The Institution of Christian Religion

But with what so ever kind of trouble we be distressed, §1we must alway look to this end, to use our selves to the contempt of this present life, & thereby be stirred to the meditation of the life to come. For, because God knoweth well how much we be by nature inclined to the beastly love of this world, he useth a most fit mean to draw us back, and to shake of our sluggishness, that we should not stick to fast in that love. There is none of us that desireth not to seem to aspire & endeavour all their life long to heavenly immortality. For we are ashamed to excel brute beasts in nothing: whose state should be nothing inferior to ours, unless there remain to us a hope of eternity after death. But if you examine the devises, studies & doings of every man, you shall find nothing therein but earth. Hereupon groweth that senselessness, that our mind being dazzled with vain glistering of richesse, power & honours, is so dulled that it can not see far. Our heart also being possessed with covetousness, ambition & lust, is so weighed down, that it can not rise up higher. Finally all our soul entangled with enticements of the flesh, seeketh her felicity in earth. The Lord, to remedy this evil, doth with continual examples of miseries teach this of the vanity of this present life. Therefore that they should not promise themselves in this life a sound & quiet peace, he suffereth them to be many times disquieted & troubled either with wars, or uproars, or robberies, or other injuries. That they should not with to much greediness, gape for frail & transitory richesse, or rest in the richesse that they already possess, sometime with banishment, sometime with barrenness of the earth, sometime with fire, sometime by other means he bringeth them to poverty, or at least holdeth them in measure. That they should not with to much ease take pleasure in the benefits of marriage, he either maketh them to be vexed with the frowardness of their wives, or plucketh them down with ill children, or punisheth them with want of issue. But if in all these things he tenderly beareth with them, yet least they should either swell with foolish glory, or immeasurably rejoice with vain confidence, he doth by diseases & dangers set before their eyes, how unstable & vanishing be all the goods that are subject to mortality.

BUt with what so euer kinde of trouble we be distressed, §1we must alwaye loke to this ende, to vse our selues to the contempt of this present life, & therby be stirred to the meditatiō of the life to come. For, bicause God knoweth wel howe much we be by nature enclined to the beastly loue of this world, he vseth a most fit meane to draw vs back, and to shake of our sluggishnesse, that we shuld not stick to fast in yt loue. There is none of vs that desireth not to seme to aspire & endeuour al their life lōg to heauēly immortalitie. For we are ashamed to excel brute beasts in nothing: whose state should be nothing inferiour to oures, vnlesse there remaine to vs a hope of eternitie after death. But if you examine the deuises, studies & doynges of euery man, you shall finde nothyng therin but earth. Hereupon groweth that senslesnesse, that our minde beyng daseled with vaine glistering of richesse, power & honors, is so dulled that it can not see far. Our heart also beyng possessed with couetousnesse, ambition & lust, is so weyed downe, that it can not rise vp hier. Finally al our soule entangled with enticementes of the flesh, seketh her felicitie in earth. The Lord, to remedie this euell, doth with cōtinual examples of miseries teach this of the vanitie of this present life. Therfore that thei should not promise thēselues in this life a soūd & quiet peace, he suffreth them to be many times disquieted & troubled either with warres, or vprores, or robberies, or other iniuries. That they should not with to much gredinesse, gape for fraile & transitorie richesse, or rest in the richesse yt they already possesse, somtime with banishment, sometime with barrennesse of the earth, somtime with fire, somtime by other meanes he bringeth thē to pouertie, or at least holdeth them in measure. That they should not with to muche ease take pleasure in the benefites of mariage, he eyther maketh them to bee vexed with the frowardnesse of their wiues, or plucketh thē downe wt ill childrē, or punisheth thē with wāt of issue. But if in al these things he tenderly beareth with them, yet least they should either swell with foolish glorie, or inmeasurably reioyse with vaine confidence, he doth by diseases & dangers set before their eyes, how vnstable & vanishing be al the goods that are subiect to mortalitie.