, to induce thē to offend God, & so to draw them into everlasting damnation. And hereof have we a notable example in the person of Job: he was a just man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil, and so walked in the way to heaven: but Satan would withstand him, and therefore commenced war against his soul: but how? true it is he seemed as if he would have fought against his goods, in causing them to be taken away, against his children, in procuring their death, and against his body, in vexing it most cruelly: yet was it properly the soul that he assaulted, as himself declareth, where he saith: Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side. Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But stretch out now thy hand and touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. He therefore fought against the soul, seeking by out ward tribulation to induce the same, by blaspheming to offend God.

9 This is a strange war, for any other may have an end, either by making peace with the enemy, by flying far from him, or by over coming him in fight: but in this spiritual war, we cannot lawfully make any peace or agreement with our enemies the devil, the world, and the flesh: God doth forbid it, and it would be our overthrow and destruction: for they be even so many traitors and i • reconciliable murderers, yea it would be worse for us, then for the sheep to make peace with the woolse: neither can we fly and so get from these enemies: for the devil will follow us into all places, who hath a whole army of Soldiers within us, even our affections and covetous lusts that we bear about us. Likewise wheresoerver we become, we shall still find the world an enemy: it resteth therefore that only we sight and overcome in battle. Thus doth this war somewhat resemble the same that the Children of Israel prosecuted against the Kings of the land that was promised unto them when they went to take possession and inheritance thereof: for in respect that God had commanded them to destroy them, they might not make peace with them, or make them tributaries: as also forbidding his people to fear them, he would not suffer them to retire or to return into Egypt: they were therefore of necessity to fight and overcome them. True it is that if we consider our own weakness to withstand such mighty enemies, it may breed some cause of fear: but as God in old time commanded Joshua that he should not fear the Canaanites, and assured him that he would be with him, and that by overcoming them, he would bring his people into the land of promise: so likewise let us give ear unto God that calleth us to this battle, with assurance that he will stand with us, for us and in us: to the end that courageously fighting under his banner against our enemies, that labor to turn us back and to recoil, we may finally by his grace and power obtain full and perfect victory: and so ending this blessed voyadge, attain to the fruition of the heavenly City, and our true country, that we may live with him in glory forever.

10 As we must therefore beware of turning back by offending of God, so is it our duty to take heed that in this blessed journey we turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. By those that turn to the right hand, we understand such as do indeed fulfill God's commandment, yet not to glorify him, but either to glorify themselves, or to merit, and by those that turn to the left, such as following the traditions of men, do forsake the straight and assured path of God's word. Prayer to God, alms, fasting, and other like works are commendable and ordained by God, to the end by them to walk toward heaven: but such as do them that they may be seen and praised of men, do turn to the right hand, and deprive themselves of all reward in heaven, because they receive it upon earth, as our Savior Jesus doth teach. It is also a straying to the right hand, when having received the gifts of speaking the tongues, even of the Angels, of prophesying, of knowing all secrets and misteryes, of having faith to remove mountains, of destributing to the poor, and of abandoning the body to the fire: when I say all these gifts and graces are not accompanied with love. Such likewise as in the old time among the Jews did observe the laws and ordinances of God, to the end to merit, did also stray to the right hand, and turned out of the way of salvation, as S. Paul testified of them, that they had zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, and this sentence doth he pronounce of them, They strayed out of the right way: Their table shall be made a snare and a stumbling block: On the other side, such do turn to the left hand as do think to come to heaven by the path of men's traditions and services, or voluntary devotions not commanded by God, as S. Paul termeth them: as likewise Jesus Christ objected to the Scribes and Pharisees, that in their ordinances they over went God's commandment, whereto he addeth: This people draweth near me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their hand is far of from me: But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines, men's precepts. In as much therefore as God hath so far favored us, as to teach us the way wherein we should walk to heaven: let us beware that we turn not either to the right hand or to the left: but rejecting men's traditions, let us walk in that path which God in his word hath shown, yet not to seek any praise or commendation to our selves, but to the end to glorify our God.

11 Thirdly, by this name Travelers, we are taught that we must not stand still in the way, but still go forward, that we may fructisie more and more in good works, and by amendment approach and enter into heaven: and indeed such is the way to heaven, that he that goeth not forward, slydeth backward: we nursse up little children to the end they may grow great and wax strong, and it were a wonder to see a child continue as little and weak as at the birth: even so, if we, who being members of the Church of Christ, and consequently entered into the path that leadeth to the kingdom of heaven, and daily do receive the food of God's word and sacraments, should not increase in faith, working in love & amendment of life, it were a great ingratitude and inexcusable obstinacy, which should not escape unpunished, to stand still in the way, and not to go forward; for having put a child to school, if at the end of four or five years he can neither read nor write any better then the first day that he went, there is then good cause to take him away, whereby he shall forget even that little which he had at the first. Neuertheles, of how many even of our selves may we make the like complaint, as did the Apostle of the Hebrews, to whom he writ, saying: When, as concerning the time, we ought to be teachers, yet have ye need again that we teach you the first principles of the word of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Thus we see how this word Pilgrimes or Travelers, doth warn us not to stand still, but to march on and walk forward in that blessed path that leadeth to the kingdom of heaven.

12 As they therefore that be upon their journeys do not abide in those hostryes o • Inns where they are well used, lodged or entertained, and where they find pleasant gardens, walks, or such other enticements: but after their ba • t or in the morning do pass on their way. Even so we, albeit God in this life give us goods, honors, houses, and other carnal commodities: yet let us remember that we are travelers, and must not stay, but go forward on our journey toward heaven: yea, and in case we be afflicted with sickness, poverty, or any other calamity, yet must we still think that we are upon our journey, and therefore taking comfort, say: Peradventure we shall be better tomorrow, but howsoever it be, our way lieth forward, that we may soon be at heaven: this doth S. Paul teach us, where he saith: Because the time is short, hereafter, that both they which have wine, be as though they had none: and they that weep, as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not: and they th • t buy, as though they possessed not: and they that use this world, as though they used it not: for the fashion of the world goeth away. And I would have you without care. Thus we see that there ought to be nothing that should let us from proceeding and going forward on our way, and that we should not stop at any disturbance or alurement, either of the world or of the flesh.

13 It now therefore remaineth, that as they who are to depart from a foreign land toward their own country, do prepare things necessary for their journey: so that we likewise provide that which is expedient for the happy performance of our journey towards our heavenly country: let us therefore make ready the chariots of good consciences, the horses of fervent prayer to God, the oil of holiness in our lamps, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and the buckler of saith: that resisting all our enemies that war against us, we may constantly proceed in our journey: let us not as Lots wife, look behind us, but without any sorrow for leaving the world and the flesh, let us cheerfully go forward in this blessed voyadge. To conclude, as they that return into their country, do leave none of their goods in those places where they have been strangers, but do either send them before them, or carry them with them: even so let us look that we leave not our goods upon earth, but send and transporte them into heaven, by enlarging them plentifully to the poor, who shall be our horses and moyses to carry them: and withal let us think that all that we leave upon earth at our departure, is even so much lost: also that we shall neither keep nor find anything in our heavenly country, more then we have given, neither carry thither anything but the good that we have done: as S. John saith, of those that do die in the Lord, that their works do follow them.

14 Thus may we see how the continual meditation of this, that in this life we be strangers, pilgrims and travelers, will stand us in great stead for the amendment of life, that denying the world, we may prepare our selves by all good works, by faith, hope, prayer, patience, meditation upon God's word, and desire to be in fruition of our inheritance in heaven, whereof we are burgesses, and finally, taking possession thereof, we may rejoice in joy and eternal glory.

The tenth cause of amendment, drawn from the kingdom of heaven which is in us. Chap. 10.

HOw the kingdom of heaven which after the resurrection we shall enjoy, ought to induce us to amendment of life, we have already shown: now, as secondly by the kingdom of heaven, is signified the estate whereinto the Children of God, even in this life, are reestablished through saith in Jesus Christ: so let us behold how mightily this kingdom which Jesus Christ hath said to be in our selves, ought to enflame our harts to amend. It consisteth, saith S. Paul, in righteousness, peace & joy in the holy ghost: by righteousness, he understandeth that singular benefit comprised in this, that Jesus Christ having by his death satisfied God's justice for all our sins, and so paid all our debts, hath also given and imputed unto us his perfect obedience, to the end that by this his righteousness we may be justified in the judgment of God. This benefit is the assured foundation of our salvation, and therefore both in greatness & excellencye incomprehensible: and indeed being by nature the children of wrath, pore sinners, such as hourly by our iniquities do deserve death and eternal damnation: what greater benefit can God bestow upon us, then in his judgment to be absolved and so justified, that we may be the children of God, and inheritors of life everlasting. The remembrance therefore of such a benefit, ought to induce us to amend our lives, and diligently to beware of offending God? and surely if only one sin may make us in his judgment guilty & worthy of damnation, can we be so unthankful to God, and such enemies to our souls, as by pleasing our flesh and the world, to tread under foot such a benefit, and so happy and blessed an estate? shall we that can appear before God justified by the righteousness of Christ, to be absolved in his just judgment, go & make our selves guilty and worthy of sentence of eternal death, by offending of God? shall we, who by this righteousness are aduowed to be the children of God, be such wretches, as by giving over our selves to sin, make our selves the children of the devil? when this righteousness hath freed us from the power of Satan, shall we by offending God, reduce our selves again under his tyranny? when Christ by paying our debts hath so purchased this righteousness for us, that the devil can pretend nothing against us: shall we by our sins bind our selves anew to eternal death?

2 Since one only sin is a hand-writing given unto Satan, by virtue whereof he may detain us in the prison of hell, there to dwell forever, unless we be delivered by the payment of Jesus Christ, in dying for us: is it not a monstrous and horrible case that being brought forth of hell, and by this righteousness lifted up into heaven, we should by our sins so cast our selves again into hell, that we should abide swallowed up therein: either that our sins should procure Jesus Christ again to descend into our hell to fetch us forth? By the shedding of Christ's blood, all the spots of our souls are washed away, whereby we may appear clean, holy, and righteous before God: and shall we return to plunge our selves again, in the cursed and damnable filthiness of our corruption and vice? I have washed my feet, saith Christ's spouse, how shall I soil them again? We must either remain filthy and infected in the sight of God, or else we must be washed again in the blood of Jesus • Christ: do we not then make too good a penyworth, either of our souls, or of the shedding of Christ's blood? let us therefore to this purpose think upon the earnest exhortation of the Apostle, saying: He that despiseth Moses law, dieth without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye he shall be worthy, which treadeth under foot the son of God, and counteth the blood of the testament an vnholye thing wherewith he was sanctified, and doth despite the spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said: vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense: And again, the Lord shall judge his people.

3 The second benefit of this kingdom, is peace, even this peace with God and in our consciences, whereof S. Paul speaketh, saying: Being justified by faith, we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ. As we have at large before declared, let us here remember: First, what it cost Jesus Christ: it was requisite that in his soul he should feel the fearful terrors of God's wrath and indignation, when he bowed his face to the earth, that he might lift up ours to God, that we might find his so favorably inclined toward us, when he through anguish and fear sweat water and blood, thereby to minister rest and quietness to our souls: to be short, when he sought against the powers of hell, to reconcile us to God: yet doth even one sin disturb this peace, and kindleth God's wrath and indignation against us: and we must either abide plunged and swallowed up in terrible anguish and fear, or else we must be freed therfro by the sufferings of Jesus Christ. If after a long & woeful war, peace be once concluded, how fearful are men of breaking of it, least they should fall again into like afflictions? And shall we be so unthankful to Jesus Christ, and such enemies to our own good, that for a little fleshly pleasure, for obeying our covetous affections, our ambition, lusts, and other corruptions, we should offend God and break this blessed peace, kindling his terrible wrath against our souls, and so bringing them into cruel and perpetual torments? truly we do but too evidently declare that either we are one desperate, or that we make small acccompt of those terrible fears that Jesus Christ endured for us, yet is there no such tormentor as a conscience burdened with sin.

4 The third fruit of this kingdom is the joy, not the joy of the world, and of the flesh, accursed in the sight of God, but as Saint Paul addeth, Joy of the holy ghost, which Jesus Christ hath promised us, saying: your joy shall be full, and shall never be taken from you. Here is a singular benefit: for as the incomprehensible torments of hell, are in the holy scriptures signified by the weeping and gnashing of teeth that shall be among the reprobate: so is the felicitye of the elect signified by this joy: as Jesus Christ noteth, where he giveth us to understand, that in the day of judgment God will say to all the faithful, Enter into your masters joy. This joy did Jesus Christ purchase with many sorrows and tears, as the history of the Gospel doth note that himself said: Now is my soul heavy even to the death. And the same doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrews affirm, saying: In the days of his flesh he offered up prayers & supplications with strong crying, to him that was able to save him frō death, & he was also heard in that which he feared. Were it not therefore mere madness and folly to convert this sovereign felicity of joy, so dearly purchased for us by Christ, into damnable sorrows and tears, yea even into weeping and gnashing of teeth, by giving our selves to sin, and so drawing unto us the effect of this common and true sentence, For one pleasure a thousand sorrows.

5 It is a common saying, that men should not open or read any letters that come when they are ready to sit down to meat, for fear of troubling the benefit of meat or drink, by some bad news therein peradventure contained: how miserable then are we who even already tasting this joy of the kingdom of heaven, do voluntarily disturb and convert it into tears by offending God, for in truth we might find matter enough of sorrow, if we could but apprehend what a woe it is to depart forth of the kingdom of God, to become bondmen to the devil our capital enemy: this woe being indeed the just reward of sin. If at a marriage feast there should chance some such debate, that someone of the company should perhaps hurt or kill the Bride, the wh • le feast and all the triumphs thereof would be dashed and converted into weeping and mourning. And what do we, when being in this in the kingdom of heaven, we commit any iniquity, but kill both soul and body even with everlasting death: true it is, that having offended God, we do not so soon feel this sorrow & trouble of mind, and this comme • h of our own dullness, not because we deserve it not, but because God beareth with us: otherwise undoubtedly the only feeling of one only sin, would drown us in sorrow and fear of God's wrath, let therefore the remembrance of this kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace, and joy of the holy ghost, cause us to abhor all iniquity, to the end that amending our lives, we may retain this blessed kingdom of heaven, and never change this righteosnes into iniquity, this peace into war & trouble of conscience, and this joy into weeping & gnashing of teeth.

6 And that we may the more earnestly be stirred up hereunto, let us consider the difference between the kingdom of heaven, & of Satan: if the kingdom of heavē consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy of the holy ghost, the kingdom of Satan contrariwise must needs consist in wickedness, trouble of conscience, sorrow and heaviness: let us therefore imagine a man whose sins being imputed to himself, he must appear before God, clothed in wickedness & sin, to receive sentence of eternal death, and in him let us consider the fear & terror arising of his apprehension & feeling of God's wrath & displeasure: let us mark his gnashing of his teeth, his howling & lamentations, yea even himself dissolved into weeping & tears: Let us look upon Cain, exclaiming that his pain is greater thē he is able to bear: upon Judas, who feeling his cōdamnation, for the avoiding of the apprehension of death, killed himself: upon Esau, having sold his birthright for a mess of red pottage, wept because he see no remedy for his mithap, upon those who apprehending the coming of Christ to be their judge, do cry to the rocks and mountains, saying: Fall upon us and hide us from the wrath of the lamb. In brief upon all those that seeking after death, death shall fly from them, to the end that dying they may live, and living they may always die. On the other side, let us behold a faithful man, the child of God, in his soul possessed of this kingdom of heaven, assured that the righteousness of Christ shall be imputed unto him, whereby he shall undoubtedly be justified in the sight of God, feeling peace and quietness in conscience, and replenished with spiritual joy: is there any man that is not utterly desperate or besides himself, that will not accompt such a one to be blessed, and the other accursed? let us therefore have always the state of this kingdom of heaven in our view, that abhorring our vice and corruption, we may tremble at all motions to offend God, and so constantly resisting the world, the flesh, and the devil, we may endeavor more and more to amend, that in our souls we may retain this blessed kingdom, which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy of the holy Ghost.

The eleventh cause of amendment, taken of the kingdom of heaven, signifying the Ministry. Chap. 11.

WE have before declared that by the kingdom of heaven, is signified also the holy Ministry: this kingdom of heaven and holy ministry do represent unto us many notable reasons that do bind us & ought to make us affectionate to amendment: First, the same which Jesus Christ himself saith to his Apostles, is spoken and meant by all faithful Pastors: He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me: and in this same sense doth S. Paul testify of the Thessalonians. When ye received of us the word of the preaching of God, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God.

2 When we go to hear a Sermon, we are to think with our selves that we are going to hear God speak unto us by the mouth of a man: and therefore let us in all humility reverence and faith, hearken unto him, and let us believe that he declareth unto us these things which we ought to believe to be saved, & which we ought to do in obedience to the will of God, and for the amend̄t of our lives: let us be desirous to know it, attentive to hear it, ready to believe it, & to yield to God all obedience: let us think that we cannot despise that which in the Sermon is preached unto us, but we must also thereby declare that we do not believe either that it is God that speaketh, or that the doctrine is true: and as it were a great impiety, and horrible incredulity, even to think it: so the judgment that he will execute against the contemners of his word shall be most fearful. Whosoever (saith Jesus Christ) will not receive & hear your words, whē you depart his house, or the town, shake of the dust of your feet, for a witness against them, whereby I say unto you, it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, then for that town. Let us represent to our view this fire falling from heaven, burning and consuming the town of Sodom, Gomorrhah, and others there about, with all the men, women, and children, young & old, and all then cattle, even the very towns, and converting the Cities thereof into a stinking and polluted lake, for the compass of eight Dutch leagues, with other notable testimonies of God's wrath. And let the contemplation hereof make all such to quake for fear, as despise and contemn God, when he speaketh to them by the mouths of his servants the ministers.

3 When our Lord Jesus Christ by breathing upon them had inspired the Apostles with the holy Ghost, he also gave unto them and to all faithful pastors, power by preaching of the word to bind the unbelievers, and to vnbinde such as converting themselves should truly believe in Jesus Christ. Whereupon Saint Paul beholding the stubbornness of the Jews, who obstinately rejected the doctrine of the Gospel, he bound them, with protestation that he was free from their blood, & that forsaking them in the bonds of their incredulity, under the power of Satan, he went to preach to the Gentiles. Now if we see an offender bound, fettred, brought before this Judge, and thence carried to the fire, who will not take compassion and horror thereat? How then are men so senseless and dull, as in their incredulity and obstinacy in evil doing, not to apprehend the bonds of their sins, whereof Satan hath taken hold, to pull them into eternal fire?

4 Moreover, if the simple, ignorant, and such nations as never heard the preaching of God's word, by offending God do make themselves worthy of death and eternal damnation? What excuse may they pretend in the judgment of God, to whom he hath revealed his will by the preaching of holy doctrine, in case in stead of amendment, they remain obstinate in evil doing? The servant (saith Jesus Christ) that knoweth his masters will and doth it not, shall be more grievously punished than he that knew it not. For, as we have before declared, so it is not simple transgression, but even contempt and misprision against the majesty of God. If being upon thy journey thou knowest not the right way, and some man coming by, showeth it unto thee, art thou not well worthy to go astraie and loose thyself, if voluntarily and wittingly thou takest another clean contrary? But what do the ministers of the word in their sermons? Doo they not show the way to heaven, to the end that men may take and follow the same? Or do they not declare in how many sorts men by straying amiss, do take the path to hell, with the remedyes howe to retire and turn back therefro?

5 But do the ministers of the word think it enough to say, Behold yonder is heaven, or the ware to heaven, walk therein? Do they not also show what benefits we have received of the Lord, for the which we are bound to love, serve, and worship him, and withal to amend? How oft doth Moses and other of the Prophets propound the great benefit of the people's deliverance out of Egypt, thereby to induce them to obedience? But especially howe many earnest exhortations to amendment do the Apostles gather in propounding the incomprehensible benefit of our redemption, wrought by Jesus Christ? Is it not then an intolerable ingratitude, to deny to obey him that hath already done us so much good both in body and soul? Not without cause therefore doth God so sharply complain of those that rent and tread under foot such vehement bonds, whereby they are summoned to their duty in amendment: as we have many notable examples in the writings both of the Prophets and Apostles. God's benefits are the cords of humanity, as Oseas termeth them, whereby he seeketh to pluck us from the way of perdition, and by amendment of life to lead us to salvation. Doeth not the devil, think you, hold us fall fettered in mighty and strong chains, since we cannot be drawn by these cords of mercy and humanity to the service of our God?

6 Yet is there thus much more. The ministers do propound not only the benefits received, out also the promises of other most excellent and plentiful blessings and benefits both bodily and ghostly, to those that by amending their lives shall labor to obey God. And this it were to be wished, that every man would note in the reading of the old and new Testament, to the ende they might both the better understand them, and be by them the more earnestly moved, when they are in the sermons represented unto us. For how wonderful is the goodness of God, who vouchsaseth to promise us so many benefits if we amend our lives, that is to say, if we perform the thing whereto we are already bound? If I owe upon a very formal bill a hundred crowns, will my creditor to the end to induce me to pay the same, faithfully promise to give me ten times as many more? Yet thus doth God deal with us. For what is all our obedience and amendment of life, in respect of the benefits that God promiseth to obey him, whereto we are already bound? If he that is free, bindeth himself to serve another, then is it reason that his master should promise him some wages & reward for his service: but we are not free, but already bound to serve our God, yet doth he promise us great benefits, if we employ our selves faithfully in his service by amending our lives. Are not we then very stubborn against God, and enemies to our selves, that thus contemn the promises of his rewards and benefits towards us? If a Prince should promise a tailor or shoomaker son thousand crowns for one years service, would any man refuse it? Would not he to whom it were offered or promised be ready to leave his house, his wise, his children, and all other things, to go to service to such a Lord for one year? How unthankful or senseless are we therefore that will not be otherwise won and induced to serve God, who by so many, so excellent, and so assured promises doth daily invite us thereto?

7 Besides the representation of benefits already received, and of promises of more to come, do they not also propound in the name of the almighty, righteous, and true God, most grievous and manifold threatenings, to the end that if we will not by courteous and fatherly gentleness be induced to amend, we may be, as it were, forced by the threatenings of a severe and rigorous Judge? What a scroule of woes doeth the Lord by his servant Moses propound against such as will not amend? Wherein we are also well to note, that he denounceth if the first stripes can breed no amendment, he will add seven times as many more. Also if we will not yet amend our lives, he will yet double them seven times more. And in deed, as he afflicteth and punisheth us to the ende to make us to convert and turn to him, and consequently to induce us to amendment of life, so doeth he by his so often redoubling of his threats, show that we must either humble and bow our selves by obedience, or else break them, to our everlasting and eternal destruction. Is it not then a horrible obstinacy and monstrous m • re dulitie not to fear and tremble at such threatenings of the living God? Are not the same which he heretofore hath executed and daily doeth execute against the impenitent, even so many seals and myrrours representing unto us the very truth of his great and terrible threatenings, thereby to induce and persuade us steadfastly and undoubtedly to believe that our selves, unless we amend, shall also feel the execution of his vengeance against us, as himself saith in Saint Luke, If ye will not amend, you shall perish likewise. In like manner also Saint Paul noting some punishments and vengeances inflicted in the wilderness upon Idolaters, fornicators, tempters of Christ, and such as murthured against him, thereby to warn the Corinthians to beware of the like iniquities, in conclusion doth add, that all these things were done for example sake, and are written for our learning, as those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, saith he, let him that standeth, take heed that he do not fall. And in deed, wherefore are offenders publicly executed, but for example to those that look upon them, that they may beware of committing the like offenses, least themselves do also incur the like punishment? When he that hath committed some wicked murder, seeth another murderer executed, will he not say in his heart, If the Judge wist what I have done, he would likewise condemn me to die? But God seeth all, he is just and will not be corrupted with rewards. Whē therefore the minister of the word doth lay before us the horrible punishments executed against those that will not amende, doth he it not to the end that they which hear of such judgments of God, should immediately resolve to amend, and say in themselves, If we will amend this fault which we so grievously punished in such and such, we also shall undoubtedly perish in like sort.

8 Neither may we harden our hearts in wickedness, because there is no lykelyhoode of occasion to fear any calamity or affliction: but contrariwise, let us remember the Ninevites: What lykelyhood was there that they should fear, that within forty days Nineveh should be destroyed? It was a flourishing town, the chief city of a mighty realm, yet at the preaching of Jonah, a man to them unknown, they also heathen, deuoid of all knowledge of the true God, or of his, holy doctrine, did convert to God in fasting & sackcloth. And shall not they be judges against such, as daily hearing God's threatenings at the mouths of those whom they know to be his servants, do notwithstanding continue obstinate without amendment? And albeit it seem that God slackneth the execution of his vengeance against many unpenitent persons, yet there is a time of their punishment ordained, and it shall be executed upon many in this life, but in the later day of judgment upon all those that make no account to amend.

9 Heereof let us well note the examples propounded by Saint Peter and Saint Jude: If God (saith he) spared not the Angels that had sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into the chains of darkness, to be kept unto judgment: Neither spared the old world, but saved Noah the eight person, a preacher of righteousness, and brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrhah into ashes, condemned them, overthrew them, and made them an example unto them that afterward should live ungodly, and delivered the just Loth? The Lord knoweth to deliver the godly that honor him, out of temptation, and to reserve the ungodly unto the day of judgment to be punished. Saint Jude instead of the example of the flood, propoundeth the vengeance of God poured upon the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness. Also, making mention of the horrible punishment fallen upon Sodom and Gomorrhah, saith that they were set forth for an example, and suffered the vengeance of eternal fire. When therefore we hear the threatenings of the living God by the mouth of his servants, let us make hast to convert to the Lord in amendment of life, lest by our obstinacy, as Saint Paul saith, and our hearts not knowing howe to repent, we heap up wrath for the day of wrath, and of the manifestation of the just judgment of God, who shall render to every man according to his works.

10 Inasmuch therefore as through our infirmity, albeit we be taught the way to heaven, and that we be put in mind to walk in the same, by representation of benefits received, of promises, of blessings to come, yea, even of threatenings with the examples of vengeance, we nevertheless cannot desist from offending of God, and so from turning out of the way of salvation and life everlasting. The ministers of the word do moreover use reprehensions, reproving our sins and offenses, thereby to reduce us into the right way, and in respect of our slowness to do good and to amend our lives, they also use vehement exhortations, yea, they do even pray, adjure, and entreat us in the name of God to amend, and to walk in the fear of God. And where we have many no • some hindrances that trouble us, and quail our courages, they do likewise propound unto us mighty consolations in the word of God, to the end we may cheerfully and constantly proceed in the way of salvation. What man therefore enjoining the holy ministry, can excuse himself in the sight of God, in case he do not constantly resolve to amend his life, and daily to put the same in practice? How horrible a judgment shall he deserve, that is so hardened in wickedness, and so tied in the chains of Satan, that there is no light before his eyes, no path to the way of salvation, no feeling of God's benefits, no remembrance of his promises, no fear of his threatenings, no apprehension of the examples of his vengeance, no reprehension, no exhortation, no consolation that can be of strength and sufficient to move his heart to amend? Be not these men then that remain thus obstinate without amendment, even monsters in nature?

11 Now, as the administration of the Sacraments is one part of the holy ministry, let us first see how forcibly our Baptism should move us to amend our lives. Baptism is the seal of the covenant of God, comprehending especially two graces, namely, remission of sins, & our regeneration, or spiritual renewing. When the children of Christians therefore are baptized, the same is as if God speaking by the mouths of his ministers, should say: O my people, acknowledge my great mercy and goodness towards these little babes, they are conceived in sin, borne in iniquity, by nature the children of wrath, yet do I aduow them for mine: their sin a d corruption is washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ, I do •• nite and join them unto him, to the end that being grafted into his death and resurrection, they may be regenerated, their old man be mortified, and themselves become new creatures in my sight. In them do I seal these graces, whilst they be yet babes before they know me, even before they have done any good, that so they may be acknowledged to be merely free, to my glory. Is not this a great bond unto children to bind them as they come to age, to love God, who loved them before they knew him, and to do the duty of children, because he aduowed them to be his children, even before they had done any good? Surelye love should beget love, and love fear to offend, and fear to offend, amendment of life. If by Baptism we be regenerate and made the children of God, are we not bound to live as the children of God, and as it may beseem the holiness of such a father? The kings children do not apply their minds to handle crafts, but to works fitting their greatness: much less then should the children of God apply themselves to the works of the dark. Such as by Baptism are recalled from death, should do no deadly works: & they that by Baptism are incorporated into Jesus Christ, ought so to be guided by his spirit, that as it is the soul that worketh all the works of the body, so the spirit of Christ, as it were the soul of this new man Jesus Christ, being considered as united with his body, there should be no motion, thought, word, or work, but such as should proceed from the spirit of Jesus Christ, in all fullness dwelling in him and in us his members, according to the measure limited to everyone of us.

12 Moreover, if by Baptism we be grafted into Jesus Christ, we must bring forth fruit worthy of Jesus Christ, He that dwelleth in me, saith he, and I in him, beareth much fruit. If we speak of trees, experience teacheth us, that the sign that is thereinto grafted, doth in such wise draw away th • sap and force thereof, that it bringeth forth fruit according to it self kind, not after the kind of the tree whereinto it is grafted: but with Jesus Christ it is contrary, for they that are grafted in him, do in deed gather strength from him, yet so that they alter their nature, & bring forth fruit, not after the kind of Adams children, but of Jesus Christ, into whom they are grafted. And therefore as it were a monstrous matter, to see an apple tree, whereupon nothing had been grafted, bear acorns: so is it as strange and repugnaunt to reason, that they who by Baptism are engrafted into Jesus Christ, should not bring forth the fruits of righteousness according to his kind. Lykewise, if Baptism be a pledge of our regeneration, of necessity the works and affections of our first generation, according to the which we are full of corruption and wickedness, must cease and be mortified, and now we must show forth the fruits and effects of our regeneration, in newness of life, since by our baptism our old man was crucified with Jesus Christ, we must not now raise him again, but leave him dead. And as a dead man is no longer possessed of the motions, thoughts, affections and works of a living man: so we by our Baptism being dead into Jesus Christ, must no longer have any motions, affections, words, or works of our old man.

13 There yet resteth this consideration, that by Baptism we do put on Christ. But Christ, whom we have put on, is holy, and of a sweet savor before God: And shall we be so slothful as to trail this sacred garment through the mire and silthines of this world? Or putting it off, to put on the villanous and stinking garment of flesh, by walking in the affections thereof? Let us walk, saith Saint Paul, honestly as in the day, not in gluttony or drunkenness, neither in chambering and wantonness, in strife, and envying. But let us put on Jesus Christ, and take no thought for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Thus doeth our Baptism diversely and in sundry wise bind us to amende our lives. But because in Baptismes names are given as in old time in the circumcision, so often as we hear our names, let the same be an advertisement unto us of our Baptism, putting us in mind of our duties to amend.

14 Upon the holy ministry dependeth also the communion in the holy supper of the Lord. Many are the reasons for the which Christ did ordain it, all which do also bind us to amend. Of these we will now consider sour principal. The first, by the use of the holy supper our faith is strengthened, and our souls are spiritually fed in the hope of life everlasting. And therefore as the child when he cometh to age, is bound to honor his parents, not only for his begetting & bringing into this life, but also because they have fed and brought him up, & still do continue the same duties unto him: even so should it be with us whom God hath, as it were begotten into his Church through our Baptism, and to whom he hath since in his holy Supper ministered the food of our souls in the communion of the body and blood of Jesus Christ: For not only our spiritual new birth by Baptism, but also the spiritual food which this good father •• eth unto us in his holy supper, do bind us to honor him, yea, and should thereto mightily induce us, considering that for food to our souls he hath delivered his only son Jesus Christ to be crucified for us. If any man had a child so sick, that nothing could serve for his food and recovery but pearls confected or preserved, how much should such a child be bound to love and honor his parents, that for his relief had not grudged at their expense? Truly it were a most bitter ingratitude not to care to please or obey them: Even so what reproof should we deserve of our heavenly father, who seedeth us in his holy supper, not with pearls, but with the very flesh and blood of his son Jesus Christ, in case we should make no account to please him by amendment of life: withal considering, that as there is no comparison between pearls and the body and blood of Jesus Christ, so the spiritual life of our souls is without comparison much more excellent than the life of our bodies

15 Moreover, as meat and drink ministered unto the body, do maintain the life, motions, & senses of the body, so from the communion in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which is the food of the soul, must proceed the spiritual and heavenly life, cogitations, affections, words and deeds. And therefore as it were a strange case, if the body by eating and drinking should gather no sustenance, and consequently want all motions, sense, and bodily operation: so were it a monstrous matter, that the soul communicating in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, should gather no spiritual food, that might bring forth newness of life and holiness in words and deeds.

16 Besides, as the holy supper is the table of God's children, the faithful & members of the Church of Jesus Christ: so the communicating thereat is a solemn protestation that we are the children of God: true believers, & members of the church of Christ: and that so we separate our selves from the profane worldly and vicious people, and do purpose to live holily, righteously and religiously, as it beseemeth the children of God and faithful members of the Church. Such therefore as communicating in the holy supper, do not nevertheless amende their lives: but walking after the world and the flesh, are given to whoredom, drunkenness, gluttony, covetousness, deceit, fraud, ambition, pride, envy, hatred, backbiting, with other like vices and corruptions, do show themselves counterfects & hypocrites: do ear and drink their own damnation, and do horribly scandalize or offend the Church whereof they should be members together with the doctrine that they do profess. First what an impudency is it solemnly to protest by taking the bread and wine that thou thinkest thyself to be the child of God, and yet in thyself doest find that thou doest not so think: that thou art a member of Christ, and yet dost not believe him: that thou renouncest the world and the flesh, and yet art in love with them: that thou wilt live in holiness, and yet hast no will thereto: that thou seekest life in Jesus Christ, when voluntarily thou doest cast thyself into death: that thou wilt amende thy life, yet hast no intent to forsake thy vice and corruptions: to be short thus to abuse this holy communion to the end to make men believe that which God seeth to be false and contrary to thy protestation. Doest thou not believe the protestation of S. Paul, who saith, that Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink of this cup unworthily, doth eat and drink his own damnation, because he discerneth not the Lord's body; namely from bodily and carnal food, which the mouth of the wicked and abhominable do receive as well as the mouth of the righteous man & one that feareth God.

17 Again, doest thou not apprehend the offense that thou doest commit, in that thou openest the mouth of the adversary to religion, to condemn the doctrine of truth, to reject the Church of Christ, to blame the children of God, and to blaspheme God himself? thinkest thou not that thou doest harden them in their errors, & in the way of destruction & damnatiō, doest thou not consider that thou doest arm and encourage them to seduce such as are members of the Church, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, by declaring unto them that men so given over to the world and the flesh cannot be of the true Church: that the doctrine of truth can bring forth no such fruits: & that the Church is no house for drunkerds, adulterers, covetous persons, deceivers, quarelers, envious people & men possessed with other like vices: shouldest thou not remember what Jesus Christ pronounced. That it had been better for thee that a millstone had been hanged about thy neck, and thou haddest been cast into the sea, then to have offended even the least of these. Thus do we see how mightily the communion in the holy Supper of the Lord should move our hearts to deny every thing that beseemeth not the children of God and members of the Church of Christ, and more and more to endeavor to amende our lives.

18 This holy Supper is also instituted, to the end to celebrate it in the remembrance of Jesus Christ: or as S. Paul saith, to show forth his death. That is, not only to report & put men in mind that Christ is dead, but also to represent unto us, that he that died is the son of God, and prince of glory. Secondly that he hath suffered, not a simple death: but even such a death as was accursed in the law & conjoined with the terrible wrath of God. Thirdly that he died, not for the righteous and his friends: but for sinners & his enemies: as our selves are all of us by nature the Children of wrath. Can we then thus show forth the death of Jesus Christ & with our mouths praise his great goodness, mercy and love towards us, which shineth therein, & yet in our works profane, deny & as it were even spite him, by living as men for whom Christ hath not died, & so in effect show that sin liveth & reigneth in us, which by the death of Christ whom we preach, should be mortified. Let us rather in eating the bread & drinking the wine, which lead us to the death of Jesus Christ, so relish and taste therein his goodness and love, that our hearts may open our mouths to declare this his death, and that our hands and feet, that is to say, our works may agree herewith, to the end in a holy harm onie to testify by amendment of life the feeling of this in comprehensible benefit of his death, whereof he maketh us partakers in his holy supper, to his praise and glory.

19 Finally as love is the fulfilling of the law and the mark of God's children: so is there nothing that can more mightily induce us thereto then the use of this holy supper. And in deed as Saint Paul saith. We that are many, are but one bread & one body. for we are all partakers of one bread▪ The bread made of many kernels, is but one bread: so we that communicate in the bread of the holy supper are but one body, under one head Jesus Christ. There must therefore be among us such an union in thoughts, minds, and works: such a feeling of the benefit of joy and of the tribulation in sorrow: such relief and support: such equity & right: such peace & love: such help and succor, as if there were but one living soul among us all. And this is it whereto S. Paul exhorteth us, saying. As the body is one & hath many members, & all the members of the body, which is one, though they be many, yet are but one body: so is Christ, that is to say, the Church united unto the head Jesus Christ. Neither is there, as he saith in the same Chapter, any division in a body: but all the members have like care one for another, in so much that if one of the members do suffer all the rest of the members do suffer with it: and if one of the members be honored, all the rest do rejoice with it. & then he addeth, Ye are the body of Christ & the members thereof, ech for your parts. This seal therefore of our union, should make us to remember that which before was touched in the Chapter of charity or love, even that we should not do that to others which we would not should be done to our selves: also that we should so do to others as we would be done unto. And as a great part of our amendment consisteth in the practice of the • e two rules: so, so often as we do eat of the bread of the holy Supper, let us remember that that seal of our union doth bind us to amend in anything that dependeth upon love, wherein consisteth the fulfillinge of the law, as is aforesaid.

20 Common prayers are also one part of the ministry: And in the same ought everyone with heart and mind to accompany the mouth of the minister, as if the whole congregation spake unto God in him. And what do we require in them? Is it not that he would vouchsafe to work in us, all that he requireth of us, that we may obey and please him? Hereof then it followeth, that the small amendment that appeareth in us is a manifest testimony that we suffer the minister to speak alone to God, and in our hearts have no feeling of any desite or fervent affection to obtain those graces that he craveth of God for us: and consequently, that we are overtaken with hypocrisy, and profanation of the holy prayers. Let us therefore remember that we do speak to God by the mouth of the minister, and that we do especially desire that he would give us grace to amende, that as our petition admonisheth us of our obligation, so being heard, we may show the fruit of our prayers in the amendment of our lives.

21 To conclude, the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline is also a dependence of the holy ministry. And the principal ende thereof tendeth that every member of the Church should walk in the fear of God, and that if any one go astray, he should be brought back into the way of salvation. This doth even already show us that we are most desperately wicked, if besides the documents, exhortations, reprehensions & public admonitions, we also despise & reject such as particularly may be made unto us by those persons to whom God hath committed the care of our salvation, by laying that burden upon them. When a man goeth astray in some forest is it not a comfort to him to be told of his error and taught the right way? And when a man falleth into a ditch ready to be drowned, is he not to thank him that pulleth him forth and saveth his life? Surely this is the end, and as it were the whole sum of this ecclesiastical discipline. And because there be some so hardened in wickedness, that they despise all admonitions and exhortations, Jesus Christ hath given the Church authority to bind them: denouncinge them to be heathen and publicans, that is, men that have no communion in the Church of Christ, And this is it that he teacheth, saying. If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between him & thee alone: If he hear thee, thou hast wonre thy brother: But if he hear thee not, take yet with thee one or two, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be confirmed. And if he will not vouchsafe to hear them, tell it unto the Church, & if he refuse to hear the Church also, let him be unto thee as the heathen and publicans. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven. This sentence & threatening ought so nearly to touch our harts that we should not despise the exhortations & admonitions that tend to amendment. For if the impenitent be detained in the bonds of Satan, until by amendment they be vnbounde. As their estate is truly wretched & miserable, so is there nothing that we should have in greater regard, then by amending our lives to be dissolved and vnbound. Thus may we see how the holy ministry, signified by the kingdom of heaven, & considered in all the principal parts thereof, ought to bind us in all affectionate desire to amend.

The twelfth cause of Amendement, taken of this, That by the kingdom of heaven is signified, the most blessed felicity of the children of God in heaven: The kingdom of God in us: and the holy ministry in the Church. Chap. 12.

THis is one thing worthy the noting, that by the kingdom of heaven or of God, is signified the felicity of God's children in heaven, the kingdom of God in us, and the holy ministry or the Church. This title, The kingdom of heaven, common to these three several estates, doth sufficiently show, that albeit there be a great binding & conjunction between thē, yea, even such, that as being in the kingdom of heaven, that is, in the Church, and using the holy ministry, we are in the way to heaven: so the kingdom of heaven proceeding there hence, being in us, we are assured to enter into the kingdom of God which is in heaven. And in deed these are as it were two steps to climb up, and two gates which we must pass through to get in. And therefore who so desireth to be resolved whether he be of the number of the elect, and heirs of the kingdom of God, let him seek the certainty & knowledge thereof in himself. For if he be a member of the Church, and enjoy the holy ministry, men may have some ground, and are even bound to account him a child of God belonging to his kingdom: but if he be gotten up the second step, and seeleth the kingdom of God in his heart, let him be assured that God accounteth him his child, and that he shall enter into his kingdom of eternal glory. Now as there is no greater felicity than to enjoy the kingdom of God in heaven, so is there nothing to be more desired, than to enter thorough both the first and second gate of this kingdom of heaven. This is one sharp spurr to induce us to practice this commandment of Jesus Christ, First seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and consequently let us amend our lives. For if the apprehension of the kingdom of glory that is in heaven, ought even to ravish us into a fervent desire to attain theurnto. Likewise that we cannot attain thereto, unless the kingdom of heaven be also in us, that is to say, if we have not faith, fructifying in good works, & amendment of life. Furthermore, that we cannot have this kingdom of heaven in us, unless we also be members of the Church, and use the holy ministry. It followeth that there is nothing that we should so fervently desire, and so earnestly seek for • as the kingdom of heaven, that is, to enjoy the holy ministry in the Church, and by the use thereof to establish the kingdom of heaven in us, and thereby finally to enter into the fruition of the kingdom of God in heaven.

2 But ordinarily we do the contrary. We seek first the things that concern this present life, and as for those that belong to the kingdom of heaven, we seek after them but seldom, slightly, and as it were for a fashion. Our reason: Because we do naturally love the body more than the soul, and the goods and commodities of this temporal life, more than the treasures of spiritual riches. We resemble little children, that esteem more of an apple or morsel of Sugar, than of an assurance of rents. Neither need we to open our eyes very wide, or to use any spectacles, to see this corruptiō in men, experience doth but too plainly show it. And for our more manifest conviction hereof, let us consider five proofs, which we may note upon all the fingers of one of our hands, that we may the better remember them, and so take some care to correct them. First, whereupon we do first think, when we wake, that is, what is nearest to our hands, for sometimes even the care of some matter doeth waken us. If thou findest that thy first cogitations, when thou doest awake, are such as concern the body and this present life, and do nothing concern the kingdom of heaven, the duty, salvation, and comfort of thy soul, this is one pin upon the sleeve, and a prick in one finger, to make thee to remember that thou carest more for earth than for heaven, for the body than for the soul.

3 Secondly, Jesus Christ saith, that of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh. When therefore thou goest to bed, think what speech & communication thou hast had all that day, so shalt thou be forced to confess, that peradventure thou hast spoken little of the kingdom of heaven, or of the salvation of thy soul: but rather, or at the leastwise, that the greatest part, without comparison, hath concerned the body and this present life. The third point concerneth the care and affection that in many doth appear to be greater for the getting of goods and other the appurtenaunces of this life, than for the obtaining of the kingdom of God & his righteousness. And in deed, most men, and the wisest in the world, do not so much as understand the meaning of the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof, so far are they from seeking it, rather than the riches & commodities of the flesh, wherewith they be better acquainted, and which naturally they do more desire. The fourth resteth in the care, which without comparison, is greater for the preservation of the body and this life present, than for the keeping of the soul, or anything that concerneth the kingdom of heaven. And indeed all men do take more care to nourish the body than the soul: also to prevent the diseases or wounds of the body rather than of the soul. The fifth consisteth in this, that according as our love or inclination to anything is great or small, so is our sorrow for the loss thereof more or less. If through drunkenness, falling into the fire, we chance to burn our face, it troubleth us more than when by drunkenness we lose the image of God, and cast our souls into hell fire. The loosing of our body, life, or earthly goods for any offense committed by us, doth without comparison, more daunt and quail us, than the desert of everlasting death and the loss of the kingdom of heaven.

4 Let us therefore plainly confess the truth, that naturally we love the body better than the soul, & the goods & commodities of this temporal life better than the treasures of eternity. And consequently, that in lieu of seeking first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof, and thereupon expecting that all other things shall be given us according to the promise of Christ, we contrariwise, setting the ca • t before the horse, do first and much more seek that which concerneth the body and this present life, than anything that toucheth the soul & the kingdom of heaven. And yet he that knoweth not that the body is more than the soul, hath no soul, neither hath any understanding or reason, and is no man but a beast. And he that confesseth not the kingdom of heaven to be infinitely better than all the kingdoms of the world, showeth himself to be most perverse and malicious.

5 That we may therefore correct these corruptions, & so amend our lives, let us remember that Jesus Christ likeneth the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hid in the field, which when a man hath sound, he hideth it, and for joy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath, & buieth that field. Also to a pearl of great value, for the purchase whereof the merchant selleth all that he hath. But what was this so excellent treasure, or pearl of so great price? even the Church or holy ministry. The kingdom of God in us, and the kingdom of glory in heaven. This kingdom of heaven therefore must we first & especially seek after, and after the example of those merchants, sell all we have, that is to say, forsake all that we account to be precious concerning this life, that we may enjoy this kingdom of heaven.

6 And in deed, first they that being members of the Church, do use the holy ministry, are accounted to be the children of God and members of Jesus Christ, who also employeth this holy ministry to drive from them the kingdom of Satan, and to establish his. And so are they gotten on to the first step, and entered in at the first gate. In the mean time because there be also hypocrites that do enter and abide there for a time, in show keeping the place of God's children, it is requisite moreover that the kingdom of heaven be in us. For as all they that are possessed with righteousness, peace, and the joy of the holy Ghost, which Saint Paul calleth the kingdom of God, are certain to enrer into heaven: so is it in vain to pretend to enter into the kingdom of God, which is in heaven, unless the kingdom of heaven, which is the gate, be first in us, that is to say, if we have not the true knowledge of God and of his son Jesus Christ, a lively faith, a fervent charity, unless we increase in sanctification of body, of soul, and of mind: unless in our selves we do feel a good conscience conjoined with peace and joy in the holy Ghost, and unless we be regenerate in newness of life. As also Jesus Christ himself doth plainly say, That unless we be borne again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. And in deed it is written, That neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor thieves, nor covetous men, nor dronkardes, nor evil speakers, nor rauishers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Yet before he pronounceth this sentence, he wakeneth us, saying: Deceiue not yourselves, to the end that casting off all illusions and sweet baits of the world, the flesh, and the devil, we may be assured that by amendment, & correcting of these vices and other like corruptions, we shall inherit the kingdom of God. Wherefore as where there be two gates to a town, it is not enough that we enter the first, unless we also pass through the second: so is it not enough that we being members of the Church, using the holy ministry, which we have said to be as the first gate to the kingdom of heaven, unless we thence proceed to the second, in living as true and lively members of the Church, declaring the effects of the holy ministry by the testimonies of our faith, mortification of the old man, newness of life: in brief, by daily amendment. For albeit we have preached the word of God, yea, and wrought miracles, yet shall we not therefore enter into the kingdom of heaven, unless we also amende our lives, as Jesus Christ also said. Not everyone that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he which doth the will of my father which is in heaven. Manye will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not by thy name prophesied, and by thy name cast out devils, and by thy name done many great works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew ye: Departe from me ye workers of iniquity.

7 The parable of the seed sown in sundry sorts of ground, doth evidently declare, that for the establishing of the kingdom of heaven in us: also that we may assuredly enter into the kingdom of God, which is in heaven, we are to amend in three points: First, as the seed that fell by the way side, and so was devoured by the souls of the air: so must we beware that our harts be not so hard and impenitent, that the word heard, when it cannot enter into thē, vanish away and be as it were even violently caught away by Satan. Secondly, we must be so firmly resolved to bear in patience the loss of parents, brethren, sisters, goods, dignities, yea, even of life, that being possessed with this good humor of patience, a good conscience, and faith, the sunny heat of persecution may not make this sacred seed unfruitful or unprofitable, or cause us to forsake the Church which is the kingdom of heaven, and so fall again under the tyranny of Satan, as a dog to his vomit, or a washed sow to her mire. Thirdlye, as the seed that fell among thorns cometh at the last to be choked up and stiffeled: so must we beware that the cares of worldly affairs, & the earnest desire of the commodities of this transitory life, do not choke up the good seed of the heavenly doctrine. These three pernicious inconuemences must we au • id and amend, in case we desire to enter into the kingdom of God that is in heaven.

8 Now where it is said in this parable, that only the fourth part of the seed did bring forth fruit: we are thereof togather for the inducing of us to amēdmēt of life, that the number of those that shall be saved in the kingdom of God which is in heaven, sha • be small: and this doth our Lord Jesus Christ cōfirm, saying: Fear not little flock, for it is your fathers pleasure to give you the kingdom of heaven. And in another place: Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: and contrariwise, Straight is the gate, and the way narrow that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it. This doth he speak as S. Luke noteth, in an answer to one that had asked him, saying: Lord, are there few that shall be saved? Those men therefore are not the disciples of Jesus Christ, but rather most pernicious instruments of Satan, that affirm that the gospel is no joyful tidings, because many do perish for want of especial grace, that all men shall be saved by a certain kind of faith, which they have by nature of God the creator of heaven and earth, even they that never heard the Gospel, or believed in Jesus Christ, always excepting such as even in this life, by their own malice and perpetual ingratitude, have purchased eternal pains: for they do maintain merits, they forge a faith to salvation without Gospel and without Christ, they promise eternal life to hypocrites, and to such as think themselves either to be no sinners, or to be saved with their sins, or to have remission of their sins without Jesus Christ: to be short, they give assurance of salvation to all idolaters and sinners in the world, in case by their works they obstinately make not, neither show themselves abhominable: truly they bely Jesus Christ: for so should the gate of heaven be very large and wide, and not only many should enter in thereat, but even the most part of the world, as these men do verily infer, albeit contrary to the express protestation of Jesus Christ.

9 This is a policy of the devil, whereby he seeketh to rock men on sleep in their sins, and to lead them to death, under color of saving them: First, where S. Paul speaking to the Gentiles saith: Before ye believed, ye were without Christ, and were aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and were strangers from the covenants of promise, and had no hope, and were without God in the world. Doth he not evidently show that all heathen that knew not Christ, to believe in him, and so not they only that were more wicked then the rest, are out of Christ, the only savior of the world, are deprived of the promise of the covenant, and are without hope and without God? what reason or ground can they then lay hold of, whereby to the contrary, to maintain that such men can have any hope of saluatiō, or that they shall be saved in the kingdom of Christ? Moreover as the gospel is called the word of life, of peace, of grace, & salvation: so can there be no other faith that shall bring forth peace, life, and salvation, but that which is grounded upon the Gospel. Faith therefore in God the creator, unknown as a redeemer in Jesus Christ, can bring no salvation or life everlasting, doth not this error likewise abolish the holy ministry, that is to say, preaching and the use of the sacraments, since men may be saved without thē? Is it not also a dispensation to all the corruptions and vices of the soul, even to an infinite number of sins, considering that only those men shall be damned, that of their particular malice shall have declared a perpetual ingratitude against God the creator, or that having heard the gospel, have publicly rejected it: and so what a folly is it or may it be, to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ? for let a man be an idolater, let him never come at Sermon, let him never cōmunicat the sacraments, let him make profession of no religion, let him burn in covetousness and ambition, yea let him foster up hatred, malice and envy, yet if otherwise he live honestly after the manner of the world, it is enough in their doctrine for his salvation.

10 These are such monstrous opinions, that the very show of thē may suffice to confound them. Now let us return to our purpose, and with Jesus Christ conclude to the contrary: namely, that the number of those that shall be saved is very small: for if unto men there be given no other name whereby we may be saved, but only the name of Jesus Christ: such as boast that they believe in God and obey not Christ, who commandeth that we should also believe in him, can be no partakers of the salvation that is in him. Likewise, if unto those that know not Christ, we do adjoin all those that albeit he be preached unto them, do not believe in him, neither live as the members of Christ, everyone may easily understand the truth of his sentence who is the self truth, namely, that few shall be saved, and that in respect of the others, it is a small flock that shall be partakers of the eternal kingdom. And herein do we gather two points that should mightily induce us to amend our lives. First, that we must practice the exhortation that Christ himself gathereth thereof, when he saith: Labor to enter at the narrow gate: but how? by putting of the old man, by denying our selves and the world: in brief, by daily amendment. Let us therefore beware of the broad way, and consequentlye of these cursed dispensations to offend God: when we are attempted hereto, let us remember, that as sin leadeth unto death, so must we separate our selves from the multitude that walketh in the broad way that leadeth to destruction everlasting, neither must we hearken to those that say, all the world doeth thus, most men do live thus, we cannot make a world apart: if thou followest this world, & take the broad way, thou shalt with the world go into destruction.

11 Secondly, the more steadfastly that we understand and believe that there shall be few saved, the more earnestly let us praise God, who hath chosen us to be of that small number, and hath called us to bring us in at the narrow gate, to be of his everlasting kingdom: let us behold the multitude that go by the broad gate to destruction, & let the horror of their woe kindle our harts, that we may praise God for his great mercy toward us, and walk cheerfully in the straight way that leadeth to heaven, let us courageously reject all desires of the flesh, allurements of the world, and all other temptations, to the ende that by daily amendment of life, we may finally enter at the narrow gate that leadeth to the kingdom of eternal glory. Thus we see how the consideration of this title of the kingdom of heaven, attributed to the Church & to the holy ministry, to the restauration of man, consisting in righteousness, peac,e and joy in the holy ghost, and to the felicity of the Children of God in heaven, doth admonish and teach us that we must first enter into the Church and use the holy ministry: secondly, thereby increase in faith and amendment of life, and so attain to the fruition of the incomprehensible felicity and glory, prepared in heaven for the children of God.

The thirteenth cause of amendment, derived of this saying of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Chap. 13.

THis saying of Jesus Christ, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. may be referred: first, to the kingdom of glory, which we wait for in heaven: Secondly, to the renewing & restauration of man: and thirdly, to the preaching of the gospel. And indeed, the kingdom of heaven considered in these three points, did truly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, come very near unto man. As concerning the kingdom of glory that is in heaven, we know that our first parents Adam and live, when they had transgressed the commandment of God, were driven out of the garden of Eden, also that God placed the Cherubims on the east side of the garden, with a flaming sword continually moving, to keep the way to the tree of life. Then God, thereby having shown that man was put forth and banished out of heaven and life everlasting, by the building of the tabernacle, and afterward of the temple in Jerusalem, gave unto his people some figure of a passage into heaven, through the Messias that was to come. For in that the people remained in the porch, & might have no access into the holy sanctuarye, the figure of heaven, God gave them to understand that they were unworthy to come in: but in that the high priest once in the year, did enter with the twelve names of the twelve tribes, upon his shoulders and his breast: God thereby signified, that when Jesus Christ, figured in this high priest, should come, he by his death should open unto them the gate of heaven, and should enter thereat, not for himself only: but as it were carrying his people in with him. And thereupon at the death of Christ, the veil of the Temple that separated, and did hide the holy Sanctuary, did cleave and rent to the bottom, thereby to show that the way of heaven was now open to the members of Jesus Christ, which was not before revealed: as the Apostle saith to the Hebrews. Thus did the kingdom of heaven begin to be at hand.

2 Yet drew it nearer when Jesus Christ rising from death, ascended into heaven. For as the high Priest, entering into the holy Sanctuary, upon his shoulders and breast, carried the twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel: So Jesus Christ entered not alone into heavē, but we also with him, as saith Saint Paul, That God quickened us together with Christ, and raiseth us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. And in another place the same Apostle saith. If we be children, we are also heirs, even the heirs of God, and coheyres with Jesus Christ. And this he saith, to assure us, that Jesus Christ hath so taken possession of heaven, that it is not only for himself, but also for us his coheyres. As if upon the confiscation of an inheritance common to many brethren, when the prince afterward maketh a release, the eldest brother taketh the possession, for assurance that himself and his brethren are restored to their goods & the same is an assurance to the coheirs with the eldest, that in the person of their eldest brother themselves are put in possession of the inheritance common to them all. Thus did the kingdom of heaven draw near at the coming of Jesus Christ: and this is it that he first wisheth us to note for our amendment, when he saith, Amend your lives, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 The ancient fathers could never discern this kingdom but a far off and very obscurely. God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land of Canaan: Not that they should settle their minds upon the fat of the earth, but that it might be to thē as an image of this kingdom of heaven, whereto they should aspire. But saith the Apostle, They are all dead, and received not the promises, but saw them a far off, and believed them, and received them thankfully. And this he meaneth, not simply by the land of Canaan, but principally by the opening of heaven & approaching of this kingdom of heaven, fulfilled at the coming of Jesus Christ. Howe near then is this kingdom of heaven common unto us, by the coming of Jesus Christ, in respect of them? since he toke possession both for himself and us: whom also we cannot behold in the fruition of this heavenly kingdom, but we must withal behold our selves with him, because he is our head, and keepeth his members united to himself, and our spouse, who communicateth with us all his goods? in which sense Saint Paul also calleth us Burgesses of heaven. Doth not Jesus Christ therefore, when he saith Amend your lives, justly allege this reason, For the kingdom of heaven is at hand? And in deed, If Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Prophets, and the rest of the faithful before the coming of the son of God in the flesh, whilst the kingdom of heaven was yet so far from them and from their view: did notwithstanding rejoice, as it is written of Abraham, and accounted themselves Pilgrims and strangers in this world, and lived devoutly, righteously and religiously: to be short, did amend their lives, as aspiring to this kingdom of heaven: How much more earnestly ought we to feel in our selves that we are strangers & pilgrims upon the earth, whereto his kingdom is come so near that we do therein behold Jesus Christ and our selves with him? Howe much rather (I say) should we be even ravished to asp re to this kingdom, which we see open, by denying the world & the flesh: and all that might keep us back: that by amending our lives we might increase in faith, love, holiness, & in every good thing that might be unto us as a path, a Chariot & horse to transport us really into heaven? When winter is over, the nearer that the Sun draweth unto us, the more doth the earth, being warmed by the heat thereof, fructify. And the longer that the days are, the more work may we do. Even so the nearer that the kingdom of heaven doth draw unto us by the coming of Jesus Christ, especially by his ascension into heaven, the more should we be heat in the love of God and charity to our neighbors, to bring forth the more fruit of holiness, & be the more adicted to all good works.

4 Secondly, we are to consider the drawing near of the kingdom of heaven in the restauratiō & renewing of man. Whē Christ died for our sins, & rose again for our justification when by dying he mortified our old man, & by rising again, raised us up into newness of life: when by his death he destroyed him that had the empire of death: did he not by destroying this kingdom of Satan, bring the kingdom of heaven nearer unto us? And in deed this kingdom of heaven was never so near our fathers, & other the believing Jews in old time. Well had they the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head: but we do see the performance thereof in Jesus Christ, who by his death hath ouercomen the devil and the power of Hell. Well had they the pascall lamb to figure unto them that for the avoiding of eternal death, they must be washed in the blood of Christ: But as John the Baptist even with his finger pointed to this Lamb Jesus Christ, saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world: so this lamb did afterward really shed his blood for the remission of our sins, to free us from eternal death. Well did they stay and ofter innocent beasts in sacrifice, as it were laying their sins upon them: that by their death signifying the death of Jesus Christ to come, they might have as it were an assured pledge of the remission of their sins, & consequently, hope of life. But there was not as yet any payment or satisfaction for sins: And therefore these sacrifices were as it were bonds with sureties, wherein man, the principal debtor, acknowledgeth the debt, & Jesus Christ undertook as a pledge and surety.

5 In this sense did Jesus Christ in his death, make full payment for the sins of all the elect, & consequently also of those that lived under the first testament, as the Apostle saith: which also S. Paul under the same consideration, termeth the former sins: not that they were not pardoned to the believing Jews: But because until that day there was no price laid down for the satisfaction of God's Justice. And in that sense doth the same Apostle say that he nailed those obligations to his cross, as having then satisfied & discharged the same. And therefore were the expiatorie sacrifices, circumcision, with other like ordenances of the law abolished at his death. Neither could they have been kept as necessary, but that they would still have been witnesses that Christ stood yet bound. Besides not content to have by this abolition (as it were) canceled these obligations, he hath also ordained Baptism and his holy supper to be unto us as it were authentical acquittances and witnesses of payment made.

6 It is likewise the benefit for the which he commandeth us to amend, adding this reason: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For it is as if he had said. Behold this is the time that I will break the serpents head, and destroy him that hath the empire of death: and banish the prince of the world. Now do I go to make payment for all the sins of the elect: to crucify the old man, that he may no longer reign in them: to purchase for them newness of life: To be short, to reestablish them in state requisite & convenient for the children of God. Is not the kingdom of heaven then very near at hand? Amend therefore: for it is time that you feeling your justification and atonement to be made with God, should be at peace in your consciences: should renounce the devil, the flesh, the world, and yourselves: mortify the old man who is crucified with me, and become new creatures by virtue of my resurrection. But if contrariwise you remain hardened in your sins, and will not give over and mortify the ambition, pride, covetousness, fraud, whore dome, insolency, drunkenness, riot, hatred, envy, malice, and other corruptions, and do not amend by growing in all good works: shall you not so much as in you lieth, quench the kingdom of heaven that is in you, and with most villanous ingratitude tree • d under foot this incomprehensible benefit here offered. The heathen that never heard speaking hereof, for their continued impenitency, shall be justly condemned: The Jews, who had some knowledge, albeit obscure and a far off, shall be more grievously punished, because, they did not amend: But you to whom this kingdom of heaven is near at hand, unless ye amend, shall incur a condemnation without comparison more horrible and fearful. And the believing Jews, who never saw this kingdom of heaven but from far off and obscurely, and yet as the Apostle saith to the Hebrews did believe it and rejoiced, and walking in the fear of God did amend: shall be your judges, to your confusion.

7 We are furthermore to consider the preaching of the Gospel, signified also by this kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ saith. Verily I say unto you, among them that are begot̄ of women, arose not a greater then John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is the least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater then he. He doth not here mean that the least in the christiā Church shall either in piety, or in glory in the kingdom of heaven, excel John the Baptist: but that they shall be greater Prophets then he: that is to say, that they shall be able more amply, particularly, and evidently to speak of everything that concerneth our redemption & salvation in Jesus Christ. And indeed, what evident & assured knowledge hath there been revealed to the Christian Church, concerning the person of Jesus Christ that he was conceived by the holy Ghost: borne of the virgin Mary: very God and very man: likewise of his offices: that he hath received the anointing of the holy Ghost to be our Priest, king & Prophet. Consequently, of his sufferings, death, resurrection, & ascentiō into heavē: of the certitude of our justification, & saluatiō not by works, but by grace, & by the merits of his death. Moreover how the Gospel of salvation was directed to the Gentiles, whereby there was revealed to the world a mistery & secret, which as S. Paul saith, hath from the beginning, been hid̄ in God, containing a wonderful wisdom, then revealed to the Angels. And albeit the ancient fathers we • e never destitute of the spirit of God: Yet had they it not ever without comparison so plentifully as it hath been communicated by the preaching of the Gospel. And therefore doth S. Paul call it in excellency, the ministry of the spirit: And Jesus Christ termeth it regeneration, as whē he saith to his Apostles, ye that have followed me in regeneration, shall sit upon twelve thrones. Truly therefore in regard of the preaching of the Gospel Jesus Christ did say, that the kingdom of heaven was at, hand, and that therefore we must amend. As indeed, what excuse may we pretend, if having such a son of light before our eyes, we be nevertheless given to the works of darkness? What an ingratitude will it be in us, who by nature are Gentiles, if when the kingdom of heaven is thus come upon us, by the preaching of the Gospel, we make no accompt thereof, neither have any care to amend our lives according to the commandment of Jesus Christ? how mightily will the devil possess us, unless by the ministry of the holy ghost he be expelled, to the end to make room for the kingdom of heaven in us?

8 Jesus Christ saith, The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater then Jonah is here. Again, The Queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: For she came from the utmost partes of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon: and behold a greater then Solomon is here. Woe thē be unto us, if hearing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not obey his commandment and amend. It is now time that we should arise from sleep, saith S. Paul, for now is our salvation nearer then when we believed, by the preaching of the gospel, and were before unbelievers. The night is past and the day is come, let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, so as we walk honestly as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenness: &c.

9 This kingdom of heaven is at hand, and daily gathereth upon us in two manners, which for a conclusion we will here add. First, all faithful believers do know and are assured, that at the separation of the soul and the body, the soul shall be exalted into heaven with Christ. Now as daily this separation doth by death draw nearer and nearer to the faithful, so doth the kingdom of heaven also come upon them: how careful therefore should we be to amend our lives, and to prepare our selves to make our entry into heaven? the holy Ghost protesteth, that there shall enter no unclean thing, neither any that worketh abomination or lies. We must therefore put of all the works of the flesh, which are, as S. Paul noteth, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulation, wrath, contention, sedition, heresy, envy, murder, drunkenness, gluttony, and such like. And afterward protesteth, that they which commit these things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Let us then beware of delaying of this amendment, least in a matter of such importance we be surprised: we have not two souls, that we may hazarde one. If the day of death findeth us a sleep in our sins, woe be unto us: let us remember the saying of S. Peter: The end of all things draweth near: Be ye therefore sober and watchful in prayer. Every of us shall in our death find this end of all things: and indeed let us look upon a rich man carried dead out at doors, and we shall see that all is at an end with him, neither hath his body anymore then his length of ground.

10 Let us therefore remember to be sober, not in works of piety, for in them we cannot be too plentiful, neither in sin, for we must utterly abstain therefro: wherein then? even in things appertaining to this present life, by practicing this admonition of S. Paul. And this I say brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which have wines, be as though they had none: And they that weep, as though they wept not: And they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not: And they that buy, as though they possessed not: And they that use this world, as though they used it not: for the fashion of this world goeth away. And I would have you without care. Here doth he show that the sobriety whereto S. Peter exhorteth us, doth admonish us that there is drunkenness, not only of the body, but also of the spirit. And indeed where Jesus Christ saith: See to yourselves, that your harts be not overcome with gluttony and drunkenness, neither with the cares of this life: He doth sufficiently declare, that there is another kind of drunkenness, then either with beer or wine: And that is, when the care for the things of this life, whether of war, or merchandise, or of lands and possessions, of wives, or of children, do so feaze upon and entangle our minds and affections, that we are diverted & letted frō that which is required for the service of God and the salvation of our souls: if a man rise in the morning and go to the Tavern, and tarry there all day, and at night cometh home drunk, and so again the next day, and the next, and all the week long, and never thinketh upon his famely, but letteth his wife and his children sit starving at home, will we not say that he is a drunkard? and in case he continue this course a month or two, will we not report of him as of a perfect and desperate drunkard? What shall we then say of those that do so set their harts and minds upon the affairs of this life, that so soon as they are up in the morning, they are presently at the Tavern of those cares, wherein they delight, and whereto they so give themselves, that they care neither for the kingdom of heaven, the service of God, nor the salvation of their own souls: which is more during this repast at home, their minds are in their taverns: yea, and which is worse, whether they speak to God in their prayers, or that God talketh to them by sermons, their minds are so wandering, that immediately they are in this tauerne of worldly cares and affairs, and that so deeply, that they neither hear God speaking to them, neither wot what themselves do say to him: for there is no more but the body that speaketh or heareth, even a body as it were without a soul: for their mind is in their Tavern. If they then follow this course, not one month, or six, or ten, neither one year, but ten, twenty, thirty, yea even to the death: may we not well call them perfect drunkards? Likewise, as to that tauerne that beareth the name to have the best drink or wine, the drunkards will soonest resort, as seeking occasions to be drunk: so these spiritual drunkards do seek after towns and places of most practice, where there is great dooinges, which breed increase of cares, that likewise they may be the more drunken in them.

11 This is an excessive and most pernicious drunkenness, yet over common among Christians, and therefore let every man examine him self, that knowing it, he may amend. And indeed, since the kingdom of heaven doth daily approach to the faithful by death, we are in duty to beware, according to Christ's admonition, that our harts be not overcome with this drunkenness of cares, least that day overtake us in that drunkenness, vnreadye and unprepared to expect this kingdom of heaven, in assurance & joy. Let us take heed that we do not wittingly abuse our selves, saying: When I have attained to such wealth, or to such dignity, I will take my ease, and come forth of this tauerne to serve God: First, it is an ordinary course, that the more beer or wine that a man drinketh, the more he may, and the more the drunken man drinketh, the more drunk he will be. Even so the more wealth and dignity that thou hast, the more shalt thou find thy cares to increase: and the more they increase, the more drunken in them thou wilt be. Secondly, we must take great heed, that when God calleth us to repentance and amend̄t, we appoint him no time. He, saith S. Augustine, that hath promised forgiveness to him that repenteth, hath not promised another day to him that deferreth his amendment. Among the sentences of the wise men that lived among the Jews after their return from the captivity of Babylon, we read of one Eleazar, the son of Hircanus, who being demanded when it would be time to repent and amende: answered, One day before death. And when the other replied that no man knew the day of his death, he said: Begin then even today for fear of failing.

12 Inasmuch then as daily we expect not only death, but also the day of judgment, & that in that respect the kingdom of heaven cometh two sold upon us, that we may the more earnestly be moved to our duty to amend, let us remember this saying of Jesus Christ. If the good man of the house knew at what watch the thief would come, he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to be broken. Therefore be ye also ready, for in the hour that ye think not, will the son of man surely come. And therefore he addeth, Blessed is that servant whom his master when he cometh shall find doing his duty. And this is also represented unto us in the parable of the virgins, For the foolish ones that took no oil in their lamps were shut from coming in to the marriage, but the wise that had made their provision, came in. Since therefore that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, let us amend our lives, and make good provision of holy oil, increasing in the knowledge of God, in faith, love, holiness, and all other good works: let us in time put on our wedding garments, that when the bridegroom cometh, if it be so dainly, as himself hath warned us, we may be ready and prepared to enter into the marriage with him. Neither let us forget, that as Jesus Christ doth advertise us, It shall as a snare come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth. And as he addeth, Let us watch and pray continually, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and that we may stand before the son of man. Your selves do know perfestly, saith S. Paul, that the day of the Lord shall come even as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction, as the travel upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. And then to comfort the faithful he saith, But ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should come upon you, as a thief, ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. And thereupon he also taketh occasion to exhort them to their duties, saying: Therefore let us not sleep as do other, but let us watch & be sober, putting on the breast plate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation for an helmet. Let us beware that we follow not the evil servant, who seeing that his master was long in coming, said in himself that he would not come, & thereupon gave himself to work wickedness. But as Jesus Christ addeth, His master coming at an hour when he looked not for him, cut him off and punished his iniquity and incredulity.

13 Saint Peter warneth us. that in the later days there will come like people, whō he termeth mockers, which will walk after their lusts, & say, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers slept, all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation. But by a notable example he showeth, that they do wittingly and willingly deceive themselves in such discourses. For when Noah foreshowed the flood, and built the ark for his own safety, the like mockers rise against him, who seeing no apparance of the flould for above a hundred years, thereof concluded, that the world continuing in that estate, should not perish, but were surprised and swallowed up in the flood. Inasmuch therefore as Jesus Christ commanding us to amend, doth affirm that his kingdom is at hand, lest seeming to be long in coming, we should therefore falsely conclude that it will not come, let us diligently note what S. Peter addeth, Derely beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that a thousand years is with the Lord as one day, and one day as a thousand years. The Lord is not slack as concerning his promise, as some men account slackness, God is patient toward us, and would have no man to perish, but would all men to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, & the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up. Then doth he thereof gather this earnest exhortation to repentance & amendment of life. Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved; what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness? Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with heat. But we loke for new heavens, & new earth, according to his promise, wherein dwelleth righteousness, &c.

14 Albeit therefore it seem to our flesh, that this kingdom is long in coming yet let us not slack our amendment, but let us even this day convert and think upon the saying of the prophet Joel, Even this day convert unto me, saith the Lord. Wherein he showeth that he yet giveth us this day to repent, but assureth us not of tomorrow. Let the remembrance therefore of the drawing near of the kingdom of heaven induce us to amend, to the end that in amending we may gather argument to long after the coming of Christ, as it is the duty & desire of all the children of God. And when we shall see the signs of his coming more & more fulfilled, let us lift up our heads & rejoice, because our deliverance is at hand, and that shortly we shall be gathered and brought into the fruition of his kingdom and eternal glory.