Also, the holy patriarch Abraham, did well remember this name and title, dust, earth, and ashes, appointed and assigned by God, to all mankind: and therefore he calleth himself by that name, when he maketh his earnest prayer for Sodom and Gomore. And we read, that Judith, Esther,1 Job▪ Jeremiah, with other holy men and women, in the old Testament, ⟨image 10⟩did use sack cloth, and to cast dust and ashes, upon their heads, when they bewailed their sinful living. They called & cried to God for help and mercy, with such a ceremony of sack clothe, dust and ashes, that thereby they might declare to the whole world, what an humble and lowly estimation they had of themselves, & how well they remembered their name & title aforesaid, their vile, corrupt frail nature, dust, earth, and ashes. The book of wisdom also,2 willing to pull down our proud stomachs, moveth us diligently to remember our mortal and earthly generation, which we have all of him, that was first made: and that all men, aswell kings as subjects, come into this world, and go out of the same in like sort, that is, as of our selves full miserable, as we may daily see. And almighty God commanded his prophet Isaiah, to make a proclamation,3 and cry to the whole world: and Isaiah asking, what shall I cry? The Lord answered, cry, that all flesh is grass, and that all the glory of man thereof, is but as the flour of the field: when the grass is withered, the flour falleth away, when the wind of the Lord bloweth upon it. The people surely is grass, the which drieth up, and the flour fadeth away. And the holy prophet Job, having in himself great experience of the miserable and sinful estate of man, doth open the same to the world, in these words. Man (saith he) that is borne of a woman, living but a short time,4 is full of manifold miseries: he springeth up like a flour, & fadeth again, vanishing away, as it were a shadow▪ and never continueth in one state. And doest thou judge it mete, (o ⟨image 10⟩Lord) to open thine eyes upon such a one, and to bring him to judgement with thee? Who can make him clean, that is conceived of an unclean seed? And all men of their evilness and natural proneness, were so universally given to sin, that (as the scripture saith) God repented that ever he made man.5
Also, the holy patriarche Abraham, did well remembre this name and title, dust, earth, and asshes, appoynted and assigned by God, to all mankynde: and therfore he calleth hymself by that name, when he maketh his earnest praier for Sodome and Gomore. And we read, that Iudith, Hester,1 Iob▪ Hieremie, with other holy men and womē, in the old Testament, ⟨image 10⟩did vse sacke cloth, and to cast dust and asshes, vpon their heddes, when they bewailed their synfull liuyng. They called & cried to God for help and mercye, with suche a ceremonie of sacke clothe, duste and asshes, that thereby thei might declare to the whole worlde, what an hūble and lowly estimacion thei had of themselfes, & how well thei remembred their name & title aforesayd, their vile, corrupt fraile nature, dust, earth, and asshes. The boke of wisedom also,2 willing to pul doune our proude stomackes, moueth vs diligently to remēbre our mortall and earthly generacion, whiche we haue all of hym, that was firste made: and that all men, aswell kynges as subiectes, come into this worlde, and go out of thesame in lyke sorte, that is, as of our selfes full miserable, as we may dayly see. And almightye God cōmaunded hys prophet Esaie, to make a proclamacion,3 and crie to the whole worlde: and Esaie askinge, what shall I crie? The Lorde aunswered, crie, that all fleshe is grasse, and that al the glory of man therof, is but as the floure of the felde: whē the grasse is withered, the floure falleth away, when the wynd of the Lord bloweth vpon it. The people surely is grasse, the which drieth vp, and the floure fadeth awaye. And the holy prophete Iob, hauyng in himself great experience of the miserable and sinful estate of man, doth open thesame to ye world, in these wordes. Man (saith he) that is borne of a woman, liuyng but a short tyme,4 is ful of manifold miseries: he spryngeth vp like a floure, & fadeth again, vanishyng awaye, as it wer a shadowe▪ and neuer continueth in one state. And doest thou iudge it mete, (o ⟨image 10⟩Lorde) to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one, and to bring hym to iudgement with the? Who can make hym cleane, that is conceiued of an vncleane seede? And all men of their euilnesse and natural pronesse, wer so vniuersally geuen to synne, that (as the scripture saith) God repēted that euer he made mā.
- 1Judith. iiii. and .ix. Job xlii. Hier. vi. &▪ xxvIudith. iiii. and .ix. Iob xlii. Hier. vi. &▪ xxv
- 2•ap•en. vi•.
- 3Isaiah. ••Esai. ••
- 4Job. xiiii.Iob. xiiii.
- 5Ge. v.•.vi.
