good God is since it can be well with none that depart from him Let vs returne at the last vnto our selues and descending as it were from heauen let vs looke a litle vpon what is our owne Doe wee thinke wee shall go into the house of the Lord What are we that we should goe thither Mortall and abiect creatures earth and ashes But yet he that hath promised is our father and is omnipotent Can not he make an angell of a man who made a man of the earth By life we are men by hope angels to whom in our countrey we shall be like and equall A merchant when he buyes a thing and takes assurance for it though as yet he haue not his wares yet he secures himselfe he shall haue them God the Father hath promised vnto vs his glorie and for an earnest pennie in the meane time he hath giuen vs his only Sonne in the Sacrament of his bodie and blood and hath inspired into our hearts his holy Spirit There with an open face we shall see him with greater ioy and more securely whom heere we see mystically yet fruitfully in his Sacrament Despaire not therefore to come to this place and expect the promise of thine inheritance Hope is necessarie for a wandring pilgrime it is that that comforts him in the way for a traueller that laboreth in his iourney is therfore content with patience to beare his labour because at last he hopes to come to the end thereof take away his hope of the end and his strength failes him hee is presently wearie with going A Physitian drawes forth his instrument to lance a wound and he sayth to his Patient Be patient and beare a little in the paine he requires patience but after the paine he promiseth health but the sicke bodie except he proposed vnto him hope of recouery he would faint in that paine which he endureth In the warres the hope of honor mitigateth the griefe of the wounds so to those that beare the yoke of Christ the hope of glory is a great comfort raiseth the minde vnto God and that euill which they outwardly beare inwardly they feele not Hope brings no small pleasure when that which was hoped is once attained Temporall things not had afflict when they are had seem base and contemptible Thou louest thy wife not yet maried whom perhaps thou hatest when thou hast her What is the reason thereof Because she appeareth not such being maried as thou didst conceit her to be before thou hadst maried her But God who is beloued being absent growes not more base being present the fruition findes more in him than the cogitation could forme or imagine of him We shall loue God more when we shall see him if we can loue him before we see him he is more feruently beloued being gotten than desired Except he be first loued he can not afterwards be possessed and yet he is not therefore possessed because he is beloued because it is necessarie and our dutie that aboue all things he be beloued Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie how great a miserie is it to lose the Creatour for the creature to follow the shipwrack of this world and not rather flie to the Sanctuarie of God and to taste how sweet the Lord is and how great the multitude of his mercies If thou wouldest consider what and how great things are promised thee in heauen all things thou enioiest vpon earth would seeme base and contemptible What then is the reason dear brother that thou runnest not vnto heauen where thou shalt see God without end possesse him without losse loue him without loathing Many of thy parents brethren sisters and friends expect thee there millions of saints desire thy company now seâ—â—â—ed of their owne happines carefull of thine Of whose company lest thou shouldest be deceiued thou must vse thy best indeuor it is no difficult matter if thou wilt not burthensome if thou attend it Only repent and the kingdome of heauen is at hand To which he bring vs that liues and reigneth without end Amen By that which hath beene spoken The Conclusion of the sixth part thou plainly seest my dear brother how good and mercifull God is how ready to pardon sinnes The riches of whose goodnes the 〈…〉 considering calleth him not only a merciful God but mercy it selfe Thou God hast taken me vp thou art a mercifull God nay mercy it selfe Consider the bosome of his diuine goodnesse how open the lap of his mercy is and despaire not cast not downe thy selfe faint not with mourning the gate of mercy and the treasury of his goodnes is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou fall into the bottomlesse pit of despaire God inuiteth thee to repentance he offereth forgiuenesse he putteth foorth the right hand of his helpe and doest thou turne thy face from him Heauen is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou descend into the pit of hell The diuell knowing how excellent a thing repentance is hath tempted thee to this despaire hath taken from thee thy hope which is the foundation and anchor of thy saluation and the conductor of our iourney vnto God If therefore thou desire to escape the snares of the diuell and by hope to take holde of the mercies of God only depart from euill and do good for the first step to saluation is to decline from euill the second to hope for pardon Which hope of Gods mercie is not sufficient to saue thee without the feare of his iustice for in vaine shalt thou hope in his mercie except thou likewise feare his iustice For God who is mercifull is likewise iust and therefore considering how mercifull he is despaire not considering how iust neglect not thy sinnes There is no securer way than vnder hope to feare and to ioyne those two together lest perhaps an vnwarie minde may deiect it self by despair or fall by presumption It is to be feared lest thou fall into another bottomlesse pit and thou die by presuming of the mercy of God that couldest not die by despairing of it and thou haue in thy heart cogitations diuers from the former but not lesse dangerous and so thou beginnest in thy heart to say At what houre soeuer I shall repent God will put out all my wickednesse out of his remembrance and therefore why should I rather conuert to day than to morrow But my deare brother what if thine end bee before to morrow For hee that promiseth vnto thee so much mercy if thou repent promiseth not to morrow if thou persist in thy sinnes It is to bee feared lest whilest conuersion is put off to the end an vnexpected death may rather preuent then repentance helpe Lest therefore by hoping thou shouldest encrease thy sinne the day of thy death is vncertaine and lest by despaire thou shouldest encrease it there is offered vnto thee the hauen of repentance Which notwithstanding that in the 〈◊〉 of thy daies it bee good yet that
thou complaine and afflict thy selfe that thou hast many times liued well and beene prouided for death when death came not That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull O how happy wert thou and again and again blest of God if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death if thou wert euery day such a one as thou wishest to bee at the point of death if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord if thou didst alwaies watch and stand vpon thy guard because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs The day of death vucertain to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die should bee alwaies found ready for death that whilest the last day is vnknowen wee should obserue all as if all were the last If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat among which thou art told that one hath poison in it wouldest thou not abstaine from them all lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned There is one day of death a dangerous day vnto thy soule which because thou knowest not is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world thou wouldest diuide thy times some to pleasure some to praier some to repentance and knowing how long thou hast to liue thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs it is to bee feared by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared because it can neuer bee foreseene Matth. 24.43 and woorse auoided If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Therefore be ye also ready for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come whether in the euening or at midnight at the crowing of the cocke or in the morning lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you hee shall finde you fleeping When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying Watch and pray Luke 12.36 â—ee afterwards added That which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Watch therfore my deare Brother like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh he may open vnto him immediately Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres as if euery houre were the houre of thy death If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth that hath in it any apparent tokens of death thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes and thy time mispent and thou promisest repentance and amendment of life which thou hast no sooner obtained but as soone thou forgettest and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe The time of repentance is granted thee and God expecteth a time to pardon thee and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past in those that are to come Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee and yet this corruptible body of â—hine which God hath lent â—hee for the vse of thy soule and for the saluation thereof is not thine but shall shortâ—y be taken from thee thou dâ—est not only not vse to the health of thy soule but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof and by how much thy life is longer by so much thy sinnes are greater yea they increase not with the daies but the houres and moments of thy life Yesterday thou mightest haue died Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicâ—nque 〈◊〉 and yet thou art nor dead Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day account it amongst thy gaines Why our daies are prolonged for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory For as the very sleep of the Saints of God is not without goodnesse so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time without the practise and performance of some good Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature in hope and expectation only which many times deceiueth them of bettering their fortunes and ioining house vnto house and land â—nto land If then such as aâ—ound in â—â—hes are content with the losse of liberty and so much labour to increase â—heir riches which then increase most when the least commodities are not neglected how much doth it stand â—hee vpon that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule Though thou haue liued well and art rich in good workes yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better and for one good worke thou hast done thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand why then doe that now whilest thou liuest that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying One starre differeth from an other starre in glory 1. Cor. 15.41 there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen As no sinne escapeth vnpunished so no good that thou doest vnrewarded Matth. 10.30 All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head and as a haire of thy head shall not perish so not a moment of time God rewardeth great labours with great bounties which though in appearance they seeme to be small yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable Thy labours are but short the crowne eternall set that which thou here sufferest Repentance crucifieth Righteousnesse pacifieth Life eternall glorifieth to that that thou there hopest to obtaine The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed that for them is remitted the present comfort that for them is giuen the future glorie that for them is promised Thou labourest heere for a time that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned thy labour is momeÌ„tary thy ioy eternall
penny And therfore saith S. Paul Rom. 5.10 If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to GOD by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saued by his life It is a greater thing to die for sin than to take away sinne To the reparation of the celestiall mansions not to eternall damnation hath the Lord created and redeemed thee For if hee had desired thy damnation when thou sinnedst hee had cast thee into hell Heereby thou maiest gather that he delighteth more in thy reparation than thy damnation that there is greater ioy with him and his Angels for one sinner that conuerteth Luk. 15.7 than for ninetie and nine iust men that need no amendment of life Which the Lord himselfe hath prooued by a threefold example of the lost sheepe which being found the shepheard with ioy laid vpon his shoulders and brought him to his fold of the lost groat which being found she calleth her friends and neighbours saying Reioice with mee for I haue found the piece which was lost and of the prodigall childe for whom being returned to his father the fat calfe was killed which was not done for that sonne which continued with his father By how much the more we are sorry for a thing lost by so much the more do wee reioice when it is found and therefore there is more ioy in heauen for a sinner that repenteth than for a iust man that needeth no amendment For a repentance inflamed with loue after sinne is more acceptable vnto God than an innocency dull carelesse with securitie by grace As a captaine in the warres loues more that souldier that after his flight returneth and valiantly encountreth his enemie than him that did neuer flie and neuer performed anie valorous exploit A husbandman loueth more that ground that after the thorns and brambles be digged vp yeeldes a plentifull increase than that ground which neuer had thornes and neuer gaue any increase If therfore thy teares vpon earth bee so great a ioy to God and his Angels how great a ioy shall thy pleasures in heauen be to them This is the meat they feed vpon the fruites they are delighted with if by a true contrition of heart thou mortifie thy sinnes and by a true and vnfained repentance turne vnto God Wherfore deare brother though thou thinke thy selfe condemned by Gods iustice appeale vnto his mercy for it sometimes commeth to passe that whom iustice accuseth mercy absolueth and that punishment which the Lord may iustly inflict hee doeth mercifully pardon For those whom God freely created and redeemed he wil not willingly oppresse and therefore if thou repent thee of thy sinne hee repenteth him of his sentence The vnchangeable God will change his sentence if thou change thy life So shalt thou conquer the inuincible binde the omnipotent and a fearefull Iudge thou shalt change into a mercifull father CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may be profitable to saluation BVT perhaps thou wilt say I come too late I haue spent my whole life in sinne I am now at the brinke of death and therefore it is too late at my last houre to turne vnto God Res Thou art a yoong man my deare brother in the strength of thy yeeres thou maiest yet liue many a yeere and haue time enough to repent But yet because there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assâ—redly promise to himselfe to liue till night and a sudden death may euerie houre of the day ouertake thee wherein despairing thou maiest obiect this vnto me therefore I haue thought good to satisfie this obiection though thou haddest neuer obiected it Whilest thou liuest whilest thou yet breathest yea when thou liest in thy bed at the point of death thou maiest repent yea and then especially there is yet hope of mercy time of forgiuenes place of repentance God witnesseth of himselfe Eze. 33. that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes hee will blot out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance He that hath said he will put out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hath excepted no kinde of sinne Though thou want time to confesse thy sinnes vnto God yet in a moment euen in the twinckling of an cie he can haue time to pardon all thy sinnes Thy will is accounted for thy worke and the gronings of thy heart for thy words If therefore at the houre of death thou cease to bee wicked by repentance thou needest not despaire of pardon because thou art neere thine end For God whoconsidereth the end of all men iudgeth euery man according to his end not his former life neither doeth he respect so much what wee haue beene heeretofore as what we are at the end of our life It is no matter how long but how well a man liueth neither doth the quantitie of the crime nor the enormitie of a mans life nor the breuity of the time nor the extremity of the houre exclude a man from pardon if repentance in the end be true and perfect The great and manifold mercy of God is neither limited by time nor equalled by our great and manifolde offences He that truly repenteth and is loosed from that band of sinne wherewith hee was tied and liueth well after his repentance whensoeuer he dieth he may secure himselfe hee goeth to God he shall not be depriued the kingdome of God hee shall not be separated from the people of God Matt. 20. For as they that went into the Vineyard to labour at the eleuenth houre of the day receiued a penny for their hire as well as they that began their labour the first houre and did beare the burthen and heat of the day so not onely to those that from their childehood doe beare the yoke of the Lord is the reward promised but to the last too who in the end of their life turne vnto God is the earnest pennie of eternall life giuen The innumerable sinnes of the Nineuites a short repentance wiped away and the Publican went presently out of the Temple iustified Marie Magdalen was so great a sinner that the Pharisey disdained to see her and yet in a short time she was iustified and clensed from all her sins The theefe hung vpon the Crosse and being instantly to die despaired not of saluation he confessed the Lord vpon the Crosse and euen with the words of his confession he ended his life and yet the Lord possessed him of Paradise before Peter and lest any man should thinke repentance too late hee turned the punishment of murther into a martyrdome It is true that his repentance was late but yet his pardon came not too late he made speed in turning vnto God and God was as speedie in pardoning These shew thee the fruit of repentance the fountaine of mercy the celeritie thereof for they began late to repent and to do good and yet by doing it truly of the last they are
And if thou sinke vnder the burden of these afflictions set before thine eies the sufferings of Christ See what hee that had no reason to suffer hath suffered for thee If it were necessary that Christ being God man should suffer and so enter into his glory Luke 24. The passions of Christ how much more oughtest thou a base vnworthy worm of the earth to suffer for the attainement of that glory How much soeuer thou endure thou shalt neuer come neere those insultations those scourgings that purple garment that thornie crowne and lastly that ignominious and shamefull death of the Crosse that hee endured for thy sake Doe but consider how great glory doth instant ly attend thy miseries and afflictions and then that which is momentarie in an instant turned from euill to good shall neuer seeme greeuous vnto thee If the greatnesse of the reward delight thy minde let not the greatnesse of thy afflictions any way affright it if the labour deter thee let the reward inuite thee and let the hope therof be a solace to thy labours It is not the maner to attaine to great matters without great paines and hee that runneth not winnes not the garland For if a Merchant cares not what hee giues for that merchandize that he knowes will yeeld him a great increase if to a Sea-man the dangerous billowes of the Sea to a husbandman the stormy tempests of cold Winter if to a souldier wounds and bloodie conflicts seeme light and tolerable and all for the hope of a temporall and fading commoditie much more when heauen it selfe is proposed vnto thee 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 2. as the fruit of thy labor and that vnspeakable ioy that no eie hath seen no eare hath heard and hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue or imagine Where if it were not lawfull to make any longer abode than for the space of one day for that one day the innumerable daies of this life with all the fleeting and temporall delights thereof should worthily be scorned and contemned And therefore account not thy perseuerance in that which is good and thy continuall preparation for death amongst thy labours which though yesterday thou hast escaped perhaps thou shalt not to morrow for that happens in one day that falles not out in a thousand Thou must perseuere and bee constant in good workes Matt. 10. for it is not hee that begins but that continues to the end that shall bee saued It is a vaine thing to doe good if we do not good so long as we liue as it is a vaine thing to run swiftly at the first setting out and to tire before wee come at the end of the gole Repentance is an excellent remedy against sinne but yet only to him that shall perseuere therein For without perseuerance the labour hath no reward the race no garland the seruice no grace the crosse no crowne If thou wilt want eternall punishment without end and enioy eternall blisse without end thou must necessarily obey the commandements of God without intermission without end And therfore thou must not say with the seruant in the Gospell as thou art wont My master doth deferre his comming Matth. 24.48 and therefore begin to smite thy fellowes and to eat and drinke with the drunken for the Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an houre thou knowest not and destroy thee suddenly If he be patient and of long sufferance if he threaten thee and yet abstaineth if hee deferre his comming to the end hee may finde lesse cause to condemne thee neglect not his patience and long sufferance lest he increase his iudgement with his expectation and by how much the longer he expects thy conuersion before he iudge thee by so much the more heauilie his iudgement will light vpon thee For assure thy selfe that hee that with patience bears thy sins will with seuerity iudge them if thou repent not and cease from sinning Wherefore deare brother alwaies so liue that thou bee alwaies prepared to die Watch alwaies lest God take thee vnprouided and such he taketh thee if such he find thee at the last day and as he then findes thee when hee calles thee so hee will iudge thee Remember thy end Eccl. 7.36 and thou shalt neuer doe amisse whether thou eat or drink or whatsoeuer thou doest let that trumpet of the last iudgement alwaies sound in thy cares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement whatsoeuer thy comforts are in this present life neuer let the bitternesse of thy last iudgement depart out of thy mind CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of Hell IT is to be doubted that that remainder of thy life that is behinde can not amount to fiftie yeeres but yet suppose that thou hast so many yeres to liue and that God hath reuealed vnto thee from aboue that thou shalt not see death vntill the terme of fifty yeres be fully complet and ended This can be no reason at all to withdraw thee from the seruice of God and from turning vnto him by a true and vnfained repentance The breuitie and instabilitie of pleasure For first the breuitie of the pleasures of this life is certaine and the end of this breuity vncertain They doe many times forsake a man when he is aliue but they neuer follow him being dead The state of humane things is alwaies moueable and inconstant and manie times it falleth out that if a man liue long hee outliues his pleasures For God doth prouidently mingle sower with sweet sorrow with ioy that we may thereby be stirred vp to seeke that sweetnesse that ioy that neuer changeth and that whilest sorrow and griefe and vexation of spirit are the fruits of this world we should look vp after him that is the God of all comfort and consolation But yet my deare brother let vs yeeld that thou hast so many yeeres to liue and that free from all aduersitie whatsoeuer First consider diligently with thy selfe to what place thy miserable soule must passe when those fiftie yeeres are expired euen to hell it selfe For from the delights of this world we passe by a straight line to the torments of hell as by the miseries of this life we attaine the ioies of heauen For no man can pasle from pleasure to pleasure reioice with the world and with Christ too heere feed his belly his corruptible part there his spirituall And secondly let the place to which thy soul must passe put thee in minde of those intollerable torments thou must there suffer Lastly consider with thy selfe if it should bee said vnto thee Inioy the pleasures of this life and glut thy selfe with them but yet vpon this condition that at such or such a time after so many yeeres are expired thy eies shall bee plucked out of thy head and thou shalt spend the rest of thy life in hunger and thirst and
way If aâ—â— man will follow mee saiâ— Christ let him denie himseâ— let him put off the old maâ— and put on the new let hiâ— begin to be that he was not and cease to bee that which before by sinne hee was let him take vp and alwaies beare his owne crosse and therewith crucifie his owne flesh with the concupiscence thereof let him bee crucified vnto the World and the World vnto him liue vnto mee die vnto the World So at the last let him follow mee crucified and for the loue of me be content to beare what 〈◊〉 haue borne for the loue of him For hee that by the deâ—ights and pleasures of this world wil saue his soule shall for euer lose it But he that in â—his life for my sake shall lose his soule by refusing the carâ—all pleasures of this life and â—f need be by suffering death for my sake shall find it again in heauen and eternall happines This my deare brother is a strait way and a narrow gate which leadeth vnto life and few they are that finde it and therfore thou must not so much consider how crooked and thorny it is as whither it leadeth nor how narrow it is as where it endeth for by how much the more strait and troublesome it is by so much the more large and pleasant thou shalt finde it in the progresse of thy iourney for it shall not onely by custome but by the labour and passion of thy Sauior be made easie It is a broad way to the hope of the faithfull a strait way to the vanity of vnbeleeuers and in that thou thinkest it laborious and painfull it is no excuse of thine infirmity but an accusation of thy sloth backwardnesse By many trdâ—ulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. But yeeld that it bee painfull must wee not thorâ—w many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God And yet thou by the broad and spacious way of pleasure which leadeth vnto death hopest to obtaine life Thou canst not heere sport it with the world and there raigne with Christ enioy future and present blessings passe froÌ„ the delights of this world to the ioies of heauen They that haue their coÌ„fort in this world are vnworthy diuine consolation but they that for the name of Christ Iesus endure affliction feele in themselues the vnspeakable comforts of God for they that partake with Christ in his passions are likewise made partakers of his comforts No man can be happie in both worlds but he that wil haue the one must want the other otherwise the rewards of chastity and luxurie gluttonie and temperance humility and pride were not diuers That fat and purple rich man in the Gospell had his pleasure in this life Lazarus pain but after their death their portions were not alike the pleasure of the one is turned into misery the miserie of the other into pleasure eternall happines Bodily pleasure nothing to a dying soule But suppose thou wouldest gaine the whole world and glut thy selfe with all maner of delights and pleapleasures what are all these vnto thee at the houre of thy death If thou being in extremitie of sicknesse shalt see thy seruants fare deliciously what gainest thou by their dainty fare Wilt thou say that thou art the better or gainest the more because thou art their Lord and Master No doubtles Apply this then vnto thy own soul If thy body florish and grow fat thy soule growing leane this plenty of external things what belongs it vnto thee For as the pleasure of a seruant doth no way benefit the miserie of a master nor costly apparell a weake body So whilest thou gluttest and pamperest thy bodie with pleasure and abundance of all things and sufferest thy soule to starue whereby it is subiect to eternall damnation how doe the pleasures of the body pleasure thee what canst thou giue for recompence of thy soule Math. 16.26 Hast thou any other which thou canst giue for it If thou wert the Lord and King of the whole world and wouldest offer it for a ransome for thy soule thou couldest not therewith redeeme it from eternal damnation What benefit then is it vnto thee though thou win the whole world and lose thy owne soule Or what good is it vnto thee for a few daies to rule and raigne vpon the earth and thereby to lose the kingdome of heauen Christ hath shed his most precious blood for thy soule Nothing more precious than the soule which hee would not doe for the whole world besides and and therfore thinke the price of thy soule to be very great since it could not bee redeemed but by the blood of Christ Iesus And wilt thou then lose this thy soule and damne it too buie a moment of pleasure with euerlasting torments What comparison can there bee betwixt that which is finite and that which is infinite betwixt breuitie and eternitie Wherfore deare brother it shall be good for thee to indure some paine in this life by repentance if that which bringeth a spirituall ioy may bee called a paine lest thou feele eternall paine in the life to come by reuenge By sorrow thou shalt come to ioy for Truth it selfe hath spoken it Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted and by ioy and pleasure thou shalt come to sorrow the same Truth affirming it Luk. 6.25 Woe bee vnto you that laugh for yee shall waile and weepe He that sorroweth not when he is a stranger shall not laugh being a Citizen because the desire of his countrey is not in him and therefore whilest thy body is detained in this world send thy heart before into heauen But it is one thing to goe before or to go foorth in body another in heart hee goeth foorth in body that by the motion of his body changeth his place he goeth foorth in heart that changeth the affections of the heart Wherefore my deare brother for these causes The conclusion of these former Chapters manie more that might heere be spoken of thou maiest plainly see how fraile and vnconstant the condition of this life is insomuch that thou canst not secure thy selfe of a moment of time Which since so it is it cannot but be dangerous for thee to liue in that state wherin thou wouldest not willingly depart out of this life especially considering that the time of thy departure may happen at this verie houre or the next nay euery moment of thy life Whilest thou art sound healthfull thy repentance is sound when thou art weak and sickly that is weake too when thou art dead that is dead too The time of life is short which though thou passe well and blessedly yea suffer much affliction for thy Sauiour Christ Iesus yet at the houre of thy death thou wilt wish thou hadst suffered much more Eccles 12. Remember therfore thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and be not slow
thy selfe that art aboue all price Christ once died for our sinnes the iust for the vniust and doest thou thinke the heaping together of riches to bee more precious than the redemption of thy soule by the blood of Christ For when thou takest another mans goods thou art taken by the Diuell and as long as thou detainest them thou art detained by the Diuell Thou possessest gold and losest heauen thou detainest another mans goods vniustlie and iustlie losest thy heauenlie inheritance The gaine is vniust the losse iust the gaine in thy chest the losse in thy conscience and therefore if thou be wise let that worldly gaine perish that bringeth with it the losse of thy soule What good is it vnto thee if thou gaine the whole world and lose thy owne soule if thou get vnto thy selfe whatsoeuer is without thee and damnest thy inward essentiall part euen that that thou art Woe to thee that spoilest Esay 33.1 when thou shait cease to spoile shalt thou not bee spoiled Those riches that thou hast deuoured When wee die wee leaue all behind vs. thou shalt vomit vp and God will draw them out of thy belly When thou shalt sleepe in death thou shalt carie nothing with thee thou shalt open thine eies and finde nothing Naked thou camest into the world and naked thou goest out thy riches were neither born with thee neither must they depart with thee for as when thou fittest downe at a rich mans table there are set before thee vessels of gold and siluer the vse whereof thou only hast which if out of simplicity thou thinkest to bee thy owne and wilt take them away with thee thou shalt not bee permitted so to doe but rather as a theefe bee apprehended and cast into prison Euen so thou broughttest nothing into the world neither shalt thou carrie any thing out for poore thou camest into the world and poore thou shalt depart At thy death all that thou hast shall bee diuided into three parts Thy body which thou hast so carefully pampered shall be giuen to the wormes Thy soule which thou hast so carelesly neglected shall goe to the Diuell Thy temporall goods which by deceit and villanie thou hast scraped together shall be left vnto thy heires either prodigall or vnthankful who shall make themselues merrie with the fruit of thy labours thy vnrighteousnes whilest thou for them art tormēted in hell Heere they shall enioy thy gooods whilest thou in hell art depriued of all ioy and euerlastinglie tortured for getting those goods heere they shall laugh whilest thou in hell doest weepe Thine heires too if God bee not the more mercifull when they haue heere runne their race shall bee companions in thy torments which companie of theirs shall bee no comfort vnto thee but because thy goods ill gotten were a helpe to their damnation thy damnation shall still be increased If therefore thou pity not thy selfe yet pitie thy children and thy childrens children to the third and fourth generation ouer whose head there must euer hang a iudgement so long as thy euill gotten goods which like a cankar fret and consume the rest of their substance stickes by them And by their wils it is likelie they shall euer sticke by them for how should they after so manie yeeres past make restitutiō of that which is lawfully descended vpon them though vnlawfully gotten by thy selfe Yea it is likely that a long successiue inheritance will so knit their affections thereunto that if they knew the restitution of them would free thee from thy torments they would not doe it And no maruell neither if others loue their owne riches more than another mans soule since thou louest them more than thy owne soule How many like vnto thy selfe haue endeuored to bee rich in this world and haue no sooner gotten them but are inforced as soone to leaue them From whom sudden death hath suddenly and together taken away what soeuer their wickednesse hath neither suddenly nor together gotten to themselues They haue left their riches ill gotten found punishment neuer sought for Their bodies in the graue are deuoured with wormes their souls in hell tormented by diuels And euen so thou deteinest with thy selfe many things vniustly gotten which perhaps because thou art shortly to die thou shalt neuer spend and yet thou shalt giue an account of them vnto God and for them bee damned in hell and it shall nothing pleasure thee among thy torments nay it shall hurt thee much that thou didest heere possesse them But behold almightie God who iudgeth our transgressions and hath called those first to iudgement doth still expect thee to repentance and doth beare with thee that thou maist turne vnto him He hath already pronouneed his sentence against them lest thy soule should likewise perish with theirs hee patiently expecteth thy conuersion and prorogeth his vengeance But thou still persistest in thy sinnes nay thou euery day heapest sinne vpon sinne For as often as thou thinkest with thy selfe that thou keepest another mans goods wrongfully against the wil of the true owner and yet purposest still to keep it not restore it so often thou committest a new sinne Now consider with thy selfe how often by this meanes thou hast sinned Thou hast many times since the detention and possession of thy vnlawfull gaine repented thee of thy sinne but God knoweth to small purpose for thy repentance is sinne August And therfore saith S. Augustine If goods vnlawfully gotten may bee restored and are not repentance is not done but dissembled If thou haue a troublesome creditor thou speedest thy paiments thou giuest him what thou hast and thou borrowest of others if thou want thou fearest if thou shouldest defer thy paiment anie longer he will bee more troublesome and either defame thee or cast thee into prison Fearest thou then a temporall punishment and doest thou presently make satisfaction and yet nothing fearing the eternall punishment of thy soule doest thou not care to make restitution O miserable man and of a preposterous iudgement doest thou feare the punishment of this life and fearest thou not the sorrowes of hell Wherefore deare brother quit thy selfe of those fading corruprible goods which thou vniustly deteinest restore vnto thy neighbor that which is his owne that thou maiest be restored vnto God lest thou lose thy temporall riches and finde the eternall damnation of thy own soule Without the great mercy of God thou canst not attaine to the ioies of heauen except thou make restitution of the vttermost farthing The way to come vnto thy owne is to restore that which is another mans CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God BVt perhaps thou wilt say if I should make restitution for all the wrong I haue done I should wrong my selfe and whereas I am rich become poore and vnable to maintame my charge and that pompe and credit I liue in and
then what will the speech of the people bee of mee and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends Res Men perhaps my deare brother will speake ill of thee but yet onely euill men who for the most part thinke those mad men whose example they cannot yet ought to imitate who dispraise that vertue they will not follow commend that vice which they embrace If this they did out of iudgement not rather out of ignorance and malice there were reason why thou shouldest be mooued therewith It is a commendable thing to bee commended by commendable men and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right For the speech of men and their slanders cannot deliuer thee from the fire of hell A mans conscience a thousand witnesses but the feare of God and thy iust dealing proceeding from a liuely faith in the merits of Christ Iesus whether thou bee praised or dispraised returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience if there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy commendations thou art rather to be pitied than admired and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised thou art to reioice in the Lord and to contemne the bad speeches of other men For what is it to thee though men praise thee if thy conscience accuse thee Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee when thy owne conscience shall defend thee Our glory and our reioycing 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul is the testimonie of our conscience And Iob saith Loe my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high Why art thou troubled with the censures of men so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge that must iudge them and thee If thy witnesse bee in heauen and in thy heart suffer fooles to speake their pleasure and grieue not at it So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men and to please their eie and their eare thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from heauen if thou wilt serue men thou canst not be the seruant of Christ What is more vile more base than to affect glorie and honor amongst men and not to feare confusion ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God and thou art not afraid to do that before God which before man thou art ashamed of yea thou louest more the outward applause of the people than the inward peace of thy minde the puritie of thy conscience Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not pure when thou art most impure outwardly rich when thou art inwardly poore outwardly full when inwardly emptie outwardly gaie when inwardly naked outwardly a Lord when inwardly a seruant outwardly the seruant of God when inwardly the seruant of the diuell outwardly a man inwardly a beast outwardly a saint when inwardly execrable and odious to God and man If thou didest desire glorie in heauen thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth for euery man where he seeketh glorie there hee feareth confusion What shall it profit thee if the world shal commend thee and extoll thee to the heauens since the praises of men cannot heale a wounded conscience nor the opprobrious speeches of a slanderer wound a good conscience What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee if in hell where thou shalt be thou bee ignominiously tormented and in the world where thou art highly extolled It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people in whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dispraise to giue honour and to take it away againe And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips thou shalt be sometimes great somtimes little sometimes nothing at all as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee Glory flies him that followeth it and followeth him that flies it There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man and that is not to bee praised of men but of God And if thou contemne humane glory be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too It is a dishonourable thing for thee being a Christian and a follower of Christ to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub how much more his houshold seruants Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men refused the offered glory of a Kingdome and was content to take vpon him the ignominious death of the Crosse and being the Sonne of God was called the sonne of a carpenter a transgressour of the law a seducer of the people a blasphemer of God a wine bibber a friend of sinners and Publicans and yet fearest thou a base worme of the earth the slanders of men for that for which the God of Maiestie and the Lord of the Saboth hath suffered by men so opprobrious speeches Doest thou feare to displease those whom Christ displeased for thee Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee Christ was mocked of the Iewes and wilt thou be honored Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly apparell when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ignominious garments hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee Matth. 10. The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his lord Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes the worme is spred ouer thee and the wormes couer thee Esay 14.1 But to say the trueth thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre painted without but full of stench and rottennesse within For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions garments what is it more than flesh that is a stincking seed a sacke of corruption worms meat Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse rottennesse into wormes wormes into dust what is more stincking than a dead mans carcase what more horrible than a dead man That countenance which in life was most beautifull in death is most gastly most horrible Thou art earth in thy original a sparke in the breuitie of thy life dust and ashes in the condition of thy death As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory into ashes O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body thou wouldest presently be ashamed of the beautie and riches of thy garments and thou wouldest vse them
not to please the eye Our garments couer our shame and the tender delicacie of thy flesh but to couer thy nakednesse For as the cleere beauty and light of the Sunne is a sufficient ornament vnto it selfe and colour and sweetnesse to the Rose so before sinne man needed not a garment but his owne proper beautie sufficed him but by sinne hee was made vgly and ashamed of his nakednesse and so had need of a garment to couer himselfe not to be proud of Thou hast not therefore in thy apparell any matter of glorie but rather cause of shame as it is no glory to him that hath but one leg to haue a woodden leg which is but a supplie of his infirmitie Thou that art proud of thy gay apparell art like a sicke man that is proud of the varietie of his drugges and medicines If a sacke of good corn â—ay bee sufficiently bound with a halfpenny string a vessell of pretious wine with 〈◊〉 woodden hoope it is a â—hildish follie in a man to â—inde vpon his panch stuffed with filthinesse a girdle of golde The ornaments of â—he outward man by how much the more they are desired by so much the greater hurts and hinderances they are to the inward man and by how much the more they are despised by so much the more doe they giue beautie and ornament to the inward man Thou that desirest proud garments canst not haue humble thoughts If there were not a sinne in â—ich and beautifull garments the Lord would neuer haâ— commended his Fore-runneâ— for the basenesse of his apparel Luke 7. he would neuer so expresly haue said that the rich man that was tormented in hell was clothed with purple and silke Luke 16. and the Apostle Saint Paul in an Epistle would neuer haue exhorted women from the desire of costly apparell 1. Tim. 2. saying Let women array themselues in comly apparell with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broidred haire or gold or pearles or costly apparell Thinke therefore with thy selfe how great a fault it is in thee that art a man to desire that from which the Apostle warneth women for the Lord requires not the beautie of the bodie but of the minde Thy rich apparell in despight of thy selfe at thy death thou must leaue Thou camest naked out of thy mothers wombe and naked shalt thou returne again Thou shalt trauell that iourney alone thy workes onely good or euill shall follow thee Where then shall thy precious garments be where thy multitude of followers Is there any of them that shal dare to take thee out of the hands of the liuing God That shall plucke thee out of the snare of the hunter and shall saue thee What shalt thou then gain by possessing thy riches Because thou wert lord of much in this life doest thou thinke that in the other life thou shalt haue the more of him that is King of kings Lord of lords God who accepteth no mans person waigheth al mens works with an equall ballance hee preferreth not the king before the beggar nor the beggar before the king but according to euery mans work shall his reward bee There the last shall be first and the first last Wherfore deare Brother feare God and then thou shalt not feare men and take heed lest whilest thou seekest to please men thou incur the displeasure of God and whilest thou desirest to please the eies of men thou be execrable to God and to thy selfe Let not the vaine reports of men terrifie thee from doing well but let the feare of God driue away all humane shame It is far better to displease men that thou maist please God than to please men and to displease God CHAP. III. That the grace of God is to bee preferred before all temporall riches BVT perhaps thou wilt say If I shall make amends for all the wrong I haue done I feare I shall bee poore and in want my selfe Res Yea rather my deare brother I dare say according to that in the 28. Prou. 11. of the Prouerb He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke and he that despiseth him that asketh shall want himselfe If hee shall want that despiseth the praier of the poore much more shalt thou want that takest from the poore what is their owne For ill gotten goods neuer prosper and there is not any to whom oppression hath succeeded luckily that hath long inioied it Some scatter their owne and are the more rich others take from other men and are still the poorer Pro. 11. Hee that slandereth the poore to increase his riches shall giue to him that is rich and want himselfe For for the most part when a man scrapeth much together it melteth away by gluttony and luxurie and goods ill gotten are worse spent what couetousnesse is a long time gathering gluttony and luxiury doe speedily consume or at least some aduersity or other hapneth that in a moment cuts off the labours of many yeeres If thou cast thy care vpon the Lord hee will care for thee and if thou serue him hee will minister all necessarie things vnto thee for hee neuer forsaketh those that put their trust in him Hee that so made man that hee should haue need of nourishment will not suffer him to perish by withdrawing from him things necessary For if God out of his goodnesse feed and cloth a little sparow doest thou thinke hee will forsake that man that putteth his trust in him will not hee that promiseth to man great and heauenly things bestow vpon him small and earthly Yes doubtlesse hee that hath giuen thee far greater things than these will likewise giue thee the lesse Small matters suffice nature life is short what needest thou then great prouision for a short iorney And therefore let the shortnesse of the way shorten thy desires In vaine thou ladest thy selfe with many things when the place whither thou goest is hard at hand Consider the course of thy life and thou shalt quicklie know a little may suffice thee But admit my deare brother that if thou restore thy ill gotten goods thou shalt be poore and beggerly If to gaine God thou lose all thy temporall substance canst thou bee poore and needie God will giue thee greater things than those yea himselfe that created these What are these to faith and pietie and the goods of the inward man whereby thy soule is made rich before God Yea before God thou shalt bee made rich in good works receiue a hundred fold possesse eternall life Such as abound in temporall goods for the most part want the spirituall or at leastwise haue them in a lesse proportion A true Christian in comparison of those spirituall goods hee hopeth makes no more account of gold than of dust Christ to him is the onelie ioy who in heauen must be the onely reward Let the heathen to whom heauenlie things are not due seeke after earthly blessings let them desire things present who
beleeue not things to come possesse fading riches that with them they may perish for euer The soule cannot bee without delight for either it is delighted with heauenlie things or earthly and by how much the more it is inflamed with the desire of earthlie things by so much the more doth it grow cold towards heauenly For the eie cannot at one and the same instant looke towards heauen and earth too But what doe full bagges benefit thee if thou haue an emptie conscience Wilt thou be accounted good and not be good Wilt thou haue good meat good garments good seruants to be short all good and thy selfe onely euill Preferre thy life before them let not al these be good and deare vnto thee thou onely vile and base and villanous to thy selfe If thou wilt bee lord of so many good things indeuour that they haue thee a good lord too which thou canst hardly bee except thou make restitution of that which thou vniustly detainest A good life is better than to possesse much goods Temporall goods are only good inasmuch as they are helpes to vertue but if they exceed this end and hinder the vse of vertue they are no more good things but to bee accounted among the euill Canst thou thinke that another mans goods vniustly deteined which make thee euill can be good vnto thee Or canst thou thinke those things good that subiect thee to eternall euils What good soeuer there is in this world whose gift is it but his that created it But that gift of God ought not to please thee that by the delight thereof separateth thee from the loue of God Preferre not the gift before the giuer when thou receiuest good things bee not euill thy selfe and let not that that should encrease thy loue towards God separate thee farther from him and so thou loue a base creature more than thy Creator to whem thou owest all that thou art and all that thou hast who hath made thee and made thee good who when it pleaseth him can take that from thee that he hath giuen thee who can cast both thy bodie and soule into hell and bestow thy temporall goods vpon another man But thou that louest thy gold more than God honorest it more than God for if thou diddest not so thou wouldest not for that lose the grace and loue of God Thou sellest God for a halfe-penny because for the gaine of a halfe-penny thou breakest the commandement of God God forbids thee to steale and thou obeiest him not couetousnesse bids thee to steale and that thou doest God commands thee to cloth the naked and that thou omittest couetousnes mooues thee to take from another what is his and that thou art ready to put in execution Thou possessest riches no otherwise than a prisoner doth his shakles which hee seemeth rather to be enthralled to than to haue For thou art not a little afflicted with thy self when thou beatest thy brains with wearisome desires and a wounded conscience deuisest which way thou maiest make such a mans goods thine owne by flatterie get such a bargaine by threats such a farme by cosenage and deceit and watchings and labours such a lordship and still the more thou gettest the more thou seekest For as wood cast into the fire seemeth for a time to presse downe the flame and dead the fire but presently maketh it burne with greater violence so thy couetousnesse is not extinguished with gaine but more inflamed And when by right or by wrong thou hast heaped thy riches together and glutted as it were thy own desires whereas before thou diddest hope for rest out of abundance thou shalt finde thy selfe more afflicted than euer by the care thou hast to keepe that thou hast gotten and thou shalt euer keep thy riches with no lesse fear than with labour thou hast got them Thou art euery day in feare to bee assaulted and the wrongs thou hast offered to others thou fearest will be offered by others vnto thee If thou see one mightier than thy selfe thou fearest his power his violence if poorer than thy selfe thou suspectest his theft and so thou that in aduersitie didst hope for prosperitie in prosperitie fearest aduersitie and art caried hither and thither as it were with so many billowes and tormented with the diuers vicissitude of thy owne fortunes Doest thou that art a Christian the disciple of Christ and his pouerty that art called to the heauenly riches of Paradise admire as matters of greater moment these temporall goods which doe more with care and anxietie afflict thy miserable soule than refresh it with the vse of them and in them place thy greatest felicitie and in a countrie where as a stranger for a few daies thou dwellest doest thou place thy whole heart and thy whole affections So long as thou desirest transitorie things and either vnderstandest not eternall or vnderstanding them contemnest them thou wallowest in the dung of thy earthly riches and thinkest of nothing but earth and earthly things in stead of thy countrie thou louest that exile which thou sufferest and in that darknes thou liuest in thou exultest as in the cleere light The helpes of this thy peregrination thou makest thy stumbling blockes and being delighted with the nightlie light of the Moone thou refusest to behold the bright beautie of the Sunne and the benefit of thy passing life thou turnest into an occasion of eternall death Is not that traueller besides himselfe that in his iourney passing thorow beautiful and delightfull medowes there stayes and forgets to goe to his iourneyes end If thou haddest power to rule some small countrie so long as vpon a swift horse thou canst run it ouer wilt thou be content to lose thy right of rule for euer in a far greater countrie for that transitorie dominion What is the time of this present life but a continuall race vnto death wherein no man is permitted to stay a little or to slacken his pace What is it to liue but incessantly to run vnto death By how much the longer thou liuest by so much the neerer thou art vnto death and as life passeth so death draweth on As a barrell the more it runneth out the more it is emptied and yet is not sayd to be emptie till the last drop be fallen from it so by certaine droppes of time the life by little and little droppes away but yet vntill the last moment of thy life thy bodie is not said to be dead In the middle of thy life thou art in death and whether thou watch or fleepe thou diest continually Euery day thou diest euery day thou art changed and yet doest thou thinke thy selfe immortall Hee easilie contemneth all things that thinks euery day is his dying day If thou diddest thinke that these earthly blessings must one day perish thou wouldest vse them whilest thou hast them for the benefit of thy soule In death with sorrow enough thou shalt see how base and worse than nothing that
that thou werâ— but to increase thy happinesse aboue that it was Onely be thou of a good courage and constant in the hope of thy saluation he hath satisfied for all thy sinnes he hath taken away the sinnes of the whole world how much more the sinnes of one man When thou wert not he made thee being conceiued in sinne in thy baptism he clensed thee how much more after this being againe polluted can he purifie thee Hee tooke the slime of the earth and made man tell mee if thou canst how of earth made he flesh how the sinewes how the bones how the skin how the veines the eies how framed he euery member Was it not earth he tooke vp was it not one onely substance only the art and virtue of the artificer was added thereunto and so he made this excellent creature As thou canst not tell how thou wert created so thou canst not tel how thou shalt be cured for as fire when it is put to briers and brambles suddenly consumeth so fraile a matter so the goodnesse of our Lord God with the deaw of his mercy suddenly quencheth the fire of our sinnes and for euer consumeth them For his will is that none doe perish but that all doe conuert and liue Thou knowest not how good and gracious the Lord is how great his mercies are Thou imaginest him to be seuere and cruell that is milde and gentle him hard and implacable that is mercifull fierce and terrible that is amiable and thine owne iniquitie lies to it selfe For the will of God is thy sanctification hee healeth the broken harted refresheth those that labour and come vnto him and in the beginning of our conuersion annointeth our wounds with the oile of his mercy lest the greatnesse of the disease or difficultie of the cure should seeme to bee more dangerous than it is And therefore saith the Prophet Isaiah Esai 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne to the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for hee is verie ready to forgiue Behold heere it is sufficient to please God if thou doe but rest from doing wickedly and learne to doe good Onely confesse thou hast sinned and the beginning of thy conuersion is alreadie done onely purpose a new life thou hast made one step to heauen Heerein is all the difficultie to begin to enter into the way of repentance which thou hast no sooner begun but he that gaue thee the grace to begin taketh thee by the hand and leadeth thee to the end Yea he that began thy good work in thee by preuenting by prosecuting will end it Hee that gaue thee the will will likewise giue thee the power to perfect it If thou put thy trust in him he will after thy strength thy youth shall be renued like the eagle thou shalt take vnto thee the wings of the eagle thou shalt runne but not labour thou shalt walk but not be weary because the Lord shal be with thee who shall comfort thee in all thy tribulations There is no man to whom this corruptible bodie and earthly tabernacle is not buâ— thensome but yet thou must endeuour to ouercome the concupiscence of the flesh by the vigor of the spirit and thou that alwayes feelest thy selfe to be resisted by thine owne concupiscence alwayes expect an assured assistance from God As the earth expecteth from heauen raine and light so shouldest thou expect from God grace and mercy Wherfore deare brother since thou wantest not an able and willing Physitian to cure thee and to clense thee from all pollution of sinne neither neglect nor defer it Thy repentance he will not despise if it be heartie and though thou haue sinned in the highest degree yet if thou returne he will gladly receiue and embrace thee and cure the sicknesse of thy soule Onely despaire not thou but that thou mayst returne to the state of thy first innocency if thou do but begin to affect a new life CHAP. IIII. That God is faithfull who suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue our power BVT perhaps thou wilt say When I begin to returne vnto God and set forward my selfe in the way to heauen and forsake my ancient custome of sinning I am presently assaulted with new desires of the flesh and whatsoeuer before hath been pleasing vnto me in this world is made a snare and a temptation vnto me and those things that were accustomed to loue mee being a sinner being a conuertite withstand my endeuors to liue well My ancient pleasures returne vnto my minde and whilest I resist them afflict mee with strange combats That sinne which in the sight of God is blotted out by repentance I call to minde againe sinne conquered brings mee delight And so by little and little being ouercome by new temptations I yeeld and returne to my old vomit again and so my last errour is worse than the first Res It is a token my deare brother that God with great loue and clemencie watcheth ouer thee in that he presenteth before thy eies thy bewailed sinnes which the mercifull GOD would not fet before thee to â—ewaile if his purpose were â—o call thee to a strict account for them and to punish thee for it seemeth that hee is willing to hide them from his iudgement because in his mercy preuenting thee hee maketh thee thine owne Iudge that being iudged by thy selfe thou maiest not be iudged by him The best way to satisfie the anger of God is an often detestation of sinne he that truly repenteth is alwayes in sorrow and labor he sorroweth for sinnes past laboreth to auoid sinnes to come When the Lord looseth thee from the band of thy sinnes he bindeth thee with a band of euerlasting detestation of them that whensoeuer thou remembrest them thou shouldest be sorry thou hast committed them Reioice therefore when thy conscience is touched with those sinnes that by repentance are wiped away if thou approoue them not nay reproouest them if it please thee not that thou hast committed them naie displease thee And yet I denie not that hee that is lately turned vnto God by repentance by the remembrance of his sinnes past may againe be tempted because as wood nourisheth fire so desires feed our cogitations and hee that entreth into the way of repentance is more strongly tempted by the enemie For our aduersary the diuell neglecteth the tempting of him of whose heart he hath alreadie taken quiet possession For if thou resist temptation thy labour is great but if thou yeeld though it seeme to bee nothing yet it is farre greater because whilest thou sleepest securely vnder the intollerable yoke of a cruell tyrant Eze. 13.10 thou saiest Peace peace and there is no peace There is no peace I say with God with the diuell no not with thy selfe For after that thou ceasest to resist temptations thinking therby to finde peace in this world yeeldest and
made the first and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first and to be before them in the kingdome of heauen Though thou forsake not thy sinnes till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee yet if thou then repent despaire not of mercie for though thy conuersion be short and momentarie yet it shall not be vnprofitable But as hee that giueth a cup of cold water loseth not his reward Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repentance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes yet that moment of repentance be it neuer so small shal not want reward No man can make any satisfaction vnto God answerable either to his greatnesse or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent for an infinite offence against God requireth an infinite reconciliation but yet forasmuch as the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite therefore our righteousnesse not sufficing the passion of Christ supplieth it which abundantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world God for our sinnes requireth no other price than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne for there is no sinne so deadly but by his death is forgotten forgiuen 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes and not onely for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his recouerie as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his nature shall replie saying Doe thou what thou canst and I will supply the rest euen so our mercifull GOD who much desireth the saluation of thy soule requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance the rest out of his goodnesse he supplieth and being easily pleased and contented with a little at thy hands hee pardoneth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes He giues that that thou shalt giue vnto him and is pleased with that which hee giueth thee for his vnspeakable mercy towards vs hee onely requireth this at our hands To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe There is a man of high and eminent honour whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor thogh thou spend al that thou hast yet thou offendest not if thou honour him according to thine owne abilitie if thou doe what thou canst not what hee deserueth So our Lord God because he is infinitely good deserues an infinite loue and reconciliation but yet hee willingly receiueth the least that we can doe because he knoweth our inabilitie and therefore refuseth not the least repentance that may be that proceedeth out of an humble and contrite heart For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes But hee as the Psalmist speaketh is mercifull and forgiueth sinners Ps 78.38 and destroieth them not but often times calleth backe his anger and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath for hee remembreth that they are but flesh But where mercie is there iudgement is not rigorous where mercy is graunted there punishment is pardoned Wherefore deaâ—â— brother though thou be at the point of death lose not thy hope of saluation so long as thou seest this light thou hast time to repent and afterwards too but when thou art departed this life and art condemned by the irreuocable sentence of God it will be too late to repent It is true that thou wilt repent in hell but there it will not helpe for in hell there is no redemption CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen BVt because hope which is contrarie to despaire is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse proceeding from the grace and mercy of God and this vertue my deare brother thou wantest without which thou canst not be saued it remaineth that I confirme this hope in thee and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment yet at the least thou doe it in an assured expectation of so great a reward Our good and gratious God out of his onely goodnesse not constrained by necessitie would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe which he saw might likewise be communicated to others and yet in nothing diâ—â—â— shed Hee created thereforâ— in the beginning of the world that tenth heauen â—â—moueable and of exceeding brightnesse and glory which so soone as hee had created he replenished with Angels And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed If the glory and ornament of the earth and firmament be such that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great for because God created it for his friends he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things There is a continual light and splendor not such as is heere but so much greater than this as the light of the Sun exceedeth that of a candle There is not the Sunne to shine by day but the Sunne of righteousnesse who shineth for euer full of all sweetnes a sweet light delightfull to our eies to see the Sonne of righteousnes both God and man the Creatour of mankind Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen I had rather not speake than derogate from the vnspeakable excellencie thereof by speaking too little The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him What can a man say more to commend that which hee knoweth not how to commend sufficiently Yet giue mee leaue by the shadow to iudge of the substance and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen Because such as are condemned haue need of a strait prison Bar. 3.24 and kings of a large palace therefore great is the house of God and large is the place of his possession It is great and hath none end it is high and vnmeasurable The kingdome of God exceedeth all report all praise For there is all good and no euill there nothing that is beloued is wanting and whatsoeuer can be desired is present I can more easily expresse what is not there than what there is There is no death no disease no wearinesse no mourning there is no hunger no want no aduersitie no
in the selfe same eternitie There are innumerable multitudes of all sorts of people and tribes languages who all at all times praise the Lord his praise is alwaies in their mouth neuer ceasing to crie out Holy Holy Holy Lord God of host There are sung his euerlasting praises vpon the Violl and the Harpe Psal 150. And in that eternall blessednesse which is a perfect state by by the aggregation of all good whatsoeuer all happinesse is perfect and simple not mixt with their contraries Wherby so great is the felicitie ioy and pleasure as if thou mightest bee permitted to stay there but one day thou wouldest presently contemne all the delights of this life All sweetnesse compared to that is bitternesse all mirth mourning all beautie deformitie and whatsoeuer may any way delight molestation and anguish There is there as great pleasure and facilitie in obeying God as there is felicitie in liuing and reigning with him But yet the blessednesse of the saints of God and their glorie cannot bee perfect their ioy compleat being alwaies vrged with a naturall desire of the resurrection and the glorification of their bodies For their happinesse can not be entire and perfect before the number of their fellow seruants and brethren be compleat Before the resurrection they all receiue their garments of glory because as yet they enioy the blessednesse of their foules onely but after the resurrection they are adorned with another the incorruption of their bodies At that time their blisse shall be doubled when with the felicitie and rest of their soules they shall arise to the immortalitie and glory of their bodies The bodies of the blessed are heere sowen Impassibilitie the first gift of the body 1. Cor. 15. and by nature begotten in corruption but they shal rise in incorruption because they are incorruptible impassible and immortall All fragilitie and earthly pollution shall vanish away and be turned into celestiall puritie and stabilitie for there can be no euill with GOD who is the chiefest good and therefore though they were in hell they can take no hurt no more than Sidrach Dan. 3. Mishach and Abednego in the burning furnace They are sowen in weakenesse Subtilty the second gift they shall rise in power because they are subtile penetrable and able to ouerthrow whatsoeuer they will By glorie the grossenesse of their bodies shall be so taken away that no obstacle can hinder them but that they may freely penetrate any thing as the beames of the Sunne passe thorow a glasen window An example wherof there is in the bodie of Christ who rose the sepulcher being shut went in vnto his disciples the gates being fast locked and did penetrate the heauens no way diuiding them And as the soule is now with the body and hot burning fire with iron so a glorious bodie may bee with an inglorious Such shall be the subtiltie of spirituall bodies that neuerthelesse the trueth of flesh and bone is reserued in them that which subsisteth of a liuing spirit ceaseth not to be a body Because they shall bee true bodies not vaine or phantasticall they may bee toucht and make resistance against that which toucheth or made none because they can penetrate by the subtiltie of their spirituall power the organe or instrument of feeling As the soule shall there haue her inward senses so the body shall haue his outward the sight shall bee delighted with the contemplation of the humanitie of Christ the eare with the melodie of the praises of God In God the soule shall bee inebriated with such delight inwardly as it shall not need any other delight in the outward senses For God shal be all in all he shall be a looking glasse to the sight a harpe to the hearing Honie to the taste Balsum to the smel a delectable flower to the touch Agility the third gift They are sowed earthly bodies because heauie and slow to execute the desires of the soule they shall rise spirituall not because they are turned into spirit aire or winde for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bone but because like spirits they are Luk. 14. quicke light and swift inclining no more downward than vpward The flesh seruing the spirit is said to bee spirituall because by an excellent facilitie of obeying it is subiect to the spirit for whether soeuer the spirit flieth there is presently the bodie also Assoone as the Sunne rising with the beames thereof enlightneth the Westerne part of the world and the eie looking vpward seeth the starres as speedily as angels mooue themselues without a bodie so speedily can the soule mooue her bodie from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen In which motion it is not wearied and because it is subtile by the resistance of the medium it is no way slowed Yea whatsoeuer it will it can mooue and ouerthrow and that with as little labour and endeuour as a man moueth his eie Whersoeuer it is it is alwaies alike happy because it hath God alwaies present This so great agilitie shall be acceptable and pleasant not because it is necessarie or that it hath it because it hath any need of it but only for the greater increase of glorie as wee vse not all those perfections that we haue and reioyce to haue How great O Lord is the multitude of those ioyes thou hast prepared for those that feare thee Oh how much doest thou loue vs who reseruest vs miserable wretched sinners to so great glory Glorious things are spoken of thee ô citie of God and therefore it shall be more possible for mee to number the starres in the firmament and to inclose the whole sea in a little vessell than to expresse the least part of the blessednes of one soule The ioyes thereof are such and so great that all the Arithmeticians of the world can not number it the Geometricians measure it the Rhetoricians with their tongues expresse it It doth not onely exceed the power of our eloquence but the capacitie of our intelligence Our thoght can conceiue it greater than our tongue vtter it and yet it is greater than we can conceiue and whatsoeuer wee thinke thereof is lesse than it is because the eye hath not seen the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him Faith apprehends it not Hope attaines it not Charity comprehends it not because it farre exceedeth all our vowes all our desires It may be obteined estimated it can not for there is more to be gotten than Faith could beleeue Hope looke after The rewards of GOD are greater than the desires of his saints for so great is the sweetnesse of that heauenly countrey as that if a droppe thereof should descend into hell it would sweeten all the sorrowes of the damned and if God could be seene by the damned in hell hell were a Paradise By this it euidently appeareth what and how great a