castest them behind thy backe lest thou shouldest see them And as a man with a deformed countenance refuseth to look in a glasse lest he should loath himselfe so doest thou turne thine eies from thine ownesinnes lest thou shouldest grow sad with the sight of their pollution and so because thou seest them not thou thinkest that God is blinde too But thou art deceiued my deare brother and much deceiued for God searcheth the very hidden secrets of thy heart and hee knoweth not only thine outward actions but thine inward intentions that God that thou hast now a witnes of thy sinnes thou shalt haue one day a reuenger of them He is a Iudge a iust Iudge and a reuenger of iniquitie How then shall he iudge vniustly Hee hath held his peace shall hee euer hold his peace Hee hath beene silent because he hath proroged his mercy because he hath not presently punished thy sins but hee hath dissembled thy iniquities and giuen a time of repentance but will hee euer bee silent No hee will call thee to an account and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy thee The day will come yea it will come and not stay when with angels and archangels and thrones and dominations and with all the host of heauen the great Iudge will appeare 1. Cor. 4.5 the heauens and earth being on fire and all the elements armed for their Creator against his creatures Then will the Lord lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and euery mans actions words and thoughts shall be layd open mens hearts shal speak their tongues shall be silent In that fearefull day shall all the pollutions of sinnes bee discouered in the sight of the whole world Esai 47.3 Then shall thy filthinesse be discouered and thy shame shal be seene of all the angels good and euill of all men elect and reprobates The day will come wherein thy whole life shall bee set downe as in a table and thou shalt stand before the tribunall seat of God where it shal appeare vnto all how thou hast liued Thou shalt carrie the booke of thine own condemnation and shalt shew it open to all the world Consider therefore thine end and in what maner thou shalt stand before so seuere a iudge to whom nothing is hid frō whom thou canst hide nothing by holding thy peace and whom thou canst not deceiue by denying who is not pleased with gifts and taketh no excuses but what is iust that he iudgeth There it shal be impossible to be hid intollerable to appeere Then as a straight Iudge hee shall require what as a kinde and louing father he now commandeth as masters teach children the first elements of their learning with flatterie but if they profit not vse the rodde Now the admonitions of God calling vs are pleasing and flattering but then the iustice of him that iudgeth iustly shall bee strait seuere By how much the more gentle he hath bin dissembling thy sins the more patient in expecting thy cōuersion the more ready to cōfer his grace vpon thee by so much the more cruell will he be in his chasticement the more hard to heare and the more implacable to punish What terrour doest thou thinke there shall then bee when without thou shalt see a seuere Iudge within before thine eies thine owne sinnes What feare when there shall be no remedy in punishment What astonishment to see him angrie whom the mind of man can not conceiue be-being milde and mercifull What confusion when by reason of the guilt of thy owne conscience thou shalt blush and be ashamed in the presence of men and angels Thou art ashamed to see the secret parts both of the soule and bodie much more to see those of another man how much then wilt thou be ashamed that thine owne should be seene of all A modest and chaste matron would blush though shee were neuer so beautifull if to her shame she should be stript naked before as many as can behold her much more if she were deformed in her bodie but most of all if besides all this all the infirmities and corruptions of her heart should bee laid open Heereby gather what thy shame shall be when be-before all men and angels thou shalt appeere naked of good works nay ouerladen with many grieuous and enormous sinnes euen horrible to thy selfe If a man should now aske thee whether in the sinne of pride or auarice or luxurie or any other sin thou be the seruant of the diuell though it be so yet thou wilt blush to confesse it how much more wilt thou bee ashamed at the day of iudgement when thy works shall prooue thee a slaue to the diuell It wil happen vnto thee as to children who being asked of their parents denie their offence and therefore are more grieuously punished for their lie than for their offence and so being compelled with stripes they confesse the trueth whereas if at the first they had confessed and craued pardon they had escaped the rodde Wherfore deare brother set before thine eies thy fearfull Iudge feare hee is coming that when hee is come thou be secure and not fearefull to appeare before him For as here vpon earth when two shall stand before a Iudge the one fearefull by reason of his guiltie conscience the other secure by reason of his innocencie the one to be punished the other rewarded so in that fearefull day the elect and reprobate shall both stand before their Iudge but not both after one maner because hee shall bee a milde and a mercifull God vnto the iust a God of vengeance vnto the wicked they shall receiue the reward of eternall blessednesse these cast out from the presence of God to eternall torment in hel fire Feare therefore now lest thou feare then and let his feare prouoke thee to confesse thy sinne and banish the feare of men By so much the more secure shalt thou be in his presence by how much the more carefull thou art here of thy conscience Look therefore now vpon the foulnesse of thy soule that thou maiest amend it lest heereafter thou see it and be ashamed of it Ascend into the tribunall of thy own soul and set thy selfe before thy selfe bee thine owne impartiall Iudge And so in this iudgement let thine own thoughts be thy accusers and thy conscience thy witnesse Let the feare of God vrge this iudgement reason iudge and repentane mortifie thee For if in the world to come thou wilt flie the iudgement of God in this present world iudge thy selfe for if thou iudge thy selfe thou shalt not bee iudged of God If thou wilt flie from the anger of God flie vnto his mercie by confessing thy sinnes not by concealing thē Thou maiest confesse hide thou canst not Begin therefore with an humble confession of thy sins to enter into the mercy of God and to the end thou maiest be iustified bee thine owne accuser For God is
then what will the speech of the people bee of mee and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends Res Men perhaps my deare brother will speake ill of thee but yet onely euill men who for the most part thinke those mad men whose example they cannot yet ought to imitate who dispraise that vertue they will not follow commend that vice which they embrace If this they did out of iudgement not rather out of ignorance and malice there were reason why thou shouldest be mooued therewith It is a commendable thing to bee commended by commendable men and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right For the speech of men and their slanders cannot deliuer thee from the fire of hell A mans conscience a thousand witnesses but the feare of God and thy iust dealing proceeding from a liuely faith in the merits of Christ Iesus whether thou bee praised or dispraised returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience if there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy commendations thou art rather to be pitied than admired and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised thou art to reioice in the Lord and to contemne the bad speeches of other men For what is it to thee though men praise thee if thy conscience accuse thee Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee when thy owne conscience shall defend thee Our glory and our reioycing 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul is the testimonie of our conscience And Iob saith Loe my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high Why art thou troubled with the censures of men so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge that must iudge them and thee If thy witnesse bee in heauen and in thy heart suffer fooles to speake their pleasure and grieue not at it So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men and to please their eie and their eare thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from heauen if thou wilt serue men thou canst not be the seruant of Christ What is more vile more base than to affect glorie and honor amongst men and not to feare confusion ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God and thou art not afraid to do that before God which before man thou art ashamed of yea thou louest more the outward applause of the people than the inward peace of thy minde the puritie of thy conscience Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not pure when thou art most impure outwardly rich when thou art inwardly poore outwardly full when inwardly emptie outwardly gaie when inwardly naked outwardly a Lord when inwardly a seruant outwardly the seruant of God when inwardly the seruant of the diuell outwardly a man inwardly a beast outwardly a saint when inwardly execrable and odious to God and man If thou didest desire glorie in heauen thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth for euery man where he seeketh glorie there hee feareth confusion What shall it profit thee if the world shal commend thee and extoll thee to the heauens since the praises of men cannot heale a wounded conscience nor the opprobrious speeches of a slanderer wound a good conscience What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee if in hell where thou shalt be thou bee ignominiously tormented and in the world where thou art highly extolled It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people in whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dispraise to giue honour and to take it away againe And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips thou shalt be sometimes great somtimes little sometimes nothing at all as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee Glory flies him that followeth it and followeth him that flies it There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man and that is not to bee praised of men but of God And if thou contemne humane glory be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too It is a dishonourable thing for thee being a Christian and a follower of Christ to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub how much more his houshold seruants Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men refused the offered glory of a Kingdome and was content to take vpon him the ignominious death of the Crosse and being the Sonne of God was called the sonne of a carpenter a transgressour of the law a seducer of the people a blasphemer of God a wine bibber a friend of sinners and Publicans and yet fearest thou a base worme of the earth the slanders of men for that for which the God of Maiestie and the Lord of the Saboth hath suffered by men so opprobrious speeches Doest thou feare to displease those whom Christ displeased for thee Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee Christ was mocked of the Iewes and wilt thou be honored Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly apparell when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ignominious garments hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee Matth. 10. The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his lord Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes the worme is spred ouer thee and the wormes couer thee Esay 14.1 But to say the trueth thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre painted without but full of stench and rottennesse within For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions garments what is it more than flesh that is a stincking seed a sacke of corruption worms meat Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse rottennesse into wormes wormes into dust what is more stincking than a dead mans carcase what more horrible than a dead man That countenance which in life was most beautifull in death is most gastly most horrible Thou art earth in thy original a sparke in the breuitie of thy life dust and ashes in the condition of thy death As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory into ashes O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body thou wouldest presently be ashamed of the beautie and riches of thy garments and thou wouldest vse them
good God is since it can be well with none that depart from him Let vs returne at the last vnto our selues and descending as it were from heauen let vs looke a litle vpon what is our owne Doe wee thinke wee shall go into the house of the Lord What are we that we should goe thither Mortall and abiect creatures earth and ashes But yet he that hath promised is our father and is omnipotent Can not he make an angell of a man who made a man of the earth By life we are men by hope angels to whom in our countrey we shall be like and equall A merchant when he buyes a thing and takes assurance for it though as yet he haue not his wares yet he secures himselfe he shall haue them God the Father hath promised vnto vs his glorie and for an earnest pennie in the meane time he hath giuen vs his only Sonne in the Sacrament of his bodie and blood and hath inspired into our hearts his holy Spirit There with an open face we shall see him with greater ioy and more securely whom heere we see mystically yet fruitfully in his Sacrament Despaire not therefore to come to this place and expect the promise of thine inheritance Hope is necessarie for a wandring pilgrime it is that that comforts him in the way for a traueller that laboreth in his iourney is therfore content with patience to beare his labour because at last he hopes to come to the end thereof take away his hope of the end and his strength failes him hee is presently wearie with going A Physitian drawes forth his instrument to lance a wound and he sayth to his Patient Be patient and beare a little in the paine he requires patience but after the paine he promiseth health but the sicke bodie except he proposed vnto him hope of recouery he would faint in that paine which he endureth In the warres the hope of honor mitigateth the griefe of the wounds so to those that beare the yoke of Christ the hope of glory is a great comfort raiseth the minde vnto God and that euill which they outwardly beare inwardly they feele not Hope brings no small pleasure when that which was hoped is once attained Temporall things not had afflict when they are had seem base and contemptible Thou louest thy wife not yet maried whom perhaps thou hatest when thou hast her What is the reason thereof Because she appeareth not such being maried as thou didst conceit her to be before thou hadst maried her But God who is beloued being absent growes not more base being present the fruition findes more in him than the cogitation could forme or imagine of him We shall loue God more when we shall see him if we can loue him before we see him he is more feruently beloued being gotten than desired Except he be first loued he can not afterwards be possessed and yet he is not therefore possessed because he is beloued because it is necessarie and our dutie that aboue all things he be beloued Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie how great a miserie is it to lose the Creatour for the creature to follow the shipwrack of this world and not rather flie to the Sanctuarie of God and to taste how sweet the Lord is and how great the multitude of his mercies If thou wouldest consider what and how great things are promised thee in heauen all things thou enioiest vpon earth would seeme base and contemptible What then is the reason dear brother that thou runnest not vnto heauen where thou shalt see God without end possesse him without losse loue him without loathing Many of thy parents brethren sisters and friends expect thee there millions of saints desire thy company now seâ—â—â—ed of their owne happines carefull of thine Of whose company lest thou shouldest be deceiued thou must vse thy best indeuor it is no difficult matter if thou wilt not burthensome if thou attend it Only repent and the kingdome of heauen is at hand To which he bring vs that liues and reigneth without end Amen By that which hath beene spoken The Conclusion of the sixth part thou plainly seest my dear brother how good and mercifull God is how ready to pardon sinnes The riches of whose goodnes the 〈…〉 considering calleth him not only a merciful God but mercy it selfe Thou God hast taken me vp thou art a mercifull God nay mercy it selfe Consider the bosome of his diuine goodnesse how open the lap of his mercy is and despaire not cast not downe thy selfe faint not with mourning the gate of mercy and the treasury of his goodnes is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou fall into the bottomlesse pit of despaire God inuiteth thee to repentance he offereth forgiuenesse he putteth foorth the right hand of his helpe and doest thou turne thy face from him Heauen is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou descend into the pit of hell The diuell knowing how excellent a thing repentance is hath tempted thee to this despaire hath taken from thee thy hope which is the foundation and anchor of thy saluation and the conductor of our iourney vnto God If therefore thou desire to escape the snares of the diuell and by hope to take holde of the mercies of God only depart from euill and do good for the first step to saluation is to decline from euill the second to hope for pardon Which hope of Gods mercie is not sufficient to saue thee without the feare of his iustice for in vaine shalt thou hope in his mercie except thou likewise feare his iustice For God who is mercifull is likewise iust and therefore considering how mercifull he is despaire not considering how iust neglect not thy sinnes There is no securer way than vnder hope to feare and to ioyne those two together lest perhaps an vnwarie minde may deiect it self by despair or fall by presumption It is to be feared lest thou fall into another bottomlesse pit and thou die by presuming of the mercy of God that couldest not die by despairing of it and thou haue in thy heart cogitations diuers from the former but not lesse dangerous and so thou beginnest in thy heart to say At what houre soeuer I shall repent God will put out all my wickednesse out of his remembrance and therefore why should I rather conuert to day than to morrow But my deare brother what if thine end bee before to morrow For hee that promiseth vnto thee so much mercy if thou repent promiseth not to morrow if thou persist in thy sinnes It is to bee feared lest whilest conuersion is put off to the end an vnexpected death may rather preuent then repentance helpe Lest therefore by hoping thou shouldest encrease thy sinne the day of thy death is vncertaine and lest by despaire thou shouldest encrease it there is offered vnto thee the hauen of repentance Which notwithstanding that in the 〈◊〉 of thy daies it bee good yet that
thou complaine and afflict thy selfe that thou hast many times liued well and beene prouided for death when death came not That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull O how happy wert thou and again and again blest of God if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death if thou wert euery day such a one as thou wishest to bee at the point of death if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord if thou didst alwaies watch and stand vpon thy guard because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs The day of death vucertain to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die should bee alwaies found ready for death that whilest the last day is vnknowen wee should obserue all as if all were the last If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat among which thou art told that one hath poison in it wouldest thou not abstaine from them all lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned There is one day of death a dangerous day vnto thy soule which because thou knowest not is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world thou wouldest diuide thy times some to pleasure some to praier some to repentance and knowing how long thou hast to liue thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs it is to bee feared by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared because it can neuer bee foreseene Matth. 24.43 and woorse auoided If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Therefore be ye also ready for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come whether in the euening or at midnight at the crowing of the cocke or in the morning lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you hee shall finde you fleeping When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying Watch and pray Luke 12.36 â—ee afterwards added That which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Watch therfore my deare Brother like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh he may open vnto him immediately Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres as if euery houre were the houre of thy death If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth that hath in it any apparent tokens of death thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes and thy time mispent and thou promisest repentance and amendment of life which thou hast no sooner obtained but as soone thou forgettest and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe The time of repentance is granted thee and God expecteth a time to pardon thee and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past in those that are to come Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee and yet this corruptible body of â—hine which God hath lent â—hee for the vse of thy soule and for the saluation thereof is not thine but shall shortâ—y be taken from thee thou dâ—est not only not vse to the health of thy soule but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof and by how much thy life is longer by so much thy sinnes are greater yea they increase not with the daies but the houres and moments of thy life Yesterday thou mightest haue died Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicâ—nque 〈◊〉 and yet thou art nor dead Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day account it amongst thy gaines Why our daies are prolonged for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory For as the very sleep of the Saints of God is not without goodnesse so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time without the practise and performance of some good Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature in hope and expectation only which many times deceiueth them of bettering their fortunes and ioining house vnto house and land â—nto land If then such as aâ—ound in â—â—hes are content with the losse of liberty and so much labour to increase â—heir riches which then increase most when the least commodities are not neglected how much doth it stand â—hee vpon that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule Though thou haue liued well and art rich in good workes yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better and for one good worke thou hast done thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand why then doe that now whilest thou liuest that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying One starre differeth from an other starre in glory 1. Cor. 15.41 there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen As no sinne escapeth vnpunished so no good that thou doest vnrewarded Matth. 10.30 All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head and as a haire of thy head shall not perish so not a moment of time God rewardeth great labours with great bounties which though in appearance they seeme to be small yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable Thy labours are but short the crowne eternall set that which thou here sufferest Repentance crucifieth Righteousnesse pacifieth Life eternall glorifieth to that that thou there hopest to obtaine The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed that for them is remitted the present comfort that for them is giuen the future glorie that for them is promised Thou labourest heere for a time that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned thy labour is momeÌ„tary thy ioy eternall
beleeue not things to come possesse fading riches that with them they may perish for euer The soule cannot bee without delight for either it is delighted with heauenlie things or earthly and by how much the more it is inflamed with the desire of earthlie things by so much the more doth it grow cold towards heauenly For the eie cannot at one and the same instant looke towards heauen and earth too But what doe full bagges benefit thee if thou haue an emptie conscience Wilt thou be accounted good and not be good Wilt thou haue good meat good garments good seruants to be short all good and thy selfe onely euill Preferre thy life before them let not al these be good and deare vnto thee thou onely vile and base and villanous to thy selfe If thou wilt bee lord of so many good things indeuour that they haue thee a good lord too which thou canst hardly bee except thou make restitution of that which thou vniustly detainest A good life is better than to possesse much goods Temporall goods are only good inasmuch as they are helpes to vertue but if they exceed this end and hinder the vse of vertue they are no more good things but to bee accounted among the euill Canst thou thinke that another mans goods vniustly deteined which make thee euill can be good vnto thee Or canst thou thinke those things good that subiect thee to eternall euils What good soeuer there is in this world whose gift is it but his that created it But that gift of God ought not to please thee that by the delight thereof separateth thee from the loue of God Preferre not the gift before the giuer when thou receiuest good things bee not euill thy selfe and let not that that should encrease thy loue towards God separate thee farther from him and so thou loue a base creature more than thy Creator to whem thou owest all that thou art and all that thou hast who hath made thee and made thee good who when it pleaseth him can take that from thee that he hath giuen thee who can cast both thy bodie and soule into hell and bestow thy temporall goods vpon another man But thou that louest thy gold more than God honorest it more than God for if thou diddest not so thou wouldest not for that lose the grace and loue of God Thou sellest God for a halfe-penny because for the gaine of a halfe-penny thou breakest the commandement of God God forbids thee to steale and thou obeiest him not couetousnesse bids thee to steale and that thou doest God commands thee to cloth the naked and that thou omittest couetousnes mooues thee to take from another what is his and that thou art ready to put in execution Thou possessest riches no otherwise than a prisoner doth his shakles which hee seemeth rather to be enthralled to than to haue For thou art not a little afflicted with thy self when thou beatest thy brains with wearisome desires and a wounded conscience deuisest which way thou maiest make such a mans goods thine owne by flatterie get such a bargaine by threats such a farme by cosenage and deceit and watchings and labours such a lordship and still the more thou gettest the more thou seekest For as wood cast into the fire seemeth for a time to presse downe the flame and dead the fire but presently maketh it burne with greater violence so thy couetousnesse is not extinguished with gaine but more inflamed And when by right or by wrong thou hast heaped thy riches together and glutted as it were thy own desires whereas before thou diddest hope for rest out of abundance thou shalt finde thy selfe more afflicted than euer by the care thou hast to keepe that thou hast gotten and thou shalt euer keep thy riches with no lesse fear than with labour thou hast got them Thou art euery day in feare to bee assaulted and the wrongs thou hast offered to others thou fearest will be offered by others vnto thee If thou see one mightier than thy selfe thou fearest his power his violence if poorer than thy selfe thou suspectest his theft and so thou that in aduersitie didst hope for prosperitie in prosperitie fearest aduersitie and art caried hither and thither as it were with so many billowes and tormented with the diuers vicissitude of thy owne fortunes Doest thou that art a Christian the disciple of Christ and his pouerty that art called to the heauenly riches of Paradise admire as matters of greater moment these temporall goods which doe more with care and anxietie afflict thy miserable soule than refresh it with the vse of them and in them place thy greatest felicitie and in a countrie where as a stranger for a few daies thou dwellest doest thou place thy whole heart and thy whole affections So long as thou desirest transitorie things and either vnderstandest not eternall or vnderstanding them contemnest them thou wallowest in the dung of thy earthly riches and thinkest of nothing but earth and earthly things in stead of thy countrie thou louest that exile which thou sufferest and in that darknes thou liuest in thou exultest as in the cleere light The helpes of this thy peregrination thou makest thy stumbling blockes and being delighted with the nightlie light of the Moone thou refusest to behold the bright beautie of the Sunne and the benefit of thy passing life thou turnest into an occasion of eternall death Is not that traueller besides himselfe that in his iourney passing thorow beautiful and delightfull medowes there stayes and forgets to goe to his iourneyes end If thou haddest power to rule some small countrie so long as vpon a swift horse thou canst run it ouer wilt thou be content to lose thy right of rule for euer in a far greater countrie for that transitorie dominion What is the time of this present life but a continuall race vnto death wherein no man is permitted to stay a little or to slacken his pace What is it to liue but incessantly to run vnto death By how much the longer thou liuest by so much the neerer thou art vnto death and as life passeth so death draweth on As a barrell the more it runneth out the more it is emptied and yet is not sayd to be emptie till the last drop be fallen from it so by certaine droppes of time the life by little and little droppes away but yet vntill the last moment of thy life thy bodie is not said to be dead In the middle of thy life thou art in death and whether thou watch or fleepe thou diest continually Euery day thou diest euery day thou art changed and yet doest thou thinke thy selfe immortall Hee easilie contemneth all things that thinks euery day is his dying day If thou diddest thinke that these earthly blessings must one day perish thou wouldest vse them whilest thou hast them for the benefit of thy soule In death with sorrow enough thou shalt see how base and worse than nothing that
consider how great ioies are promised vnto thee in heauen how great torments are prepared for thee in hell which that thou maiest auoid and attaine the ioies of heauen see how easie a thing it is that is required of thee in this world that is Psal 51.4 onely with a contrite heart and an assured faith in the merits of Christ Iesus to cry out against thee Psal 32.5 O Lord against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse Which if from thy hart thou vtter vnto God he will remit thy sinnes and will remember thy iniquities no more yea before thy mouth can vtter this confession thou shalt feele in thy hart thy remission and with ioy comfort thou shalt assure thy selfe thy sinnes are forgiuen thee God requireth this confession out of a pure heart to no other end but to forgiue The mercy of our redeemer hath tempered the seueritie of the old law wherein it is often written Exod. 19. Hee that doth this or that shall be stoned to death But our Creator who hath turned the rigour of the law into mercy hath appeared in our flesh Leuit. 20. and hath promised mercy not death to as many as shall truely repent and confesse their sinnes O wonderfull compensation strange vicissitude of things That a man should reueale those sinnes vnto God that were neuer hidden from him and yet for so poore a seruice receiue so vnspeakeable a reward as remission of sinnes The prophet Dauid hauing committed that heinous and blooddy sinne against Vriah had no sooner cried out vnto the Lord I haue sinned but presently hee receiued comfort The Lord hath remooued thy sinne from thee The prodigall sonne Luke 15. who departing from his father spent his substance with riotous liuing did only say Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and presently his father running out to meet him kissed him O short speech I haue sinned three words that shut the mouth of hell and open the gate of Paradise O pity ô clemency ô the vnspeakable mercie of our God who in many things is grieuously offended and with one word of repentance is presently pleased forgiueth all our sinnes and openeth his bosom of mercy vnto vs There is no offence so grieuous but by repentance it may be pardoned and the Lord knoweth not how to denie him that with an humble contrite heart falleth downe before him for he that before this humble confession was the God of reuenge becommeth afterwards the Father of mercie and of a seuere Iudge hee is made a pitifull Father It changeth the sentence of his diuine iustice and openeth to the bottomlesse depth of thy miserie the bottombles depth of his mercies to the fountaine of thy iniquitie the fountaine of his goodnesse It giueth vnto thee to whom neither the heauens nor the earth are secure refuge and securitie in the bowels of Christ Iesus Christ hath opened his side vnto thee doe thou likewise open thy mouth vnto him and say Loe I will not refraine my lips ô Lord thou knowest And therefore my deare brother why fearest thou to confesse thy sins vnto God since by not confessing thou canst not hide them By confessing thou shalt make God propitious vnto thee whom by denying thy sinnes thou canst not make ignorant of them In his iudgement hee will spare thee if in thy confession thou spare not thy self If we acknowledge our sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall bee reuealed THou slaue of sin whither fliest thou Thou carriest with thee thy selfe whither soeuer thou fliest Thine own conscience flies thee not it hath no place to flie vnto It followeth thee it departs not from thee The sinnes it hath committed are within which do miserably afflict it and whilest the gnawing worme dies not in it euen in this life it feeles the torments of hell The corruption that is in an vlcer greeues not being cast out and sin tormenteth not when by confession it is detected But thou thinkest otherwise and so long as thy sins are secret vnto thy selfe all is well But thou must vnderstand that howsoeuer men are ignorant of thē yet from God they cannot be hid Men look vpon the outside God searcheth the hart God seeth not as man seeth man lookes vpon the face God vpon the heart There is no creature inuisible to his eies but all things are naked and open vnto him He seeth he beholdeth all things neither is there any place hidden from his omnipotencie To him all hearts lie open all wils speake and hee pierceth into the depth of euery mans thoughts he inquireth more exactly into them than the heart it self knoweth them more inwardly And therfore there can bee no place to lying none to dissimulation and it profiteth nothing to include thine own sinnes within thine owne conscience for thy inward parts lie open vnto God and as thy eares are to thy voice so the eares of God are to thy thoughts Canst thou then thinke thy selfe hid from God since the secrets of thy heart lie open vnto him Canst thou thinke hee sees thee not committing vncleannesse that saw thy first thought when thou wentest about it He knowes all things before they are and canst thou thinke he knowes them not when they are Before thou diddest commit these sinnes hee knew them when thou diddest commit them hee was present and canst thou think if thou confesse them not he can be ignorant of them Yea by how much the more thou refusest to confesse thy sinnes by so much the more doest thou lay them open before God Thou hidest not thy selfe from the Lord but the Lord from thee for thou takest a course not to see him that seeth all things not that hee should see thee Thou canst not see him but yet inuisibly hee seeth all that thou doest Doest thou thinke thy sinnes are not seene by him because they are not punished by him Yea hee is so much the more angrie with thee because hee vouchsafeth not euen now to bee angrie with thee Now is the begining of thy damnation because thou abusest the patience and long sufferance of so good and mercifull a God For the Lord hath seene thy sinnes not that he might approoue them but condemne them not to fauour them but to punish them not that hee might alwaies suffer and attend but at the last punish thee with a more heauie reuenge For doest thou thinke that God is like vnto thee That he seeth thy sinnes and will let them passe vnpunished Indeed he were like vnto thy selfe if he would do so but assure thy selfe he doth but deferre the punishment he taketh it not away Thou on the other fide wilt not only not punish them but
iust and hateth sin and will not suffer it to goe vnpunished but yet he is likewise mercifull and pardoneth sinne to him that repenteth hee keepeth iustice in mercy and mercy in iustice and therefore it cannot bee but that a iust God will iustly haue mercy vpon thee And therfore can it seeme vnto thee but iust requisite that thou confesse thy selfe a miserable creature that thou maist obtaine mercy Wilt thou that thy sinnes be forgiuen thee and yet wilt thou not seem a sinner What can it profit thee to haue a close a hidden conscience since thou hast God a witnesse of all thy wickednesse Whatsoeuer thou doest God is a spectatour and a perpetuall obseruer of all euen the least thoughts of thy heart And as when wee know that our enemy lies in wait for vs by so much the more we fear him by how much the lesse we see him when we cannot find his snares where they are we fear them where they are not So the creatour of Heauen and Earth who being whollie euerie where seeth thee and cannot be seen of thee is so much the more to be feared by how much the more being inuisible when and how and what he seeth of thy actions thou knowest not Sin there where thou knowest him not to be and if there be no such place but that hee is euer present with thee and seeth all thy secrets how much reason hast thou to watch thy hands and thy tongue and thy hart too that doest all things in the presence of an alseeing God Which if thou wouldest duly consider of thou wouldest bee ashamed of many shamefull actions thou committest in the sight of so great and so omnipotent a God The Fifth Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That God is not subiect to passion and neuer forsakes a sinner before a sinner forsakes him FIftly thou wilt say that thou couldest bee content to repent but that God who hath mercy on whom he wil Rom. 9.18 whom he wil he hardneth for thy manifold and grieuous offences hath withdrawen his grace from thee hath forsaken thee and hardned thee in thy sins And therfore since it is not in him that willeth Ibidem nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy to shake off the yoke of sinne from thy shoulders thou despairest of power to decline from euill and to do good because thou hast made God without whom thou canst not so much as thinke a good thought thine enemie Ibidem Res O man who art thou that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus Forasmuch 〈…〉 is made of the earth 〈…〉 worthy to enter into the bottemelesse depth of the iudgements of God neither are the senses of thy flesh sufficient to penetrate into the secrets of so high a maiestie Better is faithfull ignorance though ignorance of good things cannot be good than rash knowledge God hath created thee not to prie into him but to honour him to the end thou shouldest bee an obedient seruant to his precepts not a Iudge of his actions It should suffice a Christian who liueth by faith and as yet seeth not what is perfect but onely hopes to see it to beleeue that with God there can bee no iniustice though the cause of his iustice may bee vnknowen otherwise he that searcheth into the maiesty of God shall bee oppressed by his glory But yet thou iudgest of God in whom there is no gall nor bitternesse who is immutable impassible as thou iudgest of men It seemeth iust vnto man to reuenge his wrong to God to remit and forgiue an offence to him that is penitent It is the maner of a master when he is offended by his seruant to forbidde him his sight to turne his face from him to denie him forgiuenesse but yet betwixt God and thee it is otherwise for thogh thou by the pride of thy heart be turned from God and God in iustice turned from thee yet when with an humble contrite heart thou turnest to him hee disdaineth not with mercie and compassion to turne vnto thee And yet notwithstanding he that from all eternities hath beene alwaies immutable is no way subiect to change or alteration the simplicitie of his nature no perturbation can wound no passion can affect But forasmuch as wee can not speake of God but after the maner of men therefore wee call the temporall punishment of God his anger the sentence of eternall damnation his furie the free bountie of his goodnesse his mercie and so of the rest because these are the works of a man angrie furious mercifull and diuersly affected but yet so that alwayes we censure him a good God we seeke him in the simplicitie of our hearts and we assure our selues there is nothing in him that is not God himselfe For he executeth a heauy iudgment without passion and punisheth the vnrighteous being milde and mercifull Neither in these or any his other works whatsoeuer is there in him any alteration or shadow of changing And as heere by the heat of the sunne manie things are brought to passe without any change in it self or in the heat thereof but onely in those things vpon which it worketh so the God of the whole world according to his eternall will doth euery day create many things and giues them existence without any motion or change of himselfe But yet as a mariner when the ship lancheth from the shore thinks the shore parts from him whereas that remaines firme and immoueable he departeth from it And as if a man shut his eyes refusing to beholde the sunne there is no alteration in the sun but in his eyes so God whilest he doth any thing that seemeth new vnto vs though it were in his will before all beginnings and either sheweth mercie or powreth his vengeance vpon a man whilest man by sinne is turned from God there is no change in God but only in man carying himselfe after a diuers maner But thou departest from God not by any locall distance because as the soule of a man is all in all the body and all in euery part thereof and yet because it hath the greatest operation in the hart is sayd especially to reside there so God though especially he be said to be in heauen because there hee communicateth his glorie to his saints yet he is wholly euery where substantially and filleth the globe of the whole world though to our carnall eyes the simplicitie of his nature bee inuisible This his presence in all places is knowen euery where whilest in all things that are created there appeareth his cooperation sustentation and gubernation without which they would presently vanish and fall to nothing as the presence of our owne soules can no otherwise bee descried than by the vitall operations thereof in it own body Thou departest therfore from God not by any locall separation because thou
desireth the more to haue thy companie to death whom thou canst not better obey than if thou daily sinne by his suggestion and being fallen carest not to rise againe Wherein whilest thou yeeldest thy consent thou seemest to haue made a sure bargaine with him and because thou art irrecouerably fallen thou must necessarily be his companion in his fall too To liue to thee that art infected with the dangerous plague of so many sinnes is not to liue but to confound life and to approch neerer and neerer to the gates of hell Thou art aliue in thy bodie but dead in thy minde That life is not to be called life whereby thou liuest only vnto death for it were better for thee that euery day doest die in thy soule that in bodie thou die quickly better that thou liue not at all that thou wert not borne than by sinne to die daily As often as thou sinnest so often thou deseruest eternall death which if for one sinne thou deserue what doest thou for many for millions of sinnes For so manie and so great sinnes how intolerable shall hell be when for one so many and so vnspeakeable torments must be endured For there shall euerie man haue his damnation so much the more intolerable by how much the greater iniquitie he hath heere But to thee that hast no good thing to alleage for thy selfe but whole mountaines of sinne against thy selfe it is not possible to vtter what plagues and punishments do belong I can not woonder sufficiently how thou canst sleepe securely and enioy thy pleasures without feare For if thou wert odious to a King whom thou hast offended and diddest euery houre expect from him the sentence of a cruell death wouldest thou laugh and attend thy pleasures Now then â—ince for thy many and great offences the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee and the Lord to the end he may haue mercy on thee still expecting thy conuersion hath deferred his sentence which perhaps to day nay this very houre he will execute vpon thee how canst thou as it were in an assured peace be secure Thou art in greater danger that goest to thy rest with a conscience clogd with one mortall sinne than with seuen of thy deadliest enemies Doubtlesse if thou diddest but see thine owne soule thou wouldest blush at the foulenesse thereof and if thou knewest how great dangers thou runnest into by sinne thou wouldest thinke of nothing more than how to auoid it By sin thou makest God thine enemie the diuell dry lord and thou that wert first by adoption the sonne of God after sinne art made the seruant and slaue of the diuel yea of sinne it selfe and that which is woorst of all of so many lords as of sins Whosoeuer committeth sinne Ioh. 8.34 is the seruant of sinne A wicked man though he reigne is a seruant of sinne a iust man though he serue is a free man nay hee wanteth not kingly power that knoweth how to rule his owne affections God so hateth sinne that for the hatred thereof he destroyed almost all his works the whole world by a generall flood yea to the end he might vtterly kill it he gaue vnto death yea the shamefull death of the crosse his only begotten sonne And is not his hatred great towards his enemie that to be reuenged vpon him will kill his owne sonne God neither in heauen nor vpon earth hath a friend so deare vnto him but if he finde him polluted with mortall sinne he is presently odious vnto him and that vessell of sinne that is that sinner hee throweth downe into hell fire for a wicked man and his wickednesse are alike odious vnto God As if thou haddest rather to cast a vessel ful of corruption yet of great price into the sea than to scoure and clense it of the filth therof must not that filth and corruption be very hatefull vnto thee for which thou art content to lose so precious a vessell And as a louing mother if shee should cast her little infant whom she dearly loueth into a burning furnace there to perish must it not be some great matter very hatefull vnto her that can vrge her to such crueltie against her owne childe Sinne as much as it displeaseth God so much it pleaseth the diuel insomuch that from the creation of the world he hath euer watched without wearinesse how to allure men vnto sinne and though he obtein his purpose with innumerable numbers of men yet he is neuer satisfied After thou hast once sinned thou art so farre foorth in the power of the diuell that presently by his owne right he may challenge thee to be his and cartie thee with him to eternall torments if he were not staied by the great mercie of God expecting thee to repentance It were better for thee to haue a thousand diuels in thy body than one deadly sinne in thy minde And therefore saith Anselme If I should here see the shame of sinne and there the horror of hell and that I must necessarily bee ouerwhelmed by the one I would rather cast my selfe into hell than suffer my selfe to fall into an insensible feeling of my sinnes yea I had rather being purged and purified from sinne to enter into hell than polluted with the contagion of sinne if it were possible it might be so possesse the kingdome of heauen If sinne be more to be detested than hell what can be more detestable than sinne If there were no sinne there were no torment in hel No aduersitie could hurt if no iniquitie did beare rule for it is only sinne that can hurt and bring to passe that no other thing can do good So long as thou continuest in sinne thou canst doe nothing that is good For as a root giueth no moisture to a rotten bough nor the sunne any light to a blinde eye so thou as a rotten and dead member of the Church for who will say thou art liuing that hast no feeling of compunction in thy heart art depriued of al that good that is or can be in the Church and thou art robbed of all that good that euer thou hast done in thy whole life and of all those virtues and graces which at the first thou receiuedst at Gods hands in as much as they stand thee in no stead to the attainment of eternall life as a dead man hath no power either to enioy his owne goods or to get others And besides a thousand other euils that follow sinne the miserable torment of thine owne conscience followeth thee whithersoeuer thou goest For sinne whilest it is committed pleaseth being committed it tormenteth for the worme thereof neuer dieth and in this life the torment thereof is but an entrance to that which is to come Ps 49.20 O man when thou wert in honour thou vnderstoodest not but wert compared to the beasts that perish and art made like vnto them Thou that through the merits of Christ Iesus wert made woorthy of heauen and all
of her Form attend my miserable soule when it shal depart out of the prison of this my bodie that they may catch it and carrie it to bee tormented in hell O wretch that I am where shall my soule be this night Out alas hell is my house for euer and euer there I must dwell because whilest I daily sinned against mine owne conscience I made my selfe a fit inhabitant for so infernall a place Psa 18.4 The sorrowes of death haue compassed mee the snares of hell haue ouertooke me O great God to what end diddest thou make mee and broughtest mee into the world Why was I not carried from my baptisme to my graue It had been better for me neuer to haue been born and therefore let the day perish wherein I came into the world Cursed be my creation and thou accursed Satan be thou more accursed with all thy hellish rabble all thy suggestions cursed be the earth that bred mee the wombe that bare me the parents that begot mee cursed be euery creature vpō earth What is that my friends you talke together Do you not counsell mee to confesse my sinnes Do you not tell me that the mercy of God is great That is true I confesse but yet my sinnes are greater than that they can be forgiuen by the iust iudgement of God I am condemned what hee hath written hee hath written his sentence is irreuocable When I was in health and the strength of my bodie I could hardlie confesse my sinnes they were so numberlesse much lesse now in this agonie of death the sentence of my condemnation being pronounced am I able to do it O repentance where art thou By the iust iudgement of GOD heereafter I can not repent when I might I would not now I would I can not All yee that are present my friends learne to be wise by my fall and deferre not your repentance till your dying day lest doing as I haue done ye suffer as I doe Remember my iudgement such shall be yours also mine to day yours to morrow happie is he that by other mens harmes can learne to beware For euer farewell my friends and againe and againe fare ye well Beholde the diuels take holde of my miserable soule and carry it with them into hell Isa 30.10 I go to the gates of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world Now heare how God vpbraiding thee with his benefits condemneth thee O wretched man of no worth vnprofitable worme of the earth what could I haue done for thee that I haue not done I created thee not a stone a tree a toad a bird nor any other creature but a man capable of reason according to mine owne image similitude and forsomuch as I made thee like my selfe by nature it was thy part to haue done thy best endeuour to make thy selfe like vnto me by will which forasmuch as thou hast not conformed to my will thou hast prophaned my similitude in thee Neuerthelesse though thou louedst me not I loued thee yea thou displeasing me I so loued thee as to work that in thee wherby thou mightest please me being proud thou didst contemne my commandements but I thus contemned ceased not to loue thee though thou wert proud but to the end I might recall thee vnto me I gaue thee my law and my faith To thee I sent my preachers nay for thee I once appeared visible to the world in the flesh of thy mortalitie and from the abundant plenitude of the kingdome of heauen I descended poore vpon the earth I raised the dead gaue sight vnto the blinde reduced the wanderers and iustified the wicked Three and thirty yeeres being seene vpon the earth and conuersant with men I refused not to serue thee and to procure thy saluation by preaching by labour by watching by fasting and that I might take away thine infirmities I willingly became weake for thee I was solde betrayed bound spit vpon hudwinckt buffeted scourged crowned crucified derided of all dranke vineger and gaule and that I might be the death of thy death for the nocent I died innocent For thee base worme as thou art I powred out not my golde nor my siluer but my pretious blood and for the redemption of so base a worm I spent my most pretious wares yea I spared not my selfe but I willingly offered me wholly to redeem thee all my members I gaue to the redemption of thee but thou hast imployed all thine to offend me for thee I gaue mine eyes to weeping wheras thou hast giuen thine to beholde the vanitie of this world I gaue mine eares to the hearing of wrongs and opprobrious speeches wheras thou hast giuen thine to the hearing of detractations and filthy speeches I gaue my mouth to taste vineger mixt with gaule whereas thou hast giuen thine to gluttony and lying and blasphemie I gaue my hands and my feete to be fastned with nailes to the crosse whereas thou hast giuen thine to murther and the spoile of the poore I gaue my hart to be wounded with a launce whereas thou hast giuen thine to the delights and pleasures of this life I haue loued more thy saluation than mine owne glorie with men whereas thou hast loued more a vile base creature than thy Creator to whom if thou be indebted for thy creation how much doest thou owe mee for thy recreation thy redemption ◠If thou did dest owe thy selfe vnto me when I gaue thee to thy selfe thou shouldest twice owe thy selfe vnto mee for restoring thee to thy selfe when thou wert lost Because thou wert both giuen and restored to thy selfe thou doest owe thy selfe wholly vnto me once and againe to mee I say who gaue thee thy life thy senses thy vnderstanding who made thee made thee good gaue thee thy being and thy well being Neither was it enough for me to offer my selfe for thee an oblation to God my Father but that I must-euerie day offer my selfe vnto thee to be seene and kissed and handled yea eaten too by a liuely faith though not carnally Comming into the world I gaue my self vnto thee as a companion Iam. 1.17 more stricken in yeres as thy sustenance dying as thy prise reigoing as thy reward What better thing could I euen I from whom euery good gift and euery perfect gift commeth bestow vpon thee than my selfe What should I say more Tit. 3.5 My Angels I haue giuen vnto thee as thy gardians but thou contemnest their charge By the washing of the new birth I clensed thee from all thy sinnes I haue instructed thee in my faith hauing often died a spirituall death I haue often raised thee and iustly depriued of the kingdome of heauen I haue restored thee to thine ancient inheritance I haue often spared thee and thou fallest the more often I haue opened
made the first and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first and to be before them in the kingdome of heauen Though thou forsake not thy sinnes till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee yet if thou then repent despaire not of mercie for though thy conuersion be short and momentarie yet it shall not be vnprofitable But as hee that giueth a cup of cold water loseth not his reward Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repentance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes yet that moment of repentance be it neuer so small shal not want reward No man can make any satisfaction vnto God answerable either to his greatnesse or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent for an infinite offence against God requireth an infinite reconciliation but yet forasmuch as the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite therefore our righteousnesse not sufficing the passion of Christ supplieth it which abundantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world God for our sinnes requireth no other price than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne for there is no sinne so deadly but by his death is forgotten forgiuen 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes and not onely for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his recouerie as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his nature shall replie saying Doe thou what thou canst and I will supply the rest euen so our mercifull GOD who much desireth the saluation of thy soule requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance the rest out of his goodnesse he supplieth and being easily pleased and contented with a little at thy hands hee pardoneth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes He giues that that thou shalt giue vnto him and is pleased with that which hee giueth thee for his vnspeakable mercy towards vs hee onely requireth this at our hands To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe There is a man of high and eminent honour whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor thogh thou spend al that thou hast yet thou offendest not if thou honour him according to thine owne abilitie if thou doe what thou canst not what hee deserueth So our Lord God because he is infinitely good deserues an infinite loue and reconciliation but yet hee willingly receiueth the least that we can doe because he knoweth our inabilitie and therefore refuseth not the least repentance that may be that proceedeth out of an humble and contrite heart For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes But hee as the Psalmist speaketh is mercifull and forgiueth sinners Ps 78.38 and destroieth them not but often times calleth backe his anger and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath for hee remembreth that they are but flesh But where mercie is there iudgement is not rigorous where mercy is graunted there punishment is pardoned Wherefore deaâ—â— brother though thou be at the point of death lose not thy hope of saluation so long as thou seest this light thou hast time to repent and afterwards too but when thou art departed this life and art condemned by the irreuocable sentence of God it will be too late to repent It is true that thou wilt repent in hell but there it will not helpe for in hell there is no redemption CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen BVt because hope which is contrarie to despaire is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse proceeding from the grace and mercy of God and this vertue my deare brother thou wantest without which thou canst not be saued it remaineth that I confirme this hope in thee and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment yet at the least thou doe it in an assured expectation of so great a reward Our good and gratious God out of his onely goodnesse not constrained by necessitie would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe which he saw might likewise be communicated to others and yet in nothing diâ—â—â— shed Hee created thereforâ— in the beginning of the world that tenth heauen â—â—moueable and of exceeding brightnesse and glory which so soone as hee had created he replenished with Angels And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed If the glory and ornament of the earth and firmament be such that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great for because God created it for his friends he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things There is a continual light and splendor not such as is heere but so much greater than this as the light of the Sun exceedeth that of a candle There is not the Sunne to shine by day but the Sunne of righteousnesse who shineth for euer full of all sweetnes a sweet light delightfull to our eies to see the Sonne of righteousnes both God and man the Creatour of mankind Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen I had rather not speake than derogate from the vnspeakable excellencie thereof by speaking too little The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him What can a man say more to commend that which hee knoweth not how to commend sufficiently Yet giue mee leaue by the shadow to iudge of the substance and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen Because such as are condemned haue need of a strait prison Bar. 3.24 and kings of a large palace therefore great is the house of God and large is the place of his possession It is great and hath none end it is high and vnmeasurable The kingdome of God exceedeth all report all praise For there is all good and no euill there nothing that is beloued is wanting and whatsoeuer can be desired is present I can more easily expresse what is not there than what there is There is no death no disease no wearinesse no mourning there is no hunger no want no aduersitie no
in the selfe same eternitie There are innumerable multitudes of all sorts of people and tribes languages who all at all times praise the Lord his praise is alwaies in their mouth neuer ceasing to crie out Holy Holy Holy Lord God of host There are sung his euerlasting praises vpon the Violl and the Harpe Psal 150. And in that eternall blessednesse which is a perfect state by by the aggregation of all good whatsoeuer all happinesse is perfect and simple not mixt with their contraries Wherby so great is the felicitie ioy and pleasure as if thou mightest bee permitted to stay there but one day thou wouldest presently contemne all the delights of this life All sweetnesse compared to that is bitternesse all mirth mourning all beautie deformitie and whatsoeuer may any way delight molestation and anguish There is there as great pleasure and facilitie in obeying God as there is felicitie in liuing and reigning with him But yet the blessednesse of the saints of God and their glorie cannot bee perfect their ioy compleat being alwaies vrged with a naturall desire of the resurrection and the glorification of their bodies For their happinesse can not be entire and perfect before the number of their fellow seruants and brethren be compleat Before the resurrection they all receiue their garments of glory because as yet they enioy the blessednesse of their foules onely but after the resurrection they are adorned with another the incorruption of their bodies At that time their blisse shall be doubled when with the felicitie and rest of their soules they shall arise to the immortalitie and glory of their bodies The bodies of the blessed are heere sowen Impassibilitie the first gift of the body 1. Cor. 15. and by nature begotten in corruption but they shal rise in incorruption because they are incorruptible impassible and immortall All fragilitie and earthly pollution shall vanish away and be turned into celestiall puritie and stabilitie for there can be no euill with GOD who is the chiefest good and therefore though they were in hell they can take no hurt no more than Sidrach Dan. 3. Mishach and Abednego in the burning furnace They are sowen in weakenesse Subtilty the second gift they shall rise in power because they are subtile penetrable and able to ouerthrow whatsoeuer they will By glorie the grossenesse of their bodies shall be so taken away that no obstacle can hinder them but that they may freely penetrate any thing as the beames of the Sunne passe thorow a glasen window An example wherof there is in the bodie of Christ who rose the sepulcher being shut went in vnto his disciples the gates being fast locked and did penetrate the heauens no way diuiding them And as the soule is now with the body and hot burning fire with iron so a glorious bodie may bee with an inglorious Such shall be the subtiltie of spirituall bodies that neuerthelesse the trueth of flesh and bone is reserued in them that which subsisteth of a liuing spirit ceaseth not to be a body Because they shall bee true bodies not vaine or phantasticall they may bee toucht and make resistance against that which toucheth or made none because they can penetrate by the subtiltie of their spirituall power the organe or instrument of feeling As the soule shall there haue her inward senses so the body shall haue his outward the sight shall bee delighted with the contemplation of the humanitie of Christ the eare with the melodie of the praises of God In God the soule shall bee inebriated with such delight inwardly as it shall not need any other delight in the outward senses For God shal be all in all he shall be a looking glasse to the sight a harpe to the hearing Honie to the taste Balsum to the smel a delectable flower to the touch Agility the third gift They are sowed earthly bodies because heauie and slow to execute the desires of the soule they shall rise spirituall not because they are turned into spirit aire or winde for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bone but because like spirits they are Luk. 14. quicke light and swift inclining no more downward than vpward The flesh seruing the spirit is said to bee spirituall because by an excellent facilitie of obeying it is subiect to the spirit for whether soeuer the spirit flieth there is presently the bodie also Assoone as the Sunne rising with the beames thereof enlightneth the Westerne part of the world and the eie looking vpward seeth the starres as speedily as angels mooue themselues without a bodie so speedily can the soule mooue her bodie from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen In which motion it is not wearied and because it is subtile by the resistance of the medium it is no way slowed Yea whatsoeuer it will it can mooue and ouerthrow and that with as little labour and endeuour as a man moueth his eie Whersoeuer it is it is alwaies alike happy because it hath God alwaies present This so great agilitie shall be acceptable and pleasant not because it is necessarie or that it hath it because it hath any need of it but only for the greater increase of glorie as wee vse not all those perfections that we haue and reioyce to haue How great O Lord is the multitude of those ioyes thou hast prepared for those that feare thee Oh how much doest thou loue vs who reseruest vs miserable wretched sinners to so great glory Glorious things are spoken of thee ô citie of God and therefore it shall be more possible for mee to number the starres in the firmament and to inclose the whole sea in a little vessell than to expresse the least part of the blessednes of one soule The ioyes thereof are such and so great that all the Arithmeticians of the world can not number it the Geometricians measure it the Rhetoricians with their tongues expresse it It doth not onely exceed the power of our eloquence but the capacitie of our intelligence Our thoght can conceiue it greater than our tongue vtter it and yet it is greater than we can conceiue and whatsoeuer wee thinke thereof is lesse than it is because the eye hath not seen the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him Faith apprehends it not Hope attaines it not Charity comprehends it not because it farre exceedeth all our vowes all our desires It may be obteined estimated it can not for there is more to be gotten than Faith could beleeue Hope looke after The rewards of GOD are greater than the desires of his saints for so great is the sweetnesse of that heauenly countrey as that if a droppe thereof should descend into hell it would sweeten all the sorrowes of the damned and if God could be seene by the damned in hell hell were a Paradise By this it euidently appeareth what and how great a