nothing of the matter which signifieth that he did not approue or like it And he that shall consider how God (t) Osâ—ae c. 8. abandoned King Saul the same God hauing placed him in the Kingdom wil find that he (v) A sad example but fit for ambitious men to looke much vpon hath much reason to vndeceiue himselfe since there will be no assurance giuen him by any that he is not to proue as frayle as Saul but only by his owne pride and ambition of command Of (x) Note this I am very sure that he shal neuer more honestly enter into it then Saul did S Augustine had reason when he sayd That authority and dignity is necessary for such as are to rule the people and that when a man is in it he must administer it according to reason but that it is vnlawfull for him that hath it not to desire it And of himselfe he sayd That he desired and procured to saue his soule in a low place that he might not put it to hazard in a higher This is especially to be done when the place whereof we speake doth concerne the charge of soules the well discharging whereof doth carry with it so much difficulty as that it is called the Art of Artes. These (y) Certaine excellent directions for practise dangers ought to be fled by vs as much as with a morall possibility we may in imitation of the example already touched which our Lord did shew in flying from the acceptance of a Kingdome he hath represented to vs many other holy wise persons who haue fled the like with al the harts they had And such as enter into these places had need do it either by reuelatioÌ„ of our Lord or by obedience to such as haue power to command them or by counsell of such others as do well vnderstand the obligation of such an office and the dangers thereof and they must be sure to keep the iudgment of God before their eyes and to cast all temporall respects behind their backes If these conditions may not be found it will at least be needfull that there be ground for good coniecture that God is pleased to lay such a burthen vpon them that such or such a man may giue credit to those coniectures before he imbarke himself into so great a danger And notwithstanding all this there will be matter inough of feare and continuall watch must be kept and our Lord must be prayed that since he kept the entrance free from ill he may also defend them in the issue of it for feare least otherwise it end in euerlasting condemnation For we haue seen many of them who liued with much contentment in such command dye full of wishes that they had neuer beene imployed therein and loaden with great feares of that whereof before they were in their opinion secure And (z) Platerv and false iudgment is then out of date in all likelyhood the truth of a mans iudgment concerning temporall thinges doth shine brighter vpon him when he is departing from them when he is more approaching to the iudgment of God wherein all Truth remaynes CHAP. V. How much we ought to fly from the pleasure of flesh and â—loud and what a most dangerous Enemy this is of what helpes we are to serue our selues for the subduing thereof FLESH and Bloud speakes of Delights and pleasures sometymes expresly sometymes vnder a colour of necessity The warre which is made vpon vs by this enemy besids that it brings vs much affliction is full of danger Because it fightes with pleasure in the hand which is (a) Note and take heed the strongest weapon of all others This doth euideÌ„tly appeare since many haue beene conquered by pleasure who were not so by riches honours or eueÌ„ by cruel torments Nor is it any meruayle For this ware is so secret and so in the way of ambush or treasoÌ„ that a man had need of much coÌ„sideration for his defence Who (b) We may well beleeue it vpon the infinit experieÌ„ce that hath byn takeÌ„ would belieue that death and death eternall should come towards vs vnder a maske of sweet and smooth delight death being the top of bitternesse delight the very thing that we most aspire to tast A cup of gold with a draught of poyson is this false pleasure whereby they are made drunke who haue no eyes but for the exteriour This is the treason of (c) 2. Reg. 20. Ioab who killed Amasus by imbracing him and of (d) Matt. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Iudas who by that treacherous kisse of peace deliuered ouer his blessed mayster into the hands of death So is it when by drinking the pleasure of a mortal sin Christ dyeth in the soule vpon whose death it also dies for company for the life it had came from him So sayth (c) Rom. 8. S. Paul If you liue according to the flesh you shal dy And in another place (f) Tim. 5. The widdow that remaynes in pleasure being yet aliue is dead aliue by the life of her body but dead by that of her soule By how much the more closely we are ioyned to this (g) It is a traytour lodging in our bosome flesh and bloud so much the more we are to feare it for our Lord hath sayd (h) Matt. 10â— That a mans enemies are they of his owne house And this flesh bloud is not only belonging to this house of ours but of the two walls whereof the same house is made this is one For this and other reasons S. Augustin sayd that the combate of our flesh bloud was continuall and the conquest full of difficulty and whosoeuer will proue victorious must go armed with many and strong (i) Of Armes pieces For the pretious iewell of chastity is not imparted to al but to such as by the much sweat of many earnest prayers and of other holy peÌ„nance do obteyne it of our Lord. He was pleased to be wrapt in a fayre sheete of linnen which must passe through many rude handlings before it wil come to be white Wherby we may vnderstaÌ„d that the man who desireth to obteyne to conserue the guift of chastity and so to lodge Christ in himself as if it were in another sepulâ—her must be content with a great deale of cost labour to gayne this purity (k) Chastity is such a iewell as that it can neuer be ouer-bought which is a thing so rich that whatsoeuer be spend vpon it he may account himself to buy it cheap And as many more painfull works of pâ—nnance satisfaction are to be required at his hands who hath much offended our Lord then at his who hath not so much offended so though all of vs who liue in flesh must be afrayd of it and watch ouer it bridle it and rule it with discreet-temperance yet they who particulerly are infested by it wil haue need to vse
or hungry or wel fed he sayth it is (a) Matt. 25. himself that is so So that As soone as we were he was in vs as S. Augustine sayth and when we are heard by God he sayth that he is heard through the (b) The vnspeakable vnâ—oÌ„ of Christ Iesus our Lord with his seruantâ— and his infinite loue to them vnspeakable vnion which is between him and his which is signifyed by the name of the Spouse the fellow spouse and of the head in respect of the body which he loued so much that howsoeuer in ordinary course we see that a man exposeth his arme to receaue the blow for the sauing of the head yet this blessed Lord being the head would needs meet that blow which was giuen by the hand of the iustice of God and so dyed vpon the Crosse to giue life to his body which is our selues And after that he hath quickned vs by the meanes of pennance of the Sacraments he doth regale vs and defend vs and maintayne vs as a thing so much his owne that he is (c) Note not content with calling vs his seruants and friends brothers and sonnes but to teach vs yet better how much he loueth vs and that so he may rayse vs vp to greater honour he endueth vs with his (d) An vnspeakable honour it is if we had the grace to weigh it well to be called ChristiaÌ„s yea as it were one Christ owne name For by this vnspeakable vnion of Christ the head with the body which is the Church he and we are called one (e) 1. Cor. 12. Christ And this most sweet mystery full of all consolation doth S. Paul giue vs to vnderstand in those wordes when he said That (f) Ephes 2. the heauenly Father did make vs acceptable in his beloned Sonne and that we were created in good workes in Iesus Christ. And to the Corinthians he said You are in Iesus Christ Which manner of speach by the word In doth point vs out to this vnion of Christ and his Church So also our Lord saith by (g) Ioin 11. S. Iohn He that is in me and I in him beareth much fruit for without me you are able to do nothing Thanks (h) A holy conclusioÌ„ of this chapter be giuen O Lord to thy loue and goodnesse who by thy death didst giue vs life And thankes be giuen to thee also because by thy life thou consernest ours and thou doest imbrace vs so close to thy selfe in this exile of ours that yf we will perseuere in thy seruice thou wilt carry vs to geather with thy selfe and wilt keep vs for euer in heauen where thou art as thy selfe hath said Where I am my selfe there shall my seruant also be CHAP. LXXXV How lowd Christ cryed out and doth euer cry out for vs before the Eternall Father and with how great speede his Maiesty doth heare the prayers of men and bestoweth benefitts vpon them by meanes of this out-cry of his sonne THov mayst already see by what is sayd how great necessity all men haue of the fauour of Christ Iesus to the end that their prayers may be heard as acceptable in the presence of God But it is not so with Christ himselfe for he hath no need that any other should speake for him He it is and he alone whose voyce is heard in respect of it selfe For as S. Paul (a) Hebr. 8. saith he is able to go to his Father himselfe to pray for vs he also saith That Christ in the dayes of his mortall life offering prayers to his Father with a lowd cry and with teares was heard for his reuerence Christ desired his Father that he would deliuer him from death not suffering him to remaine therein by raysing him vp to a life immortall And as he desired so was it granted to him He also offered vp teares and prayers to his Father many times which proceeding from a hart which was full of loue are said to haue bin made with a loud cry And although that loue which made him cry was euer all alike in him for as much as euery teare he shed and euery (b) What infinite loue therfore was that and what loue ought ours to be in answer of it pace that he made was performed with as much loue as when he laid himself downe vpon the Crosse yet considering the exteriour and the nature of the worke it selfe which was wrought so much difference there was betweene the offering of his most holy body vpon the Crosse and the offering vp prayers for vs as there is betweene suffering yea and suffering death on the one side and praying or speaking on the other Remember that which God (c) Gen. 4. said to Cain The voyce of the bloud of thy Brother Abel doth cry out to me from the earth And of that also which S. Paul (d) Hebr. 12. said to vs Christians You are come to aâ—hedâ—ing of bloud which cryeth out better then that of Abel For (e) The difference betweene the bloud of Christ our Lord and the bloud of Abel that of Abel cryed out to the diuine iustice demaunding vengeance against Cain who spilt it but the bloud of Christ which was shed vpon the earth cryed out to the diuine mercy demaunding pardon The former calleth for anger the later for pitty the former for indignation the later for reconciliation that of Abel asketh vengeance against Cain alone this other asketh pardon for all the wicked men that euer were or will euer be so farre forth as they shal be ready to receiue it with (f) Pennance such a disposition as is fit yea it asketh pardon euen for them which shed it The bloud of Abel was able to profit no man because it had no such power as to pay for the sinnes of others but the bloud of Christ did cleanse both the heauens the earth and the sea as the Church doth sing and drew out such as were detayned in the very pittes of Limbus as the Prophet Zachary affirmes Without fayle the cry of the bloud of Christ desiring mercy is a great cry since it hindred the hearing of that other cry which was made by the sinnes of the world and which demaunded vengeance against the committers thereof Consider thou O Virgin if (g) And thou also who art no virgin consider of it for it speakes to all the world that one only sin of Cain made such a noyse by asking vengeance what noyse what cryes what shouting out do all the sinnes of all men make demaunding the same and greater vengeance in the eares of the iustice of God But yet neuertheles how loud so euer they cry incomparably more loud crieth the bloud of Christ in the eares of the diuine mercy demaunding pardon And it makes that those others are not heard that the noise of our sinnes may be so little and so low as that God may be to them as if he
particuler endeauours and remedies He therefore that shall find himselfe subiect to this necessity must in the first place treate his body with seuerity by lessening both food sleep and by giuing it a hard bed hayr-clothes other conuenient helps of this kind whereby it may be afflicted For (l) HarkeÌ„ to this holy Father though he were no Protestant S Hierome saith By fasting the plague of this body of ours is cured and S. Hilarion spake thus to his flesh and bloud I will tame thee and take order that thou shalt not kiâ—ke but that through hunger and payne thou maist haue more mind of mâ—ate then lust And S. Hierome counselleth Eustochium the Virgin That although she had bin brought vp in daynty fare yet she should be very carefull to vse abstinence in diet and not to abstayne from giuing the body further troubles assuring her that without taking of this course she would not be able to make good the possession of chastity Yf by occasion of such pennance the body should grow to weakenesse and the health to preiudice the same S. Hierome maketh answeare in another place That it were better the stomacke should suffer then the soule and to commaund the body then to be subiect to it and that the legges were better to treÌ„ble for weakenesse then that chastity should reele for lacke of strength It is true indeed that in another place he withall requires That the fasting be not so excessiue as to weaken the stomacke yet againe in another place he reprehendeth some whome he had knowne to haue runne hazard of loosing their wittes through the excesse of fasting absteyning In this it is impossible to giue a general rule that may square with all For (m) It is therfore necessary to haue often recourse to his ghostly Father some find help by one meanes another not some one may be hurt by it in his health and not another And one thing it is when the warre is so great as to place a man in daunger of loosing his Chastity for in that case it is fit to put the body to any inconuenience that the soule may so be able to remaine with life and another thing it is for a man to struggle with a moderate tentation whereby he feareth not so much danger nor for the conquest thereof is in necessity of taking so much paynes Now for the vsing of the most conuenient help in such occasions it will much depend vpon the discreet conduct of him that guides the person tempted who are both to pray with al humility to our Lord that heerin he will impart some light And since thâ— vessel n 1. Cor. â— of Election S Paul did not trust his flesh and bloud o S. Paul was no ProtestaÌ„t both because he thought it necessary to chastize beat his body and for that he made not himselfe sure of his saluation as these others doe but that he punished and made it subiect least preaching vertue to others himself might become vicious by falling into sinne how shall we conceaue that we can be chaste without chastizing our body since we haue both lesse vertue and greater causes of feare then he Very p Note hardly is humility held fast in the middest of honours temperance in the middest of abundance chastity in the middest of delicacies And if he should be worthy of derision who procuring to quench the fyre wherein his house were burning would cast in a supply of more dry wood much more worthily shall he be derided who on the one side desyreth chastity and on the other stuffes his skin with curious and choice meates and giues himselfe moreouer to idlenesse For these things doe not only not quench the fire which already is kindled but would suffice to kindle it euen where it were already quenched And since the Prophet q Ezech. 1â— Ezechiel is a witnesse to vs that the cause why that vnfortunate Citty of Sodome grew vp to the highest of that abominable sin was the r AboundaÌ„ce and Idlenes are the mother and the nurse of lust fullnesse aboundance of bread and the idlenesse wherein they spent their tyme who will now presume to liue in idlenesse or in delicacyes yea or euen to see them though but a far off For as much as these things which in them were able to produce that greater sinne with facility will be able to induce vs to commit the lesser Let such an one therefore as is a friend to Chastity loue Temperance and the ill treating of his body For if he would haue the one without the other it will not proue with him but rather he will be depriued of both For those thinges which God did ioyne man should not desire to separate neyther shall he be able though he would CHAP. VI. Of two causes that there are of sensuall tentations what meanes we must vse against them when they rise from the Malice of the Diuell VVE are much to marke that the remedy of which I haue spoken in afflicting the body is wont to help when the tentation springeth from the body as it vseth to do in young men who haue good health and haue vsed to regale themselues Then a According to the seuerall root motiue of the tentation so is the remedy to be applyed I say it is fit to reforme the body when the roote of the infirmity riseth thence But sometymes the tentation groweth by meanes of the Diuell and it may partly be perceaued by this that it fighteth with vs more by thoughts foule imaginations of the mind then by impure motions of the body Or if you find these later also in your body it is not because the tentation began there but hauing begun by thoughts it groweth at last to result into the exteriour Which exteriour of the body being sometymes extremely weake and little better then dead euill thoughts are yet now and then most liuely in it as it happened to S. Hierome according to his owne relation It is also another signe that such tentations are of the Diuell when they come vpon a suddayne and when a man giueth least occasion or hath cause to expect them least Nor b There is no sin at all if no occasion nor coÌ„sent be giuen nor pleasure taken in the suggestioÌ„ of carnall thoughts can he as it may happen obserue due reuerence in the very tymes of his Prayer no nor at the Altar nor in other holy places where yet euen a very wicked man would coÌ„sider where he were abstayn from thinking of such things Sometymes c Note these thoughts are such in quality and so many in number as that a man neuer knew nor heard nor imagined any such things as do then present themselues And by the force wherewith they come and by the very things themselues which interiourly are told him a man findes that they spring not from himselfe but that
conseruation of chastity that familiar conuersation of men with women be auoyded how much so euer they be of vertue and how neer soeuer in bloud For (a) The examples are infinite and therefore we shall be more faulty if we take not heed the foule and strange falls which haue byn giuen and taken in the world by occasion of this ought to be a continuall remembrancer to vs of our fraylty and a quicke warning at the cost of others whereby we may vnbeguyle our selues in respect of the false security which our pryde would fayne make promise off saying That we should passe on without receyuing of any hurt we I say who are weake wherein others who were so strong so wise and which more importes so great Sayntes were most miserably wounded Who would trust the bond of bloud when he reades of that bestiality which Amon (b) 2. Reg. 13. committed with his sister Thamar with many other as foule examples as this and more which haue hapned in the world to persons whom the brutish passion of flesh and bloud made blind (c) Note this and take thine eyes into thy head And who would trust to the sanctity either of himselfe or any other when he seeth Dauid who was a man made after the hart of God drawne downe by such obscurity of mind into so many and so filthy sinnes by only looking vpon a woman And who will not tremble to thinke of his owne fraylty when he considereth the sanctity and wisedome of King Salomon in his youth and his deformed falles from chastity which did hammer so fast vpon his hart in his old age as to induce him to erect a number (d) 3. Reg. 3. of Idolls and to adore them after the example of those women whom he loued Let no man in this deceaue himselfe nor confide in his chastity either past or present though he find his mind as strong and as hard against the contrary vice as any rock For it was a great truth which the experienced Hierome deliuered to vs That luxuriousnesse of the flesh subdueth soules that are made of yron And S. Augustine would not dwell with his owne sister saying They that will conuerse with my sister are no sisters of mine By (e) There is no way to conquer in this warre but by flight this way of caution all the Saintes haue vvalked them vve must follow vnlesse we haue a mind to loose our way Be not therefore thou O Child of Christ remisse heerein but heare and performe that which S. Bernard sayth That virgins who are truly virgins are fearefull in all occasions yea euen in such as are secure from danger And they who proceed not thus shall quickly see themselues as miserably fallen as formerly by meanes of a false security they were miserably deceaued And although by pennance a pardon of the sinne is obteyned yet reacheth it not to a recouery of the crowne of Virginity which is lost And a poore thing it is sayth S Hierome that a virgin who expected a crowne must be glad of a pardon for not hauing kept it As it would be if any King (f) Note should haue a daughter whom he loued much and vvhom he kept for marriage according to her rancke when the occasion thereof should present it selfe this daughter of his should tell him that she asked his pardon for that she vvas not fit for marriage as hauing vilely lost her Virginity The remedyes of Pennance are miserable remedyes as sayth S. Hierome since there is not any greater misfortune or misery then to commit a mortall sinne for the remedy wherof it is necessary to resort to Pennance Therefore must thou with all vigilancy attend to be loyall to him that chose thee and to make that good which thou hast (g) Because she had vowed virginity promised to him that so thou mayst not try by experience that which is written Know thou and see what a bitter thing it is to haue left the Lord thy God and that his feare did not coÌ„tinue in thee but do thou enioy the fruit as well as the name of his chast Spouse and the crowne which is prouided by him for such CHAP. VIII How the Diuell vseth to deceaue spirituall men by meanes of this enemy of our Flesh and Bloud of the course that we are to hold in keeping our selues from errour THov (a) This excellent Chapter deserueth to be seriously pondred by all kind of spiritual persons art to be aduertised that the fall of deuout persons is not vnderstood at the first no not so much as by themselues and for this it is the more to be feared At the first it seemes to them that by communication with such persons their soules do profit and confiding therein they do often resort to such conuersations and (b) By how insensible degrees may the most spirituall persons come to be sould ouer to this sinne of sense thereby is engendred in their harts a kind of loue which doth captiue them a little and putteth them to payne when they see not one another and with seeing and speaking they are at ease After this it growes that they expresse the loue they mutually beare wherby and by other discourses which already are not so spirituall as the former they take ioy to be talking at large And by little little that conuersation which formerly might profit their soules they find to haue taken them prisoners by often thinking of one another and by the care and desire which they haue to meet sometymes and mutually to send amourous presents and sweet recommendations or letters These thinges with other such like fawninges are not agreable to a holy affection as S. Hierome sayth and by these slippery steps from one to (c) In the end they find that euen the very beginninges were naught which â—eâ— at the first they suspected not another they vse to come to such ends as giue them to vnderstand that very much to their cost that euen the beginning entertayning of that conuersation which first they tooke to be a seruice of God without finding any ill motion at all was no other then a meere deceit of the flye Diuell who at the first gaue them security that afterwardes he might catch them in the snare which he had hidden for that purpose And after being fallen they learne that a man and a woman are but fire and flaxe and that the Diuells errand is but to bring them neere one another and when they are so he blowes the bellowes with a thousand arts tricks to inflame them heere with the fire of Flesh and Bloud and to carry them afterwards into that of hell Therefore thou O Virgin fly away from the familiarity of euery man and continue to the end of thy life in that good custome which thou hast begunne to be neuer alone with any man except thy Confessour and that no longer then why lest thou art making thy
shalt now vnderstand that if this prayer be deuout and long continued and such as wherin gust is taken according to that diuine sweetnesse which it imparted to some such prayer I say is not only a weapon wherewith to fight but euen outright to cut the throat of this bestiall vice For the soule wrastling hand to hand with God by the armes of her deuout affections and thoughtes doth obteyne of him in particuler manner as another Iacob that he blesse her with a multitude of graces and with a profound internall sweetnesse Heereupon she remaineth strucken in the thigh which signifieth sensuall appetite this growing to be mortified in such forte as that from thenceforth she goeth lame on that side and she remayneth liuely strong in her spirituall affections being signified by the other thigh which was vntouched For as the delightfull gust of flesh and bloud maketh vs loose all gust and strength of spirit so if once we come to haue gust in spirit the gust of all flesh and bloud grows highly vnsauoury Somtymes (b) See how God vseth his true seruants the delightfull sweetnesse which a soule being visited by God doth tast is so great that the body cannot beare it and the same body remayneth so weake and so defeated as it might be at the end of some corporal infirmity which had held it long Though at other tymes it hapâ—eth that by the strength which is receiued by the soule euen the very body also is assisted and recouers new forces Making some experience in this exile of hers of that which shee is to find in heauen when the soule being happy in God full of inexplicable delightes there shall result into the body both strength and ioy and other most pretious endowements which our Lord will then impart O soueraigne Lord and how (c) How inexcusable they are who leaue God for the loue of creatures mightily without excuse hast thou made the fault of them who for the seeking of delight in creatures are content to forsake yea to offend thee vvhilest yet euery one of the delightes that be in thee are so massiue as that all they which are in the creatures being summed vp into one are in comparison of thyne no better then pure and perfect gall And this is so vvith great reason For the delight or ioy vvhich is taken from any thing is but the fruite of that thing whatsoeuer it be and such as the tree is the fruit is also Therefore is the ioy which is deriued from creatures but short and vayne and filthy and compounded with sorrow because the tree from whence it is gathered is subiect to the same conditions But the ioy which is in thee O Lord what imperfection or decay can it be subiect to Since thou art eternall quiet most simple most beautifull immutable a Good which is infinitely complete The (d) The delights of this world are all but lyes tast which a partridge hath is of a partridge the gust which a man hath of any creature sauours of the creature and he that can say who thou art O Lord can say of what tast thou art Aboue all vnderstanding is thy being and so also is that sweet delight of thyne which is kept and hidden vp for them that feare thee and who to enioy thee do with their harts renounce the gust of creatures An infinite good thou art and so are thy delights also infinite And therfore although the Angels of heauen and the happy soules of men liuing there are euer to remayne enioying thee and (e) The ioyes of heauen are so greatâ— as that no soule would be able to subsist in them if it were not supernaturally enabled to it by Almighty God that with a proportion of strength which thou hast giuen them for that purpose which is not small and although incomparably many more were added also to them that in like maÌ„ner they might enioy thee and that with much greater strength then now they haue yet so boundlesse is that sea of thy diuine sweetnes as that they all wauing and swimming as being full euen inebriated with those delights there doth yet remayne so much more thereof to be enioyed as that if thou O Lord Omnipotent with the infinite powers which thou hast didst not possesse and enioy thy selfe those delights would carry with themselues a kind of complaint in that there would be want of such as might enioy all that which is there to be enioyned And thou O most wise Lord vnderstanding as being our Creatour that our inclinatioÌ„ carryeth vs to a loue of rest and ioy and that a soule is not able to continue long without a search of some consolation either good or bad thou (f) God is so deerely good that euen in this life he puts his faythfull seruants into a kind of paradise dost inuite vs by those celestial delights which are in thee that so we may not cast our selues away vpon the pursuite of sinneful pleasure in thy creatures Thy voice it is O Lord Come vnto (g) Matt. 11. me O all you that labour and are loaden and I will refresh you And thou didst commaund that this should be proclaymed in thy name O all you that are thirsty come to the waters And thou hast made vs know That (h) Isâ— â—s there are delightfull ioyes in thy right hand which continue to the end that of the same riuer of thy delight not by any limited taxe or measure thou giuest to thy seruants to driâ—ke in thy kingdome Yea sometymes thou vouchsafest a tast of some part therof to thy friends euen whylest they are yet on earth to whome thou sayest Come (i) Canâ— 5. eate and drinke and be inebriated O you my deerest friends Al this thou doest O Lord through a desire of drawing them to thee by meanes of ioy whome thou knowest to be so affected to it Let no man therefore lay the least imputation vpon thee O Lord as if there were any want of goodnes in thee to be loued or of true delight to be enioyed and let him neuer be hunting after any pleasing or delightfull conuersation out of thee since the reward which thou wilt giue to thy seruants is to bid them Enter into (k) Matt. 20. the ioy of their Lord. For of the same plate and out of the same cup whereof thou eatest and drinkest they shall eate and drinke and of the same which thou enioyest they shall enioy for thou hast already inuited them to eate at thy table in the (l) Luc. 21. kingdome of thy Father What canst thou haue heere to say (m) Hearken to this for he speaks home to thee if it be to thee O thou carnall man thou who art in so high a measure deceaued as that thou ariuest to prize these filthy pleasures of flesh and bloud which base and wicked persons and euen the very beastes of the field enioy more then that soueraigne
sweetnes which is in God and which is enioyed by the Saints and by the Angells and by God himselfe the Creatour of them all It is a businesse belonging to beasts which thou dost so prize and loue and thy passions are no better then very beastes And so often doest thou cast the most high God vnder the feet of thy most vile beasts as thou doest offend him for carnall pleasures Fly therefore O thou Virgin from a thing so infamous as this and ascend thou vp to the mount of prayer and beseech our Lord that he will giue thee some tast of himselfe that thy soule being strengthned by the sweetnes that distills from him thou mayst despise those durty pleasures which inhabit flesh and bloud Then wilt thou haue a cordiall and deep compassion of them who go casting themselues away through the bâ—senes of the durty vallies of a bestiall life And (n) Thou hast a hart of stone if this do not moue thee being all amaz'd thou wilt cry out O you men and what is it that you loose And for what The most sweet God for most stinking flesh bloud And what payne do they deserue for so (o) False weights are an aâ—hâ—min â—ioÌ„ to God and how false are these which make vayne empty creatures to outweigh the God of eternall glory false weights and measures but eternall torment and of that they shall infallibly be sure CHAP. X. Of many other meanes which we are to vse when this cruell Enemy doth assault vs with his first blowes THE aduises which thou hast already heard by way of remedy of this infirmity are thinges which ordinarily thou must vse though it be not in the tyme of tentation Hearken now to that which thou art to do when it sets vpon thee by giuing thee the first blow Then blesse thy (a) Diuers profitable and practicall remedyes against temptations of sense forehead or thy hart with the signe of the Crosse calling with deuotion vpon the holy name of Iesus Christ and say Not I I sell not God so good cheape O Lord thou art more worth and I loue thee more then so If (b) Note the tentation do not then giue ouer descend with thy thoughts into hell and behold how terribly that liuing fire doth burne and maketh those miserable creaturs which were heere inflamed with the fire of lust cry out and howle and blaspheme why lest in the meane tyme the sentence of God is executed vpon them which sayth Let (c) Apoc. 18. somuch torment and desolation be laid vpon them as they glorifyed themselues in their delights Be thou astonished at the grieuousnes of the punishment though yet withall it be most iust that the pleasure of one moment should be chastized with eternall torments And say within thyselfe as S. Gregory doth Momentary is that which delighteth but eternall is that which tormenteth If this contemplation help thee not send vp thy hart to heauen and represent to it the purity of that Chastity which remayneth in that happy Citty where no beast can haue any entrance I meane no person that is bestiall And there continue thou for some time till thou mayst find strength of spirit and so that heere thou mayst abhorre that which there is so abhorred through the loue of God It doth also help to suppose that thy body were in the graue and to behold at leasure how miserable and stincking the bodies of men and woman are there to be So also is it good to go instantly to Christ Iesus nayled vpon the Crosse and especially as he is tyed to the pillar and whipped and bathed in bloud from head to foote and then to say with a deepe internall groane Thy virgineall and diuine body O Lord so tormented and so loaden with grieuous paynes and that I should put myne into pleasure this were worthy of all rigorous punishment Since thou with scourges so full oâ— cruelty doest pay for the delightes which men take in offence of thy law I will not O Lord delight my selfe so much to thy cost In like manner will it auayle to represent thy selfe instantly in presence of the most pure Virgin Mary considering the purity and integrity both of her body mind and instantly to abhorre the dishonest thought which came to thee as darknesse is driuen away by the approach of light But (d) Pray to God to giue thee grace to practise this aboue all if thou canst shut the dore of thy vnderstanding and shut it well as we vse to do in the most internall recollection of our prayer as hereafter we will declare thou shalt find help at hand with more facility then by al those other remedies For it happens many tyms that by opening the dore to a secoÌ„d good thoght an ill one doth vse to enter in but keeping out both the one the other it is a turning from the enemy not opening the dore till he be gone and so he is put to a scorne So doth it also help to spread the armes into the forme of a crosse to beÌ„d the knees and to beate the breast But that which most importes or at least as much as all the rest togeather is to (e) The deuout receauing of the B. SacrameÌ„t is the most soueraigne remedy against tentations of sense receiue with due preparation the holy body of Christ Iesus our Lord which was formed by the holy Ghost is very far estranged from all impurity This is an admirable remedy against those mischeifes which would grow vpon vs by occasion of our flesh conceyued in sinne And if we could well ponder the blessing that we receyue by the comming of Christ Iesus into vs we should esteeme our selues to be as so many pretious Reliquaries and we would fly from all kind of filthynesse for the honour of him whome we had receiued What (f) Read this with great feeling hart can any one haue to prophane his body when it hath byn honoured so far as to close with the most holy body of God humaned what greater obligation could haue byn cast vpon me what more forcible motiue cold haue byn offered to make me liue inpurity then to behold with myne eyes to touch with my hands to receyue with my mouth to ledge in my breast the most pure body of Iesus Christ He vouchsafing me that vnspeakeable honour to the end that I might not descend to basenesse and knitting me to himselfe and consecrating me as a place into which he vouchsafes to enter How then with what body shall I endure to offend our Lord. since he being the authour of purity hath entred into the same body I haue fedd vpon him and fedd with him at the same table and shall I now be a traytour to him No I will neuer be so for the whole world Thus is it fit that we esteeme this fauour to the end that we may haue a crown put vpon this weake and frayle condition of ours
goodnes of God who is angry if by praying for one another we seeke not to appease his wrath might oppose himselfe against me and so I might not destroy the earth but I fouâ—d no such man and I powred out my wrath vpon them in the fire of my (k) Ezech. 22. anger I consumed them Take heed therefore that thou loue not a narrow and poore hart of thyne owne to which these base pleasures vse to be agreable and delightfull Remember that which S. Bernard sayd That if thou well consider the body and that which proceeds from thence it is a kind of more loathsome dunghill then otherwise thou hast seene Despise it from thy hart withall the ornaments and â—ace and delight it hath and make account that euen already it is in the sepulcher conuerted into a handfull of dust When thou seest any man or woman looke not much vpon their face or person and if thou doe let it be to loath it but addresse thy internall eyes to the soule which is shut vp and hidden in the body amongst which soules there is no difference of man or woman And admire thou that soule as a thing created by God since (l) The inestimable dignity excellency of a soule the valew of that alone is greater then that of all corporeall things eyther made or to be made And thus dismissing thy selfe from the basenesse of bodies bestow thy selfe vpon the search of greater treasures and vndertake thou noble enterprizes and no lesse then to lodge euen God himselfe both in thy soule and in thy body with a profound purity of hart Behould (m) The height and dignity of the vocation of a ChristiaÌ„ thy selfe with such eyes as these since S. Paul sayth (n) Câ— or 3. Know you not that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God remayneth in you And in another place do you not know that your members are the temples of the holy Ghost who remaynes within you and whom God hath giuen to you And you are not your owne And since you are bought with a great price let God be honoured in your bodyes Consider allso that when thou diddest receyue holy Baptisme thou wert made the Temple of God and thy soule was consecrated to him by his grace and so was thy body also by the â—uch of that holy water And the holy Ghost doth â—erue it selfe both of the soule and body as being the Lord of the whole house enclining both the one and the other to good workes and for this it is sayd That euen the partes of our body are the Temples of the holy Ghost God (o) Be thou amazed at this infinite vouchsafing of almighty God doth vouchsafe vs great honour by being pleased to dwell in vs and to honour vs indeed with the name of Temples and great is the obligation which thereby is put vpon vs to cleanse our selues it being so fit that the house of God be cleane And if thou wilt consider that thou wert purchased as S. Paul sayth at a great price that is by the life of God humaned which for thee was giuen thou mayst see how great reason it is for thee to honour God and to beare him in thy body doing him seruice and not therein to commit any thing which may be to his dishonour and thine owne extreame disaduantage For iust and true is that sentence That (p) 1. Cor. 3. whosoeuer shall defile the Temple of God him will God destroy For in his Temple there must be nothing but that which tends to his honour and prayse Remember that which S. Augustine sayd When I had once vnderstood that God had redeemed and purchased me with his pretious bloud I resolued that neuer more I would sell my selfe To which I would haue thee add And how much lesse will I doe it for the base pleasure of flesh and bloud Thou hast begunne a (q) A vow of perpetual Chastity worke worthy of a noble courage because thou meanest to be incorrupt in that corruptible flesh of thyne and to possesse that by way of vertue which the Angells possesse by way of nature and to pretend to a particuler crowne in heauen in being companion to those blessed Virgins Who sing that new song and follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Consider the name which now thou holdest of being the spouse of Christ and the ioye which thou mayst expect in heauen when there that spouse of thyne shall lodge thee in thy bed for thus thou wilt come to so much loue of the purity of virginity that for it thou wilt gladly loose thy life as many holy Virgins haue done who rather then they would not be Virgins were content to be Martyrs with great magnaminity Procure thou also to (r) This is true Nobility the contrary is meer basenesse haue a noble hart which is very necessary for the keeping of thee in that high estate where God hath placed thee CHAP. XII That God vseth to punish such as are proud by permitting them to loose the treasure of Chastity thereby to humble them and how necessary it is to be humble for the ouercomming of the enemy to this vertue THERE haue byn others who lost the treasure of their chastity by reason that God did punish them in his iust iudgement through a giuing them ouer as S. Paul sayth to the dishonest affections of their owne hart as into the hands of cruell executioners Chastizing thus some of their sinnes by other sinnes of theirs he not inciting them to sin (s) See detest the doctrine of Caluin which he vttereth in his Institutions for the maketh the treason of Iudas to be as properly and as truly the work of God as the coÌ„uersion of S. Paul for a very strange thing it were for him who is soueraigne goodnesse to because of sinne in any soule but by retiring his succour from a man for other sinns of the same man which is the worke of a iust iudge who in that he is iust is also good Thus sayth the scripture A wicked woman is a deepe well and a loose woman is a straite well and he shall fall into it who hath offended God Let (i) Be not high-minded but feare no man therefore presume vpon his not sinning against God in the point of chastity if yet he sin in other thinges Since God is wont to let men fall into that which they would not into which they were not wont to fall in punishment of their falling into other sinnes from which they ought to haue kept themselues And though this be generally true in the case of all sinnes and God is offended with them all and doth punish all yet more particularly doth he as S. Augustin sayth punish secret (u) Aboue all thinges take heed of Pride Pryde by open lust So is it related of Nabuchodonosor That for the punishment of his pryde he lost his Kingdome was cast out of
enemies and triumphing ouer them we shal say O death where is thy victory O death where is thy sting which sting is sinne in them where death is still in force whereby it doth wound as the Bee is wont to do with her sting for by sinne death entred into the world Both the one and the other enemy which were wont to gouerne and to wound the world remayne drowned in the blessed bloud of Iesus Christ and slayne by his precious death And in (u) See heer how copious the Redemption is which our Lord hath purchased for vs. their place succeedeth that euerlasting iustice whereby heere the soule is iustifyed and afterwards shall succeed the vision of God face to face in heauen and a life which shal be eternally blessed both in body and soule What shall we say to this O Virgin but that which S. Paul hath taught vs Thankes be giuen to God who hath graunted vs victory through Iesus Christ Him thou art to adore and with a gratefull and enamoured harte say to him Let all the earth adore thee and prayse thee and singe a hymne to thy name And see thou say this often euery day and especially when at the Altar his most holy body is eleuated by the hands of the Priest CHAP. XXIII Of the great mischeise which despayre doth worke in the soule and how we must ouercome this ene my with spirituall alacrity and diligence and feruour in the seruice of God THis despayre and loosing of hart is such a dangerous instrument of our enemy that when I remember the great mischeifes which haue growen by it to the consciences of many I desyre to speake a little more concerning the remedy thereof if perhaps any good may come thereby It (a) This is a case too common happeneth so that sometymes there are persons who be loaden with a multitude of great sinnes and neither know what despayre nor so much as a little feare is nor doth it once passe through their thought But they goe on as being assured by a false hope offending God and yet not fearing punishment for the same And (b) We see by lamentable experience that such as are not Catholiks do passe from one extremity of presâ—â—â—tion to the other of de peration without resting in true hope if once the mercy of God shine vpon their soules and they beginne to see the grieuousnes of their sinnes though it be reason that since they aske pardon of God with purpose of amendement and that they receiue the benefit and comforte of the Sacramentes they should be strengthned thereby both against that which is past and that also which in the seruice of God might afterward present it selfe yet fall they vpon the other extreame of feare as before they were subiect to that of false security Not (c) Note considering that they who oftend God and do not repent haue reason indeed to feare tremble though all the world smile vpon them because the wrath of the omnipoteÌ„t is prouoked against them which wrath there is no power that can resist and that they who humble themselues to God and receiue his holy Sacramentes and who will procure to do his will ought to haue the hart of Lions for as much as they are commaunded to confide in God by that token that God is with them Whome as they hold for an enemy to the wicked and for that themselues haue byn such they are in feare so it is all reason that they should hold him for a friend of the good and that in regard of the holy purposes which he hath inspired them with they may confide that he is also their friend and that so he will be giuing increase to the good seed which himselfe did plante and perfecting that which he hath begunne This is certainely true that when once a man coÌ„meth to say in earnest that which Dauid sayd I haue held vp my hands towardes the performance of thy commanamentes which I haue loued God putteth his eyes and hart where that man putteth his hands that so he may help him and as one who is good by an infinite goodnesse he taketh him into protection with care and ranketh that man on his syde who will fight for his honour making warre vpon himselfe to giue contentment to God And (d) The difficulties which vse to occur to such as begin to serue God although it be true that when a man beginneth to serue God through some particuler calling which may incite him with the contempt of all thinges to seeke that pretious pearle of the Ghosâ—ell by the perfection of a spirituall life there may grow against such a man such traines and warres of the Diuells both immediately from themselues and also by the meanes of wicked men and they lock him vp in such straytes that when he rayseth the first foote from ground and placeth it on the lowest of those fifteene steppes whereby men rise to perfection he is forced to say When I was in tribulation I called vpon our Lord and he heard me O Lord deliuer my soule from wicked lipps and from the deceitefull tongue which wicked lippes are they which doe expressely hinder that which is good and a deceitfull tongue is that which procureth in a disguised manner to deceyue and sometymes so great impediments are presented or at least it seemeth so towards the making one depart from his course begunne that they are like those great Giantes wherof the children of Israel sayd Compared with them we are no more then a few little grashoppers and the walles of the Citty which we are to assault seeme to threaten heauen with their height and the earth in that place seemeth to open to swallow vp her inhabitantes notwithstanding I say all this thou art to consider and let vs all consider it with well opened eyes how much that faint-hartednes despaire displeased God which the Sonnes of Israel were subiect to by the meanes aforesayd For as much as the sinns which they committed in the wildernes howsoeuer they were great many and one of them was that they adored a Calfe for God which seemeth to be the very outside of wickednes yet God endured all this at their hands and did them fauour towards the prosecuting of their enterprize begun But (c) Note how predominaÌ„tly despaire is displeasing to Almighty God he would not endure their disconfidence and despaire of his mercy and power and he sware to them in his wrath as Dauid sayth that they should not enter in to his rest and as he sware it so he performed it Doth it not seeme to thee that we haue reason to curse this vice which is opposite to the honour of the diuine goodnes That being so much greater then our wickednes as God is greater then man And be thou assured that as the way of perfect vertue is a kind of stiffe battaile made against our enemies who are full of strength both within vs and without vs yet
perfect life that he hath led and of many miracles that he hath wrought Whereof if any man were curious would make search he should find no difficulty euen in our tymes to meete with miracles amongst vs and in the Indies both Orientall and Occidentall in more aboundance CHAP. XXXIII Of how firme and constant and authorized witnesses our faith hath had who haue giuen their liues for the truth thereof IT is possible that some may doubt of the truth of our witnesses which speake and write of the multitude of miracles which haue byn wroght in the Christian Church For as they are people who detest our faith so it seemeth to them that if these witnesses should be true they must not fayle to confesse that we haue much more reason to belieue our Truth then they their Errour But I aske that since they will not giue credit to our witnesses and therefore they refuse to receyue our fayth why giue they credit to their owne witnesses in receiuing their false behefe Whereas (i) A wise and excellent consideration it is certaine and cleere that if they would take the paines to consider it our witnesses do far exceed theirs in all kind of weight of authority There haue byn men in the Christian Church whose (k) The high vertue and piety of many Catholike Christians life hath euidently byn so good as to prooue that they were free from all couetousnesse from all appetite of honour and from all that which flourisheth and is esteemed in the world being full of all vertue and Truth so farre as to dye rather then loose it To what interest can he pretend by the testimony that he giueth who doth not only not pretend to any thing of this world but euen that which he hath of his owne he casteth away What interest can mooue that man to be a false witnesse who giueth his life vnder most greiuous tormentes in confirmation of what he sayth And though some vse to be drawne by force of tormentes to confesse that which the Iudge desires although it be against truth yet if ours would say that which is desired by the Iudge not only should they not loose their goods and life but much more prosperous should they haue remayned by the much which the Iudges promised and would haue performed But despâ—â—ing all this they chose to dy that they might not abandon their faith or vertue which the Iudge would so faine haue had them loose So that they loued no temporall thing nor feared they any thing that was temporall how terrible soeuer No exception therefore can be taken to that which such men say and if it should seeme to any that these proofes were sufficient to make vs hold them for good men and that willingly they would deceaue no body but that themselues were yet deceaued and did so deceaue others without knowing it To this I answeare that in the Church there haue byn men shedding their bloud for Christ so euidently full of (l) The great wisdome of many Catholike Christians who haue suffered death in confirmation of the fayth of Christ wisedom that no reason can be giuen why we should belieue of them that they were deceaued in a matter of so great weight and that so far as to loose their liues for the same For the much interest that a man hath in any thing doth make him looke looke againe what it is that he ratifyeth nor doth a man vse to lay downe his life in confirmation of a truth if he be not sufficiently certifyed thereof And it is a thing notorious that so great wisedome hath byn found among the Christian people as therein they exceed all other generations of men no lesse then wise maisters do ignorant schollers And that there haue byn not one nor one hundred but a mighty number of such persons is a very great testimony of the truth of our faith in confirmation whereof they gaue their liues And (m) Let the false martyrs of foolish Iohn Fox be vnpartially compared with out true ones and their basenesse bestiality will soone appeare although we read of some who also dyed in confirmation of their Errour yet ours do incomparably exceed them in number vertue and in wisedome CHAP. XXXIV That the perfect life of such as haue belieued our fayth is a great testimony of the Truth therof and how farre Christians haue exceeded all other Nations in goodnesse of life SINCE we haue made mention of the goodnes vertue which hath been found in our Christian Martyrs it is not reason that I forbeare to let thee know how great a testimony of their Fayth is the perfect life of them that belieue it Since (a) Another excellent consideration of the perfection of the life of many of them who professe the Christian Catholike Fayth God being good and the maker of all thinges that are good al reason telleth vs that God is a friend to the good since euery one loueth another that is like himselfe euery cause the effect which is produced by it Now if he be a friend he is to help them in their necessityes wherof the greatest of all is the saluation of their soules And c saued they can neuer be without the knowledge of God nor can they know him so as to be saued by him if he do not discouer himselfe vnto them It therefore remaynes that since none of these things can be denyed if on earth there be any such knowledge of God (b) No saluation without fayth which iâ— entirely and precisely true as by which meÌ„ may be saued God giueth this to Christians since amongst them there haue byn and are people of the most eleuated life and most perfect manners that hath beene seene in any tyme or in any generation It seemes that the Philosophers were the flower of Nature and the very beauty thereof where it seemeth that she employed al her streÌ„gth towardes that which concerned liuing well in conformity of reason But laying aside those deformed sinnes which S. Hierome imputeth to the chiefe of those Philosophers and to speake of some who appeared to carry more resemblance of vertue in them then others did so much do they of the Christian Church exceed those others as that we haue weake and young women amongst vs of more vertue then they had who were yet amongst them esteemed for heroicall men For who amongst them will be able to equall the courage and â—oy wherewith S. Catherine S. Agnes S. Lucy S. Agatha with innumerable others like to them did offer themselues to most grieuous torments and to death it selâ—e for the loue of Truth and Vertue And if in the vertue of Fortitude which seemeth to be so much estranged from the weakenes of that sexe these did so farre exceed those others as well in number as in the greatnes of the torments and their â—oy in suffering them how much greater will the excesse be in Humility Charity
it shall be to night or to morrow and since it must certainly come it is reason that I take it into my thought Consider how thou shalt fall into thy bed and how thou must sweate that sweat of death Thy breast shall beate and rise vpward the very stringes of thyne eyes shal breake the colour of thy face shal vanish and through the excesse of payne that so friendly society of thy body and soule shall be cut off They shall prepare thy body for buriall lay it vpon a Beare and they shall carry thee to the earth some weeping and others singing they shall cast thee into a strait graue and load thee with dust and when they haue troaden well vpon thee thou shalt remaine alone and be soon forgotten Consider all this by which thou must passe and thinke what kind of thing thy body will be vnder ground and how soon it will come to such a passe as that whosoeuer he be that loues thee most will not endure to see thee or smell thee or come neere thee Behould then with attention to what end this flesh and the glory of it doth arriue and thou wilt see what fooles they are who being to go out of the world so poore do now walke on with so much anxiety of being rich and being so soone to be so defeated and forgotten haue such thirst to ranke theÌ„selues in higher places then others how deeply they are deceaued who regale their body and walke in conformity of their desires since therby they haue done nothing but make themselues cookes for wormes being curious to dresse the meate which they are to eate and the whyle they haue made by those short delights a purchase of certaine tormeÌ„ts which shall neuer end Consider and behold with great attention and leasure thy body stretched a long in thy graue and making account that already thou art there procure to mortify thy desires of flesh bloud as often as they shall come to thy mind and so also mortify thy desires of pleasing or fearing to displease the world and of making any reckoning of whatsoeuer thing is most flourishing since thou art to leaue both it and thy selfe so suddenly and so miserably And considering how thy body when first it shall haue beene fed vpon by wormes will be conuerted into filth dust do not thinke of it heereafter but as of a dunghill couered with snow the very remembrance whereof may turne thy stomacke And possessing thy body in this manner thou wilt not be deceaued in the estimation thereof but thou shalt obtayne the true knowledge of it and shalt vnderstand how thou art to gouerne it looking forward vpon the full point to which it must arriue as he that placeth himselfe in the poope of the ship that so he may direct it the better CHAP. LXI Of that which is to be considered in the meditation of Death about that which shall happen to the soule that so we may profit the more in the knowledge of our selues TO this (a) A most singular discourse which thou hast heard is thy body to arriue it remaines that thou heare what shall happen to thy soule which in that houre of thy death wil be full of anguish by the remembrance of those offences which in thy life thou hast committed against our Lord. And those thinges seeming grieuous at that tyme which before thou thoughtst to be of little moment it wil be depriued of the vse of thy senses nor will thy tongue serue thee for the asking succour of our Lord. Thy vnderstanding will grow so darke as that thou wilt scarce be able to thinke of God and in a word by little and little the end of that houre draweth on wherein by the commaundement of God thy soule is to spring out of thy body and when that resolution concerning it must be taken which shall fasten it either vpon eternall damnation or eternall saluation It must heare from the mouth of God eyther Depart from me to eternall torment or remaine with me in state of saluation either inpurgatory or in Paradise Thou art to be wholy depending vpon the hand of God and of him only thou mayst hope for remedy and therfore thou oughtest in thy life tyme to fly farre from offending him of whome then thou art to haue so much need The Diuells will not be wanting to accuse thee and demaund iustice of God against thy soule laying particulerly to thy charge euery sinne which thou hast committed and if then the mercy of God forget thee what wilt thou be able to do thou poore weake sheepe being enuironed by those rauenous wolues who are so full of desyre to swallow thee vp Consider then in this tyme of thy recollection how in that straite passage thou art to be presented before the iudgement of God all naked and (b) There is no company in death but the good or euill which we shall haue done depriued of all thinges sauing only that thou shalt be accompanied by the good which thou hast wrought or by the euill which thou hast committed and say to our Lord that now thou doest willingly present thy self to him to the end that thou maâ—est obteyne mercy in that other houre when perforce thou art to part out of the world Make (c) Help thy selfe to be confounded with sham sorrow for thy sinnes by these coÌ„parisons account that thou art some theefe who is taken in the manner whilest he is stealing whom they present with his handes bound before the Iudge Or else that thou art some woman whose husband found her dishonouring his bed and who through the excesse of confusion knoweth not how so much as to lift vp her eyes and much lesse how to deny the fact And do thou belieue that God hath much more cleerely seene all that wherein thou hast euer offended him then any eyes of man can see that which is done before him And be thou full of shame for hauing bin so wicked in the presence of so great a goodnesse Couer thy selfe with that very shame which before thou didest loose and procure to find in thy selfe confusion for thy sinnes as one that standes in the presence of her soueraigne Lord and Iudge Accuse thy selfe then as thou shalt afterward be accused and especially draw to thy memory the most greiuous of those synnes which thou hast committed though if they should be sinnes of the flesh it is safer for thee not to detaine thy selfe very particulerly vpon them but only do it all in grosse as of a thing that stinckes and the beholding whereof doth greately amaze thee Iudge thy selfe and sentence thy selfe for wicked and cast downe thyne eyes vpon those fyres of hell belieuing that thou hast well deserued them Lay (d) If thou haue a generous noble hart this thought will pierce it on the one syde the blessings which God hath bestowed vpon thee from the time of thy Creation walking with thy
purpose by some (a) Certaine bookes which instruct meÌ„ how they may examine their consciences for confessioÌ„ which are euery where to be sold in Catholike couÌ„treys Confessionary And after that he hath lamented them well he must declare them to some spirituall Phisitian who hath the power and knowledge to prescribe fit remedyes for that infirmity and who may lay his conscience as flat and euen as yf the man were that day to dye to be presented before the iudgement seat of God In this businesse he may spend some moneth or two dissoluing with bitter sighes the sinnes which he committed by wicked pleasures And for this purpose he may serue himselfe of the reading of some good booke such as I spake of (b) In the discourse of tâ—e knowledge of ones selfe longe before which may helpe him to thinke of his death and Iudgement and with his thought to descend aliue into that bottomles pitte of eternall fire to the end that he may not descend after he is dead to find the misery which there is felt It will also conduce to this purpose that beholding some Image of the Crucisixe or else remembring it he consider how himselfe by his sinnes was the cause why our Lord did suffer so great tormentes And (c) Woe will be to vs if we do it not let him behold him with attention from head to foot and ponder euery particuler payne of his by it selfe lament euery particuler sinne since the afflictions of our Lord do correspond to our crimes he suffering dishonour for the payment of our pride and of scourges and paynes in payment of our sensuall pleasures and so also in the rest And let him thinke that if a sonne should see his father cruelly scourged and tormented for a fault which not the Father but that sonne had committed and if he should heare this Proclamation made He that committeth such a sinne shall pay for it with such a punishment This Sonne would haue great compassion of his Father and great sorrow for hauing done any such thing as was to cost that Father so dear And if he were a true Sonne it would more afflict him to see his Father so punished then if they should haue punished himself And a straÌ„g thing it would be if he cryed not out through excesse of griefe confessing that himselfe was the guilty person that him they should punish and not the Father who had made no fault From hence let vs take example to conceans therby more griefe for hauing sinned For it is God who was offended and it is God who was punished for euery mischiefe which might haue growne to vs by euery sinne It is (d) Let euery one make this case his owne I O Lord that sinned but it is thou that payest the payne thereof My wickednes O Lord did put thee in prison and it made thee be proclaimed with infamy through those streets and at last it layd thee vpon a Crosse Let this be thy lamentation with desire to suffer all that for God which he shal be pleased to ordayne And when thou shalt haue made this Examen of thy conscience with sorrow satisfaction according to the aduice of thy Ghostly Father thou mayst after thy hauing receaued sacramental absolution haue confident hope of pardoÌ„ receaue comfort into thy soule CHAP. LXXII How the second pace towardes the bringing vs to God is the giuing of thankes which we owe him for his hauing so deliuered vs and of the manner how this is to be done by meanes of diuers Misteryes of the Passion which are to be meditated in diuers dayes VVHEN the soule is thus purged from the humours of sinne which gaue it death it must imploy it selfe vpon giuing of thankes for so great and so vndeserued a fauour Not (a) A greater blessing it is to be made the adopted Sonne of God then to be freed from the paines of hell only in respect that God hath forgiuen him the paynes of hell but because he hath receaued him for his Sonne and hath bestowed his grace vpon him and certaine interiour guifs by the merits of the true God Iesus Christ our Lord who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification killing our sinnes and our old life by his dying and raysing vs vp to a new life by his resurrection And if Iob sayd That the body of a poore man whome he had cloathed would heap benedictions vpon the man who imparted that benefit with much more reason ought we to blesse Christ Iesus crucifyed when our soule doth find it selfe free froÌ„ misery conforted with fauours belieuing that all our good commeth from him for it is strangely against all reason to be vngrateful to such loue and for such benefits And although euery tyme that thou findest thy selfe well thou art instantly to prayse Christ Iesus with particuler gratitude yet to the end that this may be don the better and with more fruit it will be fit That as to thinke of thy sinnes I aduised thee to seeke some priuate or retyred place there to looke vpon thy selfe so now thou do with much more reason imploy another part of the day in thinking of the Passion of our Lord in giuing him thankes for the benefits which are come to thee by it crying out from thy hart I will neuer forget thy iustifications because in them thou didst giue one life The course then which thou shalt hold if no other better doe occurre may be this On (b) A distribution of the dayes in the Meditation of the PassioÌ„ of our Lord. Munday to thinke on the prayer of our Lord and the taking of him in the Garden and that which passed in the house of Annas and Caiphas On Tewesday the accusations which were presented against him and the processions that he made from Iudge to Iudge and of the cruell scourging which he endured when he was tyed to the piliar On Wednesday how he was crowned with thornes and what scorne they put him to by drawing him out in a red coate and with a Reede in his hand that all the people might see him and how they sayd Ecce Home On Thursday we cannot displace that most excellent mistery how the sonne of God with profound humility washed the feet of his disciples and gaue to them afterwardes his body and bloud for food of life Commanding both them and all (c) It was his Apostles and in their person to all lawfull Priests their successours whomour Lord coÌ„maunded to do the like and not to lay persons as the ProtestaÌ„ts imagine preistes who were to follow that they should doe the same in memory of him Doe thou make thy selfe present at that admirable Lauatory and in that most excellent banquet and then trust in God that thou shalt not depart from thence eyther defyled or dead of hunger Thou shalt thinke on Friday how our Lord was presented before the Iudge and sentenced to death
for that is all that he can giue Such is the entertainment that he makes which were sufficient if men would but looke vpon it to make them fly from the Diuell and the World and to draw neere to God as the prodigall sonne did who finding himselfe put to so base an imployment as to keep swine and that he could not haue inough euen of the very food which they fed vpon he grew at last to get his wits againe and to obserue the difference which there was between being in the house of his Father and in that other house of the World and he left the ill condition wherein he was turning home and demāding mercy of his Father which he quickly found Do (t) How we must carry our selues towardes God if we desire to take comfort in his seruice thou also in like manner and if thou haue a mind that our Lord should receaue thee Forsake thy people And if thou wilt haue him remember thee forget thou it if thou wilt haue him loue thee do not inordinatly loue thy selfe and if thou wilt haue him take care of thee do not thou confide in the care of thy selfe and if thou wilt be acceptable to his eyes take no pleasure in thine owne and if thou resolue to please him do not feare to displease the whole world for him and if thou desire to find him make no difficulty to giue away thy Father thy Mother thy Brothers thy house and thy very life for him Not for that thou art to abhorre these thinges but because it is fit for thee to looke with truth and with entire loue vpon Christ and (u) The iust obligation of a Christiā not to faile of one haires breadth in pleasing of him though it be with the displeasing of that creature of the whole world which is most beloued by thee yea and of thy very selfe S. Paul (x) 1. Cor. 3. requireth That (y) We must do nothing nor haue any thing so much at the hart as to estrange vs from conuersing with almighty God they who haue wiues should haue them as if they had them not That they who purchase should be as if they possessed not That they who sell should be as if they had not sold They that weepe as if they wept not and They that reioyce as if they reioyced not And the cause that he addeth is this Because the figure of the world passeth quickly So then do I say to thee O Virgin that thou art to put the world and thy selfe away The (z) Note first because it passeth quickly and the second because it is none of thyne And so haue thou thy parents thy brothers thy kinred thy house and thy people as if thou haddst them not Not but that thou art to reuerence obey and loue them since grace doth not destroy the order of nature yoa and euen in heauen it selfe the child shall carry reuerence to his Father but (a) How this discourse is to be vnderstood to the end that it may not take vp and employe thy hart and diuert it from the loue of God Loue them in Christ and not in themselues For Christ did not giue them as meaning that they should be impediments to keep thee from that which thou shouldest euer be doing which is to serue him S. Hierome relateth of a certayne Virgin who was so mortified in the point of affection towardes her kinred that she cared not much to see a sister which she had though she also were a Virgin but contented her selfe to loue her in God Belieue me (b) A soueraigne truth and most fit to be so that as thou canst not write in parchment if it be not well and cleane taken off from the body of the beast that wore it so is not that soule prepared for our Lord to write particuler fauours in it till such time as the affections which rise from flesh and bloud be very well mortifyed We read how that in times past They placed the Arke vpon a carre to the end that two kine being yoaked in front might lead it on and the calues were shut vp in a certayne place And although the kine did low in the way of sighing for their calues yet did they neuer leaue the high way nor turne back nor degresse as the Scripture saith eyther to the right hand or to the left but by the will of God who so disposed therof They carryed the Arke to the land of Israel which was the place where God dwelt They (c) A figur of the old testament excellently applyed who haue placed the Crosse of Iesus Christ our Lord vpon their shoulders which is the Arke where he remaineth and wherein he is truly to be found must not giue ouer nor so much as slacke their pace for these naturall affections of the loue of parentes or children or houses or such other thinges as these Nor are they to be giddy-headed vpon the enioying of prosperity nor to be afflicted for aduersity For the former of these two is to turne out of the way on the right hand and the other on the left But thou art to follow on in the straight way with feruour beseeching our Lord to guide both the one and the other to his glory and to be as dead to such thinges as these as if they did nothing concerne thee or at least not to suffer thy selfe to be ouercome eyther with ioy or griefe howsoeuer they may be felt a little This was figured by those (d) 1. Reg. 6. kine which though they vttered certaine shewes of tendernes towards their calues yet did they not for all that giue ouer to conduct the Arke of God And if Fathers do see their Sonns serue God in some good (e) As when they make thēselues Religious men or women fashion which yet is not pleasing vnto them they must consider what is pleasing to God And although they may sigh deeply for the loue of their childrē yet let the loue of God ouercom that loue And let them offer them vp to God wherin they shal be like to (f) Gen. 22. Abraham who in obedience to God was resolued to kill his only Sonne not caring what his sensuality could say to the contrary And (g) How good is God only he wil be serued as God the naturall griefe which is felt in such traunces as these is to be endured with patience which yet shall not be without reward For as much as our Lord hath ordeined vs to carry those affections and for the loue of him it is that we ouercome them it is like the case of him that suffereth Martyrdome Forget therefore thy people O thou Virgin and be thou like to another Melchisedech of whome we reade not that (h) Heb. 7. he had any Father or Mother or any kinred whereby as S. Bernard saith an example is giuen to the seruants of God that they must so truly forget their
the bloud of Christ our Lord. CONSIDER then how deformed the spot is which sinne doth cause and how farre we are to fly from it since being once receiued into the soule it could neither be washed away by the shedding of so much bloud as was offered in the Temple by the commaundment of God himselfe nor could all the force of man arriue vnto it And if that beautifull and deare (a) Christ our Lord. Word of God had not come downe to beautify vs the deformity of sinne would for euer haue remained in vs. But that lambe without spot comming downe he had the power and he had the way and he had the will to put away these spotts he destroyed our deformity and he endewed vs with beauty And to the end that thou mayest see with how much conueniency the Sonne of God rather then God the Father or the holy Ghost was to be he that should beautify our deformed soules with his bloud Consider that as Eternity is attributed to the Father and Loue to the holy Ghost so to the Sonne of God as God is attributed Beauty because he is most (b) The first quality of Beauty prefect and without the least defect and he is the (c) The second quality of Beauty image of the Father as S. Paul (d) Heb. 1. saith and so liuely an one that in regard he is engendred by way of the vnderstanding he is to all purposes as his Father who gaue him the same essence that himselfe hath in such sort as that he (e) Ioan. 14. who seeth him seeth the Father as the holy ghospell saith Now by reason of this proportion betweene the Sonne and the Father which is so absolute most iustly is beauty ascribed to him since the image is taken in so liuely a maner out of the originall Light (f) The third quality of Beauty is not wanting to him for he is called the Worde which is a thing engendred by the vnderstanding and in that vnderstanding as S. Iohn (g) Ioan. 1. saith which was true light Greatnes is not (h) The fourth quality of beauty wanting to him since he is infinitly immense and therefore was it conuenient that this beautifull God by whom we were made wheÌ„ we were not should come to restore vs when we were lost and who apparaylling himselfe with our flesh should take vpon him the resemblance of our deformity and so imparte to vs the excellency of his owne beautie And although neither our being punished or spoken faire was able to free vs from our spots yet was the valew so great of the punishing of that beautiful person that the sharp salpetre of his passion falling vpoÌ„ his shoulders there distilled downe vpon vs the sweet dew of his whitnesse And howsoeuer God doth say to the sinner Although (i) Hier. 12. thou wash thy selfe with salpetre with the Fullers hearbe thou shalt not be cleane yet telling vs that he would send a remedy against this spot he sayth in another place If thy sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be made white like snow and if they shal be as red as bloud they shall become whyte like woll Very truly well did Dauid belieue this when he (k) Ps 50. sayd Thou shalt sprinkle me O Lord with (l) The inward meaning of this place deliuered â—yssope and I shal be cleane thou shalt wash me and I shall become more white then snow Hyssope is a litle hearbe and somewhat hot and hath the property to purge the lunges wherby we breath This hearbe they brought to a wand of Cedar they tyed it thereunto with a string of crimson double died And so being bound togeather they called it that Hyssope wherewith when first it had beene steeped in bloud and water and then with water and ashes they sprinkled both leaprous persons and such as had touched any dead body and thereupon they were held for cleane Full well knew Dauid that neither the herbe nor the Cedar nor the bloud of birdes or beastes nor yet water or ashes could giue any cleannesse to the soule although it were figured by them And therfore he desired not God that he would take into his hand a branch of Hyssope sprinkle him with it but (m) That hysop was a figure of the humility and Passion of Christ our Lord. he sayth so in respect of the humanity and humility of Iesus Christ our Lord which is called an herbe because it grew from the earth of the Blessed Virgin Mary and because he was begotten without the help of man as the flower springeth in the field which is neither plowed nor sowed For this it is that he sayth I am (n) Can. 2. the flower of the field And this her be is called little for the meanenesse which he tooke vpon himselfe in the world so far forth as to say A (o) Psal 21. worme I am and no man the dishonour of men and the very out-cast of the people This (p) The passion of our Lord is the only soueraign cure of pride humbled flesh of our Lord is such a remedy against the puffe of our foolish pride as that it may be cured by this so great humility since there is no colour for a worme to exalt it self when the King of Maiesty is so abased And forget not that Hyssope is hot For Christ by the fire of that loue which was burning in the roots of his hart was pleased to abase himself to purge vs thereby to make vs know that if he who was so high did abase himselfe how much reason there is why we who haue so true cause to abase our selues should not by our selues be exalted And if God be humble how much more should a man be so This (q) Of our Lord Iesus flesh so full of true phisicke was then put to the sticke of a Cedar when it was placed vpoÌ„ the crosse tyed by that delicate thrid of wooll twice died For although the nayles which fastned thereunto his handes and feete were hard and great and long inough yet if the thrid of his ardent loue had not fastned him to that crosse and vnles he had been willing to deliuer vp his life for the killing of our death those nayles would not haue beene strong inough for such a businsse So that it was not they but the loue he bare vs that held him there And (r) The double aspect which was carryed by the loue of our Lord the reparation of Gods honour and the remission of mans sin this loue carryed a double aspect as crimson which is double died for he suffered that which he suffered to satisfy for the honour of his father who was offended by our sinnes and for the loue of sinners who were lost thereby CHAP. CIX That the sacred humanity of Christ our Lord was figured in the gaâ—â—ent of the high Priest and in the veyle which God commaunded Moyses to make
And what that was which Dauid begged when he desired to be sprinckled with Hysâ—ope that he might so be cleansed THE garment which the high Priest of the old Law did weare was to be double died in crimson because (a) How the figurs of the old TestameÌ„t were perfected fullfilled in the person of our Lord Iesus the holy Humanity of Christ which is the garment of his soule was to be dyed in bloud being shed both for the loue of God and man And this flesh being nayled vpon the Crosse is that veyle which God commaunded Moyses to make of the (b) Exod. 18. colour of Hyacinth Crimson and Purple double died and of whyte and well and strongly wouen linnen made with the needle and curiously diuersified by seuerall workes For this holy Humanity is died with bloud like crimson it is of a fiery colour which is signified by the purple as hath been said and it is white like fyne linnen through Chastity and Innocency and it is well and strongly wouen for it is not loose or weake but firmely and fast put togeather vnder all kind of vertuous discipline and much affliction And (c) The colour of the floure hiacinthus is blew though the colour of that stone which we know by that name is of a deep yellow this is well signifyed by the Hyacinth which is of a celestiall colour because his body was framed by the supernatural worke of the holy Ghost For this reson is it called celestiall and for many other vertues perfections thereof which were contriued by the admirable knowledge of the wisedome of God! The commaundment was that this veyle should be hung vpon foure pillars which were to vphold it which signifieth that Christ was to be placed vpon the (d) The crosse was made of foure parts One was the length two the breath the other wherupoÌ„ the litle was written foure armes of the Crosse and foure Ghospells they also be which doe publish and preach it throughout the world Now for as much as Dauid being a Prophet so illuminated by God in the knowledge of those mysteries which concerned Christ who was to come seeing how deformed himselfe was growne by the foule sinne of (c) The murther which he committed vpon the persoÌ„ of Vrias that so he might coÌ„tinue to enioy Bersabee his wife stealing the sheep and murthering the sheepheard fearing the wrath of the Omnipotent God wherwith he was threatened by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan he beseecheth God to take away his (f) The deformity of sinne the beauty of grace deformity and to giue him beauty not with materiall Hyssope since the same Dauid sayd to God That he tooke no (g) Not in any thing that was only external but the externall sacrifices were to be accompanied by internall sorrow for sinne delight in the sacrifice of beasts but he beggeth to be sprinckled by the flesh bloud of Iesus Christ being tied with the strings and cordes of loue vpon the Crosse Beleeuing that though his deformity were great and that otherwise it was impossible to remoue it yet he should grow white beyond the whitenesse of snow by the bloud which was to fall from the crosse O Beautifull bloud of Christ our Lord who art so Beautiful For although thou be as red as Rubies thou hast power to make a thing more white theÌ„ snow O (h) At the least we must now consider it and lameÌ„t the cause thereof which is our sinne if a man had seene with what violence it was drawne downe by those wretches with what loue it was shed by thee O Lord when thou didst stretch forth thyne armes and feete to be let bloud therein for the remedy of that so lewd disorder and distemper which we made by our ill desires and deedes With great force did thyne enemies come vpon thee but with much more violence did thy loue assault thee for it was that and not they which ouercame thee Dauid did stile Christ (i) Psalm 44. beautifull aboue all the sonnes of men But this beautifull creature who surpassed not only men but Angells would needes as it were dissemble that beauty of his and he apparailed the exteriour of his body with the resemblance of that deformity which possest our soules That so the same deformity might be swallowed vp in the Abysse of his beauty as some little straw would be consumed in a huge fire and that he might giue vs his owne beautifull Image and make vs so resemble him CHAP. CX How Christ did as it were dissemble those foure conditions of his beauty so to make vs beautifull to which purpose there is a passage of the Prophet Isay declared YF we do well consider the conditions which haue bin shewed to be requisite for the making a man beautifull al which are in the diuine word after a most excellent manner we shal find that he dissembled and hid them all that so being concealed in him they might grow to be disclosed in vs. Most (a) The first conditioÌ„ that any thing must haue if it will be beautifull was hidden by Christ Iesus our Lord in his sacred passion entire and perfect and full is the word of God which wanteth nothing nor can it want and which remooueth the want of all thinges But yet though in the bosome of his Father he be so rich if thou looke vpon him being made man in the wombe and in the armes of his mother as also throughout the whole course of his life and death thou wilt see how he wanted both to eate and drinke yea and a bed wheron to lye when the Virgin layd him in the manger For neither was there any bed for him in the stable of Bethleem nor any other place then that How often did he want meanes to put away both heate and cold and nothing he had if they gaue him nothing And if in his life tyme he had not a place where to lay his head as himselfe affirmeth what shall we say of that extremity of pouerty to which he was subiect in his death at which tyme neither had he any thing whereupom so much as to lay his head For eyther he was to haue leaned backe with it vpon the Crosse and so to endure excessiue paine by the thornes which might pricke him so much the deeper or else he must let it fall so remaine without a rest but not without exceeding paine O sacred head whereof the Spouse (b) Cant 5. saith That it is of purest gold as being the head of God and how much to thy cost dost thou pay for that resting place which in preiudice of the loue that we owe to thy selfe we procure to find vpon thy creatures both (c) How true is this and how truly ought it to be reformed louing them and desiring to be beloued and praised by them making that to be our lodging which should be only our high way whereby we might
without feare of seing them as if they had seene them no more Hereby they tooke occasion to giue glory to him that slew them and they sayd Let vs singe vnto our Lord for he hath beene gloriously magnifyed and he hath drowned both horse and horsemen in the sea All this is a figure of that straite affliction wherein our sinnes do put vs representing themselues vnto our soules as enemyes of mighty strength who are about to kill and swallow vs vp But the word of God being full of all reason to make vs hope doth giue vs hart by requiring that we despayre not and that we turn not backe vpon the vices of Egypt but that proceeding in the good purpose whereby we began to walke in the way of God we should keep on foot being comforted in his assistance to the end that we may see his wonders Which are that in that sea of his mercy and in the crimson bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne our sinnes are drowned so also is the Diuell who came mounted vpon them like a Cauallier that so neither he not they may do vs hurt But (n) A circumstaÌ„ce excellently applyed rather we remembring them although they grieue vs as it is fit they should they may yet giue vs occasion to render thankes and glory to our Lord God for hauing beene such a father of pitty in pardoning vs and of supreme wisedome in drawing good out of our euill by giuing true death to sinne which killed vs. And that which remayneth therof in vs aliue which is the memory of hauing committed it doth but serue that his elect may grow the better by it and become the exalters of his honour CHAP. XXII Where he prosecutes the treaty of the Mercy of God which he vseth towards vs his Maiesty ouercomming our enemyes after an admirable manner THIS admirable maister-piece of Gods hand which driueth treacle out of poyson against the very poyson it selfe and draweth the destruction of sinne out of the very sinne doth spring and carry a resemblance to another piece of prowesse which the most High hath wrought not lesse but greater both then that other and then all the rest This was the worke of the Incarnation and Passion Wherein God was not pleased to fight with the weapons of the greatnes of his maiesty but by taking those of our weaknesse and apparailing himselfe with human flesh which howsoeuer it were free from all sinne it did yet resemble the flesh of sinners for as much as it was subiect to that payne and death which sinne had brought into the world And by this paine and death which without their being his due he tooke vpon him he ouercame and destroyed our sinne and they being destroyed both payne death which entred in by their meanes were destroyed also As (o) A noble consideration and a lâ—uely comparison if a man should set the body of a tree on fyre by the braunches of the same tree and so should burne vp both the tree and the braunches How (p) The infinitenes of our obligatioÌ„ to our Lord Iesus greatly O Lord is thy glory magnified and with how much reason are we to sing to prayse thee more then they praysed Danid for going into the field against Golias who put the people of God into straites when there was none that could ouercome yea or who had the courage to set vpon him But thou O Lord our King our honour dissembling as it were the weapons of thy Omnipotency diuine life which thou hast as thou art God didst fight with him by taking that stafle of the Crosse into thy hand and in thy most holy body fiue stones which were the fiue wounds and so thou didst ouercom and kill him And although the stones were fiue yet one of them had beene inough for the victory For if thou hadst endured lesse then what thou didst endure there would yet haue beene merit inough for our Redemption But (q) Note thy pleasure was O Lord that our redemption should be copious and superaboundant That so weake persons might be comforted such as were negligent inflamed by seeing the excessiue loue wherewith thou didst suffer for vs and kill our sinnes being figured in the person of Golias whomâ— Dauid slew not with any sword which he might haue carryed of his owne but by the very sword of the Giant and so the victory became more glorious and the enemy was made subiect to more dishonour Much (r) The infinite wisedom which did accompany the iâ— finne mercy of God honour had our Lord gained if with his owne weapons of life and diuine Omni potency he had fought against our sinnes death and had so defeated them But much more did he gaine in ouercomming them without so much as drawing his sword Nay by taking the same sword that is the effect of sinne which is payne and death he did in flesh condemne sinne offering his flesh to be made subiect to payne and such hard vsage as if it had beene the flesh of a sinner being indeed both of a iust man and of God That so by this meanes as S. Paul sayth The iustification of the law might be fullfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but the spirit And since the iustification of the Law is fullfilled in vs by our walking according to the spirit it is plaine that these being such workes as wherwith the Law is fullfilled are such as it requireth at our hands and wherby satisfaction is giuen to it and so it groweth to be euident that he spake falsly who sayd That (s) This is saâ—d by nâ—â—e but our moderne Sectaryes all the workes which were done by a iust man were sinne Christ (t) They who affirme as our Sectaâ—â—s do that sinne doth still remayne in the soule of persons who are penitent pardoned depriue the passion of our Lord of the better part of the worth thereof did perfectly ouercome sinne both by deseruing pardon for such as were past and force for the auoyding of such as might be to come and so he freed our soules from the law of sinne Because we are no longer subiect to the command thereof and he deliuered vs from the hurt or payne due vnto it since by giuing vs grace to suffer payne we satisfied for that to which we might be liable in Purgatory and besides it helpeth vs to gayne crownes in heauen He did further also deliuer vs froÌ„ the law of death For howsoeuer we be to passe that way we are not yet to remay ne therein but as one who laieth himselfe downe to sleepe and is afterward awaked our Lord will rayse vs vp to leade a new life which neuer is to dye againe And that life is to be so happy as that it shall reforme this base body of ours and shall conforme it to the body of his brightenesse and then we shal be ioyfull and entirely secure and despising our