a sleepe in vices iniquities neither wretch that thou art doest thou take notice of the troubled state of the shippe the church exposed to the danger of shipwrack for thy sinnes on all sides tossed with turbulent windes and stormes of most cruell enemies Arise vnhappy soule I say not the Master or pilot of the shippe but thy poore Brother who beinge touched with a desire of the helth of thy soule and of all other sinners for the loue of him who shewed such great mercy towardes me that called me from the sleepe in which I did lie I say vnto thee wherefore doest thou lie opprest with sleepe sleepe no longer awake oh sinnefull and wicked wretch now is the time to thinke with thy selfe what miseries are imminent now implore the diuine ayde and mercy Si fort◠recogitet de nobis vt non pereamus Ion. 1.6 if perhappes he will thinke of vs that we may not perish Arise now with the holy Prophet Dauid saying Illumina oculos meos Psal 12.5 lighten mine eyes lest I should sleepe in death lest that mine enemies should say I haue preuailed against him There are some which snorte are sound a sleepe in their sinnes and there be some which be halfe awake they of the first sorte be such as daily sinne mortally and they are in continuall enmitie with God because as they that snorte sleepe soundly neither are they awaked of the sudden so they that are in mortall sinne are not easily raised out of the depth thereof But they of the second sorte sometimes they fall sometimes they rise againe out of their sinnes euen as he that slumbereth often sleepeth and often awaketh againe and this is the lesser euill although sometimes they are punished with noe lesser penaltie then they that are soūdlie a sleepe God almighty illuminate you that you may not sleepe slumber nor snorte in the depth of sinne as you haue done vntill now The Apostle prosecuteth this matter further saying Et exurge à mortuis and arise from the dead Beholde a greater danger wherby the soule is endamaged by sinning for after that a soule for some time hath slept in sinne it is more negligent in the exercise of good workes and is so dulled and in disposed that it seemeth to be dead For as the body without the soule is dead so a soule is dead without God as the soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule know yee deare Brethren that there is noe dead carcase so stinkinge or hath a more loathsome smell in the sense of man as a soule dead in sinne hath in the nostrills of almighty God There is an example at hād in the liues of the holy Fathers of an Angell that did accompanie an Anachoret to make him vnderstand something of the diuine iudgements These in the way as they iournied foūd a dead body the Angel passing by made noe signe of any offensiue smell but proceeding further they met with a certaine comely yōg man richly inuested bearing about him strong parfumes at the sight of whome the Angell forthwith stopped his nostrills at which thing the Anchoret wonderinge he demaunded the reason wherfore he should stoppe his nose at that comely yong man wel cloathed and sending forth acceptable smells and immmediatly before made no such signe at the dead body because said the Angell youth loaden with sinne stinketh more odiously then a putrified body I am fetet now he stinketh saith Martha of her Brother Lazarus Ioan. 11.39 oh my my Brother sinner how grieuouslie doest thou stinke in the nostrils of God the Angels the Saints in heauen Et illuminabit te Christus Christ shall enlighten thee behold another greeuous effect and detriment that sinne bringeth vpō the soule Oh blinded sinners which perceaue not the resplendant lustre and light of diuine grace Et confestim ceciderunt ab oculis eius tanquam squamae visum recepit Act. 9.18 and presently there fel from his eyes as it were scales and he receaued his sight saieth S. Luke in the acts of the Apostles speaking of the conuersion of Saul Oh sinner persecutor of Iesus Christ I would to God thou couldest see with what great scales thy eyes are couered which doe hinder blinde thy sight Oculos suos statuerunt declinare in terram Psal 16.11 they haue determined to decline their eyes towardes the earth sinners haue made a compact with the diuell to haue their eyes alwaies fastned vppon the earth Oh blinded sinners that Iesus might illuminate your eyes he would permit his diuine eyes to be ridiculously couered shamfully blindfolded How ignorant and blind art thou oh ambitious man which doest so stedfastly fix thine eyes vpon the vanishinge shadow of vaine glory Oh thou couetous man how blinde art thou to whom a lump of dust earth seemeth an incomparable treasure How blinde art thou oh luxurious man to whom a stinking carcase seemeth so pretious a thing Oh intemperate mā how blinde art thou to whom transitorie pleasures seeme soe sweete and inestimable Oh all yee sinners how blinde are you that you cannot perceaue and see your great detriment and eminent danger oh my Iesu illuminate I beseeche thee these blinded sinners that they may take notice of their errours in which they are soe miserablie inuolued graunt them to repent for theire crimes and offences and to turne vnto thee with all their hartes the sweete fountaine of eternall life and happines Amen That a soule by sinne looseth the friendship of God THE IX CHAPTER SI consideremus fratres charissimi qua quanta sunt quae nobis promittuntur in coelis vilescerent animo omnia quae habentur in terris Oh dear Brethren if you would truly consider what and how great thinges are promised and prouided for you in heauen all things vppon earth would seme contemptible and base vnto you saith S. Gregorie I am not determined at this present to speake of the great losse which sinne bringeth vpon the soule in the life to come seeing that I purpose hereafter to take a more oportune occasion but now I wll intimate only what and how great a thing it is that a soule looseth by sinne in this life In maleuolam animam non intrabit sapientia wisedome shall not enter into a malignant soule saieth the scripture Wisd 1.4 behold the first shipwracke of a sinnefull soule is the want of the taste of true knowledge for although a sinful soule is endued with an excellent vnderstāding yet is it depriued of the comfortable tast of the scriptures and neuer hath the gust of the sweetnes thereof But this is nothing in respect of that which it looseth for the soule of a sinner is depriued of the friendship and amitie of God which farre exceedeth all other thinges Be wife now therefore oh yee sinners and know how pretious a iewell you loose heare mee I beseech you Soe long as a soule is void of sinne it
thee o sinner that then all the filth and corruption of thy sepulcher to witt of thy defiled and polluted harte shall be manifested and brought to light There is nothing hid but it shall be reuealed and nothing so secret but shall apeare saieth our Lord. Luc. 12.2 Then all thy hidden and secret sinnes o thou adulterate sinner shall be layed open to the eyes of the whole worlde what therfore wilt thou doe o wretch which way will thine vnfortunate soule turne it selfe 14. The starres shall fall from heauen saieth our Lord that it may strike a feare and terrour into all sinners which haue made themselues vnworthy of that celestiall kingdome 15. Last of all all men shall be changed To signifie vnto thee o sinner that then all pleasures must haue an end and that thy selfe shalt cease to offend iniury and wrong thy God and deare Sauiour Iesus Christ To conclude noe man doth walke safe amongst Serpents Scorpions we are here enuironed with troupes of enemies wherfore as often as I thinke of the daunger of the time now present and the fearfull signes of the time of the last iudgement I cannot but tremble throughout all the partes of my body for whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer else I do I thinke I alwaies heare that terrible trumpet soūding in mine eares Arise you dead and come to iudgement for we must all be manifested before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery one may receaue the proper thinges of his body as he hath done either good or euill S. Hieron ad Eustoc de cast Virgin Consider diligently therfore now ô you obdurate stiffe-necked sinners and contemplate all these wonders and prodigies breaking your hard and sturdie mindes and affections with the consideration thereof vnto your eternall saluations Amen Of the resurrection of the dead and how that all men which are dead from the beginning of the world doe die and shal die vnto the end of the same shall be reuiued againe THE XXV CHAPTER ANd he shall send to witt the sonne of mā Iesus Christ at the day of iudgement his Angell with a Trumpet and a great voyce to call the dead to iudgement Math. 24.31 Alas ô you sinners what will you doe at that time when euen the dead in their graues shall heare this terrible sound arise you dead and come to iudgement what will you doe when the Angell shall gather you to iudgement you cannot then withdraw your selues or steale away you cannot say we wil not for will you or no you must come Alas miserable soules of condemned sinners which from the bottomlesse pitt of obscure hell shall heare this fearfull sound for as soone as the Angel shal haue soūded the Trumpett the full time of your tormēts being come you shall bee most miserably rancked with the execrable diuels your associates whilst other diabolicall spirits go about to apprehend other accursed soules saying come you reprobate and damned soules come you with vs that you may receaue the terrible sentence of condemnation come and receiue the ful measure of your punishment due vnto body soule and for euer liue with vs in the eternall paines of hell O fearfull spectacle the diuells shall breake forth out of hell with outragious clamors and roaringes drawing and dragging these damned soules along with them which they shall beat with many stripes and excruciate with diuerse kindes of punishments crying out blaspheming and detesting God O how great fearfull and lamentable a spectacle will it bee to see such a troupe and multitude of diuells and damned soules coming out of secret dennes and caues of the earth filling heauen and earth with their hideous out-cries Consider ô sinner that all these diuells and condemned soules the number of the which for the greatnes thereof cannot be recounted shall cause a terrour to the whole world by reason of the fearfull lamentations of soules and roaring of diuels which shall be heard in al partes of the world Alas sinnefull men and woemen what will you then doe Tide and bound to no place you are and yet you cannot hide your selues nor flie away but of necessity vppon that day must appeare before the Iudge to receaue your sentence of condemnatiō At that day all the reprobate soules shall goe weeping and wailing to their graues to receaue their stinking and loathsome bodies and to be ioyned againe with them and to liue with them perpetually in hel Consider ô sinner that when those accursed soules shall stand at their graues euery one of them shall crie out vnto their bodies in this manner O detestable and execrable body thou my associate and companion come with mee to be burned in perpetuall flames hitherto thou hast slept and taken thine ease and I alone haue bine swallowed vp in the depth of misery it is necessary now that thou also come to be rewarded according to thy merits Come ô cursed body for I was allured by thy polluted desires to offend the angry Iudge of heauen and earth Come filthy and loathsome body which hast so often procured vomit by thine excesse thou must now be damned with the innumerable curses of him that created thee gaue thee to mee come you cruell and wicked handes which haue bine ēbrued in your neighbors blood that you may receaue the reward of so many murders thefts roberies and other heinous offences cōmitted by you Come you execrable feet that you may receaue the recompense of so many mischiefs which with great speedines and celerity you haue runne to commit Come my polluted mouth and tounge that you may receaue the wages of so manie blasphemies dishonest and obsceane wordes which you haue vttered Come my deuowringe throat which neuer couldest be satisfied with excesse and druncknesse The time is now come in which thou must now pay the olde score for thy intemperancy in eating and drinking Come you curious and gazing eyes which would not be satisfied with any good sight come you accursed eares whom nothing but dishonest wordes and lasciuious songes and speeches would delight In a a word come hither all you filthy and loathsome members which because I tooke care to cōtent you haue now for euer destroyed me come for the hire of your beastly excesse to be burned with me in the darksome lake of fire and brimstome without hope of euer returning from thence againe Lastly come hither detestable body which as thou hast bene my companion in comitting of vices so now in like manner thou must be partaker with mee of all my hellish torments and that in continuall howling and weeping for we shall for euer liue together without hope of returning from this damnable dungeon of hell In this manner shal all the soules of the reprobat speake to their bodies in the day of iudgement In like manner shall your soules ô sinners speake to your bodies if you die burdened with deadlie sinnes and offences and you shall be also cast into the burning Tophet if you
be not carefull in time to preuent Such like words shall the damned soules vtter when by the diuine power all the dispersed ashes of their bodies shall be gathered together and rising out of their loathsome graues shall be reunited to their accursed soules This being done they shall be presented before the iudge by the tormenting diuels that so they may be accursed and condemned together But now sinners to leaue so pittiful and horrible consideratiōs let vs come to the contemplation of the blessed soules in paradise the very cogitation wherof is sufficient to stirre vp your mindes and affections to embrace practice virtues and to shunne and forsake vices O how delectable and pleasant a sight shall it be to behould so many blessed soules descending from heauen as glorious as the sunne in his ful beautie that vpon the earth they may receaue their bodies O ioyfull spectacle There shall appeare the soule of the great precursor S. Iohn Baptist most resplendāt with the beames of glorie that it may receaue her dispersed and scattered ashes There shall appeare S. Peter and S. Paul the two chiefe pillars of holy church with all the other blessed Apostles Here shall bee seen the soules of the Patriarkes there of holie Martyrs and Confessors as so manie sunnes starres shining in theyr glorie who singing prayses to allmighty God shall fill the ayre with heauenly Alleluiahs and shall come to theyr sepulchers in diuerse places and Countries of the earth to receaue theyr bodies endued with comlynes and glorie O worthie sighte those blessed soules shall come accompanied with Angels as contrariwise the damned soules with diuels but especiallie with theyr Angell Guardians who hauing defended and protected them in this life at theyr happie state and condition are filled with all ioy and heauenlie delight Euerie one then of theise blessed Angells shall speake vnto his most happie soule which he hath protected Come o soule blessed of the most holie Trinitie whom with al thy power thou hast serued come and take againe this thy bodie that together with it thou maist bee made partaker of celestiall ioyes O what a sight shall it bee to see at Rome the two most beautifull soules of S. Peter and S. Paul comming to theyr sepulchers that they may resume their most famous reliques with a companie of so manie blessed Angels Then shall the Angells happie soules themselues speake vnto their bodies in these wordes or the like Alas poore bodies of ours which haue lyen so long time in the dust without your reward arise for now is the time that you must bee reunited vnto vs and receaue the reward of so manie molestations greifes and labors which you haue suffered come hither my feet which haue gone bare so manie iourneies for the loue of God come hither my handes which for the loue of Iesus Christ haue performed so manie good deedes come hither my tounge which hast been dailie preaching of the praises of God and teaching others to conforme themselues to his most holie will come my bellie which hast so often fasted and abstained from meats come my loynes which haue borne cordes chaines for the loue of Iesus come my whole bodie which diuerse times hast mortified and subdued thy selfe with hayr-cloaths whippings scourges and other soare torments for the loue of thy Sauiour for now is the time wherin thou must receaue the recompence of these labors and sufferinges O what a glorious sight will it bee to behould throughout the whole world especiallie at Rome so great a number of Saints bodies arising in such wonderful splendour brightnes O thrise happie then are they which haue runne the race of their life in the path of vertue And if perhaps through humane frailtie they did fall without delay they rose againe doeing also pennance for the same These shall bee of that most blessed and glorious number What sayest thou now ô sinner wilt thou any longer harden thy hart and stoppe thine eares at the sound of my Trumpett wilt thou still persist in thy lewd and vngodly courses woe woe bee vnto thee if thou doest so for by theise meanes thou shalt come to bee of the number of those miserable dāned soules from which God of his infinite goodnesse and mercy deliuer thee Amen Of the comming of the Iudge to iudgement and of the great feare which his cōming will strike into the hartes of sinners THE XXVI CHAPTER WHen the sonne of man shall come in his maiestie and all his Angels with him Then shall hee sitt vpon his throne of maiestie and all nations shall bee gathered together before him Math. 25.31 Alas sinners returne forsake your sinnes and accustomed vices remēber that you must bee iudged of almightie God whom by your lewd liues you haue offended cōsider now at length that after that the angels shall come to cal together all the dead with the sound of a Trumpett the dead shall rise and shall bee gathered together in the valley of Iosaphat and in the neere adioyning places the damned standing on the earth but the elect remaining in the ayre in excellent claritie and brightnes And last of all the iudge shall appeare in the same ayre who shall descend frō heauen accompanied with his most deare and louing mother attended of all the celestiall quire of Angels Consider the ensigne of the holie Crosse that shall goe before him with all the other trophies of his victorious death and passion which shall bee carried by the holie Angels partlie that they may bee an euident testimonie against all sinners and partly that they shew the lawfullnes of the sentence which the iudge shall pronounce against the damned and partlie to encourage and comforte all good men which by their force vertue shal bee saued And then sayeth our Lord shall appeare the signe of the sonne of man in heauen and our holy mother the church singeth this signe of the Crosse shall bee in heauen when our Lord shall come to iudgement O wonderfull spectacle neuer seen in the world before this most holie signe of the Crosse shall shine farre more bright then six hundred sunnes adorned with an innumerable company of celestiall colours ô happie and thrise happie are they who shall behould that crosse with ioyfull countenance but contrariwise most miserable shall bee the reprobate which against their willes shal be forced to see the same to their great griefe and sorrow O what ioy and pleasure shal vertuous men haue at the presence therof and what excessiue lamētations shall wicked and sinnefull men make when they see the same with what alacrity shal S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter S. Paul S. Bartholomew and all the holie Apostles looke vpon that glorious wodde of the crosse S. Benedict S. Charles S. Dominicke S. Francis S. Clare saint Cecilie sainte Catharine Marie Magdalen and all the other holie Virgins and Matrones with what gladnes will they behould it Alas o wicked and cruell Pilat which condemnedst
them for thy instruction and enrich thy soule therby for thy saluation 1. The sea shall transcend the mountaines to contemne thy pride and insolency ô arrogant and fastidious wretch The wicked are as a rageing sea saieth the scripture Isay 57.20 But the sea shall ascend in such a height as that it shall excell the mountaines and wash away the arrogancy of the proud 2. The sea shall be depressed to that lownesse that it shall hardly apeare wherby ô proud wretch it shal be declared vnto thee that at last thou must be deposed and plucked downe by God Euery man that exalteth himselfe saieth our Lord shall be humbled Luc. 14. and humility saieth the wiseman followeth the proud 3. The lamentatiō of the beastes which is the third signe what should it demonstrate vnto thee o sinner but that they who haue taken much delight in vaine sensuall and lasciuious complacencies shall then be punished and tormented with fearfull execrations and vlulations Speake vnto the earth and it shall shew thee and the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee saieth holy Ioh. 4. The fourth signe shall bee that of the sea and waters in that they shall consume with heate which may instruct thee ô luxurious sinner for euen as thou hast burned in this world with the fire of filthy concupiscēce luxurious desires and adulterous actions euen so must thou burne in hell with fire and brimstone their part shall be in fire and brimstone saieth S. Iohn in his Apocalipse Apoc. 21 and by this meanes so much as thou hast abounded in the impious desires of the flesh so much shalt thou receaue of this punishment in this next world How much shee hath delighted her selfe in pleasures so much punishment giue you vnto her saieth the iudge in the Apocalipse Apoc. 18.6 5. What meaneth that sweat of the herbes and trees which is the fift signe O wretch that blood which thou hast shed with thy cruell and vnmercifull handes Because that murder is one of those capitall crimes which cry vnto heauen for reuenge The voice of thy brothers blood crieth out of the earth to mee saieth God to Cain 6. That mourning and lamentation with abstinēcie from meat and drinke of the birdes what other thing ô thou glutton doth it signifie then the paines torments which shall be inflicted vppon thee in hell for thine intemperancy and ebriety for they that are giuen vnto this vice shal be fedd in hell with hunger and dearth The portion of drunkards shall be fire and brimstone and the spirit of tempest is parte of their chalice Psal 10.7 7. The ruine and destruction of all buildings throughout the world what else doth it demonstrate but the folly and vanity of those which placed all their delight and chiefest felicity in building sumptuous and spatious pallacies Alas how many are there found of these times which haue more respect of the houses in which their bodies dwell for a time then of heauen in which their soules should perpetually remaine woe be vnto you which ioyne house to house field to field O miserable wretches how much better would it be for you if you would studie to pollish and adorne the celestiall palaces of your soules for heauen where there are so manie beautifull and glorious habitatiōs In my Fathers house there ar many mansions Ioan. 14.2 saieth our Lord O extreme vanitie and madnes of the world 8. What do those flaming and burning dartes those lighninges running from east to west what doe they signify but the wrath indignatiō of the angry iudge against sinners and those which haue molested or wronged their neighbours or brothers Euery man that is angry with his brother saieth Iesus Christ shall be guilty of iudgement Math. 5.22 9. The conflict of the stones signifieth your Adamantine and obdurate hartes which shall be broken a sunder with the iudgements of God because they are not mollified by repētance Heauen and spiritual thinges nothing profit you the promises of Christ will not allure you the fearfull iudgements of the latter day the intollerable punishments of hell set before you doe not any thing moue you O sinners more obdurate then stones the stones claue a sunder at Christs passion but you more hard then they remaine still in obduracie 10. The great earthquakes ô sinner which shall be so terrible as that S. Iohn saieth in his Apocalipse There is made a great earthquake such an one as hath not beene since the beginning of the world it signifieth this that you cannot be sustained any longer by the same and therefore it trembleth and shaketh that it may swallow you vp Or the earth as S. Gregorie saieth therefore quaketh because it will not receaue sinners any longer before they haue heard the sentence of the iudge pronounced against their crimes and offences Alas into how great a streight shal sinners be brought if they looke vp they shal behould the angry contenance of the iudge offended if they looke downe they shall see hell gaping prepared to receaue them vpon their right hand they shall behould their sinnes misdeedes accusing them vpon the left hand innumerable diuels in readines to carrie them into euerlastinge flames Inwardly the worme of the conscience gnaweth them outwardly the fire and torments scorch them and terrifie them Which way then shall a sinner flie or turne him selfe then shall they cry out O you mountaines fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the lambe 11. The leauellings of hils with vallies what do you thinke it signifies ô sinners but the ouerthrow of proud great and rich men which haue trampled the poore and needy vnder their feet and then all shall be made a like and equall euery vally saieth the Prophet Isay shall be exalted and euery mountaine and hill shall be brought low 12. All creatures shall forsake their caues and dennes being possessed with a kinde of madnes shall wander abroad what meaneth it thinkest thou nothing else but that no secret corner no excuse shall be found of any all succour and releife shall bee taken away from poore sinners and no place or parte left wherby they may be relieued Not any Saint not any Angell not the B. V. Saint Mary Mother of God shal assist them because God him selfe will be so exceedingly offended with them Alas ô you wretched and accursed sinners what will you then doe what will you say ô miserable soules you shall walke and wander here there outragious madde furious not knowing what to say or what to doe Now therfore now I say euen at this instant whilst it is time doe that which then vnfortunate soules that you are you shall not be able to doe 13. The graues shall be opened and the dead bones standing vpon them which shall be the thirteenth signe Behould I shall open your toumbes saieth the Prophet Ezechiel whereby it is intimated vnto
wicked impious and vngodly wretch which hauing noe respect or reuerence to so great infinite a maiestie darest commit such thinges in his presence which thou wouldest feare and be ashamed to commit in the presence of an earthlie King or Prince although of meane power and authoritie The third reason is Tell mee oh yee sinners what punishment is hee worthy of who receauing many courtesies fauours from some noble man of worth as a â—ouse ornaments and clothes beseeming his qualitie when before he was ragged torne and meanly cloathed and being restored to his former dignitie wheÌ„ as before he was in great disgrace and miserie and hauing recouered his health which before was sicke infirme by his meanes made rich and wealthy which before was a begger and in great want lastly promoted and placed in the cheifest degree of honour who before was contemned vilified and despised of all if this man who is thus infinitly obliged and bound to this his friend should in stead of giuinge thankes intend and meditate snares and deceipts for the taking away of the goodes estimation and honour and laste of all the life of so great a friend and charitable benefactor and should associate him selfe in the companie of his enemies to the end that he might abuse contemne deride and kill him speake I beseech thee what penaltie shall this vngratefull wretch deserue surely the greatest that can be inuented Tell mee now oh moste wicked rebellious adulterous sinner what punishments what torments art thou worthy of when as thou doest disunite and separate thy selfe from thy God which made thee which created thee which gaue thee thy soule and body adorned thee with faculties and senses correspondent which produced thee out of nothing when as thou wert nothing and conserueth thee in this state in which thou now art and for thy vse conseruation hath ordained an infinite number of creatures visible and inuisible the heauens sunne moone starres elements mixt and composed bodies for thy sake only who also exceeding in loue and charitie for thy sake was made man visible and mortall exposinge himselfe to all wronges and difficulties when as he was impassible who last of all did offer him selfe to be killed and naked like a publique malefactour in the middest of two theeues as theire captaine crucified vpoÌ„ the wood of the crosse only that he might free thee from death sinne the diuell and hell and to bring thee to the eternall blisse of the celestiall paradise but thou on the contrary doest oppose and resist with al thy forces this so benigne a God so indulgent a Father so gentle and milde a Lord this I say so infinite and great a maiestie thou doest studie and endeauour with all thy faculties and powers of body and soule with so odious and detestable crimes to offend despise and dishonour Oh miserable and sinneful soule what punishmeÌ„t caÌ„ be thought vpon ordained worthy of thy deserts oh infinite patience and clemency of God which when as thou mightest precipitate pluÌ„ge and caste these sinners into the bottomlesse pitte of hell and deliuer them into the hand of the diuell to be carried into the abisse of perpetual darknesse thou doest not only not doe it but fauorably and patiently expect their returne calling them by thy diuine inspirations and heauenly suggestions vnto amendment repentance And also hast conserued protected and defended such cruell and malitious enemies forso many yeares together as well in thinges appertaininge to the body as the soule thou callest them thou goest to meet them thou inuitest them and doest offer thy selfe vnto them as if thou wert rauisht with loue towardes them who art so infinitly offended and greatly dishonoured by them Oh immense loue oh patience oh clemency oh mercy of God what great reason haddest thou oh holy Prophet to say Misericordias Domini in eternum cantabo Psal 88.1 Thy mercies oh Lord will I sing for euer the earth is full of thy mercies oh Lord there is no end of thy goodnes Let vs come to the fourth reason which declareth the greatnes of sinne wherwith a sinner offendeth God What doe you otherwise oh sinners when yea sinne and offend then ballance in one scale the infinite maiestie power and presence of God and your selues your vnlawfull desires and momentary pleasures in the other therefore tell mee oh sinner whither of these two is of greater excellency and worth rather to be chosen God or thy little momentary pleasure your opinion is that this your transitorie pleasure is of greater value by which meanes your Sauiour being reiected you make choise of his creature God being left in whom is the fulnes of all thinges you take that which is nothing the cheifest good beinge contemned yee doe embrace that which beareth in it selfe noe species or signe of true good but superficiall painted and transitorie oh iniurie oh offence oh wrong oh dishonour wherewith you offend so louing a God and benigne and clement a Father Let vs now proceed to the gift of reason what doth a miserable sinner by sinning but call in question and dispute whether his or Gods diuine will is better whither with more promptitude hee should obey God or his owne base desire He preferreth his own will before Gods and presently concludeth that it is more conuenient to obey his owne making himselfe an other Lucifer greater then God Oh execrable Lucifers oh wicked and accursed sinners who when as yee are base filth and dung are so swollen and puffed vp with pride that in as much as lyeth in your powers you exalt yourselues aboue God what affliction therefore shall be imposed vpon you in the world to come when you shall be deliuered and giuen vp into the handes of that proud Lucifer of whoÌ„ ye haue bene such diligent sectatours and vigilant seruants Oh my deare sinnefull Brethren I will not be more prolix in this argument because the disputation calleth mee an other way it sufficeth mee and also ought to suffice you to haue heard the sound of this our first Trumpet which with a shorte blaste I haue sounded that detesting and abhorring sinne you may be disunited from Sathan and reioyned to your sweet creatour Lord and redeemer that herafter yee may desist from offering him so great iniuries and make an end and period of so many foule and detractiue contumelies wherby yee haue in no small measure offended him Doe this I beseech you brethren which I begge and implore of you by the pretious wouÌ„des and liuely blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ lyinge prostrate at your feet vpon the earth I say vnto you oh BrethreÌ„ by the bitter passion of Iesus crucified offend him not so often with so many iniuries crucifie him not any more with such hainous crimes desist my Brethren hereafter to contemne and tread vnder foot the blood of the couenant And turning to thee oh my Iesu I say oh Iesu my only loue and ioy graunt pardon
is a friend companion of God by how much it is intense in his worship praise and honour by so much it is gratious and acceptable vnto him from whence it cometh to passe that these great holy men when they were liuing in the worlde they were called the friendes of God Loquebatur Deus ad Moysen Exod. 13.11 God spake vnto Moyses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend and Iesus Christ saieth to his disciples Iam non dicam vos seruos Ioan. 15.15 now I will call you no more seruantes for the seruant knoweth not the minde of his Master but you haue I called friends because whatsoeuer I haue heard of my Father that I haue manifested vnto you Behold by what meanes a soule is made a friend and darling of God to witt by obeying his holy will and obseruing his diuine precepts now a sinner refuseth to doe that which is alwaies commaunded by God and in neglect of this performing the contrarie he witnesseth his malice and contempt of so omnipotent and infinite a maiestie if God saieth vnto him Non assumes nomē Domini tus in vanum Exod. 20.7 thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine he is presently breathing forth blasphemies If God saieth Obserua diem Sabath keepe holy the Saboth day he will little esteeme the prophanation of it if God saieth Honora Patrem honour thy Father and thy Mother he will be disobedient to them hence therfore ariseth a capitall emnitie betwixt the soule God Iniquitates vestrae diuiserunt inter vos Deum vestrum Isay 59.2 your iniquities haue made a diuision betwixt you and your God Oh vnfortunate soule what an inexcogitable preiudice hast thou procured which is the losse of Gods friendship and to appeare no other wayes in his diuine aspect then an abiect Reprobate and wretched enemy perhaps thou thinkest with thy selfe that thou hast lost but the fauour of some ignoble and vnworthy man or Prince Oh no no it is no lesse then the friendship of almighty God the creatour and conseruer of all thinges and redeemer of all mankinde Oh miserable soule if thou wouldest but duly consider and equally ballance thy vnheard of detrimēt what could there be inuented so pleasant or delightfull which might retaine thee in the snares of sinne what fetters and chaines of sinne so stronge that thou wouldest not shake off and breake in sunder oh what damage doe you sinners suffer when as you loose the loue fauour and friendship of so omnipotent clement and mercifull a God The holy Prophet Dauid consideringe only that he could not be present at the solemnity of the temple bewailing and lamenting he saieth Fuerunt mihi lachrimae meae c. Psal 41.4 my teares haue bene my bread day and night whilest they doe say vnto me where is thy God Quēadmodum desiderat ceruus euen as the harte panteth after the fountaines of waters so my soule desireth after thee oh God my soule hath thirsted after God the liuing water when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Si ergo inueni gratiam in conspectu tuo c. If therefore I haue found fauour in thy eyes shew mee thy fauourable cōtenāce saith Moyses to God Exod. 33.13 This is that that caused the Saints to be so vigilant and industrious in their prayers so austere in their fastinges mortifications and resignations of their proper wills and that to no other end but that they might be coūted worthy to be friendes of God for truly what other is the end center or repose of our soule but God As fire of its owne nature is carried vpward as euery ponderous and heauy thing of its nature falleth downewards euen so the soule is directed towards God and euen as the waters runne into the sea so haue our soules recourse vnto almighty God now truly from this center from this end and from this sweet repose is the soule hindred by the obstacle of sinne no other thing Oh therfore sinners enemies of God where wil you be secure To what place will you flie for refuge Where will you hide your selues from the presence of God Quò ibo à spiritu tuo Psal 138.7 whether shall I go from thy spirit or whether shall I flie from thy face It was the misery of sinne that made Cayn crie out Ecce hodie eijcis me à facie terrae Gen. 4.14 behould thou doest cast me this day from the face of the earth and I shall be hid from thy face therfore euery man that seeth me may kill mee It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God saith S. Paul But do ye not tremble oh you sinners when your aduersary is so powerfull your enemy so potent wo be vnto vs if he were not clement who is so mighty Returne therfore now oh Brethren vnto him which so louingly expecteth you Humiliamini igitur sub potenti manu Dei 1. Pet. 5.6 humble your soules vnder the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you in the time of his visitation reconcile your selues vnto him and agree with your aduersary whilest you are in the way that when he shall see you at the point and laste article of your death taking your farewel of the world he may not condemne you with the damned soules and execrable diuells in hell but of his mercy extoll and place you in heauen Amen That a soule by sinne doth lose the grace of God THE X. CHAPTER GRatiam gloriam dabit Dominus Psal 83.4 Our Lord will giue grace and glorie That I may comprehend the matter in few wordes our Lord is he that in this life giueth grace and in the next glorie But you so long as yee are in mortall sinne are depriued of that grace and dying in sinne shall neuer attaine to that glory which God forbid therefore rather turne from your wicked wayes and learne to liue vnto God for our Lord saieth Nolo mortem peccatoris impij c. Ezech 33.11 I will not the death of a wicked sinner but had rather that the vniust man would leaue his iniquitie and liue Therefore Brethren consider I beseech you the exceedinge great detriment and losse that you suffer by the depriuation of grace which that with fruite and profit I may intimate demonstrate vnto you I beseech you and implore this thing of you that you would attentiuely heare and with diligence read this that followeth I haue formerly declared how a sinner looseth the friendship of God and now my intent is to make knowne vnto you how he looseth his diuine grace which grace is as it were an intermediat thing betwixt the soule and God causing it to be acceptable and gratefull vnto him for the grace of God is no other thing then a certaine ornament garment or spirituall vestment of the soule by which she is made glorious appeareth beautifull in the eyes and presence of her
beloued spouse Christ Iesus Queene Hester when she would present her selfe vnto the King her husband the scripture saieth Circundata est gloriâ suâ Ester 15.4 she was adorned with all her glory that shee might find fauour in the fight of the King her spouse So likewise a soule that it may become acceptable in the diuine eyes of the King of heauen and earth had neede be adorned with that rich garment of diuerse colours Psal 44. which is the varietie of spirituall gifts and graces But before I shall declare what this grace is it will be needfull to speake of the common diuision of grace which all Doctors affirme saying that grace is two folde The one is Gratia gratis data grace giuen gratis and for no precedent merit the other Gratum faciens making the party acceptable vpon whom it is bestowed Graces of the first sorte are the fouours and spiritual gifts which are bestowed vpon men of which the Apostle speaketh of when be he saieth Alij quidem per spiritum datur sermo sapientia c. 1. Cor. 12.8 to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the worde of knowledge to another the grace of doing cures to another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another the discerning of spirits to another diuersitie of tounges to another interpretatiō of languages and all these worketh one and the same spirit diuiding vnto euery one according as he wil Grace of the other kind is a certaine spirituall qualitie created of God alone and infused into the soule which filleth and purifieth her essence as the subtile Scotus affirmeth afterwards redoundeth into the powers and faculties as the angelicall Doctor teacheth It is not our purpose to dispute of this matter it will be sufficient for you to know what you loose by your sinnes Now the grace of God being thus vnderstood that it is a certaine spirituall qualitie created and infused into the soule which of its owne nature is opposite to mortall sinne in so much that grace by no means can stand together with mortall sinne I say mortall sinne for grace is not excluded by veniall sinne although a soule should be blemished with a thousand venial sinnes yet notwithstandinge it might obtain◠loue and fauour in the sight of God but it is true that when the soule is thus stained with the blemishes of veniall sinnes that the mutuall loue and amitie which intercedeth betweene God the soule waxeth more colde and tepidd that it cannot be eleuated with that ardent feruour of loue towardes God as it was wonte neither with that zeale doth shee seeke his honour and glorie as is requisite but so soone as one mortall sinne seaseth vpon the soule the grace of God immediatly vpon that instant departeth and leaueth that vnhappy soule which becometh thereby an enemie vnto God and appeareth abhominable in his sight Behold now Brethren your infinite detriment penetrate your great losse ponder well with your selues in what a state you are whē as you are hatefull to almightie God It is no small thinge to be depriued of the fauour of some earthly King or to purchase the displeasure of a worldly Prince but it is a farre greater thing to be destitute of the grace of God and to incurre the wrath of the King of Kings And yet this wretched world vilifying and dispising this seemeth to esteeme of it as a matter of small moment Oh vnwise oh foolish oh blinde world which folowest butterflies and fearest the stings of flies and gnats but tremblest not to thinke of the euer gnawing worme of cōscience and quakest not at the eternall furie and consuminge wrath of God Oh Brethren sinners feare God feare God I say and remember the saying of our B. Sauiour pronounced with his owne moste sacred mouth Nolite timere c. Math. 10.28 feare not those that kill the body but cannot hurte the soule but rather feare him that can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Christ Iesus our Lord God for his mercies sake vouchsafe to infuse into your soules the holy feare of him for feare is the beginning originall of all our good works Beatus homo qui semper est pauidus Prou. 28.14 blessed is the man that alwaies feareth saith the wise man giue vs therefore sweet Iesu this holy feare of thee and illuminate and burne vs in the furnace of diuine loue Amen Of the terrible sentence which is giuen vpon a soule at the instant that it sinneth THE XI CHAPTER ANima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur Ezech. 18.20 the soule that sinneth shall die Oh yee sinners how fearfull is the sound of this third Trumpet It seemeth like vnto the soūd of those trumpets which at the laste leaue behinde them a fearfull broken and terrible note Oh how horrid and vnpleasant is it giue eare The soule that sinneth shall die Oh fearful sentence but who pronounceth it the holy scripture the mistresse of truth in the person of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost But that you may with more attentiō giue eare to the sound of this trumpet know yee that so soone as yee commit mortall sinne in the consistorie of heauen by the mouth of the moste holy and blessed Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost your sentence is denounced in these wordes Let this soule be accursed condemned and adiudged to death that shee may be tormented and burned in the euerlasting flames of hell fire in the companie of vgglie and terrible diuels in that detestable odious place of perdition And then all hope and means being taken away of euer returning if shee die in this state without penance contrition and it may be confession she is giuen into the hands and authoritie of diabolicall and hellish furies for euer to be consumed in not consuming flames Oh that fearfull and moste terrible sentence yet moste right and iust But giue eare a little further oh you sinners for euery mortall sinne that you commit the same sentence in the same heauen of the same God Father Sonne holy Ghost in the presence of the B. V. Marie Mother of God and the whole celestiall courte of heauen is againe pronounced against your soules and al the Saints and Angels in that celestiall paradise say Amen Oh deare Brethren take this councell of mee turne vnto almightie God neither be diffident or call into doubt the diuine clemencie and mercie for though you were ten thousand times by sentence condemned vnto hell notwithstanding so long as yee liue you haue time to change the sentence Si autem impius egerit penitentiam c. Ezec 18.21 if the sinner do pennance for all his sinnes which he hath wrought all his iniquities shall be done away which he hath committed saith God by the mouth of his holy Prophet Ezechiel thus thou seest oh sinnefull soule that God can wil change his sentence if thou please to chāge thy wicked course and
reuerence he will make vs partakers of his celestial kingdome Cōsider now poore wretch that so long as thou art blemished polluted with the spott and contagion of sinne what soeuer thou doest were it to die it would not be imputed meritorious for the obtayning of eternall saluation and from hence it cometh that whatsoeuer thou doest it doth all perish although thou shouldest doe so much pennance so austerlie macerate thy body so often fast as often as the whole world if thou shouldest distribute al thy goods to the poore and giue thy body to be consumed in flames of fire performe what soeuer can be done or saide it doth not any way profit or auaile thee for the obtaining of eternall life so long as thou art in mortal sinne These good workes doe profit thee but to other endes as to conseruing of thy health and procuring and obtaining of temporall goods riches in this life because God out of his infinite goodnes and iustice letteth passe no euill vnpunished and no good thing vnrewarded Therfore abstaine thou not hereafter from doing well performing those good morall acts although thou beest guiltie of mortall sinne because besides that they conduce to that which I haue formerly intimated it may be also that they auaile so much that thou being freed from the guilt of sinne thou mayest be made more fitt and apt that God may more freely concur with thy soule and cause in thee penitencie and satisfaction for thy former sinnes although of thēselues they auaile not to obtaine heauē I will here demonstrate vnto thee a certaine manner of proceeding that although thou art guiltie of mortall sinne notwithstanding God may accept of thy good works to thy saluation which is very profitable and I earnestly desire thee to attend giue eare vnto it When thou art about to giue an almes to fast to say the Rosary to heare Masse or a sermon or to doe any good worke being then in mortall sinne if then thou hast not oportunitie or leasure to goe to confession I will that thou endeauour to gaine that sorrow and penitencie for thy sinnes that is requisite with a purpose neuer to sinne more and confesse them when there shall be conuenient time and occasion which thing being so done thy good workes shall be gratefull meritorious and capable of eternall retribution But if thou obseruest not this remainest guiltie of deadlie sinne there is no hope that thou shalt euer gaine heauen for all thy good deeds although they were innumerable Here I also tell thee that not a few are deceaued who suppose beleeue that those good acts that they doe in mortall sinne after confession and reconciliation with God shall be restored vnto them againe and by their merits they may gaine heauen which is is most vntrue But that thou mayest fully and truly vnderstād this opiniō I will that thou know ô sinner accordinge to all the Doctors that there are three kindes of workes which are liue workes dead workes mortified workes Liue workes are those which are done in grace and these are meritorious of eternall life Dead workes are called those which are done in sinne which are altogether dead neither are capable of merit Mortified workes are these which are done in the state of grace of any one but afterwards he sinneth and therby so mortifieth obscureth them that if he should die in mortall sinne the workes which before were meritorious and liuely shall perish and be abolished because their vertue and force was so debilitated and weakned by sinne Againe these mortified workes when thou shalt be receaued into grace they shall haue their former nature and that mortification being remoued they shall be reuiued and of no lesse merit thē they were formerly But these which were done in sinne which had no vigour or life although thou art admitted into grace not withstanding they shall obtaine nothing vnlesse as I haue formerly explicated Iesus Christ for his mercies sake graunt that he would impresse the horrible sound of this fearfull trumpet in your eares and hartes and therby so awake you that you may be alwaies fitt instruments of his diuine grace and at last to raigne with him and his eternall Father in the kingdome of eternall glorie in blisse and happines for euer and euer Amen The fourth Trumpet of the losse that a sinner suffereth through sinne at his death THE XIV CHAPTER ET quartus Angelus tubâ ceciuit Apoc. 8. and the fourth Angel sounded the trumpet Come yee now ô sinners to the hearing of the fourth trumpett attend and marke how terrible and fearfull it is O wretched and blinded soules that you are consider with your selues that you must once die Dust thou art and into dust shalt thou returne said God to Adam when he was penitent for his offence Gen. 3. By the enuie and malice of the diuell sinne entred into the world and those that are of his combination striue to imitate him The holy scripture saieth It is decreed once for men to die accordinge to the Apostle Alasse oh yee sinners what reason can you haue to be so proane and facill to sinne when as it must needes bee that you are not ignorant of the necessitie of your deathes Oh yee harlotes which make your owne bodies netts of the diuell to deceaue and entrap your selues and make your soules a prey for the furie of the diuell with thē to be burned perpetuallie in hell how can it be I say that beinge mindefull of death you doe not desist from such malignant offences and crimes O death how cometh it to passe that at the remembrance of thee sinners are not astonished In all thy workes remember thy last end and thou shalt neuer sinne saith the wise man Eccles 7.40 But which are your last and finall ends oh yee sinners doe you know They are Death Iudgement Hell Heauen we will at this present proceed to treat and say something of death and hereafter of the other O happy soule which now bearest in minde and appliest to thy harte the last houre and moment of death Mors est vltimum terribilium Death is the last thing of all that are to be feared saith the philosopher There can nothing be fained or thought vpon more fearful thē death but thou thinking not vpon this matter studiest continually how to sinne saying with the impious mā Let vs crowne our selues with roses before they wither let there be no pleasant medow which our riot shall not passe through Wisd 2.8 Thus thou spendest ten twenty thirty perhaps fourtie yeares liuing in this irreligious and vngodly course of life But tell me I beseech thee sinner what will all this profit thee at last thy life shall draw to an end at length thy last day shall come at length whether thou wilt or not thou must departe at last thou must leaue all thy treasures delightes recreationes and pleasures I say to all these thou must once die Thy
receaue meate whē sweet sleepe shall be wanting vnto thee when all thinges shall be distastfull vnto thee when thou cāst not endure to heare the voyce wordes or speech of thy Wife Children Father or Mother or of thy most deare friendes when thou thy selfe shalt be distastfull vnto thy selfe O sinner what wilt thou then doe opprest on euery side with so many infirmities dolors and vexations when thou maiest truly say with the Prophet The sorrowes of death haue compassed me about the torments of iniquity haue troubled me the sorrowes of hell haue ouertaken me the snares of death haue preuented me Psal 17.5 O wretch be thou conuerted now vnto thy God now amend and correct thy life implore and craue with al submission pardon for thy sinnes past O you sinners giue an attentiue eare vnto your God who at this instant calleth you saying Be you conuerted vnto me with all your hartes Ioel. 2.13 O my sweet louing Iesus which didest vouchsafe for the saluatiō of miserable sinners to come into this world bestow such efficacie and force vpon my wordes that offenders therby knowing themselues may be conuerted vnto thee Remember blessed Iesus at what a price thou hast bought their soules Remēber what thou hast suffered for the redemption of them Graunt that the found of these my or rather thy Trumpetts may awaken the soules of sinners and stirre vp their mindes and affections to the embracing of thee and the seeking of their owne saluation O Clement Iesu I know with how great loue thou didest hasten to the ignominious death of the Crosse for the redemption of sinners forgett not therfore them which thou hast redeemed with thy moste pretious blood permitt not ô Iesu that those soules which thou hast so dearly bought doe perish but rather graunt that they may be raised vp from death and liue Deliuer my soule ô God from the sword and mine only one from the hand of the Dogge saue me from the Lions mouth and my humilitie from the hornes of the Vnicorne Psal 21.21 Inuocate thy Iesus ô poore soule with these wordes of the Prophet placing all thy trust and confidence in him who desireth nothing more then thy repentance and health I thirst I thirst cried he in the time of his bitter passion which although it may be vnderstood of a corporall thirst yet more especially is it meant of the spirituall thirst and ardent desire which he had for the saluation of soules O afflicted soule would to God thou couldest perceaue that infinite loue by which thy Iesus is enflamed towardes thee would to God thou couldest comprehend that speciall care which thy Iesus from thy first being hath had ouer thee O therefore my louing Iesus how cometh it to passe that a miserable sinner can be so ingratefull and vnmindfull of thee his soe clement mercifull and louing God O my God can it bee that the diuell should possesse the harte of a sinner that hee should become the vassaile of Sathan thy cheifest and most opposite enemie Alas miserable soule at thy death thou shalt perceaue experience the diuels plot and intent the end of his allurements and faire profers which he hath presēted vnto thee inuiting thee to offend thy God and to follow him so impious and cruel an enemie of thy Sauiour Then thou shalt see ô wretched soule how malitiouslie and treacherouslie the diuell will hādle thee In these thy extreame agonies and afflictions when thou mayest truly say Tribulations are on all sides of me Thou shalt stand in the presence of the diuell and all his execrable companions who so soone as thy soule is departed frō thy body shal carrie it into the infernal abisse of hell there to liue with the damned soules in perpetuall torments and flames of fire God of his mercie ô sinners opē your eyes that you may prouide for your soules health and auoyde those horrible punishmēts Heare now ô sinner I hartily beseech thee set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Isay 38.2 for it is apointed for al men to die once Heb. 9.27 Thou shalt die but to liue in perpetuall tormentes God graunt that we die to liue a spirituall and eternal life with Iesus in glorie Amen Of the place whether the soule goeth so soone as it departeth out of the body THE XXI CHAPTER BEhould the Timbrell the Harpe and reioyce at the sound of the Organe they lead their dayes in wealth and prosperitie and in a moment they goe downe into hell Iob. 21.12 It is time now ô sinner to draw nere to the consideration and contemplation of thy future estate and being Tell mee I beseech thee what shall become of thee when thy soule shall depart thy body To what place shall shee betake her selfe when shee shall be exiled and banished from this flesh with which so long as they were conioyned she committed such execrable sinnes and so heinouslie offended thy God and redeemer Heare what shall be said Behold miserable sinners your end Behold the reward of your delights the hire of your pleasures the euent of your desires Behold the end of all your goods riches and honours in a moment you shall forsake them and goe downe into hell O sadde and heauie newes for your delightes must perish your pleasures shall be expired your sensuall desires shall for euer cease Last of all your estate shall be taken away by death Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die sayed they in the persons of all sinners Isay 22.11 O miserable sinners fix your cogitations vpon that dreadfull time whē your soules shall bidde adew take their last farewell of your corrupted and loathsome bodies There be three places in which our soules so soone as they are separated from our bodies may haue their beings which be these heauen hell purgatorie Thinke therfore with thy selfe ô sinner that thou art to depart into one of these places according to thy merit or demerit for our iust Lord hath loued iustice Et equitatem vidit vultus eius and his contenance hath seene equitie Psal 10.8 and therefore he rewardeth euery mā according to his works good or euill Mine hire is with me to giue vnto euery one according to his workes Rom. 2.6 Those which haue done good workes shall goe into life euerlastinge and they which haue done euill shall goe into euerlasting fire saieth S. Athanasius Consider ô sinner that when thou art striuing and contending with death thy soule shall by little and little withdraw it from the inferior parts of thy body and shall betake her selfe to the harte where she hath her principall residence last of all when she can finde no place in the body where she may be receaued she presentlie flieth away and leaueth that dead carcase of thine But aboue all this consider with thy selfe what shall become of her after her departure for so soone as she is departed from thy body she presently is receaued by the
Angels to goe to heauen or purgatorie or otherwise the diuels with their infernall acclamations shal take and carrie her into hel there to remaine in perpetuall punishements and torments thinke with thy selfe ô thou miserable sinner in what a miserable streight will thy soule be when shee shall see heauen on this side and hell on the other and the diuells prepared suddenly to carry her away by violence to perpetuall torments Alas ô wretched soule what an alteration is this ô thou accursed doest thou see now that there is an hell ô thou malignant Heretike which hast denied that there is a purgatorie what sayest thou now being dimerged and plunged in the abisseall gulfe of infernall and endlesse flames and tormeÌ„ts haddest thou not rather be in purgatorie euen vntill the iudgement day or the last moment what sayest thou O Iew which haddest the holie scripture to demonstrate and intimate vnto thee the promised Messias but thou out of obstinacie and hardnesse of hart wouldst neither acknowledge nor retaine him doest thou perceaue the scripture to be true in this sence doest thou see now ô Turke the vanitie of thy law the deceipfulnes of thy wicked Prophet Mahomet ô sinner and false Christian doest thou acknowledge that God can punish doest thou vnderstand how much thou wert deceaued in saying to excuse thy sinne God is mercifull and will pardon mee I can not beleeue that he will the death of my soule which hath redeemed me at so great a price as his pretious blood I wil afterwardes amend the course of my life I will sinne noe more after this yeare moneth weeke or day deceauing thy selfe with such like perswasions The dayes of man are shorte the number of his monethes is with thee saieth Iob speaking to God Iob. 14.5 here thou mayest marke ô sinner that he saieth not the nuÌ„ber of his yeares are with thee neither doth he say the yeares of man are short but his dayes and monethes Behould sinner how much thou deceauest thy selfe measuring thy life by yeares saying so many yeares I shall liue enter into due consideration with your selues beare in minde the last end of your liues consider the shorte computation of most wise and holy â—ob which is in moneths and dayes perswade your selues that you may euery day and howre yea euery moment and instant fall downe dead Be yee watchfull for you know not when the time shall be saieth our Lord. Thinke therfore that the last momâ—nt of thy liâ—e is already come and 〈…〉 at this instant thy miserable soule may take her last farrewell of thy stinking body and consider to what place shee must goe Thinke with thy selfe ô man although thou shouldest be the most holy and sanctified man in the world that thou art not alwaies certaine of thy saluation They are iust men and wise and their workes are in the hands of God and yet maÌ„ knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Eccles 9.2 Accursed be that night when the soule of a miserable sinner departing without penitencie of her sinnes shall be giuen into the haÌ„des of a thousand diuels to the dreadfull lâ—ke that burneth with fire and brimstone to be perpetually tormented with the hellish crue miserable soule thinkest thou nothing of this matter or thinking of it why doest thou not amend thy life why permittest thou thy self to be deceaued by the alluremeÌ„ts of the flesh Truly that soule shall be most happy when departing out of her body she shall be embraced by the handes of Angels and carried with iubilations hymnes vnto the celestiall paradise O vnspeakable felicitie O most blessed and fortunate soule Pretious is the death of the Saints in the sight of our Lord. Psal 115.5 Consider ô soule that it is the only felicity and beatitude which the Saints did hope for and attend I beseech thee what the psalmist saieth of thy end and destruction The death of sinners is most ill Psal 33.22 marke what wordes the holy Prophet vseth he doth not say it is ill but most ill in the highest degree because it is so ill that it cannot be worse deseruedlie ô sinner is thy death most ill for if thou shouldest die now presently the miseries that would accompanie thee would demonstrate the same for thou shouldest die guilty of mortal sinne and dying guilty of mortall sinne thou shouldest dy hateful to God and dying hatefull to God thou diest an enemie to God theÌ„ the which there can be nothing more grieuous for thee or more abhominable in his sight Therefore ô sinner seriously ponder and duly consider I beseech thee thine imminent danger and great perill accepting the counsell of S. Peter the Apostle who saieth Be vigilant carefull that by your good workes you may make certaine your vocation and election for doing these thinges you shall not sinne 2. Pet. 1.10 Mary Mother of grace Mother of mercy protect thou vs froÌ„ our enemies and receaue vs at the howre of death To thee we flie most pious Queene Aduocate and Mother we implore thine aide and assistance euen vntill that last terrible moment Helpe vs gratious Mother defend vs most sweet clement Mary Remember o most blessed Virgin that thou art the patronesse of all sinners Therfore I the most wicked chiefe of all offendors doe in the name of all desire and craue thy succour and intercession for vs but especially at the last instant when our soules are to depart out of this world Helpe vs Mary and defend vs perishing soules thou art our Mother we thy children therefore we wretched and afflicted commend our selues to thy care for thou art our guide in our last conflict Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and at the howre of our death Amen Of the dead body and carcase of man and of the miserie of the same after the separation of the soule THE XXII CHAPTER ANd it came to passe that the begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man also died and was buried in hell Luc. 16.22 Doest thou heare ô sinner whither the soule of Lazarus the beggar was carried and where the soule of the rich Epicure was buried The poore beggar by the handes of Angels was placed in Abrahams bosome a place of perpetuall rest and tranquilitie the rich man was precipitated into the infernall lake of hell a place of weeping and perpetual misery Consider now that the same shall be fall thee if thou diest not in the fauour and grace of almighty God And dying in his fauour hauing not satisfied for the temporall punishments which thy sinnes do deserue thou shalt be carried into purgatorie and there remaine vntil thou hast paied the last farthing But if thou shalt be dissolued and die in the fauour of God and hast satisfied for thy temporall punishment thou shalt
be assumed with troupes of Angels into heauen there perpetually to enioy the heatificall vision and ineffable delightes of paradise But if thou shalt depart without penance for thy sinnes without confession or at least contrition and desire of confession and reconciliation when thou cāst attaine to the acte of confession thy soule then at the instant of her departure out of thy body presently being seazed vpon by a companie of diuels shal be thrust into the loathsome dūgeō of perpetual darknes Thinke now ô miserable and vnhappy sinner of the misery of the body which shal be left destitute of a soule frō which it receaued its forme beauty and comelines and being depriued of this coniunction and vnion it shall be deformed loathsome pale and wanne Thinke with thy selfe it beganne to be filthy and putrified euen then when it was first taken with a feauer cōsumption impostume or any other disease and from that time to wax most filthy loathsome Thinke that it doth agonize and sweat euen vntill the departure of the soule and continually doth excreate spitt forth fleam and other corrupted filth and in this state and condition weeping languisheth and decayeth consider that after the departure of the soule the eyes will remaine distorted thy teeth grinning thy mouth gaping and thy countenance which before was faire beautifull and comely shal afterwardes become most hideous and fearfull to behould consider what loathsome excrements it will cast forth and of the suddaine moste odiously will stink I haue said to rottennesse thou arte my Father my Mother and sister to the wormes Iob. 17.14 O extreame folly of man which careth for nothing but to pollish nourish adorne and make much of this putrified flesh which whether thou wilt or no must bee eaten and deuowred vpp by wormes We read of a certaine philosopher that out of curiosity did visit the toombe of Alexander the great which beinge opened he found it stinking filled and couered with wormes and two Serpents eating tearing his eyes whereupon he cried out saying O Alexāder how lately is it since the world could not satisfie and fill thy desire but now thou art contēt with three cubits of earth and a little toombe Yesterday thou diddest triumph and boast of the number of thy subiects dominions to day thou art filled with filthines wormes Yesterday thou wert worshipped and honoured of the world this day thou art of the same world left and forsaken yesterday thou diddest feed vpon exquisite meats delicate dainties this day thou thy selfe art become meate for wormes Alas o you sinners and especially you which are giuen to the sensuall desires vnlawfull pleasures of the flesh set before your eyes the last misery of your dead putrified and corrupted bodies goe and consider with your selues the misery and deformity of those dead carcases and perswade your selues that you must be like vnto them and more abhominable it may bee Behould ô you harlotts how Queenes Ladies and Mistresses doe die see ô you sinners how Kings Lords and Masters without exception perish and consider that the same yee it may be worse shall befall you Behould how men and women are buried sinners and harlots behould I say in what state they are which are now buried what they were within these few dayes and be you astonished absolutly perswading your selues that the same it may be worse shall happen vnto you And say to your selues woe Alas to me miserable N. O wretched G. O vnhappy E. Behould into what state we must also one day come Heare you what the dead man saith vnto you To me yesterday to thee to day woe vnto thee which behouldest mee saieth the dead man to euerie one that looketh on him Behould ô woman the miseries of this dead body which in former times was thy associate Behould the mouth nose and countenance of it contemplate the breasts and golden haires of which she did so greatly as thou doest at this present boast and glory cōsider what an alteration there is Behould thou proud and intēperate wretch whosoeuer thou art immerst in the pleasures of the body smel how odiouslie and grieuouslie this dead body stinketh Behould that woman ô lasciuious wanton and tell me if thou knowest her Alasse o yee madd and pertinacious sinners what is there that cā mollify your mindes cleaue in sunder your obdurate and stonie hartes if the misery of your owne bodies and consideration of the loathsome hatefull stinch of the same can no Lord he stinketh for he is now of foure dayes saieth Martha of her dead brother Ioan. 11.39 O sinner what smell can be compared to that of an humane dead carcase To what end therfore such diligence and such curiositie to what end such cost odors paintings and ornaments To what end so many delightes pleasures fancies or whatsoeuer may seeme delectable to soe corrupted and deformed a bodie I haue seene the offenders and haue pined away because they haue not kept thy law saieth the Prophet Psal 118. O my Brethren and sisters sinners you compell me to pine away with Dauid for the extremitie of griefe when I consider the opprobries offences and ignominies whereby you offend your God and the irrecuperable detriment and dammage which you procure vnto your owne soules How long shall sinners o Lord how long shall sinners glory they shall manifest and declare their iniquitie Let God arise and let his enemies be dispersed and let them that hate him flie from his face As smoake vanisheth let them vanish away as wax melteth at the presence of the fire so let sinners perish at the presence of God and let the iust make merrie and reioyce in the sight of God and let them be delighted in mirth Psal 67.2 Breake the arme of the sinner and malignant his sinne shall be sought and he shall not be found saieth the holie Prophet Psal 10.15 beinge moued with an infinite zeale of the honour of God and saluation of soules O good Lord I am not Dauid but of all sinners the most wretched of all heinous offendors the greatest of all wicked malefactours the most pernitious notwithstanding ô my God deare Iesus I am incited and mooued with such a desire of thine honor the saluation of my poore brethren that from the bowells of my harte or rather of thine I implore thy clemency and mercie in these wordes Haue mercie vpon vs ô Lord haue mercie vpon vs for wee are much filled with contempt because our soule is much filled and is made a reproach to the wealthy and despection to the proud O God haue mercie vpon vs haue mercie vppon vs for wee are all thy children thy seruantes and creatures Remember sweete Iesus my deare Lord that all poore miserable sinners are thy creatures thy seruantes thy children thy brothers thy sisters therfore my Iesus take compassion and comiseration vppon thy children and bretheren and shew mercie vpon thy daughters and sisters wee doe
of his wife the wife all the faultes of her husband euery one shal haue his vices and disordered affectiōs plainely knowne O the iustice of almighty God which will discouer that which a sinner thought would haue beene for euer concealed Call to minde sinner what shame that will be for thee to be set before the eyes of the whole world to be seene of al both within and without Alas how many shall there be who whilst they liued in this world were reputed Saints were reuerenced of all for such but then shall be knowne to be farre otherwise How many treacherous and diuellish plottes how many adulteries and robberies shall openly be declared to the eyes of the whole worlde O my sweet Iesu which seest al thinges that descriest whatsoeuer is committed in priuat pardon sinners Iesu helpe them that doing pennance they may not be confounded with that last and great shame Iesu remember that thou art our Father our Lord God therfore forsake vs not but turne thine anger from vs suffer not the fire of thy wrath to consume vs Let not that perish Lord which is altogether thine Haue mercy vpon vs crying out vnto thee I haue strayed as a sheepe that is lost seeke thy seruant because I haue not forgotten thy law He hath forsaken mee and there is none that seeketh after my soule Psal 118. Many poore afflicted soules of sinners make such lamentations releeue and succour them Lord leaue them not who are thine they wholly giue vp themselues vnto thee they flie to thee for refuge they craue and looke for helpe of thee alone Alas sinners men and women without doubt our case is most miserable vnlesse we liue well and honestly and be conuerted vnto our Lord God seeing we yet receaue helpe wherupon if we perish it is our owne faultes The Saints the Angels the church yea heauen earth and euery thing else is ready to helpe vs the Blessed Virgin Mary is ready to succour vs our sweet Iesus to releiue vs and in a word the Blessed Trinity is prepared to defend vs whose wee are of whom we are created and preserued God doth lift vs vp but we cast our selues downe procuring to our selues our owne damage and withall the infernall pitt of hell God would haue vs be saued our Lord Iesus Christ died for vs all he is the propitiation for our sinnes saith S. Iohn not only for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Iohn 2. Therfore sinners if we be damned we can giue no lawfull excuse it is our owne mischiefe and we are the cause beginning of our owne destruction Alas therfore brethrē sisters let vs shunne and detest our former vices which if we cannot doe at the first for the loue of God which we ought to beare towards him as a Father yet at the least let vs doe it to auoide the shame which will otherwise befall vs before the whole world in the day of iudgement And thus doing I hope at last we shall be brought to forsake them for the loue of God ô heauenly consideration ô frutefull and profitable contemplation I could wish that thou wert engrauen in the hartes of all men for surely thou wouldest be then a great helpe to miserable and wretched soules which now are like to be damned by theire owne foolish madnes O sinnefull man what doest thou what thinkest thou whither goest thou why doest thou hasten with such speed vnto thy destruction ruine and damnation show them a way ô Lord that so great a number of them may not perish preserue Christiā soules from destruction seeing that so many Turkes heretikes and other infidels are daily damned who obstinatly refuse to acknowledge the truth of the holie Catholique church But there is a meanes found out alreadie Christian Bretheren and sisters which stil remaine in your sinnes If you will enter into life keepe the commaundements Math. 19.17 you know you are commaunded of God to lead a life worthy and beseeming Christian profession to abstaine from sinne and flie the apearance of euil to loue vertue and embrace godlines God almighty graunt that we all may performe this that our soules in the day of accompt may be saued Amen Of the fearfull sentence which Iesus Christ will pronounce at the day of iudgement blessed and happy are they who seriously ponder it in their hartes and soules for this is the most compendious way to forsake sinne and to turne vnto God THE XXVIII CHAPTER THen shall the King say to those that are on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Math. 25.34 There are two things which may moue and excite you sinners to forsake your enormous crimes and vices and with an vnfained repentāce to returne to your God One is the consideration of the blessinge which the good shall haue the other is the pondering of the fearfull sentence that Iesus Christ shal pronounce against the damned to the good he shall say Come yee blessed of my Father inheritt the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world But to the wicked Goe into euerlastinge fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angells the one shall be called to a paradise of pleasures the other shall be sent into a lake of torments Nothing is more glorious or beautifull then paradise nor any thing more horrible and loathsome then hell nothing more delightsome then heauen nothing more detestable then hell therfore sinner consider well of these two such contrarie places Thinke of heauen that forsaking sinne and doing pennance thou mayest come to enioy the vnspeakable pleasures of it Thinke of hell and learne soe to order thy life that desisting from thy former courses thou mayest escape the grieuous punishments of the same Wise sinners and blessed are they who chaunge their ill maners forsake their lewed courses and satisfy for their misdeeds for at their death they shall be saued but miserable are those who giue themselues ouer to the filthy lustes of the flesh and with greedines doe commit all sinne for they after this life shall finde no redresse Happy are those who striue here to adorne their soules with virtues for in the day of iudgement they shall finde mercy and obtaine euerlasting ioyes but wretched are they who followinge the pleasures of this world dye in their sinnes for in the great day of their visitation they shall be perpetually damned And they that haue done good saieth S. Athanasius shall go into life euerlasting they that haue done ill into euerlasting fire Happy are the good to whom God of his bounty will giue the treasures of heauen miserable the wicked whose portion shall bee with the diuells in torments of hell O hard hart which art not moued with these thinges O impietie of a sinner who doeth not thinke of these thinges and by harty cōtritiō returne vnto God! thou hast but one poore soule
sinner and that in the day of iudgement shall either be cursed or blessed of God shall either ascend into heauen to liue for euer in the companie of Saints Angels or else descend into hell to be punished for all eternity with the company of the damned spirits If thou be wise thou wilt be wise for thy selfe saith Salomon Prou. 9.10 Thou wilt be wise sinner if thou detest and hate sinne and turne to God Thou wilt be foolish and worse then madd if in continuing in thy wickednesse thou forgett thy Creator Alas what a number of peruerse and madd fooles are there who are hardly corrected There is an infinite number of fooles Eccles 1.15 Wretched sinners how sottish haue you beene and yet still remaine so which for a small temporall pleasure like a shadow quickly vanishing you loose so great a substance of eternal good Consider sinners that there is no day nor howre nor moment of time passeth but many millions of soules such as yours are descend thicke into hell The sinner hath giuen vp himselfe to a spirituall kinde of sluggishnes not taking any care for his saluation he cōsidereth not that death is present euery howre and moment to giue him a mortall stroake Alas how many haue gone to bedd at night and neuer arose againe in the morning cōsider consider sinners your last endes which are not farre from you How fareth it with thee ô sinner in what case is thy poore soule full of vices and hainous crimes couered ouer with darknes in the diuels possession fast bound with many strong chaines that now thou maiest cry out with the Prophet I am wrapt round about with the cordes of sinners Psal 118. although thou canst not say that which followeth and I haue not forgotten thy law But let vs returne to the terrible and fearfull sentence which Christ Iesus will pronounce against the damned ponder and seriously consider it imprint it in your harts that it may be a spurre and incitement vnto you for the following of vertue and auoyding of vice meditate vpon that saying of worthy S. Hierome a man admirable in sanctity and holines of life Whether I sleepe saieth he or wake whether I eate or drinke write or read sitte or walke that terrible speech alwaies seemeth to sound in my eares arise yee dead and come to iudgement if men of such innocency and integrity of life so much feared that horrible day what will you doe miserable and blinde sinners against whom the sentence of condemnation is to be pronounced My God sweet Sauiour giue that power to my penne seing it is wanting to my toung that this short and rude woorke of mine written without elegancy of wordes and that the sound of these my Trumpets may so moue the hartes and mindes of those that shall read and heare them that at length they may forsake their former courses and fully resolue with themselues to turne to their Creator and Redeemer My God and sweet Sauiour since it hath pleased thee to inspire mee with thy heauenly grace to set forth this my poore labour for the saluation of poore soules redeemed with thy moste pretious blood graunt mee that fauour that I may awake sinners by this my writing and sound of my Trumpets from the lethargie of vices to the glory of thy name and saluation of their soules My God and sweet Sauiour for thy mercies sake suffer not I beseech thee this my labour to be read or these my shrill Trumpets to be heard of any sinner without profit and commoditie but that the noyse of them may force the diuell to tremble and the powers of hell to shake Bretheren sinners if you shall perceaue your hartes to be moued with their sound I pray you despise contemne or resist it not but thankfully acknowledge that motion and heauenly inspiration to be from God who calleth you out of his tender mercy Returne to God sinners men and women death is at hand and yet God as a kinde and louing Father by the sound of these Trumpetts gently calleth you Awake out of your deepe sleepe of sinnes wherin you haue beene buried so manie yeares and make him an answere Sinners our most mercifull Lord sendeth forth this sound both pleasant and harsh of mine or rather his Trumpetts that it may be for the good and saluation of your soules I pray God it may obtaine the end for which it was intended Pray for me and I will not cease to be mindefull of you all Amen Of the going and departure of the damned to hell in the company of all the diuells THE XXIX CHAPTER ANd they shall goe into euerlasting punishment but the iust into euerlasting life Math. 25.46 They that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life they that haue done ill to the resurrection of iudgement saieth S. Iohn Ioh. 5.29 Sinners stay here awhile and fasten your soules vpon the cogitation of that horrible spectacle and seriously consider how the damned persons goe downe into the darke pitt of destruction with fearful howling and lamentation in the company of innumerable forlorne diuells O fearfull thing whose terrour is able to breake and cleaue in peeces the hardest marbles yet nothing at all moueth the harte of man O the misery of humane nature which is not rent a sunder with so pittifull a spectacle Sinner consider that as soone as those wretched soules shall haue the sentence of condēnation pronounced against them the earth shall cleaue in sunder and all the diuels and damned spirits shall be swallowed vp in one gulfe and be throwne downe into the obscure abisse of hell O terrible and mourneful night when weeping and gnashing of teeth and wofull lamentations of forlorne soules now reunited to theire bodies shall continue for euer O miserable disiunction and diuision the husband shall bee separated from the wife the daughter from the mother when the one shall go to heauen a place replenished with all good the other into hell a place of all torments O God of all mercy open the eyes of blinde and obstinate sinners who neuer trouble their mindes with thinking of either heauen or hell but only deuise how to wallow still in the filth of sinne Surge surge quidormis arise arise thou that sleepest Neglect not thine owne saluation that Christ may helpe thee Behould he calleth now by my penne he desireth to awake thee out of thy sleepe by the loud sound of my Trumpetts Qui fecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te saieth S. Augustine he that made thee without thee will not saue thee without thee but will that thou labour to thy power to dispose prepare thy selfe to ētertaine those wholesom coūsels and exhortations which he of his mercy offereth vnto thee Hereupon it is that God prouideth that his truth should be made knowne vnto thee by teachers that thou shouldest be admonished by confessors ghostlie Fathers hereupon he speaketh vnto thee by spirituall bookes and by
of these thinges Bretheren doe you not likewise perceaue a great delight comfort when you thinke vppon God doe you not consider when you meditate vpon terrestriall and created thinges referring them to God their creatour and efficient cause that you receaue a wonderfull sweet content from them O what a meditation is here for you to contemplate the fairenesse and largenesse of the Emperiall heauen O Israell Magna est domus Domini ingens locus possessionis eius c. O Israell saieth the Prophet great is the house of our Lord and large is the place of his possession he is great and hauing no end high and mightie Baruch 3.25 In domo Patris mei mansiones multa sunt In my Fathers house there are many mansions saieth our Lord Iesus Ioh. 14.2 O how many diuerse places and seats are there in heauen which the Saints enioy What is it then that now hindereth your will what letteth you that you cannot be inhabitants of that heauenly citie I am non estis hospites aduenae c. Ephes 2.19 You are not now pilgrims and strangers but you are the citizens with the Saints and domestickes with God Our mercifull Lord Iesus Christ sinners hath reckoned vs amongst the citizens of heauen by his bitter death and passion he hath made vs heires and coheires of a kingdome haeredes quidem Dei cohaeredes autem Christi heires truly of God but as coheires of Christ. Alas miserable wretches what mischiefe is it that depriueth you of so large and faire an inheritance sinne some small puffe or blast of pride some little delight of your polluted bodies some gredie desire or thirsting after humane affaires some light passion of hatred some foolish plotts to be reuenged accursed be all those sinnes which procure such losse and damage vnto vs as to depriue vs of heauen and of the beatifical visiō of the almightie of the most pleasant sight of God the Father and of our Lord Iesus Christ and this is the portion which befalleth all the damned in hell O most louing Father O blessed Sonne of God and holy Ghost the comforter full of loue and charity for thy mercies sake suffer vs not to be depriued of those thy great and large promises permit not Lord God our mercifull Father Sonne and holie Ghost permit vs not to loose the ioyfull sight of that glory in the life to come and the comfort of thy grace in this life present Amen Of the fire of hell and the paines of sense which the damned doe suffer in the companie of diuells THE XXXI CHAPTER PRaeparata est enim ab heri Tophet c. for Tophet is prepared since yesterday of the King deepe and wide the nourishment thereof is fire much wood the breath of our Lord as a torrent of brimstone kindling it Isay 30.33 Goe to now sinner call to thy remembrance those grieuous punishments which thou shalt endure in hell vnlesse thou amend thy life And first of all consider that in hell there is a wonderful denowring fire euer burning and yet neuer consumeth those miserable damned Praeparata est ab heri It is prepared since yesterday that is from the beginning of the foundation of the world there is a place prepared which is called Tophet which signifieth a misleading or beguiling that is hell whither all the soules misled and beguiled by the world the flesh and the diuell presently resorte This Tophet and this hel God the King of Kinges hath prepared to reuenge and punish those execrable diuels all sinners together with thē Prosūdata c. It is deepe and vaste hell is large of great cōpasse saith the holy Prophet I say Nutrimentum eius c. the fuell of this place is fire wood and God with his breath doth cōtinually kindle and sett it on fire Whereupon sinners it is moste cleare that hell is a very darke place in the most inward deepest partes of the earth broade and wide and so ample that although soules should fall downe therin as fast as the raine vpon the earth yet would it neuer be filled In this place the fire allwaies burneth and without ceasing or intermission cruelly torments the diuells damned persons and will so torment and wofully burne them for euer The holy Doctors doe hould that this fire is corporall Ignem infernalem corporalem esse non ambigo saieth Saint Gregorie I doe not doubt but that the fire of hell is corporall And although no corporall thing hath power to worke on a spirituall thing naturally yet notwithstanding by the diuine power that fire which is corporall of the same nature with ours neuer ceaseth after a wonderfull manner to torment al the diuels which are pure spirits and all the damned soules which likewise are without their bodies vntill the day of iudgement then their bodies also shall burne with them for all eternity Alas miserable sinners this is the place appointed and prepared for you where you shal burne with all the accursed crue of diuells for euer except you amend your liues and by repentance turne vnto God That fire shall burne for euer and neuer be extinguished Nutrimenta eius ignis c. The nutriment therof is fire and much wood neither shall there want one daily to blow it for the breath of our Lord like a torrent of brimstone doth kindle it But you must by no means suppose or thinke that there is wood in hell necessary to encrease the fire but the sacred scripture speaketh so to this end that it may be presēted more liuely vnto our vnderstāding which better comprehends and perceaueth naturall thinges neither can wee but say the diuells and soules before iudgement and the bodies of the damned after iudgement be vnderstood by wood for euen as the wood shall be cast into the fire so the diuels and the damned spirits before the day of iudgemēt and their bodies after shal be cast into the same O wonderfull miserie and calamitie whereinto a sinner falleth seeing that he must go downe into hell where he shal burne for euer and euer and neuer be consumed Thinke with thy selfe that thou cannest not without marueilous paine hould thy fingar in this our fire for the space of one Aue Maria but according to the opinion of the Doctors this our fire being compared with the fire of hell is like a painted fire O ineffable miserie Put thy fingar a while to a painted fire and thou shalt perceaue no sensible paine but thrust it into a reall fire and thou shalt not be able to endure the same So truly stādeth the case here for so mightie and so forcible is the fire of hell and tormenteth the soule in such sort and so intolerably as that suppose any one could deliuer and take a soule out of hell fire and cast it into some burning furnace of our fire the soule would imagine it to be no other thing then a recreation or some sweet
stollē away many soules from Christ and cast them downe headlong into the pitt of destructiō Alas voluptuous persons men and women where wil you be hereafter who now daily heape sinne vpon sinne without remorse of conscience without shame of men or feare of God what doe you thinke of your selues who haue done actes against the cōmon course of nature what punishments what tormēts what miseries doe waite for you in hell who is able I will not say to number but to thinke of the innumerable paines which are appointed for you Consider sinners you especiallie who follow with great delight and diligence the pleasures and lustes of the flesh consider what I am to tell you further of the fire of hell Although in hel there is but one common fire to tormēt the diuells and damned soules yet in diuerse places and partes of hell there shall also be diuerse fires whereof some shall be greater then others burning more stinking worse that there sinners may be punished according to the diuersitie of their offēces But let vs come now to the second kinde of punishment Ponder with thy selfe that besides this fire there is a wonderfull intense colde which some shall feele more some lesse according as they be loaden with the burden of their iniquities Alas you sloathfull sluggish and cold Christians in holy religion and in God his diuine seruice this extreame colde these vnspeakable tortures and torments will he inflict vpon you congealing you like ice and causing you to gnash with your teeth as our Lord saieth Ibi erit fletus stridor dentium there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The third kind of punishment is the vggly shape and deformitie of wormes which shall be continually biting and gnawing of you vermis eorum non morietur their their worme shall not die saieth the Prophet Isay Isay 66.24 Vindicta carnis impij ignis vermis the reuenge of the flesh of the wicked is fire and the worme saieth the wise man Eccles 7.19 Dominus dabit vermes carnes eorum the all powerfull Lord saieth Iudith will giue wormes to their flesh Iud. 16.21 The more that sinners haue delighted them selues in foule filthy and enormous vices and crimes the more shall they be tormented in hell with strange vggely monsters of serpents toades dragons and such like which indeed are nothing else but diuels in the forme and shape of these liuing creatures allthough some Doctours affirme such creatures to be really there that the torments of the damned soules may be more cruell and intollerable Wo to thee then wretched woman which placest thy felicitie in carnall impuritie thinke how thou shalt be often times compassed about with serpents dragons toades or other some vggely deformed creatures worse then the former all which shall bite thee with their venemous teeth and teare those partes of thy body wherein thou tookest greatest pleasure contentment with incredible torture O miserie and calamitie O thing vnheard of yet for all this the wofull sinner doth not cōsider them The daintie damsell and braue citizens wife do not trouble their thoughts with these thinges Alas how many are there which haue wholy giuen them selues to the sinnefull lusts and sensual delightes of the flesh and in a moment when they haue the least thought of it haue descended into the bottomlesse pit Ducunt in bonis dies suos they lead saith holie Iob their liues in good thinges but in an instant goe downe into hell O the calamitie of the blinde and foolish world which after such a manner vtterly ouerthroweth it selfe The fourth punishment is that intollerable stinch which shal fill the nostrils of the damned with ineffable vexation This stinch of the holy scripture is called Fetor sulphureus a stinch mixt with brimstone ignis sulphur c. Fire and brimstone and the blast of stormes is the portion of their cupp saith the psalmist Psal 10.7 pars iniquorum c. the portion of the wicked shall be in a lake or poole burning with fire brimstone The reason wherefore the fire the colde and the stinch of hell are so excessiue and so insupportable is because they can neuer vent forth but are shutt vp kept close within the hollow partes of the earth euen as fire in a furnace kept in on euery side is of greater force to burne then if it had compasse to dilate it selfe that the flame and heat thereof might euaporate Weigh the matter exactly and consider awhile sinner what an ill sauour thou shouldest smell if thou wert shut vp close in a sinke full of all filthines and corruption where no ayre can come in in the which dead carcases lie where pitch brimstone is burning Out of this gather what ill sauour thou shalt finde in hell where the damned bodies shall stinke farre worse without comparison then the carcases of dogges or of any other filthy carraine But contrariwise the bodies of Gods seruants and blessed in heauen shal send forth throughout euery part of the same most delightsome sauours Cōsider sinner what a stinch that will be of hell where so many bodies of damned persons of men and women shall be not for one day but for eternity All the damned shall be there kept close prisoners together one lying vpon another and one infecting another with his stinch and loathsome sauour Sicut oues in inferno c. as sheepe they are put in hell death shall feed vpon them saieth the Prophet Psal 48.15 Of the fift sixt and other aboue mentioned punishments which the damned suffer in hell THE XXXIII CHAPTER THE fift punishment of hell shall be the fearfull sight of diuells and damned persons who all very deformed shall appeare with foule and vggely visages to behould because the dāned both men and women shall be like the diuels themselues Ponder a while sinner how loathsome dead bodies seeme to be in their graues Consider with what horrour and dread the dead body of any man or woman doth affright thee so soone as the soule is departed frō it thinke what an ill smell proceedeth from it when it remaineth but one day without burying Weigh with thy selfe how horriblie stinking are the bodies of those that be dead which haue beene buried three or foure daies in their graues Domine iam fetet quatriduanus est Lord now he stinketh he hath beene foure dayes in the graue saieth Martha of her brother Lazarus Alas miserable mortall men what doe you doe being cruell outragious and vnnaturall against your selues Why doe you condemne your selues after such a lamentable manner and that for iust nothing O consider wretched sinners if the sight of one diuell striketh such terrour into you that although he appeare in the shape and likenesse of no vggely creature you are not able to endure him long what will become of you then when you shall see in hel so many diuels so many men so many women all alike in one ill fauorednesse and
pasttimes vanish away like smoake but your punishments shal be permanent your sportes merry conceipts quickly consume and passe away like a cloud but your troubles afflictiōs shal neuer haue an end Alas therfore sinners returne at length to God why doe you not forsake your iniquities and transgressions why doe you not flie the diuell your cruell and deadly enemie woe to you sinners men and women who liue as if you should neuer die who take no care for the time to come but pursue your wicked and sinfull course of life euen as if you had no soules to saue neither were there any hell to torment you Sweet Iesus for his clemency and tender mercy open your eyes Sweet Iesus for his moste bitter death and passion sake chaunge and turne your hartes Iesus the true sonne of almightie God and the B.V. Marie his deare beloued Mother bring you backe againe into the right path of saluatiō that you may not be damned in the bottomlesse pitt of destruction Amen The Seuenth Trumpett of the society and companie which a sinner draweth with him in life death and after death THE XXXIV CHAPTER ET septimus Angelus tubâ cecinit And the seuenth Angell sounded the Trumpett Apoc. 8. Heare now at length the last Trumpet sounding which if it shall nothing moue thee thou giuest mee but smal hope of thy saluation Consider a while sinner whose companion thou shalt be so long as thou liuest Afterwardes wee will speake of thy company in death and after death Et societas nostra c. And our societie is with the Father and the Sonne saieth S. Iohn speaking of good men 1. Iohn 1.3 O happy and fortunate men wheresoeuer they goe they haue the Angels and God himselfe in their company for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of thē Math. 18.20 But sinner who shall associate thee Alas wretch the diuell shal be thy daily companion and attendant For what end and purpose That he may tumble fling thee downe headlong that he may kill and murther thee that he may enforce thee to commit all kindes of vices and lastly that he may carry thee with him into hell The Doctors affirme a certaine diuell to be assigned to euery man who doth continually watch and follow him nor euer leaueth him while he liueth that he may entrapp and ensnare his soule What then sinners doe you can you for all this sleepe and shorte seeing that the diuel euery day watcheth so narrowly for your destruction Can you so carelesly neglect your owne saluation and suffer the diuell alwaies to busie himselfe in the worke of your damnation wil you not yet take any thought vppon this matter Are you still delighted with so mischieuous a cōpanion Madd men and cruell against your owne sinnefull soules O wicked and senslesse creatures which are so in humane against your selues Ponder sinner that withersoeuer thou walkest there is a diuell ready to be thy lackie Thinke how sometimes he goeth before sometimes he followeth one time on the right hand another time on the left hand now he goeth before to ouerthrow thee now he followeth prouiding snares to catch thee now he standeth at thy left hand by calamities and distresses to bring thee to despaire and by and by he is on thy right hand by honours and dignities to puffe thee vp with pride and arrogancy thereby to giue thee a greater fal Consider when thou eatest he is about thee to make thee exceede by gluttonie When thou speakest that thou mayest stumble faulter in thy speech Thinke that when thou awakest he causeth thee to be drowsy whē thou sleepest he deludeth thee by strange visions and deceipts manie subtil deuices many deceipts and craftie sleights doth he imagine How many netts how many snares doth that tirāt lay for the miserable soules of sinneful men In how many wayes and comers doth that enemy sitt lurking to spoile robbe and murder all passengers Fratres sobrij estote c Brethren be you sobre and watch because your aduersary the diuell as a roaring lyon goeth about seeking whome he may deuoure saieth the holy Apostle S. Peter 1. Pet. 5.8 which worthy sentēce our holy Mother the church hath apointed to be daily sung at Compline in al places where the diuine office is said Circuiui terram c. I haue cōpassed about the earth and walked along through it saieth the diuel to God asking of him frō whence he came Iob. 2.2 What is the reason why the diuell so vieweth the world why he walketh through the earth so diligently for your soules for your soules I say God his Angells seeke to saue your soules the diuell with all greedines thirsteth after your damnation Da mihi animas c. Giue me the soules take thou the rest saith Abraham Gen. 14.21 The diuell saith the like to man the true seruants and worshippers of God are enflamed with desire to winne soules so likewise all the diuels hate them with extreame indignatiō neuer ceasing vntill they haue brought them as low as hel The Angells and good men and the diuells are marchants of soules but after a different manner For the first by all means endeauour to conduct them into heauen but the latter to make shipwracke of them in the bottomlesse pitt of hell That soule maketh an ill and an vnluckie iourney which taketh the diuell for her companion seruing him daily by sinne contemning God and reiecting his most sacred law But on the other side that soule maketh a prosperous iourney which followeth the Angels and Gods seruants for they will assuredly lead her into paradise shewinge her the way which they haue trodden namely the keeping and true obseruing of the diuine precepts commaundements Thine Angel Guardian sinner will neuer forsake thee so long as thy soule remaineth in thy body exciting thee to shunne euill and to chose that which is good The diuell a most cruell tyrant thy companion will not be idle about thee but wil prouoke thee vnto all sortes of wickednesse tragression Now then sinner how doest thou behaue thy selfe towardes thy good Angell how doest entertaine this thy most faithfull and louing keeper Alas sillie miscreant thou refusest thy good Angell and thy blessed Sauiour to ioyne thy selfe to the infernall Prince of darknesse whom thou seruest with all homage diligence and industrie Consider sinner with what streight obligation thou art bound to God and thy good Angell who cōtinually defendeth and accompanieth thee keepeth thee from the assaults and snares of innumerable damned spirits Thinke how many yeares are passed wherein thou hast liued in the sure custody of infernall enemies offending dishonouring and dispising thy God who al this time hath expected thee ready to embrace thee in his armes stretched out vpon the crosse there manifesting his benignity mercy loue and charitie towardes thee It is not long since sinners that the diuel would haue quite destroyed