is this temporall miserie if it be compared to the eternall sorrow which shall torment the reprobate aduertised by so many remonstrances as well by writing as by word of mouth which bett vpon their eyes and eares and made them inexcusable in not hauing redeemed lost tyme and in hauing by the hardnesse and inpenitence of their heart heaped vp a treasure of anger in the day of our Lords anger What a remorse shall they feele to see that their wounds waxe old in the face of their imprudence And that while they might haue purchased an eternall and priselesse felicitie for a glasse of cold water giuen in the loue and for the loue of God yea haue borne away the crowne of glorie by naturall and necessarie actions being done in grace with conformitie to Gods will at so easie a rate doth the supreame Goodnesse sell heauen and that these truthes were so frequently proposed vnto them by the Ghospell and the preachers therof who as trumpets made them resound in their eares they not being moued with all this lesse sensible then the walls of Hierico who fell at the sound of the prestly trumpett What a heart-breake it shall be vnto them to thinke how litle they inioyed and for how litle a space they possessed the same what benefits they haue lost from how faire aduātages they are fallen how litle was demanded at their hands for a priselesse glorie together with the torments passing conceit which they shall endure without all hope of end To speake the truth as there is no head so strong that turnes not nor body so stiddie that shakes not at the aspect of a deepe descent so me thinkes there is no braine that is not troubled by bending its attētion towards the eternall sorrow which shall incessantly gnaw vpon those miserable catiues The Eternitie of the torments of Hell XXXII BVt when all is done Athanasia reason must render the Ghost and humane wisdome must be drunk vp in the consideration of the Eternitie of those paines which we haue set out in weake colours For if those torments how euer great how euer long were to haue end yet hope would in habite the bottome of Pandoras bote nor should this hope be voyd of some sparke of consolation But alas in saying neuer we say a terme without terme and which for the tyme to come shall continue as long as God shall be God The Reprobate saith the sacred texte shall be forsaken of God eternally Eternally shall God be angrie with them and that without reconcilement This Abisse neuer renders any thing it once swallowes vp the soules that are once cast headlong thither neuer returne Out of that Gaole there is no redemption There no thoughts of God but such as are blasphemous no praise is rendred him in that accursed dungeon The flame of the Babilonian furnace burnt 49. handfulls high but could neuer rayse it selfe to the fiftith a number of IOVBILIE and Pardon as figure of that wherof we speake where there is no remission of sinnes There saith the Psalmist are the damned deuoured of death no otherwise then sheepe doe grase for as the grasse putts vp againe vnder the sheepes nibling tooth so shall the reprobate be continually struke with the sting of a liuing death and still as they shall be deuoured by it they shall reuiue to new punishments wherin the truth of that shall be seene which the Poetes did onely fabulously relate of the liuer still renewed as by the vultour it was deuoured The wicked saith the holy Ghospell shall be cast into the fire and they burne in steed of saying they shall burne A wonderfull speech which by a present tense in lieu of a future doth represent the Eternitie of this endlesse torment For after a thousand ages as many milliōs as cētenaries of million of millions one may still affirme of these accursed soules they burne while incessantly they pay the reuenew of a rent whose principale they shall neuer extinguish No for Eternitie being a perpetuall To-day and a continuance remayning still in the same beeing how can that run by which stands still in the same state And if there be any thing new it shall be the Canticles of ioy which shall continually be new in the blissed Eternitie In the accursed the reprobate shall suffer and dayly shall attend new sufferances and their sense still liuely shall neuer be hardened therby Their being accustomed to endure shall not make their tormēt lighter or lesse insupportable Whateuer euer calamities we suffer in this life be they neuer so great and greuious they dure onely for a tyme saith the Prophete DANIEL but to the damned tyme shall not be Le ts call to mynd saith S. PACION that in Hell there is no place left for repentance For the tyme therof is past Happie is he who by a good confession foreruns the face of the Iudge iustly irritated with our crymes who doth promptly performe all the good in this world which his hand is able to worke And who doth well in euery thing while in this life precious tyme is lent him For now it is the houre to rise from the sleepe of the death of sinne for our saluation or dānation are neerer then we beleeue But will it please you Athanasia that to giue life to this Draught we may borrow from this subiect of the Eternitie of those paynes the colours of some excellent pincell of antiquitie Heare S. AVGVSTINE then or rather see how he setts out this eternall miserie in its colours As for the accursed soules saith he their death is without death their end without end their tearme without tearme For their death shall be still liuing their end shall still be begining and their tearme shall neuer expire Death shall stifle without killing them The Torture shall bruse without distroying them The flame shall burne them without affording light at all for this fire shall be darke and horrour shall inhabit this darknesse and darknesse shall increase the torment of the flame Thus shall they be sett vpon with the sense of dolour and horrour incessantly suffering and dreading S. GREGORIE the GREAT almost in the same aire giues vs assurance of the Eternitie of paines In this torture of the reprobate saith he death is immortall and end endlesse Because death liues there continually and continually the end begins anew Where be now saith S. BERNARD the children of the flesh the louers of the world whose conuersation in earth was amongst vanities and delightes what haue we left of them but corruption and a most distastefull memorie They had a life of it in the earth they eate and drunke delicately they liued at their ease and in an instante they descended into Hell Their flesh in earth serues onely now for wormes-meate and their soule burnes in eternall flames For what did their glorie and vanitie serue them what benefit did they reape of their transitorie ioyes what aduantage did their great powre bringe them say what
said to be eternall and death to be defeated for euer as also the fire which shall torment the damned is named eternall it is also cleare in right reason that Beatitude which is a sufficient good or rather the collection of all good would not be compleat vnlesse it did exclude all euil and miserie especially the miserie of miseries which is death or annihilation For take away the perpetuitie of the life of the Blessed and they would be afflicted with a continuall sorrow for the losse of the beloued felicitie and a most distastefull bitternesse would disturbe the sweetnesse of the peaceable fruition Adde that Beatitude cannot be imperfect on the part of the Obiect which is God all whose workes are perfect and his guiftes without repentance which he neuer reuokes but for sinne which can neuer haue accesse to the Blessed cōfirmed in grace by Glorie And vnchangeably vnited to God whose nature is goodnesse his workes mercy And who can nether will nor can abide iniquitie Againe that word of our Sauiours to his Disciples is an Oracle of infallible truth and a promisse which shall remayne for euer Your ioy saith he shall not be taken from you God's seruants the Elect shall adore him in beholding his face and they shall raigne for euer and euer that is eternally saith S. IOHN in his Reuelations And S. BERNARD explicating that of the Psalmist I will fill my friends with the length of dayes and will shew them my SALVATION what is longer saith he then that which is eternall what continuance more longe then that which hath no end O how good an end is eternall life how good is that end which is infinite How faire is the day which hath no Sunne-setting nor is followed out by night and what is this day but the eternall VERITIE the true ETERNITIE O Societie of the Blessed eternally true and truely eternall those are they onely who may be truly said to be liuing and enioying a life truely long in heauē which knowes no end as they are truely dead and that of a long death who continually die in Hell where they continually liue without tasteing the fruite of life S. BERNARD's meditation shall make way to S. AVCVSTINE's touching the Eternitie of that blessed life O life saith he which God hath prepared for his friēds thou art a life full of happinesse crowned with assurance a quiete life and excellent life a pure life a chaste life a holy life a life that knowes no death a life without sorrow without labour without greife without vexation without corruption without varietie or chāge a life adorned with euerie beautie accomplished with honour a life that is not laboured with enuie nor subiect to anger where Loue raignes in its perfection and from whence feare is banished where the day is eternall and the hearts of all is but one where God is seene face to face and this vision is foode to those that behold him with an ardent affection O how thy shineing brightnes doth delight me and how aggreable are thy felicities to the desires of my heart The more I consider thee the more I loue thee I swoone with desire in contemplating thee yet that desire insteede of afflicting me affords me an extreame content and thy memorie is more sweete vnto mee then the honie-combe O happie life ô Empire of eternall felicitie where death hath no iurisdiction which shall neuer haue end Where the succession of tyme hath no raigne nor vicissitude where the day hath no night where change can get no footing where the victorious Champion accōpaigned with the troopes of Angells his heade being enuironed with a crowne of glorie incessantly sings to God the Song of the heauenly Sion How happie shall my soule be if after her departure out of this mortall pilgrinage she may haue the happines to see thee and to contemplate thy beautie thy walls thy gates thy Pallaces thy places thy noble citizēs and thyne omnipotent King seated in his admirable Throne of Maiestie Thy walls are built of pretious stones of an inestimable value thy Gates are inriched with peerlesse gemmes Thy streetes are paued with purest gold and in them the Diuine prayses doe continually resound Thy houses are made of fouresquare stones beautified with Saphires wrought with vinebranches and grapes of gold None enters within thy confines who are not pure for all that is defiled is repulsed The light which doth enlighten thee is nether from Lampe nor torch nor Sunne Moone nor starrs it is God alone proceeding from God that light which doth spring from light who is thyne eternall and vniuersall light The King of Kings resides continually in the midst of thee waited vpon with a numberlesse number of Courtiers and Officiers more resplendant then the lightning more bright then the flame Will you yet further giue eare to the same Sainte heare then what he saith of that liuely Eternitie that eternall life The wicked saith he shall goe into eternall fires but the iuste into eternall felicities That is the eternall life which is promised vs. And wheras men take no greater content here below then to liue behold how life is promised them and wheras they dread nothing so much as death see how an Eternitie of life is proposed vnto them What dost thou loue ô man To liue Thou shall enioy this great benefit What dost thou feare To dy Thou shalt be exempt from it Yet is it not all to liue long to liue for euer but the toppe of felicitie is to liue happie for euer What can we add to this Oracle of truth deliuered in so good tearmes by that incomparable witt but fruitlesse words in a subiect so fruitfull that the abundance therof doth oppresse him that handles it Meanes wherby to arriue at this happie Eternitie LXV BVt we are rather Athanasia to search out the meanes to attaine to this great happinesse then to enlarge our selues vpon curiosities to know it or loose our selues in the admiration therof since it is written that not all that shall say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but those that doe the will of our Lord that is such as shall liue according to his law and shall make force against his holy citie Dost thou desire to enter into true life said our Sauiour to the young man who asked his counsell which way he was to hold keepe the Commandements Of all the wayes which are taught vs by the holy scripture and the writings of Doctors to worke our saluation in feare and trembling I will onely touch two which next vnto God's grace without which we are able to doe nothing I find verie necessarie The Philosopher Epictetes made all his philosophicall Precepts turne vpon these two poles or pinnes SVSTAYNE and ABSTAYNE I am persuaded that all morall Christianitie may turne vpon the same pinnes The one doth teach vs to suffer difficulties labours paines the other the perfect contempt of worldly vanities pleasures and riches If we
that voice of terrour Rise ô yee deade and appeare before the Tribunall of the liueing God how much more reason haue we to thinke of the issue and conclusion then the preparation of this solemne Iudgement since the sentence doth irreuocably decree what shall become of vs for all Eternitie Before and aboue all things said PACOMIVS let vs keepe before our eyes the last of all the dayes and all the moments of our life let vs thinke and throughly thinke of Eternitie A remarkable Sentence and euen worthy to be engrauen with an iron penne not onely in a plate of leade but in the hardest marble and flinte stone as said the good IOB The mother of Simphorian said vnto her sonne while he was haled vnto Martirdome my deare child the fruite of my wombe the beloued of my vowes turne thyne eyes towards Heauen consider him that raignes there for euer renounce him not for a moment of life the paines of death will quickly be past but the reward shall neuer end And S. FRANCIS to encourage his Religions to the lingering martirdome of a religions life said vnto them Bretheren great are the things which we haue promised vnto God yet infinitly greater things God hath promised vnto vs The labour is short the reward is eternall The pleasure doth post by the paine is permanent Many are called few are elected euery one receaues according to his workes But especially at that great day which is the iudge of all the rest euery one shall be rewarded according to his workes and God shall reueale that which is shut vp in darknes and shall manifest the secretes of hearts A day so dreadfull that the powres of Heauen shall be moued the Angells shall quake with feare when the Almightie shall come to iudge the world It is not my pourpose Athanasia to entertayne you with the horrours of that day which would require a whole volume I will onely place before your eyes the eternall Ghospell or rather the irreuocable sentence which shall proceede from his mouth who shall iudge the people in equitie who shall iudge nations and to whom his Father hath giuen all iudgement in heauē and in earth and which shall issue from thence like lightning and thunder farre more dreadfull then that which did appeare vpon the toppe of the mount Sina when our Lord deliuered his law vnto Israel by the hand of MOYSES Mediatour betweene God and the people O Sauiour of the world thou shalt be then a lambe Dominatour of the earth to the good but to the reprobate a roaring Lion When the Lion begins to roare in the Forrest there is nether passinger nor yet wildebeasts that doe not quake and hide themselues O how shall the damned dread thy voice resembling that of thy thunder in the wheele of thy furie since they shall inuoke the mountaines to fall downe vpon them to hide them before the face of thy wroth for who knowes the force of thyne indignation or who is able to somme vp the effectes therof How penetrating shall the two edged sword be which shall proceed from thy mouth whilst thou shalt thunder out against thē that eternall doome which shall reach euen vnto the diuisiō of their soule and their spirit of their ioyntes also and their marowes GOE YEE ACCVRSED INTO ETERNALL FIRE O Athanasia who is able without astonishment to vtter without swonding to vnderstand so dismaying and dreadfull words Be gone Alas dread Lord whither shall they goe to auoyd the encounter of thy spirit and to conuey themselues from before thy wrothfull countenance art thou not in Heauē in Hell and euery where dost thou not euen fill heauen and earth dost thou not hold the vniuerse in thy hand and doth not thy powre comprehend all things Be gone But to whom shall they betake themselues art not thou he who hath the words of eternall life who art euen thy selfe life euerlasting Be gone Whither wilt thou haue those Prodigalls to retire thēselues doe what they can they cannot goe out of thee since in thee all things haue motion beeing and life Be gone But whither shall those ABSALON's resort for succour being eternally banished from the Court of the eternall DAVID King of ages immortall and inuisible Be gone O what a word or rather what a Thunder bolt able to strike Lucifer downe into the Abisse of Hell oh Sauiour IESVS in the day of thy flesh in the tyme of thy sufferances when like an innocent Lambe thou wast lead to be sacryficed if this word It is I was able to prostrate vpon the ground the troopes of Soldiers How shall that word of reprobation precipitate them whom thou driuest eternally from the Paradice of thy presence Be gone ô banishing sword of the Angell of the high Councell who dost banish for an Eternitie the Betrayers of the heauenly inheritance Be gone ô Athanasia if the Auncient prophetes were struke with such astonishmēt while God appearing vnto them vnder diuers formes did impart vnto them his will and pleasure as to his friends and Embassadours to be the Interpreters of the same to the people and if the onely vision of the Angells of light put them into a traunce as we reade euen of S. IOHN in his Apocalipse falling prostrate at the feete of the Angell as though he had fallen downe deade If Israel while he heard God thunder and lighten vpon the Mount-Sina said vnto MOYSES speake thou vnto vs and we will vnderstand thee but let not our Lord speake least we may dye and continuing in his apprehension if we heare any more said he the voice of our Lord God infallibly we are dead for what flesh is able to susteyne the word of the liuing God speaking out of the midst of flames as we heare him how dreadfull I pray you must the condemning voice of the inexorable Iudge needs be The Prophete ISAYE seeing in spirit onely the destruction of Babylone was touched with so deepe a compassion that he affirmed that his reines were filled with dolour and his anguish was like to that of a woman in childbirth that he fell backward in hearing its Condemnation was troubled in beholding it withered away with apprehension and was inuolued in darknesse through amaysement therof Then saith the same Prophete speaking of the last iudgement the day of the furie of the God of Hostes shall be terrible to the proud arrogant and haughtie Then saith IEROMIE they shall be confounded who not haue considered that eternall reproach Then goes on ISAYE The Almightie will make the Maiestie of his voice be heard and will manifest the fearefull force of his arme in the consummation of his wroth and in the flame of deuouring fire For euen as a fire saith the Psalmist which burneth a woode and as a flame that burneth the mountaines so shalt thou pursue them in thy tempest who shall be the obiect of thy wrath Then the Almightie saith the wiseman by his owne vertue shall trample vnder his feete the
body and soule to offend the soueraigne and eternall Goodnesse should in euery of them be eternally punished by the Soueraigne Iustice The numberlesse number of those paines are expressed in diuers passages of holy Scripture where it speakes of Fires Ice Darknes Blindnes Gnashings of teeth Teares Hungar Thirst Deseases Swords Howlings Gale Absinth Prisons Wormes Serpents Whirlewinds Tempestes Fournaces Thunders Wheeles and a number of other scourges wherof we find euery lease full The paynes of sense and first of the sight and hearing XXIV ANd wheras generall discourses seeme not to be so efficacious as particular ones let vs descend Athanasia from the generalitie of those eternall paines to the particular consideration therof The Contemplatiues diuide them into penas sensus and penas damni whence comes the word damnation and it is incomparably greater then the former though it far lesse strike vpon the imagination of vulgare myndes The Sight amongst the exteriour senses holds the first place and the priuation therof is numbred amongst the greatest miseries of this life by the iust TOBIE a worthy witnesse of so troublesome a discommoditie Now Faith doth teach vs that the damned shall be in thicker obscurities then those of Egipt and that the tēpest of darknes shall possesse them for euer And in the Holy Scripture Hell is marked out in these words exteriour darknesse For an Eternitie saith the Prophete light shall not be discouered therin for although God be there as it were in euery place and that darknes cannot obscure his naturall light yet his will is that in this dry Lake that is voyd of all consolation the darknesse couer the face of the Abisse and that the eyes of the damned though otherwise capable of sight see nothing but that which may trouble and torment them The fire of the diuine angar being once fallen downe vpon them they shall neuer more discouer the Sunne in punishmēt of the abuse of this noble sense in tyme past and that in lieu of contemplating the Heauen they haue made their lookes dwell vpon the earth and creatures And although light be as inseparable a qualitie of fire as heate yet as of old when the three children were throwen into the fournace the diuine powre leauing the light did suspend the heate of the flame that it should not attempt vpon those innocents so in Hell he will permit the heates actiuitie vpon the reprobate and yet will depriue the fire of light to leaue them in obscuritie amongst the deade of ages buried in an eternall obliuion and far remoued from the light of his face So shall our Lord diuide the flame from the fire saith the Psalmist that is according to some interpreters he shall separate the light from the heate And euen as during the palpable darknes which God did of old spread ouer Egipt while the Israelites enioyed a delightfull light the Idolaters were ether blind or afflicted with frighting visions so in Hell amidst the pitchie blacknes of that region of the shadow of death if at any tyme the dāned enioy some obscure glimses seeing as though they saw not it shall be onely to espie the hideous shapes of amaysing fantomes and horrible visions of Diuels whose aspect shall be more insupportable vnto them then the rest of their tortures So that if for the thicknes of this smoake and the blacknesse of these obscurities the priuation of the vse of this sense be an irkesome torment vnto them the short vse which at tymes they shall haue of it will onely serue to add to their torment alwayes vnfortunate both blind and seeing I will omit the particular paines of this delicate part which as the Phisitians obserue in its daintie litlenesse is obnoxious to so many different deseases which shall be yet diuersified both in qualitie and quantitie according as the reprobate shall haue abused that noble Sense which had bene in Heauē one of the principall organes by which the ioy of our Lord had entred into their heartes O God with what frightes shall their soules be tortured by the sense of hearing a sense by so much more liuely and capable of paines as it hath more commerce with the mynd Ah! what a mad musike will there be heard of howlings scrikes gnashings of teeth and grones of desperation If the thūder clapp and trumpets sound which did resound vpon the mountaine where God deliuered his law to MOYSES put all Israel in such an ALARVM and struke the heartes of the people with such astonishment that they said vnto their law giuer Let not our Lord speake vnto vs least we should die What a death shall it be in death it selfe to heare the voice of many waters or rather the ouerflowing torrents of so many maledictions and horrible blasphemies which rage and despaire shall draw from their execrable mouthes full of the stinch of a hellish brimstone ô how iarring the discorde and how detestable the roarings of those victimes of the eternall furie The eares of those eloquent Orators and pleasing Poetes who had taken so great complacence in the gratefull fall of their measured periodes and in the sweete cadēce of their rymes shall find themselues at that tyme in a wonderfull disorder The eares of those Princes which admitted onely silken words and the oyle of sinners that is flatterie who tooke content to be praysed in the desires of their heart and blessed in their iniquities who found no better musike then that which their owne prayses made as ALEXANDER said who was as great in vanitie as valour will then be struke with terrible accents The eares of those Adonises this word signifies Song those Ninnions of the Goddesse Venus whose baites are dishonest songes Those of these effeminate Musiciās and daintie Dames who must be lulled a sleepe by singing new aires more pernicious then those of the Poetes Syrenes shall then haue their eares filled with dreadfull plaintes resembling the voice of the Storke or Dragon to whom a Prophete compares his owne while he lamented the incurable woundes of the people of Israel But the damned shall be principally frighted and shall quake to heare the thunder clape of the heauenly wroth which shall continually resound in their eares Wheras the iust saith the royall Prophete shall be in the eternall memorie of God and shall not feare the dreadfull crake of his wroth The paines of other two senses the Smelling and tasteing XXV ANd if Hell be the world's sinke and the Receptackle of all the filth of this great Frame and with all a deepe dūgeon where the aire hath hardly any accesse how great must the stinch and infection needes be of so many corruptions heaped one vpon another and how insufferable the smell of that infernall brimstone mixed with so many corrupted matters When we reade the sufferances of certaine Martires who were afflicted with smells and vermine in darke prisons we esteeme those lent martirdomes as painefull as the violent Nay some natures there be that can so litle
his sonne into a burning fornace that thence thou oughtst to coniecture an enormious crime in the child as well by reason of the greeuiousnesse of the punishment as by the Fathers rigour ô Eternall Father whose mercies are numberlesse what an inward hate must thou needs conceaue against the vniust and iniustice since thou dost punish so rigorously and so eternally the soules thou bought at so great a price as is the bloode of thyne owne sonne blood which cryed better then that of Abel bloode able to fetch out any stayne to wash of all offences and to render them sknowie white whom sinne had made cole-blacke so that this ISOPE this sopewort be applyed in a fitt tyme in a tyme capable of receauing this plentuous redemption Where are our thoughts ô my soule how doth not dread put vs into a traunce while sinne presents it selfe vnto our eyes what a monster must it needs be for whom so darksome a Dungeon and boisterous tempest is prepared and fince that God who is infinitly good is irreconciliably irritated against those reprobate soules How oft my poore heart haue we merited those horrible punishmēts wa st not as oft as we withdrew our selues from our dutie by mortall crimes sinthens all the Diuels there were damned for one sinne And are they not then so many singular obligations we haue to God who expected vs so long to repentance in not suffering his vengance to to take vs in the manure If we slile the Doctors who by their care and skill recouere vs out of a dangerous sicknesse our Esculapeses If a deliuerie out of prison draw such an obligation vpon vs towards the workers therof If a Princes grace doe so much ingage vs to him as likewise the fauour of being freed from fire or water to our deliuerers What shall we render to this good God who as often as we haue offended hath recouered vs frō death and death euerlasting Death whose torment doth far surpasse all that can be said or thought of it Propose vnto thy selfe ô my soule a thing that shall neuer happen according to the order of the Diuine Prouidence and Iustice though otherwise possible to him that can doe all that God had drawen out of this darke hole into which redemption enters not some one of the damned crue to giue him tyme of repentance for his sinns and consider what thankes he would render to his Creatour for so great a benefit and how well he would husband this precious tyme to regayne himselfe out of the midst of his dreadfull tortures Now my deare soule thou must needes haue lost all sense and iudgment if thou accnowledge not the benefit of preseruation to be no lesse then this imaginarie deliuerāce since it withdrawes thee from the same tormēts merited by so many faults Why doe not we then spend our selues in thankes giuing why are we negligēt in redeeming lost tyme sloathfull in running to the remedie of Penance The onely Table of safetie after the shipwrake of grace O God full of Goodnes who desires not the death of a sinner but his conuersion and life Ah! I begge this fauour of thee that at least I may performe some part of that which he would doe whom by thyne extraordinarie power and mercy without president thou migstest haue deliuered out of this Gulfe of horrour Ah! Lord I know this onely part would worke my whole penance for neuer would myne eylidds waxe dry the aples of myne eyes would euer swime in their fountaines night and day should I weepe My cheekes should alwayes be watered and my teares should be my dayly bread I would imbrace all sorts of exteriour and interiour sorow to auoyd those deuouring flammes and the eternall rageings of that abominable Mansion where thou art perpetually blasphemed O God my mercy Saue me from the Iawes of those roaring Lyons prepared for their prey Remoue me from before the sharpe hornes of those sauage Vnicornes Indew me ô Lord with the spirit of Compunction and Penance which is so necessarie to auoyde this Abisse And thou my soule why dost thou dwell vpon this thought of horrour why art thou vexed in it Lift vp thy heart and hope in the mercy of the Highest I thou shalt yet againe praise him the tyme of his mercy is not expired to thee He is the saluation of thy face and thy true God no no by his assistance and grace thou shalt beare no part in the abominable blasphemies of the region of the shadow of death but thou shalt be aggreable vnto him and shalt sing his prayses in the Land of the Liuing A passage to the blessed Eternitie XXXVIII HAppie land of the liuing Athanasia LAND OF PROMIS flowing with the milke and honie of Diuine fauours and blessings Land without thornes free from the captiuitie of IACOB How glorious things are reported of thee ô Citie of God! Sacred citie whose fundations are placed vpon the holy mountaines of Eternitie who art watered with an impetuous flood of felicitie and glorie and with torrents of celestiall delightes How louely are thy tabernacles O mansion of the God of vertues my soule and body doe swoone in the contemplation of thy wonders O Lord how happie are they who doe inhabite thy house◠they praise thee for euer and euer Blessed is he whō thou hast elected and receaued into thy armes he shall remayne for euer in the wishfull porches of thy heauenly Sion Certes Athanasia my heart changing this vnfortunate obiect wherin my pen was imployed in the precedent strokes to this other wholy delightfull one of the blessed Eternitie doth resent the same ioy which the Mariners doe experience when after a rough storme they meet with a calme the same alacritie which doth enlarge the victors hearts when after a dangerous battell they triumphe ouer their foes and diuide the plentuous spoyle Now it is that I may vsurpe the words of the Diuine Epithalamion Winter is past the raine and snow are blowen ouer and flowres begin to appeare in our land but flowres that are of fruite of honour and honestie admirable fruites of the Land of Promis There it is that God doth wipe away the teares of his saintes There are there no greiues or plaintes for all sortes of euils doe vanish in the presence of this vniuersall felicitie euen as shades doe disappeare in the light 's approach And as wine doth taste sweeter after bitter amandes and honie after the tast of wormeseed as deformitie doth raise the luster of an eminent beautie it being the propertie of contraries the one to aduance the other by their neighbourhood so after the harsh contemplation of so many astonishinge torments the splendour of the eternall glorie doth shine in myne eyes as a lightsome day following out an obscure night Such as doe exercise their Arts about fornaces are accustomed from tyme to tyme to releiue their weakned sight in beholding some pleasing table or to recreate them vpon some delightfull prospectiue Sweet light of