The Amendment of Life, Book 1 · Chapter 1
That the word tranſlated Amend, ſignifieth, to be better aduiſed, and why. Chap. 1.
IT is a matter worth the noting, that the whole ſumme of the firſt ſermon of Ieſus Chriſt, as alſo of Saint Iohn the Baptiſt, is by S. Mathew compriſed in theſe wordes, Amend your liues, Math. 3.2. Math 4.17for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. Heereby doth the holie Ghoſt teach vsus, that the firſt thing that is to bee preached in the Church, and ſounded into our eares: that eſpecially and aboue all things we are to learne in the Goſpell: whereupon principally wee ſhould ſet our heartes and mindes: To be briefe, the ſame which we ought chiefly to practiſe, is this firſt ſermon of Ieſus Chriſt, and of his forerunner Saint Iohn, Amend your liues, for the kingdom of heauen is at hand. Now the word which the holy Ghoſt doth ordinarily vſe throughout the new Teſtament, and namely in this firſt ſermon, whereby to expreſſe Amendement, ſignifieth vnderſtanding, aduice, and wiſdome, after the knowledge of our error, corruption, and tranſgreſsion. Thus the Amendement whereto wee are heere exhorted, conſiſteth in this, that where before time we hauehave beene ſo fooliſh and vnaduiſed, as to followe our owne corruptions, and ſo to offend God, wee may heereafter obtaine vnderſtanding and ſenſe, euermore walking in the feare and obedience of God.
2 Out of this Sermon therefore, conſidering the propertie of the word which Ieſus Chriſt doth vſe, we gather two things: the firſt, that it is an extreme folly to liue according to the fleſh, and ſo to giuegive ouer our ſelues to ſinne: and contrariwiſe, that the beginning of wiſedome is the feare of God,Pſal. 111.10. Prouerb. 1.7 & walking in his waies. The ſecond, that man naturally is inclined to this folly: namely, to giuegive himſelfe ouer to his luſtes, and conſequently to offende God: for otherwiſe it were in vaine by ſo notable a reaſon to exhort him to ſhunne the ſame. As concerning the firſt point. The holy Scripture in many places tearmeth ſinners fooles, & ſinne …oli …neſſe. Moſes foreſhewing the corruption and rebellion of he I raelites,Deut. 32.5 ſaith thus: They hauehave corrupted themſelues towarde God, they reſemble not his children, but are a froward & crooked generation. Iere. 4.22.Do ye thus reward the Lord, O ye fooliſh people and vnwiſe. My people (ſaith the Lord) are fooliſh, they hauehave not knowen me, they are fooliſh children & hauehave no vnderſtanding. They are wiſe to do euill, but to doo well they hauehave no knowledge. Againe, See (ſaith Saint Paul) that ye walke diligently, not as fooles, but as wiſe men. And writing to Titus, Titus 3.3.he ſpeaketh more plainly, ſaying. We our ſelues were in time paſt vnwiſe, diſobedient, deceiued, ſeruing the lustes and diuerſe pleaſures, Prou. 1.22liuing in malitiouſnes and enuie. Salomon in his Prouerbs doth vſually ſo take it. Wiſedome (ſaith hee) crieth out, O yee fooliſh, how long will ye louelove fooliſhnes, and the ſcornefull take their pleaſure in ſcorning, and the fooles hate knowledge? And ſo in many other places, But that we may the better vnderſtand what a fooliſhneſſe it is to offend God: the holy Ghoſt, eſpecially in the olde Teſtament, and ſometimes alſo in the new, doth ſignifie this Amendement, by conuerſion and turning to the Lord. Oh Iſrael, ſayth the Lord by Ieremie, Iere 4.1 Iere. 31.18If you returne, returne vntounto mee. Againe, Conuert me, O Lord, and I ſhall be conuerted. Againe, I deſire not the death of a ſinner, ſaith the Lord, but rather that hee conuert from his wickednes and liue. Exech. 33.11Conuert ye, O ye houſe of Iſrael. Likewiſe ſometimes in the new Teſtament, Bee yee better aduiſed, that is to ſaie, Amend, ſaith S. Peter and S. Iohn, Act. 3.19and conuert. And S. Paul ſaith, that hee ſhewed them of Damaſcus and others, that they ſhoulde repent and turne to God, and doo workes worthie amendement of life.Act. 26.20 This phraſe of ſpeech teacheth vsus, that mans life reſembleth a pilgrimage, wherein whoſoeuer offendeth God, by walking after the world and the fleſh, he doth (as it were) turne his back to God, to heauen, and to life: and goeth to the deuill, to death, and to hell fire. And contrariwiſe, that conuerting and turning to God by Amendement of life, hee turneth his backe to death, to hell, and to the deuill: and goeth to God, draweth neere to him, and directeth his courſe to heauen & to life euerlaſting. Is there therefore anie greater fooliſhnes than to offend God? that is to ſaie, to turne from God and life euerlaſting, and to go after the deuill and death? If anie man ſhould voluntarily call himſelf into the fire, or into ſome riuer, either ſtab himſelfe, or drinke poiſon, men would not ſaie that he were a foole, but rather that hee were frantike and beſides himſelfe: What ſhall wee then ſaie to thoſe, who willingly offending God, do caſt themſelues into hell fire, and into the bottomleſſe pit of eternall death? To the ende therefore that we may amend, it is requiſite that we retire, conuert vntounto God, and returne to him. But how? Euen by ceaſing to offend him, and by walking according to his word: for ſo do we turne backe from the deuill, from death, and from hell, Let vsus, I ſaie, conuert and turne vntounto God, yea, let vsus drawe neere vntounto him: yet as Saint Auſten ſaith, not by changing of place,Proſper in his ſentences out of S. Auſten. for hee is euerie where, but by alteration of manners: for, as he addeth, According as we grow like or vnlike vntounto him, ſo doo we eyther approch or ſhe backe from him.
3 For the ſecond point. This exhortation Amend, that is to ſaie, Be ye wiſer and better aduiſed, together with the reaſon thereunto added, whereby to induce vsus ſo to doo, doo ſufficiently, as is aforeſayde, ſhew that man of his owne nature is inclined to this folly and rage, namely, to apply himſelfe to all corruption & ſinne, and ſo for the amending of his life ought to become wiſer and better aduiſed. Now notwithſtanding we might note many examples of this folly, yet at this preſent we will conſider onelyonly of ſeuen of the chiefeſt. And in the meane time as the number of ſeuen doth commonly ſignifie perfection, ſo will we thereby declare that man is perfectly fooliſh, vntill he change his minde, that he may amend. And theſe be the follies.
1. Not to beleeue that there is a God.
2. To account more of man than of God.
3. To thinke to liue euer.
4. Not to know wherefore we liue.
5. To iudge of mans felicitie or miſerie by the outward apparance.
6. To beleeue our enemies ſooner than our friends.
7. To thinke our ſelues wiſe.
4 Theſe ſeuen follies are the cables of vanitie, and the roapes that drawe on iniquitie. Of theſe doth Eſay ſaie, Wo vntounto them that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie, Eſa. 5.18and ſinne, as with cart ropes. For by theſe cordes and cables, hee vnderſtandeth certaine falſe opinions and peruerſe imaginations, wherewith the deuil quenching in men all feeling of ſinne & apprehenſion of God, draweth them (as it were) with cordes and cables to all iniquitie, and conſequently to the pit of hell. Of theſe he ſetteth downe three examples. The firſt of prophane perſons, ſcorners of God, who ſaie, Let him make ſpeed, let him haſt his worke that we may ſee it, & let the counſell of the holy one of Iſrael drawe neere and come, that we may know it. Secondly, of thoſe that call euill good, and good euill▪ that make darkneſſe light, and light darknes: that make bitter ſweet, & ſweet bitter. Thirdly, of thoſe that are wiſe in their owne conceits, and skilfull in the conſideration of themſelues. The explaning therfore of theſe ſeuen follies afore mentioned, may ſtand as a commentarie and opening of theſe cords and cables mentioned by Eſay, as alſo to ſhew that theſe follies tende onelyonly to perſuade man that he is a beaſt, and that after his death he is to attend neither good nor euill: thereby to ſtaie all his thoughts and affections vponupon this temporall life, to plunge him in the pleaſures of the world and the fleſh, and conſequently, to take from him all holines and religion. Inaſmuch therefore as we are now to amend our liues, we muſt learne to renounce theſe ſeuen follies, and to be wiſer hereafter.