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IDlenes is a slothfulnes and a slugishnes of the minde to doe any good: but in this place it is a lothsomnes and a wearines of spirituall thinges. How dangerous this sinne is, appeareth by these words of Christ:* 1.1 Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite, shall be hewen downe, and cast into the fire. And in ano∣ther place admonishing vs to liue circumspectly and carefully,
which is opposite to this vice, he sayth: Be yee ready, watch, and pray:* 1.2 for in the houre that yee thinke not of, will the sonne of man come. Therefore when this slothfull and idle vice tempteth thine hart, thou mayst arme thy selfe with these considerations following.
First consider what great labours and troubles Christ from the beginning of his life suffered for thee;* 1.3 howe he continued whole nights in prayer for thee; how he ran vp and downe frō one country to another, teaching & healing men; how he was alwayes busied about those things, which belong vnto our sal∣uation; and aboue all these things howe at the time of his passi∣on he bare that heauy crosse being wearied & martired through many stripes and whippings. If therefore the Lord of maiestie suffered so many labours and sorrowes for the saluation & safe∣tie of others▪ how much more meete is it, that thou shouldest doe and suffer some thing for thine owne? That most imma∣culate Lambe suffered so great things to deliuer thee from thy sinnes; and wilt thou not suffer a little while and a small thing for his loue?
Consider also what the Apostles haue suffered, when trauai∣ling throughout all the world,* 1.4 they preached the Gospell, and what the Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins haue suffered, with those holy Fathers, that liued in most vast and solitary wilder∣nesses, farre remote from any humane resort. To be briefe, cō∣sider of all the labours and trauailes of the Saints, who now try∣umph with the Lord in heauen, by whose labours & toyles the Church of God to this day enioyeth many notable blessings.
* 1.5Contemplate moreouer, how nothing is created to be idle: for the heauenly Armies cease not to praise the Lorde: The Sunne, the Moone, the starres, and all the celestiall bodies, are euery day once turned about the vniuersall Orbe for our com∣modity; hearbes, plants, and trees, from small bodies encrease to theyr iust magnitude; Ants in sommer gather theyr grayn••, which they may liue of in winter; Bees make their Honey∣combes; & with all diligence persecute the Drone. Thou shalt finde the same thing to haue place in all, if thou shalt run tho∣row all the kindes of liuing creatures. Therefore, ô thou man capable of reason, let it shame thee of idlenes, which all creatures
detest, and that onely by the instinct of nature.
Behold how great paynes and trauailes those doe sustaine, who gather earthly riches together, which shall perrish, vvhich are gotten with great labour, & are possessed with gr••••ter cares and dangers: what oughtest not thou rather to do, who dealest for heauenly matters, who laborest for celestiall treasures, which endure for euer? Beware that now, when thou art sounde and strong, and hast time, that thou walke not idely, least somthing be wanting vnto thee, which hereafter thou canst not labor for, and yet wouldest faine haue. Which we see to happen to many. The tyme of our life is short, and full of a thousand miseries: therefore, whilst thou hast fitte time to worke, take heede that it slide not away vainely in idlenes.* 1.6 For the night shall come, in which no man can worke.
Remember,* 1.7 that the multitude of thine enormous sinnes do aske great repentance. Saint Peter denyed the Lord thrice, and he mourned for this sinne all the daies of his life, although it was already forgiuen him. Mary Magdalen deplored her sinnes to her dying day, which shee had committed before her conuersi∣on, albeit she had heard those sweet words of Christ;* 1.8 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. But because I labour to be briefe, I cease to re∣hearse moe examples of thys sort of those, who in like manner haue ended theyr repentance with theyr life, many of whom had committed both fewer and lesser sinnes then thou hast. But thou, who daily heapest sinnes to sinnes, how darest thou say, that it seemeth a thing too hard and difficult vnto thee, to doe necessary labours, by which thou mayst flie sinnes? Therefore, in the time of grace and mercy, endeuour with thy ful strength that thou maist bring forth fruite worthy of repentance. And sette before thine eyes that example of a certaine godly man, who as often as the clocke made a report of a passed houre, was wont to say:* 1.9 O Lord GOD, behold novve another houre of them is already past, which thou hast allotted vnto my life, for which how shall I be able to render thee an account?
If at any time we be wearied in our godly exercises and la∣bours, let vs forth-with consider by how many tribulations and troubles we must enter into the kingdome of heauen; and that hee shall not be crowned, that hath not lawfully contended.
And if thou thinkest that thou hast laboured inough already,* 1.10 and that no further paynes is to be endured, remember that he onely shall be s••••ed, who continueth and perseuereth to the end. For withou•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all perseuerance, neyther the course is worthy of re∣ward, nor of the small fauour of the Lord. For this cause the Lord would not descend from the Crosse, when the Iewes wil∣led him, because he would not leaue the worke of our redemp∣tion vnperfect. If therefore we will follow our head, it is ne∣cessary that we should labour with all diligence till death; be∣cause the reward of our Sauiour endureth for euer. Let vs not leaue of continuall repentance, let vs not be weary in bea∣ring the Crosse of the Lord,* 1.11 by following Christ: otherwise what shall it profit to haue sayled succesfully and prosperously a long voyage, if at length we make shipwrack in the Hauen? Thou oughtest not to feare the difficulty of fighting, God, who sendeth thee to the warre, doth promise thee helpe to o∣uercome; he is a present beholder of thy fight, and doth ayde and succour thee with a fresh supply, when thou art ēndange∣red, or when thy strength faileth; but crowneth thee when thou hast ouercome.
* 1.12When thou art wearied through tediousnes of trauaile, thus resolue with thy selfe: Doe not compare the labours of Vertue with the sweetnes and delight of the contrary vice: but conferre the sorrow and anguish, which thou now feelest in Vertue, with the sorrow and disquietnes, which thou shalt feele after thou hast sinned; and the ioy, which thou feelest in sinning, with the ioy, which for vertue remaineth for thee in the glory to come; and thou shalt presently see, how much better the condition of vertue is,* 1.13 then of vice. When thou shalt come Victour from one warre, be not idle, be not voyde of care: for often-times, as a certaine Wiseman sayth, after victory the conqueror casteth away all care: yea, alwayes stand vpon the watch: for by and by thine enemy wil approch againe, and his trumpet will giue a signe of a new onset, and a new assault will begin. For the Sea cannot be vvithout vvaues and billowes, nor this lyfe vvith∣out tribulation and temptation. For he that is a young fresh∣water Souldier, and beginneth to leade a godly life, he is more strongly and more importunatly impugned of the enemy, who
is not troublesome nor noysome vnto them, whom he is quietly possessed of; but to them, who are without his regiment and iurisdiction. Therefore the young Souldier of Christ must al∣wayes stand vpon his court of gard, & diligently watch so long as he is imployed in this warre, being armed from top to toe with Christian compleat armour. But if at any time thou shalt feele thy soule wounded,* 1.14 beware that thou cast not away thine armour and shield, and shake hands with thine enemy, & yeeld thy selfe vnto him: but imitate valiant and braue men of Arms, who often-times through shame to be ouercome, and through greefe of their wounds are forced not to flye, but to fight a∣gaine; and so taking hart at grasse, and calling to thee thy spirits a fresh, thou shalt forth-with see that by thine owne misfortune and mischaunce, thou shalt cause them to flie from thee, whom a little before thou didst flie from, and thou shalt prosecute them, who prosecuted thee. And if peraduenture thou beest wounded the second time, (which often-times happeneth in warre) yet be not discouraged, but remember, that the same thing happeneth often to them that fight most valiantly, not because they are neuer wounded, but because they are neuer conquered. For he is not sayd to be conquered, that is often wounded, but he, that looseth his armour and his courage. If thou beest wounded, seeke presently for remedy; for a fresh and new wound is sooner cured, then anolde vlcer, and that which is putrified: and one is easilier cured, then many.
If thou beest tempted at any time,* 1.15 it is not inough for thee not to haue entertayned the temptation, but endeuour by the same temptation to take a greater occasion to embrace Vertue; so by this diligence and the Diuine grace by temptation thou shalt not be made worser, but much better, and all things shall fall out with thee more happily and currantly. If thou beest tempted of Luxury and Gluttony, cease a while from thine ac∣customed delicates, yea, albeit they be lawfull, and entertaine fasting, and holy and godly exercises. If couetousnes assault thee, giue larger almes, and doe other works of mercy oftner then thou wast wont. If vaine-glory assaile thee, in all things humble thy selfe more lowly. Doing thus, perhaps the deuill will not dare further to tempt thee, least he should giue thee an
occasion to become better, and thou shouldest exercise better works, when as his casting is that thou shouldest doe worser▪ As much as lies in thee fly idlenes, and alwayes meditate vpon some good and profitable thing: and beware that thou beest not so ouerwhelmed with the multitude of busines, that thine hart be estranged from GOD, so that thou canst not meditate on him.
Math. 7.
Math, 24,
The lobors of Christ.
The labors of ye Saints.
Nothing created to be idle.
Iohn, 5,
Great re∣pentance is required for sinnes.
Luke, 7
The saying of a godly man.
Without perseuerāce no salua∣tion.
A simili∣tude.
Very good and whol∣some coun∣saile.
After victo∣ry a newe warre ap∣procheth.
A simili∣tude.
How temp∣tation is to be turned into good.