Philemon. OH, full truly is it said of the holy man Job, that noble mirror of perfect patience: Man that is borne of a woman,1 hath but a short time to live, and yet in the time that he liveth, he is replenished with many miseries. He cometh up, and withereth away again like a flour: He flieth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one state▪ It is not yet two days since I saw my neighbour Epaphroditus, as me thought, well and •usty, yea and in perfect health, and behold he sent unto me even ⟨p. 2⟩now his servant Onesimus, that I should come unto him, with all expedition all other businesses set a part, If I ever intend to see him a live? oh good god, what a world is this? Ah most loving Christ, what a sudden change is this? Our life is not without a cause compared of the holy Apostle. S. James to a vapour,2 which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Who will trust a life so frail, so transitory, so bond unto mortality? Who can justly persuade him self to live many years in this world, seeing that in it so suddenly health is turned into sickness, valiance into imbecility, strength into weakness, joy into sadness, comfort into desperation, life into death? The rich man persuaded him self that he should live long in this world,3 as blessed Luke declareth in his holy ⟨p. 3⟩Gospel, when he said, considering the great abundance of his revenues that came yearly in: what shall I do? because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? This will I do: I will destroy my barns, and build greater, & therein will I gather all my goods, that are grown unto me, and I will say unto my soul: soul thou hast much goods laid up in store for many years, take thine ease, eat drink, be merry. But god said unto him: thou fool, this night will they fetch away thy soul again from thee. Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? The continuance of our life is not certain so much as one hour, neither is any man •able to say, I shall live till to mo•ow. For albeit nothing is more certain then death: yet is nothing •ore uncertain than the hour ⟨p. 4⟩of death. It shall therefore become all christen men that tender their own health, diligently to mark and continually to remember this friendly admonition and loving watchword of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus,4 watch, (saith he) for you know not what hour your Lord will come.
Philemon. OH, ful truli is it said of the holy man Iob, that noble myrroure of perfecte pacience: Man that is borne of a woman,1 hathe but a short tyme to liue, and yet in the time that he liueth, he is replenished with many miseries. He cometh vp, and withereth awaye agayne lyke a floure: He flieth as it were a shadow, and neuer continueth in one state▪ It is not yet two daies since I sawe my neighbour Epaphroditus, as me thoughte, well and •usty, yea and in perfecte healthe, and beholde he sent vnto me euen ⟨p. 2⟩now his seruant Onesimus, that I should come vnto him, with all expedition all other businesses set a part, If I euer entend to se him a liue? oh good god, what a world is this? Ah moste louing Christe, what a sodeine chaunge is this? Oure life is not withoute a cause compared of the holy Apostle. S. Iames to a vapoure,2 whiche appereth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Who wyl trust a life so fraile, so transitory, so bond vnto mortalitie? Who can iustlye perswade him selfe to liue manye yeres in this worlde, seing that in it so sodenly helthe is turned into sicknes, valeaunce into imbecillitie, strēgth into weakenes, ioy into sadnes, comforte into desperation, lyfe into deathe? The ryche man perswaded him selfe that he should liue long in this world,3 as blessed Luke declareth in his holy ⟨p. 3⟩Gospell, when he said, considering the greate aboundaunce of his reuenewes that came yerely in: what shall I doo? because I haue no rome wher to bestow my frutes? This will I do: I wil destroy my barnes, and build greater, & therin will I gather all my goods, that are growen vnto me, and I wil say vnto my soule: soule thou hast much goodes laid vp in store for many yeares, take thine ease, eate drink, be mery. But god saide vnto him: thou foole, this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from the. Thē whose shall those thinges be, which thou hast prouided? The continuance of our lyfe is not certeine so much as one houre, neither is any man •able to say, I shall liue til to mo•ow. For albeit nothinge is more •erten then death: yet is nothinge •ore vncertayne than the houre
- 1Job. 14.Iob. 14.
- 2James. iiii.Iames. iiii.
- 3Luke. xii.
- 4Mat. 24.
