yet this in parte insinuates the greatnes of Gods mercie namely that it is as great as himselfe and that no marâ— vaile sith it is himselfe But first let vs heare what himselfe testifieth of himselfe that way that only is able perfectly to know himselfe 2 The Lord a Psal 113. ver 8. seq saith David is mercifull and gratious of long suffering and pienteous with goodnes hee chideth not for ever nor keepeth his anger alwaies hee dealeth not with vs according to our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities but as high as the heavens are aboue the earth so much doth his mercie gue beyond them that feare him as far as the East is from the wâ—st so far doth he remoue our sinnes from vs as a father hath pitty on his children so hath the Lord pitty on them that feare him for he knoweth whereof we are made hee remembreth that we are but dust Here we haue not only a profession of the greatnes of Gods mercy in expresse words but also a liuely resemblance thereof by most proper comparisons yea most forcible arguments also and reasons for proofe thereof as God vvilling shall hereafter be observed b Esai 49. vers 15. Againe saith the Lord Can the mother forget her young childe and not haue pitty of the son of her wombe but be it that a mother may forget yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord. And c Esay 55. v 7. â—9 in the same Prophet to weete Esay Let the wicked forsake his evill waies the vngodly his imaginations returâ—e vnto the Lorde and hee will haue mercie on him and to our God for he is full of compassioÌ„ For my thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my waies as your waies but as high at the heavens are aboue the earth so high are my waies aboue your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts And so d ser 3. â— in Ieremie If a man bee divorced from his wife shee departing from him shall bee marryed to an other shall he take her againe should not the land be defiled thereby But thou hast plaide the whore with many lovers yâ—t returne to me â—aith the Lord. And in e Ezech 18. ver 23 31. Ezechiell hee even mourneth for the follie and obstinacie of his people that woulde not returne vnto him and liue Am I delighted with the death of a sinner saith the Lorde and not rather with this that hee should returne from his waies and liue Why will yee die ô house of Israell Out of these Scriptures the like we may gather many consolations wherby to be perswaded of the forgiuenesse of our sins And first let vs coÌ„sider that Gods loue infinitely exceedeth any loue that is to be found in the creatures being as farre aboue it as the heavens are aboue the earth or the vtmost endes of the worlde are distant one from an other And yet wee see that the loue which is in the creatures is of greate force and produceth very strange effects and speciallie that loue wherewith God here compareth his namely that of parents towards their children who loue theÌ„ yea tenderly loue them even when they are vnworthy of their loue and gladly embrace any submission from them f Teren. Andrâ—a Act. 5. scen 3. Propeccato magno paulum â—upplicii satis est patri Even nature hath taught men to plead this * That a father is satis fied with a little punishment for a great offence Nay we see that fathers caÌ„not but loue their stubborne children that refuse to submit themselues yea that stand at open defiance with them whereof the Scripture affordeth vs a notable example g 2. Sam. 15 ver 1.2 c. Absalon most vnnaturally rebelled against his father king David after that hee had pardoned him for a cruell and odious murther and sought to depriue him both of crowne and life For â—in kings these both goe togither vvho leaue to bee men when they leaue to be kings can no longer hold their liues than they hold their soveraignety Hee I say vnnaturally rebelled against so kinde a father and was vp in armes against him And yet see howe his father was affected towards him Having raised an armie to suppresse him h Chap. 18.5 12. hee chargeth his two principall captaines that they should deale gently with Absalon for his sake i Vers 31.32 33. And when afterwarde he had newes that he was slaine he made most pitifull lameÌ„tatioÌ„ for him crying out My son Absalon my son my son Absalon woulde God I had dyed for thee would God I were in thy steed ô Absalon my sonne my sonne Thus nature forced him to loue even a rebellious sonne But most memorable is that which happened in our age at Castillion vpon Loing in France k Bodin de repub lib. 1. cap. 4. A father offering to giue his son a blow for some misdemeanor the sonne ran him through with his sword Here the miserable father perceiving himselfe wouÌ„ded to death never left crying after his son as long as he coulde crie that hee should flie and shift for himselfe least iustice shoulde take hold on him O admirable force of fatherly loue that the father shoulde tender the sonnes life that deprived the father of life But God doth not only coÌ„pare his loue to a fathers loue but also to a mothers loue vvhich commonly is the more tender of the two that sex being passion arely indulgent And of what force a mothers loue is even towards wicked and vngratious children the same author in the same place specifieth by the example of a womaÌ„ of the same natioÌ„ who having a sonne that vsed her most outragiously reviled her beare her threw her at his feete and amongst many other indignities committed one against her which I thinke vnmeet to be mentioned in particular yet would never complaine to authority of him and when the magistrates of their owne accord tooke notice thereof and holding the example into lerable convented him before theÌ„ gaue sentence of death against him the mother came crying and howling in most pitifull sort denying all the wrongs and outrage he had done vnto her And no marvell that the parents loue of their children is so tender and vehement sith wee see howe strong and strange the affection of very beastes is towardes their young ones The loue of their young ones l Sen ep 75 saith Seneca forceth wild beasts to runne vppon the hunters iavelin or speare m Nat. Comes de venat lib. 2. and they vsually either recover them or die in attempting to recover them Nowe these strong instincts of loue in the creatures are derived from God and infused into them by him I speake of the substance and soundnesse thereof For as for the irregularitie of it specially in men it proceedes not from creation but from corruption depravation But I say this loue yea this fervency of loue
in the creatures comes from divine instinct Now if God himselfe infuse so much loue into his creatures how great is the loue that is in himselfe Doubtlesse here that principle in Philosophie must needs be verified that that which makes another thing to be so or so must needes bee more so it selfe And therefore sith God makes the creatures to loue so strongly doubtlesse hee himselfe doth loue more strongly as wee herd before out of Esay that the teÌ„drest humane loue was inferiour to his even the loue of a mother towards her child and that although a mother might forget her childe yet hee would not forget his people And no marvell that his loue is so greate he being loue it selfe For so wee finde in Scripture not onely that God is loving n 1. Ioh. 4. â— 16. but also that God is loue God saith not that hee is power or iustice although hee might truely say so but when hee would define himselfe and tell what he is hee makes choice of this attribute of loue and saith he is loue which notably argueth how greate and strong his loue is 3 Furthermore we see by the former testimonies of Scripture that his loue is transcendent and aboue rule He hath limited mans loue mercie and there are many cases wherein men may not shewe mercy The husband as we heard out of Ieremie might not take his wife againe that had plaid the whore and departing from him had coupled her selfe to another man o 1 Sam. 2. v. 37. c. Elie the high Priest was severely punished for being too mercifull to his prophane sonnes Saul Ahab both lost their kingdoms for shewing mercy to their prisoners contrary to Gods minde p 1. Sam. 15. the former to Agag q 1 King â—0 the later to Benhadad yea r Deut 13. 〈◊〉 6 7 8. God made a generall law in expresse tearmes that parents should not pitty nor spare their owne naturall children if they became Idolaters and worshipped strange Gods nor brother the brother nor husband the wife no not his tenderly beloved wife that their eie shoulde not spare them but their hands should bee vpon them first to stone them to death In these and many other cases meÌ„ might not shew mercy and if they notwithstanding would be merciful to others they became cruell to themselues pulling down Gods vengance vpoÌ„ their own heads Thus mans mercy is bounded but Gods is boundles and transcendent so that he can and doth shewe mercy even in the cases that meÌ„ may not As appeares by that before alleaged out of Ieremie that although the husband might not take againe his wife that had gone a who ring froÌ„ him yet God was ready to receaue his people although they had committed spirituall whoredome that with many lovers that is had defiled themselues with many sorts of Idolatry And by this priviledge of vnlimited mercie God comforteth his Church and people Å¿ Esay 55. v. v. 7 8 9. in Esaie as we haue heard chiding them for their infidelitie that reasoned thus We haue so grievously sinned against the Lord that there is no returning vnto him or hope of pardon What Saith God Will you measure my mercy by your mercy Why there is as great oddes betweene my waies and your waies my thoughts and your thoughts that it between my mercy and your conceipts of my mercy as there is distance between heaven and earth O comforte more worth theÌ„ a thousand worlds if there were so many The Lorde doth not say that his waies and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his waies and thoughts of mercy are as far aboue ours as the heavens are aboue the earth And why then should we doubt whether a mercy of such extent either could not or would not relieue our miserie 4 Besides this let vs waigh how the Lord inviteth vs to returne vnto him speaking thus in effect to the sin full soule I knowe thou hast shamefully straied from mee I knowe thou hast given mee too too many occasions vtterly to cast thee off and to accept of no submission but yet returne to mee and thou shalt bee welcome Thou hast monstrously defiled deformed thy selfe yet wash and purifie thy selfe nay suffer mee to wash purifie thee t Esa 1.18 and if thy sinnes were as purple they shall be made as white as snowe and if they were as redde as scarlet they shall be as wooll Nether doth God desire only that wee should returne to him but pittieth our obstinacy when wee will not returne as he saith in Ezekiel O house of Israel why will yee die u Luk. 19. vers 41.42 And so Christ in the Gospell bemoaneth the incorrigible perversnesse and frowardnesse of the Iewes that would not imbrace mercy when it was offered vnto them even weeping for the same x Matth 23. vers 13. and breaking out into an affectionate complaint saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children even as a hen gathereth her chickeÌ„ vnder her wings but yee would not Now hee that inviteth vs to returne vnto him yea that lamenteth our folly and frowardnes that we will not returne will he not receiue vs when we doe returne Yes doubtlesse For sure y Tertul. de poenit c. 8. as an ancient Divine pithilie comfortably saith God would not threaten him that repenteth not except hee would pardon him that doth repent 5 Moreover let vs out of the same places of Scripture obserue that God doth not only promise to bee mercifull but also sheweth reasons why he wil be mercifull nay in a sort he must be mercifull Besides that which hath beene spoken hereof incidentally as it were by the way namely that his mercy is not a quality in him but his very essence and that there is no proportion betweene mans tendrest mercy and his it is more specially to be considered that he duly waigheth our case and fraile state namely that wee cannot but offend that if he should deale extreamely with vs wee must needes be destroyed but he graciously beareth with our frailtie knowing of what brittle mettle wee are made and promiseth z Esay 57. v. 15 16. that although hee bee most high and inhabit eternitie yet hee will vouchsafe to dwell with the humble and coÌ„trite that he will not alwaies striue nor bee angry for ever because if he should every spirit should be overwhelmed and the soules which he had made Thus he counteth vs no match for him and thinks it no conquest to destroy vs nay rather rekons this to be his honour and glorie to pardon and forgiue and to saue where he hath iust cause to condemn In a word as a man disdaines to shew his strength vpon a child so God disdaines to shewe his strength vpon man Which speeches and the like plainely testifie howe easily God will accept of our submission and what wrong we doe not only to our selues but also
last iudgement we haue cause to reioice not to fear to lift vp our heads not to hang them downe And that for sundry reasons but I will specifie one or two that are most materiall fittest to cleare this truth 6 And first for as much as the dissolving of the world is for our ful deliveraunce from the bondage of the world the maÌ„ner of dissolving it must needes bee comfortable vnto vs although in it selfe otherwise terrible Wee see that in particular humane iudgements the things that are terrible to malefact ours are comfortable to good subiects and that which amaseth the theefe reviveth the true maÌ„ The maiestie of the iudges their scarlet robes whose very colour threateÌ„s death their guard that environ them with holdbards yea the gibbet the hangman are pleasing sightes to the good who knowe that all this is for their maintenance and sauegard although they miserably terrify the wicked for vvhose destruction they are prepared Even so the comming of Christ in maiestie and glorie the troupe and traine of Angels that attend on him the shrill sounde of the trumpet summoning all flesh to appeare are before his iudgement seate at this great and generall assises and all other solemnities belonging to the pompe and magnificence thereof wil cheere vp the faithfull knowing that all this is to doe them iustice touching all the wrongs and oppressions which they haue sustained at the haÌ„ds of the wicked and terrifie and daunt the wicked only that now must come to an account for all their enormities and outrages And as it fareth with them that are narrowly besieged in a strong castle when a puissant armie is raised to rescue them draweth neere to the place and is come within sight the neighing and trampling of the horses the glitring of the armour the clashing together of the weapons the noise of drum trumpet are most pleasing vnto them yea the very roaring of the canon is the sweetest musicke that ever they heard because they knowe that all this is to raise the siege and set them free even so the faithfull being straightly besieged in this world as in an impregnable fort by the flesh sinne and the devill when Christ shall come in the clowds with power and maiesty when the glorious army of Angels shall march onward with him as their generall when the last trumpet shall be sounded yea when the earth shal treÌ„ble the sea roare the sunne shall be darkned the moon turned into bloud the stars fal from heaven in a vvorde the elements dissolved and the heavens shall melt and bee shriveled vp like a scroale of parchment the faithfull shall reiolce at the sight as knowing that al this is but to raise the long and grievous siege vvhich they endured in this world to set them at liberty for ever yea to put them in possession of a heavenly kingdome where they shal raigne for ever in vnspeakable blisse 7 Finally that we may see vvhat folly it is to be afraide of this iudgement we must remember that we our selues shall be iudges there So Christ telleth Peter Mat. 19.39 that he and the rest that had followed him in the regeneratioÌ„ that is at the last iudgement when the worlde should be refined should sit vpon twelue throans iudge the twelue tribes of Israel which being somewhat obscurely vttered Christ there alluding to the present state of things the number of the twelue tribes of Israell and of his twelue Apostles i 1. Cotinâ—â— c. v. 2.3 S. Paul expresseth more cleerely applying it in generall to all the faithfull vnder the new Testament affirming that the Saints shall iudge the world yea the Angels that is to say wicked men and wicked spirits And hence k Tertul. exhortat ad Martyres cap. 2. Tertullian notably comforteth and encourageth the Martyrs that were in durance daily expecting the Iudges comming and to receiue sentence of death Perhaps saith hee the Iudge is looke for yea but you shall iudge your iudges themselues Were it not then great folly to feare that iudgement wherein wee our selues shall sit as iudges iudges as I haue said of all wicked both men and spirits that is of all our enimies that haue oppressed vs For although Christ our head principally and properly shall be the iudge yet we that are his members shall haue a braunch of his authority and shall be as it were ioined in commission with him Let vs not theÌ„ feare this last and generall iudgement the bench not the barre is our place there CHAP. 13. The ioies of heaven and glorious state of the faithfull after death 1 BVT that which most of all should comfort vs against our misery mortality here and the terror either of particular iudgement by death or vniversall iudgement at the last day is this that not only all these cannot hurt vs nay are made many waies profitable vnto vs in this world but that through them we passe to a most happy state in the world to come the excellency whereof requires the tongue and penne rather of Angels then of men to describe it or rather cannot be perfectly expressed by Angels theÌ„selues I must be content then darkly to shadow it out sith liuely representation of it is meerely impossible 2 And first the benefits and comforts of this life although miserable as we haue heard doe argue that a far better state is reserved for vs in heaven We see that God even here on earth notwithstanding our sinnes whereby we daily offend him vouchsafeth vs many pleasures and furnisheth vs not only with matters of necessity but also of delight There is a Pasâ— 10â—â— a whole Psalme spent only on this matter a Psalme worthy to be writteÌ„ in letters of gold in papers walles windowes but specially to be imprinted in every godly heart for the admirable excellency thereof God canseth b Cyprian de patientiâ— saith S. Cyprian the sunne to rise set in order the seasons to obey vs the elements to serue vs the windes to blow the springs to flow corne to growe fruits to ripen gardens and orchards to fructifie and aboud woods to rustle with leaues meaddowes to shine with flowers c. And c Chryâ—oÌ„st de compuÌ„ct cordis lib. 2. Chrysostome excellently handling the same point further shewes that God hath in a sorte made the night more beutifull then the day by infinit variety of bright and glittering starres that hee hath beene more mercyfull to man then man would haue been to himselfe who of greedinesse woulde haue overtoiled himselfe but that God made the night of purpose for his rest in a word he saies and truely saies even of these earthly benefits commodities that although we were never so vertuous nay if wee should die a thousand deaths wee should not be worthy of them And d Silv. Italic lib. 15. the very heathen Poet considering this could not chule but breake out into admiration saying *
did first thee make From whom as long as thou dost stray In vaine thou seekest rest to take And shame not vnto him to flie Nor let not terror hope confound Although thy sinnes for vengeance cry Yet grace shall more than sinne abound MVNITION AGAINST MANS MISERY AND Mortalitie CHAP. 1. The vanity of all knowledge without the right knowledge of ourselues CVRIOSITY that is excessiue care for thinges impertinent and litle or no care for thinges important is a vice so grosse and sensible that the very Gentils by the light of nature in part perceived it and so farre as they perceived it reproved and condemned it a Plut. de Curiositate One of theÌ„ hath written a whole treatise of this argument b â—encca ad Luc epist 1. An other complaines that a great part of our life slideth avvaie while we doe evill things a greater while we do nothing the greatest of all while we doe things impertinent and that concerne vs not No marvaile then if the sonnes of light that is they that haue beene called to the saving knowledge of God in Christ reveiled by the Gospel haue so sharply censured this vice as c August de Trin. l. 4. c 1. one of them doth in this maner The knowledge of the world for the most part is accompanied with arrogancie and curiositie whence it coÌ„meth to passe that the world is ignor an t of things necessarie to be knowne because it learneth things needlesse to be knowne Alas what folly is it for men to take such paines in the search of thinges that as the d Sen. ep 45 sage Gentill saith neither hurt him that is ignorant of them nor profitte him that knowes them in the mean season neglect the things that tend to their true happines can only procure their sound comfort content at whome e Bernat de Consid l. 4. Bernard iustly scoffeth Doubtlesse saith he they very wisely weigh and measure things who haue greatest care for the smallest things and small or no care for the greatest thinges But the checke which f Luk. 10 v. 41.43 our Lord Iesus Christ himself giveth to this fault in reproving Martha that in some sort was guilty thereof should most moue vs. Martha Martha saith he thou art troubled about many things one thing is necessarie Marie hath chosen the good part which shall not be takeÌ„ from her 2 And this vice vanitie is so much the greater because not only the knowledge of things meerely impertinent and superfluous is vnprofitable without the knowledge of those things that belong to our true happinesse but even the knowledge of things in part and in some degree necessary is so also * Grammar What is the skill of Grammar worth to know how to speake by rule Rhetorick and in the meane season to liue without rule * What a vaileth the art of Rhetoricke that our language be eloquent Logiek and our manners barbarous * What good can Logicke do vs to be perfit in art of reasoning and yet that all our actions courses are without reason yea flat repugnant to reason to bee so armed therwith that words shal not deceiue vs and all the while to bee deceived with things themselues with covetousnes vnder pretence of thrift and good husbandry with prodigality vnder colour of liberality with crueltie vnder shew of severitie and so forth which are the most pernicious errors of all Artithmetick and farre exceede all sophisticall fallacies of words * What benefit can Arithmeticke yeeld vs to be able to number all other things to haue no care to number either our many sinnes or our few daies in this traÌ„sitory life Geometry * What can Geometrie availe vs if we bee cunning in measuring all other things and yet to set no measure nor prescribe any bounds to our infinite affections and passions to keepe no measure either in our hopes or feares prosperity or adversitie ioies or sorrowes Musicke * What can Musicke steed vs to discerne between concords and discords of sounds to be pleased with the former and offended with the latter and yet to haue our whole life consist of nothing but discordes iarring not only with others but also with our selues having desires contrary to desires resolutioÌ„s contrary to resolutions * What will knowledge in Physicke advantage vs Physicke if we haue learned what medicine or receipt is good against the gout the dropsie the stone and other bodilie maladies and yet haue no remedy for anger envie lust covetousnes and other diseases of the minde To conclude * What are we the better to be never so learned Lawyers Law and able to pleade never so sufficiently either in our owne or other mens causes for debts houses lands and the like to haue never a word to say for our selus wheÌ„ we must plead for our own souls how our infinite debt towards God in regard of our innumerable sins may be discharged and our title to a heavenly inheritance maintained iustified 3 Now if the knowledge of things in their place and degree necessarie be so vnavailable and of so smal accouÌ„t without the knowledge of those things which belong to our everlasting happinesse and welfare much more is the knowledge of things superfluous vnprofitable and meerely vaine It behoveth vs then to haue speciall care to knowe those thinges which so deepely concerne vs and to make vse of that excellent speech * Aeschylus of the very prophane Greek Poet that he is wise not who knowes many things but who knowes profitable things and doubtlesse true it is which a famonâ— Christian author wrote long agoe that g August do trin l. 4. c. 1. that soule is more to bee commended which knowes her owne infirmity then that which not knowing this labors to knowe the compasse of the world the courses of the starres the bottome of the earth the height of the heavens Digressions in speech and words are odious much more indeeds and action and not only odious but also dangerous and pernicious And yet if wee duely examine our courses wee shall finde our whole life to bee nothing else but digressions and impertinencies and it is greatly to bee lamented that many thousands even of those that professe christianity go out of the world before they consider wherefore they came into it CHAP. 2. A generall consideration of mans miserie 1. OF what importance the knowledge of our selues is we haue heard in the former Chapter Nowe this knowledge of our selues consists in these two points the knowledge of our misery and of the remedies against our misery Our misery is two folde or lieth in two kindes of evils the evils which we doe and the evils which we suffer or as a Tertull contra Marcion l. 2. c. 14. Divines long agoe haue distinguished them the evils of fault the evils of paine that is sinne and the punishment of sinne
had given over and condemned forsaking what hee longed for and againe longing for what he had forsaken thus our loue and loathing of the very same thinges play their parts by turnes and desire and remorse devide our life betweene them And herein againe we must needs acknowledge that sinne makes vs worse then beasts For saith m Hieron ep 10. ad Furiam S. Ierom the very seely beasts and wandering birds will not bee taken twice in the same traps or snares yet foolish man relapseth often into the same vices that is indeed is often taken in the very same snares of sinne and Satan This is the sinners Labyrinth or maze whereinto being once entred he of himselfe can never get out of it 10 This I say is the evil of evils makes man miserable even sin considered in it selfe without regarde of any punishment either temporal or eternall which notwithstanding inseperably accompany the same And surely the spiritual man cannot chuse but be ashamed of himselfe yea loath himselfe and conceiue indignatioÌ„ against himselfe when he seriously coÌ„sidereth his sinnes barely in theÌ„selus both for the importaÌ„t reasons before specified and also because it is an intollerable ingratitude against God that he having made all other things for man and man for himselfe those other things do still serue man yet man will not serue God O what vnkindnes is this that God should make all creatures serue vs yea and a great many of them to maintaine our life by their death and yet wee should refuse to serue him This should most pinch man doth the spiritual man And this is the proper difference betweene morall repentance Theologicall repentance that by the former men are grieved that they haue offended against honesty but by the latter that they haue offended against piety This made n Rom. 7 â— 24 the blessed Apostle to cry out against the bondage of sin in this passionate mannâ—r O wretched man that I am who shal dâ—lâ—uer me froÌ„ the body of death He o 2. Corinth 11. vers 23. else where makes mention of his imprisonments his whippings his stoning and sundry other extremities which hee had indured but none of these made him crie when he spake of them only when he comes to speake of his bondage vnder the tyranny of sinne then he cannot chuse but breake out into wofull exclamation And the same affection although not the same degree of affection is in all the godly that abhorre sinne even as hell it selfe p Aug epist 144. as S. Augustine notably saith Hee that is afraid of hell fire is not afraid to sin but to burne he is afraid to sin that hateth sin it self as he hateth hell fire And thus haue I in generall decyphred and discovered mans miserie I say only in general for to anatomize it in particular were to roaue in a sea that hath neither bottome nor shoare It remaineth that we should nowe come to the true remedies thereof but that I thinke it expedient first to speake of the cause thereof sith the knowledge of the cause of any evil brings great light to the cure and before that againe to shewe mans grosse ignoraunce of the right causes of his misery and this God willing shall be the argument of the next Chapter CHAP. 3. The gentils miserable ignoraunce of the true cause of mans miserie 1 VVe haue heard in the former chapter that mans misery is so sensible that the very heathens haue apprehended it and much complained thereof specially of the evils that man suffers in this world for as for the evils which he doth which are far the greater of greater force to make him miserable they were but coldly touched therewith But as concerning the cause either of the one or the other kinde of miserie they were altogither ignorant thereof therfore no marvel if they knewe not the true remedies either against the one or the other And surely touching the cause of mans misery their conceipts coniectures were so strange that it is doubtful whether we should more piety them or laugh at them 2 The general coÌ„ceipt of the most sufficient among them much more of the vulgar sort was that the first braÌ„ch of mans misery namely the manifold and grievous evils which he suffereth in this life grew from this that Gods providence was confined in the higher parts of the worlde and descended not nor extended to things below the moone Of this opinion were manie Philosophers Many saith a August de Genesi ad literam S. Augustine haue thought that indeede the high partes of the worlde are governed by Gods providence but that this lowe parte of the earth and the aire next aboue it vvhere windes and clowds do rise are rather tossed to fro by casuall motions In this error was Aristotle himselfe who thought that Gods care for the affaires of the world reached not below the moone as a great many of the chiefest ancient fathers report of him but aboue the rest b Ambrol de offic lib. 1. ca. 13. S. Ambrase who most excellently confures that his profane fancie at large and I cannot here omit one golden speech of his that way * Quâ—s opeâ—ator negligat operis â—ui curam Quis deserat aut destituâ— at quod iple condenduÌ„ putatits Si iniutia est regere non ne est maior iniuria fecil seâ— Cum aliquid non fecisse nulla sit iniustitia non curare antem quod feceris summa est inclementia What workeman saith he can neglect the care of his worke who can forsake and abandon that which himselfe thought meete to make if it be a wrong to God to rule was it not a greater wrong in him to make Sith not to haue made a thing at al is no iniustice but not to care for that which one hath made is greater crueltie Thus the most iudicious Philosopher dreamed that God had no care of men nor their affaires and therefore no marvaile if he in c Plaut cap. in prologo the Poet speaking popularly cry out * Enim vero Dii noâ— qua fipilas homines habent that the Gods made tennisbals of men tossing them to and fro they cared not how Hence then namely from Gods neglect and contempt of men their affaires some held that mans so miserable state in this world did proceed 3 Others thinking this too grosse that such an imputation did much derogate from the wisedome goodnes of god devised another shift and starting hoale to helpe the matter to weete that mens soules were created long before their bodies and lived in heaven but committing some great offence there were condemned to be ioined vnto bodies here on earth and so to endure those infinite miseries wherevnto mans life is subiect by way of penaÌ„ce for the faults they had done in heaven And this being first forged by heathens seemed so probable and was so plausible
placed in Paradise in a most happy and pleasant state of life only restrained from tasting of the fruit of one only tree to vveete the tree of the knowledge of good and evill as a triall of their subiection and loyalty by the Divels suggestion Gods deadly enemy theirs presumed to eate thereof and so lost the loue and favour of God and incurred his displeasure and indignation and consequētly became subiect to al misery calamity not only in this life but also in the life to come 2 It may seeme that this offence was not so hainous nor deserved such severe punishment But we must consider that many and grievous iniquities yea abominations lurked in this fact For first of all God having expresly told thē that whensoever they shoulde taste of this forbidden fruite they should die the death that is they should surely die they harkening to the serpent telling them the contrary make God a lyer yea take the Devils word before his Now how great a wickednes this was the simplest may easily perceiue Secondly here vvas great ingratitude and vnthankfulnes The Devill tels them that God had dealt craftily with them in telling thē there was such daunger in eating of that fruit whereas indeede it had that vertue to make them equall to himselfe and therefore in pollicie he forbade them to taste of it Which necessarily argues that they were malecontent with their present estate as if God had dealt niggardly with them and had not bestowed so much vpon them as hee might haue done and so in effect that the Devill would by his counsell and advise do more for thē then God had done or woulde doe Thirdly principally here was high treason against the most high accompanied with detestable blasphemie For they eating of the forbiddē fruit because as the Devill informed them therby they should be equall to God manifestly shewed that they disdained to be Gods vnderlings and to hold a happines from him by inferiority and dependancie and would be happy absolutely and of themselues without being any way beholding to God for the same Now when the subiect denieth homage and fealty to the Soveraigne the Creature to the Creator man to God what can it bee but high treason yea highest treason as committed against the highest Besides it could bee no lesse than abhominable blasphemy that a mortal man should so much as admit a thought to make himselfe equal to the immortal God much more to desire it yea to attempt it 3 And yet further this doth not a little aggravat their sin that they thē had absolute power not to sinne To expresse this pointe I had rather vse Saint Augustines wordes then mine own If saith b Aug. de eivitat Dei li. 14. c. 15. he any man thinke that Adams condemnation was either too heavy or vniust surely hee knowes not howe to weigh the matter namely how great the iniquity of sinning was vvhen there was so great easines not to sin And a little after Where there is great punishment threatned for disobedience and the matter commāded by the creatour to be obeyed so easie who can sufficiently declare how great a wickednesse it is not to obey in a matter so easie where there is so great power to obey and so greate danger for not obeying 4 I omit many other considerations which might farther aggravat the greatnesse of our first parents sin But that which hath beene alreadie saide may suffice Only this I thought good not to omit that it may be replied by some that howe great soever their personall offence were yet what reason is it that their posterity shoulde beare the smart thereof and that in so hard measure as wee see and feele by common experience that they doe The answere is easie that Adam had either happinesse or miserie in his owne hands not onely for himselfe but for all his and therefore by making himselfe miserable willinglie I meane at least willingly doing the thing that iustly made him miserable hee also iustly drewe miserie vpon all his We see that even humane iustice punisheth the children for the offense of the fathers He that commits treason not only dyeth himselfe for it but brings miserie vpon all his children who by his offense loose all their goods and lands that otherwise should haue descended vnto them as also if the parties so offending bee of such quality and ranke their nobility and advantages of birth and parentage Again we as commonly kill the yong foxes wolues and such like ravenous and noisome beasts as the old although as yet they haue done no actuall harme because we knowe they are of the same nature that the olde are and lacke not malice but time to hurt and destroy Much more therfore may God that more hates malignitie of nature in man than man doeth in beastes manifest his wrath against mankinde even in their infancie knovving that the roote and seede of all evill lurkes in them from the wombe yea in the wombe and that the poison of sinne and wickednesse is even incorporated into their essence And this is the cause of all those miseries and extremities which many times wee see yong children to endure The ignoraunce of which point drewe the Gentiles out of the Church and hereticks in the Church into that ridiculous errour * before specified Chap. 3. Sect. 3. that mens soules had committed some foule fault in heaven for the which they were sent into bodies here on earth to doe penance for the same Now man having thus vvillingly seperated himselfe from God his Creator and the onely author of his happinesse it is no marvaile if he became subiect to all kinde of miserie This was saith c Aug. de civit Dei lib. 6 cap. 13. S. Augustine a perverse haughtinesse to forsake that originall cause wherevnto only the soule ought to cleaue after a sort to become his owne originall that is to leaue God and goe about to be his owne God and to be happy without being beholding to God for it And a little after Man by affecting to be more then he was is now lesse then hee was and while he made choice to be sufficient of himselfe forsook him that only coulde be sufficient for him And d Ambro. de Elia ieinmio cap 4. S. Ambrose brings in God expostulating reasonning the matter with man after his fall thus Didst thou thinke to bee like vnto vs therefore sith thou wouldst be what thou wast not thou hast ceased to be what thou wast And c Bernard tractat de gratia libero arbit S. Bernard verie sweetly expresseth this point saith he they to wit our first parents which woulde needes be their owne became not only their owne but the Devils also that is the Divels slaues held in bondage by him at his pleasure as f 2. Tim. 2.36 the Apostle speakes This was a wofull alteration that mā who was the sonne of God while hee would
be Gods equall ceased not only to be his sonne but also his servant and became the servant of sinne and Sathan And what a miserie it is to be in bondage vnto sin yea what an evil sin of it seâ—fe is Chapt. 〈◊〉 sect 5. 6. hath * already beene sufficiently declared CHAP. 7. The true remedies which Christian Religion affordeth against the first kind of mans miserie that is the evils of paine 1 VVHat poore cold comfort naturall meÌ„ yea the best of naturall men and as it were the flower of them haue beene able to finde out against mans double miserie namely the evils of paine and the evils of fault that is the evils which he suffereth and the evils which hee doth sufficiently appeareth by things * before spoken Chap. 5. throughout Let vs now see what better reliefe and remedy true religion yeeldeth vs in that behalfe As for the evils of faulte that is sinne the cause of all evils of paine the remedy that Christianity affordeth vs is free pardon of our sinnes and reconciliation to God by faith in Iesus Christ As for the evils of paine they are of two sorts either of temporary paine in this world or of eternall paine in the world to come The remedies against the former namely temporary paines in this world are the gratious change of them vnto many profitable vses the remedie against the latter namely eternall paines in the world to come is all one with the remedie against the evils of faulte or sinnes For the same mercy of God which frees vs from sinne doth withall free vs from the eternall punishment due vnto sinne and therefore I will ioine them both in one in the next Chapter For howsoever the strict lawes of order require I shoulde first speake of the evils of fault as the cause of all evill of paine and then of the evils of paine that proceede there of that is first of sinne and then of the punishments for sinne yet because the evils of paine that is punishments for sinne specially temporary punishments whereof I only intreate here that is the miseries and afflictions of this life are more sensible to our nature then the evils of fault that is than sinnes themselues as also because they be the lesser evils of the two howsoever more felt I rather regarding the conveniencie of matter than curiosity of methode wil speake of them first 2 The first consolation then against all worldly miseries is this that whereas of themselues they are tokens of Gods wrath displeasure and a part of his iustice vpon sinners beginning in this world and ending in the worlde to come or rather to speake properly never ending and are a tast and as it were fore-runners of hell torments now cleane contrary vnto all that are in Christ and by faith in Christ stand reconciled vnto God whereof by Gods assistance wee shall â—eare more at large in the next Chapter they are signes and pledges of his loue and favour A strange alteration that they which before vvere heralds of defiance shoulde now bee messengers of peace and proclaimers of amity and loue yet that the case thus standeth is manifest by Gods expresse testimonies My sonne saith a Prov. 3 11. 12. Salomon that is God by Salomon despise not the chastisement of the Lord nor be wearie of his correction For the Lord correcteth every one that he loueth as a father doth the sonne to whom he wisheth good And the b Heb. 12.5 6. Vers 7. 8. Apostle repeating it almost word for word * inferreth out of it by necessary consequence that affliction beeing the badge of all Gods sonnes therefore they that tasted not of it were bastardes and not sonnes And so c Apoc. 3.19 Christ himselfe professeth to the Church of Laodicea that hee dealt thus with all that he loved namelie that he exercised them with affliction As many saith he as I loue I rebuke and chastise Thus all afflictions worldly crosses to the faithful are so many tokens sent from heaven to earth from God to man from Christ to the Christian to assure vs of loue and favor who would not be glad nay prowd to receiue loue tokens from an earthlie king how much more from the king of heaven 3 Secondly it is to be considered that these evils of paine are not only comfortable for testification but also proficable in operation bring forth most notable effects in the godly So saith d Ps 119. v. 67. 71. David Before I was afflicted went astray but now doe I keepe thy commandements And againe It is good for mee that I haue heene in trouble that thereby I might learne thy statutes And e Heb. 12.10 the holy Apostle is bold to say that God chastiseth vs for our good that wee may be made partakers of his holinesse novve all chastâ—semeÌ„t for the present seemeth not to be ioyous but grievous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them that are exercised thereby And f Rom. 5. â— 3.4.5 S. Paule goeth yet further affirming that afflictions to those that are in Christ minister matter not only of profit but also of glorie Therefore saith hee Wee glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed 4 And hence it is that Divines reach that afflictions to speak properly vnto the godly are not punishmeÌ„ts but ought to bee tearmed by some other name So saith g Chrysost in 1. Corin. hom 28. S. Chrysostome wee are not punished but instructed so that our affliction is for admonition not for condemnation for Physicke not for torment for correction not for vexatioÌ„ That is in a word all our tribulations are for instructioÌ„ not for destruction 5 The very heatheÌ„s could see that some benefit did grow from trouble miserie As first that it was a counterpoyson against the danngers of too much prosperity as pride riot wantonnes and the like which haue been the bane of many men h Herod l. 3 Amasis king of Aegypt desired that he his might tast of adversity and vnderstanding of the incomparable prosperity of Policrates Prince of Samos who was so luckie in all his affaires that when of purpose he had cast his signet that had in it an Emerald of wondrous value into the sea he had it brought to him again in the belly of a fish that shortly after was served in at his table hee presently renounced the amitie and league that had beene long betweene them suspecting that some great mischiefe would befall him wherein hee would be loath to share with him as indeede it fell out for being craftily trained into the hands of his enemies he was crucified aliue Yea i Iuvenal Satyr 6. the verie Poet observed and complained * Heu patimur longae pacis malasaevior armis Luxuria incumbit c. that in his time they were even
the head h Idem in Psaâ— 88. Yea we may assure our selues that being members of such a head yea body to it we are in â—ffâ—ct where ouâ— head is For saith Augustin this body cannot bee beheaded but if the head triumph forever the members must needes triumph for ever also And that wee haue this benefite by Christs ascension into heaven before hand for vs i Bern. serm de eo quod legitur a pud Iob. in sex tribulatio nibus c. Bernard excelleÌ„tly sheweth Bee it saith he that only Christ is entred into heaven yet I trowe whole Christ must enter and if whole Christ then the body as well as the head yea every member of the body For this head is not to bee found in the kingdome without his members Hence it is that the Scripture speakes of the faithfull as already raised from the dead placed in heaven with Christ yea as of them that shall not nor caÌ„not die as k Ioh. 11. vers 26. Hee that liveth and beleeveth in me shall never die And l Ioh 5. v. 24. againe Verily verily I say vnto you whosoever heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death to life And Hee saith m Ephes 2. v. 6. S. Paul hath raised vs vp togither hath placed vs togither in heaven with Christ He saith not he will raise vs vp hee will place vs in heaven with Christ but he hath so raised and placed vs which is spoken both for the certaintie thereof also for the streight vnion betweene the head and the body by means whereof that which is already actually accomplished in the head is said to bee so also in the body In a word the head being aboue water the body can never bee drowned although it bee never so much beaten and tossed with waues And thus much for our first and principall defense against death the sum whereof is this that it is not onelie a weakenesse but also a shame for the members to fear an enemy which the head hath already conquered subdued 5 There are also diverse other Christian comfortes against death which I wil briefly touch And first as we heard * Chap. 7. Sect. 2. leq before that all other evils of paine are to a Christian chaunged into another nature and of punishments become favours and benefits so is it also in this of death For now it is not a tokeÌ„ of Gods anger for sin but an argument of his loue and mercy it is not properly death but a bridge by which wee passe to a better life from corruption to incorruptioÌ„ from mortality to immortality from earth to heaven that is in a word froÌ„ vanity and miserie to ioy and felicity And who would not willingly passe over this bridge whereby hee passeth from all cares and sorrowes and passeth to all delights and pleasures leaveth all miseries behinde him hath all contentation and happinesse before him 6 The Gentils taking it for grauÌ„ted that after death either wee should be happy or not be at all and so concluding that at least death would free vs from all evill and misery therevpon made litle reckoning of death nay manie times voluntarilie procured their own death and imbraced it as a rich treasure as wee haue * Chap. 4. Sect 3. Chap. 5. Sect 3. already heard But how fowly they were mistaken herein hath withall beene sufficiently declared It is the Christian only that enioyeth this benefite by death namely the exemption from all cares and troubles and an ende of all sorrowes Wherefore the death of the godly is called n Esai 57. vers 2. Dan. 12. v. 2. 1. Thes 4. vers 13.14 Revel 14. v. 13. in Scripture by the names of bedde of rest sleepe peace and such like being all names of benefite and commodity How sweet is peace to them that haue beene vexed with warres and broiles how plesant is the bedde rest sleepe to the weary and those that are overwatched The labourer is glad when his daies work is done the traveller reioiceth when he is come to his waies ende the marriner and passenger thinke themselues happy wheÌ„ they arriue in the harbour and all men shun paine and desire ease abhorre daunger and loue securitie It were madnes theÌ„ for a Christian to feare so advantageous a death and to wish for continuance of so wretched a life I conclude this pointe with that elegant laying o Tertul. de testim animae cap. 4. of Tertullian That is not to bee feared which sets vs free froÌ„ all that is to be feared And indeed what weaknesse folly is it to fear a superfedeas against all the things which heare we do feare 7 But the true Christian hath yet a farre greater benefit by death For it doth not only put an end to the evils of paine but also to the evils of fault not only to the punishments for sin but to sinne it selfe Now we haue often heard before that the evils of fault are farre worse then the evils of paine yea that the least sinne is more to be abhord and shund theÌ„ the greatest punishment for sinne Hâ—w welcome then should death bee vnto vs that endeth not only our sorrowes but also our sinnes As long as wee liue here and beare about vs these earthly tabernacles wee daily multiply our rebellings against God and sustaine a fierce conflict and continual combat in our very bosomes while p Galat. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and q Rom. 7 2â— the lawe in our members rebelleth against the lawe of our minde as S. Paule speaketh and leadeth vs captiues to the law of sin which is in our members O bondage of all bondages to be in bondage vnto sin r Sen ep 37. 39. The Gentill that apprehended vice only as a morall evill could say that men beeing in bondage to their lusts were more cruellie handled by them than any slaues were by the most cruell maisters Howe much more should wee that feele sin as al spiritual evill and groane vnder the burden thereof account the bondage there of intollerable and worse than subiection to the most barbarous Tyrant in the world And how welcome should he be that would set vs free from the same Now it is death and only death that can doe this for vs and indeede doth it for vs. What great cause them haue wee with all willingnesse to imbrace it Å¿ Diogenes Laertius vit Phil. lâ—â— 7. Zeno the founder of the Stoicall sect helde it lawfull for them that had loathsome diseases vvhich were incurable to kill themselues that so they might be rid of them and t Con. Nepos in vita Titi Pomp. Attici See also the like of Tullius Marcellinus in Seneca ep 78. Pomponius Atticus others put it in practise If they counted it a