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FOrasmuch as (of all other vi∣ces) that olde rooted infection of pride, vaineglorie, and pre∣sumption, is most vniuersallie grafted in man: there is no thing more necessarie or profi∣table to suppresse and subdue his hautie affecti∣ons
then continuall remembrance what he is: from whence he came: and whether hee shall. That in calling to minde,* 1.1 his base mettall: his wretched condition: and mortall generation: he may the rather be moued, more humblie, and lowlie, to conceiue and esteeme of himselfe.
* 1.2What is man? telluris inutile pondus: an vn∣profitable lump of earth: like as one might saie to a peece of yse: thou wast water: thou art wa∣ter: and to water thou shalt turne againe. So man was earth:* 1.3 he is earth: and to earth hee shall turne againe. Thou hast fashioned mee of mould and earth (saith Iob:* 1.4) and I am become like dust and ashes. Oh homo (saith Chriso∣stome) si consideras, quid per o••, quid per nares, quid per ceteros meatus egrediatur,* 1.5 nunquam vilius ster∣quilium inuenisti.
What is man? ••is matter is base, slime, and clay: his nature weake, and feeble: his birth paine, and sorow: his life vaine, and miserable: his state sliperie, & vncertaine: his time short, and tedious: his sinnes horrible, and filthie: and his ende, greeuous and lothsome.
What is man? A mirror of miserie: a play of fortune:* 1.6 and a pr••y of death. He is borne weping and wailing, to shew his wretchednes: he liueth laughing and toying, to bewraie his folly: and dieth sighing, and sob••ing, to declare his weake infirmitie.
What is man? Appulius a Philosopher, and
scholler to Plato: describeth him in this wise. Mē (saith he:) are liuing creatures, dwelling vpon the earth: hauing soules immortall: brutish ser∣uile bodies, subiect to death: light careful minds apt to errour: vaine in labours: diuers in con∣ditions: long or they bee wise: their time but short: and during life neuer content.
What is the state of man? Saint Bernard describeth it in this maner. There commeth be∣fore thine eies (saith he) a man, poore, naked, and miserable: mourning that he is a man: blushing that he is naked: weeping for that he is a wretch replenished with miserie and feare••ull for that his t••me is but sho••t. A great part of his life pas∣seth away in doing that is euill: a greater part in doing nothing: and the greatest part, in do∣ing thinges to small purpose.
And as the life of man is vaine, transitorie, and miserable: euen so is the world: with all thinges else, wherein humaine nature taketh pleasure and delight: as health, wealth, honor,* 1.7 wisedome, strength, beautie, or whatsoeuer.
What is the world? A vaile of miserie: A sinck of sinne: a mould of mischiefe: a den of theeues: a court of Satan: a purgatorie of paine: a mo∣ther to the wicked: and a stepdame to the good. Where the proud and vitious are daily advan∣ced without desert: and the humble and vertu∣ous oppressed without cause: the weiwarde and seditious befrended, and the quiet and obe∣dient
molested: the ignorant and foolish permit∣ted to speake: and the wise and discreete put to silence: crafty dissemblers extolled: and simple in∣siocents dispised.
What is the world? A second hell: full of am∣bitious desires: couetuous conceates: carefull studies: wicked willes: and diuelish intents. A cruell serpent that biteth vs with her teeth: scratcheth vs with her nailes: and swelleth vs with her poison. Much like the deceitful Laban. Who made poore Iacob serue seauen yeares for faire Rachell: and in the ende, deceiued him with foule Lea. Euen so the world promiseth health, wealth, and long life: and in the ende, deceiueth vs with pouertie, sicknes, and death.
What is the world? Her mi••th is but sorow: her pleasure, but paine: her wisedome but foolish∣nesse: and her wealth but misery. Where nothing is to be looked for, but euen a rancke of trou∣bles, one folowing in a••others necke. A great trauell is created for all men, (saith Iesus Sirach) and a heauie yoake vpon all mens c••ildren.* 1.8 Some so p••nched with pouerty & oppressed with miserie: Some tossed and turntoiled with strife, and contention: some tormented with sickenes, sores, and contagious diseases: that if an olde man shoulde set forth the tragidie of his life, from the daie of his birth,* 1.9 till his departure to the graue: a man would wonder that the bodie could suffer, and the h••art could beare, so paine∣full,
and dolorus a pilgrimage.
All the godly from the beginning haue tasted the troubles of their time. Adam felt his part of miserie: when his children did one kill an other, and saw the fall of his posterity, 900. yeares. Abraham felt his part of miserie: when at Gods commaundement he wandred into a straunge countrie, and suffered great troubles.* 1.10 Iob felt his part of miserie: when hee sawe the spoyle and hauocke of all his goods: the distruction of his children: and his owne bodie (from toppe to toe) tormented with botches and sores: hauing nothing remaining but his wicked wise: who seemed to be left of the deuill: not to comfort, but vexe and tempt him, to blaspheme God. Io∣seph felt his part of miserie:* 1.11 when he was solde of his brother, and impr••soned without cause. Noah felt his part of miserie: being grieuouslye mocked and persecuted of the wicked. Poore Lazarus was both sicke, ••o••e, hungry and thirsty.* 1.12 Father Iacob. complayned that his daies were fewe and euill. Dauid said hee was a worme, and no man. Solomon was weary of his life: because all that euer he saw vnder the Sunne: was nothing but vanitie, miserie, and vexation of minde. Father Ierom complayned, that Sa∣tan sought to ouerthrowe him: and that his weake fleshe was readie to consent.* 1.13 The Pro∣phet Ieremy cursed the daye of his birth. Ionas said, it was better for h••m to die, then liue.
Chrisostome called the daies of his life, the daies of his sorrowe. Naziensen wept that his mo∣ther had brought him forth, to see such misera∣ble daies. Such trauell hath God giuen vnto men vnder the sunne,* 1.14 to be exercised therin.
Eccle. 7.
The mise∣ry of mor∣tality.
Gen. 3.
Iob. 10.30.
Chrisost.
He is born in teares, groweth vp in sighs, liueth in paine, and dyeth in griefe.
Psal. 39.6. Preach. 2.
Eccles. 40.
As yeares diminish. so troubles increase.
Gen. 12.
Gen. 38.
Luk. 16.
Ier. 15.20.
Preach. 1.