come let vs rayse and stirre vp our selues before we be ouer-taken before that great day of the Lord come and appeare of which the Prophet sayth Behold it commeth and who shall endure it Or who shall abide the day of his comming That is a feareful day of hurly burly and of darknes But thou wilt say Howe then may I escape these foresaide euils I will tell thee not onely keepe thy body pure and vnspotted but when thou hast suffered iniurie do good for it if thou beest accused be thou patient When thou doost fast be not boasting of it for fasts are not commended for abstayning from meate but for abstayning from sinne Search the Scriptures see how first the Prophet seeth a Hasill-wand and afterwards a burning Cauldron demonstrating vnto vs that the fire doth consume those that doe not beare the chastisement and correction of the rodde So by Moses the pyllar of fire showed that they that obserue the law receiue the light but the disobedient receiue fire Reade the Scriptures of our Sauiour and learne howe that when we goe hence thether no body can helpe vs. The brother shall not redeeme the brother from endlesse torments nor the friend hys friend nor the parents their children nor the children their parents And what doe I speake of myserable men when as if Noe Iob and Daniel come they cannot intreate the Iudge But thou wilt say Whence may I know this to be true Looke vppon him that hauing not his wedding garment was excluded and none intreating for him Looke vppon him that had the talent committed vnto him and dyd not increase it and how for him no body intreateth Looke vpon the fiue Virgins shutte foorth neyther the other fiue intreateth for them which also Christ calleth foolish because after they had troden pleasures vnder theyr feete after they had cooled the fornace of concupiscence then they were found fooles and not without cause because they obseruing that great dutie of Virginitie dyd not keepe that small commaundement of Humilitie Looke vpon the Iudge in the day of iudgement placing the Sheepe on hys right hand and the vnprofitable Goates on his left and saying to those on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father receaue a kingdome prepared for you But those on his left hand to be cast into vtter darknesse and that no body dooth helpe and succour them being cast out For it is a true speech Behold the man and his worke Thou hast heard how Diues neuer pittying Lazarus was tormented with flames desired a droppe of water Thou knowest how that Abraham himselfe could not ease his paines although he desired and beseeched him Therefore heereafter we regarding and respecting our selues before we are confounded and vtterly cast downe let vs giue the glory to God It is better here that thy tongue should be dried vp through fasting then to keepe it moyst and there to desire that moysture which being denied is eternall paine Heere with small labour wee may auoide great torments And if we be so delicate and tender in this life that we can not suffer patiently a feauer of three dayes how shall we in the life to come be able to suffer euerlasting fire If wee doe feare the sentence of death pronounced of an earthly Iudge which taketh only from vs life of a few yeres why doe we not feare the sentence of this Iudge which depriueth vs vtterly of an eternall life If we are terrified seeing the execution of some horrible punishment which in this world is inflicted vpon some malefactour when wee see the Sargiants with the Hang-man to draw the malefactour to punishment to beate him to hang and quarter him or to burne him Yet all these are rather solaces then sorrowes if they be compared with the punishments to come For these torments are ended together with life but there neyther the worme shall dye nor the tormenter shall be wearied nor the fire shall euer be extinguished In so much that if all things which thou shalt compare with this punishment be fire be sword be beasts be what torment thou wilt yet it is a sleepe and a shadow in comparison of this But what will the condemned doe when they see themselues depriued of so great a good and condemned to so great misery What will they doe What will they say How will they breathe And all these in vaine For after the ship is drowned the Saylers are for no vse neyther is a Phisition profitable when the diseased dye Then although too late they shall disclaime their errours and say this was to be done and this not Although we often haue beene admonished yet we haue not obeyed Then the Iewes at the length shall acknowledge him that commeth in the name of the Lord but this too late knowledge shall nothing profit them For there shall be no time O vs wretched and miserable what shall we bring for our excuse in that day when as heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone the day and the night with all things that are in the world shall accuse vs and shall cry out for reuengement vpon vs bearing witnes of our euils Yea if all should hold their peace yet our owne conscience would lift vp her voyce against vs and accuse vs. All these things are out of Saint Chrisostome by which it is manifest how greatly hee shall be striken with a vehement feare who shall come vnprepared to this sentence This same Saint Ambrose feared when he sayth woe vnto me if I shall not rise at midnight to confesse and prayse thee ô Lord. Woe to me if I shall deale craftily with my neighbour Woe vnto me if I shall not speake the truth The axe is layde to the roote of the tree let it bring forth those fruites of grace which it should of repentance The Lord is at hand that requireth fruite hee giueth life to the fruitfull but casteth the barren into the fire THE NINTH TITLE That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of Heauen CHAP. IX EVery one of those things which hetherto wee haue spoken of by very good reason ought to haue sufficient force to inflame our minds with the loue of Vertue But because the hardnes of mans hart is so great that after all this it cannot be moued with all these we will adde an other motiue no lesse effectuall then the praecedent It is the greatnes of the reward which Vertue promiseth to her louers that is the glory of Heauen in which two things are to be especially looked vnto the one is the excellencie and beauty of the place that is of the heauen of heauens the other is the dignity and greatnes of the King that dwelleth there with all his elect As touching the first howe great the beauty is and how great are the riches of this place no humane
these euils It is most certaine that if God should grant to thee a choyce and say all the time that thou liuest thou shalt eyther be tormented with the goute or be extreamely vexed with the tooth-ache which disease neyther night nor day shal suffer thee to take any case or rest or if thou wouldest be free from these diseases thou shalt enter into some austere and straight kinde of lyuing which thy nature can hardly brooke consider with thy selfe which of these thou wouldest choose I doe not thinke that a man can be found so foolish who for the onely loue of himselfe would not choose rather this straight kinde of liuing then that he would endure so long time these griefes and dolours Seeing that therefore the discruciatements and dolours that we speake of are infinitely more greeuous in diuturnity of time without any comparison longer and this austere and straight kinde of lyuing which God requireth of thee is much more lesse then that thy nature can brooke and beare vvhat madnes is it then to be vnwilling to vndergoe so small labours and so short troubles by which thou mayest escape those eternall torments Who doth not see that this is the greatest errour of this world and intollerable madnes But the reward and fruite will be that whilst a man will not free himselfe here from so great euils by a small labour of repentance that there he shall make euerlasting sorrow and repentance without any fruite or profit Wee haue a figure of this thing in the furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heated in Babilon The flame of which mounted aboue the furnace nine and fortie Cubits for the defect of one Cubit it came not to the number of fifty which signifieth the yeere of Iubily that we may vnderstand that although these eternall flames of Babilon that is of hell doe burne aboue measure and most cruelly doe torment the miserable and wretched being damned yet they shall neuer come to that to obtayne the fauour of a true Iubily O punishments without profit ô barren teares ô sharpe and bitter repentance yet voyde of all hope and solace How little of those thinges that there the damned suffer without fruite if they heere had suffered willingly and patiently might haue preserued them from these euils How easily might they haue beene deliuered and for how small paines Therefore let fountaines of teares flow out of our eyes and let sighs without ceasing be fetched from the bottome of our harts Therefore I will mourne and howle sayth the Prophet I will goe without cloathes and naked I will make lamentation like the Dragons and mourning as the Ostriches because the plagues of my people are greeuous If these things were suspected of men and if there were no credite to be giuen to these things or if they were doubtful and vncertaine after some manner it were tollerable if men fel into this error But we professing all these things most assuredly and with a most vndoubted beleefe and knowing most certainly as our Sauiour sayth That heauen and earth shal passe but not one iote or one title of these things shall scape till all things be fulfilled And saying plainely that all these things are to be holden most religiously and yet liuing securely and negligently this doth passe all wonder and admiration Tell me ô blind and witles man what thou doost finde worthy amongst the riches and goods of this world that may be compared with this price Graunt it sayth Saint Ierome that there is in thee the wisedome of Salomon the beauty of Absalon and the strength of Sampson let the yeeres and life of Enoch be promised vnto thee possesse the riches of Craesus and the power of Octauian what shall all these things profit thee if at the length thy body be giuen for meate vnto wormes and thy soule carried of deuils to hell be deliuered to euerlasting torments to be tortured with the rich Glutton Let these things suffice for the first part of our exhortation to Vertue In the next we will speake of the seuerall and perticuler prerogatiues and priuiledges of Vertue promised to the vertuous The end of the first part THE SECOND PART OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which are handled the temporall and spirituall blessings which in this life are promised to Vertue and more particulerly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue THE ELEVENTH TITLE ¶ That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life CHAP. XI SVrely I know not what they can pretend or what excuse they can make who doe not embrace Vertue seeing there be so many reasons which doe enforce men to that study For it is no small thing for the defence of this matter to alledge that there is a God and what the studious of Vertue deserue what is giuen and what is promised vnto them on the other side what threatnings are menaced and denounced against the vicious and against those that flye from the study of Vertue Therfore not without cause may some man aske why amongst Christians who beleeue and confesse all these things there be so many found who neglect vertues doe follow vices For it is not to be meruailed at that there be many such among infidels who seeing they know not Vertue haue it in no price euen as a ditcher if he by chaunce finde a Iem doth little esteeme it because he knoweth not the vertue and price of it But that Christians who know and beleeue all these things doe liue as though they beleeued not vnmindfull of God seruants of sinne bondslaues vnto their owne passions and appetites by so much more addicted to visible things by how much more they are carelesse of inuisible things ready to all kinde of sinne no otherwise then if death were not at all neither that they should come to iudgement neither that anie glorie of heauen was to be looked for and to be briefe neither hell to be feared This I say is greater then all admiration Therfore as I said it may worthilie be demaunded whence this negligence growes and whence this stupiditie of vnderstanding and this diabolicall inchauntment if I may so call it comes vnto men This mischiefe hath not one onely roote but many and diuers Amongst others and those not the least is a certaine generall errour in which men of this worlde doe lyue supposing all that God promiseth to the louers of Vertue to be reserued to the life to come and that in this present world nothing is to be looked for Therefore seeing that man dooth so greatly desire reward and especially is ledde by profit but not vnlesse it be present and is mooned with those things which are obuious to the outward sences when he seeth nothing present he smally accounteth of that which is to come So the Ievves seeme to haue doone in the time of the Prophets For vvhen
the time of Achab king of Israell when Samaria was besieged by the Armie of the king of Syria we read that men did eate the dunge of Doues that thys kinde of meate was sold for a great price But thys was not so much at the length it came to that passe that mothers did kil and eate the chyldren of their owne wombe Iosephus also writeth that the same happened at the siege of Ierusalem But the slaughters and captiuities of this people together with the vtter ouerthrow of the Common-wealth and the kingdome of the Iewes are so well knowne to all that heere they neede not to be rehearsed An eleuen of theyr Tribes were made perpetuall seruants to the Kings of Assyria that one Trybe which remained a long time after beeing vanquished was brought into seruitude vnder the Romaines in which destruction exceeding great was the number of the captiues but greater was the number of those that were slaine as the same Historiographer copiously describeth Neyther let any one deceaue himselfe saying that this calamitie pertaineth onely to the Iewish nation seeing that it generally appertaineth to all men who haue knowledge of the Diuine law and doe despise it neyther will obey it as the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Haue not I brought vp Israell out of the Land of Egipt and the Philistines from Cappadocia and the Syrians from Cyrene Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vppon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Signifying that all these changes of kingdoms whereby thys kingdome is ouerthrowne and that planted and raysed vp doth come through sinne And if any one will see that this is true let him read ouer the histories of times past he shal vnderstand how God doth chastice the froward and peruerse but especially those that haue the true law and doe not keepe it He shal see how great a part of Europe Asia and Affrica which in times past were full of Churches and of Christian people now are possessed of Infidels he shall know also what great massacres ruines and destructions the Gothes Hunnes and Vandales haue made vpon the Churches who in the time of Saint Augustine destroyed and wasted the Prouinces of Affrica and that without any mercie or compassion they sparing neyther men nor women neither old nor young neither Virgins nor married At the same time also and after the same manner the kingdome of Dalmatia was wasted with the bordering Countries as Saint Ierome showeth who was borne in that Country insomuch that he that should haue passed through trauelled those Countries should haue seene nothing but heauen and earth all things were so ruinated and ouerthrowen Yea if we will looke into our owne times we shall see what slaughters and effusion of Christian blood what desolations and euersions of Citties sinne hath caused in Fraunce Belgia and many other Countryes What mightie massacres and lamentable diuastations hath sinne brought vppon the world by the sword of the Turkes those professed enemies of Christianitie who stil brandish their swords against Christendome for the sinnes of Christians These sufficient plainly doe declare how that true vertue and sincere religion are not onely profitable to the obtayning of eternall blessings but also to gette and keepe temporall blessings that the consideration of all these may inflame our mindes with the loue of Vertue which preserueth vs from so many mischiefes bringeth with it so many good things Of the twelfth priuiledge of Vertue that is of the quiet peaceable ioyfull death of the righteous and contrarily of the wretched miserable painfull disquiet and grieuous death of sinners CHAP. XXIIII THE last priuiledge prerogatiue at the length is ioyned to the precedent that is the death and the glorious end of the righteous when they depart out of the prison of this body vnto the which end all the rest of the priuiledges are destinated and ordayned Because in the end as we are wont to say the praise is proclaimed Tell mee what is more glorious or what more delightsome then the end of the iust and righteous And contrarilie what is more wretched or vnhappy then the death of sinners Right deere and precious saith the Psalmogapher in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of sinners is vilde and exceeding euill What meaneth thys vvord Exceeding euill vttered in the Superlatiue degree Because thys is the last and greatest of all euils as well for the soule as for the body After thys manner S. Bernard doth expound this of the Psalmist The death of sinners is exceeding euill Because it is euill in losing the world worser in the seperation of the flesh but exceeding euill in that double calamitie of the worme and of the fire It is grieuous to leaue the worlde more grieuous that the soule is seperated from the body but exceeding grieuous and in no wise to be compared vnto the other to be tortured vvith the torments of hell Both these and many moe miseries shall vexe and turmoile the wicked in this houre For then before and aboue all things the accidents of thys infirmitie shall surmount the griefes of the body the terrors of the soule and the afflictions of externall things the thoughts of things to come the remembrance of sinnes past the feare to giue an account the dreadfull sentence the horrour of the graue the seperation and departure from euery thing that was too deere and imbraced with an inordinate loue that is from riches friends wife children from this light from the ayre wherein we breathe and from life it selfe All euery one of these so much the more doe afflict a man by how much they are loued For as Augustine sayth They are not lost without griefe which are possessed with loue Therefore it was very well said of a Phylosopher Hee that in his life knoweth of fewest delights least of all other feareth death But most of all in that houre the burned and feared conscience and the consideration of that which is prepared for them doth excruciate vexe the vvicked For then man beeing raised as it were out of a deepe sleepe by the presence of Death openeth hys eyes and beginneth to behold and see that which he neuer saw before Eusebius Emisseâ—â—s giueth a reason of this At what passe will man be then at sayth hee when bidding his last farewell to all worldly matters hauing death before him leauing life behind him he shal be drawn into that horrible fearefull gulfe For there shall be no preparation for victuals or care for cloathing no busines for Labourers Souldiers or Traffickers no ambition for wealth or honour but there an intollerable terror of giuing an account shall fill and possesse the minde being free from all other cares and the heauy and vnsupportable weight of iudgment shal dreadfully hang ouer the captiue sences Then man forgetteth all thinges
man page 55 What mischiefe sinnes worke to the soule ibidem The beauty of a iustified soule page 56 By iustification God dwelleth in vs page 57 Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ ibidem Confidence in prayer page 58 Christ is honoured when a righteous man is honoured ibid. By iustification eternall life is giuen ibidem Iustification is of greater value then creation 59 How to know whether we be iustified or not ibidem Of many effects which the holy Ghost worketh in a iustified soule 60 Graces wayting vpon the holy Ghost ibidem After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in the soule of a righteous man and what he doth there ibidem The holy Ghost is fire a doue a cloud a wind ibidem page 61. The sixt Chapter The sixt Title That the inestimable benefit of the Diuine predestination doth bind vs vnto Vertue page 63. The matters handled in this Chapter Election is the foundation of all benefits page 64. Perseuerance in goodnes is a signe of election ibidem The circumstances in election are to be considered page 65. An Apostrophe to a begger but elected page 67. The seauenth Chapter The seauenth Title That man is bound to follow and embrace Vertue by reason of the first of those foure last things which happen vnto him which is death page 69. The matters handled in this Chapter A rehearsal of the foure last things that happen vnto man to wit Death Iudgement Heauen and Hell Ibidem A terrible and fearefull history out of Climacus 70 Death certaine but the houre of death vncertaine 71 Th◠danger in which he that dieth is 74 Feare the mightiest perturbation of the mind 75 The Sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked ibidem The things that before seemed pleasant in death are bitter ibidem The accout that shall be required of vs. 76. The history of Arsenius out of the life 's of the Fathers 77 The history of Agathon out of the same booke ibidem A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitary life out of Climacus ibidem Why the Saints doe feare in death 79. Nothing is of force in the houre of death 80 The lamentation of a sinner at the houre of death page 81 The eight Chapter The eyght Title That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last iudgement page 82 The matters handled in this Chapter The shame of sinners in the last iudgement page 84 How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is ibidem The paines of the damned 85 The blasphemies of the damned ibidem For what sinnes men are damned 88 Certaine excellent comparisons that agrauate the paines of the damned and the terrour of the last iudgement page 90 Repentance too late ibidem Our accusers in the last iudgement ibidem The ninth Chapter The ninth Title That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of heauen page 91 The matters handled in this Chapter What things are handled in this Chapter to wit the reward of the vertuous which is the glory of heauen in which two things are to be looked vnto the beauty of the place and the dignity of the King ibidem The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures ibidem The first coniecture is from the end why heauen was made 92 The second coniecture that it was not onely made for Gods honour but also for the honour of his elect page 93. The thyrd coniecture the price by which it was purchased by the death of God page 95 The fourth coniecture the situation and height of the place 97 The fift coniecture the proportion of the three kinde of places 98. The sixt coniecture the inhabitants dwelling in heauen 99 The power of the Lord. page 92 Reasons why Heauen should be absolute and perfect 93 All things obey the righteous euen in this world ibid. Christ gaue more to his Saints then he vsed himselfe page 94 The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory 95 The quantitie and quality of the glory of heauen is argued by the greatnes of the place page 97 The beauty of the earth ibidem Three kind of places appointed to men of God 98 From the noblenes of the inhabitants wee may gesse of the glory of heauen page 99 Essentiall glory ibidem God is the perfection of all things 100 God is all in all ibidem The mistery of Circumcision 101 All things are to be suffered for the heauenly glory 102 The tenth Chapter The tenth Title That the last of those foure last things that happen vnto vs that is Hell-fire doth binde vs to seeke after Vertue 104 The matters handled in this Chapter There are but two wayes ibidem The greatnes of the punishment in hell by reason of the greatnes of God page 105. The greatnes of the iustice of God 107 The greatnes of the punishmens of hell is gathered by the punishments of thys lyfe ibidem Of the mercy of God the greatnes of the punishment is gathered 108 The two commings of Christ compared 109 The punishment ought to be like to the sinne page 111 From the person of the executioner that is of the deuill the greatnesse of the punishment is gathered page 112 A fearefull and horrible example of one Theodorus out of S. Gregories Dialogues ibidem A description of the deuils power page 114 The Conclusion page 115 Of the eternity of these punishments 116 A fearefull saying of the eternity of the punishments in hell ibid. A notable Allegory of the Furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heate in Babilon 118 ¶ The second part of the first booke In this second part are handle◠the temporal and spirituall blessings which in this lyfe are promised to Vertue and more particularly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue page 120 The Chapters of the second part of the first booke The eleuenth Chapter The eleuenth Title That we are bounde vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life ibid. The matters handled in this Chapter It is a wonder that among Christians so many men are found wicked and vicious ibidem Whence this negligence of men is page 121 All things happen a like to the good and euill ibidem Men are ignorant of those good things that are in Vertue page 123 Vertue like vnto Christ. ibidem Helpes of God by which we ouercome the difficulty of Vertue 124 Vertue is an habite ibidem A comparison of the life of good men and ill men 125 Diuine blandishments with which the righteous are cherished 126 Good men are truly rich 127 All thys afore-sayd is explaned by a notable sentence of the Gospel ibid. What Christ meaneth by the hundreth fold in the tenth of Marke 128 What goods be those that God bestoweth vpon the good ibidem To the
before of vs the power and force of the cause is knowne by the effects and work and by the power force the Essence is knowne What maner of power shall it be from whence so great a worke proceeded and if this power be such and so great what an one and howe incomprehensible is that Essence which is knowne by that power This contemplation without all doubt doth farre exceed all humane reach In this we must further consider that all these excellent and great workes not onely as they are but as they might haue beene are as though they were not in the viewe of that diuine power yea after an infinite manner they are lesser for that is infinitely greater to which this power doth extend it selfe Who then will not be astonished considering of the greatnes of such an Essence and of such a power which although a man cannot see with his externall eyes yet he may make a most certaine coniecture and gather of the foresaid reason how great it is how incomprehensible This wonderfull immensitie of God that great Schooleman Thomas Aquinas doth show in his Breuiarie of Diuinitie by this example We see sayth he in things corporall that by how much any thing is more excellent by so much also it is greater in quantitie for we see that the element of the water is greater then the earth and the ayre greater then the water and the fire then the ayre furthermore the first or lowest heauen is greater then the element of fire the second heauen greater thē the first and the third then the second and after the same manner by ascending euen to the tenth Spheare yea euen to that heauen which is aboue all the Spheares whose greatnes is incomparable That any one may plainly see if he haue any consideration how little the Globe and roundnes of the earth and water be if they be compared with the heauens The Astrologers also say that the whole circumference of the earth and water are but as a pricke or a poynt in comparison of heauen which they proue manifestly by their demonstrations For although the circle of the heauen be deuided into the twelue signes of the Zodiacke through which once in a yeere the Sun doth runne yet in eyther Horizon onely sixe are seene for the bignes and standing of the earth dooth take vp and possesse no more place of heauen then a leafe of paper or a tablet will being placed and sette in the Center of the world from whence the compasse of the heauen may be seene without let or impediment Seeing therefore that that heauen which is aboue all the Spheares which is the chiefest and the noblest body of the world is of such an inestimable magnitude aboue all bodies we may easily vnderstand sayth Thomas how God who is without any circumscription the chiefest greatest and best of all things as well of things corporall as spirituall who also is the maker of them ought must exceed all things with a certaine infinite magnitude not in quantitie for he is no body but in excellencie and noblenesse of his most perfect Essence But that we may returne from whence we are digressed after the same manner we may search in all other things how great and of what condition be the magnitudes perfections of this Lord. For it is necessary that they be such as his Essence is Ecclesiasticus confesseth that where he speaketh of Gods mercy According to his greatnes saith he so is his mercy of such sort are all the rest of his perfections Such is his goodnes such is his benignitie maiestie gentlenes wisedome sweetnes noblenes beautie omnipotencie and to be briefe such is his iustice He therefore is infinitely good infinitely sweet infinitely amiable and woorthy whom all creatures should obey feare and reuerence insomuch that if mans hart could containe infinite loue and feare and infinite obedience and reuerence all that should be obliged by the bond and rule of iustice to the dignitie and excellencie of this Lord. For if as euery one is more worthy more excellent so greater reuerence is due vnto him it followeth that seeing the excellencie of God is so infinite that also infinite reuerence is due vnto him Heereupon is inferred that all that which is wanting to our loue and reuerence whereby we doe not come to that measure is therefore wanting because it is indebted to a dignitie of such greatnesse Which thing seeing it is so how great I pray thee is that debt which this onelie title although there were no other doth request of vs in the loue obedience of this Lord What I pray thee will he loue who doth not loue so great a goodnesse What will hee feare who doth not feare so great a Maiestie Whom will hee serue who will not attend vpon such a Lord For what is thy will made if not to loue and embrace that which is good If then he be the chiefest good what is the cause that our will doth not loue embrace him aboue all that is called God And if it bee so heynous an euill not to loue or feare his Lord aboue all things what wil it be not to esteeme or regard him Who would haue euer supposed that the malice of man would haue come to so great impietie Neuerthelesse to that height of peruersitie they are come that for a little beastly pleasure or for a little honour or for a small gaine and filthy lucre doe offend and contemne so great a goodnesse O blindnes to be deplored ô insensiblenes more then bestiall ô deuillish rashnes and presumption What doth not he deserue who dareth such things with what punishment with what kind of torture shall the contempt of so great a maiestie be worthily satisfied It is certaine that it shall be punished with no lesser torment then that which is prepared for such an offence that is that whosoeuer hee be that contemneth God shall be tormented in hell fire euerlastingly and yet neither shall he worthily be punished This then is the first Title which bindeth vs to the loue and seruice of this Lord which bond is so great that all bonds by which by any manner of meanes in thys world we are bound to any person eyther for his excellency or for his perfection are vnworthy the name of bonds if they be compared with this For euen as the perfections of all other things being compared with the diuine are no perfections so neither the bonds which by reason of their perfections and excellencies are named such are bonds beeing compared with this as neyther all the offences made onely to the creatures cannot be called offences if they be compared to them by which the Creator himselfe is offended For which cause Dauid also in that paenitentiall Psalme sayth that he had offended the Lord onely and onely sinned against him albeit he had offended most grieuously against Vrias whō he had commaunded to be slaine being innocent and against
for a moment causeth vnto them a farre more excellent and an eternall waight of glory These then are the benefits which this one benefit of iustification comprehendeth in it which iustification Saint Augustine maketh greater account of them he doth of creation for God created heauen and earth with his onely word but that he might sanctifie man he shed his blood and vnder-went many and great torments If therefore we owe so many and so great duties to this Lord for our creation how many moe doe wee owe to him for our iustification Which benefit by how much it was got by greater labours and afflictions by so much it doth more bind vs vnto him Although there be many great notable marks and signes by which a man entring into himselfe may examine and know whether he be iustified or no yet in my iudgement the renouation and renuing of mans life is not the least when a man hath so reformed himselfe that he hath ouerthrowne the regiment of sinne hath cut off the head of it and from day to day still groweth to further purity and perfection of life Hee that is such an one let him be mindfull by how iust a title he is bound to serue such a Sacrificer who hath redeemed him and deliuered him from so many euils and hath heaped so many blessings vpon him which hetherto we haue remembred But if he doth still cleaue and sticke in his corrupt and depraued estate I doe not know howe God may better mooue him to forsake that estate then if he set before his eyes all the euils discommodities and dangers which sinnes bring with them and which we a little before haue reckoned vp and also showe vnto him the treasury of those great blessings which doe arise of this incomparable and vnspeakeable benefit ¶ Of many other effects which the holy Ghost worketh in a iustified soule THose things which hetherto we haue spoken of doe not as yet comprehend all those kinds of benefits which the holy Ghost worketh in the soule of a iustified man neyther is the bountifulnes of GOD circumscribed within those limits For it is not enough that the holy Ghost should haue brought man through the gate of Righteousnesse and entred him into the schoole of Vertue but after that he is entred that he should be ayded of the same Spirit and ledde as it were with the hand in all his wayes vntill all the waues of this stormy sea being ouercome he enter safe and sound into the hauen of saluation For after that the holy Ghost hath entred into a iustified soule by the meditation of the precedent benefit he doth not sitte there idlely for it suffiseth him not to beautifie the soule with his presence but also he sanctifieth it by his vertue working in it and with it whatsoeuer is necessary vnto saluation He sitteth there as an housholder in his house gouerning it he sitteth there as a schoolemaister in his schoole teaching it as a Gardiner in his garden tilling and trymming it as a King in his kingdom ruling it as the Sunne in the world enlightning it to be briefe as the soule in the body giuing to it life sence and motion not as the forme in the matter but as an housholder in an house What then is more happy what more to bee desired then to haue within him such a guest such a guide such a companion such a gouernour and tutor and such an helper Who seeing that he is all things doth worke all things in that soule in which he remaineth and dwelleth Especially as fire hee enlightneth our vnderstanding he enflameth our will and exalteth it from the earth euen to heauen He like a Doue doth make vs simple gentle peaceable and friends to all He as a cloude dooth refresh and coole vs and defend vs from the heate of the flesh doth asswage and moderate our madnes and the furie of our passions To conclude he as a vehement and strong wind doth moue and incline our will to all good seperating it and drawing it from all euill inclinations vntill at length the iustified bee brought to that passe that all vices are odious vnto them which before they loued and they loue all vertues which before they hated as Dauid plainly acknowledgeth that it hapned to him for he sayth in a certaine place That hee did hate and abhorre iniquitie And in another place That hee had as great delight in the way of the testimonies of the Lord as in all riches The reason was because the holy Ghost had instilled and infused into his soule the vvormewood of earthly things and the honny of the heauenly commaundements vvherein thou seest plainly that wee owe all our good to this diuine Spirit insomuch that if we decline from euill he is the cause of it and if we doe good we doe it through him if wee perseuere in goodnesse wee perseuere through him and if a reward be gyuen for our good it is giuen through him Therefore it is euident that it is most truly spoken of Augustine that when as God recompenceth our seruices he rewardeth his owne benefits in vs and so hee rendereth grace for grace seeing the deserts are of grace The holy Patriarch Ioseph was not content to giue to hys brethren corne which they came to buy in Egipt but he moreouer commaunded that the money which they brought to buy the corne should be put in theyr sacke mouthes After the same manner the Lord dealeth with his for he giueth vnto thē life euerlasting and he also gyueth them grace and a lawdable lyfe by which they may come to this eternall life Here-vnto agreeth that which Eusebius Emissenus sayth hee therefore is worshipped that he may haue mercy and hee hath had already mercy that he might be worshipped Therefore let a man diligently examine his life let him consider as the same Doctour admonisheth him what great good hee hath doone from howe many euills adulteries rapines thefts fraudes and sacriledges the Lord hath deliuered him and then he shal know by how many meanes he is bound vnto him For as Saint Augustine sayth all sinnes are to be accounted as forgiuen from the which God doth keepe thee least they be committed Therefore sayth hee doe not loue him a little as from whom a little was forgiuen but rather loue him much from whom much is gyuen vnto thee For if hee loue to whom it is giuen that hee may not repay how much more ought he to loue to whom it is gyuen that he may haue and possesse For whosoeuer from the beginning remaineth honest hee is gouerned of him and whosoeuer of one dishonest is made honest of him he is amended and whosoeuer is dishonest to the end of him he is forsaken Which seeing that it is so what other thing shall we doe then cry out with the Prophet Let my mouth bee filled with thy praise that I may sing of
the print thereof in the heeles of my feete Such one consumeth like a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten And a little after Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble He shooteth forth as a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not Doost thou thinke it meete to open thine eyes vpon such an one and to bring him with thee vnto iudgement Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthines All these things said holy Iob greatlie wondering at the seuerity of the diuine Iustice which he saw that God did vse vpon man being a creature so fraile and so ready to fall into all euill who drinketh in iniquity like water But if he should vse this seuerity vpon Angels who are spirituall creatures and much more perfect it were lesse to be meruailed at but that God should vse it vpon man whose passions and euill inclinations are innumerable and that by exacting so strict an account that in his whole life hee doth not winke at one idle word nor doth let passe our minute of time ill spent this doth exceede and passe all admiration For who doth not feare and exceedingly tremble when he heareth those words of the Lord Verily I say vnto you that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of iudgement Goe too therefore if an account shall be giuen of those words which offend no man what shall become of vnhonest words Of vnchast thoughts of hands full of blood Of the eyes of adulterers To be briefe of all the time of thy life euill spent in the works of iniquity If this be true as it is most true what tongue what eloquence can remember so great things of the rigour and seuerity of this iudgement which shall not be much lesse then the truth of the thing Or which can be equalized with it in any manner of respect How will wretched and miserable man stand astonished and amazed when in the assemblie of so many Senatours and in the presence of such a Councell an account shall be required of a little word which he hath spoken such or such a day without purpose or fruite Who will not be amazed at this demaund Who durst haue sayde these things vnlesse Christ himselfe before had spoken them Who durst haue vttered them vnlesse he had affirmed them What King was euer found that did expostulate or was greeued with his seruants for so small a fault O the depth of Christian Religion how great is the purity which thou teachest How strict is the account which thou exactest And with how seuere a iudgment doost thou examine search out all things How great will that shame be with which wretched and miserable sinners shall be there confounded When as all their iniquities and enormities which closely they committed within the wals of their houses whilst they liued whatsoeuer also vnhonest or filthy thing euen from their birth to their death they haue polluted themselues with all the corners of their hart and euery secret shall be discouered and opened in this Court before the eyes of the whole world Who there shall haue a conscience so pure that when these things shall begin to be done will not straight-wayes change colour and tremble throughout euery part of his body For if a man doth blush and is ashamed to tell his faults secretly to an other how great will that shame be with which sinners shall be confounded in the sight of God and all the world So great shall that shame be that the wicked as the Prophet testifieth shall cry out saying to the mountaines couer vs to the hils fal on vs. But be it that these be tollerable but what wil it be whē as those most sharp keene arrowes of that finall sentence shot from Gods mouth through their harts Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuil and his Angels Alas with what dolours wil sinners be tormented hearing this sentence When we can heare but a litle portion of his words saith Iob who can vnderstand his fearful power This voyce shal be so horible of such force that the earth in the twinkling of an eye shall be opened And sodainlie they shall goe downe to the graue as the same Iob sayth those which now take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs and they that now spend theyr dayes in wealth This fall Saint Iohn describeth in the Reuelation in these words And after these things I saw another Angell come downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightned with his glory And hee cryed out mightily with a loud voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Cittie and is become the habitation of deuils and the hold of all foule spirits and a Cage of euery vncleane and hateful Bird. And a little after the same Euangelist addeth saying Then a mighty Angell tooke vp a stone like a great Milstone cast it into the Sea saying with such violenee shall the great Cittie Babilon be cast and shall be found no more After thys manner the wicked shall be cast into that pit and darke prison full of all confusion which in this place is vnderstood by Babylon What tongue shall be able to expresse the multitude and aboundance of paynes which they shall suffer There their bodies shall burne with liuing fire that neuer shall be put out there without intermission their soules shall be gnawne of the worme of conscience which shall suffer them to take no rest there shall be continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth neuer to haue end which the holy Scriptures do so often threaten and repeate In this place of desperation those wretches being damned raging with extreame madnes shall turne their furie against God and shall rage vpon themselues eating their owne flesh tearing their owne bowels most furiously renting one anothers flesh with theyr nayles and continually blaspheming the Iudge who condemned them to these paines There euery one shall curse his miserable estate and his vnhappie birth repeating without ceasing that sorrowfull complaint and those mournfull and forsaken lamentations of Iob Let the day perrish wherein I was borne the night when it vvas said there is a man child conceiued Let that day be darknesse let not GOD regard it from aboue neyther let the light shine vpon it But let darknesse and the shadow of death staine it let the cloudes remaine vppon it and let them make it feareful as a bitter day Let darknes possesse that night let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere nor let it come into the count of the Moneths Yea desolate be that night and let no ioy be in it Let them that curse the day being ready to renue theyr mourning curse it Let the starres of that
of Roses and other flowers No other thing then a cleere heauen in a faire night adorned vvith starres What shall I speake of the vaines of gold siluer and other mettals in most rich Mines What of Diamonds Carbuncles Emeralds and other most precious Iemmes which seeme to contend by theyr beautie and brightnes with heauen with the starres themselues What of the shapes and the diuersity of colours which are seene in byrds and in other liuing creatures and flowers Let the pleasantnesse of Art if it please you be ioyned to the beautie of nature and the beautie of all things shall be doubled Because by Art diuers and excellent peeces of curious workmanshyp are wrought in gold siluer by Art vessels images and pictures are made no lesse pleasant then artificiall gardens and Orchards by singuler industrie are set and planted buildings of Churches palaces of Kings are so cunningly made of gold marble and other things that they carry mens minds into admiration astonishment If therfore in this base element the lowest of all which is called the Land of the dead there be so many so delightfull beautifull and pleasant things hovve many and how great thinkest thou shall those things be in that highest place which by how much it is higher then all the heauens and all the elements by so much it is nobler by so much richer by so much more beautifull Especially if wee consider those celestiall bodies which are obuious to our sight as are the starres the Sunne Moone in splendour in vertue in beauty and in perpetuitie by so many degrees to excell and exceed all inferiour things what then wil those things doe which are hid from mortall eyes and are onely open to immortall sight thys excellencie can scarcely be presupposed or thought vpon We know that there are three kind of places appointed of God vnto men in thys life according to the diuersitie of times the first is the mothers wombe after conception the second is this world straightwaies after byrth the third shal be heauen after death if we haue liued well In these orders of places there is that proportion that by how much more the second is more excellent then the first by so much the third is more excellent then the second as wel in the continuaunce and perpetuitie of the tyme as in the largenesse and beautie of the place and in all other things For the diuturnitie and longnes of the first lyfe it is certaine that it is no longer then nine moneths the second life at the most is but an hundred yeeres but the third is endlesse and eternall Moreouer the greatnesse of the place of the first life is no larger then the wombe in which it is contained of the second thys large and spacious world but of the thyrd the place is so much the greater and more spacious then the second place by how much the second is larger then the first and the same excellencie that it hath in largenes and greatnesse the same it hath in beauty fairenes riches and in all other things If therefore thys world by so much is more large more beautiful and more rich then the mothers wombe how great will the largenes the beautie the riches the nobilitie be of that heauenlie place This same thing the difference of the inhabitants dwelling in these two places doe manifestly declare For the frame and fashion of the building ought to be sutable to the condition of the inhabitants dwelling in it This as we haue sayd is the land of the dead that of the liuing this is full of sinners that of the righteous and iust this of men that of Angels this penitentiaries inhabite that those that haue obtayned the remission of sinnes in this dwell the militant in that the triumphant to be briefe this is the habitation of friends and enemies that of friends onely and of the elect If therfore the difference of the inhabitants be so great how great thinkest thou shal the difference of places be Especially seeing that God doth make all places conformable to the inhabitants Great and glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citty of God Thou art large and great in space and latitude faire and beautifull in fight and view precious in matter noble in society sweet in exercises rich in all blessings and free from all euils In all things thou art great for he is the greatest that made thee and the end is most excellent for which thou wast made and thy inhabitants also are most noble for whose vse thou wast made All these pertaine to accidental glory But there is an other glory greater without all comparison which is called essentiall and consisteth in the sight and possession of God himselfe of which Saint Augustine sayth he himselfe shal be the reward of Vertue who gaue Vertue who shal be seene without end loued without loathing and praysed without wearines In so much that this reward is so great that a greater cannot be because it is neyther heauen nor earth nor sea nor any other creature but the Creator himselfe and the Lord of all who also as he is one so he is the most pure and simple good in whom all other good things are found For the further intelligence of this thing we must know that one of the wonderfull thinges which are in this substance is this that we haue spoken of that is that it being but one and the most simple yet it includeth all the perfections of all things and that in the highest eminencie of perfection For seeing that he is the Creator and maker of all and it is he that gouerneth and directeth all to their last end and perfection it cannot be that he hath not that he giueth to another or laboureth with any penury of that thing that hee so aboundantly distributeth to others Hence it is that all the blessed spirits doe reioyce in seeing all things in him alone yet euery one according to the proportion of that glory which they haue gotten For euen as now the creatures are as it were looking glasses in which the beauty of God may after some manner be seene so then God shall be the looking glasse in whom the beauty and fairenes of all creatures shall be seene and that vision shall be much more perfect then if it were seene in the creatures themselues So that God will be there the vniuersall good of all his Saints the perfect felicity and satietie of all their desires There God will be a looking glasse to the eyes of his Saints musicke to their eares Nectar Ambrosia to their palats and ordoriferous Balsanum to their smelling There we shall see the variety and beauty of the seasons the pleasantnes of the Spring the brightnes of Sommer the fruitfulnes of Autumne and the quiet of Winter To be briefe there shall be whatsoeuer may delight our sences and euery faculty of our soules There as Bernard sayth will
blood of the sonne of God was necessarie in supplying the dignity of the person which was wanting fayling for the greatnes of the punishment what shall it be vvhen the recompence shall be performed not by the dignitie of the person but onely by the seueritie of the punishment But let vs come from the condition of the Iudge to the condition and quality of the executioner whose part it will be to execute the sentence and decree of the Iudge If it be demanded who it shal be I say that it shal be the deuil From whose hands what is to be hoped I thinke that no man will doubt Yet that thou mayst vnderstand after some manner how great the cruelty is of the executioner I pray thee consider how cruelly he handleth them which are committed to his power as was holy Iob. Thou doost see this cruell Tyrant after that manner tyrannizing ouer this innocent man that after a greater or more cruel manner he could not tyrannize ouer any reasonable creature hauing not the least pitty or compassion Did he not burne his sheepe and his seruants with fire brought from aboue Did hee not by the Sabaeans steale away all his Oxen and Asses and by the Chaldaeans steale all his Camels and slay his seruants with the edge of the sword Did he not ouerthrow his houses and with the fal of them kil his children Did he not at the last smite his body with sore byles from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head neyther left him any other thing besides a dunghil and a potshard to sâ—rape him Hee left him a wife and vnsound friends not for his comfort and solace but that they by theyr speeches might be as wormes to gnaw and deuoure the very intrals and bowels of poore and miserable Iob. All these things he could and dared to doe against a man God permitting it But what cruelty and extreame tirannie did he practise against our Sauiour especially in that night in which he was deliuered to the power of darknesse This can not be expressed in a fewe words If therefore this enemy with all his confederate Catchpols be so cruell and so direfull and extreame an executioner and so bloody an enemy to all mankinde ô wretched man what wilt thou do when thou shalt see thy selfe deliuered into his hands that hee may exercise all his crueltie vppon thee according to the decree of the Diuine iustice Alas this matter is too horrible Neither must thou think that this punishmeÌ„t is for one night for one day or for one yere but that it shall endure for euer that is throughout all eternity What doth it seeme vnto thee doost thou thinke that thou art committed to the hands of a good man O what an obscure blacke day will that be when thou shalt vnderstand thy selfe to be committed to the power of Wolues so rauenous But that thou maist better vnderstand what friendshyp is to be looked for of these deuils I will relate vnto thee a notable example recorded long agoe of Saint Gregory There was of late sayth hee a certaine young man that remained amongst vs his name was Theodorus of a dissolute life and most negligent of his health and safetie In thys same plague which lately hath consumed the greater part of our people he was strooken with it in his groyne and was brought to deaths doore Whilst he was drawing to his last home certaine brethren came vnto him that they might pray to God for him Now already the vtmost parts of his body were dead only vitall heate remained in his breast All the brethren began to pray so much the more earnestly for him by how much he hasted more speedily to his end Then on a suddaine he beganne to cry out to the brethren kneeling about him and with his exclamations to interrupt theyr prayers saying Depart depart Beholde I am gyuen to a Dragon to be deuoured who by reason of your presence cannot deuoure me Hee hath already swallowed vp my head into his mouth giue place that he may no more torment me but let him doe that he is to doe If I be gyuen to be deuoured of him why am I delayed by you Then the brethren began to say vnto him Brother what is that which thou speakest Call vpon the name of Iesus Christ our deliuerer He aunswered saying I would call vpon the name of Christ but I cannot because I am oppressed with the scales of this Dragon When the brethren heard thys they fell prostrate vppon the ground and began with teares to pray more feruently for hys release and deliuerance And beholde on a suddaine the sick-man began to cry out saying I giue thanks to God behold the Dragon which would haue deuoured me is fledde he durst not stay beeing feared by your prayers Now pray and I will pray with you that God through Christ would forgiue my sinnes for now I am ready to be conuerted to leaue thys sinful lyfe the which he did Of the same deuils Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation by the manner of an horrible figure And I saw saith he a star which was fallen from heauen vnto the earth and to him was giuen the key of the bottomlesse pitte And hee opened the bottomlesse pitte and there arose the smoake of the pitte as the smoake of a great fornace and the sunne and the ayre were darkned by the smoake of the pitte And there came out of the smoake Locustes vpon the earth vnto theÌ„ was giuen power as the Scorpions of the earth haue power And it was commaunded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which haue not the seale of God in their foreheads And to them was commaunded that they should not kill them but that they should be vexed fiue moneths and that their paine should be as the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hee hath stunge a man Therefore â— those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shal desire to die death shall flee from them And the forme of the Locustes was like vnto horses prepared vnto battaile and on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold their faces were like vnto the faces of men And they had haire as the haire of vvomen their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons And they had Habbergions like vnto Habbergions of yron and the sound of their wings was like the sound of Charrets when many Horses runne vnto battaile And they had tailes like vnto Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes Hetherto Saint Iohn Tell mee nowe my brother what was the minde of the holy Ghost for he is the Authour of this Scripture when vnder that horrible and fearefull figure he vvould signifie the greatnesse of the scourges of the Diuine iustice What other intent had he then that by this terrible horrour he might
that God as hee gouerneth the world by his generall prouidence so also he swayeth and ruleth euery one by his speciall prouidence and as we daily see that the greater the store of sinners is the greater is the aboundance of punishments as are famine warre pestilence heresies and such like calamities so also oftentimes according to the number of the sinnes of men so is the number of the punishments Therefore God sayd to Caine If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doost not well sinne lyeth at thy doore that is the plagâ—e and punishment of sinne In Deuteronomie also Moses sayth vnto the people And thou shalt know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant mercie vnto them that loue him and keepe his commaundements euen to a thousand generations And rewardeth them to theyr face that hate him to bring them to destruction he will not deferre to reward him that hateth him to his face Marke here how often this Prophet repeateth the word to his face or such like significatioÌ„ that thou mayst vnderstand that besides the punishments which are reserued for the life to come that the wicked are oftentimes also punished in this life seeing that the Scripture so often remembreth here that their punishments shal not be deferred Whence many calamities proceede and many scourges of sinners for without intermission they as a wheele are rouled froÌ„ one trouble and sorrance into another from one necessity anxietie and tribulation into another which although they very well feele yet they know not whence and from whom they are sent and therefore they ascribe them rather to the condition of nature then to their sinnes For euen as they doe not account the blessings of nature to be the gifts of God neyther doe they giue thanks to God for them so neyther doe they acknowledge the scourges of his wrath to be for the punishment of their sinnes neyther doe they amend themselues Some punishments also are brought vpon them by Gods Ministers and Iusticers vvho are the executioners of the Diuine iustice who oftentimes meet with malefactors and doe persecute and afflict them vvith imprisonments banishments penalties persecutions and with manie other kind of punishments by which is brought to passe that the insatiable appetites of sinners seemeth bitter vnto them and doe afflict theÌ„ also in this life There be also other afflictions which flow out of their owne affections and the perturbations of their soules and from the inordinate appetites of their harts For what good I pray thee may be hoped for of a superfluous and an excessiue affection of vaine feare of a distrustful hope and of an inordinate desire nothing but offences irksomnes and troubles which disturbe the peace and liberty of the hart of which wee haue spoken before they make the life vnquiet they allure and entice to sinne they hinder the prayers take away sleepe and doe comber all the dayes of the life with loathing and tediousnes All these miseries are ingendered of man himselfe that is of his inordinate appetites and of these thou seest what is to be looked for of other seeing that man hath these of himselfe and consider what peace he can haue with others who hath so great warre with himselfe ¶ Of the multitude of the snares and dangers of this world IF in the world besides the punishments and afflictions of the body no other euil were to be found the feare were so much the lesser buâ—â—n it there are not onely the euils of the body but also the greatest dangers of the soule of which greater regard is to be had because they concerne the better and more principall part of man and doe more hurt it And they be so many that the Prophet sayth God shall rayne snares vpon sinners How great I pray thee is the number of the snares in the world which are resembled to the drops of water which fall from heauen and he saith specially and perticulerly Vpon sinners For they hauing so little care of their hart and sences and lesser to fly the occasions of sinne and so little regard of spirituall remedies and besides all this seeing that they walke through the heate of this world how can it be but that they must walke amidst a thousand dangers He sayth that it shall rayne snares vpon sinners snares in their youth snares in their old age snares in riches in pouerty in honour in reproches in friendship snares when they company with men and when they are alone snares in prosperity and in aduersity to be briefe snares in all the sences of man which are so many that the Prophet cryeth out Snares vpon the inhabitants of the earth And surely if the Lord would open thine eyes a little as hee in times past opened the eyes of Saint Anthony thou shouldest see the whole world full of snares touching one another and thou wouldest cry out with him saying O Lord who shall escape all these snares Hence it is that so many soules perish daily that Saint Bernard feareth not to say that of tenne ships which are in the Sea scarcely one perisheth and of tenne soules which floate vpon the Sea of this vvorld scarce one is saued Tell me then I pray thee how is it that thou fearest not the vvorld being so dangerous that thou studiest not to escape so many snares vvho amongst so many Serpents dare walke bare-footed or march vnarmed among so many enemies or liue securely and inconsideratly amongst so many occasions of sinnes and conuerse amongst so many deadly and mortal diseases without medicines Who would not labour to depart out of this Egypt vvho would not fly out of this Babilon vvho would not desire to be deliuered from the fire of Sodome and Gomorrha Seeing therfore that the world is beset with so many snares and so many downfals and breake-necks are in the way and the flame of vices doe so burne vs who at any time shall be secure and safe Well therefore sayde the vvise-man Can a man take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt Or can a man goe vpon coales and his feete not be burnt He that toucheth pitch sayth another shall be defiled with it and he that is familiar with the proud shall be like vnto him ¶ Of the blindnes and darknes of this vvorld ANother miserie ioyneth it selfe vnto these multitudes of snares and dangers which maketh them to be farre moe and much greater that is the blindnes and wordly darknes which most fitly is shadowed by that darknes of Egypt which was so grosse and thicke that it might be felt with hands and the whole three dayes that it lasted no man remoued himselfe out of his place neyther saw his neighbour that stoode by him Such in deede or rather greater is the darknes in which the world now sitteth and which now hath possessed the vvorld But if thou doost not beleeue me
profit let Angels vtter it and not men For what greater profit can there be then to enioy eternal glory to be freed from euerlasting paine which is the reward of Vertue If the temporall commodities of this world doe rather moue vs what commodities can be more excellent or of greater valuation then those twelue priuiledges and prerogatiues which Vertue and the vertuous doe solace and delight themselues the least of which is of more force and validity to quiet a disturbed mind then al the dignities and treasuries of this world I kow not truly what more may be put into the ballance to weigh and peise those things which are promised to Vertue and to her louers The excuses also cauillations which the men of this world are wont to bring for their defence are so ouerthrowne spoiled of vs that I doe not see where such may find a small hole or crany to escape through vnlesse perhaps of set purpose pretenced malice they shut their eyes and eares that they might not see nor heare this manifest and euident truth What remaineth but that the perfection and beauty of Vertue being seene and knowne thou say with Salomon speaking of Wisedome the companion and sister of Vertue I haue loued her and sought her from my youth I desired to marry her such loue had I vnto her beautie In that she is conuersant with God it commendeth her nobility yea the Lord of all things loueth her For shee is the Schoolemistresse of the knowledge of GOD and the chooser out of his works If riches be a possession to be desired in this lyfe vvhat is richer then wisedome that worketh all thinges For if prudence worketh what is it among all things that worketh better then shee If a man loue righteousnes her labours are vertuous for shee teacheth sobernes and prudence righteousnes and strength which are the most profitable things that men can haue in this life If a man desire great experience shee can tell the things that are past and discerne things to come she knoweth the subtisties of words and the solutions of darke sentences she fore-seeth the signes and wonders or euer they come to passe and the successe of seasons and times Therefore I purposed to take her vnto my company knowing that shee would counsaile mee good things and comfort mee in cares and greefes Hetherto the Wise-man Therefore nothing remayneth but that we conclude this matter with the words of Saint Cyprian taken out of an Epistle to a friend of his written of the contempt of this world Therfore sayth he there is one peaceable and faythfull tranquility one solide firme and perpetuall security that if any one be taken out of the whirle-winds of this turbulent world and be founded and anchored in the hauen of safety he lifteth vp his eyes from the earth to heauen and being admitted to the Lords fellowship and now being neere vnto his God in his minde whatsoeuer amongst humane things seemeth great and lofty vnto others he glorieth that it lyeth within the circumference of his conscience Now he can desire nor couet nothing of the world who is greater then the world How stable and vnfoyled a defence is it how celestiall a gard abounding with perpetuall good things to be deliuered from the snares of this entrapping and enthralling world to be purged from these earthly dregs and incorporated into the light of eternal immortality Let him consider of this and view it well ouer whom the deceitful dangerousnes of this pernicious enemy before raged tirannized we are compelled more to loue when we know and condemne what we were and see what we now are and shal be Neyther is this worke brought to passe by rewards bribes and the power of man but it is the free gift of God and easily obtayned As the sunne shineth of his owne accord the day is enlightned a fountaine streameth and a shower falleth so the heauenly spirit infuseth it selfe Afterwards the soule beholding heauen and knowing her Maker she being higher then the earth and more noble then any earthly power beginneth to be that which she beleeueth her selfe to be Onely thou whom the heauenly warfare hath appoynted a Souldier in these spirituall warres hold and keepe thy standing incorrupt and fenced with religious vertues vse continually eyther praying or reading Somtimes talke thou with God and somtimes God with thee let him instruct thee with his precepts let him haue the guiding and ordering of thee whoÌ„ he maketh rich no man shal make poore There can be no penury where the heauenly bounty hath filled and blessed Now coffers stuft with crownes now stately Pallaces and gay buildings will seeme base and vild vnto thee when as thou knowest that thou thy selfe are more beautified and adorned being a house in which the Lord sitteth as in his temple and where the holy Ghost dwelleth Let vs trimme vp this house with the ornaments of innocency let vs enlighten it with the sun-shine of righteousnes This house shall neuer decay through age neyther shall the deckings of it waxe old Whatsoeuer things are counterfet are not lasting neyther doe they yeeld any stability to the poâ—â—â—ssors which haue not the truth of possession This perpertually continueth with a colour vndecayed with honour vntaynted and with splendour vnobscured it cannot be abolished nor extinguished it may be only conuerted into further perfection the body being glorified Hetherto Cyprian Whosoeuer therfore is moued with the reasons and arguments which copiously we haue handled in this booke the grace of God and Diuine inspiration assisting without which all is done in vaine and desireth to embrace so great a blessing of Vertue let him reade the booke following which deliuereth and handleth the method and order how to come vnto Vertue The end of the first booke of the Sinners Guide the Sinners Guyde Written in the Spanish tongue by the learned and reuerend Diuine F. Lewes of Granada ¶ Since translated into Latine Italian and French And now perused and digested into English by Francis Meres Maister of Arts and student in Diuinitie Romans 12. verse 2. ¶ Fashion not your selues like vnto this vvorld but be yee changed by the renuing of your minde that yee may prooue what is the good will of GOD and acceptable and perfect AT LONDON ¶ Printed by I. R. for Iohn Flasket and Paule Linley Anno Dom. 1598. THE PROLOGVE of the second Booke IT sufficeth not to haue perswaded man to embrace Vertue vnlesse also we teach him the manner way how to come to Vertues pallace Therfore after wee haue in the former Booke deliuered many reasons and those verie forcible and perswasible to moue the harts of men to the loue of Vertue now it is meete that we come to the practise and vse of it and that we set down many counsailes and sundry documents which are profitable and which as with a hand may leade men vnto Vertue It is the first steppe vnto Vertue
lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill The naughtines and malignitie of this vice cannot be described more cunningly or curiously For it is manifest by these words that that vnhappy man who is subiect to this euill is the seruaunt and slaue of all other sinnes Wherfore wheÌ„ this vice doth assault thine hart thou shalt defend thy selfe with these weapons following First therefore ô thou couetous man consider that vvhen the Lord and thy GOD descended from the highest heauen to the earth he would not possesse riches which thou so greatly desirest yea he loued pouerty so wel that he would take flesh of a Virgin most poore and lowly and not of a Queene rich mighty When he was borne he would not lodge in a stately and wealthy pallace he would not lye vppon a soft bed he refused dainty swadling-clothes embraced for his cradle a hard Cratch So long as he lyued in the world he alwayes loued pouerty and contemned riches He chose his Apostles and his Embassadours not Princes and great men but base and abiect Fishers What preposterous order then is this that the most vild worme should seeke riches which the Lord of al the world and of all creatures contemned for his cause Consider furthermore the exceeding great basenes of thine hart that when as thy soule is created according to the image similitude of God and redeemed by his owne blood in comparison of which all the world is nothing yet thou art not ashamed to lose it for so small a gaine God would not haue gyuen his life for the whole world which notwithstanding he willingly layd downe for the soule of man Therefore thy soule is worthier and of more price then the whole world True riches are not gold nor siluer nor precious stones but they are found in Vertue which a good conscience bringeth with it Relinquish the false opinion of men and thou shalt see that gold and siluer are no other things but yellow and white earth which through the errour of men is crept into so great credit That which hath been despised by all the Phylosophers of the world doost thou beeing a disciple of Christ so much esteeme it that thou shouldest make thy selfe a seruant and slaue vnto it For as S. Ierome saith he is a seruant vnto riches who keepeth and tendeth them as a seruant but he who hath cast off that yoke deuideth them as a Lord. Consider also what the Lord sayth in the Gospell No man can serue two Maister God and Mammon that is riches The soule cannot freely serue God if it follow and hunt after riches so greedily and with so open a mouth Spirituall delights doe shunne a hart busied and occupied about earthly matters neyther doe things counterfeit and true agree together nor things hie and low temporall and eternall spirituall and carnall neyther can any man reioyce and recreate himselfe in them both together Consider in like manner that by howe much more prosperously earthly matters succeede with thee by so much perhaps thou art more miserable by reason of that pledge which here is giuen vnto thee that thou maist relye vpon vaine felicity which heere is offered vnto thee Ah that thou knewest what great euils and how many inconueniences thys small prosperity bringeth with it thou shouldest see the loue of riches more to afflict by desire then to delight by vse For it enwrappeth the soule in diuers temptations and bindeth it in infinite cares it allureth it with sundry delights prouoketh it to sinne and disturbeth the quiet no lesse of the body then of the soule And that vvhich is greater riches are neuer gotten without trouble nor possessed without care nor lost without griefe and that which is worser they are sildome gathered without sin and offence to God Hence is that prouerbe A rich man is eyther a wicked man or the heâ—re of a wicked man Consider moreouer how great an errour it is without intermission to desire those things which albeit they be most plentifull yet they can neuer satisfie the desire of man yea they prouoke it and inflame it more as drinke in a Dropsie is the cause of greater thirst so that although thou hast yet thou alwaies couetest that which thou wantest and alwaies couetest more and more So that the miserable and wretched hart wandering through all the things of this world is wearied but neuer satisfied it drinketh but the thirst is not quenched for it esteemeth not those things which it hath vnlesse also it possesse in like manner those things which further it may haue and there is no lesse trouble for things which it compasseth not theÌ„ there is pleasure in things which it possesseth neyther is the heart more satisfied with gold then the body with wind or ayre Wherefore not without cause Saint Augustine maruelleth saying What greedines sayth hee of desire is this seeing that the beastes haue a meane For then they rauine when they are hungry but they spare the pray when they feele fulnes Onely the couetousnes of riches is vnfatiable it alwayes raueneth and is neuer satisfied neyther feareth GOD nor reuerenceth man neyther spareth Father nor acknowledgeth Mother neyther yeeldeth vnto brother nor keepeth fayth with friend Consider that where much riches is there are many that eate and deuoure them many that couet them and many that lye in waite to steale them What hath the richest man of this world more of all his riches then whereof he may necessarily lyue of thys yrksome care thou maist disburthen thy selfe if thou wilt cast thy care vpon God and commit thy selfe to his prouidence for God neuer confoundeth them that trust in him For whom God made he will not suffer to die through hunger He that feedeth the foules of heauen and clotheth the Lillyes of the field how is it possible that he should forsake man especially seeing that so small a thing sufficeth the necessity of man The life is short death followeth at our heeles what need is there then of so great prouision for so short a iourney What wilt thou doe with so much riches especially seeing that the lesse thou hast the more lightly and freely thou mayest walke and when thou shalt come to the end of thy pilgrimage if thou beest poore thy estate shall not be worser then rich mens who are loaden with much gold Yea it shall be much better for thou shalt feele lesser griefe in forsaking this trash and pelfe of the world and a smaller account is to be rendered before God On the contrary part rich men in the end of their iourney leaue their mountaines of gold not without great griefe of hart which they adored as GOD neyther without exceeding great danger and hazard vnto them an account is to be rendered of those things they possessed Consider also ô thou couetous man for whom thou gatherest so
suffereth griefes and dolours and vndergoeth most bitter death and doost thou seeke for pleasures and delicacies The Arke in which Manna was put that is the foode of Angels for the loue of thee tasted gall and vineger and doost thou long and hunt after sweet and delicious meates The Arke in which the two tables of the law were that is all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God is mocked and derided as foolish and wilt thou be smoothed and praysed and doost thou gape after honors preferments But if the example of this misticall Arke be not sufficient to confound thee let the afflictions of the seruants of God which abide remaine vpon the face of the earth be ioyned vnto it that is the examples passions of all the Saints Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins who with so many and so great tribulations haue sayled ouer the huge and turbulent Sea of this world Wherupon one of them saith The Saints haue been tried by mockings scurgings yea moreouer by bonds prisoment They were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandered vp and down in sheeps skins and in goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented whō the world was not worthy of they wandered in wildernesses mountaines and dens and caues of the earth And these all through faith obtained good report And among so many tribulations were found faithfull vnto God If therfore the life of the Saints was such yea if the life of the Holy of Holies was such surely I know not by what title priuiledge or immunity some doe think to enter by the pleasures delights of this world into that place where these doe now ioy and for euer shal reioyce Wherfore my brother if thou desirest to raigne with them learne to imitate them learne to beare and suffer the troubles and discommodities of this life This exhortation wil be profitable vnto thee to kindle inflame thee with the loue of this vertue fortitude that thou seeke for it after it so long vntill at the length thou commest to the perfection of that soule of whō it is read that she girded her loines with strength strengthned her armes And that this chapter may simbolize agree with the whole doctrine of this second Booke I will vse that most excellent noble sentence of our Sauiour If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse daily follow me In which words this heauenly Teacher hath comprehended the sum of the whole doctrine of the Gospel which is for this end ordained that it might make a man Euangelicall perfit who deriuing the originall of his inward man from heauen in his outward might take vp the Crosse and through the sweetnes of the one might willingly embrace all the afflictions of the other ¶ The end of the second Booke of the Sinners Guide LAVS TRI-VNI DEO A necessary Table directing the Reader to euery Chapter in this Booke and to euery particuler Argument handled in each Chapter THE Prologue of the first booke Matters handled in the prologue page 1. The deuision of the booke Two things required vnto pietie page 2. Whence the deuision of the booke groweth Ibidem The Argument of the first booke page 7. In the first booke is contained a large and copious exhortation to keepe Gods commaundements page 9. ¶ The Chapters of the first part of the first Booke The first Chapter The first Title That man is bound to seeke after Vertue and to serue GOD and of the excellencie of the diuine perfection page 9. The seuerall matters handled in this Chapter Honesty profit are to be considered of in euery action ibidem GOD is that he is page 10 The Epicures teach that God is to be serued ibidem The kingdome of God is not by succession page 11 Why men are lesse moued with the perfection of God 12 In the cōtemplation of God we must turne our eyes frō all creatures ibid. Three things are to be marked in euery thing the Beeing the Ability and the Worke. page 17 The second Chapter The second Title Of the bond in which we are bound to Vertue and to attend vpon God by reason of the benefit of our creation page 21 The matters handled in this Chapter Honour is due to God because he is our Father page 22 By the consideration of the creation man doth come to the knowledge of his Creator ibidem God requires of vs gratefulnes and thanks-giuing page 24 That the benefits of Nature are of GOD. page 25 Another reason why we are bound to serue God our Lord because he is our Creator page 26 All things that are borne are not by and by perfect ibidem All things without God are nothing page 28 The third Chapter The third Title How we are bound to the Lord God by reason of the benefit of preseruation and gouerning page 29 The matters handled in this Chapter All things are created for the vse of man page 30 The expostulation of the elements with man page 31 The creatures doe call vpon vs with three words 32 That it may be gathered of these aforesaid how vnworthy and how vild a thing it is not to serue the Lord God page 33 Men like vnto Swine page 34 The ingratitude of men is conuinced by the gratitude of Lyons page 34 35 36. Of Horses page 36. Of doggs page 36 37. Diuers degrees of ingratitude page 38 Men doe abuse the gyfts of God to the iniury of the gyuer ibid. The fourth Chapter The fourth Title That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable benefit of our Redemption page 40. The matters handled in this Chapter The beginning of mans perdition page 41 The admirable mistery of the incarnation 42 We are bound to God not onely for our redemption but for the manner of it page 43 The meanes by which we are redeemed 44 The Angels were astonished at the passion of our Lord. 45 The Lorde suffered not onely for all in generall but also for euery one in particuler page 47 Of this afore-said is gathered how great an offence it is to offend our Sauiour ibidem For three things man oweth himselfe vnto God ibidem The hardnes of mans hart ibidem All things are giuen vnto vs of God page 49 By how many wayes God is ours ibidem A dogge bewrayeth a murtherer page 50 Our sinnes nayled the Lord to the Crosse. ibidem The fift Chapter The fift Title How we are bound to follow Vertue by reason of our iustification page 51 The matters handled in this Chapter What iustification is page 52 No man can be iustified by his owne strength ibidem What great blessings iustification bringeth with it page 53 It reconcileth man to God ibidem It maketh vs the sonnes of God ibidem By Iustification man is freed from eternall punishment page 54 Iustification doth renue a
they as Plutarch sayth that teach that vertue is to be embraced but deliuer not the way and manner how to attaine vnto it they doe as those that light a Lampe to burne but poure in no oyle Certes although the second booke is very profitable yet the first booke if I may so say is most necessarie The reason is because to the knowledge of good euill the very light of nature and reason is much conducent which is bred borne with vs but that wee should loue one and hate another embrace one and flie from another very great contradictions and lets doe meete with vs and doe arise of sinne as well within as without man For seeing that man is compounded of a spirite and flesh both parts desire theyr like the flesh alwayes seeketh for things carnall and fleshly in which vices raigne and beare sway but the spirit desireth spirituall things in which vertues haue dominion and preheminence Therefore the spirit dooth feele and suffer great contradiction and repugnancie of his owne flesh which hath no feeling but of those thinges which delight and bring pleasure which desires and appetites next vnto originall sinne are most vehement when as by that the bridle of original righteousnes is lost with which they were bridled and restrayned Neyther doth the flesh only resist the spirite but also the world Which as S. Iohn testifieth wholie lyeth in wickednes The deuill also a capitall enemie of vertues doth repugne the spirit and so doe our corrupt dispositions and vicious custome which as an other nature especially in those who haue had growth and are confirmed in wickednes through the continuaunce and diuturnitie of tyme. Therefore that a man may passe boldly through the midst of these difficulties and that hee may approch neere vnto vertue in veritie and with the whole desire of his hart to the despight of the flesh and all her powers it cannot be denied but that these difficulties doe happen to man and that ayde and helpe is necessary for him Therefore that we may come vnto thys first part this former Booke is made and sette foorth in the which I haue bestowed much paynes and haue laboured with all my strength that I might gather as it were into a bundle all the reasons which seemed any whit to belong to the qualitie of this matter or to the manner of this writing for the aduauncement of vertue by setting before your eyes the profit and fruites of them who follow vertue as well in this life as in the life to come and by declaring the great bonds by which wee are bounde to vertue seeing that God doth cōmaund it vnto vs whom not to obey is exceeding haynous and to which we are obliged as well for that which it is in it selfe as for that which it is for vs and towards vs. I vvas especially moued to handle this argument for that I dyd dailie see the greater sort number of men to prayse vertue in words but to follow vices in deedes And truely in mine opinion amongst many other causes of this so great enormitie one is because men ignorant of the condition and nature of vertue doe esteeme it to be vnpleasant barraine and painefull For this cause when as they are wholy drowned in vices because they seeme more pleasant vnto them they flie from all vertue supposing that there is no sweetnes in it I pittying the error of these men willingly vnderwent thys labour that I might shew how many and howe great be the riches delights and treasuries how great is the dignitie and beautie of this heauenly Bride and also that I might demonstrate howe vnknowne it is vnto men that these mine admonitions might free them from this errour and inflame them with the loue of so precious a thing For if it bee true that thys is one of the most excellent things that are in heauen or earth and most worthy to be loued had in honour without doubt it is to be lamented that men are such strangers from the knowledge and desire of so great a good A great benefite therefore hee shall doe to all mankinde whosoeuer he be that endeuoureth to restore thys Lady to her honour and to seate her in her royall Throne for shee is the Queene and Lady of all things But before I come to my purpose I will shewe by a certaine example with what minde thys Tractate ought to bee vsed Heathen men doe write of theyr famous Hercules howe when he began to waxe a man which time is gyuen of Nature to choose what course of life euery man will follow and enter into went into the wildernes and there sitting long debating discoursing with himselfe when he saw two waies the one of Pleasure the other of Vertue which it were better to enter walke in at the length after mature deliberation Pleasure being neglected he entred into Vertues path Truely if there bee anie thing in the world woorthy of deliberation and aduise this is it For if wee so often muse vpon those thinges which pertaine to the vse of life and doe so aduisedly deliberate of thē how much more carefully and thorowly ought wee to weigh and consider of life it selfe especially seeing so many and so diuers kindes of lyuing are found in the world Proceede therefore my brother thys is that that I woulde haue thee now to do and to the which I now inuite thee Therfore thou must know that before all things it is needfull that in this short time thou sette behinde thee the whole rabble of the thoughts and busines of this world that thou enter into thys spirituall wildernes and that thou beginne to deliberate with thy selfe of the manner and way of that life which it behoueth thee to follow hereafter Remember that among all humane affaires there is none which ought to bee weighed and examined vvith greater care and attention and which requireth a longer time in deliberating then the election of that kinde of life which is to be followed continued till death For if the beginning be good those things that follow will be lawdable On the contrary part if thy choyce be faultie what soeuer is built thereon will goe frō ill to worse All other consultations with the errors that are committed in them are particuler thys onely is generall which containeth all other vnder it Tell mee I pray thee what may be builded vpon an ill foundation What doe all prosperous euents profit What auaile al admonitions and counsailes if thy life be ill ordered And what doe all aduersities hurt if thy life be well lead For what shoulde it profit a man though he should winne the whole world and loose his owne soule Therefore we can speake of no matter or businesse more weightie vnder heauen of none more proper vnto man or of greater moment for we doe not intreat heere of riches or of honors but of the lyfe of the soule and of euerlasting
who sate vpon an high throne Euery one sayth he had sixe wings with twaine hee couered his face and with twaine he couered his feete But to signifie that those excellent spyrits who haue so high a place in heauen and are the nearest vnto God himselfe cannot comprehend all that is found in God neyther come from one to an other that they may knowe and vnderstand these things al though they see him in his proper Essence beauty For euen as one standing vpon the shoare doth see the Sea and yet doth not see the breadth and depth of it so those excellent spyrits and all the other elect which be in heauen doe see God really yet they cannot comprehend eyther the depth of his greatnes or the altitude of his eternity And although God in the Scriptures is sayd to sit vpon the Cherubines yet rather hee may be sayd to stand vpon them so that they cannot approach vnto him much lesse comprehend him This is the darknes which as the Psalmist sayth he made his secret place and his pauilion round about him euen darknes of waters and cloudes of the ayre that that might be signified which the Apostle sayth that God dwelleth in the light that none can attayne vnto and to which there is no passage open therefore the Prophet calleth it darknes because it hindrethas well the sight as the apprehension of God For euen as as a certaine Philosopher sayth although there can be found nothing more bright and visible then the Sunne yet nothing is lesse seene then it by reason of the excellencie of his brightnes and the weakenes of our sight so although there is nothing in it selfe more intelligible then God yet there is nothing in this lyfe lesse vnderstoode then he for the same reasons Wherfore he that after any manner knoweth God after he shall come to the end and furthest limit of those perfections which may be knowne he shall confesse that hee must further proceede by infinite wayes and that God is greater then those infinite wayes then that he may be comprehended and by how much the more he acknowledgeth that â—ncomprehensibility by so much the more hee vnderstandeth more of him Heere-vpon it is that Saint Gregory saith vpon those words of Iob Who doth great thinges and vnsearchable and meruailous things without number sayth he then we speake better of God when as vnder the awe of consideration through admiration we hold our peace For then a man conueniently and seasonably doth prayse that thing he cannot vtter when hee is silent In the same opinion also is Dionysius The secret and mistery â—f the Diuinity sayth he which passeth all vnderstanding wee â—onour and adore with the holy worship and veneration of our minde and with ineffable and chast silence In which place he seemeth to allude to that of the Prophet according to the translation of Hierome For thee ô God all prayse wayteth and resteth and is silent in Sion signifying that this is the most perfect praise which is done by holding the peace and by that ineffable and chast silence that is by confessing the incomprehensibility and altitude of that vnspeakeable substance whose magnitude is aboue all magnitude and whose substance infinitely exceedeth and differeth from all other substance of things as well visible as inuisible Wherfore Saint Augustine also sayth When I seeke for my God I doe not seeke for a shape of a body not for the glory of time not for the cleerenes of the light not for beauty not for the sound of sweet melody and whatsoeuer plesant tunes not for the sweete sauours and odours of flowers oyntments and spices not for honey and Manna pleasant and delightfull to the tast not for other things gratefull and welcome to the touch or embrace neyther doe I seeke for any other thing subiect to these sences when I doe seeke for my God God forbid that I should thinke these to be my God which also are apprehended of the sences of bruite beastes And yet when I seeke for my God I seeke for neuerthelesse a certaine light aboue all light which mine eye is not capable of a certaine voyce aboue all voyces which mine eare doth not conceaue a certayne sauour aboue all sauours which my nosthrils cannot conceaue a certaine sweetnes aboue all sweetnes which my tast cannot conceaue a certaine embracing aboue all embracings which my touch cannot conceaue This light doth shine where place doth not receaue it this voyce doth sound whereas no ayre doth moue it this sauour doth smell whereas no blast doth carry it this tast doth there sauour where there is no feeding and this embrace is there touched where it is not sundered But if thou wilt conceaue and vnderstand any thing of this incomprehensible magnitude behold the frame of this world which is the worke of his hands that by the quality of the effect thou mayst know the noblenes of the cause presupposing that of Dionysius in the beginning that in all things there is sound a Being an Ability and a Worke which three doe so agree betweene themselues that of what sort the Being of a thing is of the same sort is the Ability of it and what the Abilitie of the thing is such is the Worke of it This principle being thus layde let vs foorth-with enter into contemplation how beautifull how well ordered and how great this world is for in the firmament there are certayne starres of such great magnitude as Astrologers say that in their quantity they exceede eighty times the earth and the water which together make but one Globe Then agayne consider how beautifully adorned the world is and how full of infinite variety of things which are found in the earth in the water in the ayre and in euery part of it all which are made with such perfection that monsters being excepted from the beginning of the world euen to this day there is nothing found to which any thing is wanting to the furnishing or perfection of his Essence Then consider as Saint Augustine sayth that God created this huge and admirable frame of the world in a moment and made it of nothing for he made it without any matter beeing without workmaisters without any workmen without any instruments without patterne without any exteriour thing contayning example and without space of time but only according to the pure and simple conceipt of his owne will he brought foorth into light this great worke and this whole vniuerse of things Consider furthermore that with the same facility he created this world he could haue created infinite thousands of worlds euery one of which should haue beene greater more beautifull and inhabited of moe people And after hee had made them hee could with the same facilitie haue cast them downe againe and ouerthrowne them and brought them to nothing without any resistance Therefore tell mee if according to the doctrine of Dionysius as it is presupposed
his wife whom he had defiled with filthy adultery and against all his owne kingdome which hee had so scandalizd Yet hee saith that he had sinned against GOD onely for he knew that all euils offences and inconueniences were of no moment in comparison of the filthines of that sinne for asmuch as it repugned the Law of God Therefore the consideration of that enormitie did so greatly afflict him that he contemned and set at naught all other iniuâ—ies and offences whatsoeuer For euen as God is infinitely greater then all creatures so also our debt is infinitely greater in which wee are bound to him and also the offence greater which is committed against him For there is no proportion of a thing infinite to a thing finite THE SECOND TITLE Of the bond in which we are bound to Vertue and to attend vpon GOD by reason of the benefite of our Creation CHAP. II. WE ought not only to apply our selues vnto Vertue and to obey the diuine commaundements for that which God is in himselfe but also for that which hee is to vs that is by reason of his innumerable benefits of which although wee haue spoken in another place for that purpose which then we had in hand neuerthelesse heere also wee will handle the same things that they being before our eyes we may see plainly by how many names and titles we are bound to serue such a giuer Of these benefits our Creation is the first of which seeing that it is knowne to euery bodie onely I will say that that man wholy is bound for that alone to serue and attend vpon the Lord who hath created him For according to all lawes a man is a debtor of all that he hath receiued Seeing that therefore by this benefite he hath receiued his being that is his body with all his senses and his soule with all her powers and faculties the consequent is that he must bestow all them to the seruice of his Maker vnlesse he will be accounted towards him a theefe and an ingratefull man beeing enriched with so great a benefit For if a man should build a house whom shall it serue for but for the Lord who builded it And if a man shall plant a Vineyard who shall gather the grapes shall not hee that hath planted the Vineyard And if a Father hath a sonne whom shal he rather serue then his father who begat him This is that which auncient lawes doe say that it cannot be esteemed how great the authority of the father is ouer his children which reacheth so farre that it was lawfull for a father being in necessity to sell his child for in respect of that that hee hath giuen to his child to be that he is therefore the father hath that power ouer his child that he might doe with his child what he would If therfore the dominion and authority of a father be so great ouer his child what shall be his dominion and authority from whom is deriued the being of all fathers as well in heauen as in earth And if they as Seneca sayth who haue receaued a benefit ought to imitate and follow the fertile field which yeeldeth much more then it receaueth how shall wee make aunswere to God in this measure of gratitude seeing that we cannot yeeld more vnto him then we haue receaued of him although we yeeld all that we haue But if he that yeeldeth no more then he hath receaued doth not obserue and keepe this law and rule what shall we say of him who yeeldeth lesse then is bestowed vpon him And if as Aristotle sayth there cannot be rendered like to God and our parents how shall there be giuen like to God who hath bestowed more vpon vs then all the fathers in the world But if it be a greeuous offence if a sonne be disobedient to his father what a wickednes will it be to be rebellious to God who by so many names is our father Yea in comparison of whom no man deserueth the name of a father This is that which the Lord worthily complayneth of by his Prophet If then I am your father sayth he where is mine honor If I be your Lord where is my feare Against the same ingratitude an other Prophet also enueieth and that with words more stinging pearcing Ah peruerse and froward generation sayth he ah foolish and vnwise people doest thou render such things to the Lord Is not he thy father that hath bought thee that hath made thee and proportioned thee These are they that doe not lift vp their eyes to heauen neyther doe behold themselues being forgetfull and vnmindfull of themselues For if they would view and behold themselues they would secretly aske themselues and they would endeuour to know what was their first originall and their first beginning that is of whom they were made and to what end they were created For by the knowledge of these things at length they shold come to the knowledge of that which of duty they ought to doe Because men doe not these things they liue as though they sprung and were begotten and made of themselues As liued that cursed King of Aegypt whom God threatneth by his Prophet saying Behold I come against thee Pharaoh King of Egipt the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of his riuers which hath sayde The riuer is mine and I haue made it for my selfe After this manner liue all they that forget theyr Creator as though they were created of themselues acknowledging no maker Better did Saint Augustine who by the knowledge of his making and beginning came to the knowledge of his Creator saying in one of his Soliloquies And I returned to my selfe and I entred into my selfe and I sayde vnto my selfe Who art thou and I aunswered my selfe a reasonable man and mortall and I began to discourse and dispute with my selfe what this was and I sayd Whence commeth ô my Lord God this manner of creature Whence but from thee Thou madest me and not I my selfe Who art thou Thou art hee by whom I liue thou art he by whom all things liue Who art thou Thou ô Lord art my true and onely God omnipotent and eternall incomprehensible and vnmeasurable who alwayes liuest and nothing dyeth in thee O my God tell me thy humble seruant ô mercifull God tell mee poore wretch tell mee I pray thee for thy mercies sake whence is this manner of creature but from thee Shall any man be the maker of himselfe Is to be and to liue taken from any other then from thee Art not thou the chiefest good of whom all things are that be For whatsoeuer is is of thee because nothing is without thee Art not thou the fountaine of life from whence floweth all life For whatsoeuer lyueth liueth by thee because nothing liueth without thee Thou ô Lord then hast made all things Shall I aske who hath made me Thou ô Lord hast made me without whom nothing is made Thou art
if God doth but a little draw backe his hand thou necessarily commest to naught how is it possible that thou darest prouoke to wrath that Diuine Maiestie which sustaineth thee euen in that same time wherein thou offendest him For as Dionisius sayth the vertue and goodnes of the chiefest Good is so excellent that the creatures when they are immorigerous and disobedient doe receaue of his immeasurable vertue the Being and Ability by which they striue and strugle against him that they may both Be and be able to repugne him Which seeing that it is so how darest thou offend with thy members and sences that Lord who preserueth thee O great blindnes ô intollerable rebellion Who euer saw so impudent a conspiracy The members doe rise against the head of which their life and death dependeth The day will come when this iniury shall be manifestēd and the complaints of the diuine honor shal be heard Haue yee conspired against God It is equall and right that the vniuerse of the whole world shold likewise conspire against you and that God should arme euery creature to the reuenge of that iniury and that all the whole circumference of the earth should warre against the ingratefull and those that will not acknowledge this benefit For it is meete that they that would not open their eyes whilst they had time and were inuited of so great a multitude of diuine benefits I say that is meete that their eyes shold be opened by the multitude of torments which neuer shall haue end But what will be done if to these aforesayd we set before thee the plentifull rich and aboundant table of this world which the Lord hath created for thine vse Whatsoeuer is found vnder the cope of heauen is eyther for the vse of man or for the vse of that thing which attendeth and wayteth vpon man for if man be not fed as I may so say with flies that flye in the ayre yet he is fed with those birds which are fed with these flies and if hee eate not grasse and wild hearbs yet he eateth the beasts of diuers sorts and kinds which are nourished with these hearbs Cast and cast againe thine eyes vpon euery corner of the world and thou shalt see how spacious and large the bounds and limits of thy riches are and how plentifull and affluent is thine inheritance Euery thing that goeth vpon the earth that swimmeth in the water that flyeth through the ayre that shineth in heauen is thine But all these benefits are of God and the works of his prouidence are the glasses of his beauty and testimonies of his mercy the sparks of his loue and the reports and prayses of his liberality See how many Preachers God sendeth vnto thee that thou mayst know him All things that are in heauen and in earth sayth Saint Augustine doe tell me that I should loue thee ô my Lord and they doe not cease to make the same proclamation to all men that no man can be excused If thou hast eares that thou canst vnderstand the voyces of the creatures thou shalt perceaue manifestly how they all together teach thee that thou shouldest loue God For all they in holding their peace cry that they were made for thy seruice that thou as well for thy selfe as for them mightest serue both thy Lord theirs Heauen sayth I doe minister vnto thee by day the light of the Sunne and by night the benefit of the Moone and starres that thou shouldest not walke in darknes and I doe giue and send vnto thee diuers influences that diuers things may encrease and breed with thee that thou mayst not perish thtough hunger The ayre sayth I doe apply my selfe vnto thee that thou mayst breathe in me I doe coole and refresh thee I doe temper and moderate thine internall heate least it consume thee I haue in me diuers kinds of birds that by their variety and beauty thine eyes may be delighted thine eares with their singing pleased and thy pallate by their tast contented and satisfied The water sayth I do serue thee in the appoynted times of the yeere with my rayne and showers I doe refresh comfort thee with my riuers and springs I doe bring forth nourish diuers kinds of fishes that they may be meate for thee I doe water thy sowing thy gardens fruitfull trees that thou mayst be nourished with them all I doe giue thee way through the midst of the Sea that thou maist traffique with the whole world and that it may be at thy pleasure to ioyne thy riches with the wealth of another Hemispheare What thinkest thou that the earth will say which is the common mother of vs all as it were the shop and ware-house of all naturall things Truly it will say not without reason I doe beare thee as an vnprofitable lump I thy mother doe carry thee as it were in mine armes I doe prouide thee of necessaries I doe sustaine thee with the fruits of my bowels I haue participatinn communion with all the other elements with all the heauens and I doe pertake of all theyr influences and I doe fruitfully yeeld and giue thee all my benefits To conclude I like a good mother neyther leaue thee in life nor death for in lyfe I doe suffer thee to tread vpon mee with thy feete and doe sustaine and beare thee vp and in death I yeeld thee a place of quiet and rest and I doe hide and enclose thee within my wombe What neede I many words All the world doth cry with a loud voyce Behold with what great loue my Lord and Creator doth affect thee who created me for the loue of thee and willed that I should serue thee for him that thou in like manner shouldest loue and serue him who created me for thee and thee for himselfe These are ô man the voyces of all the creatures marke and giue eare now that there can be no such wicked deafenes as to heare these voyces and to be ingratefull for so great benefits If thou hast receaued a benefit pay thy debt by thankfulnes least thou be plagued vvith the punishment of ingratefull persons For euery one of the creatures as very well sayth a certayne Doctour doe speake to and call vpon man with three words Receaue Render Beware that is receaue a benefit render thy debt and beware of punishment if thou doest not render it But that thou mayst more feruently meditate think vpon these things consider how Epictetus a Philosopher of whom we haue made mention before came to the knowledge of this Diuinity who willeth that in all things created we shold heare and see our Creator saying When the Crow doth crooke and doth fore-shew any change of weather it is not the Crow that doth fore-shew this to thee but God himselfe And if by mans voyce thou be admonished of any thing is it not in like manner God who created man and gaue vnto him power and
I owe all those things to thee which are in me Secondly because thou hast redeemed me I owe the same but by a more iust title Thirdly because thou hast promised thy selfe a reward vnto mee it maketh mee eftsoones to owe my selfe wholy vnto thee Why therfore shal I not giue my selfe once wholy to him to whom I owe my selfe by so many meanes and titles O exceeding ingratitude ô the hardnes of mans hart a hard hart in deede thou art if thou be not bended and moued with so many benefits if thou doest not render ouer and giue thy selfe for so many gifts There is not any thing found in this world so hard but that by some Art and vvorkmanship it may be mollified and softned Mettals melt through fire Iron is made tractable by the same the hardnes of a Diamond is broken by the blood of a Goate but thou ô hart of man art harder then any rocke harder then Iron harder then a Diamond when as neyther hell fire may breake thy hardnes nor the Art of thy most mercifull and louing father may mollifie thee nor the blood of the vnspotted Lambe can make thee tractable Seeing therfore thou ô Lord hast exhibited and giuen vnto vs so great goodnes and mercy doth it seeme a thing tollerable vnto thee that any man should be found who loueth thee not Who is vnmindfull of thy benefits Yea which is most insufferable that blusheth not to offend thee What loueth he that doth not loue thee For what benefit will he be gratefull who doth shew himselfe ingrateful for thy benefits How can I not but worship him but serue him who so deerely hath loued me Who with so great dilligence hath sought for me who with so great labour hath redeemed me from all euill If I were lift vp from the earth sayth our Sauiour I will draw all men vnto mee With what violence ô my Lord With what chaines With the violence of thy loue and with the chaines of thy benefits I will draw thee with the cords of a man sayth the Lord and with bands of loue Who will not willingly be drawne with thy cords Who will not suffer himselfe to be bound with thy bands Who would not couet to be bound and to be ouercome of so great benefits But if it be such an offence not to loue this Lord what will it be to offend him and to violate his commaudements Is it possible ô man that thou hast hands to offend those hands which haue been so liberall towards thee that for thee they were nailed to the Crosse Whē as that lasciuious and vnshamefast woman would haue allured the holy Patriarke Ioseph to adultery and solicited him to be vnfaithfull to his Lord the chast young man defended himselfe after this manner Behold my Maister knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand besides thee which art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednes and so sinne against God As if he should say If my Lord hath beene so good and liberall vnto me if hee hath committed all his goods vnto my trust if hee hath me in such great honour how can I haue hands ready to offend so good a Maister who hath bound me to him with so many benefits In which place we are to note that hee was not content to say that it was not decent or meete that I should offend him or I ought not to doe this but he sayd How can I doe this great wickednes c. Signifying that the greatnes of benefits ought not onely to bridle our will but also to take away our power and strength by any meanes to offend our Lord God If these kind of benefits deserued so great gratitude and thankfulnes what doe not the diuine benefits deserue That man had committed to the hands of Ioseph that which he had and God hath committed to thee those things he hath Now compare those things which God hath with those things which that man had and see by how many wayes those are greater and more excellent then these They are double and triple which thou hast receaued of God if thou comparest them with those that Ioseph receaued of this man Tell me I pray thee what wealth what riches hath God which he hath not communicated vnto thee The heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the Seas riuers birds fishes trees liuing creatures to be briefe all that is found vnder heauen is in thine hands What not onelie those things which are vnder heauen are in thy power but also which are aboue the heauens that is the glory of them and eternall blessednes All things are yours sayth the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are yours That is ordained and appointed for your saluation But what if I shall say that thou onely hast not those things which are aboue the heauens but that the Lord himselfe of all heauens is giuen vnto thee by a thousand wayes Hee is giuen vnto thee as a Father as a Tutor as a Sauiour as a Maister he is thy Phisition he is the price of thy redemption he is an example to thee a helpe a remedy a keeper To be briefe the father hath giuen vnto vs his sonne the sonne hath deserued for vs the holy Ghost whom the father and the sonne sendeth vnto vs from whom proceedeth all good things Seeing therefore that it is as true as truth it selfe that God hath giuen all things into thine hands which he hath how can it be that thou hast hands to prouoke and incense him Doest thou thinke that it is a thing to be borne to be ingratefull to a father so good and to a benefactour so liberall Certainly this seemeth to be extreame wickednes but if to this ingratitude thou ioynest the contempt of the benefactour and iniury or offence what a mischiefe will that seeme to be If that young man whom before we remembred tooke himselfe to be so bound and chayned that hee had no power or abillity to offend him who had cōmitted vnto him all the substance of his house how wilt thou finde strength in thy selfe to offend him who hath giuen to thee heauen earth and himselfe Ah vnhappy man more vnthankfull then the beasts more cruell then Lyons and Tygers more insensible then the stones is it possible that thou canst not keepe thee from so great wickednes What Beast what Lyon what Tyger is so vnmindfull of benefits that will hurt him of whom he is benefited Saint Ambrose speaketh of a certaine dogge which a whole night lamented his Maister slaine of one of his enemies with barking and howling In the morning many men came to the dead corps and amongst others he also came that had slaine the man The dogge seeing that homicide made out sodainly against
and placeth his seate and mansion in it Wherefore if thou comparest all the riches and honours of this world and all naturall graces with the beauty and riches of a iustified soule all will seeme most obscure and most vild in comparison of it For as great difference as there is betweene heauen and earth betweene a spirit and a body betweene eternity and momentary time so great difference also is there found betweene the life of grace and the life of nature betweene the beauty of the soule and the body betweene the inward riches and the outward betweene the spirituall strength and the naturall For all these are circumscribed within certaine limits they are temporall and appeare onelie beautifull to the corporall eyes to which a generall comming of God is sufficient but to the other a speciall perticuler and supernaturall comming is required Neither can they be called temporall when they bring vs to eternity neyther can they be called altogether finite because they bring the infinite God to vs in whose eyes they are so precious and of such valour that by theyr beauty they prouoke God to loue vs. Furthermore when as God could haue wrought all these things by his helpe and will he would not doe it but it pleased him to adorne the soule with infused vertues and with the gifts of his holy Spirit with which not onely the very Essence of the soule but also all her powers are clothed and adorned with these diuine habites To all these diuine benefits the eternall and infinite goodnes of God doth ioyne another that is the presence and ayde of the holy Ghost and so of all the most sacred Trinity which doth turne into a iustified soule and doth come that he may dwell in her that he may teach her how to vse rightly so great riches as a good father who not content to haue giuen riches to his sonne but doth giue him also a Tutor who well knoweth how to dispose bestow them Insomuch that euen as Vipers Dragons and Serpents doe dwel in the soule of a sinner which are a multitude of ill malignant spirits who chose their habitation and abiding in such a soule as our Sauior saith in Mathew so on the cōtrary part the holy Spirit with the whole blessed Trinity doth enter into a iustified soule casting out al monsters and infernall beasts doth consecrate it for a Temple vnto himselfe and doth place his seate there as the Lord expresly testifieth in the Gospel saying If any man loueth me he will keepe my sayings my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him By the vertue of these words all the Doctors as wel Ecclesiasticall as Schoolemen confesse that the holy Ghost himselfe by a certaine speciall peculier meanes doth dwel in a iustified soule distinguishing betweene the holy Ghost his gifts saying moreouer not only these gifts to be giuen of the holy ghost but also the holy Ghost to giue himselfe who entring into this soule doth make it his Temple habitation placing his seate in it Therfore he doth purge and sanctifie it doth adorne it with his gifts that it may be an In worthy of such a guest These benefits afore-sayd doe not suffice vnlesse that admirable one come to which is that all the iustified are made the liuely members of our Sauiour which before were dead members for they did not receaue and take their influences from the head Christ. Hence others and those very great prerogatiues and dignities doe proceede for hence it is that the sonne of God loueth them as his owne members and hath no lesser care of them then of himselfe he is no lesse carefull for them then for his owne members without intermission hee poureth his vertue and grace vpon them as the head vpon his members to be briefe the eternall Father doth behold them with fauourable eyes no otherwise then the liuely members of his onely begotten Sonne vnited and incorporated with him by the participation of his spirit Of the same dignity it proceedeth that when those that are iustified doe aske for fauour and grace of God they aske it with great confidence for they know that they doe aske it not onely for themselues but also for the sonne of God himselfe who is honoured in them and with them For seeing that it may not be denied but that which the members doe the head also doth the same it followeth that seeing Christ is their head when they aske any thing for themselues they aske it also for him For if it be true that they as sayth the Apostle who offend against the members of Christ doe offend against Christ himselfe and if Christ doth say that he suffereth persecution when his members doe suffer persecution as he sayde to his Apostle persecuting his Church why doest thou meruaile my brother if I say that when the members are honoured that then Christ himselfe is also honoured Which seeing that it is so how great confidence will a righteous man haue in his prayer when he considereth that desiring fauour and grace for himselfe after a certaine manner he also desireth the same of the eternall Father for his best beloued sonne Is it not true that when fauour is done to any man for the loue of an other that it is done principally for him for whose loue it is done For wee beleeue that he that showeth mercy to a poore man for Gods sake that he not onely doth shew it to the poore man but also to God himselfe Neyther heere yet is an end of the heauenly benefits for to all these benefits afore-sayd this as last is ioyned to which all the other are appoynted and ordayned that is the right and possession of eternall life which is giuen to the iustified For as that our infinite and vnmeasurable Lord in whom together shineth all iustice and mercy adiudgeth to euerlasting payne those that doe not repent so hee taketh to eternall life all those that truly repent And when as he could haue pardoned man of all his sinnes and receaued him into his friendship and fauor with communion and participation of his glory yet he would not doe it but those to whom for his mercies sake he remitteth sinnes he also iustifieth whom he iustifieth those he maketh his sonnes whom he maketh his sonnes those also he maketh heires and pertakers of his celestiall inheritance together with his onely begotten sonne Hence ariseth that liuely hope which maketh the iustified merry and glad in all tribulation by reason of the pledge and earnest of this infinite treasure For although they see themselues brought into straights to be afflicted with infirmities to be oppressed with the miseries of this life yet they know that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto them And also they know that this light affliction which is but
himselfe to the sacrifice he heard of him Now I know that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne Therefore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand which is vpon the Sea shoare and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies More-ouer amongst thy sonnes I will giue thee one who shall be the Sauiour of the world and he shal be both thy sonne and the sonne of GOD. Dooth this seeme vnto thee an ample reward Thys is a reward woorthy of God for God is God in all things Hee is God in recompencing hee is God in correcting hee is God in all other things Dauid on a certaine night considered with himselfe howe he himselfe dwelt in a house of Cedar trees and the Arke of GOD remained within the Curtaines and he began to think of building an house vnto the Lord. And the same night the word of the Lord came vnto Nathan saying Goe and tell my seruaunt Dauid thus saith the Lord vvilt thou build mee an house for my dwelling I doe sweare vnto thee I will builde thee an house for euer and for all thy posteritie with a perpetuall kingdome neyther shall my mercy depart from it So he sayd and so he did for to the comming of Christ they raigned in the house of Iuda who descended of the familie and seede of Dauid whō Christ followed who shall raigne for euer Therefore if the glory of Heauen be a recompence and an vniuersall remuneration of the diuine worship and seruice done vnto God of his Saints if God be so liberall in this recompence it is no hard thing to coniecture how great the glory to come of the blessed will be We haue another coniecture if we consider howe great the price is which God requireth for this glorie notwithstanding he is so liberall and bountifull For after sinne hee would not grant this glory to any man at a lesser price then at the death blood of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ insomuch that this heauenly life is not gyuen to man but for the death of God and for the sorrowes of God celestiall ioy is giuen to man And because God hanged vppon the Crosse between two theeues now man raigneth amongst the assembly of Angels Tell me if by any meane it may be spoken what manner of good is that which that the Lorde might giue it vnto thee first he must sweat out his owne blood he must be apprehended bound beaten mocked crowned with thornes and crucified What will it be I pray thee that the Lord who otherwise of his own nature is so liberall hath prepared that he might giue vnto men for this so inestimable a price Hee that kuoweth well how to fish in thys depth hee by this coniecture shall know the greatnes of thys glory more manifestly then by all others which may be imagined God also exacteth as an appendix of thys former the greatest thing that may be exacted of man for this celestiall glory that is he take vp his crosse that hee pull out his right eye and cast it from him if it offend him that he forsake Father and Mother with all other things created if they at any time perswade any thing contrary to the diuine commandements And when we haue doone all things that we can the Lord willeth that we say that wee are vnprofitable seruants hee willeth that glory be gyuen vnto him onely and all things to be esteemed as his sole and meere grace Which he confirmeth by Saint Iohn when he sayth I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I wil giue to him that is a thirst of the wel of the water of life freely Tell me what ones how great are they thinkest thou for the which the Lord requireth so hard things which when we haue giuen or done yet he would haue vs to confesse that they are gyuen vnto vs freely of his meere grace Tell me therefore if the Lord our God be so magnificent and so liberall in bestowing his graces if his diuine goodnes hath graunted to all men in this life the vse of things so different if all the creatures of heauen and earth indifferently serue all and the possession of them be common as well to the vniust as to the iust who deseruedly can doubt that much greater are those supreame blessings which he hath prepared onely for the righteous Who was euer found that freely bestowed so great treasures vpon him to whom he was not indebted How much greater will he gyue if he shal be indebted to any He that is so liberall in bestowing gifts freely how liberall will he be in repaying and rewarding a debt He that bestoweth so great things freely what will hee not giue to him that continueth faythfull If the magnificence of those things which he giueth be so inestimable vvhat shal be the splendour of those things which he will repay Certainly it cannot be spoken nor be expressed by any words how great that glory will be which the Lord will gyue to his Elect seeing they are so great which of his great bountie he bestoweth vpon the vnthankfull The situation and height of the place may somewhat teach vs also of the quantitie and qualitie of thys glory that this heauen of heauens which is aboue the seauen Spheares as it is greater then all the heauens so it is the noblest of all the most beautifull the most glorious and the most worthy Thys place the Scripture calleth The Land of the liuing that he might signifie that this Land which wee inhabite is a land of those which be dead But if in this region of death the creatures be so noble so precious and so excellent what shall those there be in the land of the euer-liuing Turne thine eyes into what part soeuer thou wilt of thys visible world and behold how many and how beautiful things are found in it Behold how spacious the greatnesse of the heauen is how great the splendour is of the Sunne Moone and of all the s tarres how beautifull the earth is being beautified and adorned with so great multitude and variety of plants byrds and other liuing creatures How pleasant a thing is it to see the plainnesse of the fielde the highnesse of hills and mountaines the greenes of Valleyes the streaming of fountaines the aboundance of riuers vvhich like vaynes runne through the whole body of the earth and that which is more what great pleasure it is to see the largnesse of the Sea full of so many and so admirable things What be the standing pooles vvhat be the lakes of pure and cleere water what other things be they then the eyes of the earth the looking-glasses of heauen What be the meddowes clothed adorned with the pleasantnes
admonish men that they be not vnmindfull vvhat the wrath of the Lord God is and what be the instruments of his iustice what be the punishments of the wicked and what is the power of our aduersaries that we beeing admonished by the fearefull terrour of these things may feare to offend God For what is that starre which fell from heauen vnto the earth to whom the keyes of the bottomlesse pitte were deliuered but that most bright Angell who fell from heauen to whom vvas giuen the power of darknes And what be those Locustes like vnto Horses prepared for the warre but hellish Furies Armies of damned companions assistants helpers and ministers vnto him who are deuils what is the grasse what the greene plants which they are forbidden to hurt but the iust who are greene and doe florish by the dew of the Diuine grace and doe bring foorth fruite to eternall life Who be they that haue not the seale of God in their foreheads but they that haue not the spirit of God who is the seale of his seruaunts and of the Sheepe of his flock Therefore against those miserable and wretched ones such an Armie of the Diuine iustice is prepared that both in this life and in that to come according to theyr merrits they shal be tormented and tortured of the deuils themselues whom they haue serued no otherwise then the Egiptians were vexed of the water-flies and frogges which they adored for Gods How horrible and fearefull a thing will it be then in that damned cursed place to see so many terrible monsters and hagges so dreadfull How fearefull will it be there to see that hungry Dragon fretting and fuming with horrible madnesse that great Behemoth of whom it is said in the booke of Iob that his tayle is like a Cedar that drinketh vp riuers and feedeth on Mountaines Those things that hetherto haue been spoken of vs do sufficiently declare how intollerable the punishments of the wicked shall be For what is to be looked or hoped for of all them but horrible punishments What is to be looked for of the greatnesse and infinitenes of God I say of the greatnes of his iustice in punishing wicked men and sinners vvhat of the greatnes of his patience which so gently doth forbeare and expect the repentance of sinners vvhat of the multitude of his benefits with which he doth loade sinners that with the sweetnes of them he might draw and allure them vnto him What of the greatnes of his hatred which he hath against sinne for that sinne that offendeth an infinite Maiestie merriteth an infinite hate What of the greatnesse of the furie of our enemies who are so mightie in torments and tortures and so ready to doe ill What I say is to be looked for or to be hoped of the greatnesse of all these things but a mightie and vnheard of punishment of sinne If therefore the punishment be so great which is prepared for sin neyther may any escape it neither doth it euer faile for so our sayth doth tell vs what is the reason or rather the blindnesse of them who beleeuing and confessing these things do not regard the intollerable burthen which they take vpon them when they offend For they committing but one sinne are bound to this punishment which by the fore-said reasons is proued to be so great and so vnmeasurable ¶ Of the eternitie of these punishments BVt besides that those things which hetherto vvee haue remembred be sufficient to beget in vs very great feare terrour yet they shall be much more effectuall if we consider the perpetuitie of these punishments For if there were any end or intermission or refreshing to be found in them at the least after many thousand yeeres certainly it would be a great comfort to these miserable and wretched soules But what shall I speake of Eternitie which knoweth none other end then that which the Eternitie of GOD himselfe hath Which space is so long that as a famous Doctour testifieth if any of those damned should shed but euery thousand yeere one teare greater aboundance of water shoulde flowe out of his eyes then this whole world should be able to containe What thing more terrible can be spoken or thought vpon But if all the torments vvhich are in hell were as the pricking of pinnes yet for their Eternity they might suffice to moue a man to vndergoe with a cheereful minde the punishments tribulations crosses and what soeuer miseries are in this world at least that hee may escape Eternall punishment O that this word Eternall might alwayes stay and dwell in thy minde how profitable would it be vnto thee We reade of a certaine man very studious and contemplatiue of the vanities of the world who when on a certaine time he fell into the cogitation of this Eternity fearing a thing of such continuance which should haue none end hee began thus to reason with himselfe There cannot a man of a sound wit be found in this world who would accept the gouernment of the whole world with that condition that for the space of thirty or forty yeeres together hee should stretch himselfe vpon a bed strewed with roses and springing flowers which thing if it be so what is the madnes frenzie and dotage of men that will for a thing of verie small moment embrace a burning firy bed vpon which he shall be rosted and broyled for euer and euer This onely consideration was so profitable to that man and wrought so great fruites in him that forth-with vices being forsaken hee sought after Vertue and in a short time in such manner profited in them that hee became an holy man and a Prelate of the Church What will the delicate tenderlings of this world say who for the noyse of one gnat doe passe whole nights without sleepe when they shal see themselues stretched vpon this bed of burning fire and to be burned in euery part with lyuing flames And that not for one night but to endure for euer To such the Prophet Esay speaketh in these words Who among you shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among you shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings Whose shoulders are so hard or of Iron that can beare such a burthen so long a time O nation bewitched and sencelesse ô men blinded of that old deceiuer who doth muffle and hood-winke all the world with his deceipts and guiles What I pray thee is more strange from reason then that men regard and respect euery small trifle that pertayneth to this life and in a matter of so great moment are so inconsiderate and negligent If we doe not see these things what wil we see What wil we feare if we doe not feare these things or what shal we fore-see if we doe not fore-see these things But if these things be so why doe we not embrace vertues with great alacrity of spirit although they be hard and difficult at the least that we may eschew
by her owne nature is a most noble habite Which if it be true it followeth by a common manner of speaking that she will worke and labour with vs with ease and delight for this is proper vnto all habits Thou must remember that God hath not onely promised to his the blessings of glory but also the blessings of grace partly for this life and partly for the other according to that of the Prophet The Lord will giue grace and glory Which two are two store-houses filled with all good things one for this life the other for the other That thereby at the least may be vnderstood that there is somewhat more in Vertue then outwardly is seene To be briefe thou must consider that seeing that the Author of Nature doth not faile in any necessary thing because hee giueth to all his creatures those things that are necessary and seeing that in the world there is nothing more necessary nor any thing of greater moment then Vertue that he would not leaue her in the hands of a will so weake and crased of an vnderstanding so blind of an appetite so ready to all euill and of a nature so disordered and so corrupt through sinne but that he would prouide her of helpe and hability by ayde of which she might saile through this Sea For it was not meete nor conuenient that seeing the Diuine prouidence was so carefull in giuing to flies spiders and pismires hability and all instruments necessary to preserue their life that he should be vnmindfull of man and that he should not giue him those things which are necessary for the attainement of Vertue I will say more if the world and the deuill do bestow vpon their seruants for the seruice that they yeeld them so manie kinde of tasts pleasures and delights at the least so in appearance how is it possible that God should be so barren vnfruitfull to his friends and faithfull ministers that he should leaue them in the midst of their labours tribulations fasting and with hungry and dry mouthes Howe doost thou thinke then that the condition of Vertue hath so much gall and that there is so much honny in the flowers of vices Doost thou thinke that God will permit and suffer that one should enioy delights and another be exercised with troubles and many tribulations Thou art deceiued Heare what God aunswereth to the lamentations of the wicked by the mouth of his Prophet Returne and see what difference is betweene a righteous man and an vnrighteous and betweene one that serueth God and him that serueth him not In so much that God is not content with the preheminence which the iust shall haue ouer the vniust in the lyfe to come but in this present he saith Returne and see as though he should say I would not that you should onely looke to the world to come that you may know the glory of the blessed and the greatnes of their felicitie but returne now and see the difference in this life which is betweene a good man and an ill man consider of the riches of the one and the pouertie of the other the ioy of the one and the sorrow of the other the peace of the one and the vvarre of the other the light in which the one lyueth and the darknesse in which the other walketh and then ye shall know indeede how much more blessed and happy the estate of the righteous is then your opinion of them The like answere God gaue to certaine others who beeing deceiued with the same perswasion error mocked the good saying as it is in Esay Let the Lord bee glorified but hee shall appeare to your ioy and they shall be ashamed As if they should say Let the Lord declare the greatnes of his power and glory and let him show vnto you his fauor that by this way we may know the prosperitie felicitie that they haue which serue the Lord aboue them which serue him not To which words the Lord doth presently annexe the ioy and prosperitie of the righteous saying Reioyce yee with Ierusalem and be glad with her all yee that loue her reioyce for ioy with her all yee that mourne for her that yee may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that ye may milke out and be delighted with the brightnes of her glory For thus saith the Lord Behold I will extend peace ouer her like a flood the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall ye sucke ye shal be borne vpon her sides and be ioyfull vpon her knees As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and yee shall bee comforted in Ierusalem And when yee see this your hart shall reioyce and your bones shall florish like an hearbe and the hand of the Lord shall be knowne among his seruants As if hee shoulde say as men by the greatnes of heauen of the earth and of the sea and by the beauty of the Sunne of the Moone and of the starres doe come to the knowledge of the omnipotencie and excellencie of God by the meanes of such excellent and famous works so also the righteous doe come to the knowledge of the greatnesse of the power riches and goodnesse of GOD by the ineffable graces and gifts which they receiue of him and which they feele and perceiue in themselues For euen as God by the punishments and scourges which hee inflicted vpon Pharao declared to the whole world the greatnes of his seueritie against the wicked so by the gifts of his graces and vnmeasurable benefits which daily he bestoweth vpon the good he showeth the greatnes of his goodnes and his singuler loue with which hee embraceth them Blessed and happy without all doubt is that soule which by gifts and benefits receiued of God doth shew the greatnesse of his goodnesse but vnhappy and miserable is that soule which by punishments and torments dooth make manifest the greatnesse of the Diuine iustice Wherefore seeing that the greatnes of all these which we haue spoken of is so inestimable what shall the riuers be which flow frō these most fluent fountaines Adde moreouer that to these sayings If that the way of Vertue seeme to thee barren fruitles what is it that diuine Wisedome speaketh of herselfe Riches and honour are with mee euen durable riches and righteousnesse I cause to walke in the way of righteousnesse in the midst of the paths of iudgement that I may cause them that loue mee to inherite substance I will fill their treasures What be these riches what be these goods if not of the heauenly which exceede all the riches of this world what may bee compared to them who walke in the way of righteousnes which is Vertue herselfe of the which we speake For if heere there be not found riches more excellent and by this name more worthie then those which the world promiseth why doth the Apostle
giue thanks to GOD for the Corinthians saying that in all things they were made rich Calling them absolutelie rich signifying that others were not to be called properly rich but rich in this world or rich men of thys world ¶ All this afore-said is explained by a notable sentence of the Gospell ALthough thys afore-said seemeth to be expounded and approoued plainly enough yet for the further confirmation of it I will ioyne moreouer a notable sentence taken out of the Gospell by which our Sauiour aunswereth to Saint Peter demaunding what reward he his fellow Disciples should haue who for the loue of their Maister had left and forsaken all Verily I say vnto you saith he as it is in Marke there is no man that hath forsaken house or bretheren or sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receiue an hundred fold nowe at this present houses and bretheren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions in the world to come eternall life These be the words of Christ which are not lightly to be passed ouer For first thou canst not denie but that heere is made a difference and a distinction betweene a reward which is giuen in thys life and that which is in another whilst one is promised as to come the other is offered as present Thou canst also lesse denie but that these promises are ratified and certaine neither euer doe they deceiue them to whom they are promised For heauen and earth shall perrish but one iote or one title shall not escape of these things till all be fulfilled although they seeme vnpossible For euen as we beleeue that God is three and one because he said so although otherwise it seemeth vnpossible so we also must beleeue thys trueth although it passeth all vnderstanding for it hath the testimonie of the same Author who only is truth it selfe in all his sayings Tell mee therefore I pray thee what is this hundreth fold which is giuen to the righteous in this life For we see for the most part that to them is not giuen great dignities not loftie honours not large possessions nor the magnificent furniture of this world but that many of them doe liue in corners buried in the obliuion and obscurity of the world expecting their last houre in pouerty misery and calamity Which seeing that it is so how can the infallible truth of this sentence be defended vnlesse we confesse that God in this life doth giue to his those gifts and those spirituall riches which may satisfie a man without any externall pompe of this world with greater felicitie with greater ioy sufficiencie and quiet then the possession of all the goods of this world Neyther is this so much to be meruailed at For as we beleeue that it is not of any necessity to God that hee should nourish mens bodies with bread onely for he hath many other meanes to that end so is it not necessarie to him that he should satisfie soules with temporall blessings onely For he can doe this most easily without them as hee hath most certainly done in all his Saints Who were endued with that spirituall ioy and mirth and with that affection of deuotion that their prayers exercises teares and delights exceeded all the solaces and pleasures of this world And after this manner it is most certainly verefied that an hundreth fold is receaued for that little they left for they receaue for deceiptfull and apparant things those that be vndoubtedly true for things vncertaine certaine for things corporall spirituall for carefulnes security for troubles quietnes for perturbations peace and inward tranquility to conclude for a life impure vicious and abhominable they receaue a life splendent through vertues and most acceptable to God and Angels So also thou if thou shalt despise temporall good for Christ thou shalt find in him inestimable treasures if thou shalt contemne false and fayned honours thou shalt finde in him those that be true if thou shalt renounce the loue of thy father and mother for this he will delight thee with greater blandishments and cherishing and thou shalt find for a temporall father an eternall if thou shalt cast from thee those pestiferous and venomous pleasures thou shalt haue in him sweeter pleasanter and holier delights When thou shalt come to this poynt thou shalt see manifestly that all things which before did please thee are now not onely not gratefull vnto thee but that they doe bring vnto thee an hatred and dislike of them For after that heauenly light hath illuminated our eyes by and by there is begot a new face of all things and diuerse from the former and all things doe seeme to haue put on a certaine new shape by which they shew themselues to our eyes and therefore that which before seemed sweet is now bitter and that which before appeared bitter is now sweet that which before terrified vs doth now like vs that which before was beautifull now seemeth filthy and although it appeared to be such before yet now it seemeth not such neyther that it was well knowne before Therefore after this manner standeth the truth of Christes promise when for the temporall goods of the body there are giuen spirituall blessings of the soule for those goods which are called the goods of fortune there are giuen the blessings of grace which without all comparison are greater and more effectuall and forcible to enrich and satiate mans hart then all externall blessings For the more confirmation of this matter I will not omit to remember a notable and famous example taken out of the booke called The booke of famous and illustrious men When as sayth the Author Saint Bernard preached the word of God to the people in Belgia and that with a most feruent zeale conuerted the inhabitants to God amongst many other who being touched with the grace of the holy Ghost vvere conuerted to a better lyfe there vvas a certaine noble Knight famous among the Belgians called Arnulphus vvho was bound and tyed to the world with very many and mighty bonds and who was exceedingly ensnared and entangled with wordly vanities This man when at the length he bad farewell to the world and betooke himselfe to a vertuous and heauenly kinde of lyuing this holy father so reioyced at his conuersion that he sayd to them that were present that Christ was no lesse miraculous in the conuersion of Arnulphus then he was in the raysing of Lazarus seeing that Christ had raysed him being so fettered with the chaynes of so great sinnes and buried in such deepe pleasures and had brought him to newnes of life Arnulphus also was no lesse admirable in his proceeding then he was in his conuersion And because it is too long to relate here all the vertues of this man I will onely repeate that which maketh for our purpose This holy man was many times so payned
it enlightneth the vnderstanding it inflameth our will it strengtheneth our memorie it tempereth and moderateth our part concupiscible least it runne into all euil it cōfirmeth the part irascible least it be slow too sluggish to work well Moreouer because all our natural passions which are found in these two inferiour powers of our appetite are as it were step-dames vnto vertue dores wherby deuils oftentimes enter into our soules it hath appointed as it were Sentinels in each of these parts which watch and keepe it that is a certaine infused vertue comming from aboue vvhich doth helpe man and maketh him secure in danger which ariseth by meanes of those passions So to defend the soule frō the appetite of gluttonie it sendeth Temperance to defend it frō the lust of the flesh it sendeth Chastitie and to defend it from ambition it sendeth Humilitie and so in the rest But there is one thing which exceedeth all the fore-sayde that is that grace maketh God to dwell in our soule that dwelling in it he may gouerne it defend it direct it in the heauenly way God therefore sitteth in our soule as a King in his kingdome as a Captayne among his armie as a Maister in his schoole and as a Pastour among his flocke that there he may exercise and vndergoe spiritually all these offices and administer all prouidence Goe to therefore if this precious pearle out of which so many good things come be a perpetuall companion vnto Vertue who will not willingly imitate that wise Merchant in the Gospell who sold all that he had that he might buy this alone ¶ Of the third priuiledge of Vertue which is a light and a certaine supernaturall knowledge which our Lord giueth to them who seeke after Vertue CHAP. XV. THE third priuiledge which is graunted vnto Vertue is a certaine speciall light and a certaine wisedome which our Lord doth bestow vpon them that are righteous which also proceedeth from that grace of which we haue hetherto spoken The reason is because it is a function and duty of grace to heale and recure nature beeing weake feeble and decayed Euen as therefore it healeth the appetite and will weakened through sinne so also it recureth the vnderstanding being exceedingly obscured and darkned by the same sinne that by this benefit the vnderstanding may know what it ought to doe and by the will there may be ability power to doe that which now it vnderstandeth is needefull for to be done Not vnlike to this is that Saint Gregory hath in his Morals Not to be able to fulfill that which man vnderstoode was a punishment of sinne as also that was a punishment of the same not to vnderstand that Therefore sayd the Prophet The Lord is my light against ignorance and my saluation against impotencie In one is signified what is to be desired in the other strength is giuen by which we may attaine vnto it And so as well this as that pertayneth to the same grace Hence it is that besides fayth and prudence infused which enlighten our vnderstanding that it may vnderstand what it ought to beleeue what also to doe the gifts of the holy Ghost doe increase also in vs foure of which pertaine to the vnderstanding that is the gift of wisedome which is giuen for the knowledge of high and lofty matters the gift of Science which is giuen that wee may vnderstand lower matters the gift of vnderstanding by which we come to the knowledge of the misteries of God and to the congruencie and beauty of them and the gift of counsaile and aduice by whose helpe we know the actions of this life and how to gouerne and rule whatsoeuer happeneth to vs in it All these beames come from the splendour of grace onely which therefore is called in the holy Scriptures an Annointing or Vnction For it teacheth all things as Saint Iohn speaketh Wherefore euen as oyle among all liquid substances is the fittest to preserue light and to cure wounds so this diuine Vnction doth cure the wounds of our will and doth illuminate the darknes of our vnderstanding This is that most precious oyle better then all oyle of which the kingly Prophet speaketh Thou hast annoynted mine head with oyle It is certaine that he speaketh heere not of a materiall head nor of materiall oyle but of a spirituall head that is of the superiour part of our soule in which our vnderstanding is as very well sheweth a learned man wryting vpon this place and of spirituall oyle which is the light of the holy Ghost by which our lampe is preserued that it is not put out Of the light of this holy oyle this good King had much who thus speaketh of himselfe Thou hast taught me wisedome in the secret of mine hart An other reason may be also giuen of this For seeing that it is the office of grace to make a man endued with Vertue it cannot execute this vnlesse first it moue a man to sorrow and repentance of his former life and stirre vp the feare of God in him Vnlesse before it worketh that man doth deadly hate sinne and desire heauenly blessings with great feruency and altogether contemne these worldly vanities But the will cannot obtayne these and the like vnlesse before it hath the light of vnderstanding and a knowledge proportionable by which the will may be stirred vp For the will is a blind faculty which is not mooued except the vnderstanding goe before carrying a light and shewing good and euill in all things that the affection towards them may encrease or decrease Hence it is that Thomas Aquinas sayth euen as the loue of God doth encrease in the soule of a righteous man so also encreaseth the knowledge of the goodnes fauour and beauty of the same God and that by an equall proportion that if one of them encrease an hundreth degrees so many also encreaseth the other For hee that loueth much he vnderstandeth many causes of loue in the thing beloued but he that loueth little vnderstandeth but few And that which is cleerely vnderstoode of the loue of God this also is vnderstoode of feare hope and of the hatred of sinne From which men would no more abhorre then from other things vnlesse they vnderstood that it was an euill then which nothing in this world is more worthy of horror and execration Seeing therefore that the holy Ghost willeth that these effects should be in the soule of a righteous man he willeth also that there should be causes in it from whence they may come As hee willeth that there should be diuersity of effects in the earth so also he willeth that diuers causes and celestiall influences should be wrought in it Furthermore seeing that it is true as we before haue proued that God doth dwell by grace in the soules of the righteous and that God is light Enlightning euery man that commeth into the world as Saint
nothing so much as pleasures these men say at least their works speake if not their words that they had rather haue pleasure vnperfect then that which wanteth pleasure with all her perfections and prerogatiues This is that Lactantins Firmianus sayd in times past Because sayth he bitternernes is mixed with vertues and vices are seasoned with pleasures and men eschew bitternes and are inticed with the sweetnes of pleasures many forsaking vertues with great earnestnes follow after vices This is one and the onely cause of so great a mischiefe and hee that shall bring men from this perillous errour he shall not bestow a small benefit vpon them and he that shall prooue by most euident arguments that the way of vertue is much more playner and sweeter then the way of vices he shall mightily helpe them This is that wee would now prooue and demonstrate with most firme arguments and clearer then any light especially with the authorities of the diuine Scripture seeing that they are more certaine and sound proofes then those which may be brought for this matter from any other place For the heauen and the earth shall sooner perish then any iote or title of them Tell me therefore ô blinde man wrapped in miserable errors if the way of the Lord be so bitter as thou imaginest to thy selfe what meaneth that of Dauid How great ô Lord is the sweetnes of thy goodnes which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee In which words the Prophet doth not onely expresse the greatnes of the sweetnes which is giuen of the Lord to the righteous but also he doth render a reason why the wicked doe not know it because the Lord hath layd it vp from theyr eyes What other thing meaneth that of the same Prophet My soule shall be ioyfull in the Lord it shall reioyce in his saluation All my bones that is all my strength and might shall say Lord who is like vnto thee Tell me what other thing is this then to say that the ioy and mirth of the righteous is so great that although it be directly taken in the spirit it doth redound neuerthelesse for the aboundance and plenty thereof also vpon the flesh that which before knew not to be delighted but in carnall things now for the communion and participation of the spirit is delighted in spirituall things and reioyceth in the liuing God and that with so great ioy that all the bones of the body being full of this admirable sweetnes doe force a man to cry out Lord who is like vnto thee What pleasures are like thine What ioy what loue what peace can any creature giue comparable to this of thine What meaneth this also of the same Psalmist The voyce of ioy and deliuerance shall be in the tabernacles of the righteous What I say meaneth that vnlesse that he might signifie that true ioy and deliuerance are not found in the houses of sinners but in the soules of the righteous What also meaneth the Prophet when he sayth The righteous shall be glad and reioyce before God yea they shall leape for ioy but that hee might shew the ioyes and spirituall feastings with which God oftentimes vvonderfully doth refresh the soules of the righteous with the sweetnes of all celestiall thinges In which banquets there is drunke that most sweete wine which the same Prophet praysing sayth They shall be satisfied and drunke with the fatnes of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures With what other words could the Prophet haue more cunningly or liuely depainted and expressed the greatnes of these delicates calling them drunkennes and a riuer of pleasures that hee might shew the force and efficacie which they haue to draw the mindes of men from earthly things and to conuert them to God This is vnderstoode by this drunkennes For euen as a man who is ouercome with much wine looseth the vse of his sences neyther differeth much from a dead man by reason of the strength of the wine so when any one is full of that heauenly wine hee dyeth to the world and hath all his sences with all their desires shackled and fettered Furthermore what meaneth that of the same Prophet Blessed is the people that can reioyce in thee Some body perhaps might haue sayd Blessed is the people who haue plentifully all things necessary for them who is encompassed with strong wals and enuironed with mighty bulwarks who is garded with choyce Seruants and Souldiours But this most holy King who knew all these doth not speake so but he sayth that he is blessed who hath learned by experience what it is to ioy and reioyce in the Lord not with euery kinde of ioy but with that which is worthy of the name of ioy which as Gregory sayth is a ioy of the spirit so great that it cannot be expressed nor shewed by any externall signes Blessed therefore is the people who so hath profited and hath made such progresse in the sweetnes and loue of God that knoweth by experience what this ioy is which neyther that most wise Plato could vnderstand nor that most eloquent Demosthenes vtter with words but it is onely knowne to an humble and pure hart in which God dwelleth If God be the Author of this ioy I pray thee consider how great it ought to be which proceedeth from God for it is certaine that as the diuine punishment is like to God himselfe so also his comfort is wont to be like and conformable vnto him But if his punishment when hee correcteth man be so great how great thinkest thou shall his consolations be when he doth comfort man If hee hath a hand so heauy to smite how light shall it be when hee stretcheth it out that hee may stroke and cherish his friends Especially seeing that this good God is much more meruailous in his works of mercy then in his works of iustice Moreouer tell me I pray thee what is that Celler of vvine of most precious wine into which the Bride doth glory that shee was brought of her Bridegrome What is that banquet to which that same Bridegrome doth call his friends when he sayth Drinke my friends and be drunken my beloued What drunkennes is this but the greatnes of the diuine sweetnes and ioy which doth so alienate and infatuate the hart of man that a man seemeth as it were to be carried beyond himselfe For it is wont to be commonly sayde that a man is drunke when the wine that he drinketh is of greater measure and more aboundant then that his naturall heate may concoct or digest for then the wine ascendeth into the braine and so ruleth ouer man that now hee doth not rule himselfe but is ruled of the wine Which thing if it be so tell mee I pray thee what shall be the state of that soule drunken with that heauenly wine When it is as it were a vessell
small thing vnto the iust man is better then great riches vnto the wicked And in another place A day in thy courts is better then a thousand other-where I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse To be briefe what other thing meane those words of the Spouse in the Canticles Thy breasts are better then Wine and a little after We will reioyce and be glad in thee beeing mindfull of thy breasts aboue wine That is mindfull of the most sweet milke of thy consolations and comforts with which thou refreshest and nourishest at thy breasts thy spirituall children which is sweeter and more pleasant then all vvine By that wine he vnderstandeth not materiall wine as neither in the breast of God we know that there is milke nor the delights and ioyes of the worlde such as the whore in the Reuelation beginneth to her louers sitting vppon many waters and hauing a golden cup in her hand full of abhomination and of the filthines of her fornication making drunken and peruerting the iudgment of all them that dwell in Babylon least they should foresee their destruction and repent them of theyr wickednes ¶ How the righteous are refreshed in theyr prayers after a singuler manner with these diuine consolations IF in prosecuting this matter thou shalt aske me in what matter the righteous chiefely enioy these consolations of vvhich we haue hetherto spoken God himselfe will make answere vnto thee by the mouth of his Prophet Also the strangers that cleaue vnto the Lord to serue him and to loue the Name of the Lord and to be his seruants euery one that keepeth the Sabaoth and polluteth it not and embraceth my couenant them will I bring to mine holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in mine house of prayer For in thys exercise GOD especially and particulerly reioyceth his Elect. For as Laurentius Iustinianus in a certaine prayer sayth the harts of the righteous are inflamed with the loue of theyr Creator and are oftentimes lifted aboue themselues and doe thinke that they are in the company of Angels and there in the presence of the Creator they sing loue breathe praise sorrowe ioy eate and are hungry drinke and are a thirst and by euery way contend to be transformed into their Lord whom they do contemplate by fayth worship by humilitie seeke by desires enioy by loue Then they shall acknowledge howe true it is of our Sauiour That they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues Which as a riuer of peace is diffused and dispersed thorowe all the powers of the soule illuminating the vnderstanding reioycing the will renuing the memory and gathering all her cogitations to God there they embrace him with the armes of loue and haue I know not what in them they desire to holde hym with all theyr strength neither will they that hee should depart from them And as Iacob who stroue with the Angell woulde not let him depart so the hart after his manner striueth with the Diuine sweetnes neyther will let it depart but valiantly keepeth it as a thing in which he hath found all that he sought for and desired and saith with S. Peter in the mount Lord it is good for vs to be heere The soule placed in this estate very vvell vnderstandeth the phrase and right idiome or proprietie of the booke of the Canticles but especially it tuneth accenteth that most sweet song His left hand is vnder mine head and his right hande doth embrace me And Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples for I am sicke of loue Then the soule sette on fire with that diuine flame greatly desireth to be dissolued and to be deliuered out of this prison teares are her bread day and night as long as this deliuerance is deferred Death is her wish and lyfe her patience Without intermission shee repeateth that of the Canticles O that thou werest as my brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother I would finde thee without I would kisse thee thē they should not despise me Then wondering at herselfe she thinketh after what manner these treasures haue beene hid all the time past and seeing all men capable of so great good shee desireth to goe into all streets and high-waies and to cry out to all men and to say Whether hast yee yee fooles and vnwise What seeke yee Why doe yee not hasten Why doe ye not contend that ye may enioy this blessing Tast and see how sweet the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him For after that she hath tasted of the spirituall sweetnes all flesh is vnsauery vnto her all societie is a prison vnto her all solitarinesse shall seeme a Paradice and her delight shall be to cleaue vnto the Lorde whom she loueth All honor shall be a burthen all houshold gouernment and disposing of riches shall be to her a kind of martyrdome She shall not suffer any thing either in heauen or in earth to disturbe her pleasures and therefore she will watch that no externall cogitations or cares enter into her hart There shall be but one loue vnto her one desire shee shall loue all thinges in one and shall loue one thing in all Very well said the Prophet Whō haue I in heauen but thee I haue desired none in the earth with thee My flesh fayleth and mine hart also but GOD is the strength of mine hart and my portion for euer He that commeth to this happinesse hee thinketh not that he hath any more an obscure knowledge of diuine things but he supposeth that he dooth see with other eyes for hee feeleth those motions and those changes in his hart which are as infallible arguments and most firme testimonies of the truth of his fayth When the day is stormie and bringeth tediousnesse hee desireth a quiet night that hee may poure out his soule before the Lord and that he may passe the night with God No night is too long yea that which is the longest seemeth to bee the shortest If it be a cleere night hee lifteth vp his eyes that hee may contemplate and beholde the beautie of heauen the splendour of the starres and Moone and all these things he considereth of with new eyes and with new ioy farre different from the former He considereth of them as Images of the beautie of his Creator as glasses of his glory as messengers and interpretors who declare his maiestie as testimonies of perfection which is in him as gyfts which the Bridegrome sendeth to his Bride to continue and increase loue euen to that day in which hee shall take her with his hand and in his heauenly pallace shall solemnize with her that euerlasting marriage The whole world seemeth one booke vnto him which speaketh of the wonders of God one Epistle which hee sendeth to his beloued one instrument of his loue These be the nights my
a day And an other who gaue a wish to King Ezechias whether he would that the shadow of the Sunne should goe forwards ten degrees or returne backe so many This is that that after a singuler manner illustrateth the glory of the Lord when we see his seruants so powerfull For if that proude King of the Assirians glorified in that that Kings as himselfe serued him how much more shall the Lord our God glory that after a certaine manner all they are Gods that serue him after they haue participated of his power ¶ Of the vaine hope of the wicked THis then is the treasury of Hope which the righteous possesse in this life and to which there is no accesse for the wicked For although they also haue hope yet they haue not a liuelie but a dead hope For sinne taketh away the life and therefore theyr hope worketh not in them those effects which before we haue remembred For as there is nothing to be found which more reuiueth hope then a good conscience so the chiefest cause which maketh it to faile and killeth this hope is an euill conscience For that alwayes flyeth and feareth the light and maketh a man faint-harted and of feeble courage for he is not ignorant that the gate of the diuine fauour grace is shut against him Hence it is that as a shadow doth alwayes follow the body so feare and desperation in all places and at all times doe wayte vpon an ill conscience It appeareth then that such is the trust and hope of the wicked as their felicity and happines is for as their felicity is in the goods of this world so in them is their hope and trust seeing that they glory in them and in the time of tribulation runne vnto them as to a Sanctuary or a place of refuge Of this hope it is written in the booke of Wisedom The hope of the vngodly is like a dry thistle flowre that is blowne away with the wind like a thinne scum that is scattered abroade with the storme and like as the smoake which is dispersed heere and there with the wind By which we may see how vaine the hope of the vngodly is Neyther onely is this hope vaine but it is very hurtfull deceitfull and dangerous as the Lord God admonisheth by the mouth of the Prophet Alas for those disobedient children that is who haue forsaken their father sayth the Lord that they will take counsaile and not of me that they will take a secret aduice and not out of my spirit and therefore adde they sinne vnto sinne Euen they that walke to goe downe into Egipt and haue asked no question at my mouth but seeke strength in the might of Pharao and trust in the shadow of Egipt Therefore shall the strength of Pharao be your confusion and the trust in the shadow of Egipt your shame They were ashamed of the people that could doe them no good and that might not helpe them nor shew them any profit but were their confusion and rebuke All these be the words of Esay Neyther content with these he proceedeth in the next Chapter Woe vnto them that goe downe into Egipt for helpe and trust in Horses and put their confidence in Charrets because they be many and in Horse-men because they be lusty and strong but they regard not the holy one of Israell and they aske no question at the Lord. And he neuerthelesse is wise and will plague the wicked and goeth not from his word he will arise against the houshold of the froward and against the help of euill doers Now the Egiptians are men and not God and theyr Horses flesh and not spirit and as soone as the Lord stretcheth out his hand then shall the helper fall and he that should haue beene helped and they shall altogether be destroyed Thou seeft heere my brother clearer then the noone light the difference betweene the hope of the righteous and of the wicked For the hope of the wicked is flesh but the hope of the righteous is spirit The one is no other thing then that man is the other is that which God is so that there is as great difference betweene the hope of the good and of the wicked as is betweene God and man Therfore worthily doth the Prophet goe about to feare vs from the one and inuite vs to the other saying O put not your trust in Princes nor in any child of man for there is no help in them For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turne againe to his earth and then all his thoughts perrish Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe and whose hope is in the Lord his God which made heauen and earth the Sea and all that therein is Behold heere also a difference betweene both hopes The same difference the same Prophet declareth also in another Psalme saying Some put their trust in Charrets and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God They are brought downe and fallen but we are risen stand vpright Thou seest heere how well the fruites agree to the roote foundation or tree of hope for the fruite of the one is a downfall but of the other exaltation and victory Wherefore very fitly they that trust in the vanities of this world may be compared to that man in the Gospell Who built his house vpon the sand and the rayue descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beare vpon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it But they that trust in the Lord may be likened vnto him that built his house vpon a rocke which stood safe strong and firme against all the tempests and stormes of thys life The same thing no lesse elegantly the Prophet Ieremy doth teach by an excellent comparison Cursed be the man saith hee that putteth his trust in man and that taketh flesh for his arme and he whose hart departeth from the Lord. Hee shall be like the Heath that groweth in the wildernesse as for the good thing that is for to come hee shall not see it but dwell in a dry place of the wildernesse in a salt and vnoccupied Land But of the righteous he speaketh on a contrary manner O blessed is the man sayth he that putteth his trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord himselfe For he shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters side which spreadeth out the roote vnto moistnesse whom the heate cannot harme when it commeth but his lease shall be greene and though there growe but little fruite because of drouth yet is hee not carefull neither euer leaueth of to bring forth fruite Hetherto be the words of Ieremie Tell me now I pray thee what other thing can bee desired if so be that men haue but a little spark of reason to know the difference which is betweene the hope of the
men making theÌ„ vnfit to performe the worship of God cutting off theyr hands that they shoulde doe no good and theyr feete least they should come vnto him by their endeuours and desires Hee made men also to gather the fragments of meat vnder his table that is the pleasures of this world with which this Prince and Tyrant doth nourish his seruants And rightly they are called the fragments of meate and not parts or peeces for the niggardlines which the deuill vseth in deuiding his goods among his is so great that he neuer giueth them so much as will satisfie theyr gurmandizing paunches But after our Sauiour came into the world he turned the same punishment vpon the Tyrant by which he before afflicted and pnnâ—shed others cutting off his hands and his feete that is destroying all his workes and enfeebling all his strength Who properly died in Ierusalem for the Sauiour of the world there dying he slew the Prince of the world and where he was crucified there was crucified also the Prince of the world and being bound hand and foote all his power was taken from him And so presently after that most holy and sacred passion of our Sauiour men began to tryumph ouer this Tyrant and with great power to raigne ouer the deuill the world and all vices so that all the torments of the world shall not be able to driue force men to ruinate their soules ¶ Causes from which this liberty ariseth PErhaps thou wilt aske me whence this so admirable victory and liberty came I answere that this after God first proceeded from the Diuine grace as we haue before sayd Which by the mediation of vertue comming from it doth moderate and temper the fury of our appetites that they cannot preuaile against reason Wherefore euen as Sorcerers know by certaine verses how to inchaunt Serpents that they cannot hurt men so that they yet lyuing are not poysonous and hauing poyson they cannot spit nor cast it vpon others so also the Diuine grace doth after that maner enchaunt the venemous Serpents of our affections that they lyuing and being whole in our naturall essence cannot hurt vs neyther can they poyson or intoxicate our life as before they were wont This as being taught from heauen Esay sheweth very excellently in these words And the sucking child shall play vpon the hole of the Aspe and the weined child shall put his hand vppon the Cockatrice hole Then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the mountaine of mine holines for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the Sea It is certaine that the speech of the Prophet is not heere of materiall Serpents but of spirituall which are our appetites and euill inclinations for these when they are free and not hindered infect the world with their poyson neither doth he speake of corporall chyldren but of spirituall amongst whom hee is sayd to be a sucking childe who first beginneth to serue God who as yet hath neede of milke vntill hee bee further growne and he is called the weined child who hath somewhat profited and goeth on his feete and now is fedde with more solide meat as bread and other foode fit for men Therefore the Prophet speaking as well of the one as of the other saith at the first that they shall play be delighted because they see themselues liue in the midds of spirituall Serpents and yet by the vertue of the Diuine grace they doe not receiue of them any mortall hurt by consenting to sin Others after they are weined and haue profited in the way of the Lord he saith that they shall put theyr hands vpon the holes of Cockatrices as if hee shoulde say that God doth keepe them in the midst of the greatest dangers For in them is fulfilled that of the Psalmographer Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete These are they that put their handes vppon the holes of Cockatrices neither feele any hurt For the plentie of grace which God poureth vpon the earth dooth enchaunt these Serpents after that manner that they cannot hurt the sons of GOD. This thing the Apostle declareth more perspicuously and without a metaphore when after he had spoken copiously of the tyrannie of our appetites and of our flesh at the length crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me froÌ„ the bodie of this death presently hee aunswering himselfe saith The grace of God which is giuen by Iesus Christ our Lord. In vvhich place by the body of death the Apostle vnderstandeth not a body subiect to naturall death which we all looke for but that which in another place is called the body of sinne which is an inordinate appetite ready and apt to all euill From which as from a body the members of all passions and inordinate desires doe arise and grow which draw vs to all kinde of sinne From this body as from a cruell Tyrant the grace of God hath deliuered and freed vs which is giuen through Iesus Christ as the Apostle saith After this there is another cause not of the least value that is the greatnes of the ioy spirituall consolations which the righteous enioy in this world as we haue said before For this doth so quench the thirst of all concupiscences that a man may easily ouer-come and cast from him all other affections The Fountaine of all good things beeing found foorth-with that troublesome and disquiet tast of all other delights perrisheth as our Sauiour testifieth in the Gospell hauing conference with the woman of Samaria Whosoeuer drinketh saith he of the water that I shall giue him which is the grace of God he shall ueuer be more a thirst The same thing also S. Gregorie testifieth in a certaine homilie But if any man saith he hath tasted with the mouth of his hart what is the sweetnes of heauenly rewards what be the musicall assembles of Angels and what is the incomprehensible vision and sight of the holy Trinitie to this man by hovve much that is more sweet which inwardly hee feeleth and seeth by so much that is more bitter which outwardly hee pertaketh Now he aymeth to goe beyond all those things that come into his consideration now his minde is suspended from exteriour delights and he doth search out what the inuisible blessings be he is fedde with the tast of that incircumscriptible light and being carried beyond and aboue himselfe he doth disdaine againe to be deiected and cast downe to himselfe When as nowe the vessell of our hart is full after this manner of that heauenly liquor nowe the thirst of our soule is quenched now remaineth no further any reason or cause to desire or seeke after the fraile goods and abiect things of this life Therefore our soule is free neither is it bounde any longer with the chaynes of euill appetites for
vnder mee and mine heeles haue not slidde By which words the Prophet would declare the difference which is betweene the way of the righteous and the wicked for these by reason of their troubled harts through feare the variable cogitations in which they liue doe goe no otherwise then a traueller who walketh among rocks and declining headlong places fearing as often as he moueth his foote least he should fall but the way of the righteous is large and safe and they goe by a way plaine and euen where there is no feare of falling The righteous vnderstand these thinges better by practise then by theorie for all they doe knowe howe farre theyr hart differeth now when they serue God from that which they carried about when as they as yet sloted in the world For then in all danger of tribulation they foorth-with were afraid quiuered and trembled in hart and body But afterwards they left the way of the world and translated their hart to the loue of eternall things placed all their felicitie and hope in God they passed through all things whatsoeuer came with an hart so merry and peaceable and so subiect to the will of God that they themselues doe often maruell at so great a transformation They seeme not to be the same they were or at the least a newe hart is giuen them for theyr old they feele so great alteration in themselues And that we may confesse the truth they are and they are not the same for they are the same according to nature and not according to grace for this alteration proceedeth from grace This is that which the Lorde promiseth by Esay saying When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee through the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee When thou walkest through the very fire thou shalt not be burnt neyther shall the flame kindle vpon thee What be these waters but the lakes of the tribulations of this lyfe and the flood of infinite miseries which streame continually in it And what is that fire but the heate of our flesh which is the furnace of Babilon which the seruants of Nabuchodonozer did heate that is the deuils from the which furnace the flames of our concupiscences arise and ascend Hee therefore that in the midst of these waters and in the midst of this fire in which all the world is hazared and endangered doth walke safely neyther feeleth any hurt by the water or heate can it be that hee by that should not know and acknowledge the presence of the holy Ghost the vertue of the Diuine grace This is that peace which the holy Apostle sayth exceedeth all vnderstanding that is it is so high excellent and such a supernaturall gift that the vnderstanding of man cannot vnderstand it of it selfe how the fleshly hart should be so quiet peaceable and so at rest in the midst of the misfortunes and stormy tempests of this world He that vnderstandeth this acknowledgeth and prayseth the worker of so great miracles and sayth with the Prophet Come and behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth Hee maketh warres to cease vnto the ends of the world he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare and burneth the chariots with fire Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Heathen and I will be exalted in the earth Seeing that these things are thus what is richer what is sweeter what is more to be wished then this tranquillity then this enlargement then this greatnes and blessed peace of the hart But if thou wilt proceede further and wilt finde out from what fountaines this heauenly gift doth flow I say that it doth flow from â—ll these priuiledges and prerogatiues of Vertue which haue â—eene hetherto remembred of vs. For as in the chayne of vices one is linked and knit to another so also in the ladder of vertues one dependeth of another after that manner that which is the higher as it bringeth forth moe fruites so it hath moe rootes from whence it springeth Blessed therefore is this peace which being one of the eleuen fruites of the holy Ghost is engendered and begotten of other fruites and priuiledges as we haue spoken yet especially it proceedeth from Vertue herselfe whose vndiuidable companion Peace is Wherefore euen as honour and outward reuerence is naturally due vnto Vertue so also the inward peace is due which in like manner is both a fruite and a reward of her The inward warre proceedeth from pride and the vnquietnes of the passions but when they are tamed and bridled by vertues whose duty and function it is so to worke then all the cause of the sedition and tumult ceaseth This is one of those things in which the felicity of the heauenly kingdome consisteth vpon earth of which the Apostle speaketh The kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Where by righteousnes according to the Hebrew phrase Vertue herselfe and holines is vnderstoode of which we speake in this place in which together with these two admirable fruites that is peace and ioy in the holy Ghost consisteth the felicity and happines begun and inchoate which the righteous enioy in this world That this peace is an effect of Vertue herselfe the Lord most plainely telleth in Esay And the worke of iustice sayth he shall be peace euen the worke of iustice and quietnes and assurance for euer And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Wee must know that in this place by quietnes is vnderstoode the inward peace which is the tranquillity and quietnes of the passions which trouble the quiet and peace of the soule with importunate clamours and disordered and graceles appetites Secondly this peace ariseth from the liberty and rule of the subdued passions of which we haue more largely spoken in the former Chapter For euen as when a Citty is taken and the Cittizens subdued straightwayes there ariseth peace and tranquillity in it so that euery one sitteth vnder his own roofe without feare and without suspition of any hostility so 〈◊〉 after the affections of our soule are subdued and brought vnder which are the causes of all troubles on a sodaine there followeth in it an inward quietnes and a wonderfull peace in which the soule liueth quiet and free altogether from warre and from that importunate altercation and hurley burley of these perturbations And so it comes to passe that as they when they had rule ouer him and exercised their authority turmoyled him tost him hether and thether so when man is free from their tiranny doth hold them captiue there is not any thing left which may breed sorrow and trouble vnto him Thirdly the same peace ariseth of the greatnes of spyrituall consolations of which we haue also spoken before by which
his Pallace that not onely the wals of the King but also the eyes of the King may defend him from his enemies then the which gard none can be safer so the heauenly King by the same prouidence doth defend his Hence it is that we see and reade that the Saints oftentimes being compassed with many dangers temptations haue endured them and borne them with a minde quiet and vntroubled and with â— countenance and iesture cheerefull pleasant and merry For they are assured that they haue that faithfull gard present which will neuer forsake them and then chiefely and especially to be present when the dangers come to the highest Those three young men felt this whom Nabuchodonozer commaunded at Babilon to be cast into the firy furnace among whom the Angell of the Lord walked in the midst of the fire and cast out the flame of the fire out of the furnace and made the midst of the furnace like a coole and refreshing wind and the fire touched them not neyther troubled them nor brought any greeuance vnto them And the King was astonished and sayd Did wee not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire And behold I see foure men loosed and walking in the midst of the fire And the fourth is beautifull as the sonne of God Thou seest then how the presence of our Lord is at hand in troubles That argument of this matter is not lesse which the Lord performed for that holy young man Ioseph after he was sold of his brethren For hedeliuered him from sinne as it is in the booke of Wisedome he went downe with him into the dungeon and fayled him not in the bands till he had brought him the seepter of the realme and power against those that oppressed him and them that had accused him he declared to be lyers and gaue him perpetuall glory These examples confirme that Diuine promise which is in Dauid I am with him sayth the Lord in trouble I will deliuer him and I will honour him O happy trouble which deserueth to haue such a companion Which seeing that it is so let vs all lift vp our voyces with Saint Bernard and say O Lord send me trouble that thou mayst alwayes be with mee With this the ayde and supply of all vertues doe ioyne themselues which concurre at this time that they may strengthen corroborate and rayse vp the distressed minde For euen as when the hart is distressed and afflicted all the blood from euery part runneth thether that it may releeue and comfort it that it faynt not so the soule when it is oppressed with griefe and anguish forthwith all the vertues runne vnto it and releeue it now after this manner now after that But after a more especiall maner Fayth is present bringing a cleare and plaine knowledge both of the good things and of the euill in the life to come in comparison of which all the calamities and miseries of this world are of no moment Hope commeth which maketh men patient in all their troubles and afflictions in looking for a reward The loue of God commeth with which loue they being inflamed desire with great feruentnes to beare all kinde of sorrowes and afflictions in this life Obedience and the conforming of our wils with the Diuine will runneth hasteth hether at whose hands they receaue with ioy and without murmuring whatsoeuer is giuen vnto them Patience ioyneth herselfe vnto these whose property is to strengthen the shoulders that men may be able to beare all those burthens which are layd vpon them Humility hath also heere her function and worke which bendeth the hart as a young twig shaken and tossed to and fro of the stormy wind of tribulation and maketh man to be humbled vnder the mighty hand of the Lord whilst he acknowledgeth that those things which he suffereth are much lesser then his sinnes 〈◊〉 To conclude the consideration of the labours and â—orrowes of Christ crucified and the afflictions of all the holy Saints doe exceedingly helpe in comparison of whom all our tribulations are as though they were not After this manner therfore the vertues helpe them who are in affliction and calamity euery one with their proper and peculier functions neyther onely with theyr functions but also if I may say so with their words and exhortations First of all 〈…〉 The afflictions of this present time are not woorthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Charity sayth that it is meete and reason that we should suffer and beare all things for his loue who so deerely and tenderly hath loued vs. Gratitude sayth with blessed Iob Shall we receaue good at the hand of God and not receaue euill Repentance sayth it is meet that he should suffer something against his will who so often hath wrought wickednes against the Diuine will Faythfulnes addeth that it is right and reason that he should be once found faythfull and gratefull in his life who hath receaued so great gifts and so many graces of God through the whole course of his life Patience admonisheth that tribulations are the matter of patience Or doe bring forth patience and patience bringeth forth experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Obedience sayth that there is not a greater sacrifice or more acceptable to God then in all trouble to coÌ„forme ourselues to the good pleasure of Gods will But amongst all the vertues liuely Hope helpeth man in that time after a singuler and an especiall manner and it wonderfully strengtheneth our hart in the midst of tribulations The Apostle declareth this who when hee had sayd Reioycing in hope he further addeth and patient in tribulation not being ignorant that one followeth another that is of the ioy of Hope followeth the fortitude of Patience For which cause the Apostle not vnelegantly calleth Hope an anchor for euen as when it is fastned into the earth it keepeth the shyppe safe which stayeth in the midst of the waues and maketh it that it feareth not the billowes of the raging sea so liuely Hope beeing firmly fixed vppon the heauenly promises preserueth the minde of the righteous vnremoued in the midst of the waues of this world and maketh it that it contemneth and despiseth all the storme tempest of the winds So it is reported that a certaine holy man did in times past who seeing himselfe enclosed on euery side with tribulations sayd That good that I looke for is so great that all punishment and all torment is a pleasure vnto me Therefore thou vnderstandest my brother how all vertues concurre to strengthen the mindes of the righteous when they see them in a straight And although a man be weake and fearfull yet forthwith he returneth to himselfe to his right mind and with greater affection and zeale sayth If thou shalt fayle in the time of triall when God hath determined to try proue thee where is thy liuely Fayth by which thou
must note heere that labour is not excluded for man must also labour and doe that lyeth in him according to the quality of his estate and condition ¶ Of the scarsitie and pouerty of the wicked BVt if any man on the contrary part would know how great the aduersities calamities and pouerties of the wicked be let him reade the eight and twenty Chapter of Deuteronomie and there he shall finde those things that both will make him wonder and tremble Amongst many other things thus speaketh the Scripture But if thou will not harken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe and to doe all his commaundements and his ordinances which I commaund thee this day all these curses shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the Citty and cursed in the field Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store Cursed shall be the fruite of thy body and the fruite of thy Land and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe Cursed shalt thou be when thou goest in and cursed when thou goest out The Lord shall send vpon thee cursing destruction and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand to and that thou doest vntill he destroy thee and bring thee to naught quickly because of the wickednes of thine inuentions and because thou hast forsaken me The Lord shal make the pestilence cleaue vnto thee vntill hee haue consumed thee from of the Land whether thou goest to enioy it The Lord shall smite thee vvith swelling with feauers heate burning and with the sword with blasting and mildeaw and they shall follow thee vntill thou perrish And the heauen that is ouer thy head shal be brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shal be yron The Lord shall turne the raine of the Lande into powder and dust from heauen shal they come downe vpon thee vntill thou be brought to naught And the Lorde shall cause thee to fall before thine enemies thou shalt come out one way against them and flee seauen wayes before them and shalt be scattered among all the kingdomes of the earth And thy carkasse shal be meate vnto all manner of foules of the ayre and vnto the beasts of the earth and no man shal fray them away The Lorde will smite thee with the botch of Egipt and the Emerods scab and itch that thou maist not be healed thereof And the Lord shall smite thee with madnes blindnes and dazing of hart Thou shalt grope at noone dayes as the blind gropeth in darknes and shalt not prosper in thy waies Thou shalt be oppressed with wrong and be polled euermore and no man shall succour thee Thou shalt be betrothed vnto a wife and another man shall lye with her thou shalt build an house and not dwell therein thou shalt also plant a vineyard shalt not gather the grapes Thine Oxe shal be slaine before thine eyes thou shalt not eate thereof thine Asse shall bee violently taken away before thy face and shall not be restored to thee againe thy sheepe shal be giuen vnto thine enemies no man shall rescue them Thy sonnes and thy daughters shall be giuen vnto another Nation thine eyes shall see it daze vpon theÌ„ all the day long and there shall be no might in thine hand The fruite of thy Land and all thy labours shall a Nation which thou knowest not eate vp thou shalt continually suffer violence be oppressed alway so that thou shalt be cleane beside thy selfe for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see The Lorde shall smite thee in the knees legs with a mischieuous botch that cannot be healed froÌ„ the sole of thy foote vnto the toppe of thy head The Lord shall bring thee thy King which thou shalt sette ouer thee vnto a Nation vvhich neither thou nor thy Fathers haue knowne that there thou mayest serue strange Gods wood stone And thou shalt be wondered at spoken of and iested at among all Nations whether the Lorde shall carry thee At the length after many and horrible curses he addeth saying And all these curses shal come vpon thee ouertake thee till thou be destroyed because thou harkenedst not vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe his commaundements and his ordinaunces which he commanded thee And they shall be vpon thee for signes wonders vpon thy seede for euer because thou serâ—edst not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse with a good hart wheÌ„ thou haddest aboundance of all things Therefore shalt thou serue thine enemy which the Lord shall send vpon thee in hunger thirst in nakednesse and in neede of all things he shal put a yoke of yron vpon thy necke vntil he haue brought thee to naught And the Lord shall bring a Nations vpon thee from farre from the end of the world as swift as an Eagle flieth a Nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand A nation of a shamelesse cruell countenaunce which shall not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion on the young The same shall eate the fruite of thy cattell and the fruite of thy land vntill he haue destroyed thee shall leaue thee neither Corne Wine nor Oyle neyther the increase of thy Kine nor the flocks of thy sheepe vntill he haue brought thee to naught And he shal keepe thee in in all thy Citties vntil he haue cast downe thy hie walles and strong holds wherein thou trustedst throughout all thy â—and hee shall besiege thee in all thy Citties throughout all thy â—and which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee And thou shalt eate the fruite of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee in that straightnes siege wherewith thine enemies shall enclose thee All these be the words of the holy Scripture but there are many moe in the same Chapter which we doe now leaue of to remember Which if they be read with attention diligence they will make a man whatsoeuer hee be to be amazed and to faint and die in courage for the horrour of so dreadfull fearfull things And he that shall read peraduenture shall open his eyes and shall begin somwhat to vnderstand the rigour of the Diuine iustice and the cruell maliciousnes of sinners and of the great hate that the Lord beareth towards sinne seeing that hee doth punish it in this world with such horrible punishments whence we may easily coniecture what is to bee looked for in the world to come Furthermore it may irke the wicked of their insensablenesse and calamitie because they liue as though they were blind neyther doe they see what is referued for theÌ„ or what punishments are prepared Neyther think that these threatnings are in vaine onely words and speeches inuented to terrifie men for as they are threatnings so are they true prophecies of the calamities into which the people should fall For in
worlde for his sake shall receaue an hundreth fold heere and shall inherite euerlasting life Behold therefore my brother what an excellent good it is that hetherto I haue shewed thee behold to what I inuite thee consider whether any will say that thou art deceaued if for the loue of it thou shalt forsake the world and all things which are therein Onely one inconuenience this good hath if so that it may be called an incoÌ„uenience why it is not esteemed amongst wicked men that is because it is not knowen vnto them For this cause our Sauiour said That the kingdome of heauen was like vnto a treasure hid for this good is indeede a treasure but hid not to these that possesse it but to others That Prophet very well knew of the price of this treasure who said My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe Hee regarded not whether others knew of his treasure or no for this good is not of the nature of other goods which are not good vnlesse they be known of others vvherefore they are not good of themselues but only in the estimation of the world and therefore it is necessarie that they be knowen vnto him of whom they are so called But thys good maketh his possesser good and happy and doth noe lesse warme heate his hart when he knoweth of it alone then when the whole world knoweth it But my tongue is not the key of the Casket of this secret and much lesse of all those things which hetherto haue been spoken for whatsoeuer mans tongue can vtter is much lesse theÌ„ the truth of the thing it selfe The Diuine light experience and vse is the key of vertues I would that thou shouldest desire thys key of GOD that thou mayst finde this treasure yea God himselfe in whoÌ„ thou shalt finde all things and thou shalt see with what great reason the Prophet said Blessed is the people whose GOD the Lorde is For what can be wanting vnto him who possesseth this good It is written in the bookes of the Kings that Elcana the Father of Samuell said to his wife sorrowing because shee vvas barren and had no chyldren Anna why weepest thou and why catest thou not and why is thine hart troubled Am not I better to thee then tenne sonnes If a good husband who is to day and to morrow is not be better to his wife then tenne sonnes what thinkest thou of God what will hee be to that soule that possesseth him O men what doe ye whether looke ye what doe ye regard why doe ye leaue the fountaine of Paradice drinke of the muddy Cesterns of thys world Why doe ye not follow the good counsaile of the Prophet who saith O tast see how gracious and sweet the Lord is Why doe we not once assay thys Fourd why doe wee not once tast of these bankets Haue trust to the words of the Lord and beginne and he shal deliuer thee from all danger Terrible and fearefull seemed that Serpent a farre off into which Moses rodde was turned but when it was handled it returned to the old forme againe Not without cause saide Salomon It is naught it is naught saith he that buyâ—th but when hee commeth to his owne house then hee boasteth of his penny-worth Thys hapneth daily to men in this busines For not knowing at the beginning the value of this merchandize because they theÌ„selues are not spirituall neither know they of what esteeme it is and vnderstanding what is requested for it because they are carnall they thinke it is too deere and not worth the price But when they once beginne to tast how sweet the Lord is foorthwith they boast of their merchandize and they confesse that no price is too high or too much to be giuen for this incomparable good Consider how the Merchant in the Gospel cheerfully sold all that he had that he might buy the field in which the treasure was hid Therfore for what cause doth not a Christian man this name being heard contend to know what it is Certainly it is a matter of wonder if any tatler or tale-bearer should tell thee that in thy house there is treasure hidde thou wouldest not rest to digge and delue and to seeke and try whether it were true or no that hee had said But when the Lorde himselfe affirmeth that within thee in thy soule thou hast an inestimable treasure hid canst thou not be brought to seek for it O how soone shouldest thou sinde this treasure if thou onelie knewest how nigh the Lord is vnto them that call vpon him in truth How many men haue their beene in this world vvho considering of their sinnes and perseuering in prayer and desiring remission of them haue in lesse time then a weeke opened the earth or that I may speake better haue found a new heauen and a newe earth and haue begunne to feele in them the kingdome of God How great is it which that Lord doth who saith At what tyme soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes I will put them out of my remembrance How great was that which that good Father did who scarcely that short prayer of the Prodigall beeing ended could no longer containe himselfe but he must needes embrace him and receaue him into his house with great mirth and feasting Returne therefore my brother to thys gracious fauourable Father and whilst it is time lift vp thy hart vnto him and cease not for some fewe dayes vncessantly to call and knock at the gates of his mercy and assuredly beleeue mee if thou shalt perseuer with humilitie at the length the Lord shall make aunswere vnto thee and shall show thee the hid treasure of his loue which when thou shalt haue tasted and assaied thou wilt say with the Spouse in the Canticles If a man woulde giue all the good of his house for loue he should count it nothing The end of the second part THE THIRD PART OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which aunswere is made to all those excuses by which those men are wont to excuse and defend themselues who will not embrace Vertue Against the first excuse of those who deferre and put off from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue CHAP. XXV I Thinke that no man can deny but that those things are sufficient which hetherto haue beene spoken of vs yea and that they sufficientlie and plentifully doe approoue our principall purpose and intent which wee promised at the beginning to discourse aâ—d dispute of That is that we might moue the harts of men Gods grace being first presupposed to the loue and study of Vertue But although we may be thought to haue satisfied and performed our promise yet the malitiousnes of men haue excuses which haue a show of truth by which they defend their lingering and loytering negligence and still comfort and please themselues in their wickednes as Ecclesiasticus intimateth and insinuateth
them in thy minde by little and little thou shalt feele this feare wrought in thee ¶ Of the workes of the Diuine iustice whereof mention is made in the holy Scripture THE first worke of the Diuine iustice which the holy Scripture remembreth is the damnation of Angels The beginning of the wayes of the Lord was that terrible bloudy beast the Prince of deuils as it is written in the booke of Iob. For seeing that all the waies of the Lord are mercy and iustice vntill this first sinne the iustice of GOD was not yet reuealed which was hid in the bosome of the Lord as a sword in a scabberd This first sinne was the cause why this sword was vnsheathed Consider now how grieuous and terrible this first plague and punishment was lift vp thine eyes and thou shalt behold wonderfull things thou shalt see I say the most precious iewel of the house of God thou shalt see the chiefest beauty of heauen thou shalt see that Image in which the Diuine beauty shyned so cleerly this I say thou shalt see falling from heauen like an arrow and that for the onely thought of pride The Prince of all the Angels is made the Prince of deuils of most beautifull he is made most horrible and deformed of most glorious he is made most vilde and disgracious of one most acceptable gracious of all those creatures which God had made or euer would make he is made the greatest the most malicious enemie What astonishment thinkest thou and what admiration was this to the heauenly Spirits who know from whence and whether this so noble a creature fell With what feare did they all pronounce that of Esay Howe art thou fallen from heauen ô Lucifer sonne of the Morning Descend afterward a little lower to the earthly Paradice and there thou shalt see a case no lesse feareful vnlesse there had been a remedy vsed for this mischiefe For that the Angels should fall it was needfull that they all should actually offend But what hath the creature which is borne actually offended in why he should be borne the child of wrath It is not needfull that he should haue actuall sinne it sufficeth onely that he be borne of that man that had offended and by offending had corrupted the common roote of all mankind which was in him this I say is sufficient why he is borne in sinne The glory and Maiesty of God is so great that when as one onely creature had offended him the whole kinde deserued so seuerely to be punished For if it was not sufficient to Haman that great friend of King Assuerus that he might reuenge himselfe of Mardocheus of whom he supposed that he had receaued an iniury not only to punish Mardocheus but for the greatnes of his honour to cut off the whole nation of the Iewes for the deniall as he iudged of a small reuerence why doest thou meruaile if the glory and maiesty of God which is infinite requireth like punishment Behold therfore the first man is banished out of Paradice for a bit of an apple for which euen to this day the whole world is punished And after so many thousand yeares the sonne that is borne bringeth with him out of his mothers wombe the staine and blemish of his father and not when he can offend himselfe by reason of age but in his very natiuity he is borne the child of wrath and that as I haue sayd after so many thousand yeares After so long time this iniury could not be buried in obliuion being deuided among so many thousand thousands of men and punished with so many scourges Yea all the torments which men haue suffered from the beginning of the world to this day all the deaths which they haue vndergone and all the soules which burne and shall burne in hell euerlastingly are sparks which haue originally proceeded from that first sinne all which are arguments and testimonies of the Diuine iustice And all these things are also done and brought vpon vs after the redemption of mankind wrought and made by the blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Which remedy if it had not beene wrought there had been no difference betweene men and deuils for of themselues there had beene as little remedy and hope of saluation to the one as to the other What doest thou think of this punishment I thinke that it is a reasonable sound argument of the Diuine iustice But because this heauy and greeuous yoke is not taken away from the sonnes of Adam new and moe kinds of punishments haue sprung from it for other sinnes which haue beene deriued from that first All the world was drowned with the waters of the deluge The Lord rayned from heauen fire and brimstone vpon those fiue polluted and sinfull Citties The earth swallowed vp Dathan and Abiron aliue for a certaine contention that was betweene them and Moses A fire went out from the Lord and deuoured the two sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu because they had not obserued the right and due ceremonies in the sacrifice neyther did the dignity of their priesthood profit them any thing nor the holines of their father nor that familiarity which theyr Vncle Moses had with the Lord. Ananias and Saphira in the new Testament because they lyed vnto S. Peter which seemed to be but a small matter fell downe dead and sodainly yeelded vp the ghost But what shall we say of the hidden and secret iudgements of God Salomon who was the wisest of all men and whom God so tenderly loued that he was sayd to be the Lords beloued by the hidden and secret iudgement of God came to that extreame abhomination and that most abhominable sinne that he fell into Idolatry What is more fearefull then this But if thou shouldest know of moe iudgements of this kinde which daily happen in the Church perhaps thou wouldest no lesse feare these then thou dreadest that Because thou shouldest see many starres falling from heauen to the earth thou shouldest see many who did eate the bread of Angels vpon the Lords table to fall and slip into such calamities that they rather desire to fill their bellies with the drasse and swash of Swine thou shouldest see many whose chastity was purer and more beautifull then a Porphirite to be blacker then a cole The causes of whose lapse were their sinnes But what greater signe of the Diuine iustice canst thou desire thē that God for the iniury done vnto him wold not be satisfied but with the death of his onely begotten sonne before he would receaue the world to his fauour What manner of words I pray thee were they which the Lord spake to the women which followed him lamenting and bewayling Daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For behold the dayes will come when men shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombs that neuer bare and the paps
which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hils couer vs. For if they doe these things to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry As if the Lord would haue sayd if this tree of life and innocencie in which there is neyther worme found nor any corruption of sinne so burne with the flames of the Diuine iustice for the sinnes of others how thinkest thou will a dry and barren tree burne which not charity but the own proper malignity condemneth to the fire And if in this work of mercy thou doest see so great rigour of iustice what will it be in other matters in which so great mercy is not seene But if thou beest so dunsicall and blockish that thou canst not conceaue of the force of this argument at the least looke vpon the paynes of hell and see what an exceeding huge punishment that is with which the Diuine iustice punisheth one sinne how I say that sinne that is done in a moment is punished with euerlasting torment Behold how this dreadfull and terrible Iustice ioyneth her selfe to this Diuine mercy which thou so greatly extollest What can be thought of more horrible and fearefull then to see how that high and supreame Lord of Lords from the throne of his glory will behold a soule which shall be tortured and tormented so many thousand thousands of yeares with the intollerable punishments of hell yea he shall reioyce that it is thus plagued and it shall be pleasurable vnto him to haue the punishment without end without terme or limit and vtterly without any future hope of remedy O the altitude of the Diuine iustice worthy of all admiration ô secret ô the Abysse of this most deepe profundity What man will be so mad who will be so berest of all reason and iudgement that if he consider these things wil not tremble wil not stand astonished vtterly amazed at such great and dreadfull punishments ¶ Of the works of the Diuine iustice which are seene in this world BVt leauing the bookes of the holy Bible a little let vs goe out and view this visible world for in it we shall finde great arguments of the Diuine iustice I assuredly affirme vnto thee that they that haue their minds illuminated but with the least beame of the Diuine light knowledge doe liue in this world in great feare and exceedingly doe dread the works of the Diuine iudgements because seeking an issue and passage out of them and how to be freed from them they finde none other but onely a simple humble confession of the fayth they haue in Christ. Who doth not tremble to see the vniuersall face of the earth couered with infidelity to see how fruitfull the haruest of the deuils is that fill the lakes of hell with the wretched soules of men to see the greater part of the world yea after the redemption of mankind drowned in the former darknes How small I pray thee is the region of the Christians if it be compared with the Kingdomes and Empires of the Infidels It is but a small corner of the world if thou exceptest the new and late discouered regions of India which are daily more and more discouered and doe come to the fayth All besides the deuils doe oppresse with their tiranny and they mourne vnder the powerfull and tirannicall empire and dominion of the King of darknes where neyther the Sunne of righteousnes shineth where the light of truth riseth not where neyther the water rayneth nor the dew of the Diuine grace descendeth as neyther in the mountaynes of Gelboe where the deuils make such hauock of soules which they gather cast into eternal inextinguible fire For it is without all controuersie that as without the Arke of Noah in the time of the deluge none was saued nor any in the Citty of Iericho without the house of Rahab so none shall be saued that is found without the house of GOD which is his Church But looke vpon that part which Christians inhabit looke vpon the doings and affaires of Christians how they are ordered and managed in this most corrupt and deprauate age of the world and thou shalt confesse that in this misticall body from the sole of the foote to the top of the head there is scarce any one sound member to be found Looke into which so euer you please of the most famous Citties of the world in which at the least there is any footsteps of learning and doctrine yet extant afterwards runne through the lesser Townes Villages Streets and Castels and thou shalt finde those people of whom that of Ieremie may be rightly and truly affirmed Runne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth that is that is righteous in deede and I will spare it Furthermore I say not runne thorow ware-houses shops tauerns publique places of meetings for those places are for the most part dedicated to tryflings toyes lyings and deceits but also the houses of neighbours attend and harken as Ieremie and thou shalt vnderstand that there is no body that speaketh that that is good neyther shalt thou heare any thing besides murmurings lyes cursings oathes and blasphemies heere strifes and contentions doe resound there threatnings and flaunderous reproches are heard No man repenteth him of his wickednes saying What haue I done To be briefe in very deede thou shalt see and vnderstand that the harts tongues of men are busied about no other matters but their earthly owne commodities neither shalt thou heare GOD to be named after any other manner but in oathes and execrable cursings whereby his name is blasphemed which remembrance of his name the Lord complaineth of in the same Prophet saying They remembre mee but not as they ought swearing falsely by my Name So that by the exteriour markes a man can scarcely knowe whether the people be Christian or Heathen vnlesse by that manner that we know bells which are seene a farre of but are knowen by the sound so thou mayest know them by theyr oathes and blasphemies which are heard when thou art neere thē otherwise they could not be knowen or discerned what they are But I pray thee howe can these be numbred with those of whom Esay speaketh All that see thē shall know them that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed But if the life of Ghristians ought to be such that they that see them a farre of may discerne and iudge them to be the sonnes of GOD what account are they to be made of who rather seeme scoffers mockers and despisers of Christ then true Christians Wherefore seeing that the sinnes enormities of the world are so many and so great how can it be that thou manifestlie doost not see
for his defence vntill his eyes were opened by the prayer of the Prophet of God then he saw that there were moe defenders then offenders Of the same kinde and semblance is the errour of them of whom we now speake for when as they perceaue and feele in themselues the difficulty of Vertue and not hauing felt the graces and helpes that God fendeth for the attainement of Vertue and piety they pull back their foote and shrink away from Vertue Tell me if the way of Vertue be so difficult why doth the Prophet say I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches And in another place The iudgements of the Lord are truth they are righteous altogether and more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then bonny and the honny-combe So that the Prophet not onely granteth that that all we yeeld vnto Vertue that is admirable excellency and dignitie but also that which the world denieth that is sweetnesse pleasantnes and delectation For thys cause not without good reason thou mayst perswade thy selfe that those who doe so aggrauate and exaggerate this burthen and doe imagine to themselues that it is so heauy and so vnsupportable although they be Christians and liue vnder the couenaunt of grace yet they haue not tasted of thys misterie O thou wretched man thou that sayest thou art a Christian tell me why Christ came into the world Why he shedde his blood why he ordained his Sacraments why he sent his holy Spirit into the world what is meant by the word Gospell what by the word Grace and what is the meaning of this most famous and excellent name IESVS If thou knowest not enquire of the Euangelist and he will tell thee Thou shalt call his Name IESVS for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes What other thing meaneth the name of Sauiour Deliuerer What other thing to be saued and deliuered from sinnes then to obtaine pardon for vs for our sinnes past grace to eschew those to come For what other cause came the Sauiour into the world but that he might helpe thee and further thy saluation Why would he dye vppon the Crosse but that he might kill sinne Why would he rise from the dead but that he might raise thee and might make thee to walke in newnesse of lyfe Why did he shed his blood but that he might make a medicine or a plaister to heale and cure thy woundes For what other cause did he institute ordaine Sacraments in his Church but to strengthen thee in the progresse of righteousnesse What other is the fruite of his most bitter passion and comming into this world but that he might make the way to heauen plaine smooth which before was sharpe and rough with thornes and that he might make it passable and easie to be iourneyed This is that which Esay fore-told should come that in the dayes of the Messias Euery valley should be exalted and euery mountaine hill should be made low and the crooked should be strait the rough places playne To be briefe besides all these why was the holie Ghost sent from heauen but that thy flesh might be turned into spirit And why did he send him in the forme of fire but that he might inflame thee as fire and illuminate thee and transforme thee into himselfe and lift thee on high from whence he himselfe first came To what end profiteth grace all the vertues which proceede from it but that they may make easie and light the yoke of the Lord that they might make his seruice tollerable that they might make men couragious in tribulations to hope in perrils and ouercome in temptations This is the beginning thys the middle and this the end of the Gospell It is necessary also to know that as Adam an earthly man a sinner made all men earthly and sinners so Christ a heauenly man and a righteous made all men heauenly and righteous What other thing haue the Euangelists written What other thing be the promises sent vnto vs from the Prophets what other thing haue the Apostles preached This is the summe of all Christian Diuinitie thys is that abreuiated worde which the Lord made vpon the earth Thys is that consummation and abreuiation which Esay sayth he heard of the Lord vppon which followed so great riches of righteousnes vertues in the world But let vs declare a little more plainly those things which we haue spoken I demaund of thee from whence thinkest thou that this difficulty ariseth which is found in Vertue Thou wilt say from the wicked inclination of the hart and from our flesh conceaued in sinne for the flesh gainesayeth the spirit and the spirit resisteth the flesh as two contraries between themselues Let vs imagine that God calleth thee and saith vnto thee Man come hether I will take from thee that hart thou hast and will giue thee a new one I will giue thee strength also by vvhich thou shalt be able to represse and hold vnder thy appetites and euill concupiscences If God promise this vnto thee shall the way of Vertue yet seeme difficult vnto thee It is certaine that it shall not I pray thee what other thing is it that God so often hath promised vnto thee that he hath so often auerred in the holy Scriptures Heare what the Lord spake in times past by his Prophet Ezechiell speaking especially to them vvho lyue vnder the couenaunt of grace And I will giue them sath he a new hart and I will put a new spirit within theyr bowels and I vvill take the stony hart out of their bodies will giue them a hart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements execute them and they shall be my people and I will bee their GOD. Hetherto the Prophet Why then doost thou doubt ô man Is not God sufficient to performe his promise And if he shall performe his promise and keepe his credite with thee shalt thou not be able with his helpe and ayde to walke in his statutes If thou shalt deny the first thou wilt make God a rash and false promiser and that is exceeding great blasphemie but if thou shalt say that thou are not yet with all his helpe able to walke in his statutes and obserue his iudgements thou makest GOD an impotent prouider and fore-seer whilst he would haue man to sweare to that he is not able to doe by giuing him a remedie vnsufficient which in like manner is false What other doubt then is there Why should not Vertue haue force to mortifie these euill inclinations which fight with thee and which make the way of Vertue seeme difficult Thys is one of the chiefest fruites of the tree of Lyfe vvhich the Lorde hath sanctified by his blood The Apostle confirmeth this when he saith Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body
weepe in the very bitternes of my hart These and other things being past finished which he remembreth forth-with the light of security being infused into his hart the darknes of al doubt fled away The Lord so changed his mind that afterwards he neyther desired any carnall vices nor any other vanity in this world And being losed from these chaynes he beginneth at the entrance of the booke following to giue thanks to God his deliuerer saying Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine Hand-mayde Thou hast broken my bonds I will sacrifice vnto thee the sacrifice of prayse My hart and my tongue doe prayse thee and all my bones doe say Lord who is like vnto thee Let them say so and Lord aunswer me and say to my soule I am thy saluation Who then am I and what an one What euill am I not Or was it my deedes or if not my deedes was it my words or if not my words was it my will But thou Lord art good and mercifull and thy right hand respected the profundity of my death and thou drewest the depth of corruption from the bottome of my hart And this was wholy that vnwillingnes which thou willedst and that willingnes which thou wouldest not But where was all this long time my wil to doe wel and from vvhat bottome and deepe Abysse didst thou in a moment call it forth vvhereby I might submit my necke vnder thine easie yoke and my shoulders vnder thy light burthen ô Christ Iesus my helper and onely redeemer How sweete on a sodaine was it for me to want the sweetnes of trifles and which I was afrayd to lose now it was a ioy vnto me to lose them For thou being the true and chiefest sweetnes didst cast them from mee thou didst cast them away and for them entredst in thy selfe being sweeter then any pleasure but not to flesh blood and brighter then any light but to the inward secret man and higher then all honour but not to those that are high in themselues Hetherto are the words of Saint Augustine Tell me now if the matter standeth thus if the vertue and efficacie of the Diuine grace be so powerfull what is it that holdeth thee captiue vvhereby thou canst not doe that vvhich they haue done If thou beleeuest that these things are true that the grace of God is effectuall to worke so admirable a change if it be denied to no man that with all his hart desireth it because now also he is the same God vvhich he vvas then vvithout respect of persons vvhat doth hinder thee vvhy thou goest not out of this wretched seruitude and embracest that chiefest good vvhich freely is offered thee Why hadst thou rather vvith one hell to gayne another then vvith one Paradice to gayne another Paradice Be not negligent or vvithout hope Assay once his busines and trust in God vvhich vvhen thou shalt scarcely begin to doe behold he vvill come to meete thee as the father met his prodigall child with open armes Certainly it is a matter of wonder astonishment That if some cosener should promise thee the Art of Alcumy vvhereby thou mightest extract gold out of brasse thou vvouldest not cease although it vvere very chargeable vnto thee vntil thou hadst tried and experimented it and heere the vvord of the Lord teacheth thee to make heauen of earth spirit of flesh and an Angel of a man and vvilt thou not assay and make trial And when as in the end eyther later or sooner eyther in this life or in that to come at the length thou shalt know the truth of this matter I desire thee that with attention thou wouldest consider how thou shalt finde thy selfe deceaued in the day of rendering an account when thou shalt see thy selfe damned because thou didst forsake the way of Vertue because thou imaginedst to thy selfe that it was hard and difficult And there thou shalt know most manifestly that this way is much more sweet and pleasant then the way of vices and pleasures which leade thee onely to earthly delights of which then there shall not be any footsteps or reliques left Against them that feare to enter into the way of Vertue for the loue of this world CHAP. XXIX IF we should feele the pulse and life vaine of all them who feare to enter into the way of vertue perhaps wee should finde many so slothfull and sluggish because the loue of this world hath infatuated them and made them fooles I say that it hath infatuated them for this loue is a false glasse and an apparance of good things which in truth are not good vvhich false glasse maketh all worldly things to be in so great price amongst the ignorant Whereupon beasts which feare shadowes flie all shadowie things as hurtfull dangerous when in deed they are not So these men on the contrary part doe loue and embrace the things of this world supposing estimating them to be louely and delectable when in deed they are not Therefore as they that would bring beasts from their shadowie idle imagination doe often leade them through those places which they feare that they may see that that is but a vaine shadowe which they feared So now it is necessary that we leade these men through the shadowes of earthly things who so ordinarily doe loue them that we may make them to behold them vvith other eyes that they may plainly see how great a vanitie and a shadow all that is which they so greatly admire and loue and that as those dangers are not worthy that they should be feared so also these good things are not worthy that they should be desired or loued He therefore that shall diligently and seriously consider of the world with all the felicities in it shall finde sixe euils and mischiefes in it which no man can denie as are shortnesse miserie dangers blindnes sinnes and deceipts vvith which the felicitie of the world is alwaies mingled by which it may plainly be seene who and what it is Euery one of these wee will handle in that which followeth yet briefely and in order ¶ How short the felicity of this world is GOe to thou canst not denie to me beginning to dispute of this worldly felicitie but that all the felicitie and sweetnes of this world or by what name so euer els thou wilt call it is short and of small continuance For this felicitie cannot endure beyond a mans life But how long the life of man is we haue before declared seeing that it reacheath scarcely to an hundred yeeres But how many be there that come to an hundred yeres I haue seene diuers Bishops and Cardinals who haue scarcelie liued two moneths in theyr dignitie others elected Popes who haue scarce sit one month I haue seene others that haue married wiues louing beautifull rich and vertuous so that nothing seemed to be wanting in them who haue not enioyed them one week
looke a little into the worlds darknes and blind guidance and thou shalt soone discerne it Tell me I pray thee what is more blind then that men should beleeue as they beleeue and liue as they liue What greater blindnes then so to reuerence and dread men and so wickedly to contemne and despise God So carefully to seeke and study for the commodities of the body which is nothing else but a brutish creature and to haue no care for the soule which is the image of the Diuine maiefty what greater blindnes can there be What greater blindnes then when wee assuredly know that we shall dye neyther doe we know in that houre whether our felicity or misery shall be determined which for euer shal stand ratified yet we liue so negligently and securely as if we should alwayes liue For sinners liue no otherwise to day then if they meant to liue alwayes and that death would neuer come What greater blindnes can be thought vpon then this that men for the satisfying of one desire should lose willingly their whole inheritance of heauen So greatly to esteeme of riches and so finally to set by their conscience To haue so diligent a regard that all external blessings should be safe and ordered and not to care whether the life be ordered and sound Such plenty of blindnes and palpable darknes is found in the world that a man hath good cause to coniecture that men are inchaunted and bewitched who hauing eyes see not eares yet heare not who when they are cleare and bright sighted to behold earthly things yet are more blind then Moles in viewing celestiall things That happeneth to them that in times past happened to Saint Paule persecuting the Church of God who falling vpon the earth when hee opened his eyes hee saw no light so also these miserable and wretched men who when they haue eyes broad open in earthly matters doe see nothing in Diuine matters as though their eyes were shut ¶ Of the multitude of sinnes that are in this world IF there be so many snares in the vvorld and so great darknes what is to be hoped therof but stumblings slydings and sinnes But sinne is the greatest of all the euils of this world and ought to be the most effectuall motiue to mooue vs to forsake the world By this only consideration that glorious Martir Cyprian endeuoured to perswade a friend of his to despise contemne this world imagining him to be set on the top of a very high mountaine whence he might view all things lying beneath him his eyes being cast on euery side the holy Martyr sheweth vnto him all Seas Lands Pallaces and iudgement seates to be fild and replished with a thousand kinde of sinnes and iniuries which were committed in euery place and when he had seene so many and great euils which were daily perpetrated in the vvorld he very well knew with what great circumspection and care he ought to beware of the world how great a debter he was to God who had vouchsafed him such a caueat wherby he might detest and abhorre the world Ascend thou therefore my brother to the top of this mountayne and cast thine eyes into euery corner of the vvorld and behold the stormy vvhirle-winds of this boysterous Sea Looke into the Pallaces of Princes the Courts and publique meetings of this vvorld and there thou shalt see so many kind of sinnes so many lyes so many cauilations deceits iniuries thefts enuyings flatteries vanities and that which is greater so great forgetfulnes of God and so little care of saluation that thou canst not but greatly vvonder and stand amazed in beholding so many and so great euils Thou shalt see the greater part of men to liue after the manner of beasts ruled and swayed by the violence of their affections hauing no respect eyther of iustice or of the Diuine law or of nature or reason lyuing more filthily then the Heathen who haue no knowledge of the true God neyther doe they thinke that any thing further remayneth then to be borne and to die Thou shalt see Innocents wrongfully punished and malefactors escape vvithout danger thou shalt see good men despised and vvicked men honoured thou shalt see poore men afflicted and humbled and in all things fauour to be preferred before equity and vertue Thou shalt see the lawe sold no respect being had vnto the truth thou shalt see vnlawfull Arts maintayned offices peruerted and depraued and all estates of men corrupted and turned vpside downe Thou shalt see many dishonest and vild men woorthy to be seuerely punished vvho by theft and frandulent means haue purchased store of vvealth to be praysed and feared of all men To be briefe thou shalt see the vvorld more deuoutly vvorshipping and adoring a penny then God himselfe And vvhen thou hast beheld and ouer-looked all things thou shalt confesse that it is most truly and iustly spoken of the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heaven vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God All are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Hosea doth no lesse deplore the estate of men The Lord sayth he hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whooring they breake out blood toucheth blood But that thou mayest more plainly discerne the condition and estate of this vvorld take a view of the head that gouerneth it and beholding the Gouernour thou shalt easily vnderstand the condition of that thing that is gouerned For if it be true that the Prince of this vvorld that is of sinners be the deuill vvhich Christ himselfe also affirmeth vvhat is to be looked for of that body vvhich hath such an head and of that common vvealth vvhich hath such a Ruler This one thing is sufficient to let vs vnderstand vvhat is to be expected of the louers of this vvorld What neede we many words tell me vvhat other thing is the vvorld then a denne of theeues an army of robbers astie of Swine a galley full of Pirates and a lake of Serpents Cockatrices and Basiliskes If the vvorld be thus and of this kind why doe I not leaue a place so filthy and impure sayth a certaine Phylosopher a place so full of traditions and deceits wherein scarcely any pietie faithfulnes or iustice may be found Wherein all vices raigne where one brother lyeth in waite for another where the sonne wisheth the death of his father where the wife desireth the death of her husband and the husband of his wife to be briefe where nothing beareth rule but gluttony enuie wrath luxurie ambition and all other euils and enormities Who would not wish to be deliuered from such a world it is not to be doubted but that Prophet wished it who said O that
external things but in the Spirit and in spirituall blessings and inuisible as both the Philosophers of sounder iudgement and also good Christians although after a diuers manner doe auouch and affirme The Prophet would signifie the same thing when he sayd The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of broydered gold In which she hath so great peace and quite as all the Kings of the earth neuer had nor shal haue the like vnlesse we will say that the Princes of this world haue greater peace and quiet then the friends of God which besides that it is false many Princes themselues haue also denied who tasting of the sweetnes of God haue forsaken their dignities and riches amongst whom S. Gregory was one who tried both estates and fortunes vvhen he was promoted to high dignity and to be a Bishop he was wont much to deplore his estate and to wish for his former peaceable quiet and sweete life no otherwise then hee is wont to doe who languisheth for the desire of his Countrey and liberty beeing in seruitude and slauerie ¶ Those things which haue beene spoken are prooued by examples BVt seeing that this errour and deceipt is so great and vniuersall I will adioyne another reason no lesse effectuall then the former by which the louers of this vvorld may easily vnderstand how impossible a thing it is to find that felicity in it which they desire Thou must therefore presuppose that many moe things are required that a thing should be perfect then that it should be vnperfect For that any thing should be perfect two perfections are required together but that it should be vnperfect one onely imperfection is sufficient These things being presupposed proceed after this manner That any man should haue perfect felicity it is required that he should haue all things according to his harts desire and if one onely thing be mixed with the rest which pleaseth not that will be sufficient thâ—◠〈◊〉 both is and may be called miserable albeit all other things 〈◊〉 make him happy and blessed I haue seene many men of high degree whose Lands haâ—e yeelded them large and rich reuenues who notwithstanding haue alwaies liued in heauinesse for that discruciatement was much greater which they had conceiued by the frustration of that they desired then the ioy which they reaped of all other things For it not to be doubted but all that they possessed dyd not so much gladde them as that only appetite afflicted them which had the deniall because to possesse many things maketh not a man quiet but to haue satisfied contended hys will Which thing amongst others Saint Augustine doth excellently declare in a booke of the manners of the Church in these words In my iudgement he is neyther sayd to be happy who hath not that he loueth whatsoeuer it be neyther he that hath that he loueth if it be hurtfull neyther he that loueth not that he hath although it be the best thing For he that desireth that he cannot obtaine is vexed he that hath obtained what was not to be wished is deceaued and he that desireth not that which is to be obtayned hee is not of a well disposed minde Whereupon it is inferred that our felicity consisteth in the possession and loue of the chiefest good neyther any other to be true without it So that these three things possession loue and the chiefest good make a man blessed and happy Without which no man at any time shall be blessed and happy whatsoeuer he be Although I could alledge very many examples for the confirmation of this conclusion yet we will content ourselues with that one of Haman so well beloued of King Assuerus for wheÌ„ as he was happy in all things in the iudgement and sight of the world he thought great iniury was offered vnto him because Mardocheus dyd not rise vp vnto him when hee pasâ—ed by Wherefore calling together his friends and his wife he layd open before them the greatnes of his riches and the multitude of his chyldren and what great glory and honour the King had bestowed on him aboue all other Princes and seruants how he had exalted him and sette him aboue them all Yea Hector the Queene sayd he hath called no man in with the King to the banket that shee hath prepared saue me and to morrow am I bidden vnto her also with the King But all this doth nothing auaile mee as long as I see Mardocheus the Iew sitting at the Kings gate not yeelding me that reuerence I desire Marke then thys place thou shalt see that thys one small thing more disturbed and troubled hys hart then all his other prosperities could make it happy Consider also how farre a man is of in this lyfe from that peace and manquilitie of minde and how neere vnto disturbance perturbation Who then in thys world is found who can effect thys that he should not be miserable What Kings or Emperours are found to whom all things succeed according to theyr desire and to whom some thing happeneth not which disturbeth and disquieteth their mindes For although in this respect that a man is a man no aduersity doth touch or come neer vnto him yet who can escape all the mischaunces of fortune vvho can auoyde the infirmities of the body or eschew all the feares fantasies and vaine imaginations of the soule which a man feareth without reason of feare and so is many times afflicted without cause If all these fore-sayd reasons beeing so euident cannot conuince thee and thou requirest moe reasons rather from experience then reason goe to wise Salomon and he as one that hath long sayled in thys Sea with greater prosperity then any other trying and experimenting all kindes of the delicacies and pleasures of thys world he I say will saythfully instruct thee in this matter what he hath seene and what he hath tryed he will tell thee if perhaps he hath other where found that which satisfied his appetite if thou shalt demaund of him what it was hee will aunswer thee saying Vanitie of vanities sayth the Preacher vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Beleeue him thou shalt not be deceaued we may safely trust a man so well experimented For he dooth not speak vnto thee of his theory and speculation but of his experience and practice hee dooth not tell thee of those things he heard but which he saw and proued Doe not think that thou thy selfe or any other can discouer moe nouelties and heretofore vnheard of then he heath discouered and tryed For what Prince euer lyued in the worlde that was wiser or richer or more glorious or famouser then Salomon Who euer tryed moe kindes of delights of sports of huntings of singing of women of ornaments of ridings and of all other things then he dyd And when he had tryed them all hee reaped no other fruite by them then that thou hast heard Why wilt thou now experiment that which
hath been already experimented perswade not thy selfe that thou canst find that which he found not For thou hast none other world to search for it then that that he had And if all pleasures could not quench the thyrst of thys King in so plentifull a vintage doe not thinke that thou canst quench it after him in thys leane barren gleaning time of Grapes He bestowed his time to thys onely study and perhaps for thys he fell into Idolary as sayth Saint Ierome wryting to Eustochium Why then wilt thou make such hauock of precious time without expectation of any profit Yea because men rather credit experience then reason peraduenture God permitted that this King should make tryall of all pleasures delights and recreations and of whatsoeuer the world loueth that after he had tryed them all hee might giue that testimonie and verdit of them which euen now thou hast heard and that this one labour should be instead of all other labours and this one mans error should remedy the errour of many that they might bestow theyr tyme and cost more profitably Which things seeing they are so not without cause we may cry out with the Prophet O yee sonnes of men howe long will yee turne my glory into shame louing vanitie and seeking lyes With good reason he nameth vanity and lyes For if in the busines assayres of thys world there were no other thing but vanity it were a small euill but there is another greater euill in it that is lyes and the false counterfeit apparance of things by which they perswade men that they are some-thing vvhen they are nothing Wherefore the same Salomon sayth Fauour is deceitfull and beautie is vanitie It were some-what tollerable if it were but vaine but it is also deceitfull For vanity being known cannot much hurt but that which is vaine and appeareth not to be so that is especially euill and dangerous By this it appeareth how great an hypocrite this worlde is for euen as hypocrites are studious to couer and palliate theyr defects so rich men doe labour that they may dissemble and hide theyr myseries by which they are excruciated They would be accounted Saints when they are sinners and these happy when they are wretched Come neerer and if you please open and search the vayne put thine hand into theyr bosome thou shalt see how those things striue and fight which outwardly seeme so wyth those things which in verity lurke within Certaine hearbes plants grow in the fieldes which a farre of seeme very beautifull but when thou commest neerer them and gatherest of them they are eyther altogether leaues or send forth a stinking and pestilent sauour which a man forth-with casting away correcteth the errour of his eyes by the touch of his hands Such certainly are they that seeme to be the rich and great men of this world for if thou beholdest theyr magnificencie pompe the height of theyr dignity the statelines of theyr houses theyr seruant flatterers thou wilt thinke them the onely happy men but if thou shalt come a little neerer vnto them and shalt narrowlie pry into the secrets of theyr houses and into the corners of their soules and consciences thou shalt see that there is great difference between these things and the externall apparance outward show Whereupon many who haue thirstingly desired theyr estate and condition viewing it a farre of but a little after more neerely looking into it haue reiected and refused it as we reade in many histories of the Heathen In the life 's also of the Emperours it is reported that there haue beene some of them who when they were elected to that high estate of dignitie of theyr whole Armie for a time haue resisted that election neyther would accept of that soueraigntie offered vnto them because they very well knew what pricking thornes lay hyd vnder that Rose so faire and beautifull to the sight Therefore ô yee sonnes of men created according to the Image and similitude of GOD redeemed by the blood of Christ adopted that ye may be fellow cittizens with Angels how long will yee loue vanitie and seeke after lyes Doe yee looke for peace and rest in these false and counterfeite apparitions which they neuer gaue nor will giue To what end doe yee forsake the table of Angels and seeke to fill your bellies with the swash of Swine To what end doe we leaue the sweetnesse and odoriferous fragrancie of Paradice for the bitternes and stinch of this world Why are not the calamities and miseries which yoe suffer daily sufficient to warne you to flye the outragiousnesse of this cruell Tyrant Pardon me gentle Reader we seeme in this respect not to be much vnlike a harlot who hath prostituted herselfe vnto an Apple-squire or a Pandar he eateth drinketh and sporteth with her vntill all be consumed that she hath after that he doth floute and beate her neither vouchsafeth he her a faire word the neuertheles doting on this knaue the more he beateth her the more she loueth him Therefore recapitulating all that hath beene spoken if it hath beene prooued manifestly by so many reasons examples and experiences that that peace and felicitie which we seeke for cannot be found but onely in God and not in the world why doe we seeke for it without GOD and not rather in him Thys is that which Saint Augustine puts vs in minde of when he sayth Runne thorow the sea the land and all things search the world throughout euery where thou shalt be miserable vnlesse thou runnest to GOD and he by thy refuge ¶ The Conclusion of all this first Booke THerefore of all those things which haue been handled at large throughout this whole first booke this at length is gathered That all the kindes of goods and blessings which mans hart can obtaine in thys life are found in Vertue whereupon it is further collected that Vertue is a good so vniuersall and so great that neyther in Heauen nor in Earth any thing can be found which may be compared with her but onely God alone For euen as God is a goodnes so vniuersall that in him alone are found all the perfections of all good so after a certaine maner the same are found in Vertue For we see in things created that some are honâ—st some beautifull some profitable some acceptable or hauing some other certaine perfection amongst which that is wont to be so much the more perfecter and worthier of loue by how much it more participateth of these perfections Which thing if it be so how great loue is Vertue worthy of in which alone all these perfections are found For if we speake of honesty what is more honest then Vertue which is the fountaine and roote of all honesty if of honor to what is more honour and reuerence due then to Vertue If we seeke for beauty what is more beautiful theÌ„ the image of Vertue If her beauty might be seene
great riches for it is most certaine that like as thou camst naked into this vvorld so thou shalt depart naked hence thou entrest poore and shalt returne poore These things are often to be meditated of thee For he easily contemneth all things sayth Ierome who perswadeth himselfe that he shal dye At the houre of death thou must leaue all temporal things onely thy works which thou hast done whether they be good or euill shal waite vpon thee then thou shalt remember how thou hast changed eternal things for things temporal in heaping vp of which thou hast consumed thy time thy affections and all thy labours Then thy goods shal be deuided into three parts thy body shal be giuen to the wormes thy soule to deuils and thy temporal goods shal fall to thine heires which perhaps shal be vngrateful spend-thrifts and wicked Therfore it is much better and safer to follow the counsaile of our Sauiour who willeth vs to deuide our goods amongst the poore that they may prepare an entrance into life for vs as the Princes of this vvorld doe who determining a voyage doe send their furniture and treasure before them and such prouision as would hinder theyr speede and they themselues follow after What greater folly and madnes I pray thee can be thought of then to leaue thy treasure in a place to the which thou shalt neuer returne againe and not to send it before thee to that place in which thou shalt alwayes abide Consider moreouer of the great Gouernour and high director of this spacious Vniuerse who like a wise Housholder hath so disposed of the goods of this vvorld as he hath done of offices and degrees of estate and hath so ordered all things that one should rule and another be ruled that one should distribute and deuide wealth and another should receaue it Seeing therfore that thou art one of those on whom much wealth is bestowed to giue to those that neede thine owne necessity being supplied thinkest thou that it is lawfull to reserue it solely to thy selfe which thou hast receaued for many Heare what Ambrose sayth It is no lesser fault to deny that to the needy which he wanteth thou being of ability to giue it then it is to take by force from him that hath It is the bread of the hungry that thou detaynest the garment of the naked which thou layest by thee and the money and ransome of the captiue and miserable which thou hidest in the earth Consider therfore that those goods which thou hast receaued of the Lord are remedies and releefes of mans misery and not instruments of pleasure and pride Haue an eye that seeing all things prosperously succeed with thee thou remember him who is the authour and giuer of them and beware that the remedies of another mans misery doe not minister matter vnto thee of vaine glory Doe not ô my brother more loue banishment then thy Countrey Let not the furniture and prouision of thy voyage be an hinderance and a burden to thy iourney Doe not so loue the Moone-shine that thou contemne the noone-sunne doe not so liue that the solaces of this present life minister matter of eternal death Be content with the condition and estate which is happened to thee being mindfull of that of the Apostle Hauing foode and rayment let vs there-with be content For the seruant of God as Chrisostome sayth ought not to be clothed gorgiously to fare deliciously and to pamper his flesh delicatly but only to satisfie his necessity Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all other things shall be ministred vnto you For God who is willing to bestow great matters vpon thee will not deny thee small And if it please him to giue thee pouerty take it patiently for the poore are like vnto Christ who when he was rich became poore for our sakes They that are poore and with patience abide the Lords leysure and doe not respect riches which they haue not these make their pouerty a vertue And as the poore in their pouerty doe imitate Christ and are fashioned like vnto Christ so the rich bestowing and laying out their almes are renewed reformed by Christ for not only the poore sheepheards found Christ but also the Wise-men that came from the East and brought him their treasures Wherfore thou that art rich giue almes to the poore which if thou dost Christ himselfe receaueth them And doubt not but that almes that thou now giuest shal be reserued for thee in heauen where thy mansion shal be for euer but if in this earth thou hidest thy treasures thou shalt not there finde any thing where thou hast layd vp nothing How then shal any man truly terme those goods which cannot be taken away with vs yea which may be lost we looking on What doe they profit me sayth Ambrose if they may not be with me after death They are gotten heere and here shal be left But on the contrary part spirituall goods are goods truly and in deede for they neuer leaue nor forsake their Lord neyther fayle in death neyther can any man take them away we liuing and being against it ¶ That no man ought to detayne goods that are not his owne their Lord and Maister being eyther against it or not knowing of it ABout this sinne a very great danger is to be considered of which men oftentimes doe incurre in detayning other mens goods for we must know that it is not onely a sinne to steale other mens goods but also to keepe them against their owners wils neither is it sufficient to haue a determination at the length to restore them againe if forth-with they may be restored For we are not only bound to restore but also forth-with to restore If so be we be able but if we be not able forth-with to restore or not able to restore the whole by reason of pouerty in such a case we are not bound to the one nor to the other For God compelleth no man to performe impossibilities To the confirmation of this conclusion I think that we need not many words for that of Saint Gregory will be sufficient who writing to Iustinus a certaine Pretor of Sicilia sayth Let not any bribes or gaines allure and hale thee to iniustice let no mans threatnings or friendship make thee to decline from the right and straight way It is a thing diligently and seriously to be thought of that we leaue all gaines and bribes here behind vs and carry to iudgement onely the pleas and actions of harmfull and hurtfull gaines What greater madnes is there then then here to leaue the profit and to carry the losse with thee to doe another man a commodity and to disprofit thy selfe to procure mirth to another and torment to thy selfe vvhat is more foolish then to suffer punishment for that in another life which of others is consumed in this Furthermore it is an intollerable error that any
that is a young fresh-water Souldier and beginneth to leade a godly life he is more strongly and more importunatly impugned of the enemy who is not troublesome nor noysome vnto them whom he is quietly possessed of but to them who are without his regiment and iurisdiction Therefore the young Souldier of Christ must alwayes stand vpon his court of gard diligently watch so long as he is imployed in this warre being armed from top to toe with Christian compleat armour But if at any time thou shalt feele thy soule wounded beware that thou cast not away thine armour and shield and shake hands with thine enemy yeeld thy selfe vnto him but imitate valiant and braue men of Arms who often-times through shame to be ouercome and through greefe of their wounds are forced not to flye but to fight againe and so taking hart at grasse and calling to thee thy spirits a fresh thou shalt forth-with see that by thine owne misfortune and mischaunce thou shalt cause them to flie from thee whom a little before thou didst flie from and thou shalt prosecute them who prosecuted thee And if peraduenture thou beest wounded the second time which often-times happeneth in warre yet be not discouraged but remember that the same thing happeneth often to them that fight most valiantly not because they are neuer wounded but because they are neuer conquered For he is not sayd to be conquered that is often wounded but he that looseth his armour and his courage If thou beest wounded seeke presently for remedy for a fresh and new wound is sooner cured then anolde vlcer and that which is putrified and one is easilier cured then many If thou beest tempted at any time it is not inough for thee not to haue entertayned the temptation but endeuour by the same temptation to take a greater occasion to embrace Vertue so by this diligence and the Diuine grace by temptation thou shalt not be made worser but much better and all things shall fall out with thee more happily and currantly If thou beest tempted of Luxury and Gluttony cease a while from thine accustomed delicates yea albeit they be lawfull and entertaine fasting and holy and godly exercises If couetousnes assault thee giue larger almes and doe other works of mercy oftner then thou wast wont If vaine-glory assaile thee in all things humble thy selfe more lowly Doing thus perhaps the deuill will not dare further to tempt thee least he should giue thee an occasion to become better and thou shouldest exercise better works when as his casting is that thou shouldest doe worser As much as lies in thee fly idlenes and alwayes meditate vpon some good and profitable thing and beware that thou beest not so ouerwhelmed with the multitude of busines that thine hart be estranged from GOD so that thou canst not meditate on him Of other kinds of sinnes which a good Christian ought to eschew CHAP. XI BEsides the seauen sinnes which are called capitall there are others which depend of them which a Christian ought to eschew with all diligence no lesse then the former Amongst these one of the chiefest is to sweare vainely by God for this sinne is directly against God and therefore in his owne nature it is more greeuous then any other sinne which is committed against thy neighbour albeit it be enormous and very farre out ofsquare And this is done not onely when the name of God is sworne by but when we sweare by the Crosse Masse Sacraments Saints or by our owne life for euery one of these are haynous sinnes also idolatrous for by protesting by them we place them in Gods stead vvhich vnlawfull oaths are much reprehended in the holy Scriptures because of the iniury which is offered to the Diuine maiestie Greatly to blame are they and much haue they to aunswer for who sweare of custome for euery light matter hauing no respect how or wherefore they sweare neyther doe repent themselues of this custome neyther endeuour to roote out this corrupt and depraued vse Neyther are they to be excused if they say that they doe not sweare of set purpose or it was not their mind and intent to sweate vainly for the case being put that they are willing to entertaine this naughty and corrupt custom they are also willing to entertaine that which followeth of it that is this and such lyke euills and therfore they are not free from great and enormous wickednes Wherefore a Christian ought to endeuour himselfe as much as lies in him to banish and root out this euill custome least this incircumspection proue his bane That this may be done the more easily we must diligently obserue and marke that counsaile of Christ and of his most louing Disciple Iames saying Before all things my brethren sweare not neyther by heauen nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least yee fall into condemnation He meaneth that the custome of swearing should not draw them to false swearing and therefore should be iudged and condemned to euerlasting death Neyther ought any man to sweare by the lyfe of his sonnes or of any other in his family And hee must also diligently take heede that as no man sweare after this manner in his family so let him cast out of his house all such oathes by admonishing chasticing all that are vnder his iurisdiction And if there be any man to whom this custome is so turned into a nature that he can hardly expell it let him accustome himselfe that for euery such offence he giue some thing to the poore or exact some other thing of himselfe that by it hee may not onely be put in minde of his repentance but also that it may be an admonition vnto him not to incurre the same fault againe ¶ Of murmuring detraction and rash iudgement ANother sinne which euery one ought to flie and auoyde is murmuring which vice doth no lesse raigne in the world at thys day then that before For there is neither house nor assembly of religious persons nor holy place which is altogether free from murmuring And although this vice is acquainted familiar with all estates of men for the world through her wauering and mutability ministreth matter of teares to the good and an occasion of murmuring to the weake yet some are more inclined to this vice of their own nature then others For euen as mens tastes are diuers for all things tast not alike to all men sweet tastes displease this man and sower tastes please another and some please theyr tastes in sweet things so the wils of some men are so corrupt and repleate with hurtfull and melancholy humors that they haue not any pleasure in any thing that is ioyned with vertue they cannot away to heare theyr neighbour praysed and nothing doth please them but euill speaking and scorning others so that in all their conuersation they seeme dul and benummed but if they
heauen care not what men thinke or suspect by thee in earth Humble satisfaction which would willingly content all answereth Occasion of detraction nor suspition of surmizing is to be gyuen but if thou beest rightly accused or lawfully conuinced confesse but if vniustly or wrongfully deny with an humble protestation because the Apostle admonisheth that we should giue no occasion to the deuill by reason of ill report Which is detested in them who consenting to the Christian fayth satte downe to eate meate sacrificed to Idols Sorrowfulnes sayth What hast thou whereof thou mayst reioyce when as so great euils are spoken of thee Consider how greeuously they looke who are in such bitternes Spirituall ioy aunswereth I know that there are two kinds of sorrowfulnes one which worketh to saluation the other to destruction one which dâ—â—weth to repentance the other which leadeth to desperation Thou art knowne to be one of them but that which worketh death Therefore I am not to be heauy and sorrowfull at these things as thou wouldest perswade me but contrarily I ought to reioyce for those thinges which yet are not vnderstoode because the giuer of euerlasting ioy sayth Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsely Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Drowsines or Idlenes sayth If thou attendest reading and continuall study thine eyes will waxe dim if thou pourest forth teares aboundantly thou wilt be blind if thou giuest thy selfe much to singing of Psalms thou wilt catch the swimming of the head if thou spendest thy selfe with daily labour how shalt thou be enabled for spirituall labour The exercise of vertue aunswereth Why doost thou vse so vaine excuses and proposest vnto thy selfe so friuolous procrastination Knowest thou whether thou shalt liue to morrow or no Yea thou knowest not whether thou shalt continue one houre in this life Is it slipt out of thy mind what our Sauiour sayth in the Gospell Watch therefore because yee know neyther the day nor houre Wherefore shake off this slugishnes of thy body and alwayes remember that neyther the tender nor the effeminate nor the slothfull nor the luke-warme but the violent and feruent doe take hold of the kingdome of heauen Dissolute wandering sayth If thou beleeuest that God is euery where why doost thou keepe one place aboue all other where so many euils are committed and rather goest not vnto others Firme stability aunswereth If it be so as thou affirmest that God is euery where then this place where I am is not to be left which thou willest me to forsake because God is also in it But thou sayst I seeke for a better and I finde a better I aunswer Shalt thou finde a better or such an one as thou knowest that the deuill and his angels and man haue lost Be circumspect therefore what thou doost for the first angell fell from heauen and the first man bâ—â—â—ng expelled out of Paradice came into the miserie of this world Desperation sayth How many and how great be the faults and transgressions which thou hast committed and yet thou hast not bettered thy life neyther hast amended thy conuersation for behold as thou seest custome hath so fettered thee that thou art not able to arise Thou endeuourest to rise but being ouer-loaden with the burthen of sinnes thou fallest downe againe Therefore what wilt thou doe seeing that certaine damnation hangeth ouer thee for thy sinnes past and no amendment commeth for those that be present vnlesse thou beware that thou lose not the pleasures of temporal delights seeing that thou canst not attaine the ioyes of the world to come The assurance of Hope aunswereth If thou speakest of crimes and transgressions behold Dauid guilty of adultery and murther freed and taken by the mercy of the Lord out of the iawes of hell Behold Manasses the wickedst impurest and vildest of all sinners one of the most damnable and detestable men that euer liued by repentance returned from death to life Behold Mary Magdalen polluted and stayned with innumerable blemishes of sinnes penitently running to the fountaine of piety and mercy washing the feete of the Lord with her teares and wiping them with her haires and also kissing them and annoynting them with oyntment she herselfe was washed from her sinnes Behold Peter bound with the chaines of his deniall broke in sunder the knots of infidelity with his bitter teares Behold the theefe that in the moment of one houre passed from the Crosse to Paradice Behold Saule persecuting the Church of God slaying many for the name of Christ and as I may say bathing himselfe in the blood of the Martirs being made an Apostle was changed into a vessell of election Therefore where so many and so great examples goe before let no place be left for desperation seeing that it is written At what time so euer a sinner repenteth himselfe and turneth 〈◊〉 the Lord he shall be saued Couetousnes sayth Thou art altogether without fault in that thou desirest 〈◊〉 possesse those things thou hast and wishest some things thou hast not not because thou greedily desirest to multiply much but because thou fearest to want and that another man keepeth ill thou spendest better The contempt of the world aunswereth These things are not procured of the men of this world without danger and offence because by how much euery man beginneth to possesse more by so much he coueteth to haue more and it commeth to passe that he hath no measure in coueting whilst he posteth to engorge himselfe with the infinite cares of this world For as the Scripture saith A couetous man shall neuer be satisfied with money Gluttony sayth God hath made all cleane things for our feeding he that refuseth to be satisfied with meat what other thing doth he then contradictorily deny a gift giuen him Temperance aunswereth One of these which thou namest is true For least man should pine and dye through hunger God hath created all things for his feeding but least he should exceede measure in eating he hath also commaunded to him abstinence For amongst other euills Sodome especially perished by fulnes of bread the Lord testifying it who speaketh to Ierusalem by his Prophet saying This was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome fulnesse of bread Wherfore as a sicke man commeth to Phisicke so euery one should come to feede on dainties that is not seeking for pleasure in them but releefe of necessity Vayne foolish mirth sayth To what end doost thou hide the ioy of thine hart within thee Walke merrily abroade and frolicke make thy selfe and thy neighbours laugh make them merry with thy mirth Moderate sadnes answereth From whence hast thou thys myrth Hast thou already ouercome the deuill hast thou already escaped the paynes of hell Doost thou nowe returne out of banishment into thy Country hast thou already receiued security of thine election Or hast thou forgotten
that which the Lord sayd The vvorld shall reioyce and yee shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Or hath it slipt out of thy memory which the same Lord sayth in aâ—other place Wâ—e be to you that now laugh for yee shall 〈…〉 weepe Many words and much babling sayth He is not faulty that speaketh many words so they be good 〈◊〉 he that speaketh few and those ill Discreet 〈◊〉 answereth It is true that thou sayst but whilst many good wordes are vttered it often happeneth that the speech begunne of good words often endeth in ill Thys the holy Scripture telleth In 〈◊〉 â—â—rds there cannot want iniquâ—ty Is it possible that in many words there should be none faulty But can idle and vnprofitable words be auoyded of which thou art sure to render an accouâ—t hereafter Luxury sayth Why doost thou not wallow thy selfe in pleasure seeing that thou knowest not what will become of thee Therefore thou oughtest not to lose the time alotted vnto thee in want because thou knowest not how soone it may fade away For if GOD would not haue had man no take his pleasure with woman at the beginning hee would haue onely created male and not female Undefiled Chastitie answereth I would not haue thee to sayne thy selfe ignorant what shall become of thee after thys lyfe For if thou liuest religiously and chastly thy ioy shall be without end but if thou leadest thy life irreligiously and luxuriously thou shalt be tortured with eternall paynes Spirituall fornication sayth Doth he doe any thing damnable who consenteth to lust in his hart and doth not effect the deede of his desired lust Cleannes and purity of hart aunswereth He offendeth very deeply that keepeth not purely the cleannes and chastity of his hart Wher-vpon the Author of cleannes and chastity saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer looketh on a wâ—mâ—n to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already iâ— his hart To auoyde this holy Iob saith I made a couenant 〈◊〉 â—iâ—e eyes that I should not thinke on a mayde The loue of this world sayth VVhat can be more beautifull honest or delectable then that we daily behold in this present life O how admirable iâ— the glorious vaute of heauen in the tralucent ayre in the light of the Sunne in the increase and decrease of the Moone in the variety and course of the starres how delightfull is the earth in the flowers and flourish of vvoods in the sweetnes of fruites in the pleasantnes of meddowes and riuers in the ripenes plenty of corne in the fruitfulnes of Vineyards loaden with clusters of Grapes in the shades and chaces of woods in the running and coursing of Horses and Doggs in the skippings and iumpings of Harts and Goates in the flying of Hawkes in the necks and feathers of Peacocks Doues and Turtles in the paynted walls and carued roofes of houses in the sweet and pleasing sounds and tunes of Organes and all musicke in the beautifull aspects of vvomen in their fore-heads in their hayre in their eyes and cheekes in their lips and necks in their nose and hands and especially if they be beautified and adorned with gold and precious stones with Bracelets Ouches Carcanâ—ts and Tablets and such other Ornaments which I cannot in any wise reckon The loue of the heauenly Countrey aunswereth If these things delight thee which are vnder heauen if the prison be so beautifull what is the Countrey the Citty and the house If they be such and so excellent which the strangers enioy what be they which the children possesse If they that be mortall and miserable be so rewarded in this lyfe how are they that be immortall and blessed inriched in that life Wherefore let the loue of this present world goe where none is so borne that he doth not dye and let the loue of the future world come in the place where all so liue and are reuiued that they dye no more Where no aduersity disturbeth no necessity pincheth no greefe disquieteth but euerlasting ioy raigneth and remayneth for euer and euer If thou demaundest what is there where there is such and so great felicity it cannot be aunswered otherwise but that whatsoeuer good is that is there and whatsoeuer euill is that is not there Thou askest what that good is Why doost thou aske me It is aunswered thee of a Prophet and of an Apostle The things which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard â—eyther hâ—th entrâ—d intâ— mâ—ns hart hath God prepâ—red for them that loue him VVhatsoeuer hath hetherto beene spoken of vs hath this â—yme that it may moue vs to haue alwayes our spirituall weapons in a readines which are necessary for vs in this warfare for the attaynement of the first part of vertue which is the flying and eschewing of vices and to defend this fraile house of ours in which God hath placed vs least it should be surprized of enemies For if we shall faithfully keepe this Mansion and Habitacle there is no doubt but that heauenly guest will turne in vnto it and will lodge and dwell in it Seeing that Saint Iohn sayth God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him But he dwelleth in loue who doth nothing contrary to loue and the opposition and contrary to loue is onely sinne And against this sinne all that fighteth and warreth vvhich hetherto hath beene spoken of vs. ¶ The end of the first part of the second Booke THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE SINNERS GVYDE In which wee entreate of the exercise of Vertues Of the three kinde of Vertues in which the vvhole summe of Christian righteousnesse is contained CHAP. XIII SEeing that in the former part of thys Booke wee haue spoken largely and sufficiently of sinnes by contagion of which our soules are polluted and obscured now we wil intreat of Vertues which beautifie them with spirituall graces and adorne them with the ornaments of righteousnesse making them seeme fayre and beauteous in the sight of the Diuine Maiestie Euen as it pertaineth vnto iustice to giue to euery one that is his owne belongs vnto him that is to God to our neighbour to our selues so also there are three kindes of vertues pertayning to righteousnes and iustice and which concurre to the effecting and perfecting of it One is by which we render to GOD that which is due vnto him the second is by which wee giue to our neighbour that which is his and the third by which man is bound vnto himselfe When man hath attained these three kindes of vertues nothing is further required to fulfill all that righteousnes vvhich he professeth But if thou wouldest learne in fewe words and very summarily howe thys may be brought to passe I will tell thee by thys triple duty and bond man shall repay most exactly all his debt that is if towards GOD he hath the hart of a sonne towards his
would haue it pierced and thrust through his flesh and bowels that through it he might haue a smarting sence of it as a naile fastned through which might stick in his mind for a perpetuall memoriall to stirre him vp that he might not sleepe and so in some-thing offend his eyes whom he feareth therefore it is most fitly sayd of Ecclesiasticus The feare of the Lord driueth out sinne For by how much any one is feared by so much more diligently we take heed that we doe not offend him It pertayneth to this holy feare not only not to commit euill deeds but also to examine the good least perhaps they be not pure or want their necessary circumstances least a thing of it selfe good by our defect be made euill and vnprofitable For Saint Gregory sayd very well It pertayneth to a righteous man to feare a fault where no fault is Such a feare holy Iob had when he sayd I did feare all my works knowing that thou doost not spare the offender It pertayneth also to this feare that when we are present in the Church at Diuine seruice especially where the holy Sacrament is administred that we chat not nor walke nor vnreuerently gaze about casting our eyes now hether now thether as many doe but we ought to abide there with feare and great reuerence in the presence of the Diuine maiestie who is there after a speciall manner But if thou askest me how this holy affection is begot and bred in our soules I say as I sayd a little before that the loue of God is the especiall roote of it After which seruile feare in like manner auayleth which is the beginning of filiall feare and doth bring it into the soule no otherwise then the bristle doth bring the Shoomakers lyne into the shooe To nourish and increase this holy affection the consideration of the exceeding highnes of the Diuine maiesty is profitable and the consideration of the depth and profundity of Gods iudgements the greatnes of his iustice and the multitude of our sinnes but especially the resistance which we make against Diuine inspirations Therfore it is great wisedome to busie and occupy our minds with these foure considerations for so this holy feare is begot and preserued in our soules Of this feare we haue more copiously spoken in the eight and twenty Chapter of the precedent booke The third vertue which is required in this Diuine worke is trust and confidence that is euen as a sonne in all his troubles and necessities which happen vnto him trusteth and affianceth his repose in his father especially if he be rich and powerfull that his helpe and fatherly prouidence will not at any time faile him so also in this matter let a man haue the hart of a sonne so enlarged that considering he hath such a father as he hath in whose hands is all the power of heauen and earth let him boldly hope and assuredly trust that in all troubles that betide him he shall finde helpe in that father and let him constantly perswade himselfe that if he turne vnto him hoping in the mercy of this heauenly father he shall altogether be deliuered from euill or it shall be ordered to his greater good and further commodity For if the sonne hath so great repose and security in his father how much more ought to be our confidence and trust in God who is our father after a better manner then all earthly fathers and is richer then all the richest men of this world But if thou shalt say that the scarcity of thy good works and deserts and the multitude of the sinnes of thy passed life doe strike a feare into thee whereby thou darest not expect or promise vnto thy selfe so great things from God the remedy will be if when this cogitation commeth into thy mind thou forth-with turnest thy mind from it turnest thy selfe wholy vnto God and to his onely sonne our Sauiour and Mediatour For then presently thou shalt recouer thy courage and thy strength shall increase in him Euen as we add courage vnto them who passe or ferry ouer any swift current or riuer which with the swiftnes and velocity of the running causeth the swimming and giddines of the head and with some call or encouragement admonish them that they should not behold the water but the earth or heauen that they may more securely and healthfully passe so those that be faint-harted and weaklings are to be dealt withall in this busines least heere they looke vpon themselues or their sinnes But perhaps thou wilt say whether shall I turne me that I may procure this strength and confidence vnto me I aunswer that aboue all things the infinite goodnes and mercy of God is to be considered which extendeth it selfe to all the wretchednes of thys world Then his infallible promises are to be weighed in which he promiseth grace and helpe to those that call vpon his Name and doe flie vnto him Neyther are we further to doubt For we see that the enemies themselues doe not denie their fauour beneuolence to them that flie vnto their Tents because they are marked for banishment with some brand or incision but they graciously defend them in the time of danger and heale theyr woundes Consider also the multitude of benefits which hetherto thou hast receaued of his gracious and bountifull hands and of his mercy which thou hast already tryed in benefits past learne to hope for things to come But aboue all these looke vpon Christ with all his torments merrits in which there be especiall causes why we may confidently presume to sue for the fauour of GOD seeing that it is manifest that those merrits on the one part are so great that they cannot be greater and on the other part are the treasuries of the Church for remedy and releefe of all them which stand in need of them These are the cheefest props of our trust and confidence which haue so strengthened and encouraged the Saints in those things they hoped that they were more stedfast and and more vnmoueable then mount Sion But it is greatly to be wondered at that we when we haue so great motiues to moue vs to hope and so iust reasons to perswade vs to trust yet that we are so weake and faint-harted that when we see present danger to hang ouer our heads forth-with wee flie into Egypt to the shadow of Pharaoes Charriots So that many seruants of GOD are found strong and couragious in fastings feruent in prayers liberall in almes deedes and exercised and expert in other vertues but very few are found who haue so steddy a confidence as that holy woman Susanna had Whose hart when she was condemned to death and brought to the place of execution had confidence and trust in the Lord. Hee that desireth moe authorities for the perswasion of this vertue he may bring the whole store-house of the holy Scripture
especially the Psalmes and the Prophets in which nothing is so vsuall and common as hope in God and assurednes of the Diuine ayde and assistance which remayneth for them that trust in him The fourth vertue is the zeale of Gods honour that is if all our cogitations be to this end that the honour of the Diuine maiesty may be encreased and be preferred sanctified and glorified before all other things and that his will may be done in earth as it is in heauen and that we haue this minde in vs that no greater griefe can happen vnto vs then to see the Diuine honour impugned or abused Such a will was in the harts of those Saints in whose name it is sayd The zeale of thine house hath 〈◊〉 eâ—teâ— me For their harts were so afflicted for this cause and so great griefe of mind did feede vpon their bodies that euident tokens of it were seene in them If we did burne with the like zeale forth-with we should be marked in our foreheads with that glorious signe of Ezechiell and wee should liue free from all punishment and scourge of the Diuine iustice The fift vertue is the purity of the intent to which pertayneth that in our actions we seeke not our selues or our owne commodity but the glory good pleasure of our Lord God certainly perswading our selues that as they that play at the game called He that winneth looseth by loosing they winne and by winning they loose so also we by how much more we traffique negotiate with God without purpose of our owne profit by so much we make the greater gaynes and contrarily Therefore in this poynt we must diligently aduice our selues and examine all our actions with an vpright and an impartiall iudgement as men iealous that our mind doth respect no other thing in working but God himselfe for the property of naturall selfe-loue is very subtill as we sayd before seeketh it selfe in all things Many are rich in good works which if they were tried by the touch of the Diuine iustice would be found without this purity of intendment which is that Euangelicall eye which when it is cleare and simple it maketh the whole body cleare but if it be wicked it maketh the body full of darknes Many men in great places and dignities placed as well in the common-wealth as in the Church seeing vertue laudable and beautifull in her functions haue endeuoured themselues so to walke in her trackt that they haue been reputed for good men and haue purged their hands from all filthy luker aud vncleannes which might by any meanes haue polluted their honours Yet they haue done it for this respect that they might not fall from that authority they were placed in and that they might be fauoured of theyr Princes and graced with great dignities and honours And therfore theyr good works proceeded not from the liuely sparke of loue or from the feare of God neyther had they his obedience and glory theyr purposed end but sought for their owne commodity and the glory of man But what soeuer is doone after thys manner although it seeme somwhat in mans eyes yet in Gods sight it is as smoake and a shadow of righteousnes not true righteousnes For before God workes are not acceptable commended onely by the strength and grace of morrall vertues neyther doe corporall actions and businesses please him no not if a man should sacrifice his owne sonne but onely that spirit of loue sent from heauen all that which groweth on this roote is acceptable in the Diuine sight In the Temple there was not any thing which eyther was not gold or that was not couered with pure gold so it is not lawfull that any thing should be in the liuely Temple of our soule which is not eyther charitie or ouer-guilded deaurated with charity Therefore the seruant of God should not so much respect that he doth as the end which he intendeth and destineth it for For workes very base and of low account beeing doone for an excellent intent become most â—â—ellent and contrarily For God doth not so regard the body of the worke as the soule of the intention which proceedeth of charity Thys is to imitate after a certaine manner the most noble and most gracious loue of the sonne of God who commaundeth in his Gospell that we should loue after the same manner as he before loued that is of pure good will and not for the cause of any profit And seeing that among the circuÌ„stances of charitie which is in God this is most admirable he shall be the happiest who in all the works that he doth endeuoureth to imitate this Hee that doth thus let him assuredly beleeue that he is entirely beloued of God as beeing very like vnto him in the perfection of beautie and puritie of intent for similitude and likenes is wont to get and winne loue Wherfore let man turne his eyes from all humane respects when he dooth good and let him haue them fixed vpon God neyther let him suffer that those workes which are in so great reckoning and price with God serue humane regards If a noble and a beautifull woman worthy of a Kings bed should be married to a foule Collyer it would mooue all to compassion that beheld her after the same manner and much more effectually shall he be mooued that seeth vertues woorthy of God and diuine reward to be made vassals to compasse the drosse dung of thys world But because this purenesse of intent is not so easily obtained let man desire it instantly of God in all hys prayers especially in that part of prayer which the Lord himselfe taught his Apostles where it is said Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen That as all the heauenly Armies doe the vvill of GOD with a most pure intent onely that they may please him so also let man as much as lyes in him heere in earth imitate that heauenly custome and stile not because besides that that we please God we may not come to his kingdome but because workes are so much the more perfect as they are voyder and nakeder of all priuate and selfe commoditie The sixt Vertue is Prayer by meanes of which we ought to haue recourse to our Father in the time of tribulation as chyldren haue who when they are feared or daunted foorth-vvith runne to the bosome and lappe of their Father We haue neede of this prayer that 〈◊〉 â—ay haue our Father in continuall remembrance and standing in his sight wee may often conuerse and haue conference with him For all these things are annexed to the bond and duty of a good sonne towards his Father But because the vse and necessity of this vertue is knowne to euery body seeing we labour to be briefe in this place we will speake no further of it The seauenth Vertue is giuing of thanks to which belongeth to haue alwaies
doth me so great dishonour as he that killeth a man he that killeth a sheepe for me knetcheth a dogge hee that bringeth me meate offerings offereth swines blood who so maketh me a memoriall of incense prayseth the thing that is vnright O Lord whence comes this vvhy are they now abhominable and vild in thine eyes which in times past thou didst ordaine and commaund Presently after he addeth the reason saying These haue they done according to their owne wayes and their soule delighteth in these abhominations Thou seest therefore my brother in what base account those outward works are with God without this inward foundation Of these outward works he saith thus by another Prophet Though yee offer me whole burnt offerings and meate offerings I will not accept them neyther will I regard the peace offering of your fat beasts Take thou away from me the multitude of thy songs for I will not heare the melody of thy Vials And in another place with greater vehemency And I will sayth he cast dung on your faces euen the dung of your solemne feasts What neede we moe words to vnderstand how little these externall works doe profit although very excellent if that foundation of righteousnes be wanting which consisteth in the loue and feare of God and in the hatred of sinne But if any shall aske me why GOD doth so greatly condemne this worship comparing the sacrifices to murthers and the incense to idolatry calling the singing of Psalmes iangling and their solemnities dung I aunswere because besides that such works are not acceptable wanting the foundation of which we spake a little before many also hence take an occasion to be proud to presume great matters of themselues and to despise others because they doe not like them and that which is worser at length they come into a false security which ariseth from this counterfeit righteousnes and this is the greatest danger that meeteth with men in this life for they being lulled a sleepe with this vaine security doe not study nor striue to compasse those things they want and which are of greater waight I would not that thou shouldest credite me reade that which the Gospell speaketh of the prayer of the Pharisey who praying sayd God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publicâ—ne I fast twice in the weeke I giue tithe of all that I possesse Thou seest heere how plainly those three most dangerous rocks are discouered of which we spake a little before Presumption when he sayth I am not as other men Contempt of others when he sayth As this Publicane False security when he giueth thanks to God for the condition and quality of his life he led supposing that by it he was safe and secure neyther that he had any cause to feare Hence it is that they that are iust and righteous after this manner doe runne into most dangerous hipocrisie For we are to note in this place that there are two kinds of hipocrisie one is open and vild as that is in them whose wickednes is publique and knowne to many and yet neuertheles in outward conuersation they pretend great sanctity that they may deceaue the people The other is more subtill and more secret by which a man doth not onely deceaue another but also himselfe which kind of hipocrisie was in that Pharisey who not onely deceaued other men but also himselfe for when he was the worst he would haue beene thought the best Of this hipocrisie the Wise-man speaketh There is a way which seemeth right vnto a man but the end thereof are the wayes of death And in another place among the foure kinds of euils he reckoneth vp this also saying There is a generation that curseth their father and doth not blesse their mother There is a generation that thinke themselues cleane and yet is not clensed from their filthines There is a generation that hath a proud looke and doth cast vp their eye lids There is a generation whose teeth are as swords and their iawes as kniues to deuoure the poore from of the earth and the needy from among men Salomon here rehearseth these foure conditions of men as the most peruerse and pernicious of all that are in the world and amongst them he also putteth in this hipocrisie of which we now speake that is when as most impure men as this Pharisey was would be deemed pure and holy The state of that man that is entangled with this vice is most dangerous Certainly the euill is lesser if a man be euill and would not be accounted good then if he be vniust and would be esteemed iust For be it that a man be wicked yet the knowledge of himselfe will be the beginning of his saluation But when his wickednes is not knowne and he although sicke would be accounted sound and in health what remedy or what medicine shall be applied to him Therfore our Sauionr sayth to the Phariseis The Publicanes and harlots shall enter into the kingdome of heauen before you For Shall enter the Greekes read Doe enter in the present tense and so that is more expresly declared which we would say The same thing also those terrible fearefull words of the Lord in the Reuelation doe most manifestly testifie I would thou were hot or cold but because thou art luke warme neyÌ„ther cold not hot I will spew thee out of my mouth What meaneth this Why doth God wish that man were cold and sayth that luke warme is in worser estate then cold seeing that luke warme is nearer vnto hot I will tell thee what is the reason of this He is hot who by the fire of his charity which he hath in himselfe possesseth all vertues as well internall as externall as we haue sayd before On the contrary part he is cold who by reason of the absence want of charity hath neyther internall nor externall vertues He is luke warme who hath some externall vertues but not any internall no not a spark of charity Therfore the Lord signifieth here that he that is luke warme is in much worser estate then he that is cold not because he is burthened with moe sinnes but because he is more hardly deliuered from them For he is so much the more farther of from remedy by how much he thinketh himselfe more secure and freer from all euill for from this superficiall righteousnes if I may so call it which he hath he taketh an occasion to beleeue that he is some body when in truth he is no body Wherfore the Lord expounding whom he had termed luke warme addeth Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not how that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Doe not these words liuely and in orient colours depaynt the image of the Pharisie that sayd God I thanke thee that I am
constancie But what shall I speake of the arts and inuentions vvhich that ingenious and witty cruelty I say not of men but of deuils hath deuised to ouer-throw and confound with corporall tortures fayth courage fortitude Some of them after they were most cruelly martyred and theyr flesh all to be-torne and rent were cast vpon a floare all sette with goades and prickes that theyr bodies all at once might be goared and 〈◊〉 with a thousand woundes and that they might feele a generall greefe throughout all theyr members that theyr intollerable payne might striue for victory with their faith Others beeing condemned were commaunded to walke vpon hote burning coales with their naked feete Others beeing tyed to the tayles of horses were drawne ouer thornes and bryers and rough places Others were condemned to wheeles stucke all round about with sharpe kniues that theyr bodies being put vppon them whilst they turned about might be cutte small peeces Others were stretched vpon Racks and their bodyes beeing harrowed and furrowed from top to toe with yron crookes and peircers did openly show their naked bowels the flesh being puld of and their ribs lying bare What shall I say more seeing that the barbarous and more then beastly cruelty of Tyrants not being contented with these torments hath found out a certaine new kind of cruelty With certaine instruments they so brought together two high sturdie trees that their tops touched one the other to one of these tops they bound the right foote of the Martyr to the other the left Then losing the Trees to their old scope they carried the body with them and violently tare it in peeces and each tree carryed with it his part into the ayre In Nicomedia among other innumerable Martyrs one was beaten so long till his white ribbs appeared through his bloody wounds for the scourges and whippings had peece-meale puld away the flesh then they washed his whole body with most strong vinegar after vinegar stuffed all his wounds ful of salt The Tyrants not yet satisfied with these dire discruciatements and extreame tortures when they saw that the Martyr yet breathed they cast his halfe dead body vpon a gridyron vnder which they made a fierce scorching fire haling the gridyron this way and that with their yron hookes vntil the body being fully rosted the sanctified pure-purged soule passed to the Lord. And thus those most barbarous inhumane butcherly murtherers inuented tortures more cruel thē death which notwithstanding was wont to be termed the terriblest of all dreadful things For they sought not so much to kill as to slay with vnheard of torments without any deadly wound by a lingering death and with intollerable greatnesse of dolours and sorrowes Surely these Martyrs had not bodies vnlike to ours or which were of another substance their flesh was as our flesh and theyr complexion was the same with ours neyther had they another God for theyr helper besides our God neyther did looke for another glory then that wee looke for Proceede therefore if they haue obtayned eternall life by so violent death why should we feare for the same cause at the least to mortifie the euill concupiscences of our flesh If they died through hunger wilt not thou fast one day If they with their mangled bodies perseuered in prayer why wilt not thou being sound and in health with bended knees continue a little in prayer If they were so patient that without resisting or contradiction they suffered their members to be maymed and detruncate and theyr flesh to be torne in peeces why wilt not thou abide that thine appetites and thine vnruly affections should be circumcised and mortified If they many yeares and many moneths sat imprisoned in darke dungeons why wilt not thou a little be contayned and shut vp in thy chamber If they haue not refused to haue their shoulders furrowed and mangled with whips and scourges why wilt not thou chastice thine If these examples doe not suffice thee lift vp thine eyes to the Crosse of Christ and behold who is he that hanging vppon it suffered so great and so cruell things for the loue of thee The Apostle sayth Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners least yee should be wearied and faint in your minds This is a fearefull and a dreadfull example what way so euer thou shalt consider of it For if thou lookest vppon the torments there can be no greater If thou respectest the person who suffereth a more excellent cannot be giuen If thou examinest the cause for which he suffereth not for his owne offence for he is innocency it selfe neyther suffereth he of compulsion for he is the Creatour and Lord of all creatures but of his mere goodnes and free loue Yet for all this he suffered so great torments not only in his body but also in his soule that the torments of all Martyrs of all men that euer haue been in the world are not to be compared with these This was such a spectacle that the heauens were astonished the earth trembled rocks claue in sunder and all the insencible creatures felt the indignity of the thing How therefore commeth it to passe that man should be so insencible blockish that he should not feele that which the brute elements haue felt with what face can he be so ingratefull that he should not study somewhat to imitate him who hath done and suffered so great things that he might leaue vs an example For euen so as the Lord himselfe affirmeth Christ ought to haue suffered and so to enter into his glory For seeing that he came into the world that he might teach that heauen is not to be cōpassed by any other way then by the Crosse it was necessary that the Lord himselfe should first be crucified that a courage might be put into his Souldiers seeing their Captaine to be so cruelly and inhumanely handled and intreated Who then will be so ingratefull wicked proud and impudent who seeing the Lord of Maiesty with all his friends and chosen ones to walke such difficult wayes and yet he himselfe will be caried in an Horse-litter and on a bed of Downe led his life in deliciousnes King Dauid commaunded Vrias whom he had called from warre to goe into his owne house to sup sleepe with his wife but the good seruant answered The Arke and Israell and Iuda dwell in tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fields shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drink and lye with my wife by thy life by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing O good and faithfull seruant who by so much is worthier of prayse by how much he is vnworthier of death And thou ô Christian seeing thy Lord lying vpon an hard Crosse hast thou no respect of him neyther doost thou yeeld honour reuerence vnto him The Arke of God made of incorruptible Ceder wood