God in some measure of his majestie did passe by in glorie And when he was past God tooke away his hand and suffered Moises to see his hinder parts only which was notwithstanding most terrible to behold 5 The prophet Daniel also describeth the majestie of this God shewed unto him in vision in these words I did see saith he when the thrones were set and the old of many dais sate down his apparel was as white as snow his haire like unto pure wool his thron was of a flame of fire his chariots were burning fire a swift flud of fire came from his face a thousand thousands did serve him and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him he sate in iudgement and the books were opened before him Al this and much more is recorded in scripture to admonish us therby what a prince of majestie he is whom a sinner offendeth 6 Imagin now brother mine that thou seest this great king sitting in his chaire of majestie with chariots of fire unspeakable light and infinite millions of Angels about him as the scripture reporteth Imagin further which is most tru that thou seest al the creatures in the world stand in his presence and trembling at his majestie and most carefully attending to do that for which he created them as the heavens to move abovt the earth to bring foorth sustenance and the like Imagin further that thou seest al these creatures how big or little soever they be to hang and depend only of the power and vertu of God wherby they stand move and consist and that there passeth from God to ech creature in the world yea to everie part that hath motion or being in the same some beam of his vertu as from the sun we see infinite beams to passe into the aire Consider I say that no one part of any creature in the world as the fish in the sea the grasse on the ground the leaves of the trees or the parts of man upon the face of the earth can grow moove or consist without some litle stream of vertu and power come to it continually from God So that thou must imagin God to stand as a most glorious sun in the midst and from him to passe foorth infinite beams or streams of vertu to al creatures that are either in heaven earth the aire or the water and to every part therof and upon these beams of his vertu al creatures to hang and if he should stop but any one of them it would destroy and annihilate presentlie some creature or other This I say if thou shalt consider touching the majestie of God and the infinite dread that al creatures have of him except only a sinner for the devils also do fear him as Saint Iames saith thou wilt not marvel of the severe judgement of God appointed for his offence For sure I am that very shame of the world maketh us to have more regard in offending the poorest frind we have in this life than a wicked man hath in offending God which is an intollerable contempt of so great a majestie 7 But now if we adjoin to this contemplation of majestie another consideration of his benefits bestowed upon us our default wil grow to be far greater for that to injurie him who hath done us good is a thing most detestable even in nature it selfe And there was never yet so fearce an hart no not amongst brute beasts but that it might be woon with curtesie benefits but much more amongst reasonable creatures doth benificence prevail especially if he come from great personages whose love and frindship declared unto us but in smal gifts doth greatly bind the harts of the receavers to love them again 8 Consider then deer Christian the infinite good turns and benefits which thou hast receaved at the hands of this great God therby to win thee to his love that thou shouldest leave of to offend and injurie him and albeit no toong created either of man or Angel can expresse the one halfe of these gifts which thou hast receaved from him or the valew of them or the great love and hartie good wil wherwith he bestowed them upon thee yet for som memorie sake I wil repeat certain general and principal points therof wherunto the rest may be referred 9 First then he hath bestowed upon thee the benefit of thy creation wherby he made thee of nothing to the likenes of himselfe and appointed thee to so noble an end as is to serve him in this life and to reign with him in the life to come furnishing thee for the present with the service and subjection of al creatures The greatnes of this benefit may partly be conceaved if thou do imagin thy selfe to lak but any one part of thy bodie as a leg an arm an eie or the like and that one should freely geeve the same unto thee or if thou wantest but any one sense as that thou were deafe or blind and one should restore sight or hearing unto thee how wouldest thou esteeme of this benefit How much wouldest thou professe thy selfe beholding unto him for the same And if the gift of one of these parts only would seeme such a benefit unto thee how great oughtest thou to esteeme the free gift of so manie parts together 10 Ad to this now as I have said that he hath created thee to the likenes of no other thing but of himselfe to no other end but to be his honorable servant in this world and his compartener in kingly glorie for al eternitie to come and this he hath done to thee being only a peece of dirt or clay before Now imagin thou of what maner of love proceeded this But yet ad further how he hath created al this magnificent world for thee and al the creatures therof to serve thee in this busines the heaven to distinguish times and seasons and to geeve thee light the earth and aier and water to minister most infinit varietie of creatures for thy use and sustinance hath made thee lord of al to use them for thy comfort and his service And what magnificent gifts are these And what shameful ingratitude is it to turn the same to the dishonor and injurie of so loving a geever as thou dost by using them to serve thee in sin 11 But yet consider a little further the benefit of thy redemption much greater than al the former which is that thou having lost al those former benefits again and made thy self guiltie by sin of eternal punishment wherto the Angels were now delivered for their sin committed before God chose to redeeme thee and not the Angels and for satisfieng of thy fault to deliver his own only Son to death for thee O Lord what hart can conceave the greatnes of this benefit Imagin thy selfe being a poore man hadst committed a greevous crime against a kings majestie together with some great man of his cheefest nobilitie and that
he cannot abide nor permit the sinner to praise him or to name his testament with his mouth as the holy Ghost testifieth and therfore no marvel if he shew such rigor to him at the last day whom he so greatly hateth and abhorreth in this life 2 There might be many reasons alledged of this as the breach of Gods commandements the ingratitude of a sinner in respect of his benefits and the like which might justifie sufficiently his indignation towards him But there is one reason above the rest which openeth the whole fountain of the matter and that is the intollerable injurie don unto God in everie sin that wittingly we do commit which in deed is such an opprobrious injurie and so dishonorable as no mean potentate could beare the same at his subjects hands and much lesse God himselfe who is the God of majestie may abide to have the same so often iterated against him as commonly it is by a wicked man 3 And for the understanding of this injurie we must note that every time we commit such a sin there doth passe thorough our hart though we mark it not a certein practik discourse of our understanding as there doth also in everie other election wherby we lay before us on the one side the profit of that sin which we are to commit that is the pleasure that draweth us to it and on the other part the offence of God that is the leesing of his frindship by that sin if we do it and so having as it were the balances there before us and putting God in one end and in the other the aforesaid pleasure we stand in the midst deliberating and examining the waight of both parts and finally we do make choise of the pleasure and do reject God that is we do choose rather to leese the frindship of God with his grace and whatsoever he is worth besides than to lose that pleasure and delectation of sin Now what thing can be more horrible than this What can be more spiteful to God than to prefer a most vile pleasure before his majestie Is not this worse than intollerable injurie of the Iewes who chose Barrabas the murderer rejected Christ their Saviour Surely how heinous soever that sin of the Iewes were yet in two points this doth seeme to exceede it the one in that the Iewes knew not whom they refused in their choise as we do the other in that they refused Christ but once and we do it often yea daily hourly when with advisement we give consent in our harts unto sin 4 And is it marvel then that God dealeth so severely and sharply in the world to come with wicked men who do use him so opprobriously contemptuously in this life Surely the malice of a sinner is great towards God he doth not only dishonor him by contempt of his cōmandements by preferring most vile creatures before him but also beareth a secret hatred grudge against his majestie would if it lay in his power pul him out of his seat or at the leastwise wish there were no God at al to punish sin after this life Let every sinner examine the bottom of his conscience in this point whether he could not be content there were no immortalitie of the soule no reckoning after this life no judge no punishment no hel consequently no God to the end he might the more securely enjoy his pleasures 5 And bicause God which searcheth the hart and reins seeth wel this traiterous affection of sinners towards him lurking within their bowels how smooth soever their words are therfore he denounceth them for his enimies in the scripture and professeth open war and hostilitie against them And then suppose you what a case these miserable men are in being but seely wormes of the earth when they have such an enimy to fight against them as doth make the very heavens to trēble at his looke And yet that it is so heare what he saith what he threatneth what he thūdreth against them After he had by the mouth of Esay the prophet repeated many sins abhominable in his sight as the taking of bribes oppressing of poore people and the like he defieth the dooers therof as his open enimies saieng Thus saith the Lord of hosts the strong Lord of hosts of Israel Behold I wil be revenged upon my enimies and wil comfort my selfe in their destruction And the prophet Dauid as he was a man in most high favor with God and made very privie to his secrets so he very much doth utter this severe meaning and infinite displeasure in God against sinners calling them his enimies vessels of his wrath and ordained to eternal ruin and destruction and complaineth that the world wil not beleeve this point An unwise man saith he wil not learn this neither wil the foole vnderstand it What is this How sinners after they be sprong up and workers of iniquitie after they have appeered to the world do perish everlastingly And what is the reason of this He answereth immediately Bicause thy enimies ô Lord behold ô Lord thine enimies shal perish and al those that work iniquitie shal be consumed By this we see that al sinners be enimies to God and God to them and we see also upon what ground and reason But yet for the further justifieng of Gods severitie let us consider in what measure his hatred is towards sin how great how far it proceedeth within what bounds it is cōprehended or if it hath any limits or boūds at al as indeed it hath not but is infinite that is without measure or limitation And to vtter the matter as in truth it standeth if al the toongs in the world were made one tong al the understandings of al creatures I mean of Angels and men were made one understanding yet could neither this tong expresse nor this understanding cōceave the great hatred of Gods hart towards every sin which we do wittingly commit And the reason hereof standeth in two points First for that God by how much more he is better than we are by so much more he loveth goodnes and hateth sin than we do and bicause he is infinitely good therfore his love to goodnes is infinite as also his hatred to evil and consequently his rewards to them both are infinite the one in hel the other in heaven 6 Secondlie we see by experience that how much more great and worthie the person is against whom an offence is committed so much greater the offence is as the selfesame blow geeven to a servant and to a prince differeth greatly in offence and deserveth different hatred and punishment And for that every sin which we advisedly commit is done directly against the person of God himselfe as hath beene declared before whose dignitie is infinite therefore the offence or guilt of everie such sin is infinite and consequently deserveth infinite hatred and infinite punishment
gall and their clusters of grapes are most bitter their wine is the gall of dragons and the poison of cotatrices uncurable By which dreadful and lothsome comparisons he would give us to understand that the sweet pleasures of this world are indeed deceits and wil proove themselves one day most bitter and dangerous 44 The fourth point that we have to consider is how this word aerumna that is miserie and calamitie may be verified of the world and the felicitie therof Which thing though it may appeer sufficiently by that which hath been said before yet wil I for promise sake discusse it a little further in this place by some particulars And among many miseries which I might heer recount the first and one of the greatest is the brevitie and uncertaintie of al worldly prosperitie Oh how great a miserie is this unto a worldly man that would have his pleasures constant and perpetual O death how bitter is thy remembrance saith the wise man unto a man that hath peace in his riches We have seen many men advanced not endured two moneths in their prosperitie we have heard of divers married in great joy and have not lived six daies in their felicitie we have read of strange matters in this kind and we see with our eies no few examples daily What a greefe was it think you to Alexander the great that having subdued in twelve yeers the most part of al the world should be then inforced to die when he was most desirous to live and when he was to take most joy and comfort of his victories What a sorrow was it to the rich man in the Gospel to hear upon the sudden Hac nocte Even this night thou must die What a miserie wil this be to many worldlings when it commeth Who now build pallaces purchase lands heap up riches procure dignities make marriages join kindreds as though there were never an end of these matters What a doleful day wil this be to them I say when they must forgo al these things which they so much love When they must be turned off as princes mules are woont to be at the journeis end that is their treasure taken from them and their gauld backs only left unto themselves For as we see these mules of princes go al the day long loden with treasure and covered with fair cloths but at night shaken off into a sorrie stable much brused gauled with the carriage of those treasures so rich men that passe through this world loden with gold and silver and do gaul greatly their souls in cariage therof are despoiled of their burden at the day of death and are turned off with their wounded consciences to the lothsome stable of hel and damnation 45 Another miserie joined to the prosperitie of this world is the greevous counterpeaze of discontentments that everie worldly pleasure hath with it Run over everie pleasure in this life and see what sawce it hath adjoined Aske them that have had most proofe therof whether they remain contented or no The possession of riches is accompanied with so many fears and cares as hath been shewed the advancement of honors is subject to al miserable servitude that may be devised the plesure of the flesh though it be lawful and honest yet is it called by Saint Paul Tribulation of the flesh but if it be with sin ten thousand times more is it environed with al kind of miseries 46 Who can reckon up the calamities of our bodie So manie diseases so manie infirmities so many mischances so manie dangers Who can tel the passions of our mind that do afflict us now with anger now with sorow now with envie now with furie Who can recount the adversities and miseries that come by our goods Who can nūber the hurts and discontentations that daily insu upon us from our neighbors One calleth us into law for our goods another pursueth us for our life a third by slander impugneth our good name one afflicteth us by hatred another by envie another by flatterie another by deceit another by revenge another by false witnes another by open arms There are not so manie dais nor hours in our lives as there are miseries and contrarieties in the same And further than this the evil hath this prerogative above the good in our life that one defect only overwhelmeth and drowneth a great number of good things togither as if a man had al the felicities heaped togither which this world could yeeld and yet had but one tooth out of tune al the other pleasures would not make him merrie Heerof you have a cleere example in Aman cheefe counceller of king Assuerus who for that Mardocheus the Iew did not rise to him when he went by nor did honor him as other men did he said to his wife frinds that al his other felicities were nothing in respect of this one affliction 47 Ad now to this miserie of darknes and blindnes wherin worldly men live as in part I have touched before most fitly prefigured by the palpable darknes of Egypt wherin no man could see his neighbor no man could see his work no man could see his way such is the darknes wherin worldly men walk They have eies but they see not saith Christ that is though they have eies to see the matters of this world yet they are blind for that they see not the things they should see indeed The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light But that is only in matters of this world in matters of darknes not in matters of light wherof they are no children For that the carnal man understandeth not the things which are of God Walk over the world and you shal find men as sharp eied as egles in things of the earth but the same men as blind as beetles in matters of heaven Therof ensu those lamentable effects that we see daily of mans laws so carefully respected and Gods commandements so contemptuously rejected of earthly goods sought for and heavenly goods not thought upon of so much travel taken for the bodie and so little care used for the soul. Finally if you wil see in what great blindnes the world doth live remember that Saint Paul comming from a worlding to be a good Christian had scales taken from his eies by Ananias which covered his sight before when he was in his pride and ruff of the world 48 Beside al these miseries there is yet another miserie greater in some respect than the former that is the infinit number of temptations of snares of intisements in the world wherby men are drawn to perdition daily Athanasius writeth of Saint Anthonie the hermite that God revealed unto him one day the state of the world and he saw it al hanged ful of nets in every corner and divels sitting
he had al other parts of his bodie yet had he not the use of one of them al bicause that yet he wanted that living soul that could rightly use them Or in much like case as Lazarus was the fourth day dead laid in his grave chained up fast in the power of death having no abilitie at al to come forth or to help out himselfe until he was called forth by the word of thy power and withal had power given him to come Or as Nicodemus not yet regenerate or born again who though otherwise he were learned and wise yet did he not see any thing at al such things as belong unto thy kingdome neither yet was able until he was born again from above But as we are in truth thus far to acknowledge the want that is in us and to take the confusion therof to our selves as the proper and only portion that is du unto us so do we again to our comfort remember that thou art able to make our blinde eies to see to give us power to come forth unto thee and to make us able to understand whatsoever belongeth to our peace And this do we finde not only in thy holie word but also in thy mightie works finding it plain by long experience that thou often hast wrought and daily dost work such things as these where it pleaseth thee When as therby it cōmeth to passe that ever thou hast had hast at this praesent and ever shalt have a seed of those that glorifie thee and in some measure study to advance thy honor on earth First therfore giving unto thee al possible thanks for al those thy servants whom thou hast lightened with the knowledge of thy truth and brought into the way of life which either have been heertofore and now are past their pilgrimage heer and triumphing with thee in the heavens or else do live at this praesent whersoever they are in al the world desiring also to be with thee and to see the glorie of thy kingdome we most humbly beseech thee to gather togither to that assemblie al those thy servants that yet are to come in and wander as yet in their own natural blindnes until it please thee to visit them with thy grace from above O most gratious and merciful father hold on that course with the children of the new Adam now that thou didst with the first Adam before As thou hast given them eies harts and al other parts of the outward man in that they are born the natural children of men so we beseech thee to breath into them the living spirit that so their eies indeed may see and their harts understand not only the things of this world but also whatsoever is expedient for them to know belonging to the world to come and that al the powers both of their bodies and soules togither may in some good measure serve to such use as is seemly and meete for those that do appertain unto thee whom by adoption thou hast vouchsafed to make thy children And thou aeternal and everlasting son of the father who by the word of thy power quickenest whomsoever thou wilt al those which thy heavenly father hath given thee and never sufferest one of those to miscarrie we beseech thee to loase al those that are thine from the snares of sin and power of sathan that they may effectually hear thy voice be therwithal so quikned by thee that being set at libertie from the snares they were in and lieng bound in the grave no longer they come foorth at thy cal and do the service Thou also most glorious and mightie spirit the fountain of al our regeneration by whom unles we be born again we can never see the kingdome of God and by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption so many as are by aeternal election therunto ordeined we humbly beseech thee that as thou knowest who they are that are thine and in what time they are to be called so it would please thee so to work in them by thy power as that whosoever are yet but the natural children of Adam decaied and yet in the secret purpose of the Godhead do appertain to the kingdome of God may when the time of their refreshing doth come be so renued framed by thee that they also may plainly understand the doctrine thou teachest professe the same and frame their lives in some good measure agreeable to it and therin to their comfort finde that they also are sealed to aeternal life O blessed Trinitie it is not in us to reform our selves For both the enimie is stronger than we and stil detaineth us under his power and we likewise have no desire to be freed from him and besides that have a natural loathing of the way of life But unto thee O Lord it belongeth and to thee alone Thou art able both to deliver us from the bondage that we are in and to make us both to covet and to love to come to the freedome of thy children to spend the rest of our daies therin We pray not in this respect for the world though otherwise we beseech thee stil to continu thy wonted goodnes to it likewise to al the children of men but as thou hast more specially ordeined those whom thou hast chosen out of the world to be a peculiar people to thee to have now the knowledge and fear of thee and after to see thy glorie in heaven so we humbly desire that now thou wilt so effectually cal them in thy good time and sanctifie them heer in this life that after by the course that thou hast ordeined they may likewise come to life everlasting Seeing that the son is to be had in honor of al and it is not wel with the members until they be joined unto their head in both these respects we beseech thee make haste to unite them togither that the son may have to sanctifie him and to speak of his holy name and that his members heer on earth may so far injoy the peace and comfort that in him thou hast provided for them Grant this we beseech thee most merciful father thorough Iesus Christ thy son our Lord to whom with thee and the holie Ghost as of right appertaineth be ascribed al power thanks and glorie for ever and ever Amen FINIS Of the Author By what occasion he wrote His intent and purpose Of the booke it selfe In what maner it came foorth at the first What is don to it since First in the substance which is approoved Then in the form or maner of it which is amended The first part The second part The end of this bóoke Two parts of this booke The necessitie of resolution Acts. 7. Apoc. 3. Rom. 1. An advertisement The divels argument Wilful ignorance increaseth sin Psal. 35. Ose. 4. Iob. 21. See S. Austen of this sin De gra lib. arb chap. 3. S. Chrisostom hom 26. in epist. ad
and to leave al vanities of the world if he did consider as he should do the waightie reasons he hath to moove him thereunto the reward he shal receive for it and his infinite danger if he do it not But bicause as I have said scarce one among a thousand doth enter into these considerations or if he do it is with lesse attention or continuance than so great a matter requireth herof it commeth that so many men perish daily and so few are saved for that by lack of consideration they neuer resolve themselves to live as they should do and as the vocation of a Christian man requireth So that we may also complain with holie Ieremie alledged in the beginning that our earth also of Christianitie is brought to desolation for that men do not deeply consider in their harts 10 Consideration is the key which openeth the dore to the closet of our hart where al our bookes of account do lie It is the looking glasse or rather the very eie of our soule wherby she seeth hir selfe and looketh into al hir whole estate hir riches hir good gifts hir defects hir safetie hir danger hir waie she walketh in hir pase she holdeth and finally the place and end which she draweth unto And without this consideration shee runneth on blindly into a thousand brakes and briers stumbling at every step into some one inconvenience or other and continually in peril of some great deadlie mischief And it is a wonderful matter to think that in other busines of this life men both see and confesse that nothing can be either begun prosecuted or wel ended without consideration and yet in this great busines of the kingdome of heaven no man almost vseth or thinketh the same necessarie 11 If a man had to make a journey but from England to Constantinople albeit he had made the same once or twise before yet would he not passe it over without great and often consideration especially whether he were right and in the way or no what pase he held how neere he was to his wais end and the like And thinkest thou my deer brother to passe from earth to heaven and that by so manie hils and dales and dangerous places never passed by thee before and this without any consideration at al Thou art deceived if thou thinkest so for this journey hath far more need of consideration than that being much more subject to bypaths and dangers every pleasure of this world every lust every dissolute thought every alluring sight and tempting sound every divel vpon the earth or instrument of his which are infinite being a theefe and lieng in wait to spoil thee and to destroy thee vpon this way towards heaven 12 Wherfore I would give counsel to every wise passenger to looke wel about him and at least wise once a day to enter into consideration of his estate and of the estate of his treasure which he carieth with him in a brickle vessel as Saint Paul affirmeth I mean his soule which may as soone be lost by inconsideration as the smallest and nicest jewell in this world as partly shall appeer by that which heerafter I have written for the help of this consideration wherof both I my self and al other Christians do stand in so great need in respect of our acceptable service to God For surely if my soul or any other did consider attentievly but a few things of many which she knoweth to be trew she could not but speedily reform hir self with infinite mislike and detestation of hir former course As for example if she considered thoroughly that hir only comming into this life was to attend to the service of God and that she notwithstanding attendeth only or the most part to the vanities of this world that she must give account at the last day of every idle word and yet that she maketh none account not only of words but also not of evil deeds that no fornicator no adulterer no vsurer no couetous or vnclean person shal ever enjoy the kingdome of heaven as the scripture saith and yet she thinketh to go thither living in the same vices that one only sin hath ben sufficient to damn many thousands togither and yet she being loden with many thinketh to escape that the way to heaven is hard strait and painful by the affirmation of God himself and yet she thinketh to go in living in pleasures and delites of the world that al holie saints that ever were as the Apostles mother of Christ hir self with al good men since chose to them selves to live an austere life in painful labour profitable to others fasting praieng punishing their bodies and the like and for al this lived in feare and trembling of the judgements of God she attending to none of these things but folowing hir pastimes maketh no doubt of hir own estate If I saie my soule or anie other did in deede and in earnest consider these things or the least part of a thousand more that might be considered and which our Christian faith doth teach vs to be tru she would not wander as the most part of Christian souls do in such desperate peril thorough want of consideration 13 What maketh theeves to seeme mad vnto wise men that seing so manie hanged dailie for theft before their eies wil yet notwithstanding steal again but lak of consideration And the verie same cause maketh the wisest men of the world to seeme verie fooles and worse than frantiks vnto God and good men that knowing the vanities of the world and the danger of sinful life do folow so much the one and feare so litle the other If a law were made by the authoritie of man that whosoever shuld adventure to drink wine should without delaie hold his hand but half an hour in the fire or in boiling lead for a punishment I thinke manie would forbear wine albeit naturallie they loued the same and yet a law being made by the eternal maiestie of God that whosoever committeth sin shal boile everlastinglie in the fire of hel without ease or end manie one for lack of consideration do commit sin with as litle fear as they do eat or drink 14 To conclude therfore consideration is a most necessarie thing to be taken in hand especiallie in these our daies wherin vanitie hath so much prevailed with the most as it semeth to be tru wisdome and the contrarie therof to be meere follie and contemptible simplicitie But I doubt not by the assistance of God and help of consideration to discover in that which foloweth the error of this matter unto the discreet Reader which is not wilfullie blinded or obstinatelie given over unto the captivitie of his ghostlie enimie for some such men there be of whom God saith as it were pitieng and lamenting their case They haue made a leag with death and a couenant with hel it self that is they
wherof he maketh mention in his writings As also al godly men by his example have used the like helps since for the better resisting of sinful temptations when need required and the like Wherof I could here recite great store of examples out of the holy fathers which would make a man to woonder and afeard also if he were not past fear to see what extream pain and diligence those first Christians tooke in watching every little sleight of the devil and in resisting every little temptation or cogitation of sin wheras we never think of the matter nor make account either of cogitation consent of hart word or work but do yeeld to al whatsoever our concupiscence moveth us unto do swalow down every hook laid vs by the devil and most greedily do devour every poisoned pleasant bait which is offered by the enimy for the destruction of our souls and thus much about resisting of sin 9 But now touching the second point which is continual exercising our selves in good works it is evident in itselfe that we utterly fail for the most part of us in the same I have shewed before how we are in scripture cōmanded to do them without ceasing and most diligently whiles we have time of day to do them in for as Christ saith The night wil come when no man can work any more I might also shew how certein of our forefathers the saints of God were most diligent and careful in doing good works in their dais even as the husbandman is careful to cast seed into the ground whiles fair weather lasteth and the merchant to lay out his mony whiles the good market endureth They knew the time would not last long which they had to work in and therfore they bestirred themselves whiles opportunitie served they never ceased but came from one good work to another wel knowing what they did and how good and acceptable service it was unto God 10 If there were nothing els to proove their wonderful care and diligence herein yet the infinite monuments of their almes-deeds yet extant to the world are sufficient testimonies of the same to wit the infinite churches builded and indued with great abundant maintenance for the ministers of the same so manie schooles colledges vniversities so many bridges highwais and publik commodities Which charitable deeds and a thousand mo both private and publik secret and open which I cannot report came out of the purses of our good ancesters who oftentimes not only gave of their abundance but also saved from their own mouths and bestowed it upon deeds of charitie to the glorie of God and benefit of others Wheras we are so far of from giving awaie our necessaries as we wil not bestow our very superfluities but wil imploy them rather upon hawks and dogs and other brute beasts and somtimes also upon much viler uses than to the releefe of our poore brethren 11 Alas deer brother to what a carelesse and senseles estate are we come touching our own salvation and damnation S. Paul crieth out unto us Work your own salvation with fear and trembling and yet no man for that maketh account therof S. Peter warneth us gravely and earnestly Brethren take you great care to make your vocation and election sure by good works and yet who almost wil think upon them Christ himselfe thundereth in these words I tel you make your selves frinds in this world of uniust mammon that when you faint they may receive you into eternal tabernacles And yet for al that we are not moved herewithal so dead we are and lumpish to al goodnes 12 If God did exhort us to good deeds for his own commoditie or for any gain that he is to take therby yet in reason we ought to pleasure him therin seing we have receaved al from his only liberalitie before But seing he asketh it at our hands for no need of his own but only for our gain to pay us home again with advantage it is more reason we should harken unto him If a common honest man upon earth should invite us to do a thing promising us of his honestie a sufficient reward we would beleve him but God making infinit promises unto us in scripture of eternal reward to our wel doing as that we shal eat with him drink with him raigne with him possesse heaven with him and the like can not move us notwithstanding to works of charitie But bicause those forefathers of ours were moved herewithal as having harts of softer metal than ours are of therfore they brought foorth such abundant fruit as I have shewed 13 Of al this then that I have said the godly Christian may gather first the lamentable estate of the world at this day when amongst the smal number of those which bear the name of Christians so many are like to perish for not performing of these two principal points of their uocation Secondly he may gather the cause of the infinit difference of reward for good and evil in the life to come which some men wil seeme to marvel at but in deed is most just and reasonable considering the great diversitie of life in good and evil men whiles they are in this world For the good man doth not only endevor to avoid sin but also by resisting the same daily and hourly encreaseth in the fauor of God The loose man by yeelding consent to his concupiscence doth not only lose the favor of God but also doubleth sin upon sin without number The good man besides avoiding sin doth infinit good works at the least wise in desire and hart wher greter abilitie serveth not But the wicked man neither in hart nor deed doth any good at al but rather seeketh in place therof to do hurt The good man imploieth al his mind hart words and hands to the service of God and of his servants for his sake But the wicked man bendeth al his force and powers both of body and mind to the service of vanities the world his flesh Insomuch that as the good man increaseth hourly in the favor of God to which is du increase of grace and glory in heaven so the evil from time to time in thought word or deed or in al at once heapeth up sin and damnation upon himself to which is du vengeance and increase of torments in hel and in this contrarie course they passe over their lives for twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres and so come to die And is it not reason now that seeing there is so great diversitie in their estates there should be as great or more diversitie also in their reward Especially seeing God is a great God and rewardeth smal things with great wages either of everlasting glorie or everlasting pain Thirdly and lastly the diligent and careful Christian may gather of this what great cause he hath to put in practise the godly counsel of Saint Paul which is That every man should prove
of al our dooings then it shal be seene evidently what ech man is to have in the justice and mercie of God 12 To speak then of this second judgement general and common for al the world wherin as the scripture saith God shal bring into iudgment everie error which hath beene committed There are divers circumstances to be considered and divers men do set down the same diversly but in mine opinion no better plainer or more effectual declaration can be made therof than the very scripture maketh it selfe setting forth unto us in most significant words al the maner order and circumstances with the preparation therunto as followeth 13 At that day there shal be signes in the sun and in the moone and in the stars the sun shal be darkened the moone shal geeve no light the stars shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heaven shal be mooved the firmament shal leave his situation with a great violence the elements shal be dissolved with heat and the earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire the earth also shal moove off hir place and shal fly like a little deere or sheepe The distresse of nations upon the earth shal be great by reason of the confusion of the noise of the sea and fluds and men shal wither away for fear and expectation of these things that then shal come upon the whole world And then shal the signe of the Son of man appeer in the skie and then shal al the tribes of the earth moorn and wail and they shal see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with much power and glorie great authoritie and majestie And then in a moment in the twinkling of an eie he shal send his Angels with a trumpet and with a great crie at midnight and they shal gather together his elect from the fower parts of the world from heaven to earth Al must be presented before the judgement seat of Christ who wil bring to light those things which were hidden in darknes and wil make manifest the thoughts of mens harts and whatsoever hath beene spoken in chambers in the eare shal be preached upon the house top Account shal be asked of every idle word he shal judge our very righteousnes it selfe Then shal the just stand in great constancie against those which have afflicted them in this life and the wicked seeing that shal be troubled with an horrible fear shal say to the hils fal upon us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the anger of the lambe for that the great day of wrath is come Then shal Christ separate the sheepe from the goats and shal put the sheepe on his right hand and the goats on the left and shal say to those on the right hand come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world I was hungry you gave me to eat I was a stranger and you gave me harbor I was naked and you clothed me I was in prison and you came to me Then shal the just say O Lord when have we done these things for thee And the King shal answer truly when you did them to the lest of my brothers you did it to me Then shal he say to them on his left hand Depart from me you accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and ye fed me not I was a stranger and you harbored me not I was naked and you clothed me not I was sick and in prison and you visited me not Then shal they say O Lord when have we seen thee hungrie or thirstie or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison did not minister unto thee And he shal answer verily I tel you seeing you have not done it to one of these lesser you have not done it to me And then these men shal go into eternal punishment and the just into life everlasting 14 Tel me what a dreadful preparation is here laied down How many circumstances of fear and horror It shal be saith the scripture at midnight when commonly men are asleep it shal be with hideous noise of trumpets sound of waters motion of al the elements what a night wil that be trowest thou to see the earth shake the hils dales mooved from their places the moone darkened the stars fal down from heaven the whole element shivered in peeces and al the world in a flaming fire 15 Can any tong in the world expresse a thing more forcibly than this matter is expressed by Christ the Apostles and Prophets themselves What mortal hart can but tremble in the middest of this unspeakable terror Is it marvel if the very just men and the Angels themselves are said to fear it And then as S. Peter reasoneth If the iust shal scarce be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeer What a dreadful day wil it be for the careles and loose Christian which hath passed his time pleasantly in this world when he shal see so infinite a sea of fears and miseries to rush upon him 16 But besides al these most terrible and fearce preparations there wil be many other matters of no lesse dreadful consideration as to see al sepulchres open at the sound of the trumpet and to yeeld foorth al their dead bodies which they have received from the beginning of the world to see al men women and children kings and Queens princes and potentates to stand there naked in the face of al creatures their sins revealed their secret offences laid open done and committed in the closets of their pallaces and they constrained and compelled to geeve accounts of a thousand matters whereof they would disdain to have beene told in this life as how they have spent the time how they have imploied their welth what behavior they have used towards their brethren how they have mortified their senses how they have ruled their appetites how they have obeied the inspirations of the holy ghost and finally how they used al good gifts in this life 17 Oh deare brother it is unpossible to expresse what a great treasure a good conscience wil be at this day it wil be more worth than ten thousand worlds for wealth wil not help the judge wil not be corrupted with money no intercession of worldly frinds shal prevail for us at that day no not of the angels themselves whose glorie shal be then as the prophet saith To bind kings in fetters and noble men in iron manacles to execute upon them the iudgement prescribed and this shal be glorie to al his saints Alas what wil al those wise people do then that now live in delites and can take no pain in the service of God What shift wil they make in those extremities Whether wil they turn
them Whose help wil they crave They shal see al things crie vengeance about them al things yeeld them cause of feare and terror but nothing to yeeld them any hope or comfort Above them shal be their judge offended with them for their wickednes beneath them hel open and the cruel fornace readie boiling to receave them on the right hand shal be their sins accusing them on the left hand the devils ready to execute Gods eternal sentence upon them within them their conscience gnawing without them al damned soules bewailing on everie side the world burning Good Lord what wil the wretched sinner do invironed with al these miseries How wil his hart sustain these anguishes What way wil he take To go back is impossible to go forward is intollerable What then shal he do but as Christ foretelleth he shal drie up for very fear seeke death and death shal fly from him cry to the hils to fal upon him and they refusing to do him so much pleasure he shal stand there as a most desperate forlorne and miserable caitife wretch until he receave that dreadful and irrevocable sentence Go you accursed into everlasting fire 18 Which sentence once pronounced consider what a doleful cry and shout wil streight follow The good rejoising and singing praises in the glorie of their saviour the wicked bewailing blaspheming and cursing the day of their nativitie Consider the intollerable upbraieng of the wicked infernal spirits against these miserable condemned souls now delivered to them in pray for ever With how bitter scofs and taunts wil they hale them on to torments Consider the eternal seperation that then must be made of fathers children mothers daughters frinds and companions the one to glorie the other to confusion with out ever seeing one the other again and that which shal be as great a greefe as any other if it be tru that some conceave that our knowledge one of another here on earth shal so far remain the son going to heaven shal not pitie his own father or mother going to hel but shal rejoice at the same for that it turneth to Gods glorie for the execution of his justice What a separation I say shal this be What a farewel Whose hart would not break at that day to make this separation if a hart could break at that time so end his pains But that wil not be Where are al our delites now Where are al our pleasant pastimes become Our bravery in apparel our glistering in gold our honor done to us with cap and knee al our delicate fare al our musik al our wanton daliances and recreations we were wont to have al our good frinds and merie companions accustomed to laugh and to disport the time with us Where are they become Oh deere brother how sower wil al the pleasures past of this world seeme at that hour How doleful wil their memorie be unto us How vain a thing wil al our dignities our riches our possessions appeere And on the contrarie side how joiful wil that man be that hath attended in this life to live vertuouslie albeit with pain and contempt of the world Happy creature shal he be that ever he was born no toong but Gods can expresse his happines 19 And now to make no other conclusion of al this but even that which Christ himselfe maketh let us consider how easie a matter it is now for us with a little pain to avoid the danger of this day for that cause it is foretold us by our most merciful judge and Saviour to the end we should by our diligence avoid it For thus he concludeth after al his former threatnings Videte vigilate c. Looke about you watch and praie ye for you know not when the time shal be But as I say to you so I say to al be watchful And in another place having reckoned up al the particulars before recited least any man should dowt that al should not be fulfilled he saith Heaven and earth shal passe but my words shal not passe And then he addeth this exhortation Attend therfore unto your selves that your harts be not overcome with banquetting and dronkenes with the cares of this life and so that day come upon you sodenly For he shal come as a snare upon them which inhabite the earth be you therfore watchful and alwais pray that you may be woorthy to escape al these things which are to com to stand confidently before the Son of man at this day What a frindly and fatherly exhortation is this of Christ Who could desire a more kind gentle or effectual forewarning Is there any man that can plead ignorance hereafter The verie like conclusion gathered Saint Peter out of the premises when he saith The day of the Lord shal come as a theefe in which the elements shal be dissolved c. Seeing then al these things must be dissolved what maner of men ought we to be in holy conversation and pietie expecting and going on to meete the comming of that day of the Lord c. This meeting of the day of judgement which Saint Peter speaketh of is an earnest longing after it which never is had until first there go before a du examination of our estate and speedy amendment of our life past Therfore saith most notably the wise man Provide thee of a medicine before the sore come and examine thy selfe before iudgement and so shalt thou find propitiation in the sight of God To which Saint Paul agreeth when he saith If we would iudge our selves we should not be iudged But bicause no man entreth into du judgement of himselfe and of his own life therof it commeth that so few do prevent this latter judgement so few are watchful and so many fal a sleepe in ignorance of their own danger Our Lord give us grace to looke better about us CHAP. VI. A consideration of the nature of sin and of a sinner for the iustifieng of Gods severitie shewed in the Chapter before TO the end that no man may justly complain of the severe account which God is to take of us at the last day or of the severitie of his judgement set down in the chapter before it shal not be amisse to consider in this chapter the cause why God doth shew such severitie against sin and sinners as both by that which hath been said doth appeer and also by the whole course of holie scripture where he in every place almost denounceth his extreme hatred wrath indignatiō against the same as where it is said of him That he hateth al those that work iniquitie And that both the wicked man and his wickednes are in hatred with him And finaly that the whole life of sinners their thoughts words works yea and their good actions also are abhominations in his sight whiles they live in sin And that which yet is more
for so the holy scripture describing divers causes of wickednes among men putteth these two for principal First the flatterie of the world Quoniam laudatur peccator in desiderijs animae suae For that the sinner is praised in his lusts And secondly Quia auferuntur indicia tua a facie eius For that thy iudgements ô Lord are not before his face And on the contrarie side speaking of himselfe he saith I have kept the wais of the Lord and have not behaved my selfe impiously towards God And he geeveth the reason therof immediatly For that al his iudgements are in my sight And again I have feared thy iudgements ô Lord. And again I have beene mindful of thy iudgements And how profitable this fear is he sheweth in the same place demanding this fear most instantly at Gods hands for so he praieth Strike my flesh thorough with thy fear ô Lord. And S. Paul after he had shewed to the Corinthians that We must al be presented before the iudgement seat of Christ maketh this conclusion We knowing therfore these things do persuade the fear of the Lord unto men And Saint Peter after a long declaration of the majestie of God and Christ now raigning in heaven concludeth thus If then you cal him father which doth iudge everie man according to his works without exception of persons do you live in fear during the time of this your habitation upon earth A necessarie lesson no dowt for al men but specially for those which by reason of their sins and wicked life do remain in displeasure and hatred of God and hourly subject as I have shewed to the furie of his judgements which if they once fal into they are both irrevocable and intollerable and they may be fallen into as easily and by as manie wais as a man may come to death which are infinite especially to them who by their wickednes have lost the peculiar protection of God and so consequently of his angels too as I have shewed have subjected themselves to the feends of darknes who do nothing else but seeke their destruction both of bodie and soul with as great diligence as they can What wise man then would but fear in such a case Who could eat or drink or sleepe quietly in his bed until by tru and hartie repentance he had discharged his conscience of sin A little stone falling from the how 's upon his head or his horse stumbling under him as he rideth or his enimie meeting him on the high way or an agew comming with eating or drinking a little too much or ten thousand means besides wherof he standeth daily and hourly in danger may rid him of this life and put him in that case as no creature of this world nor any continuance of time shal be able to deliver him thence again And who then would not fear Who would not tremble 16 The Lord of his mercie geeve us his holy grace to fear him as we should do and to make such account of his justice as he by threatning the same would have us to do And then shal not we delay the time but resolve our selves to serve him whiles he is content to accept of our service and to pardon us al our offences if we would once make this resolution from our hart CHAP. VII Another consideration for the further iustifieng of Gods iudgements and declaration of our demerit taken from the maiestie of God and his benefits towards us ALbeit the most part of Christians throgh their wicked life arrive not to that estate wherin holie David was when he said to God Thy iudgements ô Lord are pleasant unto me as indeed they are to al those that live vertuously and have the testimonie of a good conscience yet at leastwise that we may say with the same prophet The iudgements of the Lord are tru and iustified in themselves And again Thou art iust ô Lord and thy iudgement is right I have thought good to ad a reason or two mo in this chapter wherby it may appeer how great our offence is towards God by sinning as we do how righteous his judgments and justice are against us for the same 2 And first of al is to be considered the majestie of him against whom we sin for most certain it is as I have noted before that every offence is so much the greater and more greevous by how much greater and more noble the person is against whom it is done and the partie offending more base and vile And in this respect God to terrifie us from offending him nameth himselfe often with certain titles of majestie as to Abraham I am the almightie Lord And again Heaven is my seat and the earth is my footstoole And again he commanded Moises to say to the people in his name this ambassage Harden not your necks any longer for that your Lord and God is a God of gods and a Lord of lords a great God both mightie and terrible which accepteth neither person nor bribes 3 First then I say consider gentle Christian of what an infinite majestie he is whom thou a poore woorm of the earth hast so often and so contemptuously offended in this life We see in this world that no man dareth to offend openly or say a word against the majestie of a prince within his own dominions and what is the majestie of al the princes upon earth compared to the thousandth part of the majestie of God who with a word made both heaven and earth and al the creatures therin and with halfe a word can destroie the same again whom al the creatures which he made as the Angels the heavens and al the elements besides do serve at a bek and dare not offend Only a sinner is he which imboldeneth himselfe against this majestie and feareth not to offend the same whom the Angels do praise the dominations do adore the powers do tremble and the highest heavens togither with Cherubins and Seraphins do daily honor and celebrate 4 Remember then deer brother that everie time thou dost commit a sin thou givest as it were a blow in the face to this God of great majestie who as Saint Paul saith Dwelleth in an unaccessible light which no man in this world can abide to look upon As also it appeereth by the example of Saint Iohn evangelist who fel down dead for very fear at the appearance of Christ unto him as himself testifieth And when Moises desired to see God once in his life made humble petition for the same God answered that no man could see him and live but yet to satisfie his request and to shew him in part what a terrible and glorious God he was he told Moises that he should see some peece of his glorie but he added that it was needful he should hide himselfe in the hole of a rock and be covered with Gods own hands for his defence while
a man What honor was that he did to Esay in the sight of king Ezechias when he made the sun to go bak ten degrees in the heavens What honor was that he did to Helias in the sight of wicked Achab when he yeelded the heavens into his hands and permitted him to say that neither rain nor dew should fal upon the ground for certein yeres but by the words of his mouth onlie What honor was that he did to Elizeus in the sight of Naaman the noble Syrian whom he cured onlie by his word from the leprosie and his bones after his death raised by onlie touching the dead to life Finallie not to alledge mo examples herein what singular honor was that he gave to al the Apostles of his Son that as many as ever they laid hands on were healed from al infirmities as Saint Luke saith Nay which is yet more the verie girdles and napkins of Saint Paul did the same effect and yet more than that also as many as came within the onlie shadow of Saint Peter were healed from their diseases Is not this marveilous honor even in this life Was there ever monarch prince or potentate of the world which could vaunt of such points of honor And if Christ did this even in this world to his servants wherof notwithstanding he saith his kingdome was not what honor shal we think he hath reserved for the world to come where his kingdome shal be and where al his servants shal be crowned as kings with him 10 Another declaration yet of this matter is laid down by Divines for opening of the greatnes of this beatitude in heaven and that is the consideration of three places wherto man by his creation is appointed The first is his mothers womb the second this present world the third is Coelum Empireum which is the place of blisse in the life to come Now in these three places we must hold the proportion by al reason which we see sensiblie to be observed between the first two So that look in what proportion the second doth differ from the first in like measure must the third differ from the second or rather much more seeing that the whole earth put togither is by al Philosophie but as a prik or smal point in respect of the marveilous greatnes of the heavens By this proportion then we must say that as far as the whole world doth passe the womb of one private woman so much in al beautie delites and majestie doth the place of blisse passe al this whole world And as much as a man living in the world doth passe a child in his mothers bellie in strength of bodie beautie wit understanding learning and knowledge so much and far more doth a Saint in heaven passe men of this world in al these things and manie mo besides And as much horror as a man would have to turn into his mothers womb again so much would a glorified soul have to return into this world again The nine months also of life in the mothers womb are not so little in respect of mans life in the world as is the longest life upon earth in respect of the eternal in heaven Nor the blindnes ignorance other miseries of the child in his mothers womb are any way comparable to the blindnes ignorance and other miseries of this life in respect of the light cleer knowledge and other felicities of the life to come So that by this also some conjecture may be made of the matter which we have in hand 11 But yet to consider the thing more in particular it is to be noted that this glorie of heaven shal have two parts the one belonging to the soul the other belonging to the bodie That which belongeth to the soul consisteth in the vision of God as shal be shewed after that which belongeth to the bodie consisteth in the change and glorification of our flesh after the general resurrection that is wherby this corruptible bodie of ours shal put on incorruption as Saint Paul saith and of mortal become immortal Al this flesh I say of ours that now is so combersom and greeveth the mind that now is so infested with so many inconveniences subject to so many mutations vexed with so many diseases defiled with so many corruptions replenished with so infinite miseries and calamities shal then be made glorious and most perfect to endure for ever without mutation and to raign with the soul world without end For it shal be delivered from this lumpish hevines wherewith it is pestered in this life from al diseases likewise and pains of this life and from al trobles and incombrances belonging to the same as sin eating drinking sleeping and such like And it shal be set in a most florishing estate of health never deceaveable again So florishing that our Savior Christ saith that At that daie shal the iust shine as the sun in the kingdom of their father A marvelous saieng of Christ and in humane sense almost incredible that our putrified bodies should shine and become as cleer as the sun Wheras in the contrarie part the bodies of the damned shal be as blak and uglie as filth it selfe So likewise al the senses togither finding then their proper objects in much more excellencie than ever they could in this world as shal be shewed after even everie part sense member joint shal be replenished with singular comfort as the same shal be tormented in the damned I wil here alledge Anselmus his words for that they expresse lively this matter Al the glorified bodie saith he shal be filled with abundance of al kind of pleasure the eies the eares the nose the mouth the hands the throte the lungs the hart the stomak the bak the bones the marrow the entrals themselves and everie part therof shal be replenished with such unspeakable sweetnes and pleasure that truly it may be said that The whole man is made to drink of the river of Gods divine pleasures and made dronken with the abundance of Gods house Besides al which it hath perpetuitie wherby it is made sure now never to die or alter from his felicitie according to the saieng of scripture that The iust shal live for ever Which is one of the cheefest prerogatives of a glorified bodie for that by this al care and fear is taken away al danger of hurt and noiance remooved from us 12 But now to come to that point of this felicitie which pertaineth to the soul as the principal part it is to be understood that albeit there be many things that do concur in this felicitie for the accomplishment and perfection of happines yet the fountain of al is but one only thing called by divines Visio Dei beatifica The sight of God that maketh us happie Haec sola est summum bonum nostrum saith Saint Augustine This only sight of God is
our happinesse Which Christ also affirmeth when he saith to his father This is life everlasting that men know the tru God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Saint Paul also putteth our felicitie In seeing God face to face And S. Iohn In seeing God as he is And the reason of this is for that al the pleasures and contentations in the world being only sparkles parcels sent out from God they are al contained much more perfectly and excellently in God himselfe than they are in their own natures created as also al the perfections of his creatures are more fully in him than in themselves Wherof it followeth that whosoever is admitted to the vision and presence of God he hath al the goodnes and perfection of creatures in the world united togither and presented unto him at once So that whatsoever deliteth either bodie or soul there he enjoieth it wholy knit up togither as it were in one bundle and with the presence therof is ravished in al parts both of mind and bodie as he cannot imagin think or wish for any joy whatsoever but there he findeth it in his perfection there he findeth al knowledge al wisdom al beautie al riches al nobilitie al goodnes al delite and whatsoever beside either deserveth love and admiration or worketh pleasure or contentation Al the powers of the mind shal be filled with this sight presence fruition of God al the senses of our bodie shal be satisfied God shal be the universal felicitie of al his saints containing in himselfe al particular felicities without end number or measure He shal be a glasse to our eies musik to our ears honie to our mouths most sweet and pleasant balm to our smel he shal be light to our understanding contentation to our wil continuation of eternitie to our memorie In him shal we enjoy al the varietie of times that delite us heer al the beautie of creatures that allure us heer al the plesures and joies that content us heer In this vision of God saith one Doctor we shal know we shal love we shal rejoice we shal praise We shal know the very secrets and judgements of God which are a depth without bottom Also the causes natures beginnings ofsprings and ends of al creatures We shal love incomparablie both God for the infinite causes of love that we see in him and our companions as much as our selves for that we see them as much loved of God as our selves and that also for the same for which we are loved Wherof insueth that our joy shal be without measure both for that we shal have a particular joy for every thing we love in God which are infinite and also for that we shal rejoice at the felicitie of everie one of our companions as much as at our own by that means we shal have so many distinct felicities as we shal have distinct companions in our felicitie which being without number it is no marvel though Christ said Go into the ioy of the Lord. And not let the Lords joy enter into thee for that no one hart created can receive the fulnes and greatnes of this joy Heerof it followeth lastly that we shal praise God without end or wearines with al our hart with al our strength with al our powers with al our parts according as the scripture saith Happie are they that live in thy house O Lord for they shal praise thee eternally without end 13 Of this most blessed vision of God the holie father Saint Austen writeth thus Happie are the clean of hart for they shal see God saith our Savior then is there a vision of God deer brethren which maketh us happie a vision I say which neither eie hath seen in this world nor eare hath heard nor hart conceived A vision that passeth al the beautie of earthly things of gold of silver of woods of fields of sea of air of sun of moon of stars of Angels for that al these things have their beauty from thence We shal see him face to face saith the Apostle And we shal know him as we are known We shal know the power of the Father we shal know the wisdom of the Son we shal know the goodnes of the holie Ghost we shal know the indivisible nature of the most blessed Trinitie And this seeing of the face of God is the joy of angels al saints in heaven This is the reward of life everlasting this is the glorie of blessed spirits their everlasting pleasure their crown of honor their game of felicitie their rich rest their beautiful place their inward and outward joy their divine paradice their heavenly Ierusalem their felicitie of life their fulnes of blisse their eternal joy their peace of God that passeth al understanding This sight of God is the ful beatitude the total glorification of man to see him I say that made both heaven and earth to see him that made thee that redeemed thee that glorified thee For in seeing him thou shal possesse him in possessing him thou shalt love him in loving him thou shalt praise him For he is the inheritance of his people he is the possession of their felicitie he is the reward of their expectation I wil be thy great reward saith he to Abraham O Lord thou art great and therfore no marvel if thou be a great reward The sight and fruition of thee therfore is al our hire al our reward al our joy and felicitie that we expect seeing thou hast said that This is life everlasting to see and know thee our tru God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 14 Having now declared the two general parts of heavenly felicitie the one appertaining to our soul the other to our bodie it is not hard to esteem what excesse of joy both of them joined togither shal work at that happie day of our glorification O joy above al joies passing al joy and without which there is no joy when shal I enter into thee saith Saint Austen when shal I enjoy thee to see my GOD that dwelleth in thee O everlasting kingdome O kingdome of al eternities O light without end O peace of God that passeth al understanding in which the souls of saints do rest with thee And everlasting ioy is upon their heads they possesse ioy and exultation and al pain and sorrow is fled from them O how glorious a kingdome is thine O Lord wherin al saints do raign with thee Adorned with light as with apparel and having crowns of pretious stones on their heads O kingdome of everlasting blisse where thou O Lord the hope of al saints art and the diadem of their perpetual glorie rejoising them on everie side with thy blessed sight In this kingdome of thine there is infinite joy and mirth without sadnes health without sorrow life without labor light without darknes felicity
the strength of continencie there the good almers which have liberally fed the poore and keeping Gods commandements have transferred their earthly riches to the store-house of heaven shal receive their du and peculiar reward O how shal vertu shew hir selfe at this day How shal good deeds content their doers And among al other joies and contentations this shal not be the least to see the poore souls that come thither on the sudden from the miseries of this life how they I say shal remain astonished and as it were beside themselves at the sudden mutation and excessive honor done unto them If a poore man that were out of his way wandering alone upon the mountains in the midst of a dark and tempestuous night far from companie destitute of money beaten with rain terrified with thunder stif with cold wearied out with labor almost famished with hunger and thirst and near brought to despair with multitude of miseries should upon the sudden in the twinkling of an eie be placed in a goodly large and rich pallace furnished with al kind of cleer lights warme fire sweet smels daintie meats soft beds pleasant musik fine apparel and honorable companie al prepared for him and attending his comming to serve him to honor him and to annoint and crown him a king for ever what would this poore man do How would he look What could he say Surely I think he could say nothing but rather would weepe in silence for joy his hart being not able to contain the sudden and exceeding greatnes therof 18 Wel then so shal it be and much more with these twise happie souls that come to heaven For never was there cold shadow so pleasant in a hot burning sunnie day nor the welspring to the poore traveller in his greatest thirst of the sommer nor the repose of an easie bed to the wearied servant after his labor at night as shal be this rest of heaven to an afflicted soul which commeth thither O that we could conceave this that we could imprint this in our harts deer brother would we follow vanities as we do Would we neglect this matter as we do Surely our coldnes in seeking after these joies doth proceed of the smal opinion we do conceive of them For if we made such account and estimate of this jewel as other merchants before us more skilful and wiser than our selves have done we would bid for it as they did or at leastwise would not let it passe so negligently which they sought after so carefully The Apostle saith of Christ himselfe Proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem He laieng before his eies the ioies of heaven susteined the crosse A great estimation of the matter which he would buy at so deer a rate But what counsel giveth he to other men about the same Surely none other but to Go and sel al that ever they have to purchase this treasure Saint Paul of himselfe what saith he Verelie that He esteemed al the world as dung in respect of the purchasing of this jewel Saint Pauls scholer Ignatius what biddeth he Hear his own words Fire galows beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body al the torments of the devil togither let them come upon me so I may enjoy this treasure of heaven Saint Austen that learned bishop what offereth he You have now heard before that he would be content to suffer torments every day yea the verie torments of hel it selfe to gain this joy Good Lord how far did these holie saints differ from us How contrary were their judgements to ours in these matters Who wil now marvel of the wisdome of the world judged follie by God and of the wisdome of God judged foly by the world Oh children of men saith the prophet why do ye love vanitie and seeke after a lie Why do you imbrace straw contemn gold Straw I say and most vile chaf and such as finally wil set your own house on fire and be your ruin and eternal perdition 19 But now to draw towards an end in this matter though there be no end in the thing it selfe let the Christian consider wherto he is born and wherof he is in possibilitie if he wil. He is born heir apparant to the kingdome of heaven a kingdome without end a kingdome without measure a kingdome of blisse the kingdome of God himselfe he is born to be joint heir with Iesus Christ the Son of God to raign with him to triumph with him to sit in judgement of majestie with him to judge the verie Angels of heaven with him What more glorie can be thought upon except it were to become God himselfe Al the joies al the riches al the glorie that heaven conteineth shal be powred out upon him And to make this honor yet more the glorious lamb that sitteth on the throne of majestie with his eies like fire his feet like burning copper and al his face more shining than precious stone from whose seat there proceedeth thunder and lightning without end and at whose feet the four twentie elders lay down their crowns this lamb I say shal rise and honor him with his own service Who wil not esteme of this roial inheritance Especially seeing that now we have so good opportunity to the obteining therof by the benefite of our redemption and grace purchased to us therin 20 Tel me now gentle reader why wilt thou not accept of this his offer Why wilt thou not account of this his kingdome Why wilt thou not buy this glorie of him for so little a labor as he requireth Suadeo tibi emere a me aurum ignitum probatum vt locuples fias saith Christ I counsel thee to buy pure tried gold of me to the end thou maist be rich Why wilt thou not follow this counsel deer brother especially of a merchant that meaneth not to deceive thee Nothing greeveth this our Savior more than that men wil seek with such pains to buy straw in Egypt wheras he would sel them fine gold at a lower price and that they wil purchase puddle water with more labor than he would require for ten times as much price liquor out of the verie fountain it selfe There is not the wickedst man in the world but taketh more travel in gaining of hel as after shal be shewed than the most painful servant of God in obteining of heaven 21 Follow thou not their follie then deer brother for thou shalt see them suffer greevously for it one day when thy hart shal be ful glad thou hast no part among them Let them go now and bestow their time in vanitie in pleasures in delites of the world Let them build pallaces purchase dignities ad peeces and patches of ground togither let them hunt after honors and build castels in the aire the day wil come if thou beleeve Christ himselfe wherin thou shalt have
life known to me Also when he said of himselfe Super senes intellexi I have understood more than old men And again in another place Incerta occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi Thou hast opened to me the unknown and hidden secrets of thy wisdome This is that light wherwith Saint Iohn saith that Christ lighteneth his servants as also that unction of the holie Ghost which the same Apostle teacheth to be given to the godlie to instruct them in al things behooveful for their salvation In like wise this is that writing of Gods law in mens harts which he promiseth by the prophet Ieremie as also the instruction of men immediately from God himselfe promised by the prophet Esay And finally this is that sovereign understanding in the law commandements and justifications of God which holy David so much desired so often demanded in that most divine psalm which beginneth Blessed are the unspotted in the way that is in this life 14 By this light of understanding and supernatural knowledge and feeling from the holie Ghost in spiritual things the vertuous are greatly holpen in the way of righteousnes for that they are made able to discern for their own direction in matters that occur according to the saieng of S. Paul Spiritualis omnia iudicat A spiritual man iudgeth of al things Animalis autem homo non percipit quae sunt spiritus Dei But the carnal man conceiveth not the things which appertain to the spirit of God Doth not this greatly discover the privilege of a vertuous life The joy comfort and consolation of the same with the exceeding great miserie of the contrarie part For if two should walk togither the one blind and the other of perfect sight which of them were like to be wearie first Whose journey were like to be more painful Doth not a little ground wearie out a blind man Consider then in how wearisom darknes the wicked do walk Consider whether they be blind or no. Saint Paul saith in the place before alledged that they cannot conceive any spiritual knowledge is not this a great darknes Again the prophet Esay describeth their state further when he saith in the person of the wicked We have groped like blind men after the wals have stumbled at midday even as if it had been in darknes And in another place the scripture describeth the same yet more effectuously with the painfulnes therof even from the mouths of the wicked themselves in these words The light of iustice hath not shined unto us and the sun of understanding hath not appeered unto our eies we are wearied out in the way of iniquitie and perdition c. This is the talk of sinners in hel By which words appeereth not only that wicked men do live in great darknes but also that this darknes is most painful unto them and consequently that the contrarie light is a great easement to the way of the vertuous 15 Another principal matter which maketh the way of vertu easie and pleasant to them that walk therin is a certain hidden and secret consolation which GOD powreth into the harts of them that serve him I cal it secret for that it is known but of such only as have felt it for which cause Christ himselfe calleth it Hidden manna known only to them that receive it And the prophet saith of it Great is the multitude of thy sweetnes O Lord which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee And again in another place Thou shalt lay aside O Lord a special chosen rain or dew for thine inheritance And another prophet saith in the person of God talking of the devout soul that serveth him I wil lead hir aside into a wildernes and there I wil talk unto hir 〈◊〉 By al which words of Wildernes separating choise and hidden is signified that this is a secret privilege bestowed only upon the vertuous and that the carnal harts of wicked men have no part or portion therin But now how great and inestimable the sweetnes of this heavenlie consolation is no tong of man can expresse but we may conjecture by these words of David who talking of this celestial wine attributeth to it such force as to make al those dronken that tast of the same that is to take from them al sense and feeling of terrestrial matters even as Saint Peter having droonk a little of it upon the mount Thabor forgat himselfe presently and talked as a man distracted of building tabernacles there and resting in that place for ever This is that Torrens voluptatis that sweet stream of pleasure as the prophet calleth it which comming from the mountains of heaven watereth by secret wais and passages the harts and spirits of the godlie maketh them droonken with the unspeakable joy which it bringeth with it This is a little tast in this life of the very joies of heaven bestowed upon good men to comfort them withal and to incourage them to go forward For as merchants desirous to sel their wares are content to let you see and handle and somtimes also to tast the same therby to induce you to buy so God almightie willing as it were to sel us the joies of heaven is content to impart a certain tast before hand to such as he seeth are willing to buy therby to make them come off roundly with the price and not to stik in paieng so much and more as he requireth This is that exceeding joy and jubile in the harts of just men which the prophet meaneth when he saith The voice of exultation and salvation is in the tabernacles of the iust And again Blessed is that people that knoweth iubilation that is that hath experienced this extreme joy pleasure of internal consolation S. Paul had tasted it when he wrote these words amidst al his labors for Christ I am filled with consolation I overflow or exceedingly abound in al ioy amidst our tribulations What can be more effectually said or alledged to proove the service of God pleasant than this Surely good reader if thou haddest tasted once but one drop of this heavenly joy thou wouldest give the whole world to have another of the same or at the leastwise not to leese that one again 16 But thou wilt ask me Why thou being a Christian as wel as other hast yet never tasted of this consolation To which I answer that as it hath been shewed before this is not meat for every mouth but A chosen moisture laid aside for Gods inheritance only This is wine of Gods own seller laid up for his spouse As the Canticle declareth That is for the devout soul dedicated unto Gods service This is a teat of comfort only for the child to suk and fil himselfe withal as the prophet Esay testifieth The soul that is drowned in sin and pleasures of the
afflicted by God And Christ himselfe yet more expresly Happie are they which suffer persecution If they are happie and blessed therby then are the worldly greatly awry which so much abhor the sufferance therof then is GOD but unthankfully dealt withal by many of his children who repine at this happines bestowed upon them wheras indeed they should accept it with joy and thanksgiving For proofe and better declaration wherof I wil enter now into the third point of this chapter to examin what reasons causes there be to induce us to this joifulnes and contentation of tribulation 21 And first the reasons laid down alreadie of Gods merciful and fatherly meaning in sending us affliction might be sufficient for this matter that is to comfort and content any Christian man or woman who taketh delite in Gods holie providence towards them For if God do send affliction unto us for the increase of our glorie in the life to come for drawing us from infection of the world for opening our eies and curing our diseases and for preserving our souls from sin heerafter as hath been shewed who can be justly displeased therwith but such as are enimies unto their own good We see that for the obtaining of bodilie health we are content not only to admit many bitter and unpleasant medicins but also if need require to yeeld willingly some part of our blood ro be taken from us And how much more should we do this to the end that we hazard not the eternal health and salvation of our soul But now further if this medicin have so many mo commodities besides as have been declared if it serve heer for the punishment of our sin du otherwise at another place in far greater quantitie and rigor of justice if it make a trial of our estate and do draw us to God if it procure Gods love towards us yeeld matter of joy by our deliverance provoke us to thankfulnes embolden and strengthen us and finally if it furnish us with al vertues and do make us like to Christ himselfe then is there singular great cause why we should take comfort and consolation therin for that to come neer and to be like unto Christ is the greatest dignitie and preeminence in the world Lastlie if Gods eternal wisdome hath so ordained and appointed that this shal be the badge and liverie of his Son the high way to heaven under the standard of his crosse then ought we not to refuse this liverie nor to flie this way but rather with good Peter and Iohn to esteem it a great dignitie to be made woorthy of the most blessed participation therof We see that to wear the colors of the prince is thought a prerogative among courtiers in this world but to wear the robe or crown it selfe were to great a dignitie for any inferior subject to receive Yet Christ our Lord and king is content to impart both of his with us And how then ought we I pray you to accept therof 22 And now as I have said these reasons might be sufficient to comfort and make joiful al those that are called to suffer affliction and tribulation But yet there want not some more particular considerations besides Wherof the first and most principal is that this matter of persecution commeth not by chance or casualitie or by any general direction from higher powers but by the special providence and peculiar disposition of God as Christ sheweth at large in Saint Mathews Gospel that is this heavenly medicin or potion is made unto us by Gods own hand in particular Which Christ signifieth when he saith Shal I not drink the cup which my father hath given me That is seeing my father hath tempered a potion for me shal I not drink it As who would say it were too much ingratitude Secondly is to be noted that the very same hand of God which tempered the cup for Christ his own Son hath done the same also for us according to Christ his saieng You shal drink of my cup. That is of the same cup which my father hath tempered for me Heerof it followeth that with what hart and love God tempered this cup unto his own Son with the same he hath tempered it also to us that is altogither for our good and his glorie Thirdlie is to be noted that this cup is tempered with such special care as Christ saith that what trouble or danger soever it seem to work yet shal not one hair of our head perish by the same Nay further is to be noted that which the prophet saith O Lord thou shalt give us to drink in tears in measure That is the cup of tears and tribulation shal be so tempered in measure by our heavenly physition as no man shal have above his strength The dose of aloes and other bitter ingredients shal be qualified with manna and sufficient sweetnes of heavenlie consolation God is faithful saith Saint Paul and wil not suffer you to be tempted above your abilitie This is a singular point of comfort and ought alwais to be in our remembrance 23 Beside this we must consider that the appointing and tempering of this cup being now in the hands of Christ our Savior by the ful commission granted him from his father and he having learned by his own sufferings as the apostle notifieth what it is to suffer in flesh and blood we may be sure that he wil not lay upon us more than we can bear For as if a man had a father or brother a most skilful physition and should receive a purgation from them tempered with their own hands he might be sure it would never hurt him what rumbling soever it made in his bellie for the time so and much more may we be assured of the potion of tribulation ministred us by the hand of Christ though as the apostle saith it seem unto us unpleasant for a time but above al other comfortable cogitations this is the greatest and most comfortable to consider that he divideth this cup only of love as himselfe protesteth and the apostle prooveth that is he giveth out portions of his crosse the richest jewel that he maketh account of as worldly princes do their treasure unto none but unto chosen and picked frinds and among them also not equally to ech man but to everie one a measure according to the measure of good wil wherwith he loveth him This is evident by the examples before set down of his deerest frinds most of al afflicted in this life that is they received greater portions of this treasure for that his good wil was greater towards them This also may be seen manifestly in the example of Saint Paul of whom after Christ had said to Ananias Vas electionis est mihi He is a chosen vessel unto me He giveth immediatly the reason therof For I wil shew unto him what great things he must suffer for my
had in this sort tormented and put to death six of the brethren every one most constantly protesting his faith and the joy he had to die for Gods cause there remained only the yongest whom Antiochus being ashamed that he could pervert never a one of the former endevored by al means possible to draw from his purpose by promising and swering that he should be a rich and happie man and one of his cheef frinds if he would yeeld But when the youth was nothing moved therwith Antiochus called to him the mother and exhorted hir to save hir sons life by persuading him to yeeld which she faining to do therby to have libertie to speak to hir son made a most vehement exhortation to him in the Hebrew toong to stand to it and to die for his conscience which speech being ended the youth cried out with a lowd voice and uttered this noble sentence woorthy to be remembred Quem sustinetis Non obtempero praecepto regis sed praecepto legis Whom do you stay for I do not obey the commandement of the king but the commandement of the law of God Wherupon both he and his mother were presently after many and sundry torments put to death 42 This then is the constant and immoveable resolution which a Christian man should have in al adversitie of this life Wherof Saint Ambrose saith thus Gratia preparandus est animus exercenda mens stabilienda ad constantiam vt nullis perturbari animus possit terroribus nullis frangi molestijs nullis supplicijs cedere Our mind is to be prepared with grace to be exercised and to be so established in constancie as it may not be troubled with any terrors broken with any adversities yeeld to any punishments or torments whatsoever 43 If you ask heer how a man may come to this resolution I answer that Saint Ambrose in the same place putteth two wais the one is to remember the endles and intollerable pains of hel if we do it not and the other is to think of the unspeakable glorie of heaven if we do it Wherto I wil ad the third which with a noble hart may prevail as much as either of them both and that is to consider what others have suffered before us especially Christ himselfe and that only of meer love and affection towards us We see that in this world loving subjects do glorie of nothing more than of their dangers or hurts taken in battel for their prince though he never took blow for them again What then would they do if their prince had been afflicted voluntarily for them as Christ hath been for us But if this great example of Christ seem unto thee too high for to imitate look uppon some of thy brethren before thee made of flesh blood as thou art see what they have suffered before they could enter into heaven think not thy selfe hardly delt withal if thou be called to suffer a litle also 44 Saint Paul writeth of al the apostles togither Even unto this hour we suffer hunger and thirst and lak of apparel we are beaten with mens fists we are vagabonds not having where to stay we labor work with our own hands we are cursed and we do blesse we are persecuted and we take it patiently we are blasphemed and we pray for them that blaspheme us we are made as it were the very outcasts and purgings of this world even unto this day that is though we be apostles though we have wrought so many miracles and converted so many millions of people yet even unto this day are we thus used And a little after describing yet further their lives he saith We shew our selves as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in distresses in beatings in imprisonments in seditions in labors in watches in fastings in chastitie in longanimitie in sweetnes of behavior And of himselfe in particular he saith In laboribus plurimis c. I am the minister of God in many labors in imprisonments more than the rest in beatings above measure and oftentimes in death it selfe Five times have I been beaten of the Iewes and at everie time had fortie lashes lacking on three times have I been whipt with rods once I was stoned three times have I suffered shipwrak a day and a night was I in the bottom of the sea oftentimes in journeies in dangers of fluds in dāgers of thevees in dangers of Iewes in dangers of gentils in dangers of the citie in dangers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labor and travel in much watching in hunger and thirst in much fasting in cold and lak of cloths and beside al these external things the matters that daily do depend upon me for my universal care of al churches 45 By this we may see now whether the apostles taught us more by words than they shewed by example about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might have provided for them if he would at leastwise things necessarie to their bodies not have suffered them to come into these extremities of lacking cloths to their baks meat to their mouths and the like He that gave them authoritie to do so many other miracles might have suffered them at lest to have wrought sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would work if they had such authoritie Christ might have said to Peter when he sent him to take his tribute from out of the fishes mouth Take so much more as wil suffice your necessarie expences as you travel the country but he would not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I have shewed before though he loved them as deerly as ever he loved his own soul. Al which was done as Saint Peter interpreteth to give us example what to follow what to look for what to desire what to comfort our selves withal in amidst the greatest of our tribulations 46 The apostle useth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrews upon the recital of the sufferings of other saints before them Wherfore we also brethren having so great a multitude of witnesses that have suffered before us let us lay off al burdens of sin hanging upon us and let us run by patience unto the battel offered us fixing our eies upon the author of our faith and fulfiller of the same Iesus who putting the joies of heaven before his eies sustained patiently the crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seat of God Think upon him I say which sustained such a contradiction against himselfe at the hands of sinners and be not wearie nor faint in courage For you have not yet resisted against sin unto blood and it seemeth you have forgotten that comfortable saieng which speaketh unto you as unto children My son do not contemn
the discipline of the Lord and be not wearie when thou art chastened of him For whom God loveth he chasteneth he whippeth every son whom he receiveth Persevere therfore in the correction laid upon you God offereth himselfe to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not If you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastards and not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth unpleasant and sorrowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruit of justice unto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen up your wearie hands and loosed knees make way to your feet c. That is take courage unto you and go forward valiantly under the crosse laid upon you This was the exhortation of this holie captain unto his countrie men soldiers of Iesus Christ the Iewes 47 Saint Iames the brother of our Lord useth another exhortation to al tru Catholiks not much different from this in that his epistle which he writeth generally to al. Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he until the comming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruit of the earth so pretious unto him bearing patiently until he may receive the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your harts for that the comming of the Lord wil shortly draw neere Be not sad and complain not one of another Behold the judge is even at the gate Take the prophets for an example of labor and patience which spake unto us in the name of God Behold we account them blessed which have suffered You have heard of the sufferance of Iob and you have seen the end of the Lord with him you have seen I say that the Lord is merciful and ful of compassion 48 I might heer alledge many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is most copious heerin and in verie deed if it should al be melted and powred out it would yeeld us nothing else almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulation in this life But I must end for that this chapter riseth to be long as the other before did and therfore I wil only for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of old Mathathias unto his children in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iews Now saith he is the time that pride is in hir strength now is the time of chastisement towards us of eversion and indignation come Now therfore O children be you zealous in the law of God yeeld up your lives for the testament of your fathers remember the works of your ancestors what they have done in their generations and so shal you receive great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed unto him for justice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandements and was made Lord over al Egypt Phinees our father for his zeal towards the law of God received the testament of an everlasting preesthood Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captain over al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the church received an inheritance David for his mercie obtained the seat of an eternal kingdom Elias for that he was zealous in zeal of the law was taken up to heaven Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleef were delivered from the flame of the fire Daniel for his simplicitie was delivered from the mouth of lions And so do you run over by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And do you not fear the words of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and worms to day he is great and exalted and to morrow he shal not be found for he shal return unto his earth again and al his fond cogitations shal perish Wherfore take courage unto you my children and play the men in the law of God For therin shal be your honor and glorie Hitherto are the words of Mathathias which shal suffice for the end of this chapter CHAP. III. Of the third impediment that letteth men from resolution which is the love of the world AS the two impediments remooved before be indeed great staies to many men from the resolution we talk of so this that now I take in hand is not only of it selfe a strong impediment but also a great cause and common ground as it were to al the other impediments that be For if a man could touch the very pulse of al those who refuse or neglect or defer this resolution he should find the foundation therof to be the love of this world whatsoever other excuse they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended fear to be the cause why they could not resolve to confesse Christ openly but Saint Iohn that felt their pulse uttereth the tru cause to have been For that they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Demas that forsook Saint Paul in his bands even a little before his death pretended another cause of his departure to Thessalonica but Saint Paul saith it was Quia diligebat hoc seculum For that he loved this world So that this is a general and universal impediment and more indeed dispersed than outwardly appeereth for that it bringeth foorth divers other excuses therby to cover hir selfe in many men 2 This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of Christ recorded by three Evangelists of the three sorts of men which are to be damned the three causes of their damnation wherof the third and last and most general including as it were both the rest is the love of this world For the first sort of men are compared to a high way where al seed of life that is sown either withereth presently or else is eaten up by the birds of the aire that is as Christ expoundeth it by the devil in carelesse men that contemn whatsoever is said unto them as infidels and al other obstinate and contemptuous people The second sort are compared to rocky grounds in which for lak of deep roote the seed continueth not wherby are signified light and unconstant men that now chop in and now run out now are fervent and by and by key-cold again and so in time of temptation they are gon The third sort are compared to a field where the seed groweth up but yet there are so many thorns on the same which Christ expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries deceveable vanities of this life as the good corn is choked up and bringeth foorth no fruit By which last words our savior signifieth that whersoever the doctrine of Christ groweth up yet bringeth not foorth du fruit that is whersoever it is
received and imbraced as it is among al Christians and yet bringeth not foorth good life there the cause is for that it is choked with the vanities of this world 3 This is a parable of marvelous great importance as may appeer both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowd voice He that hath ears to hear let him hear as also for that he expounded it himselfe in secret only to his disciples and principally for that before the exposition therof he useth such a solemn preface saieng To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to others not for that they seeing do not see and hearing do not hear nor understand Wherby Christ signifieth that the understanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceiving the tru mysteries of the kingdome of heaven that many are blind which seem to see and many deaf and ignorant that seem to hear and know for that they understand not wel the mysteries of this parable For which cause also Christ maketh this conclusion before he beginneth to expound the parable Happy are your eies that see and blessed are your ears that hear After which words he beginneth his exposition with this admonition Vos ergo audite parabolam Do you therfore hear and understand this parable 4 And for that this parable doth contain and touch so much indeed as may or needeth be said for remooving of this great and dangerous impediment of worldly love I mean to stay my selfe only upon the explication therof in this place and wil declare the force truth of certain words heer uttered by Christ of the world and worldly pleasures and for some order and methods sake I wil draw al to these six points following First how and in what sense al the world and commodities therof are vanities of no valu as Christ heer signifieth and consequently ought not to be an impediment to let us from so great a matter as the kingdome of heaven and the serving of God is Secondly how they are not only vanities and trifles in themselves but also deceptions as Christ saith that is deceits not performing to us indeed those little trifles which they do promise Thirdly how they are Spinae that is pricking thorns as Christ saith though they seem to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant Fourthly how they are aerumnae that is miseries and afflictions as also Christs words are Fiftly Quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke us as Christ affirmeth Sixtly how we may use them notwithstanding without these dangers and evils and to our great comfort gain and preferment 5 And touching the first I do not see how it may be better prooved that al the pleasures and goodly shewes of this world are vanities as Christ heer saith than to alledge the testimonie of one which hath prooved them al that is of one which speaketh not of speculation but of his own proofe and practise and this is king Salomon of whom the scripture reporteth woonderful matters touching his peace prosperitie riches and glorie in this world as that al the kings of the earth desired to see his face for his wisdome and renowmed felicitie that al the princes living besides were not like him in wealth that he had six hundred sixtie and six talents of gold which is an infinite sum brought him in yeerly besides al other that he had from the kings of Arabia and other princes that silver was as plentiful with him as heaps of stones and not esteemed for the great store and abundance he had therof that his plate and jewels had no end that his seat of majestie with stooles lions to bear it up and other furniture was of gold passing al other kingly seats in the world that his pretious apparel and armor was infinite that he had al the kings from the river of the Philistians unto Egypt to serve him that he had fortie thousand horses in his stables to ride and twelve thousand chariots with horses and other furniture readie to them for his use that he had two hundred spears of gold born before him and six hundred crowns of gold bestowed in everie spear as also three hundred buklers three hundred crowns of gold bestowed in the gilding of everie bukler that he spent everie day in his house a thousand nine hundred thirtie and seven quarters of meal flower thirtie oxen with an hundred wethers beside al other flesh that he had seaven hundred wives as queenes and three hundred others as concubines Al this and much more doth scripture report of Salomons worldly wealth wisdome riches and prosperitie which he having tasted and used to his fil pronounced yet at the last this sentence of it al Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities and al is vanitie By vanitie of vanities meaning as Saint Ierom interpreteth the greatnes of this vanitie above al other vanities that may be devised 6 Neither only doth Salomon affirm this thing but doth prove it also by examples of himself I have been king of Israel in Ierusalem saith he and I purposed with my selfe to seek out by wisdome al things I have seen that al under the sun are meer vanities affliction of spirit I said in my hart I wil go and abound in delites and in every pleasure that may be had And I saw that this was also vanitie I tooke great works in hand builded houses to my selfe planted vineyards made orchards and gardens and beset them with al kind of trees I made me fish ponds to water my trees I possessed servants and hand-maids and had a great familie great herds of cattel above any that ever were before me in Ierusalem I gathered togither gold and silver the riches of kings and provinces I appointed to my selfe singers both men and women which are the delites of the children of men fine cups also to drink wine withal and whatsoever my eies did desire I denied it not unto them neither did I let my hart from using any pleasure to delite it selfe in these things which I prepared And when I turned my selfe to al that my hands had made and to al the labors wherin I had taken such pains and sweat I saw in them al vanitie and affliction of the mind 7 This is the testimonie of Salomon upon his own proof in these matters and if he had spoken it upon his wisdome only being such as it was we ought to beleeve him but much more seeing he affirmeth it of his own experience But yet if any man be not mooved with this let us bring yet another witnes out of the new testament and such a one as was privie to the opinion of Christ heerin that is Saint Iohn the evangelist whose words are these Do not love the world nor those things that are in the world if any man love the
by to watch the same The prophet David to signifie the very same thing that is the infinite multitude of snares in this world saith God shal raign snares upon sinners That is God shal permit wicked men to fal into snares which are as plentiful in the world as are the drops of rain which fal down from heaven Every thing almost is a deadly snare unto a carnal and loose harted man Every sight that he seeth every word that he heareth every thought that he conceiveth his youth his age his frinds his enimies his honor his disgrace his riches his povertie his companie keeping his prosperitie his adversitie his meat that he eateth his apparel that he weareth al are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchful 49 Of this then and of the blindnes declared before doth follow the last and greatest miserie of al which can be in this life and that is the facilitie wherby worldly men do run into sin For truly saith the scripture Miseros facit populos peccatum Sin is the thing that maketh people miserable And yet how easily men of the world do commit sin and how little scruple they make of the matter Iob signifieth when talking of such a man he saith Bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem He suppeth up sin as it were water That is with as great facilitie custome and ease passeth he down any kind of sin that is offered him as a mā drinketh water when he is a thirst He that wil not beleeve the saieng of Iob let him prove a little by his own experience whether the matter be so or no let him walk out in to the streets behold the doings of men view their behavior consider what is done in shops in hals in consistories in judgement seats in pallaces and in common meeting places abroad what lieng what slandering what deceiving there is He shal find that of al things wherof men take any account nothing is so little accounted of as to sin He shal see justice sold veritie wrested shame lost and equitie despised He shal see the innocent condemned the giltie delivered the wicked advanced the vertuous opressed He shal see many theves florish many usurers bear great sway many murderers extortioners reverenced honored many fools put in authoritie and divers which have nothing in them but the form of men by reason of money to be placed in great dignities for the government of others He shal hear at every mans mouth almost vanitie pride detraction envie deceit dissimulation wantonnes dissolution lieng swearing perjurie and blaspheming Finally he shal see the most part of men to govern themselves absolutely even as beasts do by the motion of their passions not by law of justice reason religion or vertu 50 Of this doth insu the fift point that Christ toucheth in his parable and which I promised heer to handle to wit that the love of this world choketh up and strangleth every man whom it possesseth from al celestial and spiritual life for that it filleth him with a plain contrarie spirit to the spirit of God The apostle saith Si quis spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius If any man hath not the spirit of Christ this fellow belongeth not unto him Now how contrarie the spirit of Christ and the spirit of the world is may appeer by the fruits of Christs spirit rekoned up by Saint Paul unto the Galathians to wit Charitie which is the root and mother of al good works Ioy in serving God Peace or tranquillitie of mind in the storms of this world Patience in adversitie Longanimitie in expecting our reward Bonitie in hurting no man Benignitie in sweet behavior Gentlenes in occasion given of anger Faithfulnes in performing our promises Modestie without arrogancie Continencie from al kind of wickednes Chastitie in conserving a pure mind in a clean and unspotted bodie Against these men saith Saint Paul there is no law And in the very same chapter he expresseth the spirit of the world by the contrarie effects saieng The works of flesh are manifest which are fornication uncleannes wantonnes lecherie idolatrie poisonings enmities contentions emulations wrath strife dissention sects envie murder droonkennes gluttonie and the like of which I foretel you as I have told you before that those men which do such things shal never obtain the kingdome of heaven 51 Heer now may every man judge of the spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ and applieng it to himselfe may conjecture whether he holdeth of the one or of the other Saint Paul giveth two pretie short rules in the very same place to trie the same The first is They which are of Christ have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences therof That is they have so mortified their own bodies as they strive against al the vices sins repeated before and yeeld not to serve the concupiscences or temptations therof The second rule is If we live in spirit then let us walk in spirit That is our walking and behavior is a sign whether we be alive or dead For if our walking be spiritual such as I have declared before by those fruits therof then do we live have life in spirit but if our works be carnal such as S. Paul now hath described then are we carnal and dead in spirit neither have we any thing to do with Christ or portion in the kingdome of heaven And for that al the world is ful of those carnal works and bringeth foorth no fruits indeed of Christs spirit nor permitteth them to grow up or prosper within hir thence is it that the scripture alwais putteth Christ and the world for opposite and open enimies 52 Christ himselfe saith that The world cannot receive the spirit of truth And again in the same Evangelist he saith that Neither he nor any of his are of the world though they live in the world And yet further in his most vehement praier unto his father Pater iuste mundus te non cognovit Iust father the world hath not known thee For which cause S. Iohn writeth If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him And yet further Saint Iames that Whosoever but desireth to be frind of this world is therby made an enimie to God What wil worldly men say to this Saint Paul affirmeth plainly that this world is to be damned And Christ insinuateth the same in Saint Iohns Gospel but most of al in that wonderful fact of his when praieng to his father for other matters he excepteth the world by name Non pro mundo rogo saith he I do not aske mercie and pardon for the world but for those which thou hast given me out of the world Oh what a dreadful exception is this made by the savior of the world by the lamb that taketh away al sins
honor and defence of themselves at home Wheras if our treasure were carried foorth and then imploied against our selves as heertofore very oft hath been seen it were no marvel if the people were very loath to make those paiments when as even now the remembrance of such unreasonable exactions before doth make the justest paiments that are somwhat irksome somtimes unto the people on whom they are laid In that we are governed at home in our own countrie that also is a singular benefit wheras otherwise by appeales and in divers other cases many were fain to go unto Rome to follow their sutes In which one thing there were two discommodities that are very great one to the hinderance of justice the other to the discommoditie of the parties besides Iustice must needs be hindered therby for that there could be so far off no sufficient knowledge of the matter in many cases and very hard safely to carrie the proceedings of the courts heer or whatsoever other records were needful besides Again needs must it be to a further discommoditie of the parties both bicause it could not be but both a dangerous a chargeable journey for themselves and such as they should need to have with them and very hurtful unto their own private affairs at home by means of their so long absence abroad 6 The inconvenience that therby they should sustain was as I said but very little and surely it is so little indeed that hardly it may be thought any at al. But whatsoever it is it is meete that it be set down that so the judgment of the whole may better proceed Whatsoever inconvenience therfore it is that may come unto them therby either it toucheth as I do take it the cause it selfe or else their person If it touch the cause it is either appertaining to religion or else unto their civile estate In religion the truth is that they shal not have in our profession that varietie of wais or helps that otherwise they suppose that they have in their own For with us they should have no help at al in the martyrdome bloodshedding or suffering of any saint or of their own to satisfie the justice of GOD for their sins nor the good works that themselves or others have wrought for to merit the kingdome of God For these things should they have with us no help at al But only the sufferings and merits of Christ. If they think this same would be some derogation to the sufferings and merits of saints and a great discouragement unto al sorts either to suffer or to do good works whatsoever I could say therunto to shew that they need not so to gather yet at this praesent I say no more but this that whether this be any inconvenience or not such as it is they should indeed light upon it if they joined with us So likewise in divers other matters that hang therupon and are as necessarie helps therunto they would have some want both in heaven and earth of that which now they suppose with themselves that they have For in heaven they should have none at al either to help them but only God or to be a mediator for them to God but only Christ and as for any betwixt them and Christ the truth is that we should allow them none In earth likewise needs must they leese a great part of their direction and comfort For with us they should have no other direction either of the heathen or of the fathers of the church whether it were but one by himselfe or mo togither but only the written word of GOD absolutely or without limitation and the wisdome or learning of al the rest only so far as may be grounded on the written word And whatsoever comfort they have in their sacraments having at lest five mo than we or else in any of their repraesentations of comfortable things wherin they do very much exceed both in their images and many ceremonies besides that I say must they be content to part withal if they wil be of our profession and therwithal content themselves with the two sacraments only with few of their ceremonies and with none of their images at al. In such things as belong to their civile estate the inconveniences that are do either touch al generally or else some one sort of them more than others That which toucheth al generally is to my knowledge no more but this that so they might seem to be in danger not to be governed wel when as so they should not have any one on earth to hold altogither in one And indeed if it be needful to have al countries kingdoms and nations to be holden togither in one by some one man heer on earth that should be soveraign over al others then it cannot be denied but that in our profession that inconvenience needs must they have That which toucheth some sorts of them more than others is divers some that goeth against their credit and some that hindereth much of their profit The credit of many of them would indeed be touched for that they should not be able by our profession to win that credit with the common multitude as they may be able by theirs and that in two principal points First their vowing of single life excluding al others that would not both from their preesthood and from divers functions besides of special credit For by this they might both have greater opinion of holines with many and be in better account of house-keeping besides as not having as no wife so likewise no children nor concubine neither wheron to bestow such things as they had And it is very tru that so doing that in such sort as many of them did use it they might keep better houses a great deal for bicause that that way they were oft times at much lesse charges than those that are married can attain unto both bicause that divers of them neither had any children indeed nor kept any concubines but did their indevor truly to observe their vow the residu that had either concubines at the least or else both concubines and children too yet were they not at such charges with them as marriage requireth neither yet would they for that by their more glorious house-keeping they saw that they had a ready way therby to stop many of those mouthes that otherwwise for incontinencie would be open against them The other is that they were so diligent in outward ceremonies observations some of them making a great shew of holines towards God others of some terrible streightnes of life Both which do indeed breed a great aestimation among the common people and are of such force that somtimes they have made not only Iohn Baptist but the Pharisies also to be of better account than Christ bicause he used his libertie and freedome in such cases and lived for such outward matters more like to the common sort than they Concerning the
Psal. 33. Luc. 21. Psal. 4. The force of fear Ioh. 5. Mat. 3. Mar. 1. Luc. 3. 2. Cor. 5. In serm de primordijs Prou. 9. Eccl. 7. Gods maiestie Psal. 71. Deu. 10. Psal. 4. Psal. 93. Iere. 5. Gods mercie Psal. 84. Esai 13. Psal. 7. Gods patience Rom. 2. Esai 27. Iere. 16. Gen. 15. Apoc. 21. Psal. 36. Ezec. 7. Of pains in particular Heb. 10. Of the name of hel in divers toongs Esa. 5. 38. Mala. 4. * * The matter in hand is not by this place substantially prooved Esai 14. Mat. 14. Apo. 14. Apo. 11. Mat. 11. In com supra verba vivelatenter 2. Pet. 4. Iob. 10. Mat. 22. and 25. 2. Pet. 4. Iob. 10. Matt. 5.10.18.23 Mark 9. Luc. 12. The valley Hinnom The pains of hel universal 1. Cor. 2. Exo. 33. Peculiar torments to every part The pains of hel exercised for torment not for chastisement Apo. 20. 14. Apo. 18. Luc. 16. The fearce nature of the fire of hel Mat. 8.13.22.24 Luc. 13. * * Gnashing and chattering of the teeth are not al one and proceed of divers causes Apo. 21. Psal. 35. Particular pains for particular offenders Esai 17. Esai 28. Ierem. 2. Apo. 20. Ps. 27.98 Eze. 24. Osee. 12. Zach. 1. Apo. 18. Li. de veri Pan. ca. 2. Iob. 20. A marvelous description used by the scripture The straitnes of pains in hel Mat. 22. Mat. 25. Luc. 16. The wonderful example of the rich glutton Apo. 16. Eze. 23. Apo. 13. Luc. 3. The eternity of the pains Apo. 21. A wonderful saieng Darknes in hel Mat. 8.22 Derision Psal. 36. Pains of damnage which the damned suffer Esai 26. The worm of conscience Mar. 9. Esai 66. Eccle. 7· Iudit 6. The cogitations of the damned Sap. 5. Luc. 16. God the best pay maister Mat. 10. Mark 9. Gen. 22. 2. Reg. 7. Psal. 88. Mat. 20. Apo. 22. Luc. 14. Mat. 25. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 1. Luc. 14. 1. Cor. 2. Esai 64. Apoc. 2.20 Apo. 2. 3. Mat. 16. Luc. 10. Ap. 21. 22 The description of paradise Heb. 1. Mat. 13. The creation of Angels * * Great excellency of gifts may be ascribed unto them but not perfection Dan. 1. Psa. 113. The creation of the world to expresse the power of God * * We may not wel restrein the purpose of God only to this besides that it may be dowted likewise by what warrant that opinion doth stand Ester 1. Esai 25. Luc. 12. The pleasures and commodities of this life Apo. 19. In soliloquijs animae ad Deum Apo. 19. Psal 30. How much God honoreth man 1. Reg. 2. Psa. 138. Luc. 12. Mat. 19. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 6. Mat. 10. Gen. 12.14.20 Exod. 5.6.7.8 Iosu. 10. Esai 38. 3. Re. 17. 4. Reg. 5. 4. Re. 13. Acts. 5. Acts. 19. Act. 5. Iohn 18. 2. Tim. 4. Apoc. 4. The three places wherto a man is appointed * * It is rather a conjecture thā grounded upon any sufficient warrant to set down so just a proportion herin Two parts of felicitie in heaven That which concerneth the bodie 1. Cor. 15. Sap. 9. Eph. 4. Mat. 15. Cap. 57. Psal. 35. Sap. 5. That which concerneth the soul. Aug. 1. de Tri. ca. 13. Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 13. Hug. lib. 4. de anima cap. 15. Knowledge Psal. 35. Love The greatnes of ioy in heaven Mat. 25. Psal. 83. Tra. 4. in ep Ioh. Mat. 5. 1. Cor. 3. Aug. c. 36. soliloq 1. Cor. 13. Psal. 4. Gen. 15. Iohn 17. Cae. 35. soli loquiorum Phil. 4. Esai 51. Esai 35. Psa. 103. Psal. 20. A comfortable consideration Luc. 21. Eph. 1. Colos. 1. 1. The. 1. Esai 6. Luc. 15. * * This must needs be warily taken otherwise with the comfort that is sought therby there may be danger of error also The ioy of securitie Ios. 21.22 Gen. 3. Sap. 17. 1. Cor. 9. Ierom ep 22. ad Eust. Apo. 19. Mat. 2. Luc. 1. Serm. 37. de sanctis Meeting with our frinds in heaven * * There be divers of this mind but seeing that the knowledge of father mother such like is earthlie knowlege al earthly knowledge shal then be abolished I see not how it may be warranted that we shal then have remēbrance or knowledge of any such saving only as they are members of one bodie and not as our father kinsman or frind a a Cyp. lib. de mortalitate b b 2. Tim. 4. Apoc. 2.3.4 Lib. de mortalitate A comparison The great account that saints made of heaven Heb. 12. Mat. 13. Phil. 3. Ierom in catalogo Ser. 31. de sanctis 1. Cor. 1. 2. and 3. Psal. 4. Wherto a Christian is born by baptism Gal. 3. 4. Eph. 1. 5. Colos. 3. Titus 3. Rom. 8. Iaco. 2. Heb. 19. 1. Pe. 1.3 2. Pet. 3. Apo. 1. Mat. 19. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 6. Ap. 1. 4. Luc. 12. Apo. 3. Exod. 5. Iere. 2. Apo. 21. The vanitie of worldly men Luc. 6. Luc. 12. Mat. 26. 1. Cor. 2. Ep. Iud. A similitude 1. Cor. 2. 2. Co. 12. 1. Cor. 6. Phil. 3. 2. Ti. 2.1 Titus 6. Heb. 12. Mat. 7.19.25 Rom. 8. Mat. 11. Mat. 7. and 19. Iohn 14. Luc. 14. A saieng to be remembred Ep. Iud. Rom. 1. Pro. 18. and 20. Psa. 140. Tob. 12. Pro. 29. Lib. de compunct cordis Hom. 16. ex So. Rom. 8. 2. Pet. 2. Luc. 16. The way of vertu is not hard Mat. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. The cause of pretended difficultie Ibidem 2. Cor. 12. 4. Reg. 6. The force of grace for the easing of vertuous life Rom. 8. Phil. 4. Psa. 118. Psa. 118. Psal. 18. Ioh. 10. Rom. 5. Heb. 6. Mat. 1. Esai 40. Esai 11. vide Ier. ibid. Amb. lib. 1. de sp 5. c. 20. Mat. 5. Luc. 6. Acts. 4. 2. Cor. 4. Esai 10. Of the force of grace Eze. 11. and 36. Rom. 6. So prooveth S. Aust. li. 2. de pecca merit cap. 6. Esai 41. A similitude The use of passions moderated * * A special point to be considered for the rectifieng of one point of philosophie which is that the soul doth follow the temperature of the bodie And this do they hold for that by experience it is commonly seen that the disposition of men is such as the nature of their complexion doth seem to import For cōmonly those that are sanguine are pleasant those that are flegmatik slow those that are cholerik earnest and those that are melancholie solitarie and such like And yet the truth is that the soul doth not follow but rather doth use such temperature as the bodie hath that very wel and to good use if the soul be good but otherwise abuseth it il For the complexions are indifferent neither good nor il of themselves but as they are used But bicause that most mens souls are il as we are al by original corruption therfore do most men abuse their complexions to il as bloud to wantonnes fleam to slought choler to anger and melancholie