The first Pointe.

FIrst, I will confider the greate Anguish, and Af∣fliction, which the remembrance of all things that are passed, will cause mee, running thorough the most principall.

1. First, I shallbee greately afflicted with the re∣membrance of my forepassed Sinnes, and of all the Liberties, Carnallities, Reuenges, Ambitions, and Couetousnesses that I haue had in the course of my Life. Also, of the slacknesse in the Seruice of God, the negligences, and Omissions, & all the rest of my Sinnes that haue not beene much bewailed, and amended. I am to imagine that there is at that in∣stant an Armye made of all my Sinnes, like as of Bulles, * Lyons, Tigers, & other sauage Beastes, that rent in peeces my Hearte: or like an Armye of ter∣rible VVormes that gnawe, and bite my Conscien∣ce, and neither the Riches, nor Pleasures that I en∣joyed, can auaile mee to close vp their cruell mou∣thes: for the delight of Sinne beeing past, there remaineth nothing but the sharpenesse of paine: and seeing I dranke the sweete wine of sensuall Pleasures, * I am forced to drinke the bitternesse of their Lees. Then shallbee fullfilled what Dauid saithe: * The Sorrovves of Deathe haue incompassed mee, and the torrents of iniquitie haue troubled mee: the sorovves of Hell haue compassed mee on all sides, the snares of Deathe haue preuented mee vnawares. O what bitter Dolours! O what furious Torrents! O what pinching Snares shall these bee• from the which myne owne forces are so farre from beeing able to deliuer mee, that I shall hardely knowe how to make any vse of them: for the bitternesse of these Dolours will prouoke mee to Distrust: the vehement furye of these Riuers will trouble my Iudgement: and the streightnesse of these snares, will pinche my Throte, that I may not aske par∣don of my Sinnes: * the Diuell making vse of all this, that I may haue no issue out of them. O my Soule, bevvaile, and confesse vvell thy Sinnes in thy life, that they may not disquiet, * nor torment thee in thy Deathe. Say not, I haue sinned, and vvhat sorovvf••Page  133thing hath chaunched to mee? for thy ioye shall soone passe avvaye, and the stroke of Sorrovve shall come. Loose not absolutely the feare of Sin, vvhich thou sup∣posest to bee pardoned, leaste that Sinne bud out at thy Deathe, vvhich thou bevvayledst but euilly in thy Life. These, and such other aduises which Ecclestasticus noteth in his fifth Chapter, I am to collect from this Consideration, with a Resolued minde to begin presently to put them in practize.

2. Secondly, I will ponder, how at that Instant I shall not onely bee tormented, and afflicted with the remembrance of my Sinnes, but also with the losse of the time that I had, to negotiate a businesse so Important as that of my Saluation, and with letting slippe many occasions that God offered mee to that ende. Then shall I desire but one daye of those many, which now I loose in sleeping, playing, and talking for pastime, and recreation, and it shall not bee graunted mee. Then it shall afflict mee, that I haue not frequented the holy Sacraments, nor the exercises of Praier: that I haue not aunswered di∣uine Inspirations, nor hearde Sermons, nor exerci∣zed workes of Penance: that I haue not giuen al∣mes to the poore, to gaine friendes to receiue mee in the eternall habitations, & that I haue not beene deuoted to the Saintes, that in that narrowe streight they may bee my mediators, and Aduocates. Then shall I make greate Resolutions to doe that which when I might, I did not, desiring to liue to accom∣plish them; and all peraduenture without proffit, like those of the wretched king Antiochus the cruell Persecutor of the lewes, who beeing at the pointe of Deathe, though hee made greate pro∣mises, and praiers vnto God; * yet saithe the Scriptu∣re, That this vvicked man prayed to our Lorde, of vvhome hee vvas not to obtaine mercye; not that mercye was wanting to God, but for that there was Page  134wanting to this VVretche a true disposition to re∣ceiue it: for all those Resolutions of his, sprung meerely from seruile Feare, and were but to wrest out his bodily Healthe, as if hee could deceiue God, as hee deceiued men.

From this Consideration I am to collect, that the hower of Deathe, is the hower of vnbeguiling, in in the which I shall iudge of all things differently from what I doe now: * holding (as the Ecclesiastes saithe) for Vanitie that, which before I helde for VVisdome; and contrarily holding for VVisdome, that which before I esteemed as Vanitie. And the∣refore the truest VVisdome is, to resolue effectually vpon that, which then I would doe, and forthwith to accomplishe it. For the ordinary Lawe is, that hee that liueth well, dyeth well: and hee that li∣ueth very euilly, seldome happeneth to dye well: And especially I will make a full Resolution, to loose no iotte of Time, nor to let slippe any occa∣sion of my proffit, * remembring that of Ecclesiasti∣cus: Be not defrauded of the good day, and let not a little portion of a good gift ouerpasse thee, but make thy Proffit of all, to the Glorye of him that giueth it thee.