and excellencie it selfe which thou art O my Lord God Thy seruant Dauid iudged right who esteemed thy commaundements To be desired aboue golde and much pretious stone Psal 18 and more sweete aboue hony and the hony Combe And he added And in keeping them is much reward What meaneth this O Lord dost thou promise reward to those that keepe thy commandements To be desired aboue golde and more sireete then the hony Combe Yes truely a most ample reward Iam. 4 for Iames thy Apostle saith Our Lord hath prepared a Crowne of life for those that loue him And what is a Crown of Life Truely a greater Happinesse then we are able to conceiue For so speaketh St. Paul out of Isay 1. Cor. 2 Isay 64 Eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of Man what things God hath prepared for them that loue him Surely therfore there is great reward for keeping thy commandements Neither is that first greatest cōmandement profitable onely to man obeying not to God commanding but also the rest of Gods commandements do perfect beautifie instruct and illuminate the obedient and finally make them good and happy Therefore my soule if thou be wise vnderstand that thou art created to Gods glorie and thy eternall happinesse that is thy end that is thy treasure and center if thou come to that end thou shalt be happy if thou declyne from it thou art vnhappy Therefore think that assuredly good for thee which directeth thee to that end and that assuredly euill which causeth thee to decline from it Prosperitie and aduersitie wealth and pouertie health and sicknesse honour and ignominy life and death of a wise man are neither to be desired nor auoyded but if they make to Gods glorie and thy eternall welfare they are good and to be desired if they hinder it they are euill and to be auoyded THE SECOND STEPP From the Consideration of the greater world WE haue framed the first Stepp of our Ladder of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from the Consideration of Man who is called the Lesser World Now we also purpose to frame the Second Stepp from the Consideration of this most great corporall quantitie commonly called the Greater world St. Gregory Nazianzen writeth in his second sermon of the Pasche That God placed Man as a great world in a lesser world which is true if we seperate Angels from the world For man is greater then the whole corporall world not in quantitie but in qualitie but if that Angels are comprehended in the world as we in this place comprehend them then is man a Lesser world placed in a Greater world In this greater world therefore which conteyneth all things many things are to be wondred at but especially quantitie multitude varietie efficacie and beauty All which if by Gods assistance they be duly considered are of great force to eleuate the minde and to make it become in a manner wrapt with admiration of an infinite greatnesse multitude varietie efficacie and beautie and being returned to it selfe whatsoeuer it beholdeth without God to dispise as vaine and of no moment Truely the earth is so great that Ecclesiasticus saith Eccles c. 1 The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured which may be vnderstood For that in so many thousand yeares as haue passed since the creation as yet the whole surface of the earth for that Ecclesiasticus calleth the breadth of the earth is not knowne vnto our men who daily haue sought after it And what I pray you is the greatnesse of the earth compared to the compasse of the highest heauen It is said by Astronomers to be as a Poynt and not without cause For we see the sunne beames so to illuminate the opposite starres of the Firmament although the earth be betweene as if the same were nothing at all And if euery starre in the Firmament be greater then the whole earth as the common opinion of wise men is and yet seeme to vs because of their almost infinite distance to be very small who then can conceiue the greatnesse of heauen in which so many millions of starres doe shine If therefore Ecclesiasticus said The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured What would he haue said of the Compasse of the highest he euen and distance thereof vnto the lowest hell truely it is so great that it cannot be conceiued Goe too now my soule I aske thee if the world be so great how great is he that made the world Great is our Lord and there is no end of his greatnesse Heare Isay Isay 40 Who hath measured the waters with his fist and pondered the heauens with a spanne Who hath poysed with three fingers the huge greatnes of the earth Where St. Ierome saith that according to the translation of Aquila by a fist is vnderstood the little finger so that the sence is The whole element of water which is lesse then the earth is measured with one little finger of God the earth with three fingers the heauen which is greater then the earth and water together is pondered with a spanne But this is spoken metaphorically for God is a Spirit and hath no handes nor fingers properly and the scripture by these comparisons doth sufficiently shewe that God is much greater then his Creatures which Salomon signified more expressely when he said 2 Para. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee For if an other world or more worldes yea infinite worldes were made God would fill them all But thinke not my soule thy God doth so fill the world that a part of God is in a part of the world and all God in all the world for God hath no partes but is all in all the world and all in euery part of the world Therefore if thou be faithfull to him although Armies rise vp against thee thy heart shall not feare for what should he feare who hath an almightie Father and freind but if for thy sinnes thou hast God an angry judge and an almightie enemie then hast thou iust cause to dread with horrible feare and to giue thine eyes and feete no rest vntill God being pleased with thy true repentance thou take breath in the light of his mercies But now who can number the multitude of things created by one God maker of heauen and earth Cap. 2 Who saith Ecclesiasticus can number the Sandes of the sea and drops of rayne Eccles cap. 1 But how many mettalls of gold and siluer brasse lead pretious stones Iemmes margarites are there within the earth and Sea how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of hearebs fruites and plantes are there vpon the earth also how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of perfect and vnperfect liuing creatures foure footed beasts creeping Creatures foules how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of fishes in the Sea Who can number them
men as they haue preferred their loue before their estate and dignitie children and parentes yea their life and eternall saluation The examples which are read in holy Scripture of Dauid Salomon and Sampson are known histories are full of the like Wherefore my soule if so great beautie be giuen by God to creatures how great admirable maist thou think is the beautie of God himselfe For none can giue that which he hath not And if men delighted with the beauty of the Sun and starres though those Bright bodies saith the wise man to be Goddes Wisd 13 Let them knowe how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the author of beautie made all these thinges How great the beautie of God is we may gather not onely because it comprehendeth the beautie of all creatures most eminently within it selfe but also for that it being vnto vs inuisible while we are Pilgrims on earth and onely vnderstood by faith of Scriptures and mirrour of Creatures yet notwithstanding many saints haue bin so inflamed with the loue thereof that some of them haue hid themselues in Desertes and attended onely to the contemplation therof as St. Mary Magdalen Paul the first Heremite the great Anthony and others of whom you may reade in the religious History of Theodoret. Others forsaking their wiues and Children and whatsoeuer els they possessed on earth liued in Monasteries vnder the obedience of others that they might enioy the friendship of God Others desired willingly with rigorous paines to end their liues that they might come to the sight of that infinite beautie Heare one of them to wit St. Ignatius the Martyre in his Epistle to the Romans Let fire gallowes beastes breaking of my bones quartering of my members brusing of my body and all the torments of the Deuill come vpon me so that I may enioy Christ If then this diuine beauty not yet seene but onely beleeued and hoped for could kindle such a feruent desire what will it doe when as the vaile being remooued it shall be seene as it is in it selfe It will doubtlesse bring to passe Psal 3 That being drunke with the torrent of that pleasure we neither will nor can one moment turne our eyes from it And what wonder is it although the Angels and blessed soules which alwayes see the face of their Father in heauen are not wearied or tyred with that sight since God himselfe from all eternity beholding his owne beauty is fully pleased there with and being happie by that sight desireth nothing els entring as it were into a Vineyard or Garden of all delights from whence he neuer shall nor will depart Seeke that beauty O my soule sigh after it day and night say with the Prophet My soule hath thirsted after thee the strong liuing Psal 41 when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Say with the Apostle We are bolde 2 Cor 5 and haue a good will to be Pilgrims rather from the body and to be present with our Lord. Neither doe thou feare to be defiled with the loue of that beauty For the loue thereof doth comfort not corrupt doth purifie and not polute the hart The holy virgin and martyre St. Agnes sayd truely I loue Christ whose mother is a virgin whose Father knoweth no woman whom when I loue I am chaste when I touch I am cleane when I take I remaine a virgin But if thou dost truely desire the vncreated beauty of thy Lord thou must fulfill that which the Apostle addeth in that place 2 Cor. 5 Therefore saith he we endeauour whether absent or present to please him If God please thee thou oughtest likewise to please God And surely we shall please God in the country of the liuing when as we shall be illuminated with his glory as the Prophet saith Psal 114 I will please our Lord in the country of the liuing But in this Pilgrimage we are so easily poluted and defiled with the slime of sinne that the Apostle St. Iames said Iam. 3 In many things we offend all And the Prophet Dauid to shewe how fewe are immaculate in this life affirmeth that it belongeth to Happinesse Psal 118 saying Blessed are the immaculate in the way Therefore my soule if in this absence and Pilgrimage thou wilt please thy Lord it is not enough to desire to please him but it behooueth thee as the Apostle saith to striue to please him that is with great diligence to beware of such spottes as may make thy face deformed and if any happen to sticke therein with like diligence to endeauour to wipe them away Dost thou not see how women which seeke to please their husbands spend many houres in dressing their hayre adorning their face and wiping away the spottes of their garments and all this they doe to please the eyes of a mortall man who soone after must be turned to earth and ashes what oughtest thou therefore to doe to please the eyes of thy immortall spouse who alwaies beholdeth thee and desireth to see thee without spot or wrinkle It is needefull then to striue with all thy force Luc. 1 That thou walke before him in holinesse and iâ—stice and remoue from thee with speed all things that may hinder the same not hauing respect to flesh and blood nor to the speeches and opinions of men For thou canst not please God and the world both at once according to the Apostles saying Yf I yet did please men Gal. 1 I should not be the seruant of Christ THE THIRD STEPP From the Consideration of the earth WE haue considered the Corporall world in generall Cap. 1 Let vs now consider the principall parts thereof that from them we may erect a Ladder to contemplate their maker First there is the Earth the which although it occupie the lowest place among the elements and seemeth to be lesse then the rest yet it is not lesse then the water and in dignitie and worth it excelleth the other elements Whereupon we often read in holy Scripture That God made heauen and earth as the principall parts of the world Gen. 1 For he made heauen as the Pallace of God and Angels the earth as the Pallace of men Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord saith the Prophet but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men And that is the cause why the heauen is full of bright starres the earth aboundeth with mettalls precious stones hearbes trees and beastes of diuers kindes whereas the water is stored onely with fish and the ayre and fire are in a manner emptie and naked elements But omitting this The earth hath three thinges most worthy of consideration by which a vigilant minde may easily ascend vnto God First the earth is the most firme foundation of the whole world without which we could neither walke worke Psal 92 rest nor liue He hath established saith Dauid the round world which
world from the first Creature to the last I say nothing so perfectly as that hee is able to explicate the Nature Propertyes Accidents and secret virtues thereof Into what errors shall he fall if hee vndertake to search out the thinges which are aboue Heauen Therefore if thou be Wise my soule follow the knowledge of Saluation and Wisdome of Saintes which consisteth in fearing God keeping his Commaundements Delight more in prayer then in DisputatioÌ„ and in edifying Charity then in proud knowledge For that is the way which leadeth vnto life Eternall where we little ones shal he made equall with Angells which alwayes see the face of their Father which is in Heauen Luk â—0 Mat. 18 There is also a third thing wherein Mans soule is not a litle lesse but much lesse then Angells to witt in the power and commaund ouer Bodyes For Mans soule moueth the body by commaundment of the Will but other Bodyes it cannot so moue And it moueth the body by Progressiue motion vpon the Earth but cannot suspend it vpon the Water cleuate it aboue the Ayer or carry it whether it will But Angells onely by Force of Spirit and commaundment of Will eleuate heauy bodyes and carry them whether they lift So an Angell tooke vp Abachue Dan. 14 and in a very short time carried him to Babilon to bring Daniel his â—inner recarried him again to Palistine A man also cannot fight in spirit onely with his enemies but with his handes and weapons but an Angel by power of spirit without hands or weapons can encounteâ— and ouercome a whole army of men So one Angel â—â—ew at once a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Assyrians 4 Reg. 19 And if Angels can do these thinges what can the Lord and maker of Angels doe He truely made all thinges of nothing and can reduce all thinges to nothing Mans soule moreouer can by the art of paynting with industry and labour make the image of a man so lively that it may seeme to liue and breath But an Angell can without labour of handes or instruments almost in a moment of time assume in such sort a body Elementarie that wise men will iudge it to be the true body of a man because it can walk speake eate drinke be touched handled and washed So Abraham prepared meate for the Angells Gen. 18 and washt their feete For as the Apostle declareth Ieb 13 He receaued Angels to harbour thinking they had bene men Which also happened to his nephew Loth when he receaued two Angels as strangers into his house Gen. 19 The Angell Raphael in like manner remayned with young Tobias many-dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had bene a man indeede yet notwithstanding being after to depart he said I seemed indeede to eate with you and to drinke Tob. 12 but I vse an inu sible meate and drinke and sodainly he vanished from their sight Surely it is admirable and proceedeth from great power so to frame a body on the sodaine as that it may seeme to differ in nothing from the liuing body of a Man and againe at pleasure on the fodaine so to dissolue the same body that nothing therof remayne If then the power of Angels be so great how great is the power of the maker of Angels who gaue them that power Truely as the knowledge of Angells and men being comâ—ared with the knowledge of God is ignorance and as the iustice of Angells and men being compared with the iustice of God is iniustice so the power of Angells and men being compared with the power of God is infirmitie Therefore it is truely said Rom. 16 â—uke 18 1 â—â—m 6 Cap 4. Our God onely wise onely good and onely mighâ—ie Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and of men we shall finde mans soule in that respect also Not a little lesse Heb. 2 but much lessened vnder Aâ—gells I willingly vse that word which the Apostle vâ— sâ—th For God hath appâ—inted a place on earth for the soule of man and in heauen to wit in his Pallace a place for Angels Psal 113 For the heauen of heauen is to our Lord but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men Whereupon our Lord in St. Math 24 Mathew calleth them The Angels of heauen And in St. Luke he saith There shall be ioy in heauen vpon one sinner that deth penance Luke 15 And a little after There shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth penance God also hath so tyed the soule to the body that it cannot without it remoue from place to place but Angels are not tyed to any body but haâ—e power giuen them to pâ—sse from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen or whether soeuer they will with very great speede so that Angels being next vnto God in dignitie of Nature doe also in some sort by their celerity immitate his vbiquitie For God is euery where by immensitie of Nature and therefore needeth no change of place Angels by swiftnesse of motion passe so speedily from place to place and so exhibit their presence in cuery place that they seeme after a sort to be euery where But my soule if thou wilt heare the Lord of Angels there is no cause why thou shouldest enuy that Angels haue so high a place and so vnsatigable a motion For not onely thou my soule when thou art loosed from the body shalt be equall vnto Angels but when thou shalt returne vnto thy body which Christ Will corfigure to the body of his glory Phil. 3 with that body shalt thou possesse heauen as thy owne-house it being made spirituall shall without labour or wearinesse be presently there wheresoeuer thou the soule shalt will and command it 1 Cor. 5 Thy Lord doth not deceaue thee who saith in his Gospel Ioh. 14 In my Fathers house there be many Mansions And I goe and prepare you a place And If I go and prepare you a place I come againe and will take you to my selfe that where I am you also may be Father I will that where I am Ioh. 17 they also maâ— be with me and that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen me But thou art not ignorant where Christ is and what body he hath For thou dost confesse euery day and say On the third day he rose againe from the dead he ascended into heauen thou knowest also that his body after the resurrection did sometimes enter in among his Disciples the dores deing shut â—châ—â—o Lâ—k 24 and departed from them not walking but vanishing that is he transferred his body from them so speedily as if it had beene a Spirit and not a body But if thou secke after this glory thou must first Consigure thy body Phil. 3 to the body of the humilitie of Christ And then Christ will configure thy body to the body of his glory For
true breadth his Eternity is true length his Omnipotency is true height and his Incomprehensibility is true depth But for him that desireth to Ascend and to finde what he seeketh It is not enough to consider these thinges lightly but he must Comprehend That you may be able saith the Apostle to Comprehend with all the Saintes what is the Breadth and Length and Height and Depth Hee surely â—oâ—h comprehend who considereth attentiuely and is so fully perswaded by the Truth that selling all hee hath hee maketh hast to buy the Treasure he hath found And the Apostle added With all the Saintes because the Saintes onely comprehend these thinges or for that none comprehendeth them as he ought vnlesse hee become a Saint Neither doth St. Augustine contradict what wee haue said who in his Epistle to Honoratus writeth Epist 120 cap 26 That the Apostle describeth the Crosse of Christ by the breadth length height and depth thereof The breadth of the Crosse was where his handes were nayled the length to which his body cleaued the height where his tytle was written and the depth was fastned and hid in the earth I say St. Augustine doth not contradict our meaning but rather much confirme it For the Crosse of Christ is the way to obtaine true breadth length height and depth For although to the eyes of men the Crosse seeme small short base and of no depth Yet the armes thereof haue bin extended from East to West and from North to South that is the glory therof hath reached to the Highest Heauen which like a key it hath opened for the Elect and hath pierced to the lowest Hell which from the same Elect it hath shutt for euer Let vs begin from the essence Cap. 2 and then passe on to the Attributes The Essence of God may many wayes be said most Broad First in it selfe because it is truely Insinite and comprehendeth all the perfections of Creatures which are or may be without end For whatsoeuer is shall be Or may be is without doubt contained in God In a most eminent manner Creatures therefore are Good with an addition As a good Man a good Horse a good House a good Garment and the like but God is All good For when Moses said Shew me thy Glory God answered Exod. 3 I will shâ—w the all Good If one had a thing at home that contained all the Sences obiects in the highest perfection so that hee should neuer need to goe abroad because he had at home as many delightes in that one thing as any sensuall man could desire should not that thing be very precious And if moreouer that thing contained in it selfe such abundent wealth of all sortes as any couetous man could wish weare it not the more precious And againe if that thing should bring as much honour and dignity to the possessor thereof as any ambitious man could imagine would it not now seeme vnualewable And further if that thing sufficed to satisfie not onely the desires of men but also of Angells who exceed men in desires as they excell them in knowledge what wouldest thou say Yet notwithstanding should the goodnesse of that thing be farre inferiour to the goodnesse of God which is so great that it sufficeth to satisfie the Infinite desire or rather Infinite capacity of God For God neuer goeth out of himselfe because he hath All good thinges within himselfe and before the world was made he was as rich as happy as he was afterward for nothing was made by him but was from euerlasting after a most eminent manner in him Dost thou vnderstand my soule what happinesse thou shalt enioy in heauen if thou loue God on earth And what happinesse thou shalt loose if thou loue him not For then God will giue himselfe to wit All good to those that loue him Math. 25 when he shall say Good and faithfull seruants enter into the ioy of your Lord. Cap. 3 God also is immense because he filleth all creatures Hier 23 I fill heauen and earth saith our Lord And Psal 12. If I shall ascend into heauen saith Dauid thou art there Psal 128 if I descend into hell thou art present I add also if I shall goe aboue heauen or vnder heauen or out of heauen I shall not be aloue because thou art there neither can I be any where but in thee and by thee Which carriest all thinges by the word of thy power Heb 1 Moreouer God by his immensitie not onely filleth all bodies but also all spirits For how else could he search the hart vnlesse he were in it and how could he heare the Prayers of the hart vnlesse he gaue eare to them And how could the Prophet say Psal 84 I will heare what our Lord God will speake in me vnlesse God did put his mouth to the eares of the hart Happy therefore is that soule which loueth God there God dwelleth For he that abydeth in Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 abydeth in God and God in him Neither doth God fill all things with his presence onely but also with his glory For the Seraphins cry Isay 6 That the earth is ful of his glory And Dauid addeth O Lord Psal 8 our Lord how merueylous is thy name in the whole earth Because thy magnificence is eleuated aboue the heauens as if he should say Thy name fame and glory hath not onely filled all the earth with admiration but also hath ascended and is eleuated aboue the heauens Ecclesiasticus saith likewise Eccle 42 Full of the glory of our Lord is his worke For there is no creature in heauen or on earth but continually prayseth God Psal 148 For which cause Dauid in the Psalmes and the three Children in Daniel doe inuite all creatures to prayse and magnifie their maker Dan 3â— albeit they were not ignorant many creatures to be of such a nature that they could not heare what they sayd but because they knew that all Gods workes were good and with their beautie therefore praysed their maker they reioyced in them and exhorted them to doe as they did And truely whosoeuer hath inward eyes may see that all Gods workes are as Censcers sending vp an odour of the sweetnesse of his glory And who so hath inward eares may heare them as it were a consort of all kinde of Musicall instruments praysing God and saying He made vs psal 99 and not we our selues For although there are of the wicked which cursse and blaspheme the name of God yet they also are enforced euen against their wills to prayse God as the worke doth the Worke-man because in them likewise Gods power doth merueylously appeare whereby he made them his goodnesse whereby he preserueth them his mercy whereby he expecteth and inuiteth them to repentance And his iustice whereby he condemneth them to punishment There are many truely in the world which heare not these voyces of Creatures albeit they cry
and receiueth them of none Iudgeth all and is iudged of none Moreouer God is not onely a Iudge but also a King And therefore hee iudgeth not like a Iudge appointed by a King but as the highest coÌ„manding King For which cause hee is called the King of Kinges Apoc 19 And A great King aboue all Godds â—sal 94 psal 75 And terrible to the Kinges of the earth Because hee transferreth Kingdomes and Empyres from one Nation vnto another and Taketh away the spirit of Princes when hee pleaseth Neither is God the Highest King and Iudge onely but also an Abâ—olute Lord which is the highest tytle of all For Kinges are not such absolute Lordes ouer their Subiectes as that they may when they please depriue them of their goods and liues Whereof King Achab can be a witnesse 3 Reg 21 who would haue had Naboths vineyard yet could not but by the treachery and calumnie of his wife For which cause they both miserably perished But God is an Absolute Lord whom all thinges doe serue and yet he serueth none and as can if he so please reduce all thinges to Nothing because hee made them all of Nothing Thinke therfore my soule what great feare and reuerence wee wormes of the Earth owe vnto him that sitteth vpon the Highest Throne If I be the Lord saith he by the Prophet Malachie where is my Feare Mal 1 And if the Highest Angells of Heauen serue him with feare and trembling what ought we fraile mortall men to doe who dwell on the earth with beastes But to some it may seeme strange why God who is most high loueth not creatures that therin resemble him to witt the high and loftie but the humble and poore For so speaketh God by Isay To whome shall I haue respect Isay 66 but to the peore little one and the contrite of Spirit and him that trembleth at my wordes Psal 12 And Dauidâ— Our Lord is high and beholdeth the lowe thinges Yes surely God loueth high and lofty Creatures if therein they resemble him But then they must be high in Deede and not in appearance God therfore loueth not the Proude which are elate and puffed vp not truely high But hee loueth the humble and such as tremble at his wordes and exalteth them And they are high indeed whome be exalteth Those therefore that are humble are High To witt humble in their owne eyes and high in the eyes of God If one had seene not onely with his bodily but also with his mentall eyes illumiminated by God the rich Glutton cloathed in purple sitting at his table furnished with all kindes of costly meates attended with many seruantes diligently doing their offices And at the same time had likewise beheld poore Lazarus halfe naked and full of sores sitting at the rich mans gate and begging to be filled with the crummes that fell from his table He truly should haue seene the rich man whom the world accompted most happy to be in the eyes of God and his Angells as vile and abhominable as the dung and dirt of the earth Luk. 16 For that which is high to men is abhomination before God saith our Lord in the same place where he describeth the rich GluttoÌ„ But on the other side he should haue seene the poore deiected Lazarus to be esteemed and enobled in the eyes of God and his Angells as a precious Margarite which in the end proued true For Lazarus as the beloued of God was carryed by the handes of Angells into Ahrahams bosome And the rich man as hatefull to God was dragged by the Deuills into the Hell of Fire But why speake I of Lazarus There is none higher with God then our Lord Iesus Christ euen according to his humanity And yet neither in Heauen or Earth is there any to be found more humble then hee So that he said most truely Learne of me because I am meeke and humble Math 11 For as that most holy soule doth knowe more perfectly then all other the Infinite height of the Diuinitie So it doth more perfectly know the basenesse of a Creature which is made of nothing And therefore being also it selfe a Creature it is most humbled and subiected to God and by him exalted aboue all Creatures The like we may also say of blessed Angells and soules of holy men For there are none more humble then those which possesse the highest places in Heauen Because they being more neere to God doe more clearely see how great the difference is betweene the greatnesse of the Creator and smalnesse of the Creature Therfore my soule loue humility if thou desire true glory Immitate the Lambe without spott Immitate his virgin mother immitate the Cherubins and Seraphins all which the higher they are the more humble also they are Neither hath God onely a most high Throne Cap. 7. because he iudgeth all but also because he resteth more then all and maketh them to rest vpon whom he sitteth Gods most high Throne is his most high rest For although he gouerneth the whole world in which are continuall conflicts and warrs of elements beasts and men Wisd 1â— yet he iudgeth with tranquilitie as it is said in the booke of Wsdome and alwayes enioyeth most high rest Neither can any thing trouble his quietnesse and the contemplation of himselfe wherein he taketh eternall delight Therefore he is called the king of Ierusalem which is to say the vision of peace But his peculiar Throne is vpon the blessed Angells therefore it is said He that sitteth vpon the Cherubins Psal 79 98 For God is said to sit rather vpon the Cherubins then vpon the Seraphins For the Cherubins signifie multiplicitie of knowledge and the Seraphins heate of loue And rest followeth Wisdome but care and anxietie followeth loue vnlesse it be accompanied with Wisdome Therfore the soule of a righteous man is also called The seate of Wisdome Isay 66 Moreouer when Isay saith Heauen is my seate And when Dauid saith Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord by the heauen of heauen is vnderstood the spirituall heauens which dwell vpon the corporall beauens to wit the blessed Angells as St. Augustine saith in his exposition of the hundred and thirtieth Psalme And these heauens God maketh to rest so admirably that it is a peace which passeth all vnderstanding St. Bernard in one of his Sermons vpon the Canticles Ser. 23 setteth downe a very fit similitude to declare this rest in these wordes Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia c. God being quiet quieteth all thinges and to behold his quietnesse is to rest We see a king after dayly suites of causes heard before him to dismisse the company to auoyde the troubles of the Court and to goe at night into his priny Chamber with a sewe whom he familiarly loueth thinking himselfe the more sure the more secret he is and being the more pleasant the more quietly he beholdeth those fewe
whome he loueth Thus he Whereby he plainely declareth that God sheweth himselfe vnto blessed soules not as a iudging Lord but as a familiar friend And truely the familiaritie which God also sheweth in this life to pure and chaste mindes is vncredible For of him it is sayd My delights to be with the children of men Prou. 8 Prou. 3 And his talke is with the simple Hence was it that all the Saintes albeit they suffered pressures in the world had notwithstanding peace in their harts where God dwelt therefore they seemed and were indeed alwayes ioyfull and quiet For to them the Truth said Ioh 16 Your hart shall retoyce and your ioy no man shall take from you There remaineth the fourth part of dimension which is called depth Cap. 8 The depth of Gods essence is manifold First the Diuinitie is in it selfe most deepe solide and substantiall Not like a guilded wedge which hath gold onely in the outside and within is brasse or wood but like an endlesse wedge of gold or rather like a mine of golde so deepe that by digging it can neuer be emptied So is God vncomprehensible For as a Myne of gold without bottome can neuer be emptied with digging so God whose greatnesse is without end can neuer be so perfectly knowne by any Creature but that there still remayneth more to be known and God onely comprehendeth that depth who onely hath an infinite vnderstanding Depth also belongeth to God in respect of place For as he is most high and aboue all So he is most deep and vnder all Who as the Apostle saith Carrieth all thinges by the word of his power Heb. 1 God therefore is as the foundation and rooâ—e of a house Act. 17 In whom we live and mooue and be So that Salomon sayd most truely Heauen and the heauens of heauens cannot containe thee â— Reg. 8. For God rather containeth the heauens and all thinges vnder them because he is both aboue the heauens and vnder the earth Furthermore Gods depth is his inuisibilite For God is Light but vnaccessible he is truth but most secret Psal 17 Thou hast put darkenesse thy Couert saith Dauid And Isay 45 verily he is God hidden as I say speaketh St. Augustine seeking God on a time sent his eyes as messengers from earth to heauen And all thinges answered Lib. 9 coÌ„â— c. 〈…〉 lib. 10 c. 6. in psal 26. 28 We are not him whom thou seekest but he made vs. Wherefore not finding God by Ascention through outward thinges he began to Ascend through inwrard thinges and from them he learned that God was more easily to be found for he knewe that the soule was better then the body and the inward sence then the outward sence and the vnderstanding then it Whence he gathered that God who is more inward then the vnderstanding was better then the vnderstanding Therefore whatsoeuer we vnderstand or conceaue is not God but some other thing lesse then God for he is better then we can conceaue Goe too then my soule if thou art better then thy body to whome thou giuest life because it is a body and thou a spirit and if the eye of thy body cannot see thee because it is without and thou within So thinke likewise that thy God is better then thou art because he is a spirit more high and inward then thou For thou dwellest as it were without but he resideth in his most profound and secret Tabernacle But shalt thou neuer be admitted thether God forbid Thy Lord doth not lye who saith Math 5 Blessed are the cleane of hart for they shall see God Nor his Apostle who sayd We see now by a glasse in a darke sort 1 Cor. 13 but then face to face Nor St. Iohn the Euangelist who writ We knowe that when he shall appeare 1 Ioh 3 we shall be like to him because we shall see him as he is How great then will thy ioy be when in that secret and sacred Sanctuary thou shalt see and enioy that light beauty and goodnesse it selfe Then shall it plainely appeare how vaine transitorie and of small moment the goods of this earth are wherewith men being inebriated forget the true and euerlasting But if thou thirst indeed after the liuing God And if thy teares be breades vnto thee day and night whiles psal 41 it is sayd where is thy God Be not slowe to cleanse thy hart whereby thou mayst see God Be not weary to dispose ascentions in thy hart vntill the God of Goddes shall be seene in Syon Psal 83 Neither waxe thou colde in the loue of God and thy neighbour 1 Ioh. 3 nor loue in word and in tongue but in deed and truth For that is the way that leadeth to life euerlasting THE ELEVENTH STEPP From the Consideration of the greatnesse of Gods power by the similitude of a corporall quantitie GReat is our Lord Cap. 1 and there is no end of his Greatnesse For he is not great onely because Omnipotencie is his higth infinite wisdome his depth incomprehensible mercie his breadth iustice like a rod of yron his length but also for that these Attributes are infinite in breadth length higth and depth And to begin from his Power or rather his Omnipotency The breath of Gods power consisteth in extention to infinite thinges First it is extended to all thinges made for there is nothing from the greatest Angel to the least Worme or from the highest Heauen to the lowest Hell which was not made by the power of God Ioh. 1 All things saith St. Iohn were made by him and without him was made nothing And after The world was made by him Secondly it is extended to all thinges that shal be made For as nothing hath bin made but by him so likewise nothing shall be made but by him So speaketh the Apostle Rom. 1. Of him and by him and in him are all thinges Thirdly it is extended to all thinges that may be made So speaketh the Angel There shall not be impossible with God any worde Luk. 1 And our Lord himselfe saith Math 19 With God all thinges are possible Fourthly it is extended to the destruction of all thinges made For as God could by a floude of Water destroy at once all men and other liuing creatures vpon earth except a few which it pleased him to preserue within Noahs Arke So be can by a floude of Fire at one time destroy not onely all Men and other Creatures found liuing at the lâ—st day but also all Trees Cittyes and other thinges vpon Earth The day of our Lord saith Saint Peter the Apostle in his last Epistle shall come as a Theefe 2 Pet. 3 in the which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the Elements shall be resolued with heate and the Earth and the workes which are in it shall be burnt Great surely is the breadth of Gods Power and
not made of any matter but created of nothing And none but God almightie can make something of nothing He therefore alone without compagnion without helpe with his owne handes which are his vnderstanding and will created thee when hee pleased But perhappes not God but creatures produced thy body that as thy soule must acknowledge God so thy body must acknowledge thy parents for authors It is not so For although God vse the means of parents to begette the flesh as inferiour workemen in the buylding of a house yet is he the cheife buylder Author and true father both of the soule and body and so would be said to be the beginning of mans whole essence For if the parēts of thy flesh were the true Authors and as it were the Cheife framers of thy body they would know how many muscelles vaines synnowes bones how many humors how many turnings and how many other things of like kinde there are in mans body all which they are ignorant of vnlesse perhaps they haue learned them by the art of Anatomie Moreouer when the body is sicke or a member withered or cut off they could certainely by the same art by which they made it againe repaire it if they were the true Authors euen as those which make clockes or build houses know how to order and repayre them But parents know not how to doe any of these thinges The coniunction also of the soule with the body which is a speciall part of the affection of mans nature can be done by none but by a workeman of infinite power For by what art but by diuine can a spirit be ioyned with flesh in so neere a bond as to be made one substance For the body hath no proportion or likenesse with the spirit Psal 135 He therefore did it who alone doth great wonders Truly therefore doth the holy ghost speake by Moyses in Deuteronomie Deut. 23 Nonne ipse est c. Is not hee thy father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee And by Iob Iob. 10 With Skinne and Flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and Sinnowes thou hast compacted me And by the kingly Prophet Psal 118 Thy handes haue made me and formed me and againe Psal 138 Thou hast formed me and hast put thy hand vppon me And the most wise mother of the Machabaean children 2 Mac. 7 I knowe not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I giue you Spirit and Soule and life and the members of euery one I my selfe framed not but indeede the Creator of the world that hath formed the Natiuitie of man and that inuented the origine of all Hereupon surely the wisdome of God Christ our Lord said Math. 22 Call none father to your selues vppon earth For one is your father he that is in heauen By which admonition St. Augustine said to God of his sonne Adeodatus whome he had begot in fornication 9. Confes c. 6 Tu bene seceras c. Thou didst make him well but I beside sin had nothing in that childe Goe to now my soule if God be thy Author and thy bodyes also if he bee thy Father Supporter and Nursse if what thou art is of him if what thou hast thou receiuest from him and what thou bopest thou expectest from him why dost thou not glory in such a parent why dost thou not loue him with all thy hart why dost thou not for his sake contemne all earthly things why dost thou suffer vaine desires to ouerrule thee Lift vp thine eyes to him feare not thine enemies on earth since thou hast a father Almighty in heauen With what confidence and affection thinkest thou did Dauid say Psal 59. I am thine saue me O my soule if thou wouldest consider that the almightie and euerlasting God who wanteth none of thy goods and if thou perish hee loseth nothing turneth not his eies from thee but so loueth protecteth directeth and cherisheth thee as if thou were his greatest treasure surely thou wouldest onely hope in him thou wouldest feare him as thy Lord and loue him as thy Father neither should any temporall good or euill seperate thee from his loue Let vs come to the matter whereof man is made Cap. 3. Truely it is most base but it giueth vs thereby the greater occasion to humble our selues which is a vertue in this life very profitable and rare and therefore the more precious to be desired And surely of the matter of our soules there can be no doubt but that it is That Nothing then the which what can be imagined more vacant and vile The immediate matter of the body what is it but menstruous blood a thing so impure as our eyes refuse to see our hands to touch our mindes to thinke of The matter whereof the first man was made what was it but red and barren earth or dust slime Formauit Deus Gen. 2 c. God formed man saith the Scripture of the slime of the earth and againe God said to man Dust thou art Gen. 3 and into dust thou shalt returne Wherefore the Patriarch Abraham remembring his vnworthynesse 〈◊〉 vnto God Because I haue once begunne Gen. 18 I wil speak to my Lord whereas I am dust and ashes But yet here is not an end of the basenesse of this matter for that dust or slime proceeded not from an other matter but from nothing In the beginning God created heauen and earth and surely not of another heauen and earth but of Nothing so that whether we consider the soule or body it is reduced to Nothing from whence this proud creature Man proceeded Hee hath nothing therefore to boast of but what he receiued from God Truely the workes of Men which proceede either from witte or labour haue euer somewhat of themselues whereof if they had vnderstanding they might glory against their maker For a vessell of gold a chest of wood a house of Iuory or Marble if they could speake might say to him that made them to thee I owe my forme but not my matter and more pretious that is which from my selfe I haue then what I receiued from thee But man who hath nothing from himselfe nor is any thing of himselfe can not glory in any thing And most truely saith the Apostle Gal. 6 If any man esteeme himselfe something wheras he is nothing he seduceth himselfe And What hast thou that thou hast not receiued Cor. 4 and if thou hast receiued what dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued Whereunto St. Cyprian agreeth when he saith In nullo gloriandum quando nostrum nihil est Lib. 3 ad Quirinū 4. We must glory in nothing since nothing is ours But thou wilt say men do many worthy works for which they are deseruedly praised that vertue praised may increase It is so but let the glory be to God not to themselues as it is written 2 Cor. 10 He that
Apostle taught And againe He that keepeth his word 1 Iohn 25 to wit his commandements in him in very deed the charitie of God is perfited as St. Iohn speaketh Those therefore which will be like the diuine example ought to obey him that saith Be ye therefore followers of God Ephe. 5 as most deare Children and walke in Loue. For the sonne is the Image of the Father and the chiefe commendation of an Image as wee said before is to be like the example O my soule that thou wouldest truely vnderstand these things and be like thy example in beautye of true Wisdome and Iustice then shouldst thou please the eyes of the Highest King how great peace then shouldest thou enioy how wouldest thou reioyce how quickly wouldest thou contemne all worldly delights And on the other side if thou wouldest consider how greatly God is offended to see his Image destitute of the Light of Wisdome and Beauty of Iustice to be poluted defiled and darkened and Man that was placed in such honour as to be like vnto God Psal 48 Now to be compared to beastes without vnderstanding and to become like vnto them surely thou couldest not but quake tremble and be vnquiet vntil thou hadst washed away all thy spottes with floudes of teares flowing from deepe contrition and spedily returne to the likenes of thy most beautifull example And because while thou art a Pilgrim on earth and dost walke by Faith 2 Cor. 5 and not by Sight thou doest continually want the helpe of thy Lord God aswell to remaine in the likenes thou hast already as also dayly to become more like that is more bright and beautifull Sigh therefore from the bothome of thy hart to God and say vnto him O holy and most mercifull Lord whom it hath pleased to make this my soule thy Image make Perfect I beseech thee thy saide Image increase in it Wisdome and Iustice byde it in thy secret Tabernacle that it be not defiled with the slime of carnall concupiscence smoake of worldly honour or dust of earthly thoughts Hetherto of the forme There remaineth then the last cause which is the end Cap. 5 The end wherefore man was created is no other but God himselfe But because the end is twofold the one intrinsecall the other externall let vs briefly consider each of them apart The intrinsecal end of euery thing is the perfect estate to which it can come As the intrinse call end of a pallace is the perfect sinishing thereof for then it is said to be ended when as nothing belonging to the building is wanting The intrinsecall end of a tree is the most perfect estate which the nature therof doth require For then a tree may be said to haue attained its end when it spreadeth the boughes bringeth forth leaues is beautified with blossomes and soone after loaded with ripe fruite Man therefore who is created to a most high end may then also be said to haue attained his end when as his minde shall see God as he is and in him knowne all things his will shall enioy the chiefe happinesse most ardently loued and his body being qualified with the glorious guiftes of immortalitie impassibilitie and the like shall obtaine perpetuall rest and ioy And because the sight of God is the essence of this finall happinesse by which we which are the images of God must obtaine a most perfect estate by the resemblance of our diuine example therefore St. Iohn writeth 1 Iohn 3 Now we are the sonnes of God and it hath not yet appeared what we shall bee We knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like to him because wee shall see him as he is O my soule if thou couldest conceaue what this meaneth We shall be like to him because we shall see him as he is how soone would all the cloudes of earthly thoughtes be dispersed God is most happy and therefore most happy because he doth alwaies behold himselfe as he is and doth enioy himselfe most cleerely seene and most ardently loued from all eternitie Of this inestimable good he would haue thee also partaker with the Angels To this most high and happy end he created thee which is signified by that saying Enter into the ioy of thy Lord Math 25 That is Be partaker of the ioy which God himselfe doth enioy And againe Luc. 22 I dispose to you as my father disposed to me a kingdome that you may eate and drinke vpon my table in my kingdome That is I make you partakers of my kingdome and kingly table that you may enioy that honour powre and pleasure which I and God my Father enioy And who is able to conceaue what is the honour powre pleasure and happinesse of God truely if any would but in thought and hope ascend vnto the Highnes of our end he would be ashamed to contend for the possession of this earth to grieue for any temporall losse or to ioy for any temporall gaine He would I say be ashamed to be a fellow in the pleasures of beastes who is made a companion of Angels and a partaker of Gods friendship and of his inestimable delights For all thinges among friends are common But now the externall end of euery thing is that for which it is made The end of a pallace is the dweller therein the end of a tree is the possessor thereof the end of man is onely his Lord God For of his owne and for himselfe he made Man and he keepeth feedeth and payeth him his wages Therefore iustly doth he command and say Deut. 6 The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and him onely shalt thou serue But mark diligently O my soule The things which are made for man are profitable to man and not to themselues beastes labour for man and not for themselues the fieldes vineyards and Orchards fill the granaries sellars and purses of men neither doe seruants labour sweate and toyle for themselues but for the profit ease and pleasure of their masters But thy Lord God who wanteth nothing would haue man truely serue him and yet the profit and reward of his seruice he will not haue Psal 85 O Lord sweet and milde and of much mercy who would not serue thee with all his hart if once he begin to tast a little the sweetnesse of thy gouernment What O Lord dost thou command thy seruants Take thou sayst my yoake vpon you Math. 11 And what is thy yoake My yoake saith he is sweete and my burthen light Who would not willingly carry a yoake that doth not punish but comfort and a burthen that doth not weary but refresh Not without cause therefore doth he adde And ye shall finde rest to your soules And what is this yoake which wearieth not but bringeth rest Truely that first and greatest commandement Loue the Lord thy God from thy whole hâ—rt Math. 22 And what is more easie pleasant and delightfull then to loue goodnesse beautie
shall not be mooned Psal 103 And Thou hast founded the earth vpon the stabilitie thereof it shall not be inclined for euer and euer Secondly the earth like a good Nursse to men and other liuing creatures doth daily bring forth herbs fruits grasse innumerable things of like kinde For so God speaketh Gen. 1 Behold I haue giuen you all maÌ„ner of hearb that seedeth vpon the earth all trees that hane in themselues seede of their own kinde to be your meat and to all beastes of the earth Thirdly the earth bringeth forth stones wood to build houses and mettalls of brasse and yron for diuers vses and gold and siluer wherof money is made which is the instrument whereby all thinges necessary for the life of man are easily procured And truely that first propertie of the earth to wit to be the place in which our bodies rest and not in the water ayre or fire is an embleme of our Creator in whom onely mans soule findeth a place of rest Thou hast made vs O Lord saith St. Augustine for thy selfe Cib. 1 Confes c. 1 and our hart is vnquiet vntill it rest in thee Salomon as much as euer any king sought after rest in honour wealth and pleasure He possessed a most ample peaceable kingdome so that the Scripture witnesseth He had in his dominion all the kingdomes with him 3 Reg. 4 from the riuer of the land of the Philistimes vnto the border of Aegypt of them that offered him presentes and serued him all the dayes of his life His wealth also was incomparable so that he kept forty thousand horses for Chariots twelue thousand to ryde vpon And as we read in the same booke the Nauy of Salomon brought gold and precious stones from Ophir in such plenty that siluer was nothing worth and as great was 3 Reg. 9 10. the plenty thereof in Ierusalem as stones in the streetes So many also were the pleasures which he had prouided for himselfe that they may seeme vncredible For falling into the inordinate loue of women 3 Reg. 11 he tooke seauen hundred wiues as Queenes and Concubines three hundred as weread in the same book But let vs heare himselfe speak of himselfe Eccle 2 I haue magnified my workes saith he I haue built me houses and planted vineyardes I haue made gardens and Orchardes and set them with trees of all kindes and I haue made me ponds of waters to water the wood of springing â—rees I haue possessed men seruants women seruaÌ„ts haue had a great family heardes also and great flockes of sheep aboue all thâ—t were before me in Ierusalem I haue heaped together to my selfe siluer gold and the substance of kings Prouinces I haue made me singing men singing womeâ— and the delights of the children of men Cuppes and Gobletts to serue to poure out Wines and I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Ierusalem Wisdome also hath perseuered with me and all things that mine eyes desired I haue not denied to them neither haue I stayed my hart but that it enioyed all pleasure and delighted it selfe in these thinges which I had prepared And this I esteemed my portion if I did vse my labour Thus he who doubtlesse had as great contentment as could be had in Creatures For he neither wanted kingdomes nor wealth nor pleasures nor humaine wisdome so much esteemed And lastly he enioyed peace a long time to possesse so great happinesse Let vs see now if all these things could content satisfie the desires of his minde When I had saith he turned my selfe to all the workes which my hands had don Eccle. 2 to the labours wherin I had swet in vaine I sawe all thinges vanitie and affliction of minde and nothing to be permanent vnder the Sun Salomon therefore found not contentment in all his riches delights wisdome and honours neither could he although he had enioyed much more For the soule of man is immortall and these things are mortall and cannot long remaine vnder the Sunne neither can it be that a soule which is capable of infinite good should be satisfied with finite goods Therefore as the body of man cannot rest in the ayre although it be most spatious nor in the water although it be very deepe because the earth is the place thereof and not the ayre or water so the minde of man is neuer satisfied with ayrie dignities nor watry wealth to wit with soft and deceauing pleasures nor with the false glory of humane knowledge but with God onely who is the center of soules and their onely true resting place O how truely and wisely did the father of Salomon say What is to me in heauen Psal 72 and besides thee what would I vpon earth God of my hart and God my portion for euer As if he should haue said I finde nothing in heauen or earth or in any creature therein that can giue me true contentment thou onely art the God of my hart that is thou onely art a firme rocke to my hart for the word God in the Hebrew text signifieth a rocke in that place Thou therefore art onely a most firme rocke to my hart in thee onely will I rest thou onely art my portion my inheritance and all my good other things are nothing nor of any force to suffice me one day but thou alone wilt suffice me for euer Dost thou not knowe as yet my soule that God onely is the rocke whereupon thou must rest and that in al things els is vanitie and affliction of spirit For they are not but appeare to be they comfort not but afflict because they are gotten with labour kept with care lost with sorrow Despise therefore if thou be wise all transitory thinges least they carry thee away with them and abide in that vnitie and bond of Charitie which continueth for euer Lift vp thy hart to God in heauen least it putrifie on earth and learne true wisdome from the folly of many in whose names the wise man speaketh saying Wis 5 We therefore haue erred from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not shined to vs and the Sunne of vnderstanding rose not to vs. We are wearied in the way of iniquitie and perdition and haue walked hard waies but the way of our Lord we haue not known What hath pride profited vs Or what coÌ„modity hath the vaunting of riches brought vs All those things are passed away as a shaddow but in our naughtines we are consumed Moreouer Cap. 2 a Rocke is also in an other respect an embleme of our Lord God as the wisdome of God did expound vnto vs in his Gospell when he said Math. 7 That a house built vpon a Rocke should remaine vnmoueable although the rayne fell and the flouds came and the windes blew But a house built vpon the sand cannot stand against any of these things but at the
will set downe three differences betweene the washing of the one and the other The created water doth wash away corporall spotts yet not all for many it cannot wash away vnlesse it be holpen with soape or some other meanes The increated water doth wash away alâ— spotts for so we reade in the place aboue â—ited And you shall be cleansed from all your Contaminations The created water doth seldome so wash away spots but that some little signe of them remayneth The increated water doth wash in such sort that the thing washed becommeth more white and cleane then before it was contaminated Thou shalt wash me saith Dauid and I shall be made whiter then Snowe Psal 50 And our Lord saith by Isay If your sinnes shall be as Scarlet they shall be made white as Snowe Isay 1. and if they be red as vermition they shall be white as Wooll Also the created water doth wash naturall spottes which resist not the washing the increated water doth wash voluntary spotts which cannot be cleansed vnlesse the soule consent thereunto And so admirable is the vertue of this water that it sweetly entreth into hardened hartes and is not refused because as St. Augustine doth truely teach It selfe is the cause that it is not refused Lib. de praed ss c. 8. Who can conceaue O Lord how thou giuest faith vnto the vnfaithfull humilitie vnto the proude and charitie vnto thine enemies that he who once breathed forth threates and slaughter and persecuted thee in thy Deciples being changed on the sodaine most willingly suffered for thee and thy Church threates and persecutions Farr be it from me to diue into thy secrets for I had rather seele then search after the force of thy grace And because I knowe that water of thine to be A voluntary raine Psal 57 separated to thine inheritance as the Prophet sayd Therefore I humbly beseech thee let me be found in thy inheritance and let the dwe of thy grace descend into the earth of my hart that it remaine not like earth without water to thee for so barren it is that of it selfe it can thinke no good But to proceede Water quencheth fire Cap. 2 and the heauenly Water that is the grace of the holy ghost doth strangely quenche the fire of carnall lust Fasting and bodily afflictions auayle much also if they be vsed as instruments of grace otherwise of themselues they are of small force For loue is the cheife among the affections and perturbations of the minde which ruleth all and is obeyed by all Loue will not be forced and if it be stopped one way it breaketh out an other way Loue feareth nothing dareth any thing and vanquisheth all thing Lastly Loue yeeldeth onely vnto greater lone So flâ—shly loue which followeth the wealth and pleasures of the world yeildeth onely to the louâ— of God and the water of the holy ghost distilling into the hart of man quickly cooleth the heate of concuâ—â—scence Witnesse St. Augustine who being long accustomed to lust thought it vnpossible to want the company of a woman yet beginning to taste the grace of the holy ghost he cryed out in the ninth booke of his confessions 9 Cons c. 1. Quam suaue c. O how sweet was it to me on the sodaine to want the pleasures of trâ—flles and what before I feared to loose I now reioyced to firsake For thou the true aâ—d chiefest Happinesse didst cast them from me Thou didst cast them from me and didst enter for them more sweet then any pleasure but not to flâ—sh and blood more brigh then any light more inward then any secret more high then any honour but not to those that are high iâ— themseâ—ues Water also quencheth thirst Cap. 3 and onely the water of the holy ghost can quench the manifold and almost endlesse desires of mans hart So the truth speaking to the Samaritan woman plainely taught Euery one saith he that drinketh of this water Ioh 4 shall thirst againe but he that shall drinke of the water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer Indeede so it is The eye is not filled with seeing neither is the eare fulfilled with hearing For the minde of man is capable of infinite good and all creatures are finite But he that beginneth once to drinke of this diuine water wherein all things are seeketh after no more And of this we haue spoken before were we treated that the rest of our soules is in God onely as in their proper center Water ioyneth diuers things together Cap. 4 as many graynes of corne to make one loafe and many peeces of earth to make one bricke But more easily and more vnsepeperably doth the Water of the holy Ghost make Act. 4 many men to be of one hart and one foule as we read in the Acts of the Apostles of the first Christians Act. 4 vpon whom the holy ghost did next after the Apostles descend And our Lord being to Ascend to his father commendeth that vnitie which the water of the holy gost causeth saying Ioh. 17 And not for them onely do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleâ—ue in me that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one And a little after That they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me that they may bee consummate in one To which vnitie the Apostle also exhorteth vs in his Epistle to the Ephesians saying Be carefull to keep the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation O happy vnion which maketh many men one body of Christ 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 6 gouerned by one head participating of one bread drinking of one Cup and liuing by one spirit of God is made one spirit with him What can his seruants more desire then to participate not onely of all their masters goods but also by the vnseparable bond of loue to be made one with the Almighty All which is wrought by the grace of the holy Ghost when as liuing water it is deuoutly receiued and diligently kept in the hart Lastly the water ascendeth as high as it descendeth lowe Cap. 5 And as the holy ghost came from heauen to earth so that hart in whom he is receaued Ioh. 4 Is made a fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting as our Lord said to the Samaritan woman that is man borne againe of water and the holy Ghost who hath the same spirit dwelling within him causeth his merits to ascend from whence grace did descend Therefore my soule being taught and incited by these passages of Scripture say often to thy heauenly Father with deepe sighes Giue me this water which washeth cleane all spotts quencheth all fire of Lust colleth all heat of thirst and maketh me one spirit
why haue you done this And when the Angell of our Lord spake these wordes to all the Children of Israell they lifted vp their voyce and wept Aâ—d the name of that place was called the place of Weepers or of teares and there they immolated hoastes to our Lord. And that it was a great and generall lamentation and a signe of true repentance the 〈◊〉 name giuen to that place beareth perpetuall record For it was called the place of Weepers or of teares What shall I say of the Prophets They euery where teach and proclaime that God desireth not the death of sinners but that they would be conuerted and liue Ezech 18 Hier 3 It is commonly said saith God by Hieremy if a man put away his wife and she departing from him marry another man will he returne to her any more But thou hast committed fornication with many louers Neuerthelesse returne vnto me saith our Lord and I will receiue thee And by Ezechiell Ezech 33 Thus you haue spoken saying Our iniquities and our sinnes are vpon vs and in them wee fade away How then can wee liue Say to them liue I saith our Lord God I will not the death of the Impious but that the impious conuert from his way and liue Conuert conuert yee from your most euill wayes and why will you dye O house of Israell But to omit the wicked none can expresse the more then fatherly or motherly loue which our Lord sheweth to those that feare and hope in him Dauid in the Psalmes saith Psal 102 According to the height of Heauen from Earth hath he strengthned his mercy vpon them that feare him And after As a Father hath compassion of his Children so hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him And againe The mercy of our Lord from euerlasting and vnto euerlasting vpon then that feare him And in another place Tast yee and see that our Lord is sweet Psal 33 Blessed is the man that hopeth in him And againe Psal 72 How good is God to Israell to heÌ„ that are of a right heart That is who can expresse the great goodnesse mercy and sweetnesse of God vnto righteous soules Isay 49 God also faith by Esay Can a Woman for gether Infant that she will not haue pitty on the Sonne of her wombe And if she should forget yet will not I forget thee And â—teremy in his Lamentations Lamen 3 Our Lord is my pâ—rtion said my soule thâ—refore will I exâ—cct him Our Lord is good to them that hope in him to the Soule that secketh hâ—m It is good to waite wâ—h silence for the saluation of God If I should set downe moreouer what the Apostles say in their Epistles of the loue of God towardes the righteous I should neuer make an end Let that stand for all which St. Paul hath writ in the beginning of his last Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercyes and God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation That wee also may be able to comfort them that are in all distresse Hee saith not God is a comforter but most full of all comfort Nor that hee comforteth vs in some tribulation but in all tribulation Nor that wee may bee able to comfort them that are in some distresse but in all distresse So that hee could not more sett forth the mercy of God to those whome hee loueth and by whome he is beloued But to conclude it shall not bee amisse to set downe the wordes of St. Prosper in which he declareth the mercy of God not onely to the righteous but also to the wicked to make them righteous Lib 2 de voc gentium c. 26 Gratia omnibus iustificationibus principaliter praeeminet c. Grace saith he doth chiefly excell all iustifications by perswading with exhortations by admonishing with examples by terrifying with dangers by incyting with miraclet by giuing vnderstanding by inspiring counsaile by illuminating the heart and induing it â—ith the affections of faith But â—â—t mans will is toâ—red and adioyned thereunto Which therefore is inciteâ—s by the former helpâ—s that it shâ—uld coop rate wâ—th the diuine worke in it selfe and bâ—gin to vse for merite what from heauenly seede it conceiued fâ—r exercise proceeding from selfe inconstancy if it decay and from the assistance of grace if it increase which assistance is giuen vnto all by innumerable wayes either secret or manifest and that it is refused of many proceedeth from their wickednesse But that it is receiued of many is a worke of Gods grace and mans will Thus he Goe too now my soule Cap. 4 if thy maker bee so Sweete and mercifull suffering Sinners with incredible benignitie to conuert them and comforting the righteous that they may increase the more in vertue Oughtest not thou to beare meekely with thy neighbours and to become All thinges to all men 1 Cor. 9 that thou maist gaine all vnto thy Lord God Thanke with thy selfe to what high excellency the Apostle doth exhort theâ— when he saith â—phâ— 5 Be yee therefore followers of God as 〈…〉 deare Children And walke 〈◊〉 Loue as Christ also loued vs and deliuered himselfe fâ—r vs an oblation and hoast to God in an odour of sweetnesse Imitate God the Father who maketh his Sunne to rise vpon good and bad Mat 5 and raineth vpon iust and vniust Imitate God the Son who taking humane Nature spared not his owne life to deliuer vs from the power Of darknesse and eternall damnation Imitate God the holy Ghost who infuseth plentifully his most precious guiftes into vs to make vs being carnall to become spirituall THE SIXT STEPP From the Consideration of the Fire THe Element of Fire is so pure and noble Cap. 1 that God himselfe would be called fire as Moses and St. Paul witnes saying Our Lord is a consuming Fire Deut 4 Heb 12 And when God first appeared vnto Moses hee appeared in a flame of Fire burning a bush and not consuming it Exod 3 Our Lord appeared saith Moses in aflame of Fire out of the midst of a bush And he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt And when the same God came to giue the Law vnto the people hee came in the forme of fire For so speaketh Moses Exo. 19 All the Mount Sinai smoaked For because our Lord was descended vpon it in Fire According to the similitude of which mistery when as the new Law was to bee promulged the holy Ghost appeared vnto the Apostles in fiery tongues Act. 2 Those spirits also which are most neare to God in Heauen are called Seraphins that is to say Fiery because they are more inflamed with the Fire of Diuine Loue then other Angells Which being so it is not a thing difficult for vs from the element of Fire and the nature and properties thereof to frame
made And we also in this beleeue what we see not but we belecue God who cannot lye I say we beleeue that heauen and earth and all thinges that are therein were created by God without anyprecedent matter whereof they were made But how this could be done is a thing too deepe for vs to finde out Moreouer God did not onely make all thinges of nothing but also in nothing to wit without precedent space or place to containe them in which is hard to vnderstand especially in corporall things And therefore this depth also is not to be founded Take away saith St. Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus the distances of plaeces from bodies Epist 57 and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not be If therefore nothing was before God created heauen and earth where did he place heauen earth Truely not in Nothing And yet they are created placed in themselues because he so would and could who can do all thinges although we cannot conceaue how they are done This did God himselfe signifie when declaring his omnipotence to holy Iob he said Iob. 38 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth tell me if thou hast vnderstanding who set the measures thereof if thou knowe Or who stretched out the lyne vpon it Vpon what are the foundations thereof grounded Or who let downe the corner stone thereof And that we might vnderstand these workes of Gods omnipotence to be most worthy of all prayse our Lord himselfe presently addeth When the morning starrs praysed me together and all the sonnes of God mode inbilation To wit the Holy Angells which were created together with heauen and earth and are as it were spirituall starrs so bright that they may be called the sonnes of God when they sawe heauen and earth created of nothing and placed in nothing and yet to be most firmely founded vpon their owne stabilitie with wonderfull admiration and iubilation they praysed the omnipotency of their maker Neither is it lesse profound to vnderstand how God by the onely command of his will did erect such huge buildinges For we knowe that in edifices lesse without comparison how many instruments inginnes and workemen Architeckes want Who therfore can conceaue how by Will onely which neuer goeth out of the thing that willeth so great and manyfold workes could be made God sayd but to himselfe for the word of God is in God and is God He sayd I say commanding and expressing the commandement of his will Gen 1 Ioh. 1 Be Heauen made and heauen was made Be earth made and earth was made Be light made Be a Sunne made Be starrs made Be Trees made Be Beastes made Be Men made Be Angells made And all things were made Add also that the same God can if he will destroy all thinges with one becke as we read in the books of the Machahies 2 Mach 8 It is likewise a depth vnsoundable how God made all these great and manifold thinges consisting of so many partes and members in a moment Nature and Art with vs require a long time to perfect their workes We see hearbes are sowen long before they growe and oftentimes many yeares passe before trees take roote extend their boughes and bring forth fruite Beastes likewise carry their young ones long within them and after they seede them long also before they growe great I will say nothing of Art for experience sheweth that our Artizans can bring nothing to perfection but in a competent time How great therefore is the power of God which in a moment hath brought so great thinges to perfection But I dispute not whether God in a moment made heauen and earth and all thinges therein or whether he spent six whole dayes in the first Creation of thinges For I vndertake not to cleere doubts but to frame Ascentions vnto God from the consideration of thinges That then which I affirme and admâ—re is that euery particular thing was made in a moment by the Omnipotent Creator For of the earth water ayte and fire there is no doubt as also of the Angells but that they were created altogether in a moment Of the Firmament and diuision of waters it is likewise certaine that all was don by the powerfull word onely of the speaker saying Gen 1 Be a Firmament made amidst the waters that in a momeÌ„t For it followeth And it was so done Vpon which place St. Hom 4. in Gen. Iohn Chrysostome saith He onely sayd and the worke followed And the same Author vpon those wordes Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs And it was so done sayth Hom. 5 â—n Gen. Quis non obstupescat cogitans c. Who would not wonder to thinke how at the word of our Lord the earth should shoote forth sundry flowers and adorne her face as it were with an admirable embroyderie You might haue seene the earth which before was without forme on the sodaine to become almost as faire as the heauen And after vpon those wordes Be there Lights made thus he speaketh He onely saâ—d and this admirable element was made I meane the Sunne What if you add that in the same moment and with the same word the same Creator made the Moone and all the Starres Also vpon those wordes Let the waters bring forth thus he speaketh Hom. 7 What tongue can sufficiently prayse the maker For euen as when he sayd to the earth Let it shoot forth and presently there appeared great plenty of sundry hearâ—es and flowers So here he said let the waters bring forth and forthwith so many kindes of Fowles and creeping creatures were made as no tongue can rehearse Who therefore is like to thee among the strong O Lord Thou dost now plainely vnderstand O my soule Cap. 5 how great the power of thy maker is whose breadth is infinite whose length is eternall susteyning and gouerning all thinges without wearinesse whose higth doth thinges which seem vnpossible are so but to him onely whose depth maketh thinges in such sort that the maÌ„ner therof surpasseth the vnderstanding of any Creature For he maketh them of nothing in nothing without tooles without time onely hy his worde and commandement He said saith the Prophet and they were made Psal 148 hee commanded and they were created Whence thou maist gather if thou be wise how much it importeth thee to please and not offend him and to haue him thy friend and not thy enemy For being offended with thee hee can in a moment depriue thee of all Good fill thee with all Misery neither is there any that can deliuer thee from his hands If being â—aked and alone thou shouldest meete with thy mortall enemy who assayled thee with a sharpe Sword what wouldest thou doe how wouldest thou sweat looke pale tremble and casting thy selfe on thy knees begge for mercy and yet he is a man so that perhappes thou mightest
least Malice should change their vnderstanding as the wise man speaketh of Enoch And many he taketh not away but suffereth them to fall from vertue to vice and to end their dayes thâ—â—in What shall we say of whole Nations some whereof are very soone others very long before they be called vnto the Faith without which none can be â—aned For hee that beleeueth not it already iudged Ioh. 5 And as the Apostle speaketh Rom â—0 Euery one whosoeuer shall innocate the 〈◊〉 of our Lord shall be saued How then shall they inuocate in whâ—â— they haue not beleeued Oâ— how shall they beleeue him whome they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher but how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent These are therefore most high and deepe Secrets which the eternall Father hath hidde in the Depth of his Wisdome whereat the Apostle wondereth but declareth them not when he saith Rom 11 O depth of the riches of the wisdome and of the Knowleâ—ge of of God how incomprehensible are his iudgements and his wayes vns â—â—chable For who hath knowne the minde of our Lord or who hath bin his Counceller This onely is lawfull for vs to know That in God there is no iniquity And that at the last day there shall be none but shall â—â—ely say Psal 118 Thou art iust O Lord and thâ— Iudgement right Moreouer this Secret is profitable to vs all for hereby it commeth to passe that the wicked shall not dispaire of their saluation nor the righteous presume therof Good men also shall not be hopelesse of the conuersion of the wicked but pray for all and carefully seeke their saluation And againe none how good and holy soeuer shall haue occasion to be proude but with Feare and trembling worke their saluation Phil. 2 And thou my soule hauing considered all these thinges Labour by good workes to make sure thy vocation and election as St. 2 Pet. 1 Peter the Apostle doth admonish thee in his last Epistle But what those good Workes are which make sure thy Vocation and Election St. 1 Ioh. 3 Iohn the Apostle teacheth thee when he saith My little Children let vs not loue in worde nor in tongue but in deede and truth For Charity is a vertue with which none shall be damned without which none shall be saued And it is shewed by the Workes to witt when one doth giue almes to the poore or forgiue his enemies for the true loue of God and his neighbour and not for hope of temporall teward or for inordinate loue to the Creature And because it is not enough to begin well Math. 10 But hee that shall perseuer to the end he shall be saued Therefore the Apostle saith Labour That is attentiuely carefully and diligently follow the businesse of your Eternall saluation And truely there is no signe more probable of Gods election then when a mâ—n being more carefull of his saluation then of any other thing prayeth continually vnto God for the guift of true repentance true humility perfect charity and perseuerance vnto the end and not being content with prayer onely stnueth also all he can to seeke and finde The Kingdome of Heauen and the iustice thereof Math 6 As our Sauiour doth exhort THE FOVRETEENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Gods mercie THe holy Ghost doth in holy scripture merueylously commend the mercy of God Cap. 3 in so much that he doubteth not to extoll it aboue all Gods workes For so faith the Prophet Dauid Psal 144 Orr Lord is sweete to alâ— and his commiseratiors are euer all his workes we shall easily deicerne the greatnesse of thâ— diuine at tribute if we consider sâ—â—ewhat attentiuely the brâ—aâ—â—h length higth depth therof The breadth of Gods mercy is seene in that he onely can take away all miseries and from all creatures he taketh away some for the loue he beareth them and not for any profit to himselfe Creatures indeed can take away some miseries as bread hunger drinke thirst cloathes nakednesse knowledge ignorance and so of the rest but no creature can take away all miseries Moreouer there are some miseries the greater the more secret and inward they are which God onely can remedie Such are the subtile decreates of the Deuils who are many mighty and much incensed against vs. Such also are the errors of our minde and conscience which we in our selues see not But oftentimes are deceaued thinking our selues very sound when as indeede when we are very sicke Who can deliuer vs from these miseries but onely our Almighty phisition And he also doth often mercifully deliuer vs from them without our knowledge for which cause we all may iustly be said vnkinde to God as our Lord himselfe doth witnesse when he saith Luk. 6 That his heauenly Father is Beneficiall vpon the vnkinde and the euill For we scarcely knowe the least part of Gods benefits and therefore we thanke him not for them with such deuotion and humilitie as we ought Creatures moreouer cannot take away all miseries but onely a fewe nor from all but from a few but God can take away all miseries from all and albeit he doe not so yet there is none but is in some sort partaker of his mercie Truely therefore saith the Prophet Phil. 32 The earth is ful of the mercie of our Lord. The Church also in her prayer saith O God to whom it is proper to haue mercie c. For he can take away miserie properly who wanteth misery and he can take away all unseries from all who wanteth all miserie And that is God onely who is a pure Act whose Effence is Happinesse O my soule if thou couldest conceaue what the life of thy God is which is exalted aboue a I miserie and is Happinesse it selfe How â—â—weuldest thou sigh from thy hart to be in the bâ—some thereof that of thee it might also be said Psal 90 There shall no euill come to thee and scourge shall not approach to thy Tabernacle But thou wilt say If God can take away all miseries from all thinges why doth he not since he is The Father of mercies to wit a most mercifull Father 2 Cor. 1. Why are there so many miseries in mankinde vnder the gouernment of the Father of mercies Why also is it faid The earth is full of the mercy of our Lord And not econtra The earth is full of all miserie God truely can take away all miseries yet he onely taketh away those which his wisdome iudgeth fitt to be taked away But his wisdome iudgeth it not expedient for men that all should be taken away For it is mercie sometimes not to take away some miserie that greater mercie might afterward be shewed The Apostle prayed thrice to our Lord That the pricke of the flesh might be taken from him 2 Cor 12 and he was not heard Because power is persited in infirmitie God tooke not from Lazarus
the misery of pouertie and sores Luk 16 that with greater mercie he might be carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome And how should the rich exercise the workes of mercie if none were poore hungry thirstie naked sicke Pilgrimmes and imprisoned And if there were not tentations nor combats with deuils where were the crownes of virgins and confessors If also there were no labours and dolors where were the Crowne of patience And if there were no persecutors where were the Crowne of Martyres Therfore it is true that in this banishment the earth is full of miseries For sinnes onely are great miseries And it is also true that The earth is full of the mercie of our Lord because the conuersion of sinners the merittes of Saintes and other almost infinite benefitts of God both spirituall and temporall are nothing els but the great and continuall mercies of God our Creator Let vs therefore â—iue thankes to â—â—m That is its 〈…〉 our Tribulation 〈…〉 2 Cor. 1 so also by his 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 Psal 35 Lord by mercie is in heaum 〈◊〉 Dauid For there shall be mercy without miserie because mercy shall take away all miscrie whatsoeuer The length also of his mercy is Longanimitie or patience which the Scripture vseth to ioyne with mercy as a part thereof Cap. 2 For so speaketh Dauid Psal 102 Our Lord is pittifull and mercifull Long suffering and very mercifull And againe Our Lord is pittifull and mercifull Psal 144 pattent and very mercifull Truely the Longaminitie and patience of God toward mankinde is admitable the like whereof we finde neither in masters toward their seruants nor in parents toward their children albeit they both are men And first God is long suffering toward sinners expecting them with vncrediâ—le patience sometime from their first childe-hoode to their last old age permitting them to blaspheme his name to breake his Lawe And in the meane while Being beneficiall to them from heauen Act. 14 giuing raynes and fruitefull seasons filling their hartes with foode and gladnesse as the Apostle speaketh And what master or parent is there among men so mercifull and gentle who seeing himselfe a long time iniured and contemned by his seruant or childe would not at length put them out of his house Yet is not the mercy of God ouercome by the malice of men But he doth patiently not willing that any perish 2 pet 3 but that all returne to penarce as St. Peter affirmeth in his Epistle And the wise man saith Wisd 11 Thou hast mercy on all O Lord dissembling sinnes for repentance Moreouer this patience seemeth yet greater in that many sinners being by Gods grace brought out of the lake of miserie Psal 39 and from the mire of dreggs and of the children of darkenesse made the children of light and called from the guiltinesse of eternall death to the adoption of the children of God and hope of heauen fall notwithstanding backe againe oftentimes to their former vncleannesse and vnthankefulnesse Yet are they not forsaken by the longanimitie of God but most louingly expected and inuited to repentance And if they truely repent as Prodigall sonnes they are receaued by their most mercifull Father to the kisse of peace Luke 15 and to their former dignities St. Peter demanding of our Sauiour if he should forgiue his brother offending against him vntill seauen times Math 18 He answered I say not to thee vntill seauen times but vntill scauentie times seauen times For that course which he vseth in forgiuing oftences the same would he haue vs vse also but he hath set downe no certaine time for recontiliation but the terme of this life As long as a sinner liueth although it be an hundred yeares or more and often falleth backe yet is he receiued and pardoned by his most mercifull Father For there is no repentance to late with the mercy of God so it be truely from a contrite heart Yet none ought to abuse Gods mercy and deferre their conuersion from day to day because none knoweth at what day or in what houre he shall dye and appeare before the Tribunall of the most iust Iudge Yea rather all ought by this so great and incredible goodnesse of God to come vnto repentance For if God be so mercifull to sinners that often fall What will he be to those which hauing once tasted the Sweetnesse of his grace can neuer after by any temptations be seperated from it There is also another Longanimity of God exceeding admirable and amiable which he vseth in suffering the offences of the righteous For albeit God of his infinite mercy hath made vs of slaues his children and friends and of persons condemned to eternall death heyres of his Kingdome yet such is our ingratitude that daily we render him euill for good For if Saint Iames the Apostle said Iam 2 In many thinges we all offend what may wee say which are so farre from the Apostles perfection Beholde wee speake in prayer to God and on the suddaine we are carryed away by the imagination to thinke of other thinges and to turne as it were our backes to God What maister in the world would suffer his seruantes which stand in his presence and speake to him to turne away on the suddaine and neglecting him to prattle with their fellow seruantes What shall I say of idle wordes Of vaine thoughts Of fruitlesse workes Of excesse in eating drinking sleeping and playing Of negligence in holy thinges Of omission of brotherly correction And of innumerable other such like wherin we daily All offend And yet our God Is sweete and milde Psal 85 and of much mercy to all that inuocate him He suffereth these Follyes and rude inciuilities as I may call them in his children which truely Men will not suffer in men This St. Austen noteth in his Treatise vpon the eighty three Psal August in psal 83 expounding those wordes O Lord thou art sweet and milde where he bewaileth mans infirmity concerning the distractions of his minde in time of prayer and magnifieth the mercy of God in suffering so many iniuryes of his seruants But he knoweth whereof we are made and therefore dealeth with vs as a mother doth with her childe whom she cherisheth nourisheth although perhappes it strike her But albeit God suffreth so many of our offences without breaking the bond of loue or depriuing vs of the right of our inheritance yet will he not leaue them vnpunished at the day of Iudgement when as wee must render to him an accompt for Our idle wordes vnlesse he finde them purged before by teares prayers or some other kinde of satisfaction And least thou my soule perhappes mayst thinke these offences light and therfore deceiue thy selfe and neglect to amend them Heare what Saint Bonauenture writeth in the life of St. Francis In eius vit c. 10 Grauiter se putabat offendere c. Greatly saith he did he
thinke hee offended if being at his Prayers his minde wandered after vayne phantasies When any such thing happened hee spared not Confession but foorthwith made satisfaction This course hee practised so often that seldome was he troubled with those molestations Oâ—ce in a time of Lent he had made a little Basket to passe away some short vacation without being altogether vnocupied which comming to his minde when he said his Houres did somewhat distract it Wherefore being mooued with zeale of Spirit hee burned the basket sâ—â—ing I will sacrifice it to God whose Sacrifice it hindred Therefore distraction of minde in time of Prayer and praising God is not so small an offence as many imagine but great is the Mercy and Longanimitie of God in that hee is no more angry nor presently punisheth vs therefore Next followeth the Height of Gods Mercy Cap. 3 which is taken from the cause moouing God to mercy And truely it is most High and exalted aboue all the Heauens according to that of the Psalmes Lord thy mercy is â—n Heauen Psal 35 And Mercy shall be built vp for euer in the Heauens â—sal 88 Some men haue mercy of other men because they need their helpe and this indeed is the lowest degree of mercy for it goeth not beyond priuate commodity After which manner we also haue compassion of our Horses Dogges and Cattle Others haue mercy by reason of Consanguinity or friendship to witt because they are their Children Brothers Familiars or Friendes and this degree is a little higher and beginneth to haue the Forme of a vertue Lastly others haue mercy because they are their neighbours to wit men as they are made by the same God and of the same molde And therefore they respect not whether they be their friends or enimies good or euill country-men or strangers but they take compassion of all whom they know created according to Gods Image and this is the highest degree of mercy to which mortall men can ascend But God hath mercy vpon all thinges because they are his Creatures and especially vpon men because they are his Images And more especially vpon the righteous because they are his Children heyres of his Kingdome and coheyres of his Onely begotten Sonne But if thou aske why God created the world Why hee made man to his likenesse Why he iustifieth the wicked and adopteth them to be his Children and heyres of his Kingdome Nothing can be answered but because he so would And why would he so but because he is Good For Goodnesse is liberall and doth willingly bestow it selfe Mercy therefore is built vp in Heauen Psal 88 and from a most high habitation to wit from the Heart of the Highest she descended to the Earth and filled it as was foretolde by the Prophet Psal 32 The earth is full of the mercy of our Lord. Lift vp now my soule the eyes of thy minde to that most high fountaine of mercy Consider the absolute purity thereof not mixed with any intention of priuate commodity And when thon hearest the Maister of all exhorting and saying Luk. 6 Be yee therefore mercifull as also your Father is mercifull endeauour all thou canst to haue compassion of thy fellow seruants with that pure affection wherewith thy Heauenly Father hath compassion of vs. If thou forgiue an iniury forgiue it with a true heart and commit to perpetuall forgetfulnesse euery offence For Our Father forgetteth our offences as the Prophet Ezechiell writeth Ezech. 18 And As farre as the East is distant from the West Psal 112 doth he make our iniquityes farre from vs as Dauid speakteh If thou giue an Almes to the poore make account thou dost rather receiue then giue Because hee lendeth our Lord that hath mercy on the poore Pro. 19 Giue it therefore with humity and reuerence not as an Almes to the poore but as a guift to a Prince If thou suffer any discommodity to benefit thy poore neighbour thinke yet how sarre thou commest short of thy Lord who to benefite thee gaue his bloud and life So shalt thou without hope of earthly reward without any motion of vaine glory meerly for the loue of God thy neighbour profite in the vertue of mercy It remaineth that we consider the Depth of Gods mercy Cap. 4 For as the height thereof appeareth chiefly in the cause so the Depth thereof is seene especially in the effect That mercy therefore is not said to be deepe but rather shallow and superficiall which descendeth but to wordes onely That deeper which comforteth the needy not onely with wordes but also with deeds That most deepe which not onely with wordes and deedes conforteth them but also endureth laboures and dolours for their sakes God therefore whose mercie is infinite hath beene mercifull vnto vs after all these manners For first he sent vs letters of comfort to wit the holy Scriptures whereof the Machabies speake Mach. 12 We haue for our comfort the holy Bookes that are in our handes Neither doth he speake to to vs by letters onely but also by the Sermons of Preachers Which are Legates of Christ 2 Cor 4 and by inward inspirations promising vs his helpe and protection I will heare saith Dauid what our Lord will speake in me Psal 84 because he will speake peace vpon his people and vpon his Saintes and vpon them that are conuerted to the hart Secondly the benefits of Gods mercies against our manifold miseries both spirituall and temporall are so many that they cannot be numbred For euery where He crowneth vs in mercie â—sal 102 and commiserations That is he compasseth vs about euery where with the benefits of his mercie Thirdly Gods mercie deseended by the mysterie of the holy Incarnation to labours and dollours to hunger and thirst to ignominyes and reproches to stripes and woundes and to the death of the Crosse to redeeme vs from our sinnes and from eternall death due vnto vs therefore Is there any greater depth to which Gods mercy did descend Yes surely For he did all these thinges not of dutie but out of Loue. Iay 53 He was offered saith the Prophet because himselfe would For who compelled the sonne of God Who thought it no robbery phil 2 himselfe to be equall to the Father but â—e exiranitâ—d himselfe taking the forme of a seruant 2 Cor 8 To be made poore for vs that by his pouerty we might be rich Phil 2 â— To be humbled vnto death euen the death of the Crosse to exalt vs Truely loue onely compelled him mercy onely constreyned him It also descendeth yet farther For he would in the worke of our saluation bestowe on vs honour and glorie That diuision which the Angels made seemed very fit Glory in the highest to God Luk 2 and in earth peace honour be to God and profit to men But Gods mercie would haue all the profite to be ours and part of the glorie to be his and
disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well in all actions according to all lawes And in this all vertues as weâ—l Theologicall as Moral are comprehended There is also another vertue called Charitie which conteyneth all vertues in her bosome and commaundeth and directeth all their actes vnto their endes Which although it be a particular Theologicall vertue yet it may truely be called likewise iustice ingenerall For it disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well towards God and his neighbour and in so doing he fulfilleth all lawes So speaketh the Apostle Rom 13 Lâ—ue worketh no euill And He that loueth hath fulfilled the lawe And Loue is the fulnesse of the Lave St. Augustine also in his booke of Nature and Grace sayth Vnperfect Charitie is vaâ—erfect â—â—stice Charitie increased is iustice increased great Charitie is great Iustice perfect Charity is perfect iustice Moreouer in God are all vertues without any imperfection and in lieu of them which may praesuppose imperfection there is somthing much better more excelleÌ„t for which cause he is most truly called The onely good oneâ—y holy Faith therfore is not in God a Theologicall vertue because Faith is of those thinges which are not seene But God seeth all thinges Neither is their hope in God because hope is an expectation of thinges to come but God expecteth nothing for hee possesseth all thinges from eternitie Neither is there in God repentance for sinne because God cannot sinne Nor Humilitie for Humilitie keepeth a man that he ascend not vainely aboue himselfe but continue in his estate but God hath nothing aboue himselfe because he is most High Yet Charitie the Queene of vertues is in God most ample truely infinite For he loueth himselfe infiintely because himselfe onely perfectly knoweth the insinite goodnesse of his Essence He loueth also all thinges he hath made so speaketh the Wife man Wisd 1 Thou honest all thinges that are and hatest nothing of those which thou â—â—st made For God by his wisdome knoweth how to seperate euill from good to wit defect from nature euen in the Deuils in the most wiâ—ked And he loueth nature which he made hateth defect which he made not Furthermore there is such true Charity in God that himselfe would be called Charitie as St. Iohn speaketh when he saith God is Chrritie 1 Ioh. 4 But our loue being compared with Gods loue is exceeding small For many thinges we loue not because we knowe them not Many thinges also which we knowe we loue not because we decerne not in them good from euill many good thinges likewise we loue not well and therefore not with true charitie because we are naught and follow rather lust then loue And we loue God vnperfectly not onely because we loue him not so much as his goodnesse doth deserue which neither the Angels doe but also because we loue him lesse then we ought and lesse also then we might if we did with more attention and diligence giue our selues to prayer and Meditation This Queene of vertues in the Lord of vertues is accompanied with singular magnificence infinite liberalitie incredible benignitie and humilitie admirable patience and longanimitie most abundant mercie and pietie euerlasting truth and fidelitie perfect iustice and most vnspotted sanctitie so that The Sâ—arres are not cleane in his sight Iob 25 And the Seraphins being astonished â—ive Holy holy holy Isay 6 the Lord God of hâ—stes O my soule if thou didst consider these thinges attentiâ—ely with what feare and membling wouldest thou serue God in thy deuotions and prayers 〈◊〉 And especially at the holy Altar with what reuerence humilitie wouldest thou offer vp to the eternall Father his onely begotten Sonne in the sight of Angels for the health of the quicke and dead But let vs go on Cap. 2 The length of Gods iustice is manifested by the truth fidelitie thereof Our Lord is faithfull in all his wordes saith the Prophet Psal 144 That is The promises of God which were declared many ages since by the Prophets neuer were nor shall be frustrate but more firme and stable then heauen and earth Luke 16 For so saith our Lord It is easier for hearten and earth tâ— passe then one tittle of the lawe to fall And our Lord meaneth by the Lawe not onely the truth of his Commandements but also of his promises For whatsoeuer he hath commaunded must be obserued or punishment followeth and whatsoeuer he hath promised is by eternall truth established and performed Where vpon he also saith Math 5 Heauen and earth shall passe but my wordes shall not passe And Isay Iâ—â—y 40 The word of our Lord abideth for euer And Dauid Psal 110 All his Commaundements are faithfull Confirmed for euer and euer Rom 3 And the Apostle But God is true and euery man a Lyer And It is vnpâ—ssible for God to lye Heb. 1 The reason of which sayinges is because being Wisdome he cannot be deceaued being goodnesse he cannot deceaue and being Omnipotencie he cannot saile But men although they be wise good and mightie may be deceaued and deceaue because they neither knowe all thinges nor can performe all thinges as they will they also that are good when they promise may soone after become euill and not fulfill their promise Therefore if thou be wise my soule trust onely in God cleaue onely to him and vpon him cast all thy care Walke thou carefully with thy Lord God Mich. 6 and hee will be carefull of thee Take heed all thou canst least thou offend his Iustice and his mercy will alwayes so defend thee that thou shalt not neede to feare what man or deuill can doe to thee The Height of Gods iustice is seene in giuing the reward of Heauen Cap. 3 which God as the Highest and most iust Iudge hath prepared for them that haue liued righteously And first we shall decerne the Greatnesse of his Iustice if wee compare God as a Iudge with men that are Iudges Secondly if we compare rewards with rewardes to wit the rewards which God will giue with those which men vse to giue Men that are Princes Prelates or Iudges and haue vnder them subiectes or seruantes for the most part giue not for many causes iust Rewardes to those that deserue them For either they cannot through want of ability giue to all according to their deserts or they know not all their desertes or they knowe not their true worth which dependeth vpon the sincerity and affection of their mindes or through couetousnesse and malice or some other peruerse inclination they will not iustly reward their iust labours Or lastly they are either preuented by death before they can pay the recompence which they owe or they to whome it is due depart out of this life before they begin to tast the fruits of their trauailes But God giueth the righteous not onely iust rewards for their good workes but also aboue their deserts Math.