obedience nothing can be imagined greater or more meritorious or more honourable to GOD then that humble obedience of CHRIST wherefore most truely said He in the Gospell I have glorified thee upon earth for he truely glorified GOD his Father with an unspeakable glory in the sight of the Angels and spirits of the holy Prophets and others who could take notice of it and if the Angels at Christs nativity in respect of the humility of the Cratch did sing Glory to GOD on high with much greater exultation and joy did they sing the same song for the humility or the Crosse So that whereas if man had not sinned he had onely attayned to be equall with the Angels now mankind hath obtained by the redemption which is in CHRIST JEsus that one man being exalted above all the Angels sits at the right hand of GOD and is become head and Lord of Angels and men for so St. Peter writes of CHRIST Hee is gone into heaven to whom the Angels and Powers and might are subject and St. Paul Wherefore also GOD hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of JESVS should every knee bowe both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth So that the Son glorified the Father by the humility of his passion after an unspeakable manner and the Father glorified the Son after an unutterable manner also by exalting him to his right hand which glorification resulted upon all mankinde in such a manner that whosoever shall not acknowledge this great benefit and give GOD thankes for it may justly be called most unthankfull And as the holy Angels were much grieved at the fall of the first man as for a heavie affliction befallen their younger brother so also are they taken and affected with much joy and delight for the plentifull redemption of him by IESUS CHRIST for if there be joy in heaven with the Angels for one sinner repenting how great may wee beleeve their joy to bee when they saw that the justice of GOD was fully satisfied for mankind by CHRIST the man and that by the key of his Crosse the Kingdome of heaven was opened to all beleevers Nor is it to be thought that the holy Angels did take it grievously that the man CHRIST was exalted by GOD above them for they have neither spite or â—nvy in them but are replete with all ardent and true love and Love is not puffed up grieveth not at the good of others but sympathizeth and rejoyceth together congratulateth no lesse for it then if it were its owne for the Angels understand that this was a most just act of Gods who doth nothing but most justly and wisely and they also have their will so unseparably proportionable and agreeable to the will of GOD and tyed with such an indissoluble knot of love that whatsoever is pleasing to GOD is most acceptable to them But the Devill who for a time rejoyced for his victory over the first Man was much more sorrowfull for the conquest of CHRIST the man then he was joyfull before For by the victory of CHRIST it is come to passe that not onely men such as Adam was but also children and women shall insult and triumph over the Devill It had not beene a disgrace for him to have beene overcome by Adam in Paradise when he wanted ignorance and infirmity and was armed with originall righteousnesse which so subjected the inferiour parts to reason that hee could not have rebelled if his minde had not beene rebellious to GOD before but now to be subdued by a mortall man a pilgrime obnoxious and subject to ignorance and concupiscence is a disgrace in the highest degree and yet by the grace of Christ he is many times so overcome as that diverse erect trophees of chastity patience humility and love not withstanding his fiery darts of tâ—ntations and persecutions And here we are againe to admire the altitude of the divine wisedome even beyond admiration For GOD foresaw that the contempt of riches pleasures and honour and the like which are snares of the Devill and lead men captive to utter perdition was necessary to withstand the tentations of the Devill What course did then GOD take that these pleasures and the like might grow bitter to men and chastity poverty humility patience and contempt of the world might seeme pleasant and delightfull Why surely this he came down himselfe from heaven and having taken the shape of a servant and by his example made this bitter but wholesome medicine so pleasant and sweet that many men had rather fast then feast be poore then rich delight in virginity rather then marriage and in martyrdome then pleasure to obey rather then to command to be despised then to be magnified to be humble then to be exalted for who is there that truly considers GOD in the shape of a man full of wisedome and grace and who can neither deceive nor be deceived to be poore humble patient chaste and which is more wonderfull for the redemption of mankinde to be nayled to the Crosse and to dye voluntarily having shed his most pretious blood plentifully even out of a most ardent love but wil be incouraged to imitate his example And this was a high invention of the wisedome of GOD though to the wise of the World and to carnall men enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST it seeme to be foolishnes But let us gather honey out of the rocke and â—yle out of the hardest stâ—ne that is Wisedome out of foolishnes the wisedome of GOD from the foolishnes of the Crosse Search and examine diligently who that is that hangeth on the Crosse and why he should so hang and we shall finde it to be the same which sitteth betweene the Cherubims yea at the right hand of GOD and we shall also finde that he hung not on the Crosse for his owne faults nor his owne infirmity nor by the power of others but voluntarily out of his earnest desire to satisfie Gods justice for the sinnes of the whole world for the honour and glory of his Father and for the eternall salvation of all the elect and as the Apostle speaketh that he might make unto himselfe a most glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle Lastly for the love of us for he loved us and hath given himselfe for us to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to GOD. And when we shall have found all these to be true as they are most true let us lift up our selves in our greatest and most intimate love to so great a benefactor and in imitation of him begin ardently to thirst after Gods glory the salvation of the Gentiles but chiefly the Churches beauty and honour and our owne eternall salvation let us begin to have a hate to iniquity and to love purity of heart to partake of the Crosse of Christ to glory in tribulations
himself without intermission from all eternitie with a most cleare sight and ardent love Which inestimable good he would have thee partaker of also with the holy Angels and hath created thee to this most sublime and transcendent end which these words signifie Enter into the joy of thy Lord that is be partaker of the joy which God himself enjoyes and these of our Saviour I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me that you may eate and drinke at my table in my Kingdome that is I will make you partakers of my Kingdome and of my royall Table that you may enjoy that honour that power and that pleasure that I enjoy and that God my Father enjoyes And who can conceive how great that honour power pleasure and happinesse may be Certainly he that shall ascend in his thoughts and hope to this height of his end wil be ashamed to contend for the earths possession or to be tormented for the losse of temporall things or to rejoyce for the gaine of them The externall or outward end of a thing is that or he for whose sake the thing is made as the end of a Palace or house for the dweller the end of a Tree for the owner and the end of Man onely for the Lord his God For he made him he made him of his owne he made him for himself he preserves feeds and payes him his wages Therfore most justly he commands and saith Thou shalt worship the LORD onely and him onely shalt thouserve But marke and observe diligently Other things which are created for Man are prâ—fitable for him and not for Beastsâ—abour â—abour for Man not for themâ—elves the fields vines and orchards fill the barnes cellars and granaries of Men â—ot of their owne Lastly servants labour sweat and are wearie and the gaine pleasure and advantage redound to the Master not to themselves But the LORD thy GOD who wanteth nothing will have Man to serve him and wills that the profit and reward be Mans and not his owne O LORD good and gracious and of much mercy who would not serve thee with his whole heart if he but once tasted the sweetnesse of thy service What dost thou command ô LORD to thy servants Thou bidst us to take thy yoke on us and what is thy yoke is it heavie no easie and the burden light Who would not most willingly beare a yoke which presseth not but cherisheth and a burden which is not grievous but refresheth and therefore thou hast added not without cause and ye shall finde rest unto your soules And what is that yoke of thine that brings not wearinesse but rest even only that first and chiefest Commandement Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thine heart What easier sweeter pleasanter injunction can there be then to love goodnesse beautie and love which wholly thou art Ô LORD my GOD Thy servant David judged aright when he conceived that thy Commandements were more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold and sweeter then the honey and the honey comb adding that in keeping them there was great reward What is this Ô LORD Dost thou promise reward to those which keepe Commandements of this nature yet so it is and a most ample reward according to that of St. James a Crowne of life And what may that be certainly a greater blessing then we can either imagine or desire for so saith St. Paul quoting a place in Esay The eye hath not seen the eare hath not heard nor hath come into Mans heart the things which GOD hath prepared for them that love him Truely therefore may it be said that in keeping thy Commandements there is great reward And not onely that great Commandement but the rest doe make him good and happy that keepes them If thou be wise then understand that thou wert created to the glory of GOD and thine owne eternall salvation that this is thine end this the centre of thy soule and this ought to be the treasure of thine heart If thou shalt attaine to this end thou shalt be blessed if thou shalt fall from thence then miserable and therefore thinke that truely good which brings thee to thine end and that truely evill which causeth thee to fall from thine end prosperity and adversity wealth and poverty health and sicknesse honour and disgrace life and death with a wise man are neither to be desired or avoyded of themselves but if they conduce to the glory of GOD and thine owne happinesse they are good and to be sought after if they hinder either Gods honour or thy salvation they are evill and to be shunned DEGREE II. By the Consideration of the Greater WORLD THe first Degree of our ascent towards GOD was raysed out of the considâ—ration of Man who is called the lesser World now our intent is to erect the second out of the consideration of the great heap which is called the Greater World Indeed St Gregory Nazianzen saith that GOD placed Man as a Great World in a little which is true if we sever the Angels from the World for Man is greater then it in vertue though not in greatnesse capacity or masse but if we comprehend the Angels within the World as in this tract we doe then Man is but the little in the great World Therefore in this great World which comprehends the universality of things though many things be wonderfull and very considerable and remarkable yet these I conceive most worthy our admiration in it 1 The Magnitude or Greatnesse of it 2 The Multitude or Number of things created in it 3 The Variety of those things 4 The force vertue and efficacie of them 5 The Beauty and Comlines of them It is without doubt that the compasse of the earth is very spacious yea so great that the Sonne of Syrach said of it Who can measure the bredth of the Earth or the depth This may be the better understood if we consider how many thousand yeares have passed since the Creation and as yet the whole superficies of it which he calls the breadth is not knowne notwithstanding the many dangerous and costly voyages to discover it Yet what is this heape or masse of the Earth if it be compared to the circuit and compasse of the highest Heaven Astrologers say like a point or pricke to it and true enough and that every Starre in the firmament is greater then the Earth though for the infinite distance they seeme little to us who can conceive the spaciousnesse of Heaven where so many thousands of Starres doe shine and therfore if he asked with such admiration concerning the superfioies and depth of the Earth what would he have said of the outward superficieâ— of Heaven and of the depth of the whole World from the highest Heaven to the botome of Hell And indeed the corporeall heape or masse of this World is so great as the
mind of Man can hardly imagine or conceive it Well then if the World be so great what is he which made it Certainely he is great and there is no end of his greatnesse The prophet Esay speaketh metaphorically of him when he saith That he measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand and meateth all the Heavens with a span But King Solomon more expressely and punctually Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe thee which is therefore true becauâ—e if another or many more worlds were created GOD would fill them all which we are not to understand as that by his so fitting the world part of GOD would be in part of the world and wholly in all the world for GOD hath no parts but is whole in all the world and whole in every part of the world and therefore is everywhere present by his power and wisedome Wherefore if thou beest faithfull to him whosoever be against thee feare nothing for what shouldst thou be afraid of having so great a GOD to thy Father and friend but if thou by falling from him hast made him thine enemy and Judge then thou hast just cause to feare and to give no rest to thine eyes till thou hast by true repentance appeased him The next thing considerable in this Great World is the multitude of things created in it which are so many that who can tell them Who can number the sands of the Sea and the drops of raine as it is in the place before cited But to omit them as the least of things created Within the earth how many mines are there of gold and silver of lead brasse tinne and the like what number of pretious stones and pearles Above the earth how many kinds species and individualls of herbs fruits and plants and how many parts in each of them and how many kinds species and individualls of perfect and imperfect living creatures foure footed beasts creeping and flying creatures In the Sea how many kinds species and individualls of fishes who can number them What shall we say of the multitude of Mankinde of which it is written He blesseth them so that they multiply exceedingly Lastly how many starres in Heaven of which it is said by GOD Number the Starres if thou canst tell them and which he parallels in another place with the sands of the Sea And how many Angels of whom Daniel writeth Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before GOD. This infinite number of things therefore created by one Almighty GOD plainly demonstrates that in his divine essence are perfections altogether infinite For GOD would be knowne his creatures and because not any one creature was able to represent the infinite perfection of the Creator therefore he multiplied them and gave to each kind of them some goodnesse or perfection that thereby Man might judge of the goodnesse and perfection of the Creator who comprehendeth infinite perfections under the perfection of one most simple essence not altogether unlike a piece of gold which contayneth the value of many brasse pieces of coyne When therefore any thing which seemes admirable shall come to thy mind let it be a Degree or Step to thee for the knowing of the perfection of thy Maker who without any comparison at all is much greater and more to be admired so it shall come to passe that these created things which as Wisedome teacheth are stumbling blocks to the soules of Men and snares for the feet of the unwise shall not deceive thee nor deject but instruct thee and make an ascent for thee to better things Therefore if thou meet with gold jewells or the like thou must say in thine heart My GOD is more precious who hath promised to give himselfe to me if I contemne those things If thou admire the dignitie of earthly Empires and honours thou maist say in thine heart how much more excellent is the Kingdome of Heaven which endures for ever and which GOD who cannot lie hath promised to them that love him If pleasures and delights begin to tickle thy carnall sense thou maist say in thine heart much more delightfull is the pleasure of the spirit then of the flesh and of the minde then the belly the last whereof the mortall creature offereth but the former the GOD of all comfort gives of which whosoever tasteth may say with the Apostle I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyous in all my tribulation Lastly if any thing faire new unusuall great or wonderfull be offered to thy view and for thy acceptance so thou wilt depart from thy GOD answer securely there are many more good and fairer things without question to be found in thy GOD and therefore it will not be safe or profitable for thee to change gold for copper coyne pretious jewels for brittle glasse great things for small certaine for doubtfull and everlasting for those which be transitory But though the multitude of things created be admirable and argues the manifold perfection of one GOD yet much more admirable is the variety of things which is seene in this multiplication and doth more easily bring us to the knowledge of GOD. For it is no hard but an easie matter with one seale to make many figures alike nor with one â—ast Letter to Print many Letters but to vary the formes in infinite manner as GOD did in the Creation this is a work meerly divine and most worthy our admiration To omit the kinds and species of things which we plainely see to be very different and of much variety In the individualls of herbs plants flowers and fruits what variety is there their shapes colours smells and tastes doe they not differ infinitely Is not the like seene in living creatures But what shall I say of men when in a numberlesse army almost not two men are to be found in all respects alike and the like may be said of the Starres One Starre differs from another in glory saith the Apostle Lift then up thy mind to GOD in whom onely are the reasons of all things and from whom as from a fountaine of infinite plenty and fertilitie springs this almost infinite variety Worthily therefore doth the same Apostle cry out O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God But thou wilt say these things seeme to be true the good things created we see with our eyes touch with our hands â—ast with our mouthes we possesse and enjoy them really GOD we see not touch tast nor possesse and searce apprehend him in our imagination as a thing farre remote from us and therefore no mervaile if these things take us sooner and with more delight then GOD But if Faith have any vigor or be vigâ—lant in thee thou canst not deny that after this life which flyes away as a shadow if thou continue in Faith Hope and Charity thou shalt see GOD himselfe truly and
gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shal be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire as if he should say Because you were rich you accounted your selves happy but indeed you are miserable yea more wretched then all poore men and have great cause to weepe and howle for the great calamities which surely shall befall you for the overplus of your riches which you suffered to corrupt rather then to bestow them on the poore and your supersluous garments which you suffered the mothes to eate rather then to clothe the naked shall rise up and beare witnesse in the day of judgement against you And therefore we will conclude with the Kingly Prophet Happy are the people say the unwâ—se that are in such a case that is abounding with all manner of wealth when as indeed blessed are the people and they onely blessed who have the LORD for their GOD. DEGREE IV. By the Consideration of Water especially of Rivers and Fountaines AMongst the Elements of the World Water challengeth the second place by which also we may raise our thoughts a step higher to Godward First we will consider Water in generall and afterward â—raw one speciall ascent O GOD out of Fountaines and Rivers Water is moist and cold and in these respects hath five properties First to wash and clense from spots Secondly to extinguish fire Thirdly to coole and temper the heat of thirst-Fourthly to joyne many and diverse things into one Fifthly and lastly it ascends or riseth as high as it falls lowe All these are apparent resemblances or Emblems of GOD the Creator of an things Water washeth and taketh away corporall steines and spots so doth GOD spirituall Wash me and I shal be whiter then snow saith King David for though contrition the Sacraments the Priest almes and other workes of piety wash out the spots or steines of the heart sinne yet all these are but instruments or dispositions and the onely author of this clensing is GOD I even I saith GOD by Esay am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for myne owne sake And therefore the murmuring Pharisees though they beleeved not in CHRIST but blasphemed him yet were in the right when they said Who can for give sinnes but GOD onely Besides God doth not onely wash our sinnes as water doth spots but will be called water also for so writes St. John He that beleeveth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters But this he spake of the spirit which they that beleeved in him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified therefore the Holy Ghost which also is God is living water and of this Water Ezechiel speaketh I will powre cleane water upon you you shall be cleane from all your filthines Now because this heavenly and uncreate water far surpasseth the power of created water you may observe 3. differences between them 1 Created water washeth away the spots or staines of corporall things yet not of it selfe without the help of sope or other meanes but uncreate water washeth out all staines fully as you see in the place last before quoted 2 Water created doth seldome so cleanse as to leave no signes or markes of a spot uncreate doth so wash as that the thing washed becomes much whiter and fairer then before Wash me and I shall be whiter then the snow saith David and God himselfe by Esay If your sinnes be as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as white as wooll 3 Lastly Created water cleanseth naturall spots that resist not but yeeld to the Washer Uncreate not onely washeth away voluntary spots which cannot be cleansed without the soules consent but withall such is the admirable force and vertue of it it sweetly entreth into stony hearts and therefore is rejected of no hard hearts because it worketh so in them that they have no power to oppose as St. Augustin rightly saith Who can conceive in what admirable manner thou O Lord inspirest faith into the hearts of unbeleevers humility into the hearts of the proud and charity or love into the hearts of thine enemies c. It is much that I should search into these thy secrets and I would rather have experience of the efficacy of thy grace then search into it And because I know that this water is avotuntary gracious raine sent by thee upon thine inheritance as the Prophet David speaketh I humbly dâ—sire that I may be found to be of thine inheritance and that it would please thee to descend into the earth of my heart least it continue as a land without water barren and drie as of it selfe it is so that it is not able of it selfe to thinke a good thought The second property of created water is to extinguish or put out fire and this heavenly water that is the grace of the Holy Spirit quencheth the fire of carnall concupiscence after a wonderfull manner And to this quenching afflicting of the body by fasting and the like doe much avayle as they are instruments of grace onely and not otherwise for of themselves they are nothing avaylable For love is the prince or principall of all affections and perturbations of the mind it rules over them all and they all obey it onely Love will not be forced and if the way or passage be stopped to it one way it will breake through another It feares nothing it overcomes all things it accounts nothing hard or impossible lastly love yeeldeth to nothing but to a love greater and more powerfull then it selfe and in this last case carnall love whether it follow either the riches or pleasures of the world if once the water of the holy Spirit begin to distill into the heart of a man it presently waâ—eth cold and gives place to the love of God Saint Augustin testifieth this in his owne case who having accustomed himselfe to follow too much his owne lusts yet when he began to tast of the grace of the Holy Spirit he cryed out How suddenly became it pleasant to me to want the sweetnes of toyes and that which before I was afraid to lose now it was pleasure to me to let goe Thou O Lord the onely true joy didst cast these from me and entredst into me in their stead being sweeter then all other pleasure although not to flesh and blood c. Againe this created water qualifieth and asswageth thirst and the uncreate heavenly water can onely give an end to the manifold grievous and almost infinite desires of mans heart This Christ the Truth plainly teacheth us by that speech of his to the Samaritane woman Whosoever saith he drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoever shall drinke of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst Thus stands the case The eye is not
more Gods mercy appeared to him by removing the plagues the more he was animated to despise him But whensoever it pleaseth GOD to kindle a sparkle of the true fire of His love in a heart though never so hard presently it growes soft and melteth like waxe nor doth it any way resist the power of it but is of a stony become a heart of flesh and the breath of Gods spirit thawes the congealed snow therof into water We have an example in the Gospell of that woman who being a notorious sinner in the City could not be perswaded either by the admonition of her brother or the chiding of her sister or the honour of her family or her owne disgrace to amend her life yet one of the beames of our Saviour pierced so deepe into her heart and kindled a sparkle of his divine love there so that she was sodainely transformed as it were into another woman insomuch as she being of a noble stocke was not ashamed at a publique feast to fall downe at Christs feet and being wholly turned into tears of them made a bath for his feet and with her owne haire in stead of Linnen wiped them and moved with the vehemencie of that love kissed them and annointed them with a most costly oyntment signifying by these her acts of Repentance that from thenceforth she purposed wholly to devote her selfe to his service and therefore shee worthily heard that comfortable speech of our Saviour Many sins are forgiven her for she loved much And these effects hath the power of divine fire wrought which no hardnes of heart can resist The last property of fire is that it maketh Iron light which formerly was heavy And it is the chief cause that men which are not heated and inflamâ—d with divine love are heavy in heart and to such the Kingly Prophet thus speaketh after some translations Vsquequo gravi corde How long will ye be heavy in heart loving vanity and seeking after lyes and the Wiseman saith the corruptible or earthly body weigheth downe the soule And in Ecclesiasticus A heavy yoake is upon the sons of Adam Which heavy yoake he afterwards explaines to be wrath envy feare trouble and unquietnes and the like which are usually stiled the passions of the mind These doe so loade and burden a man that he looks upon nothing but the earth to which hee cleaveth and can neither rise to seeke God nor to run the way of his commandements But as soone as this divine fire begins to inflame the heart of man those passions forthwith decrease and are mortified and that heavy burthen is made light so that hee is able to saâ— with the Apostle Our conversation is in Heaven and with an enlarged heart to say with King David I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty Certainely after our Saviour had said I am come to put fire on the earth w see how light many 〈◊〉 became by casting off the affections and desire of honour flesh and riches insomuch as they cryed with the spouse in the Canticles Draw me we will run after thee O blessed fire which enlightens but consumes not and consumes the ill humour onely if it consume but kills not Who will give me this correcting fire 1. that will take away the blacknesse of ignorance and purge the darkenesse of my conscience with the light of true wisedome 2. That will change the coldnesse of my sloth into the heate of devotion and of my negligence into the fervencie of love 3. Which will never suffer my heart to be hardned but keep it soft with its heate and make it obedient and devâ—ut 4. Which will lastly remove and take away the heavy yoke of earthly cares and will so lift up my heart with the wings of contemplation which nourisheth and increaseth love that I may say with the Psalmist Comfort the soule of thy servant for unto thee ô LORD doe I lift up my soule DEGREE VII By the Conâ—ideration of Heaven that is of the Sun Moone and Starres IT will be no hard taske out of the consideration of Heaven to erect one step for our ascent to GOD for the Kingly Prophet hath done it to our hands The Heavens saith he declare the glory of GOD and the firmament sheweth his handie-worke Now forasmuch as there are two times wherein we should ascend to GOD by the wings of contemplation namely the day and night of the former of them the same Prophet saith in the same Psalme In the Sun hath he placed his Tabernacle according to some translations or as others In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a Giant to run his course His going forth is from the end of Heaven and runneth about to the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof Of the latter he writes in another Psalme I will consider the Heavens the worke of thy hands the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained We will begin with the first Of the Sun which is seene by day the Psalmist in the former mentioned place sets down foure severall prayses or commendations 1. That it is the Tabernacle of GOD. 2. That it is most beautifull 3. That it ever runnes most speedily and without wearinesse 4. That by enlightning and heating it chiefly manifests its power In regard of all which qualities the Sonne of Syrach calls it A merveilous vessell the worke of the most High 1. First therefore GOD the creator of all things according to the old translation of St. Jerom hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sun as in a most noble thing to reside in that is he hath chosen the Sun among all corporeall things as a royall palace or divine sanctuarie to dwell in for though GOD fill Heaven and Earth and the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe him yet he is said to dwell more there where he hath manifested the greatest signes of his presence by working wonders But because in the originall it is said In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun that is in Heaven we may gather out of this place in the Pâ—alme another excellencie of the Sun not contradicting or opposing the former The Sun is a great thing for whom GOD hath prepared a large faire and noble palace for as he would have heaven to be the palace of the Sun wherein he might freely walke and worke so hee would have the Sun to be his owne palace So that as we may apprehend the greatnesse and excellencie of the Sun by this that the heaven is its tabernacle so may we conceive the greatnesse and excellencie of GOD in that the Sun an admirable vessell and then which nothing corporeall is more wonderfull is his tabernacle 2. Secondly the Psalmist to denote unto us the great beauty of
valuation and lastly if this were able to fill the desire not onely of men but of Angels of what value wouldst thou thinke it to be Yet the goodnes of this one thing would come farre short of the goodnes of GOD which is so great that it is able to satisfie and satiate the infinite desire or rather the infinite capacity of GOD himselfe Oh the admirable latitude of the perfection of the essence of GOD which containes such immensity of good thingâ— as is sufficient for the infinite capacity which is in himselfe for GOD cannot at any time goe out of or from himselfe because he hath all good things in himselfe and was as rich and blessed before the creation and wil be after because there is nothing which GOD hath made but would not alwaies be after a more transcendent manner in himselfe Therefore consider what kind of good thou shall enjoy in thy Countrey if thou love God while thou art in the way and from what good thou shalt be excluded if thou love him not For GOD offers himselfe to those which love him and he is the onely good and will say to the good and faithfull servant Enter into the joy of thy LORD 2. Againe GOD is immense in another manner because he fills all created things altogether Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the LORD and if there were more worlds he would fill them all If I climb up to heaven saith David thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also that is if I goe above heaven or beneath it or about it I shall not be alone because thou also art there for I cannot be if thou be not in me and thou sustainest me who bearest all things by thy mighty word Neither doth God fill all bodies onely with his immensitie but spirits hearts and mindes For how could he search the hearts of men if he were not in their hearts how could he heare their prayers unlesse he had his eares to our hearts and how could the Prophet say I will hearken what the LORD GOD will say in me if he moved not his mouth to the eares of our hearts It is a happy soule which loveth GOD because he hath alwaies his beloved with him and cherisheth him in his bosome For he which dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 3. Neither doth GOD onely fill all things with his presence but with his glory also For the Seraphims cry The earth is full of his glory and the Psalmist addeth O LORD our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world thou hast set thy glory above the heavens As if he should say not onely thy name fame and glory hath filled the whole earth with admiration but it hath ascended to heaven and above the heavens also And the Son of Syrach of the creation of the Sun saith The worke thereof is full of the glory of the LORD for there is no creature either in heaven or earth which continually praiseth not GOD. And this is the cause why David in the Psalmes and the three children in Daniel doe exhort all creatures to blesse and celebrate the praises of the Creator not that they were ignorant that most of the creatures were of that nature that they could not heare their exhortations but because they knew that all the works of GOD were good and by their species or beauties brought praiâ—e unto him and therefore congratulated and perswaded them to continue in doing that which rhey did And cortainely if we had inward eyes we might see that all the works of the Lord were as so many censers sending upward the sweet savour of his glory and if we had inward eares we should heare a harmonicall concent as it were of all kind of musicall instruments sounding out his praises and saying It is he that hath made us and not we our selves And although the wicked many times speake evill of GOD and blaspheme his name yet they are compelled against their wills in that manner that the worke commends the workeman to praise him for in them also the power of GOD shineth merveilously by which he made them and his wisedome by which he governes them and his goodnesse by which he preserves them though unthankfull and evill and his mercy and justice by which he ordaines them either justly to punishment or mercifully expects them to repentance And though many are so deafe here on earth to heare the voyces of the creatures incessantly crying to GOD yet there are a multitude of Angels and holy men who hearken unto and are delighted with those praises they themselves daily chaunting out the same with hymnes and songs Now the length of Gods divine Essence is his Eternity which as it had no beginning of continuance so neither shall it have end but shall remaine the same without change or alteration Thou art the same saith David to GOD and thy yeares shall not faile and the Apostle calls him The King everlasting because he is not subject to time but is above it and governes all ages and was before all ages Other things have their beginning and end and never continue in one state nor have beginning without end without alteration but may at the will of the Creator leave to be And therefore eternity is onely proper to GOD so as it can agree with no other creature in that measure for never was Prince so arrogant to use eternity amongst his other titles unlesse perhaps in another sense as Constantius did who was stiled Imperator aeternus because he was not Emperour for a time but during life A mans soule may be reckoned among the creatures of both kinds for it hath a body which began to be when it was conceived and borne and by degrees increased to that stature which was prefixed by GOD and then againe it began to decrease and soone after leaves to be by death but it never stands in the same state and condition in all respects every houre being subject to alteration Of this body the Prophet speaks by a similitude of grasse In the morning it is greene and groweth up but in the evening it is cut downe dryed up and withered That is in its childhood it waxeth reene as grasse soone after it passeth to youth in the nooneday whereof it flourisheth and by and by passeth to old age in the evening whereof it hangs the head and is cut downe in death it continueth in the grave it dryeth up and returnes to dust By which we may perceive how farre the body differs from eternity Now the soule was created in time being nothing before and in this regard is much unlike the Creator but being created it shall have no end of continuance which is common to it with the Creator But for asmuch as it is subject to change while it lives in the body from sinne to goodnesse from vertue to vice
therefore thou canst not see him because he is a spirit more high and sublime and more inward then thou art and that thou after a sort stayest without and he within in his most secret and deep retyring place But shalt thou never be admittted into that secret place God forbid Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see GOD saith our Saviour who cannot lye and Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face saith one Apostle And We know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is saith another And how great will that joy be when being admitted to that sâ—cret place we shall see and possesse that light that shape that beauty even goodnes it selfe then it will plainely appeare how vaine and fading and like shadowes these temporall things were and with which men as drunken and besotted neglected the true and everlasting good things But if thou truly thirstest after GOD and If thy teares have beene thy meate day and night while they daily say unto thee where is thy GOD be not slowe or slacke to cleanse thy heart with which thou must see GOD nor be weary in erecting these degrees in thine heart untill the GOD of Gods appeare in Sion neither waxe cold in thy love to GOD and thy neighbour nor love him onely in word and tongue but in worke and truth for this is the way which leadeth to life DEGREE XI By the Consideration Of the Greatnes of GODS Power by the similitude of Corporeall greatnes GReat is the LORD and of his greatnesse is neither end nor measure Neither is he great only because his height is his omnipotence his depth unsearchable wisedome his bredth mercy spread and extended every where and his length justice like an Iron rod but also because every one of these attributes are great in the magnitude of his infinite latitude altitude longitude and profundity To begin with his power or rather omnipotence This power of GOD hath its latitude which is so placed in him as that it extendeth and stretcheth it selfe to things altogether infinite 1. First it extendeth it selfe to all things which are created for there is nothing in the whole universe from the chiefest Angel to the poorest worme and from the highest heaven to the lowest abysse which is not made by the power of GOD. Allthings saith St. Iohn were made by him and without him was nothing made and a little after The world was made by him 2. Againe it reacheth to all things which shal be made for ever for as without him nothing could have been made so neither shall any thing be made without him Of him and through him and in him are all things saith the Apostle 3. Thirdly it stretcheth it selfe to all things that can be made although they never shall be for so saith the Angell With GOD nothing shal be impossible And Christ himselfe said With GOD all things are possible 4. It also extends it selfe to the dissolution and destruction of all things made For as God could destroy by the deluge all men and creatures upon the face of the earth except a few reserved by himselfe in Noahs Arke so will he be able at the last day to destroy by fire not onely all men and living creatures but Trees Cities and other things in the earth also The day of the LORD saith St. Peter shall come as a thiefe in which the heavens shall passâ— away with a great noyse and thâ— Elements shall melt with heateâ— the earth also and the workes thâ—â— are therein shall be burnt up Great without doubt is â—hiâ— latitude of Gods power which no man can sufficiently admire unlesse he could number the multitude of things which God partly hath partly will and partly can make but who can number such a multitude but he onely whose knowledge is infinite 5. Againe the greatnesse of this power encreaseth much if we consider how great a work it is in a moment to dissolve with great facility the things which are made or as Judas Maccabeus speakes Vno nutu delere at a becke to destroy the whole world Let us then say with Moses Who is like unto thee ô LORD in fortibus among the Gods Now the longitude of Gods power is seene in this that he cooperateth daily with those things he hath made neither is or shal be at any time weary in cooperating for this power of God can neither be diminished weakned nor broken by any meanes being joyned with true eternity the divinity being eternity 1. Many men mervaile how the Sun Moone and Starres for so long time have continued their motions with such swiftnesse and without intermission and it were a thing worth our admiration but that we know that they are carried by Almighty GOD Who beareth all things by his mighty word 2. Others wonder how it comes to passe that in hell either the fire is not consumed with burning so long or that the bodies of the damned should not be dissolved with so long burning And this were not onâ—y to be thought wonderfull but impossible also were it not that he is eternall and omnipotent that makes the fire so to burne alwaies that it shall never be extinguished and so keepes the bodies of the damned in that fire as that they shal be ever tormented and never consumed 3. Lastly others there are that wonder that GOD should sustain and beare all things and without wearinesse support so great a weight almost infinite It is true that a strong Man a Horse an Oxe or an Elephant can carry a great weight but it is for a small time onely but to carry so great a masse for ever without wearinesse passeth the strength of all things created And yet they might well mervaile if GOD had strength by weight and measure as things created have but inasmuch as the strength of GOD exceeds all measure and that he is wholly infinite it is no mervaile at all if an infinite strength beare a great weight or masse without defatigation although it be for an infinite time Let us heare againe say with the holy Prophet Who is like unto thee ô Lord among the Gods The next thing to be considered is the height of Gods power which is chiefly manifested in two things 1. His omnipotencie may be called most high because he onely made most high things Those things which are under the Moone onely GOD made in the first creation and they may by the act of creatures be begotten changed and corrupted for the elements are changed by course according to their parts and of the earth are Herbs and Trees begotten of animals are animals increased and propagated fishes are borne in water clouds and raine in the ayre and comets in the fire But the heaven and starres which are the highest bodies GOD onely created onely preserves neither can the creature have any act
thereby a knowing and consequently a love and service of him is necessarily required of us That it is commanded as a speciall duty appeares by many places in holy writ of which I will select a few Seek the LORD and his strength seeke his face continually and Set your hearts and your soules to seeke the LORD your GOD. And GOD himselfe by the Prophet Amos Seeke ye me and live Secondly it was ever the counsaile of GODS Prophets and servants as of King David to his Sonne Know thou the GOD of thy Fathers c. If thou seek him he will be found of thee He adviseth him to know him by seeking him The same King gives the same counsaile to his Princes as also to his Quire and Church-men in the two places before mentioned to shew that neither Prince Nobility nor Clergy are exempt from this duty Againe it hath alwaies bin the practise of Godly Princes and others King Iehosaphat set himselfe to seek the LORD King Hezekiah prayed for those that prepared their whole heart to seeke the LORD King Iosiah when he was yet a child began to seeke after the GOD of David his Father It was also the fame King Davids practise For when GOD said Seeke my race he answers presently Thy face LORD will I seeke And in another place I have set GOD alwaies before me And surely not without reason was this duty either câ—mmanded counsailed or practised for there is a promise of reward annexed we shall not lose our labour but receive much good in seeking to know him In the Booke of Deuteronomie GOD promiseth not onely to be found of them that seeke him but to deliver them from misery and heape blessings upon them King David found by experience that GOD never failed them that seeke him And seeke ye after GOD saith he and your soule shall live And GOD himselfe by the Prophet Esay I said not in vaine to the seed of Jacob Seeke ye me And lastly not to trouble you with many The LORD is good to the soule that seeketh him saith the Prophet Ieremie Lastly it is the end for which Man was created St. Paul after he had beaten much upon the point that a GOD was to be sought out whom men should worship and had made it plaine by the creation of all things who that GOD was came to the end of Mans creation which was to seeke him Man being created for that purpose and end adding that it would be no great labour to find him as being not farre from every one of us He then which shal be negligent in this duty is not worthy of his creation and deserves not to live it being a most absurd and undecent thing for a Manto be ignorant of his Creator having recerved from him the guift of understanding and made capable to know him We see that Rivers naturally returne to the Sea whence they come and all things elso to their first being Wherefore then should not Man returne in his thoughts and desires to GOD who-gave him his being and why should his heart be as rest till be returne to him considering as I said that he made the understanding whereby he might know him the memory that he might ever be mindfull of him and the will ever to love him And now since we have in some sort seene that it is a duty enjoyned by GOD to seeke him that it hath beene the counsaile and practise of many holy Kings and Prophets that we shall not lose our labour but receive benefit by our seeking and lastly that it is the onely end for which we were created let us take a further view how we may so seeke that we may find and know him To the due performance of which act we must observe these cautions 1 That we prepare our hearts carefully and diligently to seeke 2 That we seeke him in sincerity and simplicity without hypocrisie 3 That we be humble and not curious seekers 4 That we seek him in Faith without wavering 5 That wee be earnest and zealous and not cold or luke-warme seekers This carefull preparation of the heart hath ever been commended as most necessary before the undertaking of any pious act and indeed is the foundation and first degree to this seeking Iehosaphat prepared his heart to seeke the LORD as you have seene Iothan became mighty because he prepared his waies And S. Ieâ—ome saith that purgandus est animus ut perspicere illam lucem valeat a man shall never be able to see the clearenesse and beauty of that light if he first prepare not nor fit himselfe before-hand if hee seeke him not in due order It was the Wisemans advice to seeke GOD in simplicity of heart and it is the Pure in heart that shall see GOD. as our Saviâ—â—r speakes The Sun beames shâ—ne brightest upon a cleare glasse and in a cleane heart the beames of Divine grace shine most The uncleane shall not see GOD saith the Apostle Saint Ierome calls the humble Man DEI Templum the Temple or habitation of GOD. He shall not onely see GOD but GOD will abide with him GOD giveth grace to the humble And CHRIST himselfe while he was conversant upon Earth delighted not in great or proud company but chose fishermen to converse with and the Centurions non sum dignus with the Publicans humble confession pleased him more then all the proud vaunts of the Scribes and Pharises He desires not but abhorres to be looked on with curious and prying eyes and therefore St. Augustine writing against the Manichees saith and his counsaile is Compescat se humana temeritas id quod non est non quaerat ne illud quod est inveniat after the fearfull example of Vzza Faith is the beginning of cleaving to GOD saith the Sonne of Syrach And Fides humanae salutis initium saith St. Augustine For by it we understand what soever is necessary for us to know concerning GOD. Now that there is a GOD some Deity all people even the Heathen that had their intellectualls held as a maxime Hee in the Psalme that said there was no GOD said it but in his heart was not so impudent as to speake it out and yet for his thought onely had the brand of a foole This Faith St. Augustine saith Valet ad cognitionem DEI non tanquam omnino incogniti sed quò cognoscatur manifestius And Si quis hic non ambulaverit per Fidem non perveniet ad speciem beatae visionis By it the children of light are distinguished from those of darknesse and per ipsam discitur veritatis scientia et percipitur cognitio Divinitatis By it the knowledge of the truth is learned and of the Divinity perceived Lastly zeale love and hearty affection is of all vertues the clearest sighted and will see GOD soonest For it is the affection to a
clearely as he is in himselfe and shalt enjoy him farre better and more intimately then thou now dost these created and transitorie things For hearken to Christ who saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD. Heare what St. Paul saith Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face And lastly heare what St. Iohn saith We shal be like unto him for we shall see him as he is Besides I aske thee how much of the world or of the things belonging to it dost thou enjoy Certainely but a small portion or part of it in comparison of the magnitude before spoken of and this also in short time thou knowest not how soone will'st thou nill'st thou thou must leave and forgoe But GOD in whom are all things thou shalt enjoy for ever for GOD shall be all in all He will be life meate apparell house honour riches delights and all things To which we may adde that GOD is so gracious and mercifull that in this time of thy pilgrimage he forbiddes thee not the comfort of his creatures from which he is so farre as that he created them all for thy service but this he commands that thou use them moderately soberly and temperately and that thou impart them to and communicate them with those which want and that chearefully and lastly that they rule not over thee but thou over them Lay these things together and bethinke thy selfe whether it wil be better for thee in this life to be contented with these created things asmuch as shall be necessary for thy sustentation and in the other life to enjoy GOD the Creator in whom are all things or in this life to so covet them as never to be satisfied and in the other life to be bereft of all these temporalls and those spirituall and eternall also Consider also that GOD is not so farre from those which love him as not to afford them great content and delights in this life and those greater then the lovers of the world find in these created things For it is not written in vaine Delight in the LORD and he shall give thee thy hearts desire and the meeke spirited shall possesse the earth and shal be refreshed c. and the Apostle I am filled with comfort c. And the Psalmist againe In the multitude of sorrowes that were in my heart thy comforts ô LORD have refreshed my soule Of which two last cited places the meaning is not that comfort ariseth out of tribulation joy out of griefe for thornes doe not bring forth grapes nor thistles figges but that GOD doth Minister to those which love him such pure and solid comforts to asswage their troubles as that temporall joyes are not to be compared with them Therefore let this be thy firme conclusion be thus ever perswaded in thy heart That he which findeth GOD findeth allthings and he which loseth him loseth allthings It followeth that by the vertue and power of things created and which GOD hath given to them we ascend to the knowledge of the infinite power and vertue of the Creator There is hardly any thing at all which hath not some extraordinary or admirable vertue power or efficacie in it The earth or stone if it fall from high with what force and violence doth it alight what doth it not crush in pieces what doth it not breake what can resist the force of it The holy Spirit in the Revelation when he would describe the fall of Babylon saith thus Then a mighty Angel tooke up a great stone like a Mill-stone and cast it into the Sea saying With such violence shall that great Citie be cast and shall be found no more The water which flowes gently and pleasingly upon the face of the earth if it be stirred in rivers or swift streames with what violence it overthrowes and destroyes all it meets with not onely Cottages but Gates and Walls and Bridges of stone and what not The winds which sometimes blow sweetly being enraged dash Ships against Rockes and turne up old and strong Oakes and other Trees by the roots What shall we say of fire a comfortable element with what speed a little sparkle of it increaseth into so great a flame as consumes and devoures whole Townes Cities and Forrests Behold saith Saint James how great a matter a little fire kindleth Againe how many vertues lye secret in herbs and stones In some beasts what strength appeares as in the Lyon Elephant Beare Horse and Bull. In others what wit and craft as in the little Ant Spider the Bee and the Foxe To say nothing of the power of Angels of the vertue of the Sun and Starres which are farre from us and looke upon and consider the wit of Man whereby so many Arts are invented as that sometime it is a disputable question whether art should give place to nature or nature to art Raise thy mind then againe to GOD and consider how great power efficacie and vertue is in the Creator the LORD GOD of whom the Scripture saith most truely Moses in his song Who is like unto thee O LORD among the Gods and King David Who onely doth great wonders and Saint Paul The blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords for the Creatures have their power onely from him and that so long as he pleaseth Who kept Ionas in the Whales belly so that neither the teeth of the Whale nor the violence of the water could doe him any hurt but GOD Who shut the mouthes of the hungry lyons from touching Daniel but GOD Who preserved the three Children in the fiery hot furnace from the force of the fire but GOD Who rebuked the raging Sea and the furious winds but CHRIST who is true GOD GOD it is that hath no power nor vertue from any but his will is his power and a power that cannot be resisted and he hath infinite power alwaies hath it and hath it in all places all the power of Man being compared with his is not small and little but none at all for so speakes the Prophet Esay All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Are not they then unwise who fearing the Creature feare not the Almighty GOD and that trust either in their owne or their friends strength and not in GOD Almighty If GOD be on our side who can be against us and if GOD be against us who can be on our side Therefore if thou be wise Humble thy selfe under the mighty hand of GOD cleave to him in true piety and thou shalt not need to feare what either Man the Devill or other creature can doe against thee If perhaps thou hast fallen from goodnesse and hast provoked thy GOD to anger give no rest to the temples of thy head untill thou hast made thy peace againe with him for it is
all as having a life most happy and most plentifull being life and the Fountaine of life Take an example in the act of seeing A man to cause him to see wants a seeing power which is distinct from the soule which properly liveth he wants an object that is some colored body placed without him hee wanteth the light of the Sunne or some other enlightned body hee wanteth a medium that is some perspicuous body he wants a sensible species as forme which may be conveyed from the object to the eyes he wants a corporall organ that is an eye furnished with divers humours and fleshly tunicles hee wants sensitive spirits and optique nerves by which those spirits may passe hee wants a proportionable distance and the application of power you see what a number of little helpes are wanting to men and other creatures to performe one action of life But God who truely hath all life in himselfe wants nothing his infinite essence is unto him power object species light and all other things Of and by and in himselfe God sees all things which are have beene and shall be and perfectly knowes what might have beene and before the world was made God saw all things neither is there any new thing added to his knowledge or sight by the creation of things Consider duely then what thou shalt be when thou shalt be partaker of that life what great thing doth God command thee when he bids thee despise this fraile and temporall life altogether deficient and imperfect for his sake that thereby thou maist enjoy that eternall life And if he command thee therein no hard taske how little and meane injunction is that when hee bids thee give thy dead superfluities liberally to the poore to abstaine from fleshly lusts and concupiscences to forsake and renounce the Devill and his tentations and wholly to desire fervently and with all the affections of thy heart to attaine to that which is the onely and true life But it is time now to ascend to the fountaine of wisedome by what meanes we can The Word of GOD most high or in the highest as some translate it is the fountaine of wisedome as it is in Ecclesiasticus and it may very truly be said in the highest because the fountaine of wisedome most abundantly and plentifully floweth in the holy Angels and soules of the blessed who inhabit in the highest habitations but to us who live in this desert and pilgrimage not wisedome but a kinde of vapour or smell of wisedome is allotted Therefore looke not after higher things then befits thee search not too narrowly into the Majesty of GOD least thou be overwhelmed with his glory but admire his wisedome of which the Apostle spâ—aketh To the onely wise GOD congratulate the blessed spirits who drinke out of the fountaine of wisedome and though they comprehend not GOD a thing onely proper to the fountaine of wisedome yet they behold the face of GOD without any veyle and being enlightned with the brightnesse of his rayes judge most rightly of all things neither in that noon-day light of wisedome feare they the darkenesse of errors nor the obscurity of ignorance nor myst of opinions Aspire to that happines and that thou maist securely come to it love the LORD JESUS with all thine heart in whom are all the treasures of the wisedome of GOD for he hath said in the Gospell He that loveth me shal be loved of my Father and I will love him and shew mine owne selfe unto him and what will he shew by shewing himselfe but all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome of GOD which are in him Certainely men are naturally desirous to know and although fleshly concupiscences doe in this life in a sort lull this desire asleepe yet when this body which corrupts and burdens the soule shal be layd aside then the fire of this desire shall waxe fervent How great will thy happinesse then be when thy beloved CHRIST IESUS shall impart to thee all the treasures of the knowledge and wisedome of GOD But that thou mayst not hereafter be frustrate of thy expectation study and endeavour to keepe his Commandements For he hath said Hee that keepeth my Commandements is he that loveth me and Hee that loveth mee not keepeth not my words In the meane time let that be thy wisedome which holy Job describeth The feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from evill is understanding and what good soever thou seest in the creature know that it flowes from GOD the fountaine of all goodnesse DEGREE V. By the Consideration of the AYRE THe Element of Ayre may serve as an excellent and notable Schoolemaster if the nature of it be well considered not onely to instruct us in naturall Philosophy but to open to us the mysteries of Divinity and to raise our minds to GOD for the benefits are diverse which by Divine ordination and appointment arise by the ayre to mankind First of all Ayre while it serves for breathing preserves the life of every creature 2. Againe it is so necessary for the use of the eyes eares and tongue that if it be wanting presently wee become blinde deafe and dumbe 3. Lastly it is so necessary for the motion of men and all other living creatures that if it should be taken away all motions and consequently all Arts and workes would be at an end First if men would consider that their soules have asmuch need of breathing as their bodies many would be saved that now perish The body needs a continuall breathing because if the naturall heate which inflames and makes the heart as it were to boile were not tempered and qualified by the ministerie and office of the lungs drawing in coole ayre to eject the hot the life could not be preserved which confirmes the usuall received opinion that to live and breath are one and the same for every thing that breathes liveth and that which leaves to breath ceaseth also to live The soule in like manner which lives a spirituall life by GODS grace needs a continuall breathing which is done by sending hote and fervent sighes by prayer to GOD and by receiving from him new grace even that of the holy Spirit And what else indeed is the meaning of our Saviour by this that wee ought alwaies to pray and not to faint but that we must ever sigh up to GOD and receive his good spirit downe that our spirituall life be not dissolved which hee seemes to repeat when he saith Watch therefore and pray continually and the Apostle Pray without ceasing to all which the Apostle St. Peter agreeth saying Be therefore sober and watching in prayer And verily this is true sobrietie and wisedome that we which continually need the helpe of GOD should alwaies make petition for the same Our heavenly Father it is true knowes what we stand in need of and is ever ready to supply our wants in plentifull manner especially those
divers offices ascend descend walke runne move feet armes and hands upwards and downwards every way neither doth the ayre which is diffused in all places any thing at all hinder them insomuch as if it were not of a corporeall but of a spirituall substance and nature nay indeed as if it were nothing at all Laftly the ayre hath a propertie serving for the benefit of Man that is it changeth it selfe into every forme and suffereth it selfe to be divided and as it were broken asunder to comply to the service and use of Man so that it seemeth to be given to him as a Master and instructor to him in humility patience and charity But that which should chiefly stirre up and kindle in thee the love of thy Creator is that the ayre doth represent the great sweetnesse and gentlenesse of thy maker to men For doe but recollect thy selfe and seriously consider his goodnesse thou shalt finde that thy GOD is ever present with his creatures ever working with them and of such infinite gentlenesse that he accommodates his working to the severall condition and nature of them all as if he should say with the Apostle I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some hee worketh together with necessary workes that they may worke necessarily with voluntary that they may worke voluntarily with those which are free in their working that they may worke freely The fire he moveth stirreth and helpeth so that it may ascend the earth that it may tend downeward the ayre that it may glide by declive and bending places the ayre that it may passe which way soever it be driven starres that they may keepe alwayes in a circular motion herbs furittrees and plants that they may bring forth fruit according to their natures creatures upon earth in the water and the ayre to doe those things which are agreeable to their nature And if the goodnesse of GOD be so eminent in cooperating with his creatures in the worke of nature what may we thinke it to be in the workes of grace He hath given man free power of his will but so as that he will governe him by his command terrifie him with destruction and allure him by his bounty He will have all men saved but so as that he will also have them to be willing and therefore he sweetly prevents excites leads and guides them in such manner as is most admirable These are the meanes which the wisedome of GOD hath found out for the good of Man of which the Prophet Esay speaketh in these words Praise the LORD call upon his Name declare his Workes adinventiones ejus say some among the people And certainely the wicked sometimes hee terrifies exceedingly sometimes perswades them lovingly sometime admonisheth them mildly and sometime correcteth them mercifully as he in his wisedome thinkes expedient and agreeable to their conditions and inclinations Observe how tenderly he dealt with the first transgressor Adam saith GOD where art thou his answer was I heard thy voyce in the Garden and was afraid because I was naked I hid my selfe the LORD replyed with the like meekenesse Who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eate and by this gentle correction or insinuation Adam without doubt repented as the Scripture saith Shee that is the Wisedome of GOD preserved the first Father of the World that was formed and kept him when he was created alone and brought him out of his offence Observe againe how gently and sweetly he by his Angell in the Booke of the Iudges rebuked and provoked the people of Israel to repentance What shall I say of the Prophets who in all their sermons as we may call them teach this and beate upon this that GOD desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he should returne and live They say saith GOD by Ieremie if a man put away his Wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne unto her againe shall not the land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Yet returne againe to me saith the LORD And by Ezechiel Thus ye speake and say If our transgressions and sinnes be upon us and we are consumed because of them how should we then live Say unto them as I live saith the LORD I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne you turne you from your evill wayes for why will ye die ô ye house of Israel But to let passe the wicked and consider how great GODS more then Fatherly meeknesse and gentlenes is to those that feare and hope in him Holy David is desirous to expresse it Looke how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him And Like as a Father pittyeth his owne Children so is the LORD mercifull to them that feare him And The mercifull goodnesse of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him And in another Psalme Taste and see how gracious the LORD is blessed is the man that trusteth in him and againe Truely GOD is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart And againe GOD saith by Esay Can a woman forget her childe and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee and Ieremy in his lamentations The LORD is good to them that trust in him and to the soule that seeketh him Now if I would adde what the Apostles testifie of his Fatherly tendernesse to the Godly I should never make an end Take one place for all the rest of St. Paul Blessed be GOD even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and Gâ—D of all comfort which comforteth us in all our tribulation c. he saith not that GOD is our comfort barely but of all comfort and not that hee comforteth us in some but in all our tribulation And to end this point take the words of St. Prosper Grace saith he exceeds all justification by perswading in exhortations admonishing by examples terrifying by dangers provoking by miracles giving understanding inspiring counsaile enlightning the heart and endowing it with affections of Faith c. If then thy Creator bee so loving and kind to his servants and with such incredible patience and meeknesse beares with sinners for their conversions comforting the just that they may proceede and grow in righteousnesse and holinesse oughtest not thou to beare the infirmities of thy neighbour to gaine all men to thy GOD Consider with thy selfe to what sublimitie and excellencie the Apostle exhorts thee when he saith Be yee followers of GOD as deare Children And walke in love even as CHRIST hath loved us c. Imitate the
justice GOD the just Iudge punisheth the very least offences such as every idle word as we reade in the Gospell Of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement Now there are many faults which men punish not either because the offenders make resistance or escape by flight or because they are ignorant of the committing of them and want sufficient proofes to convict the malefactors or because they are corrupted with bribes or favour so that they will not punish them or else they themselves are as wicked as the offenders and so connive at them But GOD is omnipotent so that no man can withstand him and is omnipresent so that none can be hid from him Whither shall I goe saith David from thy spirit or whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe up into heaven thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also Againe GOD is most wise and knoweth all things even in the most secret and inward corners of the heart neither stands he in need of witnesses to prove the faults of men when their owne consciences are instead of a thousand witnesses to him Lastly no bribes nor favours can corrupt his justice because hee needs none of our goods nor feareth our favour or displeasure It remaines then that there is no sinne neither great nor little grievous nor light that can escape the revenging justice of GOD unlesse it be washed away before by repentance for by how much the more plentifull his mercy is towards us now in pardoning by so much the more rigid and severe will his justice be after this life in revenging Of this time of repentance the Prophet Esay speaketh In an acceptable time I have heard thee and in a day of salvation I have helped thee which the Apostle thus expounds Behold now is the accepted time behold now the day of salvation And of the other time after this life the Prophet Zephaniah speakes thus That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darknesse a day of clouds and blacknesse And not onely shall all sinnes be punished but they shall be punished with horrible torments which wil be so great as scarce any man can imagine for as the eye hath not seene nor the eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into mans heart what the LORD hath prepared for them which love him so likewise hath not the eye seen nor the eare heard nor hath it entred into mans heart what GOD hath prepared for them which hate him for the miseries of sinners in hell shall be great 〈◊〉 and pure that is not tempered with any comfort and which infinitely addes to their misery they shal be for 〈…〉 shall I say be many becaâ—â—e every power of the soule and every sense of the body shall have their severall tormentors weigh well the words of the chiefe Iudges sentence in the Gospell 〈◊〉 from me ye cursed into everlâ—stiâ—â— firâ— Depart saith he that is separate your selves from the society and company of the blessed deprived for ever of the visâ—â—n and sight of GOD which is the chiefest and most essentiall happinesse and the last end for which ye were created Ye cursed that is hope not hence forth for any kind of blessiâ—â— for ye shall be deprived of all spring or growth of grace of all hope of salvation the water of wisedome shall no more raine upon you nor the 〈◊〉 of good inspiratioâ—â— the 〈◊〉 of heavenly light 〈◊〉 no more shiâ—e upon you 〈…〉 of repentance shall bud 〈…〉 more in you nor the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 nor the fruit of good wâ—rkes shall not grow in you for the Sun of my favour shall rise no more upon you hereafter you shall not onely want spirituall good things but corporall nor eternall onely but temporall you shall injoy neither riches delights nor solace but ye shall be like the figgetree which being cursed by me dryed up immediately Into fire that is into a fâ—â—nace of burning and unquenchable fire which shall take hold of all your members and torture them with unspeakable paines Everlasting that is into a fire which needs no supply of fewel to make it burn ever but is kept burning at the appointment of the omnipotent GOD that as your sinne will never be blotted out so your punishment shall never be ended and therefore the Prophet Esay most justly demandeth Who shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall dwell with the everlasting burnings as if he should say no man shal be able to beare them patiently but though they be impatient and desperate beare them they shall and he addes Their wâ—rme shall not dye neither shall their fire bee quenched which words our Saviour diverse times repeats in S. Marks Gospell for there shal be added to the tâ—rments of fire the worme of conscience and of remembrance of this time wherein the wicked might with a little labour if they had beene willing have escaped their punishment and have injoyed everlasting comfort And least any should imagine that the damned by changing of place may receive any ease heare what our Saviour saith Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkenesse there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore those miserable creatures being bound hands and feet in everlasting bonds shall lye for ever deprived of the light of the Sun Moone and Starres boyling in the heate of fire weeping and mourning and gnashing their teeth for madnesse and desperation And they which are cast into this horrible and disconsolate place shall not onely suffer the intollerable paines of hell but all kind of penury and want together with shame ignominie and confusion for in a moment of time they shall loose their possessions and riches and bee brought to such want that they shall beg with the glutton in the Gospell one drop of cold water and shall not obtaine it And these proud and high minded men which in this life were impatient of any injury and prefer'd their honour before all other things shall in the presence of all men and Angels a greater never was or will be see all their offenâ—â—â— openly revealed though they were committed in darknesse or though they were hid in secret 〈◊〉 of their hearts for â—s â—he Apostle saith When the LORD shall come who will lighten things that are hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall every man have praise of GOD and without doubt every wicked man shall 〈◊〉 dispraise and condemnation and so great shal be the rebuke and confusion of wicked men in that assembly that St. Bernard is confident that this wil be the most grievous punishment of all others especially to hypocrites and proud men who accounted honour their GOD or Idol in this World But if these fore-mentioned