God by the footsteps of such things as he hath made visible vnto vs. But is it possible that Tyme which is so litle and diminutiue a thing should rayse vs to the knowledge of Eternitie which is incomprehensible and ineffable The Geometritions who take the measure of all solide bodyes from a point which is not and which not being found in nature is onely in the imagination make a breach to this thought and make vs hope the effect of the proposition of that incomparable Auncient Mathematician who demanded onely a point out of the earth wherin he might place his engine to shake the whole masse of the vniuerse which hath no other fundation as the Prophete saith then its owne waight and stabilitie What is Tyme then properly speaking but an instant as litle perceptible as the mathematicall point It is a moment cutting of things past from things to come and which more quicke then quicksiluer runs away being presst and slides out of his hand that striues to hold it In naming it we loose it so subtile and glib is it by nature It were to waygh the fire and measure the wind according to the tearmes of the Prophete to striue to stay this Protheus In an instāt he vanisheth and while you thinke to shew him with your finger he is gone To count tyme past with Tyme were impertinent since now it is not nor hath that which is not any qualities saith the Philosophers Maxime And yet should we lesse iustly attribute vnto Tyme the tyme to come which as yet hauing no beeing can be no other wise instyled then with the name of nothing What is Tyme then but an instant so closely inuironned or rather asseiged with a not-beeing that in thinking to hold or shew it it is alreadie slid from its beeing in nature Such as haue endeuoured to shew its incomprehensible litlenesse giue it a litle more scope imitating therin the Geometritions who draw their points into lines their lines into superficies and their superficies into bodies vpon which they exercise the Rules of their Art For to make vs vnderstād that Tyme is no other thinge then the measure of the PRIMVM MOBILE they were constrayned to gather together as many instants as are conteyned in 24. howres composing therof a reasonable distance whervpō to enlarge their discourse Wherin they haue followed Democrites fantasie who composed the world of a collection of atomes bringing to a grosse bodie many pettie percells which according to the signification of the word haue no body at all which are emptie and almost chimericall imaginatiōs As then following the Maximes of Philosophie Arithmetique being come to the number of tenne which is a full and perfect nūber is forced to begin againe extending its multiplication to infinitie and as all that is written is framed out of 24. letters euen so the course of the PRIMVM MOBILE whose violence drawes about with it all the other Spheres is ended in the distance of 24. houres though in proper speach Tyme be but an indiuisible and almost imperceptible instant Wence the length of ages yeares and mōthes is drawen from the multiplication of dayes as also the length of dayes from that of houres and houres by the assēbling of many instants Whervpon the Scripture in the Actes and in the first Epistle to the Thessalonensians ioyne together those words Tymes and moments to teach vs that Tyme a thing which should be so precious vnto vs and wherof alone according to an Auncient the auarice is laudable consists onely of moments moments so short and light that the Scripture in an other passage represents them onely by the twinkling of an eye Goe mortells and plot great matters let your proiects in your imagination reach to Eternitie you who haue onely the present tyme that is a moment in your power and a momēt which is lost in the very instant in which you thinke to graspe it being a shadow which flyes such as follow it Who would not stand amaysed at the blind madnesse of most men who build their hopes vpon things so frayle and comforting themselues in the expectation of a fortune say as they beleeue that Tyme workes all miserably for saking the pretensions of the blessed Eternitie for flitting moments which like to lightning meete with death in their birth Vnaduised Atalantases who for aples not of gold but gilt onely stoppe the course of their best designes and loose the aples or rather the crownes of Eternitie Eternitie compared to Tyme XVI TO what end shall we now place thi great torch of Eternitie before the eyes of those blind wretches who are diued so deepe into the darknesse of Tyme that they are not able to sustayne the shine of so glorious a light Yet let vs not omit Athanasia for the consolation of the good to strike sparkes of fire out of Tyme which we haue represented in so smale a shape and reduced to simple moments to the extent of that vast Eternitie whose immensitie doth swallow vp all ages imaginable I must confesse there is alwayes some imperfection in the comparison of things disproportionable For to say it is to place a flie by an Elephant a moate by a mountaine to compare a drope of water with the whole Ocean and earth to Heauen which in regard of the Heauēly Spheeres appeares but as an imperceptible point all this is to say nothing or if to say any thing it is to make knowne the weaknesse of mans wit and imbecillitie of his imagination Le ts hoyste vp the sayles of our thought and say that Eternitie doth as farre out strippe yeares and ages as the great Sunne the lesser starrs eclipsing all their light as soone as it appeares in the Horison And if Antiquitie represented Tyme in Saturne who deuoured his owne children for that it doth incessantly nible away the moments houres dayes monthes yeares and ages Eternitie infinitly passing Tyme doth swallow it vp as a point and when Tyme shall cease to bee Eternitie shall thrust out its continuance into a NEVER which shall neuer haue end as it neuer had begining It is too sparingely spoken to call it an Abisse that cannot be soūded that it is an Ocean receauing all the waters of the world without being augmented Nay rather let vs apply vnto it that which the Auncient Philosopher applyed vnto the Diuinitie that Eternitie is a circle whose center is extended euerie where and whose circunference hath no bounds O Eternitie cryes out a deuoute personage who is able to conceaue what thou art I propose vnto my selfe a thousand yeares I conceaue a thousand thousand yeares I passe in imagination as many millions of ages as are moments in tyme from the begining of the world and yet haue I found nothing that comes neere to Eternitie ô Eternitie thou shalt cōtinue for euer and euer what is it to say for euer and euer It is to say euerlastingly But what will euerlastingly say it is a thing that passeth the reach of
became mortall and the Eternall for your saluation did subiect himselfe to Tyme in vniting his Diuinitie to our humanitie How good occasion doth this descent of the Sonne of God into earth administer vnto you to rayse vp your selfe to Heauen and there to seeke a permanent Citie for euer in the holy Sion Vndertake this holy exercise by taske and for the space of some dayes to th' end that custome may beget in you a habite frequently to thinke of Eternitie For the third PRACTISE oblige your selfe by a firme pourpose yet without vow to say euery day at some houre most comodious for you three PATER NOSTER's And in reciting them to thinke of the Blessed accursed and essentiall Eternitie which is God Vniting your selfe to the last by Loue by desire to the Blessed detesting the accursed rather by the correction of your manners and amendment of life then by emptie words For as we come not to the celestiall Eternitie without doing good so we auoyd not the accursed but by flying euill When you recite your beades or the Crowne of our Blessed Lady a prayer very familiar to all those who make profession of pietie Let this crowne of flowres put you in mynd of the flowres which neuer fade wherof the Garland of Eternitie is wrought Let the round forme of this Crowne make you myndfull that the Sphearicall figure which hath nether begining nor end is the Symbole of the essentiall Eternitie which neuer had begining nor shall euer haue end This you may vse as a fourth PRACTISE None can liue like a good Christian who doth not twice a day at least wind vp the Cloke of his heart and thinke of his wayes to witt in the morning and euening These are two tymes which he that desires to liue according to God and to direct his footsteps in the pathes of Peace ought neuer to omitt Take then some litle part of that tyme to cast a looke vpon Eternitie that totall coÌ„tinuance which is neuer followed with euening nor morning And beseech God Almightie that you may so passe through temporall that you may not loose eternall things This shall be a fift PRACTISE for you Le ts passe to Other indeuours LXXV THere is nothing so frequent in the mouth of Christians Athanasia as the Prayer which our Lord and Maister made to direct vs to his heauenly Father according to his words and spirit to th end that hauing his will in our mouth we might be heard for the reuerence of it If you will beleeue me as often as this holy Prayer shall passe through your lipps you shall call to mynd the Essentiall Eternitie by apprehending that you speake to the Eternall God You shall thinke of the Blessed Eternitie in making this petition Thy Kingdome come and of the accursed Eternitie in pronunceing that other Deliuer vs from euil since it is the collection and fulnesse of all euils And let this aduise passe for THE SIXT ENDEVOVR OR PRACTISE You may doe the like when pietie shall moue you to salute the Blessed virgine in the words of the Angell and the Church And when as you shall beseech her to assiste you by her intercession in the houre of your departure out of this life call to mynd that this houre shall be the tyme and instant which shall decide your Eternitie A moment in which you will stand in great need of her assistance to auoyd the perills of Hell and to acchiue the Land of the â—ueing Let this be the SEAVENTH PRACTISE I say the same of the Apostles Creed When you recite it waigh the Articles therof in the waights of the Sanctuarie The Communion of Saintes of the Triumphant Church with those of the Militant And Life euerlasting and they will serue you as MEMORIALLS to engraue in your soule the Memorie of Eternitie Behold the EIGHT PRACTISE Whether you assiste in the solemne songe of the Diuine Office or you recite your boures apart Remember that for diuers reasons the holy Church hath ordayned that these two versicles should be added to the end of euery Psalme Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost Euen as it was in the begining and now and euer c. And that amongst the others this is not the least prowrefull to imprint the memorie of Eternitie in the mynds of the Faithfull Take this for a NINGHT PRACTISE The Iewes that they might continually remeÌ„ber Gods law carried it about with them yea wore it euen before their eyes written vpon Phylacteries or peeces of parchement VnderstaÌ„ding literally certaine passages of the auncient Couenaunt wherby it is commanded that one should alwayes behold them that is that one should haue them as rules of their actions I would to God that Christians were as carefull to haue still before their eyes the eternall Ghospell and to that effect they had painted Tables in their houses to renew the memorie therof I know some personages who to this pourpose caused the words of a Prophete to be written vpon the chimney of their chambers in letters of Gold WHO IS ABLE TO LIVE FOR EVER IN A CONSVMING FIRE AND AMIDST ETERNALL FLAMES This is facile and Fruitfull and shall be counted for the TENTH PRACTISE An other memoriall of Eternitie LXXVI BEsides these former PRACTISES which are very familiar I will yet bestow vpon you Athanasia a verie facile Memoriall to make you thinke of Eternitie vpon euery occasion It is the vse of Aspirations or Reflections which the Doctours of spirituall life doe so highly recommend to such as desire to liue piously and according to God If you will please to make vse of it you will shortly find by experience that all things will rayse you towards God who is the essentiall Eternitie wherin you will represent vnto your selfe the differeÌ„t Idea's of the Blessed or accursed Eternitie All the creatures being as so many Mirrours vnto you shall discouer the Image of the Eternall God And which way so euer you turne your selfe the inuisible and eternall God shall appeare in visible and temporall things All that can fall within the knowledge of your senses shall beare you aboue your selfe to him that passeth all vnderstanding Or at the least you may make reflection vpon the eternall delightes or colours which doe attend you in the blessed or accursed Eternitie according to your comportment in this life And to afford you some smale scantling of that so familiar an exercise to those that are conuersant in the knowledge of Saintes As oft as you shall behold this vniuersall obiect of heauen and earth which was S. ANTONIE's great booke wherin he read in capitall letters the Authour's greatnes whom all this admirable fabrike cost but one smale word what will hinder you to say with DAVID ô Lord how wonderfull is thy name through all the world thy magnificence is extolled beyond the Heauens Heauens which are but the workes of thy hands Heauens which shall passe while thou shalt still remaync thy selfe since thy beeing is Eternitie it selfe In contemplating the sundrie beauties which God hath disperâ—â—â— in the world rauishing the beholders eyes with admiration let vs
she guerdon of his followers and seruants Eternitie is the proper thought of a spirituall man IV. O Thought Athanasia passing all other thoughts and from whence issue as the beames from the face of the Sunne all other good thoughts ô oyle that swims aboue all other liquours oyle of the wise virgins Lāpe oyle of the widowe that neuer fayles fountaine of oyle springing towards eternitie Certes there is no thought more worthy the spirit of man an immortall spirit a spirit brother to the Angells then that of Eternitie for it is the thought of God he being eternitie it selfe throw thy thoughts vpon God sings the diuine Psalmist fixe ô man all thy cares in this heauenly obiect walke in his sight and be perfect what doe I say perfect it is to be alreadie in a degree of Beatitude and a Beatitude far greater then that wherof the faire Queene of Saba spake when she named those Courtiers blessed who are dayly in the presence of the wisest of Kings Since that he who doth contemplate the King of Kings and Sages yea wisdome it selfe drawes from the glorious presence of him who is far other then SALOMON such aduantages as may be admired but neuer exprest nay nor yet conceaued ô who will fauour vs so much that all our conuersation may be in heauen as was his who was rapt vp into the third Heauē if not the cōtinuall thought of this eternall obiect which is the Center of our wishes and desires ô Eternitie thou art the true Sunne where the legitimate young Eagles are tryed Thou art the glorious star towards which all well composed hearts like spirituall Turne-soles doe incessantly turne their view hearts florishing with good desires loaden with fruits of good works their floures being fruits of honour and honestie that is extreamely honorable The great Apostle being returned out of that strong and wōderfull rapture and that heauenly schowle where he had learnt the secreets which it was not lawfull for a man to speake being in earth with open and intire eyes saw nothing at all so was he dazled with the rayes of eternitie or if he saw any thing it was but durt and doung and the great spirituall Giant of our age as the deuoute AVILA styles him the Founder of the Companie of Iesus when he came out of his Extasies ô quoth he how durtie and diminutiue is the earth in my sight when I consider the beautie and goodlinesse of Heauen All seemes abiect to true bred soules that ends not in eternitie nothing is able to bound their desires saue that obiect which hath no bounds What can I desire in heauen it selfe which is the measure of Tyme and consequently limited what can I pretend in the earth which is too wretched and miserable to ingage my affection which takes a far higher flight No ô thou God of my heart goes on the Psalmist I will haue nothing but thy selfe thou art my part foreuer True it is I haue but a mortall condition in this vallie of teares yet my pretensions are not such they reach to immortalitie If the passage to eternall solace ly through the fire and water of sufferance in lieu of being disamayed at it I will be comforted in it knowing that he who alone is of himselfe immortall becoming mortall for the loue of me made his entrie into the Temple of Honour through that of Labour not permitting himselfe accesse to his owne glorie but through the doore of dolour And againe doth not Faith deliuer as an Oracle this Apostolicall speech The light and passing moments of tribulation doe loade vs with the waight of eternall glorie Nothing did so powerfully moue that generous mayde of our dayes the Holy mother TERESA to so many heroicall enterprises which she vndertooke for the aduancement of Gods glorie in his Church by the reformation of a whole Order as this thought of Eternitie for being as yet very young she animated her selfe to pietie and to the desire of heauenly things while she conferred with her litle brother ô Litle Angels vpon what can your thoughts be placed but eternitie and by this word NEVER which by way of emulation they did often iterate their thoughts being far more deepe and penetrating in that their tender age then their words she layed the fundation of that goodly edifice of perfection which God hath made appeare in her making choyce of weake things to cōfound the strong and by this spirituall Amason fastening confusion vpon the house of the world and the Prince of darknesse a place more disordered then the house of Nabuchodonosor All that is temporall is reputed as nothing to a soule whose whole pretensions are set on Eternitie It is the bird of Paradice which neuer comes vpō the groūd but by the thread of meere necessitie Euerie other obiect is vnworthy of her courage vnworthy to possesse any place in her affections It is the true and onely thought worthy of an immortall and reasonable spirit The sensible man thinks not of Eternitie V. BVt alas the sensible man is not capable of it I tearme him a sensible man who depriued of the knowledge of the noblenesse of his beeing the liuely Image of the diuinitie walkes after the troopes of brutall passions feeding the Bore of his sensualitie the Lyon of his wroth the Dragon of his pride the woolfe of his auarice This man being aduanced to the honour of reason and called to the lote of Saints by the light of grace hath suffered this light to be obscured hath not vnderstood who called him to this happie portion and therfore he hath bene compared to horses without reason and hath bene made like vnto them This man hath his eyes fixed in his head not seeing a hairebread aboue it or below his feete a deplorable blindnesse He is like to those wicked old men who would attempt vpon the honour of the chaste Susanna who hung downe their heads towards the earth least they might see heauen The fire of concupiscence falling into his heart hinders him to see the Sunne And albeit naturall light tell him that his soule is immortall yet he turnes it not vpon eternitie because his owle-like eyes are not able to sustayne so gratefull a splendour No for the shine of the day-starre which is so louely in it selfe and so beloued of pure eyes whose aples are strong is dreaded of such as haue a weake and waterie sight O how miserable is this vnfortunate man this child of darknesse this almost blind and so weake-sighted Heli that he cannot see the lampe of Syons eternall Temple saue onely when it is extinguished how miserable I say is this man since the light that is in him is darknesse couered with so many ashes that it is quite smothered and what great hazard he runs of loosing the eternall light of glorie who walkes in so palpable darknesse and is buried in the shadowes of so black an obliuion Sinne depriues vs of the consideration of Eternitie VI. YOu
to earthly obiects It discryes nothing but the fayding shapes of this world And as hounds fall easily at default in the Spring when the fresh smells of flowres make them loose the sent of the game they poursue So the mynd that is carried to the search of heauenly things runns counter misled by the neerenesse of present things That we put a rate vpon present things rather by their neerenesse then worth VIII FOr though many of those that are carried away by their allurements know well that they are not comparable in worth to eternall things yet rather by their neighbourhoode then valour they make a stronge impression Who would not say that the full moone is greater thē the starrs it appearing as another Sunne amongst the lesser lightes which the night discouers in the heauens yet is it not so as the Astrologers assure vs but her proxmitie causeth this mistake Present things obnoxious to the decay of tyme are so short in continuance that they are but flying vapours as soone bet downe as blowen vp seeming rather appearances or the shadowes of a dreame then solidities while yet beeing neerer they appeare to the eyes of such as muse or rather abuse themselues therin more worthy of consideration then eternall things which are not limited in their extention nor haue end in their beeing And who knowes not to keepe in our comparison that the influences of this starre the nights great eye are more forceable then any other excepting that which is the fountaine of all light and which doth communicate it to all the rest We must say the like of things present that by reason of their neerenesse they strike the soule by the senses a more violent blow then the future doe which are beheld as a thing in absence Whence we haue a MAXIME that present obiects moue the powres which things in distance doe but slowly shake But all this proceeds from want of Fayth as hereafter we will declare for if this vertue were closely vnited in the mynds of those that doe beleeue her propositions she would make things hoped for appeare as present inuisible things visible according to the definition therof deliuered vs by the great Apostle The Moone appeares in diuers shapes or altogether disappeares according to the different oppositions of the earth betweene it and the Sunne We may say the like in the matter we treate of that Eternitie is seene or shut vp from soules according as they are more or lesse infected with earthly affections ô Loue of the world how long wilt thou obscure the faire light of heauenly loue ô thicke cloude why dost thou shut from so many eyes the aspect of the glorious rayes issuing from eternall lights behold this torch throwen downe the waxe which while it was below the flame did feede it is the very bane of it The loue of inferiour things guided according to the order of Charitie doth not impeach eternall loue but when perishable things are preferred before those that are permanent then this cleare lampe which shines to our feete to conduct vs in the way of eternall peace being smothered with materiall things dies out ô Smoke ô vnfortunate dung how many Tobies thou beatest blind Iron doth naturally run after the Loadstone yet many things hinder this stones attraction as when it is rubd with garlike or greese when it is neere vnto a Diamant or when it is placed in too great a distāce from the iron And our soules who of their owne natures are immortall by their owne instinct doe tend to Eternitie as to that which they most affect but as soone as the garlike or greese of the pleasures and delights which are tasted in things present doe attrape them or when the lying luster of worldly honours keepes them at a gaze it is not strange that Eternitie which they behold as a thing a far of doth so litle worke vpon their affections Shall I speake in a word what is the Remora which stops the shippe of our hearts vnder the sayles of our desires sayling towards Eternitie it is that euery one seekes himselfe and not the glorie of God It is as that old Antipheron that in euery thinge hauing our eyes turned vpon our selues in euery thing we seeke our owne interest Few hate their soules in this world to gayne them to Eternitie Few renounce all things present and yet fewer themselues who are more not onely present but pressing to follow Iesus Christ and to doe the will of God in earth as it is in heauen The weaknesse of Fayth makes Eternitie lesse considerable IX BVt what doe I say to doe the will of God Alas how many wicked how many mad men say in their heart their is no God Our lipps are to our selues who is our Lord Come let 's crowne our selues with present roses before death the death of all pleasures make them fade away let not a flowre of vanitie of loose desire of lucre put vp the heade in the meades of this mortall life which we take not a taste of before the graue shut vs vp And it is there that this want of beleife maks vs loose the veiw of the North-starre of Eternitie which I giue for a third cause Yes quoth our Sauiour himselfe to his Disciples doe you thinke that the sonne of man coming to iudge the world in his last coming shall find Faith in the earth and doe we thinke there is Faith in this end and dreges of ages wherin we liue Verily if we forme a iudgement of Faith by workes as the scripture teacheth vs it will easily be gathered by the fruite the world brings out that there is nether Truth nor Faith nor Memorie of Gods iustice or Eternitie left in the heart of man All erre from their mothers wombe and stray from the pathes of equitie being heauie hearted slow to beleeue that which is taught them by faith touching things to come They loue vanitie and seeke after falsitie and lyes ô how deceitfull are the children of men in their waightes suffering themselues to be deceaued in the Vanitie of their senses Let vs consider this more neerely and practically Faith tells vs many glorious things of the Citie of God where he raignes eternally with his Elect where he makes his loue take roote as in a fertile feild It tells vs that this Kingdome is of all ages that all the Blessed are Kings heires of God and coheires with Iesus Christ. That God is there all in all filling them with an eternall felicitie that his power is an eternall powre That his Kingdome shall haue no end And in our Crede we protest that we beleeue life euerlasting the life of the world to come That such as doe well shall enter into the blessed Eternitie and the wicked into an eternall tormēt That is one of the principale articles of our Faith and as it were the pinne vpon which the rest moue and turne for if all should die to vs togeither with the
afflict vs therin which being well husbanded doe worke in vs a crowne of eternall glorie No No what sufferances soeuer doe vexe vs in this dying life they enter into no comparison with the glorie which shall one day be reuealed vnto vs. The force of the thought of Eternitie XIX NO neuer Athanasia though our mynd turne it selfe on euerie side make choyce of subiects most pregnant to moue it and to giue it the most forceable impressions to imbrace good or auoyd euil neuer shall it light vpon any thought so fruitfull to produce this effect as the thought of Eternitie O momēts you are but chaffe and dust before the face of this great wind This is the great vanne which can separate the corne from the chaffe and separate precious from vile things Eternitie is that Moyses his rod able to deuoure the serpents of our sinns and to draw water from rockes that is can beget compunction in the most flintie heart It is a violent blast which driues vs forwards towards the Desert of penāce which vrgeth vs to returne into the Sheepe-fold of grace if by errour we haue strayed from it or by sinne like lost sheepe It is the end of all ends the end of all consommation and the extreamitie of extreamities wither the wiseman doth send vs if we desire to abstayne from sinning euerlastingly For if death if iudgement ensuing if the terrours of Hell serue for a bitt to the strongest mouth and for a restraynte to the most desparate soule what will it be if we add thervnto the importance of an Eternitie If we consider the Blessed Eternitie it is a Ionathas his honie if the Accursed it is a Tobie's gale soueraigne to cure the thickest and deepest blindnes There is no Filme which falls not from the 〈◊〉 washed with this water No Torrent of sinne which may not both be sustayned and repelled by this stronge banke It is a Sunne which doth breake disperse the cloudes of vice which striue to hide the light of grace Le ts approch then Athanasia to this Torch and our darknes shall be blowen ouer If we desire to be borne againe to Heauen let vs imitating that onely bird consume our selues in the beames of that great starr And if the thought of the worlds last day Iudge of all the other dayes filled S. Hieromes heart with such dread that it made him loose both foode and repose his sleepe being interrupted by the terrible found of the Archangells trumpet which sounded incessantly in his imagination what waight shall that eternall doome haue in our hearts which shall crowne the iust with roses that cannot fade and shall inuolue the wicked in quenchlesse flames which being kindled with the blast of Gods wroth shall cōtinue as long as the Deitie it selfe No I doe not beleeue that all the Antidotes which Spiritualists prescribe against the poyson of sinne that all their remedies put together in one masse can haue the like effect in the purging of a soule that the importance of an Eternitie well pondered can worke therin O Lord thou hast giuē a signe to those who haue thy feare imprinted vpon their heartes that they may auoyd the arrowes which thou shuttest from the bow of thy wroth and that by flight they may free themselues from the eternall torments which doe attend them torments by which such onely are ouertaken as for want of foresight and consideration dread them not as an auncient Father doth teach vs. O how happie is the soule whose eyes God daynes to open ouer so perilous a precipice that therby she may auoyde it and please our Lord in the Land of those that liue in his grace For they that passe their dayes in this happie Abode are not subiect to this seconde death which hath no resurrection for out of Hell there is no redemption or escape Their eyes owe no tributarie teares since they are not afflicted with the torment of malice nor doth their feete stumble in the way of saluation which is that of the blessed Eternitie Thinke of the last end saith the wisest of men and thou shal◠neuer offend If then the thought o◠death and of that which followe◠death hath so much force in a soule that is occupied in it as to diuert it from all euil what will it doe I pray you in a well composed heart which can iudiciously ponder the waight of things when it shall come to thinke that temporall death is but an instant which separates the soule from the body and that the particular iudgement which doth immediately follow this separation is past in a moment marrie that the decree of this iudgement is of an eternall and vninterrupted continuance Why the threate of a temporall death and the losse of a florishing estate written vpon a wall by a celestiall hand was able to seaze the soule of Baltazar with so daunting a terrour that the scripture assures vs that all his bones were thereby disioynted so throughly did feare possesse both body and soule How forceablely then shall the feare of an eternall death worke in a solide iudgement and in a heart that thinkes seriously of its saluation Will it not in this thought pronounce with the kingly Prophete All my bones were troubled that is to say all my powres were disordered and againe All my bones shall say vnto thee ô eternall Lord who is like vnto thee That this life is onely lent vs to thinke vpon Eternitie XX. O Momentes of this mortall life how carefully ought you to be managed since by you as by so many stepps we mount to Eternitie I for God hath onely placed vs in this region of death to breath continually to that of the liueing nor are we in this Desert for any other end then to trauell to the Land of Promisse Which shall one day be distributed amongst vs according to the line of distribution The Angells at their first creation were placed in a state of grace and full freedome and had a tyme to resolue their choyce of glorie or reprobation by obedience or reuoulting and following their election that great diuision was made which doth eternally separate the Blessed who kept their principalitie from the accursed who fell from Heauen into the Abisses below Men afterwardes created of so noble substances to repaire the ruines of those that were fallen haue also the tyme of their life to resolue and determine what shall become of them for all Eternitie For which cause they were created straight and free fire and water were put before them that they might make election of which they liked And they applie according to their owne will the vse of their freedome nor are they to impute it to others then themselues if by their owne malice misfortune befall them He that shall sowe benedictions shall reape benedictions but he that shall commit wickednes shall draw a curse vpon his owne heade and that an eternall one according as it is written Goe you accursed into
we loue him not and complaynes that he is made a solitude in Israel and that he is not beloued and that the wayes of the eternall Sion weepe that none doe frequent their solemnities Let vs therfore goe with confidence to the Throne of his Grace if we desire to haue part in his Glorie Let vs permit him to wash the feete of our affections if we will with S. PETER haue Societie with him This God then who is an essentiall Charitie doth not onely permit vs to loue him but euen commands it and that vnder paine of death death euerlasting The first and greatest of his Commandements is all of the Loue we owe him This loue did once vnite the Diuine and humane nature in the Person of the WORD and did so farre exinanite the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father as to become man to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to appeare in earth and to be conuersant with men A loue which may well rayse man towards God since it could bring God downe to man A loue the band of perfection which vnites the equall and doth equalise such as it doth vnite A Loue which hauing once personally vnited as S. AVGVSTINE saith the light of the Diuinitie to the clay of our mortalitie is able to eleuate our desires euen vnto God and make vs participant of the Diuine nature which is done by Charitie infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost It is this Diuine Loue which separating our affections not onely from dangerous and superfluous things but euen from things which are not euil yet are subiect to be loued with excesse and with too strong and inordinate a passion shall make vs behold all created things in God and will so gouerne our inclinatiōs that we shall affect no creature but in God for God and according to God wherin consisteth the perfect practise of that Diuine Cōmandement which commands vs to loue God with all our heart with all our soule with all our spirit with all our strength and euen aboue all things For a soule that is come to this degree of perfection that she loues nothing but in God and God in all things in proper speach loues not many things nor is not in the folicitude inseparable from the multiplicitie of louely obiects but she loues but one onely thing which is God the one true necessarie thing and out of whom all is but miserie and affliction of spirit And because in all that which the order of Charitie proposeth vnto her to be loued she loues God alone she loues him equally in all and as couragiously in her enemy as tēderly in her friend because she loues him onely out of all other things and without all other things but nothing at all without him or out of him If it be ESTHER alone that ASSVERVS loueth saith my blessed Father in his Theotime why should he loue her more when she is parfumed and adorned then when she is in her comon attire If it be our Sauiour onely that a soule loueth why should she not as well loue the Mount-Caluarie as Thabor sith he is as truly in the one as the other and why should she not pronounce as cordially in the one as in the other It is Good for vs to be here She can loue our Sauiour in Egipt without louing Egipt why then shall she not loue him in the banquet of SIMON the LEPROVS without louing the banquet And if she loue him amidst the blasphemies which are vomited out against him without louing the blasphemies why shall she not loue him parfumed with MAGDELAINES precious oyntments without louing the parfumes or smells It is a true signe that one loues God onely in all things when one loues him equally in all things since he being alwayes equall to himselfe the inequallitie of loue towards him must needs spring from some thing which is not he Whence the soule that loues God purely and singulary loues him no more with the whole vniuerse to boote then all alone without the vniuerse because all that which is out of God and is not God is as nothing to her O pure soule who loues not euen Paradice it selfe but because God is there loued and is so soueraignely loued in his Paradice as that if he had not a Paradice to bestow yet would he nether be lesse loulie or lesse beloued of this generous soule who knowes not how to loue the Paradice of her God but onely her God of Paradice and who puts no lesse rate vpon the Caluarie where her Sauiour was crucified then the Heauen where he is glorified O how well doth this saintly Bishope speake my Athanasia whose tearmes I durst not paraphrase nor disguise or change his venerable words least I might loose his deuoute sēse expressed in words of so great energie and so full of spirit and vertue that all the flanting tearmes of worldly wisdome seeme to me far lesse persuasiue powrefull How forcibly and sweetly doth he teach vs in this discourse not to looke vpon the two hands of God that of Iustice and vengance and that other of Mercy and reward but to search after his face alone and to feare and loue him for himselfe not for the punishments which he threatens vice nor for the reward which he proposeth to vertue because he is altogether to be honored worshiped and serued for the loue of him selfe yea although he had nether Paradice for reward nor yet Hell for Punishment The blessed and accursed Eternitie are onely to be considered as things accessorie Our prime intention and cheife attention are to be set vpon the Diuine Eternitie or the eternall Diuinitie vnlesse we would loose the title of the children of God and through feare of eternall punishments or desire of eternall rewards beesteemed slaues and hirelings Let 's loue God Athanasia and let him dispose of vs as he pleaseth Let vs be in his hands as clay in the hand of the Potter Let him make of vs vessells of honour or ignominie Be it nobly or ignobly so we be his it sufficeth Le ts turne our eyes from rewards or punishments and let vs fixe them vpon our Lord. Let vs behold his amiable face Let vs set our view vpon his hands but as a faithfull hand-maide vpon those of her Mistrisse Let vs receaue indifferently that which comes from the right hād of prosperitie and the left of aduersitie Although he should euen kill vs le ts hope in him And let vs hope without hope yea euen against all apparence that nothing shall separate vs from his Charitie Let vs cast all our thoughtes vpon him And in steed of staying our thoughtes vpon the created and as it were the accidentall Eternitie of Heauen or Hell let vs onely be fastened vpon the essentiall Eternitie which is God himselfe who hath in his hand the extreamities of the earth And who keepes the keyes of eternall life and death Let vs not so dwell vpon the thought of Heauen or
eternall fire For at last in the periode of our life when as tyme shall be no more to vs certaine it is that God will examen our workes be they good or bad and according to them will reward each one Then euery ones prayse or blame shall proceede from the mouth of God Now we are in the forked way of vertue or vice which was shewen to the young Hercules as an Auncient Authour writeth It is in our power to take towards the right or left hand and to sowe the seedes in this life whose fruites we shall gather in the next Certes as the lines drawen from the Center of the earth might goe to the circumfereÌ„ce of the Heauens so according to our comportment in these short momentes which we are to liue in earth the definitiue Sentence of our eternall Abode shall be giuen It is our part therfore tymely to thinke of our affaires and to foresee what shall become of vs for the scripture doth teach vs that we shall reape according as we haue sowen He that shall sow in spirit shall reape eternall life The chaste Susanna being pinched with bitter perplexities while those two infamous firebrands of dishonestie threatned her the ruine of her reputation vnlesse she condescended to their lewd desire chowsed rather to fall innoceÌ„t into the hands of men then stayned into his to whom nothing is hid who tryes the hearts and reynes and who can cast the body and soule into eternall torments Me thinkes sure each considerate heart will take her part and will pourchace at the price of transitorie and momentarie pleasures endlesse paines For t is a thinge too horrible to fall into the hands of the liueing God the God of vengeance terrible ouer all those of the earth Contrariwise he will easely and willingly imbrace all kind of paynes and sufferances who shall waigh as he ought that is in the waightes of the SANCTVARIE these words of the sacred ORACLE That we are to enter into the Kingdome which knowes no end to the resideÌ„ce of Glorie through many tribulations since that our Sauiour Iesus Christ was as it were forced to suffer before he could enter into his eternall Felicitie which he had wholy obtayned and which was necessarily due vnto him The Parobolicall historie of the wicked Rich-man and the poore Lazarus is a rich Table representing this truth vnto our eyes set out in liuelie colours Euerie one knowes the different successe of the one and the other and what answere Father Abraham made to this miserable reprobate's complaintes Call to mynd Sonne that thou tookest thy pleasures during thy life and that Lazarus suffered many afflictions Now your estates are much changed for he is replenished with ioy and delight and thou oppressed with desperate greeues and with punishments which shall neuer end O double Eternitie thou art like to those figues which were presented vnto the Prophete wherof some were strangly bitter the others extreamely sweete The Blessed Eternitie is a LAND OF PROMISSE and rest whose fruites are of an vnmeasurable greatnes and incomparable sweetnes The accursed is a forraine Region full of disorder a daunting desert far remoued from the face of God where the firie serpents doe stinge without cure and kill without all hope of recouerie O ETERNITIE The more I consider thee the lesse doe I know thee and the deeper I endeauour to diue into thy bottome more bottomelesse I find thee Thou art the floode of the Prophete which cannot be past nether at the ford nor otherwise The Gyantes grone vnder thy waters nor can any beaste euen though it were an ElephaÌ„t passe ouer thee by swiming to vse S. Gregories words All that can be said of thee is nothing in regard of that which should be said Though a man speake all he is able yet can he not sufficiently expresse thee euen to represent the least stroke of thyne infinitie Birdes although they cannot soare to the highest region of the aire leaue not for all that to flie And what if we cannot comprehend Eternitie yet ought we not cease to speake what we conceaue of it though we cannot conceaue what we ought to speake therof A man may enioy the light of the Sunne walke in its resplendant rayes and now and then steale a looke vpon it though he be not able to haue his sight still fixed vpon its globe We are to doe the like in this subiect of Eternitie and be it that our sight doth disperse and loose it selfe in the immensitie of its extent yet are we from tyme to tyme to consider it since life is â—ent vs for no other end but to be spent for the most part in this attention This is that which the Prophete termes couragiously to attend God and with patience to supporte this attention And the Apostle To attend the blessed hope of the coming of the great God I Lord said the great S. Augustine burne cute pinch slice here below so that I may not perish eternally An enterie to the consideration of the accursed Eternitie XXI BVt doe you not thinke it high tyme Athanasia that we should draw neerer by the consideration of both the Eternities and that for our spirituall profit we should make a kind of particular examen and as it were an Anatomie We will begin at the accursed Eternitie that we may follow the methode which the Spiritualistes obserue in the reformation of the soule begining with feare according to that of the wise man the feare of our Lord is the begining of true wisdome And is it not true wisdome to thinke seriously and tymely of eternall saluation and to direct our stepps towards the pathes of this peace which passeth all vnderstanding nor shall at any tyme be troubled with the noyse of warrs but shall enioy with God the abundance of a plentifull repose I haue done Iudgement and Iustice that is I haue behaued my selfe iustly in all myne actions saith the Royall Prophete Will you haue the reason of this vprightnesse because I haue dreaded the seueritie of the eternall Iudge And another Prophete brings in Sinners conuerted to the father of mercyes speaking in this wise O Lord through thy feare we haue conceaued good pourposes and by it we haue at length produced and brought forth the spirit of saluation The needle following the Contemplatiues worne similitude goes alwayes through before the silke and sharpe and pearceing FEARE according to that word of Dauid Lord pearce my body and soule with the FEARE of thy iudgements is still the forerunner of ioy ioy the inseparable fruite of the tree of true Charitie I see then that there I must begin but a secrete horrour doth fasten vpon myne imagination when I represent vnto my selfe so mournfull and daunting a matter It is a far other thing theâ— that place of horrour and vaste solitude wherof the Prophete speakes for it is the verie herbour of eternall horrour eternall reproach It is the accursed denne where DEATH doth eternally inhabite
euils wherwith they are mixed should find that chaffe feathers and smoake haue waight in respect of their lightnesse For which cause our Sauiour doth exhort vs in the Ghospell not to treasure vp riches in the earth where they are subiect to ruste and to the theife's violent hand but to heape vp riches in heauen where all is safe and sure No none can possibly heape vp riches in these two so differēt Abodes Heauen and earth for the Beautitude of the Kingdome of heauen is promised to the poore onely witnesse the example of the incompasionate Rich-man and our Sauiours declaration of the almost impossible difficultie of the rich-mans entrie into Heauen O how aduised is he who herebelow gathers together the treasures of grace and who cōuayes thē through the hands of the poore in bills of exchange into the Eternitie of glorie where such money is currant for it is written that good workes follow them that dy in our Lord and that good trees are knowen by their fruite in this land of the liuing where he reapes benedictions that hath sowen them in the land of the deade And I pray you how should not Eternitie be the perfection of all the good things which the senses and heart can neuer comprehend sythēs God himselfe is the very great reward of such as possesse it very great in deed syth they are rewarded beyond their seruice euery perfect gift and euery best present proceeding from the Father of lightes Who doth not see that he him selfe is an vndrainable fountaine of all goodnes being all desire wholy to be desired and the fulnes of all desires He is that one necessarie thing which compriseth in it selfe by way of excellencie all that is to be defired Delightes without end are in his right hand riches also and glorie wisdome goodnesse powre greatnes beautie the source of saluation and the botome of all beatitude as the Psalmist doth excellently sing My saluation is in God he is my glorie my ayde and all my hope is in him For assurance of this truth MOYSES demanding of God the happinesse to behold his face I will shew the all good said our Lord vnto him in appearing vnto thyne eyes Of the place of the Blessed Eternitie XLI I Doubt Athanasia these generall discourses sets your mouth on water and makes you desire to fill your appetite with more particular meates To comply therefor with your inclination I will serue you vp for the first dish a Draught of the place of this eternall Beatitude Truly I might say that it is situated in his bosome who makes Eternitie it selfe and who being infinite cannot be bounded by any place being present in euery place by his beeing and powre since that all is his all comes from him and all is in him in him I say in whom we liue moue and are But that you may not loose your selfe in those IMAGINARIE SPACES where this infinite thing makes abode which cannether be comprised by the Heauen of Heauens nor of heauen nor earth which he filleth with his immensitie nor by any other place I will tell you with all the grauest Doctors of the Church that God from the begining of the world did create this Kingdome which he prouided for his Angells and Elect in the Heauen called Empireall that is to say of fire not that it burnes but by reason of the brightnes of its flame and the splendour of its light This highest Heauen was vnknowen to the auncient Astrologers and is yet to the new vnlesse by the light of faith reuealed by God to the Church and her Doctors For the Astrologers like to all those that make profession of other mathematicall disciplines grownding onely vpon sensible demonstrations and making a iudgement of other places by the diuers motions of the starrs and this that we speake of being inuisible and immoueable is placed aboue the knowledge and lawes of Astrologie It is then a firme stable solide and inuariably settled heauen called in holy Scrip. The firmamēt of heauen the heauen of Heauens the Land of the liuing the Seate and Throne of God and in Geneses Heauen created from the begining as BEDE ALCVINE TOSTATE and the Maister of the sentences doe interprete it And there all the Fathers doe establish the mansion of the glorie of God together with his Angells and Blessed following these words of holy writ We haue a Mansion in heauen not made with the hand of man And our Sauiour said to his disciples your reward shall be plētuous in heauen And againe before his Ascension he said vnto them I goe to prouide you a place And what place is this but that where he is set at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest S. BASILE THE GREAT S. CLEMENT Rom. S. CLEMENT Alexan. S. IOHN DAMASENE PHILO IVDAEVS STRABON and S. THOMAS amongst other Diuines doe warrant this opinion Of the magnificence of the place XLII THus much concerning the situation Athanasia but for its magnificencie what tongue can expresse it what pen describe it since our thoughts and senses cannot attayne thervnto O Israel how great is the house of God how ample his possessiōs his Abode is goodlie high immense and infinite these are the words of the Prophete BARVCH O eternall wisdome t is thou then that dost powrefully extend thy force from one extreamitie to another disposing all things with an incomparable sweetnesse thus speakes the wise man O how happie should I bee said the good TOBIE if I could see the light of Hierusalem O God said DAVID how I am in loue with the beautie of thy house and with the place of the habitation of thy glorie And if the glorie of God incompassng the Temple of SALOMON that miracle of man's Art and industrie added a grace vnto it which did rayse this maister-peece aboue all the workes of the earth what shall that place be where the Saintes in the light of gloric see the increated and inaccessable light of the Dietie O you DAVID's houses of Cedars hyde your selfes house of SAVLTVS which SALOMON built for his pleasures vpon the Mount-Libane yea euen you beauties of Libane hide your selues faire topps of Carmel and Saron Vayle thy selfe ô thou throne of SALOMON thou incomparable yet humane worke for who dare make the handeworkes of man enter into comparison with the mightie workmanship of God What Pallace euen of those that appeare the most proud and magnificent durst one compare with the King of glorie 's incomparably more great more wise and more powerfull then SALOMON since all the pompe of this sonne of DAVID is lesse prised in the Scripture then the simple nakednes of a place in the feilds yea in this vaile of teares Hath this wretched and miserable world any similitude wherby we might make a conceipt of the excellencie where teares and complaintes are permitted no entrie sith it is crowned with all the contentments and perfections that can be desired In vaine doth S. IOHN in his
and bracelets are tokens of loue whose true proofe is the worke saith S. GREGORIE and is not the worke signified by the arme and hand the principall instruments of operation Now in euery well-ordered marriage the Bride receaues some dowrie of the Bridegroome whervpon in this great Sacrament of IESVS CHRIST and his Church and the faithfull Soule which is a member of this Church the misticall body of our Sauiour the Doctors doe assigne dowries to the soule which enters into Glorie according to that doctrine of ISAIE our Lord hath clothed me with garments of saluation and hath adorned me with a chayne as his Spouse And that of S. IOHN in his Apocalipse who compares the triumphant Hierusalem to a Bride well deckt being so adorned by her spouse And touching those dowries in particular they reduce them to three heades conformably to the three powres of the Soule and to the three Diuine vertues which God infuseth herebelow into the hearts of the faithfull Faith Hope and Charitie For they say that the Memorie is endowed with the possession of God which doth referre to Hope The vnderstanding with vision or knowledge in reward of Faith and the Will with the Diuine Fruition in recompence of Charitie This is the triple band which in Heauen shall inseparably tye vs to God a heauenly band which can neuer be broken Touching the qualities of the glorified bodies LIV. LEt 's now make a passage Athanasia from the interiour to the exteriour from the felicitie of the Soule to that of the body and let vs say that to those dowries which I haue deciphered in the former stroke admirable qualities shall be adioyned which without distroying the beeing of the bodie shall worke wonderfull changes and make them far more noble then they are in this mortall life We shall all rise againe saith the Apostle that is as well the Elect as the Reprobate but all shall not experience this happie change for the bodies of the dāned shall remayne passible heauie grosse and darke but the bodies of the Blessed shall become impassible subtile light and resplendant And to these foure qualities it is that the Doctors haue reduced the dowries of the glorious bodies Impassibilitie is a qualitie which shall make the body of an incorruptible temper not obnoxious to change exempt from hungar thrist cold heate greife infirmitie and from euery thing that can subiect vs to death or paine Glorified bodies cannot burne nor suffer in the fire nor be drowned in the water In a word nor can the tooth of Tyme nor any other force distroye them They shall enioy a continuall youth like to a flowre that cannot fade a vigorous health against which sicknesse can attempt nothing a qualitie of the heauenly bodies that suffer no alteratiō Which made the Apostle say that that which was sowen in corruption he meanes the corps layed in the graue shall ryse incorruptible and that which is mortall shall put-on immortalitie And againe the dead shall rise to incorruption The second dowrie is subtiltie which shall indewe the body as it were with a spirituall qualitie I doe not say that it shall become spirit for that is the errour of some auncient Heretikes refuted by S. AVGVSTINE in his bookes of the Citie of God nor yet that the glorious body shall be made aire an Heresie which S. GREGORIE in his Morales ascribes to EVTICHIVS Bishope of Constantinople but I say its subtiliti◠shall be so great that it shall passe through another body as through Heauen and earth which the Maisters tearme Penetration of dimensions And of this dowrie is vnderstoode that of the Apostle this sensible body shall rise againe spirituall that is resembling the spirit in sundrie things yet in such a spiritualitie as shall not depriue it of its palpabilitie according to that saying of our Sauiour to his disciples after his resurrection touch and see a spirit hath nether flesh nor bones as you see me haue And the same Sauiour did shew the subtiltie of his glorious body while he issued out of his Tombe not opening it and entred into the Hall where the Apostles were the gates being shutt The third qualitie shall be an incredible Agilitie and such as S. AVGVSTINE teacheth that the body shall be where the Spirit desireth not that this motion saith S. THOMAS is performed in an instant and without a meane but that the swiftnes of the passage shall be in a sort imperceptible and like to that of fire or lightning as saith the wiseman For the rest saith ISAIE they run without labour and trauell as far as they list without being wearie at all because this body sowen in infirmitie shall rise againe saith the Apostle in such vigour a vigour which S. THOMAS takes for Agilitie or Mobilitie that it shall be indefatigable and shall performe in a smale tyme an incredible iorney The fourth and most noble dowrie shall be Brightnes of which it is said in S. MATHEW that the Iust shall shine like the Sunne in the Kingdome of their heauenly Father and againe that they should flie like sparkes as it is in the wiseman And S. PAVLE writing to the Corinthians assures them that that which is sowen in infirmitie shall rise vp in glorie that is in brightnes according to S. THOMAS his interpretation grounding vpon the same Apostle who saith presently after as one starre differs from another in brightnes so shall the glorious bodies differre after their resurrection And the same Apostle speaking to the Philippians tells thē that our Lord will reforme the body of our humilitie and will cōforme it to his brightnes a brightnes wherof he gaue a proofe in his Transfiguration vpon the Mount-Thabor of his Agilitie by walking vpon the waters of his subtiltie in his birth and of his impassibilitie escapeing often tymes without hurt out of the hands of the Iewes who one while would stone him at another tyme would throw him headlōg downe while as yet the tyme of his suffering death for our sake was not arriued The pleasure of the Senses LV. THe glorious bodie being in this sort as it were transformed by the foure qualities which I haue touched in the former stroke O Athanasia iudge you how exquisite the pleasures of the senses shall be which they shall enioy in Organes so perfectly well disposed It is a delightfull question in Diuinitie to know whether the dowrie of impassibilitie shall exclude the act of the senses which S. THOMAS deneyes by no lesse solide then subtile arguments and shewes contrariwise that the perfection of those qualities shall render the pleasures of the Senses more pure and their delightes more excellēt He seemes to make some exception of the Sēse of tasteing for that the Kingdome of Heauen being nether meate nor drinke but ioy and Peace in the Holy Ghost and the beatified body stāding in no neede of foode to sustaine it he thinkes that this Sense made to relish meates remaynes vnprofitable and he would
fire wheeles gibbets swords haire-shirts disciplines austerities and whither the King of Saints entred by sufferaâ—nces O miserable bodie too delicate a member to liue vnder a Heade crowned with thornes and wholy couered with blood Tell me accursed carcasse and victime of death what priuiledge thou pretendst that thou darst presume by a manifest iâ—iustice wallowing in soft lux and delicacies to enter into a Kingdome all whose gates are made with Crosses in a Paradice where none enters that is not pearced with the firâ—e sword of a louing mortification Heare this doome or rather this thunder clapp ô my body and thou ô my soule If thou dost not mortifie with the spirit the actions of sensualitie thou shalt die marrie if thou mortifiest them thou shalt liue And againe mortifie your meÌ„bers which are vpon earth and carrie still in your body the mortification of IESVS CHRIST so shall you be as dead but to th' end you may liue eternally Of the Aureola LVII BEsides the essentiall Glorie which the Blessed shall enioy Athanasia in the sight of the Soueraigne well-beloued in the loue of the Soueraigne well-seene the Diuines doe note certaine accidentall ones and as it were accessorie to the prime and principall which they haue named Aureolas grounding vpon a passage of Exodus where there is command giuen to make a litle crowne called Aureola ouer the Arke bisides the crowne of gold with which it was to be wholy inuironed Now this Aureola doth chiefely reside in the soule albeit by a certaine rebounding saith S. THOMAS as also DENIS THE CARTHVSIAN and ouerswelling it breakes out and spreads it selfe ouer all the bodie and doth euen outwardly appeare with a certaine peculiar grace And if Essentiall Glorie be different according to the diuers degrees of Charitie and merite this accidentall of which we speake shall be varied following the varietie of labours and victories For as there is diuision of graces so is there of rewards to Ordinarily these Aureolae are diuided into three kindes wherof one is attributed to MARTYRES who haue conquered the world the second to VIRGINES who haue surmounted sensualitie the third to DOCTORS who by their learning haue defeated the Artes and errours of the Prince of darknesse And if these Aureolae be compared together the comon consent giues the first rancke and preeminencie to Martyrdome for there is no greater charitie then to giue ones life for that which he loues Neuer durst any saith S. AVGVSTINE preferre Virginitie before Martyrdome Chastitie being but a lent martyrdome wheras to die in torments is a violent one A second is giuen to virgines who follow the Lambe where euer he goes clothed in white stoles The third to Doctors who were the salte of the earth the light of the world and the Lampes of Israel And when I say the Aureola shall be giueÌ„ vnto Doctors I nether vnderstand the learned nor those that shall onely haue taken the degree of Doctor ship in earth and buried their Talent and hid their Lampe vnder the Bushall For such Doctors shall enioy in Heauen the simple guife of Charitie onely a thing common with the rest of the Elect for as DANIEL saith they shall be bright as the Firmament But such as shall instruct others in the way of saluation and rightuousnes shall sparkle and shine as glorious strarrs in perpetuall Eternities Those then it is that haue taught and communicated to the ignorant sound and wholsome doctrine who shall carrie away the Aureola of Doctors For as he is not crowned who hath onely the abilitie and strength to fight and vanquish but he that in effect doth fight and ouercome the enemy according to that none shall be crowned but such as haue lawfully fought so those onely that had knowledge made others participant of it shall partake of the Aureola of Doctors according to that of the Ghospell he that shall teach and doe what is good shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heauen Some vnderstand those words of the Apocalipse of this Aureola I will bestow on him that shall ouercome a hidden Manna and a white stone wherin shall be grauen a new name which none shall know but he that receaues it and that of ISAIE speaking of the Continent vnder the name of Eunukes I will giue them a Mansion within the compasse of the walls of my house and an excellent name amongst the childreÌ„ of men As then here below in earth men are ordinarily distinguished by their clothes so shall those three bands haue some particular signe or marke which shall make them notable amongst the rest of the Blessed The Blessed societie of the Elect. LVIII ANd if an auncient Philosopher Athanasia following comon sense said that felicitie is not full and accomplished without societie what compainie is comparable to that which the Blessed inioy in Glorie Though God be sole and one in Essence yet hath he societie in the distinctions of persons and thence is not solitarie in his Beatitude What shall it be to behold the Societie of the three Diuine persons vnited together in the vnitie of their beeing yea euen to be vnited to this high Societie in the band of Charitie which is that of perfection what shall it be to be associated to the humanitie of IESVS CHRIST our brother according to Flesh as he was Sonne of man which for our sake he tooke vpon him whence we are made children of God and if children heires and if heires of God coheires of IESVS CHRIST in the inheritance of Glorie O how happie shall they be who are inrowled into the holy FELLOWSHIPE of IESVS CHRIST and made partaker of his heauenly and Diuine conuersation And if it be written that euen in this world he that is in Charitie remaynes in God and God in him and that he that keepes the Commandements is made the Tabernacle and lodginge of the three persons of the Sacred TRINITIE what are we to say of the state of consummated Grace which is Glorie where Charitie is compleate O Diuine Societie And if after the Diuinitie and humanitie of our Sauiour we turne the ey of our consideration vpon the admirable beautie of her who is the holy of Holyes yea the MOTHER of the holy of Holyes and who next vnto God to whom is due the worshipe of Latria we honour with Hyperdulia what could be imagined more rauishing since she is the mother of that verie Sonne who was eternally begotteÌ„ in the splendour of Saintes in the breast of the eternall Father were it not a spareing speach to attire her with the Sunne to make the Moone her footstoole and starrs her crowne yes verily since her Sonne and her God are her great crowne and incomparable ioy according to that of the wiseman a vertuous Sonne is the crowne and ioy of his Father and Mother And from this qualitie of MOTHER OF GOD which is in some sorte infinite there rebouÌ„ds in her such an abundance of grace that she is not
selfe in confidence of such a promisse is to be good And being once good thou wilt become a reasonable price and thou shalt not onely purchase what I told thee of saluation health life and life euerlasting but further nether wearinesse labour hungar thirst nor any other paine what soeuer shall molest thee All the good that can be imagined shall be there all the euil that can be imagined shall not be there and the continuance of that happie state shall be eternall I am able to make no further discouerie for nether eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart hath conceaued the felicities of that glorie and how should that fall within the compasse of my tongues or penn's expression which neuer yet entered into my heart Another meane LXVII IF patience in aduersitie begett the blessed hope hope saith the Apostle which confoundeth not of happinesse in our heartes a holy contempt of transitorie toyes is no lesse forceable to make vs take a happie flight towards the heauenly Sion and to make vs relish celestiall things disdayning those base and earthly ones In the ballaÌ„ce of man's heart the fall of the one scale is the others rysing and ordinarily the worldling is deceiptfull in his waightes waighing profane drosse with the SANCTVARIE waightes which the spirituall maÌ„ doth not nor those who by attending to that which belongs to their saluation haue all their conuersation in Heauen The first step that doth separate vs froÌ„ earth doth aduance vs towards heauen The Gods of the earth are seated on high saith the Psalmist vpon which passage a Father of the Church saith that those Gods are the high-soaringe soules which like to the birde of Paradice doe neuer stoope to the ground and who may say with the Apostles behold we haue forsaken all and who for this pious renounceing of all doe heare that Diuine promisse you that haue left all shall receaue an hundredfold herebelow and life euerlasting after this mortall life This earthly trash is a heauie burdeÌ„ and doth exceedingly hinder those that striue to clime the mountaine of God But if by a holy contempt we treade vpon the same burden it rayseth vs thitherward A faithfull speach and worthy to be carefully layed vp in our heart Loue not the world nor yet that which it termes good for its figure doth passe and vanish like smoke ESTHER had good reason to coÌ„temne those royall pompes and magnificences and to put on mourneing weedes since she foresaw that she was about to be a Widowe and that all those would presently disappeare as shadowes being far more prudent then that proude Queene wherof mention is made in the Apocalipse who being seated in her Throne and gayzing vpon her selfe in her ornaments and glorie as a Peacoke in the varietie of his glorious plumes pronunced with as much vanitie as vntruth I raigne nor shall I euer become a widowe nor yet euer resent the dint of aduersitie but she sodainely fell from her vaine hopes And with damage and confusion she experienced that worldly felicitie is like to a flowre which florisheth in the morning but at night fadeth like to grasse growing vpon the tiles of a house which withereth away euen before it appeare fully greene This was it which one of the auncient Sages aymed at saying christall is glittering and glorious to the eye marrie in vse britle and subiect to breaking But heauenly felicitie is of a more solide temper for besides that according to IOB the heauens are build of most solide brasse and are composed of a matter which weares not a way being exempt from all corruption or alteration the Eternitie of glorie which is promised to the Elect is equall to the coÌ„tinuance of God who shall neuer haue end And therfor though that which the wisdome of the world and Sense esteemes true good notwithstanding that euen its vanitie is a true signe of the falsitie therof should by its alluremeÌ„ts and inchantments make a most violent impression vpon the most resolute mynd yet the shortnesse of its continuance being compared to an Eternitie shall appeare as litle bright or gratious in the ey of a setled iudgement as the lesser starrs in the presence of the Sunne This true esteeme made the great Apostle repute all terreane things as durt and dung while he proposed vnto himselfe the Conquest of Eternitie And the Psalmist touched with the same apprehension cryed out what is to me in Heauen and besides thee what would I vpon the earth nothing verily ô the God of my heare and the part of myne inheritance for euer O when shall I see the day the happie day in which I shall appeare before thy glorious face the onely obiect of myne eternall blesse Teares are my foode day and night while my desire doth incessantly presse vpon me with this demand where is thy God In very deed euen as the Sunne which causeth the day doth at his approach driue away the darknesse which in its absence doth couer the earth so the light of Eternitie doth no sooner shine in the soule 's Orison but the thicke and foule vapours of terreane affections are dispersed T' is in vaine my soule for thee to search for consolation in transitorie things Let thy thoughtes be onely placed vpon the Eternall God and thou shalt be throughly replenished with a ioy which shall bereaue thee of all sense of calamitie Rise vp ô Lord and let thyne enemyes be dispersed Appeare onely before myne eyes and the world thyne enemy and myne shall be put to flight They shall vanish like smoke and shall melt away as waxe before the fire This Dagon shall fall to ruine before the Arke of thyne Eternitie He doth passe together with his concupiscence but thou shalt remayne for euer thy yeares run not by and thou art still the same What can then an immortall soule doe in this vallie of teares miseries and death who thou touchest with a sense of the fortunate Ilands of Eternitie and with a desire of those eternall Hills but sigh and breath in the Egipt of this mortalitie after the milke and honie which runs in abuÌ„dance in the Land which thy Goodnesse hath promised vnto her taking comfort in this expectation while protracted hope doth afflict her It is a speciall grace which God bestowes vpon his Elect saith S. GREGORIE in filling their hearts with a hope as it were certaine of attayning the heauenly Contrie while they wander through the wildernesse of this earth to th end that they might behold as it were below them and as a thing vnworthy of their consideration all transitorie things and that for the loue of Eternitie they should treade vnder their feete by a holy pride the most pâ—osperous pleasures riches honours in the earth And this is that which God speakes by the mouth of one of his Prophetes to a soule that followes him I will rayse thee to the highest places of the earth and what are those high places but the abundance
whom we couet in the night of this life and we will runne in the odour of thy parfumes Receaue vs according to thy word to th' end we may liue in thee and of thee and confound vs not in our expectation which is wholy in thee our vnchāgeable felicitie and onely Eternitie A practise to engraue in our heart the memorie of Eternitie LXXIV IT is not all to sow Athanasia but the principale thing is to reape the crope The Theorie is faire like vnto RACHEL but yet barraine but the Practise is fertile like LIA though lesse agreeable in the eye It is not enough to make specious speculations vnlesse our actiōs doe answeare vnto them all is worth nothing yea they serue paraduentures to leade vs into ruine for the seruant that knowes the will of his Maister and doth it not shall be bett with many stripes All that say Lord Lord shall not enter into glorie but those that shall obserue the heauēly Fathers Commandements To enter into the Marriage of the Lambe it is not enough to haue the Lampes lighted but there must be oyle in them too Hell is full of the chaffe of good desires but the Granarie of Heauen receaues onely the wheate of good workes Let vs descend therfore to the Practise before we sound the retreate and let vs put the last singer to this DRAVGHT by spirituall endeauours wherby to imprint deeply in our heartes this wholsome memorie of Eternitie be it the Blessed accursed or Essentiall It is reported that the great TAMERLANE who in his tyme was the scourge of God and the terrour of the world was wont in Camping himselfe before a Towne which shut the Gates and resolued to withstand the dreadfull forces of his troopes to put out the first day of the Seige a white Bannar in signe of pardon mildnesse and mercy in case they should freely rēder themselues vp into his hands The second day he caused a reade one be hung out to signifie that in the cōposition some of them should pay for it But the third day he set out a black one as a signe of his indignatiō and to protest vnto them that there was no place left to Clemencie but that taking the Towne by force he would offer vp all the inhabitants victimes to DEATH without all respect to age or sexe These three colours Athanasia wherwith DRAVGHTES are made for ordinarily they are minuted vpon white paper with vermillion and blacke doe represēt vnto vs those three standarts and the reference which they haue to the three sorts of Eternities which I haue deciphered vnto you The white as the ground doth put before your eyes the Essentiall Eternitie which is the proper essence of God the eternall fundation of all created Eternitie If we deliuer our selues vp to his loue and milde Clemencie we may confidently expect from this so sweete a God to them that seeke him that white stone promised to the Elect in the Apocalipse which shall be a better marke of the reward of eternall saluation to such as haue whitened their soule in the blood of the Lambe The rede colour which conteynes light in it and is the colour of the Rose doth prefigure vnto vs the Blessed Eternitie where the Roses doe neuer fade and where the Elect behold the light of the Diuinitie in the light of Glorie But withall this bloodie colour doth intimate that none arriues at this Felicitie but by the price of the blood of the Lambe and that through the fire and water of many tribulations and sufferances They shall be saued according to the Apostle yet as by the fire of anguishes and labours But alas how nakedly doth the black colour a colour of mourning sadnesse and night represent that accursed Eternitie wherin are exteriour darknes without all hope of day where are gnashings of teeth and the rest of the Calamities which rudely and weakely we haue drawen O Athanasia to th' end that those bannars no lesse daunting then the Archangell's trūpet or rather to th' end that that which they represent may neuer depart out of our view and that this thought may not be blotted out of our soule make a full resolution to exercise your selfe in the ensuing Practises Sithens Habits are not begotten in vs according to all Philosophie but by often iterated Actes If your heart be truely touched with a desire of eternall saluation it will be like vnto the Saylers needle touched with a Loadstone which turnes continually towards the North so your thoughtes will incessantly direct themselues towards Eternitie now towards the Blessed now towards the Accursed now towards the essentiall this last imbracing the two former as the Firmament the inferiour Spheares And though the methode which I am about to propose vnto you to helpe to stay your mynd vpon this Obiect may seeme at the first sight verie simple I would aduise you not to dispise it for all that as did NAAMAN at first the aduise of the Prophete to wash himselfe seauen tymes in Iorden if he would be deliuered of his leprosie Call to mynd that the matter of the Sacramentes which are the instrumentes of Diuine graces is verie simple and common yet vnder the vaile of so slender appearances ly hid the infinite treasures of wisdome and Goodnes Why euen the Scripture it selfe sends vs to Pismires litle birds and flowres to gather from them profitable lessons and instructions Take then for your first PRACTISE if I may haue beleife with you that which hath brought a wonderfull profit to some soules of myne acquaintance to thinke as often of Eternitie as you heare the cloke strike night or day Let this sound put you in mynd that stepp by stepp you doe so approach to your end that by an insensible progresse you drawe neere your graue which ought to be the Gate of Eternitie And then soaring in spirit beyond transitorie things which doe vanish as a shade aspire to that blessed Eternitie not subiect to the measure of tyme which is the course of the Sunne or the PRIMVM MOBILE and say when shall my feete be established vpon the liuely Rocke that my stepps may no more slide and that the firmament being as a pauement I may walke vpon the face of the starrs This will come to passe my Athanasia if you doe carefully and duely manage the houres and moments of which we are about to speake and if while tyme serues you will doe good deedes which doe addresse and bring vs to Eternitie For the second PRACTISE take those three tymes The morning Noonetyde and Euening wherof DAVID makes mention saying In the euening morning and the midst of the day I was myndfull of God And to helpe your memorie be attentiue to the ANGELVS DOMINI BELL which doth admonish vs to recite three tymes the Salutation of the Angell in honour of the Misterie of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and ioyne to this pious custome the memorie of Eternitie by thinking that the Immortall
say with an auncient Father if God permit the â—se of so many goodly things euen to his enemyes what will he reserue for his friends in the life to come In beholding the Sunne the world 's onely eye the fountaine of light from whence all the other starrs borrow their brightnes doth not occasion present it selfe in which we may consider the increated light of that God who is all light and whom darknes cannot obscure who doth inhabite an inaccessible light who is the Sunne of Iustice who is the true light by which euery one coming into this world is enlightened And to lift vp our thoughtes towards the Sunne of Iustice the Orient from aboue towards that heauenly Citie which stands in need of no Sunne nor Moone because Gods brightnes doth lighten it and its Lampe is the Lambe When the day doth enlighten vs and discouer vnto vs so many beauties which the nightly vayle doth hide from our eyes Alas may we say when shall the faire day of Eternitie appeare which shall be followed by no night and where we shall see the light of the Diuinitie in the light of Glorie And when the night mother of sleepe and rest shall spreade her darke mantle all besett with starrs ouer the face of the earth if we desire to with-draw our thoughtes from the sad night of the accursed Eternitie marked in the Scripture with the name of exteriour darknes a night which shall neuer see the day of Grace or Glorie what shall hinder vs in beholding so many torches which sparkle in those celestiall vaultes vpon a cleare night to propose vnto our selues the Blessed who shine as starrs for perpetuall Eternities differing in blesse brightnes as one starre differs from another Why may we not also contemplate the essentiall Eternitie of God vnder this Symbole since it is written he set his signet vpon the darknes That his night is as bright as day and his darknes shineth like light So shall the night afford vs a gratefull light And during the obscurities we shall lift vp our hands towards the holy places blessing our Lord till our chaÌ„ge shall draw neere and that we shall see him no more after a darke manner but face to face If the Sunn's course within his annuall circle shewe vnto vs the diuersitie of seasons the floures of the Spring and the fruites of the fall may not these things bring him vnto our consideration who is the flowre of the feild and the lilie of the vally whose lilie is most florishing him in a word who is the fruite of life the fruit of the blessed virgins woÌ„be the Sonne of the Eternall God whose floures are fruites of honour and honestie And the seasons of Summer and winter in the distempered excesse of their heates and cold are they not figures of that infortunate Eternitie where the damned passe out of icie waters into flames If we looke vpon the Elements wherof all the mixt bodies are composed doe not earth and Fire prefigure vnto vs the accursed Eternitie since the earth conteynes the fire of Hell with in its Center which shall neuer be extinguished And are not the Aire and Water a picture of Paradice where the Blessed doe flie and swimme as foole and fishe in the essentiall Eternitie Is it not written that the Elect after the Doome of the last Assises shall be taken vp into the ayre after IESVS CHRIST and that in heauen they shall drinke of the torrent of pleasures eternally and swime in those impetuous floodes which doe make the Citie of God ioyfull Whether we make reflection vpon our owne or other mens liues or whether we consider in an others death the picture of our owne which we cannot escape is it not a iust occasion to thinke of the life which shall neuer dye and of that second death which shall neuer liue although indeede it can neuer dy nether If according to the Apostle we may eate and drinke to God's glorie why may not we also in taking our repast thinke of the sacietie which we hope for in his glorie when as most happie children of the Deitie we shall be set at our heauenly Fathers table fed with the same foode with himselfe because we shall enioy the same Beatitude by which God is happie for being happie of himselfe in himselfe shall be our eternall happines when we shall be made partakers of him made like vnto him coÌ„formable to his Image and to vse the tearme of the holy Scripture partakers of his Diuine nature While we take our repose in our bedd why may we not thinke of him that is eternall and reflect vpon the repose which he prepares for vs in Eternitie if in the tyme of this mortall course we fight lawfully for him O God thou art my repose for euer and euer I haue made choyce of the bosome of thy goodnes to remayne therin eternally Who will giue me the wings of a Doue to flie vp to that assured repose and to passe into the place of the admirable Tabernacle euen vnto the house of God We may intertaine our selues with the same thoughts vpon Sonday the day of rest and repose seeing we are commanded to cease from corporall labours to be free to contemplate the Diuine Goodnesse and that delicate Saboath which the Saintes enioy in Eternitie for there it is saith the holy Ghost that they rest from labours and where they reape in ioy what they had sowen in teares Vpon festiuall days whether it be of the mysteries of our holy Fayth or of the solemnities of our Sauiour IESVS of his holy mother or of Saintes can we be imployed in a better thought then with the desire of imitating them to meet them in Eternitie by walking in the pathes which they haue marked vs out For in vaine should we boast that we are members of IESVS CHRIST and children of Saints if we refuse to walke as they haue walked that so following their example we may come to be made worthy vnto the part of the lot of Saintes in the light of eternall felicitie Vpon worke dayes which the Church Office calls ferialls we are to thinke that none comes to the eternall Ferialls but by labours and sufferaÌ„ces Whervpon the Scripture councelleth vs to walke towards goodnes while the day lasteth and carefully to put our hand to the worke while tyme is fauorable and the day proper to worke our saluation in Whether we be sitting standing or walking euery posture of our bodie represents Eternitie Sitting should reduce vnto our memorie the emptie Seates of the Angells fallen from Heauen which remayne for vs to fill and repaire their ruines And the Seates also prepared for those who are to iudge the world together with our Sauiour If we stand let vs thinke of that which the Psalmist saith we were straight
but for his heart nor the heart but for loue nor loue but to communicate thy goodnes to a reasonable creature and by such communication to make it eternally happie Thou wouldst ô Lord haue me aspire after this communication the toppe of our soueraigne Beatitude when thou commandst me to pray vnto thee that thy Kingdome come It is this onely thing which I begge of thy bountie that I may dwell with thee that is to say in thee for all Eternitie I loue the beautie of thy house which is no other then thyne owne essence and the sole ayme of my desires is the place of thy glorie Let me rest therin for euer and euer and according to my election and dilection let me dwell there euerlastingly Yet that I may enter thither according to thy pleasure ô my GLORIE ô my MERCY ô my God my Light my Saluation Loe how I lay downe all my pretentioÌ„s and proper interests at the Gate of thy holy Sion renouncing from my very heart the spirit of bondage and seruile feare which would make me flie the accursed Eternitie for no other reason ô disaster then that I should be ther the eternall Obiect of thy wroth and hatred renouÌ„cing also that mercenarie spirit which would make me wish for the Blessed Eternitie for other ends then to loue blesse and praise thee therin for euer No Lord I will haue no other motiue to loue and looke after thee then thy selfe who art soueraignely amiable and desirable I will behold thee directly in thy selfe and applie my selfe entirely vnto thee because thou art my God and because ô my deare God thou art what thou art Thou art all my riches all my pretentions for that I know in seeing thee I shall see and possesse in thee all good things Thou thy selfe art the reward of euery good worke and he is vnworthy of all laurells who seekes for any other but thy selfe for thou art a far more ample recompeÌ„ce to those â—hat loue thee then man is able to conceaue It is to thee then alone ô Diuine Eternitie ô eternall Diuinitie that I consecrate all my desires all my thoughtes It is to thee ô eternall Beeing that I consecrate all my beeing in tyme and Eternitie It is to the Trinitie of thy Diuine Persons to whom I dedicate the three powres of my soule To the ADORATION of thy powrefull fecunditie I consecrate my MEMORIE ô eternall Father To thy WISDOME ô eternall Sonne begotten of the Father by his vnderstanding I dedicate my VNDERSTANDING To thee ô HOLY GHOST the reciprocall Loue of the Father and the Sonne proceeding from their one will I offer vp my will O Father of light grant me the LIGHT of thy Glorie that one day I may clearely see that which I now beleeue by the light of FAITH O eternall WORD bestow thy selfe vpoÌ„ me that I may possesse in Heauen that which I seeke by HOPE O Holy Ghost make me partaker of thyne infinite BEAVTIE to th' end I may one day enioy that which now I imbrace by CHARITIE Yes Lord I am wholy thyne be thou also wholy myne and receaue me according to thy word and let me not be confounded in my expectation Thou art myne Eternitie like as thou art my saluation and my hope Thou art the onely Eternitie which I pretend grant that I may prayse thee euerlastingly and according to thy word espouse my soule in a liuely Faith espouse it for euer For with all the sinceritie of heart and puritie of intention that I can possibly conceaue and speake I giue thee this assurance of my fidelitie by a solemne protestation in the words of the Diuine Psalmist No Lord I will nothing nether in HeaueÌ„ nor earth but thy selfe for thou art the God of my heart and the onely part which I pretend in the Eternitie of Eternities FINIS