pompe in the night of this world to weak dimme eyes vvhich cannot iudge but by outward appearances But when that cleare and bright day of iudgement shall come wherein God shall reueale the darkest and obscurest thinges of our soules and shall manifest the secret counsailes of our harts then those that seemed happy and glorious shall be knowne to be filthy vile and without any hope of saluation Wherefore these mighty mē are like vnto Owls which flying in the darke doe seeme to cast some light from them but when the day ariseth they show blacke as they are If these gloriosoes had eyes to looke into theyr most vile riches and to behold the stinch and corruption of their owne flesh which shall be turned into ashes they that are nowe swelled and puffed vp and doe despise others through the noblenes of their birth theyr power and dignity should well perceaue hovve abiect base blacke and corrupt they are Wherefore I cannot be induced to thinke otherwise but that if they would deeply consider and weigh these thinges they would presently cast out of their harts al the earthly glory of this world knowing as Hierome saith that it is impossible that any one should be happy in both worlds and appeare glorious both in heauen and in earth Secondly the glory of thys world as we sayde is to be eschewed because it is fraile and without any cōstancy or foundation therfore it is like vnto a smoke or a vapour which the higher that it is lifted the lesse it is seene and to a flower of a good sent and fairenes which a little Sun-shyne dooth dry vp in a short time is vvithered with a little blast of wind and dooth loose all the beauty and fragrancy Such is the glory of the vvorld of vvhich Esaias sayde All flesh is grasse and all the grace and glory thereof is as the flower of the field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth and the glorie thereof passeth away Such are the louers of thys temporall momentany glory vvorthily compared to grasse vvhich grovveth on the topps of houses to day greene and to morrow not seene VVherefore the Wiseman sayth All power is of short continuance and hee that is a King to day to morrow is dead Tell me where is the povver and glory of King Assuerus vvho gouerned an hundred and tvventy prouinces VVhere is the glorie of great Alexander at whose presence the vvhole earth vvas husht to vvhom all Kings and Tyrants payed tribute as it is in the first Booke of the Macchabees VVhere is the glorie of that great Empyre by vvhich he conquered and subdued vnder him almost all the Kingdomes of the vvorlde Where are all the Princes and Potentates of the vvorld vvho raigned ouer both man and beast They are passed and gone avvay as a straunger or a Soiournour that tarryeth but for one day Trulie not one of them remaineth all their dayes vvere spente in vanitie and theyr yeares svviftly posted avvay Death feareth no man it swepeth all avvay without any difference or partiality it is a fierce cruell beast that spareth not any body it taketh avvay both the king and the begger and maketh all equal alike Thirdly the glory of thys world is to be auoided because it is deceitfull and dooth performe none of those thinges it promiseth but deceaueth all men in this life Which of the Princes and Emperours hath it not deluded promising vnto them long life peaceable honours a quiet empire when as it cannot prolong mans lyfe one houre VVho in earthly glory was lyke vnto Alexander who was neuer subdued in any warre who alwayes triumphed ouer his enemies vvho ouerthrew huge hoasts with a litle army who neuer besieged Citty but he tooke it neyther was there any prouince which did not obey his Empire But now when he seemed an absolute conquerour and purposed to passe the rest of his time in peace and tranquillity hee vvas on a suddaine poysoned Tell mee why doest thou follow and hunt after the glory of the world which cannot succour thee in death Fourthly as I said humaine glory and applause is to be auoyded and eschewed because it is a very euill and naughty pay-mayster for it promiseth glory and payeth euerlasting perdition and eternall confusion Wherfore the Lord saith by the Prophet I will turne their glory into shame So theyr strength shall bee turned into weakenes their wisedome into foolishnes and their pleasures into punishments For according to the quantity of the falt shall be the quantity of the punishment vvhich they shall be tormented vvith Heereupon Saint Hierome speaketh thus to the louers of this fleeting and deceitfull vvorld Woe bee vnto you miserable vvretches vvho endeuour to goe to heauen by the vvay of riches and pleasures and vnderstand not vvhat our Sauiour sayth That it is easier for a cammell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Remember that this is a Diuine sentence and the words of him who sayth Heauen and earth shall passe but my words shall not passe O miserable vvretches and more inconstant then any wind howle mourne who are onely great and noble by the benefit of fortune but in deed are base abiect and blind vvith the smoake of vanitie with deceaueable honours and false dignities of this vvorlde Doe yee not see the shortnes of time howe death perhaps this might shal cut off the thred of your liues and that yee shall be tormented for euer in hell vvhere yee shall alwayes liue dying without end yea more dying then all the men that die in the world vvhere no rest shall be giuen but torments shall alwayes liue to reuenge Where yee shall not onely be tortured with men but also with deuils For so much the greater shall thy punishment be there as thy glory was greater here as thou hast liued in greater delicacies and delights See how our Sauiour that vnchāgable truth al whose deeds words are one instruction amōg his twelue apostles whō he choose would haue but one Bartholomew a noble man one Matthew a rich man hee chose all the other poore men and fishers that he might signifie that the noble and rich men of this world can hardly be saued and be made worthy of heauen For if by one onely sinne man became guilty of hell fire how shall a rich man be saued desirous and greedy of populer applause hunting after the fraile and mortall glory of this life which is none other thing then a filthy impure vessell and receite for all sinne full of pride and luxury full of couetousnes in the rich mighty and noble men of this world These are theeues that robbe the poore of that they should liue by vvho eate vp their labours killing and treading them vnder theyr feete vvhen notvvithstanding God hath blessed them vvith great aboundance of vvealth that they therby might nourish
will refresh thee But if all these thinges my Brother which thou hast hetherto read of do not moue thee heare what the same famous Doctor of the Church Bernard sayth of the louers of the world Woe be vnto those vnhappy and wretched ones saith he for whom is prepared intollerable sorrow incomparable stinch and horrible feare Woe bee to them for whom is prepared that place where nothing shall be heard but vveeping and wayling lamentation and howling mourning gnashing of teeth where nothing shall bee seene but the worme vgly deformed and horrible tortures and terrible fearefull deuils where they shal cal seeke for death but shal not find it where there is no order but where perpetual horror euerlastingly abideth How great feare how great sorow how great mourning will there be whē sinners are seperated frō the righteous deliuered to the power of deuills with whom they shall be cast headlong into the eternall tormēts of hel without hope euer to see the face of the Lorde or heauenly glory without any hope to bee euer freed from those torments where neyther the torturers shal be wearied nor the tortures haue any ende where death shall neuer die nor lyfe bring any ioy Tell mee ô sinner sayth S. Ierome if we had the wisedom of Salomon the beauty of Absolon the strength of Sampson the long life of Enoch the riches of Craesus and the felicitie of Octauian what would these things profit vs when as our fleshe at the length is to be giuen to the wormes of the earth and our soules to the deuils to bee euerlastingly tormented with the rich Glutton in hell The shortnesse of time the breuity of life and the vncertainty of death ought to moue thee to contemne the worlde those vaine delights that be in the world Wherefore Saint Gregory sayth Reprobates doe many things wickedly because they hope to liue long heere Contrariwise the righteous whilst they consider the shortnes of theyr lyfe they auoyde the sinnes of pride and vncleannesse Of the breuity of this life S. Iames saith What is your life it is euen as a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme. And Saint Augustine sayth If thou haddest lyued all that time since Adam was expelled out of the garden of Paradice euen to this day certainly thou shouldest well perceiue that thy life was not perpetuall vvhich hath so passed avvay but the lyfe of one man what is it adde as many yeeres as it pleaseth thee adde a very long and lasting old age what then Is it not yet morning Bee it that the day of Iudgement is farre of assuredly thy last day cannot bee farre of therefore nowe prepare thy selfe for as thou departest out of thys life so shalt thou bee presented to the other lyfe Thys sayth hee And in another place All the time that wee liue heere is taken from life so that the lyfe present is none other thing but a short way by which wee passe vnto death in which no man can long stay nor linger or walke softly and at leysure but euery day thou must finish by little and little some part of thy iourney All things passe away sayth Soneca and are in continuall diminution augmentation None of vs is the same in olde age that wee vvere in youth Not any one of vs is the same in the morning that wee were the day before Our bodyes passe away after the manner of running riuers vvhatsoeuer thou seest runneth away with the time Nothing remayneth steadie of all those thinges vve see behold they are changed whilst I speake and I also am changed And in another place The Fates doe ply their worke and doe take away frō vs the sence and feeling of our death and that death may creepe vpon vs more easily it lurketh vnder the very name of life Childhood cōuerts infancie into it youth childhood manly age youth and olde age takes away manly age The very increases if thou doost well account thinke of them will be founde to be losses If my deere Brother thou lettest these thinges into thine eares and meditatest on thē in thine hart well considerest them thou wilt say that thou rather runnest vnto death then that thou canst hope for long lyfe The fift Meditation for Friday of the vanitie of the glory and magnificence of this world THE Prophet Baruch detecting and laying open the great and intollerable mockerie of vaine glory and riches and the subtile deceits of this vvorlde in the third chapter of his prophecie sayth Where are the Princes of the Heathen and such as ruled the beastes vppon the Earth They that had their pastime with the foules of heauen and hoarded vp siluer and golde wherein men trust and made none end of their gathering For they that coyned siluer and were so carefull of their worke and whose inuention had none end are come to naught and gone downe to hell and other men are come vp in their steades Where are the inuincible victors and heroicke conquerours of Coutries who by theyr conquests purchased such tryumphs and by their riches prepared such magnificent feastes and banquettes Where are the Emperours and Captaynes of huge Armies Where are the managers tamers of horses and other creatures vvhere are the Iudges tyrants great theeues of the world they are novv nothing but dust and ashes Looke and looke againe looke I say into theyr Sepulchers whether this is a rich man or that a poore man Whether this man is valiant or that man faint-harted tosse turn ouer their bones distinguish if thou canst a rich man from a poore man a valiant man frō a coward a beautifull man from him that is deformed Wherfore my brother let vs be wise at the last being admonished by this Scripture and let vs assuredly persvvade our selues that all mans glory whence soeuer it commeth is to be auoided of vs. First because of his owne nature it is vile secondly because it is deceitfull in his promises thirdly because it is vaine brickle frayle fleeting and momentany fourthly because it is euill and malicious in rendering a reward First I say that mans glory is to be eschewed because of his owne nature and condition is vile and base as it is manifest in the first booke of the Macchabees where Mattathias dying sayth to his Sonnes Feare not yee the wordes of a sinfull man for his glory is but dong and vvormes VVhat in this world is more filthy thē dong What more vile then wormes Therefore if all mans glorie consisteth in dong it is not to be desired but auoyded Mans glorie as the Phylosopher sayth is as corruption and the rottennesse of vvood Which thing also experience teacheth vs for as the little vvorme Teredo that eateth vvood in the night shyneth and maketh a crackling but in the day time is knovvne to bee a worme putrefaction so also vayne glory shineth and glittereth vvith great
GRANADOS Spirituall and heauenlie Exercises Deuided into seauen pithie and briefe Meditations for euery day in the vveeke one Written in Spanish by the learned and reuerend Diuine F. Lewes of Granado Since translated into the Latine Italian French and the Germaine tongue And now englished by Francis Meres Maister of Artes of both Vniuersities and student in Diuinitie AT LONDON Printed by Iames Robarts for I. B. Anno. Dom. 1598. To the valorous and noble minded Gentleman Captaine Iohn Sammes Esquire F. M. hartily wisheth in this life the health yeeres happines of Galen Nestor and Augustus and in the other the delight rest and ioy of Abraham Isaac and Iacob THere bee three thinges Right worshipful greatlie desired in this lyfe Health VVealth Fame it is a question which of these is cheefe the sicke sayth Health the couetous commendeth VVealth and both these place good name last of all But they be both partiall Iudges because Health VVealth though they be neuer so good and so great end with the body and are subiect to time But honour fame renowne and good report doe tryumph ouer death and make men liue for euer Nunquā stigias fertur ad vmbras Inclyta virtus Immensum calcar gloria habet there is not a greater inticement vnto vertue then Fame true glory Spes famae solet ad virtutem impellere multos This made Alexander in honor of armes to emulate Achilles Scipio Africanus to imitate Xenophons Cyrus Caesar to patterne himselfe by Alexander Selimus Prince of Turkes to trace the steps of Caesar and Carolus Quintus to fire his thoughts at Philip Cominaeus his Lodouicus xi King of Fraunce Proceede noble and heroyick Spirite with young Troylus to ayme at Hectors glory And as the pregnancie of your Hopes promiseth to be an Huniades to the Turkes a Talbot to the French and a Drake to the Spanyard so also bee an Artaxerxes to Hippocrates an Alexander to Pindarus and Aristotle a Scipio to Ennius an Augustus to Virgil a Traian to Plutarch and a Mecaenas to all Schollers And then as the sworde dooth defend the penne of the Scholler so the penne shal grace the sword of the Souldiour shall tunablie sonnet that paracleticall verse out of Horace Dignum laude virum Musa vetat mori Learning indeede vvould bee soone put to silence without the ayde support of noble bountifull and generous spirits In hope of which ayde and supportation I present these diuine and celestiall meditations vnto your VVorship which vnder the title of your protection may doe as much good in England as they haue done in Spayne Portugall Italy Fraunce and Germanie Lodouicus Granatensis the Authour of these heauenly and spyrituall Meditations hath so cunningly portrayed in this Treatise the myseries and calamities of this lyfe and with such diuine eloquence depainted the future blessednes of the other that for stile hee seemes to mee another Cicero and for sounde and emphaticall perswasion a second Paule VVhose diuine spirit heauenly writing as it hath moued the Italians Camillus Camilli Georgius Angelierus Timotheus Bagnus Iohannes Baptista Porcacchius to translate his works into theyr language and Michael of Isselt to conuert thē into Latine Philippus Doberniner into the Germaine tongue so also hath it mooued me to digest thē into English that nowe at the length our Country might enioy that rare Iewel vvhich those famous Countries doe so highly prize For further commendation of the Authour and thys Booke I referre your VVorship to the present discourse which I assure my selfe will worke those motions in you that it shal neyther yrke you of your paines nor mee of my labour Thus boldlie presuming on your curteous acceptation I commit you to hys sacred protection who graceth heere vpon the earth the memories of the valiant and vertuous by the pennes of Schollers and glorifieth them in heauen with his chosen men of vvarre who with Iosua haue fought his battailes and with Dauid haue vnsheathed their swords to auenge his quarrell London the 24. of Nouember 1598. At your Worships commaundement Francis Meres The Contents of the seuerall heads discoursed in this Booke THE Prologue a briefe manner of Meditation Page 1. The first Meditation for Monday Of the miserie in which man is created page 21. The second Meditation for Tuesday of sinne and what discommodities come by it page 39 The third Meditation for Wednesday how dangerous it is to deferre repentance page 63 The fourth meditatiō for Thursday of the contempt of the world and with what hatred and diligence it is to be eschewed page 99. The fift Meditation for Friday of the vanity of the glory and magnificence of this world 120 The sixt Meditation for Saterday how death is to be feared and that a Christian ought so to liue that death may neuer find him vnprepared 147. The seauenth Meditation for Sonday of the ioyes of the blessed in heauen and of the paynes of the damned in hell page 166 Lastly there is annexed to these seauen celestiall Meditations an excellent Exposition vpon the one and fifty Psalme 208. THE Prologue and a briefe manner of Meditation ALl thinges passe away except the loue of GOD. Whē as the wise man had contemplated and by long experience learned the mutabilitie of all things neither had found any constancie or certainelie very little in any thing created in this world but many desires an vnsatiable thirst of men which violently forced them to hunt after these transitorie things at length he cryeth out Vanity of vanities all is vanity affliction of spirit And when he had runne thorow and experimēted all things in the world with a most wholesome councell he concludeth his disputation saying Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approch wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them whiles the Sun is not dark nor the light nor the Moone nor the starres nor the clowdes returne after the raine Feare God and keepe his commaundements for this is the whole dutie of man And because the whole safety of our soules and all our blessednes dependeth of this councell it is most aptly and fitlie spoken of S. Gregory That there is no such sacrifice offered to the Almightie as the zeale of the soule is vvhich sheweth by vvholesome doctrines the vvay vnto celestiall glory I beeing therefore moued by this zeale although vnworthy to teach haue gathered this short tractate out of diuers authorities of holy doctors that a soule drowned in the pollution of sinne beeing conuicted by these instructions authorities of holy men and enlightned of the holie Ghost might bee reduced to her Creator and Redeemer as a straying and lost sheepe or at the length might know her estate and the errors and daungers which she in this vvorld is in whilst shee continueth in sinne and being touched with the sorrow of contrition might returne vnto God and returning
If it please thee viewe the bodies of them who are departed out of this life and thou shalt finde nothing in them besides ashes wormes stinke lothsomnes What thou art novve they sometimes were what they are nowe thou shortly must be they were mē as thou art now they did eate drink as thou doost They spent theyr dayes in wealth suddainly went down to the graue See how the fleshe nourished in delights now beeing meate for wormes lyeth in the graue how the vnhappy soule descendeth that it may be fuell for the infernall fire without any hope that euer the torments and punishments shall haue end VVhat shall thē theyr vaine glory profit them in what steede shall then the power of thys vvorlde stand thē what shal then their carnall delights couetousnes of riches help them where are then their merry disports where is then their boasting presumptiō of false ioy O into hovve grieuous miseries are they fallē after a short pleasure frō a counterfet mirth they are fallen into assured misery eternall torment What hapned vnto thē may also happen vnto thee for thou art both a man compounded of the same dust ashes that they were framed of man of earth slime of slime and after death thou shalt bee turned into dust ashes neyther knowest thou where whē or how Wherfore seeing that death waiteth for thee in euery place if thou beest wise expect him in like manner at all times and in euery place Let the louers of this worlde remember sayth Isidore how short the felicitie of this world is how barren slender the glory of it is and howe weake and fraile the power is Tell me if thou canst where are the Kinges Princes Emperors of ancient times vvhere are the rich and mighty men of this vvorld They are all passed away as a shadow vanished as smoake and if a man seeke for them hee shall not finde them VVhat if wee say that manie of those Kings Princes Emperours thought that they shoulde alwayes conquer and neuer die O blinde and ignorant beholde it is not so beholde the matter is fallen out quite otherwise they are dead as other men are theyr lyfes haue fayled them as the lyfes of other Princes that liued and ruled before them What the estate of man is after death Saint Bernard dooth very well teach VVhat saith hee is more stinking then a carkasse what is more horrible then a dead man He that was of a beautifull coūtenance and comely stature whilst hee liued after death lyeth with a gastly and fearefull face for vvormes putrefaction horror follow a dead man Which thing seeing it is so vvhat doe riches delicacies and honours profit Riches doe not deliuer from death nor delicacies frō wormes nor honours from corruption And Saint Chrysostome sayth Hast thou not seene manie that haue dyed amidst theyr delights euen in their drunkennesse in other fonde pleasures of thys lyfe Where are they now that not long since ridd through the streets brauely mounted swelled with pride richly attired in silkes garded with attendants and seruitours smelling of perfumes oyntments and spices fawned vppon with flatterers and parasites where is now all their pompe and vaine toyes gone Where are nowe theyr large costly banquets theyr immoderate laughters theyr ease and idlenes theyr effeminate luxurious and riotous lifes All is gone What is become of their bodies that ere vvhile vvere vvayted vppon vvith so great troupes and were kept so neate and finicall Behold they are gone downe into the graue Contemplat the dust ashes worms the beauty of that pulchritude aud thou wilt sigh bitterly Behold with diligence and pry narrowly into each of their monuments serch their graues and Sepulchers tosse turne ouer theyr bones and ashes thou shalt finde nothing heere but ashes nothing besides the reliques of worms which haue eaten their bodies and see what is the end of them albeit they liued in this world in delights and glory I pray God that thou mayst diligently consider of these things and that they may neuer slip out of thy memory But ô greefe the vnhappy sonnes of Adam neglecting true and wholsom studies and endeuours doe seeke for and hunt after vaine and transitory pleasures If therefore ô my brother thou wilt alwayes in thine hart meditate of these things and consider the misery and vildnes of this life thou wilt be humbled and wilt detest pride seeing that thou art not ignorant that pride is the badge and cognisance by which the children of the deuill are knowne For he is as holy Iob saith the King ouer all the children of pride Gregory confirmeth this Pride saith he is a most euident token of reprobates but contrarily humility is a badge of the elect Seeing therfore that euery one is knowne by that he hath hee is easily found vnder vvhat King he warreth For euerie one carrieth as it were a certain title of his labour whereby hee euidently sheweth vnder whō he serueth that is whether vnder Christ or the deuill O cursed pride hated of GOD and men This tumbled Lucifer headlong out of heauen banished Adam out of Paradice drowned Pharaoh with his Army in the red Sea depriued Saul of his kingdome transformed Nabuchodonozer into a beast and destroyed Antiochus with a most horrible and hideous death The second Meditation for Tuesday of sin and what discommodities come by it HE that committeth sinne saith the beloued Disciple of Christ is of the deuill for the deuill sinneth from the beginning for this purpose appeared the Sonne of God that hee might loose the works of the deuill Sinne is so heauy a burthen that neyther heauen nor earth can beare it but with the Author and worker of it it descendeth into hell Euery word deed and thought contrary to the lawe of God according to Saint Augustine is sinne which ought none otherwise thē hell to be eschewed of all them who aspire to the heauenly kingdome and that for three causes the first of which is because it displeaseth God the second because it pleaseth the deuill the third because it is hurtfull and bringeth many discommodities to man First I say thou oughtest to eschew sinne because it exceedingly displeaseth thy Creatour in which place we are to consider what God hath done by reason of sinne No man is ignorant that for sinne God hath destroyed the workes of his owne hands that for sinne he hath cast Angels out of heauen disparadiz'd men and drowned with flood of waters all mankinde as the booke of Genesis vvitnesseth Other Kings and Emperours that they may reuenge the iniury done vnto them of theyr enemies doe spoyle and wast their Countries Dominions but God subuerted and destroyed his owne kingdome because sinne had entred into it Neyther doth God only hate sinne but all that which by any manner of way pertaineth vnto sin Men although the vvine hath lost his vertue
who hauing but a little oyle and exercising mercy filled all her empty vessels the oyle was so multiplied that shee had enough to pay her debts and to satisfie all her creditors These empty vessels are the poore whom we must bring into our houses according to that saying of Esay Deale thy bread to the hungry bring the poore that wander home to thyne house when thou seest the naked couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Like vnto thys is the counsell of Tobias saying vnto his sonne Giue almes of thy substance and when thou giuest almes let not thine eye bee enuious neyther turne thy face from any poore least God turne his face from thee Giue almes according to thy substance if thou haue but a little bee not afraid to giue a little almes And so a little of thys oyle of mercie shall more and more abound beeing increased with the augmentation of grace Furthermore almes multiplyeth our temporall goods as Gregory testifieth saying vve loose earthly thinges by keeping them and preserue them by giuing them away And in another place vvhatsoeuer is giuen to the poore if it be well considered is not a gift but a lone because that which is gyuē is receiued again without all hazard or aduenture with aduantage as for example where the widdowes oyle and meale is increased who nourished Elias wherby it is manifest that the poore doe rather feede thē that giue almes then are fedde of them Thyrdly because almes is a worke of mercie which vvayteth vpon the soule to heauen as S. Ambrose testifieth who sayth They are not the goods of man which he cannot carry with him Onely mercy is a cōpanion of the dead O how good and necessary a companion is almes for the deade Therefore do not despise such a cōpanion which like an Aduocate goeth before thee and not followeth after as those wretches do contemne it who will not extend their almes in theyr life time beeing not vnlike to them that cause light to be carrryed behind them whō the Wise-man reprehendeth saying Say not vnto thy neighbour Goe and come againe and to morrow will I giue thee if thou now haue it Hee that is rich ought to cōsider three things in giuing his almes the first of the which is that it is God that requireth the almes that he will haue that mercy in the same account as if it were done to himselfe according to that vvhich Christ sayth in the Gospell That which yee haue doone vnto one of the least of these my bretheren yee haue doone it vnto mee GOD dooth begge of the rich money for the poore of whom the rich daily desire the kingdom of heauen He therfore that denyeth almes to the poore God requiring it it is greatly to be feared least God in lyke manner denie vnto him the kingdome of heauen and that he will not heare him whē he cryeth according to that of Salomon in his Prouerbs Hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also cry and not bee heard The second thing that a rich man ought to thinke of beeing about to giue almes is that almightie GOD dooth require that for the poore which is his owne seeing that hee is the Lorde of all those thinges which wee possesse therefore hee is without doubt most ingratefull that denyeth necessarie almes vnto the poore Dauid was farre of from thys ingratitude when he said Might and power and glorie and victorie and prayse ô Lord are thine For all things that are in heauen and in earth are thine Thine is thy kingdome O Lorde and thou art aboue all Princes Riches and honour are thine All thinges are thine and wee giue vnto thee that which wee haue receiued at thine hands And thys cogitation ought the more to mooue vs vnto almes because GOD receyueth what we giue and dooth repay vs not onely our principall but an hundred fold This is that which Saint Augustine saith If thou wilt bee a good Merchant and a gainefull Vsurer gyue that vvhich thou canst not keepe that thou mayst receiue what thou canst not loose Gyue a little that thou mayst receiue an hundred folde giue a temporall fading possession that thou maist receiue an euerlasting inhearitance Therfore he is not onely ingratefull but also madde who dooth not giue vnto God his reuenues that he may receiue them againe with so great interest when as both the Iewes the Ethnicks and the Moores willingly doe it Wherfore my deere Brother repent and gather and lay vp the treasuries of mercy in a safe place in celestiall securitie and not among earthly dangers Consider that the hart of a couetous man is a pytte vvithout a bottome the more it receiueth the more it desireth neyther is at any time satisfied as the Wiseman sayth A couetous man is not satisfied with money Woe be vnto them that lay vp their treasures in the earth for theyr hearts are afflicted because they cannot enioy theyr riches and they keepe them with danger and will they nill they they must at the last part from them and suffer punishment in hell Lay vp thy treasure my deer and good brother in thine own Countrey which is Heauen where thou shalt liue alwayes and neuer haue hope to enioy these which are to bee left in the earth perswade thy selfe that those are thy goods which thou hast layde out bestowed on the poore for those are not properly thy goods which thou canst not carry with thee Heare what S. Ambrose saith Nothing dooth so much commend a Christian as commiseration and charity And saint Ierome sayth I doe not remēber that I haue read that any one dyed an euill death vvho willingly exercised the workes of charity For they haue the prayers of many and it is impossible but that theyr prayers shoulde bee heard And Leo commending this vertue saith Hee shall receiue many great blessings at Gods hands who letteth not the poore depart from him without comfort Mercy is of so great vertue that without it others doe not any whitte profit Bee it that thou art faithful sober chast adorned with vvorthier titles yet if thou beest not mercifull thou shalt finde no mercy And this may bee enough to moue the mindes of men that they may readily cheerfully take vpon thē this third part of repentance which is Satis-faction Of this repentance that we may return to our purpose our Sauiour sayth He that taketh not vp his crosse followeth me is not worthy of me Which if it be true we are to performe our repentance as speedily as may be yea in our youth for then it is more profitable vnto vs more acceptable to God as the wise man teacheth saying Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth whiles the euill daies come not nor the yeeres approch wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in thē My son
enter in with Iesus Christ and enioy all the blessings of his glory Chastice novve thy body vvith repentance that thou mayst then finde most firme assurance O howe happy prudent is that man who laboureth nowe to be such an one as hee will desire to be in that doubtfull and dreadful houre of death Therfore now contend with all thy might to bee such an one for thou knowest not when thou shalt die neither what wil happen vnto thee after death Doe not relie eyther vppon thy friendes or thy children for they will forgette thee sooner then thou thinkest and vnlesse now thou disposest of all thinges who can or will heereafter dispose of them for thee Be carefull and prouident for it is better to foresee and preuent that day with good preparation then to looke for helpe and ayde of another Therfore gather now immortall goods giue almes in thys life make those holy and blessed ones thy friends that when thou departest hence they may receaue thee into their euerlasting habitations For that glorious Doctour of the Church Saint Gregory saith that those things are with great diligence to be considered of and those works with many teares to bee meditated vppon which the Iudge of the world shall exact of vs when that houre of death shall come And Saint Bernard sayth O my soule what feare shal there be when all are sent away whose presence was pleasant vnto thee whose sight acceptable and whose neighbourhood so familiar and thou altogether alone enterest into that vnknowne region shalt see those vgly horible monsters flocking to meete thee Who wil succour thee in a day of so great necessitie Who shall defende thee from those roaring Lyons greedy of theyr pray who shal comfort thee who shal helpe thee who shal conduct thee But happie is that soule which confidentlie and boldly shall speake to her enemies in the gate vvhy standest thou heere thou cruel and bloody beast Thou shalt find nothing deadly in me which shal be entertayned of Angels defended from the rage violence of deuils and shal bee carried into the bosome of Abraham Of death and the way of sinners in an other place also thus speaketh S. Bernard The death of sinners is exceeding euil And heare why it is exceeding euil It is euil in the losse of the worlde vvorse in the seperation of the flesh but worst of al in the double torment of the vvorme and of fire But of al it is exceeding euil because the soule shal bee seperated from the Diuine aspect and with great confusion shal bee for euer depriued of the sight of God Consider my deare brother and marke that no man can eschew death neyther know the houre nor change the time appoynted of God But the death of the righteous is good for they rest from their labours better for the nouelty of the life but best of all for the assurance and security of eternity The seauenth Meditation for Sonday of the ioyes of the blessed in heauen and of the paynes of the damned in hell O Sinfull soule if these earthly thinges seeme vile vnto thee and of no price lift vp thine eyes and beholde heauenlie things consider with great diligence what thinges they be and how great which GOD hath prepared for the Elect. For they be such and so great that as Saint Paul sayth neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neyther hath entred into the hart of man Therefore wee must knowe that the delightes of a blessed lyfe are so many and so great that no Arithmetitian can number them no Geomater can measure thē neyther can any Grammarian Logitian or Rhetoritian expresse them eyther by wordes or reasons Seeing neither eye hath seene theyr greatnes nor eare hath heard of them neyther at any time haue they entered into mans heart There the Saints shall ioy beeing circled and compassed with glorie beholding the Diuine essence aboue them seeing the beauty of the heauens and of all creatures beneath them viewing in thēselues the dignity of their soules and glory of their bodies and to bee briefe hauing about them the societie and fellowshippe of all the Angells and blessed Spyrites Hence it is that Anselmus sayth that there are fourteene partes of that felicity vvhich all the Elect shall perfectlie haue vvhen that generall session is ended seauen of the body and as many of the soule the first of vvhich is beautie for in that lyfe the beautie of the righteous shall bee equall to the beautie of the Sunne vvhich shall bee seauen folde brighter then it novve is VVhere-vppon it is written That the iust shall shyne as the Sunne in the Kingdome of God The second shall bee theyr agilitie which shall bee like vnto that of Angells for they shall bee mooued from heauen to the earth and from the earth to heauen sooner then we can mooue one of our fingers vp and downe VVe may beholde an example of this velocitie in the beames of the Sunne vvhich at the Sunne rysing in the East are in a moment carryed to the VVest that thereby we may consider that it is not impossible which wee speake of this our future swiftnesse and celerity especially seeing that greater velocitie is wont to bee in all thinges liuing thē in those things that are liuelesse The third part of their beatitude is fortitude for whosoeuer shall be accounted woorthy to be numbred vvith the celestiall Cittizens shal excell in strength so that no man shal be able to resist them For theyr fortitude shall be as great as that of Angells with whom they liue in ioy for as theyr glory shall be a like so theyr other gyfts shall bee a like The fourth shall bee free and secure liberty for as nothing can hinder Angels so nothing shall hinder the Saints neyther shal any element whatsoeuer bee able to resist them The fift part of theyr beatitude is health which shall bee vvithout infirmitie Of thys health of the righteous vvhat can bee sayd better then that which the sweete Singer of Israel speaketh saying The health of the righteous is of the Lord. And to whom this sound and true health is giuen of the Lorde what infirmitie can any way touch them or come neere them The sixt gift of beatitude is an ineffable delight which shal make drunke the righteous shal fill them full and wholy replenish them with an vnspeakeable aboundance of inestimable ioy What said I shal fil them ful and wholy repleanish them yea theyr eyes nostrils ears mouth hands throat lunges marrow and theyr very entrailes and all and euey part and member of them shal be filled with such wonderfull sence and feeling of such exceeding incomparable pleasure delight that the whole man shal quaffe of the riuer of Gods pleasure and shall bee made drunke with the plentie of his house so that hee shall stande amazed and bee altogether astonished and those