and serued The Sunne shall grow darke not as now it doth somtymes by naturall causes or in respect that any cloude may ouershadow it or because the Moone may cast it self betweene it and the earth as it hapneth in the case of an Eclipse but it is to be obscured by a supernaturall and miraculous cause and so it is to be vnderstood that for a while it shall loose the whole light it had The Moone shall also loose her light The Stars shall fall from heauen Ioel. 2. either because when they are without light it shall seeme to be as if they were fallen or els for that in very deed they shall dislodge themselues from that high firmament where they are fixt and for some tyme shall fall from thence and deteine themselues in the ayre till they returne againe into their place The powers of the heauen shal be moued that is those celestiall bodies with their naturall vertue shall tremble and so shift their places as in an earthquake the earth is wont to do or if it be vnderstood of Angells the meaning is how in that day they shall make some kind of spiritual demōstration motion of great admiratiō The Sea shal be troubled shal be moued in a most wōderful māner and with the waues thereof shall make such a hideous noyse as will astonish the whole world oppresse and afflict with excessiue feare and horrour the harts of mortall men will make them euen whither againe with woe The Earth shall tremble 2. Pet. 3. and shal be open in many partes and shall disclose euen the pits of hel The Ayre with the same Earth and Sea shall burne by that most ardent ouerflowing of fire which shall consume al the liuing bodyes of fishes beasts and men God in his law commanded the children of Israel Deut. c. 13. v. 20. that when they should be to fight against the Idolatours and Pagans who dwelt in the Land of Promise and whome he was pleased to punish for their sinnes not only that they should kill the men but euen the very beasts which did them seruice and so in particuler he b A sign of this truth in the old Testamēt exacted this of Saul when he went to fight against the Amalecites and because he did not punctually comply with this cōmandment but suffered some of the Cattle to liue God was offended Saul was punished 1. Reg. 3. Let vs now see why God did not content himselfe with causing the men who had sinned to be put to death but the beasts also which had no fault It was to make men vnderstand and feele that sinne is so great a mischeife and is so worthy to be abhorred and punisht and that God doth indeed so much abhor it that it is a most cōuenient thing not onely to punish sinners with eternall tormēts death but to destroy also and consume and as it were to chastice the creatures wherof they did serue help thēselues towards their sinnes Therfore is it that resoluing in the Vniuersall Iudgment to chastice the wickednes of all men in a most complete manner he will not content himselfe to deliuer ouer sinners themselues to those eternall ardours of fire those other immense paines of hell but to the creaturs also wherof they made some vse in sinning he giues as it were a kind of payne and punishment in detestation of the sins themselues as also to the end that they may be purged and cleered frō that indecency and deformity which grew to them by the seruice which they did to sinners For thus it is that the Sunne the Moone Stars which did illuminate sinners whilest they were committing their sinnes shal be depriued by him for a whyle of all the light beauty which they haue he shall conuert it into thick darknes And as for the Sea the Earth Ayre which gaue food to sinners did maintaine them whilest they were offending God he will make them as it were feare and tremble will depriue them for a tyme of the naturall quality and disposition they haue and will consume and kill all those liuing creatures and plantes which were the food of sinners and wil destroy al those buildings which were the habitation of wicked men And thus through the mutation demonstration desolation which in the Iudgment God will shew in al the creatures which serued sinners he doth teach and testify the infinite hatred which he hath against sin And he doth induce perswade vs that now through the knowledge of this truth we may be drawn to abhor detest them and that with a penitentiall holy life we may cleanse our soules as well as possibly we can frō al fault offence of his diuine Maiesty 2. Pet. 3. S. Peter c This truth is insinuated by S. Peter doth admonish vs of the good effect which we are to draw from the change which is to be made vpon the creatures by saying to this effect Since there is a day of the vniuersall Iudgement to come wherin all the creatures for hauing serued sinners are to be purged with fire and burnt inferre my brethren from hence how diligent and constant it is fit for you to be in the leading of a good life and how holily and purely you are to conuerse in this world and how vigilant and carefull it will becom you to be in performing the works of piety towards God and of mercy towards your Neighbour expecting with a liuely fayth that day of our Lord and approaching and drawing neere to him with speed not with paces of the body but with the desires affections of the soule desiring and louing this day and preparing to see your selues at that tyme accompanyed with purity of life and with the exercise of vertue CHAP. V. How Christ our Lord discouereth the hate which he carryeth towardes sin by the so particuler account which he taketh of them all ANOTHER mystery of this diuine Iudgement discouering the mighty demonstration and detestatiō which God doth expresse against the faults whereby he is offended is the so particuler accompt which he will take of vs which we all must giue of all the facultyes or powers al the senses both of our body and soule of all the creaturs which we haue vsed and a If you beleeue this point of fayth to be true I shall not need to wish you to looke wel about you of all the workes which we haue performed all the wordes which we haue spoken and all the thoughts which we haue conceaued how little soeuer they fall out to haue beene without leauing out so much as any one idle word or any one idle thought We shall giue accompt of how we imployed our Vnderstanding if we did set it on worke vpon the inquiry and search of God and his truth and in contemplating on him his holy Cōmandments and the workes of
vs it will infinitely concerne vs both instantly and exactly to cast vp all the accōpts of our Conscience to be cordially sorry for all our sinns to confesse them distinctly to purpose an amendment firmely and to satisfy for them intierly For this is a busines which must not be dispatcht after a cursory and superficiall manner but we are to consider with what care we would consult about our estats if they were in danger or about our liues if they lay on bleeding And heer we must not faile to vse so much more deligēce then there as Eternity is of more importance then a moment of Tyme And in fine we are to do it so as at the hower of our death when we shall go to stand before our Iudge we would be glad that we had done it For without this true repentance which signifieth a flight from sinne with griefe and supposeth a flight towards God with loue it is no Faith in Christ our Lord which will serue the turne to preserue vs out of that lake of eternall torment But rather the more knowledge we shall haue had of him by Faith the greater will our torment be if we do not pēnance for the sinns which we shal haue cōmitted against that Maiesty of his Which the same Fayth telleth vs to be infinite and that his hatred against sinne is also infinite and that as with strange mercy he will assume to incomprehensible immortall ioy the soule which at that day he shall find to be free from sinne so in whomsoeuer he he shall perceaue that sin remaines the same soule will he then instantly adiudg to that sea of fire brimston where it will saile in sorrow blaspheme and rage for all eternity To the pretious Death Passion of Christ our Lord we owe must acknowledg amongst innumerable others this vnspeakeable benefit for which let all the Angells for euer blesse praise his holy name That through the infinite merit therof we may be receiued to grace by meanes of true contrition and pēnance how often and how wickedly soeuer we shall haue offēded that high Maiesty But that Death Passion will neuer saue the soule of any one creature vnlesse both that mystery and all the other mysteries of Catholike faith be well beleeued al sinne be cordially detested which sinne is a monster so fierce and cruell as that it did cost the very sonne of God his life By that life and by that death I begge that thou wilt giue ouer to trample with thy durty feete in the sacred Bloud Royall of our B. Sauiour which he shed for thee vpon the Crosse For so thou dost preferring Barabbas before him as often as thou cōmittest any mortall sinne and so long thou hast continued to doe it as thy soule hath beene spotted with that crime Or if thou haue so little of the noble in thee as to be moued more by thine owne interest then by the consideration of that immense benefit which the foūtain of Maiesty vouchsafed with such excesse of loue to this wicked creature man then do I coniure thee euen by that very interest of thine owne that instantly thou make hast into thy selfe and that discharging thy soule by pēnance of whatsoeuer may be offensiue to the pure eyes of God thou implore his mercy now which may saue thee from that inflexible iustice of his in the last dreadful day At which tyme euen this very paper will appeare to thy extreme and euerlasting confusion if thou forbeare to serue thy selfe of this admonition Heauen and earth shall passe away but the word of God shall remayne for euer Matth. 24. v. 30. And that word hath thus aduised vs and thus assured vs by the mouth of the most B. Apostle S. Paul speaking to the Galathiās Gal. 6.7 Nolite errare Deus non irridetur Quae enim seminauerit homo haec metet Quoniam qui seminat in carne sua de carne metet corruptionem qui autem seminat in spiritu de spiritu metet vitam aeternam The plaine and cleere sense whereof is as followeth Take heed you frame not certaine fantasticall and false opinions to your selues as if you could ouer-reach Almighty God euacuate his truth make him belieue that he gaue you a free law wherby to liue thē indeed he gaue But be well assured that the very truth is this Let euery man aliue consider seriously what he sowes for iust so and no otherwise shall he reape If you sow works of flesh which are particulerly cited before in this Preface out of a former Chapter of S. Paul to the same Galathians yow shall reape nothing but corruption but destruction but euerlasting damnation But if yow sowe workes of the spirit which are wholy contrary to those others and are there expressed to be Charity Ioy Peace Patience Benignity Goodnes Longanimity Meekenes Fayth Modesty Continency Chastity yow shall in vertue of that spirit wherewith you liue and whereby you are to walk passe on from this transitory to an eternall life then at the most liberal hands of God you shal receaue a most precious crowne of immortall glory A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS DISCOVRSE chapter 1 HOW the office of being our Iudg doth belong to Christ our Lord as he is man and of the great benefite which God imparteth to vs in giuing him to be our Iudge Chap. I. chapter 2 Of the great desire which Christ our Lord hath for as much as concerneth him not to condemne any one in his iudgmēt but to saue them al. Chap. II. chapter 3 Of the benefit which Christ our Lord imparteth to vs in giuing vs to vnderstand and feele the grieuousnes of sinne by the meanes and manner of his Iudgement to the end that we may in tyme do pennance for it Chap III. chapter 4 How we are to haue great sense of the grieuousnes of sinne by reason of the demonstrations which shall be made by all the creatures of God before the Iudgement Chap. IIII. chapter 5 How Christ our Lord discouereth the hate which he carryeth towardes sinne by the so particuler account which he taks thereof Chap. V. chapter 6 How Christ our Lord declares to vs the detestation which he carryeth against sinne whereof the wicked are conuinced by that sentence which he pronounceth against them Chap. VI. chapter 7 How Christ our Lord discouereth the grieuousnes of sinne the hatred which he carryeth against it by the last sentence whereby he is to condemne the wicked and by the punishment which he inflicteth vpon them Chap. VII chapter 8 How the grieuousnes of sinne is yet more discouered by the causes of the Iudgmēt which are alleadged by Christ our Lord. Chap. VIII chapter 9 How a Christian is to draw a detestation of sinne out of the consideration of this Iudgement of God and great vigilancy in the leading of a good life Chap. IX chapter 10 Of other Considerations from which
persons as long as they did perseuere they had signes in them of being predestinated and they who receaued not the fayth according to their then present state were wicked reprobate This did our Lord declare whē he sayd I came into this world that they who see not might se◠they who see might be blind Which was as much to say Vpon my comming did this iudgment follow and this distinction was made amongst men that many who in their soules were blind through ignorance and errour and vice and who did not see the truth nor did walke in the right way to heauen by beleeuing in me with a liuely fayth they I say might see the truth and follow it And that many others who saw and had knowledg of the Scriptures and did know the law and the Prophets who both in their own and in the peoples opinion estimation were held wise and had a spirituall light wherwith to looke into diuine things they I say for their pride and ingratitude should remaine blind and going astray from the right way should not find their errour and perdition Another diuine and most singular testimony which Christ our Lord hath giuen vs of the desire which he hath in this iudgment of his not to finde any sinnes which he might punish nor any sinners whom he should be so obliged to condemne is That d Let all Angells adore him for this inestimable benefit to men at his first comming he made a law which was to last till the end of the world wherby he gaue faculty to all sinners that during the whole tyme whilst their life should last they might passe a Iudgement vpon themselues acknowledging their sinns and accusing themselues therof with greefe and confessing them to a Priest who should hould the place of Christ our Lord and satisfying for them according to the iudgment of the same Ghostly father and that they performing this he would not in his Iudgment either cōdemne or punish them but would declare them to be not Guilty and would impart the kingdome of heauen to thē And that if hauing once passed this Iudgement vpon themselues they should yet return againe to sinne become abnoxious therby to eternall condemnation yet stil as long as their life should last they might returne to passe the same Iudgment vpon themselus as often as they would and that if they should do it according to e Confessing them all clearely with great sorrow firme purpose of amendmēt Truth he would not condemne them but would admit them into his company and make them happy O Iudgment which is so deerely sweet O Iudge who is so ful of mercy and how vnanswerable is it proued by this most pitteous Iudge that his intention and desire is not to punish but to pardon not to condemne but to absolue and saue since before he comes to passe his Iudgment he vseth so many meanes applyes so many remedies to the end that he may finde no sinnes to punish nor no sinners to condemne If an earthly Iudge had his prison ful of delinquents theeues murtherers and should make a kind of agreement and bargaine with them that f Consider seriously heerof admire the infinit goodnes of God in that wherein the blind world thinkes it hath hard measure namely in the Institution of the Sacrament of Confession euery one of them might choose what friend or kinsman of his owne he would and in secret should declare his offence to him deliuering to him the whole truth and vndergoing but that penalty which he should impose vpon him for the same And that vpon some day of the same yeare himselfe would come to the prison to Iudge them and that he would pronounce them to be free who had declared their offences to friend or kinsman of theirs who had performed the penalty which he had imposed and that he would only cōdemne those others who would not haue recourse to that remedy what would you say of this Iudge of this agreement You would say that there nether is nor euer was nor euer will be in the world any Iudge who sheweth or is to shew any such mercy nor who euer made or will euer make any such Capitulation with persons who had deserued to dye nor are there any laws on earth which can permit any such thinge And if there were any Iudge who would submit himselfe to the like cōdition there would no delinquent be found who would not ioyfully performe this agreement and so be declared for not guilty Well then Christ Iesus the Eternall Iudge and who is of infinite power and Maiesty doth shew this mercy to all such sinners as are worthy of eternall death And he hath made this bargaine and agreement with them all and that is yielded to by the laws of heauē which the laws of earth will not endure Let vs therfore serue our selues of this mercy let vs performe the articles of this agreement and let vs in tyme passe a Iudgment vpon our selues let vs confesse our sinnes with true sorrow let vs amend our liues to the end that when at the houre of our death in the particuler Iudgment and at the end of the world in the Vniuersal iudgment we shal come before this great Iudge he may find no sinnes to punish or condemne in vs. For it is sayd by S. Iohn the Apostle concerning this Lord 1. Ioan. 1. If we confesse our sins repenting our selues truly of them before God and his substitute God is iust and faithfull in fulfilling the promises and rewarding the meritts of Chri◅ our Sauiour and so he will pardon vs our sinnes through his merits and will cleanse vs from all wickednes as he hath promised O most vnhappy men who deferring to do pennance and to make amendment of their liues despise this mercy of God as S. Paul sayth by making ill vse thereof Rom. 2. And g Woe be to thē who will needes be wicked euen because God is so infinitely good by this meanes they treasure vp the wrath and punishment of God for themselues against the day of his wrath which is that of his Iudgement These lawes of mercy were not made nor are they proclaimed vnto men to the end that thereupon they should take such a wicked strange presumption to sinne but that if they haue sinned they should not be dismaid but that in hope of this diuine mercy they should instantly correct themselues and reforme their liues and obtaine pardon So doth the glorious Apostle S Iohn aduertise vs for hauing sayd That if we confesse our selues well God will pardon vs he instātly addeth this 1. Ioan. 2. These thinges haue I written to you my children to the end that you may not sinne but that you may fly from sinne at full speed but yet if any man do sinne we haue an Aduocate before the Father That is to say let him not be dismaid nor out
the right vse of what I gaue thee imploying it well in the exercise of vertue in the increase of merit and in the multiplication of good works And so when he had rebuked this sloathfull seruant he commaunds the ministers of his Iustice to excecute the sentence which he giues against him when he sayth Take that vnprofitable seruant and cast him into exteriour darknes which is that of Hell where there is lamentation and euerlasting torment through the paines of intollerable both heat and could other torments also which are to be endured there CHAP. VI. How Christ our Lord declares the detestation which he carryeth against the sinnes of wicked men whereof they are conuinced by the sentence which he pronounceth against them THESE are the things wherof a man is to giue accompt in that diuine Iudgment of God And this is that which now is to be considered that so he may know how deeply God doth feele the weight of sinne and consequently how to moue himselfe to detest it And withall let him ponder how after that Christ our Lord hath demāded this accompt of thē whom he findeth to be culpable for not hauing complyed with these obligations but proceeded contrary to his commaundements How I say that most iust Iudge will conuince them in that terrible Tribunall before all the Inhabitants both of heauen and earth saying to them in his manner You a If this do not mooue thee pray to God that it may for els thou art in ill case men why haue you thus offended mee why haue your done me so many Iniuries I being your God of infinity Maiesty Goodnes and wisedome I being your Creatour your Father and your Sauiour who for you did giue my life and shed my bloud Why haue you spoken so many wordes in affront of me Why haue you wrought so many wicked deeds in dishonour and disobedience to my Law Why did you consent to those bad desires and thoughts whereby you came to cast me vnder the feet of those creatures esteeming louing them more then me Me whom you ought to haue praysed glorifyed with your tongues whome you should haue serued and obeyed with your workes whome you should alwayes haue desired and loued with your whole harts for whom you ought to haue giuē your liues a thousand liues if you had been Maisters of so many Why haue you so dishonoured me transgressing trāpling vpō my Precepts Why haue you exchāged me with so extreme contempt for those most base aduantages and gayns of earth and for those most vaine delights guifts of creatures Since you confessed me by your wordes to be your Lord and God why would you deny me by your workes Tell me you men since I haue imparted to you so many supernaturall guifts which I gayned for you by my Passion Death A guift of Fayth and Baptisme whereby I made you Christians a guift of Grace whereby I adopted you for my Children so many Vertues whereby you might adorne your soules be enabled to worke well The guift of Sacraments which might conferre and conuey my Grace into your soules and innumerable inspirations which might quicken you vp towardes vertue and so many most high and most pretious guifts which I purchased at my so great cost why haue you set them at so low a rate VVhy haue you despised thē and permitted them to passe away without being of any profit to you at all More account did you make of the vanity of your descent according to your linage of flesh bloud then of the fayth of Christians and the adoption of the sonnes of God More account did you make of money which is made of dead mettall of the goods of this life and of the vaine punctillios of honour then of the blessing of my grace and of those immense eternall treasures of my glory I hauing giuen you such a holy Law a Doctrine so pure so profitable and so celestiall that you might obserue and keepe it hauing giuen you so many Prophets Apostles holy Doctours so many Preachers and teachers of my Ghospell to the end that they all might counsaile perswade you to the obseruation of my Commandmēts and to the accomplishment of my will yea and my selfe being come visibly downe to earth in flesh bloud to teach preach this Law to you by the very wordes of myne owne mouth why haue you made no more account of this law nor complyed with my will nor obeyed my wordes Why would you rather do that which Sathā that did tempt you to thē that which was commanded you by me VVhy would you rather follow and obey that peruerse enemy who abhorred you and endeauoured nothing but your damnation then me who am your God who was your Father who loued you and did procure your saluation euerlasting glory Tel me yet further O you vngrateful mē since it is I who gaue you life health and temporal goods space of tyme that you might sacrifice it all to my seruice how commeth is to passe that you would needs imploy it in offence of me I gaue you life I say and health and strength whereby you might haue acquired vertues and haue exercised good workes and so you might haue b throgh the passiō promise of Christ our Lord good workes arriue to be meritorious and not of themselues merited eternall happines And you on the other side haue imploied it in the pursuite of vaine honour of pleasing men for certaine interests which passe and perish and in the search of those deadly delights which now are carrying you on towards eternall torments I gaue you temporall meanes for the necessary supply of this life and that you might relieue the miseries of your Neighbours and you haue wasted them vpon the foolish complemēts of the world and vpon banquets which serued not for necessitie but for gluttony and vpon certaine attires ornaments which did but serue for vanity and vpon sports and other vicious imployments I gaue you Tyme to the end that you might imploy it vpon praying and ruminating and meditating vpon my benefits and mercyes and vpon the Mysteryes of my law and in performing workes which might haue relation to euerlacting life but you haue wasted it vpon vnprofitable conuersations and vpon wicked deedes which deserue to be rewarded with eternall fire These complaintes doth God make against sinners by his Prophet and there will he make them at that day with greater demonstration of mislike then euer till that tyme he will haue shewed And thereby he will conuince them all they shal be able to make no excuse or defēce nor haue so much as one word to answere and so shall that be fullfilled which the Psalmist sayth Psal 106. All wickednes that is all wicked men shal haue the mouth stopped vp Let vs now consider what euery one of these sinners will thinke within himselfe in that point of the
diuine Iudgement when c Make this case thyne owne betymes for one day it wil be thy case whether thou wilt or no he shall see a Theater made round about him of all the creatures both of heauen and earth and that himselfe is placed in the middest of them that both all the Angells and men and Diuels are looking on him And when he shall obserue that his sinnes are published and proclaymed before them all and not only his wicked words and workes but euen all his bad desires and thoughts when he shall perceaue that all that lewdnes which he committed in the most retyred corners yea and those impurityes which did not so much as issue out of his hart shall then be cleare and patent to all the world To see that all those Diuels shal stand accusing him that his own very conscience is stil vpbraiding cōdemning him And to see the Iudge himselfe offended enraged against him and that he behoulds him with a countenance full of terrour and of reuenge for iniuryes receaued and to see that hideous pitt of hell all open in expectation to swallow him vp and to see himselfe so euidently conuinced that he hath no word to plead for himself And d A sad consideration but most certainely true that finding himselfe hemmed in by such an excesse of afflictions such incomparable miseryes he cannot fly away nor hath he any one hole wherein to hide his head nor any one thing to alleadge nor any one person to whome he may appeale or by whom he may be succoured For to defend himselfe against the Iudge is impossible since he is of infinite power To deceaue him with false informations cannot be since he is of infinite Wisedome To work vpon him by way of presents or petitions is not to be thought of since he is infinitely iust To goe in search after Patrons and Aduocats is losse of labour For in that day neither the Angels nor the Apostles can intercede for any one no nor euen the Queene e A heauy and most desperate case of heauen and the mother of mercy can plead the cause of sinners in that day The gate of pardon and sauing mercy is then closed vp against all the wicked all the iust and blessed soules shall approue of the diuine Iustice in that day and shall reioyce in that it is to be executed because so it is fit for the glory of God our Redeemer And then shal that be perfectly fullfilled which the Psalmist sayth Psalm 57. The Iust man seeing the punishment and vengeance which is to be taken vpon the wicked shall reioyce not for the payne which those sinners shall be subiect to nor out of any desire of reuenge but only for the zeale they haue to the glory of God for the loue they beare to his diuine Iustice CHAP. VII How Christ our Lord discouereth the grieuousnes of sinne and the hatred which he carryeth against it by the last sentence wherby he is to condemne the wicked and the punishment which he inflicteth vpon them ANOTHER Article of the diuine Iudgement which doth admirably discouer the excessiue hatred which Christ our Lord doth carry against sin is the last sentence which he will thunder out against the wicked As soone as he shall haue published their sinnes conuinced them thereof he wil deuide them from the company of the Iust and then turning his terrible and fierce countenance towardes them he will pronounce this most hideous sentence against them Depart a Our Lord deliuer vs from so great a misery from me you accursed into that eternall fire which is prepared for the Diuell and the wicked Angells Depart from me who am an infinite good and the fountaine of all benediction of grace of comfort of ioy of life of saluation of glory If then they be deuided from that only fountaine of al Good what kind of miserable thinges will they find themselues to be It is plaine that they must find themselues without comfort without grace without ioy without repose or ease and ful on the contrary side of all misery of all mischiefe of all paine Depart all you accursed because cursed are they who breake the Commandments of the true God for the greatest ill of all ill is sin and to this ill do they submit themselues who do any thing against that which our Lord cōmāds So sayth Dauid so doth the church sing euery day when she speakes to God Cursed are they O Lord who depart from keeping of thy Cōmandments Psal 118. In particuler manner are they accursed in the Law who doe not offer the first fruits and tithes of those things which God had giuen to them Matt. 3.1 and cursed also are those others who hauing promised some beast in sacrifice to Almighty God do offer him such a one as is leane and lame and worth nothing Into all these curses haue you fallen because you haue broken the Commandmēts of God and gaue him not the honour and glory of all the good deeds which once you wrought nor of all the benefits which you receaued And hauing consecrated and dedicated your soules to our true God by Fayth and Baptisme and being obliged to giue him the best and chiefe part thereof which is your loue and obedience fidelity and a watchfull care to doe him seruice you did not giue this to God but to the world and to your owne will and for these reasons you are indeed accursed and your selues are the authors of your malediction Let b Be attentiue to see whither the wicked are to be sent whē they are once driuen from God vs now consider whither it is that he sends them when once he driues them from himselfe Go saith he you accursed into euerlasting fier because in this life you sought for contentments for delights and gusts according to your owne will against the will of God you shal now be burnt body and soule with a most furious and impetuous fier against your will And because by sinning you haue offended and despised God who is infinite Good and an infinite Maiesty that fier shall be infinite in the continuance therof And who now shal be the ministers of Iustice to torment these accursed creatures And with what companions shall they be sorted in that torment of eternall fire Go saith our Lord into eternal fire which is prepared for the diuell and his wicked Angells For the principall authors of any wickednes the punishement is principally to be prouided and because the deuill was the first author of sinne therfore was the torment of eternall fier prouided first for him And because wicked men did follow the deuill in the fault they shall follow him also in the paine And because they chose to obey the perswasion will of the deuill rather then the commaundement and will of God they shall therfore haue him for their tormentor and
the guifts of grace what kind of profit what kind of comfort will it be to haue communication with so many Saints both men and Angells in the guifts of glory O with how much reason is it sayd Psal 23. Blessed are they O Lord who dwell in thy house they shall prayse thee there through the eternity of all eternityes Amen CHAP. XVI Of the fauour which Christ our Lord imparteth to his seruants at the day of Iudgment by giuing them his benediction and communicating his kingdome to them THIS benefit and fauour is followed by another which yet is greater For the good being once separated from the wicked being plac't vpon the right hand of Christ our Lord this celestiall King shall cast towards them his most gracious countenance being all full of suauity and delight And passing his sentence of fauour on them he will say Come yee blessed of my Father The benediction of God is the good guift of God and so to be blessed by him is to be filled withal those good gifts and graces which God communicates to his seruants That is withal those principall benefits which the Saints haue heere on earth when once they are made pure and cleane from all imperfections and withall those others also which the Angells doe possesse in heauen which is more with all those goods graces which the King of heauen himselfe doth possesse and enioy For as S. Iohn affirmeth 1. Ioan. 3. When he shall appeare we shall be made like to Iesus Christ our Lord participating of his power of his beauty of his wisedome of his goodnes of his ioy of his glory He a How grace and glory proceed from God the Father and how also from the other persons of the most B. Trinity calleth them Bl ssed of his Father to declare the fountayne first ofspring from whence all the benefits of grace and glory spring and this is the eternall Father and besides because all that which the Father operateth is also the worke of God the Sonne as he is God as also it is the worke of God the holy Ghost For the Diuinity the Goodnes and the Power is the very same in all the three Persons and to attribute them all to the Father as to the first Authour of all that is good is to offer them also to the Sonne as he is God and it is also to offer them to the holy Ghost who is one God with the Father and the Sonne O happy men who are to receaue such a benediction A benediction giuen by Christ our Lord in the face of heauen and earth of all the creaturs A benediction authorized by all the most Blessed Trinity as the Authour and fountaine of the same A benediction which comprehendes all the chiefe guifts of grace al the guifts of glory A benediction full of benefits vnspeakable most high and truly heauenly which containe all the most chiefe and choice part of heauen A Benediction of eternall benefit A Benediction irreuocable which can neuer be changed as long as God shall be God! O how highly is this benediction to be esteemed O how much is it to be desired procured which maketh men so truely happy as our Lord himselfe declareth saying Come and possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world Kingdoms b The great differences which are betweene an earthly a heauenly kingdom dominions you had on earth but temporall kingdoms dominions they were of little valew cōfort or ratherful of miseries whatsoeuer they were they are now growne to an end Laying aside those miserable kingdomes which already are ended come and possesse another kingdome which is celestiall full of incomparable happines a kingdome of infinite value a kingdome which eternally shall contynue And although euery one of you is to be a king of this kingdome and is to raigne and possesse the same yet the kingdom is still but one For all of you are to be subiect and obedient but it is to be with supreme loue to this Soueraigne King in whose company you are to raigne And because all of you are to be of one hart and of one will vnited by most perfect loue in such sort that the blessings belonging to any one in particuler to be of you all so farre forth as to reioyce therin and they of you all to be of euery one to reioyce with them to whome in particuler they belonge this kingdome is also to be but one Yet still though this kingdome be but one you shall all be kings and you all shall raigne For the kingdome is infinite in the greatnes of the felicity which is possest therin and it is infinite also in the contynuance since it is eternall And to the end that you may discerne the altitude of this kingdome and the great affection wher with it is giuen you Behould it hath bene prepared for you since the beginning of the world The election c Of our election to the kingdom of heauen and the preparation which is made for vs toward the same of the inhabitants of this kingdome was made before the world was created for they were chosen and predestinated from all eternity to raigine therin But the preparing of those things which concerne this kingdome and the putting of those meanes in practice which had relation to the obteyning therof did begin at the beginning of the world From that tyme were framed those most sumptuous pallaces those most beautifull habitations and those most glorious seats and thrones where the inhabitants of this kingdom were to liue raigne Then were created and were made happy those first Cittizens of this kingdom which are the Angels who were to keepe men company therin and to augument the glory which men were to possesse in this kingdome And so also from the first begining of the world ther were gifts of graces which came to be communicated to men wherby they were to obteyne this kingdome And for God to create man and withal to communicate iustice grace to him wherby he might procure this kingdome all that was done at once from that tyme to this nothing hath beene done but to dispose and help men giue them meanes that they might come to possesse and perfectly inioy this kingdome in glory both of body and soule This is that most blessed sentence which Christ our Lord will giue in fauour of his seruants that being done he will instantly rayse them vp togeather with himselfe and will inuest them with the most glorious possession of his celestiall kingdome CHAP. XVII Of the felicity which Christ our Lord will communicate to his seruants in the kingdome of heauen LET a A most excellent most sweet most profound yet most plaine description of the ioyes of heauen throughout this whole Chapter vs yet more particulerly cōtemplate the Maiesty of this kingdome which Christ our Lord imparteth to
his seruants and of that felicity which is possest therein to the end that we may gather that fruit which it is fit for vs to feed vpon which is nothing els but the disposing of our selues to the obtayning of this kingdome by an imitation of the vertues of Christ our Lord. And b The place of the kingdome of glory first the scituation and place of this kingdome is that supreme heauen which for the glorious brightnes and splendor which is found therein is called Empyreal The altitude and capacity and beauty admirable designe the grace and suauity of this place though it be such as no tongue of flesh and bloud can declare yet to giue vs to vnderstand some part of that which there is found by a comparison of those thinges which heere we know S. Iohn describes it in the Reuelations after this manner Apoc. 21. 22. He was carryed in spirit to a mountaine which was great and very high and he saw that holy Hierusalem the celestiall Citty full of the clarity of God all built of perfect pure and most resplendent gould like cleane pure glasse It had a wall about it of Iaspar both very thicke and very high the foundations wherof were adorned with pretious stone In this wal were twelue gates and euery one of them was made of a most pretious pearle and that pearle alone did make the gate This Citty had within a very spacious open place all paued with gold most pure most resplendent in the midst of that place there was a riuer of infinite sweetnes A Temple also there was to adorne this Citty and a light to illuminate it and this Temple and Light was God himself and therfore it must needs be farre from hauing any necessity of any other Temple or Light By these wordes S. Iohn describeth the scituation of the Kingdome of heauen and the habitation of the Saints And although it be true that there are not there any of those mettalls of gold or siluer or any of these pretious stones of earth for all these thinges are poore and base and of no valew yet c We who are sensible creatures as well as spirituall must be raised towards spirituall things by such as are sensible and therefore the vse of ceremonyes and Images is very necessary he deliuereth himselfe thus that by those thinges which are the most pretious and beautifull of the earth the soule may rise to consider the greatnes beauty of heauenly thinges vnderstanding euer that those are incomparably better then these And as the whole globe of the heauens is so far exceeding the earth in greatnes that the whole earth is but as a point or in effect as nothing in comparison of the heauens so is it in all the rest as well as in greatnes And all the brightnes and beauty and sweetnes of thinges of this world being compared with those of heauen are as if they had not so much as the least being at all So that the aduantage which the habitation of heauen doth carry beyond this of the earth is such that it exceedeth all comparison For in fine such it is as is fit to be carryed by the house of the Creatour in respect of a creatures house and by the Citty of God in respect of the Citty of men and by that sphere of felicity and eternall ioy in respect of this Center of miseryes and this valley of teares The d Mans supreme happynes consisteth in the vision of God chiefe felicity which is enioyed in this soueraigne Citty by cleare vision is God himselfe His seruantes sayth S. Iohn Apoc. 22. in this Citty of God shal see his face What vnspeakable happines what Abisse what immense kind of sea of all felicity will it be to looke the Diuinity of God in the face without the interposition or interpretation of any creature To e A most sweet explication of the most blessed Trinity see that diuine essence in three persons and three diuine persons in one and the selfe same essence to see the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the goodnes of the holy Ghost To see how the Father from all eternity engenders the Sonne communicating to him his diuinity and how the Father and the Sonne as one the same eternall spring or roote do by spiration giue proceeding to the holy Ghost and communicate their diuine essence to him To see how all the perfection of God is in euery one of the three diuine persons and how al the perfectiō that any one of the diuin persons hath the very same is possessed by either of the other diuine persons What kind of incomparable ioy wil that be so cleerely to behould an infinite Good which is all amiable all ful of infinite beauty of suauity and of delight And not only to see it in some manner which might be lesse excellent but to behould it with the eyes of an incorruptible soule and they most brightly clarifyed by the light of glory euerlastingly to loue it without ceasing that with a most perfect loue and to possesse it with a perpetuity of security After f Of knowledge Loue and Ioy and how they grow out of one another the rate of the knowledge of any thinge growes the loue to be and after the rate of the loue is the ioy for that which is so much beloued and that knowledge which the Saints haue of God being the greatest which can possibly be had since it is the cleare sight of God the loue must also be so great as that greater cannot be conceaued The g The motiues of loue soule is moued to loue a thing which it knowes because it is good because it is beautifull because it is profitable because it is delightfull because it concernes the soule and is after a sort belonging to it And so much more as that thing is good more beautifull more profitable more delightfull more concerning it and more belonging to it so much more doth the soule if it know that thing well and be hindered by no impediment at all delight in it and loue it with a more intense and perfect loue Well then since all these reasons and tytles motiues of loue are found to be in God with infinite perfection and the soule cleerly seeing God and meeting with no impediment which may hinder loue with what loue so intense and so immense will it be sure to loue him By h The riuers of ioy which ouerflow a soule which is in glory seeing that he is infinite goodnes there is ingēdred in the soule a most copious riuer of loue By seeing that he is infinite beauty there is produced in it another most abundant riuer of loue By seeing how full of aduantage it hath bene and is and euer will be to the soule and that in some sorte it is euen infinite there flowes from the soule another riuer of loue so wide and
the other elements and framed by the will of man out of mettall and wood and other mateâ—…alls of this world do cause such â—ontentment and ioy in the hart â—f man by the sight therof that for â—…is sight they endure and suffer much and make long iourneys and much expence what comfort and ioy shall it be for the cleere eyes of the soule being strengthned by supernaturall force and light to behould that beauty of the Angels and blessed spirits yea and the beauty of God himselfe If to heare with our corporall eares that Musicke which is made by the voyce of a man and of other instrumeÌ„ts of Musicke doth impart such sweetnes as that a man will remaine many houres as if his soule were euen suspended and he is content to loose both his food and rest for this earthly gust what sweetnes will it be for those inhabitants of heauen with the eares of their soule to heare those consorts melodious songes wherwith all the Quires of the Angells do praise and glorify Almighty God And to heare that most gratious voyce wherwith the same God doth comfort and recreate all those blessed soules discouereth to them his Loue togeather with the secrets of his very hart And to heare also eueÌ„ with the ears of their bodies the sound of that praise and thanksgiuing wherwith all those men who are to be made happy after their Resurrection shall glorify Almighty God giue ioy to the whole court of heauen A man c We haue reason to aspire to eternall glory since nothing of this life can queÌ„ch our thirst who considereth and pondereth by these and such other discourses both of reason and faith the greatenes of these celestiall blessings and who findeth that neither the naturall appetite of reason and much lesse the supernaturall which he hath being caused in him by grace is satisfied or contented or quieted by al the benefits and gusts and delights of the earth but that euen whilst he hath them he becometh more hungry more discontent and more vnquiet then he was before that onely he can be satisfied by the delights and gusts which are in heauen will be induced vpon this motiue to desire the happines of heauen with a most vehement ardour of minde And he is animated and encouraged to begge it of God and to sigh and grone for it continually and he sayth with Dauid Psal 41. As the Hart with being chased and tired and hauing deadly thirst desires the waters and goes panting vp and downe in search therof so my soule being ouerwrought by the miseries of this life desireth thee o my God hath a mighty thirst and an vnsatiable appetit towards thee who art the fountaine of the liuing water both of grace glory which can only satisfie and appease my whole appetit How longe o Lord am I to liue in this place of banishment When wil it be granted me that being freed from the miseries of this exile I may present my selfe before thee and behould thee face to face and enioy thy presence in the society of those happy soules And as longe as this sentence of banishement lies vpon me that the sight of thy Diuinity is deferred I take contentment in nothing but spending of sighes and shedding of teares day and night throgh the excessiue desire that I haue to be with thee and by these teares my soule is comforted mantained Thus did Dauid and all those holy Patriarcks and Prophets and great seruants of God of the old Testament aspire sigh and groane with vehement desire of this celestiall beatitude And much more and with more reason did the Saints of the newe Testament performe the same and so should all true Christians do First because till the passion of Christ our Lord was past the Saints how fully soeuer they were purged from all sinne and paine went not yet to heauen but to the Lymbus of the holy Fathers where they staid froÌ„ entring into heaueÌ„ till the redemption of the world were accomplished by Christ our Lord. But since his death all they who are purified either in this life or in the other do instantly rise vp to the possessioÌ„ of euerlasting beatitude And secondly now in tyme of the lawe of grace the guifts of the holy Ghost are more aboundantly communicated to the faithfull so they receiue more consolations and spirituall ioy and haue more gust feeling and experience of celestiall graces and do more perfectly vnderstand the height the value and the maiesty therof and consequently they desire them more with more ardour of affectioÌ„ then did the Saints of the old Testament It doth also increase this desire in the tyme of the lawe of grace to knowe that heauen is full of blessed creatures who are of the race of mankinde and who are expecting vs there and do greatly desire our Society For by the entry which any one of the elect doth make into heauen the glory of God is increased who is far more beloued and praised and glorified by the iust in heauen then on earth and so also doth the accidentall ioy and glory of euery one of the elect increase vpon the arriuall of any other But much more then they altogether doth d This reason would extremely oblige vs though ther were no other Christ our Lord who redeemed saued vs by his death desire to haue vs there with him Both because he loueth vs much more then they all are able to do as also for that by the entry of the elect into heauen and by the possession which theÌ„ is giuen theÌ„ of that kingdome the whole fruit of his passion and death is gathered all that is perfected and established which he did and suffred for vs heere that so he might make vs completely happy be like to himselfe in glory be partakers of his heauenly kingdome and in fine to make vs such as that togeather with him we may perfectly prayse and glorify and enioy his eternall Father For these reasons doth he much desire to see vs in heauen and when that desire of his is satisfyed by the ascent which any of the elect maketh thither that most sacred soule of our Lord doth receaue a new delight ioy which belongeth to his accidentall glory For as that kind of glory may increase in any of those other Blessed Spirits so may it also do in the most glorious Humanity of Christ our Lord. CHAP. XX. How from this knowledge concerning the Kingdome of Heauen which Christ our Lord will giue his seruaÌ„ts we are to gather a resolute purpose to fly from sinne and to fullfill the Commandments of God to despise the commodityes of this life THE a The consideration of eternall glory must awake vs to hate fly from sinne third and the principall vse which we are to make of this our knowledge and estimation and desire of heauenly beatitude is a stout and resolute minde and
that good cause which he hath begun Let vs all both heare and with great fidelity obey the voyce of that Prophet who sayth 2. Paral. 25. You who are the people of God do you encourage and animate yourselues to serue him and to continue in that seruice of his without dismay for in fine your labours shall 〈◊〉 answered with a great reward CHAP. XXI How we are much to animate our selues to the exercise of good workes considering the great estimation which Christ our Lord doth make of them at the day of Iudgement and the reward which he also imparteth to thē THERE is also another particular consideration belonging to this diuine Iudgment and to the reward of good workes which doth greately moue the soule to labour hard in the seruice of God And this is the Reason and Tytle which Christ our Lord alledgeth in giuing his benediction and reward to the iust when he saith Matt. 25. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdom which is prepared for you For I was hungry and you gaue me to eat I was thirsty and you gaue me to drinke I was a stranger you receiued me into your howse I was sicke and in prison and you came to visit me For a The great valew which our Lord doth make euen of our least good workes by these words Christ our Lord doth mightily discouer the estimation and price which he hath stamped vpon good workes which are done in grace and the great fauour and honor which they receiue in his diuine presence the much that they please him and the immense glory wherwith he rewardeth them since so meane workes so very easy to be wrought as it is to giue a peece of bread to a poore hūgry body or a cup of water to a thirsty or a shirt to couer the naked or a nights lodging to a stranger or a visit to an imprisoned or sick person though it be but to comfort him with good words for we see he doth not say I was sicke and you cured me or I was imprisoned and you freed me but such easy workes as are those other and which put vs to so little cost and trouble that excellent Maiesty of his is pleased to publish proclaime in that great Theater vpon the day of Iudgement in the presence of the whole world and he setteth out and praiseth them which his owne sacred mouth he sublymes then so high as to take them for seruices and deare fauours imparted to his owne persō which giue him great contenment gust And so much b That which maketh a good worke meritorious is the flowing of it from the grace of God in Christ our Lord and the being seconded by his promise of a reward which promise makes the reward due account he makes therof as to esteeme them for merits which are worthy of eternall life and he receaues them as a price of the kingdome of heauen And he esteemeth them for meritorious that not only all together but euery one of them a part and a part he takes euery one of them for the price of glory and of that kingdome which hath no end But c What will not our Lord do to vs for greater worke since he doth so much for the lesse now if Christ our Lord who so highely esteemes and vouchsafes the fauour of so great reward to so light and easy workes as those what will he do to such workes of mercy as are great hard and which grow out of much Charity As when a man doth giue all his goods or a great part therof to the poore or lodge Pilgrims for a long tyme and serue them and prouide them of all things necessary depriue himselfe of clothes to cloth the poore naked Christian and to serue sicke persons day and night and that in the case of troublesome and contagious diseases as when they may be struckē with the plague and to drawe with much trouble of person and charge of purse such as are prisoners or Captiues out of their chaines How much I say will Christ our Lord esteeme such works as these which cost much labour and money and for the performing whereof a man endures much incommodity and imbraceth many paineful things and wrastling with store of difficulties and mortifies himselfe much to comfort others renounces his owne will in many things that so others may be comforted and releeued There can no doubt be made but that much more he will esteeme them and will afford them the fauour in that day of Iudgement of a reward so much higher as the works are more excellent more acceptable in his eyes for being growne vp out of greater Charity And if the Corporall works of mercy which are exercised vpon the bodyes of men which must quickly dy and for the maintenance and preseruation of this corporall life which is soone to haue an end be so much esteemed and fauoured and so highly rewarded by Christ our Lord what will he be sure to do to the workes of spirituall mercy wherby immortall soules are succoured redrest and wherby they being deliuered from the death of sinne and euerlasting paine there is imparted to them saluation and a life of euerlasting glory A plaine d How much therefore are we bound to such as do assist our soules though it be with hazard of their liues case it is that the worke of mercy wherby a soule is assisted is more excellēt then that other wherby a body is releeued that these works of piety wherby the spirituall and eternall life is holpen is of much more valew and merit then that other wherby that corporall and fraile life is succoured For as much as according to S. Thomas D. Thom. cont Gen. l. 4. cap. 55. Amongst all those things which are created no one is greater then the saluation of a reasonable soule which consisteth in the enioying of God So also there is no other greater almes then that wherby this saluation and this life of grace and glory is procured consequently a much greater benefit doth he impart to another who remedieth the necessityes of his soule then if he had giuen him a great sūme of money And since they who giue a little bread to the hungry and a little water to the thirsty and they who retyre a Pilgrime to their house and apparel a naked person with a peece of cloth and visit a man who is in prison or sicke giuing him a little temporall comfort be so esteemed and honoured by Almighty God in the presence both of heauen earth in that terrible tribunall of his Iudgment and are so enobled and sublymed with the Crowne of celestiall glory and with the dignity of the euerlasting kingdome what will Christ do that most iust and righteous Iudge and that most liberal God with them who dispense the bread of heauenly doctrine to such as haue need and are hungry after it