Oh that we would, in the glass of Gods word, look upon our own souls, when they be in the tyranny of the devil, under the kingdom of sin, as this king did: we should more loathe and detest our own soul, and the company that our soul is accompanied withal, then if we should for all our life time, be put into sties with hogs, and always be bound during our life, to live with them, feed as they feed, sleep and wake as they do, and be as they be in all things.1 Look in the Gospel of Saint Luke, and there shall ye see a man by sin, so foul, so disordered, so accompanied with swine, so hungerbaned, so rent and torn, so beggarly, so wretched, so vile, so loathsome, and so stinking, that the very swine were better for their condition, then he was. But see how the heavenly shepherd beheld from his heavenly throne, the place of the everlasting joys, this poor strayed sheep, feeding not amongst sheep, but amongest swine, and yet could not be satisfied therewith. And no marvel, for swine feed not upon the meat of sheep, nor yet do sheep fill them selves with hogs draff and swillings: but this shepherd used his old wonted clemency, and strake the heart of his sheep, making him to weep and bewail his condition, a man to come to such dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine, to feed like swine, eat like swine such meat as swine eat, remembering that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King, in comparison & respect of him: then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy, he returned, & his father brought him into his pleasant & sweet pastures, & gave him ⟨p. 21⟩his old favour & accustomed apparel again, as a man to keep company with men, & no more with adulterous men, and unclean swine: howbeit, he came not to his old honour again, till the Lord had practised in him, that he practised in this Prophet king David, Ammam meam conuertit, He converted and turned my soul.
Oh that we would, in the glasse of Gods worde, looke vpon our owne soules, when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell, vnder the kingdome of sinne, as this king did: we should more loathe and detest our owne soule, and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall, then if we should for all our life time, be put into sties with hogges, and alwayes be bound during our life, to liue with them, féede as they féede, sléepe and wake as they do, and be as they be in all things.1 Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke, and there shall ye sée a man by sinne, so foule, so disordered, so accompanied with swine, so hungerbaned, so rent and torne, so beggerly, so wretched, so vile, so loathsome, and so stinking, that the very swine were better for their condition, then he was. But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne, the place of the euerlasting ioyes, this poore strayed shéepe, féeding not amongst shéepe, but amongest swine, and yet could not be satisfied therewith. And no meruell, for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe, nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges: but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie, and strake the heart of his shéepe, making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition, a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine, to féede like swine, eate like swine such meate as swine eate, remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King, in comparison & respect of him: then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy, he returned, & his father brought him into his pleasant & swéete pastures, & gaue him ⟨p. 21⟩his old fauor & accustomed apparel againe, as a man to kéepe companie with men, & no more with adulterous men, and vncleane swine: howbeit, he came not to his old honour againe, till the Lord had practised in him, that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid, Ammam meam conuertit, He conuerted and turned my soule.
- 1Luke. 15.
