may be seene before all the world in his high throne to iudge all synners to the end that it may be fulfilled which is written in the booke of Iob Iob. 16. Thy cause is iudged as the cause of a wicked maÌ„ thou shalt receaue or take to thy selfe both cause and Iudgement And therefore the ignominious shame of the passion of the sonne of God shall be iustly recompensed with the glory of his being Iudge and maiestically sitting in the Theatre of whole world and then shal be fulfilled that of the Apostle At the name of Iesus let euery knee be bowed of all that are in heauen in earth aâ—â—â— hell The third reason is that the reward of the good may be full and entiere the reward of vertue is honour and glory for that many men for their vertue most excellent haue openly beene put to death as wicked malefactours it is meete that their vertue and innocency should be declared in that open Court and Theatre of the world To this ranke the holy Martirs of God do specially apperteyne who shall there appeare triumphantly crowned before the eyes of their persecutours Pagans or heretiks Princes or Kings or of what degree soeuer The fourth reason is for the confusion of hypocrites for there are some who dye with the opinion of Sanctity wheras indeed they are impure and wicked as are all heretikes Caluinists Aâ—â—baptists and the like and such were they of whome Saint Cyprian writeth in his booke of the vnity of the Church Ardeant â—icet flaÌ„mis c. Let them burne in flames â—et them leese their liues eyther by the fire â—r beasts that death of theirs shall not be â—he crowne of faith but the punishment â—f their perfidiousnes it shall not be esteemed the glorious issue of religious vertue â—ut a wicked or desperate death So he Therfore it is necessary that the hipocriâ—y of seducers or seduced people be at least detested and layed open in the vniuersall Iudgement which in the particuler cannot so conueniently be done The fifth reason is that the soules bodyes may be iudged both togeather for in the particuler iudgement only the soules are iudged and receaue eyther reward or punishment but in the generall â—udgement the whole men must appeare both in soule and body and because the soules haue synned togeather with the bodyes or else haue done well and merited so likewise is it expedient that after the resurrection the soules receaue togeather with their bodyes eyther glory or confusion happines or woe ioy or torment To conclude the sixth and last reaâ—on is that not only the good or bad deeds which we haue don in this life may haue their rewards or punishments but also the good or il which do proceed from 〈◊〉 good or bad workes and are propagated spread and continued vnto the end of the world that such in the end of the woâ—â—d may haue their due praise or reproofe And to make this more plaine we will expresse it by some examples there want not good men who do build hospitalls or monasteryes or schooles in which many sicke recouer their health many religious are trayned vp in vertue many schollers are instructed in learning thesâ— works well founded continew for a long tyme some write bookes profitable for the spreading abroad of wisdome of artes of vertue of all good actions by which many in all ages do profit and help their neighbours On the other side there bâ— many lewd men who with their waÌ„toâ— or seditious or hereticall books do seduce and destroy many and building vp Theaters for Fencers or Stageplayers or the like do hurt their neighbours for a long time after their death wherfor seing thâ— in the end of the world all processâ— shall haue also an end and â—he merittâ— and demeritts of all shal be finished it is very meet that in that day of all others which euer were from the beginning of the world most remarkable the definitiue seÌ„tence of the most suprem powerful most iust iudge be deliuered to end decide determyne all These are the causes why besides the particuler iudgment which shall be made in the death of euery particuler man there is another generall to be expected in the end of the world It remayneth now to explicate who shall be the Iudge in this dreadful iudgement from whence he shal come to what place he shall come whom he shall iudge and what shall be the sentence The Iudge without al doubt shal be our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 25. Act. 10. for thus himselfe speaketh in S. Matthew VVhen the Sonne of man shall come in his maiesty all his Angells with him then he shall fit on the seat of his maiesty and all nations shal be gathered togeather before him and the rest which followeth The same is confirmed by the Apostles Saint Peter Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Saint Peter sayth in the Acts It is he who is appointed Iudge of the liuing and dead Saint Paul in the same Acts Act. 17. God hath appointed a day in which he is to iudge the would in iustice by the man whome he hath ordeyned raising him from death Ioan. 5. S. Iohn thus writeth in his Ghospell The Father hath giuen him power to do iustice because he is the Sonne of man And in another place The Father iudgeth not any man but hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne The place from whence he shal come to iudgement is from heauen and he shall come as farre as the ayre neere vnto the earth that he may be seene and heard of all that shal be on the earth vnder him Heare I pray Christ himselfe in Saint Matthew You shall see the Son of man comming in the clowds of heauen 1. Thess 4. Heare the Apostle Saint Paul writing vnto the Thessalonians VVe shal be taken vp with them to meet with Christ in the ayre Ioel. 3. And the same did the Prophet Ioel foretell saying All nations shal be gathered togeather and I will bring them into the vale of Iosaphat there will I pleade with them Out of the wordes into the vale of Iosaphat we may well gather this iudgement to be the greatest that euer was for the hebrue word Iosaphat signifyes properly the iudgement of God and for that the vale of Iosaphat is neere vnto Hierusalem at the East side of the Temple as S. Hierome testifyeth in his Commentary on the third chapter of Ioel then which no place can be more fit for so great a iudgement for from thence is seen Hierusalem wheÌ„ our Lord did preach and foretold that the last iudgement should be from thence also is seene mount Caluary where Christ for the redemption of mankynd was nayled on the Crosse and mount Oliuet from whence as a Conquerour he ascended into heauen To this place Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen with al his Angels which are at the least thousands of thousands ten
three â—â—ings occurre to be considered the place The Place â—â—e tyme the manner The place is depth â—â—e tyme eternity the manner without â—easure I say that the place is depth for â—â—at the reprobate persons for their great synnes committed against the diuine Maieâ—y of God shall haue their prison in the deepest place of the world and which is furthest of from the pallace of God which is in heauen for it was conuenient that the pride of the Diuell and of proud men shold be condemned to this ptnishment Isa 14. for the Diuell sayd I will ascend into heauen I will aduance my throne ouer the starrs I will be like vnto the highest but it was answered him Thou shalt be throwne down into hell into the depth of the lake and the same shall befall vnto all such as are the children of pride Out of this first infelicity oâ— the reprobate there do flow three other darkenesse straitnes of place and beggary For whereas hell is in the center of the earth to which place neyther the beames of the sunne Moone or starrs can penetrate there can be no â—ight therein morâ— then that which proceedeth froÌ„ the brimstone fire which shall increase and not diminish their torment for by that darke stinking light they shall see the Diuells their most cruell enemyes they shall see also those men whether their frends or kinsfolkes who were cause of their destruction they shall finally see their owne nakednesse their beggary their bandes or chaines their owne torments all which perhaps they would desire not to see certeine it is that any thing which may yeld them any comfort they shall neuer see O darkenesse not darkenesse darkenesse to keep from our sight all that is good noâ— darkenes in laying open before vs all that may be to our discomfort affliction and torment As for the straitnesse of place that â—halbe so great as it shall scarce be able to â—ake the multitude of the damned bodyes For if the whole earth seeme in compariâ—on of the vastnes of heauen to be as Pliny with morall Philosophers say but an inâ—iuisible point or pricke of a pen and the place of hell comprizeth not the whole â—arth nor yet the one halfe but the lower part and center only and the number of the damned be farre greater then the number of the saued Apoc. 5. of which notwithstanding we reade in the Apocalyps I saw a â—reat multitude which no man was able to number who can conceaue or imagine what straites there be in hell Now let the great Kings Nabuchodonosor Darius Alexander Iulius Caesar and others whome the whole world cold not coÌ„teyn whiles they liued on earth go and enlarge if they can their straite habitation in hell let them see with all their wit and power if they can procure to lye more at ease or more mildely to be tormented O vanity of vanityes all mortall men labour to extend and enlarge their fields their territoryes their Kingdomes that for a short time they may vaunt and brag of the great multitude that is vnder their commaund and neuer thinke what a strait place expects them in hell where not for a short tyme but for all tyme and eternity will they nill they they must dwell Now what shall I say of the incredible beggary of the damned All the inhabitants of hell want all thinges that be good and are only in the abundance and multitude of then toâ—ments rich there shall the rich remember how they wallowed in their delights whiles they did liue on earth eyther in meate and drink or in braue apparell or in hunting or hauking or in gardens or vineyards or in theaters playes or other disportes but all this remembrance shall increase their punishment when they shall see themselues naked in hell lying in torments contemned and most miserably despoiled of all their wealth and prosperityes then will they say that which we read in the booke of wisdom spoken in the person of such men Sap. 5. VVhat hath our pride profited vs and what haue we goften by the bragging of our wealth All these thinges haue passed away like a shadow Let vs come to the second head which is Tyme Tyme How long shall this banishment of the damned endure in hell fire I would â—o God no longer then was the length of our mortall life But there will be no coÌ„â—arison betweene the one and the other â—ndurance for to tyme past there shall not succeed a set tyme to come but eterniâ—y which is beyond all tyme therefore so â—onge shall the wicked dwell in these torments as long as the eternity of God himselfe shal endure which as it wanteth a beginning so is it without al end euerlasting â—he wicked shall be tormented so long as â—he Saints shall be in glory and the damned shall dye as long as God shall liue and vnlesse God do cease to be that which he â—s which is impossible the reprobat shall neuer cease to be in the torments wherin they are O deadly life o mortall death If thou be life how doest thou kill If thou be death how doest thou endure Truly thou art neyther to be tearmed death nor life for eyther of them haue some good thing in them life hath rest and death an end But thou hast neyther rest nor end What then shall we say that thou art but the heape of all that euill which life and death haue in them A great thing doubtles it were if we could but meanly vnderstand what the eternity of torments doth meane this thought alone as a bridle would hinder all licentious liberty so make vs order and direct our liues â—s we should all seeme not to be Christians only but most holy Anchorets most vertuous religious men There remayneth of three things proposed the maÌ„ner Manner only which as we said is punishment without measure for the punishment of hell is not one particuler punishment but the heape of all punishments and torments togeather for in hell al the powers of our vnderstanding soule and all the senses as well internall as external are tormented that not by course or one after the other but all these torments like a torrent rush on altogeather violently vpon man here on earth as we haue no triall or experience of the generall ioyes or comforts of Saints so neyther of the generall calamnityes of the damned for heere he that hath sore eyes hath not commonly at the same tyme a king teeth and he who is troubled with hiâ— teeth complaines not of his eyes so likwise in the rest of the senses and corporall infirmityes but in hell at the selfe same tyme are susteined most cruell torments in all and euery member togeather when as thâ— fire compasseth about the whole body most seuerely torments it and yet consumes it not Goe you sayth the Iudge into euerlasting fire and the Prophet Isay Matth. 25. Isa 66. their worme doth not dye
from our harts which is the root and beginning of all our spirituall good and amongst these wordes of incrâ—dulity none are more hurtefull then the wordes of such as eyther deny the prouidence of God or the immortality of the soule of man for these wordes do not so much make heretikes as Atheists and lay open a wide gappe to all villanyes Another kind of these words is in detractions which quite destroy all fraternall charity are greedily heard but of the curious oÌ„ly Psal 100. for holy Dauid who was a man according to the hart of God saith in the psalm I persecuted him who did secretly detract his neighbour for that detractions do very often happen to be table-talke Saint Augustine to preuent this abuse at his owne table as recounteth Possidius in his life caused these two verses to be written in the wal ouer Quisquis amat dictis absentûm rodere vitam Hanc mensam indignam nouerit esse sibi Who others out of sight Do with detractions staine I warne that from this place They do themselues refrayne The third kinde of ill wordes are such as be adulatory for flattering speeches all men do heare willingly and yet they breed animosity and pride and pride is the Queene of all vices and most repugnant against God The fourth kind is of ill wordes that belonge vnto carnality consisteth in amorous speeches and lasciuious or wanton songes then which by the louers of this world no thing is heard with more delight when as nothinge is more hurtefull or dangerous these wanton songs are like vnto the songes of Mermaydes recounted by Poets which for no other end delighted the passengers then that they might therby cast them into the sea deuoure them Against all these dangerous darts one soueraigne remedy is to haue honest and good friends and withall care to be separated from the wicked for such as are strangers dare not detract speake any heresy flattering or lasciuious speeches vnto them whome before they neuer saw or haue no aquaintance withall And therefore Salomon instructing his sonne in the beginning of his Prouerbes setteth downe his first lesson in these wordes Audi fili c. My sonne heare the instruction of thy Father if synners shall seduce thee yeild not vnto them if they shall say come with vs let vs lay snares for bloud let vs lay a trap against the innocent let vs swallow him like hell aliue and whole as one descending into the lake we shall fynde all pretious substance we shall fill our howses with spoiles cast in thy lot with vs let there be but one purse amongst vs. My son walke not with them they ly in wait for their owne bloud and machinate deceits against their owne soules So he and this counsaile of a most wise man can easily remedy this sense of hearings that a man be not led away with ill wordes especially if we add thereunto that sentence of our Sauiour who was more wise then Salomon who plainly sayth that The enemyes of a man are those who dwell within him And so much of hearing Smelling The third sense is Smelling of which I shall not need to speak because this sense respecteth only sweet odours which haue no great power to hurt the mynde and pretious perfumes are not for all but concerne a very few such as are common as of flowers roses â—â—llyes and the like are harmelesse and may be vsed without offence The fourth sense is of Tasting Tasting the synnes that enter in at this gate to destroy the soule generally speaking are two gluttony and drunkennes but from these two many more do flow and of both the one and the other we haue one admonition of our Sauiour in Saint Luke Luc. 21. See that your harts be not ouercharged with gluttony and drunkennes and another of the Apostle not in bankettings and drunkennes And these two synnes in the Scriptures are reckoned among the mortall or deadly crymes by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Galathians saying Rom. 13. The workes of the flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes lasciuiousnes seruings of Idolls witchcrafts murthers drunkennes banquettings the like which as I haue foretold you so do I againe fortell that they which do such things shall not possesse the Kingdome of God Neither is this alone the punishment of these sins but besides this surfet and drunkennes do ouercharg mens harts in such manner that they are not able to rise vp to thinke and imbrace diuine and spirituall things which our Sauiour hath thaught vs and S Basil in an oration of fasting doth explicate by two most fit similituds the first of the suâ— and vapours for as the grosse vapouâ— which asceÌ„d out of moyst places do with their clowdes so couer the heauen as they hinder the beames of the sunne from shining on the earth so out of gluttony and drunkennes there are raised vp certeyne smokes and vapours in vs which darken the heauen of our vnderstanding take froÌ„ vs the heauenly beames of Gods grace The other similitud is drawn from smoke and bees for as bees the cunning artificers of hony are driuen out of their hiues with smoke so likewise the wisdome of God which like vnto a bee doth engender in our myndes the hony of vertues of grace and heauenly comforts is no wayes so soone expelled as by the smoke of gluttony drunkennes Adde hereunto that gluttony and drunkennes are both very hurtfull to our corporall health Antiphanes a most skilfull Phisitian as Clemens Alexandrius reporteth did affirme that there was but one cause of all sickenesses Lib. 2. Ped. to wit multitude variety of meates and on the other side S. Basil iudged it fit to call abstinence the mother of good health And it is the custome euery where of Phisitians first to prescribe abstinence to the sicke and commaund them to forbeare from flesh and wyne yea this riotous surfet of meat and drinke is not only hurtfull vnto the body and soule but also to our temporall estate and substance for this excesse of feeding hath made many rich men to become poore and finally it depriueth the poore and needy from the almes of rich for such as are not contented with moderate diet do easily wast al their goods on their own voluptuous pleasures that nothing is left to giue to the poore and that of the Apostle is fulfilled one doth hunger the other is drunke But leauing this let vs come to the remedyes the first of which may be the example of al the Saints of God I omit holy Hermits and Monkes of whome S. Hierome writeth to Eustochium that to eate any sod meat was held for lasciuious diet De custod Virginit ad Eustoâ— I omit Saint Ambrose who as writeth Paulinus in his life did fast euery day but on great holydayes and sundayes I omit S. Augustine who as writeth Possidius had alwayes for himselfe set one
and their fire is not quenched which wordes our Sauiour Christ thrice repeated in one chapter of Saint Marke the better to imprint in our harts the punishments of hell for durance to be eternall Marc. 9. and for this eternity most cruelly to torment the bodyes of the damned with incredible griefe Those who on earth by order of iustice haue seene a man burned in the fire haue beene scant able to endure the sight of that torment which yet is dispatched as it were in a moment but in case one neuer so faulty should endure for a whole day in the flames certeinly none were able to endure so dreadfull a spectacle Let then euery one within himselfe make this discourse if I cannot endure to see the burning of a man aliue with whome I haue nothing to doe how shall I be able to endure the burning of myne owne bodye for an howre day moneth or yeare And if this breed in me so great horrour and dread that I cannot so much as thinke vpon it with what intollerable folly doe I put my selfe in so great danger as to burn for euer If we belieue not the matter to stand thus where is our fayth If we belieue it where is our iudgement where is our wit If we be Christians if we belieue the holy Scriptures how can it be that so great danger hanging ouer our head we are not waked and stirred vp to preuent it He truly that will be saued let him enter into his hart and hauing diligently weighed all these thinges in their owne ballance let him so cary himselfe as that death may fynd him prepared hell fire not receaue him but rather he may happily deserue to enter into the ioyes of his Lord. CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the glory of the Saints THERE remainâ—th now the last of the four last things which is of the glory of Saints in haÌ„dling wherof I wil briefly consider the three heads aboue mentioned in the former chapter of Hell torments the place the tyme and the manner The place of the glory of the Blessed Saints is the heauenly Paradise the tyme eternity which hath no end the manner is celestiall happines exceeding all measure Let vs beginne with the first The celestiall Paradise is a place Place most high aboue all the mounteynes of the earth aboue all the elements aboue al the starrs and therefore the Kingdom of heauen is called in the Scriptures The howse of God the citty of the great King the citty of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem Out of the most high situation of this Citty we may easily perceaue that there are many priuiledges of this place aboue all the places of this world firsâ— by how much this place is higher aâ—ongst worldly thinges created by so much it is the greater and more capable for receipt for the forme or fashion of this world as it includeth heauens elements as we see is crowned â—n so much as all the whole earth is but the center thereof and the highest heauen or vtmost sphere including al the rest must needs be of infinit capacity a thing so euident as it needeth no proofe The place therefore of the Saints as it is most high so is it also most large and spatious as on the contrary side the the place of the damned as it is of al others most low so is it also most streight as we haue sayd Againe the place that is most high is also most pure for certeinly the water is purer then the earth the ayre theÌ„ the water fire then the ayre heauen then fire the supreme heauen then that of the starrs finally the place that iâ— most high is most secure in so much as there can no harme reach thereunto and no scourge as the psalmist sayth can come â—â—â—l 60. neere vnto his tabernacle First then the seate of Saints is most â—â—mâ—le and large that they may freely go â—rom oâ—e place to another neither is there any danger least they be wearyed by their trauell for hauing the gift of agility or nimblenes they can in a moment passe froÌ„ place to place without labour or difficulty now what pleasure and delight will it be now to passe from the east to the west now to transport our selues froÌ„ the south to the north and in an instant to compasse or go about the whole world whils the damned in hell being bound hand foot remayne for all eternity without further motion in the same place and this felicity of Saints shall be the greater for that they enioy that most pure refreshing in heauen which neyther darkenes nor clowdes nor vapours nor blasts of wynd nor any contagion can defile whiles the most miserable captiues of hell are constrayned to lye in the thicke darkenesse smoke of that burning fornace in that place so ouercharged with horrour without al hope or expectation of any though neuer so little refreshment Now what shal I say of that supernall Citty most safe from all treaâ—on and harme Prayse Hierusalem our Lord prayse â—â—y God o Sion Psal 147. because he hath made stronge the bâ—â—â—s thy gates This defending or making strong of the gates doth not signify that whiâ—â— the wordes seeme to sound for it is saâ—â— in the Apocalips of the heauenly Citty Et portae eius non claudentur per diem nox enim noâ— erit illic The gates thereof shall not be shâ—â— in the daytime for there is no night there and therefore God hath made stronge thâ— barrs of the gates because he hath made iâ— impregnable by reason of the height and although the Dragon fought in heauâ—â— with Michael the Archangell the cause thereof is not for that he ascended out of hell into heauen but that being created in heauen before his confirmatioÌ„ in grace he rebelled against God and puffed vp with pride affected his equality but because tâ—â— heauenly Hierusalem is fonded in peace 〈◊〉 enemy of peace could not stay therin but preseÌ„tly like a flash of lightning fell from heauen and after that time could neuer set his foot therein from that time no maâ— is admitted to inhabit this Hierusalem vnlesse he be grounded and perfectly confirmed in peace And so much of the place Let vs speake now of the tyme the time of inhabiting the celestiall Hierusalem is â—ftâ—â— the fall of the diuell Tyme a tyme without â—yme that is an euerlasting durance without the enterchange of daies and nights so in the Apocalips the Angell swore by him that liueth for euer that there shall be no more tyme and Christ in the Ghospell the iudgement being ended will say Hi ibunt sic in ignem aeternum iusti autem in vitam aeâ—ernam so they shall go to wit the wicked into euerlasting fire and the iust into euerlasting life but this difference there shall be between these eternities that they damned
shall against their will endure theirs and shall seeke for death and shall not fynde it but contrarily the iust shall heare nothing so ioyfully as their eternity that is a life without feare of dying standing in vertue without feare of falling It resteth that in few wordes we explicate the manner how the Saints shal be in heauen after the resurrection Manner And I hold this may most truly be affirmed that whatsoeuer good thinges are wished for on earth although combined mingled with many bad the same but farre better and without all mixture of any euill â—o be enioyed of the Saints in heauen The thinges that on earth are valued and esâ—eemed for good are these three honouâ—s riches pleasures the honour of the Saints in heauen is such as it seemeth incredible vnlesse it were warranted by his worde who cannot lye heare our Sauiour Christ who is truth it selfe thus speaking in the Apocalips of Saint Iohn To him that ouercoÌ„meth I will graunt to sit in my throne Apocal. 3. as I also haue ouercome and sitten in my Fathers throne what I pray you can be added to this honour Doubtles the throne of the Sonne of God is the highest in heauen and he who sitts thereon may well be thought to haue gotten vnspeakable honour what applauses what prayses shall there sound out in heauen before God and all the Angels when as a man once mortall and frayle shall by the hands of God himself be placed in the throne of the Sonne of God who is the Prince of all Kings of the earth and King of Kings and Lord of Lords nothing I say can be added vnto this glory As touching the power of a Saint that also shal be so great as that we are scaÌ„t able to imagine it for there is extant a promise of the same Christ the eternall â—ruth in the Ghospell of the faythfull serâ—ant Matth. 24. 〈◊〉 men I say vnto you he shall mak him gouerâ—ur ouer â—ll his goods which words do plainâ—y shew this faithfull seruant to be made partaker of that power in heauen which God himselfe hath ouer all his creatures and how great thinke you is the power of God ouer all creatures Truly most great most incomparable therfore al the Saints shall be called and truly shal be Kinges of the whole world not for a few yeares but for euer and this is the sentence which Christ the supreme Iudge will pronounce in the last iudgement when he shall say to the iust Come ye Blessed of my Father Matth. 25. possesse a Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde Of the riches of the Saints this alone might suffice that the riches shall be most copious and for euer permanent the Prophet telling vs Psalm 112. Glory and riches are in his howse and God himselfe wil be all in all as the Apostle sayth in his epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15. which wordes Theophilact and S. Anselme do so expound as they make them to yield this sense God shall be all in all for heere meate is one thinge vnto vs drinke another another our garment another our howse another honour another power in heauen after the resurrection Goâ— himselfe will be to all his Saints meaâ— drinke garments house riches pleasure honouâ— power all things then that the Saints shal haue in heauen shall be most precious all incorruptible all diuine all God himselfe Saint Hierome addeth in his epistle to Amandus that God will be all thinges vnto the Saints not only corporall but also spirituall for now all diuine graces are not giuen vnto all but vnto one wisdome as vnto Salomon to another piety as vnto Dauid to another patience as vnto Iob but when the end of all thinges shal be then shall all thinges be in all that so euery one of the Saints only may possesse al vertues all gifts all thinges What I beseech you would a couetous man giue in this world that he might possesse alone all the riches and wealth thereof what the leacherous man that he might atteyne all the wanton pleasures which he doth desire What the ambitious that he may get all the honours and preferments which he doth aspire vnto And yet are these temporall matters and soone to be lost and which is more miserable after a very â—â—ort tyme are to be exchanged with euer â—stiâ—g beggary griefe and shame Why â—â—en do we not seeke God in whom alone â—e shall possesse all spirituall and corpoâ—all blessings which shall last continew â—ith vs for euer But what finally shall we say of the ioy and pleasure of Saints Isay and Saint Paul do preach and â—ell vs The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor hath it entred â—â—to the hart of man what God hath prepared for such as do loue him Truly God hath prepared â—or the Saints who loue him in their heaâ—enly home ioy mirth pleasure delights â—weetnes and that such as no mortall maÌ„ hath euer tasted or was euer able to haue imagined three thinges are required to procure delectation the power of the soule the obiect and the vnion or coniunction of one with the other and by how much these are the greater by so much also the delectation which is caused by theÌ„ is the greater there is no power created greater or more liuely or more capable of delight then the will of man or Angells there is no obiect more noble more amiable and sweet then the essence of our Creatour Psal 33. Gustate viâ—â—teâ— sayth Dauid quoniam suauis est dominus tast and see for that our Lord is sweet and the wise man speaking of the sunne starâ—s sayth VVith whose beauty if they being delighted thought them to be Gods Sap. 13. let them know how much 〈◊〉 beautifull their maker is for the Authour of beauty hath made all these thinges and there can be no coniunction or vnion more great then is that of God with a reasonable wil the Apostle telling vs 1. Cor. 6. That he who adhereth 〈◊〉 God is made one spirit with him The coniunction of bodyes for the most part is but superficiall and doth not penetrate all the interiour parts and yet this corporal pleasure so rauisheth mens myndes as it makes them almost to become mad what suauity what sweetnesse then shall the soule tast when it shall be inwardly conioyned with God who is infinit sweetnes and â—e made one spirit with him Heere I waâ—â— wordes and am no way able to expresse what with my selfe I conceaue and ruminate Add hereunto that all humane pleasure which is caused by the creaturs is buâ— momentary or certainly very short but the pleasure that ariseth out of the coniunction of mens spirit with God who is â—nfinit sweetnes will neuer be ended and yet so great madnes is in many meÌ„ as they had raâ—her enioy carnall pleasures base â—mall and for a short tyme then those â—hat are most great most
two thousand yeares and more hath remayned without all rest in hell fire what comparison deere Christian is there betweene twenty and two thousand yeares who would desire to haue twenty yeares of all possible and perfect pleasure in this life if for certeyn he shold know that for the same he shold remayn two thousand yeares in a burning fornace And is there any so sensles who would vndergo the greatest torment that can be deuised I say not for two thousand but two hundred yeares that he might here enioy neuer so great pleasure Whaâ— if hereunto I should add the torment of hel which is not to endure for two thousand yeares only but for euer without any end at all Surely this eternity of torments without all intermission without all rest of repose is so great a matter as it may make euen an iron hart or brazen brest to stoope and do pennance And the same consideration may the reader apply vnto Dauid and weigh as it were in a ballance his tribulation which was momeÌ„tary and light with that eminent and euerlasting glory and pleasure which the same King now after his death atteyned in heauen although the torments of hell vse more to moue vs then the ioyes of paradise The second example shal be of the Glutton and Lazarus in S. Luke The rich Glutton for a small while made merry with his friends for he was clad in purpose and silke and feasted euery day suÌ„ptuously Lazarus on the other side was a beggar lay sicke at the gate of the glutton full of soares and desired to bâ— fedd with the crummes which fell fâ—â—m the rich mans table no man did giue theÌ„ but a little after al these things were chaÌ„ged and turned vpside downe the rich â—lutton dyed and descended into hell Laâ—arus also dyed was caryed by the Anâ—ells into a place of rest to wit into the â—osome of Abraham And truly the Glutton â—fter a very short comfort beganne to be â—ormented in the infernall flames and â—here now is tormented and for euer shal â—e without all rest or stop Lazarus being â—oore patient and vertuous after a short â—ribulation passed vnto rest in the bosom of Abraham and after the resurrection of Christ entred into heauen where for euer he shall remayne in glory Certainly had we liued at that tyme few or none of vs would haue desired to be like Lazarus but all or the most part had desired to be like the rich Glutton and yet now all of vs doe esteeme Lazarus to be most happy and the Glutton most miserable why then do we not now whiles the choyce is in our hands chuse the vertue of Lazarus rather then the vices of the glutton I say not that riches are to be condemned seeing that Abraham Dauid and many other Saâ—â—ts were rich but gluttony ryot vanity â—ant of compassion and other vices which brought this Glutton vnto hell fire are to be condemned neyther do we only looke on the pouerty and soares of Lazarus but we commend his patience piety although that this be much more to be admired in vs that we knowing things to stand thus and esteeming the glutton most foolish and Lazarus most wise yet that there are so many found that continually imitate the folly of the gluttoÌ„ when as they may be assured that they shall be like vnto him in torments as they haue been like him in their vicious life and wicked courses The third example that remayneth is of Iudas the traytour and S. Matthias 〈…〉 1. 〈…〉 who succeeded the sayd Iudas in the Apostleship Iudas was vnhappy in this world most vnhappy in the next 〈…〉 â—ra three yeares he followed our Sauiour still labouring by sacrilegious theft to fill his purse not conteÌ„ted with that mony which he took for himself out of the coÌ„mon allowance but the infectioÌ„ of couetousnes pricking him forward he came at last to that point as he sold his Lord and maister but afterwards being driueÌ„ by the diuell into despaire he restored the mony and hanged himself so lost both temporaâ— euerlasting life therefore our Sâ—â—â—our pronounced that dreadfull sentâ—â—â—e of him It had beene good for him that he had neuer beene born S. Matthias wâ—â— succeeded him Matth. 2 that is to say was chosen in his place endured a momeÌ„tary labour trouble not without great aboÌ„ndance of heauenly delights now al his labour trouble being ended he raigneth most happily with Christ in heauen whome most faithfully he serued honoured vpon earth This comparison of Iudas with S. Matthias perteyneth vnto Bishops religious meÌ„ Iudas was an Apostle consequentâ—â— designed to be Bishop for of Iudas and S Matthias S. Peter interpreted these words of the psalm Let another tak his Bishoprike the same Iudas is to be reckoned among the religious because S. Peter sayd of al the Apostles Behold we haue left all haue followed thee what shall we haue for the same Iudas then of al others most vnfortunat after he had fallen down from the soueraigne state of perfection by restoring the mony he lost that little gayn which he had so il gotteÌ„ making himselfe his own hang-maÌ„ is now damned to endles punishment who may be an example vnto al Bishops religiouâ— men to looke about them see how thâ—â—alke what daÌ„ger hangs ouer their hâ—â—ds vnles by good life they be answereable to the perfeâ—â—â—oÌ„ of their staâ— vnto which God h◠〈◊〉 called theÌ„ for Saâ— the Glutton departed by death froÌ„ the teÌ„poral felicity came into endles misâ—ry Iudas had no teÌ„poral felicity at all buâ— the shadow oÌ„ly hope of felicity yâ—â— by killing himself he came to euerlastinâ— daÌ„nation that more grieuous then thâ— oâ—her eyther Saul I mean or the gluttoÌ„ Anâ— in case that Iudas had enriched himself aâ—â—â—â— all meÌ„ of the world yet had afteâ—â—on to eternall pouerty endles torments of hell as indeed he came what good had the huge heap of all his riches done him Let then the argument which I made in the beginning of this Chap. which now I repeat out of the wordes of the Apostle remayn most firme vncoÌ„troled Our tribulation which now is but for a moment light worketh aboue measure most eminently an euerlasting weight of glory in vs we not looking at the things that are seene but at the things that are not seene for the things that are seene are Temporall but the thinges which are not seene are Eternall FINIS
sexes which the knowledg of God alone doth comprize Wherefore let this principle stand without all checke or controle that the rule of dying well dependeth vpon the other rule of a good life CHAP. II. Of the second precept of dying well which is to dye first to the world NOw then to proceed that a man do liue well aboue all things it is necessary that he dye to the world before he dye to this corporall life For all such as liue to the world are dead to God and it is impossible that any can begin to liue to God vnles he first dye vnto the world This verity is so euidently deliuered in the holy scriptures as it cannot be called into question but by Infidells and misbelieuers and that in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses euery word may stand I will alleadge the holy Apostles S. Iohn S. Iames and S. Paul witnesses beyond all exception as in whome the holy Ghost who is the spirit of truth did most cleerly speake So then writeth S. Iohn the Apostle Euangelist Ioan. 14. or rather affirmeth Christ thus to speake Venit Princeps mundi huius in me non habet quicquam the Prince of this world cometh and in me he that nothing where by the Prince of the world he vnderstandeth the deuill who is the Prince of all the wicked and by the world the company of all synners who loue the world and are beloued of the world and the Euangelist addeth a litle after si muÌ„dus vos odit Ioan. 15. scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit si de mundo fuissetis mundus quod suum erat diligeret quia verò de mundo non estis sed ego elegi vos de mundo propterea odit vos mundus If the world doe hate yow know ye that it hated me before it hated you if you had bene of the world the world would loue his owne but because you are not of the world and I haue chosen you out of the world Ioan. 17. therefore doth the world hate you and in another place ego non pro mundo rogo sed pro eis quos dedisti mihi I pray not for the world but for those whome thou hast giuen vnto me In which wordes our Sauiour plainly declareth by the word world to be vnderstood those who with their Prince the deuill shall heare in the last day of Iudgement that sentence pronounced against them Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum go ye accursed into hell fier The same Apostle in his epistle addeth nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in muÌ„do sunt c. Doe not loue the world nor those things which be in the world if any man loue the world the charity of the father is not in him because whatsoeuer is in the world is the coÌ„cupiscence of the flesh the concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life which is not of the father but of the world and the world passeth away and the concupiscence thereof he who doth the will of Goâ— remaineth for euer Now 〈◊〉 vs â—eare his fellow-Apostle S. Iameâ— who thus speaketh in his epistle Adulteri nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi inimica est Dei Iacob 4. quicumque ergo voluerit esse amicui saeculi huius inimicus Dei constituitur Aduouterers know you not that the frendship of this world is the enemy of God whosoeuer therfore will be a friend of this world is made the enemy of God Finally let vs heare S. Paul fellow-Apostle of them both and the vessell of election he in his first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 5. writing vnto all the faithfull saith debueratis de hoc mundo exysse you should haue gone forth out of this world and againe in the same epistle dum iudicamur à Domino corripimur 1. Cor. 11. vt non cum hoc mundo damnemur whiles we are iudged of our Lord we are punished that we may not be damned with this world Where euidently he declareth the whole world to be damned at the latter day and therfore by the world he vnderstandeth not heauen and earth nor all the people of the world but those only who loue the world for the iust and vertuous in whose brests the loue of God and not the lust of the flesh doth raigne and preuaile are in deed in the world but are not of the world but the wicked and vngodly are not only in the world but are of the world and for that cause not the charity of God doth rule and raigne in their harts but the concupiscence of the flesh that is leachery and the concupiscence of the eyes that is couetousnes pride of life that is swelling aÌ„bition by which they aduaunce themselues aboue others and imitate the arrogancy and pride of Lucifer and not the humility and meekenes of Iesus Christ And this being so if any man will indeed learne this art of dying well he must seriously not in word tongue but in worke and truth go out of the world yea dye also to the world say with the Apostle mihi mundus crucifixus Galat. 6. est ego mundo the world is crucifyed to me I to the world This great weighty affayre is not ludus puerorum sport and pastime of children but a most important and difficult matter and for that cause our Lord being demanded whether the number of such as are to be saued were small answered contendite intrare per angustaÌ„ portam striue to eÌ„ter in at the narrow gate Luc. 13. and more largely in S. Matthew intrate per angustan portam quia lata est porta spatiosa via est quae ducit ad perditionem Matth. 7. multi sunt qui intrant per eam quà m augusta porta arcta via est quae ducit ad vitam pauci sunt qui inueniunt eam Enter in at the narrow gate because the gate is wide way is broad which leadeth to perdition and many there be who do enter by it how narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that do find it To liue in the world and to contemne the commodities of the world is a most hard and difficult thing to see faire things and not to loue them to tast sweet things and not to be delighted with theÌ„ to despise honours to desire labours to put himselfe in the lowest place to yield vnto others all higher degrees and finally without flesh as it were to liue in flesh is rather to be tearmed an Angelicall theÌ„ a humane life and yet the Apostle writing to the Church of Corinth in which almost euery one liued togeather with their wiues and consequently were neyther Clergy men nor Monkes nor Anchorets but as we now vse to tearme them were secular men in this manner notwithstanding he speaketh vnto theÌ„ hoc itaque dico fratres 1. Cor.
securely meet with our Sauiour at his retourne from the marriage There remayneth the third office or duty of a faithfull seruant that he alwayes watch because he is vncertayne when his maister will come Blessed are those seruants saith Christ whome their maister when he shall come shall fynde watching God Almighty would not haue all men at a certeyne tyme or period of their age to depart this life least they should bestow all the tyme of their life til then in gluttony and drunkennes plaies and desportes or in other ill works and then afterwards a little before their death to recal themselues retourne vnto God wherefore his diuine prouidence hath so ordeyned that nothing should be more vncerteyne then the houre of our death whiles some as we see dye in their mothers wombe others as soone as they are borne if not in their very birth some in hoary old age others in the very flower of their youth againe some we see by long lingring to languish away others to dye sodenly some to recouer from a most desperate sicknes others to be but a little sicke whiles they seeme free from death the disease increaseth and they depart this life and to make vs the better see this vncertaynty our Sauiour sayd Et si venerit c. Luc. 12. If he shall come in the second watch or if in the third watch so shall fynd his seruants to wit watching blessed are those seruants for know you this that if the maister of the house shold know at what houre the theefe would come truly he would watch and not suffer his house to be ransacked and be you prepared because the Sonne of man will come at such an hower as you thinke not on Moreouer that we might vnderstand of what weight this matter is to be well perswaded of the vncertainty of our life of the houre in which our Lord will call vs to iudgement eyther in the death of euery particuler or else at the later day the Scripture doth repeate nothing so often as that one word Vigilate watch and the similitude of a theefe who vseth not as you know to come but at such a tyme and place where and when he is least expected the word watch is in many places repeated in the Ghospells of S. Mathew Marke and Luke and the similitude of a thiefe is not only in the Gospels but also in the Epistles of the Apostles Apocalyps of S. Iohn Of all which we may euidently perceaue how great the negligence and ignorance not to say madnes and folly of most men is that so often admonished by the spirit of truth by the pens of the Apostles who could not lye nor deceaue vs that we be still prepared for death as a thing most great and difficult and on which dependeth our greatest and euerlasting happines or our greatest and euerlasting destruction and yet that there be so few that are stirred vp by these wordes or rather thunderings of the holy Ghost to prepare themselues thereunto Heer some will say what counsaile do you giue vs that we may watch as we should and by watching be prepared to make a happy end I can thinke of nothing better then that we often prepare our selues to death by a serious and due examination of our conscience and truly Catholike people when they come euery yeare to confession omit not to examine their consciences and againe when they begin to be sicke and the Phisitians by the decree of Pope Pius V. are forbidden to come the second tyme vnto them vnlesse after the examination of their conscience they haue also made a confession of their syns finally there are none in the Catholike Church but neere the hower of their death examine their consciences and confesse their synnes But what shall we say of such as are taken away by soden death What of such as become mad or leese their witts before they can make their confession What of those who are so ouerburthened with the extremity of sicknes as they cannot so much as thinke how many or what sins they haue coÌ„mitted What of those who in dying do synne or in synning doe dye as those who fight in vniust warre or in single combat or are taken in adultery To auoid therefore prudently and religiously these and the like inconueniences nothing better can be deuised then that all those who esteeme and make account of their saluation do twice euery day to wit at noone and night diligently discusse their conscience what the night or day before they haue done what they haue sayd what they haue desired what they haue thought in which any spot of synne may be found and if they fynd any such especially any thing that may seeme a mortall synne let them not delay the remedy of true contrition with firme purpose at the first opportunity to come to the Sacrament of pennance wherefore let them aske of God the gift of true compunction and sorrow let them call to mynde the grieuousnes of synne let them detest from their hart the fault committed let them seriously discusse who it is that doth offend whome he hath offended to wit a vile wretch Almighty God an vnprofitable seruant the Lord of heauen and earth let not their eyes cease from teares nor their hands froÌ„ knocking their brest and finally let them make a true and resolute purpose neuer more to prouoke Gods wrath nor to offend their most louing Father This examination if it be well made morning and euening or at least once in the day it can very hardly happeÌ„ that any one in dying should synne or in synning dye or be preuented with giddines madnes or other like misfortunes and so being well prepared to dye neyther the vncertainty can hurt vs or we be depriued of the glorious reward of euerlasting life CHAP. V. Of the fifth precept or rule of the Art of dying well in which is detected the errour of the Rich men of this world TO that which hath been sayd we are to adioyne the refutation of a certeyne errour very vulgar amongst the rich men of this world and it much hindereth the good life and death we haue spoken of The errour consisteth in this that rich men do esteeme the goods which they possesse to be absolutely and truly their owne if they possesse them by due clayme tytle and therefore that they may lawfully wast them giue them as they list neyther may any man say vnto them why do you thus Why go yoâ— so braue in apparell Why do you faâ—â— and feast so daintely Why are you so prodigall and lauish in feeding doggs oâ— hawkes or in play at dâ—ce or cardes oâ— in like delighting pastimes For the will forth with answere you what 〈◊〉 that to you May I not do with myâ—â— owne goods what I list or must I askâ—â— your leaue and counsaile how to bestow them This truly is a most grieuous and pernicious errour For suppose the rich
of this world are true owners of their owne wealth if they be coÌ„pared vnto other men who can lay no claim vnto theÌ„ yet if they be compared vnto God they are not maisters but administratours oâ— stewards or bayliffs of them which I caâ— proue by many authorityes Heare the kingly Prophet what he saith hereof Psal 23. Domini est terra saith he c. The earth is our Lords and all the plenty thereof the whole world and all that dwell therin And againe in another place Psal 29. Meae sunt omnes c. All the wild beasts of the forests and all the cattle on the mountaynes are myne if I shall be hungry I will not tell it vnto thee for myne is the whole world and the plenty therof in the first book of Paralipomenon when as Dauid had offered towards the building of the temple three thousand talents of gold 1. Paralip 29. and seuen thousand talents of most pure siluer and wonderfull great store of white marble and when the other Gouernours of the Tribes following the example of the King had offered fiue talents of gold ten of siluer eighteene of brasse besides a hundred thousand talents of iroÌ„ Dauid sayd vnto God Tua est Domine c. All maiesty and power and glory O Lord is thyne 1. Paralip 29. all things which are in heauen in earth are thyne thine is the Kingdom and thou art ouer all Princes thyne are riches and thine is glory thou rulest all who am I and who is my people that we may promise thee all these things All things are thyne and what we haue receaued at thy hands that we haue giuen thee Againe by the Prophet Aggaeus God saith Aggaei 2. myne is siluer and myne is gold which therefore our Lord did say that the people might know that there should nothing be wanting for the buylding of the temple seing it was he that commaunded it to be buylt who is true Lord and owner of all the gold and siluer and what else soeuer is in the whole world To these testimonyes of the old testament I wil add two more of the new taken out of the very wordes of our Sauiour There is a parable in S. Luke of the wicked Bailiffe Luc. 16. Homo quidam erat diues c. There was a certayne man that was rich saith Christ and he had a bailiffe who was ill spoken of to his maister as one that had wasted his goods and he called him and sayd vnto him How comes it that I heare this of thee Render an account of thy bailifship for thou canst no more be bailiffe By this rich man there can be no doubt but that God is meant who as now out of Aggaeus we haue heard saith meum est argentum meum est aurum all siluer and gold is myne by the name of a bailiffe or steward as it is in the Greeke copyes is vnderstood a rich man as the holy Fathers S. Iohn Chrysostome S. Angustine S. Ambrose S. Bede Theophilact Euthimius and others on this passage of Saint Lukes Gospell doe interprete euery rich man then of this world if he belieue the Ghospell must confesse that all the riches he enioyeth whether by iust or vniust claime not to be his owne for if his tytle vnto them be good then is he only the bailiffe and steward of God if vniust then is he a theefe a robber That this worldly rich man in this world is not the true maister of the goods he possesseth is cleerly euinced because he is chardged with iniustice before God who eyther by bodily death or beggary dischargeth him of his Bailiffeship for so much doe these wordes import Redde rationem villicationis tuae iam enim non poteris villicare Yield an account of thy bailiffeship for thou canst no longer be bailiffe Neyther doth God want wayes to make rich men poore and to put them from their bailiffeship for he can send them shipwarcks robberies haile wormes that deuoure the herbes and vynes too much rayne too much droth too great stormes and other the like these are the words of God which hâ—â— sayd vnto the rich man non poteris diutiuâ— villicare thou canst no longer be bailiffe That clause in the end of thâ— parable where our Lord sayth Make yâ—â— frendes of the mammon of iniquity that when yâ—â— faile they may receaue you into the eternall tabernacles doth not signify that we are to giuâ— almes out of vnlawfull riches but thaâ— almes are to be giuen out of those richeâ— which indeed are not such but only thâ— shadow of riches which is euidently gâ—thered out of the same place of the Goâ—pell of S. Luke where our Sauiour sayth If you haue beene vnfaithfull in the wicked mammon who will trust you for that which is the true The meaning of which wordes is Luc. 16. if 〈◊〉 wicked mammon to wit in false riches yoâ— haue not beene faithfull and bountifully bestowed them on the poore who wilâ— commit true riches vnto your charge the riches I meane of vertue which indeed doe make a man rich Cyprian lib. de opere eleemosyna Aug. Quaest Euang. quaest 34. So S. Cypriaâ— vnderstood and explicated this place and not much vnlike is the exposition of S. Augustine when he sayth the mammon of iniquity is that riches which only wicked men and fooles repute for such whereas the good wise men make no account of it but affirme the spirituall gifts of grace alone to be the treasure of the faithful The other place of the Gospell is also in S. Luke Cap. 16. which may serue for a commentary of the former parable now mentioned of the wicked Bailiffe Homo quidam sayth our Sauiour erat diues c. There was a certayne rich man who was clad in purple and silke and fared euery day sumptuously and there was a certayn beggar called Lazarus who did lye at his gate full of soares desiring to be fed with the crumms that fel from the table of the rich man no body did giue them vnto him but the dogs did come licke his soares and it came to passe that the poore man dyed and was caryed by the Angells into Abrahams bosome and the rich man dyed was buryed in hel Doubtles this rich glutton was one of them who esteemed themselues true Lords and owners of their riches and not the bailiffs or stewards of God and consequently he was perswaded that he did not synne against God although he wore purple and silke and fared euery day daintily and fed many doggs and perhaps some Comicall iesters stage-plaiers also for he sayd 〈◊〉 himselfe I spend myne owne goods 〈◊〉 doe no man wrong I doe not transgresâ—â— the lawes of God I doe not blasphemeâ— I doe not forsweare my selfe I keepe tâ— sabboth I honour my parents I neythâ— kil nor coÌ„mit adultery nor steale nor giâ—â— false witnes nor seeke after
the table pulse as beanes pease c. and herbes and sometimes for his guests or such as were sicke flesh I omit all other Saints let this suffice thaâ— if any one attentiuely consider what he wâ—â— is Lord and Father of all did doe when he tooke vpon him the office of feeding the people in the desert without doubt he shâ—l need no other Maister to teach him this art of sobriety for God who is only powerfull only wise and only good who could and knew and would well prouide for his beloued people he I say for fourty yeares togeather did rayne them Manna from heauen and caused water to flowe out of the rocke This Manna was lik a cake made of meale and hony as is sayd in the booke of Exodus behold with what sobriety our most wise prouident Lord wold haue his people to dyne sup a cake was their meate water their drinke and yet were all in health all sound vntill such tyme as they began to desire flesh The sonne of this euerliuing Father Christ Iesus in whom were All the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God Coloss 2. imitating the former example Ioan. 6. whereas he would make a dinner and supper for many thousands of his auditour he layd before them pieces of bread and fish drink of water and this he did not only whiles yet he remained in this mortall life but also after his resurrection when as there was giuen him all power in heauen and in earth Matt. vlt. he made a dinner for his Apostles at the sea side of a little bread and fish Ioan. 21. and there is no mention there of wyne or any other thinge o how farre are the counsayles of God different from counsailes of men The King of heauen taketh pleasure in the simplicity of the earth is delighted with sobriety specially carefull for the enriching filling and cherishing of our soule and yet men had rather giue care vnto their owne coÌ„cupiscence vnto the diuel their enemy theÌ„ vnto God Philip vnlesse we conclude with the Apostle that the God of carnall men is no other but their belly There resteth the sense of touching Touching which of all the rest is most grosse yet most quicke and full of life by this sense the works of the flesh do enter in to defile our soule and corrupt others which the B. Apostle recounteth saying The workes of the flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes lasciuiousnes So as in three words he expressed all the kindes of leachery neyther is it needfull to proceed further in the explication of these thinges which should rather be vnknown amongst Christians their names not so much as once to be heard oâ— for so sayth the same Apostle writing vnto the Ephesians Let not fornication or any vncleannes be named amongst you Ephes 5. as it becommeâ—â— Saints These remedyes occur vnto me against all the synnes in this kinde they aâ—e in maÌ„ner the same wherwith PhisitiaÌ„s doe vse to cure the sicke First they begin with fasting or abstinence they forbid such as fall sicke the eating of flesh and drinking of wine the selfe same must he do that is giuen to carnall lust abstaine I say from ouer liberall diet and excesse in drinking the same did Saint Paul prescribe vnto Timothy saying Vse a little wyne for your stomacke and for your frequent infirmityes That is to say vse wine for the weaknesse of your stomacke but a little to auoyd lust for in wine is leachery Againe the Phisitians do assigne bitter potions Ephes 5. letting of bloud and the like which are repugnant to nature 1. Cor. 9. so holy men did say with the Apostle I do chastize my body and bringe it into subiection least whiles I preach to others I become reprobat my selfe hence it comes that the ancient Hermites and monks did institute new orders â—f life quite repugnant to the delights and â—leasures of the flesh in fastings in watchings in lying one the ground in disciâ—lins in haire-cloths not for hate of their â—ody but for hate of their rebellious flesh out of many I will alleadge one example Saint Hilarion as testifyeth Saint Hierome in his life when he was tempted with lasciuious thoughts Ego sayth he speaking to his body faciam vt non c. I will take order that thou mayest not kicke I will not feed thee with barley but with straw I will make thee to starue for hunger thirst I will loade thee well with weight I will follow thee through heate and could that thou mayest thinke more vpon thy meate then vpon wanâ—onnes So he Besides this the Phisitians appoint moderate exercise of the body as walking playiâ—g at ball or the like to to preserue health and this also doth much help for the health of the soule that is to say if a man desirous of euerlasting saluation bestow one houre euery day in meditating on the mysteryes of our redemption or on the foure last thinges death iudgement heauen and hell or in some such like arguments of deuotion if the meditatioÌ„ succeed not as we would â—t least let him bestow some tyme euery daâ— in reading the holy Scriptures or otheâ— spirituall bookes or else in the liues of Saints Finally to ouercome all the tentations of the flesh and synnes of leachery the only and most effectuall remedy is to auoid idlenes for none is so much subiect vnto filthy thoughts as he who hatâ— nothing to do and bestowes his tyme iâ— loking on such as walke vp and down before his window or in talking with his frinds or in play and gaming And againe none are more free from impure thoughts then such as for whole days togeather are imployed in tilling the ground or continuall exercise in other occupations for which cause our Lord and maister Christ did chuse poore parents that they might get their liuing by their owne labour and himselfe also before he would vndertake the labour of preaching would haue his supposed Father to be a Carpenter and did help him to labour in tâ—â— same trade for the people sayd of him Iâ— not this the Carpenter the Sonne of Mary This haue I thought good to adioyn in the end of this booke that artificers and husbandmen may not repent them of their state of life seeing that the wisdome God chose the same state for himselfe and for his mother and for the holy man Ioseph his supposed Father not for that they needed this remedy but that they might warne vs that are weake to fly all sloth in case we will auoyd many other synnes The end of the first Booke THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of dying well when our death is neere which is of the Meditation of Death WE deuided in the beginning this Art of dying well into two Partes in the first of which are set downe those precepts of dying well
thousand hundred thousands Daniel 7. as Daniel writeth I say at least for in the opinion of Saint Denis Areopagita and S. Thomas the number of holy Angells exceeds the number of all corporall things there also will be present with Christ the King all the multitude of Saints in glorious bodyes of whome it is sayd in the Apocalips I saw a great multitude which no man was able to count of all Nations tribes and tongues standing before the throne There will be then in this iudgement such a spectacle as the like was neuer from the beginning of the world nor shal be againe for all the wicked shall be guilty of hel fire who in their resumed â—odyes shall stand naked and dolefull whâ— excessiue and vncredible griefe on thâ— arth brought by the Angells from aâ— places of the world to the vale of Iosaphâ—â— and places adioyning and the numberâ— such shall be farre greater then the number of Saints for our Lord himselfe hath sayd Matth. 7. many are called few are chosen and more plainly narrow is the way that leadeth vnto lifâ— and few there be that do fynâ—e it The way 〈◊〉 large that leadeth to perdition and many there be that enter by the same which iâ— it be true as it is most certeyne that tâ—â— great multitude of Saints cannot be numbred how much lesse can be numbred the multitude of the reprobate To these also shall be adioyned the wicked spirits who also are inumerable Those thinges thus disposed before the sentence of the Iudge be pronounced the books of accounts will be opened as appears by Daniel Saint Iohn Daniel 7. Apoc. 20. what those bookes are which shal be opened in this iudgement Saint Paul doth explicate to the Corinthians saying Do not ye iudge before the tyme vntill our Lord come 1. Cor. 4. who will bring to light the hidden thinges of darkenes and make manifest the Counsayles of harts For God will powre â—â—orth such a light that in the same all the â—onsciences of wicked men may be seene â—ea all that shall be in that Theatre or â—ublike spectacle shall see the consciences â—f all men and thereby their deeds their words their thoughts their desirs O what a spectacle will this be to see all the consciences of hypocrites of lyers of traytours of cauillours who made no accouÌ„t to periure themselues by all the sacred thinges they cold name By out of this publishing of the sinnes and villanies of al men wherby they will come to know the sentence before it be giuen that will follow which we read in the Apocalips Reges terrae c. Apoc. 6. The Kings of the earth and Princes and Tribunes and Rich men and Captaines bond men and free shall hide themselues in caues and in the rocks of the mountaynes and they shall say vnto the mountaynes rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe because the great day of theirs is come and who shal be able to stand And the same hath our Sauiour foretold in the Ghospell when as he caryed the Crosse on his sholders speaking vnto the vertuous womeÌ„ that beheld him Daughters of Ierusalem weep not ouer me but 〈◊〉 ouer your selues and your children for beholâ— dayes shall come in which they shall say Luc. 23. Blessed 〈◊〉 the barren and the wombes that haue not borne 〈◊〉 the papps that haue not giuen sucke then they sâ—â— beginne to say vnto the mountaynes fall vpon vs aâ—â— to the hills couer vs Last of all the sentence shall be pronounced by the Iudge Venite benedicti ite maledicti come you Blessed depart you cursed Matth. 25. and the good shall go intâ— euerlasting life and the wicked into euerlasting fire And now I beseech my Readers to thinke and thinke agayne both often and with attention that themselues also shall be present in this Theatre theâ—fore now whiles they haue tyme let them seriously deliberate what is to be done neyther let them obiect that the day of iudgement is farre of and it were bootles to trouble oâ— afflict themselues so long before the tyme as if the day of iudgement were at hand for although this generall iudgement be not so neere yet is not the particuler farre of but at hand and expectes vs at the gate and looke what the sentence shal be of the particuler iudgement the same stalbe also of â—e generall he therefore that is wise â—ht so to prepare himselfe to heare the â—enâ—e of Gods iudgement as though it â—e to day or to morrow to be deliueâ— for the houre of this iudgement is no â—uâ—ther of then the houre of our death â—he houre of death from an old man or who is grieuously sicke cannot be farre of therefore whiles we expect this great iudgement in which standeth all our hope or ruine we must earnestly call vpon our aduocate who is the Iudge himselfe 1. Ioan. 2. VVe haue an aduocat Iesus Christ the iust as S. Iohn teacheth vs moreouer to sollicite the frendes oâ— the Aduocate first of all the most benâ—gne Virgin the Mother of our Aduocat then the Angels and holy Saints neyther is 〈◊〉 conuenient that we come to our Aduocat or his friends with empty words only but also with gifts for the Saints refuse not gifts which auaile them nothing but the poore meÌ„bers of Iesus Christ for they being blessed for all eternity in heauen waÌ„t none of our temporall commodityes on earth CHAP. III. Of the third Precept of the Aâ—â— of dyâ—â— well when our Death is neere which is of Hell AFTER the consideration of death 〈◊〉 Iudgment it is also conuenient 〈◊〉 thinke with earnest attention on the pâ—nishments of Hell and ioyes of heaâ—â—â— for of the foure last thinges these are the two last of all and only euerlasting of which two Christ being the Iudge eyther the one or the other will befall vnto euery man and these two are so contrary both in nature and their effects as that the one maketh vs most miserable the other most happy but for that we haue written of both these in the booke of the Ascending of our mynde vnto God towards the end and of the Ioyes of the celestiall Paradise in a whole booke of that argument entituled of The eternall felicity of Saints and of the torments of hell in the second booke of The mourning of the Doue and of the good and profit we reape by teares and finally 〈◊〉 all the foure last thinges in our Latin â—â—râ—ons and what occurred touching â—is subiect we did then both deliuer to â—â—e people and left in writing I iudge it best in this place to touch the heades of matters already treated whereon a man may profitably entertayne his thoughts â—hiles he expecteth death and with ioy prepare himselfe to receaue and meet the same Therefore touching the most vnâ—â—ppy state of the damned to hell