and if it seeme vnto thee that he commeth not humble thy selfe then before him and acknowledge that thou art not worthie to receiue that thinge which he geueth not vnto thee and let this content thee for that tyme that thou hast made a sacrifice of thy selfe denied thine owne will crucified thy appetite striued with the diuell and with thy felfe and done at the least what thou couldest for thyne owne parte And in case thou haue not adored our Lorde with sensible adoration accordinge to thy desire it is sufficient that thou hast adored him in spirite and in trueth accordinge as his will is to be adored Ioan. 4.23 And trust me assuredlie in this poynte that this is the most daungerous passage of all this nauigation and the place where trewe deuout persons are prooued and tried and that if thou escape well out of this daunger thou shalt haue prosperous successe in all the rest To conclude if all this notwithstandinge it seeme vnto thee that it were but time lost to perseuere in praier and to trouble and wearie thy head without anie profite in such a case I accompt it not anie inconuenience if when thou hast done what lieth in thee thou take then some deuoute booke and chaunge for that time thy prayer into readinge Howbeit with this condition that thy readinge be not passed ouer with to great hast when our harte is verie much distracted it is good then to entermingle readinge and meditation together or speide but leasurelie and with great attention and consideration vnto such thinges as thou doest reade and intermingle now and then in places conuenient praier with readinge which is a thinge both verie profitable and verie easie to be done by all kinde of persons be they neuer so rude and newly entered into this waie The sixte aduise that we must endeuour to haue a longe and profounde praier and great aboundance of deuotion § VI. AN other aduise there is not much differinge from this aforesaied nor of lesse necessitie than it which is that the seruante of God doe not content him selfe with euerie litle tast he findeth in his praier as some persones vse to doe who when they shead a fewe teares or feile a litle tendernes of harte we must seeke in praier for aboundance of deuotion perswade them selues forthwith that they haue then accomplished and performed their exercise But surelie this is not enoughe for the obteininge of that thinge which we here seeke to haue For like as a litle dewe or sprinkelinge of water is not sufficient to cause the earthe to bringe forthe fruite which doth no more but onely alaie the dust and wette the vppermost parte of the grounde but it is neidfull also to haue so great abundance of water that it maie enter into the innermost parte of the earthe and there soke and water throwghe the same euen so if we will haue our sowle to bringe forthe the fruites of vertues and good worckes it is not sufficient to haue that litle dewe and sprinkelinge of deuotion which at the turninge of the head is dried vp with the least blast of wynde or heate of sonne that cōmeth with the which the sowle maketh some outwarde apparance that it is deuout but in verie deide it is not so within but it is also requisite to haue a longe profounde praier and great deuotion which after the maner of a great showre of raine may descende and sinke downe into the bothom of the harte and there cause it to be so well watered and wasshed therewith that neither sonne nor winde I meane hereby that neither anie busines nor cares of the worlde maie be able to drie it vp nor make anie alteration therein Accordinge hereunto we reade of the blessed holie religious woman S. Clare S. Clare that she rose sometimes from prayer and meditation so wholie absorpted in contemplation vpon almightie God that she coulde not but with verie great difficultie frame her harte to deale in such busines as she was enforced to attende vnto by reason of her office This kinde of deuotion is not like vnto that which is caried awaie with the winde and dried vp with euerie aier but it is like vnto that deuotion whereof it is written in the Canticles Cant. 8.7 That manie waters shall not be able to quenche the fier of charitie neither shall the great riuers ouerflowe it In prayer it is better to haue one longe time then two shorte times And therefore we are counselled and that for verie good cause to take as longe a time for this holie exercise of prayer and meditation as we maie And suerlie it is better to haue one longe tyme for the same than two shorte tymes For if the time of prayer be shorte all is spente in setlinge the imagination and in quietinge the harte and then so soone as we haue quieted the same we rise vp forthwith from our exercise at the very time when we shoulde beginne it So that we are like vnto the Miner which in searchinge for golde geueth ouer digginge at the verie time when he findeth the vaine thereof and so loseth his former traueyll when he shoulde presentlie enioye the fruit of his labour For vndoubtedly the fruit and profite of a longe and profounde praier is wont sometimes to be so great that a man hath thereby store enoughe to spende manie daies together 3. Reg. 17. and to goe with Elias to the mounte of almightie God with the vertue and force of the foode and sustenaunce which he hath there receyued One hower and a halfe or two howers is a conueniente time for the exercise of prayer But to descende more particulerlie in limitinge this time I am of opinion that what so euer is lesse than one howre and a halfe or two howres is to shorte a tyme for praier and meditation For often times there is spente more than halfe an howre in temperinge and tuninge our instrument to witt our harte and in quietinge our imaginatiō and so all the rest of this time is litle enoughe for the enioyinge of the fruit of praier True it is I graunte that when we goe to this exercise after some other holie exercises as for example after matins or after that we haue harde or saied Masse or after some deuoute readinge Earlie in the morninge before day is a verie fitte tyme for the exercise of praier and meditation or vocall praiers our harte is then better disposed vnto this exercise For then this heauenlie fier of deuotion is enkendeled with lesse difficultie in our harte which by reason of the former holie exercise is verie apte like drie wood to take fier muche more quicklie therein Likewise earlie in the morninge before daie the tyme of our praier and meditation maie be the shorter because then our harte is much better disposed for this exercise as hereafter shal be declared Howbeit in case it be so that a man by reason
that thou dost O sweete Iesus what meaneth this so great abasinge of thy diuine maiestie O my sowle what wouldest thou haue thowght if thou haddest bene there presente and haddest seene euen almightie God himselfe kneelinge before the feete of men yea before the feete of Iudas O Cruell Iudas why doth not this so great humilitie mollifye thy stonie hart how is it that it causeth not euen thy verie bowells to burst and ryue in sunder considering this so great and wonderfull meekenes Is it possible thou traytor that thou hast conspired to betraye this most meeke and gentle lābe Is it possible that thou shouldest not feele some remorse of conscience in beholdinge this example O ye whyte and bewtifull handes how cowld ye vouchsaffe to towch such lothsome and abhominable feete O most pure and cleane handes why disdayned ye not to washe those verie feete that were all to be durted in fowle waies whiles they trauayled to shee l your bloude Beholde here o ye blessed spirites what your creator doth Come ye and beholde euen from the heauens and ye shall see euen the almightie him selfe kneelinge before the feete of men and tell me if euer he vsed the like kynde of courtesie with you O Lord I haue harde thy wordes and I was afraide I haue considered thy workes and was wholie amased O ye blessed Apostles why quake and tremble ye not at the wonderfull sight of this so great humilitie Peter what dost thou what Wilt thou condescende that this Lorde of maiestie shall washe thy feete Seint Peter when he behelde our sauiour kneeling before him woundered exceadingly yea he was altogether astonied thereat and begāne to saie in this wise What meaneth this o Lord. what wilt thou washe my feete art not thou the sonne of the liuinge God art not thou the creator of the worlde the bewtie of the heauens the paradice of the angells the redeemer of men the brightnes of the glorie of the father the fountaine of the wisedome of God which dwellest in the highest And wilt thou all this notwithstanding washe my feete what wilt thou being a Lord of so greate maiestie and glorie take such a vile and base office vpon thee wilt thou I saie thus abase thy selfe that hast laid the foundation of the earthe and bewtefied the same with so manie wonders that hast enclosed the wyde worlde within thy hand that mouest the heauens rulest the earthe diuidest the waters ordeinest the tymes disposest the causes bewtifiest the angells directest men and gouernest all thinges with thy wisedome Is it seemelie that thou shoudest washe my feete myne I saie who am but a mortall man a litle clode of earth and asshes a vessell of corruption a creature full freight with vanitie and ignorance full of infinite miseries and which exceedeth all miserie full of sinnes and yet all this notwithstandinge wilt thou o Lorde washe my feete what wilt thou beinge the Lord of all thinges abase thy selfe vnder me that am inferiour to them all verelie the highnes of thy maiestie and the profunditie of my miseries do as it were enforce me that I cannot consent to such a deede Leaue therefore o my Lord leaue I praie thee this base office for thy seruantes laie downe the towell and put on thy apparell againe and sit in thy seate and washe not my feete Beware that the heauens be not ashamed of it when they shall see how by this ceremonie thou dost set them benethe the earthe For by doing this seruyle office those verie handes into whose power the father hath committed the heauens and all other thinges should be abased vnder the feete of men Take heede that all naturall creatures be not verie much agrieued or rather in great disdaine to see them selues thus subiected vnder anie other feete then thyne Take hede also least the dawghter of kinge Sawle despise thee not 2. Reg. 6. when she shall see thee girded abowt with this towell after the maner of a seruant and saie that she will not take him for her spowse and much lesse for her God whom she seeth to attende vpon so base and vile an office Such wordes or the like spake Saint Peter as a man that had not as yet anie tast or feelinge of thinges apperteininge vnto almightie God and as one that vnderstode not what great glorie laie hidde in this worke which showed to the eie so base and vyle But our sauiour who knewe it right well and was with all desirous to leaue vnto vs for a memorie at that tyme such a wounderfull example of humilitie satisfied the simplicitie of his disciple and went forwarde afterwardes in the good worcke he had begonne The greate carefulnes of our Sauiour to make vs humble Here we haue to note with all diligence what a great and earnest care our sauiour had to make vs humble in that beinge now at the gate and entrie into his most greuons and bitter passion wherein he knewe he should geue vs such greate and wonderfull examples of humilitie as might suffice to astonishe both heauen and earth he thowght all that not enowgh but would furthermore adde this notable example also besides all the rest whereby this vertue of humilitie might the better be commended vnto vs. A commendation of the vertue of humilie O wonderfull vertue how great must thy riches be seinge thou art thus commended to vs how can thy treasures be but notoriouslie knowen seinge thou art by so manie waies set out vnto vs O humilitie that arte preached and tawght in all the whole life of our Sauiour Christ songe Luc. 1. and praised by the mouth of his owne most blessed mother O most bewtifull flower emonge vertues O diuine adamant that drawest vnto the euen the creator of all thinges Whosoeuer he be that bannisheth the awaie shal be bannished awaye from almightie God yea thowgh he be in the highest place of heauen And whosoeuer he be that embraseth thee shal be embrased of almightie God yea althowgh he be euen the greatest sinner in the world Great are thy graces and merueilous are thy effectes Thou pleasest men thou contentest the angelles thou confoundest the diuelles and byndest the handes of the creator thou art the foundation of vertues the deathe of vices the glasse of virgins and the habitation of the most blessed trinitie Who so gathereth without thee disparseth who so buildeth and not vpon thee pulleth downe And who so heapeth vertues together without thee the dust carieth them quite awaie before the face of the wynde Without thee Math. 25. the virgin is shut out of the gates of heauen Luc. 7. and with thee euen the publike sinner is receaued at the feete of Christ Embrace this vertue of humilitie O ye virgins that hereby your virginitie maie be availeable vnto you Ye that be religious persons see that you seeke earnestlie also for this vertu for without it your religion is but vaine and to no purpose And ye
anie thinge more of my selfe than of a most vyle and filthie dongehill whose horrible stenche euen I my selfe cannot well abide I am he that hath despised almightie God I am he that hath sought meanes to crucifie him againe vpon the crosse and me thinketh that all the whole frame of this worlde crieth out with open voice against me sayenge This is he that hath offended and despised our comon Lorde This is that wicked and vngratefull wretched creature that hath rather bene moued with the guylefull baites of the deuill than with the greate benefites of almightie God This is he that hath bene more delighted with the malice of the deuill than with the bountiefull goodnes and fauour of almightie God This is he that coulde neuer be induced to vertue and goodnes with the fatherlie louinge cherishinges and entertaynementes of almightie God neither coulde he euer be made affrayed with his dreadfull and terrible iudgementes This is he that hath so muche as lyeth in him defaced the power wisedome and goodnes of almightie God and brought them in contempte This is he that hath bene more affraide to offende a seelie weake man than the omnipotencie of God This is he that hath bene more ashamed to commit a filthie acte before a rude plough man of the countrye than before the presence of almightie God This is he that hath rather loued and chosen to enioye a litle stinckinge donge and myre here vpon the earth than the euerlastinge cheefe felicitie in the kingdome of heauen This is he that hath fixed his eies vpon rotten and corruptible creatures and vtterlie neglected the creator What shall I saie more There is nothinge so filthie nothinge so abominable that he hath refrayned to commit in the presence of almightie God without hauinge anie respect or shame of so great a maiestie Wherefore all creatures doe crie out after their maner against me and saie This is that leude Caitiffe that hath abused vs all For whereas he owght to haue emploied vs in the seruice and glorie of our Creator he hath made vs to serue the will and pleasure of the deuill peruertinge all such thinges to the iniurie and reproche of the creator as he had created for his seruice His soule was beawtified with the image of God and he hath disfigured this diuine image and clothed it with our vyle image and likenes He hath bene more earthlie than the earthe it selfe more slipperie than the water more mutable than the wynde more enkendeled in his appetites than the fire more hardened than the verie stones more cruell against him selfe than the wylde beastes more spitefull and venemous against others than the verie Cockatrice What neede I to vse manie wordes He hath neither feared almightie God nor made accompte of men and therefore he hath cast abroade his poyson as much as in him laie vpon manye persones alluringe them to beare him companie in his synnes and wickednes He hath not bene contente to be him selfe alone iniurious and reprochefull against almightie God but woulde haue manie others also to be parteners and companions with him in his synfull wicked and iniurious doeinges Now what shall I saie of his other abominable naughtines His pride hath bene so great that he woulde not be subiecte vnto almightie God nor submit his necke vnder the sweete yoke of his obedience but woulde rather liue as he him selfe thought best and fulfill his owne will in each poynt rebellinge so much as laye in him against almightie God If almightie God did not fulfill his appetites and desires or if he sent him anie troubles or aduersities he was in as great an anger and rage against him as he woulde haue bene against one of his owne seruantes In all his doeinges he woulde be praysed as well in the wicked as in the good as thoughe he had bene almightie God himselfe to whome onely it appertaineth to be praised in all his workes forsomuche as all that he dothe is good or ordeyned to goodnes What shall I saie more He hath bene more prowde in some degrie than lucifer more presumptuous thā Adam For they beinge as they were full of clearnes and beautie had some motiue and prouocation to presume of them selues but this vngratious synfull caytyfe beinge in verie deede a filthie and stinckinge dongehill what shoulde moue and prouoke him to estieme him selfe in anie respect All creatures doe therefore iustlie crie out against me and saie Come let vs destroie this wicked synfull wretche that hath done such great wronge and villanie to our creator The earthe saieth Why doe I beare him The water saieth why doe I not drowne him The ayre saith why doe I geue him breathe The fier saith why doe I not burne him Hell saith why doe I not swallowe him vp and tormente him Alas alas miserable wretche that I am what shall I doe Whither shall I goe Seinge all thinges are in armes against me Where shall I hyde my selfe Who will receaue me seinge I haue offended all thinges Almightie God I haue despised the Angels I haue made angrie the sainctes I haue dishonored men I haue offended and scandalized and all creatures I haue most wickedly abused But to what ende doe I make so longe a discourse For in that I offended the Lorde and creator of all thinges I haue also offended all creatures together in him I knowe not therefore poore wretched synfull caitiffe that I am whither I maie goe forsomuch as I haue made all thinges to become enemies against me Emongest all the thinges that I see about me I can fynde nothinge that will take my parte insomuch as euen myne owne verie consciēce barcketh against me and all my bowells doe accuse me and rent me in peeces Wherefore I will weepe continuallie I will lament my wretchednes like a poore miserable creature I will neuer cease weepinge so lōge as I liue in this vale of miserie I will expecte if perhappes my most mercifull Sauiour will vowchesaffe to tourne his pittiefull eies towardes me I will cast my selfe downe at his feete and with all the humilitie and shame that I can I will saie vnto him O Lorde I am that great enemie of thine which in presence of thy diuine eies haue committed most wicked and abominable offences I acknowledge my selfe to be guiltie here before thee I confesse my wickednes to be so great that althoughe I alone shoulde suffer all the paines and torments that bothe the deuiles and damned persons doe suffer in hell yet shoulde I not be able with all this to make a sufficient satisfaction for that which my synnes haue deserued Wherefore I beseech thee ô Lorde to cast the clooke of thy mercie ouer me thy poore wretched and synfull creature and let the greatnes of thy goodnes ouercome and couer my wickednes Luc. 15. Let the most sweete louinge father reioyce at the comminge home agayne of his prodigall sonne Let the good shepherde reioyce at the recouerie of his lost
is called not onely the daie of Anger but also the daie of our Lorde as the Prophet Ioel tearmeth it Ioel. 1.15 why the daye of iudgemente is called the daye of our Lorde Geauinge vs thereby to vnderstāde that all other daies haue bene the daies of men in which they haue fulfilled their owne willes against the wil of god but this daie is called the daie of our Lorde because vpō this daie our Lorde will doe his will against the will of men Thou doest now sweare and forsweare and blaspheme and almightie God in this meane while holdeth his peace and sayeth nothinge vnto it but be thou well assured the daie shall come when almightie God will breake of his lōge silence of so manie daies and of so manie iniuries ād will answere for his owne honour There be but two dayes the one is the daye of our Lorde and the other is the daye of men 2. Paral. 18. So that there be no more but two daies in the worlde the one is the daie of our Lorde and the other the daie of men Man whiles his daie endureth maye doe whatsoeuer he listeth and almightie God will holde his peace and as it were wincke at all his doinges Vpon this daie the Kinge Sedechias maie commaunde the Prophet of God to be cast into a well and breade to be geuen vnto him by vnces He maie vse and abuse the Prophet at his pleasure and at all those iniuries almightie God will holde his peace But after this daie there will come an other daie and almightie God will take kinge Sedechias and depriue him of his kingedome he will destroie Ierusalem and bringe kinge Sedechias in fetters before the kinge of Babilon and there shall all his sonnes and friendes be murdered before his face There shall he commaunde his eies which were preserued to see so manie miseries to be plucked out of his head which done he shall cause him to be caried in fetters to Babilon and confyne him into a prison there to remaine all the daies of his lyfe So that as man hath libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer he listeth without anie restraint or impediment at all euen so will almightie God haue free libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer his will and pleasure shal be and no man shal be able to let or disturbe him Of the signes that shall goe before the daie of the generall Iudgemente § II. FINALLIE if thou desire to vnderstande what maner of daie this shal be consider what signes shall goe before it For by the signes thou shalt perceiue what the thinge shal be that is signified as by the eueninge and Vigile thou mayste vnderstande what the feast of the daie shal be First of all when that daie shal be no man knoweth Marc. 13. no not the Angels in heauen nor yet the sonne himselfe to reueile it to anie other but the father onely Howbeit certaine signes shall goe before it whereby men maie prognosticate not onely of the nearnes of the daie but also of the greatnes and dreadfulnes thereof Math. 24.7 For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be great warres and troubles in the worlde Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kindome And there shal be great earthquakes in manie places and pestilence and famine and terrible thinges appearinge in the aier and other great signes and wonders And which is more dreadfull than all this there shall come that great horrible persecution so oftentimes mentioned in the holie Scriptures The horrible persecution of Antichrist The Iewes shall receiue and worship Antichrist for their Messias as appeareth in Iohn 5. vers 43. ād 1. Iohn 2. vers 22. which shal be executed by the most crewell persecutor that euer the Catholike Churche hath had to witt by Antichrist who shall impugne the Catholike Churche most malitiouslie not onelie with most crewell warres and horrible tormentes but also with apparant and feyned miracles Consider now therefore with thy selfe as the blessed holie Pope S. Gregorie saieth what a terrible time that of Antichrist shal be when the godlie martir shall offer his bodie to the tormentor and the tormentor shall worke miracles before his face Math. 24. vers 21.22 Marc. 13. vers 19.20 To conclude the tribulation of these daies as our Sauiour saieth shal be so great as the like was neuer since the beginninge of the worlde Antichristes raigne and persecutiō shall not continewe but three yeares and a halfe as appeareth in Daniell 7. vers 25. Daniell 12. vers 7. 11. Apoc. 11. vers 2. 3. Apoc. 13. vers 5. Ezech. 32. nor neuer shal be insomuche that if almightie God of his great mercie did not prouide to shorten these daies all fleashe shoulde not be saued But for the electes sake the daies of Antichrist shal be shortened After these signes as this daie of the generall iudgment draweth nearer and nearer there shall appeare other signes more dreadfull than these in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres Of which dreadfull signes our Lorde spake by his Prophet Ezechiel sayeinge I will cause the sterres of heauen to be darckened ouer thee and I will couer the Sonne with a clowde and the Moone shall not shewe fourthe her lighte And I will cause all the lightes of heauen to mourne and lamente ouer thee And I will sende darcknes ouer all the lande Now when these great signes and alterations shall appeare in the heauens what maie we looke for vpon the earthe which is wholly gouerned by the heauens We see in a common weale that when the heades that gouerne it are in anie tumulte all the other members and partes thereof are also in a like tumulte and vprore and the whole common-weale is tossed and tormoyled with armes and dissention Now if all this bodie of the worlde be gouerned by the vertues and influences of the heauens in case both the heauens and this bodie be altered and out of their naturall order in what ruthfull case thē shall all the members and partes be that depende of them The aier shal be full of lighteninges whyrlewindes and blasinge sterres The earthe shal be full of wyde yawninge cleiftes fearfull tremblinges and quakinges And these earthquakes as it is thought shal be so great and violent that they shal be able to ouerthrowe not onely the sumptuous pallaces highe towers and stronge Castels but euen the verie mountaines and rockes them selues shal be also shaken and ouerwhelmed by them and quite remoued out of their places But most of all other elementes the Sea shall at that tyme shewe greatest rage and furie and the waues thereof shal be so highe and so furious that it shall seeme that they will vtterlie ouerwhelme all the whole earthe Such as dwell by the Sea side shal be in great dread and terror by reason of the great rysinge of waters and such as dwell further of shal be wounderfullie afraide
24. vers 25. and namelie of the dreadefull daie of iudgemente he vttered suche wonderfull terrible thinges thereof that as the holie scripture mentioneth he made the verie President himselfe thoughe he were an infidell euen to tremble and quake for fearè with the onelie hearinge of them Apoc. 14. vers 7. And sain te thon likewise in his Reuelations affirmeth that he sawe an Angell preachinge the euerlastinge gospell vnto all Nations tribes tongues and people meaninge thereby that he preached as wel to the good as to the wicked without anie exception therein of the faithfull Christians sayenge Feare oure Lorde and giue honor vnto him becawse the hower of his iudgemeÌ„te is come And I am perswaded that all godlie wise and graue men will easelie agree in this opinion with me that this manner of preachinge of the terror of the daie of Iudgemente and of the moste horrible paines of hell is muche more needefull nowe in this our corrupte age in Englande and Scotlande than in Italie Spaine or other Catholike countries sithe so greate numbers of them are infected with so manie hereticall licentious doctrines that haue caused them to put quite awaie out of their myndes all feare of God and of his terrible iudgements and to presume moste certainelie and assuredlye to be saued by their onelie faithe Philip. 2. vers 12. 1. Cor. 4.4 2. Pet. 1.10 and so are generallie become vtterlie careles of endeuoringe to woorke their saluation with feare and tremblinge and doe liue as dissolutelie as anie barbarous Pagans and Atheists In so muche as all godlie aunciente wise men doe greatelye lamente to see by experience the terrible prophecie of Dauid to be generallie verified at this daie throughout our Realme which is that the iudgements of almightie God be taken quite awaye from the face of the vngodlye Psal 9. vers 26. And if theise and suche like godlie Meditations and considerations of the terrible threateninges and iudgements of almightie God againste the wicked be not a fitt remedie for their conuersion from their careles dissolute lifes what other remedie then can possiblie be deuised for them Howbeit I haue verie greate hope that with the grace of God theise godlie Meditations will woorke muche good effecte for the conuersion of manie of them For vndoutedlie that man is verie wilfull and obstinate in his wickednes that readinge aduisedlie all theise godlie Meditations is not moued inwardelie in his harte in some parte of them to the feare loue and seruice of almightie God and to the abhorringe of synne and amendement of his lise And suche readers as shal be inwardelie moued and called thereunto by almightie God I coniure them in his holie name and in regarde of their owne saluation Ephes 4. vers 30. Psal 94.8 not to make sad the Holie Ghoste in hardeninge their hartes and resistinge vngratefullie and wilfullie againste his diuine inspirations when it shall please his infinite goodnes and mercie with suche singuler loue to knocke and calle at the dore of their hartes but in anie wise to open it out of hande and receiue him most humblie into their hartes with suche louinge hartie interteynement submission thankefulnes seruice and honor as duetie requireth they shoulde doe vnto their most highe soueraigne lorde and Creatour that hath suche a speciall louinge care of their saluation Nowe this booke of Meditations and whatsoeuer els I haue translated and shall godwillinge hereafter publishe in printe I doe most humblie offer vnto the seruice of almightie God for the benefite of our countrie And for so muche as I am verie warie and assured that this boke conteineth not anie thinge whereby I maie iustlie incurre anie penaltie prescribed by anie lawes of our Realme I am the bolder humblie to recommende it by this my dedicatorie Epistle vnto your Honours and woorshipps partelie for that I haue spente some parte of my time in the studie of our Common Lawes in the Middle Temple emonge you and am verie moche bounde vnto diuers of you But chiefelie for that I knowe right well the greate capacitie and dexteritie of your spirites the grauitie of your iudgementes and your wisdomes experiences authoritie and example to be of suche principall estimation and worthie respecte in our Realme that in case ye doe Zelouselye emploie your endeuours to the due reuerente consideration of the holie Mysteries of the Christian Religion as I doute not but verie manie emonge you doe your holie example will generallie allure a greate nomber throughout our whole Realme from all contentious disputinge and iarringe aboute theise late newe controuersies in Religion to embrace firmelie and Zealouselie the aunciente Catholike beliefe and to imitate the vertuous liues of our holie Christian forefathers who had muche more aboundance of the grace and lighte of the Gospell of our Sauiour Christe than we haue in this our vngratious corrupte age as verie manifestlie appeareth by their so manifolde good Christian fruites lefte by them vnto vs to the glorie of our Sauiour Christ and of his deare spowse the Catholike Churche and to the continewall greate admiration confusion enuie and dispite of Lucifer and of all his rebellious wicked spirites and of all Iewes Turkes Heretiques and other Infidells his adherentes An exhortation to yonge noble men and gentlemen And requestinge here humbly pardon and licence to treate in a familiar maner with the yonger sorte I desire your Honors and woorshippes continewallie to remember what greate inclination ye haue vnto vertue more than others of obscure parentage and base estate in regarde of your noblenes and magnanimitie which euer inuiteth you to imitate the noble vertuous steppes of your noble Christian auncesters and to set vpon highe and noble vertuous enterprises and to doe all your workes noblie and excellentâ—â—e that ye take in hande As also to consider that a vertuous life is the greatest and moste noble ornamente of nobilitie And that for this ende cheefelie almightie God bestoweth vpon noble personages here in eaâ—the principalitie rule gouernemente and honor that thei shoulde giue vertuous and godlie example vnto all others that be vnder their rule and gouernemente And by experience we finde that ordinarilie no bysshoppe or other preacher is able with suche facilitie to plante vertue emonge the common people and cause them sincerelie to loue honor and embrace it as noblemen gentlemen Magistrates and Gouernours are able to doe in case thei them selues do giue good apparante example of vertue religion and deuotion and be Zealous also in procuringe all others to doe the like And therefore I beseeche you to determin with an honorable constant resolution to employe your time in the moste noble exercises of vertue and to feare loue serue and honor almightie God who is your most noble highe soueraigne Lorde and Creator and not to suffer either your studie or practise of the lawes or other your worldlye offices and affaires to be so greate an impedimente vnto your spirituall exercises but
of the laietie seeke no lesse for this vertue then the religious doe that by the same ye maie be deliuered from the snares of this sinfull world Of the wipinge of the Apostles feete with the towell This beinge done consider also how after our sauiour had wasshed there feete he wyped them cleane with that sacred towell wherewith he was girded And lyft vp the eies of thy soule somewhat higher and there shalt thou see represented the misterie of our redemption The misterie of our redemptiō is represented in the washinge and wypinge of the Apostles feete Consider how that faier towell receaued into it all the fylthe and vncleannes of those feete which were altogether verie foule and filthie And as the feete were made cleane and faire so the towell contrariewise after he had wyped their feete with it was whollie bespotted and defyled Now what is more filthie then a man conceaued in synne and what is more cleane and bewtifull than our Sauiour Christ conceued of the holie Ghoste My welbe loued is whyte Cantic 5. and well coulored saieth the spowse and chosen out emonge thowsandes This most sweete and louinge Lord then that was so faier and so cleane was content to receaue into him selfe all the spottes and filthynes of our soules to witt the paines which our synnes deserued and that he might leaue our soules cleane and free from them he himselfe remained as yee see him vpon the crosse all bespotted and defyled with the same In so much that the verie angells were as it were astonied and suerlie not without good cause to see their Lord and creator so beraied with this so strange fowlenes And therefore they demaunded by the prophet Esaie sainge wherefore dost thou ô Lord weare garmentes dyed with the colour of bloud Esa 63. all bespotted and beraied like vnto them that stampe grappes in the winepresse Now if this bloude and these fowle spottes be of others to witt of our sinnes tell me o kinge of glorie were it not more meete that men themselues should suffer according to there owne desertes then that thou O most innocente Lorde shouldest be thus defyled and tormented for there sakes had it not bene more decent that this filthines should haue remained vpon his owne donghill and not vpon thee the mirrour of all bewtie What a wōderfull pietie and cōpassion was it that moued thee to haue such a feruent desyre of the cleannes of my soule that thou wouldest with so great charge and losse of thine owne bewtie bestowe it vpon me what man aliue would take a fyne to well wrought with golde and wype therewith a fowle sluttishe dishe espetiallie such a dishe as were greatdlie broken and rente in manie places Blessed art thou o my most mercifull and louinge Lord. All the angells praise thee o God for euermore For that it hath pleased thee to become as it were an outcast of the worlde takinge vpon thee all oure filthines and miseries which are the paines dew vnto vs for our sinnes to deliuer vs quite and make vs free from them After this consider those wordes wherewith our sauiour made an ende of this historie sainge I haue geueu you an example that ye shoulde doe euen as I haue done to you which wordes are to be referred not onelie to this matter and example of humilitie but euen also to all the other workes and life of our sauiour Christ For so much as his whole life is a most perfet pattern of all vertues espetiallie of that vertu which in this place is represented vnto vs The life of Christe is a most perfet patterne of all vertues and especiallie of humilitie to witt humilitie as the blessed martir Sainct Ciprian declareth more at large in these wordes It was cheiflie saith he a worke of great patience and humilitie that so high and excellent a maiestie woulde vouchsafe to come downe from heauen vnto the earth and clothe himselfe with our claie S. Cyprian and that he woulde dissemble the glorie of his immortalitie and become mortall to the end that being him selfe innocent and faulltes he might be punnished for such as were giltie The Lord would be baptised of his seruante he that came to pardon sinnes would be wasshed with the water of sinners he that feedeth all creatures fasted fourtie daies in the wildernes and in the end suffered honger which he did to this end that all such as had a hongrie appetite after godes worde and longed after his grace might be satisfied and furnished with the same he fowght with the diuell that tempted him and contentinge him selfe with the victorie offered his ennemie no further harme but by worde onelie His disciples he neuer despised as a Lord doth his seruantes but enterteined them with great charitie and beneuolence yea he vsed them louingly as brethern Neither is it to be merueyled at that he thus behaued him selfe towardes his disciples being as they were obedient seinge he could suffer that arrant traitor Iudas so patienlie and beare with him euen till the end and suffer him being his ennemie to eate together with him at his owne table and knowinge full well whereabowte he went woulde neuer discouer him but was content to receaue a kisse of him euen of him I saie that had soulde him with such a traiterous peace Moreouer with what great patience did he beare with Iewes vntill that present howre how painfully did he labour to moue those vnbeleuinge hartes with his preachinge to embrace the faith what great trauaille tooke he to allure those vngratefull men vnto him with good workes how meekly answered he to such as contraried him in his speach with what clemencie bare he with the prowde with what a wounderfull humilitie yelded he to the furious rage of his ennemies and persecutors How traueiled he euen vntill the verie howre of his most bitter passion to recouer them that had bene the murderers of the Prophetes and heynous rebelles against almightie God In like maner at the verie howre of his passion before they came to the sheadinge of his most cruell death how great were the opprobrious iniuries they offered vnto him How patientlie gaue he them the hearinge thereof How great were the mockes and tauntes he sufred How patientlie did he beare the vile spittinge of those infernall mouthes that had him selfe not longe before with the spittell of his owne mowthe restored a blynd man to his perfet sight How suffered he their whippinges whose seruantes are wont in his name with mightie power to whippe the verie diuelles how was he crowned with thornes that crowneth his martirs with euerlastinge garlandes How was he smitten on the face with the palmes of mens handes that geueth the palme of victorie vnto such as be conquerors How was he spoyled of his earthlie garmētes that apparaileth the sainctes with the garmentes of immortalitie How was he profered most bitter gaull that geueth vs the bread of heauen How was he offered vyneger
is receaued corporallie not that he is changed into men Note what a wonderfull operation this blessed Sacramente worketh in him that worthelie receaueth the same but men are changed into him by loue and conformetie of will for so much as this diuine meate worketh the same operation in him that doth worthelie receaue it that is wrowght and represented in it when it is consecrated For like aâ— by the vertue of the wordes of consecration that which was bread is conuerted into the substance of Christ euen so by vertue of this holie communion he that was man is by a merueilous maner transformed spirituallie into God So that like as that diuine bread is one thinge and appeareth an other and was one thinge before consecration and is an other thinge afterwardes euen so he that eateth the same is one thinge before the receauing and an other thinge afterwardes and he appeareth one thinge outwardlie but in verie deede is an other thinge and that farre more highe and excellent inwardlie for somuch as he hath the beinge and substance of man and withall the spirite of God Now then what glorie can be geater than this what gifte more pretious what benefitt of more valewe what greater showe of loue let all the workes of nature kepe silence A notable commeÌ„datioÌ„ of this most blessed Sacramente and of the wounderful effectes it worketh in him that receaueth it worthelie let all the workes of grace geue place For this is a worke excellinge all workes and this is a singuler grace aboue all graces O most wonderfull sacrament what shall I saie of thee with what wordes shall I commend thee thou art the life of our soules the medecine of our woundes the comfort of our troubles the memorie of Iesus Christ the testimonie of his loue the most pretious legacie of his testament the companion of our peregrination the consolation of our bannishement the burninge cole to enkendle the fier of the loue of God in vs the meane whereby to receaue grace the pledge of euerlastinge felicitie and the treasure of the christian life By meanes of this diuyne meate the soule is vnited vnto her spouse by this the vnderstandinge is illuminated the memorie quickened the will ennamored the inward tast delighted the deuotion increased the bowelles mollified the founteine of teares opened the passions of the minde quieted the good motions awakened our weakenes fortified and by meane of this diuine meate we receue strength and lustines to ascend vpâ—euen to the hill of almightie God What tounge is able fullie to expresse the excellencie of this most blessed sacrament Who can geue worthie thankes for so great a benefit Who will not be altogether resolued into teares when he seeth almightie God vnited vnto him Assuredlie the more we goe about to consider the excellencie and vertues of this diuine souereyne misterie the more doe we want wordes to expresse it and the more doth our vnderstanding faile vs therein Now what pleasure what sweetnes what delightfull sauours of good life doth the soule of the iust man feele at that time when he receiueth this diuine sacramant There is none other sownd harde at that time but onely sweete songes of the inwarde man vehement burstinge out of holie desires yeelding of thaÌ„kes and vtteringe most sweet wordes all tending to the praise of our sweete sauiour Christ her beloued There the deuout soule throwghe the vertu of this most holie and reuerent sacrament is altogether inwardlie renewed and replenished with ioye There she is recreated with deuotion fed with peace fortified in faith confirmed in hope and tied fast with bandes and knottes of charitie vnto her most sweete sauiour and redeemer Whereby she waxeth dailie more feruent in loue more stronge in resistinge temptation more prompt and readie to susteine labour and trauaile more carefull and diligente to doe good workes and more desirous to frequent this most holie misterie Such are thy giftes o sweete Iesus such are the workes and delightes of thy loue which thou art wont to communicate vnto thy frendes by meanes of this diuine sacrament And this thou doest to the end that we beinge filled with these so great and mightie delightes should dispise all other vaine and deceitfull delightes Now therefore o most mellifluous loue open the eies of thy faithfull Catholicke people open them I beseach thee o most diuine light that with the bright beames of liuely faith they maie knowe thee and dilate there hartes that they maie receathee ue thee into them that beinge instructed by thee they maie seeke thee by thee and repose and rest them selues in thee and fynallie by meanes of this most blessed sacrament be vnited with thee as members with theire head and as braunches with theire vyne that so they may liue throwgh thy vertue and enioye the influences of thy grace for euer and euer worlde without end Amen The meditation being ended there followe immediatlye thankes geuinge and petition as hath bene before declared THIS DAIE WHEN THOV hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon these two poyntes to witt vpon the praier of our sauiour in the Garden and vpon his apprehension The text of the holie Euangelistes VHEN supper was done Christ went with his disciples into a garden which is called Gethsemanie And he said vnto them Sit ye here whilest I goe and praie yonder And he tooke with him Peter and the two sonnes of Zebedee And he begane to be in a great feare and heauines And he said vnto them My soule is heauie euen vnto death Tarie yee here and watch with me So he went a litle further from them where he cast him selfe downe prostrate on the earth and fell on his face and praied sainge O my Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt This done he came to his Disciples and fownd them a sleepe And he said to Peter what coulde ye not watch with me one howre watche and praie that ye enter not into temptation The spirite is readie but the fleshe is weake Againe he went awaie the seconde time and made the same praier saying O my Father if this cuppe cannot passe awaie from me but that I must needes drinke it thy will be done And he came the second time and founde his Disciples a sleepe for theire eyes were heauie So he left them and went awaie againe and praied the third time sayinge the same wordes Luc. 22. And there appeared an angell to him from heauen comfortinge him And beinge in an agonie he praied more at lengthe And his sweate was like droppes of bloude trickeling downe to the grownde Math. 26. Then he came to his Disciples and said vnto them Sleepe from hence forth and take your rest Behold the howre is at hand and the sonne of man shal be deliuered into the handes of synners Arise let vs goe beholde he is at
awake them out of theire heauie and drowsie sleepe Note also of what importance the saluation of mankinde is sith it is able to make him to sweate droppes of bloude by whose power the heauens are susteined And consider on the other side how little accompt men them selues make of theire owne saluation sith at such time as almightie God him selfe is so carefull and watchfull for them they are in a deepe heauie sleepe and vtterlie careles thereof Assuredlie nothinge could more liuely expresse both the one and the other than the consideration of these two pointes being so strange as they are For if almightie of others howe happeneth it that the verie persons them selues to whom euen the charge and traueille of the affaires apperteineth together with the profit commoditie losse and damage of the same do liue with such carelesnes and negligence therin By this same care of our Sauiour and carelesnes of his disciples thou maist vnderstand how trewlie this Lorde is our father and how he hath indeede towardes vs the verie bowelles and hart of a true and louinge father How often times chaunceth it trowe ye that the daughter sleepeth verie sowndlie and quietlie when her father watcheth all the night carckinge and carynge for her releefe and prouision And euen so doth this our most louinge and mercifull father for vs whiles we be soheauie a sleepe and are vtterlie careles of our owne saluation as by this example is liuelie set out before our eies in that he continueth all the night watchinge and sweatinge and in great agonie to take order for the redēption he intended to bestowe vpon vs. HOW OVR SAVIOVR WAS APPREHENDED Non est seruus maior domino suo si me persecuti to sunt et vos persequentur Johan 15.20 § II. Of Iudas pressinge before all the rest to apprehende our Sauiour CONSIDER moreouer how when our sauiour had finished his praier Iudas that counterfait and false friende of his came thither with that hellishe cōpanie where renouncinge the office of an Apostle he became now the verie principall ringeleader and Captayne of Sathans armie Consider howe without all shame he pressed and set himselfe euen the verie formost before all the rest of his malicious rowte and comminge to his good maister solde him with a kisse of most treyterous and deceitfull fryndeshippe It is certaynelie a great miserie that a man should be solde for money but yet it is much more miserable if he be solde of his friendes and of such as to whom he hathe bene greatelie beneficiall before Now our sweete Sauiour Christ is solde of him whom he had made not onelie his disciple but also his Apostle yea he is solde of him by deceite ád plaine treason he is solde of him to most cruel merchantes that couete you may be sure nothing els of him but onelie his bloud and life to satisfie theire greadie honger But for what price trow ye is he sold the basenes and smalnes of the pryce increaseth the greatnes and malice of the iniurie Tell me O Iudas thou nowghtie traitor at what price doest thou set the Lord of all creatures At thirtie pence O what a vile and slender pryce is this for a Lorde of such maiestie Certeinlie a verie beast in the shambles is commonlie solde for more And doest thou o traitor sell for so smalle a pryce almightie God him selfe He settethe not thee at so smalle a pryce forsomuch as he byeth thee with his owne most pretious bloude O what a great price and estimation was that of man and how base an estimation and pryce was this of God God is solde for thirtie pence and man is bought euen with the verie pretiouse bloud of almightie God him selfe At the same tyme our sauiour said vnto them that came to laie handes vpon him Luc. 22. Math. 26. Ye become out as it were ageinst a theife with swordes and speeres and I satte daylie emonge you teachinge in the temple and ye neuer laid handes vpon me but this is your howre and the power of darkenes This is suerlie a misterie of great admiration For what thinge is more to be wondered at then to see the verie sonne of almightie God to take vpon him the Image and shape not onelie of a sinner but euen also of a condemned person Our sauiour was giuen vp to the power of the diuelles from the tyme of his apprehension vntill his deathe vpon the crosse Iob 2. This sayethe he is yowr howre and the power of darkenes The which wordes geue vs to vnderstande that from that time that most innocent lambe was geuen vp into the power of the princes of darckenes which are the diuells to the intent that by meanes of theire members and cruell ministers they might execute vpon him all the furious tormentes and cruelties they could deuise And like as holie Iob was by the permission of almightie God geuen vp into the power of Sathan that he might vse vpon him all the crueltie he woulde this onelie excepted that he should not bereiue him of his life euen so was there power geuen to the princes of darknes without anie exception either of life or death that they might fullie extende vpon that sacred humanitie all theire surie and rage to the vttermost they cowld Hereof rose those despightfull tauntes those slaunderous and reprochfull wordes such as the like were neuer harde before that tyme wherewith the diuell pretended to satisfie his vnsatiable rancre and malice to reuenge his iniuries and to cast that blested soule downe into some kinde of impatiencie if it had bene possible Almightie God saith the Prophet Zacharie shewed Iesus the highe preist vnto me Zach. 3. apparelled with a spotted garmente and Sathan stoode at his right hande readie prepared to speake against him But our Sauiour answered for his parte sayinge I did alwaies set God before myne eies Psalm 15. who standeth at my right hande that I be not remoued Consider then now o my soule how much that highe and diuine maiestie abased himselfe for thy sake sithence he vowchesaffed to come to the last extremitie of all miseries which is to be geuen vp to the power of deuilles And because this was the paine that was due to thy synnes it pleased him to put euen himself to this paine that thou mightest remaine quite and free from the same Psalm 8. O holie Prophet why doest thou wonder to see almightie God become inferior to his angells thou hast now farre greater cause to wonder to see him geuen vp into the power of deuilles Vndowtedlie both the heauens and the earthe trembled and quaked at this so passinge great humilitie and charitie of our Sauiour So soone as these wordes were spoken foorthwith all that hellishe rowte and malitiouse rable of raueninge wolues assaulted this most meeke and innocent lambe and some verie furiouslye haled him this waie and some that waie eache one to the vttermost of his power O how
sakes aboue fiue thowsande strypes we beleue not yet that he loueth vs. But what shall we saie if to all these strookes and woundes which he receaued for vs at the pillar we adde moreouer all the other paines and trauaylles of his whole life all which proceeded of loue What browght thee downe o Lorde from heauen vnto the earthe but onelie loue What thinge pulled thee out of thy fathers bosome and lay de thee in thy mothers wombe What thinge caused thee to take the garmente of our fraile nature vpon thee and to become partaker of our miseries but onelie loue What thinge placed thee in an oxe staulle and swaddeled thee in a manger and chased thee into strange coūtreis but onelie loue What thinge made thee to carrie the yooke of our mortalitie for the space of so manie yeares but onely loue What thinge made thee to sweate to traueill to watche to continewe wakinge all the longe nighte and to passe ouer bothe sea and lande seakinge after lost soules but onely loue What thinge bounde Sampson hande and foote shaued his heare Iudic. 16. spoyled him of all his force and caused him to be mocked and scorned of his ennemies but onelie the loue of his spouse Dalida And what thinge hath bounde thee our true Sampson and shaued thee and spoyled thee of thy force and strengthe and geuen thee into thyne ennemies handes to be so reprochefullie lawghed spitted and scoffed at but onelie the loue that thou bearest vnto thy spouse the Catholicke Churche and vnto each one of our sowles Finallie what thinge hath brought thee to be crucified vpon the tree of the crosse there to stande so cruellie tormented from toppe to toe thy handes nailed thy syde opened thy members racked one from an other thy bodie all of a goore bloude thy vaines exhausted and voide of bloude thy lippes pale and wanne thy tonge bitter to be shorte all thy bodie wholie rente and torne What thinge coulde haue wrought such a most cruell fowle mangelinge and boucherie of thee as this was but onely loue O passinge great loue o gratious loue o loue seemelie for the great vnspekeable mercie and infinite goodnes of him who is infinitlie good and louinge yea wholie loue Hauinge therefore so great and so manie testimonies of thy loue o my sweete Lorde and sauiour as these be how can I but beleue that thou louest me Sith it is most certeine that thou hast not changed that most charitable louinge harte beinge now in heauen which thou haddest when thou diddest walke here vpon the earthe Thou art not like that cuppe bearer of kinge Pharao Genesis 40. who when he sawe him selfe in prosperitie forgat his poore friendes that he had left in prison but rather the prosperitie and glorie that thou doest now enioye in heauen moueth thee to haue greater pittie and compassion vpon thy children whom thou hast lefte here in earthe Now then sith it is certaine that thou louest me so much as I see verie euidentlie thou doest why doe not I loue thee againe why doe not I put my whole trust and affyance in thee why doe not I esteime my selfe verie happie and riche hauinge euen almightie God him selfe so constante and louinge a frynde vnto me It is vndowtedlie a great wonder that anie thinge in this life dothe make me carefull and heauie hauinge on my syde so riche and so mightie a louer throwghe whose handes all thinges doe passe I H S THVRSDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie when thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate and consider How our Sauiour was crowned with thornes how Pilate said of him to the people ECCE HOMO Beholde the man and how he bare the Crosse vpon his shoulders Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius 1 pet 2.21 The text of the holie Euangelistes VHEN our Sauiour had bene thus whipped ād scourged Math. 25. Marc. 15. the souldiars of the president tooke him into the common haull and there gathered about him the whole bande And they stripped him and put vpon him a purple roobe and platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his head and a reede in his right hande And they bowed theire knees before him and mocked him sayeinge Haill o kinge of the Iewes and spitted vpon him and tooke the reede that he helde in his hande and smoote him on the head therewith Ioan. 19. Then Pilate went forthe againe and said vnto them Beholde I bringe him forthe to you that ye maie knowe that I finde no faulte in him at all Then came Iesus forthe wearinge a crowne of thornes and a purple garmente And Pilate said to them Beholde the man Then when the highe preistes and officers sawe him they cried sayeinge Crucifie him Crucifie him Pilate said vnto them Take ye him and crucifie him For I finde no faulte in him The Iewes answered and sayed we haue a lawe and by our lawe he owght to die because he made him selfe the sonne of God Then when Pilate haerde that worde he was the more afraied and wente againe into the common hall and said vnto Iesus Whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no answere Then said Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee Iesus answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were geuen thee from aboue Therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hath the greater sinne From thenceforthe Pilate late sowght to loose him But the Iewes cried out requiringe to haue him crucified and theire cries preuailed And Pilate determined to accomplishe theire requeste And he let loose vnto them him Luc. 23. that for an insurrection and murder was cast into prison whom they desired and deliuered Iesus vnto them to doe with him what they woulde And they tooke Iesus Ioan. 19. and led him awaie And he bare his Crosse and came into a place that was called Caluarie Luc. 23. And there folowed him a great multitude of people and of women which bewayled and lamented him But Iesus turned backe vnto them and said Daughters of Ieruzalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For beholde the daies will come when men shall saie Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they beginne to saie to the mountaines falle vpon vs and to the hilles Couer vs. For if they do these thinges to the greene tree what shal be done to the drye I H S MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT COME forthe O yee dawghters of Sion and beholde kinge Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him at the daie of his espousels and vpon the daie of the ioyefulnes of his harte O my sowle what doest thou O my harte what thinkest thou O my
reioyceth Cantic 7. Shut vp the springes of thy most pure eies more cleare than the waters of Esebon and now sore troubled and dymmed with the showers of so manie teares Genes 8. The wrath and anger of almightie God is now pacified with the sacrifice of the true Noe. Cease therefore the floude of thy most holie eies and let the earthe be cleared agayne with new brightnes The doue is now departed out of the arke and when she retourneth she will bringe with her signes of the mercie and clemencie of almightie God Reioyce therefore ô blessed virgin and comforte thy selfe with this hope and cease now I praie thee these thy mournefull sobbinges and sighes Thy owne deerelie beloued sonne him selfe putteth thy dolefull mourninge and teares to sylence and inuiteth thee to a newe ioye in his Canticles sayeinge Cant. 2. The winter is now past the showers and tempesteous stormes are ceased the flowers do appeare in our lande Rise vp therefore my welbeloued my darlinge and my turtle done that abidest in the holes of the rocke and in the cleiftes of the walle That is to saie in the strookes and woundes of my bodie Leaue now this habitation and come and dwell with me I see well ô blessed Ladie that none of all these thinges are able to comforte thee because thy sorrowe and greife is not hereby taken awaie but onely changed One martirdome I see is ended and an other now beginneth The tormentes of thy harte are renewed continuallie and thowgh some goe awaie yet others do succede with newe kindes of tormentes that by such changes the torment of the Passion maie be dowbled vnto thee Hetherto thou hast lamented his paines and sorrowes now thou lamentest his death Hetherto thou hast lamented his passion now thou lamentest thyne owne solitarines Hetherto thou hast lamented his greifes and troubles and now thou mournest for his absence One waue is past and an other commeth on to ouerwhelme thee So that the ende of his paine is a beginninge of thyne And as though this thy paine were to litle I see that these cruell tormentors prepare yet an other paine for thee no lesse then this Close vp thine eies therefore ô blessed Ladie close them vp out of hande I beseach thee and loke not vpon that longe terrible speare which goeth with greate violence in the aier to strike the place wherevnto it is leuelled Now hast thou ô holie virgin thy desire fulfilled For now arte thou become a buckler to thy sonne forsomuch as this blowe striketh not him but thee Thou diddest desire the nailes and thornes and they were ordeyned for his bodie but the pearcinge speare was reserued for thee O yee cruell ministers O yee hartes of iron Were the paines and tormentes to litle trowe yee which his bodie suffered beinge aliue that yee woulde not pardon it euen after it was dead What furie and rancor of enmitie is there so outragious but that it is pacified when it seeth his enemie dead before him Lifte vp your cruell eies a litle ô you vnmercifull and cruell ministers and beholde our sauiour Beholde I saie his deadlie face his dymme eies his fallinge countenance his pale and wanne colour and shadow of death For though you be more harde than either iron or the Adamante stone yea though ye be more hard than your owne selues yet it maie be that in beholdinge him your furie and malice wil be appeased Wherefore are ye not contented with the woundes yee haue geuen to the sonne but that ye will wounde his blessed mother also Her ye doe wounde with that speare vnto her ye geue the strooke and against her sorowfull hart threateneth the sharpe poynt of that cruell lawnce Now commeth the wicked minister with a longe sharpe speare in his hande and pearceth the verie naked syde of our sauiour with great furie The crosse shaked in the aier with the mightie force of the strooke and from thence issued water and bloude wherewith are wasshed the sinnes of the worlde O riuer that ronnest out of paradise and waterest with thy streames all the face of the earthe O wounde of the pretious syde of my sweete Sauiour made rather with his feruent loue towardes mankinde than with the sharpe iron of the cruell speare O gate of heauen ô windowe of paradise ô place of refuge ô tower of strength ô sanctuarie of iust persons ô sepulchre of pilgrimes ô neist of cleane doues ô florishinge bed of the spouse of Salomon Alhaile ô wounde of the pretious syde of our Sauiour that woundest the hartes of deuout persons O strooke that strikest the soules of the iust O rose of inspekeable bewtie O rubie of inestimable price O entrance into the harte of my sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ O witnes of his loue and pledge of euerlastinge life Throwghe thee doe all liuinge thinges enter into the Arcke of the true Noë to be preserued from the floude Vnto thee doe all such as are tempted repair In thee doe all those that are heauie and sad finde comforte Ioan. 4. by thee are the sicke persons cured throwgh thee doe sinners enter into heauen and in thee doe all banished persones and pilgrimes sleepe sweetelie and take theire rest O furnace of loue O howse of peace O treasure of the Catholicke Church O veyne of liuely water that springest vp euen vnto life euerlastinge Open ô most louinge Lorde I beseache thee this gate vnto me receaue my harte into this most delitefull habitation geue me passadge through the same vnto the tender bowells of thy loue let me drinke of this sweite fountaine let me be wasshed with this holie water let me be made dronke with this most pretious licour Let my soule sleepe in this sacred breste Here let it forget all the cares of the worlde here let it sleepe here let it eate here let it singe sweitly with the Prophet sayeinge Psalm 131. This is my resting place for euer and euer here will I dwell for this place haue I chosen for my habitation HOW OVR SAVIOVR CHRIST WAS TAKEN DOWNE from the Crosse and of the pittiefull lamentation and bewailinge of the blessed virgin Marie Semper mortificationem Jesu in corpore nostro circumferentes vt et vita Jesu manifestetur in corporibus nostris 2. Corinth 4.10 § II. AFTER this consider how the holie bodie of our Sauiour was taken downe from the crosse and how the blessed virgin receaued it in her armes Now the verie same daie in the eueninge there came those two holie men Ioseph and Nicodemus who reared vp theire ladders vnto the crosse and tooke downe the blessed bodie of our Sauiour into theire armes The holie virgin then perceiuinge that the torment of the crosse was now ended and that the sacred bodie of our Sauiour was comminge towardes the earthe she settethe her selfe in a readines to geue him a secure hauen in her lappe and to receyue him from the armes of the crosse into her owne
Sauiour into that place of hell which is commonly called by the Learned diuines Limbus Patrum Of the Resurrection of his holie bodie Of his appearinge first to our blessed Ladie and afterwardes to S. Marie Magdalene and to the disciples The text of the holie Euangelistes VPON the Sondaie next ensuinge after this Fridaie of the Passion Ioan. 20. verie earlie in the morninge before the breake of the daie Marie Magdalen came to the sepulcher and sawe the stone remoued from the tombe and perceaued that the bodie was not there The which when she fownde not she stoode without the sepulcher in the garden weepinge And as she wepte she bowed her selfe downe into the sepulcher and sawe two Angells in white sittinge the one at the head and the other at the feete of the place where the bodie of Iesus was laid And they said vnto her Woman why weepest thou She made answere and sayd They haue taken awaie my Lorde and I knowe not where they haue laid him When she had thus said she turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standinge and knewe not that is was Iesus Iesus sayd vnto her Woman why weepest thou Whom seekest thou She supposinge that he had bene the gardener of that garden sayd vnto him Sir if thou hast taken him awaie tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him awaie Then sayd Iesus vnto her Marie And she sayd vnto him Maister Iesus sayd vnto her Towche me not but goe and tell my brethern that I ascende to my father and your father to my God and your God Marie Magdalen came forthwith awaye and tolde these thinges vnto the Disciples sayenge I haue seene our Lorde and he tolde me these and these thinges that I shoulde tell them vnto you The same daie late in the eueninge when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes Iesus came and stoode in the middes of them and sayed vnto them Peace be with you And when he had so said he shewed vnto them his handes and his syde Then were the disciples glad when they had seene our Lorde Then sayd Iesus againe vnto them Peace be with you As my father sent me so sende I you And when he had sayd those wordes he breathed vpon them and sayd Receaue the holie Ghost Whose synnes so euer ye shall forgeue they be forgeuē vnto them and whose synnes so euer ye shall reteyne they are reteyned At that tyme Thomas one of the twelue who was also called Didimus was not with the disciples whē Iesus came The other disciples therefore whē he came saied vnto him We haue seene our Lorde But he sayd vnto them Except I see in his handes the prynte of the nailes and put my fynger into the holes of them and put my hande into his syde I will not beleeue it And eight daies after his Disciples were againe within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus againe when the doores were shutt and standinge in the middes of them sayd Peace be with you And after he sayd vnto Thomas Put thy finger here and see my handes and bringe hither thy hande and put it into my syde and be no more incredulous but faithfull Thomas answered and sayd My Lorde and my God And Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleuest Blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleued Manie other signes did Iesus worke also in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke but these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that beleuinge ye might haue life by him MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT THIS is the daie that our Lorde hath made Psalm 117. let vs reioyce and be merie in it why the daye of Christes resurrectiō is speciallie called our Lordes daye Our Lorde who is the maker of all times hath made euerie daie but this daie especiallie he is sayd to haue made forsomuche as on this daye he finished the most excellente of all his workes to wit the worke of our redemption Now as this worke is called by waye of excellencie the worke of God by reason that it farre passeth all his other workes euen so also this daie is called the daie of God for that vpon this daie he finished this worke which was the most excellente of all his workes It is also sayd that our Lorde made this daye because whatsoeuer was done in it was done onely by his owne hande In other feastes and mysteries of our Sauiour there is euer some thinge that we haue done our selues because there is alwaies in them some thinge of payne which payne grewe of our sinne and therefore there is some thinge belonginge vnto vs. But this daye is not a daie of trauell nor of paine but a puttinge awaie and bannishement of all paine and a fulfillinge of all glorie The ioyefull daye of Christes Resurrection and therefore it is whollie and purelie the daie of God Who is he then that will not reioyce vpon such a daye as this is This daie all the humanitie of Christ reioyced The blessed mother of Christ reioyced the disciples of Christ reioyced heauen and earthe reioyced yea hell it selfe had his part of this ioye This daie the sonne shyned more clearly than it did anie other daie because it was meete that it shoulde serue our Lorde with his light on this daie of his reioycinge as it had serued him before with his darkenes on the daie of his Passion The heauens which before in the daie of his passion became darke because they woulde not see their creator naked doe now on this daie shyne with a singuler clearnes to see him how he cōmeth fourthe as a conqueror out of the sepulchre Let the heauens therefore reioyce and thou ô earthe take part of this ioye because this daie there shyneth a greater brightnes out of the sepulchre than from the very sonne it selfe that geueth light in the heauens A certaine holie Father geuen muche to comtemplation sayth that euerie Sondaie morninge when he rose to mattins he tooke so great ioye by callinge to minde the misterie of this daie that it seemed to him that all creatures both of heauen and earthe did singe at that howre with lowde voices and saye In thy resurrection ô Christ Alleluia The heauens and earthe reioyce Alleluia Now to vnderstande somewhat of the misterie of this daye consider first of all howe our Sauiour hauinge finished that painfull iourneye of his passion as he ascended with passinge great charitie vpon the crosse for our sakes euen so did he descende downe into hell with the like loue and charitie to finishe the worke of our reparation For as he tooke death as a meane to deliuer vs from death euen so did he likewise goe downe to hell vsinge that as a meane to deliuer such as be his from hell Now therefore let vs consider how this noble
to sleepe the thirde parte of the daie and night which is eight whole howres although there be a great sorte The thirde parte of our lyfe is consumed in sleepe that doe not content them selues therewith it followeth by this accompte that the thirde parte of our lyfe is consumed in sleepe and so consequently that duringe that time we doe not liue So that hereby thou mayst perceaue what a great parte of our short lyfe is spent in sleepe euerie daie This accompte therefore beinge thus made which vndowtedly is a very true accompt how muche is that that remaineth of a mans verie lyfe in deede euen of suche I meane as liue longest Certainlie that philosopher had verie great reason to doe as he did who beinge demaunded what he thought of the lyfe of a man tourned him selfe about before them that made the demaunde and sodeinly departed out of their sight Geuinge them thereby to vnderstand that our lyfe is no more but onely a tourne about and of shorte continuance Our lyfe is no more but as it were the shotinge of a sterre that passeth at a tryce and flassheth quickly awaie and within a litle while after euen that verie signe that was left behinde vanisheth owt of sight also For within verie fewe daies after a man is departed owt of this lyfe the verie remembrance of him dieth with his lyfe be the personage neuer so great or honorable To conclude this lyfe seemed so shorte to manie of the auncient wisemen that one of them tearmed it a dreame and an other not contented therewith called it the dreame of a shadowe seeminge to him that it was ouermuch to calle it the dreame of a true thinge in deede beinge as he thought it none other than a dreame of a vaine and friuolous thinge To compare this smalle remanente of our lyfe with the lyfe euerlastinge that is to come Eccles 18. Againe if we compare this smalle remanent of the lyfe that we here liue with the life to come how muche lesse will it yet appeare Ecclesiasticus saieth verie well If the numbre of a mans dayes be an hundred yeares it is muche Now what is all this beinge compared with the lyfe euerlastinge but as it were a droppe of water compared with all the whole Sea And the reason hereof is euident For if a sterre which is farre greater than all the whole earthe beinge compared with the rest of heauen seemeth so smalle a thinge how smalle shall this present lyfe which is so shorte seeme to be beinge compared with the lyfe to come that shall neuer haue ende And if as the astronomers affirme all the whole earthe in comparison of heauen be but as it were a litle pinnes point because the inestimable greatnes of the heauens causeth it to seeme so smalle a thinge what shall this litle puffe of our short lyfe seeme to be if it be compared with lyfe euerlastinge which is infinite Vndowtedly it will seeme nothinge at all For if a thowsande yeares in the sighte of almightie God Psal 49. be no more but as it were yesterdaie which is now past and gone what shall the lyfe of one hundered yeares seeme to be in his sight but onely a verie nothinge And thus it seemeth vnto the damned persones when they make comparison betwene this lyfe which they haue left behinde them with the eternitie of the tormentes which they shall suffer for euermore As they themselues doe confesse in the booke of wisedome in theyse woordes Sap. 5. What hath our pride auayled vs and the pompe of our riches All these thinges are past awaie as it were a shadowe that flieth and as one that rideth swyftelie in post or as the shippe that passeth by the waters and leaueth no signe where it hath gone or as an arrowe shotte at a certaine marke which so sone as the aier hath once opened and made him his waie forthwith it closeth vp againe and it is not knowen which waie it went Euen so it fareth with vs. For at that verie instant when we are borne we beginne to decaie and we leaue no memorie or signe of vertue behinde vs. Consider then how shorte all the time of this transitorie lyfe shall seeme there to all those miserable damned wretches seinge they doe playnelie confesse that they liued not at all but that so sone as they were borne forth with they beganne to fade and vanishe awaie Now if this be so what greater follie or madnes can be imagined than that a man for the enioyinge of this short dreame of so vaine pleasures and delightes shoulde goe to suffer euerlastinge damnation and tormentes in hell fier for euer and euer It is a mere follie to make so greate prouision for this shorte lyfe and not to prouide for the euerlastinge lyfe to come Furthermore if the time and space of this lyfe be so shorte and the lyfe to come so longe to witt euerlastinge what a mere follie is it to take so great labour and paines to prouide so manie thinges for this lyfe beinge so shorte and not to make anie prouision at all for the lyfe to come which is so longe that it shall neuer haue ende What a fonde parte were it for a man that mynded to liue in Spayne to spende and consume all he hath in byenge rootes and buildinge howses in the Indees and to make no prouision for the countrie whereunto he goethe to dwell and make his abode Now how muche more foolishe and madde are they that spende all their goodes and substance in makinge prouision for this present lyfe where they shall liue so shorte a time and make no prouision at all for the euerlastinge lyfe to come where they must dwell and make their abode for euermore Espetially consideringe that they haue so good meanes for their prouision there by transportinge all their goodes thither by the handes of the poore As the Wiseman witnesseth Eccles 11. sayeinge Throwe thy bread vpon the ronninge waters for a longe time after shalt thou finde it againe Of the vncertaintie of our lyfe § III. BVT althoughe our lyfe endure but a shorte space yet if this shorte space were so certaine Esay 38. that we might be assured thereof as kinge Ezechias was vnto whom almightie God graunted fyftiene yeares of lyfe our miserie were the more tollerable But trulie it is not so For as our lyfe is verie short euen so that verie tyme we haue to liue how shorte or longe so euer it be is also vncertain and doutfull For as the Wise man saieth Eccles 9. Man knoweth not the daie of his ende but lyke as fisshes when they thinke them selues in most saftie are taken with the hooke and as birdes are cawghte in a snare when they thinke nothing lesse euen so death assaulteth men in an euill season when they thinke least of it Trulie that is a verie wise and approued sentence which is commonlie saied A notable
man ought to direct vnto two principal endes emonge others the one to the knowledge and contempt of the glorie of this worlde and the other to the knowledge and contempte of our selues For this consideration serueth verie well both for the one and the other But wilt thou vnderstande in worde what the glorie of this worlde is Marke and consider with attention the state and condition of mans lyfe and thereby shalte thou perceyue what the glorie of this lyfe is Tell me I praie thee can the glorie of man be more longe or more stable than the lyfe of man It is most certaine that it can not For this glorie is an accident which is grownded vpon this lyfe as vpon his subiecte or foundation and therefore when the foundation and subiecte faileth the accidentes must needes faile withall The riches pleasures and delites of this lyfe cannot contynewe anie longer than the lyfe it selfe And for this verie cause no riches no pleasures not delightes can coÌ„tinewe any loÌ„ger tyme with a man than vntill his graue Forsomuch as then faileth the foundation wherevpon all these thinges are built and haue their staie which foundation is our lyfe Now tell me then if this lyfe be such as thou hast now hearde described vnto thee to witt shorte vncertain fraile inconstante deceitfull and miserable how longe can the buildinge endure that shal be framed vpon this foundation How longe can the accidentes continewe that shal be grounded vpon so weake a substance When thou hast considered this point well with thy selfe thou must needes saye that they shall endure no longer than the foundation and substance it selfe endureth and thou must needes confesse that manie times they endure not so longe as we see by dailie experience in the goodes of fortune which with manie men haue an ende before their lyfe endeth Now if that sayeinge of the Poët Pindarus be true to witt That this lyfe is no more but a dreame of a shadowe What thinkest thou then is the glorie of this world which is of shorter continuance than our lyfe What accompt wouldest thou make of a goodly buildinge in case it stood vpon a false foundation What accompte wouldest thou make of an image of waxe very richlie and curiouslie wrought in case it were set against the sonne where it is certayne that so soone as the waxe shoulde be molten forthwith the forme of the image woulde vtterlie be defaced and leese his beautie Whie doe we make so litle accompt of the beautie of a flowre but because it groweth vpon so weake a subiect For so soone as it is nypt of from the stalke incontinentlie it looseth his faire glosse and beautie It is not possible to haue beautie of anie firme continuance in a matter so fraile and corruptible It followeth therefore that the glorie of man is such as the lyfe of man is For although glory doe continewe after the ende of our lyfe yet what shall that glorie auayle him that hath no sence nor feelinge thereof What dothe it auayle Homere now whilest thou so highelie praisest and commendest his Iliades Vndoutedly no more but as S. Ierome saieth speakinge of Aristotle Woo be vnto thee Aristotle that art praised where thou art not to witt here in the worlde and art tormented where thou art indeede to witt in hell Other inestimable commodities mayest thou gather owt of this consideration For if thou doe consider all theise miseries with good attention thine eies shal be opened forthwith and thou shalt wonder at the great blindnes of men yea the verie straungenes of it shall cause thee to saie to thy selfe Good Lorde what cause is there why this miserable lignage of Adam shoulde waxe prowde From whence commeth such puffinge and arrogancie of minde such hawtie and loftie courages so great contempt of others such estimation of our selues and so great forgetfulnes of almightie God What cause hast thou to be prowde thou dust and asshes Why doest thou magnifie and aduaunce thy selfe thou seely wretche of the earthe Why doest thou not holde downe thy peacockes taile beholdinge thy fowle feete to witt the vylenes of thy state and condition What cause hast thou to seeke so carefullie for the glorie of this worlde seinge it is myngled with so manie miseries What thinge is there so sweete but that it maie be made bitter with the mixture of so manie sower and bitter sawces Moreouer if this lyfe be a vale of teares a prison of guiltie persons and a bannishement of them that be comdemned how canst thou settle so greate vanitie so great pompe and pride of the worlde such gaye ornamentes and statelie furniture of houses and families in the place of teares How canst thou imagine to make this a place of pastymes and pleasures of feastes and bankettes How canst thou be so diligente to heape so greidelie together for the prouision of this worlde and be so forgetfull of the worlde to come as if thou were borne onely to liue here in earth with brute beastes and haddest no parte in heauen with the Angels Suerlie I must neides saie that thou art very much wedded to miserie and that thou camest out of a meruaylous miserable stocke if so manie argumentes of the miseries of this worlde be not able to open thine eies and make thee to discerne so grosse and so palpable a blindenes I H S WENSDAIE NIGHTE OF THE HOWER OF DEATHE O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substâ—â—â— suis. Eclesi 4â— 1 Gens absque consilio est et sine prudentia vtinam saperent et intelligerent ac nouissima prouiderent Deuter. 32. 28. THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the houre of deathe which is one of the most profitable consideratioÌ„s that a Christian man may haue as well for the obteyninge of true wisedome and eschewinge of sinne as also to moue him to begynne to prepare him selfe in time for the howre of death BVT to the intent that this consideration maie be proffitable vnto thee it shall behoue thee to make thy petition vnto almightie God beseachinge him to graunte thee some feelinge of such thinges as are woÌ„t to passe in this last conflicte that thou maiest dispose of thy landes and goodes accordinglie and direct thy lyfe in such sorte as at that time thou wouldest wishe thou haddest done Now therefore that thou maiest haue the better feelinge in this matter thinke vpon it not as thou wouldest of a thinge that were to come but as it were euen now present and thinke vpon it not as of a thinge that apperteyneth to others but as of a thinge that belongeth properlie to thine owne selfe makinge this accompte that thou lyest now verie sicklie and weake in thy bed aÌ„d in such a daungerous case that thou art vtterly forsaken of thy phisitions and that they are all perswaded that thou wilt die within fewe howers Consider
callinge to minde his wicked and synfull lyfe and how gladly he wishethe at that time that he had taken a better waie and what an awstere kinde of lyfe he woulde then determine to leade if he might haue time to doe the same and how fayne he woulde then enforce himselfe to call vpon almightie God and to desier him of helpe and succour Howbeit the verie paine greife and continuall increasinge of his syckenes and death will scarcely permitte him so to doe Consider then also those last accidentes and panges of the sicknes Of the pāges of deathe which be as it were the messingers of death how fearfull and terrible they be How at that time the sicke mans breast panteth his voyce waxeth hoarce his feete begynne to die his knees waxe colde and stiffe his nostrels ronne out his eies sincke into his head his countenāce looketh pale and wanne his tonge faultereth and is not able to doe his office finally by reason of the hast of the departure awaye of the sowle out of the bodie all his senses are sore vexed and troubled and they doe vtterlie leese their force and vertue But aboue all the sowle is then in most payne Of the greate payne ād agonie the sowle abideth at her departure out of the bodie and suffereth greatest greifes and troubles For at that time she is in a verie great conflicte and agonie partely for her departure from the bodie and partely for feare of her dreadfull accompte which is then to be made Because she is naturally lothe to departe from the bodie and she liketh well her lodginge and is in verie great dread to come to her accompt before almightie God Now when the sowle is thus departed out of the fleashe yet there remayne two voiages for thee to make with him the one to accompanie the bodie vntill it be layed in his graue the other to followe the sowle vntill her cause be determined And thou hast to consider diligentlie what shall become of eache one of these two partes Of the funeralles ād buryenge of the bodie Consider now in what plight the bodie is after the sowle hath forsaken it and what a worthie garment they prouide to winde it in and what haste his friendes and executors doe make to get him quickly rydde awaye out of the howse Consider also the funerals with all the other circumstances that are wonte to happen therein The often ringinge of the belles the goinge aboute of the belman cryinge vnto the people to praye for his sowle the questionynge in the streates one of an other who is dead the diriges and dolefull seruice of the Churche the accompanyinge of his corps to the Churche and mourninge of his wife children kynsfolke seruātes and friendes for him and finally all th' other particulars that are then wont to happen vntill the bodie be laide and lefte in the graue where it shall lye buried vntill it be raysed agayne by the terrible sownde of the trompet at the generall daie of iudgement And such is the great chaunge and alteration in worldlie affaires that it maie so come to passe as a time maie happen when some buildinge maie be made neare vnto thy graue be it neuer so gaie and sumptuous and that they maie digge for some earthe out of the same to make morter for a walle and so shall thy seelie bodie beinge now changed into earth become afterwardes an earthen walle although it be at this present the most noble bodie and most delicately cherished of all bodies in the worlde And how manie bodies of Kinges and Emperors trowest thou haue come already to this promotion Now when thou hast left the bodie in the graue what becōmethe of the sowle after it is departed out of the bodie goe from thence forthwith and followe after the sowle and cōsider what waie it taketh through that newe region whither it goeth what shall euerlastinglie become of it for euer and euer and what iudgement it shall haue Imagin that thou arte now present at this iudgemēt and that thou seest all the whole cowert of heauen to expecte the ende of this sentence Eccles 12. vers 14. Iob. 14.13 Iob. 31.14.23 where the sowle shal giue a particular accōpte and be chardged and dischardged of all that he hath receaued euen to the valewe of a pinnes poynte yea Math. 12.36 Math. 19.17 Rom. 2.6 1. Co. 4.4 1. Cor. 9.27 2. Cor. 5.10 Ephes 6.8 Philip. 2.12 Haeb. 9.27 1. Peter 4.18 2. Pet. 1.10 Apoc. 2.23 Apoc. 14.7.13 and as our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth of euerie idell worde There an accompt shal be required of his life of his lādes ād riches of his howseholde ād familie of the inspiratiōs of almightie God of the meanes and opportunitie he hath had to leade a vertuous and godlie lyfe and aboue all he shal be streitelie examined what estimation he hath made of the most pretious bloude of our sauiour Christe and of the vse of his Sacramentes And there shall euerie man be iudged accordinge to the accompt he shall make of the giftes and graces he hath receaued of almightie God THE THIRDE TREATISE WHEREIN IS TREATED OF THE consideration of death Where the former meditation is declared more at lardge THE consideration of death is verie profitable for manie purposes and espetially for three First for the obteyninge of true wisedome that is to knowe how a man ought to gouerne and frame his lyfe For as the Philosophers doe saie in thinges that are ordeined to anie ende The consideration of death causeth a man to gouerne and frame his life the rule and measure whereby to directe them is to be taken of the same ende and therefore when men doe either builde or Saile or doe anie thinge they haue alwaies their eie fixed vpon the ende which they pretende and accordinge to the same doe frame and direct all the rest of their doinges Now consideringe that emonge the endes and tearmes of our lyfe death is one of them whither we goe all to take our rest he that will endeuour to direct his lyfe in good order let him fixe his eies vpon this marke and accordinge to the same let him dispose and directe all his affaires Let him consider how poore and naked he must depart out of this worlde and what a strait iudgement he must passe at the hower of his death and how he shall lie in his graue all betroden and quyte forgotten of all men and accordinge to this ende let him consider how to frame and direct the whole order and course of his lyfe By this rule a certaine Philosopher gouerned and directed his lyfe that saied Naked came I out of my mothers wombe Iob. 2. and naked must I retourne againe to my graue To what purpose then shoulde I lose my time in purchasinge and heapinge together landes and riches seing nakednes shal be my ende For want of consideration of this our ende doe growe all our errours and
suerlie not without good cause when he saide Iob. 14. The tree after it is cut hath hope to reuiue and springe againe and if the roote of it doe rott in the grownde and the stocke be dead in the earth yet with the freshenes of water it springeth againe and bringeth forth leaues as if it were newlie planted But man after he is once dead withered and consumed what is become of him Great vndowtedlie was the tribute that was laide vpon the children of Adam for sinne And the euerlastinge Iudge vnderstode verie well what penance he gaue vnto man when he saide Thou art dust Genes 4. and into dust thou shalt retourne againe Of the great feare and dowte the sowle hath at the hower of deathe what shall happen vnto it after it is departed out of the bodie § III. HOWBEIT this is not the greatest cause of feare that a man hath at the hower of his death but there is yet one farre greater and that is when the sowle casteth her eies further and beginneth to thinke vpon the daungers of the life to come and imagineth what shall become of her hereafter For this is now as it were to depart from the hauen mowth and to launche into the mayne Sea where none other thinge is to be seene on what side so euer ye looke but onely heauen and the water the which is woūte to be occasion of greater feare in such as are but newe Seamen For when a man considereth that eternitie of worldes which followeth after death and withall casteth his eie into that newe ād straunge region which was neuer knowen nor traueyled by anie man aliue where he must now beginne to take his iourney when he considereth also the euerlastinge glorie or paine which there must fall to his lotte and seeth that wheresoeuer the tree falleth Eccles 11. there it shall remaine for euermore and knoweth not on which of the two sides he shal falle whē he considereth I saie all these thinges he cannot but be in a verie great feare and trouble of minde We reade that when Benadad kinge of Siria was sicke 4 Reg. 8. he was in so great anguishe and greife of minde for that he knewe not whether he should die of that sicknes or not that he sent the generall of his armie with fowertie Camels loden with treasure vnto the Prophet Elizeus requestinge him with wordes of great humilitie to rid him out of that perplexitie he was in and to put him out of all dowt whether he shoulde recouer of that sicknes or not Now if the loue of so short a lyfe as this is be able to cause a man to be in such a greate care and pensiuenes how great care will a Wiseman take when he perceiueth him selfe to be in such a case as that he maie trulie saie that within two howres he shall haue one of these two lottes to witt either lyfe euerlastinge or death euerlastinge and that he knoweth not certainlie whether of theise two shall come vnto him What martirdome maie be compared to such a painfull angwishe and greife as this is Put the case now that a kinge were taken prisoner emonge the Turckes and when his Embassadours shoulde come to raunsome him the Turckes woulde propounde that the matter shoulde be determined by castinge of lottes and that if he happened to haue a good lotte he shoulde be raunsomed and goe home with his Embassadours to his kingdome but if contrariewise that thē immediatly he should be throwē into a great fyerie furnace which were there prepared burninge and flaminge before him Tell me I praie thee at the time when they shoulde be castinge the lottes and puttinge their hande into the vessell to take them out and all the worlde in great expectation waitinge what shoulde be the ende thereof and the kinge him selfe standinge there present beholdinge the doutfull happe that must be alotted vnto him in what a dolefull case thinkest thou woulde he then be How troubled How fearfull How quakinge and tremblinge And how readie to promise and vowe vnto almightie God all he cowlde possiblye doe to be quite ridde out of that terrible angwishe Now what is all this be it neuer so great but as it were a shadowe if it be compared with this daunger that we speake of How farre greater is the kingdome that we seike How farre greater is the fierye furnace that we doe feare How farre more greiuouse is the perplexitie ād doutefulnes of this matter thā of the other For on the one side the angels shal be there expectinge for vs to carrie vs to the kingedome of heauen and on th' other side the deuills to cast vs into the horrible furnace of hell fier and no man knoweth whether of these two lottes shall happen vnto him which shal be determined eyther the one waye or the other within the space of one houre after his death Consider therefore in what a heauie plight thy harte shal be at this last instant how fearfull how humble how abased before the face of him who onelie cā deliuer thee out of this daunger Suerlie I am of this opinion that there is no tonge in the worlde able to declare this matter as it is indeede How we come to vnderstande hereby the errours and blindnes of our lyfe past § IIII. AFTER this anguishe there followeth yet an other as great as it namelye in such persons as haue liued a wicked and dissolute lyfe which is to come so late to thinke vpō the accōpt they haue then forthwith to make of all the disorders and offences of their former lyfe At the houer of deythe it is a great greife to a sicke man if he haue liued licentiouslie that he thinketh so late vpō his accompte O how wōderfullie shall the wicked be confounded at that time when the griefe of their paine shall cause them to open their eies which heretofore the delight and pleasure of sinne had closed vp insomuch as they shall then clearlie perceiue what false goddes those were which they haue serued and how deceitfull those riches were which they haue so greidelie gaped after and how by followinge that waie whereby they thought to haue fownde rest they finde in conclusion their vtter ruin and destruction The seruantes of the kinge of Siria came to apprehende the Prophet Heliseus and when almightie God had stricken them all blinde by meanes of the praier of the Prophet the Prophet said vnto them Come goe with me and I will shewe you him whom you seeke 4. Reg. 6. And when he had thus said he caried them with him vnto Samaria and brought them into the market place of the cittie in the middes of al their enemies And then made his praier againe and saide O Lorde open the eies of these miserable men that they maie see where they are Now tell me I praie thee when those men opened their eies and sawe whither they were come beleuinge certainlie before that
they went to finde the partye they sought for how amased and ashamed were they when they sawe how fowlie they were deceiued Now what thinge in the worlde coulde make a more liuely resemblance of the proces and deceites of our lyfe We all doe walke here in this worlde by the waie of our appetites and desires Some seeke after golde others to purchace lādes others to make great buildinges others seeke for pleasures and delightes others for offices and dignities and each one is fullie perswaded that he taketh the best and wisest waie to obtein the thinge he disiereth But when the terrible presence of death and the daunger of our accompt discouereth the vanitie of our hopes then findinge our selues to be in arrerages for our accompt we shall clearlie perceiue how fowlie we haue bene deceiued and we shall see that by followinge that waie whereby we thought to haue founde quietnes and rest we finde our perdition O what miserable men are we How blindly doe we now wander vp and downe in the worlde What eies shall we then haue How shall our iudgement be then altered How farre different shall it be from that it was before Then shall we playnelie see how all the thinges of this worlde are miserable her goodes false her waies crooked her hopes vaine her promises lyinge her pleasures bitter her glorie shorte and vaine Then shall we perceiue though to late how her riches were thornes and her delightes poyson To be short then shall we see how our eies haue bene closed vp and that we neuer knewe whither we went and at the ende of our iourney we shall finde our selues in the streites of Samaria and in the snare of the iudgement of almightie God and compassed about with all our enemies to witt the diuells and our sinnes O how shall the wicked be confounded at that howre and how fowly shall they see them selues beguiled How truelie maye euerie one of them saie at that tyme O miserable wretch that I am what other commoditie haue I now by all my pleasures past but onely that I haue prouoked at this dreadfull howre the indignation of the iudge against me who must geue sentence vpon me Now my pleasures are all ended and gone and there remaineth of them neither relique nor memorie to comfort me withall no more than if they neuer had bene yea contrariewise they remaine as thornes that lye prickinge all about my harte they make my cause doutfull they torment my wofull sowle now presently and peraduenture shall torment it euerlastinglie for euer and euer This is the fruit that I haue gathered of my dissolute and wanton lyfe and of all my carnall delightes This is the settinge of my teeth on edge that my gluttonies past doe cause me now to haue My pleasures and delightes haue now forsaken me They are quite gone awaie and will neuer retourne againe yea perhapps in steede of pleasures that cōtinued but a momente there are prepared for me euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier Now what blindnes can be greater than this How much better had it bene for me neuer to haue bene borne than to haue offended him of whose helpe and fauour I haue at this presente so great neide How much better had it bene for me that the earth had opened and swalowed me vp before I had once thought to offend him O vnfortunat daie O cursed howre wherein I offended thee ô Lorde Why did I not consider beforehande of this dreadfull howre Why was I not sooner mindfull of this terrible iudgement How were mine eies blynded with so smalle a glimse Is this the waie that I tooke to be so certayne and sure Is this the ende that all the honours of the worlde come vnto What are all those thinges which I haue so greatlie estiemeed heretofore of so litle accompte at this presente Of the terrour of the deadfull accompt we must make at the howere of our death vnto almightie God of all our lyfe past § V. AFTER this griefe there followeth also an other as great as this which is the feare of the accompt that shall then be required of vs. This is one of the greatest troubles and greifes we shall haue at that time For besides this that it is so terrible a matter to enter into iudgemēt with almightie God the very deuils also and fyendes of hell will increase this feare at that howre which before they were wont to extenuate and diminishe vnto vs with the hope and coulour of gods mercie Then will they put vs in minde of the greatnes and profoundenes of the iudgemēntes of almightie God and of his iustice which they will then shewe to be so great that he pardoned not his owne onely sonne for the sinnes of others Luc. 23. If this then be done in greine woode what shal be done saie they in drye woode Then the wicked man shall beginne to tremble and qwake for feare and saie to him selfe O miserable wretche that I am If that be true which al the scripture reporteth to wit that almightie God will geue to euerie one accordinge to his workes what maie I hope to receiue at his handes that haue done so manie wicked workes If the Gospell saie Math. 6. vers 27. Rom. 2.6 2. Cor. 5.10 Math. 3.10 Math. 7.19 That the tree shal be iudged accordinge to the frute that it yeldeth What iudgement maie I looke for that haue brought forthe so manie wicked fruites If it be true which the Prophet saieth That none shall ascend vp to the hill of God vnles he haue innocent handes Psal 23.3.4 and an vndefiled harte whither shall I then goe that haue had such wicked handes and such a filthie harthe If the sayeinge of the Wiseman be true Prou. 28.9 That whosoeuer shutteth his eares and will not heare the lawe shall crie and not be harde what maie I looke for that haue had mine eares shutt against almightie God and yet haue had them so open to harken after lies and vanities of the worlde Wherefore ô my omnipotent God with what face shall I now appeare before thee and desire thee to geue eare vnto me seinge thou hast so often times called me and I woulde geue no eare vnto thee How can I request thee to receiue me into thy howse seinge thou hast so often times called at my howse and I haue shutt my gates against thee How shall I finde thee now at the time of my neede seinge thou hast had so oftentimes neede of me in thy poore and impotent members and hast not found me By what title or right maie I request thee now at the ende of my iourney to graunt me heauē seinge I haue spente all my lyfe time in the seruice of the deuill thine enemie O how iustly maist thou then ô Lorde saie vnto me Thou hast serued the worlde and the deuill get thee therefore vnto them and let them geue thee thy hyre The like answere made the Prophet Heliseus
spetiall friendes can doe then vnto him besides prayinge for his sowle is to honour him with castinge a handfull of earthe vpon him And therefore the faithfull people are wont to vse this ceremonie towardes the dead that almightie God maye dispose others to doe the same vnto them whē they shal be in the like case Now what greater confession and acknowledginge of our miserie can we diuise than to see how men doe preuent before hande that they may not want after their death so smalle a benefite as this is O greidie couetousenes of the lyuinge and great pouertie of the dead Why shoulde a man desire and gape after so manie thinges for this presente lyfe beinge so shorte as it is seinge so litle will content him at the howre of his death Then the graue maker taketh the spade and pykeaxe into his hande and beginneth to tumble downe bones vpon bones and to tread downe the earth verie harde vpon him Insomuch that the fairest face in all the worlde the best trimmed and most charily kepte from wynde and sonne shall lye there and be stamped vpon by the rude graue maker who will not sticke to laie him on the face and rappe him on the sculle yea and to batter downe his eies and nose flatte to his face that they maie lye well and euen with the earth And the fyne dapperde gentleman who whiles he liued might in no wise abide the wynde to blowe vpon him no nor so much as a litle heare or moore to falle vpon his garmentes but in all hast it must be brusshed of with great curiositie here they laie and hurle vpon him a donghill of filthines and dirte And that sweete mynion gentleman also that was wont forsooth to goe perfumed with Amber and other odoriferous smelles must be contented here to lye couered all ouer with earthe and fowle crawlinge wormes and maggottes This is the ende of all the gaie braueries and of all the pompe and glorie of the worlde In this plight doe all his freindes nowe leaue him lyenge in that strait lodginge in that earthe of obliuion and in that darcke prison where he shall remaine accompanied with perpetuall solitarines vntill the generall daye of Iudgment O worlde what is become of thy glorie O yee my howses landes and riches where is your power O my wyfe my children my freindes and kinsfolke where haue ye now left me How happeneth it that yee my olde freindes and companions doe so quickly forsake me and leaue me here in the earthe thus solitarie alone How chaunceth it that the wheele of my so great prosperitie and felicitie is so quickly ouerturned and defaced They that sawe Quene Iezabell when she was by the iust iudgement of God eaten with dogges 4. Reg. 9. when they sawe that there remained nothinge els of her bewtie but onelie her sculle and the extreme partes of her feete and handes those I saie that had knowen her before in so greate flourishinge and royall estate and sawe her at that time in such a miserable plight wonderinge at that so great alteration and chaunge demaunded and saied Haeccine est illa Iezabel Is this that Iezabell 4. Reg. 9.37 And as manie as passed by that waie and behelde her thus eaten with dogges repeted the same exclamation merueylinge at so great a chaunge and saied Is this that Iezabell Is this that great Quene and Ladie of Israëll Is this she that was so mightie that she vsurped and seased the landes and goodes of her subiectes by sheedinge of their bloude Is death able to bringe the mightie and puissaunte Princes to such a base and miserable calamitie Now therefore my deare brother goe downe I praie thee with thy spirit into the graues and Sepulchers of such Princes and great noble personages as thou hast either harde of or knowen in this worlde and consider what a horrible and deformed forme of their bodies is there to be seene And thou shalt see that thou hast good cause to make the like exclamation and to vse the same wordes and saie Is this that Iezabell Is this that amiable face which I knewe so faire and liuelie Are these those eies that were so cleare and brighte to beholde Is this that pleasaunt rowlinge tongue that talked so eloquently and made such goodlie discourses Is this that fyne and neyte bodie that was so trimlie pollished and adorned Is this the ende of the maiestie of Princes scepters and roiall crownes Is this the ende of the glorie of the worlde O how often times saieth a Wise man hath it bene my chaunce to enter into the sepulchres of some dead bodies where wonderinge or rather beinge greatlie astonied at the sight that I sawe I fixed mine eies aduisedlie vpon the shape of the dead corps I sette the bones in order I ioyned the handes together and sette the lippes in their proper places and spake thus secretlie to my selfe Beholde these feete that haue trauayled such crooked pathes and waies These handes also that haue committed so manie wicked actes These eies that haue behelde so manie vanities This mouth that hath eaten and deuoured so manie delicate and superfluous meates Beholde this sculle of his head that hath built so manie vaine castels and towers in the aier This dust and filthie skinne for whose pleasure and delight he hath committed so many sinnes and wickednes and for which cause the sowle of this bodie doth and shall perhappes suffer euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier This done I departed out of that place wholy astonied and amased and meitinge with certain persons both men and women yonge and olde I behelde them likewise and considered that both they and I shoulde shortelie appeare in the like vglie forme and sieme as vyle and lothsome to beholde as those dead bodies are now presentelie Wherefore what a fonde wicked wretche am I to liue in suche wise as I doe To what ende is my purchasinge ād heapinge together of lādes and riches ād my buildinge of such sumptuous howses seinge I shall shortly be here so poore and naked To what ende are my gaie braueries and gorgious ornamentes in my apparell and furniture of howsholde stuffe seinge I shall shortly be here so filthie and lothsome to beholde To what ende are my delicate disshes my sugered sawces and deyntie fare seinge I shall shortly be here meate for the wormes and maggottes of the earthe Of the waie that the sowle taketh after it is departed out of the bodie And of the dreadfull iudgment and sentence that shal be geuen vpon it at that time § VIII Note that there be two iudgemētes one is at the hower of euerie mās deathe which is called the particular iudgemente And the other is at doomesdaye which shal be the vniuersall iudgmente of all mankinde together S. Bernarde LET vs now leaue the bodie lyinge thus buried in the graue and let vs see what waie the sowle taketh throughe that newe worlde which is
before the generall daie of iudgemente Secondly consider what fearefull and terrible signes shall goe before this daie For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be signes in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres and in all creatures both of heauen and earthe For they shall all haue as it were a certayne feelinge and vnderstandinge of their ende Luc. 21.25 before they come to their ende in deede And shall tremble and quake and beginne to falle before they falle in deede But as for men they shall saieth he goe vp and downe drie and withered Luc. 21.26 in great anguishe and feare of death hearinge the terrible roringes of the Sea and seinge the great outragious stormes and tempestes that shall then be stirringe And by those dreadfull signes they shall coniecture what great calamities and miseries are threatened to the worlde And in this wise shall they goe wholy amased and astonied their faces pale and wāne theyr hartes dead before deathe come and as persons condemned before the sentence be geuen For they shall measure the perilles and daungers to come by the greate feare and terrour they be presentelie in And euerie one shal be so throughlie occupied with his owne affaires that none shall thinke of others no not so much as the father of the sonne or the sonne of the father No man shall haue to doe for anie other man because no man shal be sufficient for himselfe alone The Sibilles doe affirme that at that time the beastes shall goe bellowinge and roringe throughe the feildes and cities and that the trees shall sweate bloude and that the Sea shall cast vp the fisshes on the drie grounde But if this seeme incredible to anie man let him consider that there is much more spoken in the gospell For it is a greater matter for men to be dried vp Luc. 21. than for the sea to be dried vp And it is a greater matter that the vertues of the heauens shoulde be moued than that all creatures in the earthe shoulde be altered Thirdlie consider that vniuersall floude of fier Of the cōminge of the floude of fier before the Iudge and of the dreadfull sownde of the trompette at the generall Iudgment Nahum 1. that shall come before the iudge and that dreadfull sownde of the trompett which the Archangell shall blowe to sommon and calle all the generatiōs of the worlde to assemble together in one place and to be present at their generall and vniuersall iudgemente And aboue all this consider with what a dreadfull maiestie the Iudge shall come Whos 's comminge is described by the Prophet Nahum in these wordes Our Lorde shall come like a tempest and furious whyrlewinde and the clowdes are the dust of his feete He shal take indignation against the Sea and it shall waxe drie and all the riuers of the earthe shal be dried vp The hill Basan and Carmelus shal be withered and the floure of the mounte Libanus shall fade and falle awaye The mountaines shall qwake before him and the hilles shall melte The earth shall tremble at his presence and the worlde and all the inhabitantes thereof Who shall stande before the face of his indignation And who shall abide the fearcenes of his furie His wrathe shal be poured out like a fire and the verie rockes shall become dust before him Of the straite accompte that shall then be required of euerie mā Iob. 4. Iob. 31. After this consider what a strait accompte shal be there required of euerie man Verelie saieth Iob no man can be iustified if he be compared with almightie God and if he contende with him in iudgment of a thousande thinges that he shall charge him withall he shall not be able to answere vnto one Now then what shall euerie wicked person thinke at that tyme when almightie God shall enter with him in this examination How almightie God shall then accuse the wicked within their owne consciences ād shal there within his owne cōsciēce saie thus vnto him Come hither thou wicked and naughtie man What hast thou seene in me that thou shouldest thus despise me and goe to myne enemies syde I haue raised thee from the dust of the earthe and created thee after myne owne image and likenes I haue geuen thee vertue and strengthe wherewith thou mightest haue obteined my glorie But thou despisinge the benefites and commaundementes of lyfe which I haue geuen thee wouldest rather followe the lies of the deceiuer than the holesome counsell of thy Lorde and creator To deliuer thee from this foule falle I went downe from heauen into earth where I suffered the greast paynes tormentes and reproches that euer were suffered in the worlde For thee haue I fasted for thee haue I traueyled from place to place for thee haue I watched laboured and sweate droppes of bloude for thee haue I suffered persecutions scourginges blasphemies reproches buffettinges dishonours tormentes and euen deathe it selfe vpon the crosse To be shorte for thee I was borne in much pouertie for thee I liued in great paine for thee I died with intollerable tormentes and greifes Witnes hereof are this crosse and nailes which thou here now seest Witnes hereof are these woundes both of my handes and feete which are here to be seene in my bodie Witnes hereof are heauen and earthe before whom I suffered Witnes hereof are the sonne and moone which were eclipsed at the same howre Now what hast thou done with this thy sowle which I with the sheedinge of myne owne bloude purchased to be mine In whose seruice hast thou emploied that which I bought so dearly O foolishe wicked and adulterous generation why wouldest thou rather serue thy enemie with paine than me thy creator and redeemer with ioye Be yee astonied ô ye heauens at this straunge case and let your gates falle downe at the straungnes hereof Ierem. 2. For two abhominations hath my people committed They haue forsaken me that am the fountaine of liuely water and refused me for an other Barrabas I called yow verie oftentimes and ye woulde not answere me I knocked at your gates and ye woulde not awake I stretched out my handes on the crosse and ye woulde not beholde them Ye haue despised my counsels with all my promises and threatninges Wherefore speake ye now ô ye Angels be you iudges betwene me and my viniarde what coulde I haue done more for it than I haue done Now what answere can the wicked make hereunto Let the wicked prouide what answere to make here vnto now whiles they haue tyme in this worlde Such as be scoffers at holie and diuine thinges Such as be mockers of vertue Such as be despisers of simplicitie Such as make more accompte of the lawes and statutes of the worlde than of the lawes of almightie God Such as haue bene deaffe to heare the callinges of God vnsensible to vnderstande his inspirations rebellious against his commaundementes obdurate and
vnthankfull for all his chastisementes and benefites What can they saie What answere will those persons make that haue liued in such sorte as if they had beleeued that there were no God And such as haue made none accompte of anie other lawe but onely how to procure their owne worldly interest and commoditie What will ye doe saieth the Prophet Esaie in the daie of the visitation and calamitie Esa 10. that shall come vpon you from afarre Vnto whom will ye flye for succour and helpe What shall the glorie and aboundance of your landes and riches at that tyme auaile you but that yee maie be caried awaye prisoners into hell and there falle emonge the deade After all this consider the terrible sentence which the Iudge shall thunder out against the wicked And that dreadfull sayeinge Of the terrible sentēce that the iudge shall then giue againste all the wicked which shall make the eares of all that shall heare it to glowe and tingle His lippes saieth the Prophet Esaie are full of indignation and his tonge is like a consuminge fier What fier shal burne so hoat as those wordes Esa 30. Departe from me ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier Math. 25. This is the most terrible sayeinge that can be saied to a creature For by this departure and separation is vnderstode the paine which the diuines calle Penam damni that is the losse of all losses Which is a vniuersall spoile of all thinges and a depriuation of that cheiffest goodnes to witt of almightie God in whom all good thinges doe consist Now whither shall those cursed wicked persons goe ô Lorde that shall depart from thee In what hauen shall they arriue What master shall they serue Ierem. 17. Whosoeuer they be that shall departe from thee shal be written in earthe because they haue forsaken the vaine ād springe of the water of lyfe which is almightie God The greatest punnishement that the Romaines vsed to put a Citizen vnto for certein greiuous offences was to bannishe him out of the noble cittie of Rome and to cōfine him into some Ilande aparte emonge some Barbarous natiō Now if it were thought so great a punnishement to be bannished out of the cittie of Rome what a punnishement shall this be to be bannished out of the companie of almightie God and of all his electe Yea and to be bannished for euer and euer into the companie of Satan and of those Barbarous helhowndes Depart from me saieth Christ ye cursed Math. 25. As if he shoulde saie I haue inuited you with my blessinge and ye would not come now therefore take ye my curse to your despite The wicked man saieth the Prophet loued maledictiō Psal 108.18 and it came vpon him and he refused the blessinge that almightie God offered vnto him and therefore it shal be kept farre enoughe from him Math. 21.19 Our Sauiour Christ cursed the figtree Marc. 11.14 and immediatle not onelie the leaues but euen also the bodie and routes of the tree withered awaie so as it neuer brought frute anie more In like maner shall those miserable damned persons be accursed and vtterlie depriued of all hope of saluation and of all frute and merite for euermore But whither doest thou sende them ô Lorde Vnto euerlastinge fyer O what a bedde is this for delicate and tender persons Esa 33.14 Which of you saieth the Prophet is able to dwell in the burninge fyer Which of you is able to continewe in the euerlastinge flames What greater curse and malediction can there be than this What calamitie what sentence what aduersitie maie be compared with the onely shadowe of this Esa 34. This is that terrible and fearfull fier which the Prophet Esaie settethe forthe in these wordes The streames thereof shal be turned into meltinge pitche and the dust of the earthe into sulphure and brimstone and the verie earthe of it shal be whollie burninge pitche It shall not be quenched nighte nor daie The smooke of it shall goe vp euermore It shall be desolat from generation to generation No man shall euer passe throughe it THE FOVRTHE TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF the generall daie of iudgemente wherein the former meditation is declared more at lardge GREAT are the effectes vndoubtedlie which the feare of God worketh in the sowle Who so feareth God saieth Ecclesiasticus it shall goe well with him at his last ende Eccles 1.13 and on the daie of his death he shal be blessed Eccles 25.13 And in an other place he saieth How great is that man that hath atteined vnto wisedome and knowledge but be he neuer so great he is no greater than he that feareth God For the feare of God hath placed his seate aboue all thinges Blessed is that man to whom it is geuen to feare our Lorde He that hath this feare with whom shall we compare him For the feare of God is the beginninge of his loue All these be the wordes of Ecclesiasticus Whereby it appeareth plainly The feare of God is the beginnynge of the loue of God that the feare of God is the beginninge of all goodnes sithence it is the beginninge of his loue And it is not onely the beginninge but also the keie and preseruation of all good thinges As S. Bernarde witnesseth sayeinge I knowe this for a most certaine truth S. Bernarde that there is no thinge of so great force and efficacie to kepe vs in the grace of God as to liue at all times in the feare of him and to eschewe alwaies all maner of prowde and presumptuouse thoughtes Now to obteine this so pretious a Iewell it auayleth very muche to occupie our minde in the consideratiō and continuall remēbrance of the iudgemēte of almightie God The consideration and continual remēbraunce of the iudgementes of almightie God will helpe vs to obteine the feare of God and aboue all other thinges in the cōsideratiō of that supreme and final general iudgemēt that shal be geuē in the ende of the worlde This iudgement is the most dreadfull thinge of all that the holie scriptures declare vnto vs. For the thinges that are there signified vnto vs of this daie are so terrible that were it not that almightie God himselfe reported them they woulde seime altogether incredible And therefore our Sauiour after he had preached and set out certaine of thē to his disciples the greatnes of thē was such that they seemed to exceide the cōmon credulitie and faith of men in regarde whereof he ended the matter with this affirmatiō Marc. 13. sayeinge Verily verily I saie vnto you that the worlde shall not ende before all these thinges be fulfilled For heauen and earthe shall faile but my worde shall neuer faile It is written in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 24. that when S. Paule preached before the president of Iudea of the terrible thinges of this daie the same president beganne to tremble and
this time the feare and terrour of the wicked shal be so great that as the Prophet Esaie saieth Esa 2.19 they shall seike the cliftes of stones and the hollowe places of the rockes to hide them selues therein for the great feare they shall haue of oure Lorde and of the glorie of his maiestie when he commeth to iudge the worlde To conclude this feare shal be so great Apoc. 20. that as S. Iohn saieth both the heauens and the earthe shall flye from the presence of the iudge and shall finde no place where to hide them selues Now ô ye heauens why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afraide And if by the heauens be vnderstode the blessed spirites that are in heauen O ye blessed spirites that were created and confirmed in grace At the daye of generall Iudgmente euen the blessed spirites shal be afrayde to see so greate maiestie and indignation in Christe the iudge why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afrayde Vndowbtedly they are not afrayde for anie daunger that is towardes themselues but they be afrayde to beholde in the iudge such a great maiestie and indignation the greatnes whereof shal be able to stryke all the heauens with terrour and admiration When the Sea is outragious and tempestious euen he that standeth safe vpon the shore is in a kinde of feare and admiration When the father goeth like a lion about his howse in punishinge his bond slaue his innocent sonne is also afraide although he knowe right well that his fathers rage is not bent against him but against the slaue Now what shall the wicked doe at this time when euen the iust shal be so greatly afrayd If the heauens flye for feare what shall the earthe doe And if those that be wholly spirite doe tremble and quake what shall they doe that haue bene wholly fleashe Esa 64. And if as the Prophet saieth the mountaines shall melt in this daie before the face of almightie God What stonie harde hartes then haue we that for all this be nothinge at all moued The holie crosse shall come before Christe the Iudge at the daye of generall iudgemente and be a witnes againste the wicked Math. 24.30 Before the Iudge there shall come that royall standarde of the crosse to be a witnes of the redemption and remedie which almightie God sent to the worlde and that the worlde woulde not receiue it And so the holie crosse shall there iustifie the cause of almightie God and leaue the wicked voide of al maner of comforte and excuse Then shall all nations of the earthe saieth our Sauiour weepe and lament and they all shall stryke and beare vpon their brestes O how great cause shall they then haue to weepe and waile They shall weepe because at that tyme they can neither doe penanceÌ„ nor flye from the iustice of almightie God nor appeale from his sentence They shall bewaile their sinnes past their shame present and the tormentes that are to come They shall bewaile their miserable happe their vnfortunat birthe and their cursed ende For these and manie other causes they shall weepe and waile verie bitterlie and as persons whollie dismayed and fettered in all partes and without all maner of comforte and remedie they shall wringe their handes and stryke theÌ„ selues vpon their brestes Our sauiour Christe the Iudge shall make a seperatioÌ„ betwene the good and the wicked Math. 25. Then shall the Iudge make a diuision betwene the euill and the good and place the goates at his left hande and the sheepe at his right hande O how happie and blessed shall those persons be that shal be though worthie to haue a place emonge those elected sheepe O Lorde I most humblie beseeche thee let me haue tribulation here in this worlde Punishe me here cutte me in peeces here burne me here so that I maie there be placed at thy right hande Then shall the generall iudgement beginne to be solemnised and the causes of each one shal be throughlie scanned and examined Accordinge as the Prophet Daniell writeth in these wordes Daniel 7.9 I stode saieth he attentiuely and I sawe certaine seates set in their places and the auncient of yeares sat downe whose garmente was white as snowe and the heare of his head like the pure wolle The throne wherein he sat was like flames of fier and the wheeles thereof like burninge fire And a riuer of raginge fire issued and came forthe from before him Thowsande thousandes were attendant to serue him and tenne hundered thousande thowsandes stode waitinge before him c. I behelde all this in the vision of the night and I sawe one comminge in the cloudes who seemed to be the sonne of man Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet Daniell Wherevnto S. Iohn addeth and saieth Apoc. 20.12 I sawe all the dead both great and smalle standinge before this throne and there the bokes were opened and an other boke opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged accordinge to the contentes in those bokes accordinge to their workes Beholde here deare Christian brother the measure whereby thou shalt be iudged Beholde here the taxe and prices whereby all thinges that thou doest shal be valued and esteemed and not by the fonde iudgement of the worlde which hath the false and counterfeit weightes of Canaan in their handes Osâ—â— 12. in whose ballance vertue and vice are iudged to be of smalle weight and accompte In these bokes are written all our whole lyfe and that with such care and diligence that a worde hath no soner passed thy mowth but it is foorthwith noted and set in his proper register But of what thinges trowe ye will the Iudge require an accompte of vs Of what thinges we must giue an accompte Iob. 31.4 O Lorde saieth Iob thou hast nombered all the steppes of my lyfe Certainly there shall not be somuch as one idle worde nor one onely thowghte whereof an accompte will not be required in that iudgement Yea Math. 12.36 and not onely of those thinges that we either thinke or doe but also of those that we leaue vndone of such thinges I meane as we are bownde to doe If thou saie at the daie of Iudgment ô Lorde I haue not sworne the Iudge will answere that thy sonne or thy seruant hath sworne whom thy dutie was to haue chastised and corrected And we shall geue an accompte not onely of our euill workes but also euen of our good workes with what intention and after what maner we did them Finally as S. Gregorie saieth S. Gregorie Math. 12.36 An accompte shall there be required of vs of euerie point and moment of our lyfe how and after what sorte we haue spente them Consideringe therefore that such a strait accoÌ„pte shal be required of vs how happeneth it that we that beleue this as a most certaine truthe doe neuerthelesse liue with such securitie and
come and falle vpon them and to the hilles to couer them There shall they blaspheme and renye and open their sacrilegious mouthes euen against almightie God There shall they continuallie curse the daie of their birthe and their vnhappie state There shall their daye whollie ende There shall their glorie be finished There shall their prosperitie be vtterlie extinguished and ouerthrowen There shall the daie of their horrible paines and greifes beginne in their bodies to continewe for euer and euer As S. Iohn signifieth in his Apocalippes vnder the name of Babilon in these wordes Apoc. 18. The kinges of the earthe shall weepe and wayle ouer themselues that haue enjoyed the pleasures and delightes of Babilon and haue committed fornication with her when they shall see the smooke that riseth vp from their tormentes and they shall endeuour to kepe them selues a farre of for feare of them and saie Wo wo be vnto that great Citie of Babilon for in one howre is her iudgement come And the merchauntes of the earthe shall lament because now there be none to bye their merchaundices of golde and siluer and pretious stones And they shall lament ouer her and saie wo wo be vnto that great Citie that was clothed with garmentes of purple scarlett silkes and veluettes and was couered ouer with golde and pretious stones For in one howre all this great riches shall perishe and come to naught Wherefore ô my deare Christian brethern if this must passe in this wise let vs prouide for our selues I beseach you whilest we haue tyme here in this lyfe and let vs followe the counsell which he geueth vs Christe is our aduocate duringe the time we liue here but after our departure out of this lyfe he is no loÌ„ger our aduocate but our Iudge For then the tyme is past of deylinge anie more by an aduocate with almightie God because the whole processe of all our lyfe is alreadie then come to an ende and theÌ„ we be to haue forthwith a definitiue sentence thereof accordinge to our workes 1. Cor. 11.31 who woulde leuer be our aduocate than our iudge and there is none that knoweth better what is requisite for that daie than he who must be the iudge of our cause Christ then our iudge teacheth vs breefelie what we ought to doe in these wordes Take hede sayeth he in the gospell of S. Luke cap. 21. vers 34. that your hartes be not burthened with ouer much eatinge and drinkinge and with the cares of this lyfe and beware that that sodayne daie come not vpon you at vnwares For it shall come like a snare vpon all that dwell vpon the face of all the earthe And therefore watche and praie at all times that ye maie be worthie to be deliuered from all these euils that are to come and that ye maye appeare before the sonne of man Now consideringe this my deare brethern come I most hartelie praie you and let vs arise whiles we haue tyme out of this so heauie sleepe before that darcke nighte of death falle vpon vs and before this dreadfull daie come whereof the Prophet Malachie cap. 3. saieth Now he commeth and who dare abyde his comminge And who shal be able to beholde the daie thereof Vndowbtedlie that man shal be able to abide this dreadfull daie of iudgement that shall preuent the iudge and iudge him selfe before hande accordinge as S. Pawle forewarneth and counselleth vs. FRYDAIE NIGHTE OF THE PAYNES OF HELL Juntisem seruum eijcité in 〈◊〉 exterioâ—â— issiâ— erit flâ—â—â— et stridor 〈◊〉 Math. 15.30 Quantum glorifiâ—auit se et in 〈◊〉 suit 〈◊〉 daté illi tormentum et luâ—â—â—â— Apoc. â—8 â— 15 〈…〉 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the paines of hell to the intent that aswell by meanes of this meditation as by the former thy sowle maye be the more confirmed in the feare of God and abhorringe of sinne as we haue there declared THESE paines as S. Bonauenture saieth are to be conceiued vnder some such corporall formes How we must imagin the place of hell to be and similitudes as the sainctes haue taught vs. Wherefore it shall doe well to imagin the place of hell as he him selfe saieth to be as it were an obscure and darcke lake vnder the earthe or a passinge deepe pitt full of fire or as a horrible and darcke Cittie wholie bourninge with terrible flames of fire in which none other noise were there to be harde Of two principall kindes of paynes in hell but onely the furious raginge of hellysh tormentors and ruethfull lameÌ„tations of damned persones tormented with continuall weapinge and wailinge and gnashinge of teeth Now in this cursed place there be two principall kindes of paines the one which the diuines calle Poenam sensus a sensible paine And th' other Poenam damni the paine of the losse of all losses As towchinge the first payne to wit Paena sensus the payne of sense consider that there shal be no sense neither within nor without a man but that it shall suffer his proper tormente Eeach parte of the bodie of damned persons shall be tormented with his peculiar tormente Eies Eares For like as the wicked haue offended almightie God with all their members and senses and haue made armour of them all to serue sinne euen so will he ordaine that they all shall there be tormented each one of them with his peculiar torment and paye accordinge to his desert There shall the wanton and lecherous eies be tormented with the terrible vglie sight of diuells The eares with the confusion of such horrible cryes and lamentatioÌ„s as shall there be harde The nose Nose with the intollerable stenche of that filthie and lothesome place The taste Taste Towchinge with a most rauenous honger and thirste The towchinge and all the members of the bodie with extreme colde and fier Imagination Memorie Vnderstandinge The imagination shal be tormented with conceiuinge of the greifes present The memorie by callinge to minde the pleasures past And the vnderstandinge by consideringe what benefites are lost and what miseries are to come Finally there shall all the miseries and tormentes that possibly maie be imagined be heaped together vpon the damned person For as S. Gregorie saieth There shal be colde intollerable fire vnquencheable the worme of conscience that can not die and a most horrible stenche that cannot be abidden There shal be palpable darckenes whippes of tormentors vision of foule fiendes and vglie diuels confusion of sinnes and desperation of all goodnes Now tell me I praie you if the least of all these paines that are suffered here in this worlde though it were but for a verie smalle time doe seeme notwithstandinge so intollerable a thinge what shall it be to suffer there at one time all these multitude of horrible tormentes in all the members and senses both inwarde and outwarde and that
the whole earthe yea and which is more meruailous that there be some starres emonge them of such notable greatnes that they be nyntie times greater then all the whole earthe when a man hearethe these thinges and lifteth vp his eies to heauen and seeth in the same such a multitude of starres and so manie voyde spaces where manie more starres might be set how can he but wonder How can he but be astonied and in a maner besides himselfe consideringe the passinge greatnes of that place and much more of that mightie Soueraine Lorde that created it of nothinge The goodlie bewtie of the heauens Then as towchinge the goodlie bewtie of that place it is a thinge that can not be expressed with wordes For if almightie God hath created thinges so wonderfull and so bewtifull in this vale of teares and place of bannishement what wonderfull bewtifull thinges hath he created trowe ye in that place which is the seate of his glorie the throne of his mightie power the pallace of his maiestie the howse of his electe and the paradise of all delightes After thou hast considered the excellencie of the place The fruition of the companie of the blessed inhabitantes in heauen Apoc. 7.9 The number of the electe The nomber of the Angelles in heauen consider also the great worthines of those blessed inhahitantes that dwell in it whose nomber holines riches and bewtie are greater than anie man can imagin S. Iohn saieth that the nomber of the electe is so great that no man is able to counte them S. Dionysius saithe that the nomber of the Angels is so great that they exceede without comparison all corporall and materiall thinges in the earthe S. Thomas agreinge with this opinion saithe that like as the greatnes of the heauēs exceedethe the greatnes of the earthe without anie proportion euen so doth the multitude of those glorious spirites exceede the multitude of all corporall and materiall thinges that are in this worlde with the like aduantage and proportion Now what thinge can be imagined more wonderful than this Certainlie this is such a matter that if it were well considered it were able to astonishe all men Againe if euerie one of the Angels yea thoughe it be the verie leaste Angell emonge them all be more goodlie and bewtifull to beholde than all this visible worlde what a glorious sighte shall it then be to beholde such a nomber of bewtifull Angels and to see the perfections and offices that euerie one of them hath in that highe and supreme cittie There the Angels goe as it were in ambassages Angels The Archangels are occupied in their ministerie Archāgels Principalities Powers Dominations Vertues Thrones Cherubins Seraphins The Principalities triumphe The Powers reioyce The dominations gouerne The Vertues shyne The Thrones glister The Cherubins geue light The Seraphins burne with loue And all of that heauenlie cowert doe singe lawdes and prayses vnto almightie God Now if the companie and conuersation of good and vertuous persons be so sweite and amiable a thinge what a blessed thinge shall it be to conuerse and kepe companie with so so manie good and blessed Sainctes as be there to speake with the Apostles to be conuersant with the Prophetes to communicate with the Martirs and to dwell and haue a perpetuall familiaritie with all the electe Now if it shall be so greate a glorie to enioye the companie of the good The vision of almightie God what shall it be to enioye the companie and presence of him whom the morninge starres doe praise at whose excellente bewtie the Sonne and moone doe wonder before whose maiestie the Angels bowe downe and at whose presence men doe meruailouslie reioyce What a glorie shall it be to beholde that vniuersall goodnes in whom are all good thinges That greater worlde in whom all worldes are conteyned What a ioye shall it be to see him who beinge one is all thinges and yet beinge one and most simple in himselfe comprehendeth the perfections of all things If to heare and see kinge Salomō were thought so great a matter that the Quene of Saba saied of him 3. Reg. 10. Blessed are they that stand before thy presence and enioye thy wisedome what a thinge shall it be to beholde that most highe Salomon that euerlastinge wisedome that infinite greatnes that inestimable bewtie that exceedinge goodnes and to enioye the same for euermore This is the essentiall glorie of the Sainctes This is the last ende and center of all our desires The glorie of the Sainctes bodies in heauen After this consider the glorie of the bodies in which there shal be no parte but shal be glorified For there euerie one of the members and senses shall haue his particuler glorie and obiect wherein to take delighte There the bodies of the Sainctes shal be endued with those fower singuler qualities and dowries The fower dowries of glorified bodies to witt with subtilitie swiftnes impassibilitie and clearenes And this clearenes shal be so great that euerie one of the Sainctes bodies shall shyne like the sonne in the kingdome of their father Now if this sonne that standeth in the middest of the firmamente beinge but one be sufficient to geue lighte and comfort to all this worlde what a lighte shall so manie sonnes and lampes make as shall shyne so brightlie in that place altogether The perfecte fruitiō of all good thinges in heauen To conclude in this glorie all good thinges shal be fownde wholye together and all euill thinges shal be bannished from thence There shal be healthe without infirmitie libertie without bondage bewtie without deformitie immortalitie without corruption aboundance without necessitie quietnes without vexation securitie without feare knowledge without error fulnes without lothsomenes ioye without heauines and honour without contradiction There as S. Augustine saieth shal be true glorie S. Augustine For there shall non be praised either by error or flatterie There shal be true honour For there it shall neither be denied to suche as deserue it nor geuen to suche as deserue it not There shal be true peace For there shall no man be molested neither by him selfe nor by others The rewarde of vertue shal be euen he that gaue the vertue and hathe promised himselfe for a rewarde of the same who is the greatest and best of all thinges to witt almightie God He shal be the ende of our desires He shall there be seene without ceassinge loued without lothsomenes and praised without wearines There the place is large bewtifull bright and secure The companie verie good and delightfull The time alwaies after one sorte not distincted into eueninge and morninge but continued with a simple eternitie There shal be a perpetuall springe which throughe the freshnes and sweite breathinge of the holie Ghost shall florishe for euermore There shall all reioyce all shall singe and geue continuall praise to the cheife geuer of all thinges throughe whose bountifull
she that was more afflicted in this worlde thā anie other mere creature is now seene there exalted aboue al creatures enioyinge for euer that cheifeste goodnes and sayeinge Cant. 3.4 I haue founde him whom my sowle loueth I will holde him and will not let him goe And if this be so great a ioye The sacred humanitie of Christe what a ioye shall that be to beholde the most sacred humanitie of our sauiour Christ and the glorie and bewtie of that bodie which was so fowlie disfigured for our sakes vpon the crosse S. Bernarde It shal be vndowtedlie as S. Bernarde saithe a thinge full of all sweitnes and delighte when men shall there see and beholde a man the creator of men and Lorde of all thinges created We are wonte to esteime it for a singular honour to our whole familie to see some one of our kinred to be made a Cardinall or a Pope Now how farre greater honour shall this be vnto vs to see that Lorde who is of our fleashe and bloude sittinge at the righte hande of the father and made kinge both of heauen and earthe With what a passinge great ioye shall men stande emonge the Angels It shal be a greate ioye to men in heauen to see the Lorde and creator of all thinges to be not an Angell but a man when they shall see that the Lorde of the whole howse and the vniuersall creator of all thinges is not an Angell but a man For if the members doe accompte that to be an honour vnto them that is done to their head by reason of the great vnion that is betwene them and it what shall it be there where there is suche a strayte vnion betwene the mēbers and the head What shall it be els but that euerie one of the sainctes shall accompte the glorie of their Lorde as their owne peculiar glorie This ioye shal be so passinge great that no wordes are able to expresse it accordinge to the worthines thereof Now who shal be so happie as to be thowghte worthie to enioye so great a blysse and felicitie Cant. 8. O that thou were as my brother suckinge the brestes of my mother that I mighte finde thee without and kisse thee with the lippes of deuotion and embrace thee with the armes of loue O most sweete louinge Lorde When shall this ioyefull daie come When shall I appeare before thy face When shall I be filled with thy excellente bewtie When shall I see that countenance of thyne wherevpon the Angels are desirous to beholde Of the thirde ioye that the sowle shall haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enioyinge of the cleare vision of almightie God § III. In the cleare vision of almightie God consistethe the essentiall glorie of the Sianctes NOW what a ioye shall it be aboue all this to haue a cleare sighte of that diuine face in the sighte of whō consisteth the essentiall glorie of the Sainctes All the thinges we haue hitherto spoken of are certainly great motiues towardes the accomplishemente of glorie but they all are litle in comparison of the cleare vision of almightie God Of Issachar it is written That he sawe that rest was good Gen. 49.15 and that the lande was best and therefore he put his shoulders to labour and made him selfe subiecte to tribute The rest and glorie of the Sainctes is good but the lande that bringeth forthe this rest is best in the superlatiue degrie For this lande is the face and bewtie of almightie God of the vision and beholdinge of whom proceedeth the rest and glorie of the Sainctes This cleare vision of almightie God is the thinge that of it selfe alone is able to geue perfecte rest vnto our sowles The harte of man can neuer be fullie satisfied and filled but onelie with the vision of almightie God For all the sweetnes and pleasantnes of creatures well maie it geue delighte to the harte of man but it can neuer wholye satisfie and fill it Now if all these good thinges before reheresed shall so much delighte vs how much then shall that good thinge delighte vs that conteineth in it selfe the perfection and somme of all good thinges And if the onely sighte and beholdinge of creatures be so glorious what a glorie shall it be to beholde that diuine face that most brighte lighte and that most excellente bewtie of almightie God in whom all bewties doe shyne What a glorious sighte shall it be to beholde that essence so wonderfull so simple and so communicable and with one sighte to beholde in the same the misterie of the most blessed Trinitie The glorie of the father the wisedome of the sonne and the goodnes and loue of the holie Ghost There shall we see God and in God bothe our selues S. Fulgentius and all thinges S. Fulgentius saithe that like as he that hath a glasse before him seeth the glasse and him selfe in the glasse and all other thinges that are before the glasse euen so when we shall haue that vnspotted glasse of the maiestie of almightie God present before vs we shall see him and our selues in him and withal whatsoeuer is without him accordinge to the knowledge greater or lesse that we shall haue of him The vnderstandinge There shall the appetite of our vnderstandinge rest and shall not desire to knowe anie thinge els because it shall haue before it all that can be knowen There shall the appetite of our will rest in louinge that vniuersall good thinge in whom are all good thinges The will and out of whom there be no more good thinges to be enioyed There shall our desire rest The desire and be fullie satisfied with the morsel of that supreme ioye which shal in such wise fill the mouthe of our harte that there shal be nothinge els for it to desire There shall those three Theologicall vertues How faithe hope and charitie shal be rewarded in heauen to witt Faithe Hope and Charitie wherewith almightie God is here honored be perfectly rewarded when vnto faithe shal be there geuen for a rewarde the cleare vision of almightie God vnto hope the possession of him and vnto charitie imperfect charitie in all her perfection There shall the electe see loue enioye and prayse almightie God There shall they be filled without gluttinge and be hōgrie without necessitie There is the place where that songe is alwayes songe that S. Iohn hearde in his reuelations which songe he tearmeth Apoc. 14.3 Quasi canticum nouum As it were a newe songe For that althowghe the songe be alwayes after one maner forsomuche as it is one cōmon prayse answerable to one common glorie which all that blessed companie enioyeth yet is it alwaies newe as concerninge the taste and delighte it hath For loke what taste it had at the beginninge the same verie tast also shall it haue for euer and euer without ende The ioye of the Sainctes in heauen shall neuer diminishe
nor decaye neither shall their bodies euer decaye or waxe olde For he that causeth the heauens to be alwaies freshe and newe after so manie thowsande yeares as haue passed since they were created shall also cause the flower of the glorie of the Sainctes alwaies to be liuelie and florishinge and neuer to wither or decaye in anie one poynte Of the fourthe ioye that the sowle shall haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enioyinge of the glorie of the bodie § IIII. The bodies of the Sainctes shall also be glorified in heauen THE cleare vision of the diuine maiestie is as hathe bene declared the essential glorie of the blessed sowles in heauen Howbeit our most iust iudge and bountifull father thinkethe it not enoughe to glorifie the sowles onely but for the honour of them extendethe his magnificence and liberalitie yet further euen to glorifie their bodies also geuinge thus a rowme and place vnto beastes in his royall and euerlastinge heauēlie pallace O louer of men O honorer of the good and vertuous What hath this rottē and stinckinge fleashe of ours which like a beast followeth alwaies his appetites to doe with the sanctuarie of heauen What shall this fleashe which shoulde rather be tied vp in a stable emonge beastes be placed emonge the Angels in heauen Let dust ô Lorde continewe with dust for it is not seemely that earthe shoulde be placed aboue the heauens But he that saiede vnto Abraham I will honour and multiplie Ismael Gen. 17.20 notwithstandinge he is the sonne of a bondslaue because he appertaineth vnto thee will also shewe this fauour to the bodies of the Sainctes for the nighe kinred that is betwene the sowles and thē It is our Lordes pleasure also that he that hath holpen to beare the burthen Note here the reason why the Sainctes bodies shall as well be glorified in heauen as their sowles shall likewise be partaker in the diuision of the glorie and that like as the sowle by conformynge it selfe in this lyfe vnto the will of God commeth afterwardes to be made partaker of the glorie of God euen so the bodie which contrarie to his nature was conformable and obedient vnto the will of the sowle shall also be made partaker of the glorie of the same sowle And thus shall the iust be glorious both in bodie and sowle And as the Prophet saieth Esa 61.7 They shall possesse in their countrey dowble riches Whereby is vnderstoode the glorie of the sowles and the glorie of the bodies The glorie of the senses The eies Now what shall I saie of the glorie of the senses Eache one of them shall there haue his owne proper delighte and glorie The eies shal be renewed and made more cleare than the lighte of the sonne They shall see those roiall pallaces those glorious bodies and those bewtifull feildes with other infinit goodlie thinges that are there to be seene The eares The eares shall alwaies heare that wounderfull musicke which is so exceedinge sweite and pleasant that one onely fownde of it were able to bringe all the hartes of this worlde a-sleepe The sense of smellinge shall also be recreated with most sweite and pleasant sauours The smellinge not of such vaporous thinges as we haue here but of such as be proportionable to the glorie that is there The taste In like maner the taste shal be satisfied with incredible sweitenes and delightes not for sustentation of lyfe but for accomplishemente of all glorie Now what an exceedinge ioye shall the blessed sowle conceyue at that time when for the mortification and diligente lookinge vnto the senses which continued so shorte a time she seeth her selfe so wholie drowned in that most deepe fountaine of glorie without findinge anie bothom or ende of so manie and of such passinge great ioyes O labours and paines well employed O seruices well rewarded O treasure not so much to be spoken of as to be wisshed and desired and to be purchased with a thowsande liues if we had so manie to geue for the same Of the fyfte ioye in the kingdome of heauen which is the euerlastinge continuance of the glorie and felicitie of the the Sainctes § V. BVT now let vs see for how longe time this great glorie and felicitie is to be enioyed This is a pointe that were able alone to cause vs euen to crie out and desire that all maner of tribulations afflictions paynes and labours might rayne and powre down vpon vs as thicke as hayle so that we might serue and please almightie God in this transitorie lyfe who is to bestowe so great and inestimable benefites vpon vs in the euerlastinge lyfe to come This rewarde of so great glorie and felicitie in the kingdome of heauen shal endure so manie thowsande yeares as be starres in the firmament yea and a greate deale longer It shall endure so manie hundered thowsande milliōs of yeares as haue fallen droppes of water vpon the earthe yea and a greate deale longer yea to conclude it shal endure so longe as almightie God him selfe shall endure which shal be euerlastingelie worlde without ende Psal 145. For it is written thus Our Lorde shall raigne for euer and euer And in an other place Psal 144. Thy raigne is the raigne of all worldes and thy dominion endurethe from generation to generation Wherefore ô father of mercies and God of all consolation I humbly beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercie that I maie not be depriued of this supreme glorie and felicitie O Lorde my God that hast vowchsaffed to create me after thyne owne image and likenes and to make me capable of thy selfe fill this harte of mine which thow hast created with thy selfe sith thow hast created it for thy selfe Psal 141. Let my portion ô my almightie God be in the lande of the liuinge O Lorde I beseech thee geue me not in this transitorie lyfe either rest or riches but reserue all in store for me for the euerlastinge lyfe to come Num. 32.6 I desire not to enherite with the children of Ruben in the lande of Galaad and to lose my right and title of the lande of promise Psalm 26. One thinge onely ô Lorde haue I demaunded of thee and this will I alwaies require that I maie dwell in the howse of our Lorde all the daies of my lyfe SONDAIE NIGHTE OF THE BENEFITES OF ALMIGHTIE GOD. 〈…〉 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the benefites of almightie God that in so doinge thou mayst geue him thankes for them and enkendle in thy selfe a more feruente loue of him who hath shewed himselfe so bountiefull towardes thee and withall procure thereby more greife and sorowe for the sinnes and offences that thou hast committed against such a louinge benefactor AND albeit the benefites of almightie God towardes vs be innumerable yet they all maie be reduced to
general confession Confiteor Deo c. or the psalme Miserere mei Deus Psal 50. or some other like praiers Wherein good heede must be taken that these praiers be not saide in post hast but with as great quietnes attention feelinge and repentance of harte as we can Howbeit a man ought not to staie ouer longe in this consideration of his sinnes as some persons doe that both beginne and ende herewith yea and passe all their whole lyfe therein For albeit this consideration of our synnes be alwaies good and at the beginninge very necessary yet it is meete that it be taken with such moderation as that it occupie not that time which shoulde be bestowed about other better matters Neither is it needefull in this exercise for a man to consider very particularly his sinnes and namely such as the remēbraūce whereof maie moue him to some euill cogitations But it is sufficient to make as it were a bundell of them all and to drowne them in the bothomles Sea of the infinite goodnes and mercie of almightie God with good hope to receiue pardon and remedie of them from the same we may prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God We maie also prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of that Lorde vnto whom we goe to speake in praier For this consideration will teach vs with what great reuerence and humilitie and with how great attention it behooueth such a miserable creature as man is to speake vnto a lorde of so great maiestie as almightie God is concerninge a matter of so great importance as is his owne saluatiō But that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of the maiestie of almightie God thou must consider that the heauens the earthe and all that is created is no more before the maiestie of almightie God Sap. II. than a litle emyte or as the Wise man saieth a grayne of weight in the balance Now if all creatures be no more than an emite before him what shalt thou then seeme to be before him that arte so smalle a parte of the whole This consideration of the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God is as it were a profounde reuerence that the sowle maketh within it selfe before the throne of that supreme maiestie at what tyme she entereth into his pallace to speake with him Math. 26.39 Our Sauiour Christe gaue vs an example with what humilitie and reuerence we oughte to praye vnto almightie God Gen. 18.27 It is verie good to consider before hande for what purpose and ende we goe to praye vnto almightie God With this maner of humilitie and reuerence the Sonne of God taught vs to praie when makinge his praier he cast him selfe prostrate vpon the grounde geuinge vs thereby to vnderstande how humble and lowly a man ought to be and how much he ought to consider of his owne basenes and vilenes whensoeuer he goeth about to speake vnto almightie God With this spirite and humble reuerence a man maie repete those wordes of the holie Patriarke where he saithe I will speake to my Lorde althoughe I be but duste and ashes But aboue all this it shall helpe vs verie much in this preparation to consider well what we goe about to doe when we settle our selues to prayer For if we doe well consider it we goe to praie for none other purpose but to receiue the spirite of almightie God and the influencies of his grace and the ioye of charitie and deuotion wherewith we see how the sowles of iust persons are replenished at the ende of their longe and deuoute praiers Now this beinge so thou mayst perceiue hereby with how great humilitie and reuerence and with how great attention and deuotion thou oughtest to come when thou doest open the mouthe of thy sowle to receiue almightie God Consider with what great and feruente deuotion the holie Apostles were enflamed Act. 1. at what tyme they expected and looked for the comminge of the holie Ghost and by that mayest thou vnderstāde how thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe when thou goest aboute to looke for and receyue the same holie Ghost albeit it be not in such plentifull and abundante wise as the Apostles was Hereby thou seest how close shutte thou oughtest to haue the gates of thy vnderstandinge and will at the time of prayer from all the cares and thoughtes of the worlde and how open they oughte then to be vnto almightie God alone that in case he come to enter therein he returne not backe againe findinge the gates shutte against him or the lodginge taken vp and pestered with other ghestes Now with this preparation and spirite mayest thou presente thy selfe in prayer before the face of our Lorde Luc. 14. as that sicke man of the dropsie did who stoode before him expectinge from his mercifull hande to be restored vnto his healthe Math. 8. or as that leperous person did who kneeled downe at his feete and saied hūbly vnto him Marc. 1.40 O Lorde if thou wilte thou canst make me cleane Consider that in like maner as a litle hongrie dogge standeth before his masters table fauninge verie earnestelie vpon him with his eies and all his whole bodie lookinge euer for some litle peice of breade to come from his table and after the same sorte oughtest thou to presente thy selfe before the riche table of the Lorde of heauen confessinge thy selfe to be vnworthie of the whole abundaunce of his mercies and desiringe him most humblie to bestowe some litle portion thereof vpon thee for thy reliefe With this lowlie spirite mayst thou saie the Psalme Psal 122. Ad te leuaui oculos meos qui habitas in caelis c. The which albeit it be but shorte yet is it verie fitt and conueniente to stirre vp and enkendle this foresaid affection in preparinge thy selfe vnto prayer This maner of preparation of th' other thou mayst gentle reader vse at thy libertie but the first seemeth to be more conuenient for the night when a man ought to examine his conscience and desire pardon and forgeuenes of almightie God of all such defectes and offences as he hath offended him in that daie And the second maner of preparation is most fitt for the morninge when he riseth before the daie breake to desire then of almightie God the assistance and succour of his grace whereby he maie the better bestowe that daie in his seruice But because to knowe how to praie as a man ought To knowe how to praye as a man oughte is a speciall gifte of God is a very spetiall gifte of almightie God and a worke of the holie Ghost therefore desire him most humblie both in th' one preparation and th' other to instructe thee how to doe thy duetie herein and to geue thee grace that thou mayst speake vnto him in thy prayer with such attention and deuotion with such recollection and closenes of mynde and with
Wherefore we must vnderstande that there be sixe thinges emonge manie others that maye be considered in the holie Passion of our Sauiour To witt The greatnes of his paines The greiuousnes of our sinnes The excellencie of the benefite The magnificencie of the goodnes of almightie God The multitude of the vertues of our Sauiour Christe which doe verie brightelie shine in his holie passion And the conueniencie of this meane whereby almightie God vouchsafed to worke our redemption These sixe pointes ought we to consider for sixe effectes wherein consisteth all the profite of the spirituall lyfe For we must consider the greatnes of the paines of our Sauiour Christe that we maie take compassion of them We must consider the greatnes of our owne sinnes that we maie abhorre them We must consider the greatnes of the benefite of his passion that we maie geue him thankes for it We must consider the excellencie of the goodnes of almightie God which in this holie passion of our Sauiour is discouered vnto vs that we maie verie hartely loue the same passinge great goodnes We must consider the multitude of the vertues of our Sauiour Christe which doe likewise shine verie brightlie in his passion that we maie be prouoked thereby to imitate them And we must consider the conueniencie of the misterie of his holie passion that we maie be brought thereby in admiratiō of the wisedome of almightie God and be the more confirmed in the faith of this holie misterie Of these sixe pointes we intende nowe to treate and of each one of them in his due place and order Of the passinge great paines and tormentes which our Sauiour Iesus Christe suffered in his most bitter Passion § I. FIRST we must consider the passinge great paines of our Sauiour Christe to prouoke our selues by that consideration to take compassion of them as reason it is that the members shoulde take compassion of their head Wherefore it is to be noted that the paines which our Sauiour suffered in his bitter passion were as the holie fathers saie the greatest that euer were suffered Summa S. Thomae 3. q. 46. artic 6. or euer shal be suffered in this worlde This shall appeare manifestlie to be true if we doe consider fiue principalle causes from whence the passinge greatnes of these paines proceeded The first cause was the passinge greatnes of his charitie which made him desirous to redeeme mankinde most abundantly and to satisfie most perfectly for the iniuries and offences committed against the diuine maiestie And because the greater paines he shoulde suffer the more perfectly he shoulde accomplishe both the one and the other and he wanted not the forces of grace to beare as great a burthen as he woulde therefore he woulde that his paines shoulde be passinge great that so likewise the satisfaction which he shoulde make for our dette and the worke of our redemption might be also passinge great The seconde cause which followeth hereof was that he suffered his payes without anie maner of ease or consolation For accordinge to the reason before mentioned he shutte vp from him selfe all the gates whereby anie maner of consolation might come vnto him either from heauen or from earthe insomuche that he was contente to be forsaken not onely of his disciples and freindes but also of his owne father yea and of him selfe also to the intent that so beinge destitute of all companie he might be burninge in the furnace of his most grieuous paines and tormentes without all maner of refresshinge of anie ease or consolation whatsoeuer that by anie meanes might come vnto him And therefore he saied in the Psalme Psal 87. I am become as a man destitute of all helpe I am left emonge the dead notwithstandinge that I alone am he that emonge the deade by righte am free from sinne and from deathe And in an other Psalme he saithe Psal 68. I am plunged in the bottome of waters and of myre and I finde no place where to staie my feete This is that forsakinge which our Sauiour signified vpon the crosse when he saiede Math. 27.46 My God My God why hast thou forsakē me Psal 21.1 For at that time his holie humanitie was forsakē in the middest of the furious streame of his paines and tormentes and was left destitute of all thinges that might either withstande or mitigate the force and vehemēcie of them Leuit. 16. This was figured in the lawe by those two beastes that were offered for the sinnes of the people of the which the one was killed and offered vp in sacrifice and the other departed awaye and was sent into the wildernes leauinge her companion alone in the tormentes The like was done in this heauenlie sacrifice where God and man was offered for the sinnes of the worlde and the one of the two natures to witt the humanitie was sacrificed and did suffer but the other nature to witt the diuinitie departed awaye leauinge her sister and companion all alone to suffer the tormentes For albeit that as concerninge the bonde of vnion the diuine nature neuer forsooke the humane nature which it had once taken yet as touchinge the consolation and ease of the paines and tormentes in the inferior parte it did wholy forsake the same And therefore we see that the Martirs when they went to suffer death shewed them selues verie courageous mearie and ioyefull as we reade of S. Agnes S. Agatha S. Laurence and of many others but our Sauiour beinge the verie fountaine of grace and of strēgthe through whose vertue the Martirs had such force and courage to be able to doe that which they did trēbled and sweated euen verie droppes of bloude when he wēt to suffer paynes and tormentes for vs. For in the martirs the vertue of charitie which redoūded into the inferior forces of the sowle caused them to haue verie great courage and ioye But in our Sauiour Christ both these and all other influences were by spetiall miracle suspended that so he might drincke the cuppe of his most bitter paines pure and without mixture of anie maner of ease or consolation The therde cause of his so grieuous paynes was the tendernes of his complexion For whereas his holie bodie was formed miraculously by the holie Ghost and the thinges that are done by miracle be more perfecte than those that be done by nature S. Chrisostome vpō S. Iohn 2. as S. Chrisostome declareth speakinge of the wyne which was turned into water at the mariage it followeth that our Sauiours bodie was the most best cōplexioned and most tender of all bodies that euer were or shal be insomuch as a holie father saiethe That if there had bene no externall violence done vnto our Sauiours bodie it woulde haue endured a verie great nomber of yeares by reason of the perfection and tendernes of the composition thereof And not onely the composition of his bodie but also the matter thereof was very tender forsomuch as the matter of
sowle in a merueilous great conflict and agonie not so much for her departure as for feare of the howere of her dreadfull accompt approchinge so neare vnto her Then is the time of tremblinge and quakinge yea euen of such as be most stowte and couragious The blessed holie father Hilarion S. HilarioÌ„ as he was passinge out of this worlde beganne to tremble and feare and was lothe to die howbeit the holie man encouraged himselfe sayienge Goe forth my sowle goe foorth out of this bodie whereof shouldest thou be afraid It is threescore and tenne yeares that thou hast serued Christ and art thou yet afraide of death Now if this holie man were afraid of his passing out of this worlde who serued Christ so manie yeares what shall he doe who peraduenture hath offended him so manie yeares Whither shall he goe Whom shall he call vpon What counsell shall he take O that men vnderstode how great this perplexitie and anguishe is at this dreadfull howre Imagin now I beseach thee in what a dolefull case the harte of the Patriarke Isacke was Genes 22. when his father held him bounde handes and feete and had laide him vpon the woode to sacrifice him when he sawe his fathers glisteringe sworde ouer his heade and vnderneth him the flames of fiere burninge and the seruantes that might haue succoured him stayinge at the foote of the hill and he himselfe bownde handes and feete in such sort that he cowlde neither flie nor defende himselfe in what plight trowe yee was the harte of this blessed younge man when he sawe himselfe in so narrowe a strayte In what greate perplexitie the sowle of the wicked man is at the hower of deathe And surelie in farre greater perplexitie is the sowle of the wicked man at this dreadfull hower because he can tourne his eies on no syde where he shall not see occasions of great terrour and feare If he looke vpwarde he seeth the terrible sworde of the iustice of almightie God threateninge him If he looke downwarde he seeth the graue opeÌ„ euer gapinge and tarienge for him If he looke within himselfe he seeth his owne conscience gnawinge and bytinge him If he looke about him there be Angels and deuils on both sides of him watchinge and expectinge the ende of the sentence whether of them shall haue the praie If he looke backwarde he seeth his dolefull wyfe his littell younge children his poore seruantes his kinsfolke his freindes his companions his acquaintance his howse his landes and the goodes of this lyfe to remaine all behinde and are not able to succoure him in this his great distresse forsomuch as he must depart all alone out of this lyfe and they all must remaine still here To conclude if after all this he take a vewe of him selfe and consider what he is inwardelie he shal be wonderfully amased and afraide to see himselfe in such a daungerous and terrible state insomuch as if it were possible he woulde flie awaie euen from himselfe Nowe alas to depart from the bodie is a thinge intollerable To continewe still therein is a thinge impossible And to differre his departure anie longer will not be graunted All the time past seemeth vnto him but as a blast of wynde and that which is to come appeareth as it is in deede infinite Now what shall the miserable sowle doe beinge thus compassed and enuironed about with so manie straites O how fonde and blynde are the sonnes of Adam that wil not prouide in time for this terrible passage HOW FILTHIE AND LOTH-some the bodie is after it is dead And of the burâ—inge of it in the graue Eccle. 3â— 23 Eccle. â—â— â—◠§ VII LAST of all when this great conflict is ended the sowle is violently taken awaie from the bodie and departeth from her auncient habitation the bodie remayninge vtterly spoyled of all the beawtie and qualities it had Now let vs consider what lotte each one of theise two partes must haue First consider in what case the bodie is In what case the bodie is after the sowle is departed out of it after the sowle is departed out of it What thinge is more esteimed than the bodie of a prince whiles he is a liue And what thinge is more contemptible and more vyle than the verie same bodie when it is dead Where is then that former pryncely maiestie become Where is that royall behauiour and glorious magnificence Where is that highe authoritie and soueraintie Where is that terrour and feare at the beholdinge of his presence Where is that cappinge and kneelinge and speakinge vnto him with such reuerence and subiection How quicklie is all this gaye pompe vtterly ouerthrowen and come to nothinge as if it had bene but a mere dreame or a plaie on a stage that is dispatched in an howre Then out of hande the wyndinge sheet â—s prouided and brought forth The richest man in this worlde shall haue no more with him of all his gooddes at the hower of his deathe but onelie a wyndinge sheete Psal 48.17.18 which is the â—ichest iewell he maie take with him out of this lyfe And this is the greatest recompence that the richest man in this worlde shall haue of all his goodes at that hower I wâ—she this pointe were well considered by eâ—erie couetous man and by those that make their money their God whose blindnes and follie the Prophet reprehendeth in theise wordes Be not afraide when a man waxeth riche and when thou seest the glorie of his howse verie much multiplied and increased for when he dieth he shall not carie his goodes awaye with him neither shall his glorie goe downe with him Of the buriall of the bodye Then doe they make a hole in the earthe of seuen or eight foote longe and no longer though it be for Alexander the great whom the whole worlde coulde not holde and with that smalle rowme onelie must his bodie be contence There they appoint him his howse for euer There he taketh vp his perpetuall lodginge vntill the last daye of generall Iudgment in companie with other dead bodies There the wormes crawle out to geue him his interteinment To be short there they let him downe in a poore white sheete his face beinge couered with a napkin and his handes and feete fast bownde which trewlie needeth not for he is then suer enough for breakinge out of prison neither shall he be able to defende himselfe against anie man There the earthe reâ—eyueth him into her lappe There the bones of dead men kisse and welcome him There the dust of his auncesters embraceth him and inuiâ—e him to that table and howse which is appointed for all men liuinge And the last honour that the worlde can doe vnto him at that time is to cast a litle earth vpon him and to couer him well therewith that the people maie not feele his stinckinge sauour aÌ„d beholde his dishonour And the greatest pleasure that his verie deare and
farre the one exceedeth the other Now if a man to escape that tormente woulde not sticke to put him selfe to all daungers labours and paines be they neuer so great what then ought all we to doe to escape this most horrible extreme tormente of hell fyer Consider also what a terrible kinde of tormente that was which Phalaris that cruell Tyrante inuented of whom it is written that he vsed when he woulde put men to death to cause them to be inclosed within the bellie of a bull made of mettall and then caused a fier to be made vndernethe it and this cruell maner of punnishemente he deuised that the miserable man by the heate of the yron shoulde burne within the same by litle and litle and not be able to escape nor defende him selfe nor haue anie other remedie but onely to burne and rore and tumble and tosse him selfe within that strait place vntill he were dead What harte can heare of this crueltie but that his fleashe will tremble and quake onely in thinkinge of it Wherefore tell me now ô thou Christian what is all this in comparison of that most greiuous and horrible tormente which we here treate of but onely a meere dreame or shadowe Now if the verie imagination and thinkinge of these horrible paines of hell doe make vs afraide what shal it be not to thinke of them onelie but euen to suffer them in verie deede Certainlie it is so horrible a matter to suffer paines and tormentes euerlastinglye that althoughe there were but one alone emonge all the children of Adam that shoulde suffer in hell in this wise it were enoughe to make vs all to tremble and quake There was but one emonge Christes disciples that shoulde sell his master and yet when Christ saied One of yow shall betraie me Math. 26.21 all beganne to be afraide and waxe sad for that the matter was of so great importance Now then why doe not we much more tremble and quake knowinge certainlie Eccles 1.15 Math. 7.14 Esa 5.14 That the nomber of fooles is infinite and that the waie vnto life euerlastinge is verie narrowe ād strait ād that hel hath enlardged her mouthe without anie limitte to receiue the multitudes that goe into it If we beleeue not this If a Christian did cōsider the euerlastinge continuance of the horrible paynes of hell it woulde make him loke better to the dewe framinge of his lyfe where is our faith If we doe beleeue and confesse it where is our iudgemēmente and reason And if we haue both iudgement and reason why doe we not publishe and preache this matter in the open streates and market places Why goe we not into the desertes as manie of the Sainctes haue done there to doe penance for our synnes and to liue an austere lyfe emonge beastes that we maie escape these most horrible and euerlastinge tormentes How is it that we can sleepe in the night Yea how happeneth it that we be not quite out of our wittes when we doe thinke attentiuelie and consider of so straunge a perill as this is seinge lesse daungers than these haue bene able not onelie to frighte and bestraught men out of their wittes but also to bereue them of their liues This is the greatest payne that the miserable damned persons haue in hell to vnderstande that almightie God and their most greiuous tormentes shal be of one lyke continuance and therefore their miserie can haue no comfort because their paine hath no ende If the damned persons coulde be perswaded that after a hundered thowsande millions of yeares their paynes shoulde haue an ende euē that persuasion alone woulde be a great comfort vnto them For then all their tormētes albeit it were verie lōge woulde yet at the lengthe come to an ende S. Gregorie But assured they are that their paines shall haue no ende at all For as S. Gregorie saieth There the wicked haue death without anie death an ende without anie ende and a defecte without anie defecte For their death alwaies liueth their ende alwaies beginneth and their defecte neuer faileth And for this cause the Prophet saieth Psal 48.15 They are in hell as it were sheepe and death feideth vpon them The herbe that is there fed vpon is not wholie plucked vp because the roote is aliue which is the beginninge of lyfe and this causeth the herbe to springe againe that it maie still be fed vpon And therefore the pasture of those feildes is immortall forsomuch as it is alwaies eaten and alwaies reuyueth againe Now after this sorte shall death feede vpon the damned persons and as death cannot dye so shall it neuer be filled with this kinde of foode nor euer be wearie in doinge this office neither shall it euer make an ende of deuowringe this morsell For that death shall euermore haue somewhat in them to deuoure and they shall euermore minister somewhat vnto death to be deuoured so as the damned in hell shall suffer their most horrible paines and tormentes for euer and euer without anie ende SATTVRDAIE NIGHTE OF THE EVERLASTINGE GLORIE AND FELICITIE OF THE KINGDOME OF HEAVEN Corinth 2.9 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the felicitie of eternall glorie in the kingedome of heauen THIS consideration is so profitable that if it were holpen with the lighte of a liuely faithe it were able to make all the bitter paines and labours which we shoulde take for the attaininge thereof to become sweite and pleasant For if the loue of landes and riches doe cause the paines and labours that be taken for them to seime sweite and pleasant If the loue of childrē also doe cause women to wishe for the paines of childebearinge what woulde the loue of this most excellent and passinge great felicitie doe in comparison whereof all other felicities are of non accompt If it be saied of the patriarke Iacob Genes 29.20 that his seuen years seruice feemed but shorte vnto him in respecte of the great loue he bare to Rachel what woulde the loue of that infinite bewtie worke in our hartes what woulde that euerlastinge mariage cause vs to doe if it were considered with the eies of a liuely faieth Fiue pointes to be considered in this meditation Wherefore that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of this felicitie thou hast to consider emonge other thinges these fiue pointes that are in it to witt The excellencie and greatenes of the place The fruition of the companie of those blessed inhabitantes The vision of almightie God The glorie of the Sainctes bodies And finallie the perfect fruition of all good thinges that are there First of all therefore consider the excellencie of the place The excellencie and greatnes of the heauēs and especially the greatnes thereof which is surelye very wonderfull For when a man readeth in certaine graue awthors that euerie one of the starres of heauen is greater than all